My Country My Country

This year has been full of great documentaries. This one wasn't one of them. That said, it was good, but not great. The people who really need to see this film won't.

We follow a doctor as he prepares to run for the 2005 Iraqi elections. The elections are only part of the story though. I was most moved by watching how the war there was affecting one family very personally.

The filmmaker gained access to some very amazing locations and situations. I felt like we were in Iraq watching things unfold.

The Science of Sleep

In the top ten of the year for me.

Michel Gondry is at it again. There are some hilariously funny moments and we felt that we were living in a dream for long after the movie ended.

Bizarre and quirky and wonderfully told.

This Film is Not Yet Rated

This documentary about the American Films Rating Board pissed us off. Violence is fine, hate and ignorance and damaging stereotypes about women and people of color, all OK, but one gay love scene and it's off to the NC-17 bin for you! This board really has the movie industry by the balls.

Interviews with actors and directors and a funny private investigator plot all keep this interesting and educational.

Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

LHFF (Light Hearted Foreign Film) about a man who is seeking to grant his estranged son's dying wish. Based on a true story and carefully shot, we were certainly pulled into the story.

Factotum

Based on the book by Charles Bukowski, this dark comedy follows a writer, Hank, through his journey of being Bukowski's alter-ego.

The two most interesting thing about it:

1) A factotum is someone who performs a variety of jobs
and
2) The Norwegian director, Bent Hamer, also made one of my favorite films that we saw in 2004, Kitchen Stories.

Lili Taylor, whom I love, is in it but overall it misses the mark.

House of Sand

Brazilian epic about 3 generations of women. A staggering portrait of love and survival and longing. The director apparently worked the two lead roles specifically for his wife and mother-in-law and they each play themselves, their young daughters and older mothers. Sounds complicated and it is, but it is perfectly executed.

Set in the early 20th century in the deserts of Brazil, sweeping landscapes are symbolic metaphors for the women's situation.

A gorgeous film.

Quinceañera

I really liked this movie. It's so much more than a coming of age film. It's an amazing portrayal of a family and the happenings around one girl's 15th birthday.

There were a few plot items that were unexpected and interesting. The characters were 3-dimentional and fully realized.

The message of this film: All you really have in this world is your family.

Our Brand is Crisis

I hate James Carville. He and all the folks that work for him at his political marketing/consulting company are just slimy hucksters. This documentary shows the results of their treating the political process like something that should be packaged, bought and sold to the highest bidder. Oh sure, we've come to expect that in the USA, but they aren't in our country. This film takes place in Bolivia.

Brothers of the Head

Fantastic Film! One of my top 4 of the year so far.

Note to Sue - you'll love this one!

Conjoined twins from the country in England are turned into the punk/pop duo of the decade. This is so fantastically filmed (documentary style) and so believable! The music is great and the dialog and mood really take you back to 1974. Impeccable. The twins who play the twins are amazing.

Army of Shadows

Made in 1969 this was re-released and shown in the US for the first time. Set in 1942 France it shows a little peek into the French Resistance. I read that some people feel this is one of the greatest movies ever made. I wasn't that impressed.

Little Miss Sunshine

Our expectations were too high for this film. It has some great moments and Steve Carell has a hilarious role which he plays perfectly (watch the fingers spread running scenes!) but overall it's just a B-.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

Real-time exploration of the night of a man's death. Just as bleak and sad as that. This movie was marketed and sold as a comedy. It was not. Not even close. I felt perhaps there was some cultural humor that went over our heads... I sure hope so. Otherwise this is just a sad film. I felt connected to the story and interested to see how it turned out, which, given the title, seems a little dense, but I did start to care about him and wanted him to pull through. (spoiler alert: He doesn't.)

A Prairie Home Companion

Garrison Keillor tells a whimsical and entertaining tale about a live radio show. The story of the movie is very much like the stories he tells on his show...lots of musical interludes and some great lines. Also, great performances by Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. Robert Altman's films are woven so well.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

The government, in connection with the oil companies and the automakers of this country conspired to murder an automobile. A beloved automobile that many, many people wanted to buy. It's a sad story, but not an altogether surprising one. Most surprising is that Phyllis Diller and Mel Gibson make appearances.

A Scanner Darkly

Keanu is much less annoying when animated.

Linklater and PK Dick are a match made in heaven.

Jesus Camp

Horrifying.

Expiration Date

The only thing that kept us from walking out of this movie is that it was 90 degrees in Seattle and the movie theater was air conditioned.

This is a very bad film.

Interesting facts: Filmed in Seattle. Good Troll under the Fremont Bridge Footage. According to this movie, you can run from Ballard to the Alibi Room (which they turned into a coffee shop!) in Pike Market in less than 5 minutes.

Beowulf & Grendel

This was pretty well done. I don't think I've read the poem, but it didn't matter and I realized I was more familiar with the story than I thought. The Geats come to save the Danes from Grendel who is terrorizing their village. Beowulf is tough and burly and can save anyone from anything. Grendel just wants some understanding for why he is so mad. Sarah Polley plays the role of Selma, the witch who Gendel loves (?). She was in Don't Come Knocking, which we saw recently. I didn't like her in this at all. I give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 because I love a "period piece."

loudQUIETloud: A Film About Pixies

An opposite experience to the Leonard Cohen movie. This had tons of concert footage and tons of great interviews and the Pixies are still so cool it hurts. I didn't want this movie to end. I also hope they don't force themselves to make music together anymore. They obviously don't get along and have other things to do with their lives now. I am happy with what they gave us before they became one of the most influential bands in history.

Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man

This is a documentary about a concert. Not a Cohen concert, but a tribute concert. Many artists came together in Australia to perform cover songs that showcase the -songwriter- that Leonard is. Knowing this before I went in to the movie saved the experience for me.

Some of the performers were Nick Cave (sigh), Rufus Wainwright, Beth Orton and (my aunt will sigh longingly here) Jarvis Cocker.

There were some great performances of Cohen songs interspersed with fantastic footage and interviews of Leonard himself. Those left you wanting more and wanting him to sing his songs.

Throughout the movie, Edge and Bono are also interviewed and because they weren't in the tribute concert, we wondered what they were doing in this movie.

At the end of the film, our desire to hear Leonard's voice sing and the answer to the U2 question were both fulfilled. The camera pans back and you see Leonard, Bono, Edge and a Vegas-esque showgirl on a tiny stage. They are singing I'm Your Man and that's great except the stage is framed by red sequined curtains and the scene is so Twin Peaks bizarre that the WHOLE audience laughed. Poor Bono. His politics are good, but he takes himself far too seriously most of the time to pull this scene off.

I give it a 3 1/2 because I love Nick Cave and he gets great screentime. Also, the interviews with Cohen are so great and reveal a sly, smart, zen monk of a man who is one of the great poets of our time.

An Inconvenient Truth

We are so fucked....

The Proposition

I really hope Nick Cave continues to write movies...he reportedly wrote the script in 3 weeks - imagine what he cold do if he really put some time into it.

The landscape is as brutal as the characters are as dark as the story. This is a western in it's truest, bleakest sense. Family, conscience, loyalty and imperialism all swirl in the dust.

Horrifically violent. Guy Pearce is spot-on.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Daniel Johnston is a crazy man with a crazy story. His brief rise to fame and lasting blip on pop culture's radar are both engrossing and disgusting. I felt, at times, to be watching a car wreck for entertainment -- but the filmmaker handles the story as respectfully as he can. I wasn't familiar with the music or story of Johnston before seeing this movie, but it was fascinating all the same.

The Davinci Code

I don't know what we were thinking.

It was my idea. I can't blame Jon.

I really, really don't like Tom Hanks.

Adam's Apples

A neo Nazi is sentenced to live with a vicar whose faith is so strong it is literally keeping him alive. Throw into the mix a couple weird characters (a fat kleptomaniac and a burglar among others) and an actress named Paprika and you've got Danish gold. Very funny and bizarre and surprising.

V for Vendetta

Remember remember the 5th of November

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

I didn't feel as inspired by this movie as I thought I might. It's good -- it's silly - it's based on a comic book (this last fact is what made it tolerable for me.)

Natalie Portman looks great with no hair. She inspired an awesome band.

Brick

The rhythm of the language and new slang that is thrown around in this movie are fresh and very enjoyable indeed. There is a distinct 'film noir' feel and you have all the detective story archetypes to look to for your clues and plot development. There is a brain and a private dick with an old flame who he just wants to protect. There is a body and a mob-boss and murder a mindless muscle guy, a helpless dame, guns, drugs and a dangerous sex kitten...oh yeah, and it all takes place at a high school.

