It's been a long time. Too long. Quick up to speed. My wife Hanna and I had our first baby, Jackson Riley Blitch on Dec. 13th, 2009. A long time ago I know. It's been over a year since I've blogged and I sincerely apologize to the few that subscribe.
Any who. It's been an overall solid year of good films, a few great ones, but also some real stinkers.
First off, I'll give you a nice "honorable mention" list:
Monsters - This sits at number 11. It's a roadtrip film with monsters in it. A photographer and his boss's daughter are trapped in Mexico. His boss "asks" him to escort his daughter across the "Infected Zone," where the alien monsters roam. You don't get a great glimpse of the monsters until the very end. The whole movie is character-driven with a lot of great little moments of character development, and not just a spectacle. Supposedly the film cost about $500,000 to make, and it looks fantastic. It is shot with the Sony EX3, which is similar to a camera that I use at Bluefish. Most locations were shot guerilla-style without permission and it looks like they shot some scenes in neighborhoods where Katrina hit. The ending keeps it from being a truly GREAT film, but it doesnt ruin it in any light. Highly recommended.
Kick-Ass - This movie is just fun. I had a blast watching it. Matthew Vaughan has created a for sure cult classic, and he weaves so many different action styles in each of the action scenes. Chloe Morentz (Hit Girl) is fantastic, and for sure an actress to watch for in the future (in fact, another one of her movies makes this honorable mention list). Nicolas Cage reminds us that when he is on his game, he is still one of the best actors working today. The pacing is razor-sharp and there is never a dull moment. Love the use of John Murphy during some of the action scenes.
Let Me In - I was a huge fan of Let The Right One In, the Swedish vampire film from 2009. Loved it so much that it was my No. 3 from that year (behind Slumdog and Dark Knight). Well, the remake starring Kick-Ass's Chloe Morentz and Kodi McPhee is downright awesome. I actually prefer it more than the original one. That raises the question: Mark, if you liked it more, why is it so low on your list? Simply because its the same story and I was familiar with where it was going, I just liked Matt Reeves' take on it better. Better actors, better direction, better film. But I'll keep it off of my top 10 solely due to the original being on my top 10 list 2 years ago. I'm challenging myself more by not putting it on my list. It's the SECOND best horror film of the year.
The King's Speech - This was a hard one to leave off of the list. It's a very good movie, maybe even a great one, but the pacing truly kept this from being an amazing film. Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are worth the price of admission alone, and it's great to see Helena Bonham-Carter be, you know, normal in a movie to remind us how great of an actress she is. This is a last second scratch for me, and I have the right to add it back at any time (it is MY list after all). But I think I need to see it again to really know for sure.
Alright, let's get on with the list then.
10) HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
This is the only animated film on my list this year. Yes, I thought Toy Story 3 was great, but I was charmed to death by this movie. The voice casting of Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler is pitch perfect. The animation is smooth and watching it on IMAX 3D made it that much better.
This film is the closest Dreamworks Animation has gotten to a Pixar level film. The moment that sealed the deal for me loving this movie was right after the dragon started warming up to Hiccup. Hiccup brings fish to Toothless and then, for a nice 5 minutes (guessing), there was a wonderful montage of Hiccup and Toothless starting to gain each other's trust. There are no words. Nothing but the score. It's a wonderful moment that takes after the opening montage of Up, my favorite animated movie from last year. Simply magical.
The 3D was amazing, and it looks fantastic on Blu Ray. It holds up very well on repeat viewings, and it sits up there with Pixar's best.
9) WINTER'S BONE
I watched this movie on the way from Upper Egypt back to Cairo, thinking it would be a solid little film with good performances. What I got was a great film with FANTASTIC performances. The story is simple: A girl looking for her father. Well, it's more than that, but at its core, that about covers it. 17-year old Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) is in search of her drug-dealing father after he put their home up for bail. What's worse is that Ree not only has to find her dad, but also make sure that she, her 2 younger siblings, and her mentally ill mother have food on the table. What follows is a very simple story that is elevated by its performances. Jennifer Lawrence's performance is comparable to Hailee Steinfeld's performance in True Grit, both are very assertive and stubborn. But what stands Lawrence apart is her resilience. Even after she gets the crap kicked out of her, she remains as stubborn and assertive as before, completely (and foolishly) fearless. I would be very surprised if she wasn't nominated for Best Actress this year.
