End of the Year Wrap Up

Okay, I did one of these for the school paper but a lot of great movies have came out between that article and the end. It is rare when you have a year this good. A year that has so many movies what will become classics for various genres. A year so good, that all the classics won't even make it into my top 5 films.

Here they are:

5) The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford:

Here is a character study of two men: Jesse James and Robert Ford. A very long movie with a even longer title. This movie took several years to come out and it was worth the wait. With wonderful performances by Brad Pitt and more importantly Casey Affleck (who had a rockin' year with Ocean's 13 and Gone Baby Gone, which got great reviews but I never saw). Affleck steals the scene anytime he is on the screen. He is creepy, sleezy and you can slowly see his thought process going from loving James to having to assassinate him. On top of it all, it had very good direction and awesome cinematography. I drove 45 minutes to see this puppy and it was well worth it.

4) Superbad:

The Apatow team had a great year this year and this was their funniest film and my person preference over Knocked Up. It is hilarious and hits every last beat perfectly. This movie has already turned into a comedy classic for teens. It is my generations Animal House and it is just as funny. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill add a lot of credibility to their roles which helps add a bit of heart to the film. Then there is Christopher Mintz Plaase as MCLOVIN! At this point, I don't need to describe his role and his brilliance.

3) Sweeney Todd:

One of the best musicals of all time finally hit the screen and it did so with a flood of blood. It is a beautifully tragic film. From the beginning to the end Burton's work is felt but not Burton's overly complicated style that he has become known for. No, it is Edward Scissorhands Burton here on display and it is great as he turns out one of (if not THE) best films of his career. The same goes for Depp as he broke away from being anally raped by everyones favorite animated mouse and returned to why we like him so much. 

2) No Country for Old Men:

This movie is a masterstroke for the Coen's and the more and more I think about it, the more and more I think about how it is his their best film. It is funny, scary, taut and rather frightening. This is the only film that gave me chills just from suspense. Javier Bardem is incredible as the evil Anton Chigurh. He embodies evil and is on the same level as Darth Vader and Hannibal Lector (before he became a franchise). Everything in this movie clicks. Not only does it work as a great crime film, but also a great morality play. Forever I thought there was no way to top this movie this year as it was the best movie I had seen the past 10 years.  It is truly one of the next movie classics that will be talked about and debated for many many years. Surprisingly, there was one movie that topped that: 

1) There Will Be Blood:

The perfect combination of great acting, great directing and a great script. Everything for this movie is top notch for a group of people who have always been considered very good.  Daniel Day Lewis gives one of the best performances of all time as Daniel Plainview, a long the line of Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull. P.T. Anderson seemed to be channeling the greatness that is Kubrick in this film. In fact, if someone told me it was Kubrick's last film I would believe it. THIS is the best movie of the decade thus far and probably will be once it is out. This marks the emergence of Anderson as a master filmmaker and I can't wait to see more from him.

So there is my new top 5. I would have done top 10 but my bottom 5 are all jumbled so here they are in no particular order:

Transformers, Knocked Up, The Bourne Ultimatum, Grindhouse and Death at a Funeral

Now, with this time of the year we all get some pretty bad movies and, while there aren't any big changes from the one from the paper there is one notable one:

5) I Am Legend: 

This movie could have been called "I Am Boring." There was only one moment that captured my interest in this film and that was the fake Batman/Superman movie poster in the background. Will Smith plays the same charming guy he does in every movie and it is beginning to wear out its welcome (that is why I'm excited for Hancock). The directing in this was bland and whenever something interesting could be happen, it was ruined by shakey camera. 

4) Rush Hour 3:

You've seen the first 2? Okay, so if you make it about half as funny and the stunts about half as exciting you've seen this movie.

3) Premonition:

The trailer led on that there was more to the movie than Sandra Bullock having a premonition. When the time comes for the twist it ends up... there is no twist. Everything we saw in the trailer is just as it is in the movie. Nothing. I felt cheated out of my money. That and this movie is entirely forgettable. So much so, I forgot to review it and I forgot I had seen it until I was Hollywood a couple of days ago.

2) Rob Zombie's Halloween:

Rob Zombie could have done justice to this movie, I know he could have. He changed his style completely from his first movie to his 2nd movie. So why couldn't he for this? God answer this for me! Rob Zombie took John Carpenter's great horror classic and raped it. There are a few shreds left and it is mainly in a shitty shot for shot attempt that takes place in the last 30 minutes of the movie. The fairly okay script ended up getting worse during shooting and when it was visualized it ended up being horrible. I wish I could say this was the worst movie of year, but sadly... it wasn't.

1) Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End:

No plot. Crappy acting and a horrible direction. From the singing pirates at the beginning to the retarded ending this movie sucked big fat balls. You know when a Keith Richard's cameo is the best part about your movie and even that is just okay, you've done something wrong. I can't help but believe that halfway through writing the writers went "Ah... fuck this shit! 100 dollars to who can write the movies rediculous 20 minutes that have nothing to do with the plot!" "You're fucking on!" I can't help but feel that is the reason for the movie because I don't want to blame Depp who sucked... or anybody else who has talent and all royally sucked in this movie.

There you have it.

My top and bottom 5. 

Surprises:

Musicals and Westerns. These two genres were thought to be long dead but were somehow resurrected this year. Musicals with Enchanted, Hairspray, Sweeney Todd and Once (apparently, I have yet to watch it, but my godfather did give me it so I will shortly). All great movies. Enchanted and Hairspray were those good ol' feel good musicals that used to once be so good but quickly became cliched because of how bad they were getting. Then Sweeney Todd which understood what it took to make a musical drama without being cheesy. Then westerns had The Assassination of Jesse James, 3:10 To Yuma, There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men.  I've never been a big fan of westerns (except for the spaghetti westerns), but if all westerns were like this, it would be my favorite genre. Think about it 3 out of the 4 Westerns I saw this year ended up on my top 5. Damn.

It's all done.

Now onto 2008.