I left the movie feeling like it was a 2 1/2 out of 5 but as J and I talked about it, it grew on me. The setting in a high school lends itself perfectly to the film noir genre. There is passion and drama (quite literally when one of the minor characters holds court in the school theater) and you have wildly ranging emotions, betrayal and in modern high schools, danger. The plot was well told and when necessary my disbelief was easy to suspend. Great camera work, great film techniques, great writing and the fact that this is this writer's first major feature is amazing.

Don't Come Knocking

I love Wim Wenders.

In Don't Come Knocking, Sam Shepard and Wenders renew their partnership that they started (?) with Paris, Texas. Part of this movie is very grounded and realistic in that it is the story of a washed up cowboy actor who has lived hard and is now watching his regrets and mistakes pile up. The other part is pure Wenders patchwork genius. I call it this because he takes images, ideas and moments of popular culture and eras and non-sequitur thrills and pieces them together like a quilt (e.g.: He takes a modern-day cowboy actor but has him stuck in the 60's era of Old West films making golden-lit, horse rearing silhouettes against the sunset kind of movies...and on the set, the Assistant Director hilariously rides a Segway around.)

There isn't anything too complicated going on here, and the characters have some flaws and uncomfortable scenes, but the story is good and the sets/locals are great. This is Sam Shepard's finest moment (that I have seen) and the direction is gorgeous. (Worth mentioning are also Tim Roth and Jessica Lange's performances.) Wenders' signature long, circling shots are present as is Great Music. I'll keep my eye out for the soundtrack.

Tsotsi

Tsotsi means "Thug" in Afrikaans. This is a story of a thug and his droogies, the thug's lost childhood and his chance at redemption. The townships of South Africa, repellent and mean, the separated middleclass in their posh suburbs, and the glimpses of beauty we are shown everywhere in this very difficult place are all combined expertly.

This isn't a fun or easy film, but it is beautiful and engrossing.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films

The Oscars were better than usual this year, I thought. Jon Stewart hosted, which made me revoke my 10 year ban on watching the show...ever since Titanic won all those awards, I knew the awards are worthless. Anyway, this year many political and independent films were nominated. With that in mind, we thought these would be better than they were...we both liked The Last Farm best, with Six Shooter (which won the Oscar) coming in a close second.

Manderlay

The critics scream "anti-american!" about Lars von Trier's "America" trilogy, but I think it's quite the contrary. LvT is showing sides of our shameful past and present. It's not "Anti-amercian" to point out that things are fucked up. In, fact, the current administration, seems to think it is our job...around the world. So, in that sense, it's very American. He's not American by the way, he's Danish, but you get my point. I appreciate what he's doing here and he led Jon and me to a fantastic conversation about our neighborhood. That's what great films are about.

We meet Grace and her father after they have gunned down the village of Dogville. They have journeyed East and are heading for the third film in the trilogy, Washington. They come upon a plantation, Manderlay, where slavery is still being practiced. Grace tries to free the slaves from their oppression and she finds that oppression is not black and white. Ouch. Sorry.

I eagerly await the next installment of the trilogy.

Tristam Shandy - A Cock and Bull Story

I'm not sure what the hell this movie was about. I thought parts of it were funny, but overall, it wasn't worth seeing. It's very post modern, very self-referential and very absurd.

I enjoyed Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People and this has some of the same crazy shenanigans ...Scenes within scenes and people playing themselves playing someone else...

I never read the book, and from the other reviews I have read, it's not worth the time. What does make this movie worth watching: A cameo by Gillian Anderson, the genius of the "womb scene" and the apparently improvised conversation at the end of the movie during the credits.

Why We Fight

Eugene Jarecki did a great job with The Trials of Henry Kissinger and Why We Fight was not a disappointment. Using military and government personnel in interviews and clips from historical and modern news footage, Jarecki craftily shows that in terms of foreign policy, militarism and the military industrial complex, we are dangerously careening down the wrong path and this is something that we were specifically warned against decades ago. He explains that this situation that we find ourselves in politically right now, (with an idiot in the White House and the media turning a blind eye to his law-breaking, election stealing and nepotism, with war becoming the only way we relate to the rest of the world, and the people feeling powerless) is dire and we must rise up in outrage now or all might be lost.

The most devastating moment for me: A montage showing Iranians marching in our HONOR after September 11th. Now we are close to dropping bombs on them in our unbridled quest for power in the Middle East.

Jesus when are we going to get mad?

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut is great -- I'd call it a modern western. It feels like Jones is acting in his own skin. Characters are real and complex. Everyone is good and bad. Everyone is somewhat crazy. I am not sure it needed to be as gross as it was in a few scenes. It felt a little like Weekend at Bernies sometimes, but it's forgiven. The story is strong, well told and I enjoyed it.

