Thursday, July 28, 2011

Top 25 Favorite Films of the Decade: 2000-2009 - Part 3, 15-11

This past decade has been awesome for movies with tons of really good big adventure films like Spider-Man, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. It also featured great genre films, highlighted by the emergence of wonderful new auteur directors and fantastic new stars. Here is the list of my personal favorite twenty-five films from the decade (not necessarily the best films critically speaking, just my favorites):

25-21; 20-16; 15-11; 10-6; 5-1

Rank: 15
Director: The Coen Brothers
Release Year: 2007
Genre: Modern Western
Summary: The film is about Llewelyn Moss, a hunter who stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad – dead bodies, heroin and two million in cash. He decides to take the money. The bad news is: the men that money belongs to know he took it and have sent a truly sadistic killer after him to get it back.
Why It Made the List: The Coen Brothers are among my favorite working directors (with Joss Whedon, Chris Nolan, Alfonso Cuaron, and Wes Anderson) and after making a couple of their lesser films in the middle of the decade they came back with this amazing modern western that sort of looks at the dying days of the cowboy era. The writing and characters in the film are astounding (and it won the 2008 Best Picture Oscar). The performances in the film are also incredible across the board. Javier Barden’s chief among them (his probably should be in my top five male performances of the decade). The Coen Brothers mix comedy and violence so well and are among the best aesthetic directors around, and this is one of their masterworks.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 14
Director: Joe Wright
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Romance
Summary: The film is about Elizabeth Bennett, a prideful girl who wants more for herself than the period would seemingly allow (being the early 19th century). When she first meets Mr. Darcy she thinks he is cold and overly prideful and does not like him at all, but as the story evolves and she learns who he truly is she begins to fall for him.
Why It Made the List: Joe Wright’s directing gives this period film so much energy and life, making it feel very fresh (which is saying something for a novel that is practically adapted every other year). The fluid camera work and long takes in particular are wonderful (and I love how all the dance scenes are shot). Keira Knightley also gives a fantastic performance in the film, establishing herself as one of the top young actresses (both having the ability to command the screen in blockbusters, like Pirates of the Caribbean, and prestige films) – this being her breakout film as a serious Oscar contending actress. It is hard not to love this film with its classic story, brilliant aesthetics and great cast.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 13
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Release Year: 2006
Genre: Sci-Fi Drama/Thriller
Summary: Set in 2027 Britain, the world is in chaos as women are no longer able to conceive and the world’s population carries on towards extinction. However, when an illegal immigrate becomes pregnant, it is up to a former activist Theo Faron to guide her safely to a secret research ship.
Why It Made the List: The first thing to say about Children of Men is that it has possible the two best long takes in the history of cinema. Those shots alone make this film a classic. But, the rest of the film is also quite astounding as well. If you did not already love Alfonso Cuaron’s work, this is just another example of why he is one of the best auteur directors working today. Cuaron does a great job of telling this dystopian story and creating the right look and tone, while mixing in thriller and adventure narrative aspects into the sci-fi drama framework. Along with Cuaron’s, I must note the sheer brilliance of D.P. Emmanuel Lubezki’s work (he might be the best cinematographer right now – see his work with Terrence Malick as well). As far as sci-fi goes, this film and the next on the list are probably the best films of the decade in the genre.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 12
Director: Joss Whedon
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Action Sci-Fi
Summary: Taking off where Firefly left off, the film finds the crew of Serenity at odds (again) over River after a simple bank heist is interrupted by Reavers. Simon and River plan to get off the ship at the next port, but when a secret message triggers River alerting the Alliance to her whereabouts Mal and crew have no choice but to help escape and evade the capture of a deadly assassin.
Why It Made the List: If you love Firefly as much as I do (and other Browncoats), you will love this film – however it does have a much different tone (which some fans and critics do not like), being grander and more of an action film than the character-centric show. Basically, the film serves as the finale to the show (unless Joss Whedon finally gets the go ahead to make another film, or as planned the comic progress the series) and assumes you know the characters well enough from the series. Whedon’s characters and writing are what set this apart and make it the wonderful piece that it is, as it is funny, dramatic and entertaining – and just very emotionally engaging (which all the best films are). The performances are great in the film as well, especially from Nathan Fillion (who proves he could be a Hollywood blockbuster leading man) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (who creates one of my favorite villains of the decade). All sci-fi fans need to see this film and the series that precedes it.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 11
Release Year: 2009
Genre: War/Black Comedy
Summary: Brocken into five parts, the film serves as sort of an alternate reality version of WWII history, as a plan is put together to end the war with the assassination of top Nazi officials in one grand strike.
Why It Made the List: Quentin Tarantino’s script for the film is maybe the best of the decade. The scenes are all wonderful and the dialog is top notch. Inglourious Basterds also boosts extraordinary performances (almost across the board, though Mike Myers’s performances seems out of place a little). While Brad Pitt is very funny and great in it, Melanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender and especially Christoph Waltz give career-making performances (at least for American audiences). The aesthetics in the film are very good as well and I love the use of found music by Tarantino, borrowing classic pieces from Westerns and other great genres and composers. While it may not be a completely fluid narrative, the individual scenes are magnificent and all come together brilliantly in the finale. (I have said this a few times in this list, but this is very true for this film) each time I see this, it grows on me more and more and I love it more and more.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Friends with Benefits (2011) – Review

