The Girlfriend Experience | Fantastic Mr. Fox | Broken Embraces

A nice little three-movie day. Titles above, in the order I watched them.

The Girlfriend Experience is terrific. My homey Jason Ryan (I linked to his old short story blog, so you all can enjoy some real good reading--you're welcome) mentioned earlier this year in 2009 that he really liked it, that it might be one of the best he's seen this year saw in 2009. Admittedly, I had my doubts. But I watched it this afternoon and it's really pretty special. It's Steven Soderbergh's other 2009 film (The Informant! being what I consider his primary release this year), and it only solidifies his status in my mind as the most prolific talent currently working. He made his big splash way back in '89 with sex, lies, and videotape, and since then he has made at least twenty films, the vast majority of which are good movies. And that's really saying something. Most directors put out films at no better than half the pace of Soderbergh, with half the creativity and vision (at best), and most of them are less than half as watchable.

Anyway, I don't think I'm going to tell you anything about The Girlfriend Experience, other than that you should watch it as soon as you're able. If you have Netflix, there's really no excuse, as it's available to "Watch Instantly". So get to it. Time's a-wasting.

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Round 2 was lovely. I liked it very much the first time I saw it, and I liked it very much this second time, as well. My repeat viewing didn't convince me that it's a great film (as opposed to a very good and very enjoyable one), but I did notice more, different bits that I hadn't before. I hereby submit that Fantastic Mr. Fox is Wes Anderson's third-best movie to date, by the way. (Feel free to guess the first two. It shouldn't be hard.)

Broken Embraces. Not a lot to say about this one. It's good. It's not great. It's definitely worth seeing. But it's also definitely rentable, if you prefer the DVD route. I have yet to see a Pedro Almodovar film that is boring, and this is no exception. All of his films seem to have interesting, slightly bizarre stories told in a way that always feels fresh and unique. And for that, I love him. But Broken Embraces--despite being interesting and slightly bizarre, and feeling (somewhat) fresh and unique--ultimately left me unenthused. I'm glad I went to see it, but a week from now, I'll probably have forgotten all about it. And I'm fine with that.

Invictus | Pierrepoint

Watched two movies today. One of them was good.

Invictus wasn't the good one. Invictus isn't a bad movie, either, but it is a little dull, and clumsily constructed.

I initially thought it odd that Matt Damon was cast as former South Africa Rugby captain Francois Pienaar. It seemed to me that a capable South African actor must be available to play the part. Anyway, my concerns were unfounded; Damon gives a fine performance.

And I'd be lying if I said I'm not at all concerned about Clint Eastwood's newly lackadaisical directing. It seems that the older Eastwood gets, the less concerned he is with keeping production value high. Watching Gran Torino last year (a film I liked, by the way), there were a few moments during which it became painfully obvious that I was sitting in a theatre watching a movie. Invictus contains even more of those illusion-killing instances. I don't think Eastwood's age is catching up with him, necessarily, but I do think that he has more or less stopped caring about those minor details which keep audiences engaged. He's made enough films by now to be done sweating the small stuff, apparently. So be it. All I know is that I sure miss the days when his movies were seamless and compelling throughout (i.e., just three years ago).

But about that good movie...

Way back in 2006, a movie called Pierrepoint played at the Seattle International Film Festival. I clearly remember wanting to see the movie but, ultimately, I missed it (there are only so many hours in the day, and dollars in my pocket, after all). It took me three and a half years, and considerable prodding on the part of my dad, but I've finally seen it. And it is terrific.

The story of Albert Pierrepoint, a famed English hangman, it is a remarkably affecting film. From his first hanging to his last, the film somehow conveys exactly how devastating capital punishment is, not only for its "victims" and their survivors, but also for the practitioner. The film is at once an examination of capital punishment through executioner's eyes, and a character study of the executioner himself. At only 90 minutes, it is absolutely astounding that so much emotional weight and character development is packed into Pierrepoint.

