[2011] 100 Films Project! Jan 1st - Jan 23rd
Another year, another 100 films challenge!!! And my laziness *already* took the best of me, hence this late, late first post of the challenge. Oh, well... Let's get to what really matters, shall we? The films! 'Cause at least they get your mind, well, my mind, off of this tragedy that has taken the country by storm. R.I.P. all those people from Rio :(
18 Films: #001. Black Swan (2010), #002. You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010), #003. Le Père De Mes Enfants (2009), #004. J'Me Sens Pas Belle (2004), #005. Get Low (2009), #006. Les Amours Imaginaires (2010), #007. Everybody's Fine (2009), #008. L'Arnacoeur (2010), #009. Not Since You (2009), #010. Against The Current (2009), #011. Melissa P. (2005), #012. New In Town (2009), #013. Caos Calmo (2008), #014. Barry Munday (2010), #015. I Am (2010), #016. The Town (2010), #017. The Tree (2010), and #018. Bride Wars (2009).
black swan (2010)+
9/10 *********
Plot: A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile the Black Swan, daughter of an evil magician.
LOVED it! The first 9 in... well, a long time! Natalie Portman is simply *perfect* in this, and rightfully deserves the acclamation she's receiving. I mean, the plot, screenplay, directing, twists and turns, the whole massive (and quite disturbing) dysfunctionality of pretty much every relationship in this film, the f*cked-up psychological angle of it all... I could go on, but everything about it culminates in this brilliant piece of cinema. My friend added that the film has a strong Hitchcock-ian feel to it, and I must say that I completely agree, which renders more awesome-ness to it. Just watch it if you haven't yet.
you will meet a tall dark stranger (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie and Helena, and their daughter Sally and husband Roy, as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine, Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortune teller. Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery owner boss, Greg, while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia, a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window.
Disappointing. I expect better of you, Woody. With such an excellent cast, and a somewhat interesting storyline, this could have been way better. It just does *not* satisfy you. At all. Quite weak, honestly.
le père de mes enfants (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: A film producer struggles with suicidal despair.
It's nice, but something is just lacking. The story is compelling, but it borders tediousness in several sections of the film. The treatment of the relationships between the family members is done very beautifully, 'though. It's indeed a painfully sad (and believable) film.
j'me sens pas belle (2004)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Fanny, a single woman in her mid-thirties, has had enough of relationships that don't work, so she decides to seduce Paul, a colleague from the office, into a brief one-night sexual encounter. Everything is prepared when Paul arrives, but then, thanks to Fanny's clumsiness, things don't exactly work out as planned.
Way, way better than its summary leads you to believe. And the first 20 minutes or so are kinda rough, but stick around. It gets much better. Such a pleasant surprise. Quite enjoyable rom-com that, mostly, rings very truthful. And I enjoy the play style, you know, only one set and a nice repartake between just two characters. Worthy of a view.
get low (2009)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A movie spun out of equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930's Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party... while he was still alive.
Again, a nice film. It does successfully exactly what sets out to do: tell a nice tale. Duvall and Murray are top-notch in it, by the way.
les amours imaginaires (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: The story of three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.
Yeah, I didn't fancy this film very much. The storyline is just too juvenile (not to say tweeny) and silly. The characters aren't that likeable, and those slow-motion scenes under lights of different primary colours were waaay too forced and cheesy. The reason it got a 4 (and not, let's say, a 3) was the testimonials that were shown throughout the film. Definitely its highlight. Especially the ones given by a girl in Buddy Holly-esque glasses. That gal was hilarious!
everybody's fine (2009)+
7/10 *******
Plot: A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children.
