January 1, 2008

Movies I've watched for 2008

The extended version of this entry is going to be a list of all the movies I've seen for 2008, their links to the IMDb and what I've thought of them - take a look! See 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 too if you want

Nov 14	Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five	6
Nov 14	Death Defying Acts	6	YYZ -> YVR
Nov 14	Man on Wire	6	YYZ -> YVR
Nov 14	Redbelt	8	YYZ -> YVR
Nov 11	Traitor	7
Nov 11	Taken	8
Nov 10	Get Smart	5	YVR -> YYZ
Nov 10	The X Files: I Want to Believe	5	YVR -> YYZ
Nov 6	Hellboy II: The Golden Army	7	I'm not a huge fan of these characters, their superpowers or the story but the imagination in these movies is so fun that I've got to recommend it a little. So many interesting creatures make for such an interesting fictional world - that is fun.
Nov 2	Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?	6	I liked SSM but I thought the overall theme of this movie was overly simplistic - or maybe I just didn't like how the title didn't deliver for me - or maybe I'm tired of MS. Anyways, the spoiler - #1 it wouldn't matter if we'd catch Bin Laden - he's not that important to the terrorist organizations; #2 people throughout the world have the same basic values as Americans and are generally nice (except Hasidic Jews). That's it.
Nov 1	Tropic Thunder	6	Pretty disappointing. The only real surprise was TC (who was hilarious) but the movie wasn't that funny and the action wasn't that amazing. BS holding his gun with his arm out was funny though and RDJ's performance was solid but nearly good enough to recommend.
Oct 31	Kung Fu Panda	8	Very enjoyable! The Kung Fu action was great, the story followed the tradition of Kung Fu movies really closely with a few mocking moments in there, "Master, I know you're supposed to be all secretive and Kung-Fu-y, but can you tell me what's going on?" - Funny. Nice voice work too.
Oct 18	Wanted	8	Better than I was expecting - A good movie with fun and intense action, an interesting and (mostly) plausible story. Not bad at all for a movie obviously geared entirely to the frat boys (maybe that's my inner frat-boy saying that though).
Oct 15	Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room	7	An interesting look at some fascinating characters and their spiral into self-destruction. I liked the section where they were researching how far people would go to hurt someone if told by someone in authority that it was all ok - that was really interesting, the rest of the movie was kind of average.
Oct 13	Prince of Peace, God of War	7	Very heady/intellectual look from some bright minds as to how and why Christians today are so very FOR war when it seems that Jesus wasn't. The story at the end sealed the deal for me and was amazing to hear.
Oct 6	"Day Break"	7	For a constrictive TV premise where a LA cop repeats his day over and over again, they were able to keep it surprisingly fresh. I did get tired of catching the bad guy only to realize it's his boss we really need to catch, that was tiring, but otherwise a decent show.
Oct 1	Bigger Stronger Faster*	10	This is an amazing documentary filled with shades of gray on the subject of steroid use in America. Why people use it, why people are so upset at athletes over it with a very personal tandem story to bring it all together. Amazingly put together - a big shocker - I wasn't expecting anything nearly this good.
Sep 26	"The Larry Sanders Show" - Season 4	7	I liked the Artie all-nighter episode, any episode with BO in it and the Beck music number
Sept 23	Young @ Heart	7	A good documentary but given the subject matter it could have been a LOT better. The movie was a little bit boring and dragged at parts; the subjects of the movie were great though as was their quest to entertain.
Sept 19	Wall-E	8	I enjoyed this movie - pretty much as good as I was expecting with a lot more commentary on our society than I was expecting by the end. Entertaining fun with a robot who has a ton of personality.
Sept 17	The Incredible Hulk	7	Brain-dead action. It is well made and well acted but lacks depth (on purpose, I'm sure).
Sept 7	Ali G - Aiii	7	This movie of his slipped through the cracks so it was good to see some new Ali G stuff - the interview with the old guy that was dressed like him was the best part of the show.
Sept 6	The Happening	5	What a disappointment - MNS just can't quite make movies like he used to. Annoying in almost every sense.
Sept 4	Hancock	7	Marginally better than I was expecting based on the trailer not giving too much away and the good performances. A pretty light action type movie where the special effects seemed ok but a little CG-y. The tension in the movie was very internalized and I would have liked to see more of it out there with a supervillian.
Aug 27	Baby Mama	9	I do love TF comedy and this movie was great! Very clean - super funny and lots of memorable quotes. I liked that what the trailer gave away was covered quickly in the movie so we could get to new stuff. "I'm going to reward you with 5 minutes of uninterrupted eye contact." "Mr Ackerman?! That's my dog's name. Call me Rob."
Aug 14	"The Larry Sanders Show" - Season 3	8	Another good season. I liked that less time was spent on Larry's home life and more developing some of the other characters. Highlights were the episode for Artie and the Roseanne finale.
Aug 13	Street Kings	7	Not bad but not great. Dirty cop looking for some good karma to come his way by cleaning up the streets in a non-typical way.
Aug 12	Forgetting Sarah Marshall	7	I have pretty high expectations for JA comedies and this one was decent. I liked the simplicity and decency of the main character and the pure British casual-ness of RB in every scene was awesome.
Aug 6	10,000 BC	3	This movie was surprisingly uninspired. It had no interesting ideas of its own, lacked historical accuracy on a grand scale and was at times, just annoying. The old lady part was the worst and the interaction (across a vast distance!) for the finale threw this movie over the top for crappiness factor.
Aug 2	Surfwise	7	This movie well underperformed on my expectations. There was so much other interesting stuff I wanted to know about the family like how they actually made it work during their time on the road - the Dad was interesting but he came off mostly crazy and detached. Not a real recommend unless you're fascinated by the story.
Jul 30	The Dark Knight	10	Oh yeah! What an amazing follow up to an amazing movie! The story is incredible and reasonably complex, the acting is great, and the villain is menacing in a goofy way, Batman is conflicted over his hero-morals and he yearns for something stable in his life. Gritty and tense without being gruesome - love it!
Jul 27	The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian	7	Again it seemed like the battles and makeup were too much the focus as opposed to the story and characters themselves. No complexity to the story makes it pretty plain. I did like the addition of the White Witch for a brief moment even though it wasn't in the original novel (I don't think).
Jul 25	Revolver	6	A poorly acted version of many other similar (better) movies. Some of the action was ok, but it seemed like an open book for a thriller yet it still tried to confuse. Basically, I understood what was going on while I was watching it and it all made sense(ish) by the end but everything in between was trying to be overly complex and mysterious. Not cool.
Jul 23	Sharkwater	8	A really educational documentary on the true nature of sharks and the threat that man is to them. I liked the renegade conservation ship (you never knew what those guys were going to do), and the fact that he swims with sharks all the time. Great footage and flow to this documentary, I would have only changed the voice over work - his surfer-accent was quite annoying. savingsharks.com
Jul 17	Doomsday	5	OK, I shouldn't have been expecting more, but I was. This movie never finds it's groove and lumbars around between inplausible events and storyline. Ridiculous.
Jul 16	Lake of Fire	5	This was a good movie that got me to think about some of the issues around abortion but a couple of things ruined it. The extremely graphic content of a late term abortion, the all black and white film, a little bit of fear mongering and the overall length was way too long. I liked that it was relatively neutral in its stance and that in addition to the extreme ends they also had some voices of reason (Norm Chomsky was great!)
Jul 13	"The Larry Sanders Show" - Season 2	8	More of Artie is always a laugh. John Ritter and Gene Siskel were awesome and finding a replacement host for the show after his was a great episode.
Jul 3	Batman: Gotham Knight	6	Felt like an Animatrix for Batman. The consistency of the Batman voice was a little bit weird when the Batman looked so radically different, I may have gone with a different voice on each different style.
Jun 30	Flawless	6	It's no fun to see a heist movie and constantly be one step ahead of the plot. I felt that this one was too slow and didn't offer enough interesting twists. BTW - a recently discovered pet peeve of mine; showing the ending of the movie and then flashing back to tell the whole story. There are times when it could work but this one was about the worst I've ever seen.
Jun 29	The Hammer	8	This was a lot of fun! AC has a lot of charisma, the movie is almost squeaky clean and still a lot of fun. The story is pretty simple, the humor is really funny and it's a real pleasure to watch.
Jun 28	Annie Hall	6	I think it's official that I'm not a WA fan. It was hard for me to see what all the fuss was about other than just seeing more of WA. I did think that the ending was good and quite brave but otherwise there was nothing that I liked too much.
Jun 25	I'm Not There	5	This was painful. I thought the performances were very interesting and I wanted to see more of them but I just couldn't bear to watch the actually movie to get to them. I think that I had to be high or something to watch this.
Jun 24	Vantage Point	7	Nothing groundbreaking but a mild recommend. The plot gets pretty convoluted as we see the president's life taken at a public gathering in some foreign country (I can't remember). You have to forgo disbelief for a bunch of the scenes and the overall plot seems a little soft and convenient but it's not too bad.
Jun 22	The Mist	7	I really liked the scenes with MGH in the grocery store, she was incredible and her character was so well written - SK really knows how to write a good villian. I grew tired of the mist creatures and, brave as it was, I did not like the ending.
Jun 18	21	8	This was a fun movie - a few slight twists and turns made it a little bit interesting while keeping it reasonably realistic. Based on true-ish events, real Blackjack busting methods and the first movie I've seen that references making a Printed Circuit Board make this a winner.
Jun 17	"The Larry Sanders Show" - Season 1	8	Good bunch of characters and an interesting show means I'm going to season 2
Jun 14	In Bruges	9	This movie was outright hilarious! The first few minutes have a lot of swearing and you wonder how it'll be funny but it really is. Attacking with a bottle, possibility of dying in Bruges and all the dwarf stuff is hilarious.
Jun 13	Shine a Light	5	LAX -> YVR - Only got halfway through - I love the Rolling Stones but concert videos are an incredible bore to me - bleh.
Jun 11	Definitely, Maybe	6	An interesting way to tell a romantic comedy (romcom) story, starting from the divorce and working back. Good actors all around but it's not something I would recommend to many other people because who am I to recommend a romcom.
Jun 7	Be Kind Rewind	5	This was dreadful. An uber-talented director and some really talented actors fall flat in this one. I thought the performances were awful, the characters drove me bonkers and the story seemed like it was stuck in quicksand. I did like the shooting in reverse at nighttime though - that was funny.
May 30	National Treasure: Book of Secrets	6	To be certain, this movie was not made for me but I watched it with my nephews. Not as bad as it could be but it certainly does require the suspension of belief. If you liked the first one, you'll probably go for this one too.
May 29	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	7	This movie is all about the performances. The story is draining and the trailer really gives away the big parts of the movie leaving you without much extra to wait for. A mild recommend for the great acting.
May 26	The Forbidden Kingdom	7	The combination of Jet Li and Jackie Chan is a great thing. The movie suffered a little from being made in English for a Western audience but still was pretty decent.
May 24	Rambo	7	Subdued isn't the word I normally think of when it comes to Rambo, but this movie was. Not too over the top and with some good action (which is not subdued at all!). It was also kept really short which was a good thing as it left you wanting (just a little bit) more.
May 16	Charlie Wilson's War	8	YOW -> YVR - this was actually really good. I was expecting a pile of junk from the trailer but the performances were awesome and the characters being portrayed had real depth and flaws. Nice work!
May 16	Jumper	6	YOW -> YVR - Dreadful movie with one of the worst endings since Super Mario Brothers, it's unbelievable that HC still gets work.
May 15	Iron Man	9	I like the new blend of semi-realism that's coming to super hero movies where they're supposed to seem plausible. I thought it was done well in this movie, the acting was great, the story was pretty typical but still fun. Good times.
