Foolish Wives

Directed by:  Erich von Stroheim
Starring:  Erich von Stoheim, Maud George, Mae Busch, Cesare Gravina
Running Time:  1h 47min

What a foolish idea to think that this movie deserved to be made in the silent era.  The conniving and seduction of the count seems ridiculous when he says very little.  This movie is a mish mash of jumbled scenes, very uninteresting throughout.  The conclusion is as plain as day right from the get go.  No one to care about, it doesn't matter who gets screwed and who wins.  It is unfortunate for a melodrama to have a hero and a villain that the audience is impartial to.  Quite a contrast to see the American early film as compared to the amazing, interesting and visually stunning European film of the same time.  One sees the true devastation of the WWs, seeing as we are now subject to U.S. film being the "trendsetter".

Grade:  C-

Frame by Frame

Directed by:  Douglas Barr
Starring:  Michael Biehn, Marg Helgenberger
Running Time:  1h 45min

This action suspense doesn't really have too much action.  Which is a shame because it stars an extremely underrated action hero in Biehn.  The fact that he has to slum it in this film is upsetting.  But what he brings to his role really makes the movie.  His performance keeps us interested in what would otherwise be a more for TV snore fest.  The sub-plot seems totally inconsequential, there only to consume time to make this feature length.  Or perhaps to supply us with the "action".  It does more of the former than the latter.  Watch it only for the talent of Biehn, and how he is creepingly likeable.

Grade: C-

Frankenstein (Restored version)

Directed by:  James Whale
Starring:  Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, John Boles, Dwight Frye
Running Time:  1h 11min

A classic film in that it totally changed the way Frankenstein was viewed, which is unfortunate.  Whale himself became synonymous with these films, just as Karloff did towards fame.  With much from the book and much left out, it's disappointing how this rendition is viewed historically.  The settings and lighting are great, with obvious influence from Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  Very similar in the sense that those films' style and film work far outweigh the subject matter.  Which is a shame in this instance because Frankenstein is such a great novel.  Anyhow, the acting here is great, bordering camp and humour with the original horror and drama intentions.  Great close-ups and cutaways, but not quite as frightening as some have deemed.

Grade: B-

The Frighteners

Directed by:  Peter Jackson
Starring:  Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, Dee Wallace-Stone
Running Time:  1h 50min

Boldly original with only one horribly annoying cliche, this movie plays like a Tales from the Crypt episode gone effects crazy.  Fox is good as the runaround guy with a crazy world around him that only he sees (much like his previous collaboration with Robert Zemeckis).  It's great to see that the astounding computer technology is being used for such great things.  It's disappointing that this movie has been overlooked by fans and critics alike.  Despite being reduced to complete silly and craziness at some points it is wildly entertaining and fun to watch.  The ideas are fun, exciting and non stop!

Grade:  B

The Full Monty

Directed by:  Peter Cattaneo
Starring:  Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, Steve Huison
Running Time:  1h 31min

Now this film is funny, yet hard to explain why it's so funny.  First of all the concept.  Unemployed steelworkers stripping to make some cash.  Add to that a gnome napping scene, a British sense of humour, and a Tom Jones tune and I think you get the gist of it all.  But the main reason why this works is that they try to play it real.  These are real, down and out people who have issues of pride at hand.  Each stripper has their own motive to doing what many find so degrading.  And it isn't a Demi Moore Striptease reason, with zero acting skills.  These guys actually see stripping as their only alternative to the other disastrous consequences.  Go rush out and see this movie, and you can keep your hat on too!

Grade: A-

The Game

Directed by:  David Fincher
Starring:  Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger
Running Time:  2h 08min

Douglas gives a remarkable performance, not unlike the downward spiral he took in Falling Down.  He is caught up in the "game", a real life adventure that leaves him wondering what is real and what is only a part of the game.  Sometimes the viewer is just as confused as Douglas, which only adds to the viewing pleasure.  The humour occurs realistically, subtle yet hilarious.  The look of the movie is unmistakably Fincher, a director who will surely emerge as the next Coppola or Scorsese.  Every moment is spent guessing between what is real and what is false.  The opening sequence is a special form of storytelling, visually and mentally stimulating.  Fincher makes a movie that appeals to all the senses and exercises the mind, with a sweet aftertaste.

Grade:  A

Gandhi

Directed by:  Richard Attenborough
Starring:  Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud
Running Time:  3h 07min

A great man makes for a great movie about his life.  This film does justice to telling the tales of Gandhi's own search for the truth and justice.  Kingsley is outstanding in the title role, and his supporting cast aids him in obtaining an atmosphere that is both cinematic and realistic.  India is beautifully shot, especially upon Gandhi's return to his homeland.  The script does a good job of filling up three hours of intriguing bits of Gandhi's life, without throwing in any unnecessary background.  With each step towards India's independence we become further enraptured in Gandhi, and share the ups and downs throughout the film.  The pacing is amazingly fluid for a three hour movie.  This epic is what every historical piece should be like, a total joy.

Grade: A

The General

The General; A review doesn't do justice to this film. I could use a million adjectives and still fall short of what this film does for the viewer. It is continuously funny, so funny that one misses the spectacular stunts and action that is staged within the humour. Keaton is the center of it all, a man trying to win back his two loves, his girl and his General, the train that supplies the quick pace and most fantastic sights in film history. Upon multiple viewings the movie doesn't lose a thing. It's only an opportunity to turn your glance away from Keaton and enjoy some of the smaller performances that add to this comedy masterpiece. Action and comedy have never been so well mixed; A+

Get on the Bus

Get on the Bus; A tight documentary style film about a group of Black men on their way to the Million Man March. Lee develops the characters nicely, in interesting and unconventional ways. I especially enjoyed the "roll call" way of recapping the characters and their relationships with each other. The fact that the majority of the film takes place on a bus doesn't hinder the atmosphere one bit. Lee makes sure that the viewer doesn't feel claustrophobic unless intended. In fact, he makes it seem like there is more room on the bus than there actually is. The writing is excellent, without being too preachy, yet still getting the message across. The length is appropriate, and the ending sad, yet satisfying; B

The Ghost and the Darkness

The Ghost and the Darkness; An interesting tale of two lions in Africa that prove to be unstoppable in their attempt to stop Kilmer's bridge builder from doing his job. Though the movie moves along with very little left to the imagination it still manages to captivate. This movie won an Oscar for sound effects editing, and I can see why, as the suspense and terror is built around the silence and the slaughter, all wrapped in great sound. The visuals don't seem quite as scary, but the set-ups to kill the lions are interesting. The way the Native workers fear the animals shows a White man's stupidity at first but then makes them seem foolish themselves, in the way Western films do. Douglas doesn't seem right for his part and tries to give it more than it calls for. Kilmer seems good; B-

The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man; It embarrasses me to see such talent being used to create the visions of a hack writer like John Grisham. And now that he's got this film accomplished, his first original screenplay, there may actually be many more. The only thing worth watching here are the actors, and the scenery Altman surrounds them in. Downey is especially entertaining, as he seems to breathe his roles. Branagh is amazing, in a role that hardly seems like the Shakespearean trained actor that he is. His accent totally disappears into a Southern states lawyer. Yes, lawyer, as Grisham rehashes the same plot and characters through the mud, adding Duval as the unreachable crazy. Rent this if you haven't seen a Grisham, otherwise you'll be experiencing deja-vu for two full hours; C+

The Glimmer Man

The Glimmer Man; The buddy action picture that worked so well in Lethal Weapon is once again a good formula. Seagal shows a little bit of a funny side, intentionally this time and Wayans plays action cop again. The movie is great video fare and I'm glad I never went to a movie house to see this. It is very typical, with all the action movie essentials. In this respect it doesn't disappoint. On the other hand, by following action movie standards, we're given two characters that we really don't care about. We're just here to watch them kick some butt. Seagal's flurry of fists are deadly but don't seem so dynamic. He seems wooden. Wayans doesn't have the flair that mainstream fighters have so even the good bits don't excel. Humour and fighting but nothing else; C+

Go

Go; Casting is done to perfection for this multi-narrative piece that tells three stories that occur independent and intertwined within 24 hours. Mixing equal parts drama, comedy, and action, the film is a constant joyride. Diggs is a true breakout, as is Polley in their take charge roles. Mohr and Wolf supply the biggest surprise in their feature piece, a story that plays with all preconceptions. The pacing is kinetic, the direction exquisite. A movie about teens that doesn't belittle teens. In fact, despite the occasional forced dialogue this film is more grown up than most Hollywood fables. Successfully breaking up the linear narrative, so that time bends and characters come in and out of play is only one reason why this film is so captivating!; A-

Gods and Monsters

Gods and Monsters; In one of those instances where Hollywood romanticises its past by making a feature about one of its own, Gods and Monsters succeeds. But what really puts it into a category of its own is the love at which the subject in question, director James Whale, is handled. Played beautifully by McKellen (in a truly Oscar worthy performance), Whale comes off not unlike his most famous work, Frankenstein, and his monster. Misunderstood by the industry, and all those around him, Whale is cast as an outsider. His open homosexuality adds further to his alienation and bewilderment in his final years. Fraser and Redgrave are magnificent supporting McKellen's performance as the only two who truly get to know him. Wonderful portrait of an artist in his later years; B

Godzilla

Godzilla; The mother of all monsters gets the Hollywood treatment, and once again Hollywood proves it can ruin almost anything with its formulaic take on anything. We end up watching a cross between Jurassic Park and Independence Day without a hint of something new or original (not that ID4 had any to begin with). The characters are totally underdeveloped, despite Broderick and Reno's valiant attempts. The Siskel and Ebert characters are the sole source of enjoyment in a film that fails to surprise at any time. It is so annoying to watch countless crane shots zoom in on the human as he stands frozen in the sight of Godzilla. The destruction scenes aren't even of interest. In fact this film offers very little, just some cheap thrills. Not worth seeing again; C-

Going Down the Road

Going Down the Road; Canadian cinema at its best, full of real drama and real scenery. Shebib captures Toronto with his lens as the two leads capture the audience. Hilarious at times intended, and other times not, the film truly became a fable of the East Coast jobless coming to the heartland of Canada, only to find that its the same situation, different locale. The honesty that comes forth from the two leads is brilliant, and their friendship is one that is often ignored in filmmaking. Their bond and the strains placed upon by women, economics, and just plain stubborness is a treat to watch. Though they seem to be on a constant downward spiral the duo (and Shebib) still manage to find a pleasantry in their otherwise awful existence. An unforgettable tale; B+

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting; This amazing screenplay is really in touch with a younger generation of movie goers without leaving traditionalists behind. There's something for everyone's tastes in this movie that combines comedy, drama, and romance in their physical, spiritual, and mental aspects. Gus Van Sant makes the writing even better by getting soul baring performances from the whole cast. He makes the emotions physically manifest themselves on the screen. He dares to shoot one emotionally revealing scene between two lovers with the actors very plain and naked, not like the heavily mood lit/make up sensualizing of romance we're used to. This lets the inner emotions, struggles really reach out and touch the audience. The multi-layered script hits personally and universally; A-

Pulp Fiction (Pan & Scan)

Pulp Fiction; A reviewer's paradise. I would review this movie a thousand times and still find something new to rave about. After seeing it four times at the theatre and countless times on video (I own 3 different copies) I managed to catch his film on Showcase. That is why it has only received an A. The movie loses very little in its Pan & Scan version but that "little" is Tarantino's amazing use of the widescreen. Pulling from influences like Scorcese's long tracking and Kubrick's horizontal shift through walls, Tarantino manages to mix great filming with fresh, natural sounding dialogue to visual appeal is an A+. Everything that is except the Pan & Scan format; A

The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty; Beautiful art and inspired English voice casting (Carol Burnett) liven up story easily told in 10 minutes; B-

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon; Can we just agree 2 pretend that we saw this & give the billion dollars to foreign aid? Album is better; D

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Despite 1 dimensional characters & convenient plot advances, apes entertain via cool F/X & Serkis acting; B-

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol; Exciting, tense, straight up action. Delivers the thrills, stays relevant after 3 sequels, well done; B+

The Muppets

The Muppets; Faithful to the franchise, almost to a fault. Whimsical, w/good, silly songs & cameos, but overly dramatic & slow at times; B+

Friends With Benefits

Friends with Benefits; Cleverly address conventions of genre, leads have comedic & sexual chemistry, great reminder of how romcoms work. A-

The Best and Worst Films of 2011

Of any year end list of best and worst films, this list for 2011 is by far the most inaccurate or incomplete of any I've compiled. Partly for the fact that a quarter of the movies I watched were actually films released in 2010, that I happened to see in 2011 (as per my arbitrary rules that movies must be selected from either films I saw in theatres, new release Blu-ray/DVD, or The Movie Network premiere in the 2011 calendar year), and partly for the fact that there was a stretch of close to three months in 2011 when I didn't see a single movie. When the final strike fell on the clock of 2011, I had seen a grand total of 27 films, slightly more than last year, but feeling more like the lowest total in all my years of keeping track of my film (re)viewing.  The overall quality of films in 2011 seemed rather low.  If 2011's slate of 27 had to be summed up, it was a pretty vanilla crop, with nothing too awful but a rather weak bunch to select a Top 10 from.

Is this an indication that I've entered the dreaded next age bracket of the entertainment industry (are they even making films for MY demographic anymore??) or that 2011 offered very little to entice me to plop down the inflated prices for 3D versions of films I only wanted to see in 2D? Don't get me wrong. I'm very much a supporter of 3D movies, but when I have no choice as to the option of 2D or 3D and am then asked to pay for not having a choice, it is reason to rethink seeing a film theatrically, pocketing the surcharge, and taking a chance at buying the Blu-ray version a few months down the line. This seems to have become my daughter's mantra, as she doesn't like wearing the 3D glasses, and would just as well await a home release that she can watch over and over again. Even with this sentiment in mind, the number of 3D films we went to see in theatres rose from 7 in 2010 to 15 in 2011.

I recently read somewhere that movie studios are needing to counter plummeting ticket sales and rampant pirating of their films (not to mention increased home viewing options like digital downloads--R.I.P. Blockbuster Video--) by offering a slate of films that demand the cinematic experience of seeing it on the big screen. This is evidenced by the fact that some of the highest grossing films weren't as highly pirated as one would expect, because who wants to see Harry Potter 8 or Transformers 3 on a crappy bootleg with dim lighting, European subtitles, muffled sound and the occasional person walking across the screen? Not me, which is why I'll be seeing The Dark Knight Rises, The Lorax, and The Hunger Games at a cinema near you. Here's to a more exciting and entertaining selection of films in 2012.  May I present the best of 27 in 2011...

10.  Black Swan; Grips you from the 1st frame, would be =ly powerful as silent film, lots of crotch grabbing, intelligently crafted & creepy




















9.  Kung Fu Panda 2; With heart, humour & spectacular animation, this sequel does Pixar style entertainment better than Pixar of late

8.  X-Men: First Class; Focus on family, history and science grounds the film in reality, makes for a tense, exciting prequel. Top Notch!

7.  The Social Network; Nicely executed film buoyed by a combination of smart direction, snappy dialogue & savvy score. Very timely & talky

6.  Hugo; Lovingly rendered and fantastically filmed, if tonally off-beat, Hugo is for lovers of film history and children's lit. Magical.

5.  The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights; Intriguing portrait of Jack & Meg White with Rocky Canadian tour as the backdrop

4.  Foo Fighters: Back and Forth; Raw, honest, invigorating exploration of band's history & present. Candid and slick, a must see for fans

3.  The Fighter; Fascinating story, superbly executed. Spot-on performances evoke many emotional responses. All aspire 2 epitomy of cinema

2.  Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2; All out action filled climax to the series ends well, even if it has little arc of its own












and the number one film of 2011 is...

1.  Rango; Animated cretins unlike anything we've seen b4, in tried n true tropes of ole westerns; humour & violence more suited for adults




















Honourable mentions:  Thor, Captain America:  The First Avenger


Looking back over the ones I did manage to see in 2011, I can't really put too many on an honourable list or dishonourable list.  Like I said above, it was pretty vanilla this year.  Movies that critics seemed to loathe, like Sucker Punch, weren't really all that bad when you went into the theatre knowing what to expect.  Other films like The Green Hornet, The Green Lantern, Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Green Tides and Super 8 (green?) were sub par, but not entirely awful, and I'd definitely sit through them again on TMN or video.  They just aren't something to write/tweet home about.  So picking a five worst films wasn't exactly fair, but these are the ones that were most underwhelming.


The Top 5 Worst Films of 2011 are...

5.  Bad Teacher; Traileritis strikes again, funny bits all in ads. Good cast plays well, but script offers few surprises. Worth a rental

4.  African Cats; Narrative & narration (by Samuel L. Jackson) would be better served by a R-rating, as these cats do very little on screen

3.  Tron: Legacy; Coolness factor is obviously the look and sound of the film, other than that, a real bore filled w/talk & walk, truly corny

2.  Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil; Sequelitis strikes again! None of the charm, wit and clever asides of the original, pathetically lame




















and the worst film of 2011 is...

1.  Yogi Bear; Incredibly fake looking, unfunny & devoid of humour, originality or charm. Even worse w/o obvious 3D gimmickry. Craptacular




















Dishonourable mention:  Gnomeo & Juliet


All in all, it was a rather sad year for children's entertainment.  Pixar has been swallowed by Disney and is pumping out uninspired sequels while the mouse house offers their best films revisited in 3D format only to prove that original fare can't quite compare.  Rango is number one for the reason that it offered some spectacular animation from Industrial Light & Magic's first foray into the genre while providing a story that, though based on tropes, really stood out as original and inventive.  Apart from that, the animated films were satisfying, but uninspired (Hop, Rio).  


Fittingly, last year I foretold of Yogi Bear's crapiness in my Top 10 of 2010  yet failed to heed my own advice.  Follow me @joejameskireel so you don't make the same mistake(s) I did.

Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens; Exactly what its title implies, genre mash-up delivers w/ absolutely NO surprises. Fun, yet formulaic & underwhelming. B-

Hugo

Hugo; Lovingly rendered and fantastically filmed, if tonally off-beat, Hugo is for lovers of film history and children's lit. Magical. B+

Yogi Bear

Yogi Bear; Incredibly fake looking, unfunny & devoid of humour, originality or charm. Even worse w/o obvious 3D gimmickry. Craptacular; D-

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger; Solid acting from Evans, Atwell, Jones, Weaving & Tucci make this the best "true" movie from Marvel; A-

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2; All out action filled climax to the series ends well, even if it has little arc of its own; A-

Foo Fighters: Back and Forth

Foo Fighters: Back and Forth; Raw, honest, invigorating exploration of band's history & present. Candid and slick, a must see for fans; A

Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher; Traileritis strikes again, funny bits all in ads. Good cast plays well, but script offers few surprises. Worth a rental; C+

Super 8

Super 8; Average B monster movie made special by top caliber direction & nostalgic feel. Whimsy & charm, could easily have gone wrong; B

Green Lantern

Green Lantern; Simply OK. No fault of Reynolds or F/X, but rather a too dark & serious tone that takes itself too seriously. Lacks fun; B-

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class; Focus on family, history and science grounds the film in reality, makes for a tense, exciting prequel. Top Notch!; A-

Kung Fu Panda 2

Kung Fu Panda 2; With heart, humour & spectacular animation, this sequel does Pixar style entertainment better than Pixar of late; A-