Another film that surprised me. For the better. The trailer led me to believe that this was some sort of comedy, but it's a full blown Drama. Yes, with a capital "d". De Niro is totally showing why he is Robert "Motherf'ing" De Niro. The man is great in this! The story pulls every string that you have to be pulled, and I'm sure that it will manage to touch and resonate within every person with a pulse. Apparently it's a remake of an italian film with Mastroianni, which I will most definitely hunt down next. Everybody knows that originals are 95 out of 100 times better than remakes; so, it holds real promise since the remake is already this great.
l'arnacoeur (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: Alex and his sister run a business designed to break up relationships. They are hired by a rich man to break up the wedding of his daughter. The only problem is that they only have one week to do so.
Typical rom-com. Enjoyable, but at times just... arghhhh/blahhhh.
not since you (2009)+
2/10 **
Plot: A romantic drama about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU the year of 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia. Unresolved conflicts and love affairs spark again.
You know, I never recommend to *not* watch a film. 'Cause I'm of the philosophy that all films (whether good, bad, or in-between) are a-go. So, watch this, but, you know, when you are really bored by having nothing else to do, or something like that. Because it's bad, folks. Bad.
against the current (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Struggling with a tragic past, a man with an urgent calling enlists two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River.
You know, it's a good film. The humour of it really suits my taste, but the drama of it all it's so... depressing. It keeps building up to something really beautiful, and sort of special but then... gets all anticlimactic on us. And yet remains faithful. I should shut up before I spoil it for everyone. Kick-ass soundtrack, by the way. Mark Kozelek is bloody fantastic in whichever project!
melissa p. (2005)+
3/10 ***
Plot: An adolescent girl, living with her mother and her grandmother, will have her first sexual experiences in a heavy and excessive way.
All I could think while watching this film was: "Are there girls really *that* dumb out there? No! There aren't. There can't be! This is so far-fetched!" But, turns out, the joke was on me. 'Cause when I entered IMDb to rate it I saw that it was based upon a memoir. Ha! So, yeah... Anyways, the film isn't very good. *But* I gave an extra star 'cause, at least, it can work as a cautionary tale for dumb girls all around the globe. I guess? :/
new in town (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: A Miami businesswoman adjusts to her new life in a tiny Minnesota town.
Typical rom-com. What can I say? Mediocre, typical rom-coms deserve typical reviews.
caos calmo (2008)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Pietro is a successful businessman with a wife and a daughter. One day he helps his brother save two women from drowning at the beach. When he returns home he finds that his wife has died. Now Pietro has to take care of his daughter, Claudia. When he drives her to school soon after, he decides to wait for her all day in front of the school, and soon that's what he does every day. He eats at the nearby café, gets to know the people who come by and follows from afar the fusion developments at work. Pietro's brother expects him to snap out of it, but who will snap first?
Really interesting film. And told in a very delicate, subtle and distinct way. Every act of the characters has several layered nuances and everything is dealt very... gently. It's hard to explain, but it's a great film.
barry munday (2010)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Barry Munday wakes up after being attacked to realize that he's missing his family jewels. To make matters worse, he learns he's facing a paternity lawsuit filed by a woman he can't remember having sex with.
I know I sound repetitive but, yet again, I was surprised by this one. What a lovely film, or one could say rom-com. It's charming, it has an awesome cast (Patrick Wilson, THE Sev, Jean Smart, Judy Greer -- who I absolutely adore in a very public way...), it's endearing, and it made me see the fact that I don't have enough comedy in my life. Film and series-wise, that is. This should/shall be corrected, I hope :)
i am (2010)+
1/10 *
Plot: The film offers an insight into the true nature of our God, and fights the damaging stereotypes of His character through a gritty, non-linear drama with a plot weaving around average people violating the Ten Commandments - one by one.
Read what was said about Not Since You. Plus, the acting in this film is something rather atrocious. It's actually painful to watch. In all fairness, the actor who plays God must be excluded from this.
the town (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.
