Director: Guy Richie
Grade: B-

Rock N Rolla is Guy Richie’s follow up to his last film Revolver starring Jason Statham. Richie has made a name for himself with films such as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Rock N Rolla is not at the level as these two, but it is much better than Revolver. The direction of the films is great. The actors fulfilled their roles as best as possible. The one problem was that there were so many characters in the film, this prevented the character development necessary for a two hour film. However, it was easy to catch up to the film. This film just as Snatch was very witty and was film with all types of English slang which Americans love. This film re-introduces us to Guy Richie and gives him the opportunity to show how talented he is. MY one question is, is Richie capable of breaking out of the English gangster flick genre?

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Director: Woody Allen
Grade: A

Woody Allen’s new film, Vicky Christina Barcelona is an instant classic. Christopher Evan Welch is the narrator in the film that gives the background on the two main characters, Vicky (Hall) and Christina (Johansson). The narration in the film perfectly complements the mood and pace of the film. Allen’s characters instigate non traditional thought amongst those who may think in a traditional matter.Vicky is a prude, engaged American women which values family and commitment. After meeting Juan Antonio, she begins to break away from her comfortable view of relationship. Christina is the wild one of the two. She is hardly resistant to Juan Antonio’s European charm. Here sexuality grows to a new level when Juan Antonio’s past lover Maria Elena comes into the mix. Although Christina is sexually matured to a level where she finds experimentation interesting, her new sex life with the two spaniards eventually becomes to overwhelming. Just when the characters in the film feel as they have adapted to the free love european spirit, they later find them selves more confused then at their arrival in Spain.

The film is saying that regardless of how happy you are, humans feel that there is more to gain. Humans are naturally insatiable to life. what this means is that we are always looking for more and are never satisfied. This film is not about experiencing everything life and other cultures have to offer. In America, we lack culture. Americans are enamored with anything that is foreign. This ranges from ethnic foods to different accents. This may be a reason why Woody Allen has made three films in a row in Europe, when his prior films take place in New York.

This film is very well acted from an all star cast. Each character is very dense. There are many different elements in the response to a lustful relationship. These range from happiness to jealousy to being psychotic. This was a very interesting script that resulted in more that a comedy. Woody Allen is at the top of his game with this film. Woody Allen has this style that is often imitated, however never duplicated.

Hey everyone, sorry I have not posted anything recently. I was on vacation. I have watched a bunch of movies lately, so look out for more posts over the next few days.

Norman Bates

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly
Director: Adam McKay
Grade: D

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly team up again for the summer comedy, Step Brothers. Director Adam McKay has collaborated with Will Farrell prior to this film with Talladega Nights and Anchorman. Step Brothers offered the same nitwit form of comedy as McKay’s prior films.

After Brennan (Farrell) and Dale’s (Reilly) parents get married, they are forced into the same home. After slowly warming up to each other, they become the best of friends. When Derek, Brennan’s younger and more successful brother offers to put their home on the market, Dale and Brennan are forced to grow up and find jobs.

This film had so much potential to be the comedy of the season. The great premise is overshadowed by repetition of the same jokes. Will Ferrell has played the same character in different films for years. It seems that his act is starting to get old. Although the film is very funny at times, you can’t help but think that it coold have been so much better. Farrell and Reilly’s 8 year old act was really annoying. They take their roles to a level that was not necessary. The two spend the entire film fighting, crying, and reading Hustler magazine. There is nothing else to the film. The writing was flat, while the acting was over the top. I blame this on the fact that Will Farrell seems to be incapable of writing an original piece. In addition, Will Farrell is less funny as a main character. He is much funnier in moderation as we have seen in Old School, Starsky and Hutch, and Wedding Crashers.

John C. Reilly was much funnier that Will Farrell in this film, just as he was in Talladega Nights. It’s sad to say, but Will Ferrell is falling of the map. There is not as much hype to his films as they were in the past. A new breed of comedy in the form of films such as Knocked Up and Superbad from the Jude Apatow camp are currently where Farrell’s films were a few years ago. Jude Apatow was a producer for Stepbrothers however could not save the film from sinking. Unless Will Farrell changes his roles, his stock will continue to diminish. It’s not as if he is a bad actor. He was phenomenal in Stranger Than Fiction. Another role such as this may help Will Ferrell establish himself as one of the great comedians.

Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine

Director: Christopher Nolan

Grade: A

Finally, The Dark Knight hits theaters. This film was easily most anticipated film this year. The buzz about this film mainly was surrounding the late Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. The Joker was last played in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) by Jack Nicholson. Until The Dark Knight, Nicholson was the best of the Batman villains. Heath Ledger overshadowed Jack Nicholson in his last performance with relative ease. His costume went far and beyond. Lets not forget the man playing the Joker, Heath Ledger. As a matter of fact, he was the best actor in the entire film. The Dark Knight did not disappoint. Christopher Nolan took The Dark Knight to greater heights than his previous Batman Begins. The Joker and Batman joker go hand and hand in regards to the comic book arch nemesis. We had the privilege to view the historic duo go to battle for the first time in years.

Christopher Nolan brings the complexity of of good and evil into the mix with this film. The Joker is a cold blooded killer that does not mind another dead person in the streets. As seen in the teaser clip of the bank heist scene (similar to Michael Mann’s film Heat), the Joker is a sick and demented individual. Although the Joker is the actual villain in the film, he places Gotham’s citizens in situations of sacrifice. The film challenges it’s characters to overcome selfishness for the greater good of man. A common theme in the film is revolving a battle with one’s conscience. At different points of the film, ordinary citizens become the villain. Their desire to save themselves challenges the idea of innocence in that you will do almost anything to survive. The clever writing by the Nolan brothers makes this film much better than the other superhero summer blockbusters. This is not the type of “superhero” movie where there are no casualties and the hero comes out on top. In the film, Batman is treated like a vigilante, not a hero.

Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) added another dimension to the film. He is the man that wants to wipe Gotham City clean. He is in the position to do what Batman can never do, be the white light of Gotham. He eventually goes insane after the loss of the person he loves the most. With manipulation from the clever Joker, Dent becomes Two-Face; giving us a second villain in the film. Nolan’s version of Two-Face is again better than the previous one played by Tommy Lee Jones. Nolan’s Two-Face is more sadistic that the comedic version in Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever. Aaron Eckhart is a good actor that is still relatively unknown. His roles in Thank You For Smoking and In The Company Of Men shows his true potential as a great actor.

Aside from the great acting, the writing is what makes the film what it is. This film is smarter than it’s predecessors do to the inclusion of human emotion. The film actually requires you to pay attention instead of just marveling the the action and explosions as you would have in Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk. Christopher Nolan’s film such as Memento, The Prestige, and Insomnia all tested one’s emotions. They dealt with desire and obsession. The Dark Knight does the same, which makes it more than just a superhero flick.

Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale are an amazing combination. Christian Bale again proves why he is so popular at the moment. Those two seem to have this understanding of one another, which makes their films so great. This is yet another great film from Christopher Nolan. His writing and direction blended with an all star cast made The Dark Knight one of the best films of the year. It’s a shame however that no one seems associate him with anything other than the Batman films. He has proved time and time again that he is a great director. The density in his writing makes his films more complex and reaches deep deep into the mind, instead of a exhibiting a superficial mess that you would find with a mediocre filmmaker. This is just another great film from a top notch filmmaker.

This is the official curtain call for Heath Ledger. He will be remembered as a great actor long after people stop talking about The Dark Knight. He was brilliant in his roles in Four Feathers, Monsters Ball, and Brokeback Mountain. His resume go beyond his role as the Joker. Having said that, his role in The Dark Knight was amazing. Again he tops one of the great American Actors (Jack Nicholson) with his role as the Joker. He was believable the entire film, he makes you forget who is under that horrible make-up. He will scare you, yet he will also make you laugh. Unbelievable acting from the great Heath Ledger.

The Dark Knight will easily be regarded as one of the best superhero films of all time. It’s hard to get the film out of your head. You become so involved with the film that you forget about the fact that it is 2 hours and a half (I prefer longer films anyways). I have not heard anything bad about the films so far, but I will be interested to hear what possible complaints may arise, if there are any.

With The Dark Knight coming out in two days, we need to get caught up on the prior, modern Batman films.  I have ranked the five films from worst to best. 

5. Batman and Robin: George Clooney as Batman… enough said. This is by far the worst of the batman features.  Batman looked way to futuristic.  This is not the traditional Batman that we are used to.  George Clooney just doesn’t do it for me.

4. Batman Forever: Val Kilmer wasn’t bad. With Jim Carrey as The Riddler and Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face, this film was too goofy.  Joel Schumacher just does not capture the comic book on film.  The film is too lighthearted and is obviously targeted for the entire family.  

3. Batman Returns:  This film was scary as hell.  I remember watching this movie as a kid and being scared to death when the Penguin’s parents threw his carriage in the river with him in it.  Tim Burton captured the darkness of Gotham City.

