15 December 2008

Previous 10: 15 December - Closing In

It would seem fitting that the only film in the "Les Autres" category would be one I don't know where to place in terms of year or in the simple terms of "like" or "dislike." According to some sites, IFC releases Abel Ferrara's Go Go Tales this year at some point, but I can't find evidence of such on either IFC's site or anywhere else for that matter. While there was plenty to like about his last film Mary (which, to this day, I believe IFC has done nothing with), there's a lot about Go Go Tales that demands a bit of settling before I decide my feelings on it (and, yes, that is Asia Argento French kissing a dog). At least two people suggested that Frost/Nixon worked not only because it was based on excellent source material but also that Ron Howard wasn't working with that absolute hack Akiva Goldsman. It's a pretty good sign when my biggest complaint about a Ron Howard film revolves around the overuse of eyeliner on Michael Sheen. Also, if anyone wants to explain to me why they (or anyone else) liked Gran Torino, I'd be much obliged. Most of the rest of the films will show up somewhere on my year-end round-up, so expect more close to the end of the month! P.S.: Even if you're slightly curious or a closet gore fan, I would still suggest it better to avoid Donkey Punch and Gutterballs altogether.

La Crème

Frost/Nixon - dir. Ron Howard - USA/UK/France - Universal - with Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Rebecca Hall, Oliver Platt, Toby Jones

Gomorrah [Gomorra] - dir. Matteo Garrone - Italy - IFC Films - with Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparto, Salvatore Cantalupo, Gigio Morra, Maria Nazionale, Carmine Paternoster, Salvatore Abruzzese, Marco Macor, Ciro Petrone

Milk - dir. Gus Van Sant - USA - Focus Features - with Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, Alison Pill, Diego Luna, Victor Garber, Joseph Cross, Stephen Spinella, Denis O'Hare, Lucas Grabeel

Summer Hours [L'heure d'été] - dir. Olivier Assayas - France - IFC Films - with Charles Berling, Juliette Binoche, Jérémie Renier, Dominique Reymond, Edith Scob, Valérie Bonneton, Isabelle Sadoyan, Kyle Eastwood, Alice de Lencquesaing, Emile Berling

Les Autres

Go Go Tales - dir. Abel Ferrara - Italy/USA - IFC Films - with Willem Dafoe, Matthew Modine, Bob Hoskins, Sylvia Miles, Asia Argento, Roy Dotrice, Joe Cortese, Burt Young, Pras, Riccardo Scamarcio, Stefania Rocca, Bianca Balti, Anita Pallenberg, Lou Doillon

The Bad

Changeling - dir. Clint Eastwood - USA - Universal - with Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Amy Ryan, Michael Kelly, Colm Feore, Jason Butler Harner

Donkey Punch - dir. Oliver Blackburn - UK - Magnet Releasing - with Robert Boulter, Sian Breckin, Tom Burke, Nichola Burley, Julian Morris, Jay Taylor, Jaime Winstone

Gran Torino - dir. Clint Eastwood - USA - Warner Bros. - with Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang, Ahney Her, Christopher Carley

Gutterballs - dir. Ryan Nicholson - Canada - TLA/Danger After Dark - with Alastair Gamble, Mihola Terzic, Nathan White, Wade Gibb, Candice Lewald

Mamma Mia! - dir. Phyllida Lloyd - USA/UK/Germany - Universal - with Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper

8 comments:

Pooja said...

how the heck can you even say Changeling was bad?? I mean did you even WATCH the movie? I really don't get that...

reassurance said...

Of course I WATCHED it. I will be writing more extensively on around 50 or so films come the end of the month, and I'll be sure to include Changeling as one of them.

Anonymous said...

What a ridiculous comment Pooja.

Which film reviews may we be looking forward to?

Blake Williams said...

Changeling was awful.

I haven't seen Gran Torino, but it looks like a pretty bad year for Mr. Eastwood. Maybe he should take more time on his films instead of trying to make as many of them as he can before he dies.

reassurance said...

Gran Torino is at times laughably bad. It's somewhat clear why Eastwood made the film, but it's a huge fucking mess... which is why I'd like to hear from someone who actually appreciated it.

As for which reviews you can look forward to, I'll probably be writing about my list of the 20 best (10 is always too small), 15 of the worst, and 10 of the ones that disappointed the hell out of me. I'm working on it now.

Anonymous said...

Is My Blueberry Nights a dissapointment? I just finished watching it and I found it barely amusing and the actors acting irritated me.

neuroglyphix said...

My Blueberry Nights is the worst film I have seen in a long time. It's like sitting through a 90-minute bad translation.

Also, glad to see Frost/Nixon in La Crème (I have a weird admiration for Frank Langella).

And do i need to see that one movie just because is Asia Argento is licking a dog's face?

reassurance said...

My Blueberry Nights will absolutely make my disappointment list, alongside The Wrestler. As for the actors being irritating, that will be addressed, not to mention the fact that I had no real problem with Norah Jones (everyone who claimed that she made for a piss-poor actress should have payed closer attention to Rachel Weisz).

And Nathan, your admiration for Langella isn't weird at all. As for Asia Argento and Go Go Tales, keep in mind that she's barely in it, although every scene she's in seems to be more lovingly filmed than any other, but approaching Go Go Tales is more advisable if you have a patience and somewhat of an admiration for Abel Ferrara (or, at least, Willem Dafoe).