Filed under: Uncategorized
1.6 Objectified – G. Huswit – B+
1.7 Last Days of Disco – W. Stilman – B
1.9 Helvetica – G. Huswit – B+
1.10 Monte Walsh – W. Fraker – A-
1.11 Bear Island – Don Sharp – B-
1.12 Bad Lieutenant: Post of Call New Orleans – W. Herzog (2nd time) – B+
1.12 The Wolfman – J. Johnston – B-
1.15 Family Guy: The Empire Strikes Back – C+
1.15 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid – P. Kaufman – A-
1.17 Day of the Evil Gun – J. Thorpe – B+
TOP CHOICE: THE GREAT NORTHFIELD MINNESOTA RAID + MONTE WALSH (Impossible to pick only one)
(see review below)
Filed under: MOVIE REVIEWS 2010
Glenn Ford and Arthur Kennedy set out into Apache territory in search of Ford’s abducted wife and two children, but we soon discover, in Ford’s long absences from home, Kennedy has fallen in love with and assumed the role of husband and father to Ford’s family . This grim, mean little western pits the two men against each other and every equally mean-spirited, malicious individual they encounter along the way. Thorpe paints a dangerous world full of backstabbers, criminals, vicious American Indians and equally vicious American Soldiers, where no one can be trusted and friendship play no part. Dark, dark stuff.
Grade: B+
Filed under: MOVIE REVIEWS 2010
The aging cowboy’s slow realization that he no longer fits into a progressive world, hell bent on forward movement, eastern ideals of commercial progress and law and order, is nothing new for Westerns made in and around the 1970’s. Classically, the true western hero was never meant to and has never belonged to the society in which he protects, a society that has always thought toward the future, but where the great Westerns on the 60’s and 70’s differ lay in the heroes reluctance acceptance and internal contemplation of this fact; in addition to his reluctant desire to rethink his own future options and god forbid get married for as Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin) hesitantly states as he considers the possibility “cowboys are not meant to marry.”
In the world of Peckinpah, aging cowboys stroll gracefully toward their death, an inevitable journey representing the end of an era, to whom adaptation is not an option when a way of life no longer functions, the self no longer needs to exist. Pessimistic and narrow minded yet firm in it’s grip on the ideals and moral code a man commits his life to; all inherit qualities of a true western hero, yet William Fraker’s Monte Walsh offers the aging cowboy an alternative to death, being the formation of a new identity, defined through marriage and the creation of a life in town as a contributing member within the developing community. Chet Rollins,in a performance proving Jack Palance an actor capable of subtle grace, does just that and even offers up the possibilty of life change to Monte, who, laughs at the thought, but eventually realizes it may be the only way. Tempted by steady pay as many true cowboys, such as Wild Bill Hickox, have been by fame and travel in a Wild West Show, Monte momentarily considers the possibility along with marriage to a middle age prostitute, played beautifully by Jeanne Moreau. For a man like Monte, destiny does not allow for such drastic developments, meant to travel the open country, like the wolves he kills for pocket change, unhinged and in the end, alone; the true Western hero.
Grade: A-
Filed under: Uncategorized
The Ice Storm marks the penultimate Lee experience; microscopic attention to period detail as the backdrop on which to gradually reveal the subtle complexities of individuals and their place within the group dynamic. Front and center being Lee’s ability to extract the inner layers of character through the telling details of nuance, found in the details of gesture and passing glances, ie. BrokeBack Mountain and even within the high wire choreography of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. With Taking Woodstock, I found myself more interested in the period retelling of the event, though masterfully we are never shown the actual concert itself, than the lives of the small town characters, through which the story unfolds. The film deals primarily with a local man’s individual desire to leave his hometown in pursuit of larger dreams, while chained down by family responsibility grounding him to remain always “in the closet” as the case may be. With a few too many false performance notes from both the lead himself and the array of smaller characters that interact and influence each and every decision made along the way, the film falters and I gradually found myself losing interest in the whole show.
