Saturday, July 18, 2020

Cinema & Stadium 10th Anniversary





Cinema & Stadium 10th Anniversary


It's difficult for me to believe it, but ten years ago, I started this blog.  Back in 2010, I wrote on several different topics, from sports to music to the news.  Well, my final non-movie post was in the summer of 2014.  Maybe some day I will return to writing about other topics, if only from time to time, but this is now essentially my movie review blog.

So, to celebrate the 10th anniversary, I'm writing a movie "decade-in-review" post, sort of like my annual year-in-review posts.  I first considered this idea some time last year; of course, back in 2019, no one had heard of COVID-19 (and relatively few knew what a coronavirus was).  Already, the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most significant events of the century, and it could well end up shaping the world for decades to come.  So the movie industry is not exactly among the most important parts of society affected by the pandemic... nevertheless, movies are profoundly changed in both the short- and long-term, just like everything else.

The pandemic immediately upended the 2020 movie scene - most directly, of course, by closing all movie theaters and delaying most upcoming releases for several months, if not till 2021.  That is why I haven't written a new blog post since early March.  I considered alternatives to my usual posts - watching older films on streaming and reviewing them, or going back to the non-movie posts I used to do.  Partly, my enthusiasm for the blog was itself a casualty of the pandemic.  But I also realized just how much I've come to enjoy the privilege of seeing movies in a theater - that physical experience, along with the calendar rhythms and anticipation it creates, is perhaps as crucial to my enjoyment of doing the blog as the movies themselves.  Streaming is perfect for TV shows - even for people like me who don't binge - since you can catch up on older seasons, watch a favorite episode, any time you want (and with fewer or no commercial interruptions).  And I certainly watch movies at home occasionally, but it can never replace going to the theater, no matter how convenient or cost effective streaming may be.

It also took me some time to decide how I wanted to do this anniversary blog post.  I considered doing all kinds of lists, but the more I came up with, the less I actually wanted to write about them.  It reduces the movies to data points, and if I can't feel the love and connection to them that I found in the theater, then it's not worth it to me to write about it.  So the main part of this post, for me, is a narrative of the themes that defined my movie experience over the last decade.  But I do still love lists, so I have an All-Decade top 10 list, though even this is a bit different than my annual top 10 lists, and lists of the top performers and directors.

I hope you enjoy this post - and please do let me know what you think, particularly your own movie memories from the past decade!  By the way, I am changing the name of this blog, since the old one is no longer particularly accurate, to On Your Left Movie Reviews (an homage to Captain America and the MCU).  We'll see how that feels for a while; feel free to send me other ideas!

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The 2010s in Movies

To start, I make no claim to have seen a representative, let alone comprehensive, list of the films that came out in this decade.  One of the advantages to being an amateur reviewer is that I only watch what I want to watch - and while I think I've expanded my horizons, I definitely still see some genres (e.g., action/adventure) much more than others (e.g., horror).  So, on to my thoughts on the main themes that emerged from the movies that I saw.

Superheroes

As the decade began, this subgenre had already become quite popular in the preceding few years.  Thanks to both visual effects advances as well as an increased seriousness (relatively speaking, at least) in its drama and characters, superheroes had become a steady presence in the movie theater.  There was still quite a bit of variety, though - both in terms of quality and in style.  Take three of the most successful franchises: Spider-Man, X-Men, and Christopher Nolan's Batman.  While all three maintained pretty high levels of quality, Spider-Man focused more on spectacle and earnest "with great power comes great responsibility" morals; X-Men went weirder (sometimes creepier), but also more timely with direct social commentary (mutants/minorities); then Nolan's Batman attempted a sort of prestige take, which still featured action but focused more on style and acting.  On the margins were plenty of misfires, too, bombing with critics and/or audiences: Catwoman, Fantastic Four, etc.

Few people could have predicted what would arise from one of the surprise hits, 2008's Iron Man.  Twenty-three films and $22 billion later, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) had become the most lucrative film franchise ever, as well as the defining movie experience of the decade.  Lots of factors were involved in the MCU's success, but I'd argue that most importantly, it learned from the superhero films of the 2000s.  It achieved an impressive yet difficult balance: each individual film had its own feel, if not a secondary genre (look no further than 2014's Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy - from paranoid thriller to space comedy) while maintaining the central traits of the series, particularly a focus on the heroes (rather than villains) and humor.  The MCU then strung all of these similar but distinct stories together with an overarching narrative, and allowed its characters to interact and develop to a level not possible in other superhero franchises (or movies in general, frankly).  I saw all of the MCU movies in the theater, and reviewed each one of them.  If you'd like a quicker description of each (and how I rank them), check out the running MCU blog post I did last spring.

Of course, the MCU wasn't the only game in the booming superhero town.  Marvel itself released plenty of other major superhero films.  It rebooted Spider-Man; my reaction, as well as both critics' and audiences', was basically "meh", but fortunately this allowed for another reboot, this time joining his Avengers' kin in a much more successful (and creative) effort.  The X-Men franchise also got rebooted, save for megastar Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.  This was a mixed bag, with both fabulous highs (Days of Future Past, Logan) and embarrassing lows (Apocalypse, Dark Phoenix).  And, of course, there was Deadpool, which offered a refreshing change of pace (from self-awareness to R-rated excess), though it was overrated IMO.  There were quite a few smaller entries in the genre; my favorite, Kick-Ass, came right at the beginning of the decade.

The most polarizing movies of the superhero genre were those from DC, Marvel's rival and whose feature characters, Batman and Superman, were once essentially the only mainstream superheroes, pre-2000s.  Well, a lot has changed in twenty years.   Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was excellent, and The Dark Knight an instant classic movie overall.  But DC clearly became quite jealous of Marvel's huge success with The Avengers, and it tried, fairly blatantly, to copy the concept of an interconnected "universe" of films (here, the "Justice League").  It became clear that Marvel was the Pixar of superhero films, and DC the DreamWorks.  Actually, I enjoyed Batman v Superman, the film DC was hoping would launch their plans and was instead panned by critics (no-win situation: critics constantly complain of being tired of Marvel's movies, yet they basically condemned BvS for... not being a Marvel movie).  I liked its visual style and tonal contrast with Marvel, but DC instead started copying Marvel even more - especially Justice League, Aquaman, and Shazam - to cringingly inferior, forgettable results.  But Wonder Woman and Joker show that DC can still do well when it goes its own way, so there's hope for better in the future.

I enjoyed superhero films long before Iron Man, despite never having read a comic book, but the MCU made me a true fan.  Like many other kids at heart, there are certain fantasy/adventure worlds that I love and return to, that serve as the foundation of my enjoyment of movies overall: Jurassic Park and James Bond, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and so on.  Well, the MCU has joined that pantheon for me, too.

Animated Movies

Like superheroes, computer-animated films blossomed in the 2000s.  Toy Story, Pixar's breakthrough, came out in 1995, but it was the next decade when the studio developed its annual production of brilliance - not just relative to animation, but film in general.  While Pixar was the gold standard, the Coca-Cola of animation, if you will, DreamWorks became its main competitor in the wildly popular new field.  DreamWorks has made plenty of fun films, like Shrek, but it has always been a distant second to Pixar - the Pepsi, in other words.  After the back-to-back masterpieces WALL-E and Up came out in 2008 and 2009, I have regarded most Pixar films as must-see-in-the-theater (with exceptions for the more overtly child-oriented; I've still never seen any of the Cars movies).

In the 2010s, the computer-animation field settled in, much like the superheroes and with similar surprise developments as well.  Pixar has continued to make high-quality movies, but a disturbing new trend has emerged: sequelitis.  Seven of their 11 films from 2010 to 2019 were sequels.  I saw all but two (Cars 2 and 3) of these movies, and the studio, for all its magic, couldn't entirely avoid the problems posed by sequels.  Monsters University and Incredibles 2 were both a lot of fun, and as good as top non-Pixar animated movies, but they couldn't rise to the studio's high bar; Toy Story 3 and Finding Dory were each able to find a new, central spark to raise them up within their familiar worlds, though still not to the level of the best originals.  Toy Story 4 came somewhere in the middle, with great new characters but the overall style and adventure arc has now been worn as much as it can be at this point.  There were still standouts, though.  Brave was very good, though it's been awhile since I've seen it.  Inside Out and Coco definitely showed that Pixar can still make movies that are as good, and often better, than the best live-action dramas.  I'm hoping that Pixar will return to a more original-heavy lineup in the 2020s, like in the 2000s.

