Annual Movie Roundup

 
Everyone’s a Critic: Annual Movie Roundup

The world doesn’t need another movie review. So instead of giving you long-winded reviews like the ones that appear in most newspapers, we’ll just talk about the movies as you would with your friends. We’ll refrain from making references to, say, Fritz Lang (1890-1976) and Luis Bunuel (1900-1983). As much as we love the movies, we’re glad we’re not professional critics—think of all the dogs they have to sit through.

This Web page is made for movie buffs who see at least 40 films a year, including some with subtitles and a few documentaries; we’ll spare you the plot details and the finer points of acting. We’re just having a chat about the movies. Our intention is to present no more than 15 films a year in this forum. Which pictures will end up as the chosen few in the future? You'll just have to come back and see.

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[2006]
[2005]
[1999-2004]

2006

Cars (John Lasseter)
Monster House (Gil Kenan)

The word of the day is anthropomorphism. One big advantage 1994’s “The Lion King” (Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff) has over other animated films such as “Finding Nemo” (Andrew Stanton, 2003) is that anthropomorphized mammals look more appealing than anthropomorphized fish. That said, Pixar has done the best it could with a world of talking cars. This may not be one of the best Pixar productions, but the studio’s computer animation remains state of the art. The story is reminiscent of “Doc Hollywood” (Michael Caton-Jones, 1991), which is based on the 1979 book “What? Dead Again?” by Neil Shulman. Give the Pixar folks credit for hiring Michael Schumacher, Europe’s biggest sports star who’s relatively unknown to Americans (he’s the voice of the Ferrari).

The Oscar for best animated feature will probably go to “Cars.” A more deserving work is “Monster House,” which is destined to at least become the first animated Halloween classic. While this picture doesn’t have the budget of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002), the characters’ facial expressions are surprisingly intricate (so what if the hair looks plastered on). Although this film is not as special as 1995’s “Toy Story” (John Lasseter) or 2001’s “Shrek” (Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson), you can’t help but be impressed by the way the whole thing is put together. And unlike the directors of most animated features, Kenan should be equally adept at making live action movies.

The Departed (Martin Scorsese)

One thing movie buffs can agree on is that “The Departed” is no “GoodFellas,” Martin Scorsese’s last great film from 1990. What is debatable is whether this remake of 2002’s “Infernal Affairs” (Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak) measures up to the original. The change of venue—from Hong Kong to Irish Boston—is certainly smoother than such transplants as “The Claim” (Michael Winterbottom, U.K./Canada, 2000) and TV’s “Iron Chef.” On the other hand, the American version of “Traffic” (2000) by Steven Soderbergh was an improvement over the original TV miniseries. “The Departed” proves the good cop/bad cop story (or good son/bad son) is pretty universal.

Interestingly, with Jack Nicholson playing the crime boss, his character becomes one of two leads in this version—with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon sharing the other lead. After making two Oscar-bait period pictures, Scorsese is back doing what he does best. Good acting aside, the ending is unintentionally cartoonish. Or maybe it is intentional when you consider the last shot is that of a certain animal. The cell phone plays a key role in movies in general and in “The Departed” in particular. We attribute its use as plot device to lazy writing. The screenwriter might have gone too far with the foul dialog as well. Do big-city cops really use such language when they’re in a room full of other officers? If we talked like that in the office, we’d all be in trouble.

Heading South (Laurent Cantet, France/Canada, 2005)

You’ve heard of sex tourism in Europe and Southeast Asia. Well, “Heading South” (a title with a triple-entendre) introduces the audience to sex tourism in Haiti in the late 1970s. Here’s another twist: the tourists are women from North America. The colonists may be gone, but the exploitation continues. Three guests and the hotel manager speak directly into the camera, a mostly effective ploy to fill in their back stories. Aside from a gargantuan boom box, the costumes and set design don’t scream 1970s. Based on stories by a Haitian man who emigrated to Canada in the 1970s, this elegiac tale is no Terry McMillan’s “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” (though that 1996 book was inspired by the writer’s personal experience).

An Inconvenient Truth (Davis Guggenheim)
Who Killed the Electric Car? (Chris Paine)

Thanks to the personal computer, we now have the first film starring presentation software. Oh, “An Inconvenient Truth” is also about global warming, a hot topic in the middle of a nationwide heat wave. Talk about perfect timing. This documentary is partly about the presenter himself since he is the man who “used to be the next president of the United States.” Scariest prediction: When they show what would happen to the U.S. as sea level rises, we could see our office would probably be underwater.

