Film of the Month: February

Just as a reminder: this isn't a list of films released in February, just a project stating my favorite film that I saw that month for the first time. I'll list six honorable mentions this time (I saw more movies in February), the worst film of the month, and some other great ones at the end.

Film of the Month: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Directed by Robert Benton.

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Justin Henry.

It took me a long time to finally get around to watching Kramer vs. Kramer. I guess I was holding a grudge against the film for beating Apocalypse Now for Best Picture, since Apocalypse is one of my favorite movies of all time. That's a long-winded way of saying that I really wish I'd given Kramer a chance long ago, because, although I still think Apocalypse should've won, this film is still the greatest divorce drama I've ever seen. Kramer vs. Kramer follows the split of (duh) the Kramers after the wife walks out, the year-long single-parenting of their son by the father, and the custody battle that follows all of that. Robert Benton did his best to let the viewer sympathize with both parents; by doing this, he paints their son as the victim of the divorce as opposed to victimizing the husband or wife (and rightfully so). This decision allows the film to play much more realistically: every fight has another side to the story and Kramer allows us to see each side. Personally, I definitely sympathized more heavily with the father, but that's probably because I always sympathize with father figures in films. Regardless of which character you end up sympathizing with, Kramer vs. Kramer is a depressing, emotionally exhausting film and a deserving Best Picture winner.

Honorable Mentions:

All About Eve (1950)

Directed by Joseph Mankiewicz.

Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and George Sanders.

All About Eve's famous quote ("Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night") is probably as good of a description of this film as you'll find. Eve Harrington's on-screen metamorphosis from Midwestern wallflower into fame-hungry Broadway diva helped make this one of the greatest films of the 1950s.

Closer (2004)

Directed by Mike Nichols.

Starring Clive Owen, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Julia Roberts.

I'm a sucker for romantic comedies, especially when they bring something new and interesting to the table. With Closer, Mike Nichols shows the viewer that honesty in a relationship is more of an idealized concept than a matter-of-fact, and when pure honesty is achieved, relationships crumble.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Directed by Harold Ramis.

Starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell.

Groundhog Day is a much more philosophical film than it is given credit for. Murray's character, through his time loop, is allowed to explore almost every facet of the human condition: gluttony, selfishness, altruism, romance, regret, loss, depression... it's all covered here.

Irreversible (2002)

Directed by Gaspar Noe.

Starring Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel, and Albert Dupontel.

Irreversible is one of the most gruesome, upsetting films I've ever seen. The story unfolds in reverse (think Memento), allowing us to see the consequences of an event before we see the event itself. This decision turns what could have easily been an exploitive revenge film into a poignant, thought-provoking work.

The Tillman Story (2010)

Directed by Amir Bar-Lev.

The Tillman Story focuses on the death of ex-NFL star and Army officer Pat Tillman, and the US government's attempted cover-up of his cause of death. In a surprisingly deep year for documentaries, The Tillman Story stood above the rest by actually having a story with emotional depth worth telling.

Trainspotting (1996)

Directed by Danny Boyle.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, and Kelly Macdonald.

Trainspotting is very similar to Requiem for a Dream if Requiem had a sense of humor. Unlike Requiem, Boyle allows his film to show the positive aspects of drug use so that when the terrible consequences come later, the viewer doesn't have to wonder to themselves why the characters would put themselves through that in the first place.

Worst of the Month:

Waiting for Superman (2010)

Directed by Davis Guggenheim.

The Tillman Story succeeded as a documentary because it connected the viewer with the subject and told a tight, interesting story. Waiting for Superman, on the other hand, failed on all of these accounts. I felt no connection with the children in question and the story Guggenheim wanted to tell was hidden behind all of his attempts at cinematic camera shots.

Other (Good) Films From February:

Bugsy (1991)

Catfish (2010)

The Color of Money (1986)

The Elephant Man (1980)

The Hustler (1961)

I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

Maria Full of Grace (2004)

Rain Man (1988)

The Sting (1973)