Blade Runner: The Final Cut Review

Blade Runner: The Final Cut Review

2007 (theatrical cut released in 1982), 117 minutes

Rated R for violence and brief nudity

I just re-watched a version of Blade Runner tonight.  I had seen the very good director's cut years ago and then today, I started watching the theatrical cut and switched to the final cut because of the flat, lazy voice-over.  What a great decision!  This version is the version that Scott had full control over and with it, he did a great film full justice.  He changed some things here and there, but mainly, he brightened up the film.  Before, it was dark and grainy, but now (and especially because I watched the BluRay) it is vibrant, bright and crisp.  The film looks new and fresh and without the bland voice-over, the movie works well and the mysteriousness and ambiguity are there once again.  

Blade Runner works so well for so many reasons.  The acting, especially by Harrison Ford, is great and Rutger Hauer excels as the film's main villain.  The story is genius as it questions what it means to be alive and human.  The characters' humanity is prevalent in every scene and the main few are three-dimensional.  Blade Runner also does something smart and original by placing a traditional film noir plot into a sci-fi setting making this one of the greatest neo-noir films.  And, it doesn't even take place in the present or past.  While everything else gels, the best parts of the film are the special effects and production design which blend brilliantly with Vangelis' electronic score.  The special effects look as good as any that are done today and blend in some product placement very cleverly.  The production design of neon lights and grime make the world of 2019 Los Angeles really come to life. 

Overall, the "Final Cut" of Blade Runner is a must-see for those that love their sci-fi mixed with philosophy.  Seeing Blade Runner's influence on modern sci-fi films is very interesting and is especially evident when watching Luc Besson's The Fifth Element.

-Joshua Handler

4/4

Shame Review, Rewritten

Shame Review, Rewritten

2011, 101 minutes

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexual content

Some films are like pieces of candy: empty calories.  Some are like a breakfast bar: nutritious and satisfying.  Some others, however, are like a new flavor: unconventional and fascinating.  One such film is the second feature film by co-writer/director Steve McQueen, Shame. 

Shame stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon, a successful man in his thirties who has a sex addiction and is unable to have a meaningful romantic relationship. One day, Brandon returns to his apartment to find that his self-destructive sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), has moved in.  As Sissy stays longer and longer, we learn more and more about Brandon, and we see both of their lives spiral out of control. 

The most striking aspect of Shame is its performances, particularly that of the incredibly versatile Michael Fassbender.  I typically get bored after seeing an actor in multiple films in one year, but Fassbender has such a magnetic screen presence and is such chameleon that I relish every opportunity I get to watch him turn into another character.  Playing such varied roles this past year as Magneto in X-Men: First Class and Carl Jung in A Dangerous Method, he strikes again with a brilliant performance as Brandon.  In Shame, Fassbender creates an interesting personality using very little dialogue, an approach others have used recently to great effect (e.g. Javier Bardem in Biutiful).  Fassbender uses his face to convey volumes of emotion, building despair and shame.  In one scene, Brandon is sitting in his room, trying to avoid the sounds of Sissy making love with his boss.  Curling up on his bed in the corner of his room, we see a pained expression on Brandon’s face that suggests a troubled past.  Though not specifically mentioned in the film, Brandon and Sissy’s characters are developed in ways reminiscent of those with a past of sexual abuse.  Brandon has been unable to satisfy his sex addiction since Sissy moved in, making him increasingly desperate – a man in active withdrawal.  This scene, among many others in the film, epitomizes the genius of Fassbender.  Without saying a single word, I could hear his voice. 

Fassbender’s performance is matched only by the direction of Steve McQueen.  McQueen, coming off of his critical success Hunger (also starring Michael Fassbender), has created a vision and a style all his own.  McQueen makes the film as realistic and raw as possible, and he achieves this through long takes while keeping tight control over the film. In a scene when Brandon is on a date at a restaurant, McQueen sets the camera by the table and films a large portion of the meal with no edits.  This realism emphasizes the rawness of this story.  I felt like a fly on the wall while watching Shame.

