I've always wanted there to be an around-the-clock, ESPN-style show that covered the world of film. With that in mind, I've decided to release my top 25 of current directors. Keep in mind, this is not a "Best Living Directors list", this is a "Best Directors of 2010" list, and as such if a director has not done any significant work in 2010 he won't be listed (example: David Lynch). Much like NCAA football and basketball release top 25's and update them throughout the year, this list will also change as new films come out, as critical reception evolves, and as awards are given out.
25. Mark Romanek
The trailer for his upcoming film Never Let Me Go has already started to create buzz. Based on the critically adored novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, Romanek's followup to One Hour Photo boasts a solid cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield.
24. Joseph Kosinski
Buzz for the much-anticipated Tron: Legacy is reaching a fever pitch. Early assessments indicate the film will certainly be a moneymaker. Whether or not it will be good... We'll see.
23. Roman Polanski
Legal problems aside, Polanski's The Ghost Writer was well-received, and thus far well-rewarded, winning the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
22. David Michod
Michod's Australian crime drama, Animal Kingdom, has been one of the best reviewed films of the year. If by some chance it becomes popular with American audiences, Michod could move far up the rankings.
21. Noah Baumbach
Baumbach's tart gem Greenberg struck a chord with critics, who praised Ben Stiller's affecting performance.
20. Mike Leigh
With the release of Another Year, it seems Leigh has once proved why he's one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of his time.
19. Todd Phillips
Phillips has been riding high ever since the breakout success of The Hangover. In his next film Due Date, Phillips combines the starpower of redhot Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifinakis for what looks to be a winning comedy formula.
18. Jon Favreau
Iron Man 2 didn't necessarily out-perform expectations, but it was still one of the biggest hits of the year.
17. Sophia Coppola
Athough Marie Antoinette was only a lukewarm success both financially and critically, I'm betting that Somewhere will be a return to form.
16. Debra Granik
Granik's gritty drama Winter's Bone has been one of the most acclaimed indie films of the year with Jennifer Lawrence's performance generating significant oscar buzz.
15. Julian Schnabel
The visionary filmmaker looks to make a splash in this year's oscar race with Miral, a film about a Palestinian woman's attempts to establish an orphange in Jerusalem amidst the burgeoning Isreali-Palestinian conflict.
14. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
There were some concerns for the Babel filmmaker after he and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga broke off their long-time collaborative relationship, but so far things are looking up. Biutiful probably won't be the feel-good success of the year, but if Javier Bardem's best actor prize from Cannes is any indication it could very well be an oscar contender.
13. Lisa Cholodenko
The Kids Are All Right has been something of a cause celebre this year. With it's endearing mix of comedy and sincere emotion, the film is an early best picture dark horse.
12. David O. Russell
Despite his ridiculous, youtube-blaring antics, Russell is still one of the most talented filmmakers working today, and with the Fighter he might have a legitimate oscar contender on his hands. Based on the true story of boxer Mickey Ward, the film stars Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Amy Adams.
11. Tim Burton
Alice in Wonderland was not a hit with the critics, but it was a hit with just about everyone else. There's something to be said for making a billion dollar grosser.
10. Edgar Wright
Off the strength of Scott Pilgrim's glowing advance reviews, Edgar Wright makes his first appearance in the top ten this year.
9. Doug Liman
The director of such highbrow fare as Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Jumper, Dough Liman isn't used to oscar buzz, but that's exactly what his new film Fair Game is generating. Based on the Valerie Plame scandal, the film stars Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, and based on early clips that have been released both actors might have oscar nominations in their future.
8. Lee Unkich
Toy Story 3 was not only a critical success, but it was a massive financial boon. This film has most likely already punched it's best picture ticket.
7. Clint Eastwood
Invictus was well-received by some and shrugged off by others, but make no mistake... Eastwood's past accolades more than warrant a top-ten ranking. The prolific director will be releasing the supernatural thriller Hereafter later on this year. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Peter Morgan and starring Matt Damon, this will certainly be one of the more anticipated films of the year. However, if this is just another Eastwood thriller ala Bloodwork, Eastwood will not be in the top ten for long.
