Wendy's Films of 2010 # 135 - #165: A Rush to Finish 2010's Reviews! - Part 2

#135. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

A really good adaptation of the graphic novel series, and also by one of my favourite directors Edgar Wright. I loved it, but Hot Fuzz is still my favourite.

#136. Knight and Day (2010)

Not a completely awful film, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they were looking

for a completely stereotypical romantic comedy.

#137. I'm Not There (2007)

Really good. I love it when people take a different turn on bio films (like getting six different actors to play Bob Dylan.) Cate Blanchett was definitely my favourite.

#138. Inception (2010)

I saw this at the BFI Imax in London, England! Haha, alright, bragging done. I liked it quite a lot, but not as much as everyone else seemed to.

#139. The Runaways (2010)

All I wanted was to see a film in Cannes, but the only one I could find was in this dingy old theatre showing a movie already out on DVD in Canada. Wasn't bad, I surprisingly liked Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in it!

#140. The Warriors (1979)

A classic in its own way, but it just didn't quite hit the spot.

#141. MacGruber (2010)

Some great comedic moments, but I don't know if I'd watch it again.

#142 & #145. Sugata Sanshiro (1943) & Sugata Sanshiro: Part 2 (1945)

The first films of Akira Kurosawa (one of my favourite directors) and though it may not be my favourite, it definitely made a good impression. It's about a man who must learn to encompass the attributes of judo not only in practice, but in life. The second film is quite as good as the first, I'd say.

#143. Dracula (1931)

Starring Bela Lugosi as Dracula, this film reeks of being a classic: reeks in a good way, that is.

#144. Repulsion (1965)

Wow, what a good film. It got under my skin and I couldn't shake it off for hours (even days). Catherine Deneuve is stunning.

#146-148. Back to the Future (1985), Back to the Future 2 (1989), Back to the Future 3 (1990)

What a great series. I can't believe I'd never seen them before. I think I liked the first and third ones the most, but they're all pretty awesome.

#149. Zombieland (2009)

A fun zombie themed comedy, good for a laugh.

#150. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Really good: not recommended for pregnant women. Between this and Repulsion (both part of Polanski's apartment trilogy,) I prefer Repulsion

(and I found it creepier).

#151. Death Kappa (2010)

Pretty much just another Japanese monster film, but one I enjoyed and would recommend to lovers of the Japanese monster film genre.

#152. The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971-1987)

This DVD was a sampling of famous acts that aired on the show throughout its history, really quite a good collection of musicians (John Lennon, Bruce Spingsteen, Tom Waits) and something interesting to listen to if you've got an hour or two to spare.

#153. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

An older Elvis who wakes up from a coma in a nursing home and must attempt to save the other patrons from a mummy who attacks them nightly. Makes for an interesting concept, no? I didn't go crazy for it, but thought it was neat.

#154. Micmacs (2009)

A great new film by one of my favourite directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet; it has his quirky humour, unique visual style and fun atmosphere.

#155. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

A kind of terrible film, but sort of good in a terrible way. It's pretty much what you'd imagine.

#156. Trick 'r Treat (2007)

A great film to watch on Halloween, though not too scary (which is great for me!)

#157 & #158. Samurai I (1954) & Samurai II (1955)

The first it a pretty good samurai film, but the second made my lose interest and I never ended up watching the third.

#159. Look Around You: Season 1 (2002)

I loved the concept for this series. It's basically all those old science videos you used to watch in school, but completely nonsensical and awesome.

#160. Barton Fink (1991)

Please don't go into this movie thinking it's going to be funny. It's really really good, but it's not really funny.

#161. King Kong (1933)

This really is a classic. I'm really glad I finally got to see it and enjoyed it more than I anticipated!

#162. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

I'd go so far as to say this is my favourite in the series. It just has way better pacing and the story gets a chance to breathe.

#163. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

I won't lie, I really liked this

movie. The Borg are frightening (I've always found the concept of AI or human/robots to be fear-enducing) and all the usual cast do their part well.

#164. Howl (2010)

An interesting take on the work and life of Allen Ginsberg. It grew on me, I liked the animation, but probably won't watch it again.

#165. Freakazoid: Season 1 (1995-1996)

Just a good old Saturday morning cartoon; I'd forgotten how much I liked this as a kid (the few episodes I'd seen anyway) and I love how self-referential it is!

Wendy's Films of 2010 #89 and #90: Step Up (2006) and Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)

Every once in a while I have a desire to watch something I know is shitty, but will be satisfying on a superficial level. For a long time I didn't realize that I wasn't really getting anything out of these films and they encompassed about 50% of my viewing time. I've probably seen just about every crappy, mainstream romantic comedy released between 1998 and 2008; and though I'm not ashamed, I'm certainly not going to claim any present day satisfaction from those escapades. I'm trying to recall which film it was that made me realize that these were mostly a waste of my time, but it was sometime between He's Just Not That Into You, Valentine's Day and All About Steve that I started to opt out of just about every new romcom that showed up in theatres.

