One of my faves from this year’s Sundance was the street art docu Exit Through the Gift Shop. I pondered in my Twitch review the validity of some of the factual aspects of the film. The film’s premier this week at the Berlin Film Fest finds both IndieWire’s Eugene Hernandez and the NY Times’ Manohla Dargis also pondering the same thing. While I think Dargis is off the mark in suggesting that Banksy and Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash) might be one and the same – there is no doubt that some elements comprise more than meets the narrative eye.

…Or maybe not. Maybe every piece of the story is exactly how it is portrayed in the doc. Is it really so hard to believe that Banksy took over the editing duties from the schizotron Guetta and was able to put together this fascinating piece of documentation? Maybe it is simply hard for us to believe that someone as subversive as Banksy would do anything that straight forward. How can we trust a man who won’t even show his face?

Regardless, the real story here is how successful the film is at documenting the movement. Just imagine if cameras were rolling when Cézanne and Pissarro were first experimenting together with impressionist landscapes – or when Duchamp and Man Ray were questioning art’s very definitions. Exit Through the Gift Shop gives us exactly this look at the rise of street art – even if Guetta’s/Banksy’s lens is a bit greased up.

I know what you are thinking… February? For the record, it is up before the Oscars, so I’m feeling okay about it. I had hoped to watch the last few 2009 films before posting, but there were a couple I just couldn’t squeeze in. If I catch Crazy Heart or The Last Station and they are good enough to make the list, then I guess I’ll just have to edit. I have yet to see A Prophet but that one will be legit if it shows up on next year’s list.

I really struggled with putting these into some kind of order, so I just decided to forget it. The posters above are a sampling of some of the alternate and international flavors. You gotta love the UK landscape format. Click the image above (or here) to see them all and a few others really, really big. Now on to my top 10 list in alphabetical order.

An Education – Carey Mulligan’s performance as the young girl coming of age before her due in 1960s London is certainly good enough to overlook a few story conveniences taken by Hornby towards the film’s conclusion. I was completely along for the ride and loved where it took me.

Avatar – Not much can be said about this one that hasn’t been pretty well covered. Expectations were so high that people would have been disappointed if it didn’t cure cancer. Last I checked, there weren’t too many disappointed.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Cage’s gung-ho performance and Herzog’s whacked out film making nab this riot of a movie an easy top 10 spot. mini-review

Broken Embraces – Oh darling Penelope. How you shine in front of Almodovar’s glass gaze. This was like the best parts of Bad Education and Volver combined into one. mini-review

Burma VJ – This exciting documentary takes you onto the streets of the 2007 monk uprising. It is emotional, informative, and motivational.

The Cove – Another docu that fits those three qualities, this film about Japanese dolphin slaughter is already having positive effects around the world. To those too afraid of the emotions the film may raise, it is really more about the ability to make a difference. It leaves you feeling far more empowered than depressed.

The Girlfriend Experience – While it would have been the biggest surprise of the year if Sasha Grey had shown up in any awards contention, her more than adequate portrayal of an upscale call girl helped this film really succeed. But without a doubt, the real credit goes to Soderbergh who hit it out of the park with his ultra-real film making and stylized narrative devices. This one is worth checking out. mini-review

Inglourious Basterds – How can you not watch Tarantino’s latest without a huge grin across your face? From the outrageous script to Waltz’s please-be-winning performance, this is one of the best of the decade.

Sherlock Holmes – Yeah it’s popcorn, but the Downey-Law duo couldn’t be better and Guy Ritchie’s clever stylizations made this one too much fun not to rave about.

Sin Nombre – I lament that I never got to see this beautiful Mexican love story on the big screen. Unfortunately, very few did. Still it is well worth tracking down for a great take on some classic themes. mini-review

What didn’t quite make the cut… I liked A Single Man quite a bit. I need to rewatch Where the Wild Things Are, but suspect it might have crept up into into the list with a second viewing. Any year with a Miyazaki film finds it in contention, but Ponyo was just a little too weird. The Hangover was certainly a lot of fun – but just not quite enough to crack the top 10. What do you think?

Sundance’10 is all wrapped up and I’m back home in balmy Los Angeles. What a blast! A lot of great flicks, a bit of powder, and an overwhelmingly friendly and fun atmosphere. I’ve collected a few words about each of the 21 films I saw, including links to my 10 Twitch reviews. After the film write-ups, I’ve said a few words about the flicks I wasn’t able to catch. I’m looking forward to seeing many more as they trickle out into theaters and other fests throughout the year. On to the movies – in order of viewing:

7 DAYS – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 4 out of 10

As one friend told me, “It’s not torture porn, it’s torture erotica.” That may be true but more than anything, this suspense-thriller is torture. I was more turned off by the protagonist than by the visuals and wished the filmmaker had focused his attention on the detective. Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this one.
Read my full review of 7 Days on Twitch

THE SHOCK DOCTRINE – Premieres – Rating: 5 out of 10

Michael Winterbottom’s econ-doc is basically the film version of Naomi Klein’s thesis about the ability to create radical change in a nation when the people are too focused on emergency (shocked) to notice. It focuses a lot on Milton Friedman and the Chicago School’s theory of free markets and the US and Britain’s exploitation (and creation) of crises to implement these theories. The film systematically recounts atrocities from Chile to Iraq on the road to the creation of the “disaster capitalism complex.” While this is some pretty interesting (and often depressing) stuff, the film is, unfortunately, a pretty bland and academic presentation of the material. I was left wondering what happened to the style of Winterbottom’s great Road to Guantanamo. While you might learn something, you won’t have much fun doing it and the vague conclusion won’t give you much in the way of paths of action either.

FOUR LIONS – World Dramatic Competition – Rating: 6 of 10

This terrorist version of The Office really shines when its hilarious actors are engaging in physical humor. These guys are real idiots and their ideas about blowing up the internet and shaking their heads when they go outside to elude surveillance are pretty damn funny. The film had a fair bit of buzz around Park City, although in the end it went home empty handed.
Read my full review of Four Lions on Twitch

LAST TRAIN HOME – World Documentary Competition – Rating: 7 out of 10

Lixin Fan’s tale of the largest human migration on Earth (130 million Chinese who return home from cities across the country every New Years Holiday) is a touching and interesting look at the “Chinese dream.” Its vivid cinematography and sparse dialog made me forget at times that this Canadian co-production was a documentary. This is a very powerful story of family and society and Fan executes it stunningly.

