Category Archives: 2010

2010, Crime, Drama, Drugs, Gloomy, Grim, Not Feel Good, Sex Scenes, Spanish, Supernatural, Unusual, Violent, Vulgar

Biutiful (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, Uxbal (Javier Bardem) — a divorced father raising two children — is determined to atone for his life as a black marketeer in this engrossing character study that unfolds in the slums of Barcelona, Spain. Co-starring Maricel Álvarez as Uxbal’s estranged wife, director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s haunting tale received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign Language Film.

Why do you watch a film ? My most honest answer is “I want to be entertained”. “Entertainment” usually means “escape” or “relax” or “laugh” or “solve a puzzle” or “be excited by action (or sex)”. Therefore, this film, which is probably the most grubby film I have ever seen, might not qualify as “entertainment”. One possible subtitle for this film might be “Watching Javier Bardem Die” because there are an awful lot of shots that linger on his unshaven, haggard, unhappy face.

Another reason for calling the film “grubby” is that it takes place in the slums of Barcelona. Of course, every great and beautiful city has its slums. If all I knew about Barcelona was this film, I would avoid at all cost visiting the city. There is even a beautiful shot of a sunny clear sky into which ugly black factory smoke is pouring. Another view of the sea has dead Chinese immigrant bodies floating into the beach. Are you starting to get the picture ?

At least we get an honest view of how horrible life is for third-world immigrants (legal or otherwise) trying desperately to scratch out a meager living. Do you really want to watch that ?

One sub-theme centers around Bardem’s supposed ability to communicate with the dead for which services he charges a fee. Keep the initial snow scene in mind. Eventually you figure out what is happening.

Only Javier Bardem was familiar to me. However, the woman who plays his wife, Maricel Álvarez, has an unforgettable face. Because of the disproportionate size of her nose, she reminds me of another Spanish actress (whose name I could not find) favored by the director Almodóvar possibly for her striking looks (meaning her nose).

For some of you this film might be 2.5 hours too long.

2010, Acceptable for children, Based on true facts, Corny, Drama, Feel Good For All, Horse story

Secretariat (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s thoroughbred stable, she transforms from housewife to horse breeder — and owner of the colt that will take the 1973 Triple Crown — in this dramatic biopic. The film explores Chenery’s bond with “Big Red” and depicts her rise to greatness as the “first lady of racing.” John Malkovich plays trainer Lucien Laurin, and Fred Dalton Thompson co-stars as big-shot breeder Bull Hancock.

Secretariat was an amazing horse. No other horse has ever performed as well in the Triple Crown. At the end of the film there are some information screens. Secretariat died at age 19, having sired over 600 foals (lucky horse!). After his death the autopsy revealed that his huge heart (14 pounds) was in perfect condition.

Probably it is the story of the horse itself that keeps this film afloat. We are talking real Walt Disney here (read that “corny” or “hearts on our sleeves”). At least it is a film that everyone can watch.

Dylan Walsh (the husband) will always be Mister “Nip/Tuck” for me. James Cromwell will always be the farmer who owned “Babe” the pig. He was also a very bad guy in “LA Confidential”.

But then it is always exciting to watch a well-filmed horse race.

2010, Complicated, Conspiracy, Documentary, Not Feel Good, Talking Heads

Inside Job (2010)

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From NetFlix:

From filmmaker Charles Ferguson comes this sobering, Oscar-winning documentary that presents in comprehensive yet cogent detail the pervasive and deep-rooted corruption that led to the global economic meltdown of 2008. Through unflinching interviews with key financial insiders, politicos, journalists and academics, Ferguson paints a galling portrait of an unfettered financial system run amok — without accountability. Actor Matt Damon narrates.

For a long while I resisted watching this infuriating film. But then my dental hygienist, Kathleen, said it is better to know even if there is nothing that can be done and even if I have to admit that our bankers, financial system, economists and government are very corrupt. But I was particularly disappointed in the current President Obama who has done NOTHING to improve the situation.

Is this film the legacy of all those crooks ? Will this film even be remembered ? Who will take the trouble to watch a film about complicated financial instruments that probably no one understands (including the corrupt economists) ?

Only at one point was it fun watching a slimy Harvard economist lose his cool.

You will NOT be happy after having watched this documentary!

2010, Could Be Sad, Drama, Explicit sex, Not Feel Good, Sex Scenes, Violent

Blue Valentine (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Once crazy about each other, Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) have now grown apart. Cindy is bored and disenchanted with her life while Dean languishes in the emotional emptyness of their sexless, routine life in rural Pennsylvania. As they muddle through their marriage, they hearken back to the golden days when life was filled with possibility and romance. Derek Cianfrance writes and directs this drama.