6. David Yates
Early buzz for the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows couldn't be higher. Some were dissapointed with the Half-Blood Prince, but the core audience of the series isn't going anywhere, and the film should be one of the highest grossing of the year. If it is and if the reviews are strong, this film could be nominated for best picture.
5. Darren Aronofsky
A thriller centering on rival ballet dancers doesn't necessarily inspire much interest, but one simpy gets the feeling that somehow Aronofsky will make his upcoming film, Black Swan, fantastic.
4. Joel and Ethan Coen
With No Country for Old Men and A Serious Man, the Coen Brothers have come on particularly strong lately, and there's no reason to think their remake of True Grit starring Jeff Bridges won't be just as good.
3. Martin Scorcese
Shutter Island divided critics and audiences, but it was still a phenomenal success, grossing nearly 300 million at the box office.
2. David Fincher
The release of the new Social Network trailer has quickly made that film one of the most anticipated of the year. David Fincher proved with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that he's capable of making a great film that can still connect with audiences.
1. Christopher Nolan
Inception is the best reviewed hit of the summer and seems poised for a best picture nomination. The debate over this unusually challenging blockbuster shows no sign of waning.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saw Inception Tonight
As the post says, I saw the much anticipated Inception, and my verdict: good, but not great. I wouldn't begrudge anyone who thinks this movie is fantastic, but in my opinion the glowing reviews it has been receiving are overblown.
One review for instance said Inception was a "Kubrick film with heart". I'm not sure I'd agree either with it being Kubrickian or having heart. Certainly, it tries to have heart, but it doesn't really succeed. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, the world's best "extractor": a thief who specializes in going into people's dreams and accessing their most guarded secrets. He's also a fugitive trying to get back to his kids. So, when an employer comes along promising to clear his name if he can perform inception--planting an idea rather than stealing it--he can't refuse.
OK. Makes sense. He's trying to get back to his kids (and deal with some issues relating to his wife). Very heartrending. But DiCaprio almost plays it too straight. Sure, he conveys that mix of vulnerability and intensity that he does so well, but in my opinion that's become too one-dimensional. It doesn't help that we don't emotionally connect to anyone else in the film. Hell, there isn't time to connect to anyone else. The film moves too quickly for it's own good, jumping from one mind-bending action scene to the next without leaving time for us to understand who these character's really are.
One review for instance said Inception was a "Kubrick film with heart". I'm not sure I'd agree either with it being Kubrickian or having heart. Certainly, it tries to have heart, but it doesn't really succeed. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, the world's best "extractor": a thief who specializes in going into people's dreams and accessing their most guarded secrets. He's also a fugitive trying to get back to his kids. So, when an employer comes along promising to clear his name if he can perform inception--planting an idea rather than stealing it--he can't refuse.
OK. Makes sense. He's trying to get back to his kids (and deal with some issues relating to his wife). Very heartrending. But DiCaprio almost plays it too straight. Sure, he conveys that mix of vulnerability and intensity that he does so well, but in my opinion that's become too one-dimensional. It doesn't help that we don't emotionally connect to anyone else in the film. Hell, there isn't time to connect to anyone else. The film moves too quickly for it's own good, jumping from one mind-bending action scene to the next without leaving time for us to understand who these character's really are.
Monday, June 28, 2010
"Give me the water, Eli!"
Paul Thomas Anderson's brilliant There Will Be Blood has been coming on FX recently. I put it on one day during the baptism scene, where Eli forces Daniel Plainview to admit he "abandoned his son." If you've seen the film, you'll remember that the majority of the scene consists of a long close-up of Daniel Day Lewis. Watching Daniel Day Lewis' towering performance here is a pleasure, and Paul Thomas Anderson made an ingenius decision presenting the scene in this way.
This got me thinking of the best male leading performances of the 21st century.
10. Will Farrel, Anchorman
In my opinion, Will Farrel's performance as Ron Burgundy is one of the iconic comedic performances of all time, and deserves to recognized as a great acting achievement. There is something to be said about acting as relentlessly entertaining as this.
9. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York
Hoffman's has been one of the most lauded actors of the 21st century, and has no shortage of accolades to show for it, including an Academy Award for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote. He's also been recognized for his performances in Doubt, Charlie Wilson's War, and The Savages, but he received little attention for his stunning turn in Charlie Kaufman's unsurprisingly mindbending Synecdoche, New York. It's a huge credit to his abilities that he made this role so memorable. In the film, his character is constantly searching for answers and existential meaning to the point that he himself is a mystery. But Hoffman imbues him with a visceral emotional life.
8. Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
Another unforgettable comedic performance from one of the greatest actors of all time. Hackman perfectly realizes Royal Tenenbaum's crusty, self-possessed dimensions, but it's how he evokes Tenenbaum's vulnerable, human core that makes the role so incredible.
7. Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
Although some may prefer his affecting work in Sideways, I'll take Giamatti's portrayal of Harvey Pekar any day of the week. From the spot-on voice to the perpetually misanthropic face, Giamatti owns this role.
6. Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York was a flawed film, but it was not the fault of Daniel Day Lewis, who is blisteringly great as Bill the Butcher. His ability to play-up's Bill's insatiable violence appetite for violence as well his full-on humanity is astounding.
5. Christian Bale, American Psycho
To turn a psychopathic killer into a compelling human figure is not easy; some actors have excelled at it, creating indelible cinematic characters, while others have simply churned out caricatures. In Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale portrays perhaps the most galvanizing serial killer character ever.
4. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
When I first saw The Wrestler, I was wowed by Rourke's performance, but I still felt that Sean Penn's utterly heartrending turn as Harvey Milk was better. I've since watched both films again, and not only do I think Rourke's performance is better, but I think it's one of the best in recent memory. Rourke loses all emotional inhibition in this role and provides as clear into a person's soul as any actor has done in some time.
3. Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
In 2001, Denzel Washington won best actor at the Academy Awards with his ultra-hyperbolic, one-dimensional villian in Training Day. Since that time, I've heard little of the film or the performance--though both were solid--because you can't get anything from a one-note performance after the first viewing. Tom Wilkinson's turn in In the Bedroom on the other hand is anything but one-note. His multi-layered portrayal of a parent grieving the loss of his murdered son is nothing short of devastating.
2. Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
I think I've said all there is to say about Daniel Day Lewis' incomparable talents in this film.
1. Ralph Fiennes, The Constant Gardener
This performance could just as easily be at the top of a "Most Underrated Performances List", but dare-I-say, that would be underrating it. In this film, Ralph Fiennes does a very difficult job: playing a weak character. His Justin Quayle is a mild-mannered British diplomat investigating the death of his activist wife. We witness his transformation from a timid yes man to a man willing to do anything to expose his wife's killers. It's a stunning feat and Ralph Fiennes takes us through Justin's transformation with unequaled subtlety and emotional command.
This got me thinking of the best male leading performances of the 21st century.
10. Will Farrel, Anchorman
In my opinion, Will Farrel's performance as Ron Burgundy is one of the iconic comedic performances of all time, and deserves to recognized as a great acting achievement. There is something to be said about acting as relentlessly entertaining as this.
9. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York
Hoffman's has been one of the most lauded actors of the 21st century, and has no shortage of accolades to show for it, including an Academy Award for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote. He's also been recognized for his performances in Doubt, Charlie Wilson's War, and The Savages, but he received little attention for his stunning turn in Charlie Kaufman's unsurprisingly mindbending Synecdoche, New York. It's a huge credit to his abilities that he made this role so memorable. In the film, his character is constantly searching for answers and existential meaning to the point that he himself is a mystery. But Hoffman imbues him with a visceral emotional life.
8. Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
Another unforgettable comedic performance from one of the greatest actors of all time. Hackman perfectly realizes Royal Tenenbaum's crusty, self-possessed dimensions, but it's how he evokes Tenenbaum's vulnerable, human core that makes the role so incredible.
7. Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
Although some may prefer his affecting work in Sideways, I'll take Giamatti's portrayal of Harvey Pekar any day of the week. From the spot-on voice to the perpetually misanthropic face, Giamatti owns this role.
6. Daniel Day Lewis, Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York was a flawed film, but it was not the fault of Daniel Day Lewis, who is blisteringly great as Bill the Butcher. His ability to play-up's Bill's insatiable violence appetite for violence as well his full-on humanity is astounding.
5. Christian Bale, American Psycho
To turn a psychopathic killer into a compelling human figure is not easy; some actors have excelled at it, creating indelible cinematic characters, while others have simply churned out caricatures. In Patrick Bateman, Christian Bale portrays perhaps the most galvanizing serial killer character ever.
4. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
When I first saw The Wrestler, I was wowed by Rourke's performance, but I still felt that Sean Penn's utterly heartrending turn as Harvey Milk was better. I've since watched both films again, and not only do I think Rourke's performance is better, but I think it's one of the best in recent memory. Rourke loses all emotional inhibition in this role and provides as clear into a person's soul as any actor has done in some time.
3. Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
In 2001, Denzel Washington won best actor at the Academy Awards with his ultra-hyperbolic, one-dimensional villian in Training Day. Since that time, I've heard little of the film or the performance--though both were solid--because you can't get anything from a one-note performance after the first viewing. Tom Wilkinson's turn in In the Bedroom on the other hand is anything but one-note. His multi-layered portrayal of a parent grieving the loss of his murdered son is nothing short of devastating.
2. Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
I think I've said all there is to say about Daniel Day Lewis' incomparable talents in this film.
1. Ralph Fiennes, The Constant Gardener
This performance could just as easily be at the top of a "Most Underrated Performances List", but dare-I-say, that would be underrating it. In this film, Ralph Fiennes does a very difficult job: playing a weak character. His Justin Quayle is a mild-mannered British diplomat investigating the death of his activist wife. We witness his transformation from a timid yes man to a man willing to do anything to expose his wife's killers. It's a stunning feat and Ralph Fiennes takes us through Justin's transformation with unequaled subtlety and emotional command.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Fright Night Redux
As you may or may not know, I'm a huge fan of Tom Holland's 1985 cult horror classic Fright Night. In fact, I'm fairly certain that I like this movie more than any person on the planet ever has. In my opinion, it's an extraordinarily well crafted and immensely entertaining film.
When I found out that there was a remake planned for 2011, I didn't react with much enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong... I'm not some Fright Night fundamentalist, who thinks even the thought of a remake is blasphemy, but I immediately suspected it would be at the least a mediocre film.
It could very well be a bad film, but I'm becoming increasingly interested in it. For starters, it's being directed by Craig Gillespie, who also helmed the acclaimed Lars and the Real Girl (of course, he also directed the significantly less acclaimed Mr. Woodcock); and the film was being written by Marti Noxon, a writer for Mad Men.
The casting looks solid as well. Anton Yelchin will be playing Charlie Brewster and although I'm not in awe of his talents, he could be right for this part. In addition, Christopher Mintz-Plasse is playing Evil Ed, Imogen Poots from 28 Weeks Later is playing Amy, Toni Collette is playing Charlie's mom, and David Tennant of Doctor Who fame is playing Peter Vincent.
But the best casting choice by far has been for the enigmatic vampire neighbor Jerry Dandridge:
COLIN FARREL.
Listen, by no means do I think casting Colin Farrel guarantees success, but I when I saw this casting decision it instantly made sense to me. I think he could be very successful in this role.
I read a review on the script, and I must admit the new plot does seem contrived. It involves Charlie becoming a newly popular high school student and alienating his friends. Peter Vincent is no longer a cheesy television personality, but is instead a Las Vegas showman of sorts? What?