HOLY ROLLERS – US Dramatic Competition – Rating: 7 out of 10

I seem to be in the minority of people who enjoyed Kevin Asch’s debut feature about drug smuggling Hasidic Jews. I thought Eisenberg did a fine job but was most impressed by Justin Bartha (the guy they lost in The Hangover). With its great cast and subject matter, I think this one has just as much, if not more, commercial prospects as anything at the fest.
Read my full review of Holy Rollers at Twitch

BURIED – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 6 out of 10

Buzz was pretty positive about the Rodrigo Cortes’s Ryan Reynolds stuck in a box movie. The movie literally has nothing other than Reynolds in the box (nothing before, no flashbacks, etc). There were some pretty cool shots but there were also a few pretty lame developments. Reynolds is certainly a good actor. Overall I was impressed – this is probably the best movie you can make about someone stuck in a box. But when it comes down to it, this is still a movie about someone stuck in a box.

THE KILLER INSIDE ME – Premieres – Rating: 7 out of 10

Winterbottom’s dramatic inclusion at this year’s fest stirred up a whole lot of controversy because of its extreme depiction of violence against women. “How dare you Sundance?” one woman is reported to have asked at a Q&A. But I was okay with Winterbottom’s explanation that this is a fiction film – and particularly a fiction film from the viewpoint of a deranged killer. I was won over by the cinematography and performances – especially the strong supporting cast that includes Bill Pullman, Elias Koteas, and Tom Bower. This is a tough movie, but a stylish one and I enjoyed it.
Read my full review of The Killer Inside Me at Twitch

CYRUS – Premieres – Rating: 6 out of 10

Sundance sweethearts the Duplass bros. are back with their first real studio film (to be released by Fox Searchlight). The film stars John C. Reilly and Marisa Tomei as a new couple whose relationship runs into a stumbling block when Reilly meets Tomei’s adult son Cyrus (played by Jonah Hill). The cast is good (Catherine Keener also puts in a predictably excellent performance as Reilly’s ex), but I found it a bit hard to believe a babe like Tomei would swoon over a herb like Reilly. Whatever. The movie is funny but nothing incredible. I kept hoping the Duplai would push it to the next raunchy level (thanks Judd). Instead they play it safe and we’re left with a nice but not extremely memorable comedy.

FROZEN – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 3 of 10

My expectations were low and my suspension of disbelief was set to high for this horror about what happens when you get caught on a ski lift after everyone leaves. It didn’t matter, the movie sucked. All the comments I heard were along the lines of, that would never happen because… I say who cares to those. The movie sucked because most of it is these idiots just yackin’ it up – and the dialog is amateur and boring (to be fair, what else are they gonna do when they are caught on a chair lift?). I liked the hilarious gore and wanted more ridiculously hungry wolves. There wasn’t enough of the fun stuff. As I said before, this would make a great short – but there just isn’t enough to sustain the feature.
Read my full review of Frozen at Twitch

BLUE VALENTINE – US Dramatic Competition – Rating: 9 out of 10

Derek Cianfrance’s relationship drama was probably my favorite film at Sundance. This is in large part due to the performances by Ryan Gossling and Michelle Williams – but the writing is also excellent (Joey Curtis and Cami Delavigne also share the screenwriting credit). The film intercuts the beginning of the couple’s relationship with its end in a method that I found intriguing and successful. This combination of heartache and heart-melt paints an emotionally realistic portrait that really worked for me. The film was picked up at the fest by The Weinstein Co. and should find an early fall release with Oscar hopes for both the leads.

TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 8 out of 10

I loved this script by Eli Craig and his execution did not disappoint! This movie turns the hillbilly horror on its head – and then it grinds that head up in a wood chipper. I was cracking up from the very beginning – even though I knew what was about to happen. The casting was great and I have always wanted to see the cutie from 30 Rock get more than a couple minutes a week of screen time. This film is a blast and I’m pretty confident that if people see it, they will like it.
Read my full review of Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil at Twitch

THE VIOLENT KIND – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 7 out of 10

It seems this Sons of Anarchy meets The Outer Limit tripped out horror movie has been pretty much panned across the board. Bah! I liked it. Yes it is way, wayyy out there. No it doesn’t have much of a cohesive narrative. Yes the sound work is truly atrocious. But overall it is sexy, bloody, kooky and pretty damn fun. All good qualities for a midnight movie and I would be surprised if this one doesn’t win some fans on its trip through the horror fest circuit.
Read my full review of The Violent Kind at Twitch

HIGH SCHOOL – Park City at Midnight – Rating: 6 out of 10

HIGH school was the only midnight movie I managed to actually catch at midnight (at the Egyptian of course). It is really, really funny right out of the gate. Matt Bush (Frigo from Adventureland) plays a smart kid who gets talked into smoking weed for the first time right before the school institutes a mandatory drug testing policy. So his buddy and he decide to ruin the testing by stealing some super weed from a cracked out Adrian Brody (who is awesome) and bake it up into super brownies. Everyone in the school eats the brownies and gets super high. Hilarious. However at this point the film takes a nose dive into plot problemsville. Why are they only in class when it is convenient? Why does he steal the truck instead of just pushing the cart? Why didn’t Mr. Smartest-kid-in-school think of using his own invention? I thought of it 30 seconds after the problem was presented. No doubt there is some really hilarious stuff here and Brody deserves an Oscar, hands down. But the script simply needed another pass or two to take it from problematic stoner movie with some pretty funny scenes to stoner classic glory.

