Piece By Piece

Piece by Piece; Clever conceit to use LEGO animation to prop up biopic that doesn’t have much drama but a ton of great music to spotlight. Pharrell’s beats tell the story w/some pretty great music heavyweights weighing in, made all the better in their LEGO form. Elevates an otherwise simple story; B
 

Taking Chance

Taking Chance; A side of war not often showcased, the preparation and transportation of a dead soldier. Bacon gives a great solemn performance that grounds the mixed feelings of honour, horror, disgust and dedication to respecting the military process. Worthwhile watch, if ultimately infuriating; B

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot; Beautifully rendered, lovingly told, the film follows the WALL-E way of endearing the audience to the robot via silent film techniques and cute, tiny interactions. By the time the conflict shows up, we’re rooting for the robot to succeed in its reflection of humanity. Sweet film; A-

Se7en

Se7en; Sordid, bleak investigation pairs two very different cops, played marvellously by Freeman & Pitt, captivates via a tight script, unraveling at just the right pace. Moody, stylistic work by Fincher makes it all unforgettable & burned into your brain by the time you’re asked what’s in the 📦; A+
 

Panic Room

Panic Room; Epitome of a contained thriller, expertly crafted to squeeze every ounce of tension from a cats and mice culmination of conundrums. Each actor is excellent in their part, and Fincher sets the stage exquisitely so that each piece fits perfectly towards the final outcome. A masterpiece; A+

My Old Ass

My Old Ass; Sweet, funny, honest & real. Wonderful work by the entire cast. Another stunning, poignant directorial piece from Park. Captures a moment of youth so beautifully. The lesson our naive younger self can teach us may be more valuable to our old asses than 20 years of “wisdom” gained; A
 

Little Big Man

Little Big Man; Combats Hollywood mythology using hilarious satire, brutally violent reenactments daring to sympathize w/the original people & actually casting Indigenous ppl, notably Chief Dan George. Hoffman displays Buster Keaton levels of physical comedy amid a brilliant dramatic performance; A

The Best and Worst Films of 2024

The year 2024 did not turn out to be a great year for movies. Looking back at old Top 10 lists, I'd be hard pressed to place any of this year's films on some of the previous year's lists; not even in the ten spot. So take this "best" list with that thought in mind. As always, this list is comprised of the best films I saw in theatres, or premiering on streaming services in the calendar year 2024. This is why you will quite literally see some Holdovers from films theatrically released in 2023. In 2024 I managed to screen 50 new films, 21 of those in theatres, and for three of the films on this list, I revisited the theatre to watch them a second time. If you know me, I tend to prefer to watch something new that I haven't seen before I will sit down to watch something twice, so seeing multiple films multiple times in cinemas speaks to the dearth of interesting releases to hit the multiplexes at certain points of 2024. This can be attributed to the prolonged strikes of the previous year having an impact on the flow of releases this past year, as well as Hollywood's irritating insistence on regurgitating old ideas over greenlighting creative risks. But who am I to complain, when you will see the success of tried and true formulas appear on my list alongside some fresh new faces. So, if you're new here, you can also find me on Letterboxd as JoeJamesFilm and on BlueSky as Keepin' it Reel by JoeJamesFilm where I try to align this reviewing films past time as much as possible. You will find film reviews appear there before eventually showing up here, if time is of the essence to you.

Please enjoy, in reverse alphabetical order (or regular alphabetical order, since we're counting down), the ten films I enjoyed the most in 2024:

10. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice; Time has not been kind to Tim Burton. As his style has been regurgitated and his collaborations repeated ad nauseam, his next project is often met with an eye roll, even by his most ardent followers. But I will still stand by the fact that a bad Tim Burton film has much more to offer than the best of many others, and the casting of Jenna Ortega in his latest projects has rejuvenated the deliciousness of his off-beat treatment of his subject matter. Unleashing Keaton once again is worth the price of admission, but who really shines is O'Hara, who gets to stretch her insanity across more screen time, allowing the audience to relish in the comedic treasure she truly is. This sequel didn't have to be stuffed with so many subplots, but the crazy turns by all the fabulous cast members and cameos brought pure Burton joy back in big way.

9. Bob Marley: One Love; Put me in a theatre and play Bob Marley music on the cinema audio system for two hours, and I'm a happy guy. That's all this film needed, but it also shares stunning turns by Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch as the lead couple, showing love through lots of pain and hard times. As far as biopics go, I usually tend to prefer a straight up good documentary, especially given the amount of primary source material that tends to be available these days. However, a dramatization does an effective job of conveying emotional beats when the real life characters are wonderfully embodied by a talented cast, like in this film. You may not leave knowing a whole lot more about Bob Marley after this film, but you will certainly gain a greater sense of why he is loved and how his music resonates with an entire nation.