We'll see.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Early thoughts on LSU
I saw the results of LSU's spring game on the university's website and I really don't know what to think of the upcoming season. The team has been inconsistent ever since the 2007 Championship. I chalked up 2008's disappointing campaign to the obvious reason: no Ryan Perriloux, but although we improved in 2009, particularly on defense, things weren't much better. In fact, in terms of the running game things were worse. At times, Jordan Jefferson acquitted himself well at the quarterback position, at others I was actually wondering if Jarret Lee wouldn't be a better starter. This was mainly when Jefferson was getting sacked constantly because he never got rid of the ball under pressure--say what you will about Lee, but he was never shy about getting rid of the ball.
So, one would think that Jordan Jefferson would be coming into this season the best he's ever been. Here are his numbers from the spring game: 8 of 23 for 94 yards and an interception. That doesn't look like improvement to me, and this is a SPRING GAME! I have to say, though, I am more optimistic about our running game this year. Steven Ridley will probably be a good go-to guy and apparently Michael Ford has the skills to get a lot of touches as a redshirt freshman. Also, Russel Shephard did more in this spring game than it seemed he did all of last season (what exactly was the thinking on removing Shephard's redshirt and then using him so little!)
As much as I don't know what to make of LSU next year, I think the SEC West in general is just as unpredictable. Alabama will obviously great, but just how much better will Arkansas and Auburn me.
Some say Les Miles might be on the hotseat and I agree, and I just don't know if the current coaching arrangement is going to get LSU to the SEC championship game. For one, after last year's abysmal offensive showing why wasn't Gary Crowton fired? The team did bring Florida wide receiver's coach Billy Gonzales to be the "passing game coordinator", but I am much less heartened by this news than others. I don't know think bringing the wide receiver's coach from Florida is going to be a large enough move to get our offense where it needs to be.
That being said, I think the defense this year may be as good as it's been in a very long time. All the pieces are in place for us to be a real lock-down unit. And let's be honest, for as inconsistent as LSU was last year, they still won 9 games in the regular season. It stands to reason that if we're improved, that our record will improve. There is one problem: We're playing a top ten schedule this year, with games against North Carolina and West Virginia out of conference. Also, we have to go to Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas. Luckily, we get Alabama at home. And that game is perhaps the real test. No amount of coach shuffling is going to matter if LSU can't beat Alabama (as we haven't for the last two years, though the games have been close). Alabama has clearly replaced LSU as the preeminent team in the SEC West and I have a feeling Nick Saban is going to keep them there for a while. Now whether or not Alabama is forced to share the SEC West is up to LSU, and possibly Auburn (hell, possibly Arkansas). It isn't a good sign that Alabama has gone undefeated against the SEC West for the last two years. I absolutely believe we can beat Alabama (we almost did it in 2008 with our worst team in years).
So, one would think that Jordan Jefferson would be coming into this season the best he's ever been. Here are his numbers from the spring game: 8 of 23 for 94 yards and an interception. That doesn't look like improvement to me, and this is a SPRING GAME! I have to say, though, I am more optimistic about our running game this year. Steven Ridley will probably be a good go-to guy and apparently Michael Ford has the skills to get a lot of touches as a redshirt freshman. Also, Russel Shephard did more in this spring game than it seemed he did all of last season (what exactly was the thinking on removing Shephard's redshirt and then using him so little!)
As much as I don't know what to make of LSU next year, I think the SEC West in general is just as unpredictable. Alabama will obviously great, but just how much better will Arkansas and Auburn me.
Some say Les Miles might be on the hotseat and I agree, and I just don't know if the current coaching arrangement is going to get LSU to the SEC championship game. For one, after last year's abysmal offensive showing why wasn't Gary Crowton fired? The team did bring Florida wide receiver's coach Billy Gonzales to be the "passing game coordinator", but I am much less heartened by this news than others. I don't know think bringing the wide receiver's coach from Florida is going to be a large enough move to get our offense where it needs to be.
