Film of the Month: September

Yeah, I lied last month. I'm changing the cutoff to 5 or 6 per month, because I'm getting lazier and lazier as this blog progresses. Let's begin.

Film of the Month: Drive (2011)

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks.

Filled with interesting characters and intense action sequences, Drive is not only the film of the month, but also one of the best films I've seen in a few years. Check out my review for more.

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Honorable Mentions

Contagion (2011)

Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Starring Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, and Kate Winslet.

Contagion is like The Andromeda Strain if it were unstoppable and global. Tense, scary, and believable, this is also one of the best of the year. See my review for more.

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The Conversation (1974)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, and Harrison Ford.

Did you know that Coppola made a film in the 70s other than the two Godfathers and Apocalypse Now? Well, he did: he made The Conversation. And while it isn't nearly as dramatic as the other three, it's still a great film. In fact, it is that sense of realism that really elevates The Conversation to the next level. That and Hackman, in probably the best role of his long career (maybe excluding Unforgiven).

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The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

Directed by Morgan Spurlock.

While not the most informative documentary I've ever seen, it's probably the most entertaining. See my review for more about The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

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Some Like It Hot (1959)

Directed by Billy Wilder.

Starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe.

Such a hilarious movie. There's just something about guys dressing up like women that will always be hilarious. Trust me, I've done it. Lemmon had me cracking up every time he came on screen, with the way he slowly accepts his female alter-ego and then begins to embrace it. And don't get me started on Monroe. I don't know if I've ever seen her in a sexier role. Not to be too misogynistic, but damn.

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Other Great Films From September

13 Assassins (2011)

eXistenZ (1999)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

Limitless (2011)

Super (2011)

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Previous Films of the Month:

January - Children of Men (2006)

February - Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

March - Rango (2011).

April - Source Code (2011).

May - Blue Valentine (2010)

June - The Tree of Life (2011)

July - Once (2007)

August - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Ricochet Reviews: Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Jane Eyre, 5050, Win Win

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Director: Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?)

Documentary

On Bluray + DVD: August 23, 2011

Synopsis: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold follows Morgan Spurlock as he tries to get advertisement funding for his movie The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. The film records the different hoops Spurlock has to go through to appease his partners and questions the line between legitimate funding and selling out.

Comments: This is like the Inception of documentaries. Spurlock meets with businesses asking for money for a film he wants to make... while filming the actual movie. I'm a sucker for meta-film stuff like this, and Sold is a great example of how that concept can work perfectly. It also forces you to keep that meta-film aspect in mind when thinking about how these people conduct their advertising business. Would they really work like this off-screen, or are they playing it up for the camera? The commercials Spurlock intersperses throughout the film are also ingeniously integrated. My only criticism of the film is that it really doesn't open your eyes about the inner workings of the advertising-film industry much if you have a good idea to begin with. But when a documentary is this hilarious and entertaining, who cares?

Jane Eyre

Director: Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre)

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench

On Bluray + DVD: August 16, 2011

Synopsis: Jane Eyre tells the same story as that book you probably had to read in high school. Jane (Wasikowska) is an orphan who goes to work at Thornfield, a mansion owned by Mr. Rochester (Fassbender). The film follows their friendship and eventual relationship through many tribulations.

Comments: I don't see Jane Eyre winning anyone over who read and hated the book in high school. This is a fairly accurate adaptation, capturing all of the most important pieces of the book and cutting off a lot of the excess that a novel allows you to have. However, for fans of the book, this should be a great experience. Fukunaga actually restructures the way the story is told, beginning with St. John and presenting the actual story as if she is reciting her history to him. It actually makes the story more interesting, allowing the film to shift between points in time. Technically the film is a marvel, as well. Eyre is one of the most beautiful films of the year, with gorgeous scenery and locations. Wasikowska gives Jane an interesting personality and gives a notable performance. She did seem a bit wooden during parts of the film, but then again, I remember Jane being a bit wooden in the book. The real star here, just like in the new X-Men, is Michael Fassbender. As Mr. Rochester, he takes over every time he's on screen, giving his character a larger-than-life persona, just like his character should be. Again, Jane Eyre is only really for those interested in the book, but if you are, it's a great film.

50/50

Director: Jonathan Levine (The Wackness, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane)

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard

Currently in Theaters 

Synopsis: 50/50 is about Adam (Gordon-Levitt), a radio writer, who is diagnosed with a cancer that has a 50% survival rate. In the film, Adam learns to cope with his disease with a little help from his friend, Kyle (Rogen), and his psychologist, Katie (Kendrick).

Comments: 50/50 is that rare comedy that manages to walk the fine line between drama and laughter without tipping over. Many movies like this feel the need to keep the laughs going during their serious scenes, and this usually ends up ruining what could've been a poignant moment. 50/50 is smart enough to compartmentalize its comedic scenes from its more serious ones, allowing the real emotion of the scene to come through. This isn't to say that the movie is melodramatic. It's just an emotional story, and you can't tell it right if you're cracking jokes in the middle of a cancer diagnosis. Which isn't to suggest that 50/50 is light on jokes. In fact, the movie is hilarious. This balance of comedy and drama works so well because of the performances of Rogen and Gordon-Levitt. As Kyle, Rogen is literally playing himself (the film's writer, the guy who got cancer, was best friends with Rogen during his cancer), so if you weren't a fan of his stuff to begin with, he's not going to win you over here. However, I think Rogen is hilarious, and he definitely brings the laughs here, too. On the dramatic side is Gordon-Levitt, who gives one of the best performances of the year. He's able to bring the right emotion to each scene, reserving his explosive outbursts for when it would have the greatest impact. And it surely has an impact: the scene in the car is one of the more memorable of the film. If you're looking for a comedy that has something extra along with the laughs, 50/50 is a great choice.

