This is such a definitive film for the Coen brothers. I think it may be my favourite of theirs. The entire tone of the film is just indescribable, an air of something. Steve Buscemi doesn't have leading roles like this enough, he is just fantastic, especially in this film right here. I don't even know what else to say about this.
10/10
Film#52 - A Serious Man, 2009, dir. Joel & Ethan Coen
A relatively unknown film of theirs, with what some may call an abysmal revenue in today's Hollywood market, this film is just another reason why the Coen brothers are so good. Here we have a story of Larry Gopnik and his intensely Jewish life. It's not about Judaism but rather that is the way the story is told. The characters have the familiar Coen tone to them, almost as if several characters are zoned out slightly, oblivious. The film is really about perspective in my opinion, and as I was thinking this a certain rabbi happened to end up saying it. This film is in the vein of Barton Fink for the Coens, with many interpretive aspects left unanswered, but I feel where Barton left me wondering cluelessly, this film had a more cohesive after-feeling. The dialogue is extraordinary and full of strange tales and twists. It truly left me with some deep thinking to do and an overall feeling of happiness, making it a perfect experience.
10/10
Film#53 - The Messenger, 2009, dir. Oren Moverman
I can't even begin to describe how culturally significant I feel a film like this is. Along with something like The Hurt Locker, I really find film is such a powerful statement for the voice of the people, as cliche and pretentious that sounds. But honestly, these films present aspects of war that are rarely touched upon or even though of, and show how horrific the effects of war are beyond the battlefield. I could say something like "in these hard times..." but people have been saying that forever. It's always 'hard times' somewhere. These films show the brutality of war as I've said, which I find strange for America, especially American films, since it's fairly contradictory to the whole "support the troops" mentality. Anyways, this film is about, as the title suggests, a messenger. Woody Harrelson plays a well-practiced army man whose job is to notify next-of-kin that their son/daughter/whatever has died in the war. The scenes where these messages are delivered are really something, as nearly all of them are single shot sequences, with such an array of emotional responses. Small cameo from Steve Buscemi as a father of soldier who has just died (they specifically refrain from saying passed on or anything kind of euphemism). Ben Foster leads the film as a war veteran given this duty as the last of his required time with the army. Both Woody and Ben give spectacular performances, building a strange bond between them as they go on. Not only dealing with the memories and experiences of war times but also the problems facing everyone else in the world: fitting in, forming relationships, surviving. Phenomenal.
9.5/10
Film#54 - Julie & Julia, 2009, dir. Nora Ephron
From the director/writer/producer of You've Got Mail, here we have a beautiful story taking place simultaneously in the 50's with Julia Child, as well as in 2002 with Julie Powell. I'm sure the idea of the film is obvious. I must say, this was thoroughly enjoyable. It was refreshing from the types of films I've been watching lately, as going in I just knew there was no reason to worry. There would be no twist where someone dies, no murder, no rape, nothing to be on edge about. It's not about the struggle of life but rather finding enjoyment. Enjoyment really seems to be the word to go along with this film; an enjoyable viewing experience about people seeking enjoyment in every sense. Obviously I drew connections with Julie Powell's blog and my own, so maybe it home just a bit more for me than the average person.
9/10
Film#55 - Fantastic Mr.Fox, 2009, dir. Wes Anderson
I like Wes Anderson. I've seen a handful of his stuff and it was all quite good. Syle-wise, tone-wise, content-wise, it's all been very good. This one however just didn't cut it for me. Not that I was comparing it to the standard set before it, but just as a movie it bored me. The charm of the animation style was lost almost instantly; simply seeing the trailer was enough to get the just of it. Yes, it's well done, meticulous. The style, just lovely. Colours, fantastic. The story, voice-acting, dialogue: not so much. I'm not sure who the demographic is for this film. Much of the content is childish, far more so than I expected. But then we have the constant use of the word 'cuss' as a replacement for 'fuck', so obviously and used so often it can't be mistaken for anything else. The joke is less than witty to begin with, but by the twentieth time it's used, I'm just squirming for something new to come along. I'm also unsure if this was meant to be a comedy, in the laugh out loud sense. I don't think I even smiled once. There are comedies that don't go for laughter, banking on cleverness and delivery to carry the comedic tone. This on the other hand was what I would almost call an embarrassment. I could only understand that yes, that may have been something some people may consider funny, but no, I wouldn't. I wouldn't even be able to pick out someone who would. It would have been interesting to see this in theatres, just to gauge the audience's reactions. It could have been a great short film. Instead, coming in at under an hour and a half, it felt long. Drawn out. In terms of what makes a good movie, to me, it lacked a lot. The character development was there, the only problem was it felt so forced and unreal. A silly movie.
6/10