Review: Friends with Benefits is really funny with sweet rom-com moments and surprising dramatic depth among its characters (considering its genre). The film is sort of hypocritical as it both tries to dismiss and deconstruct the romantic comedy genre (one that is mostly in total disarray) while at the same time completely complying with the genre’s narrative structure guidelines. The movie within a movie (which takes place in NYC, but is comically shot in LA with poorly done makeshift signs and dialog) goes out of its way to make fun of the genre, only for the lead female character Jamie to be enamored with it and the lead male character Dylan to learn how to win her back from it (oh yeah, and spoiler alert on that last sentence if you have never seen a rom-com and have not realized that their structures are almost always the same). Writer-director Will Gluck stays within the lines narratively speaking, but brings a lot of fresh and funny comedy to the film which ultimately sets it above many entries in the genre in recent years. A generic genre film with fairly standard leads can be overcome to a degree when the jokes are good, and in this film they are. This film suffers a little from Hollywood repetition (there is always some plot that garners at least two film each year – things like 1997’s Dante’s Peak and Volcano or 1998’s Armageddon and Deep Impact or 1999’s The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc and Joan of Arc), as earlier this year No Strings Attached came out touting generally the same logline – though with a deeper look the films are quite different, and both are very funny. The deeper look does not necessarily matter though as many will assume they are both the same movie. Along with the comedy, Will Gluck also bestows the film with great supporting characters that are surprisingly well drawn with dramatic and emotionally engaging depth, especially Jamie’s mother and Dylan’s father. These types of characters provide the film with emotional weight (and maybe even a little too much at times for those wanting a purely light film) and help further develop the leads, both of which are generally good things. When all is said and done, Friends with Benefits is a good film. It has the outline of a typical romantic comedy (which keeps it from being great), but the body of the piece is fresh enough to overcome what is somewhat becoming a tired genre (or is a tired genre).


Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Will Gluck is now three for three in making entertaining, light and funny movies (for me, Friends with Benefits is his best to date, but for most other critics it is probably Easy A). Cinematographer Michael Grady does good work for a genre that features a fairly standard Hollywood shooting style and the same can be said for Marcia Hinds, who does a great job with both her locations and set design – giving more depth to the characters with her work. Romantic comedies often come down to the chemistry and compatibility of their leads. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake are both great on their own and work very well together. Most of the best stuff in the film comes from them being together onscreen. Jenna Elfman (who takes a good Dharma & Greg joke) and Bryan Greenberg are good in supporting roles, but Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson and especially Richard Jenkins (whose performance is almost too good to be in this type of film) steal most of their scenes. There are also fun cameos from Andy Samberg, Emma Stone, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Masi Oka, and Shaun White.

