Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Nominee

This is long over due and it is more than a pleasure for me to get to write about a Quentin Tarantino film. I love this man because of his willingness to push limits in the areas of the extreme and the mundane. His films constantly contrast everyday situations with extraordinary circumstances. Yet he has fun while doing it...and it is because of that that we enjoy his films. We like them because he likes them and it is so utterly apparent.

This one specifically is one of my favorites. Tarantino decided to take history into his own hands and end World War II like any self respecting film nerd would have: in complete and utter destruction by the hands of Jews in a movie theater. Yet there are the other elements that make this so classically Quentin. The over the top end sequences, the western homages through out the film, the witty dialogue that only he can pull off, the pacing, its all there and it is all so incredibly engrossing.

 The characters for one are so bizarre and compelling at the same time. This may be one of Brad Pitt's greatest roles as Aldo the Apache. He presents his lines with great characterization which makes them so quotable. While Colonel Landa, who landed an Oscar for his efforts, is so incredibly strange and irritating that he becomes one of the most memorable characters in Tarantino's work. And of course Shoshana, who ultimately brings the demise of everyone, is the one who gets the last laugh.

Also the shooting is notable here, and is an impetus of Quentin Tarantino's obsession with creating contrast. If the characters are being subtle then the shooting will be extreme. Often he places us in the minds of the characters with specifically chosen angles that enable us into comprehend his purpose.  Also there is always that areal shot above the rooms that he loves to establish a space with. He can see different ways of breaking film conventions and making it work.

Lastly, this is both a note for those of you who have not seen it and a point of why this film is awesome. It is extremely gorey at times, but it is a film about killing Nazis so as a viewer we kinda want it to be that way.

Overall:  I love this director. I love this film. I want you to go watch this film...oblidge me. Happy Watching.

The Avengers (2012)

I finally got around to seeing this and I found out I should have gone sooner....I mean you would have to seriously be trying in order to mess this film up....and here they didn't, they got it all pretty much right.

1.) The premise: You have a team of super heros each with vaious talents (and character flaws) attempting to place ego aside and band together to save the world from a reign of terror by an angry god and aliens.

2.) The cast: This film was secretly made for women...I mean look at this cast. COME ON...plus Samuel L. Jackson is so awesome... he makes everyone say his middle initial.

3.) The characters: So Ironman and The Hulk steal most of the jokes but honestly you cannot help but love all of them. From Captain America's idealism to Ironman's skeptism we cover all the bases.

4.) The music: EPIC!

5.) The effects: Stunning.

6.) The possibility of a sequel: So I know I can give them all my money again!

7.)America F*ck Yeah: So much discussion of freedom and the ultimate protection of NYC. The patriot in me was content.

I have one critique really and that is the dialouge...however the only action film I have seen with good dialogue is The Dark Knight...and some of it in this film is pretty good...so I let it fly.

Overall: Go see it....If you don't like it... go find your soul.

Traffic (2000)

Nominee

Here we have a movie that really is not intricate enough to be interesting or simple/poetic enough to be poignant. It walked the center line and for me it came up empty for its efforts.  I really think this whole movie can be summed up in a sentence: This is a story about drugs in three different contexts.

With the drug industry there is inherent complexity, however this film seemed to overstate the obvious and understate portions of the narration that needed to be accentuated. For instance, in the Mexico Plot line I found myself sometimes clinging to small scraps of previous information and feeling at a loss for what was going on at times. If the narration had spent more time exploring this system I would have been more grounded in the content.  Yet when we returned to the DC/Ohio plot lines I felt entirely annoyed up the hippie hoopla that kept ensuing, and the amount of time they spent on it.  I never felt that there was a true confrontation of the father and daughter, and although I am sure they thought they were being groundbreaking, all I could think of was "Where are the emotions?". There was some realism lacking in that whole section, and to much lesson teaching.   The only story I enjoyed was Catherine Zeta-Jone's plot line because I felt it was the only one where I was surprised by the turn of events. I did not see her character developing the way it did and it provided a nice revelation.

So I didn't like the story. However I can give this film a nod in how it was put together. The editing and cinematography completely overpower the narration. This is a problem in and of itself because when you put two mediocre things next to each other they remain compatible. When you put something phenomenal against something mediocre? The contradiction is distracting. Yet the saturation choices were visually interesting, although I must admit bothersome at times when they were inconsistent.  The editing, on the other hand, was the best component of the film, creating the seamless transitions between worlds that realized the interconnectivity of the stories.