I also saw a handful of non-Pixar animated movies, as new studios rose in prominence and a vast array of ideas developed now that many of the obvious ones were already well-worn.  DreamWorks still had some decent films, such as How To Train Your Dragon and Megamind.  Two other studios arguably surpassed it, though, in the competition for runner-up to Pixar.  Illumination came out with the super-popular Despicable Me franchise (and the even more popular spin-off - at least with children - Minions), while Walt Disney came out with its latest classic, Frozen (which I haven't seen yet, you may (not?) be surprised to learn) and smaller but great Wreck-It-Ralph movies.  In 2016 each of those studios came out with movies that I felt even rose to Pixar-level quality: Zootopia and The Secret Life of Pets.  I fortunately got to see each of those in the theater, but most of the non-Pixar animated movies I've seen have been at home via Netflix.  These films are incredibly lucrative, given the hordes of families almost required to go see them, but it's depressing to see some increasingly ridiculous ideas come to life (looking at you, Angry Birds the Movie and Emoji Movie).  Hopefully the 2020s will see its share of home runs like Zootopia, but I have a feeling that I'll be seeing fewer and fewer non-Pixar animations in the theater.

One last note on the animated films of 2010s: we're also seeing more and more non-Pixar/Dream Works type of animation.  These have differed through visual style, the conversion/absorption of other genres, and/or the targeted audience.  LEGO Movie, one of my top movies of the decade, was a smashing success, from the visual style - incorporating the look and feel of actual LEGOs - to a new, excellent tone, reminiscent of but distinct from Pixar.  Disney has gone the direction of releasing just about all of its films in "live-action", which for some has meant heavy animation.  The Jungle Book was incredible, and worthy of the remake; but the overall venture feels like more and more of a cash grab, so I haven't even seen the new Lion King yet (though it looks gorgeous from previews).  Finally, there are out-of-left-field projects, like Sausage Party.  I do NOT recommend this to families... but for those who still chuckle at teenage boy humor, this was quite a bit better than Seth Rogen's (and his cohorts') recent live efforts.

African American experience

In 2010, the large majority of movies that I saw were action/adventures or comedies - particularly in my trips to the theater.  That year, the only new drama I saw was The Social Network.  But I steadily developed my interest in movies outside my two favored genres, particularly motivated by checking out movies hyped for the Oscars.  By 2012, I was well into this process - though I still usually waited to watch these movies at home.

As I looked back on the great variety of dramas that I saw in the 2010s, one theme that jumped out to me immediately was the African American experience.  Of course, that's not brand new to the movies in general; I just happened to notice that they have been prominent in the course of my seeing more dramas in general.  It's not too surprising when you look at the Oscar nominees (to which I paid particular attention) in recent years: thirteen went up for Best Picture (not all were "dramas", though, I should clarify).  I've seen each one of them, except for The Help.  But there are plenty of other films with this theme, too, and considering that they are nearly all of a very high quality, I thought I'd explore this area.  While I'll start with the dramas, I'm also going to talk about movies in other other genres that dealt in some way with the African American experience.

A number of dramas in the 2010s depicted the African American experience, through specific historical events and individuals, fictional representatives, or a mix of the two.  Two of my favorite movies from the entire decade, regardless of genre, were from the historical group:  Lincoln and Selma.  Lincoln differs from all the others here in that none of the main characters are African American - but, in addition to a fascinating picture of Lincoln's character and struggles, this is a rousing story of the political fight to pass the 13th amendment, abolishing slavery.  Selma is just as good, in large part because David Oyelowo is just as transcendent in portraying Martin Luther King as Daniel Day-Lewis is as Lincoln.  The battles shown here for the eventual Voting Rights Act of 1965, both in public and behind the scenes, are deeply affecting.  Those films are superbly well-made, but it's also easier to enjoy them as they feature widely beloved figures in ultimately triumphant stories.  But I also saw some harrowing films which highlighted the suffering.  Not surprisingly, some take place in the depths of slavery: Best Picture-winning 12 Years a Slave, and 2016's The Birth of a Nation.  And for the modern world, Fruitvale Station shows the life of an Oakland man cut short by police.  It was difficult watching those, yet invaluable as well.

Other films also looked at African American history, but applied other genres to help tell the stories (and took creative liberties, slight or significant).  The Butler is a Forrest Gump-like story told from the perspective of a long-time White House employee.  Focused more on the title character (Whitaker, who plays Cecil, is excellent), it uses history as fascinating context.  Another film I loved was the crowd-pleaser Hidden Figures, showcasing the incredible achievements of three black women to NASA's earliest Space Race efforts.  Its fun soundtrack and sense of humor don't overshadow the importance and nuance, once again, of the individuals.  BlackKklansman, by one of the most celebrated black filmmakers, Spike Lee, is great, too, a stranger-than-fiction story with a bite to its laughs.  Not all efforts were entirely successful, though.  George Lucas's Red Tails shows the brave Tuskegee Airmen of WWII, but focuses more on the action scenes and fails to do the men justice.  More problematic is Green Book, which shockingly won Best Picture in 2019.  The story is worthy of exploration, but its execution reduces Don Shirley's Southern tour to stereotypes of racism (including some ill-advised attempts at humor); even worse is its obliviousness to the "white savior" narrative it becomes.

Fictional dramas based on the African American experience yielded some movies that were just about as powerful and instructive as the historical ones.  Fences, a film adaptation of the August Wilson play and starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, may be "just" a domestic story, but it is as riveting - and devastating - as any other.  The combined performances of the ensemble are perhaps better than any other in the decade.  I must admit that I wasn't as captured by the two other major films I saw in this category as the critics were, though I have a lot of respect for them both.  Best Picture-winner Moonlight depicts the childhood and coming-of-age of a gay man, and Beasts of the Southern Wild is a fantastical take on impoverished coastal life.

Finally, genres outside of drama addressed this theme of the African American experience, too.  The objective to entertain is obviously more central in these than in the previous dramas, but I think each also has something valuable to say about real life issues, too.  Tarantino's Django Unchained is a pretty straightforward revenge fantasy, showcasing DiCaprio's hideous slaveholder before wreaking havoc with glee.  Black Panther became one of the biggest hits of all time, and not just because it's a superhero movie.  I think there is a similar bit of catharsis; here showing an inversion of history by creating a hidden African nation that - having been left alone - becomes the most advanced society on the planet.  And there is Get Out, a hit that was more of a surprise, from the mind of rising black creative star Jordan Peele.  It's a horror movie, but the most disturbing thing about it is not the gore but how well its fantasy scenario reflects and comments upon modern society.

There are plenty of others that I haven't gotten around to see yet - just a few examples being Creed, Sorry To Bother You, and Queen & Slim.  Many of these films are able to accomplish what the best of art does.  Yes, they entertain in some form, and advance the overall understanding of humanity.  But hopefully, they also serve as effective representations of those who have been marginalized and worse (in this case, African Americans) and help others to learn more about their particular experiences and build empathy.  I feel that they have helped me, a white person, in this way; and ultimately, I hope that they are helping bring about positive changes in society.

Star Wars and other worlds

So-called "franchises" - movies sharing the same characters and other elements - have played a large role in the movie industry for decades, and it carried on at least as strong as ever in the 2010s.  They offer studios a degree of certainty: if an original movie was a hit, then fans of that movie will likely see a sequel to see how the story continues, what happens to the characters, etc.  And as I mentioned previously, my enjoyment of several of these are central to what draw me to the movies overall - not just the chance to see new installments of those established "worlds", but the possibility that a new one will emerge.

The other side of franchises, though, is the risk of diminishing returns and creativity.  The making of follow-ups (sequels and/or reboots) risks "riding the coattails" of earlier successes, and even just a certain level of numbness from the audience at having seen something similar before.  There's also actually a certain amount of financial risk, too; plenty of franchises see drastically reduced box office numbers, especially in recent years, versus a pretty good "hit" rate for original movies.

So how did franchises fare in the 2010s?  Here's a list of some that I saw, with brief descriptions and their levels of success (artistic and financial).

