I have to admit I wasn’t in much of a hurry to see this movie based mainly on what I found to be a pretty average script. I am happy to say I loved this film. Penn is phenomenal for sure, but it is Josh Brolin who steals every scene he is in. Good thing there are no scenes with both Brolin and the hilarious Emile Hirsch, because the much great acting would just be overwhelming. Gus Van Sant’s direction is superb, the story moves, it doesn’t feel too long, and best of all, it is fun. To take such a serious story and make it such a joy to watch – now that is the mark of a great film. And one that is sure to rack up the noms as well.

Ed Zwick’s Defiance should have definitely been subtitled “A Bunch of Jews Walking in the Woods.” That is basically what you get for two hours of this 137 minute “war” movie. This is one of those true stories that sounds really interesting in a paragraph or two, but just can’t cut it for a whole movie (I haven’t seen Milk yet, but I am guessing it is the same way). Daniel Craig plays a blond-haired, blue-eyed Jew who leads a group of more traditional looking Jews out of the Belorussian ghetto and into the woods to escape Nazis. His brother is played by Liev Schreiber and most of the film’s drama centers around their conflict, and not the conflict with the Nazis. I can’t stand Liev Schreiber and this film did nothing to change that. Craig is alright but his (and everyone’s) horrible accent is incredibly annoying. One of the three or four actions sequences isn’t bad (the planes) but the others are weak – and in general they felt awkwardly placed (as I thought they did in Zwick’s Blood Diamond). On top of all that, I found Eduardo Serra’s cinematography to be pretty lackluster as well. Yikes, not a lot going for Ed Zwick here. It might be an interesting story, but you are better off dialing up the book on Amazon than wasting your $9.75 at the multiplex.

Speaking of wasting money, man am I glad I didn’t pay to see Revolutionary Road. Sam Mendes’s stinker feels like a two hour argument with your significant other (if only you two were as attractive as Leo and Kate). The real problem here is the writing. Justin Haythe’s script is bohooore-horing. Mid-century marital strife is done better in every episode of Mad Men, where the period plays as big of a role as any character. Here the period is pointless. So they don’t want to conform… who cares? Kate Winslet’s character doesn’t feel like a woman confined by her societal station, she is just bored. January Jones’s Betty Draper (again, Mad Men) seethes with the frustration of having to take care of her children while her husband swims in the secretarial pool, all the while maintaining the quiet demeanor of the Norman Rockwell’s mother of the year. Dynamic! What happens when Winslet’s character is prodded just a tiny bit? She screams and goes running into the woods. DiCaprio’s character is just as insipid. And whatever happened to subtext? It is too annoying how the characters just blurt out whatever it is that you are supposed to know and feel. The only interesting moment in the entire film (neighbor Shep’s reaction to the “incident”) comes at the end of the third act – too late to be developed! I can’t believe this is already racking up nominations. I really expected more from the director of as compelling of a film as American Beauty.

With awards offerings like these, no wonder Vantage is out of business.

I rather enjoyed this pretty ordinary western directed and co-written by star Ed Harris (only his second directorial foray after 2000’s Pollock). While Harris is good, Viggo is great as his deputy in the law starved town of Appaloosa. When these two arrive in town the baddies skedaddle except ultra baddie Randall Bragg, played excellently by Jeremy Irons. Most of the film centers around trying to bring Bragg to justice, but there is a good deal of character work done in Harris’s relationship with a local woman played somewhat softly by Renee Zellwegger. For better or worse it is certainly more traditional feeling than last year’s great 3:10 to Yuma. While not everything here works and it can be a bit predictable, it is still a fun film and in a year short on Westerns (after last year’s heavy load), it isn’t a bad offering.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of good things to say about Woody Allen’s latest sex-filled yet completely un-sexy gabber. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz are both good, though they really don’t have a lot to work off of as Allen’s script is atrocious, both in dialog and plot. Scarlett Johansson is her normal uninspired self playing an uninspired woman who goes to Barcelona with a friend (don’t ask why) and gets involved with an artist and his estranged wife. The relationships are lamely unrealistic and not at all helped by the mountains of banal conversation. The acting in the smaller roles by Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, and Rebecca Hall (who I really liked in Frost/Nixon) was simply horrendous. If all that wasn’t enough, the voice-over narration and ridiculous ending seal the deal on this package of crap. Maybe I just don’t like Woody Allen, but the guy has got to take step into the present if his films are going to have any shred of relevance in the future.