Apr 20	The Golden Compass	6	This was the first part of a longer series of movies and for that reason, the ending just hung there. It's pretty gutsy to make a first part movie all the while, not knowing whether you'll make the later ones and this franchise doesn't appear to be able to make it to #2. That fact alone is unsettling but the movie wasn't even that great otherwise.
Apr 20	Horton Hears a Who!	8	The animation was true to Seuss and very pretty to watch. I had a good time watching this and enjoyed the monkeys with the bananas the most, the voiceover work was pretty good as well.
Apr 11	The Bank Job	9	One of the biggest surprises I've had at a movie in awhile. It starts off like a very light heist movie and mid way takes a turn for the darker and more ominous - I love how the characters handle this. Based on a true story, this is one fascinating heist; well acted and directed. Some of the material may not suit everyone, btw.
Apr 9	Unknown	5	This had so many elements of a great movie for me - thriller genre, memory loss, tons of great actors but it just didn't make it for me. Felt too much like a stageplay and not enough like a movie. The twists felt purposely twisty and didn't unfold in a good story telling method, nice try but not a recommend.
Apr 6	Atonement	5	Until the ending, I was astonished that this received so many awards nominations - I was appalled by the boring-ness of this movie and couldn't wait for it to pick up some pace. At the end everything came together nicely but the payoff was not nearly worth the price I had to pay to get there.
Apr 6	Afro Samurai	6	Reminded me very much of Ninjai with the extreme swordfighting gore and also of Samurai Jack for the techno future vision. If you like Samurai cartoons, this one is a bit more adults but decently made if that's your style.
Apr 5	Cloverfield	7	I was content with this piece of entertainment that was filmed in the style of Blair Witch about a Godzilla like monster attacking NYC. I enjoyed the story, the monster was cool and the style was alright even though I wouldn't want it all the time.
Apr 1	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	8	Funnier than I thought it was going to be for a spoof. It certainly had aspects of a spoof but it wasn't a complete send off. There were lots of comedic bits that were really funny and the songs were really good. Not for everyone though...
Mar 31	Away From Her	8	A really good movie on the effects of Alzheimer's on the unaffected spouse. Covers the whole range of emotions from the beginning through. I liked the very Canadian feel of this movie and the (resulting) slow pace. Good characters although I don't think that JC deserved an Oscar nom for her role.
Mar 26	Seraphim Falls	8	Much better than I was expecting - basically a whole movie of one guy and his band of hired men tracking another man. Very realistic in its depiction and very enjoyable to see the characters try to stay alive through tough situations. Pretty simple plot but the ending wasn't quite what I was hoping for - decent though.
Mar 25	Brokeback Mountain	8	Getting to be a bit of a classic already, this movie is pretty solid. It's all about character and relationships and I think that it does a good job of portraying those in the time and place where they're not accepted at all. You probably know what you're getting with this movie already and it delivers good performances and decent character tension to keep it interesting.
Mar 24	Alpha Dog	8	I really liked this movie more than I thought I would. Plays out like tragic Shakespeare where you can see the unfortunate ending coming the whole movie and all the missed attempts to get out of the situation seem devastating. Very well acted and directed in a good direction make this a good show. Possibly a bit coarse for many...
Mar 23	In the Shadow of the Moon	7	A documentary that's most interesting for the cast of astronauts that it was able to assemble but other than that, it's a pretty basic documentary. Nothing to make it stand out too much and not a lot of really new and interesting information. If you're interested in the Apollo missions though this will be worth your time.
Mar 21	There Will Be Blood	8	It's hard to really love this movie outside of the amazing performance by DDL. I thought it was well written, directed and especially acted and for those reasons I'd recommend it but I found it hard to connect with the heart of the movie.
Mar 20	Wristcutters: A Love Story	7	A cute take on a tragic subject. Suicide committers awake in a new world that's devoid of the happiness from the regular world. Some people form a romantic bond and try to end their misery. Interesting idea and pretty well made although it could have been better.
Mar 20	Southland Tales	1	The worst movie that I've seen in memory. Wasting review words on this is such a shame but this movie sucks really badly - stay far away.
Mar 16	Into the Wild	10	Ohh yeah! An amazing movie that has a perfect balance of storytelling, acting and character in it. I loved the range of characters in the story, the huge heart of the movie and would highly recommend this for almost anyone.
Mar 15	Next	6	A decent movie but really just an effective waste of time. The basic premise was just a little too much for me to handle and even though it was handles pretty lightly, this isn't something I could recommend.
Mar 14	Enchanted	7	ORD -> YUL without sound. A giant mash up of all the previous Disney movies into one big one seemed like a really fun idea. I think the songs were a big hit so it was too bad I couldn't hear them but it appeared to be a decent movie.
Mar 7	August Rush	6	YUL -> ORD without sound. I think this movie was better without sound than it would have been had I been able to hear it. It seemed a little too Hallmarkish for me.
Mar 3	Bee Movie	8	I love JS humor and this movie was ripe full of it. Lots of interesting quips, some, "didja ever notice?" and other great observations plastered inside a decent storyline. A few unusual direction choices for an animated movie that put the focus more on the comedy than the story but I went for it.
Mar 1	Hitman	6	Seemed like it was trying as hard to get its R rating as it was to be loyal to the videogamers. I wasn't a huge fan of this one although it was watchable.
Mar 1	Happy Feet	4	This movie was really dreadful. A rip off of good music done up to the recently popularized penguin dancing to it. The Mexican penguins were funny but the base of the movie was really bad.
Feb 28	The King of Kong	10	Mmm, my favorite movie of the year so far, I defy you to watch this movie and not be rooting for the characters you see. Amazing documentary making! There are some interesting supplemental things that you can read up on after watching the movie. Twin Galaxies reply, Filmmakers reply. Awesome - go watch this!
Feb 24	I Am Legend	8	It's the Castaway of zombie movies. I really enjoyed the movie, the first half was amazing in it's hiding of great technical achievements in making NY look barren. The second half gave us a good modern zombie film with some great acting and a decent storyline.
Feb 22	The Darjeeling Limited	7	The WA schtick is getting a little tired with me, funny because I think I'm the only one who really liked him who's getting tired. The line, "Can we all agree..." was pretty funny as were a few others but all together I wasn't a huge fan.
Feb 19	Run Fatboy Run	8	A solid comedy with lots of interesting characters and lots of cliche characters but all together, some good dialogue and a familiar story seen once again.
Feb 9	Michael Clayton	9	The rapid, difficult to comprehend story telling reminded me of Syriana where the plot can be followed without too much difficulty but it's not just given to you easily - there are lots of high level conversations that are tough to grab the jist from. Good performances though and an enjoyable law thriller.
Feb 7	16 Blocks	7	Not a bad little action flick. I grew tired of the MD character, but I think that was the point and it was weird to see BW as a completely washed up cop. I did enjoy many things about the ending though - worth checking out.
Feb 4	Juno	9	I really enjoyed this movie although the snarky dialogue can grow a bit tiring. I liked the characters, the unexpected change in one character at the end and the high school romance. Interesting and enjoyable movie with huge heart.
Jan 31	Jacob's Ladder	7	An older thriller movie that I saw recommendations for from many of the other movies that I like. I did enjoy the movie but the twist ending has been done a few times (probably since this came out) so I saw it coming. It was weird to have a moment in the movie where I knew the dialogue perfectly, because of a Radiohead song that uses it.
Jan 30	The Brothers Solomon	5	I have no one to blame but myself for watching this. While not a horrible movie, it's just not very good unless you're really in the mood for the two silliest characters imaginable doing ridiculous things, that is...
Jan 29	Elizabeth: The Golden Age	6	Not a bad movie but not really great either. The war scenes at the end were so abysmal which leads me to a non-recommend but the royal drama and the acting was quite good. If you liked the first one, you'll probably enjoy this one though.
Jan 28	Caché	4	To me, this film was about the mystery of the tapes and on that level it disappointed me greatly. As a commentary on social responsibility it had good points but I was so frustrated by the lack of care given to the main drawing feature of this movie.
Jan 26	The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford	9	This was a deliberately paced atypical western and I loved it. I really enjoyed the narration, soundtrack and cinematography which didn't seem to fit what you'd except from the genre but I thought that it worked wonderfully. It is a long and slow paced movie but well worth it for those who like films.
Jan 18	Eagle vs. Shark	6	I love JC from FOTC who stars in this movie pre-FOTC but I think that this was a big miss. The humor is so quirky that it is borders not even being humor. There were a few lines that we retained from the show (Horse, Damn) but I can't suggest that anyone go and rent this.
Jan 17	The Ten	5	I only saw the first hour to know that I didn't need to see the next. A movie with short skits each based on one of the Ten Commandments. The movie has so precious little to do with the big ten outside of being a very loose theme (aka gimmick) which I found a bit of a turnoff. Don't know if the last half was awesome, let me know if it was...
Jan 16	Bridge to Terabithia	8	I really liked this movie - almost enough to give it a 9 - maybe I should have. I liked that it was a fantasy movie that I could relate to and the big question in the movie was one that I constantly ask. The performances were good throughout and the story was great. Seek this out!
Jan 11	The Kingdom	8	Political Iraq/Oil movies are usually not my idea of a good time but this one tried to remain as neatly non-political as it could (which I enjoyed) and didn't offer easy solutions to solving our problems in the Mid-East (which I also enjoyed). Acting and story were good but the action got a bit-Ramboish in the sense that these guys were combat experts and invincible to enemy fire.
Jan 9	The Heartbreak Kid	6	There were some good laughs but a bit dirty to be a couples movie so we only made it about 1/2 way through.
Jan 8	Renaissance	6	This movie attracted my attention for the new visuals it was using where the whole movie is in high contract, motion capture animated black and white. I thought the concept was neat but I really got tired of looking at it after about 10 minutes; then the subtitles were really hard to read because the background is so similar (audio is in French) that I gave up and FF'd through the rest of the movie.
Jan 8	Lucky Number Slevin	7	I'm not a big fan of the noir-style films of which I would say this belongs to but the enjoyable twist at the end of film and the overall quality of the movie made it acceptable for me.
Jan 6	Shoot 'Em Up	5	I had no expectations on this movie and what it was, I didn't want. A way over the top action movie with over the top dialog, acting and stunts. Not my style.
Jan 6	Nanny Diaries	9	I had really low expectations for this film and it really exceeded them quite wonderfully. Basically, if you liked, Devil Wears Prada, there's a good chance that you'll like this film because they have many remarkable similarities. I felt that this one had legitimate dialog, avoided the high-jinxes and had some fun with the whole anthropology angle without overdoing it.
Jan 5	"Tin Man"	6	The production on this really felt second rate. An interesting concept of having Alice in Wonderland but with a Sci-Fi spin - I liked the idea but it didn't work for a whole miniseries. Some weak acting and poor dialog so not really recommended.
Jan 4	Deep Water	8	A documentary about a single manned around the world yacht race in the 60's where a non-sailor enter, decides he can't finish and attempts to cheat to finish the race. Some good surprises and enough material to really warrant the feature length.
Jan 3	Shrek 3	6	It just didn't seem that funny, is what I found myself thinking. I wish there were more funny parts that made me laugh and less goofing around with a real story. I do always enjoy the musical interludes though...
Jan 1	War	7	This one was going to get a failing grade when a plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming but totally worked for me won this a small recommend. There are some obvious holes but the action is good and the story is almost worth following.

