The Coen brothers’ latest film has stuck with me since I saw it back in September. It’s the only review on the site without a letter grade attached to it and I’m anxious to see it again, wondering if I will be able to sort out my feelings the next time. Reasons of curiosity are what earned it the #25 spot on this list and they’re the same reasons that could have easily earned The Informant! the same spot, but Focus at least didn’t pull the rug out from under me with this one, which gives it a proper leg up on Soderbergh’s feature.
Considering it did minuscule numbers at the box-office ($8.9 million domestically), I doubt the Blu-ray release will be filled with extras helping sort out the madness of this feature. Then again, I wouldn’t expect the Coens to go much deeper than to say “It’s all on the screen” anyway. Nevertheless, I still anticipate another sit down with one of 2009’s more obscure films once more and at the very least take in the stark and barren cinematography of Roger Deakins. Now give that great trailer a watch one more time before moving on to #24.
I just called A Serious Man one of the “more obscure” films of 2009, which leaves me to wonder what I should call Lars von Trier’s Antichrist. While I hope to come to some conclusion on what A Serious Man means to me, I can only pray for such understanding of Antichrist, which is exactly why it’s made this list. This film is so expertly made and hypnotic I couldn’t help but give it a spot.
It’s been misclassified due to controversy over content by those only looking at the film on a surface level, when they should be looking deeper. It’s a common problem with moviegoers and considering any such controversial material comes so late in the film it’s a wonder those offended by it even made it that far. As I wrote in my review of the film, “there’s an inherent evil (presumed or otherwise) eating away at the surface of both of [the lead character’s] souls that soon culminates in a violent third act that is far more representative of the film’s tortured storyline than it is prurient or visually shocking.”
Look at this film for what it’s trying to say and I think you’ll find more than shocking material. I’m not saying Antichrist has a clear message and I’m not saying it won’t catch you by surprise with its imagery. But if you perhaps sit back and think about why things are portrayed the way they are rather than focus on the portrayal, you may find a deeper appreciation.
Pedro Almodovar is one of the few directors working today that seems to still believe in the magic of film and the magic of storytelling. His films are elegant and filled with themes we can all connect to and Broken Embraces delivers on all of them while once again offering up fantastic performances from all involved. As I said in my review, I still have some catching up to do with Almodovar’s works, but if you have yet to take in one of his features either Broken Embraces, or in my opinion, Volver would be excellent places to start.
I experienced a “first” while watching this film in the theater. I had no knowledge of who had written the screenplay, but as I watched it was so clear I had little doubt Julian Fellowes’ hand was the culprit, and I was right. It was the first time I can remember going into a film with no knowledge of the screenwriter and figuring it out purely based on what I was hearing. Fellowes’ snappy dialogue and entertaining one-liners kept the film moving at an extraordinarily brisk pace, transforming it from a typically stuffy period piece into a legitimately entertaining biopic (with dramatic liberties).
Beyond the screenplay I also enjoyed the performances immensely, most notably those of Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend and Jim Broadbent. This is a film I would recommend in a heartbeat, but I will warn you it ends before I think it should, going to a text-on-the-screen epilogue as opposed to an additional 30 minutes to tie things up. No matter, it’s still a joy to watch.
I am excited at the prospect of checking out the four hour and 48 minute international cut of Red Cliff once it hits Blu-ray on March 30, 2010. Considering I enjoyed the two-and-a-half-hour cut of John Woo’s first film since Paycheck in 2003 and his his first Asian born film since Hard Boiled in 1992, I can only imagine what I’ll take away from the fully restored version on high-definition Blu-ray.
Red Cliff is an immensely entertaining historical epic in the vein of a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a curious mix of genres with an obvious goal of entertaining its audience. However, I wonder if the full version will add unnecessary exposition or just a well-blended mix of everything I love about the edited version. Either way, I can’t wait to find out.
| QUICK NAV: | #21-25 | #11-20 | #1-10 |
That’s it for this installment, but you can continue to explore the rest of my Top 25 using the navigation directly above. Also, be sure to take part in the nomination process as I am hoping to figure out the top ten films as decided by the RopeofSilicon readers. Round 2 is already underway, so click here to get involved.
You can begin listing your personal lists in the comments below or save your top tens for the comments on my top ten list when I post it on Wednesday. Either way, we have a week’s worth of celebrating the movies of 2009 ahead of us and we are just getting started. Remember, the awards season is also around the corner with the Golden Globes on January 17th, the Screen Actors Guild Awards on the 23rd and many others leading up to the Oscars on March 7th.