The Good:

Mission Impossible
  • The fourth film in the series came out in 2011, boldly reasserting Ethan Hunt's high-wire stunts.  Two more came out, pushing further and developing an overall narrative, too.
  • Verdict:  A reinvigorated Tom Cruise put his best work into this old franchise started back in 1996.  The stunt work is top-notch, providing some of the best modern theatrical experiences.
  • Box office:  $209 million (MI4), $195 million (MI5), $220 million (MI6); highest worldwide total - $791 million (MI6)
John Wick
  • A brand new franchise!  Keanu Reeves reappears, years after his last relevant movie, to create a classic Keanu-cool hit man featuring crazy choreography and a fascinating crime world.
  • Verdict:  The first was great, with a surprising level of character detail laid out for Wick; the second was even better, to me, and the third, while still good, started to go just a bit too far.
  • Box office:  $43 million (1st movie), $92 million (2nd), $171 million (3rd); highest worldwide total - $326 million (3rd)
James Bond
  • One of the oldest continually-running franchises, Daniel Craig's Bond got two great new entries, which continued the ongoing narrative started in 2006's Casino Royale.
  • Verdict:  Craig proves that he is as good as any other Bond actor, and 007 successfully adapted to the times, featuring both more intense action yet a lighter/funnier touch than its competitors.
  • Box office:  $304 million (Skyfall), $200 million (Spectre); highest worldwide total - $1.1 billion (Skyfall)

The Mixed Bag

The Hobbit:
  • Peter Jackson, director of the LotR trilogy, turned this single book into another trilogy.
  • Verdict:  The first film was very good, showing a lot of promise, but it got dragged out too much in the second and third, overemphasizing the kinds of battles already seen in LotR.
  • Box office:  $303 million (1st movie), $258 million (2nd), $255 million (3rd); highest worldwide total - $1 billion (1st)
Jurassic World:
  • A return to the dinosaur-inhabited world, two sequels continued the narrative with a whole new cast, led by new star Chris Pratt, and a more action-adventure, rather than suspense, vibe.
  • Verdict:  Pratt is a fun addition, and there's some excitement - particularly JW's finale - but it lacks fresh ideas, going more generic, and the original's effects actually are more impressive.
  • Box office:  $652 billion (Jurassic World), $417 million (Fallen Kingdom); highest worldwide total - $1.67 billion (Jurassic World)
Planet of the Apes:
  • Technically not "new", this felt original, by focusing on the apes through the trilogy.  Motion capture master Serkis brought the ape Caesar to life, showing the initial war with humans.
  • Verdict:  Similar to The Hobbit, things started promisingly with Rise, exploring Caesar's development.  Dawn was dark and interesting, but War just dropped the ball, disappointingly.
  • Box office:  $176 million (Rise), $208 million (Dawn), $146 million (War); highest worldwide total - $710 million (Dawn)
Harry Potter:
  • The final book came out, split into two movies; five years later, a new series (not based on the books, but in the same "world") began, Fantastic Beasts starting a story based in America.
  • Verdict:  Although it's been awhile, I liked the choice to split the final book.  Fantastic Beasts, on the other hand, falls flat for me; with no Hogwarts, it's like Star Wars without Jedi.
  • Box office:  $297 million (HP7, Pt 1), $381 million (HP7, Pt 2), $234 million (FB1), $159 million (FB2); highest worldwide total - $1.34 billion (HP7, Pt 2)

The Ugly:

  • Monsters; Transformers; Pirates of the Caribbean; Men In Black; Fast & Furious
  • Monsters refers to the recent reboots of Godzilla, King Kong, and The Mummy.  Godzilla has been particularly awful (including the most deceptive trailer EVER); the other two were meh.
  • Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean both had pretty fun first films, which should have stopped while they were ahead.  Of course, I ended up seeing a few sequels, anyway... 
  • Fast & Furious.  This will surely be the most controversial of my "ugly" franchises.  It's a big, dumb blockbuster in every sense.  Vin Diesel is the worst actor I've ever seen.  It frequently resorts to macho (and worse) posturing; then pivots to insisting on the importance of "family" in the laziest, condescending ways.  For this franchise, I really am making a resolution to never watch another one again.
    • Box office: The seventh and eighth installments made $1.5 and $1.2 billion worldwide.  This almost makes me question the validity of every other movie to cross the billion threshold.  While I'm at it...
      • Other movies that shockingly/disappointingly reached $1 billion:  Titanic (I couldn't resist), Minions, Despicable Me 3, Alice in Wonderland, Aquaman, TWO Transformers sequels, TWO Pirates sequels
So: long story short (too late).  Action movie franchises have been the most consistently excellent.  Fantasy or sci-fi series that produced earlier classics are not immune to disappointments, but aside from a few surprises in either direction, it's pretty clear which franchises are still worth at least taking a chance on and which are best to steer clear of.

Then there is the movie franchise to rule them all: Star Wars.  I've saved this one for last, not just because of its historic popularity and influence, but also because of its suddenly renewed prominence in theaters over the last five years.  George Lucas sold his production company, Lucasfilm, to Disney in 2012 (Disney now owns Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars - three of the most lucrative and influential areas of Hollywood today).  This new overseer of Star Wars was not content to rake in royalties from the existing creations:  six films, an animated TV series, and of course lots of books, video games and merchandise.  From 2015 to 2019, Lucasfilm/Disney released one new film every year; released more TV series, including its first live action series on Disney's own new streaming service; and obviously more of the other stuff, too.

Disney's efforts started with record-breaking success: The Force Awakens, the first in a new trilogy series, became the #1 movie in North America of all-time - by a lot - with $936 million.  Critics liked it, too, with a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.  Rogue One, the first SW movie outside of the trilogies, came out the next year and was just as successful, maybe more so since it was only a "side" project:  $532 million (North America) and 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.  But then the "Empire struck back", if you will.  2017's The Last Jedi still got a 90% critic score, but "only" made $620 million, and, more significantly, jumped into the headlines as alt-right trolls attacked it for its diverse cast and "un-Star Wars-y" plot developments.  Just a few months later, Solo came out, an origin movie for Han Solo, dropping to just $213 million and a 70% RT score.  Disney/Lucasfilm licked its wounds... then released the final film of its new trilogy, Rise of Skywalker, which was clearly sensitive to earlier fan criticisms.  It made $515 million, but managed just 51% approval on Rotten Tomatoes.

The new Star Wars films could not have gotten off to a better start, financially or critically.  Yet the final film - touted as the epic of all epic conclusions to the nine films' worth of Skywalker story - made substantially less money and received tepid reviews, at best.  What's behind the decline?  For one thing, it was probably over-saturation: six Star Wars films came out between 1977 and 2005; five more have come out in the last five years.  The average moviegoer just doesn't see a new Star Wars release as being as special as it once was.  But I'd also like to look at how I feel the franchise fared in quality - which at times is reflected in the box office and critical success, but not always.

The sequel trilogy got off to a great start, for most of The Force Awakens.  Director J.J. Abrams set the table well with great new characters, particularly Rey, and provided a legitimate and welcome return for some old favorites.  There was a fresh new vibe (but still Star Wars-y) and great visual flair, from Falcon chases to lightsaber duels.  Only the reprise - again - of the Death Star was of notable disappointment.  The Last Jedi continued the use of great visuals, and had some exciting battles, a great role for Luke Skywalker (though somewhat at Rey's expense) and some excellent surprises.  But it continued the recycling of the Rebels vs. Evil Empire theme, and wasted time (and characters) on side adventures.  Finally, when J.J. Abrams returned to finish things with Rise of Skywalker, much of the excitement and surprise disappeared.  Yes, the climax was bigger - more spaceships battling it out, more lightning and sabers clashing below - than ever before, but the result of it all was a surprisingly numb feeling.

