Wanting An Education

I'll be honest. An Education was not my most anticipated film of 2009. I'm usually spot on when it comes to what I'm going to like but my favourite of the year is always a surprise - Atonement, Corpse Bride even The Departed were not my most anticipated of their respective years. Perhaps, that's why I love them so much. Sneaking up on you always helps. The thing is though that's I've wanted to see An Education for some time. Univarn remarked that he was sure I'd love An Education. I suppose I do have my "type" of films...but I didn't think it was that obvious. And I really hadn't thought about An Education fitting into that type.

              

What was it exactly that had me wanting to see this so badly? It couldn't be the reviews. Other than the odd effusive one, reviews were fairly good but unexceptional. However, they all cited Mulligan as a showstopper. And as much as I adored Pride & Prejudice Carey Mulligan was not my main reason, or even the resplendent Rosamund Pike for that matter. Molina I like, but I haven't seen him much. Same goes for Sarsgaard. I have my own relationship with Ms. Thompson. But we all knew that was a cameo. So what was it about me wanting to be "educated"?      

Well I have been. And I feel oddly, calm...for want of a better word even serene. The British can do that to you sometimes. I always wonder if my anxiety about a film bouys the grade. Maybe I will myself to like it, or vice versa. I don't know. Is the round-a-bout way of this post annoying you. Sure I've had An Education but as Jenny says "I feel old, but not very wise." I'll return. Don't be mad, I'll expound soon. But I'll leave you with this shot. Isn't it lovely?

Invictus

Someone I read, I can't recall whom, recently remarked of a film It didn't need to be made. And that got me thinking. What films don't need to be adapted to bet put on screen. I think I may have found the answer with Invictus. It's a story about Nelson Mandela [Morgan Freeman]. He's the new president of South Africa, a nation divided. Through his ingenuity he hopes to reconcile the country with sports and the help of the rugby team captain played by Matt Damon.

           

Now would be the ideal time to reveal by hatred apathy towards Clint Eastwood. I'm just not a fan. That being said, I can't say that Invictus is like anything he's done before. But still, I'm essentially unmoved. It's not that biographical films shouldn't be made. But when we make a biography, something like The Aviator, or Schindler's List or Raging Bull or The Hours [and it's inexhaustive] something fresh is added. Sometimes, history is rewritten like in The Aviator, but there is that ecelctic feeling that this story must be told. As heartwarming as Invictus may try to be, I don't get that feeling from it.

The rugby that is so important to the film is never explained to the audience. What of those who don't play rugby? There isn't even a smidgen of explanation as to what's going on, and the cuts away from the actual game don't help.The first third of the film seems unsure of where it's heading, the second third seems unsure of why it's there and the last third is so predictable that you just aren't that invested anymore. I like Morgan Freeman a whole lot actually, but he does nothing for me here. It's the perfect example of an actor phoning it in, and the accent which comes and goes does not help. Actually, Matt Damon is the one who emerges as impressive here, in a stock role albeit. Where everyone is obviously acting I truly believe his performance.

              

Invictus main problem is its writing, but the direction and the action don't particularly help it's cause. I'm no fan of Clint, but this is a particularly underwhelming piece.

C

             

99 Cent Word Reviews: Cloudy With A Chance of…New Moon

So two new reviews, or something like that. In what’s been a big year for animation I saw what many are predicting as one of the future five nominees at the Oscars in the animated category – Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, then I saw that Twilight flick. New Moon. For free. Obviously.
        
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

I don’t quite know what to make of this, it’s fair, but I can’t see this as being a big hit with children or with adults for that matter. The animation while not terrible is not particularly innovative either. The thing about this film is that it isn’t exceptionally dramatic or exceptionally funny. It’s just there. It’s so easy to look away, and I really didn’t feel that invested in the story. And the premise is a little crazy, but not so crazy that it’s exciting, either. Essentially it’s fair. It’s not bad, it’s not good. It’s just there.
C-
         
New Moon
So yeah, the Twilight flick. What can I say? I’m no fan. I’m not the demographic they’re aiming at, either. I actually think it’s worse than the other one. Robert Pattinson is not a very good actor, but I feel he has potential so to be honest, I missed him here. The entire thing is just so friggin’ convoluted but yeah, we already knew that. Sadly, it’s just as terrible as the books, so you can’t really blame it all on the film makers. I suppose it’s not a complete failure though. Pretty close, of course, but not completely.
D-

Not So Funny People

So it’s late in the year and this has been released for months. But I finally saw it yesterday. Judd Apatow’s Funny People. I’m not too big on Apatow, so didn’t anticipate much. And the reviews were not exceptional. It tells the story of George. A professional comedian played by Sandler who finds out he may have a fatal disease. Buoyed by the reality of his looming death he hires an assistant [Seth Rogen] and schemes to win back his old girlfriend [Leslie Mann] who is now married with children.

                 

Funny People is the perfect example of a good idea gone bad. The premise is fine, but the execution is not. The film never knows what it wants to be. Is it Sandler’s film, is it Rogen’s? Sometimes it even wants to be Mann’s. The pacing is horrible and the script though fine in spots, is ultimately spotty. I could imagine Apatow writing this hoping for mainstream and critical success, and that’s just the problem. It’s trying too hard. It wants to be witty, romantic, dramatic, and gross-out funny. In the end, it can’t decide which and it fails on all accounts.

D+

Top 50 Films From 2000-2009

And with that, we say goodbye to a decade of awesome movies. In no particular order, here's a list of my favourite films of the 2000's.

DOCUMENTARIES

FANTASY

INDIES

MUSICALS

DRAMAS

EPICS

MARTIAL ARTS

ANIMATION

COMIC BOOKS

Goodbye 2000's! Let the 2010's be awesome!!