2. Batman Begins: Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film was almost perfect.  Christian Bale is the best Batman, hands down.  The film shows how Bruce Wayne became the Dark Knight. Due to the fact that this film takes place so early in Batman’s vigilante career, it lacked a legitimate villain.  I am hoping that Nolan’s The Dark Knight can top the #1 Batman film.  

1. Batman: Jack Nicholson basically solidified Tim Burton’s first Batman film at the top of the list.  The Joker is arguably the best comic book villain of all time.  This film can be endangered for the top spot if The Dark Knight lives up to the hype.  It’s going to be Jack Nicholson vs. Heath Ledger  

Joel and Ethen Coen are set to release their new film, Burn After Reading in September. This is their first film since last years best film, No Country For Old Men. These two have made a name for themselves with films such as Fargo and The Big Lebowski. The film stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Coen films regular Frances McDormand. For those who are not familiar with the Coen Brothers, I suggest you check out their films, especially No Country For Old Men, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. With these films, they have established themselves to be among the best American directors. I am excited for Burn After Reading, I hope it will be another Coen classic.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Grade: A

For those who are not fans of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy films, should not give up on the director just yet. His resume does not seem all that impressive with films such as Hellboy, Hellboy 2, and Blade 2. Don’t be so quick to judge, because this film is a masterpiece. Pan’s Labyrinth is a great fairy tale of a film. This fairy tale is a rare bread in that it is rated R. This film has very graphic violence and dialogue which makes this fairy tale very unique. Those that may not be fans of films with mythical characters may be turned off by the film, but I urge you to give it a chance.

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro’s film takes place in 1944, while Spain was undergoing a civil war. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a young girl that is very interested in fairy tales. She travels with her pregnant mother, Carmen to meet her new step father, Captain Vidal. Vidal is a tyrant of a figure that is currently fighting off guerillas that oppose his regime. Captain Vidal and Carmen are expecting a baby boy that is causing Carmen to become very sick. On the way, Ofelia finds an insect that she believes is a fairy and which leads her to a labyrinth where her family is staying. There she meets the fawn, who informs Ofelia that she is Princess Moanna. Princess Moanna lived in an underground world where there is no violence or lies. She one day sneaks out and finds her way into our world where she dies. Her father believes that Princess Moanna’s spirit will one day return to this world in another body. Ofelia is instructed by the Fawn that she must complete three tasks in order to open the portal to their world. Meanwhile she in befriended by Mercedes, a servant of of Vidal. Mercedes helps the guerillas infiltrate Captain Vidals camp. Her brother is one of the guerillas, which makes her part of the film very interesting.

Captain Vidal is a complex man himself. His arrogance prevents him from seeing any view other that his own. He kills his opponents in cold blood, with no remorse what so ever. His excitement for his baby boy causes him to forget about Carmen. He has plans for his unborn child. Vidal carries a watch that was owned by his father while he was a soldier. Captain Vidal was told that before his father died in combat, he smashed the watch so that his son (Captain Vidal) would know exactly what time he died. Prior to this story we see Vidal fixing the watch, erasing his father’s memory. Before Vidal is killed by the guerillas, he tells Mercedes to give the watch to his son so that he may know what time he (Vidal) died. He prides himself so much that he believes that his son will see him as a hero, when he is not. No one sees him in the way that he views himself, therefore his memory will fade with time.

Ofelia is a great character. Her imagination takes her to places that no one else can ever dream of. Throughout the film, she is constantly told to stop reading nonsense told in her books. When she asks Mercedes if she believes in fairy tales, she replies “no, but I did when I was a little girl”. Her sick mother Carmen pleads with Ofelia to stop making up stories before she dies during her pregnancy. Carmen states that this was a cruel world. I was so sad to see someone die with the thought that there was not good in this world. Ofelia is indeed a Princess with great power. Her character must go through great lengths in order to make it back to her old world. During these tests, Ofelia meets some strange creatures that attempt to inhibit her.

This film was very dark, yet beautiful. The cinematography was amazing. The landscape of the set was breathtaking. The forest seemed to have a life of its own. The film had a mystical feeling, yet we were constantly brought back to reality where a war was being fought. Guillermo del Toro did a fantastic job in this balance of innocence and reality. The lullaby that was hummed throughout the film was scary, yet it was used as a mechanism to comfort Ofelia in the time of need.

Ivana Baquero did a good job in this film. This role was difficult in making everyone believe that this fairy tale was true. Every aspect of her role was believable, she nailed this role. It will be hard for her to top this performance in her next films. Sergi Lopez was also great. He made us hate him during this movie. He was so such a cold blooded son of a bitch that you couldn’t help but pray for him demise. During the scenes of torture, he seemed as though he enjoyed killing. This is not the type of role that you can just jump into, Lopez has to work very hard to get this role down. Great acting by these two main characters.

After seeing this film, I doubt ever not wanting to watch any film by Guillermo del Toro. This film was so good that I am going to go see Hellboy 2, even though it looks dumb as hell. You can place him with Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (Babel, 21 Grams) and Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien) as the best Mexican Directors. His characters are very well developed in the film. He created creatures that cannot be imagined without del Toro’s creative mind. This film will definitely be a classic for years to come.

Director: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton
Grade: B-

Anton Corbijn’s film Control shows us the brief life of Joy Division’s lead singer, Ian Curtis. Joy Division was a punk band which formed in the late 70s. The film takes us from the band’s beginnings in Manchester, England to living the life of known rock stars. Curtis is portrayed as dark and independent person that has a constant conflict with himself. After being diagnosed with Epilepsy, his life becomes more complicated. Curtis marries Deborah and they both have a child at a young age. Although Curtis is a father, he never really seemed to love his baby girl. He later begins to drift apart from his family. While on tour Ian meets Annik, who becomes his mistress. After confusion between his two relationships and the music his band is making, Ian Curtis commits suicide at age 23.

Director Anton Corbijn showed us the pain that Ian was feeling. He loved two women, he was a terrible father, and his band was going places that he didn’t want to go. Ian had not intention on going on tours to the U.S., he did not want to be a rock star. As the film progressed, we saw the pain in his mannerisms and his voice while he was onstage. His inner sadness caused him to take his own life. The black and white color of the film complemented the mood of the film perfectly. A color film would not have done this film justice.

From a story standpoint, it was tough to follow the timeline of the film. Corbijn never really gave us a chance to be introduced to Ian Curtis. Due to the lack of a story line, Ian Curtis’ demise at the end of the film was not that shocking. This film did not reach it’s maximum potential.

These are my favorite movies of 2008. This list may be drastically different from many others’. This list is not stating that these films are the best (from an award winning perspective), it is stating the films that I have enjoyed the most. Films should be about enjoyment, we don’t always have to be caught up in the Oscar buzz. These films in particular have left an impression on me so much that I constantly quote lines from them. All five of them are completely different from one another, therefore they have their own uniqueness that makes these films great in their own way.

5. Be Kind Rewind: An homage to all of the great directors of the past that made films without computers. Be Kind Rewind in not afraid to look at some modern filmmakers as “sell outs”. Michele Gondry pokes fun at the large video chains, most noticeably Blockbuster for an overstocked collection and misinformed employees. Those who are fans of Gondry’s past films such as Eternal Sunshine and The Science of Sleep would already know his desire to make films as they should be. Jack Black was amazing in this film as well.

4. In Bruges: Martin McDonagh brings out Colin Farrell out for his second film. Films about a person’s conscience eating them alive has been done before, but I can’t recall one which involves a hitman. Colin Farrell was great in this film. The movie was interesting due to the fairy tale setting of Bruges. This city in Belgium exhibits such beauty, yet the characters are so dark. Acts of cold blood are a common theme in the film. The film has a story book setting, but does not have the cliche’ story book ending.

3. Funny Games: This is one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. Michael Haneke has no sympathy for any character in his film. The actors in the film were nothing short of amazing. They perfectly captured the horror of the film. This film teases you in so many ways. The innocent victims in the film are so warm for one another, yet the boys in white find humor in tearing them apart. You hope for the family’s survival, but Haneke does not let you hope for long. You will begin to doubt that there is any good remaining in this world.

2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Simply the funniest film since Superbad. Forgetting Sarah Marshall topples The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up with little effort. I initially doubted Jason Segel as a front man. After seeing very little of him in Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Knocked Up, I thought he was funny but overshadowed. I was wrong. This film is funny on so many levels and has become one of my favorite comedies. The film is smart. Many find the film funny because they have experienced episodes in their own lives that may be similar in the movie. It has gratuitous sexual innuendos, yet I would not call this a typical “guy movie”.

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days: Great direction, unbelievable acting. This was not only my favorite films of the year, I believe it was the best. So honest and daring Cristian Mungiu was for making this film. The topic of back alley abortions is highly controversial. I believe he captured every emotion of a person that would be experiencing at a time like this. The film however goes deep beyond the abortion. The lives of the characters are highly complex and emotional. The characters are so well developed and greatly executed. Brilliant film!

We are little past the halfway mark this year. I am looking forward for all of the great films to come this year, especially during the winter. We’ll just have to see if any films can top my five favorites.