The performance that elevates the film even more is John Hawkes (Deadwood, Lost) as Teardrop, Ree's uncle. At first you think Teardrop is a just an angry bastard, but slowly you see some humanity creep back in, although he wouldn't be caught dead to admitting it. Hawkes clinches his Best Supporting Actor nomination in an amazingly tense scene when he gets pulled over by the police late at night after picking up a battered and bruised Ree. It reminds me a lot of a father lion defending his family, only instead of showing teeth and going crazy, Hawkes does it all with his eyes and speech. Definitely worth checking out.
8) BURIED
This film should not work. 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a coffin? Really? Not even a cutaway to the authorities trying to find him, or of his family crying and worrying? Nope. 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a coffin. No cutaways, nothing. And it freaking works. In spades. My wife was skeptical, as was I. But this film is by far the greatest accomplishment on this list. It keeps you on your toes for the entire 90 minutes.
Ryan Reynolds easily gives the best performance of his career, as he is given absolutely nothing to do than to react to his surroundings and his phone calls. This is the kind of role that could make him a modern day Robin Williams. And by that I don't mean Patch Adams/Jack/Bicentennial Man Robin Williams. I mean Good Will Hunting/Insomnia/Aladdin (yeah, he rocked it in Aladdin)/Mrs. Doubtfire Robin Williams. Reynolds already had uncanny comedic timing (Wolverine, Blade: Trinity, The Proposal (yeah I liked it, so what, wanna fight about it?)) and here he displays some great dramatic chops. He can act his way out of a box (no pun intended).
The direction is top-notch. It has to be for this to work. Rodrigo Cortes keeps it visually interesting despite lighting with only a Zippo, a flashlight, and glow sticks. He makes the coffin seem vast and open one moment, then painfully claustrophobic the next. And the writing alone is Oscar-worthy. It reminds me of Cloverfield in the sense that you know that there is probably a fury of government activity (or at least he's TOLD that) lots of cinematic slow montages, racing against the clock, etc., that you don't see. We are stuck in this situation with Reynolds the entire time. The ending works and doesn't work. WIthout giving too much away, it's a roller coaster of emotions, and unpredictable. But I also would have liked it even more if something different happened. Let me know what you think when you see it.
7) SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
I love Edgar Wright. I feel like I should reserve a place on my Top Ten every year he releases a film. Shaun of the Dead is one of my favorite films and Hot Fuzz is a terrific parody of modern day action films. Also, his films are amazingly edited. Each of his films has an unparalleled energy.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is no different. As soon as the 8-bit Universal logo comes up with 8-bit sound, you know that you are in for something unique and special. Michael Cera was born to play Scott Pilgrim. Every other role has been preparation for this one.--
QUICK RANT--
Why do people hate Michael Cera so much? Because he's the same in every movie? OK, I'll buy that. But what about Denzel since The Hurricane? What about Audrey Hepburn? What about John Wayne? All pretty much the same. So let's lay off on the Scrawny One. He makes more money than you do.
--END QUICK RANT
Anyway, back to the film. Michael Cera is awesome, and his job isn't that easy. He has to make a tool likeable. And he succeeds. Even though he treats Knives like absolute garbage, you really don't care that much because they overplay his tool-ness so much its hilarious. As far as the supporting cast, I like about 95% of it. Knives is adorable, and I wouldn't mind if Scott Pilgrim ended up with her at all, but she is "too good for him." Mary Elizabeth Winstead is good as Ramona, but I really don't think she's prettier than Knives, but I see that she is the cute alternative girl, so I'll buy it. Kieran Culkin steals every scene he's in as Scott's gay roommate Wallace. The band consists of a solid supporting cast. Allison Pill is wonderfully cast as one of Scott's bitter ex-girlfriends. Johnny Simmons is pitch perfect as Young Neil. I (regrettably) watched Jennifer's Body and he was the best thing about it. He's got a real friendly, sincere look and the way he delivers his lines is money.