The original Star Wars trilogy is an undisputed classic.  Many people trash the prequel trilogy, but I grew up with it, and I think it's quite good, forging its own identity separate from the originals.  The sequel trilogy, then, is my least favorite of them.  It certainly has a lot going for it, but it is weighed down by its flaws more than the other two.  Part of the problem came in the very filmmaking process: there was no unified vision for the trilogy overall when it began (or so I've read).  That's pretty shocking, considering the hundreds of millions of dollars invested in them and the, um, devoted following that the franchise has.  So when opinions were so intensely divided over The Last Jedi, they were just asking for trouble moving ahead.  Disney ultimately decided that that film made "mistakes" - most notably, the idea that Rey's parents were commoners.  While I don't think the revised story in Rise of Skywalker is a total failure, it is awkward at the least and unnecessary.  That lack of a strong, unified vision, and failure to maintain continuity, was the biggest problem.  But, in my opinion, it also suffered from 1) slavish devotion to the originals ("Death Star", Rebels vs. Empire, too much focus on original characters, etc.), 2) resulting lack of development of the new characters, and 3) slapdash writing and direction of Rise of Skywalker.

Rogue One and Solo, the films separate from the trilogy system, were both entertaining, but not great.  Actually, unlike most people, I preferred Solo, a lighter, more fun and quirky story.  What they both did for me was to highlight the necessity of the Force (and Jedi/Sith) to Star Wars - more than the space ships or aliens or anything else, it's what makes Star Wars Star Wars (that, and John Williams's music).  So, as you might expect, I also found the Disney+ series The Mandalorian to be fun - but ultimately less than what I expect from the franchise.  Needed more baby Yoda!!

I know that's a lot of negativity about a franchise I love - but that's part of being a fan (or is my excuse)!  And I will definitely go back to enjoy The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi for their many attractions.  But Disney, if you're reading this, please take note for your next efforts!

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Top 10 of the 2010s

Each January, I start a new list of the films I've seen that year, adding them as I go.  Whatever I see first is my #1 movie of the year! - maybe just for one week, or maybe for the whole year.  It's interesting to see how my top 10 fluctuates through the year and then, come the following January when I write my year-in-review blog post, whether I still feel the same way.  I've always graded individual movies based on a combination of, first of all, my assessment of its quality, and second, how I enjoyed or responded to it personally.  When I rank films - especially in the top 10 - those two factors are about even (although an "A" movie still almost always beats an "A-").

I thought about doing a mega-list, combining all 10 years.  But I soon realized that that just wasn't going to work out.  So, while I'm still making a list, it's 10 movies as always.  It's also, at least in part, a list of "representatives": I tried to select as wide an array of genres and other types that I could.  And, movie for movie, it's still probably pretty darn close to what my usual list would have been!

#10: Mission Impossible: Fallout (directed by Christopher McQuarrie; starring Tom Cruise)
Action Movies
Tom Cruise just will not stop running: the most recent MI movie pushes the breathtaking stunt work further than ever before, and everything else just clicks alongside.  There were plenty of great action movies in the 2010s, particularly the MIs, James Bond, and John Wick movies; Mad Max and Kingsman, too.

#9: Molly's Game (directed by Aaron Sorkin; starring Jessica Chastain)
Something Different
Aaron Sorkin's typically brilliant, quick-as-lightning dialogue is engrossing, and Chastain is awesome (again, as usual).  A stranger-than-fiction true story, the performances and writing add powerful personal connection, too.  "Something different" means just that, movie experiences that were particularly unique; other excellent examples include Birdman and The Big Short.

#8: La La Land (directed by Damien Chazelle; starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling)
Out of My Comfort Zone
Everything about this modern-day musical is entrancing, which I think is exactly what this genre strives to achieve above all.  The music is awesome, Stone and Gosling are a great match, and the story is both old and new, with a poignant ending.  "Out of my comfort zone" means movies from genres I tend to avoid; others include Get Out, Ford v Ferrari and Perks of Being a Wallflower.

#7: Life of Pi (directed by Ang Lee; starring Suraj Sharma)
Adventure/Survival Movies
Since I did my senior book report on the novel, I have a special connection to the story.  Still, Ang Lee improbably puts this difficult-to-adapt work perfectly on the big screen through amazing, often illusory images and patient pacing.  One of the few good uses of 3D.  Other excellent adventures include Gravity, The Revenant, True Grit and War Horse.

#6: Inside Out (directed by Pete Docter; starring Amy Poehler, et. al.)
Animated Movies
Pixar's annual offering nearly always lands in my top 10, or just outside it.  This was actually one of their few instant classics in the 2010s, but I put it right up there with WALL-E, Up, and Toy Story.  The studio pushed its imagination and reach into the human psyche to the wonderful limit.  Coco is also excellent, and The Secret Life of Pets, Zootopia, and new Jungle Book were nice surprises.

#5: Hidden Figures (directed by Theodore Melfi; starring Taraji P. Henson, et. al.)
African American Experience
As mentioned above, the 2010s saw a host of powerful, exquisitely well-made movies focused in varying ways on African American experience.  The broad, crowd-pleasing approach taken by Hidden Figures often goes embarrassingly awry in other films, but they got the tone just right to go with excellent acting and writing, music and humor.  Again, see above for plenty of other great, thematically-related films; Fences is far different than Figures, but is my other favorite.

#4: Dunkirk (directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Fionn Whitehead, et. al.)
Thriller/Suspense Movies
I am increasingly drawn to certain filmmakers, the original, of course, being Steven Spielberg.  But my current favorite is Nolan; after a number of scifi/fantasies, I was blown away by what he did with this war movie.  In fact, I'd say it's the best I've ever seen in the genre, from the innovative structure, relentless tension, focus on individuals without a whiff of bravado, to the stirring ending.  Similar standouts include Zero Dark Thirty, Shutter Island, Prisoners, and Hell or High Water.

#3: The LEGO Movie (directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller; starring Chris Pratt, et. al.)
Comedies
This movie technically falls into several different categories... part of why I liked it so much!  Usually movies about brands are terrible, but this perfectly captured the wonder of LEGO.  The animation is incredible and adds to the terrific humor of the voice cast and writing.  Tongue-in-cheek satire but also exciting; frivolous yet genuine and touching.  There were few comedy blockbusters, but still some good ones like Bridesmaids and Game Night - and perhaps the biggest development was how funny many non-"comedies" were; often funnier than those in the genre itself!

#2: Lincoln/Selma - tie (directed by Steven Spielberg/Ava DuVernay; starring Daniel Day-Lewis/David Oyelowo)
Historical Dramas
I have to come back to these twin titans, so well written, directed, performed and made overall.  The crucial similarity between the two is that they did not attempt comprehensive biographies.  Instead, they focused on brief but critical periods; ultimately they get to revel in triumph, but in getting there they show the tough, often ugly fight it required, along with the heroes' flaws and doubts.  Perhaps I'm just drawn to historical-based drama, but I saw far more of them than fictional counterparts; other greats include The Imitation Game, The Social Network, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Spotlight.

#1: Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame (directed by Anthony and Joe Russo; starring Robert Downey, Jr., et. al.)
Superhero Movies
No surprise, right?  Here we have the defining genre (superheroes) of the decade, the dominant player (Marvel) in the genre, and its world-shaking, epic finale.  Are you going to conclude a 20-part saga with just one movie?  Of course not.  I have described the impossibility of the Russo brothers' task before, but it's well worth admiring, one more time, just how brilliantly, jaw-droppingly well they succeeded.  The actors, from Robert Downey, Jr., all the way to Brie Larson, truly breathed life into their heroes; the writers and countless craftspeople and other contributors likewise deserve praise for achieving the ambitious vision set in motion by producer Kevin Feige.  Other efforts deserve recognition, from Nolan's own epic The Dark Knight Rises to the inspiring Wonder Woman to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine swan song in Logan.  But they all look up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the champions of the theater in the 2010s.

And if you'd like to go back and see my annual year-in-reviews for the 2010s, here they are:

2010 - #1 movie: Toy Story 3
2011 - #1 movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
2012 - #1 movie: Life of Pi
2013 - #1 movie: Zero Dark Thirty
2014 - #1 movie: The LEGO Movie
2015 - #1 movie: Inside Out
2016 - #1 movie: Manchester by the Sea
2017 - #1 movie: Dunkirk
2018 - #1 movie: Avengers Infinity War
2019 - #1 movie: Avengers Endgame

------

Top Performances of the 2010s

Similar to the overall top 10 movies of the decade from above, I also wanted to see who the best performers (and filmmakers) of the decade were.  This turned out to be a more extensive process than I anticipated, but it was worth it.  To come up with these rankings, I first compiled as comprehensive a list of actors and directors whose movies I'd seen.  Minimum criteria: I had to have seen at least three movies that they were in/made in the 2010s, and they all had to be at least decent performances.  That ended up eliminating quite a few extremely talented people, simply because they either emerged too late in the decade, or I haven't seen enough of their movies.  Also, going back to my annual film awards (my personal "Oscars"), I found that probably at least half of the nominees were "one- (or two) hit wonders" who reveal a very deep and diverse pool of talent in today's movie world.