Shame’s screenplay, co-written by Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan, adds to the genius of the film.  The beginning and end are like bookends, an elliptical structure befitting of the rest of the story.  Each scene is completely wordless as facial expressions take the place of dialogue, conveying a large message with a hard impact. For the screenwriters to use a dialogue-free method to show the meaning of their film is impressive. In an age where movies must have rapid-fire dialogue to keep audiences interested, it is comforting to see that some writers don’t feel the need to conform.

Shame is a film built on ironies.  In the beginning Brandon tries to seduce a woman by simply looking at her.  He believes that she is flirting with him and fails to notice her wedding ring.  Yet, when Brandon confronts Sissy about her affair with his boss later in the film, he yells at her for not noticing his boss’s wedding ring.  Subtle ironies such as these add to the power of the film as they add humanity to the characters.  With these ironies, the film says that addiction can only be controlled when the addict can step back and gain some perspective on his actions.  If not, he will be as lost as Brandon and Sissy.

Even though this film was nearly perfect, it did have one minor flaw: the pacing was a bit slow in parts.  For example, an overlong take of Brandon jogging briefly lost my attention – a minor flaw in a major film.

Shame is the equivalent to a new food that is unique and distinctive.  I had witnessed a dark and intense aspect of humanity. By the end, I was full.

4/4

-Joshua Handler

The Deep Blue Sea Review

The Deep Blue Sea Review

2012, 98 minutes

Rated R for a scene of sexuality and nudity

The Deep Blue Sea is the new film adapted from Terence Rattigan's play starring Rachel Weisz and directed by acclaimed director Terence Davies.  It is set "around 1950" in London and follows Hester (Weisz), a woman who cheats on her older, caring husband with a passionate, but cold navy officer, Freddie.  Hester is a woman who cannot find the perfect.  Each man represents one half of the perfect man.  Her husband represents the caring side of a man that the fragile Hester needs, and Freddie represents the passion and carnal part of the man that Hester needs.  But, because Hester is torn between the men, she cannot decide where to go and falls into a depression.  

This film succeeds on so many levels, the main being the atmosphere.  Most films cannot ride on their atmosphere, but in this film, it is the driving force.  Davies uses a very old-fashioned manner of camerawork for this film to evoke the period.  The opening shot is of a building and the light outside shining bright.  The camera then swoops up the building showing the first floor, then up a bit more to Hester staring out the window.  It looks like a classic 1940s or '50s melodrama.  Each shot has a nostalgic and cozy, but cold haze over it showing a city shrouded in tragedy.  The set design is meticulous and detailed, but is nothing extravagant.  And that is the genius of it.  Simple, but beautiful.  The camerawork complements the sets and together they, unlike Hester's lovers, form one gorgeous whole.  The opening 10 minutes are comprised of a series of mysterious and haunting flashbacks over classical music.  What follows is a non-linear story about Hester and her problems with her men.

Rachel Weisz is great, as always, in this film.  After a breakout Oscar-winning performance in The Constant Gardener and a powerhouse performance in the disturbing The Whistleblower, she has done it again.  Instead of forceful power, she plays Hester as a broken soul, divided between two men.  She is luminous, and even though her Hester is fragile, she still has a sharp punch in her.  A common theme with all of the characters in the movie is that they are all stuck in their wartime selves or .  Hester's lover, Freddie, is stuck in naval officer mode.  When the war ends, he loses his purpose for life and doesn't know what to do with himself.  Hester had purpose when she was with her husband, William.  In the most haunting scene of the film, Hester stands in William's arms, looking comforted, in the London subway.  Many others are down with them due to an air raid and to reduce tensions and pass time, everyone is singing "Molly Malone."  Davies' camera pans across the scene in the subway.

