Crazy Heart

On a TV spot for Crazy Heart in one of the review blurbs it was compared to 2008's The Wrestler a film I enjoyed very much. It was once my number one film of 2008 but I feel that it doesn't hold up as well upon second viewings. Rewind to January 11, 2009, The Wrestler takes home 2 Golden Globes, Best Actor and Best Original Song. Now go to January 17, 2010, Crazy Heart takes home 2 Golden Globes, Best Actor and Best Original Song. I don't think it was because I read that blurb or because of the similarity of the awards they won, but when I was watching Crazy Heart I thought I was watching a toned down version of The Wrestler. Everything about this movie is exactly the same as in The Wrestler but toned down. For example, change coke and steroids to alcohol and cigarettes, a heart attack to a concussion, and a stripper to a journalist. Even the characters are the same, a has been wrestler and a has been country singer. There are maybe 20 similarities I noticed while watching this movie, so many it was distracting. But comparing 2 films isn't real film criticism except for pointing out lack of originality (even though it was based on a 1987 book). Jeff Bridges is an amazing actor and he play Bad Blake better than anyone could and he is amazing. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a somewhat weepy but average performance. The movie was undeniably good, it just wasn't great. I'm not a big fan of country music, so I won't count my lack of enjoyment of the music against the film (yet I did enjoy the song that won the Golden Globe). I think it may have something to do with the fact that I didn't enjoy The Wrestler as much the second time. Maybe every one needs to see this story told once and never again to receive its full impact. I would be interested to see what someone thought of the film who didn't see The Wrestler.
Crazy Heart - 3 out of 4
-Zach

Top Movies of 2009

This is sort of late but I was busy and I also wanted to make sure I saw all the films I wanted to. I didn't get to see Crazy Heart (Well except Roger Ebert's) but it didn't make it on many top lists so I'll hold it off.

1. Inglorious Basterds - This is seriously the most awesome movie of the year by far. Tarantino can write a screenplay so good, some of the lines were whirring around in my head a week after I saw the movie. It's all so memorable and well executed. It was my #1 most anticipated movie of the year, and it delivered.
2. Up - This was also on my most anticipated movies of 2009 list. To find out what is so good about this movie all you need to see is the 5 minute "Married Life" scene about 7 minutes into the film.
3. A Serious Man - It is a brilliant dark comedy. I enjoyed Burn After Reading, but it is nothing compared to this year's offering. If you want to know the secret about what is so great about this movie you need to put it in perspective... think about it as a parking lot...
4. (500) Days of Summer - A really wonderful relationship movie this is taken an extra step up by the amazing performances by Zooey Dechenel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
5. Where the Wild Things Are - This movie captures imagination and childrens' anguish coping techniques better than any movie to come out... ever pretty much.
6. The Hurt Locker -This movie is undeniably amazing. It sets out to capture the life of this bomb squad, and it does it so extremely effectively it will blow your mind. Although its probably the best directed film of the year it is not #2 or 3 on my list because the story was a bit one note and repetitive by the end for my taste.
7. Moon - I saw this movie at the Tribeca Film Festival in April or May and I loved it back when I saw it. I find now that I can still remember most of what happens in the movie even though I haven't seen it in 8 months which is a good sign. I wish I could say the same about another science fiction film that cam out this year, Terminator Salvation, wait did that movie come out yet? Oh yeah that was that one... wait a second, was that the one with all the explosions?
8. Up in the Air - This movie isn't overrated, it is fabulous. Every performance is great from George Clooney to the amazing J.K. Simmons in a small role. The entire story is formulated so well, it's all just amazing.
9. District 9 - I really enjoyed this Science Fiction movie. It probably would be my #10 but it's just fun to make it my #9... because it's called District 9... so yeah.
10. World's Greatest Dad - I didn't review this film but I ended up seeing it a few weeks ago and loved it. I was bound to love this movie. I just enjoy dark comedies like this, and trust me this is a very dark comedy.