8. Deadpool & Wolverine; If Marvel decides to release only one film a year, and it turns out to be as great as this threequel is, then I'm all for it! The joy that this film brought throughout the summer and fall of 2024, extended far beyond the reach of the cinema. From the press tour, marketing and memes and spin off referencing, to their insertion into Disneyland street performance, these two unkillable opposites definitely used their staying power to entertain us to no end. As both their characters and their true selves, Reynolds and Jackman turned real life love into cinematic chaos, and delivered above and beyond fan expectations. What really floored me the most, is how Jackman is acting his ass off, and has no right to be carrying an Oscar worthy level of weight and pathos into what is ultimately a silly, gonzo action extravaganza. We may have found what peak superhero looks like.

7. Drive-Away Dolls; Speaking of gonzo, this bonkers little ditty from the kooky minds of the Coens (a Coen) is a secretly subversive treat. Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan make for two very compelling leads whose Thelma and Louise adventure smash more gender boundaries and stereotypes on their way to Tallahassee than the 90s style crime caper trailer suggests. Prepare for unabashed performances and off kilter interactions as the two get mixed up in situations they never knew they were made for. Not for the faint of heart, but more for those looking for a good time and some raucous laugh out loud moments, wrapped up in an unconventional take on romantic relationships. This embodies the kind of cinematic risks we need more of, if only to see some brilliant young stars run circles around their co-billed acting all-stars in some very unexpected cameo roles.

6. The Holdovers; Having missed this last Christmas, I wanted to hold off until this Christmas to watch this in the spirit of the season. Yet somehow it ended up being a mid-summer July watch for me. Despite the lack of seasonal magic and snow on the ground, the throwback 70s energy imbued into the very fibres of every frame of this film paints its own nostalgic spell, no matter what the season. Eschewing syrupy saccharine holiday elements, unlike what the zillion Hallmark movies dive into nowadays, Giamatti's tenured Grinch has his heart grow from the least likely sources. Randolph is an Oscar winning revelation and director Alexander Payne's devotion to crafting a new film to feel so timeless will ensure it becomes a treasured addition to the holiday pantheon of cozy Christmas classics for years to come. Maybe I will revisit it again this year for Christmas, in July.

5. Inside Out 2; There are Disney films, and more specifically, Pixar films, that do not warrant a sequel. Many have been made regardless of this fact. Inside Out 2 is not one of these films. Expanding upon the growing self awareness and emotional development of Riley, now into her adolescent years, Inside Out 2 opens up the world inside Riley's brain, while narrowing the happenings outside for narrative focus. The original emotions have begun to spill into each others' domains somewhat, while a quartet of more nuanced feelings join the original five, causing several complications in hilarious and heartbreaking ways. The better sequels of family focused films tend to craft a story that grows along with its original target audience, with greater maturity, complexity and depth. Inside Out 2 delivers on all of these, while maintaining the heart and humour wonderfully animated in the original.

4. Monkey Man; From mainstream sequel fare in the five spot to the fresh directorial feature film debut of Dev Patel at number 4. Patel crafts his own John Wick style revenge story, with layers of class warfare and systemic struggle underlying the straight up hardcore fight scenes. The combination makes for an elevated action film, where the stakes transcend the personal trappings of the somewhat nameless lead character, as he seemingly takes on the crusade for scores of disadvantaged people who have been pushed to the margins of society. The action is shot stylistic, while the violence remains brutally real. It's a tough film to stomach, but emotionally it pays off, a testament to the efforts of Patel, who wrote, directed and stars in a real personal project. The singular vision shines through this exciting, exhilarating action film.

3. Problemista; On the topic of singular vision, there's no one quite like Julio Torres. His humour springs from a personal place that in its most unique aspects, opens our eyes up to see the world through his hilarious perspective, bringing forth joyful moments of bursting forth, full on laughter. With the casting of Tilda Swinton, he cleverly centres her insane character as foil to Julio's reality, alerting us to the ridiculous failings of our modern society and what it means for immigrants and those who enjoy absolutely unearned privilege. The humour is found in the absurdity of truth, and his responses to the absurdity hold a quiet reserve of hope, wonder and strength as he bends reality in order to conform to it, while liberating his and our minds to endless possibility. Tragic, with equal parts spirited resistance and resilience, Problemista points to a promising future from Torres.

2. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band/Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour; Another year with a top ten list that doesn't manage to sneak in an extra film or two? Impossible. What we have here are two music documentaries that couldn't be more polar opposites of artists at very different stages of life and their careers. One is a wonderful exploration of what years of being on the road, living rock and roll lifestyles, have done to solidify a half century of friendship and mutual respect. The other is a young pop princess, thrust into the spotlight with astounding sophomore success, capturing the youthful joy and exuberance bursting from a rising star. Both films frame their subjects fittingly; Bruce's behind the scenes and backstory bringing great insight into his band's process, Rodrigo's stage front filming of a fresh face's fantastic show commemorated for her fans. The music speaks volumes in both instances, giving an appreciation for both artists.

1. Wicked; Is it possible for a film to be a smash global success and marketing phenomenon, yet still somehow seem underappreciated? The sheer brilliance of execution by director Jon Chu comes through in every frame. It starts with the supreme casting of Erivo and Grande, in a shared performance that seems near impossible to top, while holding space for the original Broadway songstresses in a clever (slightly more than) cameo. The exquisite production is in the details, and Chu's insistence on empowering crafts(wo)manship to use real, tangible elements to tell a fantastical story, comes alive in the various dance sequences. This part one of the stage musical shows that good things are worth waiting for, and now we have a full year to wait for the final instalment of Chu's incomparable vision. A total crowd pleaser that resonates in your ears, mind and heart as you walk out of the theatre.

Even though the best of the best weren't all time greats, there were a LOT of decent films that were worth spending a good chunk of time viewing. Here's some...

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas, I.S.S., I Saw the TV Glow, Killers of the Flower Moon, Lisa Frankenstein, Love Lies Bleeding, Mean Girls, Moana 2, Poor Things, Rez Ball, Roald Dahl short films: The Rat Catcher and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Will & Harper

As you can see, plenty of films for different tastes available out there. The variety may be one good thing that comes with the fracturing of the audiences due to streaming platforms. But with every up side, there's a down side. Here's five of the more disappointing productions I sat through in 2024...

5. Godzilla Minus One (Dubbed); I can see catching some flak for this one. There was SO much love for this film, that I think the hype got my hopes up. I also admit to not really paying much attention to this film, as my family watched it at a point in time where I had a ton of work to get done. That being said, the real reason this lands on my worst list is on account of the dubbing. Why is it that an Oscar winning film can be saddled with such subpar voice dubbing? My preferred choice is to ALWAYS choose the subtitled version of a film. But the choice was out of my control this time, and the annoying voices of many of the dubbed characters made it excruciating to listen to this film. There also seemed to be some ridiculous coincidences and occurrences happening that damaged this movie's attempt to play it realistic and grounded emotionally. Just not my monster movie.

4. Despicable Me 4; Perfect example of an animated sequel that did not need to be made. Any attempt to make meaning and provide any kind of substance deeper than pure surface level entertainment was abandoned in the making of this movie. The minions are a license to print money, and Universal knows this, so expect to see yellow pill shaped figures for the rest of our lifetimes. If only the studio can value the property and the comedic gold it can offer besides just being box office gold, we wouldn't have to see such a talented cast perform uninspired lines and bland comedic premises and takes. More minions are welcome in various formats, but with the price of movie tickets, popcorn and concessions, plus the 3D upcharges that parents will be expected to pay, it seems quite despicable that Universal will allow a movie of this quality to pull precious dollars from our pockets and denigrate the movie going experience.

3. Descendants: The Rise of Red; Speaking of franchises overstaying their welcome, Disney knows they have a doll selling, music shilling, competition skewering premise that speaks to a generation of girls with the Descendants series. As sad as it is to see a reboot or reimagining or whatever this is, there's something to be said for Disney's ability to create new stars to fill their stable of young triple threats. The cast of this film certainly have the skills to succeed in future projects, but why they have to attempt to breathe life into this one is a real head scratcher. The songs are serviceable but not quite the bangers of the original series, and the storyline and plot make little sense in that time travel way that loses all plausibility if you stop to think about it for more than a minute. Is there any way to halt a line of descendants or are we taxed with this for eternity?