“Who Killed the Electric Car?” is another timely documentary as gas prices remain above $3 per gallon. Even though we live in California, we needed to be reminded of all those celebrities and their leased GM EV-1s from 10 years ago. Not only will this film make you mourn the dearly departed, it will leave you wondering about hydrogen technology. As in any whodunit, the filmmakers proceed to reveal the identity of the killer at the end. So while “An Inconvenient Truth” tries to be as apolitical as possible, “Who Killed the Electric Car?” isn’t afraid to name the guilty. Of the two, this is the one that will get your blood boiling.

Epilog: California recently passed a law to control industrial emissions. Who’s to say this new law won’t be gutted just like the Zero Emission Vehicle program that led to the limited release of electric cars in the state a decade ago?

Letters From Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood)

Ignorance is bliss. The less you know about history and current events, the more you might be able to sit back and enjoy this picture like any other World War II film. “Letters From Iwo Jima” does for Japan what Wolfgang Petersen’s “Das Boot” (1981) did for Germany. While that West German movie was more successful at keeping Adolf Hitler at bay, some of the dialog in “Iwo Jima” and current events conspire to take the viewer’s mind off the big screen. Since most of Petersen’s picture takes place in a U-boat, it’s not too hard to forget about what the Third Reich was doing elsewhere while you’re watching “Das Boot.” But even though “Iwo Jima’s” isolated location should similarly work in this film’s favor, numerous salutes to Emperor Hirohito and references to Hideki Tojo and Yakasuni Shrine sort of break the spell.

Aside from these unfortunate references, this movie has other problems. The flashback scenes are surprisingly weak and should have been left on the cutting-room floor. The notion that two of the main characters have been to America is less than plausible. Yes, war is hell, but some of the violence depicted is borderline gratuitous (some terrorists would be moved by one particular scene—for the wrong reasons). For American filmmakers to tell a story from the perspective of The Axis is indeed unusual—and that’s the best thing we can say about it.

Epilog: About two months after the release of this picture, the issue of foreign sex slaves made the headlines again (even in the U.S.). And that reminds us of a scene in “Iwo Jima” where the subject of female companionship is discussed—so now there’s one more killjoy reference. The Japanese government is not making things easy for Clint Eastwood.

The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, Germany)

While former East Germans may not be completely content with life after reunification, this cautionary tale of life in the police state that was East Germany reminds them nostalgia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (a little Ostalgie goes a long way). A true believer in the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police, is tasked to wiretap a playwright in 1984. So many movies are in search of a satisfying ending. The writer-director of this brilliant debut feature film (he had made a few shorts before) made sure that wouldn’t be his problem. In fact, if “The Lives of Others” had ended a few scenes earlier (we don’t want to give anything away), it would’ve been a very good film. The last scenes continue to pay dividends and add to the emotional power and richness of the picture. Ulrich Muhe, who was an actor in East Germany in the 1980s, is perfect as the conflicted bureaucrat.

Epilog: The Academy got it right when this German entry upset the frontrunner, “Pan’s Labyrinth,” to win best foreign language film. It should have received nominations for directing and writing.

Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, Mexico)

Clearly Guillermo del Toro’s best and most ambitious film to date, “Pan’s Labyrinth” differs from most fantasy pictures by devoting equal time to the real world. Dual-track movies tend to serve neither well. So we must give del Toro credit for a fine job integrating the two worlds. Some pictures that switch between two realities include Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), “The Cell” (Tarsem Singh, 2000), and Peter Jackson’s “Heavenly Creatures” (New Zealand, 1994). And the most daring is probably “American Splendor” (Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman, 2003), which is part fiction and part documentary.

The Queen (Stephen Frears, U.K.)

A more accurate title for this film might be “The Queen and I” because the story is about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and the prime minister of Britain during the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. With the exception of the Queen’s mother, every royal member is portrayed according to stereotype (on this side of the Atlantic, anyway). An impromptu speech the prime minister gives to his staff rings false. The Queen’s encounter with a stag is a little pretentious even for an art-house picture. Still, see it for Helen Mirren’s performance. The Queen’s makeup is quite good, but the prime minister wears a strange, wild-eyed look. It’s a shame the U.K. has fixated on the death of the princess the way some Americans have bought into all the conspiracy theories about the John F. Kennedy assassination. The Diana backdrop has helped this film reach a much wider audience.

