2010 - Track Your Films

It’s almost the new year so time for a new thread. You could state your highlights from 2009 and then start a brand new year for watching films. Personally, 2009 was a strange year in terms of films as I didn’t watch very many at all. I just haven’t been in the mood or haven’t had the time. Well I plan on changing that from tomorrow and hopefully I can post more in this thread than I did in the 2009 one.



Here’s to a great year for watching films!

[quote=“Ify”]Personally, 2009 was a strange year in terms of films as I didn’t watch very many at all. I just haven’t been in the mood or haven’t had the time.[/quote]

Same for me. Aside from the few movies streaks I had where I watched 2 or 3 movies a day and that lasted for a week, I did not watch many of them.



As you suggested, here are my personal favourites movies from 2009, in no particular order:


  • Inglourious Basterds (yeah, really!)
  • 500 days of Summer
  • Gran Torino
  • Watchmen
  • The Hangover
  • The Boat That Rocked





    The movies that disappointed:



    Funny people

    …that’s all I can think of right now.







    I plan on finally watching PTA movies in 2010, and to watch more movies in general.

My Top Ten List. This is movies I saw during the calender year of 2009 not movies that were released in 2009.



10. The Echelon Conspiracy - Sort of a poor man’s Eagle Eye but less silly and based on real things.

9. Up - I don’t know, maybe it was all the hype or maybe I just hold Pixar movies up on a giant pedistal but this one just didn’t really do it for me. This one might need another watching.

8. Commedians of Comedy - Technically a stand-up special and not a movie but whatever. I love the part when they hit up the comic shop. I could spend hours listening to Patton Oswalt talk comics.

7. Zombieland - I wanted to hate this movie going into it but some friends dragged me to it and I can’t thank them enough. Funny, heart warming, and it’s got Zombies in it.

6. Serenity - I just finally got into the show Firefly early this year and while the series was cut down in it’s prime “Serenity” does a good job of wrapping up most of the shows loose ends. Good film even if you haven’t seen the series but I’d recommend checking it out if the idea of a western set in space appeals to you.

5. The Signal - Great, great horror film. But it’s also a love story. I love the way it unfolds with the three different points of view written and directed by three different people but still makes for one cohesive story.

4. Blindness - A rough film that was pretty tough to watch at times but absolutely worth it. Great story, great performances.

3. Inglourious Basterds - Not as violent or as funny as I thought it would be but a great and very surprising film nonetheless.

2. Funny People - I had pretty low expectations going into this based on the commercials I’d seen but it ended up being much better than I anticipated. Not as laugh out loud funny and man-child driven as Apatow’s previous works (or most of today’s comedy’s in general for that matter) and frankly I was starting to get pretty sick of that stuff.

1. District 9 - Just one of those movies that really took me by surprise. I’d seen the short film it’s based on and had no idea how they were gonna turn that into a full-length film. The end result was pretty great. Plus they did this thing with $30 million and still pumped out CGI ten times better than any live action film I’ve ever seen. Watched it two days in a row. The first time I’ve done that since I was a little kid obsessed with Follow that Bird.

Awesome. New year, more movies. Alot more than I thought. Been working on a list, harder this year than it was last year. A welcome dilemma if there ever was one.



Inglourious Basterds still stands as the best movie I saw this year, not counting The Hurt Locker and Precious, which I still havn’t seen. Nice to say after Death Proof barely cracked my top twenty in 2007.



It’s Complicated - 1.5/5

An insultingly bad movie, and not even well made in the way most bad movies are still well made. Had it’s moments of comedy, I’ll admit I chuckled, but hardly what I expected from the broad that made Something’s Gotta Give.



Matador - 4.5/5

Last movie of the year :’(



Like most of his earlier films, you get the feeling watching Matador that this definitely comes from someone who worked in television. Not in a negative way as with alot of filmmakers who try to make the transition, but the influence is there. The look and feel quickly ebbed away as he hit his stride but it’s here, and it doesn’t for a second detract from the sexiest movie I’ve seen all year. Which is weird because the sex here is sexual only until someone gets stabbed in the act, then Almodovar does something disturbing and genius in making it remain immensely sexual, sexy even, as the victim dies fucking. Even if the ending is brain numbingly random, I suppose it comes from the same melodrama that marks all his features.



Nice to know that Antonio was amazing even then.

New Year, new topic. I thought Ify would get this one going, but I guess he’s still sleeping off his hangover.



Watchmen - (rewatch) - 4.5/5 Really solid film, and I feel it’s extremely underrated.



Mr. Nice Guy - 4/5 because I LOVE anything with Jackie Chan.