Until this film I would have said Ron Howard’s best recent work was as narrator on Arrested Development. Actually I still would, but the point being, to find a decent movie the guy has directed you have to go back to 1989’s Parenthood. Well this incredibly interesting film breaks that streak. While Howard undoubtedly deserves some credit, the real success here is the script by Peter Morgan. If sharing the writer of The Queen weren’t enough, this film also shares its oft-overshadowed star Michael Sheen. After previously being overshadowed by Helen Mirren, he is again overshadowed here by Frank Langella. Unfair, I say! Sheen’s performance is spectacular as the complicated role of talk show host turned presidential prosecutor David Frost. This character is richly layered up to the million-dollar-smile mask that Sheen wears so brilliantly. Langella is great, no doubt, but in this crowded Best Actor field it seems a shame that Sheen will likely again be passed over for a co-star. Regardless, it is hard to fault a film for having too much good acting (the smaller parts are brilliantly played as well by the likes of Toby Jones, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen and Sam Rockwell), so I highly recommend giving this a watch.

When I read the script for The Wrestler a year or so ago I didn’t really get it. The wrestling scenes read like comedy but the tragedy this poor guys goes through was way too sad. Well Darren Aronofsky got it – and his finished product is a challenging yet fantastically rewarding journey in one man’s knee high green imitation leather boots. Mickey Rourke has got an Oscar nom wrapped up and at this stage of the game I’m gonna go ahead and give him the crown (err, belt). I’m not afraid to say his performance is on par with Daniel Day Lewis’s Daniel Plainview. Marisa Tomei is fantastic as well as his stripper love interest. When prodded at the post screening Q&A, she was quick to point out that it is only a coincidence that she has shown so much skin in her last two roles. If that isn’t reason enough to go, Aronofsky and D.P. Maryse Alberti’s decision to go handheld adds an extra layer of depth with its docu feel (no surprise Alberti spends most of his time shooting docus including last year’s Oscar winning Taxi to the Darkside). As I said, this isn’t always the easiest film to sit through. It is filled with trauma – both physical and emotional. But it really works, and in the end you are left richer from the experience.

David Fincher’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story about a man who ages backwards is certainly a fantastic film. Best picture? Quite possibly. Fincher’s best film? I would say no. This is a very complicated story that filmmakers have tried to tackle for generations. Fincher took it on because technological advancements of digital video have made it possible to finally do these sort of aging effects justice. He succeeded and there is no doubt the effects are stunning. No one will be surprised if this cleans up in the visfx categories, but I do have to say that I was not a big fan of the digital cinematography. The most beautiful scenes are the ones shot by Tarsem on film during a travel interlude towards the end. They look gorgeously imperfect after watching the crisp digital throughout (I saw it on digital projection and would be interested to know how the film transfer differs). The acting is superb and both Swinton and Blanchett have shots at Oscar Noms. I would guess Pitt is a bit more of a long shot with such a crowded field this year for actor. Last year’s Zodiac may not have been the most entertaining film of the year, but I was so impressed by Fincher’s direction. I left the theater feeling he had not made a single misstep. I wish the same could be said here. The flashback narrative device is distracting (those fluorescent lights in the Hospital made me cringe) and the digital effects for the vignettes bothered me too. Why go so heavy handed with these techniques when you have such strong material? Take all those bells and whistles out and you have probably one of the best stories ever told on film… except, without the film.

I can finally say that I have seen a film this awards season that really got everything right. Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married is a verité masterpiece about a family coping with loss and addiction. This is how handheld should be done. There is plenty of drama for the over the shoulder camera to witness as opposed to the Mungiu/Van Sant set the camera in the corner and let time pass technique. Here we feel like a true observer in the room – just another guest at the wedding – yet we stay engaged and entertained (it’s like The Celebration but fun) . Brilliant touches like fully diagetic music add to the effect, heightening the drama of the few scenes where we find a character actually alone.

The film is already leading in noms after today’s IndySpirit announcements and Anne Hathaway will most certainly see more noms for her performance. The other women also received supporting noms but I was just as impressed, if not more, by the subtle but strong supporting roles of Mather Zickel and Tunde Adebimpe (the two pic’d above). I know very little about writer Jenny Lumet except this is her first produced script and it is fantastic. I am interested to hear more and about how much her script evolved through working with such an accomplished director as Demme. Everything really came together for him here, and with strong awards contenders looking thinner and thinner as we enter the home stretch, this film looks like it might be pretty hard to beat – at least in the “oughtta win” column.