Superman Returns (Bryan Singer)

Memo to Hollywood: Let’s have a moratorium on superhero films. Last year marked the return of Batman; this year it’s Superman’s turn. The ad campaign for the next Spider-Man has already started. If this movie had come out 10 years earlier—or even five years ago—it might have seemed more relevant. Superman is not the only airborne hero on the big screen anymore. As likeable as Brandon Routh is, the thrill is gone. Yes, some of the flying sequences have a serene quality that’s rare in this genre—and you’re not exhausted after watching the action set pieces—but the script is still fairly pedestrian. All sequels are remakes of varying degrees. The crystal palace (or house of shards) set is looking very old indeed. It’s time for the director to abandon comic-book films and go back to the likes of “The Usual Suspects” (1995). We can’t wait for the return of Bryan Singer.

Volver (Pedro Almodovar, Spain)

Once Spain’s enfant terrible, Pedro Almodovar’s singular vision hasn’t changed all that much through the years. He didn’t go mainstream; the establishment has finally caught up to him. Every other year one of his films gets at least one Oscar nomination. What’s an Almodovar movie without some strange happening like a motherly ghost in this case? In the hands of a sly master, Penelope Cruz’s revelation at the end doesn’t seem contrived—unlike the disclosure in “Monsoon Wedding” (Mira Nair, India, 2001/2002). The closest thing Hollywood has to Almodovar’s sisterhood oeuvre is TV’s “Desperate Housewives.” Viewers who are only familiar with his mothers-and-daughters pictures should check out the rest of his catalog.

World Trade Center (Oliver Stone)

Until “World Trade Center,” we didn’t know what it would be like to watch the dramatization of a traumatic event that one witnessed. World War II was before our time; we weren’t in Vietnam. But we watched the collapse of the twin towers (albeit via live television) and later drove under flag-draped overpasses. We remember the chaos, the shock, the loss, the pain, and the sorrow. We felt none of these emotions watching “WTC.” By setting out to turn September 11 into a universal story, the filmmakers have made what is ostensibly a disaster-survival-rescue picture. If you view it as a genre film, it’s acceptable (the rescue part looks too easy, a characteristic of disaster stories). A movie may be the next best thing to being there…except if you were there.

Epilog: Two things happened on the eve of the fifth anniversary of September 11 that made “WTC” seem even less significant. An updated edition of “9/11,” the 2002 documentary based on footage shot by the Naudet brothers, is more riveting and touching than Oliver Stone’s version. And the U.S. marine, whose story is featured prominently in the feature film, stepped forward to meet the press. The filmmakers, who more than likely did not have a physical description of the former marine, opted for stereotypical casting…and got it wrong.

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2005

Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan)

Though the script is not terribly original, this respectful take on the comic book skillfully mixes fantasy/conspiracy with state-of-the-news elements. This quasi-remake of Tim Burton’s 1989 original (we get to see what happens to Bruce Wayne’s parents again) comes alive when we finally see the costumed Batman (the Bhutan segment at the beginning is rather dull). The new Batman’s voice is just one reminder of Burton’s vision and Michael Keaton’s underrated performance—the 2005 model is more indebted to the original “Batman” than the filmmakers would like to admit.

This domestic production about an American icon may have set some “affirmative action” record; it’s faster to name the American actors in this picture than all the ones from Europe (plus one from Asia). Without Hollywood, most British actors would be out of work. Indeed, Hollywood has been outsourcing many jobs to Britain, Australia, and Canada. Yes, the director is British also.

Cache (Michael Haneke, France/Austria/Germany/Italy, 2004)

This is an interesting picture that combines social commentary with suspense. The social part deals with personal and collective guilt, and the neo-noir device involves a series of anonymous videotapes and drawings. It’s best to enjoy this quietly distressing movie as an allegory because logic breaks down as soon as you try to figure out the identity of the stalker. There is a shocking moment that is perhaps designed to jolt the viewers out of their comfortable seats—just as the anonymous mailings have disrupted the lives of the couple in the story. “Cache” did quite well at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. If it had competed after the summer of riots in France, it would’ve done even better.