This film, I thought, showed war's effect on a city.  Everyone was in a sort of dreamlike state and after the war was over, no one recovered.  Davies made this a wonderfully uncompromising romance, but with his uncompromising style comes some risks.  While Davies almost completely succeeds, the movie's glacial pace is sometimes too glacial.  But, maybe that is what Davies is trying to accomplish.  Maybe he is trying to show how life barely moves in a war-ravashed city.

Overall, The Deep Blue Sea is a very good film with Davies' distinct style and his obvious passion for cinema.  Unless you love art films, do not see this film.  This will definitely be one that I would love to revisit in the future.

3.5/4
-Joshua Handler

The Cabin in the Woods Review

The Cabin in the Woods Review

2012, 95 minutes

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, language, drug use, and some sexuality/nudity

The Cabin in the Woods is a very clever horror film by first-time director Drew Goddard.  The film was written by Goddard and Joss Wheadon (Serenity, The Avengers).  It is about a group of people that go into a cabin in the woods, and then the movie goes out of control bonkers after that.  But, to tell you what happens next would blow the fun.

Goddard gets very good performances out of his cast and it is obvious that they all had a blast making this film.  What truly sets this movie apart from all of the millions of by-the-numbers horror films out there is its unpredictability and its inventiveness.  I have seen multiple horror films that are satires on the genre, but none quite go as far and as crazy as this one.  What this movie does is it deconstructs every aspect of a "cabin-in-the-woods" horror movie (like The Evil Dead) and offers an explanation as to why everything happens (i.e. the rise of the dead, the smoke and fog in the woods).  Director Goddard has a very tight grip over the first two-thirds of the film, then lets it go crazy, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  The insanity at the end is incredibly fun.

Overall, Goddard and Wheadon succeed in creating an original and entertaining film well-worth viewing. It delivers the chills, thrills, and the laughs in equal numbers.  I guarantee that you will have a good time.

3.5/4
-Joshua Handler

Titanic 3D Review

Titanic 3D Review

2012 (originally released in 1997), 194 minutes

Rated PG-13 for disaster related peril and violence, nudity, sensuality, and brief language

Titanic is one of the greatest films ever made.  James Cameron, with a bottomless budget, a phenomenal cast, and a vision made a worldwide phenomenon, the second highest-grossing film ever made, and an 11-time Oscar-winner.  He melded together a romance story, a historical drama, and a disaster story.  With every cliché in the book and a melodramatic plot, why does this movie work and why have hoards of people flocked to the theatre to relive the experience of the film?  This will not be a critical evaluation of the film, but more of a discussion as to why this film has achieved the success it did and why I love it.

Titanic has something for everyone.  If you like romance, you can view this movie as the romance of the century.  If you like history, you can view this as a historical film.  And, if you like special effects and action, then the entire second half of this movie will be more than suiting.  This movie worked so well for me and excelled where Cameron's next record-breaking hit Avatar failed.  In Avatar, I could not have cared less about the characters.  They were not relatable and the story behind them was recycled.  In Titanic, Cameron builds three-dimensional characters of Jack and Rose and I cared for them every second of the movie.  When the ship starts to sink, I truly wanted for them to survive.  Yes, their star-crossed love story has been told thousands of times, but the history behind their love story is fascinating.  The sinking of the Titanic was an interesting and horrifically tragic event and seeing it reenacted is mind-blowing.  Another place where Titanic excels over Avatar is in terms of Cameron's passion for the story.  In Avatar, it seemed as if he was trying too hard in conveying an environmental message and too focused on the effects that he forgot about everything else.  In Titanic, it is obvious that Cameron knows the extent of the tragedy and tries his hardest to show in all its horror the cost of human life.  During some heart-wrenching scenes while the ship is sinking, he focuses in on certain individuals holding on to their last moments of life such as an older couple in bed with the water seeping in around them.  The passion was obviously there when James Cameron made this film and created the scenes, whereas in Avatar, the passion was caught elsewhere.