Summary & score: Friends with Benefits works because of its great leads and very funny jokes, but is also sort of a paint-by-numbers romantic comedy narratively speaking. 7/10

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – Review

Review: Captain America: The First Avenger (hereby known as Captain America) is a lot of fun. Playing off the WWII era, its best attributes come from embracing the period – the war bonds, the bandstand music – it was an era of heroes and just works well with the Captain America story of a measly but tough guy who just wanted to do his part and becomes America’s greatest soldier. However, all that being said, director Joe Johnston (and Marvel Studios) decided not to stay within the period, instead allowing for advanced technology to make for (supposedly) cooler or more exciting action sequences, but the film lost a little of its power, emotion and era-appeal when its characters are running around shooting at each other with tech we do not even have today (and sure the source of the power is otherworldly and the tanks and planes and so on were scaled back to still somewhat fit the period, but it still hurt the vibe). But at the same time, maybe this tech was needed to make HYDRA and Red Skull the super villain it and he appears to be (I do feel stronger writing could have circumvented this however). Another issue is with the characters. While Steve Rogers is given a good amount of background and character work, all the other characters are very shallowly drawn, relying on cinema stereotypes and caricatures to inform the viewer on who these characters are, without any real emotional connection, which makes many of the dramatic moments weak. Even Johann Schmidt (Red Skull) is not given much, making their showdown sort of meaningless, relying purely on the spectacle to carry the scenes. Marvel Studios has done a good job of mandating that their productions be not only entertaining due to good action but also funny. Captain America is no different. There are a lot of great comedic moments that really (along with the Steve Rogers character) make this film work better than it otherwise should. Comedy, action and a fast moving tight narrative can often cure character and bigger narrative issues, and this is very much the case for this film. Johnston’s directing is good and bad. He gets enough right for the film to be entertaining, but some of the scenes just have a clumsy (if not goofy) feel and do not work very well. Johnston seems to try to stuff in too much (for example, I would have liked to have seen more of Captain America’s team, but there just was not time for that), only to keep the film rapidly moving forward (something many directors do, but only a few like J.J. Abrams can still get the character moments right). The lack of meaningful characters and character relationships is probably the films biggest flaw. The audience is watching the film, due to this, to partake in the spectacle and not as a part of the character(s)’s journey(ies). However, Captain America is still entertaining and enjoyable for the most part (just not great – it seems like every Marvel Studios film has a glaring flaw keeping it from being on the same level as stuff like Spider-Man 2 and X-Men: First Class, which are both dramatically engaging while still mostly keeping it light and fun).


Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Joe Johnston has made one of his better films with Captain America. Like with The Wolfman, he gets the look and atmosphere right (for the most part, but again I wish it were more committed to being period) and yet he again does not give enough attention to the characters, which is the most important aspect of a film. He is more concerned with the action, look and pacing (given, pacing is very important as well) and the film as a whole (and really all his films) is ultimately negatively encumbered as the result. Alan Silvestri’s score is good, but really the best music work on the film comes from Disney composer Alan Menken (the Marvel-Disney partnership paying off), whose song is great fun. Cinematographer Shelly Johnson shoots just about everything Joe Johnston does, providing really good photography to his films. Captain America is no different. Production designer Rick Heinrichs (also working with Johnston again) does good work as well, but if only the design could have been more grounded in the period. The cast, mostly given little to work with, is quite good considering. Sebastian Stan, Stanley Tucci and Hugo Weaving give good enough performances to help shape Steve Rogers, but as principal parts in his life it is a shame their characters were not developed more. Dominic Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones are both wonderful and funny, while Hayley Atwell does a fine job portraying Steve Roger’s love interest and a strong female character. Chris Evans is the best part of the film however. He commands the screen and captures the character very well.

Summary & score: The film moves so briskly and without much depth, I just wish we had more time with Steve Rogers et al in the WWII period, but what we got was a fun and entertaining. 7/10

Monday, July 25, 2011

Movie of the Week – Ghostbusters

This week’s movie is Ghostbusters (1984).