The mini reviews continue! I just caught Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Class (Entres Les Murs) which is also France’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. The film follows an inner city Parisian high school class through a tumultuous pubescent angst filled year. The script is co-penned by François Bégaudeau who also stars with incredible depth of character as the class’s French teacher (prepare for an extensive lesson in French grammar, complete with English subtitles). All of the kids are also non-professionals and all do a remarkably excellent job. It seems a film must work the Verité style if it has any hope of winning Palme d’Or (last year’s 4…3…2…), and director Laurent Cantet obviously got the memo. It isn’t tough to mistake this for a documentary at the film’s opening. There aren’t a whole lot of typical plot arcs and anyone used to convenient resolution might be disappointed, but the film is certainly dramatic and a fascinating look at immigrant culture in France’s urban youth.

Slumdog Millionaire seems to be the most talked about prestige film around town and I went in with my expectations sky high. When will I learn? Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an excellent and very enjoyable film. I recommend everyone catch it. But after all the buzz, I was hoping to be really wowed. The narrative is a pretty standard (though incredibly interesting) retelling of an Indian boy’s life as an orphan, struggling to rise out of the depths of poverty. The conflict centers around his complicated relationship with his criminal brother and his unrelenting love for his childhood girlfriend. All of this plays as flashback from the stage of an Indian game show where the boy, now grown, is about to win millions of rupees. Danny Boyle’s direction and the cinematography are superb, but I guess i just wanted a bit more from Simon Beaufoy’s script. Take out the orientalism of the world these kids live in and you’re left with a pretty tame plot lacking in any real character motivation. Now that I’ve said that I have to reiterate that this is a truly enjoyable and interesting film and I do recommend catching it. I just feel it necessary to spill a little contrarian ink given how much praise has been gifted. BTW – the final credit sequence is worth the price of admission alone.

I’m gonna make an effort to post a few words about each film I see through the awards season. Here’s the first.

The first of Clint Eastwood’s dual award contenders this year is the Angelina Jolie starring, Changeling. Jolie plays a rollerskating, phone-operating mother who loses her shit when her son is kidnapped. But things get really intense when a boy other than her son is returned to her a few months later and the corrupt LAPD forces her to pretend it is her son and then throws her in a horrific mental hospital when she goes public with the story. Jolie does a very fine job with the juicy role and I have no problem seeing her nab a nom (though I like last year’s heavily overlooked A Mighty Heart more). Eastwood has got the intense drama thing down, and though it occasionally borders on melodramatic, the superb acting keeps it from going off the deep end. The setting of 1920s LA was fascinating and Eastwood and his prod. designer excelled in its depiction. The drama is at its best when the Jolie character (and the audience) questions her own sanity, though these moments are fleeting. I felt the plot spun out a bit in the third act (like so many prestige pics do) with the courtroom and criminal aspects. I would have been happier if 20 minutes were sliced out of all that – but it wasn’t enough to sway me to the negative. A final word of praise for bad cop Jeffrey Donovan whose performance I especially enjoyed.

Oliver Stone’s W. is an insider look at the rise of our 43rd president. I was a bit worried I would find the story frustrating in a “how did we let this guy into the White House” kinda way. But days of Bush frustration are over and Stone does a good job of not drudging them back up. Instead we get a quite interesting character piece lead very well by Josh Brolin. Plot wise, I liked the device used to jump back and forth between present (well presidency at least) and past and the story is frankly, a fascinating one. The handheld, over saturated camera worked for me as well. This film is not an outright condemnation of Bush like it could have been – it is simply an in depth look at a pretty darn interesting story. Maybe not quite awards material, but worth watching if you find this kind of thing appealing.

Longest blog post evar? Mmm hmm. So here is my big Fall Preview for your perusing enjoyment. I tried to cover everything that I expect to be of interest for both general movie going and potential Oscar glory – however I imagine I have missed a few. The flicks are in very general order of release (by month) but these things do tend to change from time to time. Most of this here is just my analysis based on the trailers (titles link to trailers) and general buzz. There is only one film on this list I have seen – but many I am looking forward to. Enjoy and please leave your comments at the end!

SEPTEMBER

APPALOOSA
I do like me a good western and the reviews for this (released last Weds 9/17 to a decent $17k per screen on 14) have been pretty positive. Ed Harris is pretty untested as a director (I didn’t see his first film, 2000’s Pollock), but he certainly has help from a great cast which includes Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons. I expect this flick to attract a certain amount of genre attention, but come up a bit short at Oscar time (see last year’s 3:10 to Yuma).

THE DUCHESS
Seems like we were watching trailers for this film a whole year ago. Well it finally came out last week ($27k/scr on 7) and the reviews are heavily mixed. I’m a huge fan of this period and Keira does it well, but I’m in no real hurry to catch this one. I’ll see it eventually and reserve my judgment until then.

BLINDNESS
Fernando Mereilles’ (City of God) long awaited follow up to The Constant Gardner has an incredible cast that includes Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael. But that cast hasn’t helped the dreary reviews so far. His stuff is always pretty stylized so I imagine I won’t have too bad of a time sitting through the dystopic tale. With actors that good, Miramax is bound to mount some kind of Oscar campaign regardless of how well the film fares.

TOWELHEAD
Alan Ball was certainly hoping to win another Oscar (he wrote American Beauty) with his feature directorial debut – but if the reviews are any indication it is a real long shot.

THE LUCKY ONES
What happens when you put outspoken liberal activist Tim Robbins in a movie about Iraq vets? Hmmm… I’m guessing this one bombs. The gratuitous use of Sarah McLaughlin and a bad cgi twister in the trailer don’t help anything at all. I’d consider enlisting to miss this one.

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
Spike Lee’s WWII epic looks pretty thrilling from the trailer, but early reports put it squarely in “meh” column. Too bad – that one had a lot of potential.

OCTOBER

ROCKNROLLA
Guy Ritchie directing Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Tom Wilkinson, Jeremy Pivens, and Ludacris. Dear lord, for Guy Ritchie’s sake, please let this be as good as it potentially could be.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED
We are talking ensemble mania here in this Hollywood insider comedy by Barry Levinson – DeNiro, Willis, Tucci, Turturro, Penn, Keener and more. I’ve heard mixed things from those who saw it at Sundance. I won’t be too surprised if this one disappears into the cacophony that is the crowded season – but I’m betting this is a fun ride for those who catch it.

RELIGULOUS
I have high hopes for this Larry Charles directed (Borat) Bill Maher expose on the world of organized religion. Early reports are that it’s a keeper.

NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Can someone other than Fox Searchlight have a breakout fall comedy hit? Having Michael Cera on board certainly doesn’t hurt. And we all know how great Kat Dennings was in Charlie Bartlett, right, right? I’m looking forward to this… but I’m definitely not recommending it until I see it.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Intense character piece featuring a slew of strong female actors and directed by Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Silence of the Lambs). Could be a pretty damn good – which reports out of Toronto seem to confirm. Also could be a break out role for Anne Hathaway – and if so could equal an Oscar nom.

BODY OF LIES
Ridley Scott is no stranger to Oscar noms (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, and last year’s American Gangster) though he has never scored the best director statue. Considering this flick was written by the Oscar winning writer of The Departed, William Monahan, I’d say he has an early look at a nom at least. DiCaprio and Crowe should be kept in mind as well. Will this be this year’s The Departed or this year’s Valley of Elah?

MAX PAYNE
Video game adaptations are always great, right? And with a prestige director like John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix), even Marky Mark and the lovely Mila Kunis may not be able to save this one. It must have been a really crowded summer for this film to come out in October.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
With a pretty incredible cast of Queen Latifa, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo and the Oscar machine of Fox Searchlight – this has got to be an early fave for at least a slew of acting awards.

W.
No one knows what to expect from Oliver Stone’s Bush biopic – but anticipation is certainly high, and it has all the Oscar potential in the world.

CITY OF EMBER
Bill Murray gets his steam punk on. Written by long time Tim Burton collaborator Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride) and directed by promising youngster Gil Keenan (Monster House), I have high hopes for this PG underground adventure.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Mike Leigh is undoubtedly a good director, but it is a long shot that this very British femme romantic comedy will make much of a splash on our shores, even if it has been a bit of a festival darling this summer.

PRIDE & GLORY
Another cop movie, another fantastic cast (Norton, Farrell, Voight). I didn’t see anything in the trailer or writer/director Gavin O’Connor’s credits that make me too excited – but hey, it could surprise.

CHANGELING
I don’t know a whole lot about this new film from Clint Eastwood set in 1920s L.A. – but the trailer looks pretty damned intense. Given it is Eastwood working with Angelina Jolie and John Malkovitch, I imagine the Universal Oscar machine is gonna be pushing this one full speed ahead.