I wanted to love this. I really did (for Hamm alone; and Hall as well, I guess), but I could not. I do love a good heist story, but this was mediocre at best. I mean, there were too many unbelievable points in the plot (Rebecca's character willingness to date and unreservedly fall for a complete stranger after such a traumatic event -- I get Affleck's good-looks, but not even his pretty little face could pull that off; now, if his caharacter was played by The Hamm... I'm kidding! lol -- the crackpot sister rolling on the gang; the lack of monitoring by the FBI after they knew the identities of the guys in the gang... just to name a few). Those big holes are too ginormous to ignore. Besides, I didn't feel sympathy for the characters. Except for Rebecca's, I guess. I mean, the gang was a bunch of thugs looking for easy money. Seriously, go get a job like the rest of us, low-lives! Robbing banks I could even overlook for the sake of being a goodsport for the film's sakes, 'cause after all they've got insurance and all that jazz. But traumatizing people, beating up innocent folks, killing cops who are doing their jobs... No! Too much. The feds were a bunch of assholes. The sister was annoying to say the least. So, nobody's left. I guess it wasn't a film for me :( Obs: Why they named this Dangerous Attraction in Brazil is still a puzzle to me. Stick with the original name, people! They come up with the most ridiculous/non-sensical translations :D
the tree (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: The O'Neills lived happily in their house in the Australian countryside. That was until one day fate struck blindly, taking the life of Peter, the father, leaving his grief-stricken wife Dawn alone with their four children. Among them, eight-year-old Simone denies this reality. She is persuaded that her father still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house and speaks to her through its leaves. But the tree becomes more and more invasive and threatens the house. It must be felled. Of course, Simone won't allow.
Sweet and, at times, rather beautiful. But I'm afraid it gets too "magical" or idyllic -- for lack of a more proper word -- for my taste (e.g. Charlotte's character sleeping with the tree's branches).
bride wars (2009)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Two best friends become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day.
Oh, Boy... Where did you get yourself into, Anne?! This was bad. Plus silly, and sorta pathetic as well.
Wow! That's a lot of films! :]
18 Films: #001. Black Swan (2010), #002. You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010), #003. Le Père De Mes Enfants (2009), #004. J'Me Sens Pas Belle (2004), #005. Get Low (2009), #006. Les Amours Imaginaires (2010), #007. Everybody's Fine (2009), #008. L'Arnacoeur (2010), #009. Not Since You (2009), #010. Against The Current (2009), #011. Melissa P. (2005), #012. New In Town (2009), #013. Caos Calmo (2008), #014. Barry Munday (2010), #015. I Am (2010), #016. The Town (2010), #017. The Tree (2010), and #018. Bride Wars (2009).
black swan (2010)+
9/10 *********
Plot: A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile the Black Swan, daughter of an evil magician.
LOVED it! The first 9 in... well, a long time! Natalie Portman is simply *perfect* in this, and rightfully deserves the acclamation she's receiving. I mean, the plot, screenplay, directing, twists and turns, the whole massive (and quite disturbing) dysfunctionality of pretty much every relationship in this film, the f*cked-up psychological angle of it all... I could go on, but everything about it culminates in this brilliant piece of cinema. My friend added that the film has a strong Hitchcock-ian feel to it, and I must say that I completely agree, which renders more awesome-ness to it. Just watch it if you haven't yet.
you will meet a tall dark stranger (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie and Helena, and their daughter Sally and husband Roy, as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine, Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortune teller. Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery owner boss, Greg, while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia, a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window.
Disappointing. I expect better of you, Woody. With such an excellent cast, and a somewhat interesting storyline, this could have been way better. It just does *not* satisfy you. At all. Quite weak, honestly.
le père de mes enfants (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: A film producer struggles with suicidal despair.
It's nice, but something is just lacking. The story is compelling, but it borders tediousness in several sections of the film. The treatment of the relationships between the family members is done very beautifully, 'though. It's indeed a painfully sad (and believable) film.
j'me sens pas belle (2004)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Fanny, a single woman in her mid-thirties, has had enough of relationships that don't work, so she decides to seduce Paul, a colleague from the office, into a brief one-night sexual encounter. Everything is prepared when Paul arrives, but then, thanks to Fanny's clumsiness, things don't exactly work out as planned.