The second half of the movie where the Titanic sinks is one of the most compelling and horrifying scenes in film history.  Rendered with nearly flawless special effects by Cameron and crew, they show the full terror of the sinking.  Hardly anything looks fake and he makes sure that you see the size of the ship.  She was massive.  Absolutely massive.  The way Cameron wove the special effects with the human actors and the set are unreally good.  Though the film is 15 years old, it has not aged at all.  The 3D is also very good, adding depth to the film and truly making it feel as if you are in the movie.  Was it necessary?  No.  But, is it good?  Yes.

As I type this review, 100 years ago to the minute, the Titanic was sinking into the depths of the Atlantic ocean.  1514 people died simply because there were not enough lifeboats and that the crew did not load the lifeboats to capacity.  To remember those people, see Titanic.  It is a film for the ages and one that is necessary to see on the big screen.  R.I.P. those that lost their lives with the Titanic.  

4/4

-Joshua Handler

The Raid: Redemption Review

The Raid: Redemption Review

2012, 101 minutes

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence throughout, and language

The Raid: Redemption is the latest in a string of phenomenal films from Sony Pictures Classics (A Separation, In Darkness, Midnight in Paris) and it follows a SWAT team that must invade a 15-story apartment building in Jakarta, Indonesia and capture the gangster that runs it.  However, when they arrive, they are heavily outnumbered.  With this film, Welsh director Gareth Evans puts himself on the international map.  His style is undeniably thrilling and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel. 

This movie has a bare-bones plot that needs no more explanation than what I gave you above.  However, that is not the point.  The point is the action which is brutal, gory, and thrilling.  The action consists of a mix between Silat martial arts and gun violence.  Evans was one of the action choreographers on the film and some scenes are downright astounding.  They have a forceful nature that propels the film forward most of these scenes are believable; they do not include many death-defying stunts.  The action is bare-bones and takes place in every setting that they could find in the building.  As incredible as the gunfights are, the martial arts scenes are will be the ones that this film will be remembered for.  Most of these scenes take place in a bare room or hallway that simply allows the players to use their hands, nothing else.  That’s not to say that in every other scene the fighters don’t use anything else they can get their hands on. 

Needless to say, this is one of the most violent films I have seen in months.  When I was at the theater last night viewing it, there was a little girl who could not have been more than six years old with her parents.  This movie (and many others with a similar level of violence) makes a strong push for theaters making stricter rules against young kids being able to see hard-R-rated films such as this. 

Overall, The Raid: Redemption is a 100-minute thrill ride that will please fans of pure action cinema.  If you don’t like subtitles, there is not much to read in this lean, mean, action fest.  This movie will most likely appeal to those who love action cinema or those that want to have a good time.

3.5/4

-Joshua Handler

In Darkness Review

In Darkness Review

2011, 145 minutes

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, sexuality, nudity, and language

What is the deal with the Oscars?  Why do they never recognize foreign directors?  Agnieszka Holland directs this film with such a drive and original manner that it is a shame that she wasn't nominated.  Her film follows a man who, when the Nazis come into Lvov, Poland, hides Jews in the sewers.  The acting is excellent, but this is one film where the story and the craftsmanship are what make it the amazing piece of art that it is.  Much of the film was actually filmed in sewers which, after 145 minutes, makes the film grueling to watch.  I could practically smell the stench and feel the grit that the Jews felt underground, in darkness.  Holland makes full use of her surroundings and captures the claustrophobia and mood like few others could.  Her work here is daring and original.  If I ran the Oscars, she would get a Best Director nomination along with Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) and Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin).

The violence and tension in the film are relentless; the opening scene is a massacre in a forest.  As I was watching this film, I was on the edge of my seat, praying that no other horrifying events would occur.  But, alas, I was wrong.  The entire film is about survival and because of this, nearly every scene is a life-or-death situation.  But, Holland treats the film's subject with the utmost seriousness and respect making none of it feel fake or exploitative.  All I could think about during and after this film was about how genocides still happen and about the extent of man's capacity to do evil.  How could people do what the Nazi's did to others of their same species?  I have thought about this before, but it was especially prevalent after watching 2 1/2 hours of horror.