ASHES OF TIME REDUX
I doubt anyone is too surprised to learn that I am pretty damned excited about Wong Kar Wai’s re-release of his 1994 costume actioner (his only Kung Fu film). With an incredible cast featuring both Tony Leungs and Maggie Cheung and classic Chris Doyle cinematography, any chance to see a film like this in the theater is a treat. Read more at twitch

FLASH OF GENIUS
Long time producer Marc Abraham makes his directorial debut with this potentially touching story of a man (Greg Kinnear) against the system. If it is good, it could be a contender. If it is mediocre, it could get lost in the onslaught of prestige pics. My guess is for the latter.

MORNING LIGHT
While it is certainly a family friendly Disney film – this “true life” documentary (read:reality movie) about a group of kids who race a sailboat to Hawaii does look to have some pretty impressive photography and could be a good ride.

THE BROTHERS BLOOM
I have had incredibly high hopes for this con-action-comedy from young hotshot writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick) for quite sometime. The cast is great and the trailer looks pretty awesome – I mean, they blow up the cathedral tower in Prague! This one is at the top of my list.

GRAN TORINO
I know even less about Clint Eastwood’s second directed film of the season – although I can tell you he is starring in it, unlike what seems to be the higher profile Changeling.

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
You gotta think that with all the amazing performances in this challenging but potentially rewarding film, some acting noms are bound to fall around a few necks. My guess would be a supporting nom for Michelle Williams. It’s a total long shot but how about a supporting nom for Tom Noonan, huh?

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Bring on the era of non-ViewAskewniverse Kevin Smith films (Jersey Girl doesn’t count). Something tells me this one ain’t gonna grab any Oscar noms – but I am looking forward to it nonetheless.

NOVEMBER

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Hooo boy I am excited for this follow up to Casino Royale! And new bond girl Olga Kurylenko is crazy smokin hot.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Danny Boyle’s (Trainspotting, Sunshine) film about an Indian kid who strikes it rich on a game show looks to have a ton of promise if the reviews out of Toronto are any indication (currently 100% on RT)

AUSTRALIA
You gotta think that Baz Luhrmann’s (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) epic starring Kidman and Jackman has a shot at some awards. I can promise it will at least be stylish.

THE ROAD
No trailer yet for John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel but the release date and cast of Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, and Guy Pearce means this one is aiming at Oscar gold for sure.

THE SOLOIST
Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) is back already with this heartfelt tale that stars Jamie Foxx and my pick for actor of the year, Robert Downey Jr. Could this Oscar vet deliver a statue for Downey, who has yet to pick one up (he was nom’d for Chaplin)?

FOUR CHRISTMASES
I’m only putting this holiday romcom starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn on the list because is it directed by Seth Gordon – the director of last years fantastic documentary The King of Kong. Is Gordon just taking a paycheck – or can he add a little story telling gold to this well trodden genre?

MILK
I’ve read this script directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Penn and there is some potential here – but can such a gay themed film break out? Regardless, it is certainly Oscar bait.

DECEMBER

FROST/NIXON
Ron Howard is looking for more Oscar glory with this historical drama that shows a lot of promise.

SEVEN POUNDS
No trailer yet, but a December Will Smith release always spells Oscar push. Directed by Gabriele Muccino who directed Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness.

TWILIGHT
There is already a bit of buzz around for this Kristen Stewart starring teen vampire flick that looks pretty harmless from the trailer. With HBO’s True Blood and this film, the vampire resurgence seems to be on. Anyone looking for a really great film should track down Let The Right One In.

YES MAN
Jim Carrey returns to what he does best (screwball comedy) and it looks pretty hilarious. Having co-stars like Zooey Deschanel and Rhys Darby (Murray from FotC) doesn’t hurt either.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Winter blockbusters seem to be all the rage this year. This one stars Keanu and Jennifer Connelly and looks pretty damn mediocre. But we all know Keanu shines in roles where he plays a creature with no emotions.

DEFIANCE
Ed Zwick’s (Blood Diamond, Last Samurai) rather cold looking WWII film starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber with funny accents. Looks pretty meh to me – but then I am not a huge Zwick fan.

DOUBT
Whoa – Oscar alert! Meryl Streep. Phil Hoffman, and Amy Adams in an adaptation of a John Patrick Shanley Pulitzer Prize winning play about a hot button topic (religious scandal). Better put this one on the scoreboard right now.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
Hold on – an animated film about a rodent and a chef in France? Well it is certainly bound to be a box office hit.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Not much out there yet on this take of the Valerie Plame scandal starring Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon – but it looks like Yari is gonna try to get it out in time to qualify for the Oscars, so it should at least be on the radar.

