Friday, January 30, 2015

My Belated Top Ten Movies of 2014


 
 
 

There are still a good half dozen movies from 2014 that I really wanted to try and see before finalizing my top 10 list from the year, and there are many more well-reviewed or sleeper films that I wish I could get to. The truth is if I keep trying to fit everything in, however, I might not get to my 2014 list until 2016 rolls around. So while there might be some other films out there that might usurp a spot or two on this list had I seen them, I think it best to just go ahead and put a list together before January ends. So, in alphabetical order, here are my ten favorite films from 2014*:

Boyhood - Linklater's film covers so much territory that it seems to give short shrift to some aspects (and the boy's sister is a strange non-factor for most of the film). Even though the movie flies through events, however, by the end of the movie you can't help but feel emotionally connected to the lead character. That Linklater is able to make things ring true and is able to build an emotional connection to the audience is a testament to his skill.

Cold in July - Jim Mickle's revenge noir is a fascinating exploration of the intersection between masculinity and violence. Featuring an outstanding set of performances and a script that manages to surprise throughout, this film should have had a much bigger audience. Hopefully it will catch on in the video and VOD markets.

The Congress - Another under-seen film from last year, this fascinating movie from Ari Folman is half live-action and half animated. At its core is an intriguing performance from lead Robin Wright, who plays a version of herself. Kudos to Wright for being willing to take on her persona and even her career choices, and then to throw herself into this visually challenging film that explores the need for true human connections even in a world that wishes to turn humanity itself into a fiction.

Gloria - Paulina Garcia's winning performance illuminates this fascinating and fun story of a middle-aged divorcĂ©e  rediscovering her own sense of identity, independence, and sexuality. Underlying the feminist story is a subtle exploration of Chilean politics. A group of middle-aged folks that fondly reminisce about their youthful radicalism mostly ignore the rising tide of radical political action taking place around them as they enjoy their middle-class bourgeois existence.

Ida - A haunting story that also deals with identity from a woman's perspective, this time with a youthful novitiate nun who faces a crisis of identity and spirituality just as she is about to finally take her vows. Haunting visuals and a fascinating story in a compact package, I thoroughly recommend this film.

The Immigrant - This old-school historical epic was unjustly dumped mid-summer by its distributor. That's a shame, because it is movie that should be seen. Featuring a great performance from Marion Cotillard, this film from director James Gray aptly explores both the downside and upside of the American Dream.

Kids for Cash - Hey, what do you know: another underseen film from 2014. This outstanding documentary works as a fascinating procedural, an informative work of journalism, and a rousing call to action. The issue is the downside of America's fetish for zero tolerance for juvenile offenders. Kids For Cash builds on the story of a corrupt Pennsylvania judge locking up kids in a private prison in which he had a financial interest. The filmmakers manage to build a broader story about how the modern state of juvenile justice is not improving society, but instead just breaking down and destroying children's lives.

Selma - There are a few iffy moments in this film but it mostly soars as it presents the true story of Martin Luther King's Selma march for voting rights. The debate over historical accuracy is mostly a distraction built around mere details and tangents, and that debate should be mostly ignored by all but academics. Filmmaker Ava Duvernay refuses to turn this into hagiography - she explores King's foibles and mistakes as well as his doubts. The result is an MLK that is ultimately more powerful and admirable precisely because he is so human. Duvernay also does an excellent job of tying these struggles into struggles that are ongoing to this day, without making it obvious (or perhaps there is no other way since we appear to have taken steps backward in recent years to where even 1965 Selma has resonance to today's events). There are several moments that pack astonishing emotional punches - an elderly man's discussion of his desire to vote as he stands over the body of his dead grandson might have been the most emotional moment I had at any point in a movie in 2014. This film is a must-see.

Snowpiercer - There might not have been a more interesting action film all year. Too bad since the distributor also dumped this one. There's plenty of action here but the movie also has a brain and it serves as an interesting exploration of class struggle - and close quarters axe-fighting.