That being said, I was feeling pretty persuadable one day and the younger sister of a good friend suggested that we watch not only Step Up, but its sequel Step Up 2: The Streets. For a few minutes while attempting to remember the films., it was actually pretty difficult to separate the two in my memory and I found myself mingling the stories in my head. Mixing up one dance sequence with characters from the other film, giving Channing Tatum Briana Evigan's booty, and mixing up their various hoodie/sweatpant combinations. Really, it says something about the films that I can write about them both without having to specify any differences. One's about a boy, one's about a girl. They both end up at the same school, they both succeed, they both fall in love.

I wouldn't exactly call these two gems romantic comedies, or gems for that matter, but they follow Hollywood's generic mode of mainstream romance films, specially those for teens. They're intended to be inspirational, sending the message that even those growing up in less wealthy situations can achieve greatness. The problem being that they don't really have to work for it. Sure, they practice dancing, but both Tatum and Evigan already have the talent when their stories commence, they just need a bit of tweaking before setting out onto the world stage. I'm guessing it's really not that easy in the real world. But then, the moral of these stories aren't really about working hard and making it, the films are a money making machine that just want you to think that you can do anything you set your mind to for a couple weeks. Not to mention that you'll fall in love in the process: that's just a wee bonus of being in a Hollywood film.

When I think back on my teenage years and my love of Save the Last Dance I'll admit I probably would have loved these films. Perhaps I'm just getting too cynical or maybe I'm more analytical, but I just can't fall for them anymore.

Ryan Watches A Motion Picture #36: The Room (2003)

This image, this face, was on a lone billboard for years with the tagline "Can you really trust anyone?" Audiences were not disappointed.

Here's how I heard about The Room:

A friend of mine says "Hey, I need you to track down a movie for me. Have you heard about this movie called The Room?"

I said no.

He says "It's supposed to be the worst movie ever made."

I was interested.

"Apparently Alec Baldwin was walking past a huge line-up filled with twenty-somethings and paused long to enough to ask what was going on. A guy told him 'It's The Room, it's the worst movie I've ever seen. I've seen it four times.' Then Alec Baldwin got in line."

I was very interested.

The greatest Baldwin had this to say: “It’s like ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ without the wit or charm.” I don't think that's terribly accurate, since I've always considered Rocky Horror clever, competent, and actually pretty artsy in an elemental and carnival way. The Room is more like a late night blue-movie without the wit or charm. Sorry, with less wit and charm. It is, however, wildly entertaining for it.

It's essentially one Tommy Wiseau's earnest attempt to make a film about human passion and foible utterly ruined by his passion and foible. Wiseau's not a good writer, he's not a good director, and he's an even worse actor. What he does have is the money to produce a motion picture, though, and The Room is a motion picture. I can't really praise it unironically beyond that. I can say that it's been awhile since I've seen a movie this hilariously terrible, Birdemic: Shock and Terror at the Bloor Cinema aside. This'll be a great party movie for sure, and for extra flavour, try downloading the Rifftrax for a couple bucks - Rifftrax being downloadable comedic commentaries produced by some of the old Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew.

So: Beautiful and terrible as the dawn. And Wiseau looks and sounds like he should be fronting a European power metal band. We'll say it's called Owl King.

Ryan Watches a Motion Picture #7: The Apartment (1960)

Billy Wilder's oscar-winning comedy about a man who lends his bachelor pad out to lovers at the expense of his own lovelife. Jack Lemmon is C. C. Baxter, the overly helpful nice-guy and American everyman trying to earn his share of the big dream. He works in a big building at a desk in a huge room of other desks and other people working, hardly paying attention to each other. Day in, day out. But then he falls in love with Shirley MacLaine, which I would have done too.

Jack Lemmon is fantastic and neurotic and absolutely lovable as misunderstanding and misfortune pile upon him like mountains on Xenu. Lemmon's posturing translates a profound frazzledness that winds my muscles up something fierce and makes me uneasy, and I can only relax as he starts to gain his confidence and deal with his problems. There's a wonderfully dark undercurrent in this film that I really hadn't expected, and it works to raise some staple arthouse points about the effects of modernity on the individual human being.

So: One of the best romance films I've ever seen. Watch it, sucka.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #35: Definitely, Maybe (2008)

I had to find a movie that I wanted to watch, that I hadn't seen before, and that my mom would enjoy. So I came up with Definitely, Maybe. It's pretty standard for a romantic comedy, every moment is pretty predictable and the story has a nice tidy ending. Abigail Breslin adds a touch of interest in this movie by taking the story out of the simple "boy meets girl" premise. She plays Ryan Reynolds' daughter, curious about the way he met her mother and unhappy because they're about to get divorced. Reynolds cooks up the idea to tell her the story of all three relationships he's had in his life, giving each woman a new name and making Breslin guess who her mother is. It's an interesting idea, and the one that gave me the vaguest desire to see the film. Rachel Weisz and Isla Fisher are far more charismatic than Elizabeth Banks, and provide most of the more amusing parts of the film. Overall it's nothing special, the acting is fine, the story is fine - it's a nice movie to watch if you're in the right mood.

To go: 321 days, 330 films.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #28: No Reservations (2007)

Don't confuse this with the television series. They might both be about food, but Catherine Zeta Jones is nothing like Anthony Bourdain. For one, I doubt she can cook; her zeal in the kitchen rests in wiping the outside of plates and carefully dotting them with sauce.

I was speaking with my coworker Maggie earlier today, and she remarked that No Reservations seems like two separate films packed into one, and I completely agree. The first is the story of a young girl (Abigail Breslin) who loses her mother in a tragic car accident, and the aunt (Zeta Jones) who tries to console and create a new home for her. The second is a romantic comedy about a serious chef, played by Zeta Jones, who has to open her heart and allow a man (Aaron Eckhart) to sweep her off her feet. I think the combination of these two saved the film from becoming a run-of-the-mill romcom with no substance. Instead, it is a romantic comedy drama with a bit of substance. It ended how I expected it would, and it followed every obvious cue made previously in the narrative. The chemistry between Breslin and Eckhart was probably stronger than that between he and Zeta Jones (in a completely platonic way of course). It's a fine film to escape into, but nothing particularly special.

Wendy's Films of 2010 # 19: Easy Virtue (2008)

What started off as a moderately promising story, with its moments of humour and fun turned out to be disappointing both as a romantic comedy and a British period film. Though the costumes were often beautiful and the set exquisitely put together, this didn't make up for the lack of real depth in the film. What could have been a heart-wrenching past during the war for Colin Firth's character, was only lightly touched on and never once did his character think it necessary to explain his increasing detached emtions to his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas). Apart from this substory, Jessica Biel is charming as daughter-in-law Larita Whittaker, and her husband John (Ben Barnes) is boyishly cute, but it's not enough to hold the film together. It doesn't even really work as a conventional "romcom" either, which sort of shuns away a potentially large audience. The film just seems to lack something spectacular, it has potential, but the subplots aren't strong enough and the main dispute between Jessica Biel and her mother in law (Thomas) was too stubborn and dwelled on too much.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #8: Leap Year (2010)

Well, this is exciting - the first film I've watched in 2010 that was actually released in 2010; also, I didn't strive to watch two Amy Adams films in one day, it just sort of happened. Apart from this, I must say this film is incredibly... average? Like most romantic comedies, you pretty much know how it'll end from the beginning, and the beginning is often the best part because that's the only way it differs from every other member of its genre. Besides this critique, it was a cute film, Amy Adams is a bit annoying for the first half of the film, but she's cured when she falls for the Irish guy (who's actually played by Brit Matthew Goode - apparently they couldn't find a suitable Irishman to play the role...?). It reminds me a lot of what appears to be a subgenre of the romantic comedy: the "American/city girl/guy goes to rural Ireland/Scotland/England and falls in love with local and realizes they don't need the big city/technology to be happy" genre. Yep! I'm telling you, it's huge! Think The Baker or The Matchmaker, in fact, Irish rom-coms of this sort have actually been termed Loveblarneys.

In any case, the film is great if you're looking for something conventional, though be wary because its novelty runs out pretty quickly. Though I must say that I never get tired of the the beautiful cinematography; Ireland is stunning.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #6: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Now this is a romantic comedy I can get behind! Good music, great casting, and humour broad enough for a wider audience, but specific enough to be appreciated on a more personal level. When the film opened with Geoffrey Rush driving down a sunny street lined with palm trees and singing Simon and Garfunkel's The Boxer, it was love at first sight. I always love George Clooney's wry tone and handsome visage, not to mention the beautiful and sarcastic Catherine Zeta-Jones, and here their chemistry adds a nice touch to the Coen's "romantic comedy with bite," as the tagline puts it. If you're in the mood for something light but still well-crafted, check this one out.

Wendy's Films of 2010 #4: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

"It's like a little holiday with Hitler" may be my favourite line from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a comedy that gives just that little bit more than the typical vacuous, gag-filled trash that seems to fill the theatres.













That isn't to say there is no place for vacuous, gag-filled trash, but this film takes it to the next level, adding well-written characters and enough heart to make it worthwhile. Kudos go to Mila Kunis whose comedic timing and sexy unencumbered attitude mixes superbly with Jason Segel's awkward raunchy humour. Give it a try if you like a little unaffected romance mixed with your comedy and don't mind the odd penis joke.