Posted by matthew at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2007

Top 10 Movies of 2007

As has been my tradition for the last 5 years (see 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002) I'm making a list of my favorite 10 movies that I watched for the first time this last year. Of course, I'm not recommending these movies for everyone, if you want personal recommendations, let me know. Here's the list, and yes, I do know that there's 11, I'm putting 2 TV shows in as 1 movie...







Honorable Mentions to The Hoax, Sicko, Cars, In Cold Blood, The Queen, and Eastern Promises which are also great films.

Fearless	I wasn't expecting a lot to think about from a Jet Li movie but this was one of his best movies that I've ever seen. Gives a lot to think about for those interested in pacifism, community, and non-violence. Based on the life of the real Wushu creator Huo Yuanjia
Flushed Away	Pixar aren't the only ones making great 3D animation movies as this one is top notch! The side characters are really funny and the movie on a whole is really well done - easily recommended!
Knocked Up	OK, so the humor is pretty crude but there were a number of times I just couldn't contain my laughter, it was so funny (butterfly kisses especially) and at the same time really touching with legitimate characters. Also contains the longest and probably most accurate birth in a major movie, which is a good thing?
The Lookout	Stellar movie with a great story, deeply drawn characters and an interesting plot to drive the movie. Not too many tricks in this movie, just great storytelling, acting and straightforward direction. A strong recommend.
No Country for Old Men	A really good movie with a great villain, good tension and a great flow. Amazing characters, lots to say wrt the state of society, and deftly directed. The story is entirely fresh and devoid of the corniness that typically fills this kind of movie. A bit grotesque at points but a solid recommend.
The Prestige	I quite enjoyed this one because I didn't really know what to expect, it had some tense moments, a great ending, great visuals. A few of the plot items you have to just play along with but the ending does have a real (and one obvious) surprise.
Children of Men	A surprisingly stark look at the future where the human race has been incapable of procreating for 18 years. I was expecting a more philosophical movie but instead got a gritty realistic movie of what that future might look like. A fascinating movie that was well thought out and executed brilliantly!
Borat	The Antique shop mangling, wrestling match, bear roaring at children, line, "her, not so much", horse falling, and Pamela sacking - so many surprises - this is a masterful comedy!
Casino Royale	A total rejuvenation of the Bond franchise - the last one was so forgettable and stupid and this one is so gritty, complex and real! The chase at the beginning had my palms sweating and the rest of the action throughout was stellar. DC as Bond is a great fit!
"Battlestar Galactica"	This is the mini series that got me hooked on the show. A great concept that eventually got made into a full out TV show.
"30 Rock"	My new favorite comedy sitcom. Well written and acted across the board.

Posted by matthew at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2007

Movies I've watched for 2007

The extended version of this entry is going to be a list of all the movies I've seen for 2007, their links to the IMDb and what I've thought of them - take a look! See 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 too if you want