Overall: The story was not as deep as it was being treated, and because of that I ended up wishing that this artisitc vision went with a different story. I felt like there are better versions of this film, like Babel (2006), or perhaps Crash (2005). For me this is a film that can be looked over.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

AFI Top 100: 72

Nominee

What can anyone say about a movie that has a 9.2 approval rating on IMDB? And yet somebody explain to me how this triumph of Hollywood film storytelling failed to pull its weight at the box office? I suppose like many of the great creative contributors of our history it was appreciated after its time. So what is it that makes this movie work? A story that is guided by hope and truth...and some Morgan Freeman narration.

What we have here is a man, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who has been beaten down in so many aspects of his life and is able to transcend through patience, intelligence, and focus. While doing his stint in Shawshank, he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), also known as the man who knows how to get things. This friendship along with Andy's own ability to manipulate his situation gives him his final redemption.

This film is done through a very classical style of storytelling. It's true homage to it's content allows the viewer to become engrossed in all the details. And it is in the culmination of these details that this story achieves an effective success.

The actors give us the brilliantly subtle performances allowing us to root for them or hate them. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are as solid as always, they give the performances we expect. I won't lie if I could pick one person to narrate my life it would probably be Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones.

Also, like I said, this is done in the classic style, (i.e. invisible style), but in making this decision there is eloquent execution on the behalf of cinematography and editing. They help us see the monotony of prison life and the blurred lines between good and evil through graphic repetitions and associations. They build a world that heightens out perceptions of moral ambiguity.

Overall: A film I had trouble writing about because...what can I say that has not already been said? So go watch, and learn to hope. You will feel triumphant.

The Matrix (1999)

It is official...I am breaking out of my quest and reaching into important cultural films as well.

Why you may ask?

1.) Because I don't want you missing out on great films. and

2.) I am incredibly amused by this movie...So here we go

This is a horrible film...in the best way possible. I think that when they were writing the script they must have spent weeks designing this complex world and then probably had a day left before they had to have it done so they took everything that is ridiculous about film making and threw it in. However it is often those ridiculous things that keeps us coming back, myself included.

There is a part of me that got to the end of this film and wished I had hated it (the pretentious film snob in me)...but I didn't... I actually liked it a lot...and that is because Hollywood knows what sells and here they sold it.  So the short list:

1.) The Chosen One

2.)The Ultimate group of invincible bad guys

3.) The awesome action sequences

4.) The Judas character ...that everyone loves to hate

5.) The love plot...but really now...there was even a Sleeping Beauty Moment

6.) Martial Arts

7.) The group of Rebels fighting for mankind

8.) The Oracle...or the old lady who knows everything

So take all that, put in all the awful leather clad acting ,(Keanu Reeves...come on he is pretty bad) and over dramatic dialogue then embed it into this complicated alter reality and what do you get? A solid 2 hours and 16 minutes of fun entertainment. Anyone who thinks this is a great artistic feat or some deep reading  of our current societal system of existence is a moron. But anyone who wants to like this film because its just awesome, well I can support that.

Overall: Watch it. Acknowledge that it is everything formulaic about action films, but enjoy it for that same reason. Now go bend some spoons.

Il Postino (1995)

SUMMER VACATION LET THE FILM WATCHING COMMENCE!

Nominee

This is where simplicity meets poignancy and where artistic license speaks with the narration. All in all I am not a fan of narration for the sake of narration or art for the sake of art (there are exceptions but not many). This is because film is so much more when the two work together in a multidimensional system of building the viewing experience. If you defamiliarize the audience with an image and then make it subtly accentuate the story its not only beautiful but it's also useful.

Il Postino uses this idea in a very simple and clean way which then allows the viewer to access the characters on a very real and emotional level. This is a story that is completely driven by the characters and all cost we must access them, and we do. The postman, played by MassimoTroisi, is a lovable bumbling man who wants nothing more than what everyone wants, love. He then befriends an exiled Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret) and begins to see the beauty around him and becomes more connected with his world, including wooing Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) which comes with the most entertaining part of the movie, her aunt. 

The characters give us a story of friendship and of admiration, and we see it through images of landscape and  history. At one point Pablo Neruda asks Mario, the postman, what is beautiful about his island and he says nothing. Yet throughout the film we are given artistic shots of rolling waves and winding roads up picturesque mountains. We have the answer because of the visual choosing of the director, but we watch the postman learn it.  However we are also given a historical context to deal with, with Pablo Neruda only being there because he is exiled from Chile for his communist platform, the postman is given Pablo the communist and so are we. Which makes the end that much more tragic...can't tell you about it because it is the turning point of the whole movie so watch and find out. 

My one real qualm with the film is pacing...I do admit I am an impatient person...however, it does drag its feet at times.

Overall: Simplicity can speak so very clearly to an audience if it is done with grace and purpose. This movie does this very well, making us fall for the characters and therefore the story. Yes it is slow at times but I think it is a real hidden gem in the mass of movies that embodies the best picture nominees. Watch and enjoy!