Thursday, April 18, 2019

The Movie Hasn't Changed... But I've Changed

It's a Saturday night and my wife and I are starting the needlessly arduous task of selecting a movie to watch. While I keep a running list of what I want to see on Letterboxd, my wife was not necessarily wanting to watch something horrifically dark. So reluctantly, we started "the scroll". Everyone in the age of streaming has started "the scroll", clicking through title after title of movies and shows, only to never feel good about your choice. We first head to Hulu. Nothing doing. Then it's HBOGo. "You scroll so fast that it hurts my eyeballs," my wife says. My eyeballs have been warped long ago, so she turns away as I scan each title for 0.1 millisecond. Again, nothing doing. On to Netflix. A few titles into the scroll my wife mercifully tells me to stop. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind! I love that movie! We should watch that." I hesitate. "I watched Eternal Sunshine in college and I don't remember really liking it. I think I was somewhat confused." But in my attempt to be a good husband (and bank a later Saturday night to force my wife to watch a Denis Villenueve movie), I relent. Eternal Sunshine it is.

Fast forward 120 minutes later. I'm in tears. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an absolute masterpiece. There's so many hauntingly beautiful visuals and devastating reveals. The acting is incredible. Why didn't I like this movie when I first watched it? Was an idiot? Was I not paying attention? I started thinking about this phenomenon a little more in depth. One of my favorite parts about film is that we as viewers get to bring our viewpoints into the experience and make our interpretation through our own lens. When my wife and I saw Annihilation last year, we both walked away with different conclusions. I'm a much different person now than I was when I saw Eternal Sunshine in 2010ish. Maybe I wasn't ready for it back then. Maybe having some more life experience has allowed me to feel for the characters sense of loss in a relationship. Whatever it was, I'm glad I watched it again and had the experience.

This isn't the first time that I've changed my opinion on a film. Swingers is my most notable example. Swingers is the quintessential break-up/post-college guy movie. My first watch was when I was in college and had basically no dating experience. I thought it was unfunny and dull. Fast forward to my second year of law school. By that time I've had some dating experience, some heartbreak. I'm trying to find my place in the professional world. After reading a great oral history on Grantland, I decide to give it another shot. This time, the movie is a revelation. Every pain that Mike (Jon Favreau) is feeling, I can now identify with. I see Trent, Sue, and Rob in several of my friends. The humor and the banter is now making me crack up. Swingers came out in 1996 and didn't change. But now this movie that I had written off as "boring" is one of my favorite films of all time. 

I think this is why I love movies so much. When done well, they are a piece of art to engage and move the viewer, just like any painting hanging in The Met. Fight Club, (500) Days of Summer, Blade Runner, and The Boondock Saints are all movies that I had a materially different experience upon subsequent viewings. Some I just enjoyed more (Blade Runner). Others I came to a different conclusion as to their themes and interpretations (Fight Club, (500) Days of Summer). And finally, there are some that I at one time loved, but now scratch my head as to why I ever did (Boondock Saints). 

So what's the lesson? If there's a movie that you didn't like on your first try, but someone you know is a big fan, don't be afraid to give it another shot. The movie certainly hasn't changed, but maybe you did!

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Top 10 of 2018

2018 had quite a few solid movies, but was nowhere near the quality of 2017. 2017 had an all-time great (Blade Runner 2049), excellent action (Baby Driver, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), dramas (Lady Bird, 3 Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri), and some of my favorite comic book films ever made (Guardians, Logan, Thor:Ragnarok). 2018 had... Mission: Impossible and some good documentaries? While that's a bit of an exaggeration, 2018 just was not a strong movie year in my estimation, probably the weakest since 2013. Despite all that, I still had some of my more memorable theater experiences in a while. The big screen induced dread of the criminally underseen Annihilation. The weepy funeral recession feeling of A Star is Born. And A Quiet Place would not have been near the experience it was without the ominous quiet in a large movie theater. I've rated every movie I saw in 2018 on Letterboxd, but my thoughts on the top ten movies of the year are below!

1. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

A day will come when Tom Cruise running around like an action hero will seem silly. When Roger Moore got too old to play James Bond, those final couple of movies were campy and dumb. But Cruise is not there yet, and somehow, Fallout may very well be the best entry in the Mission Impossible franchise. The stunts and fight scenes are just plain awesome. Swapping Jeremy Renner with Henry Cavill somehow works. But it's Cruise and his ageless charisma and dedication to jaw dropping stunts that helps slot the sixth entry in the franchise as my favorite film of 2018. The much hyped bathroom fight and infamous halo drop scene are both impressive and vault Fallout into the discussion of the greatest action films of all time.

