Wow, what a trip. I got back from Monroe on Thursday, and it's been nice being home. But I sure did have fun while there. All I did was hang out with family and friends, play Jonathan's Wii, and watch movies. See, this is my time of the year to catch up on movies, especially since Noah was born and I never get to see any. And boy oh boy did I make up for it. Here's my list since Christmas day:
1.I Am Legend - My favorite movie of the year. Saw it twice. This was reviewed on Gibbs' blog so well, I hate to comment on it, but I'll put a little here. Great action, INCREDIBLE f/x, awesome performance by Will Smith, and incredibly Christian undertones. I LOVED this movie. #1 film of the year, no question.
2.Charlie Wilson's War - Good, very good. Philip Seymour Hoffman was HILARIOUS, and Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were excellent as usual. It was informative, a bit sad, engaging, and very funny for a political drama.
3.Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - Hilarious, but very flawed. What I mean is, I laughed a LOT, but the movie was choppy, not very well put together, and couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Also, extremely crass, and not really in a good way. But if you like spoofs, and you liked Superbad, you'll love this.
4.Enchanted - I took my nephew to see this, and it was surprisingly good. I haven't gone to a movie like this in a long time (i.e. children's flick), so I really enjoyed it. Which is good, since I suppose I'll have to get used to movies like this. Anyway, Amy Adams is FANTASTIC, and I'm sure we'll be hearing her name quite a bit. Good music, too.
5.National Treasure 2 - SO MUCH FUN! I don't know why this got such bad reviews, because it's just like the first one. Over the top, but extremely enjoyable to watch. I like Nick Cage, so that helps, but this was funny, action-packed, and while it won't win any awards, this is what entertainment at the movies is all about.
6.Juno - Very touching, extremely well-put-together little movie. Ellen page does an incredible job, and deserves all the accolades she gets. I also really like Michael Cera, who did another good job in this, following Superbad. The soundtrack also really caught my ear, and added quite a bit to the movie. But what really made it (besides Ellen Page) were the supporting performances, especially the parents. Just a wonderful little movie - not perfect, but very, very good.
7.The Golden Compass - I saw this at our new state of the art theater, with DLP digital projection picture, and holy crap what an astoundingly beautiful film. Tries to bash the catholic church, and fails miserably. I very much enjoyed this movie, and besides being a sensual delight (could Nicole Kidman be much better, or more beautiful?), really made me think. I won't go into more detail though, because it's been done to death elsewhere.
8.No Country For Old Men - Just saw this yesterday, and I'm still processing it. I think I understand most of it, but I'm wondering if I really "get" the ending. This is most definitely the most skillfully made film of the year (with the exception of a couple I've not seen), and was ridiculously engrossing - all without a soundtrack whatsoever. The Coen brothers have certainly made the best film of the year, from what I've seen so far, assuming I think on it more and understand everything in it. Their most incredible achievement? Making windswept West Texas look B-E-A-Utiful.
9.Eastern Promises - Obvs, I rented this. And oh, what a messed up movie this is. Very well made, Vigo is awesome, and it certainly made me think...but is it really necessary to have ALL OF THAT in there? If you've seen it, you know what I mean (if not, BE CAREFUL!), and perhaps it IS necessary given the nature of the Russian mafia. But sheesh, I really didn't need to see blood spurting out of that guy's neck, or Vigo naked for 5 minutes.
10.Hod Rod - Dumb? Check. Friggin' Hilarious? Aaaa-ffirmative. Holy crap, I don't think I've laughed that much in a LONG time. If you're looking for a movie that will make you laugh for an hour and a half straight, and isn't serious in the least, rent this movie immediately.
11.Shoot 'Em Up - Absolutely Atrociously Awful. I shut the thing off a half hour in because I couldn't stand to watch it for another second. So I popped in Hot Rod and loved every second. This movie is so offensive and vile, I can't even tell you about it. What a waste, too, since I love Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti. I guess the only positive thing I can say is that Owen was doing the right thing (saving a baby again) in the movie. It's just amazing he can go from one of my favorite films of all time (Children of Men) to this.
12.Welcome to the Grindhouse: Death Proof - I started out almost falling asleep, and finished loving the movie. I knew I would since it's Tarantino, but it was a close call. There is a LOT of talking in this movie. And not really good dialogue like in Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs. This was a bit mindless, and not the sharp stuff I'm used to from Quentin. But most of it ended up having a point, so maybe he hasn't quite run out of material. But he's close. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this one, especially the last 20 minutes. We'll see if QT has another great movie in him, or if he's donezo.
Ok, I think that's it for now. On the absolutely have to see list are still There Will Be Blood, and Sweeney Todd. Stay tuned for my top 10 list, once I see them, as I am much more well-informed now :-)
Posted by jmmelton at January 6, 2008 03:44 PM | TrackBack