Barney's Version (DVD Review)

DVD Review of the Genie winning film Barney's Version, starring Paul Giamatti based on the Mordecai Richler


Image: Courtesy of eOne Films

Dir: Richard J. Lewis (Whale Music)
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Scott Speedman, Rachelle Lefevre, Dustin Hoffman, Bruce Greenwood
Canada/Italy, 2010

Reason to see: One of the big heavy hitting Canadian films from 2010 and winner of 7 Genies.

Barney's Version follows the story of Barney Panofsky, played by Paul Giamatti, who over the years has many great friendships, falls in and out of love and also has a few tragedies along the way. His life Based on the novel by Mordecai Richler of the same name, you can certainly feel the love of the story and characters run strong in the film, with the care taken to create rich settings at every turn from bars to television studios to cottage homes on top of several weddings from simple to all the bells and whistles.

I knew going in to the film that it was going to be focused on Barney (from the title), but when I saw the trailers I didn't really connect to him and seeing the film and was primarily because it's Canadian and it did well, and I like to be on the up and up of Canadian film as much as I can. Even though I didn't always agree with Barney's actions along the way, I found myself very surprized to empathize with him at almost every turn. He doesn't have the hardest life or the easiest life, but it certainly throws him more than a few curve balls along the way and he really tries to deal with them as gracefully as he can. It's no surprize that Paul Giammati has won awards for his performance here, as he gives us depth and range and he makes Barney as hard to hate as he is easy to love.

As the film is a winner of 7 Genies, including 3 in acting categories of Paul Giammati (Actor in a Leading Role), and both supporting acting categories (awarded to Dustin Hoffman & Minnie Driver), it does sometimes make me a bit miffy when big Canadian films have non-Canadian in all the big roles. They are great performances though so I can't, and won't, fault them or the film because it really hits all the right marks. I will say in addition to the acting awards it won, I would also give big kudos to Scott Speedman who gives an absolutely fantastic performance as Barney's friend Boogie, and was easily one of the highlights of the film for me. Rosamund Pike is also wonderful as the calm, cool and collected Miriam, who Barney is taken with at first sight.

It's a drama that works it's magic over the test of time, following Barney through thick and thin. While watching I was impressed when it got me, which was more often than I had imagined but for the praise not as much as I hoped. I think keeners of dramas with longevity characters will definitely get a lot from it.

DVD Extras:

• Feature Commentary with director Richard J. Lewis, writer Michael Konyves and producer Robert Lantos Wow, you can really feel the love for the story and the cast as they discuss the film and reminisce over casual in jokes, the process, Canadian-isms, the meta-level of several of the references, changes from the book to the film, iconic things about the Barney character, shooting on location, the transitions in time throughout the film, the actors, musical themes, cameos, shooting on location in Montreal and Italy, the make up research for the characters, the importance of capturing Montreal at the time in which the film is set, and changes, different version and choices about the film along the way. The commentary starts with director Richard J. Lewis & writer Michael Konyves, and producer Robert Lantos comes in at about 24 minutes.
• Interview with Mordecai Richler (3 minutes) discussion about the novel Barney's Version, the first person nature of the novel, shared point of view and differences between him and the character of Barney and also includes reading of excepts of the novel.
• Deleted Scenes (9 scenes, 27 minutes) combination of extended & deleted scenes, mostly conversational and most deepening relationships with Barney and other characters in the film as well as more insight into Barney himself. I quite enjoyed the scenes with Paul Giamatti and Rachelle Lefevre and a couple of great additional scenes with Rosamund Pike & Bruce Greenwood.
• 92nd Street Y Q&A with Paul Giamatti & Annette Insdorf (61 minutes) Q&A really in depth Q&A included here which goes over a lot of discussion about the film and the role, how he became involved with the project, on if he had any reservations on the role, the character of Barney, the draw to the role, what it was like playing a character that ages throughout the film as well as questions from the live audience.
• On the Red Carpet (4 minutes) on the red carpet with director Richard J. Lewis, producer Robert Lantos, actors Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Jake Hoffman and AFI Fest director Jacqueline Lyanga discussing the draw of the film, what the film is about, casting, working together and believing in love at first sight, true love and craziest thing they have done for love.

Barney's Version is available on DVD and BluRay as of June 28, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca (DVD) & Amazon.com (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Shannon's Overall View:
I didn't love it
It's not likely I'd watch it again
I'd recommend it fans of character-driven dramas that focus on the depth of one person over time

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© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Scott Speedman,Paul Giamatti, Rachelle Lefevre in BARNEY'S VERISON Photo Credit Sabrina Lantos Courtesy of eOne Films


Paul Giamatti and Minnie Driver in BARNEY'S VERSION Photo Credit Takashi Seida Courtesy of eOne Films


Rosamund Pike and Paul Giamatti in BARNEY'S VERSION Courtesy of Sabrina Lantos Courtesy of eOne Films

The Fighter (DVD Review)

Legal Line © 2010 Fighter, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Distributed exclusively in Canada by Alliance Films. All Rights Reserved. © 2010 Fighter, LLC. Tous droits réservés. Distribué exclusivement au Canada par Alliance Vivafilm. Tous droits réservés.

Dir: David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees, Three Kings)
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo
USA, 2010

Reason to see: Compelling story, love sport movies and numerous acting wins & nominations

I had a lot conflicting emotions and information heading into The Fighter. I felt that the trailers gave away too much, but when you consider it's a biopic the is a theory that is that justified because the information is out there, although it's clear that the heart of the drive of getting this film made was to have this story told which by definition meant not enough people knew it. Then I saw lots of clips from the film at various awards shows, including the Oscars where the films won 2 acting awards from Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo and Supporting Actor - Christian Bale. So, my expectations were all over the place. Did I know too much? What it about what I thought it would be about? Was the acting really *that* good?

First off, the acting really is that good. Well deserving of all the nominations and wins from the cast, and in particular Christian Bale who gives a fantastic performance as the strung-out-boxer turned-amazing-yet-eccentric-trainer Dicky and Amy Adams in her cast against type role of down to earth, rough around the edges but very sensible Charlene. What I'm surprized at though is how little people are talking about the phenomenal, understated and beautiful performance from Mark Wahlberg who plays the lead role or Micky Ward in the film. He's absolutely fantastic and trained for years getting into fighting shape for the film and not only delivers a great physical performance in the ring scenes, but also a great dramatic performance in the quiet role of Micky who faces challenges in and out of the ring, often at the hands of the family whose omnipresent energy manages to concurrently support and conflict his boxing journey.