Grade: C
Living in Bangkok, I wasn’t able to see many films that would most likely make there way onto my top 10 list this year, so it doesn’t make any sense to put together a proper 2009 “Best of” list. I have decided to pick the top 20 films I watched this year. The criteria includes films released anytime, anywhere but I had to have seen them for the first time in 2009. No previously viewed film prior to 09′ could make it onto the list, which excluded many great films I watched for a 2nd or third time this year. Out of the 276 total films I watched (see full list on under DAILY FILM LOG) in 2009, my top 20 are:
1. Tokyo Sonata (2009) – K. Kurosawa
2. The Hurt Locker (2009) – K. Bigelow
3. Up (2009) – B. Peterson
4. The White Ribbon (2009) – M. Haneke
5. Revanche (2008) – G. Spielmann
6. The Banishment (2007) – A. Zvyagintsev
7. The Culpepper Cattle Co. (1972) – D. Richards
8. When We Were Kings (1966) – L. Gast
9. The Red Shoes (1948) – Powell and Pressburger
10. Wagon Master (1950)- J. Ford
11. Singing In the Rain (1952) – S. Donen
12. Lonely Are the Brave (1962) – D. Miller
13. In This World (2002) – M. Winterbottom
14. An Autumn Afternoon – Ozu
15. Avatar (2009) 3D – J. Cameron
16.Time Crimes (2007)- N. Vigalondo
17. Wake In Fright (1971) – T. Kotcheff
18. AdventureLand (2009) – G. Mottola
19. Inglorious Basterds (2009) – Q. Tarantino
20. Public Enemies (2009) – M. Mann
NEAR MISSES: Still Walking (2009) – H. Koreeda, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) – M. LeRoy, Long Weekend (1978) – C. Eggleston, Star Trek (2009) – JJ. Abrams
Filed under: DAILY FILM LOG 2010
1.1 Inglorious Basterds (2nd time) – Q. Tarantino – B+
1.2 A Simple Plan (2nd time) – S. Raimi – A-
1.3 Rio Grande – J.Ford – A-
1.4 Surviving The Game – C-
1.5 Two Rode Together – J. Ford – C+
1.6 Taken – Pierre Morel – B+
1.7 World’s Greatest Dad – B. Goldthwait – B
1.8 Funny People – J. Apatow – B
1.10 Rescue Dawn – W. Herzog (2nd time) – B+
1.11 PayCheck – J. Woo – C
1.12 The Long Voyage Home – J. Ford – A-
1.13 Extract – M. Judge – C+
1.14 The Buddy Holly Story – S. Rash – B
1.15 The Sweet Hereafter – A. Egoyan (2nd time) – B+
1.16 The Lost Patrol – J. Ford – C+
1.17 Precious – Lee Daniels – B+
1.18 Where The Wild Things Are – S. Jonze – B
1.19 Hulot’s Holiday – J. Tati – B+
1.20 Fantasic Mr. Fox – W. Anderson – A-
1.21 Invictus – C. Eastwood – B-
1.24 The Headless Woman – L. Martel – A-
1.25 – Frailty – B. Paxton – B
1.26 Whatever Works – W. Allen – C+
1.27 The Horse Soldiers – J. Ford – B+
1.28 Three Godfathers – J. Ford – B
1.29 Layer Cake – M. Vaughn – B-
1.30 Casablanca – M. Curtiz (3rd time) – A-
TOTAL: 27 MOVIES
1.1 The Freshman – A. Bergman – C
1.2 Cahill: US Marshall – A. McLaglen – C
1.3 Taking Woodstock – A. Lee – C
1.4 Go West – B. Keaton – B
1.5 Mid-August Lunch – Gianni Di Gregorio – A-
1.6 Objectified – G. Huswit – B+
1.7 Last Days of Disco – W. Stilman – B
1.8 Lost – Season 6 Ep 1 – B
1.9 Helvetica – G. Huswit – B+
1.10 Lost – Season 6 Ep. 2 – B+
1.10 Monte Walsh – W. Fraker – A-
1.11 Bear Island – Don Sharp – B-