Dec 31	3:10 to Yuma	8	A solid western. You don't see a lot of good westerns these days but this is a good one. You'll need to stretch your imagination a bit to put yourself in the villains shoes but otherwise a good ride.
Dec 30	Stardust	7	Maybe my expectations were a bit high but this one didn't connect with me as much as I thought that it could. I didn't like RDN's character although I realize he was playing opposite-typecast on purpose and I felt like it was edited weirdly where it seemed like a big chunk of movie was just left out at certain points.
Dec 29	Eastern Promises	9	This was a great mob movie. A regular family gets involved with the mob where they find danger and some attraction. Amazing acting by VM and an all around great story make this a big winner.
Dec 27	Blood Diamond	8	A really intense movie that wrenched at your heart to save the plight of the Africans and not to buy that big diamond ring. I imagine that's one extravagance that's costing others too much but that there's many others as well. Anyways, nice acting, good story but very intense (not for the faint of heart).
Dec 9	Idiocracy	6	A movie where everyone in the film is supposed to be the dumbest person alive doesn't really inspire great writing and normally leaves about a thousand plot holes so I wasn't a huge fan but LW saved it from being a complete mess.
Dec 9	Paprika	7	This one was kind of bizarre but colorful and fun. The worlds created by these animators still fascinate me, so that's good.
Dec 5	Superbad	7	I liked this movie but didn't love it. I have pretty high expectations from Rogen because of his other really funny movies but this one was overly crude and wasn't quite the movie I was hoping for. It'll be a huge hit with the high school crowd but it missed on me. Still, McLovin was pretty funny stuff...
Dec 4	The I Inside	5	I have pretty high expectations when it comes to mind bending thrillers and I was not satisfied with this one. The direction wasn't so great, there were so many things off with the plot and all the twists were there just to confuse and not enhance. Reminded me very much of Stay which also wasn't great.
Dec 1	Waitress	8	I thought that the characters were given real depth and acted amazingly - great performances and dialogue. The bad husband was kind of over the top and some messages were a bit conflicting but a good story and great acting.
Nov 24	Ratatouille	8	Truth be told, I fell asleep during part of this movie because I was super tired, but it is still quite a good film. Quality animation, voice work and a great story - well worth seeing.
Nov 21	Surf's Up	7	SFO -> YUL - It was surprising how much this animated movie seemed like a real surf movie - it had the heart. A good surf movie ripe full of all the cliche's but well executed and great visuals.
Nov 21	Once	8	SFO -> YUL - A heartwarming story that lets you join two lonely people as they meet and get to know each other. This new type of format to the romantic comedy felt fresh and enjoyable to me. At times I wished for a better quality picture...
Nov 19	No Country for Old Men	9	A really good movie with a great villain, good tension and a great flow. Amazing characters, lots to say wrt the state of society, and deftly directed. The story is entirely fresh and devoid of the corniness that typically fills this kind of movie. A bit grotesque at points but a solid recommend.
Nov 18	Beowulf: 3D	8	This movie was a lot of fun to see in IMAX 3D. The 3D-ness is a lot of fun and I felt that it added to the film. Great special effects, good story and pretty good acting (the 3D-ization of some characters took some great subtleties away). I had a fun time!
Nov 17	We Are Marshall	7	Kind of a paint by numbers typical movie but there were a few things that I liked especially: the replacements weren't extraordinarily bad, the father seemed like the same character throughout, and protaganist characters had obvious flaws (inability to think outside football, insecurities, etc) that added to their character.
Nov 11	The Ex	5	This was one sloppy script that could only have been imagined to appeal to the lowest common denominator - lots of great talent wasted.
Nov 11	Hot Rod	7	Classic SNL movie, except that I didn't feel that it dragged too much. Funny concepts like, wanting to heal your step father so you can beat the crap out of him - that was a good running joke.
Nov 7	The Simpsons Movie	7	The Simpsons have done so much already with the TV show that it's hard to think of something bigger to do. The animation is more detailed with more shadowing, backgrounds that move independently, etc; but really, it's a good episode that goes long (which is a good thing!)
Oct 30	Bourne Ultimatum	8	I like the Bourne series and this one didn't disappoint. I liked that the ending was a touch unexpected and revealed some interesting things about the character that I thought were good. Great action and easy to follow - good times.
Oct 16	Frailty	7	Whoo - this is one freaky movie! I think this is classified as horror although I remember very little blood in it. Basically the story of two boys and their Dad, who wakes up one day and says he had a dream where an angel told him he had to kill demons (family activity!). The two boys are both affected by this very differently.
Oct 8	Evan Almighty	5	What a crappy story! I had high expectations coming off of the much superior Bruce Almighty which I think had interesting things to say, but this movie had nothing to say. The story is preposterous which makes God look ridiculous and what's the point of it all - sheesh!
Sept 30	Ocean's 13	7	Back to the classic. This one is up there with the first one and much better than the second. A fun ride with a bunch of acting superstars having a lot of fun on screen - good times.
Sept 26	Live Free or Die Hard	8	This was pretty much a carbon copy of all of the other Die Hard movies which isn't quite as fresh of a concept as it used to be. Although I got tired of the hacker goofballs who can do everything, the silly Fighter Jet - Truck sequence; there were some good things, like the acrobatic bad guy and that the pace of the movie was quick.
Sept 25	Ice Age 2	7	I'm not a huge fan of the Ice Age series (the squirrel creature is my favorite by far) and this one was ok but not great.
Sept 11	Knocked Up	9	OK, so the humor is pretty crude but there were a number of times I just couldn't contain my laughter, it was so funny (butterfly kisses especially) and at the same time really touching with legitimate characters. Also contains the longest and probably most accurate birth in a major movie, which is a good thing?
Sept 9	28 Weeks Later	7	I really don't like this silly horror movies and I don't think that I would really recommend this movie unless you liked the first one. While not as good as the original, it is pretty high energy and nerve wracking with a few surprises.
Sept 2	Rocky Balboa	8	OK, so this was a lot better than I thought it would be. I wasn't expecting much but this seemed like such an accurate portrayal of the future of the Rocky character. Still kind and compassionate and also very driven. Great acting, good story; I didn't love the HBO aspect of the fight at the end to make it seem more real, but a fine film.
Aug 26	Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer	5	OK, so this is a movie you'll feel stupid for watching and possibly a little upset that you wasted your time on it. Some special effects are pretty good but man, does this ever have poor dialogue and a really dumb story. Waste your time here with caution.
Aug 23	Flushed Away	9	Pixar aren't the only ones making great 3D animation movies as this one is top notch! The side characters are really funny and the movie on a whole is really well done - easily recommended!
Aug 20	Apocalypto	7	I like that this movie is full of unknowns and about a time and place that we see very few movies about - it was interesting in that respect but I just didn't love the movie. I'm not sure why it didn't stick with me, but it just didn't.
Aug 18	Sunshine	5	A space opera without the singing. Really slow and more philosophical than I like my movies - this was a big waste of time for me.
Aug 17	The Falcon and the Snowman	8	A classic movie about some government worker (during the Cold War) who is disillusioned with his country's part in the world scene and decides to start selling some of the secret things that he knows about to the Russians to help even things out - but where to start? Good characters and great acting.
Aug 12	Little Children	8	A little slice of suburban life where a lonely mother and uninitiated father spend all their daytime together and make a pseudo-daytime relationship away from their distant spouses. Good performances and an interesting story make this good viewing, the story with the pedophile was tough to integrate with this and could have been better with something lighter.
Aug 12	Inland Empire	7	I'm a huge fan of David Lynch's wacky movies but this one felt like way too much of a retread and not enough of an original movie. Not nearly enough here to recommend this for anyone.
Aug 10	Mr. Brooks	6	Funny, but I couldn't connect with a movie about a sympathetic millionaire serial killer with a twisted dark side. I didn't understand what this movie was trying to say to me other than what it presented and the ending was unsatisfying.
Aug 9	The Lookout	9	Stellar movie with a great story, deeply drawn characters and an interesting plot to drive the movie. Not too many tricks in this movie, just great storytelling, acting and straightforward direction. A strong recommend.
Aug 5	Fearless	9	I wasn't expecting a lot to think about from a Jet Li movie but this was one of his best movies that I've ever seen. Gives a lot to think about for those interested in pacifism, community, and non-violence. Based on the life of the real Wushu creator Huo Yuanjia
Aug 4	Breach	7	A movie that lives off tension and fear of getting caught. An interesting story and look into the workings of the FBI but not great enough to really recommend. Strong performances by all the leads make this movie better than it should be.
Aug 4	Shooter	8	I enjoy Mark Wahlberg movies and this one kinda sucked me in. It was a lot more political than I thought it would be but all together a good action movie.
Aug 2	TMNT	6	I was a big fan of the cartoon and this one was a big disappointment. What's up with no Shredder?? It's a cartoon, man - it's not like the original actor was unavailable, c'mon.
Aug 1	Hot Fuzz	8	This was a lot of fun. A new kind of spoof that isn't overly ridiculous - it's a legitimate movie unto itself and while it's reveling in the genre you can feel it poking fun at it at the same time.
Jul 25	Curse of the Golden Flower	7	Chinese Shakespeare tragedy - well done but so fatally doomed.
July 22	Zodiac	8	An interesting serial killer movie where it focuses more on the unraveling lives of the people investigating than the crimes itself. A bit long in total but a good film.
July 21	Invincible	8	A rise from nothing true story sports movie - this one was done quite well and had me really rooting for the main character; I'm not a huge fan of the genre but this was done well.
July 20	Who Killed the Electric Car	6	What a crappy documentary - this was more like propaganda. Either there wasn't nearly enough story to carry a movie, it was way too long, or they injected way too much of their opinion but I didn't like this movie. I agree with the overall concept but the movie was crap.
July 20	Blades of Glory	6	DEN -> IAD - The WF comedies are really starting to go downhill and lose their relevance, this one is certainly part of the downhill experience. Not much in here to recommend.
July 16	Premonition	7	YUL -> DFW - I give this movie points for a decent ending, but until that point I really wasn't loving it. Overly repetitive and we feel that we know what's going on before the main character does which isn't a good sign.
July 13	Ghost Rider	5	I watched this whole movie at between 2X and 8X so it was kind of a blur. I was expecting little and got it!
July 13	The Lives of Others	8	A solid, complex movie about the communist side of Germany pre-wall-fall. Great character development, and direction to make us feel part of the whole situation. A well made film.
July 8	"Battlestar Galactica" Season 3	7	This season wasn't as innovative and risky as the other two but still pretty good entertainment.
July 7	The Hoax	8	It was a lot of fun to go along with this guy and his scam
July 1	Shut up and Sing	8	A good documentary about how a little comment they made at a concert in London turned into a media sensation and dogged the Dixie Chicks for a long time; well, until they proved to be right about W and all is forgiven (that part wasn't in the movie!)
June 30	"Battlestar Galactica" Season 2	9	Two stellar plot lines make this season better than the first - we'll see how the third season fares shortly.
