I've decided to stop mentioning the worst film of the month. I don't really care to talk about it and it's just more work that I don't care enough to do. Instead, I'm going to let the size of the list fluctuate by month depending on how many truly great films I saw that month. This month, there happened to be nine.
Film of the Month: The Tree of Life (2011)
Directed by Terrence Malick.
Starring Brad Pitt, Hunter McCracken, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn.
My love of this film is fairly well documented. Rarely does a movie affect me in any significant and lasting way; The Tree of Life managed to affect me in multiple ways and I'm still talking about it two months later. For more commentary, see my review of it.
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Honorable Mentions
All That Jazz (1979)
Directed by Bob Fosse.
Starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, and John Lithgow.
In my opinion, 9 out of 10 musicals are terrible and stupid. I see very little advantage for a story to be told by people prancing around and singing instead of simply saying their lines. However, those 10% of musicals that actually work are really good. Singin' in the Rain, Chicago, and, of course, all of those old Disney musicals are part of that 10%, and now, so is All That Jazz. In Jazz's case, it manages to overcome the lameness of having to watch people sing by being extremely dark, by incorporating its musical elements into logical spots, and by just simply being a damn good movie.
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Biutiful (2011)
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
Starring Javier Bardem.
Another great movie from 2011. To save me some time and effort, I'll just link to my review of it and mention that, although it is quite tedious in spots, Biutiful is very rewarding and has one of the better performances I've seen in a movie.
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Chasing Amy (1997)
Directed by Kevin Smith.
Starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee.
To be honest, I'm not a very big fan of Kevin Smith. Not that he makes bad movies; he just doesn't really make good ones, either. Every single time I've seen one of his films, I walk out thinking, "eh, it was alright. I laughed I guess." Zack and Miri broke this mold by being memorable simply for its nasty poop jokes and funny sex scenes. Having said all of this, Chasing Amy is by far the best movie by Smith I've seen. He mixes in some mature themes with his idiot jokes and these mature themes elevate the film to a new level. I never thought a Kevin Smith movie would make me think, but think again: I think I thought about it. But seriously, it's great.
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Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr.
I have no idea how Close Encounters slipped through the first 23 years of my life, but I'm so glad I caught it in year 24. It's a genius (if sappy) take on alien invasion. It's beautifully shot and the story is great, but what I love best about the film is that it isn't afraid to hold some things back from the viewer. Most alien movies feel the need to "reward" us with adequate amounts of scares or alien screen time, but Spielberg was confident enough to limit them both.
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Gone with the Wind (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming.
Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, and Hattie McDaniel.
Haters gonna hate. Yes, I realize it's a 4 hour movie. No, I don't think I'll ever watch it again. Neither of these things make it bad, and Vivien Leigh being "whiny" doesn't either. It's a great film. Historically, this was the pinnacle of film's first 30 to 40 years and it's worth watching simply to admire those aspects. It also has a very engaging plot and some fine acting. Clark Gable is one of those old actors that nobody mentions anymore, which is a shame. He's made some amazing films. If you haven't seen GwtW yet, and you find yourself with a spare 4 hours, check it out.
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Junebug (2005)
Directed by Phil Morrison.
Starring Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie.
I feel like Junebug was supposed to be taken more seriously than I ended up taking it (it's one of those serious comedies), but I was cracking up throughout the film. That may have been because the family in the movie reminded me so much of my own: southern, set in their ways, and very family-oriented. Amy Adams puts in the best performance I've seen from her here, and I'm a fan of her in general. There's one scene in particular, near the end, that was very touching, and I respect her more as an actor from that single scene than everything else I've seen her in combined.
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Super 8 (2011)
Directed by J.J. Abrams.
Starring Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, and Riley Griffiths.
Yet another film from 2011. Super 8 is like a mix of Stand By Me and Close Encounters, but instead of feeling like a cheap ripoff, it manages to keep the feel of those films while carving out its own unique feeling. See my review for more.
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X-Men: First Class (2011)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn.
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Kevin Bacon.
Few films (none of them superhero-related) are able to really capture the feel of an era of the past. First Class really felt like it took place during the 60's, and this was its most impressive feat in my opinion. If you'd like to read more about the film, just check my review.
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Other (Good) Films From June:
25th Hour (2002)
Barney's Version (2011)
The Green Hornet (2011)
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
The Last Emperor (1987)
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
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