2009 so far

Since I have probably been to the movies for the last time before prestige-season kicks in (unofficially, the beginning of October), it's time to start thinking about the films of 2009 so far. Despite missing the pop culture masterpiece known as "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", my film-going year has been fairly active. Along with my Netflix account...well... let's just say we've been watching a lot of film this year.
2009 standouts for me are-

"The Hurt Locker"
I'm a sucker for a good war movie, and this definitely does not disappoint. Kathryn Bigelow builds up the tension so well that my nails were digging into the arm rests. The movie works though because it ditched the pretension that bogged down other Iraq films (Lions for Lambs, I'm looking at you) and concentrated on delivering the goods again and again. Bonus points for Jeremy Renner being a crazy motherfucker. My favorite of the year so far.

"Moon"
Science Fiction that does not rely on convoluted plot points, CGI or Megan Fox's female assets. That already makes "Moon" a stand-out, but it is also packing some interesting ideas and fantastic acting by Sam Rockwell. Plus- it's directed by Duncan Jones who just happens to be David Bowie's son.

"Star Trek"
The only official "blockbuster" I saw this summer that was worth a damn. Despite the fact that the plot felt like a poor rehash of "Wrath of Khan", the Enterprise crew was a lot of fun to hang out with for 2 hours. It kind of made me wish that JJ Abrahms had rebooted it as a TV series so we could get more character development, but hopefully we'll get a bigger and better sequel. I also liked that it managed to side-step the over-wraught cynical bullshit with the tormented hero that Hollywood has been churning out post-Bourne. The movie is relatively light-hearted and ridiculously entertaining.

"District 9"
This has obviously been a good year for science fiction. I highly recommend you check this out. It works best if you see it without a lot of background information.

"Still Walking"
See below for my take.

Best Non-2009 films seen in 2009

Talk to Her - The first film that made me cry in recent memory. Almodovar is a master of making you feel compassion for his characters, no matter how heinous their behavior. Also, the kiss between Benigno and Lydia is incredo-hot.

Tokyo Story- I'm glad I saw this before watching any Koreeda. I've heard a lot of people compare him to Ozu. The younger filmmaker seems to get some archetypes from this film (most explicitly, the blameless daughter-in-law). It seems that Koreeda is more of a humanist, while Ozu is a bit more cynical and concentrated on his technique.
Its influence aside, Tokyo Story is a perfect exercise in understatement and exploration of a quietly broken family. While the gradual abandonment of the parents has traces of Lear, Ozu makes his characters completely recognizable (even 57 years later and a culture apart) which makes them all the more heartbreaking.

Days of Heaven- You could watch this with the sound off and still be awe-struck. Malick is a master of capturing the natural world. Stand-outs include copious footage of Texas wheat fields and the fire scene.

Cad Picks: Gattaca

After A.O. Scott picked this last week, I know this is going to make me look like Johnny-Come-Lately, but "Gattaca" is a film that I find myself coming back to over and over again.

"Gattaca" (1997) tells a story set in the "Not Too Distant Future" where human reproduction has become perfected to a science. Parents no longer worry about birth defects or diseases. Rather, they hand pick their child's traits--a process which guarantees a sort of perfection of the human race. Your whole future is given to you at birth. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is lucky enough to have been born through this genetic manipulation method. Society has evolved to a point where class is determined by how good your genome looks. The film revolves around an unfortunate 'de-generate', Vincent (Ethan Hawke) who wishes to be an astronaut despite his heart problems. After failing to over come the urine samples, blood analyses and other road blocks, Vincent decides that he will take on the identity of a disabled ex-swim star, Jerome (played by an excellent Jude Law in a role that helped introduce him to American audiences).

The film points to the importance of an individual's work ethic and determination in the face of insurmountable odds. Vincent's willingness to give up everything (including his family, identity, and ultimately, perhaps his life) to reach the stars is the driving force of the film. By setting the film in a 1950s version of the future (look at those cars! and the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture!) director Andrew Nicchols points to the McCarthy-era subtext of the story (at one point, a group of de-generates are rounded up by the police) while making the proceedings feel timeless. An unfortunate side-effect of making science fiction is that your movie looks dated 5 years after it's made.
The sets all look magnificent, particularly the apartment that Vincent and Jerome share, a nightclub they frequent, and Gattaca itself (the astro-exploration company where Vincent is hired as Jerome). Slawomir Idziak deserves credit as cinematographer for creating some extraordinary shots. Some stand-outs include Vincent (at this point still a janitor) scrubbing the roof of Gattaca and watching a shuttle launch, Irene and Vincent crossing a street amid heavy traffic, and the ending (more below).
Giving a heavy helping hand to the gorgeous cinematography and set design is Michael Nyman's music. The score uses a lot of strings with minimal percussion, which helps the film to avoid feeling too much like a suspense flick (judging by the trailer on my DVD, this is how it was sold when it came out). The result is that the film feels propelled by a sense of longing that can never quite be fulfilled.
A downpoint is the acting and dialogue. Jude Law is definitely the high-point here, as he brings some much needed warmth and comedy to an otherwise cool and antiseptic film. With Law's guidance, Jerome becomes an affable and self-destructive playboy. His dynamic with the square Ethan Hawke is one of the highlights of "Gattaca", and has some serious homoerotic undertones. By contrast, the Hawke/Thurman dynamic has absolutely zero chemistry. Perhaps this is not Uma Thurman's fault, as Irene seems to be struggling for a reason to exist in the film past the obligatory love interest plot point. The exception to this, of course, is her scene with Law which beautifully demonstrates the cost of Vincent's decision to abandon his identity. Still, clunky lines such as "Come on Irene, you're just like the rest of us!" and the script's attempts to come up with clever names of the genetically-challenged often get in the way of the film's cool aesthetic.
These shortcomings aside, the film is remarkable. The sleek look is, in some sense, ironic given the humanistic message of the film. The ending, while uplifting (helped by a last minute play by Gattaca's in-house doctor) is also somewhat sad. Vincent's final test of acceptance in the world is to abandon it for the stars. Jerome, the 'ideal' man, abandons it altogether after a lifetime of expectation and inadequacy. The rise and demise of these two characters offers a fittingl poignant close to a film about individual struggle.

Welcome to my blog

I have long been a devotee of cinema and, after years of admiration, finally decided that it was time to start writing about it. Without any formal cinematic training, my thoughts and observations come only from watching and talking about film.
Hopefully, if this blog is successful, I will do my first full-scale Oscar analysis this season, but I would love for this to be a forum to share some of my favorites, recommend small gems, and exchange ideas.
To start things off, I will be profiling ten films that are close to my heart. The term 'favorite' seems flawed, since it suggests a sense of finality. I have found that ascribing this to a film precludes other films from claiming the title and demands that my tastes remain constant. That being said, each of these films hold deep meaning for me and help explain my love for cinema in general.

I hope you enjoy!