June 17	"Battlestar Galactica" Season 1	8	Good first season held the success of the mini-series quite well
June 15	Sicko	10	As a big MM fan, it's no surprise that I like this one. It's so shocking that the US hasn't got full health care for its citizens yet and pretty much every other developed country does. It's what's keeping me from moving there - for real!
June 11	"Battlestar Galactica" Mini Series	9	This is the mini series that got me hooked on the show. A great concept that eventually got made into a full out TV show.
May 22	Midnight Cowboy	7	I started this show years ago and was just able to finish it recently. The story of a Texan who moves to NY and befriends a sickly local and they try to scrape by on the tough streets. Some classic moments that have been copied in many movies and great performances make this a mild recommendation.
May 21	"Heroes" Season 1	3	The 1st season is over! I'm so happy! I hate this show, it's the worst tv show I've ever been hooked on. Somebody, throw soda at me if I somehow get into season 2
May 7	Spiderman 3	7	A big disappointment after the first two but still pretty good. I liked Venom a lot and could have seen a lot more of him, some awful parts which made this movie a lot worse were the American Flag, the newscaster at the end fight and the last conversation between Spidey and Sandman - ridiculous! Otherwise, good special effects, etc.
May 4	"The Office" Season 3	9	The 3rd season is over! This show is still pretty good but not the best sitcom on tv anymore. The Jim and Pam center of the show is being diluted.
May 4	Music & Lyrics	6	DFW -> YUL - I've forgotten so much about this movie which is probably why I didn't rate it too highly.
May 1	The Painted Veil	5	JFK -> SAN - This one really missed me. Granted I think that the target audience is exactly not me, but I didn't care for this story at all and nothing else was able to impress me.
Apr 26	"30 Rock" Season 1	8	The 1st season is over! - My new favorite comedy sitcom. Well written and acted across the board.
Apr 22	Deja Vu	7	I have a pretty hard time accepting time traveling movies because they're usually not very well thought out. I'm not sure that this one is much different but good performances and a sense that it was having fun with the idea instead of taking it so seriously made it better.
Apr 13	Ordinary People	8	YWG -> YUL - A big little drama that won a lot of awards when in came out. Good, subtle acting for characters that seem really authentic. Addresses the rifts that remain in a family after the older son dies, leaving a confused younger son, a wife who can no longer relate to her husband and a husband who's trying to hold it all together.
Apr 10	Volver	7	YUL -> YWG - This certainly was not the movie that I was expecting, much more of a drama. PC can act pretty well in her native language and she looks quite good in the film also.
Apr 9	The Holiday	5	The only story in this of any interest was with KW and the old man - that was interesting but everything else was so forgettable.
Apr 8	The Pursuit of Happyness	7	A warm hearted movie about a man down on his luck who strives and works hard to get himself a career on Wall Street. The poor guy has everything bad happen to him but maintains his drive - what resolve!
Apr 5	Lady in the Water	5	I don't know exactly what made this movie so bad but it was awful! It had some nice concepts like community; but this movie just sucked.
Mar 30	The Quick and the Dead	6	I only saw the last part of this movie and there are a lot of big actors in it, and a big director - a cast like that today would cost a fortune!
Mar 30	Souvenir of Canada	6	Interesting documentary about what is unique about us as Canadians but it went long and couldn't hold my interest.
Mar 29	Four Weddings and a Funeral	6	This movie was abysmal! There was NO chemistry between the leads and most of the rest of the cast came out pretty flat.
Mar 27	Stranger Than Fiction	8	A bit of a trippy movie in concept but quite well grounded in execution. I liked the new ideas in the story as well as a unexpected romance which was heartfelt.
Mar 26	The Devil Wears Prada	8	Whew - I haven't written up any reviews in 6 months! Anyways, this movie was really a lot better than it probably should have been. Well acted throughout and an interesting ending that isn't too obvious.
Mar 22	The Break Up	8	High marks for bravery in the romantic comedy genre and working on a couple that is starting the melt down. Handled comedicly and seriously at once with a good flow. The leads were good but I didn't like JF as the main buddy, I thought that last conversation was creepy and didn't serve a purpose in this movie.
Mar 22	The Life of Brian	8	A really funny Monty Python movie second only to their SFTHG. I had seen this a really long time ago and the only jokes that I remembered were Biggus Dickus and How much do you hate the Romans? Lots of other funny jokes plus an LSD space trip in the middle.
Mar 18	Infernal Affairs II	8	A Japanese Chinese prequel to the original Infernal Affairs (source material for the Departed). Quite a slow movie and tough to follow at the beginning but I did get the jist of what was going on by the end. Many surprises like the first one.
Mar 15	Miracle Maker	7	A repeat viewing of the claymation story of Jesus for our Bible Study. The accents were a great source of ridicule (Scottish for the fishermen?) but I liked some things like the desert temptation was interesting for picturing what Satan was offering Jesus and what he was turning down.
Mar 12	300	8	All action and style and short on story which is a good thing. Not necessarily a great movie but rather a visually stunning distraction. Great effects and high on testosterone. Based on the graphic novel (yep, that's a comic)
Mar 8	The Last Temptation of Christ	8	This is a repeat viewing for our new Jesus themed movie nights and was still fresh and enjoyable. Many things to discuss and bring a new perspective of a part of what Jesus could have really been like. Good discussion
Mar 4	Lost Highway	8	This is the DL that I'm used to! A great film that after a little bit of study and a great writeup on the meaning made it a good view. I enjoyed the meaning behind it all and his heavy use of dreams. Classic DL!
Feb 23	Babel	8	I liked it but not as much as the intertwined winner last year, Crash. I found the Japanese story too unrelated and the rest of the stories all too related (how much bad stuff can happen to one family). SPOILER - They didn't make it as grim as they could have but that was almost an after-effect, they have your heart clenched the whole movie, the release at the end doesn't seem like much consolation.
Feb 22	Children of Men	9	A surprisingly stark look at the future where the human race has been incapable of procreating for 18 years. I was expecting a more philosophical movie but instead got a gritty realistic movie of what that future might look like. A fascinating movie that was well thought out and executed brilliantly!
Feb 20	Borat	9	The Antique shop mangling, wrestling match, bear roaring at children, line, "her, not so much", horse falling, and Pamela sacking - so many surprises - this is a masterful comedy!
Feb 19	Pan's Labyrinth	8	I was more shocked by this film than impressed as I knew nothing about it and was quite surprised by the content given the cover and the title. I do think that it is quite a good movie but confess I probably don't understand it as well as I could.
Feb 18	The Queen	9	Extremely well acted, I feel like I understand the characters and the lifestyle of the Royals much more after this film. A worthy Best Actress win for HM and a stunning and thoughtful film.
Feb 17	For Your Consideration	7	Expectations for CG movies are through this house's roof already and while it was quite a good movie it wasn't awesome. Some of the characters are beginning to be recycled and predictable but the 1/8 Mighty Choctaw was the winner in this one. FW is a hoot again in this one, "to all you who understand the King's English"
Feb 16	Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic	6	I confess that a bunch of her stuff was pretty funny but a purely stand up routine would have been better, the musicals didn't fit nor did the back stage stuff. She does say some pretty wild things but some of it is pretty funny too.
Feb 15	Smokin Aces	6	I'm surprised at myself for giving this only a mild thumbs down. A preposterous action flick with loads of hyper-violence and over the top characters. No decent dialog and stupid characters make this very miss-able.
Feb 14	Hollywoodland	7	This one felt like CTF where it gives you one perspective of a true story that seems so perfect, then throws that away with new information and continues to keep you guessing. Good performances give this a mild recommend
Feb 14	Casino Royale	9	A total rejuvenation of the Bond franchise - the last one was so forgettable and stupid and this one is so gritty, complex and real! The chase at the beginning had my palms sweating and the rest of the action throughout was stellar. DC as Bond is a great fit!
Feb 13	DOA: Dead or Alive	3	If anyone actually reads these reviews I'm going to be embarrassed that this is even on the list. Wow, what a crappy movie!
Feb 12	The Protector	7	Nice chunk of action with this movie but the moves feel all the same by the end. The bone breaking last scene was pretty awesome and the one shot stair climbing scene was pretty impressive, a mild recommend.
Feb 11	Eraserhead	4	I normally really like DL's movies but this one I really despised. It didn't have any clever meaning behind it all and was just strange and annoying; it may be his first masterpiece but I'd be even happier if I'd missed it.
Feb 11	Cars	9	I was expecting to like this but not to really enjoy it (I did really enjoy it!) The characters were really lovable, I love the cow/tractors, the first version of the paved road and the CGI scenery is just amazing. Makes me happy to ride the smaller roads that go through town instead of the expressway.
Feb 9	In Cold Blood	9	Amazing performances in the lead roles that really flesh out fully complete characters who commit the 'motive-less crime'. Based on a true story that is quite harrowing.
Feb 1	Three Colors: Red	7	Quote from a message board that sums it up for me > It was a tantalizing film as I felt it with my heart, but cognitively, there was nothing there for my brain.
Jan 28	Crank	6	It's hard to rate a movie poorly that isn't really striving for anything great. I think it does manic action movie quite well but I guess it was just a bit too manic for me.
Jan 27	The Prestige	9	I quite enjoyed this one because I didn't really know what to expect, it had some tense moments, a great ending, great visuals. A few of the plot items you have to just play along with but the ending does have a real (and one obvious) surprise.
Jan 17	Fun with Dick and Jane	6	A comedy mixed pretty heavily with corporate commentary that does promote interesting discussion of the duty corporations have to their employees but the rest of the film is pretty flat.
Jan 16	Miami Vice	4	This one was way too realistic that I didn't have a clue what language these guys were even speaking. I don't know if this is legitimate undercover cop speak but I didn't follow. Pretty forgettable.
Jan 15	Sympathy for Lady Vengeance	6	This one had a really topical ending that would not be considered typical of a revenge type movie but it certainly could promote good discussion.
Jan 14	The Proposition	6	A gritty Aussie western that is pretty good but quite slow paced. It does give you a good feel for the time and flavor of the area and does flesh out good characters but it's too slow to really recommend.
Jan 13	The Illusionist	7	A good thriller-ish movie with a decent twist at the end but why would he have cared to take it so far at the end? He had everything that he wanted about 1/2 way through the move, no?
Jan 12	Little Miss Sunshine	8	I didn't fall for this movie quite as hard as others but I did quite enjoy it. Great performance by Arkin and believable and enjoyable characters throughout the film. I could identify with the lot of them...
Jan 7	Over the Hedge	7	Animation fare at its most predictable. I don't know that there's a single surprise in this movie but the hyper squirrel and good animation make this a pretty decent flick
Jan 7	Last Kiss	8	I love ZB in GS and I think that he delivers here again. I like the complexity of the movie and how it deals with difficult relationships in a way that makes sense to people today. A pretty big recommend.
Jan 6	Jackass 2	7	I liked the first one so it reasons to follow that I like this one. Some of the stunts had more rolling with laughter while others I would probably have preferred to ff through. Lots of snake bits on this one...
Jan 2	Aleelah and the Bee	7	A nice family film that shouldn't offend too many. Pretty standard motivational fare but for those who like those types, this is a good one.