Honorable Mentions: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, An Education, Humpday, Broken Embraces, Watchmen, and In the Loop

I hope you like my list but I couldn't end this post without a mention of my least favorite film of the year. I would make a list of my worst movies of the year but no other movie I could put on the list could compare to how much I loathed this movie. It's Transformers 2, I don't even have enough respect for this movie to call it by it's full name. I simply hated every minute of it. There is no other film this year that made me feel like I was going to vomit as much as much as this one did. The worst part of it is how much money this film made and how many people liked it. It seems that modern audiences only go to the movies to see explosions and not a movie with good acting, directing, screenwriting, continuity, or editing (all of which this film lacks). The fact that this film was made and did so well makes me worried about the future of cinema. As Criswell said in Plan 9 from Outer Space, "god help us in the future."
-Zach

Top of the Decade

Okay making a list of the top movies of the decade is nearly impossible. I turned to other lists but found very little leverage. It took me a while... that's why I haven't posted it until now.

1. Kill Bill (2003-4) - I still think of these two movies as one split into two parts, I don't like one better than the other, I just think of them as one movie.
2. WALL-E (2008) - This movie wasn't originally my top film of 2008, it was at a close second. The reason it made it all the way here is that I liked this movie more and more every time I saw it, and it ended up to be so extremely re-watchable. To tell you the truth, I saw this movie 3 times in theaters and I must have seen it 7 times on DVD. Now all you animation haters who won't even give this movie a fair chance, shame on you!
3. Adaptation (2002) - Watching this movie was seriously one of the most interesting times I've ever had watching a movie. The way it went back and forth between fact and fiction was brilliant. When I was finished I had no idea what was truth and what wasn't I just knew I really liked what I saw.
4. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - This movie was right up my alley, creepy, weird, and haunting. It is like if a Greek myth was placed in the middle of a horror movie taking place during the Spanish Civil War.
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - It's the second Charlie Kaufman screenplay to appear on my list. This movie is unexplainable in one short paragraph as are many Kaufman movies so I'll just make a cheesy statement about the movie instead. I won't have this movie erased from my memory!
6. Mulholland Drive (2001) - This movie was just so creepy and cool, and Naomi Watts is so good in it. This is another movie that is just my type of movie.
7. Inglorious Basterds (2009) - If you read my review you know that I love every second of this movie. From the amazing opening scene to the final frame.
8. Donnie Darko (2001) - This is another one of the strange type of movies that I love, but for some reason I didn't find is as confusing as most people seem to.
9. Juno (2007) - This is another one of those movies I watch over and over again and they just don't get old. Every darn line of this screenplay is spot on, kudos to Diablo Cody.
   
10. Erin Brockovich (2000) - I don't know why, but for some reason I really love this movie. Mainly because of the fact that I just enjoy the story.

-Zach

While I've Been Out...

I went away for a week or so, but I did get to see a few movies in theaters while I was away. I'm currently forming my list of the top ten movies of 2009, but before I post that I've decided to give short snippet reviews of the movies I saw.
Up in the Air - For me this is not a perfect movie, but a pretty damn good one. The strongest element of the film is the acting. Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick are all fantastic but in my opinion Kendrick (who I first saw in a movie called Camp) is the stand-out. The story is excellent and it is really touching and funny at the same time. Jason Reitman has proved himself to be a director who has really not messed up with a film yet and will hopefully continue this trend.
Up in the Air - 4 out of 4
Nine - I really didn't like Nine. I felt the musical sequences were redundant, and unneeded. The performances weren't that good and the story was long and boring. The best thing about it was the aesthetic and I have seen better. In other words there is absolutely no point in seeing this movie it's a waste of your time, go rent Chicago.
Nine - 1.5 out of 4
So I'll be getting back to you all with my top of 2009 list, a best of the decade list, and possible a best performances of 2009 list.
-Zach