Caché

Stunning, arresting and dark, this thriller slowly and methodically (and oh so Frenchly) explores a who-done-it where who-did-it is a problem that pales in comparison to the other problems it uncovers. Set in a Parisian suburb, it has not-so- subtle political underpinnings. A family struggles with being stalked and the past catches up with a well-to-do man. At one point, so shocked by what happened in a scene, the whole audience uttered a collective gasp.

Stats
Length: 2 hours
Cast: Juliette Binoche est superbe (and how does she manage to be so sexy in frumpy flat smocks that she wears in a few scenes??) Interestingly, Daniel Auteuil who plays the main character is Algerian, which, given the texture of the story, ads another layer.
Director: Michael Haneke (The Piano Teacher and The Time of the Wolf) does heavy and grim really well.

Match Point (or Woody does Crime and Punishment)

I really feel like Woody Allen makes two bad films for every good one. Some people love him, some hate him, but I am in between. This is a great character-driven drama and it unfolds gorgeously and leaves you gasping at the end. It's Woody at his most focused and efficient.

The Weeping Meadow

Our first movie of 2006 was slow, sad, long and beautiful.

Set in Greece in the early 20th century. Weary refugees from Odessa arrive in Greece and set up a small village home. One of the kids is an orphan who falls in love with her brother and then he dad wants to marry her and she flees. The fascists take control from the popular front and war tears the heroes apart. Childhood pregnancy, incest, vengeance, death and twins -- all the Greek tragedy requisites are present and played out in all their glory. Difficult to watch, but visually stunning and emotionally compelling. The horrors that the poor woman protagonist goes through are reminiscent of a Lars von Trier epic.

The Stats:
Really freeking long! (3 hours-ish)
Cast was unknown to me although the lead woman, Alexandra Aidini, did amazingly.
First part in a trilogy

Bubble - Another Steven Soderbergh Experience

We saw Bubble last night and LOVED it. Most people won't. (Love it or see it.)

Adding to my appreciation of this film, was knowing that Soderbergh took a group of non-actors and made them into his characters. It is both funny and sad and felt so authentic that is was hard to remember the actors were acting. The costumes and little touches (like the food they ate meal after meal after meal) were perfect. On the down side, it felt a little like a joke that people only on the coasts (and perhaps the more urban areas of Minnesota) might understand.

Here's the stats:
85 minutes
No one famous
Doll factory workers experience a little drama and a little reality

Our 2005 Movie List

3 Iron
Aristocrats
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
The Beat that My Heart Skipped
Bee Season
Born into Brothels
Bozo Texaco
Breakfast on Pluto
Brokeback Mountain
Broken Flowers
Capote
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chicken Little
The Constant Gardener
The Corpse Bride
The Days of Being Wild
The Dying Gaul
The Edukators
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Good Night and Good Luck
Grizzly Man
Guerilla
The Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy
Hotel Rwanda
The House of Flying Daggers
In the Realms of the Unreal
Junebug
King Kong
Kontrol
Kung Fu Hustle
Last Days
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Lost Embrace
March of the Penguins
McLibel
Me, You and Everyone We Know
The Merchant of Venice
Millions
Mirror Mask
Mondovino
Moolade
Munich
The North Country
Oliver Twist
Palindromes
The Producers
Ray
Reel Paradise
Rock School
Schizo
Shop Girl
Shortcut to Nirvana
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana
Travelers and Musicians
Up and Down
Walk the Line
Where the Truth Lies
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
The Year of the Yao
Yes

Our 2004 Movie List

Bad Education
Battle of Algiers
Bavarian Invasion
Blind Shaft
Bon Voyage
Broken Wings
Bus 174
Coffee and cigarettes
Corporation
Dogville
Donnie Darko (Directors Cut)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fog of War
Hero
I Heart Huckabees
Kinsey
Kitchen Stories
Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Maria Full of Grace
Monsieur Ibrahim
Monster
Motorcycle Diaries
My Architect
Napoleon Dynamite
Osama
Revolution will not be Televised
Rick
Saddest Music in the World
Same River Twice
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, And Spring
Super Size Me
The Incredibles
The Return
The Statement
The Trilogy: After Life
The Trilogy: On the Run
The Trilogy: The Amazing Couple
The Yes Men
Tokyo Godfathers
Touching the Void
Triplets of Belleville
Vera Drake
Very Long Engagement