Posted by matthew at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2006

Top 10 Movies of 200b

As has been my tradition for the last 4 years (see 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002) I'm making a list of my favorite 10 movies that I watched for the first time this last year; so, in the order of my watching them...

United 93	It really brings you back to the uncertainty of the day due to the misinformation and disbelief. The acting by all unknowns is great and it was quite informational without being too political. It doesn't let up very much which left us uptight throughout, saying, "This is so intense!"
"Entourage"	That's it! All caught up. A nice little diversion for when you want to waste some time, Lloyd the secretary is another favorite in this season.
Thank you for Smoking	A well written and acted movie about a guy who is convinced he can talk his way out of any argument and is quite effective at it; until his kid emulates him a little too much. This guy really reminds me of Paul from Engineering in all the best ways of course.
The Departed	Tons of language and graphic violence but if you're a fan of MS you'll love it. Lots of cell phone use in it but I didn't actually find it excessive - I liked the cat and mouse game to see when it was all going to end. The stellar list of actors in this one make it a real pleasure.
OldBoy	A slightly different take on a revenge movie, the plot is strange and the ending a bit twisted and the very ending seems very foreign movieish to me but it will probably stick in your mind for a bit, so that's good (I think?) One of the greatest one take fight scenes in modern film too!
Mission Impossible III	LAX -> YUL - Wow, an airplane movie that was awesome. Now, my expectations for this film were about a 2, I dislike most of TC's movies and the last MI was pretty bad. This one was great though - I loved the purposeful skipping of cliche scenes, the minimal mask reveals and the bad guy - what a great film!
C.R.A.Z.Y.	I didn't know what to expect from this movie but the acclaim is well deserved. Not as much about Quebecois culture as I thought it would be - more about the 70's in general, methinks. Great acting, interesting family to watch the duration of the film.
Syriana	A very good movie, you kind of hover around the edge of what the movie is trying to say until afterwards when you have time to put it all together. Nice performances and well written script.
Grizzly Man	Heidi loved this movie - Treadwell is an tortured, creepy and fascinating man who is very watchable when revealed through this movie. We were singing for days, "Geronimo's gone... and Treadwell is gone". Good stuff.
Crash	I was astounded at how good this movie actually was. Not cruder than it needed to be and also not graver than necessary. I loved that it avoided lots of opportunities to be a heavier movie. It is in each of us to be better people... or worse - make the small decisions to choose to be better!

Posted by matthew at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

May 24, 2006

Top Rated Movies Left to Watch

I was checking through the IMDb top 250 rated movies and I've seen so many of them that I'd make a list of the ones I haven't seen in the top 50 of that list...

14. Rear Window
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark
18. 12 Angry Men
28. Lawrence of Arabia
30. It's a Wonderful Life
31. Sunset Blvd.
32. American Beauty
39. Paths of Glory
47. The Third Man
49. Hotel Rwanda

In the top 50 of the 2000-2009 decade that I haven't seen are:

9. Hotel Rwanda
21. Oldboy
24. Amores perros
25. Before Sunset
33. Talk to Her
35. V for Vendetta
37. Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom
39. The Magdalene Sisters
48. Vera Drake
49. In the Mood for Love

These lists tell me that I have some Japanese and 50's era movies that I need to catch up on :)

This is fun, let's do the 90's too...

7. American Beauty
27. La Haine
28. Central do Brasil
31. Festen
39. Trois couleurs: Rouge
41. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
44. Chung hing sam lam
45. Delicatessen
50. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Well, I guess I've got my work cut out for me :)

Posted by matthew at 5:11 PM | Comments (0)

January 1, 2006

Movies I've watched for 200b

The extended version of this entry is going to be a list of all the movies I've seen for 200b, their links to the IMDb and what I've thought of them - take a look! See 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 too if you want

