As i mentioned on the year end review, just two posts below this, i haven't get the chance to see There Will be Blood, not until 2 days ago. And as of 2 days ago, P.T Anderson has officially became my hero. His vision was always great, but in this film, it was just simply astonishing. There is no flaw in his directing, and there are many moments of pure greatness in the picture. This is the film of our time, the Citizen Kane of our generation. Without any doubt, There Will be Blood deserved to stand as one of the best film of all time, along with Schindler's List, Citizen Kane, and Treasure of Sierra Madre.
The movie started with a strange noise which escalated with every second it passes. It drags the audience into the dark and gloomy desert of western America. The noise is followed by almost 15 minutes of wordless shot of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) working his way to make a fortune by digging for silver ore in a deep well, full of rock. From there, we were brought to his discovery of oil, and how he make his way to be a successful oil man. This transition from an ordinary man to a successful oil man is where the drama starts. We see how an ambition can turns a man against his own nature, and transform himself into someone who defies anything that comes between him and his ambition. An ambition that tested him through his relationship with his son, religion, and the social scene around him.
Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Daniel Plainview maybe the best performance of the year, or even of the decade. He gives a haunting, dramatic and a great depth of emotion into the character. Plainview is a pure old fashioned American, who struggled with his life on the late 19th century. When he discovered about oil, and made success of it, Plainview is not the same man as before. There is greed in his eyes, he sees the world different, and Daniel Day-Lewis showed it with his action, mannerism, and voice. Paul Dano, who played the preacher Eli Sunday also gave a great performance. He managed to match Day-Lewis' greedy portrayal of Daniel Plainview.
Paul Thomas Anderson uses all his creativities in the film. There are many memorable scenes, and some trademark P.T Anderson shot. The one long shot when Plainview is reunited with his son, the shot when we see Plainview is sitting on the centre of the screen looking at the-about-to-explode tower, and the first shot of Plainview in the well are all superb. I guess he brings out all of his creativity in this film. The music, which i mentioned as noises in the beginning, are all thanks to Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. Anderson ask Greenwood personally to fill in the score for this movie, and it worked really great for the movie.
If you are sick and tired of all the blockbuster hits, Michael Bay stuff, typical romantic comedies, and you want to experience the greatness of film, go watch this film. Paul Thomas Anderson is on the road to join world's greatest directors such as, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Coppola. As for Daniel Day-Lewis, he's now officially put himself in the same spot as Brando, Bogart, and De Niro.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Artists of 2007
This is a follow-up to my year end cinema review. The last post is about movies, this time it's about the men and women in and behind the movies. So, here's my list, enjoy:
Casey Affleck
He proved us that he is a better actor than his more famous brother, Ben, by starring in 2 of the best films in 2007, The Assassination of Jesse James, and Gone Baby Gone. And he also starred alongside big names such as, Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, in Ocean's Thirteen. He rounded up 2007 with an Oscar nomination for his role in The Assassination of Jesse James. For this he deserves to be one of the artists of 2007.
Ellen Page
Page's career has rocketed so high last year, thanks to Jason Reitman's Juno. The movie did not only put Page's name on the list of rising stars, but also put her name into one to watch in the future. Her smart and witty portrayal of Juno is just perfect example on why she is named as one of the best this year.
Josh Brolin
Starred not in 1, but 3 great movies of the year, Josh Brolin has kicked started his career. American Gangster, Grindhouse, and No Country for Old Men are the evidence. Those 3 movies marks the comeback of a real American bad ass.
Judd Apatow
Apatow is comedy's next best thing. After the funny 40 year old Virgin last year, he followed up the movie with a pregnancy comedy, Knocked Up. He also produced another kick ass comedies such as Superbad, and Walk Hard. It's hard to see another man behind great comedies other than him. And next year he's going to prove that he is still the best in business.
Michael Cera
After the cancelled tv show, Arrested Development, Cera's career has unexpectedly rises. Superbad, in which he successfully made us laugh with his performance along with Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is his ticket to stardom. He also shows some range by playing Ellen Page's love interest in Juno. Cera is officially the next hero of geek community.
Javier Bardem
His role as the mentally deluded/cold blooded killer, Anton Chigurh is so haunting that i have to add him to the list. Chigurh is every person's nightmare. He's the one that haunts you in your dreams. And of course, for that role, he received numerous award nomination, including an Oscar nomination.