The process also reinforced a pattern in both Hollywood's and my own preferences that I've been all-too aware of: most of the movies I saw are led (and especially directed) by white males.  But the ranks of actresses I've come up with are just as impressive, and there are many other great minority actors, too (I just didn't see enough of them in threes or more).

Top Actresses:
#10 - Sandra Bullock
#9 - Charlize Theron
#8 - Kristen Wiig
#7 - Meryl Streep
#6 - Scarlett Johansson
#5 - Viola Davis
#4 - Amy Adams
#3 - Emma Stone
#2 - Melissa McCarthy
#1 - Jessica Chastain

Honorable mentions: Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, Alicia Vikander

Top Actors:
#10 - Daniel Craig
#9 - Adam Driver
#8 - Tom Hardy
#7 - Michael Keaton
#6 - Ryan Gosling
#5 - Michael Fassbender
#4 - Steve Carell
#3 - Denzel Washington
#2 - Leonardo DiCaprio
#1 - Christian Bale

Honorable mentions: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Cruise

Top Directors:
#5 - Damien Chazelle
#4 - Denis Villeneuve
#3 - Steven Spielberg
#2 - Anthony and Joe Russo
#1 - Christopher Nolan

Honorable mentions: Adam McKay, Matthew Vaughn, Paul Feig; Aaron Sorkin (if you include his screenplays)

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Well, that's my summary of the 2010s in movies, which is also the first ten years of my blog.  I hope you enjoyed some of it.  Now that I've finished the long process of writing it, I feel my enthusiasm for movies returning!  Will I write non-theater reviews in the coming (hopefully short) pandemic months?  To be continued...



* Source:  https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/TWCNews/getty_movie_theaterjpg
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Downhill


Score:  A-

Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Starring Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Miranda Otto, Zach Woods
Running time: 86 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Downhill is a quiet little dramedy remake featuring two of the funniest actors in Hollywood in Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus.  Throw expectations out the window, though: this leans far more heavily toward the drama, and its humor, while good and plentiful, is much drier than you'd think (even compared to Veep).  Sadly, critics dismissed it and theater audiences ignored it, but give this one a chance:  it has the poignance of Marriage Story and sneaky humor.


Pete (Ferrell) and Billie (Dreyfus) need a break; with their two young sons in tow, they retreat far from their American lives to the bleak and beautiful Alps for a skiing vacation.  Despite the foreign languages and thick accents, they soon find that the dynamic of their relationship has not changed with the scenery; if anything, it has deepened.  As Pete rushes the family from one unique experience to the next, and tries to fit time in with work friend Zach, his wife and children find they have their own, very different needs and desires.

Downhill focuses primarily on its two comedy legends, but it also has an impressive supporting cast, too.  I'd say it's truly a shared lead in this film, so I'll just start with Will Ferrell's Pete.  Both he and Louis-Dreyfus are tested here in roles significantly different - i.e. much more dramatic, less comedic - than they're used to.  There's a good bit of humor, to be sure, but it's mostly pretty dry and subtle, a bigger challenge (seemingly) for Ferrell.  Having been in a slump the last few years, I was pleased to see Ferrell, one of my favorites, back in top form.  Pete is a highly flawed, difficult character; while Ferrell has been good at this in over-the-top form (see: most of his best roles), this is a far, far more restrained and realistic version - and because of that, a little uncomfortable yet exquisite to watch.  He's a man just barely holding together on the surface, struggling mightily to deal with a crucial pivot point in his life; Ferrell is great in everything from boring patriarch to petulant point-scorer (and some sympathetic bits in between).  Julia Louis-Dreyfus is every bit as good as Billie, in many of the same ways.  As Ferrell's Pete spirals downward, Billie finds her strength, or at least the courage of her convictions.  Louis-Dreyfus achieves such a fine balance in many ways; both assertive and reluctant, fighting both for her family's and her personal interests.  Billie is the true head of the family here, but it's a process getting there.  Two supporting players stand out in particular, Miranda Otto as the enthusiastic, over-sharing resort guide and Zach Woods as Pete's friend.  Otto provides much-needed shots of energy, bursting out of the family's strained politeness; Woods on the other hand is cowed by the family's drama, and largely an observer, yet still plays a crucial role.

Downhill is a rather odd dramedy, particularly considering that it's a remake; but, whatever its intentions, it's also pretty damn good.  Many people - myself included - who see Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus headlining a movie assume that it will be a laugh out loud comedy.  However, while there is certainly some humor, it leans much more toward the drama.  It's a brief snapshot of the life of a family - particularly the marriage - at a critical stage.  The script has a very realistic feel, with much of the (at times, mundane) everyday, in the action, dialogue, and even entire scenes.  The setting, at an Austrian ski resort, is one ripe for easy and/or stereotypical slapstick, but it indulges in this only selectively and appropriately (Otto's overt intimacy relayed in a thick accent; Ferrell wiping out in a boneheaded move).  No, the real focus is on Pete and Billie's relationship, so tense you could cut it with a knife.  Much revolves around a critical scene that is hilarious on paper but shot and acted with incredible dryness and sincerity - for it is also a practically small yet symbolically huge moment for the couple.  This leads to both the most outright funny scene in the movie (involving Game of Thrones' Tormund at his most intimidating), as well as - seriously - one of the most emotionally powerful and well-acted dramatic scenes I've witnessed in years.  Everything after that is kind of a come down - how could it not? - yet the film navigates the fallout deftly, and apart from a few predictable moments, quite subtly.  The final shot is great.  Now, I'll admit, I'm not certain it was all planned this way; I just get the feeling that they weren't quite sure what tone or style to go with, and just got really lucky.  Some scenes stick out as oddly placed, and it can be hard to get a read on it.  But in a way, even that is helpful, contributing to the sense of realism.  This movie was not at all what I was expecting - and I'm glad for it.

---

Downhill is an interesting little treat, buried (appropriately) in the frozen depths of the film calendar.  It's kind of the 2020 version of last year's The Upside: both are American remakes of foreign films, released (dumped?) early in the year.  And while critics disliked them, I think both are quite good.  Downhill has a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but closer examination reveals that most of the negative comes down to "it wasn't as good as the original".  Well, how many Americans have already seen 2014's Force Majeure?  I'm guessing not many.  Sadly, while The Upside found box office success despite the reviews, Downhill has a humiliating $8 million total so far.  I would urge you to give it a try, even if you wait for it on streaming (probably have to at this point).  Its particular style is something I've never seen anything quite like before, and impressive performances from Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus combine to make it very intriguing.  We need much more like this out of Hollywood!





* By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62829258

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey


Score:  B+

Directed by Cathy Yan
Starring Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Running time: 109 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Birds of Prey sees Margot Robbie's villain/hero breakout Harley Quinn get her own feature, and it's both a stylish and well-made effort.  Robbie is great once again as the unique clown princess, and she's joined by an impressive supporting cast of friends.  It's not a total success, but Birds of Prey does some new things for a superhero film to both entertain and even go a little further.  Not for everyone, but it's also not just for superhero fans.  Well recommended.


The longtime villainous duo of the Joker and Harley Quinn (Robbie) have broken up - leaving the jilted Quinn to fend for herself on the dangerous streets of Gotham.  Still cavorting about like the untouchable criminal princess she used to be, Quinn quickly gets herself in trouble, in the crosshairs of another crime boss, Roman Sionis (McGregor).  Having been a thorn in his side with the Joker, Quinn is forced to help Roman recover a diamond containing the secrets to a fortune.  Others become entangled in the plot, which soon focuses the attention of the city's criminals on a young girl who has found the diamond.  With her own life on the line, Quinn is forced to choose a path in her post-Joker world.