LUCKY – US Documentary Competition – Rating: 6 out of 10

Jeffrey Blitz had a base hit with his documentary Spellbound and then knocked it out of the park with his comedy Rocket Science. His latest docu about lottery winners is more like a sac fly. It tells some interesting stories and we learn winning the lottery isn’t always what its cracked up to be. But it feels a bit long and there isn’t much in the way of excitement. The best line of the film is when one of the lottery winners friends calls winning the lottery, “like sprinkling miracle grow on your character defects.” The animation by Walter Robot is also quite cool. Look for this one to find a TV audience sometime soon.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – Spotlight Surprise – Rating: 8 out of 10

My favorite docu of the fest was this street art character piece, directed by Banksy. I have A LOT to say about this one so check out my Twitch review – but suffice to say it is a really interesting exploration of art, the artist, commercialization, and the authenticity of documentary. I had the pleasure of being at both of the exhibitions spotlighted in the film (Banksy’s 2006 Barely Legal and Mr. Brainwash’s 2008 Life is Beautiful), so it was particularly interesting for me to learn the fascinating back story behind the characters. There’s way more going on here.
Read my full review of Exit Through The Gift Shop at Twitch

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT – Premieres – Rating: 6 of 10

Lisa Cholodenko’s family dramedy has been pretty heavily praised for its spin on the family dramedy genre (they’re lesbians). I found it pretty mediocre. It is pretty sweet and pretty safe and the kids aren’t really that good. Ruffalo is okay and Julianne Moore is okay and Annette Bening is a butch bitch – but overall I just didn’t really care that much. Maybe I am not the target audience but I just couldn’t help but feel like I was watching an ABC family drama.

ANIMAL KINGDOM – World Dramatic Competition – Rating: 7 out of 10

David Michôd’s Australian family crime drama is a taut and atmospheric thriller. The performances are great across the board. This film is really dark and at times maybe a bit too cerebral – but the final act when the grandma shows her true colors is cinematic gold.
Read my full review of Animal Kingdom at Twitch

TEENAGE PAPARAZZO – Spotlight – Rating: 7 out of 10

Adrian Grenier’s documentary about young Austin Visschedyk, a 14 year old celeb photographer, starts out as an interesting insider look at the world of the paparazzi. Grenier’s celebrity status allows us the fun of getting the scoop not just from the guys behind the lenses, but also from the celebs themselves. But the docu really gets going when Visschedyk himself starts attracting celebrity and Grenier has to deal with the fact that he is partly to blame. Grenier shows surprising maturity in his directing. Those who are interested in the subject matter should really enjoy this.

CATFISH – Spotlight – Rating: 8 out of 10

This internet love story documentary had by far the most buzz at the fest. It isn’t some amazing feat of film making, but it is a fantastically interesting story. It hits a bit of a slow patch towards the end, but the film had me sitting on my hands with excitement for its majority.
Read my full review of Catfish at Twitch

ENTER THE VOID – Spotlight – Rating: 7 out of 10

Whoa! As one colleague put it, “Enter the Void will rape your brain!” It is worth the price of admission just for the epilepsy inducing opening credits – but those who get a bit squeamish might want to high tail it after that. The film is a spirit’s slow drug addled trip into the afterlife that takes place after a drug deal heads south in a seedy Tokyo night club. There is a surprising amount of narrative cohesion but the film is more about emotion and visuals than story. It is really tripped out and really interesting and, at a few points, the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen on screen. I could say more, but this one really has to be experienced.

BOY – World Dramatic Competition – Rating: 9 out of 10

Taika Waititi’s follow up to Eagle Vs. Shark (after his multiple directed eps of Flight of the Conchords) is loosely based on his Oscar nom’d short Two Girls, One Cup… wait no wrong short. It is loosely based on his Oscar nom’d short Two Cars, One Night. Boy is the coming-of-age story of a young Maori boy named Boy who dreams about his father coming home and taking him away to life filled with father-son excitement. When his pops does show up (played wonderfully by Waititi), he proves to be even more of a little kid than boy. Like Eagle Vs. Shark, Taika infuses every shot with a visual whimsy that makes the film just as much fun to watch. All the characters are likable and the film just exudes charm. There are some wonderful fantasy sequences and the credits dance number is almost as much fun as Slumdog’s. All in all, this is a very special film. Do what you have to do to catch it.

Those were the 21 films I caught but there were another 80-something I didn’t see. The most notable of those is a movie called Winter’s Bone that won both the screenwriting prize and the big daddy US Dramatic Grand Jury prize (won last year by Precious). Everyone was talking about this Debra Granik deep Ozark woods family drama – but I just couldn’t make it fit. The other film that was buzzing was the war docu The Tillman Story about the friendly fire killed ex-NFL star. Another war docu, Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s Restrepo picked up the US Documentary Grand Jury prize. Other docus I would have liked to squeeze in were Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Space Tourists, and Alex Gibney’s Casino Jack. I didn’t hear much about any of the three.

My early prediction was that Jake (son of Ridley) Scott’s James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart starring Welcome to the Rileys would be the biggest buzzing film at the fest. I was wrong – but Kristen Stewart did stir up some buzz with co-star Dakota Fanning in Floria Sigismondi’s punk rock biopic The Runaways (though not all of it good). I saw neither. I was pretty damned excited for my chance to see (Oscar nom’d) Cannes holdover A Prophet – but I guess I’ll have to wait until it comes out in theaters on Feb 12. Both Hesher and Howl had critics in meh mode but both are likely to find their way to limited releases in the next awards cycle. The scientific horror Splice looked like it had some cool visuals but the word in the tent was that things got pretty corny when the love story started up. I also would have liked to have seen Nuumioq. Unfortunately my first chance to see a movie from Greenland was a miss. Finally, the only movie in the Next section that raised any eyebrows was Katie Aselton’s Duplass produced The Freebie. Like many of the films in Park City, I’m sure I’ll have another chance to catch this one as it makes its way across the festival circuit.

Thanks to Todd and Dan for making it all possible. Thanks to Alex for the big hosing assist. Thanks to Carly for the editorial notes. And thanks to all of you for reading. I look forward to your comments.

I’m very happy to announce that I’ll be reviewing films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, currently underway in Park City, for the film site Twitch.

My first review of the film Four Lions is up now.

Stop by to see more from me through the week and to anyone finding their way here from Twitch – welcome!

Thx Todd and Dan.

Fashion designer Tom Ford’s debut feature is an audacious and (not surprisingly) stylish piece of cinema. Although he throws a wide array of cinematic tricks at the audience, most work well, adding to the experience instead of detracting from the narrative. At its heart, A Single Man is an intensely personal character piece that succeeds on the strength of its two incredible leads. While some of Ford’s decisions point to a penchant for style over substance, his restraint in allowing the actors to do what they do best shows surprising maturity.