That being said, I think the defense this year may be as good as it's been in a very long time. All the pieces are in place for us to be a real lock-down unit. And let's be honest, for as inconsistent as LSU was last year, they still won 9 games in the regular season. It stands to reason that if we're improved, that our record will improve. There is one problem: We're playing a top ten schedule this year, with games against North Carolina and West Virginia out of conference. Also, we have to go to Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas. Luckily, we get Alabama at home. And that game is perhaps the real test. No amount of coach shuffling is going to matter if LSU can't beat Alabama (as we haven't for the last two years, though the games have been close). Alabama has clearly replaced LSU as the preeminent team in the SEC West and I have a feeling Nick Saban is going to keep them there for a while. Now whether or not Alabama is forced to share the SEC West is up to LSU, and possibly Auburn (hell, possibly Arkansas). It isn't a good sign that Alabama has gone undefeated against the SEC West for the last two years. I absolutely believe we can beat Alabama (we almost did it in 2008 with our worst team in years).
Monday, June 21, 2010
CEO's: Cunts Entrenched in Oil
I found out today that BP CEO Tony Hayward was so busy trying to correct his company's colossal fuck-up in the gulf that he had attended a yacht race. Apparently, corporate elitists are either too pathologically self-obsessed or simply too stupid to understand how callous they really act.
I might be able to tolerate Hayward's shocking insensitivity if it wasn't so clear that he and his company were still doing business as usual. Case in point: Hayward's testimony to Congress. Stonewalling, pure and simple. Based on his testimony, he's either the most inept ceo in the oil industry--a possibility I'm more than willing to entertain--or BP made a calculated decision to obstruct any congressional investigation in the oil spill and the disaster on the rig itself. Either way, it's indefensible.
Let's be honest though, the congressional interrogation of BP is most likely little more than a obligatory hand-wringing. Firm regulatory standards need to be established and enforced admisitration to administration. The reason why prior to this spill oil companies were allowed to do anything in the gulf is because there has been no continuity of environmental or energy police. Another reason that comes to mind is that the oil industry has economically handcuffed the people of the gulf coastal region. This is why Mary Landrieu doesn't have the guts to stand up to BP. And I don't mean by demanding they pay for their own mistake. I mean by demanding they cease oil production until it is verifiably clear that their drilling standards are safe. As long as senators like Landrieu are financially tied to the oil industry, real regulatory progress will be dificult.
I might be able to tolerate Hayward's shocking insensitivity if it wasn't so clear that he and his company were still doing business as usual. Case in point: Hayward's testimony to Congress. Stonewalling, pure and simple. Based on his testimony, he's either the most inept ceo in the oil industry--a possibility I'm more than willing to entertain--or BP made a calculated decision to obstruct any congressional investigation in the oil spill and the disaster on the rig itself. Either way, it's indefensible.
Let's be honest though, the congressional interrogation of BP is most likely little more than a obligatory hand-wringing. Firm regulatory standards need to be established and enforced admisitration to administration. The reason why prior to this spill oil companies were allowed to do anything in the gulf is because there has been no continuity of environmental or energy police. Another reason that comes to mind is that the oil industry has economically handcuffed the people of the gulf coastal region. This is why Mary Landrieu doesn't have the guts to stand up to BP. And I don't mean by demanding they pay for their own mistake. I mean by demanding they cease oil production until it is verifiably clear that their drilling standards are safe. As long as senators like Landrieu are financially tied to the oil industry, real regulatory progress will be dificult.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Joe Carnahan Has No Clothes
Just to clarify, the title of this blogpost is a reference to "The Emperor has no clothes", but I would never call Joe Carnhan the emperor. Let me explain.
I recently saw Joe Carnhan's The A-Team, and while it wasn't terrible I couldn't help but thinking, "What happenned to the serious filmmaker in Joe Carnahan? The one who made Narc?"
It's becoming increasingly clear that Narc was just Carnahan's prestige bid so he could make action fluff like the A-Team and the visceral mess that was Smokin' Aces. After watching the A-Team, it occured to me that he's a grittier, American Guy Ritchie--and I don't mean that in a good way.
There are other filmmakers I can think of who have not delivered on their promise.