Though the violence was disturbing, the film was touching.  What touched me most about this film, was the heroism on display here.  I know that we have seen many "gentile-has-a-change-of-heart-and-saves-Jews" films, but this one is especially touching due to the extreme circumstances and the realistic feel of the danger that the main character faced.

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, this film is a top-notch piece of work that will move and disturb you like few others could.  When I arrived back at my house, I walked over to my dog and hugged him with tears of pain and the gratefulness to be alive welling up in my eyes.  Do yourself a favor as a human being, see this film.

4/4
-Joshua Handler

Bullhead Quick Review

Bullhead Quick Review

2011, 124 minutes

Rated R for some strong violence, language and sexual content

Bullhead is one of the five Best Foreign Language Film Oscar-nominees and is the feature film debut by Michael R. Roskam.  This crime drama centers around the Belgian beef hormone mafia and what happens when Jacky, a haunted, hormone-addicted man, makes a deal with a shady beef trader.  The acting is excellent across the board, but Matthias Schoenaerts is the stand-out as Jacky.  His looming, hulking screen presence is exactly what the film needs.  He acts with very little dialogue which is especially impressive.  The script by Roskam helps Schoenaerts by making his character fascinating and three-dimensional.  Throughout the film, we get glimpses into Jacky's past, building the character.  The story is not wildly different from most other crime movies, but the originality comes from the characters, setting, and the fact that it involves a beef hormone mafia in Belgium.  I really look forward to what Roskam has up his sleeve for any subsequent films because this one is brutal, intense, and very original.

3.5/4
-Joshua Handler

The Best of 2011

The Top Films of 2011

When compiling a "best of the year list", I always have ten spots, but around 15-20 movies as some films fill multiple spots.  2011 has been a terrible year for mainstream films, with a few big surprises (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, X-Men: First Class), but one of the best in a while for indies.  I have seen 75 releases so far, but the reason why so many of them end up on my list is because I only try to see those that are well-received, as I do not have the time or money to blow on the garbage.  So, without further ado, here are my top films of the year:

1.  The Artist (Dir. Michel Hazanavicius) - The Artist is the best film I have seen in years for so many reasons.  It is incredibly clever, has some great performances, and it is SILENT!!!  Director Hazanavicius has done his homework as he nails every aspect of silent filmmaking from the 4:3 aspect ratio to the credits over a shaky background to the camera angles.  The Artist may very well be the Best Picture Oscar-winner of 2011 and would truly be a worthy winner.

1. A Separation (Dir. Asghar Farhadi) - One of the biggest surprises of the year,  the Iranian drama A Separation provoked the longest post-viewing discussion I've had in a while and is the one of the greatest films I have ever seen.  In the film, a woman wants to leave Iran for a better life for her daughter while her husband wants to stay to care for his father with Alzheimer's.  This causes the woman to want a divorce and that part of the story isn't even the half of it.  Nominated for two Oscars, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay, A Separation deserves both, hands down.  The characters are complex, as is the story, and writer/director/producer Asghar Farhadi makes a morally ambiguous and thrilling film out of humans being humans.  There are no governmental criticisms or religious overtones.  The film depicts modern-day Iran in a very different light than we get in the news.  Not everyone is a religious extremist out to nuke America.  The characters are everyday human beings and you will see people that you know in them.  Not one moment of this movie was boring, monotonous, or poorly acted.  In short, it was wall-to-wall perfection.

2.  Hugo (Dir. Martin Scorsese) - Hugo is a masterpiece by Scorsese and may very well be his best film. With this movie, Scorsese tells a wonderful story about a boy living in the walls of Paris' train station while still managing to throw in film history lessons.  With a bottomless budget and the best use of 3-D I have ever seen, Scorsese has triumphed again with this warm, wonderful gem.