Capote (Bennett Miller)
Walk the Line (James Mangold, U.S/Germany)

Here we have two movies in which the lead actor gives a fine performance playing a celebrity. If nothing else, “Capote” succeeds as that rare film that truly captures the portrait of an artist at work: Truman Capote on the 1966 classic “In Cold Blood.” With a budding writer named Harper Lee (you may have heard of her) as his research assistant, it’s amazing why this period of Capote’s life has not been depicted on film before. The only time Philip Seymour Hoffman seems more like himself than Capote is in the New York dinner party scenes.

Another year, another musical icon biopic. Is “Walk the Line” the country version of last year’s “Ray”? Will it bring Joaquin Phoenix Oscar gold as the Ray Charles biopic did for Jamie Foxx? Well, he does give it his all in his performance as Johnny Cash, whose distinctive speaking and singing voice he never quite mastered. But that’s a small quibble compared to the all-too-familiar script. Raise your hand if you’ve seen this movie before: troubled childhood, sex, drugs, rock and roll, true love, and redemption. Phoenix is definitely upstaged by Hoffman’s performance in “Capote,” a more complex and accomplished picture.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Andrew Adamson)
King Kong (Peter Jackson, U.S/Germany)

Hooray for New Zealand. The estates of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis should thank the small nation of New Zealand for the two filmmakers who brought “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” to the big screen. As long as you see ice on the screen, “Narnia” is as enchanting as any fantasy movie has a right to be. And then the ice melts—and along with it some of the film’s magic—and we end up with two charging armies on the battlefield eventually. How many times have we seen this type of computer-aided battle sequence since Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart” in 1995? Lewis’ fable is far from the only book with a Christ-like figure; most children will not notice the religious undertones. Trivia: Tolkien and Lewis were friends and colleagues. Anthony Hopkins played Lewis in Richard Attenborough’s “Shadowlands” (U.K., 1993).

Hooray for computer graphics. Peter Jackson has put his sizeable budget to good use and directed the best recreation of 1930s New York in the first act of his remake of “King Kong.” The special effects in this picture are indeed the best that money can buy. However, the action sequences in the island portion tend to go on a bit too long. A great action scene is supposed to leave the audience exhilarated not exhausted. Hats off to Jackson for realizing his lifelong dream of retelling this story right after the “Rings” cycle—unlike other directors who chose to take a long hiatus (George Lucas and James Cameron, just to name two).

The fact that this is a German co-production may explain how a German actor got the role of the ship’s captain. Trivia: Said actor had worked with Adrien Brody in Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist” three years ago. For the latest updates, set your browser to simpatico.blogspot.com.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (Alex Gibney)

Moviegoers from California probably won’t learn too many new things from this well-made and entertaining documentary. That’s not a knock against the filmmakers; it’s just that most Californians are quite familiar with what Enron and other Texas energy companies got away with a few years back. Everything about the downfall of Enron is covered here, including such tidbits as Ken Lay’s meeting with the actor who would become the governor of California. This film should be required viewing for any stock investor. Although it’s early in the year, this documentary is the one to beat at the next Oscars.

Epilog: Enron has agreed to pay $1.52 billion to California, Oregon, and Washington in a settlement—that’s money the bankrupt company doesn’t have. California had previously negotiated settlements with Mirant, Dynegy, and Duke Energy.

Good Night, and Good Luck. (George Clooney)
Munich (Steven Spielberg)

We’re finally getting movies that provide an indirect commentary on post-September 11 America. If “Good Night, and Good Luck.” had been adapted from a play, some critics might be inclined to complain that the film version is too confined. Since this original screenplay is about TV journalism at the height of McCarthyism, it’s only fitting that “Good Night” feels like one of those live drama series they used to air on black-and-white television back then (the director is the son of a former TV anchor and was a TV actor himself). The decision to not have an actor play Sen. Joseph McCarthy is also a smart move; seeing close-ups of his face on television reinforces the Big Brother he’d come to represent. This is one time when you want to get your hands on the script and read the words spoken by legendary newscaster Edward R. Murrow. To his credit, Clooney never politicized his film when he promoted it on TV talk shows.

If there had been no September 11, would Steven Spielberg have made “Munich”? Probably. Would it have been the same picture? Probably not. Like “Good Night,” “Munich” also has a great deal to do with television. What happened at the 1972 Summer Olympics in West Germany became the first internationally televised hostage crisis. This picture follows the five hit men assembled by the Israeli government to track down the dozen or so Palestinians it deemed responsible for the killings at Munich. Halfway through the hit list, the hunters become the hunted. You can enjoy “Munich” as a revenge tale/spy thriller—except for the flashbacks to the Olympic Village and, of course, the bigger issues raised by the film. The way Spielberg recreates that iconic TV moment during the hostage crisis is brilliant. Check out the Oscar-winning documentary “One Day in September” (Kevin Macdonald, Switzerland/Germany/U.K., 1999).