Colin Firth plays George, the film’s namesake due to the recent death of his long time partner Jim (played in flashback by Matthew Goode). We meet George on the day he has decided his life is no longer worth living. George’s depression is compounded by reminders of Jim at every turn: as he dresses for work, as children play across the street, as he walks across the college campus where he lectures. While George has decided he has nothing left to live for, it seems those around him – most notably his best friend Charley (Julianne Moore) and pupil Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) – want nothing more than a taste of his elusive affection. As the day progresses towards his decided suicide, George is forced to reconsider the extent of his debilitating loneliness.

No review of this film can overlook the strength of Colin Firth’s performance. He commands the audience’s attention with his confident desolation and cutting English wit. Like those in George’s life, we quickly find ourselves hoping for something to make just a pleasant smirk cross his face. This seems to be a feat that only Charley can achieve – and the performance by Julianne Moore couldn’t be more pleasing. In her meatiest scene, she expertly transitions from stoic and sardonic to vulnerable and remorseful – and then back to place of contented realism. A great character to be sure, but this is the Julianne Moore that we’ve only been allowed to glimpse when Haynes is at the helm.

I’d be interested to know how large of a roll Ford played in the film’s look. It is easy to see that he lent his expertise to the costume department as every single person looks cut from a catalog. The production design is stunning, with each set and prop offering up a visual feast (how about that beautiful vintage Mercedes coupe?). But the real surprise is the cinematography. This is DP Eduard Grau’s first feature (he also shot Sundance headline maker Buried) and the visual trickery is abundant. The subtle shift of color saturation really worked for me, but a few of the effects (most likely done in post) felt a bit heavy handed. Still, no one will argue that this film is not stylish.

As much as I enjoyed it, this gem is not without its blemishes. The end is predictable and not entirely satisfying and Hoult’s performance leaves something to be desired. But these are minor complaints in a film that is both moving and a pleasure to watch. It is an impressive debut from Tom Ford, who as Variety says, is certainly a director to watch.

What is it about Cannes juries and their love for realism? Is it too much to ask that a Palme d’Or winner tells a compelling story? While I found last year’s winning The Class at least interesting, it clung a bit heavily to the realism kick. And 2007′s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days was so boring it would put Gus Van Sant to sleep (he won in 2003 for the sloth-like Elephant). I am sorry to say I enjoyed Michael Haneke’s addition to the list even less than any of those films. And I have a feeling Haneke wanted it that way. While I never saw either of his reportedly quite distrubing versions of Funny Games, I did find myself pretty creeped out by Cache. Haneke loves to make the audience feel uncomfortable – and The White Ribbon is one long uncomfortable ride. But unlike Cache, I had no interest in any of the many despicable characters and didn’t think any of the performances were all that special. There were too many diverging plot lines and I was still trying to figure out who some of the characters were by the end. So what are people raving about? The black and white cinematography? Okay sure it was kind of nice and added to the Bergman or Kurosawa-esque feel, but I still require some kind of satisfying story in order to enjoy the experience. Without that, you are just left with a movie that reminds you of better movies.

I’ve been enjoying my buddy Greg’s blog Steven Spielblog since he started it a few months back. Why have I waited until now to link to it? I wanted to make sure the comedy wasn’t just a fluke… beginner’s luck or something like that. It’s not. He’s genuinely funny, a far better reviewer than I, and he’s got pretty okay taste. Starting this month you can also catch his review over at Twitch (although with fewer irreverent captions). Keep it up bud.

Link

My top 10 albums of 2009 was pretty close to being a top 5 after what was, by all accounts, a very quiet second half of the year. I was already listening to just about each one of these discs by the time the summer came around and only a few of them ever made it into heavy rotation. Maybe that means we’ll have a glut of good music heading our way this year.

10. Wilco Wilco’s self-titled seventh full length is far from their best, but it is consistently good and worth a spot on the list.

9. Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 Jay-Z earns the only rap spot on the list due to a few extremely catchy tracks. I liked the Raekwon and Q-Tip albums – but just haven’t found the desire to go back to them.

8. The Mars Volta – Octahedron The Volta went in a different direction with this year’s release and I am pretty impressed.

7. Metric – Fantasies Gimme Sympathy was just too good of a summer anthem and the album has some other gems as well.

6. Passion Pit – Manner Passion Pit reminds me a bit of Ghostland Observatory except I like them.

5. Sigur Ros – We Play Endlessly This was the Sigur Ros album that finally got me to go back and listen to all those other Sigur Ros albums I have never gotten into.

4. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love The Decemberists have always excelled at the “full album” album – but The Hazards of Love, complete with some great guest vocals, really must be listened to in one sitting.

3. Silversun Pickups – Swoon While it may tread too dangerously into radio rock territory for some locals, these boys from the neighborhood are building themselves a nice career on this extremely solid album.

2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion Now I get it. And now I want more. By the way – have you ever looked (I mean really looked) at this albums cover?

1. Phoenix – Amadeus Wolfgang Phoenix I’ve listened to it more than any of the others on the list and it still hasn’t gotten old. This is the only album from 2009 that I would say could end up as a classic.

What do you think? Agree? What’d I miss? For what it’s worth, this is still my favorite track of the year. Bring on the SoS full length!

There is a fair bit of lore surrounding the title of Werner Herzog’s entry into this year’s awards soup. Rumor has it that Werner didn’t bother to watch Abel Ferrara’s original 1993 Harvey Keitel starrer – and neither did I – so let’s not dwell on that. Regardless of remake (or sequel) status, Werner’s version is unlike any movie you’ve probably ever seen. This film blasts you into the realm of the absurd and then just as you are starting to lose touch with reality, hits you right in the teeth with the cold steel barrel of a .44 magnum. Werner has managed to make it both extremely uncomfortable yet utterly satisfying. He does this by masterfully drawing the audience’s puppet strings – knowing exactly what we expect, what we want, and when to give us either. It is easy to forget Nicolas Cage is a serious actor – but his Terence McDonagh is one of most dynamic portrayals on screen this year and he should seriously be considered for awards. With superb performances by the supporting cast which includes Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Xzibit, and Jennifer Coolidge, BL:PoCNO is easily one of my favorite films of the year. Maybe we can talk Werner into directing the next Ghost Rider.