From that perspective the film is as much a family drama as it is a boxing film, and it integrates those two themes as seamlessly as we come to understand that they are in Micky and Dicky's lives - which is to say that they stretch into every, single aspect of their lives and the conflict of trying to pull them apart. The film also portrays the huge sense of pride that the brothers have, could and potentially represent to the town of Lowell, Massachusetts when the story is set and when the film was filmed. You can earnestly feel the importance of depicting and presenting the tough town authentically, and the film even includes things like Mickey O'Keefe, police officer & trainer being played by the actual Mickey O'Keefe from Lowell which is amazing. I would have had no idea that he wasn't an actor from just watching the film.

That sense of pride is ever present in the film, as well as an amazing drive to show the truth regardless of how rough and heartbreaking it could be from substance abuse to family conflict. While watching, I found the film kind of snuck up on me and gradually won me over bit by bit, not just in the big fights but also in the day to day moments that often packed an emotional punch. The characters and easy to fall in love with and cheer for, though trying times and good times you are just rooting for them all the way. And I like that. I want people to root for, and The Fighter gives us people to root for in many ways from personal, to professional, to beyond. The Fighter is a great inspirational film.

DVD Extras:

• Audio commentary with director David O. Russell interesting audio commentary covering many aspects of the film including the story of it coming together, often noting scenes and moments that actually happened in the lives of the people it's based on or if it was added and the reasons behind that, moments that he particularly liked and lots of shout outs and love for Lowell, the locals and the people the film is based on.
• The Warrior's Code: Filming The Fighter (30 minutes) film clips, behind the scenes footage of filming, archive images of Dicky Ekland and Micky and interviews with cast and crew including director David O. Russell, producer/actor Mark Wahlberg, producer Todd Lieberman, producer/writer Paul Tamasy, producer David Hoberman, producer Dorothy Aufero, trainer Bo Cleary, producer Ryan Kavanaugh, the real Micky Ward & Dicky Ekland, actors Christian Bale, Jack McGee, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams, Mickey O'Keefe (the real Mickey O'Keefe who also plays the police officer & trainer in the film) and various members of Micky & Dicky's family. Interviews cover many topics including what the film is about, the draw to and appeal of of the story, casting - especially casting of Mark Wahlberg as Micky, the challenges of the film, training for the film, the drive to realistically look the part for the film, challenges, decisions and methods of filmmaking from the fights, shooting on location in Lowell and also footage of Mark Wahlberg training with Micky and Dicky.

The Fighter is available on DVD as of March 15, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I recommend it to fans of sport films, dramas and great acting

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Image: Photo credit JoJo Whilden. Left to right Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward and Amy Adams plays Charlene Fleming in THE FIGHTER, an Alliance Films’ release. © 2010 Fighter, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


Image: Photo credit JoJo Whilden. Left to right Christian Bale plays Dicky Eklund and Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward in THE FIGHTER, an Alliance Films' release. © 2010 Fighter, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Mr. Nobody (DVD Review)

Courtesy of eOne Films

Writer/Dir: Jaco Van Dormael (The Eighth Day, Lumière and Company)
Cast: Jared Leto, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans, Natasha Little, Toby Regbo, Thomas Byrne, Sarah Polly, Linh-Dan Pham, Juno Temple, Clare Stone, Audrey Giacomini
Canada/Belgium/France/Germany, 2010

Reason to see: High acclaim plus had science fiction written all over it

I'm a big fan of science fiction, it's a genre I always enjoy watching almost regardless of the quality of the film. And then every once in a while we get a scifi film that blows it out of the water, and that is what Mr. Nobody does. It's a high-concept, smart science fiction that has a strong emotional core that drives the film.

I don't want to get all 'explain-y' about the film, because that's a lot of the fun of watching the film. But I will tell you that it's freaking sensational. Jared Leto stars as Nemo Nobody, whom we get to know in several different ways throughout the film. I haven't seen Jared Leto in that much, but I was very impressed with him in Alexander which I watched last year for the Sword & Sandal Marathon and he's very impressive here as well in what could feel like a very demanding role but it actually feels like he carries it effortlessly. I fully believed him in each and every moment of the film - and there are some strange and bizarre ones that could easily thrown things off, but that never happened. I was always with him on his bizarre journey, feeling the joy, pain, freedom, restraint or indifference that all ride strong at different times in the film.

I adore how smart this film is. It engages the viewer to think without idly misdirecting us. It's actually about something. It's actually saying something. The people are actually feeling something. There is a lot going on here, and it is all truthful and beautiful not only in concept but visually as well. The production design is extraordinary, it's visually rich and varied but all gels together so well.

While I think it will resonate the strongest for science fiction lovers, it's also a lovely crossover to the romance and drama genres as well. If you like a film that makes you think and makes you feel, this is a film for you. A film like Mr. Nobody doesn't come around very often, it's resonates on both emotional and intellectual levels, while being a visual and sensory treat as well. A rare gem.

Mr. Nobody made my 2010 Perfect List, reserved for films that meet the singular qualifier of perfection.

DVD Extras:

• Making of (47 minutes) Very comprehensive and gorgeous making of documentary that explains a lot about the concept and story of the film, as well as looking at the more technical and design elements as well. I was blown away by how many of the settings and effects were actually practical as well as the concrete explanations for a film that was as complicated as this. The making of has behind the scenes footage, film clips and includes interviews with writer/director Jaco Van Dormael, first assistant director Renaud Alcalde, post-production manager Guy Courtecuisse, makeup supervisor Kaatje Van Damme, production designer Sylvie Olivé, visual effects supervisor Louis Morin and actors Jared Leto, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans, Natasha Little, Toby Regbo, Thomas Byrne, Sarah Polly, Linh-Dan Pham, Juno Temple. I really enjoyed the actor interviews when they discussed their characters
• Behind the Scenes (17 minutes) includes some content from the making of, especially with people discussing the character of Nemo Nobody, but most of it is a delightful treat of set tours with by Rhys Ifans, who is hilarious as we walks around telling stories and causing mischief along the way.
• Deleted Scenes (3 scenes, 5 minutes) Was interesting to see these three additional scenes, but I'm thrilled they weren't in the film - kind of change the tone of characters and I much preferred the version we ended up with.
• Trailer

Mr. Nobody is available on DVD in Canada as of January 11, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca.

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I've watched it again, and again.
I highly recommend it to fans of science fiction, romance and smart films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2011


Jared Leto as Nemo Nobody - Courtesy of eOne Films


Jared Leto and Diane Kruger in Mr. Nobody - Courtesy of eOne Films

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (DVD Review)

Courtesy of eOne Films

Directors: Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
Documentary
USA, 2010

Reason to see: I couldn't resist a documentary about the one and only Joan Rivers

A stunning and open documentary focusing on a year in the life of Joan Rivers: actress & comedienne extraordinaire. Anyone who has heard her will not be surprized that this that not only is she very funny, she's extremely frank about her life as well.