The first one that comes to mind is Richard Kelly. Obviously, I think Donnie Darko is a great film. It's original in both tone and content and is superbly well-made. Southland Tales is... not. There have been many theories as to why Southland Tales was such a failure. Yes, the film was packed with too many ambitious ideas for its own good. But that's a cop-out, as if one is trying to say that somewhere in Southland Tales is a good film. There isn't. It's cryptic, time-travel-themed plotlines could never rise above their own muck, and at the end of the day the casting was adventurous to a fault. I haven't seen The Box but I didn't hear good things.
Terry George is another filmmaker in this vein. Remember Hotel Rwanda? That was a terrific film. Brilliantly acted and with directed with great sincerity by George. What happenned with Reservation Road, a hopelessly muddled domestic drama that at the end of day was a collection of tragic cliches.
At this point, it's almost redundant to mention the Wachowski Brothers, but I will. Why? Because the Matrix is more than just a great film. It's a mindbending, groundbreaking, visually dazzling, transcendent sci-fi action film and one of my favorite of all time. The two sequels on the other hand are bad. Just bad. To say the series lacks a satisfying conclusion is beyond understatement. To put it simply, the Wachowski Brothers became too mired in the fathomless depth of the questions their films raised, the Matrix Reloaded and Reservations was the result.
Finally, there's Sam Mendez. This may surprise some people, but I haven't been impressed by Sam Mendez' post-American Beauty career. Road to Perdition was high on production value, but startlingly low on compelling characters; Jarhead was a mess of post-modern ideas on warfare that never led to anything. And I have to say, I didn't love Revolutionary Road. It was HIGHLY STAGEY--and by that I mean theater-like to a fault--and the themes were trite. Oddly enough, his best film since American Beauty may be the very entertaining Away We Go (and I certainly didn't think that was perfect).
I recently saw Joe Carnhan's The A-Team, and while it wasn't terrible I couldn't help but thinking, "What happenned to the serious filmmaker in Joe Carnahan? The one who made Narc?"
It's becoming increasingly clear that Narc was just Carnahan's prestige bid so he could make action fluff like the A-Team and the visceral mess that was Smokin' Aces. After watching the A-Team, it occured to me that he's a grittier, American Guy Ritchie--and I don't mean that in a good way.
There are other filmmakers I can think of who have not delivered on their promise.
The first one that comes to mind is Richard Kelly. Obviously, I think Donnie Darko is a great film. It's original in both tone and content and is superbly well-made. Southland Tales is... not. There have been many theories as to why Southland Tales was such a failure. Yes, the film was packed with too many ambitious ideas for its own good. But that's a cop-out, as if one is trying to say that somewhere in Southland Tales is a good film. There isn't. It's cryptic, time-travel-themed plotlines could never rise above their own muck, and at the end of the day the casting was adventurous to a fault. I haven't seen The Box but I didn't hear good things.
Terry George is another filmmaker in this vein. Remember Hotel Rwanda? That was a terrific film. Brilliantly acted and with directed with great sincerity by George. What happenned with Reservation Road, a hopelessly muddled domestic drama that at the end of day was a collection of tragic cliches.
At this point, it's almost redundant to mention the Wachowski Brothers, but I will. Why? Because the Matrix is more than just a great film. It's a mindbending, groundbreaking, visually dazzling, transcendent sci-fi action film and one of my favorite of all time. The two sequels on the other hand are bad. Just bad. To say the series lacks a satisfying conclusion is beyond understatement. To put it simply, the Wachowski Brothers became too mired in the fathomless depth of the questions their films raised, the Matrix Reloaded and Reservations was the result.
Finally, there's Sam Mendez. This may surprise some people, but I haven't been impressed by Sam Mendez' post-American Beauty career. Road to Perdition was high on production value, but startlingly low on compelling characters; Jarhead was a mess of post-modern ideas on warfare that never led to anything. And I have to say, I didn't love Revolutionary Road. It was HIGHLY STAGEY--and by that I mean theater-like to a fault--and the themes were trite. Oddly enough, his best film since American Beauty may be the very entertaining Away We Go (and I certainly didn't think that was perfect).
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