Welcome to this year’s female European trendsetter period origin bio-pic showdown! In the French corner we have Audrey Tatou as fashion pioneer Coco Chanel in director Anne Fontaine’s Coco before Chanel. And on the other side of the channel (no not Chanel), we have Emily Blunt playing a young Queen Victoria in Jean-Marc Valee’s aptly titled The Young Victoria. While neither film wins points on title originality, they both score blows for sticking to their genres. Strong female leads? Bam! Veiled sexual sentiment? Pow! Feminist empowerment? Wham-o! Getting involved with a seemingly charming suitor who turns out to be a bit of a bad guy but then ditching him in the end for the even more charming but potentially not as socially acceptable suitor? Knock-out punch!! While both our contestants are out cold, I’ll take this opportunity to say that while neither of these movies is terrible, neither of them are anything special – just a pretty retelling of the events that lead these women to their better known futures. Hey, it isn’t the worst way to learn. Now excuse me, I’m gonna go watch Amelia.

This seventy minute review of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace has been floating around the nets for a few weeks now… but I haven’t been so active on the ol blog so I’m just getting to posting it now. It really is pretty damned funny and infintely more entertaining than watching The Phantom Menace. Watch the first part and if you don’t agree then don’t bother with the other sixty (!!) minutes. I enjoyed it all.

Thx Greg.

All 6 other parts embedded for your viewing pleasure, after the jump.

I made my first foray into Cormac McCarthy’s work a few months back, reading The Road in anticipation of the film’s winter release. I was a bit luke warm on the book and found his style more annoying than impressive (I’ll say it again, post apocalyptic, post punctuation). What I did appreciate about the novel was how vividly he portrayed the world. It is a stark and frighteningly empty world. You can’t help feeling lost and a bit scared in the midst of it. Unfortunately, I felt almost no connection to the characters. I was therefore quite pleased to discover that it is in the audience’s connection with the characters that the film really shines.

I was a big fan of John Hillcoat’s last film The Propostion. Guy Pearce’s Charlie Burns was a complex and conflicted protagonist and Hillcoat’s close framing gave the viewer a personal connection to Burns. The strategy is the same and just as successful with Viggo’s unnamed “man.” The more appropriate moniker would have been “father,” as at its heart this is really a tale of a father’s bond with his son. Here we have the common parental emotion of a child’s importance taken to its literal extent. How far would you go to ensure your child’s survival? This is the territory mined in McCarthy’s novel – but it doesn’t really come to life until it plays out on Viggo’s face. I actually found myself experiencing the fear of losing a son – however I’m not a father.

This is the film’s incredible strength. You might be fooled into thinking this is a story about what happens after the world ends, but the post apocalyptic setting is just an unimportant backdrop. The story is what’s going on in the man’s head. This is what McCarthy was going for, but Hillcoat is better able to realize it in less than two hours of screen time.

Really I found very few missteps with the adaptation. The production design is executed perfectly. Joe Penhall’s script made the right concessions, cutting what felt repetitive and focusing on important scenes. Both Viggo and Robert Duvall are expectantly excellent and the boy, Kodi Smit-McPhee is only minimally annoying.

McCarthy’s world is a place not many would want to visit. But Hillcoat and company were able to take some pretty tough source material and create a subtle, emotional, and impressive experience – one that I enjoyed far more than the original.

I had made the comment a few times before watching The Fantastic Mr. Fox that Wes Anderson likely made this film to silence his critics’ complaints that all his films were exactly the same. Little did I know that the fantastic Mr. Anderson had actually been working on this film since before The Royal Tenenbaums. Upon watching the film, I was also quite surprised to discover just how similar this film is to his others – and that is a great thing! Anderson’s animated adaptation (co-written with Noah Baumbach) of the Roald Dahl children’s story is a whimsical and downright enjoyable experience. All of his films have an emphasis on family and again that dynamic takes center stage. The voice work by the likes of Clooney, Schwartzman, Streep, Murray, and Dafoe is top notch. A ton of credit should also go to the animators and production designers for creating such a uniquely Dahl-esque vision. But the real star is the story telling. This is pretty much the perfect union of a light kids tale with the wit and quirk of Wes Anderson – which turns out to be a really fantastic marriage. It is a great holiday movie and I highly recommend checking it out. If you enjoy it, then also check out Anderson’s interview on KCRW’s The Treatment.

Have you seen the trailer for the Coen Bros. new one A Serious Man? Go ahead and check it out, I’ll wait. Isn’t that great?! With the rhythm and the sound overlaps and that great Jefferson Airplane cue… Well if you appreciated that trailer, please go right out and skip this movie. It is just way too disappointing after such a great trailer. Instead of the fast paced irreverence of the trailer, the C.bros subject us to scene after scene of setup that leads to no real payoff. Pretty much all the story is right there in the trailer – and the trailer doesn’t even make sense. Sure there are a few funny moments (namely the photo above… that’s the funniest) but I wanted so much more. I would, however, be quite happy if whoever cut that trailer gets an Oscar (or at least an Indie Spirit).

It has been a rather good year for the gorgeous Penelope Cruz. She won an Oscar last Feb. for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and then followed that up with two more big awards movies (not to mention voicing a hamster in G-Force). Undoubtedly the better of this year’s two films is Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces. As evidenced by Volver, Almodovar loves to celebrate both Penelope’s beauty and talent. But while I found Volver quite pretty, I was ultimately let down by the rambling story. He is far more focused in Embraces‘ story of a blind filmmaker (played wonderfully by Lluís Homar) and his forbidden love. I consider this film on par with Almodovar’s excellent Bad Education, except instead of staring at a half naked Gael, you get to stare at a half naked Penelope.

Staring at half naked women is really about all that Rob Marshall’s Nine has going for it. But it does have a lot of that. Nine is also about a filmmaker, played here by a disappointing Daniel Day-Lewis. Sure Day-Lewis is great in everything he does, but what is up with that horrible accent? It is way more comrade than compagno. There are a few fun moments in this film – but inevitably the moment is ruined when it transitions into a song and dance number, some of which are downright horrid. Penelope is great and she manages to do about as much with her character as possible (her song and dance is pretty, hmm, suggestive). But the real shining star for me was Marion Cotillard. I gotta give Marshall credit – he was able to cast the one person out there that is maybe even more fun to look at than Penelope Cruz.