Way, way better than its summary leads you to believe. And the first 20 minutes or so are kinda rough, but stick around. It gets much better. Such a pleasant surprise. Quite enjoyable rom-com that, mostly, rings very truthful. And I enjoy the play style, you know, only one set and a nice repartake between just two characters. Worthy of a view.
get low (2009)+
6/10 ******
Plot: A movie spun out of equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about the mysterious, 1930's Tennessee hermit who famously threw his own rollicking funeral party... while he was still alive.
Again, a nice film. It does successfully exactly what sets out to do: tell a nice tale. Duvall and Murray are top-notch in it, by the way.
les amours imaginaires (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: The story of three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.
Yeah, I didn't fancy this film very much. The storyline is just too juvenile (not to say tweeny) and silly. The characters aren't that likeable, and those slow-motion scenes under lights of different primary colours were waaay too forced and cheesy. The reason it got a 4 (and not, let's say, a 3) was the testimonials that were shown throughout the film. Definitely its highlight. Especially the ones given by a girl in Buddy Holly-esque glasses. That gal was hilarious!
everybody's fine (2009)+
7/10 *******
Plot: A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children.
Another film that surprised me. For the better. The trailer led me to believe that this was some sort of comedy, but it's a full blown Drama. Yes, with a capital "d". De Niro is totally showing why he is Robert "Motherf'ing" De Niro. The man is great in this! The story pulls every string that you have to be pulled, and I'm sure that it will manage to touch and resonate within every person with a pulse. Apparently it's a remake of an italian film with Mastroianni, which I will most definitely hunt down next. Everybody knows that originals are 95 out of 100 times better than remakes; so, it holds real promise since the remake is already this great.
l'arnacoeur (2010)+
4/10 ****
Plot: Alex and his sister run a business designed to break up relationships. They are hired by a rich man to break up the wedding of his daughter. The only problem is that they only have one week to do so.
Typical rom-com. Enjoyable, but at times just... arghhhh/blahhhh.
not since you (2009)+
2/10 **
Plot: A romantic drama about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU the year of 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia. Unresolved conflicts and love affairs spark again.
You know, I never recommend to *not* watch a film. 'Cause I'm of the philosophy that all films (whether good, bad, or in-between) are a-go. So, watch this, but, you know, when you are really bored by having nothing else to do, or something like that. Because it's bad, folks. Bad.
against the current (2009)+
5/10 *****
Plot: Struggling with a tragic past, a man with an urgent calling enlists two friends to help him swim the length of the Hudson River.
You know, it's a good film. The humour of it really suits my taste, but the drama of it all it's so... depressing. It keeps building up to something really beautiful, and sort of special but then... gets all anticlimactic on us. And yet remains faithful. I should shut up before I spoil it for everyone. Kick-ass soundtrack, by the way. Mark Kozelek is bloody fantastic in whichever project!
melissa p. (2005)+
3/10 ***
Plot: An adolescent girl, living with her mother and her grandmother, will have her first sexual experiences in a heavy and excessive way.
All I could think while watching this film was: "Are there girls really *that* dumb out there? No! There aren't. There can't be! This is so far-fetched!" But, turns out, the joke was on me. 'Cause when I entered IMDb to rate it I saw that it was based upon a memoir. Ha! So, yeah... Anyways, the film isn't very good. *But* I gave an extra star 'cause, at least, it can work as a cautionary tale for dumb girls all around the globe. I guess? :/
new in town (2009)+
4/10 ****
Plot: A Miami businesswoman adjusts to her new life in a tiny Minnesota town.
