5 Masterpieces

Braveheart
I watch this one about once a year, and every time I’m blown away by how good it is. Omitting any personal flaws the man may have, I can’t help but applaud Mel Gibson as both an actor and a director. Braveheart will be talked about for as long as movies exist.

Gangs of New York
I saw this when I was a bit younger and didn’t really appreciate it for its brilliance. Then I watched it again earlier this month and was mesmerized by its genius. It’s obvious that Scorcese went to exhaustive measures to make every detail of this movie authentic, and boy does it pay off!

Black Hawk Down
Another one I saw when I was younger and watched again within the past year, this one has always been one of my favorites. I would easily put it in Ridley Scott’s top five. It’s gritty realism is perfectly counterbalanced by its beautiful heart. This is one of the few war movies I’ve seen that actually pulls at my heartstrings every time I watch it.

The Last Samurai
I was dragged to this one by a friend, and will be eternally grateful to him for it. This is definitely one of Tom Cruise’s best roles, and easily Edward Zwick’s masterpiece. Everything about this movie is expert, from the extremely talented multi-cultural cast to Hans Zimmer’s captivating score.

There Will Be Blood
I had trouble with TWBB the first few times I saw it. I watched it after the initial hype and expected a mind-blowing film. While I enjoyed Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance, I found the rest of the movie to be rather boring. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I realized just how amazing TWBB is. The sets, the characters, the story, the music, etc all fit together to form a perfect tapestry that is completely unique.

Zombieland

In an age when zombie apocalypse plots are a dime a dozen, it was only a matter of time before somebody put a comedic spin on the idea. Shaun of the Dead did it pretty successfully back in 2004, and now Zombieland has been added to the list.

I have no complaints with Zombieland. For what it is, it's extremely well made. It's a ball of fun wrapped in just enough reality to make the characters seem flesh and blood. The cast has great chemistry together. As usual, Woody Harrelson is an absolute joy to watch.

What I love most about this film is it's simplicity. It doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, but it's obvious a lot of time and effort went into making it as good as it could be. Everything has just the right balance. The acting, the emotion, the story, the violence. Nothing ever feels out of place.

Zombieland is a nice break from reality. I strongly suggest it.

Inglourious Basterds (A Reassessment)

Upon second, third, and fourth viewing of Tarantino's latest work, I am forced to admit that my appreciation for it has grown considerably. My recent reactions to it have been so different from my first viewing that I'm baffled as to why I was so disappointed with it.

I think it boils down to expectations. I went into Inglourious Basterds with the desire to see an action-packed war movie. I certainly expected it to be different, seeing as how Tarantino's name was attached, but I hoped it would be exciting and violent (a la Kill Bill, Vol. 1).

My subsequent viewings, however, have been much more rewarding. I've been able to enjoy much of the banter I originally found tiresome, especially when it comes from Christoph Waltz.

I still think the movie is too long, though, which is mainly due to the extensive dialogue. This, however, I am willing to forgive. The rest of the film is rich enough with fun performances and interesting plot to make up for the length.

Instant Play triple shot

Lately I've been watching most of my flicks on Netflix Instant Play... Aside from watching all four Eddie Izzard concerts, here's what I've enjoyed over the holidays...

Ink -- An interesting low-budget but ambitious dark fantasy, draws comparisons to many other movies (Matrix, Terry Gilliam flicks, others), but is really fairly unique, and in spite of its flaws, kept me hooked; sort of a B+ movie...

Enemy Mine -- I saw this a long time ago and had a vague memory of it being good; now it is quite dated on effects, but the story is still very strong and affecting...

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. -- I don't know why, maybe I was just in the right mood, but this is the first Godzilla movie I really enjoyed; the effects were top notch, and the overall fight sequences kicked ass. The plot and characters were mildly interesting and didn't slow the pace like they seem to in many Zilla flicks.

30 Days of Night

Very entertaining horror flick. Sort of Aliens meets The Thing.

I like how fresh this movie is. The "hero" has both physical and emotional weaknesses (he has asthma, and he is visibly frightened throughout the movie). The vampires are so atypical that I hesitate to call them such; they're more like psychopathic demons. They have a merciless, shark-like quality to them that makes them truly horrifying. The camerawork is effective in augmenting the mood, alternating between graceful pans of the snowy landscape and shaky hand-held to heighten the tension. The creepy, almost ambient music really adds to the mood, as well.

That being said, 30 Days of Night is not without its flaws. While it's cool that the "vampires" speak their own language, seeing them verbally communicate with each other detracts from their creepiness. There's also some forced emotional conflict that doesn't fit in with the main conflict. The climax, however, is the ridiculous-flavored icing on the cake; I won't spoil it, but you'll see what I mean if/when you see it. (On a more minor note, the movie is about twenty minutes too long.)

All in all, I would say 30 Days of Night is above average. It's a new take on an old idea that delivers what it promises to. Though its weaknesses make it less than what it could have been, its strengths make it well worth a watch or two.

Gone Baby Gone

I really can't say enough how much I love this film. It's one of the few movies I can think of that I have absolutely no complaints with.

Ben Affleck really surprised me with his directing abilities with this movie. Everything about it shines excellence. Harry Gregson-Williams's score is beautiful and heart-wrenching. The cinematography is scarily gorgeous and professional. John Toll is a master of his craft and shows off some of his best work here. The performances are so strong you forget you're watching actors. The writing is nothing short of brilliant.

This is a definite must-see.

Where The Wild Things Are

I'll try to keep this short, because this movie works mostly on a non-verbal level. Spike Jonze somehow managed to not only make a great adaptation of a classic kids book without messing it up, he grew it into a powerful story with something for kids and adults alike. The story isn't as important as the characters and the feeling, and here they are rich and interesting. I also appreciate how he walked a very delicate line between light and dark; this is important because Maurice Sendak's books are intentionally dark-edged. Life is a mix of light and dark; Where The Wild Things are faces this head-on, and speaks to our animal nature.