Much of the credit has to go to Timothy Spall, a wildly underrated actor (in the US, anyway) who most film-goers probably know better as Wormtail of Harry Potter infamy. But it's the lower-profile films in which he really shines, and Pierrepoint is undoubtedly his best. (He's also great in Mike Leigh's All or Nothing and, if you like soccer at all, The Damned United, as well.) The rest of the cast is rock-solid, too--Eddie Marsan's face is incredible.

There's far more to Pierrepoint than great acting, of course. The photography is gorgeous and effective. Music is on point, and put to great use in particular scenes. And I honestly cannot recall more eloquent writing; each word, in each line, is there for a reason.

Maybe it's hypocritical of me to say so, considering how long it took me to see the film, but Pierrepoint is criminally underwatched. See it soon.

The Best of 2009! (So far!)

First off, I hope anyone who actually reads my blogs can forgive me for being such a garbage blogger. I'm tempted to make some sort of empty promise about "getting better about that," but, as I like to tell the truth whenever possible, I'll settle for a sincere apology: I'm sorry, Readers. I love you dearly.

Secondly, the title of this post probably deserves some explanation. It should be obvious, I think, that a list of the best movies I saw in the past year will be available below. Generally, I wait until shortly before the Oscars to compile a "Best of the Year" list. But, even though it's only three days into the new year, practically everyone else I know who makes this sort of list (critics and casual fans alike) have already done so. And goddammit, I don't want to miss this boat again. I'm notoriously late for everything (ask anyone); this list will be the exception to that rule (my priorities are obviously fucked).

Which brings me to the "(So far!)" part of my title. If anything is more typically 'me' than chronic tardiness, it is my limitless fear of commitment (just trust me on this one). The "(So far!)" is my disclaimer. Should I see a 2009 film in the next month or two that I can't bear to leave off this list, I reserve the right to amend it accordingly.

Just for fun--or maybe as a light appetizer?--here's a sampling of some of the 2009 films I intend to see as soon as possible, which I think stand a good chance of cracking my Best of 2009 list:

• The White Ribbon (01.19: I have no idea how I feel about it yet, which probably means it's good. I'll see it again in a couple weeks when it gets its official release.)
• Police, Adjective (01.30: As with White Ribbon, I'll need to see Police, Adjective at least once more before I'll know whether or not it's worth of The List.)
• Summer Hours
• Goodbye Solo (01.18)
• The Limits of Control (02.11: It's fascinating. Not to mention gorgeously photographed. Oh, and the music is terrific, too. Come to think of it, I like it more and more and more with each passing moment.)
• Anvil! The Story of Anvil (Best doc of the year. 50-year-old Canadian dudes still chasing the dream. Inspiring.)
• Liverpool
• The Girlfriend Experience (01.05: Moving it to the Honorable Mention list.)

The White Ribbon and Police, Adjective haven't even opened in Seattle yet! How can I possibly make a complete, final, unconditional Best of 2009 list when such strong prospects open in my city nearly a full month after the year has ended?! Movie-watching sure is tough.

Anyway, without further ado, the ten finest films of 2009, according to me, are:

1. Hunger
2. Moon
3. Sin Nombre
4. Revanche
5. Gomorrah
6. Still Walking
7. 35 Shots of Rum
8. Precious
9. The Hurt Locker
10. Inglourious Basterds

In the interest of brevity and my sanity, I have no intention of providing any explanation for my decisions (yet, anyway). One thing I would like to point out: only two three American productions made this list, and they waited until the 8th and 9th (and 10th) spots to do so. Way to suck, USA. (Note: As of 01.12, one more American film has snuck onto the list. Crazy Heart, tied for at #10. See it.)

Some quick honorable mentions:

• Adventureland (Jesse Eisenberg: the thinking-person's Michael Cera.)
• An Education (Demoted from Top Ten on 01.20...but through no fault of its own.)
• Avatar
• Crazy Heart (Bumped from Top Ten by The Hurt Locker.)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox (Because I, too, am a wild animal. HOT BOX!)
• The Girlfriend Experience (See below comment.)
• The Informant! (Two decades on, and Steven Soderbergh continues to make terrific movies with remarkable frequency and consistency.)
• Sherlock Holmes
• Star Trek
• Zombieland (You're killing it, Jesse Eisenberg.)