Much has been written about the casting choices for this year’s “Memoirs of a Geisha” (three of the four leading female roles went to non-Japanese actresses). Well, Hollywood casting has always been more about box-office appeal and convenience. For “Munich,” they found the actors who play the hit team and the handler from Australia, Britain (the next James Bond!), Ireland, France, and Germany. Only one of these six actors possibly has Middle Eastern roots.

Match Point (Woody Allen, U.K./U.S./Luxembourg)

Remember Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” from 1976? That’s the gangster musical featuring a cast of mostly adolescent actors. The two illicit lovers in “Match Point” also seem to be playing dress-up in this tale of passion and obsession. But don’t blame the actors because Scarlett Johansson was mature and alluring in “Lost in Translation” (Sofia Coppola) two years ago. That Allen can make very good dramas is not in doubt (check out 1988’s underrated “Another Woman”). However, he may not be the best choice to write and direct a movie about a femme fatale.

Just as “Batman Begins” proved a talented director could deliver dull martial arts action, this picture shows a seasoned professional like Allen can shoot tepid love scenes at best. He obviously did not learn anything from “Body Heat” (Lawrence Kasdan, 1981). Even a television production of “Therese Raquin” (Simon Langton, U.K., 1980) generated more heat on the small screen. “Match Point” is more suited to be on a double bill with the likes of “Cruel Intentions” (Roger Kumble, 1999).

Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith (George Lucas)

The critics have been way too generous. As Yoda would say, “Still boring and instantly forgettable, it is.” The last of the three “Star Wars” prequels is only better in that the plot finally goes somewhere. But even Anakin Skywalker’s transformation is a copout—he only did it to save his pregnant wife. The special effects and set design continue to disappoint. The dogfight scenes are distractingly cluttered; the interior sets look like art-deco hotel rooms (light fixtures from the Frank Lloyd Wright collection). Those who see parallels between this script and current events are giving Lucas too much credit.

Next to Jake Lloyd from “Episode I,” Ewan McGregor is also miscast. Undone by Lucas’ directing and clunky lines, he’s never believable as the young Alec Guinness. When record companies hire a specialist to remix a song, the result sometimes turns out to be far better than the original version. Someone could piece together a halfway decent picture using the three “Star Wars” prequels (a fun exercise for film school students). If they ever decide to extend this saga, Lucas must step aside completely and let new blood revive it a la the “Batman” series.

Syriana (Stephen Gaghan)

There is less to this tale of the oil industry than meets the eye. Yes, Gaghan wrote the script for Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 remake of “Traffic,” but he’s no Soderbergh as a director. His original “Syriana” script, inspired by former CIA agent Robert Baer’s book (he has a cameo in this picture and has been a frequent guest on TV news programs the last few years), just doesn’t add up to much. It’s odd that the writer-director would have a young Pakistani migrant worker in the Middle East telling lame jokes that you sometimes hear in American comedy clubs. Details matter when this is supposed to be a smart geopolitical thriller.

The Upside of Anger (Mike Binder, U.S./Germany/U.K., 2004)

Filmed in England (as a stand-in for Michigan), this picture could be called “One Wedding and a Funeral.” This is a romantic comedy with a bittersweet undertone (note the title). It’s worth pointing out the couple are in their late 40s—over the hill by Hollywood standards. Playing the jilted wife who’s stuck with an unsolicited drinking buddy, Joan Allen is free from the role of Pat Nixon that has typecast her since 1995. Watching Kevin Costner is like meeting an old friend: his character could be an update on the baseball player he portrayed in “Bull Durham” (Ron Shelton, 1988)—now 16 years older with unkempt hair and everything.

By presenting the story as a flashback, the actor-writer-director has cleverly prepared the audience for an ending that would be harder to swallow otherwise. This is not a vanity project for Costner or Binder, who plays a mostly sleazy character. Aside from a small role in Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” (2002), TV viewers probably remember Binder as the creator and star of the HBO series “The Mind of the Married Man” a few years ago.

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