Peter Jackson steps to the plate with his first movie since King Kong (not LotR as I stated in my Fall Movie Review). And just as King Kong was pretty universally panned, so too is The Lovely Bones a bit of a swing and a miss. This film, based on Alice Sebold’s novel, is the story of a young murdered girl who watches the world go on without her. The problem with the film is that all the story happens in the first 30 minutes. Susie Salmon is a great character and while she is alive, things really move. But once the protagonist enters the afterlife, she basically just becomes a narrator. The characters that are left are boring and without a protagonist’s arc, the film just grinds to a halt. This is a fundamental structure problem that should have been addressed. That being said, I loved Saoirse Ronan as Susie and can see a serious career unfolding for this girl. Many have complained about the CG heavy visuals but they completely worked for me. It is the afterlife after all and the dreamy scenery reminded me of the wonderful alien-world-in-your-mind imagery in Contact. In the end, I can’t help feeling that while this might have worked well as a novel, as a film it suffers from some serious adaptation woes.

Mini-Reviews are back! With the run up to awards mania in full swing, I am going to try my best to bang out these short summaries of my thoughts on this season’s films as I catch them. I’m starting with one of the most talked about films of the season: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. I finally caught this last night and my general impression is that it is pretty much exactly what I expected. It is an excellent film with particularly excellent performances. It is also extremely intense and quite bleak. As is quite awkwardly announced during the film’s most out of place scene, the protagonist’s circumstances are unrelenting. The hope of the filmmakers is that you are already aware of the film’s intensity and have prepared yourself prior to entering the theater. If that is the case, then you will certainly appreciate the film. The performances are superb. Mo’Nique is the hands down favorite for Best Supporting Actress and Gabourey Sidibe seems a lock for at least a Best Actress nom. There really isn’t a weak link amongst the cast. The film is also a shoe in for a Best Picture nomination (helped in part by the fact there will be 10 noms this year), but my early prediction is that it will not take the award. I think the real story here is that audiences are flocking to see the film. After 4 weeks, the film has expanded to 663 screens and has already cleared $32M. That is truly exceptional for a bummer film that a year or two ago might not have made $5M. More than anything else this year, Precious‘s box office success shows that audiences are again interested in quality.

The Fall film flurry is well underway – but the biggest of the big have yet to appear. The Academy chose an odd year to introduce their new 10 film Best Pic category as it seems this year’s crop is a bit leaner than years past. Here is my take on what’s headed our way (and a bit of what’s already out there). Click the title to peep the trailer and look for more mini-reviews as I check the flicks off my must see list.

OUT NOW

Coco Before Chanel
Audrey Tautou (Amelie) stars in this very pretty looking period biopic about Coco Chanel’s early years.
(Sony Pictures Classics 9/25)

Bright Star
This period drama from Jane Campion (The Piano ughh) is the awards films that I am least likely to see this season.
(Apparition 9/18)

The Burning Plain
Guillermo Arriaga’s (writer of Babel, 21 Grams, and Amores Perros) directorial debut starring Charlize Theron is still limping along – but don’t expect it to be around much longer.
(Magnolia 9/18)

Pandorum
I am a bit surprised that this film didn’t catch on. What isn’t to like about Ben Foster in an intense sci-fi actioner? I liked the script and hope to catch the film before it disappears. Whoops! Too late.
(Overture 9/25)

A Serious Man
I’ll post my full review in the next few days, but in the mean time you gotta watch the trailer for this Coen Bros Jewish period dramedy immediately. It is maybe the most original trailer I’ve ever seen (and is far better than the movie).
(Focus 10/2)

Whip It
I’m not sure if you would call Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut a failure – but it’s no hit. I guess not that many people want to see a movie about rollergirls.
(Fox Searchlight 10/2)

Afterschool
Antonio Campos’s indie high school psychological thriller hasn’t quite broken out yet, but it might find an audience on VOD.
(IFC 10/2)

An Education
This coming of age story of a girl in 1960s London is a run away fave for early awards consideration. I guarantee it gets a Best Pic nom and Carey Mulligan gets an Best Actress nom. Go see it!
(Sony Pictures Classics 10/9)

Adventures of Power
Ari Gold’s Sundance hit comedy about air drummers opened on two screens and then shrunk down to one. Is this one DOA?
(Variance 10/9)

The Damned United
Every time Peter Morgan writes a screenplay it becomes one of my favorites of the year (Last King of Scotland, The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and any time Michael Sheen stars in it his performance is one of my favorites as well. Well the duo is back this awards season with this film about SOCCER! As long as Tom Hooper (John Adams) stays away from the crazy camera angles, this film is bound to be one of my faves of the year.
(Sony Pictures Classics 10/9)

Trucker
There has been some buzz about Michelle Monaghan’s performance as a mother trucker. But with a crowded Best Actress field, will this ultra indie find enough votes?
(Monterey Media 10/16)

New York, I Love You
We’ve seen the format before. This city love letter sports shorts from Shunji Iwai, Mira Nair, and Brett Ratner.
(Vivendi 10/16)

Black Dynamite
Yeeah sucka! This blackspoitation martial arts send up is one of the funniest flicks of the season. I hope a few people go watch it. You betta aks somebody.
(Apparition 10/16)

Where the Wild Things Are
Look for my write-up of Spike Jonze’s impressive fantasy tale here soon. I liked the film a lot, even if it doesn’t fit the normal narrative formula.
(Warners 10/16)

Amelia
This year’s big awards biopic stars Hilary Swank as Ms. Earhart and is directed by Academy sweetheart Mira Nair (The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding).
(Fox Searchlight 10/23)

Antichrist
Chaos Reigns!! This divisive film from Lars Von Trier is certainly going to make people talk… But how many will go see it?
(IFC 10/23)

Untitled
Adam Goldberg and Marley Shelton star in this pretty silly looking send up of the New York art scene.
(Samuel Goldwyn 10/23)

Week of October 30

Gentlemen Broncos
Ho boy this wacky comedy from Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) is well worth seeing for Jemaine Clement’s performance alone. Plus it features a tiny role by Josh Pais. Josh Pais!
(Fox Searchlight)

Week of November 6

Precious
People have been talk talk talkin about this Harlem drama since it took every award at Sundance last January.
(Lionsgate)

The Box
I have very little in the way of hope for Richard Kelly’s (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) new film starring Cameron Diaz. …or for his career while we are at it.
(Warners)

The Men Who Stare At Goats
Reviews have been a bit mixed for actor turned director Grant Heslov’s George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey and Ewan McGregor black comedy. But there’s no denying the trailer is great.
(Overture)

That Evening Sun
Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild) stars in the “Southern gothic” tale of an old man who just wants to see out his remaining years on his farm. The film did very well in the Southern festival circuit (heh).
(Freestyle Releasing)

Splinterheads
There is something that struck me as kinda charming about this little indie romantic comedy that no one is likely to see. I figured I would at least give it a shout.