With an uncompromising drive to work and paper datebook that wants to be filled, we spend lots of time with her as she discusses the ups and downs of her career and life. It floored me to see the reminder that even after her wealth of experiences that each and every performance comes with the emotions of "Will they like me?" I always feel for artists, especially performing artists, that this must be such a weight to bear and we see here that it just keeps weighing but Joan is brave enough to just keep at it. She was always willing to do the work. Always. For that alone, she's an inspiration.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work made my 2010 Perfect List, reserved for films that meet the singular qualifier of perfection.

DVD Extras:

• Commentary with Joan Rivers and director Ricki Stern very colourful, funny, and honest commentary full of even more jokes, commentary on people in the doc and most interesting is even more context and insights to several of the incidents/happenings in the film including Celebrity Apprentice.
• Deleted Scenes (9 scenes, 29 minutes) these were great additions to the DVD and although I can totally understand why they weren't included and appreciate the films 85 minute running time, I really enjoyed getting to see more of Joan in action - in particular a scene where she goes to vote was great.
• Sundance Q&A (12 minutes) Another great DVD extra with Joan taking questions from the audience at Sundance Film Festival ranging from personal to professional from if there was anything she didn't want filmed to how she deals with specific situations. Great Q&A.
• TV Spots (1 minute) 2 TV spots
• Trailer

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is available on DVD as of January 11, 2011. Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll watch it again
I highly recommend it to comedy fans and to anyone whose worked in/interested in the performing arts

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010 - 2011

Also see selections from the Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work Intro and Q&A with directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg during Hot Docs 2010

Originally reviewed during Hot Docs 2010 - May 4, 2010


Joan Rivers in JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK. Photo Credit Charles Miller Courtesy of eOne Films


Joan Rivers in JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK. Photo Credit Charles Miller Courtesy of eOne Films

Animal Kingdom (DVD Review)

Courtesy of eOne Films

Writer/Dir: David Michôd - feature film directorial debut
Cast: James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton, Guy Pearce
Australia, 2010

Reason to see: I'm been impressed with so many Australian films recently that now I'm always game to see any that are released here.

Toronto's been lucky to get some sensational Australian releases in 2010 (like The Square) and Animal Kingdom shows that this is a trend that is going to keep on giving. I also keep wanting to call it a thriller, but it isn't - it just has the amazing intensity of a thrilled while being a drama which is very unusual to see, especially in a crime drama.

Animal Kingdom follows J, newcomer James Frecheville in a wonderfully understated performance, as he becomes taken in by his one-step removed crime family comprised of his uncles and their mother. And it's one big, yet tight-knit family that literally serves as it's own society which cleverly showcase several roles that are played, points of view and people at different stages of the game. From the skilled veteran and family man Barry (Joel Edgerton) to drug happy Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) to the softer, quieter Darren (Luke Ford) and the all-fearing Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) and at the top of it all is Janine aka Smurf, played by Jacki Weaver, whom even though is a fictionally character I'm going my best not to refer as J's grandmother.

You can see that it's one heck of a minefield for anyone to step into, even if you are family like our pal J who is family. It poses a very interesting question though of what do you do if this is your family? Do you step right up and into it? Do you model yourself after one of your uncles? With some many characters to draw on, is they anyone you'd like to be? Or, do you stick to your own guns and do your own thing? The amazing thing about the film is that it explores all of these questions and more while giving us a intense story of the family and their lives of crime to follow as well. The ensemble cast does an absolutely fantastic job shaping the roles in the family and their kingdom, that easily doubles as a seamless exploration. All of the performances are strong here, but I was completely floored by James Frecheville who resonates being so malleable that you don't know literally how he will develop throughout the film, yet he is neither naïve nor soft but rather still forming. It's a fascinating and natural performance that draws the viewer in to his life and this chaotic world.

Truly a stellar film filled with amazing talent and compelling characters, Animal Kingdom is a must see. Beautifully shot, carefully crafted and takes total ownership of a very intense view of family and crime. I already want to watch it again.

Animal Kingdom made my 2010 Perfect List and James Frecheville made my New Faces and Ones to Watch List, although I'll be keeping a keen eye on the everyone involved here, especially director David Michôd and actors Sullivan Stapleton & Luke Ford. Guy Pearce and Joel Edgerton are already firmly planted on my permanent 'always watch' list.

DVD Extras:

• Director's commentary - feature commentary with writer/director David Michôd it seems a bit odd to say for a crime/drama but this is a really sweet audio commentary from first time feature film director David Michôd, you can really feel the depth of knowledge and vision of the film as a whole right town to the specific tone of a particular scenes or the specifics of casting. Also notes many challenges of shooting, but I loved how also talks about the positive response the film has received and how that's positively effected the people involved.
• Making Of (1 hour 11 minutes) extensive and very well made making of that includes film clips, interviews as well as rehearsal footage, behind the scenes footage, pre & post-production and Sundance 2010 footage. I really enjoyed the rehearsal footage, Sundance footage and the interviews discussing the vision and history of the film, process and challenges of the film along with character and family dynamics in interviews with writer/director David Michôd, producer Liz Watts, actors James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Sullivan Stapleton, Luke Ford, Guy Pearce & Laura Wheelwright plus production designer Jo Ford, cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, editor Luke Doolan. Strong focus on the family, characters, the process of working together and working styles, the look, feel and tone of the film and the casting process.
• Interviews (18 minutes) brief interviews with cast and crew, that includes some crossover footage from extensive Making Of as well as new footage. Interviews include writer/director David Michôd (5 minutes), and actors Guy Pearce (3 minutes), Ben Mendelsohn (2 minutes), Joel Edgerton (3minutes), Jacki Weaver (2 minutes), James Frecheville (1 minute), Laura Wheelwright (1 minute), Sullivan Stapleton (1 minute) and Luke Ford (1 minute), on the themes of the film, their characters, working together and the process.
• Behind the Scenes (3 minutes) nice, succinct behind the scenes that's very much an arms length view style of various interior and exterior scenes, plus some director/actor interaction as well.
• Trailer

Animal Kingdom is available on DVD as of January 11, 2011 (Jan 18, 2011 in the US). Check it out over at Amazon.ca & Amazon.com

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I own it
I highly recommend it to fans of drama & crime films

Return to Film Reviews or see more DVD Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010 - 2011
Originally reviewed for Theatrical Release - August 13, 2010


Luke Ford (Darren), Sullivan Stapleton (Craig), Ben Mendelsohn (Pope) in Animal Kingdom.
Photo Credit Tony Mott Courtesy of eOne Films All copyrights Porchlight Films 2009


James Frecheville (J) in Animal Kingdom.
Courtesy of eOne Films All copyrights Porchlight Films 2009


Guy Pearce (Leckie), James Frecheville (J)
Photo Credit Narelle Sheean Courtesy of eOne Films All copyrights Porchlight Films 2009

Metacritic Top 200 in 2010

I always like to check in on the scores over at Metacritic at the end of the year, to temper the popularity vote that IMDb Top 250 list seems to have, but also because it's one place where I still find titles I've never heard before. The formatting and design have changed over at the site so the info I pulled is every so slightly different from last year, but overall it's more rather than less info. Interesting to see that 8 titles from 2010 made it to their all time list of best reviewed films, which now feels like it includes lots and lots of re-releases. Any way I look at it, I like it though because it gives me more films to add to my own lists!

