Film of the Month: March

Through mid-May, I'd have to say that March has been the best movie-watching month of the year. There were some duds, but nothing really worthy of being called the worst film of the month. Therefore, I'm foregoing a "worst of the month" for this entry only (tentatively) and instead will detail a couple more of the top tier movies I saw. As a warning, though, if you aren't a fan of animated films or documentaries, you'll find little here to interest you: six of the eight entries fit one of those categories. And remember: honorable mentions are in alphabetical order.

Oh, and if you were wondering, the worst movie I saw this month was Lo (2008). Not great, but not horrible. Now, on with the great ones.

Film of the Month: Rango (2011)

Directed by Gore Verbinski.

Starring Johnny Depp, Abigail Breslin, and Alfred Molina.

I went in to Rango with low expectations. Depp's last few movies have been pretty weak, and basically any animated film not released by Pixar seems to let me down these days. Having said that, Rango completely blew me away. It's the best animated film I've seen since WALL-E. Yes, that includes Fantastic Mr. Fox and Toy Story 3. Very high praise, I know, but hear me out. It's extremely difficult to find a western in modern cinema. On this level, Rango works as well if not better than any recent live-action western. The gunfights are exciting, the characters are rich and colorful, and the music is beautiful. Speaking of beautiful: animation-wise, this may be the best animated film I've ever seen. Rango is gorgeous. The landscapes are wonderfully crafted and the characters are ridiculously detailed. I cannot wait to see this movie on Blu-Ray. On top of those things, Rango is an animated film for adults. Not in a crude South Park type of way (it's rated PG), but in a... children just won't understand what these jokes mean type of way. The entire movie me and the friend that came with me were laughing out loud while all the children around us probably laughed two or three times each. Other than the jokes, Rango is thematically aimed at adults, too. Characters die. Not in an implied way, either: another character walks up to him and states, "He's dead." I'm rambling now, though. Suffice it to say that, as long as you're an adult and as long as you are even remotely interested in animated movies, there are very few out there better than Rango.

Honorable Mentions:

Capturing the Friedmans (2002)

Directed by Andrew Jarecki.

A documentary about the questionable conviction of a father and son for child sexual abuse and the ramifications of that conviction. What could have easily been a one-sided film is eloquently presented as a showcase of both sides of the story with no conclusions drawn. My opinion? They didn't do it.

The Cove (2009)

Directed by Louie Psihoyos.

Speaking of one-sided documentaries! The Cove, about a small town in Japan where many thousands of dolphins are killed for meat every year, paints an extremely black-and-white picture of the situation. And so what if they do? It's one of the most brutal documentaries I've seen and it opened my eyes to something I'd never even thought about.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Directed by Julian Schnabel.

Starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Marie-Josee Croze.

So how does a film about a quadriplegic guy who is only able to move his left eye end up being this good? I have absolutely no idea. Actually, that's not true. The flashbacks of Bauby's life before the accident are interesting, as are his interactions with people afterwards. It's an extremely unique film, but one well worth giving a chance.

Inside Job (2010)

Directed by Charles Ferguson.

Inside Job was another film I went into with low expectations. It's about the ongoing financial crisis in America, and that topic has been beaten to death, so how much else can there really be to say? Turns out there's much more than I thought. A very interesting, informative, and well-made documentary.

The Secret of Kells (2009)

Directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey.

Starring Evan McGuire, Christen Mooney, and Brendan Gleeson.

The only negative thing I can say about The Secret of Kells is that I happened to watch it in the same month as Rango so I can't give it as much respect as it deserves. Along with Rango, Kells is one of the most beautiful animated films I've ever seen as well as one of the more original. And, although it's not even my favorite animated film of the month, Kells is one of the best animated films of this millennium.

Stagecoach (1939)

Directed by John Ford.

Starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, and John Carradine.

Speaking of great westerns! Although I'm not as fluent as I wish I were on very early westerns, Stagecoach is easily the best of those I've seen. It's great to see John Wayne as a young man, and Stagecoach's story is filled with action, shootouts, and even childbirth. It's got something for everyone!

Waking Life (2001)

Directed by Richard Linklater.

Starring Wiley Wiggins.

Waking Life's story is about a guy who realizes that he is dreaming and then finds out that he can't wake himself up. But really, the story is the least important part of this film. One of the most philosophical films I've ever seen, Waking Life will challenge your view of the world, from your political beliefs to perception itself.

Other (Good) Films From March:

Food, Inc. (2009)

Half Nelson (2006)

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Rashomon (1951)

Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Unstoppable (2010)

The Vicious Kind (2010)