Birds of Prey has a large, female-dominated cast that offers a diverse array of personalities.  Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn (introduced in 2016's Suicide Squad), and she's even better this time as the lead.  It's truly her movie, the zany, energetic style reflecting Quinn herself.  Robbie seems to fully embrace the role, ostensibly a villain, who is portrayed more as mischievous, even misunderstood, than as truly bad.  Robbie seems to revel in Quinn's stylistic flair, from her hair, makeup and wardrobe variety, to her choice of weapons (from baseball bat to dynamite).  But peel back the surreal surface details and Quinn can also be recognized as a wayward millenial; Robbie makes her character believable both as a drunk partier or lonely apartment homebody.  Whatever she's doing, Robbie's Quinn is almost always the most interesting thing on screen.  Her fellow "birds of prey" are also interesting - good variety among the three, though unevenly developed.  Smollett-Bell's Dinah Lance is best as a side employee of Roman who struggles with whether and how to get involved in the evil she sees; Rosie Perez's cop Montoya is good, too, winningly headstrong.  But other than providing a few chuckles, Winstead's Bertinelli is one character too many.  Finally, at opposite ends are McGregor's villain Roman aka "Black Mask", and young Ella Jay Basco as a pickpocket on the run.  McGregor does well, but it's a bit too similar to the Joker's psychopathic schtick; only his misogyny stands out (thematically-appropriate).  Basco proves herself one of the better child actors, easily playing well with her adult co-stars and showing nice gumption.

Birds of Prey is a nice step forward for DC's superhero films, thanks largely to Robbie and its style, but it also gets in its own way enough to keep it from top-tier status.  While it does have a baddie with a plan like all superhero films, the film refreshingly does not focus on this, and takes its time getting to it.  Instead, Harley herself - and to a lesser extent, her accidental new friendships - takes center stage, a wise choice considering both how different and interesting she is.  The style and tone matches the star intriguingly, letting Quinn begin the film with a voice over introduction that mixes animation and live "snapshots" (like a comic book frame) to provide both exposition and a shot of fun directly to the audience's bloodstream to prepare them.  The first half or more of the film is then presented in a jumbled chronology, perhaps as a reflection of Quinn's own warped mind.  While it does a good job of keeping you off balance, it begins to get overly confusing, particularly as the diamond plot develops.  Again, the main draw and pleasure here is in the characters themselves, and the timing tricks distract from this too much.  Still, it's fun watching Quinn even when you don't know what's going on.  Lance and Montoya fit in perfectly; when the screen shifts away from Quinn, it's good when either of these two are the reason.  It's not overtly a feminist movie, but by choosing and developing the characters it does, there are some powerful yet seamless glimpses of a modern, progressive social viewpoint within this often tradition-bound genre.  There's plenty of genre action fun to be had, too.  Quinn's invasion of a police station using non-lethal but hilarious ammunition is the high point, though there are some other creative moments later.  This all sounds great, and there is plenty to enjoy.  The quality level does ebb and flow a bit, though, and the initial meandering vibe - a good one, not rushing to get to the plot - gives way increasingly to a standard resolution.  I may be asking too much from a film with an eye on mass audience, box office pressures.  But it still delivers more than you'd think.

***

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is a good start to the year for the superhero genre, a year that looks to feature quite a few similarly female-driven titles.  Quinn has received a mostly positive reception from critics (78% on RT); there's at least broad agreement that this is a step up from both Suicide Squad - DC's first villain-focused movie - and frankly, most of DC's recent efforts overall. Between Robbie's Quinn and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, the studio is led by its female stars right now, stars who frankly can stand toe-to-toe with Marvel's more male-driven roster.  DC's attempt to create an MCU-style interwoven universe failed completely, so it's difficult to know what the future holds for these characters.  But I hope the stars will stick around at least a little longer, and help inspire similarly strong stories and characters from others.  I recommend this for a pretty broad audience (it's not a hard R, IMO), and it's certainly a must for any fan of superhero movies.




* By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61802787

Saturday, February 15, 2020

1917


Score: B+

Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman
Running time: 119 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  A war now more than one hundred years old gets a technologically up-to-date retelling in 1917.  It's filmed via one loooong, extended shot, and WWI seems the perfect choice for this technique that's been developed in recent years.  Unfortunately, it just doesn't hold up for the length of the film, and things turn not only more generic but ultimately ineffective.  The first third or so is worth it; but then switch to something else.


In the midst of World War I, with both sides literally dug in and fighting a horrifically brutal war of attrition, two British soldiers are called for a special mission.  The Germans have withdrawn their forces from the front line, and some Allied elements are poised to pounce on the apparent opportunity.  Yet this development may in fact be a trap, endangering thousands in a war that has already inflicted appalling casualties on each side.  Thus Lance Corporals Blake (Chapman) and Schofield (MacKay) rush to warn their unwitting comrades of the threat - though they put themselves in grave danger to do so.

1917 essentially has a cast of two, its little-known leads; joining them throughout are much more familiar but fleeting faces.  George MacKay, the older and more experienced actor of the lead pair, does very nice work for much of the film, particularly early on.  Just as he's the veteran actor, MacKay's Schofield has also been on the front longer than Chapman, and he's even already survived perhaps the bloodiest part of the war, the Battle of the Somme.  He's unsurprisingly much more wary of the mission, more cautious, and frankly less inclined to get involved in the first place.  MacKay shows this on his face convincingly, at times hauntingly; at times a blank numbness and at others deeply pained.  Both he and Chapman - to my untrained eyes - also appear to do soldier-y things genuinely, from traversing the trenches to handling their rifles.  Chapman's Blake is clearly a green recruit, providing a nice balance with Schofield.  He speaks of war and their situation sanguinely, if not naively at times.  But there's also an honest good spirit and hopefulness in him that is a needed boost amid the bleak scenery.  Other than passers-by, there are a few small bits played by stars more accustomed to lead roles.  While in some ways it's always nice to see a familiar face, the parts are so brief they're unremarkable.  The lone exception is Andrew Scott's trench lieutenant, who in a few moments conveys just how familiar with the terrain and tactics he is - and just how close he is to a complete mental breakdown.  It's perhaps the most chilling part of the film.

1917 is a very well-produced war film around its central technical premise of a single, extended shot; however, this leads to diminishing returns and some other weak points, too.  The narrative premise is a pretty familiar one in war films: a few soldiers must undertake a risky solo mission to save many lives and/or score a crucial victory.  Of course, the way this story is shown is the main draw: a single take, similar to Birdman and others (also like these, it does "cheat" a few times, but remains visually uninterrupted).  WWI is perhaps the ideal choice for this style, considering its winding, interminable trenches and shorter but shocking stretches of space between front lines - "no man's land".  In fact, the film's presentation of this hellish mini-world is the best part of it, especially the first third or so of the feature.  Our leads pass by countless comrades and fortifications in the trenches; the level of detail is amazing, and I found myself paying more attention to this than to the dialogue.  Their journey through no man's land is unsettling; moon-like in its desolation, it's all mud, rats, razor wire... and the occasional rotting human remain.  A trip through a deserted trench also soon provides the tensest, best set piece of the film.  But, perhaps inevitably, 1917 just can't keep it up.  Around the halfway point, things turn away from the disquieting observation of this particularly horrific war to a more conventional war film style.  Frankly, there are even parts that feel a bit like you're watching a video game being played.  The last half hour is a faster and faster sprint to the finish, with coincidences and unlikelihoods piling up.  Yes, there are still some phenomenal visuals to behold - a devastated city at night lit up spookily by fire, etc. - but the overall effect is just numbing.  You want to rest, like the soldiers on the field, and think back to a better time (for the audience, this being the first part of the movie).

***

1917 is certainly among the better war movies I've seen, but I'm now surprised that it was as close to winning the Best Picture Oscar as it apparently was.  Skimming the critics' reviews, most of them are quite positive, of course, though I did find a handful that seemed to agree with my disappointment with the way the film eventually degenerates.  Not only this, I have to say that the inclusion of the cameo stars seems like a blatant awards push; what other purpose was there?  Still, I tip my cap to the lead actors and to the first part of the film; those elements are good enough to push my overall score for the film decidedly to the positive.  So, while there were nominated films I liked better than Parasite - especially Little Women, Ford v Ferrari, and Marriage Story - I am glad to see that inventive, new-kid-on-the-block entry defeat an overrated war film like 1917.  Stream the first hour or so if you want - and if you're interested in a better WWI film, watch Spielberg's War Horse.