But the highlights of the movie are the Evil Exes. Chris Evans is awesomely one-note as Lucas Lee, the 2nd of Ramona's evil exes. He plays an exaggerated version of the Hollywood action hero. It's a brief role, but Chris makes the most of it. The best of all the exes is Vegan Academy graduate Brandon Routh (Superman in Superman Returns). I liked Routh a lot as Superman, but here he is freaking hysterical. Everything he does is funny. His speech, his insults, his hair. Greatness. And his demise is great as well. I really hope to see more Routh in the future, whether its as Superman or nice little comedic roles like this one.
The only person I don't like in this movie is Jason Schwartzman as Gideon, the head of the League of Evil Exes. He just falls flat for me. I would rather have Routh's character be the main villian. He just plays the overbearing, controlling boyfriend that we've all seen before, nothing really original.
But the real star of the film is Edgar Wright. He infuses his unique signature all over the film, over every cut. There is not one cut in this film that wasn't carefully planned out. I hope that their effort is rewarded with a Best Editing Oscar nomination. Great film that captures the ADD generation.
6) THE TOWN
Ben Affleck, sorry we ever doubted you. Maybe you did all those crappy movies to fuel our thoughts of "How much did Ben Affleck really write on Good Will Hunting?" And then you go and make Gone Baby Gone, which was one of the better directorial debuts in recent memory. Then you make The Town. I'll go on record and say that Gone Baby Gone is a better made film, but The Town shows that Affleck has found his groove and that GBG isn't a fluke. He also silences the Good Will Hunting critics by co-writing this one. And he plays the lead. Triple threat. You think that he would give himself a break or something, but no, he pulls triple duty and gives 100% in each department.
And he assembled one of the year's best cast (Inception takes the cake there). Jeremy Renner is at his best as Jem, Ben's partner in crime. Renner is electrifying. And he could blow at any moment. His intensity comes thru his eyes. I got nervous every time he was on screen. Pete Postlethwaite has the amount of intensity, and makes rose trimming terrifying. It's really a shame that he passed because he had many great years ahead of him. Rebecca Hall has quietly been making a name for herself over the years with roles in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Frost/Nixon, and she handles herself very well amongst such heavyhitters. Ben Affleck gives his best performance to date, and, like I said, it is that much more impressive due to his many duties on this film. His role is the most difficult, having to be tough enough to be a believable point man for his robberies, and sensitive enough to care for one of his victims. And he pulls it off convincingly. I'm so sorry Ben. Sorry that we ever thought you were a joke. You get the last laugh. ( <---zinger!)
5) THE FIGHTER
Here is the second Boston-centric film on this list.
I love boxing movies. I grew up on Rocky (especially IV). By default, I gravitate towards the underdog story. And I love Christian Bale. So when all 3 of these elements combine, it's practically pre-destined to have a spot on my Top 10 list.
And The Fighter does not disappoint. It tells the story of half-brothers Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale). Mickey is still struggling in the boxing ranks, while his trainer Dicky struggles with crack. The film starts with HBO following Dicky on his "comeback" (which turns out to be a documentary on crack in America) and we are introduced to the playful relationship between Mickey and Dicky. But it quickly turns sour when Dicky is too high and misses a training session and we are introduced to their mother and half-sisters. Good Lord. This is one dysfunctional family. The sisters are straight out of a bad bad 80s music video, with nasty pompadour hair and gross Boston accents (is there such thing as a good Boston accent). But they all bow down to the Queen of all overbearing mothers, Alice (Melissa Leo). She clearly favors Dicky over hardworking Mickey, and is in constant denial of Dicky's drug addiction. As you can read, this movie is barely about boxing. And that's one reason why I love it. Even during Mickey's climatic title fight, you really don't care what the outcome is, all you want is a good resolution for the family.
This is also one of the best acted films of the year. Mark Wahlberg doesn't get enough credit. Sure he does crap (Max Payne). But here he is playing within his strengths and is the film's heart and soul. He plays Mickey as a weakling at times, but I think it's a nice contrast to his physique. This film doesn't succeed without him. You can see why this film has been his labor of love, trying to get it made for 4 years (even training every day to keep his physique). Christian Bale is the highlight of the film for me. He needed a role like this to show off how sickly talented he is. Sure he makes a great Batman and can look good in the Batsuit, but here he really disappears into the role and shows how method acting should be done. Yes, he lost weight for the role, something he has done before, but it was necessary in order to be a convincing crack addict. Amy Adams plays against type here and again proves why she is one of the most reliable actresses working today. Coming close to Bale in sheer scene steal-ery (?) is Melissa Leo as their mother. And the film is at its best when they share the screen. I'll put money that Melissa Leo and Bale both win Supporting Oscars. I just don't see any competition.
