Make the world...happier...
The Pig of Happiness
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
2010 Isn't Dead: 12 Films Worth Mentioning
To complete my film thoughts for 2010 I decided to make a top 12 list of non top 10 films that deserve to be in a top 10...because no one makes a top 12 list...
# 1 - The Cove
Wow. Hard hitting climax. Jaw dropped when they revealed the hidden cam footage. Very well made documentary. If you like dolphins as food, this will serve as propaganda, but good propaganda non the less, for the rest of the world. After seeing this I'll feel too bad to even stroke one of these lovely sex enjoying pain feeling mammals.
# 2 - Machete
Classic grindhouse film. Tongue in cheeck nonsense. But I love nonsense.
# 3 - Kick-Ass
What a pleasure to watch! Classic and pleasing to my man muscle(little boy desires in me that can never die, like owning a mini gun firing jet-pack) desiring a perfect blend between action, comedy and drama. It left me with the feeling that if I had watched this film 12 years ago it would have been my favourite...ever!
# 4 - Tangled
Disney movies just get to me. It must be due to the spell they put on me when I was a child to laugh at the funny bits and cry at the sad ones...I know this because it still happens today. I can't seem NOT to enjoy what Disney chooses to dish out. If they were to put a piece of elephant secretion on a plate and serve it as such, I'd still laugh at the funny bits and cry at the sad ones.
# 5 - Jackass 3(D)
If you don't like seeing people put themselves in ridiculous situations, where no human being would be in otherwise, aiming for epicness? You're fine. But me, I like. You know when you laugh so much you cant breathe and a certain amount of snot shoots from your nose and spits runs from your mouth but you cant seem to do anything about it because you're basically paralysed from laughing? Not? You're still fine. But me, I failed.
# 6 - Away We Go
The more sophisticated comedy on the list. Sam Mendes proves his mastery over this genre through his directing. I might be pro-Mendes, but what he touches turns to cinematic gold for me. Loved the indie feel of this film from a big-time director. Mendes was disguised and no former trace of his other films could be seen, maybe in the exception of the editing. Still VERY good.
# 7 - MacGruber
MacGuyver rip-off by SNL legends. I love slapstick and we don't find to many good ones any more. This was the best of 2010.
# 8 - Repo Men
This Hollywood remake of Repo: The Genetic Opera was surprisingly good. I approach remakes with extreme caution and found this one pleasantly surprising. Jude Law was totally believable as a bad-ass in the fight scenes, one more thing I found surprising! It's has a dark ending/twist which really put the cherry on the cake for me.
# 9 - Tron: Legacy
Amazing effects. Cinematography blew my hair back, it would have been my mind but I was sitting in the back of the cinema. In honour of my second cinema viewing of the film, I watched Tron(1982). I can understand how it could have become a cult film, but big ups to the Joseph Kosinski who made our 2010 sequel worth its legacy.
# 10 -
I love films where the comedy lies in the drama. Well, the rule of comedy is that it has to be played real. So my first statement carries no weight really. Anyway! Great script followed by great directing!
# 11 - Youth in Revolt
I'm not the biggest Michael Cera fan, solely because he is the king of typecasting. Given, he is very good in what he does. And the reason why I liked this film so much is because I got to see a little something else from him in the form of his evil alter-ego. The combination of this and the elements of what I like about him with a dash of unexpected mature humour made this bad-boy find his own way onto the list.
# 12 - Dinner for Schmucks
I really didn't expect to like this one. If Cera is the king of typecast, Carell is its prince(and Paul Rudd is slowly, but surely, joining the ranks). The script and Carell never made this utterly idiotic character feel forced or unbelievable. I found his idiocy charming, cute, hilarious, sad and heart warming. Exactly what they were aiming for! The mind-battle between Steve Carell and Zack Galifinakis something I will be re-enacting with my fellow fan friends for a long time.
# 1 - The Cove
Wow. Hard hitting climax. Jaw dropped when they revealed the hidden cam footage. Very well made documentary. If you like dolphins as food, this will serve as propaganda, but good propaganda non the less, for the rest of the world. After seeing this I'll feel too bad to even stroke one of these lovely sex enjoying pain feeling mammals.
# 2 - Machete
Classic grindhouse film. Tongue in cheeck nonsense. But I love nonsense.
# 3 - Kick-Ass
What a pleasure to watch! Classic and pleasing to my man muscle(little boy desires in me that can never die, like owning a mini gun firing jet-pack) desiring a perfect blend between action, comedy and drama. It left me with the feeling that if I had watched this film 12 years ago it would have been my favourite...ever!