The adventure comedy is about three scientists who decide to open up a ghost-catching business in New York, the first of its kind – little do they know, business is booming because it is the end of the world. In its original conception, the film was much different – taking place in the future with time travel, and it was written as a vehicle for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi (but Belushi died). The script by Aykroyd and co-star Harold Ramis was reworked with director Ivan Reitman and star Bill Murray coming on board – Reitman coming off the comedy hits Meatballs and Stripes, both with Murray starring. Murray agreed to take the role if Columbia also made his passion project The Razor’s Edge (a film that I think is very underrated). Another change from the original plan was that John Candy was to feature in the supporting role that went to Rick Moranis (who is great in it) but could not due to scheduling conflicts. The rest of the cast is great with Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Ernie Hudson. The film has an excellent crew with composer Elmer Bernstein (whose score is one of my favorites, if not my favorite), cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs and production designer John DeCuir. What I love about the film is how good a film it really is, and how well it has stood the test of time. Many of the films of my childhood (this chief among them) are not nearly as good now as they were then. But, this is not the case for Ghostbusters. The jokes are still very funny (Bill Murray’s dry zaniness is timeless). The story is tight. The aesthetics, directing and performances are all wonderful. Plus, the film champions New York City and is clearly a NYC film (despite all the interiors being shot in a studio in LA). This is one of those films that everyone should see – cinematic entertainment at its best. Check out the trailer.


Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming, and to Rent

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Top 25 Favorite Films of the Decade: 2000-2009 - Part 2, 20-16

This past decade has been awesome for movies with tons of really good big adventure films like Spider-Man, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. It also featured great genre films, highlighted by the emergence of wonderful new auteur directors and fantastic new stars. Here is the list of my personal favorite twenty-five films from the decade (not necessarily the best films critically speaking, just my favorites):

25-21; 20-16; 15-11; 10-6; 5-1

Rank: 20
Director: Noah Baumbach
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Dramedy
Summary: The film is about two brothers who have to deal with their parents’ divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s. It is based on the childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach.
Why It Made the List: Baumbach worked with Wes Anderson (who served as a producer on the film) and Anderson’s D.P. Bob Yeoman, giving the film a slight feel of an Anderson film – a little quirky with emotionally damaged pseudointellectual characters and dry humor. Baumbach’s dialogue is brilliant (he got a 2006 Oscar nod for Best writing). It has such wit and cracks me up every time. The performances that he garners are also fantastic (really giving Jesse Eisenberg his breakout role). Like many of the films on this list, The Squid and the Whale is great because of its characters and the emotional and comedic depth of the film.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 19
Director: Joe Wright
Release Year: 2007
Genre: Romance
Summary: The film, which takes place before and during WWII, is about Brioney Tallis. As a thirteen-year-old, she sees something she does not understand and makes an accusation that forever changes the lives of her older sister, Cecilia, and a man who works for her family, Robbie Turner.