* CC BY 4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63054993

Sunday, February 9, 2020

2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review


2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review

I am always excited for this annual opportunity to look back at the previous calendar year in film.  Writing this post allows me to experience these movies again - not just by looking back at my review from the first time around, but trying to call back the way I felt when I saw them.  The passage of time often results in surprises in what stands out in my memory, and I usually have at least a small shift in my overall opinion.  Through almost the entire first half of the year, I was worried that this might be one of the weakest in which I've been doing these reviews.  Fortunately, the second half picked up significantly.  Action/adventure and drama seem to make up an ever-increasing portion of the films I see; partly, few comedies caught my attention and certain other genres (looking at you, horror) may be growing in popularity but I am steering resolutely clear of them.

As a reminder, I count only films that were released in theaters near me (i.e., rural area) in 2019 so you'll find some films here that were in last year's Oscars.  The format of my year-in-review is the same as always, celebrating the good, the bad, and everything in between:
  • Top 10 films of the year!
  • Most underrated/overrated films
  • Most surprising/disappointing films
  • Worst film of the year
  • List of other films I saw (with links to my reviews)
  • Second chance: films I saw on Netflix
Please do also check out my Oscar-style awards for 2019 post here, and all of the films listed below are linked so you can jump to my full reviews if/when you're interested.  Enjoy!


Top 10 Films of 2019

10. (tie) Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (Directed by Quentin Tarantino; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie)

With his unique and mesmerizing writing and directing, promising premises, and reliable star performances, Tarantino nearly guarantees a slot in my top ten lists.  This is one of his more laid back titles, particularly compared to Basterds, Django, or even the tamer Hateful Eight.  Instead, the auteur indulges in his obvious love for the art and its production, here set in late 60s LA.  It's meandering, but the atmosphere is enjoyable and well-shot, with plenty of standout and hilarious scenes, too (Pitt's stunt guy vs. Bruce Lee; DiCaprio's acting foibles and monologues/dialogues).  With a great part for Leo and a foreboding historical setup that gets turned upside down, this is another winner.

10. (tie) Toy Story 4 (Directed by Josh Cooley; starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tony Hale, Annie Potts, et. al.)

I admit, I approached this one warily, having felt this legendary Pixar saga concluded in its third outing.  But it turns out there was plenty more joy and even a few new twists to be found in this beloved world.  Yes, the overall sense of wonder from toys on a rescue adventure has lost some of its luster, and several plot mechanics, particularly the "villain", are somewhat recycled.  Still, some new plastic injects needed vitality, via self-destructive newcomer Forky (Hale) and bold, rebellious old friend Bo Peep (Potts).  The action eventually kicks into a good rhythm, with of course plenty of laughs; and the predictable ending is passed over in favor of a bittersweet yet hopeful one.

9.  Brittany Runs a Marathon (Directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo; starring Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar)

This isn't the kind of drama that usually gets either my attention or even a spot in my theater, but luckily it got both.  Easily could have been a cliched yawn-fest, but this story of an overweight girl working to turn her life around with the help of both old and unexpected friends is done with great care and skill.  Bell neither begs for sympathy nor pushes you away with obnoxious crudeness.  Instead, she is one of the most real human beings I've seen in a film for a long time; her setbacks are understandable, and her progress well earned.  You can find yourself in her, like it or not.  A snappy script keeps it all humming, and her social world is varied and fascinating.  Give this gem a try.

8.  Joker (Directed by Todd Phillips; starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert de Niro, Zazie Beetz)

One of the most polarizing films in years, I found this engrossing and well done, though I get the concerns.  Superheroes, beware: this is a dark, dark film.  However, Phoenix is incredible as Arthur, a mentally disturbed man with a heap of other problems besides.  His creepy, uncontrollable laughing tic and growing list of grievances against a world that has no patience for him build the tension of his inevitable fate as the Joker villain.  Still, it's the too-ordinary acts and facts of the meaner parts of our world that trigger his downfall.  I personally found this an interesting origin story and commentary on the perils, ultimately, of a world with simply too little love.  Proceed with caution, but it's worth it.

7.  Knives Out (Directed by Rian Johnson; starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, et al.)

One of the most fun films of the year, this whodunnit toys with a familiar formula in clever ways.  First of all, the lead is not the "CSI: KFC" version of Poirot, played with relish by Daniel Craig.  Instead it is the quiet, sweet family nurse who gives the audience a surrogate with whom to feel each twist of the plot deep in the gut (hopefully, viewers will not literally wretch like their heroine).  Family secrets get spilled early, but are of little help; the quaint town and proud family are not just any but very much set in our present.  It's funny - thanks largely to a scene-stealing Chris Evans - and has a nice balance of leading clues yet an unfathomable solution.  Even better watching it twice.

6.  Fighting With My Family (Directed by Stephen Merchant; starring Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn)

Sports movies are much less entertaining to me than the real thing, and wrestling itself even less so; somehow, though, this film clicked with me like few other this year.  Written and directed by comedy vet Stephen Merchant, this based-on-a-true story has its share of chuckles but it draws breath from its quirky, rough but lovable family and the unremitting young woman at its center.  The wrestling itself is actually kind of interesting, too, particularly the contrast in the two systems Pugh's contender must bridge to succeed.  Vaughn is a good, cranky mentor here, and her family, from wild but adoring parents to her closely connected brother, are great, too.  Didn't even need the Rock!

5.  Marriage Story (Directed by Noah Baumbach; starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern)

I debated whether or not to include this Netflix-only movie, but it's just too good to leave out.  Taking place during the end of a marriage, there is a constant tension, whether underlying or tangible.  But the film doesn't wallow in conflict; rather, it shows right off the bat why they loved each other in the first place and then explores how that bond broke down in spite of it.  Johansson and Driver are both spectacular here, two impressive actors who are better than ever.  Baumbach allows each extended showcases of their character by themselves, but the dynamic when they are together is something to behold.  It's also ultimately not a downer, so don't worry and just dive in to this great work.

4.  Ford v Ferrari (Directed by James Mangold; starring Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe)

A second sports movie in my top ten (!), this may not be the most original work but it is done to near perfection.  Ostensibly about Ford Motor Company's underdog effort to defeat the reigning race car champion Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's really about the odd but brilliant couple of Bale and Damon's motorheads (if anything, critique of Ford and its arrogant heir piles up satisfyingly throughout).  The leads are like chocolate and peanut butter; Bale turns in another transformative performance as the wily, intense racer and Damon is just so damn likable and funnier than ever.  Oh, yeah, and it's got some awesome racing scenes, too.  This zooms by with an exhilarating flourish.

3.  Little Women (Directed by Greta Gerwig; starring Saiorse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothee Chalamet)

Here is the least likely of them all, a remake of a classic tale I wasn't even particularly familiar with.  The power of the story, the grace of the performers and the vision of the director swept me into this period piece with a modern feel.  The quartet of actors playing the March sisters developed an infectious bond, and frivolous scenes of their younger days create an abiding warmth.  Among her many contributions, Gerwig's decision to jump between this happy period and a more strained, difficult future is brilliant.  This keeps the level of intrigue high throughout, as you work out how both the plot and (more importantly) characters are evolving; yet it's done smoothly to avoid tonal whiplash.  Organically celebrating the bonds of sisterhood, it fits Gerwig's style perfectly.

2.  The Upside (Directed by Neil Burger; starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman)

This unsung drama, which seems to standout only through the oddness of its pair of leads, actually turned into the most well-rounded drama of the year for me.  A remake of a French hit, Hart's ex-convict and Cranston's rich quadriplegic find each other at their respective low points.  Lesser actors could have made this ugly, but the stars here are spectacular.  Hart impresses with his nuanced dramatic work, eschewing his usual comic routine, and Cranston easily inhabits his physically and emotionally frustrated philanthropist.  Both stars are naturally quite likable, but they aren't afraid to show their characters' prickliness, flaws and vulnerabilities.  And the chemistry they have is pure movie magic.  Kidman's assistant also deserves a nod, always in the midst of this burgeoning friendship that lifts them all up.  You'll hear Aretha's opera in your heart for days after.