2010 Movies on the Metacritic Top 200 as of Dec 31, 2010
24. The Social Network
33. Sita Sings the Blues
134. Inside Job
135. A Film Unfinished
150. 45365
151. The King's Speech
190. The Kids Are All Right
198. Last Train Home

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2010 as of Dec 31, 2010
1. The Social Network
2. Sita Sings the Blues
3. Carlos
4. Toy Story 3
5. Children of Tokyo
6. A Prophet
7. Winter's Bone
8. Inside Job
9. A Film Unfinished
10. 45365
11. The King's Speech
12. The Tillman Story
13. The Kids Are All Right
14. Last Train Home
15. Lebanon
16. Exit Through the Gift Shop
17. Vincere
18. Restrepo
19. Secret Sunshine
20. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench
21. Boxing Gym
22. Animal Kingdom
23. Neil Young Trunk Show
24. Mademoiselle Chambon
25. 127 Hours
26. Ajami
27. Marwencol
28. Change Nothing (Ne Change Rien)
29. White Material
30. The Secret in Their Eyes
31. The Secret of Kells
32. Fish Tank
33. The Illusionist
34. Waiting for 'Superman'
35. Blue Valentine
36. True Grit
37. From Selma to Soweto
38. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
39. Mother
40. IMAX: Hubble 3D
41. Let Me In
42. I Am Love
43. Hadewijch
44. The Fighter
45. Racing Dreams
46. Please Give
47. Waste Land
48. Black Swan
49. Teza
50. Another Year
51. Mugabe and the White African
52. Alamar (To the Sea)
53. Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1983
54. In Search of Memory
55. The Ghost Writer
56. Father of My Children
57. Get Low
58. Still Bill
59. Undertow
60. The Army of Crime
61. Room and a Half
62. Vengeance
63. Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
64. Soul Kitchen
65. A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism
66. Greenberg
67. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
68. Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
69. The Art of the Steal
70. Anton Chekhov's The Duel
71. The Two Escobars
72. Oceans
73. The Square
74. Pranzo di ferragosto
75. Prodigal Sons
76. Terribly Happy
77. Go Get Some Rosemary
78. Rabbit Hole
79. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
80. Inception
81. Farewell
82. Stonewall Uprising
83. The Town
84. Cyrus
85. Ahead of Time
86. How to Train Your Dragon
87. Cropsey
88. See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary
89. Blue Beard
90. Tibet in Song
91. Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
92. Harlan: In the Shadow of Jew Suess
93. Amer
94. Easier with Practice
95. Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1
96. The Company Men
97. Let It Rain
98. Easy A
99. The Oath
100. The Lottery

Metacritic Top 200 films as of Dec 31, 2010
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Godfather
4. The Leopard (re-release)
5. The Conformist (re-release)
6. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
7. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
8. Superman II
9. Seven Samurai (re-release)
10. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
11. Army of Shadows
12. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
13. Pan's Labyrinth
14. Metropolis (re-release)
15. Rififi (re-release)
16. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
17. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
18. The Producers (re-release)
19. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
20. The French Connection (re-release)
21. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
22. Ratatouille
23. Modern Times (re-release)
24. The Social Network
25. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
26. Days of Heaven (re-release)
27. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
28. Spirited Away
29. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
30. Pulp Fiction
31. Killer of Sheep
32. The Hurt Locker
33. Sita Sings the Blues
34. WALL-E
35. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
36. Sideways
37. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
38. Carlos
39. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
40. Reversal of Fortune
41. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
42. Schindler's List
43. Taxi Driver (re-release)
44. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
45. Frantic
46. Amadeus
47. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
48. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
49. The Class
50. Raging Bull
51. 35 Shots of Rum
52. Umberto D (re-release)
53. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
54. There Will Be Blood
55. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
56. Toy Story
57. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
58. Werckmeister Harmonies
59. Toy Story 3
60. Moolaadé
61. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
62. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
63. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
64. The Triplets of Belleville
65. The Queen
66. Repulsion (re-release)
67. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
68. 68
69. Beau travail
70. Do the Right Thing
71. Waltz with Bashir
72. Secrets & Lies
73. Patton
74. No Country for Old Men
75. Raiders of the Lost Ark
76. After Hours
77. The Crying Game
78. Ran (re-release)
79. Saving Private Ryan
80. A Prophet
81. Winter's Bone
82. L.A. Confidential
83. Bloody Sunday
84. Apocalypse Now
85. My Voyage to Italy
86. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
87. La commune (Paris, 1871)
88. Solaris (re-release) (Tarkovsky)
89. The Sweet Hereafter
90. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
91. Topsy-Turvy
92. Being John Malkovich
93. Before Sunset
94. The Incredibles
95. American Splendor
96. Hannah and Her Sisters
97. Almost Famous
98. Gosford Park
99. United 93
100. Capturing the Friedmans
101. The Truman Show
102. The Passenger (re-release)
103. Persepolis
104. Lost in Translation
105. The Best of Youth
106. The Lives of Others
107. 4 Little Girls
108. House of Flying Daggers
109. Funny Girl (re-release)
110. Man on Wire
111. Still Walking
112. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
113. Finding Nemo
114. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
115. No End in Sight
116. Goodbye Solo
117. Stop Making Sense
118. In Cold Blood (re-release)
119. Goodfellas
120. The Piano
121. Quai des Orfèvres
122. Piccadilly
123. High Noon (re-release)
124. Letters from Iwo Jima
125. Once
126. The Last Waltz (re-release)
127. Superman
128. Ghost World
129. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
130. Brazil
131. Capote
132. Tulpan
133. Overlord
134. Inside Job
135. A Film Unfinished
136. The Blue Angel (re-release)
137. Time Out
138. Eyes Without a Face (re-release)
139. On the Waterfront (re-release)
140. Thelma & Louise
141. Band of Outsiders
142. Away from Her
143. Mafioso
144. The Fallen Idol (re-release)
145. Chicken Run
146. Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
147. Blade Runner
148. Up
149. Y tu mamá también
150. 45365
151. The King's Speech
152. Toy Story 2
153. Nobody Knows
154. L'Enfant
155. Little Women
156. The Spirit of the Beehive
157. Shakespeare in Love
158. Gomorrah
159. I vitelloni
160. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
161. Quiz Show
162. Howards End
163. Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
164. Crumb
165. Serpico (re-release)
166. Maria Full of Grace
167. Fateless
168. Tootsie
169. Brokeback Mountain
170. Shine
171. Tarnation
172. Murderball
173. Grizzly Man
174. The English Patient
175. All About My Mother
176. Aliens
177. Marooned in Iraq
178. Sex, Lies, and Videotape
179. To Die For
180. The Wind Will Carry Us
181. The Conversation
182. The Tillman Story
183. Slumdog Millionaire
184. Million Dollar Baby
185. 42: Forty Two Up
186. Say Anything...
187. To Be and to Have
188. The Straight Story
189. Rushmore
190. The Kids Are All Right
191. Dead Ringers
192. Boys Don't Cry
193. Easy Rider
194. Chinatown
195. Ten
196. In the Bedroom
197. Je rentre à la maison
198. Last Train Home
199. The Beaches of Agnès
200. Russian Ark