Two Days, One Night - And the best shall be last. The Dardenne Brothers' latest neo-realist film is a brilliant dissection of modern capitalism and how it crushes worker solidarity and pits worker against worker in a brutal race to the bottom. That's not to say that this movie is overly cruel or even all that dark. There are many moments of hope and ultimately a conclusion that suggests, whether a worker wins or loses in the short term, it is the fight that matters. A great film.

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* Technically, some of these movies might have first appeared somewhere before 2014, but if they weren't available to screen in a theater near me until 2014, then they're on my 2014 list.

Three Not To Watch (1/30/2015)



Here are three films recently watched or re-watched that I wanted to quickly review (none of which are recommended):

Band of the Hand - Wikipedia says that this film, produced by Michael Mann and directed by Paul Glaser, was originally intended as a TV pilot but was re-cut into a theatrical release. I haven't been able to 100% confirm that, but it makes perfect sense. It looks and feels like a TV movie with a limited budget and a desire to pander to some lesser instincts without breaching 9pm broadcast standards and practices (i.e., OK to blow lots of people away, but watch the swearing and nudity). The movie has some truly cringe-worthy moments - such as Laurence Fishburne's role as a neighborhood crime kingpin that appears to have been crafted by someone that had no more knowledge of the subject than having watched a few bad 70s blaxploitation movies. Or the ridiculous scenes involving junkies and prostitutes that again appear as if out of only the fever dreams of a white suburbanite Reaganista. The right-wing message of this junker is that what the "inner city" (read: black people) really needs is some folks with machine guns to clean things up. It's basically the same brand of crackpot that you hear out of the NRA every time there's a mass shooting - that somehow what the world needs is more guns and violence, not less. So it isn't entirely irrelevant to modern times and even has some anthropological value for those wanting to further explore the seeds of modern right wing paranoia, white flight, and violence fetishism. If the movie weren't so dumb, it might have been dangerous. Screened via Amazon.

Deep Star Six - This Alien knockoff isn't the worst movie you'll ever see, and you could do worse, but why not try to do better? I mean, why not just rent Alien? Everything is shot in neutral, medium shots, which robs this undersea horror movie of any tension or claustrophobia (which the writer tries to convey but it never comes across visually). There is a bizarre lack of urgency throughout the movie, the result of failures by the writers, director, and actors. The movie also spins off on wild tangents, rather than staying focused on the matters at hand. Instead of creating one ticking clock or one problem for the crew, it tries to create 3 or 4. The result is that there's a monster out there, but it gets forgotten for long stretches. And then everyone keeps getting distracted by this or that challenge that pops up at any given time. There just isn't a coherent through-line, no real interesting characters (Miguel Ferrer's character comes closest), and nothing at all surprising. Nothing worth remembering. Streamed via Netflix.

The Prince - This piece of shit almost comes close to the level of "so bad it's good," but even at that it misses the mark. Jason Patric, Bruce Willis, and John Cusack (the latter two probably only showed up for a few days of shooting, although Willis is purportedly the villain) should be embarrassed to have taken the checks for this one. Patric is supposed to be the hero, a reformed New Orleans criminal who does not speak with a New Orleans accent and a purported badass that does not appear to have worked out in a while. Cusack shows up and reasonably goes through the motions, if flatly so, but Willis seems to be actively angry that he agreed to do this pile of crap. You can tell he doesn't want to be there and seems to be gritting his teeth at having to humiliate himself with this material. That makes the crappy script even worse when a key actor can't even be bothered to give a pro's effort. The script is terrible and there's nothing worth watching. There isn't even much entertainment value out of watching three 1990s superstars slumming in this one. The best part might be counting how many times the extras/stuntmen playing henchmen get killed and then reappear (in ballcaps and sunglasses to hide their faces) to get killed again. Go watch John Wick instead, a movie in the same vein but a thousand times better. Screened in the theater.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Thoughts on Some Movies (1/15/2015)


I'm still catching up on some movies released last year. The Academy Award nominations were released earlier today. The list confirms my belief that 2014 was a pretty shitty year for the types of films that get nominated for Academy Awards - but an otherwise solid year overall if you explore the places where the old white men of the Academy do not often play.