I don't feel the need to write too much about why I chose the films that for me define 2010, instead (where possible) I have linked to my review. Each one of these films has been important to my year, and I would recommend catching up with all of them if you haven't done so already.
I don't however pretend to be anything more than a casual film watcher with my own set of biases and as open to media influence as the next man. Indeed it could be argued that I'm just following a trend with my top pick. If you disagree with any of these choices, please feel free to tell me in the comments and if you think I've missed anything particularly special then tell me and I'll look into it.
The Film of the Year:
1. The Social Network Directed by David Fincher. Read my review here.
And the rest:
2. Up in the Air Directed by Jason Reitman. Read my review here.
3. Precious: Basd on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire Directed by Lee Daniels. An extraordinary telling of a bleak novel which in spite of it's Dickensian journey of the protagonists maintains haelthy optimism for her future. No review.
4. Shutter Island Directed by Martin Scorsese. Read my review here.
5. Tetro Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Read my review here.
6. The Way Back Directed by Peter Weir. Read my review here.
7. Inception Directed by Christopher Nolan. Read my review here.
8. Brothers Directed by Jim Sheridan. Read my review here.
9. The Ghost Directed by Roman Polanski. Read my review here.
10. The Last Station Directed by Michael Hoffman. A delightful period film with solid performances and easily digestible morals. A lot better than it's reputation would have you think. No review.
Friday, 7 January 2011
2010 in Review: Best Film
Thursday, 6 January 2011
2010 in Review: Best Actor
The Leading actor choice this year was easy, whilst I remain ambivalent about the film few could deny the power and commitment in the lead performance, indeed it should have won the Oscar last year (and yes I did see Jeff's work). Maybe they'll make up for it this year.
1. Colin Firth as George Falconer in A Single Man. I expect you guessed it from the intro. Colin gives one of the most convincing portrayals of grief in screen history, using the British stiff upper lip and the homophobic worldview as excuses to hide his emotions they are there and leak out in poignant and realistic ways throughout the movie. 
2. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerman in The Social Network. In the race to heap laurels on The Social Network by American critics it's surprising that more kudos hasn't been given to Eisenberg's central role. Taking on such a infamous character must have been a daunting task for the 27 year old but he manages to capture the essence of a man who needed to create Facebook.
3. Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island. Leo had two opportunities this year to present characters obsessed with their ex-wives in movies that aren't all they first appear to be. It's the sweaty claustrophobia of his role in Shutter Island that works the best for me, and the final line delivered to Mark Ruffalo on the steps of the Asylum is delivered perfectly.
4. George Clooney as Ryan Bingham in Up in the Air. I think many people wrote off this performance as George Clooney playing himself. But ask yourself this: could any other actor carry off this blend of self assurance and disguised contempt for his life over this sort of character arc?
5. Alden Ehrenreich as Bennie in Tetro. From the moment Ehrenreich appears in his ill-fitting naval uniform you know that here is a star in the making. He carries the film rising above the petty squabbling of his family and slowly realising the truth about his brother.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
2010 in Review: Best Actress
I missed out on some performances this year that are bound to get attention (both The Kids are Alright and Winter's Bone will wait until DVD) and some I did see failed to live up to expectation (hello Sandra Bullock and Helen Mirren) but these five actresses were all at the top of their game:
1. Gabourey Sidibe as Precious in Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. Both inexpressive and natural the subtlety of Gabby's work could easily have slipped through the net, but it's a wonderfully committed performance as her character falls further and further into a spiral of despair.
2. Natalie Portman as Grace Cahill in Brothers. Next year I expect I'll view this as just a precursor to her work in Black Swan but as the lost and confused wife of Tobey Maguire in this remake she stole my heart. 
3. Maribel Verdú as Miranda in Tetro. Many women fell for the wrong man at cinemas this year but few seemed to be as aware of this as Verdú in Francis Ford Coppola's Soap Opera. A former psychiatrist who now lives with a patient Maribel balanced the resentment and motherly instinct extremely well.
4. Lesley Manville as Mary in Another Year. An alcoholic harridan; it would be easy to lose all sympathy for Mary as she spouts vicious innuendo and desperately tries to hide her age, but Manville manages to show what lies behind the cracks. 
5. Alicja Bachleda as Ondine in Ondine. Is she a mermaid or just an illegal immigrant? The beauty of Bachleda's performance is that she keeps you guessing right until the final credits of this modern fairy tale.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tetro
2009. Dir: Francis Ford Coppola. Starring: Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich, Maribel Verdú, Silvia Pérez and Rodrigo de la Serna. ●●●●○
At the heart of Francis Ford Coppola's latest film is the nature of the relationships between fathers and sons and brothers and brothers; the concept that as men we are constantly fighting for our place within the familial hierachy ensuring our alpha male position, or at least our close proximity to the alpha-male. Like the paternal influence in The Godfather the more the titular Tetro (Gallo) and his younger sibling Bennie (Ehrenreich) try to escape the pervasive influence of their tyrannical conducter father (Klaus Maria Brandauer) the more they become reflexions of him.
It is a long way from his genius run in the 1970's (2 Godfathers, a conversation and a trip to 'Nam) this film is a return to high quality melodrama that we missed in the workmanlike 90's and the muddled Youth without Youth. I believe I use the term melodrama correctly, without giving too much away the plot is as follows:
Bennie, a short version of Benjamin, biblical reference fans, the innocent youngest son and brother has run away from his military boarding school, got a job as a busboy on a liner (all resplendent in a pressed white uniform) and sailed to Buenos Aires to reunite himself with Tetro, formerly Angelo. Whilst Tetro is hostile to Bennie's presence his partner Miranda (Verdu) is welcolming and patient to both of their points of view.