I know that this film isn't as high on other Top 10 lists, but it just hits the right chord with me. Looking forward to seeing it again.
4) BLACK SWAN
This is my revolving top 4. One day my 4 could be 1, my 2 could be 4, 1 could be 3, and so on and so on. So again, I'm giving myself the right to change my list at any time, but I think I have a pretty solid top 4.
This film rocked my world. It's no secret that I love horror movies, and simply put, Black Swan is one of the best horror films I've ever seen. And it's not the "horror" that exists today (Saw, Piranha, anything Platinum Dunes does). It's a throwback to the heyday of psychological horror, like The Shining or Carrie.
Plotline: A dedicated and technically flawless ballerina, Nina (Natalie Portman) yearns to be the Swan Queen of her company's new take on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The role of the Swan Queen requires Nina to be the White Swan AND the Black Swan. She is perfect as the efficient, graceful White Swan, but is having more difficulty "losing herself" in order to become the seductive, passionate Black Swan. Her instructor Tomas encourages to delve into her more carnal impulses and embraces the "darkness." This causes her to study another dancer in her company, Lily (Mila Kunis). Lily isn't nearly as talented as Nina, but possesses the Black Swan qualities (carefree, seductive) that Nina strives for. All of this pressure causes Nina to travel down some dark roads and reality starts to unravel...
This is no CENTER STAGE.
Natalie Portman gives the performance of her career as Nina Sayers. It's one of those roles that will go down in film history as one of the greats. Yes, it's that good. I've never seen her so dedicated and fragile, and then she is able to be fearless in a blink of an eye. It's my favorite performance this year (male or female). The rest of the cast is impeccable. Barbara Hershey, who plays Nina's mother, is always one breath away from crazy, and her character reminds me a lot of Carrie's mother in CARRIE. Vincent Cassel, who plays the dance instructor Tomas, is nearly as good as Portman. His teaching methods are a bit...unorthodox, but he commands whatever scene he is in, and even at times, outacting Portman. I really wish he was in the running for Best Supporting Actor, because he deserves it. Mila Kunis has the easier role of just looking good and flirty, but she makes it seem so effortless that it's hard to give praise to Portman without giving Kunis praise because she represents who Nina WANTS to be. You have to understand WHO and WHY she wants to become this person, and if Kunis doesn't deliver, then you don't buy into Nina's goal.
But the real star is director Darren Aronofsky. He will be perceived as this generation's Stanley Kubrick. (I really don't like Kubrick that much, but I understand what he represents to the film crowd. The only movies that I like of his are The Shining and Full Metal Jacket. Anyway, back to Aronofsky.) I thought that Requiem for a Dream was harrowingly brilliant, I feel like its a must watch for all teenagers. It's simply the greatest anti-drug movie of all time. But then The Fountain happened, and I feared that the fearless director of Requiem had evolved into a pretentious "artist." Luckily, that stinker bombed and The Wrestler restored my faith in him. In fact, Black Swan and The Wrestler would make a great double feature. Both deal with aging performers making a last ditch grasp for greatness.
The movie is very sexual, but not sexy in the least. I don't really want to dive into details or anything, but there were a few times where I felt like it was going into the "unnecessary sexual" realm, but then there would be a clever reveal or a line of dialogue that would in some ways justify the existence of those scenes to push the story forward. So, from a story point of view, I don't mind the sexual stuff because it wasn't supposed to be sexy or enticing or exploitive.
Overall, this is a brilliant film from one of the most visionary directors working today. It will stay with you long after you watch it.
3) 127 HOURS
Danny Boyle is one of my top 2 favorite directors of all time. This one might be my favorite. It tells the true story of Aron Ralston, a free-spirited hiker who slips and gets his arm pinned underneath a "small" boulder and is trapped for over 5 days. Sounds depressing right? It's actually one of the most inspiring movies I've ever seen.
This one is similar to Buried in that the film takes place in one location (at least 80% in this case). And while I feel like Buried is a greater accomplishment, 127 Hours is the far superior film.
