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Here is article i just wrote, (nerdvanainc) tell me what you think. i could use the feedback.
I heard the complaint from a number of people that 2011 was a slow year for films, there was nothing that blew them away. I don’t understand this statement. What movies have they been watching? 2011 supplied us with some of the most visually breathtaking films that I’ve seen in years. No one was more surprised than I when two films on my top ten list were in 3D. If you allow it, they take you to such deep emotional places. I evaluated the list I created below and again I ask the question “what movies where you watching?” Perhaps people missed the great movies of 2011 because of their preoccupations with crap. For example Jack and Jill, Sucker Punch, Transformers, or the Twilight wedding crap they call a movie. Nothing blew you away this year? Not enough Russell Brand I guess.
1. Pina: The cinematic visual story of Pina Bausch, the legendary German dancer and choreographer. In the capable hands of director Wim Wenders, he has found a way to create a creative stunning vision of Pina’s unique aesthetic in 3D. Wenders and Pina were in the process of developing this 3D venture together, when she died at the age of 68 in 2009. Wenders and Pina’s dance company decided to proceed with the project as a tribute to her and career. Finally the gimmicky aspect of 3D technology is in the hands of creative people experimenting and trying to do something more with 3D, by giving us a new real visual experience. I promise you’ll be fully engaged and captivated by what a sole human body can do.
2. Melancholia: This is the story of two sister’s strained relationship as Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) plans and paid for the extravagant wedding of Justine (Kirsten Dunst). Also starring Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. Meanwhile Melancholia, a blue planet passing by comes a little too close for comfort. The family struggles to maintain composure as the threat of world destruction looms over them all. Described by Lars von Trier himself as “A beautiful movie about the end of the world.” Like most of Lars Von Trier films we are left feeling uneasy about what we just watched, almost guilty. Leaving the theater, it was hard to shake the film. It stays with you like a bad dream, leaving you dazed trying to understand what it all means.
3. The Tree of Life: Unlike some visionary directors, as the years go by their style and overall childlike sense of exploration is self-repressed, less controversial easier to consume projects. A good example is Oliver Stone, where once a leader in experimenting in the medium of film, now a fairly conventional filmmaker. As the years go by Terrence Malick seems to fall deeper and deeper into insanity. He shows us through his sometimes convoluted but breathtaking imagery, somehow capturing the essence of spiritual grace on film. On the surface we fallow the life of Midwestern family in the 1950’s, particularly the life of Jack, the son of (Brad Pitt,) Father of the adult and disillusioned (Sean Penn.) But it is much, much more that…
4. Cave of Forgotten Dreams: The Chauvet Caves of France were discovered in 1994, what was found was one of the greatest finds of early human kind. The French government has closed off the entrance to the Chauvet Caves with a steel door. Letting in a small amount of scientist. Werner Herzog was able to get permission to enter the cave with a small film crew. With the poetry of Herzog’s shooting style, he takes us deep into the caves and deep into the past of the human history. Shooting in 3D to better convey the beauty of the ancient drawings hugging the contours of the cave walls.
5. Midnight in Paris: The latest Woody Allen venture a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family there for business, all longing for a different sort of existence. Staring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates. Yes this may be more of the same from Woody, but his “same” is miles ahead than most. Owen Wilson’s character trying to write the next great novel is transported back in time to the 1920’s where he pumps into artistic figures in the likes of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Picasso and Dali. When it comes to Woody Allen’s recent work, some always say “good but not as good as his early work.” I completely disagree. With films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Cassandra’s Dream, Match Point, Melinda and Melinda I think he is still hitting his stride. Now with Midnight in Paris it shows Woody is still Woody.
6. Drive: The Danish Nicolas Winding Refn director of Pusher Trilogy, Bronson and the visually stunning Valhalla Rising, delivers his first Hollywood film, to an almost perfection attempt. The story of a wheel-man for hire played by Ryan Gosling, a stunt driver for the movies by day and a getaway driver by night. Gosling gives an understated performance, constantly throwing lines away, satisfied with giving a subtle glance to reveal the motivation of his actions. The quit and deliberate Gosling begins to fall in love and become protective of his beautiful neighbor. Single mother played by Carey Mulligan. Also starring the under rated Bryan Cranston, the normally likable Albert Brooks playing a despicable morally vacant heavy. The famously buxom Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman, just glad to see Ron in a movie without vampires or werewolves.
7. The Skin I Live In: I always loved Pedro Almodovar sense of campiness, no matter how heavy the subject matter. He has a way of giving us high drama skewed with dark comedy. And no one uses color the way he does, the starkness of his reds fully engages your senses, the creativity behind the design of his films are surpassed to none. Antonio Banderas once again reminds us he is more than just a leading man, in one of his best performances to date. It’s been 21 years since this actor and director have teamed up in the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! In this new thriller Banderas plays a mad but brilliant plastic surgeon. Creating a synthetic skin, but to test it he needs a guinea pig. Almodóvar himself described the film as “a horror story without screams or frights”.
8. Contagion: Admittedly a hard film to watch, especially in crowded theater, with its symphony of mucus induced sniffling, coughs and sneezes. Leaving me self-conscious and extra careful about every time I touch my face, and is distressing to know it’s all the time. This film plays out almost like a documentary, as if Steven Soderbergh’s cameras are capturing true events. A film like this could have easily had a thousand clichés, no cities being incinerated by some mad generals. Our hero doesn’t need to jump from roof top to roof top. He doesn’t need to fly in with an antidote to save the world. As a matter of fact there is no real hero here, it’s just human beings surviving the best way they can, scientist doing their jobs till the very end. Simply put this thriller is a realistic look at a global virus outbreak, as an international team of doctors try to unravel the mystery of the viruses’ origins. The question is asked “just how ready are we” in coping with such a disaster.
9. Super 8: During the summer of 1979, a group of friends and wanna be filmmakers in process of making a super 8 movie they witness a horrific train crash. Soon after a series of unexplained events and disappearances in their small town, push these kids to start an investigation of their own. This film evoked feelings from the first time I watched E.T. With the same childlike curiosity and innocence challenged. It does play off much as a horror film. Once again J.J. Abrams delivers a well-polished quality piece of work. His films are always an unapologetic adventure. Elle Fanning steels the show. Her roll choices so far have been extremely smart and I’m anxious to see what’s next.
10. Carnage: I know what your thinking my fellow nerds, but this movie isn’t about the Spiderman villain. I was glad to see Roman Polanski attempting a film like this. The storyline is simple, two sets of parents get together to discuss a conflict that their children had at school. With a story like this you would think there aren’t many places one can go, but it goes there and beyond. This film is not about its story it’s about their performances. Based upon the popular Play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza. And with a cast like this (Jodie Foster John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and the always perfect Christoph Waltz) it’s impossible to make a bad film. These characters are as childish and petty as the children they defend, with circular contentious arguing as they tear into each other neuroses.
I heard the complaint from a number of people that 2011 was a slow year for films, there was nothing that blew them away. I don’t understand this statement. What movies have they been watching? 2011 supplied us with some of the most visually breathtaking films that I’ve seen in years. No one was more surprised than I when two films on my top ten list were in 3D. If you allow it, they take you to such deep emotional places. I evaluated the list I created below and again I ask the question “what movies where you watching?” Perhaps people missed the great movies of 2011 because of their preoccupations with crap. For example Jack and Jill, Sucker Punch, Transformers, or the Twilight wedding crap they call a movie. Nothing blew you away this year? Not enough Russell Brand I guess.
1. Pina: The cinematic visual story of Pina Bausch, the legendary German dancer and choreographer. In the capable hands of director Wim Wenders, he has found a way to create a creative stunning vision of Pina’s unique aesthetic in 3D. Wenders and Pina were in the process of developing this 3D venture together, when she died at the age of 68 in 2009. Wenders and Pina’s dance company decided to proceed with the project as a tribute to her and career. Finally the gimmicky aspect of 3D technology is in the hands of creative people experimenting and trying to do something more with 3D, by giving us a new real visual experience. I promise you’ll be fully engaged and captivated by what a sole human body can do.
2. Melancholia: This is the story of two sister’s strained relationship as Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) plans and paid for the extravagant wedding of Justine (Kirsten Dunst). Also starring Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. Meanwhile Melancholia, a blue planet passing by comes a little too close for comfort. The family struggles to maintain composure as the threat of world destruction looms over them all. Described by Lars von Trier himself as “A beautiful movie about the end of the world.” Like most of Lars Von Trier films we are left feeling uneasy about what we just watched, almost guilty. Leaving the theater, it was hard to shake the film. It stays with you like a bad dream, leaving you dazed trying to understand what it all means.