The Other Side of Paradise
This is the first time I have heard of this ultra-indie comedy – but judging form the laurels flash at the beginning of the trailer it at least played at a bunch of fests. The trailer shows some promise from lead actress Arianne Martin.

Week of November 13

Fantastc Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson gets a lot of criticism for not trying anything new in his films. Well how about a stylistically animated film based on a Roald Dahl book? This will at least be something new.
(Fox Searchlight)

The Messenger
Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson star as Army officers charged with notifying family members – one played by Samantha Morton – when a soldier has been killed. This film is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who you probably know as the writer of the hit SKE film Married Life.
(Oscilloscope)

Pirate Radio
Phil Hoffman and Bill Nighy star in this film about 1960s radio DJ who broadcasted from a ship to bring Rock N Roll to England. This film is written and directed by Richard Curtis who wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral and then went on to write every other film like it (Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’, Love Actually, etc.).
(Focus)

Uncertainty
I think this JGL starrer is about some sort of alternate realities, but the trailer is too schizophrenic to tell for sure. I did spot Olivia Thirlby though! Good enough.
(IFC)

Week of November 20

Red Cliff
Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro star in this year’s big Chinese costumer actioner from “Legendary” director John Woo (seriously you can’t find John Woo written anywhere without Legendary before it, jeez man). The sequel is already out in China.
(Magnolia)

Broken Embraces
Almodovar returns with a another celebration of the talent and beauty of Penelope Cruz.
(Sony Pictures Classics)

Week of November 25

Ninja Assassin
From director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta), comes the craziest English language Ninja movie ever made. Could be cool. Could be quite lame.
(Warners)

The Road
Viggo stars in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic (and post punctuation) novel. The film is directed by John Hillcoat whose film The Proposition I was quite impressed by. The scenery is sure to be striking, but can the sparse and downer story sell the film?
(Weinstein Co.)

Week of December 4

Up In The Air
Jason Reitman follows up Juno with this George Clooney starrer. Apparently Jason Reitman is the real deal because anyone who has seen it is already talking Best Pic as well as Best Actor noms for Clooney and Supporting noms for Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga.
(Paramount)

Brothers
Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America) directs Tobey, Jake and Natalie in this pretty awful looking family-war-romantic drama. It looks bad – but I can’t imagine it is as bad as that awful, awful trailer.
(Lionsgate)

Week of December 11

The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson returns with his first movie since Titanic… wait… no, since Lord of the Rings. The film stars Marky Mark and Rachel Weisz and I’m sure it is great, but I gotta say the trailer makes it look pretty pedestrian.

A Single Man
Julianne Moore and Colin Firth star in this film from fashion designer Tom Ford. After making a big splash at Venice, the film has people talking noms in all categories.
(Weinstein Co.)

Week of December 18

Avatar
James Cameron returns with his first film since Titanic and it stars blue people!
(20th C. Fox)

Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Now how is this for a premise: two New York city slickers (SJP and Hugh Grant) are having marital problems. But when they witness a murder they are forced to go into the witness protection program together and work out their differences on a ranch in Wyoming. The trailer was pretty funy… so I say Yee Haw!
(Sony)

The Young Victoria
Emily Blunt stars as Queen Victoria in this British costume drama. I caught an early screening of this pretty but rather average film and will post more thoughts in due time. You pretty much get the idea from the trailer (which ends by saying the film comes out in March 2009, heh).
(Momentum)

Week of December 25ish

Sherlock Holmes
Quite a lot to be excited about with Robert Downey Jr starring as the famed detective. Setting him next Jude Law and Rachel McAdams and then letting Guy Ritchie call the shots is just all the better.
(Warners)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Check out my Fantastic Fest write-up for my thoughts on Terry Gilliam’s Heath Ledger et al starrer.
(Sony)

It’s Complicated
With a cast of Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin, it really doesn’t matter that this is a middle aged romantic comedy. Plus no one knows middle aged romantic comedies better than director Nancy Meyers (Something’s Gotta Give).
(Universal)

Sometime before January

Nine
No one seems quite sure when this is coming out, but it will be a big awards film no matter when this musical unspools, just for sheer number of great actresses in it. Rob Marshall (Chicago) directs Daniel Day Lewis along side Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and (breathe) Judi Dench.
(Weinstein Co.)

Invictus
Here is what we know: Clint Eastwood directs Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman in a film about Nelson Mandela and rugby. Cool.
(Warners)

The White Ribbon
Michael Haneke’s (Cache, Funny Games) stylish period Palme d’Or winner will surely make it out in time for a potential Oscar nom.
(Sony Pictures Classics)

Get Low
Robert Duvall and Bill Murray star in this tale of a man who wants to attend his own funeral. There is Buzz around a possible nom for Duvall (it would be his seventh) – if it can make it out this year.
(Sony Pictures Classics)

That’s it for this Fall’s films – but there are a few holdovers that have a shot at getting Oscar noms – namely: The Hurt Locker, The Informant, Inglorious Basterds, and Up.

Looking forward there are a couple flicks coming out in January that have me pretty excited. I have already talked quite a bit about Youth in Revolt. The other January film with a lot of promise is the Hughes Brothers’ The Book of Eli. I loved this post-apocalyptic script which should provide a lot more ass kicking than The Road. And the casting of Denzel, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis gets an A Plus from me.

This list doesn’t cover much in the way of docus or foreign films. I’ll have more on this year’s crop Oscar contenders in those categories here soon.

I just spent five great days at Austin’s Fantastic Fest and the experience was awesome. Aside form the 17 films I watched, the festival had plenty of other cool events on offer. This year founder Tim has opened up a bowling alley/party space called The Highball next to his amazing Alamo Draft House Cinema which offered the perfect place for the late night hanging and unlimited free skee-ball! The Fantastic Fest Debates were especially hilarious as after each debate (or roast) the contestants literally duked it out.

The cinema itself is something to behold. A 6 screen stadium theater with seats and sound on par with Arclight. But the real innovation is the full service restaurant built in. They have figured out the perfect system to keep the wait staff unobtrusive – you just write down your order on a little flag and they come by and pick it up. There is a long narrow table in front of each row to set your beer or burger and a little aisle below each row where the wait staff walks. I don’t know why no one has tried this in LA, but the formula is a winner.