James Franco was born to play this role. He plays Aron so fearlessly yet not stubbornly, if that makes sense (probably doesn't). He carries the film so effortlessly, he makes you completely forget about Spiderman and all of his other wooden roles in the past. He displays such poise in a situation where I would have lost my mind after about 15 minutes. But he keeps it together and perseveres. If it wasn't for Colin Firth winning his legacy Oscar (to his credit, he is fantastic in King's Speech), I believe Franco would be making room on his mantle.
Danny Boyle is his same great self. He's able to use his creativity to create amazing shots (water bottle cam!) in such tight spaces. It's a shame that he isn't being considered for Best Director as he makes this so visually dynamic despite his surroundings.
OK, now for the AMPUTATION SCENE. Yes, it's graphic. But not as graphic as the Saw movies or other torture porn movies. The only reason why it's a tough scene is because you are emotionally invested in Aron and you feel every cut. I think that watching this scene all the way through is vital. I asked Hanna to see how long she could last without covering her eyes, and she made it all the way through. Boyle films it so uncinematically. And what I mean by that is that is the scene isn't Franco screaming and wallowing after every cut. He is a man on a mission and is more determined than in agony. Until he gets to the nerves... So I challenge you to last as long as you can, and I feel like the more you watch, the more exhilarating his escape is. And what follows is an incredibly moving montage set to Sigur Ros' "Festival." This scene brings the film from a great inspirational film to being incredibly cathartic.
2) INCEPTION
You can thank The Dark Knight for this one. If TDK wasn't one of the highest grossing films of all time, then I don't think Inception would have been made. It's as if Warner Bros. decided to give Nolan a 200 million dollar thank you, and they let Nolan make his passionate project.
This movie is flat-out amazing. It's able to combine the brains of a Memento and give the thrills and popcorn entertainment of a Dark Knight and delivers what should be the standard of how great big budget studio films can be done (does that make sense?)
This is easily Nolan's best directoral effort. He's also one helluva writer. He is able to paint some majestic dreamscapes that serve as a background to story. The story is very complex, but Nolan is able to simplify and and explain it through dialogue and story structure. Ellen Page's character is the audience. She is the new addition to this world that we've never seen, so we are able to learn it as she does.
Inception has the best ensemble cast of the year as well. DiCaprio, in my mind, has never been better. Sure his Dom Cobb isn't the most showy or charismatic character he's ever played, but it's the most mature and most psychologically fragile character of his great career (at least 2nd most, his character in Shutter Island was MESSED UP. SIDE NOTE -- Shutter Island and Inception make for a great double feature). Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great as Arthur and he and Tom Hardy's Eames have a great mutual dislike for each other that's fun to watch. Hardy will blow up this year with 3-4 films this year, not to mention the (rumored) villain role in The Dark Knight Rises. Michael Caine is Michael Caine, 'nuff said. The movie's secret weapons are Marion Cotillard and Cillian Murphy. I've always loved Cillian Murphy (mainly due to my love for Danny Boyle) but Cotillard really blew me away. She's like the shark in Jaws, weaving in and out of the action in between great character moments and action scenes. She haunts the film and Cobb. She can be beautiful and loving in Cobb's memory, then turn to vicious at the drop of a hat.
This film wouldn't have worked without the editing. Lee Smith (Nolan's editor since Batman Begins) is able to weave in and out between 3 different dreams with remarkable precision. This film wouldn't make a lick of sense without great editing. As much as I love Scott Pilgrim, I feel like this will win Best Editing because the movie RELYS on the editing in order to draw the audience in.
Now for the ending --SPOILERS FOR THE 2 PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT---
So when Cobb gets off the plane and goes home to see his kids, he spins the top to make sure that he isn't dreaming (or at least, not in someone else's dream). As he is reunited with his kids, the camera stays with the top, still spinning. it wobbles a little - cut to black. So what does this mean? Was it all a dream? Here's my theory:
I say the top falls. He is in the real world and has made it back home. More evidence is that in the dream world, he is wearing a wedding ring, in reality he does not. In the end, he isn't wearing the wedding ring. Thus, I choose to believe that he has made it home. Also, it just makes me happier.
You could also say that cutting to black instead of showing it fall is Christopher Nolan performing an inception on us, the audience. We think we see something, then at the last second, we have this shred of doubt, this new IDEA.