Typical rom-com. What can I say? Mediocre, typical rom-coms deserve typical reviews.
caos calmo (2008)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Pietro is a successful businessman with a wife and a daughter. One day he helps his brother save two women from drowning at the beach. When he returns home he finds that his wife has died. Now Pietro has to take care of his daughter, Claudia. When he drives her to school soon after, he decides to wait for her all day in front of the school, and soon that's what he does every day. He eats at the nearby café, gets to know the people who come by and follows from afar the fusion developments at work. Pietro's brother expects him to snap out of it, but who will snap first?
Really interesting film. And told in a very delicate, subtle and distinct way. Every act of the characters has several layered nuances and everything is dealt very... gently. It's hard to explain, but it's a great film.
barry munday (2010)+
6/10 ******
Plot: Barry Munday wakes up after being attacked to realize that he's missing his family jewels. To make matters worse, he learns he's facing a paternity lawsuit filed by a woman he can't remember having sex with.
I know I sound repetitive but, yet again, I was surprised by this one. What a lovely film, or one could say rom-com. It's charming, it has an awesome cast (Patrick Wilson, THE Sev, Jean Smart, Judy Greer -- who I absolutely adore in a very public way...), it's endearing, and it made me see the fact that I don't have enough comedy in my life. Film and series-wise, that is. This should/shall be corrected, I hope :)
i am (2010)+
1/10 *
Plot: The film offers an insight into the true nature of our God, and fights the damaging stereotypes of His character through a gritty, non-linear drama with a plot weaving around average people violating the Ten Commandments - one by one.
Read what was said about Not Since You. Plus, the acting in this film is something rather atrocious. It's actually painful to watch. In all fairness, the actor who plays God must be excluded from this.
the town (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: As he plans his next job, a longtime thief tries to balance his feelings for a bank manager connected to one of his earlier heists, as well as the FBI agent looking to bring him and his crew down.
I wanted to love this. I really did (for Hamm alone; and Hall as well, I guess), but I could not. I do love a good heist story, but this was mediocre at best. I mean, there were too many unbelievable points in the plot (Rebecca's character willingness to date and unreservedly fall for a complete stranger after such a traumatic event -- I get Affleck's good-looks, but not even his pretty little face could pull that off; now, if his caharacter was played by The Hamm... I'm kidding! lol -- the crackpot sister rolling on the gang; the lack of monitoring by the FBI after they knew the identities of the guys in the gang... just to name a few). Those big holes are too ginormous to ignore. Besides, I didn't feel sympathy for the characters. Except for Rebecca's, I guess. I mean, the gang was a bunch of thugs looking for easy money. Seriously, go get a job like the rest of us, low-lives! Robbing banks I could even overlook for the sake of being a goodsport for the film's sakes, 'cause after all they've got insurance and all that jazz. But traumatizing people, beating up innocent folks, killing cops who are doing their jobs... No! Too much. The feds were a bunch of assholes. The sister was annoying to say the least. So, nobody's left. I guess it wasn't a film for me :( Obs: Why they named this Dangerous Attraction in Brazil is still a puzzle to me. Stick with the original name, people! They come up with the most ridiculous/non-sensical translations :D
the tree (2010)+
5/10 *****
Plot: The O'Neills lived happily in their house in the Australian countryside. That was until one day fate struck blindly, taking the life of Peter, the father, leaving his grief-stricken wife Dawn alone with their four children. Among them, eight-year-old Simone denies this reality. She is persuaded that her father still lives in the giant fig tree growing near their house and speaks to her through its leaves. But the tree becomes more and more invasive and threatens the house. It must be felled. Of course, Simone won't allow.
Sweet and, at times, rather beautiful. But I'm afraid it gets too "magical" or idyllic -- for lack of a more proper word -- for my taste (e.g. Charlotte's character sleeping with the tree's branches).
bride wars (2009)+
3/10 ***
Plot: Two best friends become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day.
Oh, Boy... Where did you get yourself into, Anne?! This was bad. Plus silly, and sorta pathetic as well.
Wow! That's a lot of films! :]