THE SPIRIT
Frank Miller (300, Sin City) returns with another ridiculously FX heavy stylized flick with too many starlets to count. I just hope a plot emerges to compliment all the pretty faces.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
No trailer yet – but people have been talking about this Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed re-pairing of DiCaprio and Winslett for years now – out in time for Oscar noms for sure.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Saving the best for last? Maybe… I pretty much love everything Fincher does (Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac) and this F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation starring Brad Pitt aging backwards has gotten some pretty stellar early reports. w00t!

South By Southwest Film and Music fest cranks up this Friday. Although I will not be attending, I took a quick look at the film lineup. A lot of good flicks – some of the best of Sundance, a few premieres, a ton of documentaries, and a whole lot of very indie films that fly under the radar. Here’s the full list and here’s what caught my eye:

American Teen Nanette Burstein’s docu about a group of high school seniors in Indiana was one of my favorite films at Sundance. The film raises interesting questions about the line between documentary and reality programming – but what really stands out is the incredible personalities of the kids Nanette follows. I am dying to find out what these kids do in their lives.
Site

Nerdcore Rising A look into the hottest form of hip hop music (at least for nerdy white kids) and the movement’s figurehead, MC Frontalot.
Trailer/Site

Assassination of a High School President Another fave from Sundance, this hilarious high school genre mashup turned out much better (and funnier) than the script. It isn’t Brick, and it isn’t Rocket Science, but it is a pretty good flick.

Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet A docu about artists who use old videogame hardware to create new music.
Great Trailer

Lots more after the jump

I know there is an unwritten rule about not talking about last year’s films after the Oscars… but my site wasn’t done – so screw it. Here then are my top 3+7 films of 2007. Top 3 and next 7 in alphabetical order:

Top 3:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Julian Schnabel, for all of his bizarre idiosyncracies as a person, has crafted a beautiful and innovative film unlike any other I’ve seen. It is, in my mind, the perfect marriage of art and cinema.

I’m Not There Pretty much everything Todd Haynes does pushes boundaries and it is no stretch to call this the most innovative biopic ever. Six actors play different aspects of Dylan’s personality that interweave but never interact. Cate Blanchett’s segments alone are enough to swoon over, but as a whole it coalesces into an incredibly dense and interesting piece of work. If you weren’t into it the first time (or if you were), see it again and I promise you’ll get a lot more out of it.

There Will Be Blood I don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been covered by this Best Pic nom’d, Best Actor and Best Cinematography Oscar winning masterpiece by the brilliant Paul Thomas Anderson. Congrats.

Next 7:

A Mighty Heart Starting with a controversial pick, many derided director Michael Winterbottom for casting Angelina Jolie in a role overwhelmed by her star power. It didn’t bother me at all. I thought her performance was great and this film did plenty to keep Winterbottom amongst my very favorite directors.

Knocked Up Very rarely does a comedy come along that nails it as well as Judd Apatow’s fresh and hilarious movie does. With scenes and quotes that have already embedded themselves in our culture, this will be one of those movies I can watch over and over again for years to come.

Lars and the Real Girl This would be on the list even if I didn’t work for the company that made it. Gossling’s performance along with a fantastic (nom’d) screenplay and pitch perfect soundtrack make this one of the most touching films in a long time.

Margot at the Wedding Many people hated this film (even though very few even saw it), but I loved Baumbach’s biting dialog and stunningly realistic writing. Nicole Kidman, Jack Black, and Jennifer Jason Leigh each turn in some of the very best performances of their careers. I can’t be the only person who liked this way more than The Squid and the Whale.

No Country for Old Men Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh will certainly go down as one of the best screen villains ever. Sure the film leaves you feeling bleak and empty – but that is exactly what the Coens set out to do – and they succeeded wildly.

Rocket Science Smarter and funnier than Superbad, this very indie high school comedy is an incredibly well written and directed story about a kid with a stutter who joins the debate team to get a girl. Anna Kendrick does an amazing job as the love interest with more up her sleeve than the protagonist, played by Reece Thompson, knows he is in store for. This is Jeffrey Blitz’s first dramatic turn after directing the Oscar nom’d documentary Spellbound. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Sunshine Danny Boyle’s sci-fi flick does a really impressive job of switching genres as the story unfolds. I was captivated by the filmmaking and amazed by the visuals. This must be seen on a big screen to really be appreciated – and my prediction is that it will be the kind of movie that will pop up in theaters every decade or so for the big cult following it will likely amass.

Now go out and see em all and let me know what you think.