Why It Made the List: The cinematography and aesthetic style of the film are beautiful and fantastic. There is a long-take on the beach at Dunkirk that is among the best in cinema history. Wright also captures very good performances and creates such a moving love story in a film in which the two main characters hardly share any screen time. I also have to mention just how good Dario Marianelli’s score is (listen to this piece for example – sheer brilliance). Maybe the best thing to come out of this film is the emergence of Saoirse Ronan, who is utterly phenomenal in her supporting role (and she has since gone on to be wonderful in The Lovely Bones and Hanna). She is a great talent to watch.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 18
Director: Shane Black
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Action/Mystery
Summary: The film is about a smalltime criminal, Harry, who auditions for a Hollywood role to avoid being captured by the cops after committing a burglary. Once in Hollywood, Harry finds himself wrapped up in a murder mystery that is eerily similar to the noir hardboiled detective pulp he read as a kid.
Why It Made the List: Shane Black, the writer behind Lethal Weapon, created the best detective film of the decade with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. It is very funny, as Black’s dialogue is hilarious (especially mixed with the superb performances from Downey Jr., Kilmer and Monaghan), has great characters and has an interesting and elaborate mystery at its heart. Plus, the film introduced the world the Michelle Monaghan and all her awesomeness, resurrected Robert Downey Jr.’s career in the eyes of critics and filmmakers (enabling him to win the role of Iron Man, which resurrected his career for studios and the average movie fan) and reminded us that Val Kilmer can still give an amazing performance (like he did in Tombstone). Every time I watch this movie (like many others on this list) I like it more and find it more engaging.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 17
Director: Roman Polanski
Release Year: 2002
Genre: Drama/War
Summary: The film tells the true life tale of a Polish Jewish musician, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who somehow survived the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto during WWII.
Why It Made the List: Roman Polanski is a wonderful auteur director and this is maybe his finest film (though, a strong argument can also be made for Chinatown). He used some of his family’s own experiences during the Holocaust in the making of the film. It won best actor, director and writing at the 2003 Oscars (but not best film, which to this day makes no sense). Adrien Brody is absolutely outstanding in the lead role (easily the best work he has done to date), giving one of the top five male performances of the decade (and since you are wondering, the other four are Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Bruno Ganz in Downfall,  Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds). The film (like all Holocaust films) is very sad, but it is a tale of perseverance and has a beauty to it.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 16
Director: David Fincher
Release Year: 2008
Genre: Fantasy Drama
Summary: The film is about a curious boy named Benjamin Button – curious because he is born an old man and ages backwards as the years pass. The film focuses on his adventures and love affair with Daisy.
Why It Made the List: There are not too many films that capture the wonder that you felt watching the classics of your childhood as a kid and deliver that feeling to you as an adult viewer. This film just has that magical epic quality to it that (for me at least) evokes the nostalgic feelings of watching grand films for the first time as a kid in the 1980s (things like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Princess Bride). You feel like you are watching a marvelous tale filled with enchanting and miraculous characters and adventures (but again for an adult audience). This is the epic of the decade (outside of the more direct fantasy adventure genre films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy). Plus, Fincher et al have created a film with astounding aesthetics (Claudio Miranda’s cinematography is among the very best work of the decade).
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Top 25 Favorite Films of the Decade: 2000-2009 - Part 1, 25-21