But here's the true ending in my mind: The point isn't that we didn't see the top fall, it's that Cobb leaves it behind because he sees his kid's faces. That's the reality he chooses. He doesn't care. That's the ending.
--END SPOILERS
In conclusion, Inception should be seen as a complete success in many ways. One, it succeeds to stimulate the mind and it entertains. Secondly, I believe it could pave the way for more risky (and expensive) passion projects that wouldn't have been made. I would rather see 20 Inceptions than more Transformers.
And it gets me pumped for The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan will be able to make HIS movie with a (prediction) newly minted Oscar winner Christian Bale, the next big thing Tom Hardy, and hopefully a brand new smaller IMAX camera. Good times are coming!
1) THE SOCIAL NETWORK
The Social Network is the best film of the year. If you add up every level of production (casting, acting, writing, directing, soundtrack) it's simply too good to beat. I've seen it 3 times and find something new to appreciate every time. It's never boring.
And I think we all were skeptical. A Facebook movie? Really? Yeah I like Fincher. No, I don't like Sorkin that much (this is based off TV work soley, I think Sports Night is one of the most overrated TV shows of all time, laugh track or not). Nothing about this production got me excited. Then the reviews started coming in. Then the amazingly cronscendo-ing trailer set to a choir version of Radiohead's "Creep" came out and I started thinking that it could be really good.
After watching, it instantly shot up to number 1 on my list. Now, I am aware of a few things. I might look back in a few years and slide it down. I don't think I will, but the ONLY thing that The Social Network has going against it is its relevancy. Facebook is huge, Mark Zuckerberg is Time's Man of the Year. In 5-10 years, will Facebook still be huge? It's hard to tell, but this movie is lightning in a bottle. It perfectly captures our life RIGHT NOW. Jesse Eisenberg kills any comparison to Michael Cera with this performance. It is nuanced, it is vicious, hysterical, so beat perfect. It's difficult to make an A-hole likeable, but he does it.
He stands toe to toe with Colin Firth and James Franco as the best male performances this year.
Andrew Garfield's Eduardo is the heart of the film. And at first, I actually thought that he was getting a little bit more award consideration over Armie Hammer's Winklevoss' twins. But after watching it more and more, Garfield adds a lot of subtlety to his performance and I keep finding little nuggets of gold in it every time. Justin Timberlake is a good actor. There is no getting around that anymore. He is perfectly cast as Napster's Sean Parker because his character, in Mark Zuckerberg's eyes, IS a rock star. Timberlake is making a great resume right now with this and Alpha Dog (he was awesome in that), so I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the future. My favorite performance(s) is Armie Hammer's dual performance as the Winklevoss twins, the brothers who are suing Zuckerberg claiming that he stole their website idea. Hammer plays it as two sides of the same coin rather than identically. Each character has his own mannerisms, his own speech, his own personality. I think that Hammer doesn't get enough credit because he made something that is very difficult very easy.
David Fincher is on top of his game, but it's really what he doesn't do that is impressive in this film. He doesn't OVERdirect. He lets his scenes play out instead of doing crazy angles and cool shots. And I don't think I give Fincher enough credit here. I look at 127 Hours, Buried, Inception, and even Scott Pilgrim and think, "Man those films are amazingly directed!" And I'd be right, but then I look at Fincher's subdued effort here. His direction blends in (not stands out). And I think that is the work of a great director, if he doesn't let his style get in the way of the story.
The soundtrack really brings it all together. I hope Reznor wins for Best Original Score because without it, the film would suffer. In a largely action-less movie, the score serves as that action, and the music keeps up with Sorkin's dialogue. Whenever I'm cranking out script or writing anything, I listen to the score. It makes filling out a grocery list very exciting.
And although I'm not a huge Sorkin fan, he really knocks it out of the park with his crackling script. It features some of the more memorable scenes in the past decade. It can be funny, it can be devestating, it could be vicious. And it just never slows down. The movie zips by and never bores you. Best screenplay of the year.
This movie has it all.
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So that's the list of films this year. It's fun for me to write this because I'm able to revisit all of these films in my head and remember what a great year its been for films. And, hopefully for the first time ever, I will have seen all Best Picture nominees before they are released. Fingers crossed.
And if you (the 5 people reading this, if I'm lucky) have any films that you would have removed from my list or added to it,let me know in the comment section, I love people's film opinions.
I'm out!