What can be sadder than the dissolution of a once happy marriage ? Expect wonderful acting and real unhappiness.

Ryan Gosling at the time of filming was 30 years old. In his listing in IMDB he racks up 28 appearances beginning when he was 15 years old. Another recent (and chilling) film was All Good Things (2010). In this film I can only assume he captures well the attitudes, mannerisms, speech patterns, and goals of a middle class handyman.

Michelle Williams was also 30 at the time of filming. In Brokeback Mountain (2005) she was Heath Ledger’s wife.

Your comments here are most welcome because I feel I must take sides in this film. As far as I could tell it was Cindy (Michelle Williams) who was disenchanted with the marriage. Dean (Ryan Gosling) seemed to be trying very hard to keep the marriage together while she resisted.

Finally, because there were details of which I was unsure, I offer the following quote from the WikipediaThey rush into marriage after discovering Cindy is pregnant from a previous boyfriend, Bobby (Mike Vogel). Dean agrees to raise Cindy’s daughter, Frankie, as his own. Before the wedding Bobby, unaware of Cindy’s pregnancy, finds and assaults Dean at his job.

Prepare to be unhappy.

2010, Could Be Sad, Drama, Play Adaptation, Wonderful acting

Rabbit Hole (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In this raw drama based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) grapple with the realities of life eight months after the death of their 4-year-old son, Danny. Even with Becca’s well-meaning mother (Dianne Wiest) offering comfort and weekly group therapy always available, the couple go about their own secret ways of coping. John Cameron Mitchell directs.

For a long time I resisted seeing this film because the underlying theme, the loss of a young child in an automobile mishap, is very difficult. Who knows how each of us would react in such a situation ? In fact, it took me a while to commiserate with Becca (Nicole Kidman) because she seemed to resist the healing process whereas her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) was desperate to work together for their life ahead without their son Danny.

All the acting was splendid. But hats off to all the wonderful supporting actors, each of whom did a great job:

  • Dianne Wiest (Becca’s mother) occupies a special place in my heart. We have seen her warm loving smile not only as a DA on “Law and Order” but also as the psychiatrist’s psychiatrist in “In Treatment”.
  • Sandra Oh (a mourning mother in the support group) we have seen as Patti in “Under the Tuscan Sun” and as Stephanie in “Sideways”.
  • Miles Teller is a young newcomer who delivers a pitch perfect performance as the teenager who accidentally killed Danny.
  • Jon Tenney is agent Rick Howard in “The Closer”. His part in this film is minimal but I was glad to see him as something besides the Closer’s FBI husband. He actually has a long list of credits beginning with 1986.

Congratulations to Eckhart (age 43) and Tenney (age 50) for staying in good physical shape while so many actors and actresses allow themselves to put on weight. But after all, folks, shouldn’t your acting profession require a lot of maintenance ?

If you have ever experienced such a dreadful loss, I can only believe that this marvelous film might be a very helpful view into the lives of a couple who have suffered similarly.

2010, Comedy, Corny, Feel Good For All, Flirting, Love Story, Mediocre, Slapstick

Morning Glory (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Whiz-kid producer Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) finds her abilities put to the test when she’s charged with bringing a network morning show back from ratings purgatory. Her first job: getting the show’s feuding, acid-tongued co-hosts (Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton) under control. Jeff Goldblum co-stars as Fuller’s network-exec boss and Patrick Wilson is Becky’s put-upon boyfriend in this comedy from the writer of The Devil Wears Prada.

“Why don’t we formerly successful actors get together and make some money by making a B-film?” Perhaps I am overly critical, but with a cast consisting of Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Jeff Goldblum would you expect more ? Rachel McAdams seems to carry every film in which she appears. And of course there is the requisite handsome boy friend, this time barely played by Patrick Wilson.

Since playing Ira Buchman (alongside Helen Hunt) in “Mad About You”, John Pankow has had a few lean years.

You have seen Matt Malloy just about everywhere and I bet you do not know his name. As a secondary character actor he has been incredibly successful. In this film he plays Ernie Appleby and provides the best belly laughs of all. If for no other part of the film, it is worth waiting for his scenes late into the film. Hint: “amusement”.

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoyed this fun feel-good that is probably OK for kids (ignore the F-word). Don’t let me scare you off from this easy to watch film.

2010, Based on true facts, French, Military, Occasional gore, Quiet, Religious Theme, Slow, Suspense, Terrorist Attack, Unusual

Of Gods and Men (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Awarded Grand Prix honors at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, this compelling historical drama relates the ordeal of seven French Trappist monks in the mountains of Algeria who are taken captive by Islamic fundamentalists. Before the monks’ abduction, they have ample reason to believe they may be in danger, but their assumption that there can and must be common ground between Islam and Christianity leads them to remain at the monastery.