3.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Dir. David Fincher) - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a completely unique vision of the novel of the same name by master director David Fincher (The Social Network, Se7en).  By improving on both its source material and its Swedish predecessor and meeting my impossibly high expectations, this movie has accomplished a large feat.  Rooney Mara's performance is one of the top few that I have seen all year.

3. 50/50 (Dir. Jonathan Levine) - 50/50 is the story of a young man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who gets cancer and tries to beat it with the help of his friend (Seth Rogan). This movie really moved me with it's mix of searing honesty and laugh-out-loud humor. This movie never is disrespectful in it's blend of drama and humor and is elevated by amazing performances.

4. War Horse (Dir. Steven Spielberg) - War Horse is Steven Spielberg's homage to the past masters and melodramas and is beautiful.  The cinematography is superb and the battle scenes are incredibly realistic.  What really stood out to me is the anti-war message that the film conveyed.  Yes, we have all heard the story and seen it and its message before, but with Steven Spielberg rendering it via this drama, it is okay to see and hear it again.

4.  Martha Marcy May Marlene (Dir. Sean Durkin) - Martha Marcy May Marlene is a gripping psychological thriller that is also the feature film debut of director Sean Durkin.  It follows a young woman (Elizabeth Olsen in a dynamite performance) who, after escaping from a cult, becomes increasingly paranoid that they are following her.  It is a smartly scripted, beautifully photographed film that impressed me from start to finish.

5. Another Earth (Dir. Mike Cahill) - Another Earth is a little-known drama about a young woman who, after killing an entire family (save for a man) in a car crash, decides to help out the man after another earth appears in the sky.  Made for $250,000, this movie really packs an emotional impact with its symbolism, gritty realism, and message.  I was floored after finishing this gem, as the ending left me speechless.

5.  Tabloid (Dir. Errol Morris) - Tabloid follows Joyce McKinney, a woman who caused a scandal in the 1970s.  That is all that I'm going to tell you because if I told you more, I would be doing you a grave disservice.  Also, do not read any synopsis or look up McKinney as it would ruin much of the fun.  Tabloid was one of the most bizarre documentaries that I have ever seen and also one of the most entertaining.  Told entirely through interviews, Tabloid tells a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the insanity.

6.  Melancholia (Dir. Lars von Trier) - After director Lars von Trier's disastrous Cannes press conference that led to his being labeled a "persona non grata", it is a miracle that this movie survived.  It won Kirsten Dunst the Best Actress award at Cannes, and follows a depressed bride (Dunst) and her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) during the last few days before a rogue planet, Melancholia, crashes into Earth.  This movie is the most beautiful of the year and is also thought-provoking and heartbreaking.  The acting is phenomenal and it also features the year's best sequence: its prologue of the destruction of Earth set to Wagner's prelude to Tristen and Isolde.

6. The Skin I Live In (Dir. Pedro Almodóvar) - The Skin I Live In is the new film by Almodóvar and is kinky, disturbing, but thought-provoking fun. It tells the story of a plastic surgeon whose wife was burned in a car crash and how he tries to make an indestructible skin. He also keeps a woman in his basement as his prisoner/patient. This movie features Almodóvar's signature melodramatic twists and plot elements combined with sex and murder. It also features an especially interesting twist that makes this movie brilliant and gives the movie a whole new meaning. Antonio Banderas and Elana Anaya as doctor and patient/prisoner are excellent. 