2. Aquaman & the Lost Kingdom; So this is how the Snyder DCEU dies? With a giggle, not a whimper? There's so much money up on the screen here, it's no wonder they seemed obliged to release it. It's so goofy, so indulgent to its bizarre whims, that the very game and talented cast appear to do whatever they damn well please. Which isn't always a recipe for success, especially when the narrative seeks some sort of coherence. This isn't to say there's nothing enjoyable here. There's plenty of divergences to entertain and keep everyone watching, but it all adds up to a nonsensical mishmash of ideas. It's as though Batman himself threw spaghetti at a wall and the drippings drained into the ocean and spilled onto the cameras. The cast is chalk full of superb individuals doing their best, but the sum of the parts just don't add up. The motto must be: Don't question it!! Have fun!!

1. Petit Jésus; I watched this one on a plane, expecting a farcical French comedy, poking fun at the church, religion, or even the doubters of faith. Knowing it was about a dad and his son, I was also settling in for some heartfelt life lessons and introspective teachings about our humanity. Turns out it's none of these, but rather a meandering, meaningless snore fest that offers little in the form of laughs or life affirmations. Maybe I expected too much? Or maybe the real issue is that the worst crime of cinema is to be dull and boring, and Petit Jésus is one hundred percent guilty of this crime. Watching something on a plane really amounts to whether or not it helped pass the time in the air, but even at that low bar, I wish I had selected anything else, and I will never get that hour and a half back. It could have been used for sleeping, and I would have dreamt something greater.

A couple of DISHONOURABLE MENTIONS: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, This is Me...Now so that you don't waste your own time, if you were even slightly curious. Just not worth it. 

Here's hoping 2025 is a little more inspiring and entertaining. Believe it or not, through the magic of blogging, I'm writing this from the future. It's past mid-February and I've only watched two new films so far this year (both 2024 releases, actually) and my only trips to the theatre have been for Fincher Fest. I wonder what will be the first film to usher us into cinemas this year? Stay tuned to this blog, my BlueSky and Letterboxd accounts to find out!! Peace and Be Wild.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3; Keanu brings gravitas to voicing Shadow, while double Jim Carrey gives us Sellers levels of insane high jinks. Action propels forward, ignoring some logistics but it’s all good on account of Schwartz’s ability to make us enjoy the cute critters as enthusiastically as he does; B
 

Die Hard

Die Hard; Two top actors playing cat & mouse in a high rise w/high stakes, delivers the tension, excitement & explosions that movie studios have tried to emulate ever since. Nails the tonal balance between hostage crisis and holiday humour perfectly, with great character work across the board; A+

Moana 2

Moana 2; Near impossible task of living up to the original ultimately fails on account of lesser songs, story beats and animation. Cravalho does some heavy lifting, as her vocals and humour guide the film through patchy moments, even when the script, lyrics and music aren’t up to the task; B+

Thief

Thief; Stylish heist thriller gives Caan ample space to chew scenery as a loner pro thief who gets in trouble for making connections in his life. Tangerine Dream’s cringe inducing score seriously dates the movie, with the post 70s film character study aesthetic colliding with 80s production; B-
 

Y2K

Y2K; Straddles the line between nostalgic humour, horror and teen sex comedy, with mixed success. The trappings of a low budget make for some entertaining creative decisions, but also frustratingly limits and handcuffs the movie. A fun concept that makes a great trailer but less so a great film; C-

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy; A clear summary of how overproduction is part & parcel of capitalist driving of overconsumption resulting in insurmountable levels of waste. The documentary follows the cycle from start to finish, revealing many effects that are often detached from one another; B-

Wicked

Wicked; Impeccable casting fulfills Chu’s exquisite vision of interpreting all elements and adaptations of Oz. Every single aspect is meticulously crafted, titillating the eyes, ears and heart. Balances its running time with humour, intrigue, fantasy and romance, much like its original source; A

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band; Looks to the past to inform how the tour is made up of various footprints. Uses specific songs to explore a half century of history that goes into modern day legendary performances. Captures band members’ individual contributions to the whole;A+

Lore

Lore; A WWII story that sidesteps the soldier tales often told to focus on Nazi sympathizing children who must navigate the immediate moments at the end of the war. This take exposes the complications of learned hatred & what can & cannot be forgiven and who can or cannot be trusted. Interesting; B

Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour

Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour; Excellently captures a camera aware performer who has developed herself and her music to deliver an energetic show to an arena sized crowd. The joy explodes off the screen without losing the personal level of her heartfelt expression of a teen turning adult; A-
 