1.  Avengers: Endgame (Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo; starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, et. al.)

Surprise, surprise, right?  I did write a massive blog post just last spring in which I reviewed every Marvel movie after first re-watching each of them.  But you can thus imagine just how high my expectations for the grand finale, Endgame, were.  And it met them, and then some.  It's clear that, given how spectacularly successful the Russo brothers had been with Captain America: Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel freed them to shape this finale however they wished.  And there was a lot that went against convention.  It has a three-plus hour running time, an eternity in today's tweeting, memeing culture.  It kills off the bad guy (sort of) in the first twenty minutes.  It has loads of references, some subtle and others not, to the earlier films.  It doesn't even have any significant action scenes for the first two hours!  But it works.  The film quickly dispatches with the easy solution to Thanos's "snapture", which killed half of all living beings (heroes included) at the end of Infinity War.  Instead, it focuses on resolving the characters themselves, particularly the "OG" - Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, and it both makes them work hard to get there and patiently takes its time to do so.  Time travel, while often an easy fallback gimmick, is a perfect tribute to some defining earlier adventures and clever springboard to fixing the problem at hand.  And right about when you start feeling antsy for some Hammer, Shield and Iron time, good ol' Grimace comes back to throw down the gauntlet in a bone-rattling, electrifying, exhilarating two-part final melee to end all melees.  Then after all of that, there's still time and energy for a denouement that matches LotR: Return of the King for the poignancy and power of its send off for some of our favorite characters.

So, yeah.  Avengers: Endgame SMASHES (TM-The Hulk) all comers for the title of Movie of 2019.  And, as an extension of its kin going back to 2008, probably my movie of the decade.

Honorable Mentions: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; Parasite; Spider-Man: Far From Home


Most Overrated Film of the Year:  Ad Astra (runner-up: Uncut Gems)
Honorable mention here goes to Green Book, which was an outrageous Best Picture winner choice, but at least better than the other two overall.  I could even see someone liking Uncut Gems, if they happened to enjoy movies with constant yelling and unpleasantness; it at least feels real, and is done effectively.  This is Adam Sandler's wheelhouse.  It's also not the spot I want to be in the theater.
Ad Astra definitely takes the s*** cake this year.  A faux-Serious sci-fi film featuring the most ridiculous and pretentious of Brad Pitt's performances this year, I'm not sure how so many critics were hoodwinked by this one.  Deadly go-karting with Moon Bandits?  Ambush face-eating space monkeys?  Indiana Jones-style stowaways on rocket ships?  What the hell?  If this comes up on your streaming service, skip past it with all due haste.

Most Underrated Film of the Year:  The Upside (runner-up: Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker)
Critics mostly got it right this year with the movies that were on the positive end.  Star Wars is a bit of a cheat, because I was also a bit disappointed by it and its Rotten Tomatoes score isn't that bad.  But it was still an incredibly entertaining film, and it got the important parts right (Rey and Kylo Ren).  Sure, I wish it was better, too... but that's a topic for another post.
The one significantly underrated film this year was The Upside, my #2 film of the year, with just a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score.  What?!?  "Preachy, manipulative, and frustratingly cliched" - no, no, and no.  I think they saw that this is a remake (critics tend to hate them), watched the trailer, and made assumptions.  See my summary above or full review for more details.  I'll note that audiences definitely agreed with me, with an 82% Audience Score, $108 million made overall in the dead of January, which was a ridiculously good 5x multiplier (indicating excellent word of mouth) on its opening weekend.  So there!

Most Disappointing Film of the Year:  A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (runner-up: The Lego Movie 2)
I saw quite a few sequels this year; it was kind of hard to avoid them, and many of them were follow-ups to excellent original films, perhaps none better than 2014's Lego Movie.  Not only was LM2 worse than almost all the other sequels this year, that difference in expectation was particularly crushing.  The writing was so much worse... even though it was the same guys! (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller).  Sigh... at least we'll always have the first to return to.
I hate saying this about a Mr. Rogers movie, but it's true.  With Tom Hanks (!) playing Fred, and a great new talent, Marielle Heller (2018's Can You Ever Forgive Me?) directing, this had tons of potential.  And there are glimpses of it, particularly when Hanks is onscreen.  But while I also approve of the decision to make Rogers a supporting character and use a surrogate as the lead, the main character and his story are a debacle.  Note to critics: this is where your "preachy, manipulative and frustratingly cliched" descriptors belong.  Just because this is a Mr. Rogers movie doesn't mean the audience can't handle complexity or subtlety.  Please try again.

Most Surprisingly Good Film of the Year:  Fighting With My Family (runner-up: Jumanji 2)
Again, not a lot of surprises in the positive direction (i.e. most just met or moderately exceeded expectations).  I wanted to give the Jumanji sequel a shot, primarily for the reasons listed for Lego Movie 2.  Also, it was a nice change of pace amidst Oscar contenders.  But this sequel was actually not just a cash grab after the original hit.  It helps that the core cast - Johnson, Hart, Gillan, and Black - all returned.  But they squeezed in enough laughs and new stuff to make it worth the trip.
Fighting With My Family was praised by critics (93% RT score), which is what drew me to it.  Frankly, I hadn't even heard of it before.  Then there's the deceptive advertising, prominently featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson despite his five minutes or so of screentime (good ones, granted).  Add my sports movie skepticism, and I wasn't expecting much.  Well, I think I've said all I need to about how good it is above, so I'll just refer you to its spot on my top 10 list.

Worst Film of the Year:  Hobbs & Shaw (runner-up: Ad Astra)
Honorable mention also gets the dubious distinction of Year's Worst Sequel: Men In Black: International.  At least it proved just how valuable and great Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were in the original (I liked MIB 3's new duo, too, but it just didn't work).
I only have myself to blame for seeing the movie that ended up in last for me.  I saw the original Fast and Furious movie and thought it was OK.  Then, the sequels started to get really popular, and I saw the fifth one; while there was Michael Bay-style sheer adrenaline, it was bad and I vowed to steer away from the franchise.  But for some reason, I saw another one (can't even remember which one), and it was even worse.  Now, I enjoy Dwayne Johnson, so for some reason I decided to give this spin off a try - hey, at least it doesn't have Vin Diesel!  It was better than the last FF movie I saw, but then I read about the franchise stars' ridiculous behind-the-scenes macho competition.  I say once more - never again!!!
I already wrote about Ad Astra above, nothing more to say!


Other Films I Saw in Theaters in 2019 (click for full reviews):



Netflix Summary:

Well, I didn't go back and watch much of anything at home that I missed in theaters.  Partly there were few flicks that I was dying to see that I didn't get to see in the theater; partly by the time they became available on streaming, I just wasn't interested any more.  We'll see how I feel in 2020.

  • Yesterday (B).  I had to see this at some point since I'm such a huge fan of The Beatles.  I was a bit nervous that it would be a poor film or - worse - insult the legacy of the best pop act of all time, but fortunately it was fine.  Not great, but it's at least original, and probably even more enjoyable for people who are more casual fans of the band.
  • Long Shot (???).  I only watched about half of this, and turned it off.  It wasn't bad, just very "meh".  Maybe I'll finish it some day... but probably not.

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I don't want to end my year-in-review blog post on a down note, so here's a brief wrap up.  I hope that you were able to enjoy some of the films in my top 10 already, and of course I highly recommend that you check at least a few more of them out if/when you get the chance.

Compared to 2019, my expectations for 2020 are quite modest.  Last year had the final chapters (well, final is a relative word here...) for three of my favorite fictional worlds:  the MCU, Game of Thrones (TV, but it became practically a cinematic experience), and the new Star Wars trilogy.  That ended up a mixed bag, to my overall disappointment, so here's hoping for great things from the new year.  Off the top of my head, I know I'm excited for a new James Bond, two interesting new MCU (the first in the new "saga") films, Wonder Woman (the best thing DC has going right now), two original Pixar projects, and - best of all? - a new Christopher Nolan film.

Come out to the theater when you can in 2020, and I hope you enjoy what you see!





* Source:  https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/04/23/arts/23avengers-hp-promo/23avengers-hp-promo-superJumbo-v3.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp