365 films, 10/365
I Give My First Love To You (Boku no hatsukoi wo kimi ni sasagu), starring Mao Inoue and Masaki Okada.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that most people don’t like foreign films — they seem to think wanting a viewer to focus on the acting AND reading the subtitles is far too much to ask of a single human being, but it certainly creates an interesting dynamic between you and the film you’re watching.
THIS IS THE SADDEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN IN ALL OF MY LIFE.
From the very first scene it’s make explicitly clear to you that Takuma isn’t going to make it to the end of the film. It’s a brilliant technique, really — by telling you that from the very beginning, rather than waiting until the end of the film or some dead spot in the middle, it creates a sense of urgency not unlike that between Takuma and Mayu. Their ticking clock is your ticking clock, and not-caring is NOT an option.
Mayu’s a fantastic character. She’s fierce and feisty in all the ways that don’t make sense, and somehow she manages to make being obsessively in love with someone from your childhood to the present into a rallying cry of sorts. It’s not weakness for her to need and love Takuma so much — it’s a power that most of us will never know. It motivates her to heights she never would have imagined for herself, makes her kind, makes her selfish, makes her thoughtless, makes her a force to be reckoned with — and it’s nice to see that kind of dedication in a tragic love story, for once.
Watch this. There’s no way that I can explain why it’s such a powerful film without giving the whole point of the story away, so all I can offer you is that you need to watch this as soon as humanly possible.
10/10.
365 films, 9/365
We Need To Talk About Kevin, starring Tilda Swinton, John C.Reilly, and newcomer Ezra Miller.
The second I saw that Tilda Swinton (more commonly known as the definition of androgyny) was going to be in a serious film played against bumbling, jolly John Reilly AND this so called “rookie” who can convey that much danger and discourse in nothing more than a photo (and looks like he’s going to give Tilda a run for her androgynous money), I knew it was something I needed to see posthaste.
In terms of playing psychopathic or sociopathic characters, those roles are usually left to the greats, like Anthony Hopkins or Sally Field. Ezra Miller is easily 1/3 or 1/4 of their respective ages, but he gave them a serious run for their money. He honestly doesn’t even spend a lot of time speaking in the film — it’s conveyed through the mother (played by Tilda)’s point of view, by way of memories of his upbringing — but there’s something about the way they took time to focus on his face in all the shots they got of them. The sheer intensity in this kid’s eyes is haunting on an entirely different level than you’d expect of someone so young.
I loved this film. It’s a bit slow in the beginning — hell, if we’re being honest, it’s a bit slow until the last 10 minutes. I liked it because there was so much character exposition that story and the truth of the plot were second hand to what really counted as the true focus of the film — Kevin and his mother.
If you like things that spend a lot of time exploring insanity, madness, and dysfunctional families, this is something you need to watch.
9/10.
365 films, 8/365
Contagion, starring Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Had the virus in this film been a virus that turned people into flesh-eating ghouls, it would literally be the scariest movie ever made.
While quite a few scientific rules and facts were bent or altogether ignored, this movie was so frightening because it created such an encompassing suspension of disbelief. This is something that could happen in our lifetime, whether in this form or another — we’ve had a couple of scares the past few years, between Avian Flu and Swine Flu, but the virus in this film is like those two had a baby and then injected it with steroids.
I found some of the acting to be… weak. Gwyneth’s performance was literally in the first 5-10 minutes of the film, but she got top billing. Marion’s performance was lacking in some way — the easiest way to put it is that it was sort of quietly forgettable. It wasn’t one of those situations where they were just so captivating that it didn’t matter how much screen time they got — it was just kind of a waste of a role.
Matt Damon was, as usual, phenomenal in every single way. As were Kate, Jude, and Laurence.
I’m gonna give this one a 7/10. Great concept, not-so-great acting.
365 films, 7/365
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, staring Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, and Rupert Friend.
Anybody who knows me knows that WWII and the Holocaust are two of my favourite historical events to study, read, or learn about. I knew the second I saw this theatrical poster that this film was going to break my heart — and I was wonderfully right.
This is easily one of the best Holocaust movies ever made.
The little boys that they picked to play Bruno and Schmol were such a great choice — they’re so young, but somehow manage to simultaneously convey the joy of being an 8 year old boy, and the sadness of terror of being in a world they don’t understand.
I think it’s a great commentary on the idea of being a child vs. being an adult. The adults in the film are all so concerned with doing what they’re told because they’re afraid of what will happen to them and their families if they don’t, but the children… the children just want to play. They don’t hate each other because of some difference or other, they don’t even really see the fence between them — they just see someone like them, who’s just as lonely and confused as they are, and that’s all that matters.
The last scene may or may not be one of the most heartbreaking cases of “too little, too late” I’ve ever seen in a film.
All the awards. Watch this one, guys.
365 films, 6/365
Insidious, starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lyn Shaye, and Barbara Hershey.
This movie is legitimately one of the scariest fucking things I’ve ever seen in the history of my life. I’m a total sissy when it comes to horror movies as it is, but this one was scary for me because it cemented something that has always been in the back of my mind — the dangers of astral projection.
In the film, a little boy falls comatose and as a result, his body becomes a vessel for all sorts of nasty beings in an astral dimension. The entire film is spent trying to bring him out of it — with normal methods, and not so normal.
I don’t want to give it away, but I can tell you this — this is not some shit where it’s only scary for the last 10 minutes — it is terrifying within the first 15 minutes, so enjoy that time while you have it because your world is about to get fucked up.
5/5 stars.
365 films, 5/365
{The Hours}, starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman.
“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”
This is one of my favourite movies of all time. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I fall in love with it all over again. Three women from different time periods are linked together by (what would become) one of Virginia Woolf’s defining novels (Mrs. Dalloway), and the effects of suicide.Womanhood, madness, and the things society expect as a result are really relevant to my life and have been for almost as long as I can remember, but this is the first film that I’ve seen do an accurate portrayal since Girl, Interrupted.
Meryl Streep is, as always, entirely flawless. There’s a scene in the film where she (the well-adjusted, seemingly normal woman) absolutely falls apart while separating eggs, of all things, and it’s heart-wrenching in all the right ways. It’s incredibly reminiscent of her Bridges of Madison County days.
Julianne Moore is one of my absolute favourite actresses — in The Hours, in A Single Man, and in Far From Heaven. Each of those films displays a different part of what may or may not be her actual personality, and this is one of her best performances. She’s a very fragile, subservient, well-mannered housewife who feels that she’s suffocating in her life, and wants to find a way out.
Nicole Kidman proves that she’s not just a pretty face with a stunning representation of the late, great, tortured Virginia Woolf. It actually made me want to see more of her body of work, which I’ll be doing further on in this project.
All in all, I rate it 5/5.
365 films,4/365
Scream, starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Matt Lillard, Rose McGowan, and Skeet Ulrich.
Guys, where do I even start with this one? It was the first slash flick I ever watched, and being all of 6 years old, it scared the living shit out of me. I wouldn’t sleep anywhere but buried under my blankets, blocked my closet off, and slept as far away from my door as possible for like, another 5 or 6 years.
Now, though, it’s just about the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It comes across as a B-movie during almost every scene, and of course ignores every rule that you’ve come to learn from horror films — pity for their characters. The best and most redeeming part of the film is Skeet Ulrich’s performance. He’s got these deep, dark eyes that are kind of like staring into a black hole, and does frightfully well at pretending to be the psychopath of the story — his speech toward the end and the resulting chase scene were the only parts that gave me chills or made me jump.
Over all, this one gets 4 stars for reminding me of my childhood. And also Skeet Ulrich being a crazy and licking corn syrup-blood substitute off his fingers.
365 films, 3/365
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Emily Brown, Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken
’Dearest children - since we’ve been abroad we have missed you all so much. Certain events have compelled us to extend our travels. One day, when you’re older, you will learn all about the people we have befriended and the dangers we have faced. At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey. We hope to have you back in our arms soon, darlings, but in case this letter arrives before our return, know that we love you. It fills us with pride to know that no matter what happens in this life, that you three will take care of each other, with kindness and bravery and selflessness, as you always have. And remember one thing, my darlings, and never forget it: that no matter where we are, know that as long as you have each other, you have your family. And you are home.’
This is a movie I haven’t seen in a really long time — we’re talking years, here. I loved the books (and still need to catch up with the end of the series, actually), and identified really strongly with the character of Klaus Baudelaire in particular, because it was a complete romanticism of all the traits that have come to define me.
Now, that being said, there are several problems I have with it. This is easily the role I best liked Emily Browning in, because her acting was still so raw and lacking in Hollywood influence that the character of Violet came about as someone multi-faceted that I would want even my own future children to admire.
This wasn’t my favourite film of Jim Carrey’s by any stretch of the imagination. I realise that to get the rating they had certain things had to be cut and changed about, but I would’ve liked to see Count Olaf be less campy and more sinister.
Billy Conolly was a big old sweetheart and his death in the film is one of the parts that always gets to me, but it’s also one of my favourite parts of the story.
Jude Law was flawless, as usual.
Overall, I think the reason i’ve always liked this film is the at the bond between the Baudelaire orphans and their guardians is always represented in a very dynamic juxtaposition, and at the very least Nickelodeon pulled that off without a hitch.
I’m gonna go ahead and give this one 3 and 1/2 stars.
365 films, 2/365
Sleeping Beauty (2011 Live Action), starring Emily Browning.
The movie comes across as a rather sophomoric attempt, if only because they take no time to explain to you at what point you’ve wandered into the plot, the backstory of this character, why she’s doing the things that she does, etc.
It’s mostly just a vehicle for a lot of sex and cursing to take place, and also to show off women.
I mean, I liked the concept of it (and adore Emily Browning, she did brilliantly in a role that wasn’t very good), but it just came across as terrible lacking for me.
365 films, 1/365
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, Stephen Fry & Rachel McAdams as supporting cast.
“What do you see?”
“Everything. That’s my curse.”
Right. So, this was the very first film I saw in 2012 — I was actually in the theatres long after the clock struck 12. I absolutely adore anything pertaining to Sherlock Holmes, and while I identify much more with BBC’s Sherlock, I like this one just as much — they’re an entirely different sort of Sherlock and Watson, primarily because of the respective actors playing them — I just enjoy them differently.
That being said, I loved this movie. Granted, there were quite a bit more explosions and gunfights than one might expect from a Sherlock adaptation, but it was brilliant played out. Stephen Fry was, as usual, absolutely hilarious in his role as Mycroft, RDJ plays a beautifully petulant genius detective, and Jude Law makes an absolutely fantastic Babysitter Dr. John Watson.
I liked that there was a new female character in this one — just like Irene Adler, she was neither weak-minded nor weak-willed, and was a phenomenal foil to RDJ’s Sherlock.
Not to mention that Guy Ritchie directed and Hans Zimmer did the musical score, which always makes for a great film right off the bat.
Over all, I give this one 5 stars.
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