Disney movies just get to me. It must be due to the spell they put on me when I was a child to laugh at the funny bits and cry at the sad ones...I know this because it still happens today. I can't seem NOT to enjoy what Disney chooses to dish out. If they were to put a piece of elephant secretion on a plate and serve it as such, I'd still laugh at the funny bits and cry at the sad ones.
# 5 - Jackass 3(D)
If you don't like seeing people put themselves in ridiculous situations, where no human being would be in otherwise, aiming for epicness? You're fine. But me, I like. You know when you laugh so much you cant breathe and a certain amount of snot shoots from your nose and spits runs from your mouth but you cant seem to do anything about it because you're basically paralysed from laughing? Not? You're still fine. But me, I failed.
# 6 - Away We Go
The more sophisticated comedy on the list. Sam Mendes proves his mastery over this genre through his directing. I might be pro-Mendes, but what he touches turns to cinematic gold for me. Loved the indie feel of this film from a big-time director. Mendes was disguised and no former trace of his other films could be seen, maybe in the exception of the editing. Still VERY good.
# 7 - MacGruber
MacGuyver rip-off by SNL legends. I love slapstick and we don't find to many good ones any more. This was the best of 2010.
# 8 - Repo Men
This Hollywood remake of Repo: The Genetic Opera was surprisingly good. I approach remakes with extreme caution and found this one pleasantly surprising. Jude Law was totally believable as a bad-ass in the fight scenes, one more thing I found surprising! It's has a dark ending/twist which really put the cherry on the cake for me.
Amazing effects. Cinematography blew my hair back, it would have been my mind but I was sitting in the back of the cinema. In honour of my second cinema viewing of the film, I watched Tron(1982). I can understand how it could have become a cult film, but big ups to the Joseph Kosinski who made our 2010 sequel worth its legacy.
# 10 -
I love films where the comedy lies in the drama. Well, the rule of comedy is that it has to be played real. So my first statement carries no weight really. Anyway! Great script followed by great directing!
# 11 - Youth in Revolt
I'm not the biggest Michael Cera fan, solely because he is the king of typecasting. Given, he is very good in what he does. And the reason why I liked this film so much is because I got to see a little something else from him in the form of his evil alter-ego. The combination of this and the elements of what I like about him with a dash of unexpected mature humour made this bad-boy find his own way onto the list.
I really didn't expect to like this one. If Cera is the king of typecast, Carell is its prince(and Paul Rudd is slowly, but surely, joining the ranks). The script and Carell never made this utterly idiotic character feel forced or unbelievable. I found his idiocy charming, cute, hilarious, sad and heart warming. Exactly what they were aiming for! The mind-battle between Steve Carell and Zack Galifinakis something I will be re-enacting with my fellow fan friends for a long time.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Top 10 Movies of 2010 according to: Me
2010. Noted. World-cup. Noted. My dogs kidney stone. Noted. Movies. Yes, please!
I don't have an order of 1 being my most favourite and 10 being my least favourite of the favourites, all 10 of these films share, both, the coveted spot of number one and the 'just made it' spot of number 10. My list is one that reflects democracy . All genres are equal!...so to speak...
SO! In no specific order, here goes nothing...my top 10 films of '10.
#1 - The Social Network
Fincher does it again. Impress me with his strong direction and getting the masses to watch something that they would otherwise find boring due to its subject matter and theme and would simply press the 'skip' button on their lives without thinking twice about what they've missed. But this time, I can say that Fincher's direction was matched by an equally strong, maybe even stronger, script.
#2 - Inception
By no means perfect, but I dare not challenge Nolans brilliance. The script was interesting(and minimally flawed) but that was backed by strong direction. Smart and entertaining. Win, win.
#3 - Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In)
I know this actually came out in 2008, but seeing as Let Me In is coming later this year(in South Africa) and that Let the Right One In only arrived on your shelves in 2010, I cannot NOT put it up here. Quaint as can be! I don't want to call it subtle, but in the director's choice of what to show and when, and what NOT to show, is a style that has always struck a very personal cord with me. It's a style I have always planned on implementing in my own films. Simplistic and lovely.
#4 - The Limits of Control
A lot of films are just a regurgitation of dialogue to explain what is happening. I feel this is, as an audience member, insulting. The Limits of Control is made for a specific type of movie goer, one that will appreciate it's intelligent finesse.
#5 - Mr. Nobody
Besides the fact that the most beautiful man since the first documented event in history is there to look at for 2hours, this film might be one of my top 10 movies of all time. An extremely complex plot mixed with themes of self-identity, love, meaning of life and self, time and space, choices, consequences, and alternate universes and it's influence on our own. My cup of tea since the day of my ascension up till my clock stops at 118...and time begins again...
