In rough order.
1. Sleeping Beauty
I just saw this. (It's available on demand even though IFC either just released it in theaters or is about to.) Fucking mesmerizing...hypnotic. Like a dream. Not for everyone. Most reviewers are mixed or negative. I loved it, loved it.
2. Margin Call
Mamet-level writing. Far-superior-to-Mamet-level filmmaking. Stellar performances.
3. Take Shelter
Atmospheric, beautiful, scary. Really upset me.
4. Warrior
Genuinely touching. Hits all the familiar buttons but hits them expertly. Total commitment performances all around. Tom Hardy is a beast.
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Rupert Wyatt, who I thought disappeared after his amazing debut The Escapist from a few years ago, comes through with a massive-scale blockbuster that has a stand-up-and-cheer/down-with-humans finale.
6. X-Men: First Class
The scene with the quarter was great. Fassbender was great. The teeth ripping out of the mouth... the knife flying from his hand in the bar...
7. Win Win
Just a pleasure to sit through.
8. Insidious
Surprised by some genuine scares. A well-structured script.
9. Bridesmaids
I laughed.
10. Attack the Block
"They're my neighbors. They protected me."
11. Drive
On here for the opening scene alone.
Haven't yet seen, but might be great:
Shame [update, saw it, strong but it wasn't great]
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [update, saw it, torture]
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [update, so fucking boring!]
The Descendants [too much narration but Shailene Woodley is good]
Martha Marcy May Marlene [update, saw it, beautifully shot but I hated all the characters and wanted to shake some sense into them; also it ends without a climax]
Melancholia [beautiful, somewhat tedious]
Young Adult [update, saw it, kind of great although a few false notes brought it down]
Carnage
Rampart [very good movie until it just ends with no ending, just like MMMM]
Tyrannosaur
The Skin I Live In
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3 comments:
Damnit, man. You give the best recommendations.
I saw The Descendants. I felt it was mostly interesting and pretty and all that, but it was like a New Yorker story. It certainly didn't rock the cinematic world or even mine, and I wouldn't hang an award on it or anything.
Nick, I watched "The Skin I Live In" last night. SURPRISINGLY GOOD. I believe you'll highly enjoy the film. I went in not expecting much and was nearly shocked at how balanced the film is while maintaining a consistent level of tension.
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