Dec 14	Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	7	The dinner prayer and conversation is enough to recommend the movie alone, I liked the concept of the ever-loving friend and the life lessons from his father gone horribly wrong, so a soft recommend.
Dec 11	The Player	7	This is the most cameo filmed movie maybe ever made - so many famous people; lots of whom are just in the background! I mild recommend for those who like RA or are interested in how movie ideas get turned into movies.
Dec 11	An Inconvenient Truth	8	A great documentary from the effervescent AG! Who knew he could carry a movie? The doc didn't have a ton of new information that I didn't know already before but it did make a strong case for the non-believers that global warming is real.
Dec 9	The Family Stone	7	A nice Christmas movie but not as awesome as I hoped. I thought the wrapping up of the movie was wholly unrealistic and I started to dislike the whole movie for it. However, good performances and nice Christmas story of acceptance.
Dec 9	Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story	6	I thought that this was well acted but the TV feel came through. Decent marks also because of the interesting discussion that it raised on the boards - can a person be redeemed? Even one as awful as Tookie?
Dec 6	Sophie's Choice	8	This is one heavy handed movie but the high marks are for MS performance - she was outstanding! The accent was great, but the story is really heavy, so be ready for it.
Dec 5	Awakenings	8	An interesting true story of some medication that woke comatose patients up. The acting performances were really strong, the script was good and pacing and all other details fell into place nicely.
Dec 4	The Third Man	8	A classic of film and a pretty good movie. OW was playing against type in this movie as the villain and it was a decent thriller in all, nicely done.
Dec 2	Unknown White Male	8	The concept of amnesia is one of the most interesting things to me and many of my favorite movies play on this theme. I felt that from a documentary's point of view this was fairly slow at the beginning but picked up pace and turned out to be a decent movie. I felt like there were other themes that were being hammered at me that I didn't pick up on though.
Nov 22	Rebel Without a Cause	7	It's hard to see in hindsight why this movie is so iconic but it is pretty solid. Something that was fascinating to me was the frequency of knifefights (even more fascinating if it's an accurate depiction of the times). Possibly an introduction to the discussion of what family is to people.
Nov 21	The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy	7	It's got a really zany sense of humor that I'm not used to at all but I was chuckling at the 'slow to make things happen' creatures and a few other concepts that were pretty funny.
Nov 19	Three Colors: White	7	This was the most tangible and probably my favorite of the Colors Trilogy. Not a bad story, good acting but the ending was either a little harsh or unbelievable, I'm not sure which.
Nov 18	United 93	9	It really brings you back to the uncertainty of the day due to the misinformation and disbelief. The acting by all unknowns is great and it was quite informational without being too political. It doesn't let up very much which left us uptight throughout, saying, "This is so intense!"
Nov 11	Glengarry Glen Ross	8	Great movie! The dialog is top notch (although lots of expletives) and the story grips throughout. Well fleshed out characters that you feel you know as people by the end of the film. Based on a stage play which means it doesn't move around a lot and lots of scenes drag on in the same location, but overall - great movie and great acting!
Nov 10	The Land Before Time	6	A re-watch from when I was a kid - watched exclusively because there's a character in there named Petrie. Not a bad movie, and if it was, it's still not too long...
Nov 4	Superman Returns	5	A real tragedy! I don't really like superman but this movie was just not very good. The plot is weak, the villain sucks and I didn't find anything redeeming about this film except for maybe the special effects which were excellent.
Oct 22	Lost in La Mancha	6	This movie could have been a lot shorter than it was. It is interesting if you'd like to know what goes into making a movie and all the things that could go wrong. A movie making tragedy of sorts.
Oct 20	Mona Lisa Smile	7	Heidi liked because it wasn't trying to completely present its perspective.
Oct 19	Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance	7	Not as good as the later Oldboy but it certainly does have a different feel than most movies. Gives the perspective of both a child killer and the person who's trying to kill said child killer. Very slow and quiet movie actually and many strange scenes make sure you know it's a foreign flick.
Oct 18	"Entourage - Season 3"	8	That's it! All caught up. A nice little diversion for when you want to waste some time, Lloyd the secretary is another favorite in this season.
Oct 16	Thank you for Smoking	8	A well written and acted movie about a guy who is convinced he can talk his way out of any argument and is quite effective at it; until his kid emulates him a little too much. This guy really reminds me of Paul from Engineering in all the best ways of course.
Oct 13	The Departed	9	Tons of language and graphic violence but if you're a fan of MS you'll love it. Lots of cell phone use in it but I didn't actually find it excessive - I liked the cat and mouse game to see when it was all going to end. The stellar list of actors in this one make it a real pleasure.
Oct 7	Maurice Richard	9	This was a great movie! I was expecting lots and it delivered. I enjoyed how it showed the difference between the french and english and how he empowered the French to bring it down. A passionate person and worthy of the film. Oh, kudos for not focusing on how his life was tough on his marriage - that's been done SO many times already!
Oct 6	"The Office - Season 2"	7	This is a pretty dirty show when compared to the US version, not that great actually, you could probably skip to the Christmas special and enjoy yourself more.
Oct 6	"Entourage - Season 2"	8	More of the same, I'm getting to like Drama a lot.
Oct 6	Nouvelle France	5	Wow, this felt like a bad Saturday afternoon hour long show - it was not able to decide on a theme for the movie so it took them all and mixed them in. Really bad directing.
Oct 3	OldBoy	8	A slightly different take on a revenge movie, the plot is strange and the ending a bit twisted and the very ending seems very foreign movieish to me but it will probably stick in your mind for a bit, so that's good (I think?) One of the greatest one take fight scenes in modern film too!
Sep 27	"Entourage - Season 1"	8	A fluffy series about a movie star and his lackeys as they try to make it in Hollywood. I like all the cameos and interesting inside jokes but mostly, I love Ali Gold, he's got lightning fast witty lines and is acted really well.
Sep 24	Raiders of the Lost Ark	6	The characters, plot and movie as a whole - what's up? I didn't care for this one at all - maybe I watched it way too late after the hype has died down but I don't think I'll catch the rest of the series after this one.
Sep 14	Brick	7	This one reminded me very much of Payback but set at a high school with high school aged characters. The mixing of genres made it really interesting as I didn't know what to expect for the first 30 minutes then got into it. Good story, nice dialogue, pretty decent movie.
Sep 14	Banlieue 13	7	If you're in the mood for wild action a la Jackie Chan but in French, this is not a bad choice. Lots of neat acrobatic stuff and a story that, well, is forgettable. Nice stunts though!
Sep 11	Fever Pitch	7	This is a decent romantic comedy that Heidi really likes and I didn't mind so much. JF is good for many laughs and the story follows the script - the dialogue is better than most. Not bad if the two of you are in the mood for one of these.
Sep 9	Bullitt	8	Classic cop story with a surprisingly good story. I was held to it for awhile and actually didn't quite see the modest surprise coming. Famous for the great Mustang car chase and possibly for S McQ's broodiness; a movie that may be worth checking out.
Sep 5	The Birds	7	A classic horror with a really strange ending. I imagine that it could be a lot more effective today with better effects because I don't think we got a serious feel of anxiousness due to the low quality effects. All in all a good film though - it will keep you entertained.
Aug 26	Game 6	3	Oh boy, this felt like a theater production and I'm not a huge fan of those in movies. I couldn't handle this one too much.
Aug 25	Inside Man	8	An interesting heist movie that had me thinking throughout and when I thought I knew the direction they were heading there is a few more slight twists. Not outrageously twisty for the sake of it but something interesting to think about at least.
Aug 19	Bon Cop, Bad Cop	7	I was expecting more from this film. I did enjoy the banter between the French and English but found the non-comedy scenes a little too horrific for a comedy movie.
Aug 15	You, Me and Dupree	8	An applicable house date with our roomie, Luc. I liked this one more because it was so fitting that Luc was staying with us at the time - we all learned a few things that we should avoid and were better roomies for it.
Aug 11	Mission Impossible III	9	LAX -> YUL - Wow, an airplane movie that was awesome. Now, my expectations for this film were about a 2, I dislike most of TC's movies and the last MI was pretty bad. This one was great though - I loved the purposeful skipping of cliche scenes, the minimal mask reveals and the bad guy - what a great film!
Aug 11	Ali G - InDaHouse	6	I didn't like how the character translated from his interview format to his fictional real life, I much prefer the interviews and the Ali G that doesn't have a history and friends.
Aug 10	"Da Ali G Show"	7	Rezpekt! I'm still trying to do the finger slap thing - I've got the know how, now I just need to execute, it'll come.
Aug 10	Footloose	7	Heidi liked??
Aug 10	In Her Shoes	4	Heidi did not like - didn't even finish - terrible.
Aug 9	The Family Stone	9	Heidi liked! Entusiastic two thumbs! Really good
Aug 8	Last Holiday	9	Heidi liked! Another winner!
Aug 7	Just Friends	3	Heidi did not like this one - even more terrible, didn't finish.
Aug 7	The Sentinel	5	YUL -> LAX - This was a really bad movie, not only because I watched it on an airplane which can ruin lots of films. Nothing really interesting to see here.
Aug 6	The Apartment	8	A classic that really brings you back to the time period really well. While the movie and the romance was kind of strange to me I thought that it is a great indication of where we came from as a culture and the changes that have been made - interesting.
Aug 4	Shopgirl	8	Heidi went for this one - she liked the honesty and realism of the movie. It put her in a cuddly mood so I guess its a winner, no?
Aug 3	Munich	5	This one went on a bit too long and didn't have the feel that I was expecting of it. Too much drama plugged in to a movie that couldn't contain it.
Jul 29	TransAmerica	7	A movie that is about acceptance has to have a character trying to love her gay adult picture making son, anyways... Really well acted and the story moves pretty nicely, I didn't love the extremes of most characters but I thought it was a decent movie.
Jul 27	Honeymoon in Vegas	3	For some reason I distinctly despise these types of movies where everything goes wrong for the title character, where someone is plotting to bring him down, etc. Therefore, I found little to no pleasure in this one.
Jul 22	Rear Window	7	A simple movie (I think it's all shot in one location) with a simple story that manages to carry you on the razor thin plot the whole time, see-sawing you back and forth between what you think really went on.
Jul 20	The Deer Hunter	8	The movie that started the Russian Roulette craze. I thought that it was a bit drawn out and that the beginning was too long but once we got to the middle it moved nicely and showed a very strange picture of what the horrors of war can do to ones mind.
Jul 17	Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit	7	I did enjoy this movie, it resorts to silly visual gimmicks more than snappy dialogue but hey, I'm still saying, "Cheese Gromit, Cheese!" so I guess that means it can hold its own.
Jul 13	Æon Flux	6	I think I liked finding that weird Æ thing for this blog that the movie itself. The story was quite weak, the emotion contrived and the action - not frequent enough.
Jul 4	The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada	7	A gritty movie about a crazy guy who probably takes his vengeance a step too far (maybe not?) but an interesting character study for everyone in the film.
