This is the first "official" post on InYourElement and, considering that it is December 14th and this is a movie blog (atleast partially), i feel i am almost obligated to contribute a list of the films i found to be most excellent this past year.
The movies that follow are, as i said, the ones i found to be most excellent:
(I will try to avoid spoilers but it is a movie list so...)
TOP TEN
Warrior
Tom Hardy plays a son returning home to fight in a MMA tournament, confronting his alcoholic father and sending him on a collision course with his older brother who is also fighting in the tournament. Nick Nolte deserves a Best Supporting Oscar for his work here as the father and both Hardy and Edgarton deserve recognition as well. Director/Screenwriter Gavin O'connor created an enthralling movie that really had us both rooting for each of the characters all at the same time. This is a film that was working well on every level. Its one of the best sports movies i have ever seen, and also effectively deals with the difficult issues like addiction, family, and estrangement.
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Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
The only HP movie that was truly worthwhile. Its disappointing it took them until the 8th movie to start making the danger real and the magic powerful. That being said, this was an awesome movie that had David Yates directing some of the most awe-inspiring fantasy battle scenes any of us will have the pleasure of watching.
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50/50
This time Seth Rogen got the cancer movie thing down right. Seriously, when this movie was gaining buzz there was a lot of skepticism because of some re-casting issues and the fact that our funny stoner friend has failed making this movie before (Funny People: wasnt funny and didnt have any believable people in the film). It starts off this time with Adam (joseph gordon-levitt) finding out he has cancer. But this movie was not only believable, it was heartfelt and funny and hit all the right notes of a dramedy. Anjelica Huston shines in her role as Adam's lonely and caring mom.
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The Ghost Writer
Say what you will about Roman Polanski as a person, but the guy can create an unbelievable movie. I grade thrillers on their ability to have me deeply interested from beginning to end, and The Ghost Writer had me glued to the screen for every single moment. Ewan Mcgreggor plays an author hired to "ghost write" the former UK Prime Ministers autobiography, but upon arriving at his creepy island escape, he slowly starts to realize things are not what they seem and this is not a regular writing gig.
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Attack The Block
Awesome. Combine
Goonies,
First Encounters, and
Shaun of the Dead and this has to be pretty close to the final product. A British film with a great teen cast places the viewer in the projects of London, right as an alien invasion is beginning. Despite a low budget the movie is thrilling and nostalgic. Also, a star is born in Director Joe Cornish. I might even go as far as saying this movie had a Spielbergian feel to it.
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Cedar Rapids
Subtle, understated, slow-burning, and hilarious. Ed Helms plays Tim Lippe, a moral insurance salesman sent to a business conference. The friends he makes there include John C. Reilly in one of his funniest roles as the ever-loyal dimwitted best friend.
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Source Code
At the time when i first saw it, i proclaimed this was my #1 movie of the year. Im not sure if it still stands, but that gives an idea of the impression i was left with. At first I wasn't expecting much until i realized this movie comes from the same director (Duncan Jones) that gave us the 2009 masterpiece "
Moon". This realization prepared me slightly for the following mind-boggling 2 hour film that was both an action tour de force, thriller, and sci fi all wrapped in one. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former soldier on a urban commuter train that is destined to explode.
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Super 8
Similar to "
Attack the Block" this movie has Goonies elements to it in droves. Also very nostalgic and pretty interesting. Simply one of the most enjoyable films of the year.
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The Company Men
Probably, along with "
Puncture", the most surprising and 'under the radar' film on this list. It's also the one that will have the most disagree with its placement on this list. Ben Affleck loses his job and struggles when no one else in the industry seems to want him. I know, sounds like the story of his acting career after Gigli (2003) doesn't it? Actually it is the plot to this surprisingly powerful ensemble drama starring Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, and Maria Bello. In a year that was full of economic crisis films, this was the one that best captured the way it could personally impact a man and his family. Jones plays a high ranking executive that earned his way tooth and nail, never buying into the corporate agenda but rather looking people in the eye when he deals with them even when its not easy. Its a role that deserves Oscar consideration, but will likely be swept under the rug as this entire movie seemed to be.
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Drive
Quiet, thrilling, stunning. Set to the tune of a heavily synthesized Miami Vice-style soundtrack, this movie came to be an ode to Westerns and noir at the same time. The emotional scenes are silent and tense, the action brutal and exhilarating. Some of the most exciting driving sequences i've ever seen. Ryan Gosling is terrific as the silent driver that almost (almost) makes White Snake leather jackets seem cool.
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Honorable Mentions:
The Guard- Best buddy-cop movie in years.
Horrible Bosses- Second funniest movie of the year.
Moneyball-
The baseball movie that isn't about baseball. Well its definitely about baseball, but its also about a lot more at the same time. Brad Pitt gives a great understated performance as a general manager that believes he has the correct formula for winning, one that goes against all conventional wisdom. This is a movie about a man being the first one through the wall, about trying to calculate a game and life at the same time. The acting is great, the writing is sharp, this movie just barely missed my top ten.
Tree of Life
The Ides of March-
A young, idealistic campaign worker slowly gets drawn into the seedy underbelly of politics. Sharp and well-paced, George Clooney proves once again he has a talent behind the camera; one that is still growing with every film. Ryan Gosling's best performance of the year even though it seems to be the only one no one is talking about.
Pleasantly Surprised
X Men First Class
Lincoln Lawyer
Paul
Puncture
Unknown
Planet of the Apes- For a movie that went through so much disaster pre-production (countless rewrites and re-casts are rarely a good sign) many were expecting a bomber that was gonna take James Franco down with it. But instead we got an interesting plot with relatable characters, evil villains, and some incredible specials effects. Andy Serkis should have his own personal Oscar made for him. And i hate to be the guy that says it but my boy James may have been the weakest part of the movie.
Disappoints
Cowboys & Aliens- Instead of getting the best of the SciFi and Western genres, we got all of the worst elements. Poor acting, forced love story, half baked plot, laughable aliens. Harrison Ford (read: most overrated actor of all time) is not believable for a second as the ringleader of the local gang. Every scene that Olivia Wilde appears in is actually painful, with her gun holster strapped on (hilariously on the outside of a frilly yellow dress) it was sometimes hard to stifle laughter every time she spoke. I had to turn this one off.
The Debt- This movie was not bad by any means, it was decent. But it could have been great, look at that cast! Did not find it to be suspenseful or "thrilling" in the least. Jessica Chastain's character is supposed to be a bad-ass Mossad Agent on a critical mission, but she just seems to sleep around the whole time and make all the mistakes.
Your Highness- So much comedic talent wasted in this one. I love Danny Mcbride but someone somewhere is making a mistake if they are giving him free rein to make movies. The guy can play a hilarious role (one and only one role), but asking him to write a full feature film is like asking Nicholas Cage to not overact...its just not a reasonable expectation at this point.
Battle: LA- At some point watching this film it dawned upon me. This is what is now accepted as a movie. Throw a big budget, a bunch of guns, a few recognizable faces, and blow stuff up. At no point in this movie do they explain any real plot. I dont think any character speaks more then 2 sentences in a row the entire film, it actually makes me wonder if there was even a script or someone just blurted "Battle: LA" in a board meeting somewhere and it got immediately green lit. Oh well, i bet at least half of America thought this movie rocked, so i guess the joke is on me.