2. A Star is Born

When you hear the pitch for this movie, it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. So many questions came to my mind after seeing the trailer. "Wait this is the third remake of this movie?" "Bradley Cooper has never directed a movie before?" "Lady Gaga is in it and took off all her make up?" Bradley Cooper is trying to sing?!" And to say that those fears were assuaged is a massive understatement. A Star is Born is an emotional punch with fantastic acting and even better music. When Ally, played by Lady Gaga, joins Jackson Maine, Cooper, on stage for the first time to sing the now mega hit "Shallow", it is an absolutely masterful movie moment. It felt like our theater was going to explode in applause when Gaga really lets it go. While there may be a corny line or two, this film is a powerhouse, and is easily my pick of this year's Best Picture nominees.

3. Eighth Grade

Eighth Grade may be the most accurate portrayal of middle school life ever put on film, sometimes painstakingly so. Given first-time director Bo Burnham's history as a YouTube star, it makes sense that he would be the one to most capably portray life as an 8th grader in 2018. Instead of taking the easy route and vilifying today's kids as self-important screen addicts, he takes a more sympathetic approach. Kids are as much the same now as they ever have been, they just have different outlets. In one interview I heard, Burnham points out that kids are going to be glued to their phones because parents gave them the most powerful tool in the history of mankind and just said "you figure it out". Eighth Grade will make you cringe, laugh, cry, and remember one of the most difficult years in everyone's childhood.

4. Bad Times at the El Royale

Director Drew Goddard is most certainly doing his best Tarantino impression in Bad Times at the El Royale, but I say that with the utmost respect. Bad Times is a twisting crime story with wonderful characters and abrupt reveals in the same vein as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth and more give excellent performances. This movie tanked at the box office, and I predict will have a strong following over the next few years as it gets discovered on streaming.

5. BlacKkKlansman

Not based on a Chappelle's show sketch, BlacKkKlansman is the incredible true story of a black police officer in Colorado infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. John David Washington, Denzel's son, was the biggest snub of the Academy Award nominations as the star of the film. His conversations over the phone with KKK members posing as white man are darkly hilarious. Just as a pure thriller, this had me on the edge of my seat. I don't necessarily want to get into the politics of the film (that's been covered in every place imaginable on the internet), but I do think that director Spike Lee’s choice of using actual news footage at the end of the film was a bit too on the nose. The story from the late 1970's was very clear in its timeless message of the reality and evils of all types of racism. To add news footage from 2017 will unfortunately make the ending a prisoner of the moment, rather than something more timeless. I still loved the film and it didn't detract from my enjoyment, just something that I would have liked to have seen done differently. Adam Driver and John David Washington's budding friendship in the film is really the heart of it, and both actors really nailed it.

6. Incredibles 2

The Incredibles is my favorite animated movie of all time, and the sequel nearly reaches the same heights. All the same action, suspense, and comedy is just as charming the second time around. Pixar rarely misses and this is no exception.

7. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

I must admit that my love for this documentary is extremely clouded by nostalgia and sentimentality, but I think that was the point. Fred Rogers was one of my favorite TV personalities as a kid, and this was a loving tribute to the man that so many children adored. I wept in the theater while the film showed the countless times that Rogers loved his fellow man, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Your mileage may vary based on this one, dependent upon your love for Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, but I would still recommend it to anyone.

8. Three Identical Strangers

Some documentaries can reveal new information that was previously unknown to the public. Others are tributes to their subjects or attempt to record history. And then there are those stories that are so insane that you don’t quite believe what you’re watching. Three Identical Strangers is in that latter camp. I won’t spoil anything more than what the title tells you, but just imagine if on your first day of college you bump into your long lost twin. It only gets weirder from there.

9. Annihilation

Alex Garland's previous film, Ex Machina, was a sci-fi masterpiece. His follow up, Annihilation, was not quite up to that level, but was still an incredibly thought provoking work. Natalie Portman leads an almost all-female cast in a visually stunning and hauntingly scored brain buster. I think the strangeness of the film ultimately kept me from liking it more, but this is the type of big swing that I love to see filmmakers take. I’ve heard five or six interpretations of the end that all differ from my own, which is a truly rare feat.

10. Beirut

I have a rule- if your movie has Jon Hamm, I will like it by approximately 34.4% more. Hamm can play comedy, drama, or romance, and do it while looking more handsome than just about anyone else out there. Beirut benefits greatly from the Hamm rule. The political thriller set in the early 80’s hits a lot of great action notes and is engaging throughout. Perfect plane flight watch.