This past decade has been awesome for movies with tons of really good big adventure films like Spider-Man, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. It also featured great genre films, highlighted by the emergence of wonderful new auteur directors and fantastic new stars. Here is the list of my personal favorite twenty-five films from the decade (not necessarily the best films critically speaking, just my favorites):

25-21; 20-16; 15-11; 10-6; 5-1

Rank: 25
Director: J.J. Abrams
Release Year: 2005
Genre: Action
Summary: The film finds Ethan Hunt in semiretirement. However, when an agent he trained goes missing, he puts together a team to find her, pitting him face to face with a dangerous arms dealer that will do anything to get the Rabbit’s Foot (a secret weapon), including putting Ethan’s girlfriend in danger.
Why It Made the List: Abrams has made probably the best pure action film of the decade with MI III. The narrative structure is tight and the film constantly moves forward with no dull or slow moments. The action set pieces are all very entertaining. However, what sets this film apart is that even though it moves briskly Abrams still infuses it with wonderful characters and character moments – this is also thanks to a fantastic cast. Abrams essentially took a franchise that was dead (after an awful Part 2) and made it cool and exciting again.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 24
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Release Year: 2008
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Summary: The film is about Peter, a man totally satisfied with his life and girlfriend, (TV star) Sarah. However, Sarah has other plans and leaves him for international rocker Aldous Snow. Devastated, Peter decides to take a vacation to Hawaii to help him deal with his anguish, but in one of life’s cruel jokes Sarah and Aldous happen to be staying at the same resort.
Why It Made the List: This is the best rom-com of the decade (and one that appeals to both sexes). Jason Segel has always been funny, but this film (which he wrote, based somewhat of personal experience) took him to a new level, putting him atop the new generation of film-comedians. Every time I watch the film, it gets funnier and I like it more. It is within the Judd Apatow stable of films (and thus features a number of his stars like Paul Rudd, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig in addition to those listed above), combining R-rated material with heartfelt emotion. Segel’s jokes are really good, but it is his characters and quirky sensibilities (like the Dracula puppet opera) that make this film so endearing.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 23
Director: David Yates
Release Year: 2009
Genre: Adventure Fantasy
Summary: Year six at Hogwarts finds Harry and the gang in trying times. Harry endeavors with the help of Dumbledore to learn more about The Dark Lord’s past, while Draco has been tasked with a mission by none other than Voldemort. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione deal with the angst of teenage school life (and the knowledge that it is only a matter of time until Voldemort strikes at them).
Why It Made the List: Aesthetically, this film is amazingly well done (probably second only to The Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2 in the series) thanks to phenomenal work from composer Nicholas Hooper, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and production designer Stuart Craig. The narrative structure that Yates creates for the film is also brilliant, as he builds a mystery with a sense of continuous dread and sadness and yet also is able to include a fun romantic comedy aspect to the film, which lightens the mood that is otherwise very bleak. Yates also gives the trio great character moments as well as Ginny and Draco.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 22
Director: Wes Anderson
Release Year: 2007
Genre: Dramedy
Summary: The film is the story of three American brothers who have not spoken in some time. In an effort to reconnect, they take a train across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other (to become brothers again like they use to be).
Why It Made the List: Wes Anderson (my personal favorite working auteur filmmaker) has such a fun unique and quirky style that his films feel different, the camera and staging almost work as a separate character. This film is my favorite of his during the decade (though I loved all four of his films released between 2000-2009) because while it is just a funny and emotionally engaging as his others, his style and these characters find him at the top of his talent. I love the prologue with Bill Murray, the rescue scene of the boys in the river and all the blocking and camera movement in the train (he just works so well with D.P. Bob Yeoman).
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent

Rank: 21
Director: Mary Harron
Release Year: 2000
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Black Comedy
Summary: The film is about Patrick Bateman, a successful and wealthy New York City investment banking executive. He is losing his grip on reality, as he tries to hide his psychopathic and even homicidal alter ego that begets grander and grander gratuitous fantasies (or are they).
Why It Made the List: This film introduced the cinema world to two great talents: Christian Bale (though he had been very good in his previous roles, this was his breakout film that showcased his talent as probably one of the top five leading men today) and Mary Harron (who was compared to Martin Scorsese stylistically, but has not yet crafted a film nearly quite as good as this). Stylistically, American Psycho is something to behold. It aesthetically feels like a psychological thriller but the scenes and dialogue are often hilarious (in a very dark way). It is a very unique film in that it is utterly absurd at times and yet everything works very well together crafting what is really a character piece on this very troubled man who lives in the excesses of the 1980s.
Watch the Trailer: Here
Available on: Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming and to Rent