All things considered it was a real blast. A world of thanks to Dan for making it happen. We’ll definitely do it again next year.

Now on to the film round-up (in order viewed):

FIRST SQUAD – Rating: 4 out of 10

This Russian animated feature is by the Japanese team behind Animatrix. The animation is cool but the horribly implemented documentary device of bad actors pretending to be history experts totally ruined the movie. This isn’t Waltz with Bashir, it is an action cartoon. There were a few cool story elements, but overall they weren’t enough to keep me awake.

GENTLEMEN BRONCOS – Rating: 9 out of 10

This new film from Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) is as wacky as possible and genuinely HILARIOUS. Everything works, especially Jemaine Clement as one of the best characters of the year. It slowed down a tiny bit after the very strong opening, but the ridiculous fantasy sequences go a long way to smooth out the pace. This film certainly exceeded my already high expectations.

REC 2 – Rating: 6 out of 10

I was quite impressed by this horror-thriller’s clean look. The story works and there are some good thrills, but what is most remarkable is the first person narrative device that the filmmakers fully commit to with great success. More than any movie I’ve ever seen, this film feels like a videogame – and it is fun.

KAMOGAWA HARUMO – BATTLE LEAGUE IN KYOTO – Rating: 6 out of 10

This film is about college students who train little supernatural creatures to battle teams from other colleges. While it may have a pretty bizarre premise, it is actually a quite traditional story about a loser guy who falls for a girl who is out of his league. All things considered, the film works and is pretty fun.

HARD REVENGE MILLY – Rating: 5 out of 10

This is a super low budget Japanese blood and guts actioner. The skeleton of a story doesn’t provide much to chew on, but the film does succeed at finding new ways to splatter the camera with watery blood.

ZOMBIELAND – Rating: 8 out of 10

This flick is most definitely the top of the zombie movie heap. It is maybe not quite as hilarious as Shaun of the Dead, but it certainly provides a lot more zombie killing thrills. The film has some great set pieces, an amazing cameo, and Emma Stone is Bodacious.

VAMPIRE GIRL VS. FRANKENSTEIN GIRL – Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a really enjoyable wacky Japanese high school flick with some good acting and pretty decent effects. However, the real star of the film is the biting criticism leveled against fringe elements of Japanese society.

K-20: THE FIEND WITH 20 FACES – Rating: 3 out of 10

This big budget Japanese superhero film borrows heavily from every other superhero film you’ve ever seen. There may be some fun stunts and wire work, but the plot is just plain horrible. Worst of all, this film is sloooow and is far far too long.

UNDER THE MOUNTAIN – Rating: 3 out of 10

Two annoying kids save New Zealand from evil underground aliens whose story doesn’t make any sense.

YATTERMAN – Rating: 9 out of 10

Yet another genre mastered by Miike! This time it is the comic superhero comedy. The story is awesome with a lot of genuine emotion. The CG is top notch (as compared to the disappointingly low budget look of The Great Yokai War). The action sequences are fantastic and reminded me of playing the Dreamcast classic Powerstone. Overall this film in f*ing fun!

CLIVE BARKER’S DREAD – Rating: 5 out of 10

There wasn’t a whole lot wrong about this very indie thriller – but there wasn’t that much right either. I’d call it pretty damn mediocre and it is not helped by the generally unsatisfying ending.

VAN DIEMEN’S LAND – Rating: 7 out of 10

This story of a grueling prison camp escape in 18th century Tasmania is a bit slow and cerebral, but overall it is a well told story with some very nice cinematography.

MANDRILL – Rating: 8 out of 10

Mandrill is the Chilean James Bond and it is amazing! Ernesto Diaz-Espinoza follows up Mirageman by again directing the incredible Marko Zaror – who has got to become an action star around the world. The film is fun and funny and really does everything right. On top of that, the filmmakers and stars are very approachable and cool guys. Way to go.

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS – Rating: 6 out of 10

Terry Gilliam’s Heath Ledger swan song was the only “secret screening” I caught. I liked the performances and the way it all came together but was turned off by the very cheap CGI (where were the magic visual effects of Brazil?) and overall I was unconvinced by the plot.

DISTRICT B13 ULTIMATUM – Rating: 2 out of 10

This film was very disappointing after the awesome District B13. There with no semblance of a story and almost no parkour! What the hell?

LOVE EXPOSURE – Rating: 7 out of 10

While there is a very different 100 minute movie somewhere in there (remake?), the 237 minute version is certainly an ambitious and generally successful undertaking. Melding a coming of age story with many Japanese sexual elements and borrowing a lot of themes from A Clockwork Orange, this film goes all over the map but is quite satisfying in the end.

METROPIA – Rating: 7 out of 10

This is a pretty cool sci-fi tale about big brother, all very stylistically animated.

Steven Soderbergh’s latest feature distribution experiment The Girlfriend Experience has taken the non-traditional route of festival to video-on-demand to theaters. From my perspective, the buzz has all been around the distribution plan and the fact that the film features adult film star Sasha Grey in its lead role (check out her extensive and hilarious list of credits). I was a bit surprised to discover the film is actually quite excellent and has quickly joined my short list for best films of the year. Sasha does a very good job in the role of upscale call girl Chelsea, though the real credit quite obviously goes to the director. Soderbergh has crafted an emotionally honest character whose subtle insecurities paint a dynamic portrait. I was a big fan of the film’s unique style, which I would stop short of calling verite – yet employed a mixture of traditional and voyeuristic methods. There are a number of reasons that this style felt different (a big one is likely that it was shot on the RED camera which looks digital… yet beautifully digital), but what is most important is that all of the decisions WORK and actually add to the narrative instead of distracting from it. The same can be said for the choices made in mixing up the chronology in such a way that had me discovering elements of the plot until the very end. The film feels very relevant – like a snapshot of the times in the sense of topic (a lot about the economy, politics, etc.), but also definitely in its look and style. It will certainly be interesting to rewatch this film in ten years. Getting cohesive success from so many elements is quite a feat. Soderbergh should be commended – take a rich and dynamic character and put her in a simple yet topical story and then really nail a unique and appropriate style – and you end up with a great film.