Hyperdrive - (rewatch) - 5/5 Not a film, but an awesome TV series from Britain starring Nick Frost (OMG HE’S SO AWESOME), Kevin Eldon, Miranda Hart, Dan Antopolski, Stephen Evans, and Patricia Massey. Written by my favourite writing duo, Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley.

Geoi, I merged your topic cause Ify had already opened a new one. :wink:

[quote=“cyber-lili”]Geoi, I merged your topic cause Ify had already opened a new one. :wink:[/quote]
Damn. I didn’t even see it! Thanks… :-[ :-[ :-[

[quote=“Dex”]6. Serenity - I just finally got into the show Firefly early this year and while the series was cut down in it’s prime “Serenity” does a good job of wrapping up most of the shows loose ends. Good film even if you haven’t seen the series but I’d recommend checking it out if the idea of a western set in space appeals to you.[/quote]

I’m so happy that you got to see Firefly and Serenity. It’s one of my favourites of all time. Nathan Fillion is sooooo hot too. Not that you’d pay any attention to that.

And my first film of 2010 is…



Inglourious Basterds - 9/10



I have seen it three times now, but it loses the impact for me on each subsequent viewing. The same cannot be said of Kill Bill where the case is polar opposite - each time I watch it, I love it more. IB is definitely a more accomplished piece than any of his other films, even if it did seem somewhat rushed when I first watched it. But apart from one or two dubious acting “talents”, I can’t really see any flaws. Unfortunately, I don’t think it works on the same level quality and entertainment-wise the way Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill do.



I’d like to believe that there are many things I have yet to notice about IB, afterall QT always has one or more reasons for every decision in his films. Granted, I did see a few new things (e.g. the focus of putting his cigarette out in the cream whilst having dessert with Shosanna probably signifies the way Landa fired upon her family at the dairy farm). However, I didn’t have nearly the same amount of “personal satisfaction” moments that I did with PF, JB, and KB.

I get that. But for me, the first and second chapters are just as gratifying upon subsequent viewings, if not even more so.

whatever movie you prefer, objectively speaking I think Kill Bill is still his greatest accomplishment, and his most refined work. An epic masterpiece, Basterds almost seems like a quickie next to it.

twoohnine:


  1. Trash Humpers
  2. He Has a Wife!!!
  3. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
  4. Fighting
  5. Hadewijch
  6. Adventureland
  7. Observe and Report
  8. Two Lovers
  9. The Hurt Locker
  10. White Material

[quote=“F.W.”]twoohnine:


  1. Trash Humpers
  2. He Has a Wife!!!
  3. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
  4. Fighting
  5. Hadewijch
  6. Adventureland
  7. Observe and Report
  8. Two Lovers
  9. The Hurt Locker
  10. White Material[/quote]

Damn it, you were not joking about Fighting was you? So I guess I do have to give it a rent.



Two Lovers would be in my top 10 of 09 as well. James Gray had a good 1-2 punch with this and We Own The Night. Still need to see Bad Lieutenant and Hurt Locker.



Speaking of Two Lovers, I can’t wait to see (if it’s still coming) Casey Affleck’s film on Joaquin Phoenix’s Rap career. That will be the movie of the year whenever it comes (hopefully 2010).

What is everyone’s 2010 films they are looking forward to?



2010-2011 films I am looking forward to:



PTA’s new film (2010-2011?)

Cronenberg’s “The Talking Cure” (with Waltz and Fassbender)(2010-2011?)

Nolan’s "Inception"

Godard’s "Socialisme"

Scorsese’s "Shutter Island"

Casey Affleck’s "Untitled Joaquin Phoenix Documentary"





If all of these films come in 2010, it could be the best year since 07’ and probably will be better.

did i ever write about Fighting? cause i tend to gush about that film so it would’ve been clear i wasn’t joking if i had.



here’s what i thought:



at its best it is a fascinating personal vision of a city montiel is fond of and he shows it in interesting ways. like the thug entering a shot, doing a backflip off a wall, acknowledging the camera with a glance and then disappearing as quickly as he appeared. then there’s the pink bunny cart and so on and so forth. montiel’s fascination with the city is only matched by that with his star, tatum. there are certainly moments of “ohbrother” and the ending was kind of the cinematic equivalent of “bang” flag popping out of a gun. the fight scenes are actually pretty awesome and tatum’s character is given this self-concious portrayal as when he follows his love interest into her room, demanding she take his money for her rent and trying to explain his feelings for her, channing lets out a genuinely frustrated “i don’t know how…” before kissing her and it works so well. i just loved those moments mixed in with these highly kinetic fight scenes. it makes a truly idiosyncratic film out of something that could’ve been totally useless.