Okay, that's all for now. But stay tuned for a forthcoming "Best of the Decade" list--the Top 9 of which have already been decided (assuming an as-yet unseen 2009 film doesn't complicate matters by completely blowing me away). Also, Oscartime will undoubtedly bring some nonsense about who should be nominated, followed by some disgust with who was nominated, and culminating in a bitter post-show rant about how all the winners are undeserving scum. Maybe I'll even pretend to swear off the Oscars for good! Should be a blast!

Byefornow, Readers.

(500) Days of Summer

If you can get past the sometimes gag-inducing Hipster self-love, the occasionally contrived dialogue, and the WAY-too-cutesy(but not in the way you think) ending, (500) Days of Summer is filled with many genuinely clever, sexy, moving, heartbreaking, honest moments.

That said, I don't encourage you to spend $9+ to see this movie in the theatre. But if somebody else is paying, or you can get in cheap (or free), go for it! It's worth an hour and a half of sitting in the dark.

If you can't find a way to get around buying a ticket, pick it up when it hits DVD.

[PS: Most of the obnoxious bits get out of the way in the first act. Have a little patience.]

Sin Nombre

A couple weeks ago, my sister, my brother-in-law, and I took a trip to Atlanta to catch some NHRA drag racing.  But instead of just driving up to the dragway and back, we decided to make a weekend of it and spend Saturday in Atlanta.  And I gotta say, Atlanta's pretty dope.  Should you ever find yourself down this direction, be sure to check it out.  For my money, it's the greatest big city in the South.  (For the record, I have yet to visit many of the South's most famous metropolitan areas but, from what I've heard, Atlanta's tops many lists of those in the know.)

Anyway, while in Atlanta, we made a point of taking advantage of the wide film selection to which America's bigger cities are privy.  As badly as I wanted to check out Atlanta's lone Landmark Theatre, I apparently wanted to see Sin Nombre worse.

I was right to trust my instincts.  Sin Nombre is a great movie.  Easily the best I've seen since the 2009 film year commenced.

Brief synopsis:

Hesitant Honduran girl sets out for Mexico-USA border with father, uncle, and brother. Southern Mexican boy saves Honduran girl's life, earns ire of his gang, heads north with Honduran girl in an attempt to save his own skin.  Bond formed, the pair wind up in the midst of a terrifying albeit thrilling rush to the border and (hopefully) relative safety.

Like a lot of great movies, the sequence of events winds up being far less important than the circumstances in which they take place.  Life is far from perfect in the United States, but goddamn it, we've got it pretty good.  Watching Sin Nombre left me with too overwhelming feelings.  First, I felt extremely lucky to have been born where I was born.  Second, I felt a great sadness for all the people who desperately want to enjoy the same luxuries I do, but are forced to endure unthinkable hardship before they can even think of enjoying them.

It's been nearly two full weeks since I saw Sin Nombre and I really thought a lot of the emotion I'd associated with it had faded, but now that I'm revisiting the film, the difficult-to-reconcile feelings are rushing back.

In the interest of curbing an emotional outpouring before it begins, let me just say this: you really ought to see Sin Nombre as soon as you're able.  It's still playing at many locations around the country.  But don't wait, movies like this rarely stay in theatres as long as they should.  And trust me, you don't want to miss this one.

NOW PLAYING IN... (click your city for venues and showtimes)

• Seattle
• Portland
• New York
• DC
• LA
• And for all my Savannians, if you're up for a relatively lengthy trip: Atlanta & Gainesville

[Note: I'm probably vastly overestimating my readership, as is.  But if you happen to read this blog and I haven't listed your city above, please let me know and I'll be certain to do so in the future.]