Will & Harper

Will & Harper; A testament to friendship between two funny people who navigate how a life changing decision affects the way they interact w/each other & encounter the world together. Hard truths are captured, some of it stark & ugly, but the beauty of true friendship shines through. Heartwarming; B

The Contender

The Contender; Actors aplenty excelling at what they do in a political game that tackles enduring issues of optics and impressions and the double standards across party and gender lines. Bridges, Allen and Oldman are perfect in their roles and the script and supporting cast deliver on top of it; B+
 

Rez Ball

Rez Ball; A very typical sports film that separates itself from the rest on the basis that it stars Indigenous individuals & includes their culture & language as an element of their overcoming obstacles on their way to compete for a championship. Why can’t we have a Native spin on a tired trope?; B

Never Cry Wolf

Never Cry Wolf; Amazing display of northern scenery, stunningly filmed & lovingly captured. Too bad it’s wrapped in silly scenarios of a protagonist who elicits little empathy or interest. His plight is self-made so whether he survives or thrives, we could care less. The animals are the true stars; C

Transformers One

Transformers One; Surprisingly fun with some great vocal performances. Animation looked great and if you look past the sheer lunacy of this being an origin story (do Transformers grow up?), the jokes land well and the core story comes across with emotional resonance. More than meets the eye; B

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; Does an excellent job respecting the original while providing decent justification for revisiting the themes and circumstances all over again. The new blood meshes seamlessly and fits right in perfectly. Ortega is a draw unto herself, but O’Hara and Keaton are legendary; B+

Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch; Surprisingly sweet tale of family comes out of a galactic science experiment gone wrong. The island setting and rocking soundtrack keeps the movie bouncing along, stopping for hi jinx that ends up hitting your heart as much as it attempts for humour. Leaves an impression on you; B

A Quiet Place: Day One

A Quiet Place: Day One; Doesn’t offer anything overly novel to the franchise, though the urban setting and characters are a fresh take worth exploring in this sequel. Satisfactorily provides thrills and narrow escapes from deathly predicaments alongside emotional moments from solid thespians; B

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Dangerously strays into “so bad, it’s good” territory that used to be a hallmark of goofy comic book movies pre-Batman. The cast deserves better than this schlocky, hammy approach to what is one of the more compelling Marvel characters. C’mon! He’s more than his claws!; C-

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; There aren’t very many perfect films. This may very well be one of them. Gorgeously shot, capturing stunning vistas along with two ridiculously talented leads playing off each other with screen scorching charisma. Every minute is a cinematic masterpiece; A+

Unfaithful

Unfaithful; Erotic thriller of a tryst gone off the rails, spiralling into the dissolving of a long married couple. Excellent performances and solid directing elevate the material above its unexplained motivations of the characters so that it becomes watchable and enticing despite its flaws; C+

Petit Jésus

Petit Jésus; What has potential to be a clever, introspective family dramedy or a hilarious, farcical comedy of errors, or both, instead settles into benign, harmless trifle that neither produces any big laughs nor pulls on any serious heartstrings. Mildly funny, mildly moving, mostly boring; D

The Hunger Games:The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes; Better than expected, yet still suffers from trying to find sympathy in an irredeemable character. It’s neat to see earlier versions of the Games, with fun takes from new cast members. Still grossly centered around child slaughter for sport; B-

X2

X2; Sequel knows key to X-Men success lies in Wolverine, and maintains focus on him and his backstory, while offering up some new mutants that explode off the screen. Some excellent set pieces and character combinations make for poignant dialogue exchanges filled w/allegory. Storm still sucks; B+

X-Men

X-Men; Great start to the film series, giving us a sense of the characters and their motivations, while keeping the moral allegories intact and underlying throughout. Centres on Wolverine, which is understandable given he’s always been the most popular mutant and Jackman doesn’t disappoint; B+

Slap Shot

Slap Shot; A relic of a bygone era that oddly has echoes of influence in our time. Sexism, homophobia, and rampant misogyny aside, the film certainly informed future comedies like Anchorman and Dodgeball. Difficulty distinguishing what’s parody and what’s sincere makes it a fascinating watch; B-

Jurassic World Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion; Return to form for the franchise, delivering a greatest hits of the typical thrills of dinosaur inflicted peril. Howard continues to be a drag on the series, while the rest are admirably recreating the guilty delight for what should be the final time. Suitable diversion; B-

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare; Tells a fascinating true story of intense action derived from grim circumstances but fails to capture the momentous stakes by never quite presenting the key players as anything less than an invulnerable super squad. Entertaining but emotionally stunted; B