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) – Review

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is a wonderful conclusion to the Harry Potter series. Like his other Potter films, director David Yates mixes in lighter moments and humor into what has predominately been a dark and emotionally dark story. However, there is a lot less of it in this film, as the sheer scale and emotional weight on all the characters of what is about to transpire (Voldemort and his army standing outside Hogwarts about to lay siege, surely meaning the obliteration of all they are and love) gives little room for humor – though Yates is still able to inject just enough into the drama to give the audience time to breath and cut the tension. As with Part 1, the aesthetic of this film is magnificent. Yates and his creative team have done an absolutely marvelous job getting the look and tone of the film just right. While Part 1 was mostly a character piece, Part 2 is more action based, producing a very entertaining film that briskly moves forward (essentially the whole film takes place over the course of one day), though there is still some very good character work. Yates also slightly deviates from his shooting style in Part 1 (aside from the prologue and epilogue, it is focused completely on Harry’s perspective). In Part 2, the camera stays with Harry primarily during the main section of the film but also leaves his perspective at times to capture other story moments that he is not involved in (though, for some there are moments left off-screen that they would have liked to have seen). Yates certainly wants to preserve the narrative style of experiencing the story and action through Harry, which is why many moments still occur off-screen and the emotional impact of them is left to when Harry discovers them rather than when they actually occur. Yates, though, must leave Harry from time to time as there are too many important story moments that he is not a part of that would have left the overall narrative feeling disconnected for the audience had they not been shown, and Yates gives the audience a few needed character moments (for characters that are not Harry, Ron or Hermione) that also work well. However, again, most of the big emotional moments are placed with Harry’s perspective. A complaint about the film is that it is not dramatic enough (presumably some fans wanting there to be more melodrama), which seems to go hand-in-hand with a few moments being left off-screen. However, taking this film in the context of the whole series (of films, not the books), Yates has Harry, Ron and Hermione overwhelmed with bleak feelings of dread, tittering on the edge of hopelessness (though, all three seem to never lose hope, as they take stock in each other, and it is their friendship and support of each other that really gets them through the awful times they go through, the incalculable negative odds against them and gives them the strength to go on and take the hits; at its heart, Deathly Hallows is really a beautiful film about friendship and perseverance). The character work Yates has done for these characters (from Order of the Phoenix on) makes their reactions to the events feel very believable for their characters. Harry takes the dismal news, deaths and everything else and just pushes on. With Part 1 included, Deathly Hallows is essentially a four hour plus movie, and thus Yates had to decide what characters and moments where essential to the narrative of the series. Sure, die-hard fans (me included) would love to see everything and every character have their moments, but it would have made for a terrible film. Yates made the decision to put most of the character work and emotional resonance on his three main characters, and the series is all the better for it. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 serves as an epic and emotionally poignant ending for Harry, Ron and Hermione (which is what we wanted, as they are characters we love and have seen grow up and develop through the years).


Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: David Yates, who made his feature film (at least, non-TV feature) debut with Order of the Phoenix, has again proved himself to be a top director. The four Harry Potter films he has done are all brilliant, showing off an ability to garner great performances, create narratives that have emotional resonance and provide an enthralling aesthetic (I cannot wait to see what he does next). Composer Alexandre Desplat arranges a wondrous score for the film that captures the tragedy, scale and wonder (beautifully incorporating part of Nicholas Hooper’s enchanting score from Half-Blood Prince into the Snape revelation scene). Desplat always does great work, but this is among his most emotionally engaging scores. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra, again (as he shot Part 1), does unbelievable work. The look of the film is spellbinding (as much as I like the work of Bruno Delbonnel on Half-Blood Price, and he is maybe my favorite D.P., I think Serra’s is the best of the series). Production designer Stuart Craig has designed all eight films. There are not enough positive words to talk about how amazing a job he has done throughout. Here, his work, which seems to take on a minimalist style as everything crumbles around the characters, is exquisite. Along with Yates and Serra, Craig has created the perfect tone and look for this film. Like the technical work behind the camera, the acting throughout the series has been phenomenal, boasting maybe the greatest group of British actors ever assembled. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 yet again features great work across the board, but like the other films a few performances stick out. Matthew Lewis (it is great to see Neville get to be more involved) and Helena Bonham Carter (loved her scene in which her character is being impersonated by Hermione) are quite good. However, among the supporting performances, the work of Warwick Davies (whose scene negotiating with Harry near the beginning is magnificent), Ralph Fiennes (who actually gets to bring more human emotion to Voldemort in this film) and especially Alan Rickman (whose work in the Snape revelation scenes is tragic and beautiful) is outstanding (many critics even calling for Rickman to receive an Oscar nod, though that will probably never happen for this film, given that it is an adventure fantasy). With each film, the leading trio grows both as characters and actors. Daniel Radcliffe has such a tough role in this film, having in a sense the weight of the world on his shoulders, yet he does a fine job of emoting enough to connect with the audience while being the hero that Harry is. Rupert Grint started out as the comedic element to the trio. Through his great work, he developed Ron into one of the best characters in the series (again, talking solely about the films here, not that Ron is not also awesome in the books). Emma Watson is maybe the best of the three, as she is able to capture the strength of Hermione but also let the moments of fear and dread sneak forth behind her outward strength. She gives a touching and radiant performance in the film.


Summary & score: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the perfect ending to this beloved film series. It has all the drama, emotion, humor, character, and action to make it yet another excellent film in the series. 10/10