1.12 Bad Lieutenant: Post of Call New Orleans – W. Herzog (2nd time) – B+
1.12 The Wolfman – J. Johnston – B-
1.15 Family Guy: The Empire Strikes Back – C+
1.15 The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid – P. Kaufman – A-
1.17 Day of the Evil Gun – J. Thorpe – B+
1.18 Surrogates – J. Mostow – B
1.18 Stranger on the Run – D. Siegel – B+
1.19 Air Doll – H. Koreeda – B-
1.22 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle – C. Hanson – B+
1.23 Stardust – M. Vaughn – C
1.23 The Spikes Gang – R. Fleischer – B+
1.24 Being There – H. Ashby (2nd time) A
1.24 Food, Inc. – R. Kenner – A
1.25 I Walk the Line – J. Frankenheimer – B
TOTAL: 26 MOVIES
3.1 Crazy Heart – S. Cooper – A-
3.2 Everlasting Moments – J. Troell – A-
3.6 Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip – B+
3.6 LOST – Season 6 Ep 3-6 – B
3.7 The Sons of Katie Elder – H. Hathaway – B
3.8 Heaven’s Gate – M. Cimino (3rd time) – B
3.8 The Girl from Monoco – A. Fontainne – B-
3.9 Hondo – J. Farrow – B
3.10 Oceans 11 – S.Soderberg (2nd time) – B
3.10 Posse – K. Douglas – B
3.11 Lost – Season 6 – ep 7 – B+
3.12 2 Filhos De Francisco – B. Silveira – B-
3.13 True Grit – H. Hathaway (2nd time) A-
3.15 The Shootist – D. Siegel (2nd time) A
3.18 Sherlock Holmes – G. Ritchie – B
3.19 Lost – Ep 8 – B
3.20 Rooster Cogburn – S. Millar – B
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tokyo Sonata – K. Kurosawa – A-
In This World – M. Winterbottom – A
Night Moves – A. Penn (2nd time) – B
Directed By John Ford – P. Bogdanovich – B+
You’ve Got Mail – N. Ephron – C
The Last Boy Scout – T. Scott – C
Wake In Fright – T. Kotcheff – B+
Up – (2nd time) – A-
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – W. Herzog – B+
The Cove – Louie Psihoyos – A
TOP PICK: IN THIS WORLD
RUNNER UP: THE COVE
Filed under: Uncategorized
Cast Away – (2nd time) – R.Zemeckis – B
Breathless – (3rd time) Jean-Luc Godard – A-
The Long Riders – W. Hill – A-
Dark Blue – R. Shelton (2nd time) – B
Stargate – R. Emmerich (2nd time) – C+
Sugar – Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck – B+
Departures (Okuribito) – Yojiro Takita – B-
Missouri Breaks – A. Penn – (2nd time) B
Let the Right One In – T. Alfredson – (2nd time) A-
TOP PICK: BREATHLESS
Filed under: Uncategorized
Singing In The Rain – S. Donen – A
Sleepless in Seattle – N. Ephron – B
The Core – C
LimeLife – B
Music From The Heart – C+
Scream – (3+ times) W. Craven – A-
Halloween – (3+ times) – J. Carpenter – A
Intolerable Cruelty – (2nd time) – J. Coen – B
Dune – D. Lynch – C+
The Taking of Pelham 123 – T.Scott C- (the original is in another league)
TOP PICK: SINGING IN THE RAIN
Filed under: Uncategorized
Charley Varrick – D. Siegel (2nd time) – B+
Long Weekend (1978) -Colin Eggleston – B+
Leolo – (2nd time) Jean-Claude Lauzon – A
The Proposal – D
Cheri – S. Frears – B
Planes, Trains and Automobiles – J. Hughes – A-
Razorback – R. Mulcahy – D
Time Crimes – N. Vigalondo – A-
I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang – M. LeRoy – A
The Osterman Weekend – S. Peckinpah – B
TOP PICK: I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG
