A Year in Film

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 014 Wrong (2012) SYNOPSIS: Dolph Springer wakes up one morning to realize he has lost the love of his life, his dog, Paul. During his quest to get Paul (and his life) back, Dolph radically changes the lives of others -- risking his sanity all the while. MY THOUGHTS: Quentin Dupieux is great at creating his own world in his projects. However I found the film's 94 minute journey quite a task and really suffered in parts. I was quite impressed with William Fitchner, his character was very hypnotic.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 013 Dallas Buyers Club (2013) SYNOPSIS: In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease. MY THOUGHTS: Really trying and tough performances by both McConaughey and Leto. But to be honest the plot and execution were really formulaic. Remove those two actors and you're left with a TV movie. Just generic narrative with limited insight into the trials and times this piece was set to represent. Definitely disappointed.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 012 Fail Safe (2000) SYNOPSIS: Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow. MY THOUGHTS: An immense cast come together for this (then) live television broadcast which aired on CBS on April 9, 2000. Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail Safe is one of the most gripping films and as presented in such austere way.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 011 The Happening (2008) SYNOPSIS: A strange, horrible and unprecedented crisis begins in Central Park. A high school science teacher, his wife and a young girl do what they can to survive it. MY THOUGHTS: M. Night puts about 10 minutes of thought into this one and then moves on to 'The Last Airbender'. I'm serious - he touches on such great ideas/material but then is absent from formulating any sort of narrative to his thoughts. The choice of Zooey and Mark would seem to be ‘money ball’ selections if you evaluate the earnings. Mute this one, and create your own story.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 010 American Graffiti (1973) SYNOPSIS: A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college. MY THOUGHTS: This will be one of the only re-watches that I post about this year. It champions so many categories. Co-written and directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, could it have gone wrong? Doesn't quite matter what generation you are apart of, it will have something for you.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 009 Despicable Me (2010) SYNOPSIS: When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds their love is profoundly changing him for the better. MY THOUGHTS: Sometimes you just expect to be wow-ed without any sort of commitment. This was one of those movies. As far as animation goes, it’s not quite at the top of its game, but will suffice across a large audience.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 008 Her (2013) SYNOPSIS: A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need. MY THOUGHTS: I think this again, was a tale of two halves (like most relationships, I suppose). The first half explored the life and humour of this unlikely relationship, and the second half followed with the disappointment and distance that was forming between them. This was such an outstanding creation, and highlights our trend towards a more socially, isolated world and the relationships we form.

FILMS VIEWED THIS YEAR - 007 Side Effects (2013) SYNOPSIS: A young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects. MY THOUGHTS: The first half is wonderfully unhinging, then the story settles into a more familiar tread. I thought Dr. Jonathan Banks was subtly played by Jude Law, and I enjoyed his moments of revenge.

MY THOUGHTS: unnecessary, crude for the most part, but not in a disengaging way. Bill Murray. Bill Murray deserved a sentence just for himself. His portrayal of Ernie McCracken - a straight faced bastard, was priceless. And he supports, probably the best comb-over ever captured on celluloid.

MY THOUGHTS: whilst initially I felt a great sense of relief and euphoria as the Memphis three are release from prison, and I’m released from the film's 146min runtime, has any, real justice been served? The Memphis three are still convicted criminals under Arkansas law for the murder of three children, the 'true' killer/s have never been brought to justice, and the parents of the dead still grieve, unresolved.

MY THOUGHTS: if the aim were to make you uncomfortable for 130mins and then finally offer some release, then Derek has safely achieved that with this film. A very ambition narrative.

MY THOUGHTS: this needs to be watched in conjunction with a film study course. Because watching it with no context, 45 years after it was created, doesn't even leave you with a want to know why. 

This is a fantastic southern, character driven, drama. It deals with, in part, the ways in which the young males align there attitudes toward women, and the part 'love' plays in marriage. This is the best film I’ve seen in years. 

MY THOUGHTS: let’s ease into the New Year with a movie that should expel very little effort. I present to you: 21 & Over. It comes from the writing team that scripted The Hangover. The story is set over one night of drinking, moves in a few unexpected directions at times but ultimately doesn’t surprise (not that that should have been a realistic expectation).  It’s a bit of a filler - something to make noise in the background when you have friends over.

MY THOUGHTS: The action kicked off within the first 10 minutes. Excellent, because let's face it, who really want plot development when 94% of the world's populate will die within the next 116 minutes. The casting for Pitt's wife was a little strange. Was it assumed her earthly looks contribute to a sense of realism. There was plenty of plot spoon feeding, but it didn't taste half bad.

Nuff said.

MY THOUGHTS: Nick Offerman brought this film to my attention when I was lurking his filmography. And watching the trailer I belived I had uncovered a gem. However, regretably, it was missing something. I couldn't connect with the lead, played by Keith Poulson, so it never really got off the ground (even if it was supposed to be a whimsical).