It soon transpires that Tetro, who originally left the family home on a writing sabbatical, has failed to complete any of his works, suffered from a mental breakdown and now spends his time lighting avant-garde stripshows at the local theatre. Bennie attempting to ingratiate himself completes the play from Tero's scribblings, which are naturally a version of his realionship with his father, and eventually all the secrets the family has sought to hide are dragged out at a theatre festival and a funeral, with at least one of those scenes being unnecssary.
All three of the leads give superb performances. Gallo perfectly nails the unpredictability and inner conflict of the eponymous hero and Ehrenreich proves himself in the audience surrogate role as much a voyeur of the action as a participant. Verdu builds on her reputation from Pan's Labyrinth as the outsider, knowing exactly when to emote and when to just observe.
Brandauer is also chilling in his few scenes, his line on the beach "There is room for just one genius in this family" was so oily delivered I wanted to jump up and punch him. His presence in the film was even more foreboding for the limited screentime, any more and we might have got wise to the lecherous egotist and seen him as more clownish than domineering.
The melodramatic tendencies of the script were a minor turn-off and not helped by the telegraphing of major plot developments in early scenes (what did Brandauer just say? why does he not like her dancing with anyone watching? which parts in the therapy sessions are truths and which are lies? - answer these and you'll know the ending.) That said the comic breaks including the scenes of Faustus and the hotel room are deliciousy bawdy.
Coppola is clearly a better director than he is scriptwriter, the pace was elegant for the first third as we were introduced to the scene but following the initial disagreements between the brothers and the motorbike accident (I won't tell you when it comes or who is involved but it's exceptionally well edited with a it's-all-OK...OMG-moment that will have you jumping out of your seat) it speeds up until the closing scenes getting more wound up and fraught, perfectly reflecting Tetro's state of mind.
I would also like to compliment the cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. Every shot was incredibly composed, with the decision to shoot mostly in black and white (using colour for the flashbacks and an overdone technicolour effect for the dance sequences - yes there are dance sequences ancilliary to the story) being a moment of true inspiration. Indeed it's worth catching this film for the composition alone.
Overall I would say that whilst Tetro is certainly of it's medium and stuck with many of the flaws of melodrama it is still a fantastic example of that genre and I highly recommend it.
Friday, 25 June 2010
The Old Masters return (out this week - 25/06/10)
It's another weak week of film releases as the World Cup continues for England (just about), and congratulations to the U.S. readers for also surviving the Group stages. I have no doubts that Russell Brand will propel him movie to the top of the box office charts, and I only hope he's a less irritating actor than he is a TV presenter/stand-up comic. On the more arty front there are two auteur's synonymous with the 70's who are battling for my endorsement, even though a blogger I trust has panned them both in the comments here, I'm going to pick Tetro as the film of the week.
The Collector
When watching Home Alone I expect you thought that the scenes of slapstick violence meted on the burglars was both justified and hilarious. This film riffs on those elements only using the medium of horror. From the writers (hmm) of Saw IV, V, VI and VII.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Get Him to the Greek
I have a small problem in recommending this film, partly because Brand irritates me and partly because I haven't seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall, from which the character is spun. Mostly it's because I've heard the majority of the trailer isn't in the film.... I mean really what is the point of a trailer if it doesn't show you stuff from the film. Big mistake.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Tetro
Francis Ford Coppola's second personal project, the first being 2007's Youth without Youth which in turn was preceded by a 7 year hiatus, follows two brothers (Vincent Gallo and Alden Ehrenreich) coming to terms with their destructive relationship with their conductor father (Klaus Maria Brandauer).
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Villa Amalia
Isabelle Huppert reunites with director Benoît Jacquot for the fifth time, in this story of a pianist (careful) who abandons her life after her partner kisses another woman.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Whatever Works
Woody Allens output continues to be only sporadically entertaining with his first New York movie for 5 years. Larry David fills the Woody role, Evan Rachel Wood (40 years his junior) plays the love interest and the cast is filled by the usual group of stereotypical New Yorkers.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
When in Rome
I actually quite like the look of this rom-com. Sure I suspect it'll be cheesy and forgettable but the premise of boys being put under a spell when their coins are taken from the Fountain of Love is quite cut, especially when they get as smitten as they are in the trailer, and when one of them is Danny DeVito. Anjelica Huston also gets a role as Kristen Bell's boss so there's a reason for going.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Tuesday Trailers - Tetro
I love it when I get a chance to alliterate the post title in full. My final film for June is, like last weeks Whatever Works, from one of the most respected auteurs from the 20th Century who's output of late has been sparse or less interesting than the bulk of their work. Whilst this is probably no Godfather Francis Ford Coppola has had some very high profile praise for his latest movie, and it certainly looks like a major work worth investigating.
Tetro is released on 25 June 2010.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Klaus Maria Brandauer
Happy Birthday to
Klaus Maria Brandauer
65 today
There's an obvious birthday to celebrate today, however as much better bloggers will be concentrating on her I'd like to concentrate on her Out of Africa co-star (I think his performance is slightly less cliched and therefore better as well!). Klaus is currently leaving large shadows over his put-upon family in Coppola's Tetro. Can't wait until that makes it over here.