Quiet, beautifully photographed, possibly inspiring (depending on your point of view), this film is an unusual gem. It is based on a true story which you will find in the Wikipedia article.

Notable throughout is the chanting of the monks. In fact the only other music that I can recall is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake overture played on a tape recorder in an unforgettable dinner scene.

Among other things the film is a study in the characters of each of the monks, each of whom must decide whether to flee from death by terrorists or to stay at the monastery and accept his fate. In this respect there is a constant atmosphere of menace at war with the peace and quiet.

Kathy and I debated afterward about whether their decision to stay really did any good for anyone or had any meaning at all.

Normally I don’t like to include spoilers, but here I make an exception for a good reason. Do not avoid this film because you expect to see violence brought against the monks. You never see this violence explicitly. (However, you do witness a Croatian worker having his throat slit.) Rather that final violence is implied in the perfect photographic ending.

French with subtitles.

2010, Acceptable for children, Drama, Feel Good For All, Supernatural

Hereafter (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Clint Eastwood directs this supernatural thriller about three very different people and their responses to death, including a hesitant American psychic named George (Matt Damon) who may be able to help the others find answers and peace. Marie (Cécile De France) is a French journalist caught up in the aftereffects of the devastating 2004 tsunami, while in London, young Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren) seeks to contact his deceased twin brother.

Finally I have found a current worthwhile feel-good film suitable for the entire family. Years ago a colleague at work said “If you want to make a good movie, why not just tell a good story ?” Perhaps the idea sounds simplistic, but this film tells a good story that keeps you interested. What’s more it has an ending that was perfect as a pleasant surprise because I thought the film would continue past that point.

Is Matt Damon a good actor or is he just plain lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time ? He made this film when he was 40 years old. He has put on weight but is fortunate to have a young face. For this film I think he fit well. His part was understated. In fact his character wanted nothing more than to be an ordinary man.

Please note the importance of the final handshake.

2010, Acceptable for children, Could be boring, Horror, Independent, Suspense

Monsters (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Six years after aliens invaded Earth, a security force maintains tenuous control in the Infected Zone straddling the U.S.-Mexican border. Andrew (Scoot McNairy), a photographer, is documenting this war-torn area when he’s interrupted by an unexpected rescue mission. Samantha (Whitney Able), daughter of a media mogul who just happens to be his boss, needs an escort home, and Andrew reluctantly takes on the job.

Only superficially is this a horror film. Rather it is more an independent film that is somewhat like a travelogue showing an American man and woman trying to get out of Mexico’s monster-infected region and back safely into the United States. Underlying the trip are his problems with his illigitimate son and her problems with her parents and her fiancee. Kids would be bored to death and if you do not like slow-paced films then you too can be bored to death. Yes, you get to see a monster or two, but it really doesn’t matter.

Probably the most impressive site was the gigantic Hadrian’s wall that has been constructed on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. For details about the many mistakes and the effort involved see the Wikipedia article.

2010, Based on true facts, Bullying, Conspiracy, Dark, Drama, Drugs, Grim, Non-physical Violence, Not Feel Good, Psychological Drama, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

All Good Things (2010)

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From NetFlix:

After restless real-estate scion David Marks (Ryan Gosling) weds middle-class beauty Katie McCarthy (Kirsten Dunst) against the wishes of his disapproving father (Frank Langella), suspicions of murder fall on the unmoored heir when his wife mysteriously vanishes. Though he’s not indicted in her disappearance, people with ties to the case begin turning up dead when it’s reopened two decades later — and the unhinged David is the prime suspect.

Thanks to Wikipedia for leading me to the model for this film, namely Robert Durst. After seeing the film be sure to go to this article about Robert Durst. Believe me, truth is stranger than fiction. You just have to wonder why juries are so stupid. According to Wikipedia, Robert Durst really liked the film. That figures!

And is it just such manipulation of the law that makes this grim film really infuriating. If you are prepared for a non-happy ending, a leap into exasperating unfinished business, then this perfectly made film is for you. All three actors get it right. Frank Langella is a truly evil man. In fact the entire family is a real-life version of the “Adams Family”. Even Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan is portrayed as an politician who was given evidence of the family’s corruption and choose to ignore it on the grounds that such matters were really just the private affairs of the family (who contributed huge amounts of money to various politicians). Later on in the film the family gets to the district attorney who reopened the case many years later.

In a certain sense Ryan Gosling does not even need to act. He presents a lost, increasingly distant man who shows almost no emotion. As an amazing recreation of suspenseful evil, here is a film to which I was glued.

But you ARE warned!