IMDB Top 250 in 2010

Time to look at how 2010 sized up on the IMDb Top 250 List, and I'm a little surprized that only 7 titles managed to land on the the hit the Top 250 list, although that is one more than 2009's list which had 6 titles.

I always find these entries interesting because it always seems to be a mix of fandom picks, acclaimed directors (usually with fanboy followings) and and exceptional films. This year that combination of films holds strong yet again. Side-note, am I the only person who *hasn't* seen Toy Story 3?

Looking for a more critical eye? Check out how Metacritic weighs in at the end of 2010.

2010 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
6. Inception
26. Toy Story 3
51. Black Swan
150. The Social Network
173. How to Train Your Dragon
199. True Grit
239. Kick-Ass

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2010)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Inception (2010)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
10. The Dark Knight (2008)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
13. Seven Samurai (1954)
14. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
15. Fight Club (1999)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Casablanca (1942)
18. City of God (2002)
19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. Rear Window (1954)
22. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
23. Psycho (1960)
24. The Usual Suspects (1995)
25. The Matrix (1999)
26. Toy Story 3 (2010)
27. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
28. Se7en (1995)
29. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
30. Memento (2000)
31. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
32. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
33. Forrest Gump (1994)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Leon: The Professional (1994)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979)
37. Citizen Kane (1941)
38. North by Northwest (1959)
39. American Beauty (1999)
40. American History X (1998)
41. Taxi Driver (1976)
42. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
43. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
44. Vertigo (1958)
45. Amélie (2001)
46. Alien (1979)
47. WALL·E (2008)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
50. Spirited Away (2001)
51. Black Swan (2010)
52. Paths of Glory (1957)
53. Double Indemnity (1944)
54. The Pianist (2002)
55. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
56. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
57. The Lives of Others (2006)
58. M (1931)
59. The Departed (2006)
60. City Lights (1931)
61. Aliens (1986)
62. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Das Boot (1981)
65. The Third Man (1949)
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
67. L.A. Confidential (1997)
68. Chinatown (1974)
69. Modern Times (1936)
70. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
71. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
72. Back to the Future (1985)
73. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
74. The Prestige (2006)
75. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
76. Raging Bull (1980)
77. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
78. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
79. Some Like It Hot (1959)
80. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
81. Rashômon (1950)
82. All About Eve (1950)
83. Amadeus (1984)
84. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
85. The Green Mile (1999)
86. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
87. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
88. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
89. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
90. Braveheart (1995)
91. The Great Dictator (1940)
92. The Apartment (1960)
93. Downfall (2004)
94. Up (2009)
95. Gran Torino (2008)
96. Gladiator (2000)
97. Metropolis (1927)
98. The Sting (1973)
99. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
100. Unforgiven (1992)
101. The Elephant Man (1980)
102. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
103. Sin City (2005)
104. Oldboy (2003)
105. On the Waterfront (1954)
106. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
107. Rebecca (1940)
108. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
109. Die Hard (1988)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Batman Begins (2005)
112. Mononoke-hime (1997)
113. The Seventh Seal (1957)
114. Jaws (1975)
115. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
116. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
117. Blade Runner (1982)
118. Fargo (1996)
119. No Country for Old Men (2007)
120. The General (1926)
121. Heat (1995)
122. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
123. Touch of Evil (1958)
124. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
125. Yôjinbô (1961)
126. Ran (1985)
127. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
128. Smultronstället (1957)
129. Snatch. (2000)
130. The Sixth Sense (1999)
131. Hotaru no haka (1988)
132. District 9 (2009)
133. Annie Hall (1977)
134. Donnie Darko (2001)
135. The Deer Hunter (1978)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. Strangers on a Train (1951)
138. High Noon (1952)
139. The Big Lebowski (1998)
140. It Happened One Night (1934)
141. Avatar (2009)
142. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
143. The Lion King (1994)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. Into the Wild (2007)
146. There Will Be Blood (2007)
147. Notorious (1946)
148. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
149. Toy Story (1995)
150. The Social Network (2010)
151. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
152. Gone with the Wind (1939)
153. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
154. Trainspotting (1996)
155. The Gold Rush (1925)
156. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
157. The Wrestler (2008)
158. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
159. Scarface (1983)
160. Ben-Hur (1959)
161. The Big Sleep (1946)
162. Groundhog Day (1993)
163. The Graduate (1967)
164. Life of Brian (1979)
165. Amores perros (2000)
166. Finding Nemo (2003)
167. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
168. The Terminator (1984)
169. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
170. The Kid (1921)
171. Stand by Me (1986)
172. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
173. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
174. The Thing (1982)
175. Ikiru (1952)
176. Casino (1995)
177. V for Vendetta (2006)
178. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
179. The Wages of Fear (1953)
180. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
181. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
182. Ratatouille (2007)
183. Les diaboliques (1955)
184. Gandhi (1982)
185. Star Trek (2009)
186. 8½ (1963)
187. The Princess Bride (1987)
188. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
189. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
190. Tonari no Totoro (1988)
191. The Incredibles (2004)
192. The Hustler (1961)
193. The Killing (1956)
194. La strada (1954)
195. Good Will Hunting (1997)
196. Network (1976)
197. The 400 Blows (1959)
198. In Bruges (2008)
199. True Grit (2010)
200. The Wild Bunch (1969)
201. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
202. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
203. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
204. Stalag 17 (1953)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. Persona (1966)
207. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
208. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
209. Children of Men (2006)
210. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
211. Dial M for Murder (1954)
212. Ed Wood (1994)
213. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
214. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
215. Let the Right One In (2008)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Big Fish (2003)
218. Magnolia (1999)
219. Manhattan (1979)
220. Mary and Max (2009)
221. Mystic River (2003)
222. Barry Lyndon (1975)
223. Festen (1998)
224. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
225. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
226. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
227. Patton (1970)
228. Duck Soup (1933)
229. Roman Holiday (1953)
230. His Girl Friday (1940)
231. The Truman Show (1998)
232. Infernal Affairs (2002)
233. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
234. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
235. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
236. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
237. In the Mood for Love (2000)
238. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
239. Kick-Ass (2010)
240. Harvey (1950)
241. Sleuth (1972)
242. A Christmas Story (1983)
243. Crash (2004/I)
244. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
245. Three Colours: Red (1994)
246. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)
249. Rope (1948)
250. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 31, 2010