#6 -Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Over-stylized(in a good way) and EPIC! Something I'm aiming for one day.
#7 - The American
It's simplicity is charming and engaging. Straight forward, subtle and daring. Daring in the sense that film makers today all too often try to over compensate with over direction because they fear that their film will lose its audience if their style is not engaging enough. It definitely shines through if a director has confidence in the story he's telling AND the way it's told. This story asked to be told in the slow and simplistic way it was. It came as a breath of fresh air to me.
#8 - Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)
If I were forced to sum this film up in one word, that word would be: Brilliant, with a capital B. Haneke is one of my favourite directors and he gave me a new reason to love his work with this film. It proves, once again, that by being subtle, you can come across much stronger. Note - The child actors were AMAZING! I don't know if it's solely good casting or if Haneke has a magic amazing-child-acting-wand he waves over these silver screen wonders.
#9 - The Fighter
We have seen this type of story many times before, but the hard hitting truth behind the 'zero to hero' story of the real life characters culture and circumstances and the way it's portrayed and told is what makes this film so special. You believe in the truth of what you see and hear without having to try.
#10 - Toy Story 3
This film found perfect timing with me personally. As a child Toy Story 1 and 2 had a profound influence on me and with 3 it came around full circle. Beyond my nostalgic tears I saw a bulletproof script that was only elevated more by Pixar's imaginative direction.
I don't have an order of 1 being my most favourite and 10 being my least favourite of the favourites, all 10 of these films share, both, the coveted spot of number one and the 'just made it' spot of number 10. My list is one that reflects democracy . All genres are equal!...so to speak...
SO! In no specific order, here goes nothing...my top 10 films of '10.
#1 - The Social Network
Fincher does it again. Impress me with his strong direction and getting the masses to watch something that they would otherwise find boring due to its subject matter and theme and would simply press the 'skip' button on their lives without thinking twice about what they've missed. But this time, I can say that Fincher's direction was matched by an equally strong, maybe even stronger, script.
#2 - Inception
By no means perfect, but I dare not challenge Nolans brilliance. The script was interesting(and minimally flawed) but that was backed by strong direction. Smart and entertaining. Win, win.
#3 - Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In)
I know this actually came out in 2008, but seeing as Let Me In is coming later this year(in South Africa) and that Let the Right One In only arrived on your shelves in 2010, I cannot NOT put it up here. Quaint as can be! I don't want to call it subtle, but in the director's choice of what to show and when, and what NOT to show, is a style that has always struck a very personal cord with me. It's a style I have always planned on implementing in my own films. Simplistic and lovely.
#4 - The Limits of Control
A lot of films are just a regurgitation of dialogue to explain what is happening. I feel this is, as an audience member, insulting. The Limits of Control is made for a specific type of movie goer, one that will appreciate it's intelligent finesse.
#5 - Mr. Nobody
Besides the fact that the most beautiful man since the first documented event in history is there to look at for 2hours, this film might be one of my top 10 movies of all time. An extremely complex plot mixed with themes of self-identity, love, meaning of life and self, time and space, choices, consequences, and alternate universes and it's influence on our own. My cup of tea since the day of my ascension up till my clock stops at 118...and time begins again...
#6 -Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Over-stylized(in a good way) and EPIC! Something I'm aiming for one day.
#7 - The American
It's simplicity is charming and engaging. Straight forward, subtle and daring. Daring in the sense that film makers today all too often try to over compensate with over direction because they fear that their film will lose its audience if their style is not engaging enough. It definitely shines through if a director has confidence in the story he's telling AND the way it's told. This story asked to be told in the slow and simplistic way it was. It came as a breath of fresh air to me.
#8 - Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon)
If I were forced to sum this film up in one word, that word would be: Brilliant, with a capital B. Haneke is one of my favourite directors and he gave me a new reason to love his work with this film. It proves, once again, that by being subtle, you can come across much stronger. Note - The child actors were AMAZING! I don't know if it's solely good casting or if Haneke has a magic amazing-child-acting-wand he waves over these silver screen wonders.
#9 - The Fighter
We have seen this type of story many times before, but the hard hitting truth behind the 'zero to hero' story of the real life characters culture and circumstances and the way it's portrayed and told is what makes this film so special. You believe in the truth of what you see and hear without having to try.
#10 - Toy Story 3
This film found perfect timing with me personally. As a child Toy Story 1 and 2 had a profound influence on me and with 3 it came around full circle. Beyond my nostalgic tears I saw a bulletproof script that was only elevated more by Pixar's imaginative direction.
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