and since i didn’t do reviews for two lovers and we own the night here i might as well (i’ve been fucking lazy lately):



we own the night -



so there’s dito montiel, who is a new found favorite of mine and one of the recently risen American directors to kind of excite me. then there is james gray and he’s been in the game since around the same time those indie-holes came out (rodriguez, tarantino) to party. except while tarantino was busy masturbating his cinematic pleasures into a blender and making a reference-sperm smoothie that goes down great and tastes good (although its still semen) gray was honing some seriously good sensibilities and personality as a filmmaker. like in two lovers, i was mesmerized by several sequences or just single shots the whole way through. he proves he can shoot a passionate and quiet moment of lust on a rooftop as well as he can a shoot-out/car chase. i mean, how fucking awesome was that scene? nothing but the sound of windshiel wipers and the radio between cars? brilliant move. he also loves his family dynamics and he turns a pretty genre adhering cop film into something beautiful about family relationships and pride and disappointment and brotherhood. its tender moments are just as great as its intense moments and when was the last time gray blew his own horn about how awesome he is? and when was the last time tarantino showed he could shoot tender maturely (jackie brown)?



two lovers -



I was pretty much in love with it from the moment that, soaked in greyish blues, Leonard confessed his love to Michelle and then fucked her against the wall on the roof. I’ve seen that a bunch of times but never so casually lacking of forced beauty. The idea of the standing fuck is that it’s raw, ugly and haphazard, what I got from this was something actually beautiful and sexual but there was no sunlight trickling in, no shot of her panties being ripped from her hips instead there was clouds, cold air, and winter jackets. Phoenix’s manic and anxiety-ridden Jewish Leonard would be treated with comic self-deprecation if this were a different film but here that tired Woody Allenish cliche is made into a real person. Someone who hurts and doesn’t like to talk about it. His pain manifests itself in nervous habits, mumbles, scars and flashes of melancholy and joy, charm and assured movements. He is truly the most fascinating thing about the film. James Gray’s direction is subdued but great with a close-up of pickles meaning as much as the longing-filled voyeuristic shots of Paltrow’s apartment. Just an incredible film.

Thanks for your reviews (though I already love We Own the Night and Two Lovers) I enjoyed reading why you liked them. Will give Fighting a chance.

[quote=“G”]What is everyone’s 2010 films they are looking forward to?



2010-2011 films I am looking forward to:



PTA’s new film (2010-2011?)

Cronenberg’s “The Talking Cure” (with Waltz and Fassbender)(2010-2011?)

Nolan’s "Inception"

Godard’s "Socialisme"

Scorsese’s "Shutter Island"

Casey Affleck’s "Untitled Joaquin Phoenix Documentary"





If all of these films come in 2010, it could be the best year since 07’ and probably will be better.[/quote]


PAUL (the new Nick Frost/Simon Pegg film that I got to be part of) and Jackass 3!!!!! Of course I'm excited about PTA's new work, but come on... PAUL and Jackass 3!!!!

[quote=“F.W.”]twoohnine:


  1. Trash Humpers
  2. He Has a Wife!!!
  3. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
  4. Fighting
  5. Hadewijch
  6. Adventureland
  7. Observe and Report
  8. Two Lovers
  9. The Hurt Locker
  10. White Material[/quote]

That’s great if you loved Two Lovers and We Own the Night. I really James Gray. I saw We Own the Night at the Cannes film fest at the time and it wasn’t that well received (especially by the foreign critics) but No Country for Old Men didn’t make such a buzz neither and they both became classic and every critics/audience in the end loved them. I saw James Gray doing a masterclass in Paris, awesome.



But how comes Two Lovers is a 2009 movie ?? It was released such a while ago in France, november 2008 or so. When did he got released in the USA ? I even remember me yelling so hard at the last oscars ceremony cause James Gray wasn’t nominated, neither was Joaquin Phoenix and nobody noticed my several calls about James Gray. I do now understand why. Do you think it’s then a contender for the next oscars ceremony then ?



Another thing, I’d be interested in your review of Adventureland. I don’t quite recall that you loved it so much.

it got a 2009 North American release so that’s why its on the list. Gray is big with the French so I’m not surprised they released it there first.



i’ll find my old review for Adventureland.

[quote=“cyber-lili”]


But how comes Two Lovers is a 2009 movie ?? It was released such a while ago in France, november 2008 or so. When did he got released in the USA ? I even remember me yelling so hard at the last oscars ceremony cause James Gray wasn’t nominated, neither was Joaquin Phoenix and nobody noticed my several calls about James Gray. I do now understand why. Do you think it’s then a contender for the next oscars ceremony then ?
[/quote]

I was asking the same question about a month ago in the I.B. awards thread. It was released in America in 2009 but was released in other countries in 08. So I guess it’s going to count for Oscars 2010, though I’m sure they probably forgot about it, with all the CGI Blue cocks in the way.

The Holiday - 7/10



Very sweet movie.