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday December 31, 2010! It is just about time to hand those yearly reins from 2010 to 2011 but before we do I always like to look back over the year in film and reflect. I'm been planning and plotting at this for a while, but luckily I've shifted to actually writing these lists and now you can enjoy them too! I check in on the results of my 2010 Most Anticipated Films of 2010, muse over my favourite Movie Memories of 2010, Fresh New Faces & Ones to Watch, a 2010 Reading Wrap Up on my Book-to-Film Reading Challenge and a newly style "Best of" list that this year I'm deeming as The Perfect List. That's lots to keep you busy reading, which is a good thing as it's a light week for releases!

This week we have a really quiet week of releases, with two films out on Thursday Dec 30, 2010 at Lightbox: Gasper Noé's Enter the Void which I've heard fantastical things about for ageas and am thrilled to see that it's sneaking out right at the end of the year. Our second releases is Jean-Luc Godard's Film Socialisme, which I'll admit I've only heard horrible things about ranging from self-indulgent to incoherent. Tough sell on that one!

No wide wide releases this week, and in fact no Friday releases at all. I guess that's what happens when it's a Friday New Years Eve, one of the few times of the year though even being a holiday, people don't usually head to theatres. I'm going to tuck into a SciFi triple bill to ring in the new year with 2001: A Space Odyssey (scary!), 2010 (Helen Mirren with Russian accent!) and Blade Runner (fingers crossed it's no-voice over version!), because it doesn't feel like New Year's without seeing at least a little be of Blade Runner. See you in 2011!

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Thursday December 30, 2010 Releases

Enter the Void
Dir: Gaspar Noé (Irreversible)
Cast: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Cyril Roy, Olly Alexander
France/Germany/Italy
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Film Socialisme
Writer/Dir: Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless, Alphaville, Pierrot le fou)
Cast: Catherine Tanvier, Christian Sinniger, Jean-Marc Stehlé
France/Switzerland
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of December 31, 2010**

The 2010 Perfect List

Okay, it's time for the end-all, be-all list for 2010 films. The Best Of 2010 list. I've done this list a few different ways since my first list in 2006, and I'm sticking to the parameters of it any regular Toronto theatrical release qualifies to be one the list (I've seen 146 of the 353 releases), but beyond that I'm doing something a bit different this year. So, this is not a list of 10 because we had more than 10 great films. This is not a ranked list because something weird happens when I try to do that for than 10 films (although I caved and I'll give you my top 5). So, what the heck is this list, if it isn't all these other things I mentioned.

It's the PERFECT list. It's the list of the films I saw this year that felt were perfect. The films where I never felt anything was off, unfinished, unclear, too clear, underdone or overdone. Everything about the film was perfect. It was not too long nor too short for the experience it needed to be. The acting was spot on, the story was compelling and complete. Beauty, vision, message, ideas and action were all exactly as they should have been.

How or why did I come up with this lists? Well, I don't rate, grade or score films when I review films because I like to align audiences to films through clear, direct recommendations ("If you like thrillers... you'll like..."). But, this year I did actual rate all the 2010 release I saw out of 10. Then while giving them a number out of 10, I realized I wanted to define in words what that number meant so it would be more definitive and less subjective number. For 10/10 I wrote "10 is perfection". That's pretty freaking definitive! It has one qualifier: perfection. So, not only are these films that enjoyed (because if I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't perfect), but I also thought they were well done, but it also meant there was was nothing 'off' and nothing I would change or want to see changed. They are also all films that not only met but often exceeded expectations, even when those expectations were high. The list is long clocking in at 37 titles, but by that clear a definition it just isn't right to omit any film that meets such high a standard.

Due to the fact that so many titles can be rather overwhelming I will give you my top 5 films, then list all 37 titles alphabetically.



Shannon the Movie Moxie's Top 5 Films of 2010
1. I Am Love
2. Frozen
3. Last Station, The
4. Wild Hunt, The
5. Grown Up Movie Star


The 37 PERFECT films from 2010

• Animal Kingdom: Pitch perfect, beautifully understated Australian crime/coming of age film.
• Best Worst Movie Hilarious documentary with a 'where are they now' vibe to the people involved with the 'worst movie ever' Troll 2 and the surrounding fandom. Troll 2 knowledge completely not required to enjoy this film.
• Burlesque This film is exactly what you would expect it to be from the trailer: firey, fun-spirited and fantastic.
• City Island Rarely has a comedy taken me in so completely. This is a real actor-centric/appreciative film that will have you laughing and crying and the amazing juxtaposition of belief and disbelief.
• Despicable Me Absolutely delightful family flick centred on evil guru and 3 of the cutest little girls, ever.
• Disappearance of Alice Creed, The Perfect thriller. Literally perfect. Perfect script, perfect acting from 3 of my faves: Eddie Marsan, Martin Compston & Gemma Arterton. Definitely has harsh content, but it's very much worth the journey. Don't find out anything about more about it, just see it.
• Donation, La / The Legacy A lovely completion of Bernard Émond's humanist trilogy exploring Faith (La neuvaine), Hope (Contre toute espérance) and now Charity with La Donation. Quietly beautiful and profound with a stellar performance from Élise Guilbault.
• Down Terrace UK family crime drama that reads equally as brilliant as a dark comedy as it does as a family crime film.
• Eclipse, The Understated Irish supernatural drama starring Ciarán Hinds that has a lovely everyday people feel to it.
• Fish Tank Amazing coming-of-age film set amongst gritty UK apartment complexes featuring fantastic performances by both Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender. It's a hands-down must-see.
• Frozen The total definition of a small horror film that could, and it not only coulds but it does. Simple premise, brilliant execution. Fantastic performances, real human drama & relationships amongst the horrors of the elements. Loved it.
• Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The / Män som hatar kvinnor Gains entry for if nothing else but by making me see that mystery films can be fantastic, and also for having a great double protagonist team. Slightly bittersweet entry considering the disappointment of Part 2 (Girl Who Played with Fire, The / Flickan som lekte med elden) and Part 3 (Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The / Luftslottet som sprängdes) of the trilogy, but still makes the list as Dragon Tattoo can been seen as a stand-alone film experience.
• Good, the Bad, the Weird, The I finally got to see this South Korean western after 2 years of waiting, and it was just as good as everyone said.
• Grown Up Movie Star Lovely East Coast Canadian coming of age film. I have to say it's so exciting to see so many great coming of age films this year telling girls stories from women directors, where the stories ring so true.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 I almost didn't even consider that this film could exceed my expectations considering it was my most anticipated film of the year, but I loved it, especially how they honoured the friendship of Harry, Hermione & Ron and are not rushing the story. I can't wait until Part II.
• How to Train Your Dragon Charming, positive, open-hearted and ... dragons.
• I Am Love This Italian drama starring Tilda Swinton is my#1 of the year for being an absolutely, truly beautiful film about love. Gets me verklempt just thinking about it.
• J'ai tué ma mère / I Killed My Mother Xavier Dolan's coming of age directorial debut is just as impressive as everyone said.
• Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work What an amazing documentary. Joan Rivers is an inspiration. Fearless, workaholic and hilarious woman.
• King's Speech, The Primed for being a big awards film this year, and thankfully completely deserving!
• Last Exorcism, The Plays like a faux doc yet wins you over with human drama. Brilliant.
• Last Station, The This Tolstoy biopic blindsided me on being actual about the beauty & power of love. Great performances from Helen Mirren, James McAvoy and Christopher Plummer.
• Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Still fresh on my mind from seeing it this week, I loved the emphasis on the power of story, belief and the animation is gorgeous to boot.
• Losers, The Easily my most re-watched film of the year with a fun-spirit, great ensemble cast and the fact that these losers are really heroes.
• Love at the Twilight Motel Powerful documentary exploring centred on the lives of people who frequent by the hour motels in Miami.
• Mao's Last Dancer Sensitive and emotional biopic on ballet dancer Li Cunxin, following his live from a very early age training in China through to travelling in the States in the early 80's.
• Misfortunates, The / De helaasheid der dingen Flemish mullets, inappropriate language and extreme drinking and just the tip of the iceberg of this Belgian beauty centred on finding the heart in the harshness of family drama.
• Mr. Nobody I call Mr. Nobody my Inception from 2010, a smart science fiction film that asks a lot of questions, and has a lot of heart.
• My Dear Enemy / Meotjin haruLovely unconventional South Korean road movie following two exes and collecting an old debt.
• Never Let Me Go I only believed in my wildest dreams that the adaptation of the Kazuo Ishiguro novel could actually work. But it does. This one I highly recommend reading the book first - a book which I'd widely and highly recommend, as I do with the film.
• Nowhere Boy This early days John Lennon biopic starring Aaron Johnson knocked it out of the park.
• Prophet, A Fascinating yet harsh crime drama following that aptly portrays power dynamics, resilience, organized crime and drive.
• Square, The This thriller is yet another entry in the awesome Australian films of the year.
• Trigger Great dual protagonist film as two women of rock catch up after many years of a strained but true friendship with the back drop of Toronto and a unique shared history.
• Trotsky, The Quintessentially Canadian film with Jay Baruchel portraying a Montreal high school student who is convinced he is the re-incarnation of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky.
• Unstoppable One of the happy surprizes of the year was the fun, high octane runaway train ride with Chris Pine and Denzel Washington.
• Wild Hunt, The When role playing and the real world collide we see the beauty in vulnerability, the brutality of restrain and above all else extremely powerful storytelling.

Trends I've noticed from the list are really embracing the love of great storytelling and the power of story, films about love, coming of age films and biopics. Thrilled at the high proportion of Canadian film, we really had a great run this year and also happy to see we are getting more and more great Australian film.


While the list is mostly limited releases over wide, I'm sure the wide release on my list are very different that other lists kicking around. I did see Black Swan, Inception and The Social Network, but none of them met the perfect criteria, although Inception was the closest. There are a few I've not yet seen (The Tempest, The Fighter, Rabbit Hole & 127 Hours), but it's a lot fewer that I've missed than previous years. I feel like I had a very different year in terms of film experiences from many of my friends & colleague, but I loved 2010 and think that any way you slice it, it's been a great year for film.



And a Few, Not-So-Perfect
I also had a few not so perfect film moments this year. Three films I went to theatrically had major problems with them. The White Ribbon stopped twice, The Man From Nowhere has subtitles that were unreadable if there were 2 lines of text and Resident Evil: Afterlife stopped 15 minutes shy of the ending. I also missed the end of The Other Guys as I watched it on the plane home from San Francisco but ran out of time. Because of all those oddities, none of those films I felt like I could review, which is too bad as I did quite enjoy each of them in very different ways.

Favourite Films Seen in 2010 that Weren't Quite 2010 Films:
Finally got to see The Fall and adored it, the campy goodness of Canadian vampire film Suck, the awesomeness of Michael Jai White in Blood & Bone, the sweet spirited Bandslam and Australian drama Somersault. Also enjoyed 101 viewings of Boondock Saints, Rebecca (1940) and Godzilla. DVD releases that wowed me include action flick Hunt to Kill, espionage drama Espion(s) / Spy(ies) and dark comedy Perrier’s Bounty. Festival films that are yet to be release that blew me away include Ip Man 2, Heartless, Strella: A Woman's Way and documentaries Freetime Machos, This Way of Life, Steam of Life / Miesten vuoro, Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls and Regretters.

Those were my perfect films of the year. What made your list?

True Grit (2010)

Dirs: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper
USA, 2010

Seen: December 22, 2010 at AMC in ETX

Reason to see: Westerns are generally a yes for me, and this one was one my most anticipated films of 2010 lists

So, I kind of have a love-again and hate-again thing going with The Coen Brothers. Loved The Hudsucker Proxy, Fargo & No Country for Old Men. Hated The Big Lebowski & O Brother ,Where Art Thou. I at times want to avoid talking about their films to avoid getting lambasted by diehards. Thankfully, no such worries this time round because I thoroughly enjoyed True Grit (2010).