6. The Descendants (Dir. Alexander Payne) - The Descendants is the first film in 7 years by Alexander Payne (Sideways) and it is about a Hawaiian land baron, Matt King (George Clooney), who tries to keep his family together after his wife falls into a coma.  This movie has everything from laughs to tears, and whatever is in between.  It deftly balances, like 50/50, its emotional moments and its humorous ones and is also a story that many will be able to relate to.  What elevates this movie above most others is the acting and the writing.  Clooney gives a stipped-down and emotionally raw performance.  He is not the fast-talking Michael Clayton of Michael Clayton or the charming Ryan Bingham of Up in the Air.  This could be Oscar gold.  The rest of the cast also give the movie their best effort and succeed.  The script is crisp and kept me guessing all of the way.  The attention to detail, though, is really astounding as the screenwriters incorporate Hawaiian cultural aspects and one particularly moving scene towards the end (I will not tell you what happens for fear that the impact will be lessened) that moved me to tears and adds significant depth.  The Descendants is a must-see for anyone and will surely be honored come Oscar night.

7. Take Shelter (Dir. Jeff Nichols) - Take Shelter is director Jeff Nichols' sophomore feature film that won the Critics Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It is a thought-provoking drama with a powerful performance by Academy Award-nominee Michael Shannon who plays Curtis LaForche, a man who builds a storm shelter in his backyard after having visions of apocalyptic storms.  Jessica Chastain plays his wife.  The question behind the movie is whether Curtis is crazy, or the rest of the world is for not listening to him.  Throughout the film, I was riveted watching Shannon and Chastain act up a storm (no pun intended) and thinking about the insights this movie lends to present-day society.  This film will most likely get no Oscar nominations (although it definitely deserves some), but do not dismiss it when it is released on DVD, it is fascinating.

8. Drive (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn) - Winner of the Best Director Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Drive is a unique thriller that follows an unnamed stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who drives getaway cars at night.  Featuring an '80s Europop soundtrack and a very distinct filming style, Drive is a thrill to watch from beginning to end.  However, this is not a Fast and Furious movie.  It is extremely violent, but it does not have wall-to-wall action and car chases.  The few car chases that it does have are played very quietly which make this movie a breath of fresh air.  This is Ryan Gosling's performance of the year as he plays Driver with a quiet intensity and relatively few words.  Overall, Drive is unlike any movie I have ever seen, and will not be for everyone, but those who give it a chance will be amply rewarded. 

8. Midnight in Paris (Dir. Woody Allen) - Twenty-three-time Oscar-nominee Woody Allen has always been one of my favorite directors, but recently his films have not been up to par with those of his past work.  However, with Midnight in Paris, he is back.  Allen tells the story of Gil (Owen Wilson), a writer who, while on vacation with his fiancé (Rachel McAdams), gets swept off at midnight to go to 1920s Paris, the place of his dreams.  The magic flows throughout this movie and the cast is excellent, especially Owen Wilson channeling the whiny nebbish of Woody Allen while still injecting some of his charm and charisma into the role.  Allen throws some clever side jokes into the movie and never loses sight of the message that he is trying to convey.  Midnight in Paris is Allen's highest-grossing movie to date and ran at the theater for nearly seven months.  It is a truly magic movie that hopefully will mark the restart of a chain of excellent Woody Allen movies and absolutely deserves a place on my top 10 of the year.

9. Like Crazy (Dir. Drake Doremus) - Winner of the Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Grand Prize and the Dramatic Grand Prize for Acting (for Felicity Jones), Like Crazy is the a refreshingly honest romance movie.  It follows two college students, Jacob and Anna (Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones, respectively), as they fall in love.  However, Anna's student visa runs out, and she has to return to England, so the two try to do whatever it takes to stay together.  Shot on a $250,000 budget and almost completely improvised, this movie, like The Descendants, has moments that are beautifully done and emphasize the emotions without words.  This movie is like 2011s Blue Valentine, but less grueling, and is was a satisfying, realistic viewing experience.

10. Shame (Dir. Steve McQueen) - Shame is one of the most provocative (it is rated NC-17) and ambitious of the year depicting what happens when a sex-addict's (Michael Fassbender) self-destructive sister (Carey Mulligan) moves in with him.  With a unique approach to the material, a phenomenal performance by Michael Fassbender, and scenes that will haunt you for months afterwards, Shame is a beautiful and different look at a very taboo subject.

Honorable Mention (HM): A Dangerous Method (Dir. David Cronenberg) - A Dangerous Method is a large departure from the usual Cronenberg films as it depicts the deterioration of the professional relationship between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen in a career-best performance) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) over a mentally disturbed patient, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightly).  It is a smart, well-acted, and well-written movie that may be too dry for those not interested in the psychologists.  I, however, am fascinated by 

them and was delighted to see these giants portrayed onscreen.  

HM: The Tree of Life (Dir. Terrence Malick) - Possibly the most polarizing film of 2011, Cannes Palm d'Or-winner The Tree of Life is either a beautiful and meditative view on life, the universe, and everything else, or a pretentious bore.  I found it to be the former.  Featuring gorgeous cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and a powerful performance by Brad Pitt, this movie was challenging and, ultimately, very rewarding.

HM: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (Dir. David Yates) - I have always been a fan of the Harry Potter series, but have never loved any of the movies for many reasons which I will not discuss now.  However, with this final chapter in the series, director Yates and the entire cast have hit it out of the park.  This part has great acting, a fast pace, gorgeous visuals, and an emotionally resonant finale.  Bravo to everyone involved who has stayed with this series since 2001.   

HM. Jane Eyre (Dir. Cary Fukunaga) - Jane Eyre is a retelling of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name.  It stars Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender and is a harsh new vision of the story.  What sets this movie apart from other period pieces is that it is not glamorous and shows what life in England was probably like in the early 19th Century.  Wasikowska and Fassbender are both great in their roles and Moira Buffini's script is crisp and quickly-paced.  Overall, what could have been a dry, big 

period piece turned out to be an electrifying film full of life with a unique take on a classic novel.

2011 Films Viewed

Readers,
I mentioned yesterday that my Best of 2011 post was coming this weekend.  In order for you all to see the films that I chose from, you can see below all of the films that I have viewed from 2011.
What did you see in 2011?  Post comments below.

Cedar Rapids ***1/2
Source Code ***1/2
Win Win ***1/2
Hop **
Hobo With a Shotgun ***
Fast Five ***
Bridesmaids ***1/2
Cave of Forgotten Dreams *1/2
The Double Hour ***1/2
Midnight in Paris ****
Kung Fu Panda 2 **1/2
X-Men: First Class ***1/2
The Tree of Life ****
Super 8 **1/2
Horrible Bosses *1/2
Transformers: Dark of the Moon**1/2
TrollHunter **1/2
Crazy, Stupid, Love. ***
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 ****
Tabloid ****
Rango ***1/2
The Guard ***
Beginners ***
Cowboys and Aliens **
The Devil's Double ***1/2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes ***1/2
Captain America: The First Avenger***
The Whistleblower ***
Friends With Benefits ***
Jane Eyre ****
Point Blank ***1/2
Our Idiot Brother ***1/2
Contagion ***
Warrior ***1/2
Drive ****
The Debt ***
Senna ***1/2
Moneyball ***1/2
50/50 ****
Sucker Punch *1/2
Melancholia ****
Take Shelter ****
The Ides of March ***
The Descendants ****
The Artist ****
The Skin I Live In ****
Paranormal Activity 3 *
Martha Marcy May Marlene ****
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil **1/2
Sleeping Beauty ***1/2
Puss in Boots ***
Like Crazy ****
Tower Heist *1/2
Immortals ***
My Week With Marilyn ***1/2
A Serbian Film ****
The Muppets ***
Hugo ****
Shame ****
J. Edgar **
Young Adult ****
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol ***1/2
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy **
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ****
Another Earth ****
Bellflower 0 stars
Margin Call ***1/2
Attack the Block ****
Submarine ***
War Horse ****
The Adventures of Tintin **1/2
A Dangerous Method ****
Carnage ***1/2
Pina ***1/2
A Separation ****
A Better Life ***1/2
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ***1/2
The Iron Lady **
Albert Nobbs ***
The Help ***
In Darkness ****