As we reach the end of my salute to the achievements of 2009 here are my top films. I have been lucky, of the 42 times I went to the cinema I only consider 6 outright failures, and none of the films were so dreadful they had nothing to recommend them. That doesn't make the compilation of a top ten list any easier, in fact the overall quality has meant that many films which were very good ended up being left out. All but the top 3 could easily have been displaced by the dozen other contenders.
I won't be giving any commentary to list, not even a brief sentence, but please note that I have chosen these films because they moved me, gave me pure unadulterated pleasure or just led to more conversation than any of the other films I saw (number 10 for instance has led to 4 different viewings with deep discussions about the outcome).
1. Where the Wild Things Are
2009. Dir: Spike Jonze. Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Lauren Ambrose. My Review
2. Maria Larsson's Everlasting Moments
2008. Dir: Jan Troell. Starring: Maria Heiskanen, Mikhail Persbrandt, Jesper Christensen, Emil Jensen and Ghita Nørby. My Review
3. Che Part 2
2008. Dir: Steven Soderbergh. Starring Benicio Del Toro, Franka Potenta, Joaquim de Almeida, Demián Bichir and Lou Diamond Phillips. My Review
4. A Serious Man
2009. Dir: Ethan and Joel Coen. Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick and Aaron Wolff. My Review
5. Away We Go
2009. Dir: Sam Mendes. Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Carmen Ejogo, Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels. My Review
6. Milk
2008. Dir: Gus van Sant. Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna and James Franco. Not Reviewed.
7. Antichrist
2009. Dir: Lars von Trier. Starring: Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. My Review
8. Avatar
2009. Dir: James Cameron. Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez. My Review
9. Drag me to Hell
2009. Dir: Sam Raimi. Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao and David Paymer. My Review
10. Doubt
2008. Dir: John Patrick Shanley. Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Joseph Foster. My Review
Thursday, 31 December 2009
2009 in Review - Best Film
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Doubt
2008. Dir: John Patrick Shanley. Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis and Joseph Foster. ●●●○○
In the end this weekend I chose to see the peadophile priest film, mainly because it was on at the best time to fit with my rehearsal schedule. I was looking forward to it, mind. The combination of highly buzzed performances from the main cast and an adaptation of a Tony award winning Broadway hit.
In case you aren't aware of the basic plot it revolves around a titanic battle between the headmistress of a Roman Catholic bronx school (Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep) and Father Flynn (Hoffman) a modernising Priest, ostensibly over an alleged incident of molestation against a black pupil, although there are many reasons why the pair don't really interact. Adams plays a novice caught between the titans and Viola Davis plays the boys mother, who just wants him to survive in the school until the end of the academic year.
It is important that the incident is only alleged, as one of the key selling ponts of the one-act play was that the audience went home questioning and doubting the guilt or innocence of Father Flynn. As I walked out of the cinema I did have my doubts, my I suspect that I was more one way than the other. This is largely due to the opening out of the film to include the boy (Foster) as well as a supporting cast of rebellious school children and frail nuns.
It's not uncommon for a film adaptation of a play to introduce new characters, and I can certainly see why it was done. Unlike, say Closer or Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, Doubt is defined by the relationships between the characters you see and the characters you don't in the play. This can work on the stage but in film the limitations are different. As a result there are a number of quick moments between Donald and Flynn where you spend the time thinking "Is Father Flynn buggering the boys?" It simply cannot be helped.
The last ten minutes between Streep and Hoffman/Adams also seem to push you in one direction.
There were also some elements of the screenplay that felt heavy handed in the adaptation. Storms, lightbulbs blowing, etc. So God is unhappy, we get it, no need to overdo the imagery.
The performances from Streep, Hoffman and Davis are uniformly excellent. I was less enamoured with Adams, her cloying naiveity seemingly a odds with her position. As a consequence I found the last scene where Sister Aloysius opens out to Sister James at odds with the way the characters had been playing around each other up to that point.
Hoffman's monologue like sermons were also very effective, as anyone who has regularly attended Church will tell you the way a Priest addresses the congregation varies significantly. Hoffman was confident and firm, maybe even stand offish, which certainly informed the rest of his performance. I disliked the imagined story in the second sermon - I felt we could have done better by just watching the protagonists as they respond to his words.
Aside from the perfomances there is very little to recommend the film. The cinematography was generally dull, and the decision to do some shots angling the camera was frankly jarring and took me away from the action. There was little to work with on sets and costumes (for nuns and schools, everything tends to look the same) but there was an oddly antiseptic feel, like none of the characters were in rooms they frequented often.
Overall I would love to encourage you to see the film, if only for the performances, but to be honest when I left I was thinking I wish I had seen the play. I hope you see the play too.
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Out this Week (06/02/09)
Very close call this week, with 3 big acting type films out this week. Doubt is easily third, but that leaves Woody Allen and David Fincher duking out to see who's tops. But only one of these films is showing where I can see it so watching Brad Pitt age backwards is this weeks recommendation.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Brad Pitt ages backwards in this 3 hour adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. It's managed to pick up 13 Oscar nods, including best picture, surely that's saying something. And did I mention that Brad Pitt ages backwards.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Doubt
Filmed version of compelling stage success about a nun who suspects a Priest of abusing a boy but has no proof. Almost unique in this day and age in that it allows the audience to make up their mind as to the guilt of Father Flynn.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●○○
The Good, The Bad, The Weird
Korean Western, essentially a remake of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Sounds like a great idea, and 1930s Manchuria always makes for an interesting backdrop, but I hear the film is uneven.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
He's Just Not That into You
All the advertising makes a big deal of the fantastic cast of Ken Kwapis romdramcom, but I just not into Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. (sorry)
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Naan Kadavul
Tamil film about cannibalism. Written and directed by Bala, includes a Blind Beggar Girl, so that should be interesting.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Punisher: War Zone
It's saying something when Tom Jane is too expensive/ busy wahing his hair to return to this franchise. Director Lexi Alexander's last film was the utterly unconving Elijah Wood football hooligan pic. Really the stars have not aligned for this.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
The Secret of Moonacre
Kiddy fantasy films are still being made, even though they're rarely successful. The UK Film council helped pay for this too. I could literally spit blood.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
This weeks other big oscar film, and the other Scarlett Johannsson release. Woody Allen's Spanish holiday looks like a delightful return to form, and who wouldn't want to be asked by Javier Bardem for a weekedn of art and sex. Closest cinema to me showing this: 163 miles away (Barnet).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Trailers - Doubt
Here's another film that I'm looking forward to.
Whether or not this looks like a great production, it certainly looks like there's lots of acting going on.