Word is that this version of True Grit goes more to the novel by Charles Portis than the 1969 film version starring John Wayne, but I didn’t notice too many differences – which is actually fine as this film version has all the fixings it needs. It stars Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, a 14 year-old girl who is on a mission for justice against her father’s killer (Josh Brolin) with or without the help, aid and indifference of US Marshall Rooster (Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon).

Mattie is an awesome character, and I think it’s kind of hilarious that one of the heavily billed boys-club films of the year is actually a film with a female protagonist. She’s smart, determined, practical and kind & helpful to boot. She’s a kind-spirited equal opportunist, which is a rather unusual character to see. Hailee Steinfeld goes a great job amongst the impressive male cast, holding her own each step of the way. I really enjoyed Jeff Bridges interpretation of surly Rooster, re-defining a John Wayne role is no feat to take lightly and what Jeff Bridges has done is great, I only worry that some viewers with less-than-keen ears might have some trouble making out the lovely-grumble-y growl-y delivery. How Jeff Bridges manages to be so unlikably likeable is one mystery I’m not sure I’ll ever solve, and within less than a week we have that not only here but also on the grid in TRON: Legacy. Fantastic. Matt Damon (Hereafter, Invictus) is also great here as the LaBoeuf, although I did find it odd that that’s literally pronounced “La Beef”. The three of them is one heck of an unlikely scenario under any sun, which is always a great place to go in a western.

True Grit is gritty and grisly, and doesn’t pull any punches. It’s harsh in the day light but it’s also soft in the moonlight. For every quashed moment in time there is also a glimmer of hope as well, the patience and power of persistence shines through and wins us over one ray at a time. There was one racial moment that I could have done without, but other than that it’s near perfect. It looks like the Coen’s won me over. Again.

Warnings: Violence

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll buy it
I highly recommend it western fans and to Coen brother's fans

17 minutes of preshow including 4 commercials and 6 previews: The Adjustment Bureau, Red Steel, Rango, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, Country Strong and Water for Elephants

Return to Film Reviews

© Shannon Ridler, 2010

The King's Speech

Dir: Tom Hooper (The Damned United)
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Ehle, Derek Jacobi
UK/Australia, 2010

Seen: December 9, 2010 Scene screening at Varsity

Reason to see: I knew from the trailer I would see the acting-heavy, inspiring-looking biopc with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

Now, *this* is all the good things that awards season can bring us. Phenomenal actors, heart wrenching historical stories and Colin Firth (A Single Man) winning us over, again.

The King’s Speech is a biopic though, and biopics can be tricky to write about as each viewer of the film may have a different level on knowledge of the history we are seeing on the screen, and for readers of this review I don’t want to spoil any of the plot with historical facts as one of the beautiful things about The King’s Speech is that it plays strongly as a drama with all the complications and conflicts along the way be they personal notations or public knowledge. So I’ll tread lightly.

In The King's Speech, Colin Firth stars as a royal with a stammer, his wife (played by Helena Bonham Carter) enlists the untraditional help of Australian Lionel Logue (played by Geoffrey Rush) to help him. It’s a fascinating, trying and compelling story about power, duty and personal pride as well as having historic relevance to boot. From the human connection perspective, the ability to express yourself, to get your message across, is a powerful thing and an important ability to each an every person in the world. Seeing a film where a person of great prestige and duty is struggling with such an everyday thing is astounding. Colin Firth projects to perfect amount of composure of someone of such an important stature, but seeing him struggle is something the audience can easily relate, sympathize with and we are most certainly cheering for him, hoping that he will overcome this burden.

The magic really happens when we see the relationship created between his character and Geoffrey Rush’s, who has taken on teaching him to work through his stammer through unconventional methods. It’s a beautiful, bumpy, real relationship that we get to see build throughout the film and the both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are delightful to watch. It’s a perfect story of story, characters and actors who are all top notch. The importance of duty and image coupled by the personal journey of expressions plugs the story into every emotional fibre of the viewer. It’s absolutely brilliant and easily one of the best films of the year.

See also: The King's Speech DVD Review

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I'll buy it
I highly & widely recommend it to all

11 minutes of preshow including 2 previews: Somewhere & Blue Valentine

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© Shannon Ridler, 2010

Burlesque

Writer/Dir: Steve Antin - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Cam Gigandet, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell, Eric Dane, Alan Cummings
USA, 2010

Seen: December 3, 2010

Reason to see: No way I could resist this film. Glam. Dance. Cher. Cam. It's all good.

Ah, Burlesque. The moment I saw the first trailer I knew I would love this movie. Small town girl Ali (Christina Aguilera) with big dreams…and to be honest, that is enough of a premise to get me into the theatre. But add that Ali gets a gig working in a Burleque club run by Tess (Cher!!), with a always interesting roster of staff from the mouthy performer Nikki (Kristen Bell), charming bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet) and Tess’s second in command and super sewer Sean (Stanley Tucci) and there is never a dull moment.

Now, it certainly has a formula feel to it but one of the many things I loved about Burlesque is that it didn’t always go the obvious route, but it always went a route I believed it. I was like “Oh! He would say that!” or “Yes, she’d be that gutsy”, and although I always had a sense of knowing where it was going I didn’t’ know how it would get there and I loved each and every minute of the journey it took to get there.

Burlesque is a fun, frisky film. Christina Aguilera is charming and sweet as Ali, the girl with the big dream – but she’s also a girl who’s willing to do the work to get there. She’s smart, determined and my goodness can she sing. Add some feathers and you have a show! Counterbalance her with the club owner Tess whose been there, done that, heard it all and you have a fascinating dynamic of the push-pull of we do what works vs trying something new. That’s a great place to be. I love how the film tells both of their stories which makes it in essence a multi-generational film, showing different stages of the game of working in the performing arts with equal importance and relevance.

I mentioned that there are many things that I loved about the film, so here are a few more: Cher, because she’s absolutely lovely in the film. Getting to see Cam Gigandet play a nice guy for once – and he does it very, very well. Stanley Tucci is fantastic as Tess’s second in command – they have a very director/stage manager type relationship that many theatre folk will see, and it’s unique support structure that it brings. All of that and musical numbers with fantastic outfits with feathers, sparkles, and glamorous makeup and sometimes, well, not that much more than that. But it’s frisky and fun throughout.

I loved every single minute of the film because it is exactly what you would expect, but more in all the right places. That's Burlesque. I loved it.

Shannon's Overall View:
I loved it
I can't wait to see it again - I'll buy the film & the soundtrack
I'd recommend if you like fun-spirited, firey musicals

14 minutes of preshow including 7 commercials and 4 previews: Prom, Barney's Version, Country Strong and The Tourist

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© Shannon Ridler, 2010