3. The Tree of Life: Unlike some visionary directors, as the years go by their style and overall childlike sense of exploration is self-repressed, less controversial easier to consume projects. A good example is Oliver Stone, where once a leader in experimenting in the medium of film, now a fairly conventional filmmaker. As the years go by Terrence Malick seems to fall deeper and deeper into insanity. He shows us through his sometimes convoluted but breathtaking imagery, somehow capturing the essence of spiritual grace on film. On the surface we fallow the life of Midwestern family in the 1950’s, particularly the life of Jack, the son of (Brad Pitt,) Father of the adult and disillusioned (Sean Penn.) But it is much, much more that…
4. Cave of Forgotten Dreams: The Chauvet Caves of France were discovered in 1994, what was found was one of the greatest finds of early human kind. The French government has closed off the entrance to the Chauvet Caves with a steel door. Letting in a small amount of scientist. Werner Herzog was able to get permission to enter the cave with a small film crew. With the poetry of Herzog’s shooting style, he takes us deep into the caves and deep into the past of the human history. Shooting in 3D to better convey the beauty of the ancient drawings hugging the contours of the cave walls.
5. Midnight in Paris: The latest Woody Allen venture a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family there for business, all longing for a different sort of existence. Staring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates. Yes this may be more of the same from Woody, but his “same” is miles ahead than most. Owen Wilson’s character trying to write the next great novel is transported back in time to the 1920’s where he pumps into artistic figures in the likes of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Picasso and Dali. When it comes to Woody Allen’s recent work, some always say “good but not as good as his early work.” I completely disagree. With films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Cassandra’s Dream, Match Point, Melinda and Melinda I think he is still hitting his stride. Now with Midnight in Paris it shows Woody is still Woody.
6. Drive: The Danish Nicolas Winding Refn director of Pusher Trilogy, Bronson and the visually stunning Valhalla Rising, delivers his first Hollywood film, to an almost perfection attempt. The story of a wheel-man for hire played by Ryan Gosling, a stunt driver for the movies by day and a getaway driver by night. Gosling gives an understated performance, constantly throwing lines away, satisfied with giving a subtle glance to reveal the motivation of his actions. The quit and deliberate Gosling begins to fall in love and become protective of his beautiful neighbor. Single mother played by Carey Mulligan. Also starring the under rated Bryan Cranston, the normally likable Albert Brooks playing a despicable morally vacant heavy. The famously buxom Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman, just glad to see Ron in a movie without vampires or werewolves.
7. The Skin I Live In: I always loved Pedro Almodovar sense of campiness, no matter how heavy the subject matter. He has a way of giving us high drama skewed with dark comedy. And no one uses color the way he does, the starkness of his reds fully engages your senses, the creativity behind the design of his films are surpassed to none. Antonio Banderas once again reminds us he is more than just a leading man, in one of his best performances to date. It’s been 21 years since this actor and director have teamed up in the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! In this new thriller Banderas plays a mad but brilliant plastic surgeon. Creating a synthetic skin, but to test it he needs a guinea pig. Almodóvar himself described the film as “a horror story without screams or frights”.
8. Contagion: Admittedly a hard film to watch, especially in crowded theater, with its symphony of mucus induced sniffling, coughs and sneezes. Leaving me self-conscious and extra careful about every time I touch my face, and is distressing to know it’s all the time. This film plays out almost like a documentary, as if Steven Soderbergh’s cameras are capturing true events. A film like this could have easily had a thousand clichés, no cities being incinerated by some mad generals. Our hero doesn’t need to jump from roof top to roof top. He doesn’t need to fly in with an antidote to save the world. As a matter of fact there is no real hero here, it’s just human beings surviving the best way they can, scientist doing their jobs till the very end. Simply put this thriller is a realistic look at a global virus outbreak, as an international team of doctors try to unravel the mystery of the viruses’ origins. The question is asked “just how ready are we” in coping with such a disaster.
9. Super 8: During the summer of 1979, a group of friends and wanna be filmmakers in process of making a super 8 movie they witness a horrific train crash. Soon after a series of unexplained events and disappearances in their small town, push these kids to start an investigation of their own. This film evoked feelings from the first time I watched E.T. With the same childlike curiosity and innocence challenged. It does play off much as a horror film. Once again J.J. Abrams delivers a well-polished quality piece of work. His films are always an unapologetic adventure. Elle Fanning steels the show. Her roll choices so far have been extremely smart and I’m anxious to see what’s next.
10. Carnage: I know what your thinking my fellow nerds, but this movie isn’t about the Spiderman villain. I was glad to see Roman Polanski attempting a film like this. The storyline is simple, two sets of parents get together to discuss a conflict that their children had at school. With a story like this you would think there aren’t many places one can go, but it goes there and beyond. This film is not about its story it’s about their performances. Based upon the popular Play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza. And with a cast like this (Jodie Foster John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and the always perfect Christoph Waltz) it’s impossible to make a bad film. These characters are as childish and petty as the children they defend, with circular contentious arguing as they tear into each other neuroses.