Jul 4	The Matador	7	This movie had fresh dialog and characters and kept me entertained - the short running time also made sure it didn't overstay its welcome. A pretty straight forward plot that is written, and played out very naturally.
Jul 3	Ultraviolet	6	This movie isn't really that bad, sure the acting isn't great, the story is a rehash but the direction and effects are crisp and enjoyable if you want that sort of movie.
Jul 1	Dave Chappelle's Block Party	6	I was more proud of myself for watching a variety of movies in seeing this one and I didn't really care for it a lot. I really like the house dwellers, they were a kooky pair!! The rap was good and if you follow it, you will be quite entertained.
Jun 28	Nacho Libre	7	I was taken by Nacho where I could easily see that some would not be. I loved the thin accent and the silly sayings but the movie itself was pretty forgettable.
Jun 20	Mirrormask	6	This was a Lyf recommend but we like different kinds of movies. I don't get lost in fantasy movies so much and as such wasn't a huge fan. The effects were good however but I found the directing and acting not top notch.
Jun 11	Elizabethtown	4	I made it 45 mins into this one and Heidi and I were squirmy and eyeing each other to see who would say they wanted to turn it off. So boring, unsympathetic characters and a mood that just doesn't work. Maybe this movie gets better after 45 mins but I couldn't bear to wait for it. A huge disappointment.
Jun 9	CaddyShack	7	I enjoyed the movie and this quote made it totally worthwhile, "So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."
Jun 4	Domino	7	A nice piece of acting here and a reasonably well fleshed out character, some of the plot points I didn't really care for but overall a decent movie.
Jun 3	An Unfinished Life	8	A slow moving movie with a few relationships at the heart of it. Plot unravels gently, history of the characters comes out in time, well acted by all and believable dialogue. It shows the huge uphill battle that abused women have to go through to get back on their feet.
Jun 3	Melinda and Melinda	6	The concept of this movie is much better than the actual execution - there's one story but two different takes on it, one that it is tragedy, one that it is comedy - well acted throughout but I wasn't drawn to the characters and thought that some were actually miscast.
Jun 3	V for Vendetta	8	This movie has a lot more talking than you may be expecting and not a ton of action. I was impressed with a few things about the movie (some are spoiler-y so I won't say) but I generally liked it and the idea that government needs some restraining.
Jun 2	C.R.A.Z.Y.	9	I didn't know what to expect from this movie but the acclaim is well deserved. Not as much about Quebecois culture as I thought it would be - more about the 70's in general, methinks. Great acting, interesting family to watch the duration of the film.
May 28	X-men: The Last Stand	7	This was the worst of the three X-Men movies due to the dialogue which was awfully cartoonish in so many places. The action was good as was the overall story - I didn't like th Phoenix character, there was no depth to her/it at all, not a bad movie though all in all.
May 25	Trois couleurs: Bleu	7	A woman who loses her family in a car accident takes it out on herself by isolating herself and being abusive to others (and herself). A painful portrayal which is very well acted and there's a little bit of a mystery in the story which is kinda of revelaed right at the beginning.
May 21	The DaVinci Code	8	I thought it was an accurate cinematic representation of the novel, and BTW, movies are never as good as the book they're made from, so we won't complain about that. I found the musical score too obtrusive, especially at the end, but other than that, the acting and casting was just fine - Enjoyable!
May 21	Marathon Man	7	A classic thriller, involving aged Nazis and super secret government agents; not really what I was expecting but still a pretty good movie. Not something you really must go a see but a worthy thriller from 30 years ago.
May 20	Russian Ark	5	A little to art-y and incomprehensible for me, nice idea for a novelty picture though (the whole film is one shot).
May 17	The Squid and the Whale	9	From about 2 minutes in I knew I was going to like this one. It did have moments where it was fairly crude but the dialogue and family situation was bang-on, phenomenal performances by everyone; I was really drawn into the story and couldn't put it down.
May 15	The New World	7	This movie had me particularily conflicted because while I wasn't really enjoying myself while watching it, it is a good movie. The editing, storytelling, and acting was all good but I found myself constantly tiring of the movie. Maybe because it lacks action, anyways, a very good movie that I made it through and didn't turn off (Heidi loved it).
May 10	Kramer vs. Kramer	7	I believe this is one of the first custody movies which takes the mans perspective in a system where the woman is highly favored simply for being the mother. Well acted and good chemistry between the main characters, I didn't really love the ending although it does seem to be consistent with the characters; not bad.
May 9	Nine Lives	7	Everyone is connected. The theme for these nine vignettes of women in LA, some stories are tragic, others humorous - all are well acted; this movie is full of big name small film actors and it was a pleasure to watch them on the screen. After a while I could feel the screewriters personality come out in all of the women but I guess that's ok.
May 5	Match Point	7	LAX -> YUL - This probably would have been better had I watched it at home instead of the stupid airplane teeny tv's but the movie was quite good, had a nice albeit slow pace and the ending takes you for quite a ride when you're least expecting it. Quite enjoyable.
May 2	Jarhead	7	The language will have some reeling but I really enjoyed this frank look at a soldiers boring life in the first Gulf War. Some images will stick with you (oil fields burning) but the pace may be to slow and the language too coarse for many. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Apr 18	Hostage	6	I was kind of rolling with this movie until near the end when it started to get a little too impausible. Didn't mind the acting and the story but it just got kind of out of hand by the time the end rolled around.
Apr 14	Layer Cake	6	I think the point of this movie was to make everything feel completely out of control and free-flowing like anything could happen and I wasn't quite ready for what I got. As much as I preach that I want unique movies, when I get one like this I didn't quite like it. Can't put my finger right on it but I didn't love this movie...
Apr 11	Constantine	5	I'm setting myself up here with bad movies so really, can I really complain? This one was pretty much exactly what you'd expect, silly, irreverant, and then, just dumb - Although the words of Gabriel at the very end were pretty hilarious. "You could have shot me, John! You chose a higher path. Look how well you're doing!"
Apr 10	Hellboy	5	Seemed like a tired version of so many other crappy movies before it like TLOEG, TR, and even Spawn. Too many fancy sets, not enough meaningful dialogue. I also thought the romantic jealousy storyline was pathetic, I hate those storylines that only happen because you overhear the last part of the conversation.
Apr 10	Mr. and Mrs. Smith	8	I was actually impressed with this movie - more fun than I though. I enjoyed the action (except for the very last scene which was too unbelievable) and the chemistry was pretty great. Worth watching for the type of movie it is.
Apr 3	Beyond Silence	5	I could barely force myself to watch the second half of this after seeing the first half and having my computer battery die. Way too melodramatic, I didn't have a character I was rooting for in the movie, I thought they were all all a little messed up and not portrayed endearingly. Weak dialogue and offbeat pace, not great.
Apr 2	Memoirs of a Geisha	5	The scenery and wardrobes in this movie were outstanding but everything else was bad. The characters were unmotivated and unbelievable, the story was uninteresting, the dialogue was out of a soap opera and I couldn't believe it was in English! I was very disappointed by this one.
Mar 26	Syriana	8	A very good movie, you kind of hover around the edge of what the movie is trying to say until afterwards when you have time to put it all together. Nice performances and well written script.
Mar 25	Howl's Moving Castle	8	Japanese animation is really appealing to me in my 20's. I thought about this movie long after it had finished, there are so many themes that it conveys that don't get attention in other movies. I like how the 'bad' guys always have a chance at redeeming themselves, they're not cut and dried; so many great things to say.
Mar 24	Capote	7	Brilliant acting and nice story covering a brilliant artist and piece of history but a really slow movie; not one I could watch again mostly for the slow pace.
Mar 17	History of Violence	9	I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, and I had pretty high expectations. A mix of guilty pleasure 90's action movies with a story that makes sense and performances that are riveting. Great action and story merge here for a great movie.
Mar 13	Broken Flowers	4	This was awful. I understand it was likely trying to do some of the things that I didn't like but I really didn't go for it. Extremely slow, no plot driving the story, and the characters aren't interesting enough to hold it together; oh, and there's no ending.
Mar 11	King Kong	8	The special effects in this are phenomonal! Some of the acting is off, but Kong, and the dinosaurs are just awesome. A few moments when the movies was too horror-ish and squeamy but otherwise a very fun show.
Mar 9	Princess Mononoke	10	A repeat watching for me - I don't usually watch movies again once I've seen them but I absolutely love this movie even the second time; I would watch it again! I love the honor, mysticism and brand new feel to this movie (it's no Disney fluff!) - a real winner!
Mar 10	All the President's Men	8	A nice historical movie about the Watergate scandal and the reporters at the Washington Post who broke it. I like the way that they confirmed information from their sources, very sneaky. "I'm going to count to 10 and if you're still on the line at that time I know Haldeman was involved, if you hang up I'll know not to print the story". Cool stuff.
Mar 6	The Constant Gardener	9	A large scale look at the situation in Africa and how their poverty makes them targets as cheap bodies to test drugs. I really enjoyed the characters as they changed in the movie and the plot confused me enough to be believable. A worthy Oscar win for Weiss.
Feb 28	Millions	9	A family story with pronounced relevance. British in its humor, this story has strongly written characters in interesting situations that are handled in (mostly) a believable way. A great show!
Feb 20	JuneBug	9	Despite the slow pace this movie had me on the edge of my seat. Accurate portrayal of Christians and also not demeaning. Some unexpected character behavior at the end of the film was a bit unsatisfying but great performances and interesting script keep this moving.
Feb 18	The Island	6	I'm a tough sell on futuristic movies and this one isn't working. So many plot holes, and a story that doesn't quite work. Decent marks for good action and sharp effects.
Feb 14	Cinderella Man	7	A great story and great acting too but I'm growing tired of the expected outcome. I need something with a little bit more unknowns involved; but I guess, what was I expecting?
Feb 14	Ryan	8	A Canadian Oscar winning short about broken people and how their previous experiences affect them. Brilliant and creative animation make this worth watching.
Feb 8	March of the Penguins	8	I'm surprised I gave this an 8 but it was a good movie, thoroughly filmed and researched. Could have been an hour Discovery Channel special but doesn't suffer too much for being a feature length, it seems to hold the length alright. By the end you'll be saying - I get it! It's a cruel world! Sheesh
Jan 22	The Hustler	8	Great performance by PN in an interesting story. It ends in an interesting way and there may be a few unexpected surprises by the time you get there. A cinematic classic for a reason.
Jan 21	Grizzly Man	8	Heidi loved this movie - Treadwell is an tortured, creepy and fascinating man who is very watchable when revealed through this movie. We were singing for days, "Geronimo's gone... and Treadwell is gone". Good stuff.
Jan 4	Crash	10	I was astounded at how good this movie actually was. Not cruder than it needed to be and also not graver than necessary. I loved that it avoided lots of o