Honorable Mention: Ready Player One, A Quiet Place, Green Book, Deadpool 2, Creed II, Wreck It Ralph 2, Instant Family, Tag, Game Night

Overrated: Vice, Isle of Dogs, Black Panther, Roma

Movies so bad that they're worth mentioning specifically: The Predator, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 

Sunday, February 3, 2019

The State of Movies in 2019

2018 was a transition year for movies. Netflix continues to make prestige plays (Roma) and meme plays (Bird Box) left and right. MoviePass tried to revive the movie theater but ended up dying an untimely death (RIP MoviePass- during my 11 month subscription I saw 25+ movies for an absurd $110). The comedy film is all but dead. Star Wars had a panic attack. Comic book films have replaced the Braveheart style epic. And TV shows, whether streaming or traditional, continue to steal the cultural spotlight that was normally reserved for the movie of the week.

As a traditionalist (translation: curmudgeon), I continue to prefer films to television shows. Don't get me wrong, I've sung the praises of recent prestige dramas (Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc.), rewatchable comedies (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office, Seasons 1-10 of the Simpsons, etc.) and will continue my quest to finish all Star Trek episodes (currently watching the original series) with my wife. However, given the choice, I love the contained quality of a film. Annihilation was able to say more in its 2+ hours than any TV show could in 10+ through its visuals, high caliber acting, and incredible score. Every TV show is such an investment, with hours upon hours to invest in an endless list of quality programs. Not to mention the sinking feeling that you've just spent an hour on a filler episode (I'm looking at you Stranger Things and your "Eleven Joins the X-Men" episode that had no consequence to the plot). I feel like every time a friend recommends me a TV show I become more and more anxious with the list piling up. Meanwhile, I watched a random YouTube interview with Quentin Tarantino where he mentions this 80's movie called Blow Out starring a magnificent John Travolta. Instead of adding to my anxiety, I took 2 hours, enjoyed the ride, and went on with my life.

To even further bolster my case as an old man, I still generally prefer seeing films in the movie theater. Pop quiz: where can you go in 2019 to experience something with other people that captures their complete attention, and isn't being distracted by a smartphone? Dinner? No. Concerts? Annoyingly, no. I went to a basketball game last week and the person in front of me watched less than 5 minutes of the game and spent the rest of the time on an iPhone. The movie theater is one of the last shared experiences we have that is completely focused and uninterrupted (as long as everyone behaves). I think that's a good thing to hold on to, and I hope that the movie theater has a renaissance that bolsters my case. No matter how meme-worthy the Netflix movie of the week is, it can never, ever beat seeing a classic on opening night with an excited crowd. Seeing The Dark Knight at 11pm on opening night with some of my college buddies is something I will never forget. Half-watching a new Netflix original with my Nintendo Switch in one hand and iPhone in the other is something I've already forgotten 30 times.

And therein lies the hope for movies in 2019. TV at home is a distraction, something to occupy our minds while we unwind or do chores. Movies can still be an event to go appreciate a piece of art with others around us. It can be reflective and entertaining and carry the cultural conversation when something truly worthy comes alone. Look no further than the release of A Quiet Place earlier last year. Everyone that saw that in the theater had an incredible experience together, given the use of silence in the film. A Star is Born was similar- our theater was almost entirely in tears walking away. In a culture that values experience over materials, my hope is that the theater experience can be as special now as it has been in the past.

This year's Best Picture Oscar feels ABSURDLY wide open. Considering the "Popular Film Oscar" gaffe from earlier in the year and the truly abominable The Shape of Water winning and confusing just about everyone last year, I feel a safe pick coming. The Golden Globes chose Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody as their picks for Best Picture, ostensibly two crowd pleasers. Black Panther feels like a bridge too far for Academy voters to choose a comic book film (a film I felt was completely overhyped). Maybe Green Book will be the next Crash? Maybe Spike Lee gets his belated due with the excellent BlacKkKlansman? Who knows. While the Academy is bound to screw it up, my top 10 for 2018 is bound to be completely infallible. I still need to catch up on some of what 2018 had to offer, so check back as the Academy Awards get closer for my top 10 list!

*Side note: you can see my ratings for every movie released in 2018 on Letterboxd. I discovered this app earlier in the year and it is a perfect way to catalogue quick thoughts and rankings for everything you've ever seen. I nearly went insane trying to remember and log each movie I've seen from birth until now. When you find yourself thinking the phrase, "I know I've seen Air Bud, but did I ever see any of the sequels?" you've probably gone too far.