Win Win

Director: Thomas McCarthy (The Visitor, The Station Agent)

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Amy Ryan, Bobby Canavale

On Bluray + DVD: August 23, 2011

Synopsis: Win Win tells the story of Mike (Giamatti), a lawyer and wrestling coach, who decides to earn some extra money by becoming a legal guardian for an elderly client of his. When the old man's grandson, Kyle (Shaffer), runs away from his drug-addict mother to come visit, Mike is forced to take the boy in.

Comments: Win Win is actually a very well-made film. The performances are great throughout (other than the boy), the plot is interesting, and the characters are, for the most part, distinctive. But there's just something missing here that would have elevated this film to another level of greatness. Throughout the film I found myself waiting for the next scene not because I was engaged with the film but simply because I wanted to know how it ended. Like I said, the plot is interesting. It just didn't touch me on any significant level. Additionally, while the characters are distinctive, they seem kind of unrealistic. Which is odd, because it's so obvious that McCarthy was going for a sense of realism with these characters. It's hard to really explain what keeps this film from being really great, but something did. I still liked it, I just found myself wanting something better at the end.

Ricochet Reviews: Super, Paul, Contagion, Drive

I've decided to switch up my review style again because I want to be lazy. Kind of a bad set to be lazy with, though; they're all good and 2 of them are superb. Oh well.

Super

Director: James Gunn (Slither)

Starring: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon

On Bluray + DVD: August 9, 2011

Synopsis: Frank (Wilson) loses his wife (Tyler) to a drug dealer. This loss pushes him to create an alter ego, the Crimson Bolt, who goes around town beating up criminals with a wrench. Along the way he finds a sidekick, Boltie (Page), a young girl with an idealized concept of what a superhero is.

Comments: Super is what Kick-Ass should've been: a movie about a normal guy with questionable sanity who decides to be a superhero, and the shenanigans that ensue when he gets in over his head. Super is also very funny, mainly because of the weird chemistry between Wilson and Page. Kevin Bacon's role in the film is also entertaining, if somewhat one-dimensional. The opening credits of the film are noteworthy and helped prepare me for the low-budget silliness that would follow. The story drags on in a few places, and some of the jokes don't work, but Super is a thoroughly entertaining superhero movie, perhaps my favorite of the genre this year.

Paul

Director: Greg Mottola (Adventureland, Superbad)

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig

On Bluray + DVD: August 9, 2011

Synopsis: Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost), two British guys touring the alien hotspots of the Western United States, get into a car accident with Paul (Rogen), an alien on the run from the US government. The Brits decide to help Paul out, and shenanigans ensue as the three try to outrun the government.

Comments: Well, Paul was pretty good. I'll admit that I laughed quite a bit throughout the movie. Frost and Pegg are always an entertaining duo, and I'm a big fan of Rogen. However, if you look into Paul past its comedy exterior, it starts to break down. The idea behind Paul, the alien, is just weird: he comes to Earth and is a captive of the government, so he turns into a pothead? Rogen's voice also doesn't really fit the character, in my opinion. And the overarching story is pretty disposable. Having said all of that, Paul is a very funny movie, and if that's all you're looking for, you won't be disappointed.

Contagion

Director: Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's Eleven, The Informant!)

Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne

Currently In Theaters

Synopsis: Contagion tracks the development, spread, and containment of a pandemic illness. The film follows the total lifespan of the disease, from its origins, through the investigation by the CDC, to its demise.

Comments: Contagion is amazing. There's virtually no emotion in the entire film; instead, Soderbergh shapes the film more like a documentary, following multiple people as they contract and fight back against the disease. Usually emotionless films like this fall dead on me, but in Contagion, it works perfectly. It captures the exact emotion we would need to beat something like this: apathy. The movie also has great technical merit. This is Soderbergh's best directorial work ever, and he's been around a while. The music is also great. But the acting is what really holds Contagion together. Everyone involved excels in their roles, but it was Winslet who really pulled me in with her character. This is one of the best movies of the year and you need to see it.

Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Pusher)

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks

Currently In Theaters

Synopsis: Drive follows Driver (Gosling), a stuntman by day and a getaway driver at night. He's also a mechanic and a race car driver. After becoming close with his neighbor (Mulligan), he gets in over his head on a job and has to find a way out before everyone he loves gets hurt.

Comments: Wow. I had high hopes for Drive before I went in the theater and it still managed to blow me away. From the opening scene to the end credits, I was glued to my seat. The plot is fairly basic, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: it allows the characters to breathe in the film without having to worry about explaining a bunch of unnecessary crap to us. And Drive has some pretty great characters. Cranston finally gave me a role outside of Breaking Bad that I can point to as an example of how wonderful an actor he is. As Driver's boss, Shannon, Cranston was able to infuse a deep connection with the viewer with very limited screentime. Mulligan also fills her role nicely, although I didn't altogether buy her as the loyal wife of a convicted thief. There's just something about her that says sophistication to me. The real star of Drive, though, is Gosling. Man, this is the third film I've seen him in this year where he really steals the show. He barely even speaks in the film, and yet through his expressions and presence alone he is able to create this rich backstory for his character. Honestly, had everything else in the movie sucked, I would still recommend seeing Drive just for Gosling alone. I don't want to say definitively, because there's more movies to come and I need to rewatch some others from earlier in the year, but Drive just may be my favorite movie of the year.