Thursday, January 12, 2006
Best Of's
I didn't even get a chance to see all the movies that supposedly weren't worth seeing in '05. But don't worry. That won't stop me from making a list.
Movies
1. The Squid and the Whale. First of all, I admit that I take to funny/sad indie movies, like LA Girl takes to romantic comedies. Seamlessly, witty writing, precise acting, and intimate directing combine to paint a raw, sometimes unnerving picture of a family dealing with divorce. It ain't pretty, but it also never loses its dry sense of humor, which is what makes it my favorite of the year.
2. The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The best comedy I've seen in a loooong time. Unlike Wedding Crashers, which coasts on a few key bits o' funny, this is great throughout. I have a feeling they stuck to the script more with Virgin too, unlike Crashers, which too often seemed to let the actors just "do their thing".
3. Me and You and Everyone we Know. A fringe culture romantic comedy? People looking for real connections in an age of impersonal media? It's hard to nail this movie down, which is part of why it's great. Miranda July's visual storytelling is sometimes puzzling and distant, sometimes warm and visceral. And who knew a scene involving a kid having "sex talk" on line could be so funny?
4. Walk the Line. As biopics go, it's probably not the best. I mean, Ray gave us a 360 degree view of a dude's life. But, maybe wisely, this movie focuses almost entirely on Jonny Cash's great, simple need for love as the antidote to his demons. It didn't hurt that the music kicked ass, too.
5. Batman Begins. Okay. Katie Homes was awful. Let's just get that out of the way. Otherwise, it made me feel like a kid. Chris Nolan created all the necessary mood, gave us the bare bones of the Batman story (something that was missing from the Tim Burton movie), cast it (almost) perfectly, and staged great action sequences, save for the over the top, out-of-control subway scene at the end.
Some runners up
I liked The Family Stone, but I thought the main character was kinda bland, a couple of the supporting characters seemed tacked on, and the story resolved itself with Romantic Comedy cliches (well, except for the very last scene). Admittedly, my opinion may be tainted by the joker who, before the movie started, tried to bro it up with me 'cause we were guys seein' a chick movie.
Wedding Crashers was funny, but I've seen Vince Vaughn play Vince Vaughn in a lot of movies now. He's still good, but not good enough to carry characters and jokes that were otherwise hit and miss. I also think it's a bad sign when you go into a broad comedy drunk and ready to laugh, but sober up half way through. Same thing happened during Anchorman, incidentally.
At first, I didn't want to like Cinderella Man because the first 45 minutes were solely designed to make me cry. I didn't. And I kinda resented the movie for it. I wished the poor, impoverished people of the Depression would just get over it already. Then, probably because of Paul Giamatti, I started to warm up to it, and by the end, I was totally rooting for Russell Crowe's character. So it ended up being worthwhile, if not completely humorless.
TV
1. Lost. This is one of very few shows that actually lives up its ridiculous hype. The first season, anyway. We start season 2 later this week.
2. Arrested Development. Season 1. I don't think any show has ever, days after viewing, made me spontaneously burst into laughter. Will Arnett is a genius. And wha, Liza Minnelli is funny??
3. Six Feet Under lightened up a little for its last season, and had a couple really great episodes (the return of Patricia Clarkson, and Nate's 40th birthday party).
4. The American Office. Still not as good as the original, but uses the formula well.
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. HOLY SHIT IT'S A SPOILER ALERT!! The last episode, where Larry embraces Christianity under mistaken circumstances, then dies briefly and goes to heaven, only to be kicked out by his angel, Dustin Hoffman, for being too obnoxious, made the whole season worthwhile.
I didn't even get a chance to see all the movies that supposedly weren't worth seeing in '05. But don't worry. That won't stop me from making a list.
Movies
1. The Squid and the Whale. First of all, I admit that I take to funny/sad indie movies, like LA Girl takes to romantic comedies. Seamlessly, witty writing, precise acting, and intimate directing combine to paint a raw, sometimes unnerving picture of a family dealing with divorce. It ain't pretty, but it also never loses its dry sense of humor, which is what makes it my favorite of the year.
2. The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The best comedy I've seen in a loooong time. Unlike Wedding Crashers, which coasts on a few key bits o' funny, this is great throughout. I have a feeling they stuck to the script more with Virgin too, unlike Crashers, which too often seemed to let the actors just "do their thing".
3. Me and You and Everyone we Know. A fringe culture romantic comedy? People looking for real connections in an age of impersonal media? It's hard to nail this movie down, which is part of why it's great. Miranda July's visual storytelling is sometimes puzzling and distant, sometimes warm and visceral. And who knew a scene involving a kid having "sex talk" on line could be so funny?
4. Walk the Line. As biopics go, it's probably not the best. I mean, Ray gave us a 360 degree view of a dude's life. But, maybe wisely, this movie focuses almost entirely on Jonny Cash's great, simple need for love as the antidote to his demons. It didn't hurt that the music kicked ass, too.
5. Batman Begins. Okay. Katie Homes was awful. Let's just get that out of the way. Otherwise, it made me feel like a kid. Chris Nolan created all the necessary mood, gave us the bare bones of the Batman story (something that was missing from the Tim Burton movie), cast it (almost) perfectly, and staged great action sequences, save for the over the top, out-of-control subway scene at the end.
Some runners up
I liked The Family Stone, but I thought the main character was kinda bland, a couple of the supporting characters seemed tacked on, and the story resolved itself with Romantic Comedy cliches (well, except for the very last scene). Admittedly, my opinion may be tainted by the joker who, before the movie started, tried to bro it up with me 'cause we were guys seein' a chick movie.
Wedding Crashers was funny, but I've seen Vince Vaughn play Vince Vaughn in a lot of movies now. He's still good, but not good enough to carry characters and jokes that were otherwise hit and miss. I also think it's a bad sign when you go into a broad comedy drunk and ready to laugh, but sober up half way through. Same thing happened during Anchorman, incidentally.
At first, I didn't want to like Cinderella Man because the first 45 minutes were solely designed to make me cry. I didn't. And I kinda resented the movie for it. I wished the poor, impoverished people of the Depression would just get over it already. Then, probably because of Paul Giamatti, I started to warm up to it, and by the end, I was totally rooting for Russell Crowe's character. So it ended up being worthwhile, if not completely humorless.
TV
1. Lost. This is one of very few shows that actually lives up its ridiculous hype. The first season, anyway. We start season 2 later this week.
2. Arrested Development. Season 1. I don't think any show has ever, days after viewing, made me spontaneously burst into laughter. Will Arnett is a genius. And wha, Liza Minnelli is funny??
3. Six Feet Under lightened up a little for its last season, and had a couple really great episodes (the return of Patricia Clarkson, and Nate's 40th birthday party).
4. The American Office. Still not as good as the original, but uses the formula well.
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm. HOLY SHIT IT'S A SPOILER ALERT!! The last episode, where Larry embraces Christianity under mistaken circumstances, then dies briefly and goes to heaven, only to be kicked out by his angel, Dustin Hoffman, for being too obnoxious, made the whole season worthwhile.