Casey Affleck
He proved us that he is a better actor than his more famous brother, Ben, by starring in 2 of the best films in 2007, The Assassination of Jesse James, and Gone Baby Gone. And he also starred alongside big names such as, Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Garcia, in Ocean's Thirteen. He rounded up 2007 with an Oscar nomination for his role in The Assassination of Jesse James. For this he deserves to be one of the artists of 2007.
Ellen Page
Page's career has rocketed so high last year, thanks to Jason Reitman's Juno. The movie did not only put Page's name on the list of rising stars, but also put her name into one to watch in the future. Her smart and witty portrayal of Juno is just perfect example on why she is named as one of the best this year.
Josh Brolin
Starred not in 1, but 3 great movies of the year, Josh Brolin has kicked started his career. American Gangster, Grindhouse, and No Country for Old Men are the evidence. Those 3 movies marks the comeback of a real American bad ass.
Judd Apatow
Apatow is comedy's next best thing. After the funny 40 year old Virgin last year, he followed up the movie with a pregnancy comedy, Knocked Up. He also produced another kick ass comedies such as Superbad, and Walk Hard. It's hard to see another man behind great comedies other than him. And next year he's going to prove that he is still the best in business.
Michael Cera
After the cancelled tv show, Arrested Development, Cera's career has unexpectedly rises. Superbad, in which he successfully made us laugh with his performance along with Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is his ticket to stardom. He also shows some range by playing Ellen Page's love interest in Juno. Cera is officially the next hero of geek community.
Javier Bardem
His role as the mentally deluded/cold blooded killer, Anton Chigurh is so haunting that i have to add him to the list. Chigurh is every person's nightmare. He's the one that haunts you in your dreams. And of course, for that role, he received numerous award nomination, including an Oscar nomination.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Movies of 2007
I know it's February already, i know it's a bit late to post this but what the hell, won't do any harm, right? One of the reason i haven't published this post is because i have yet to see There Will Be Blood. I wanted to put it on my list, since P.T Anderson is one of my favorite, but i can't put it on my list before i watched it, right? Objectivity is important, people.
Alright, without further ado, this is my list of the movies of 2007.
Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne trilogy has never failed to impressed, especially after Paul Greengrass took over the director's chair from Doug Liman. On this third installment of the series, Bourne got more serious. It's an adrenaline ride from the first minute til the end. It leaves the audience no room to cool down, and that's the beauty of it. Greengrass' signature handheld camera managed to capture all the coolness of the action. And this movie made John McClane, Jack Ryan, even James Bond looks like a rookie. For that, i give credit to our coolest, most bad ass, and newest action hero Matt Damon.
Superbad
Don't let the title fooled you, Superbad isn't bad at all, it's actually supergood, and superfunny. Judd Apatow produced this movie from a script that is written by his close friends and most frequent collaborator, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The comedic performance from both of the main roles are brilliant. Jonah Hill, and Michael Cera may be the comedy's next best thing, and of course, you should include the debutant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who played the superfunny McLovin. I say, step aside Stiller, and you too, Sandler!! 'Cause these kids can kick your asses. Real bad.
Gone Baby Gone
To tell you the truth, i never really like Ben Affleck as an actor. He never quite reach the point where everybody acknowledge his performance. Just see the terrible Gigli, his movie with his then fiancee, Jennifer Lopez. However, i must say i am really impressed with his directorial debut here. Instead of playing the main role, he gives the role to his brother, Casey Affleck. I think Casey Affleck is twice the actor than his brother.
The movie itself told a story about how a private investigator, Patrick Kenzie and his associate/girlfriend Angie Gennaro, solve a case of missing child. The film has a great twist, and most importantly, questions our moral sense in a most dire situation. Gone Baby Gone may be one of best american crime drama in the past couple of years. And for that i thank the Affleck Brothers.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
This is a movie that you how it's gonna end. It's just a matter of how good the director gonna deliver it. And in this case, Andrew Dominik has done a great job. It wasn't easy to watch the movie. The runtime is almost three hours long, and the movie doesn't have many action sequence either, but the brilliant performance by its cast, especially Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt, and the beautiful cinematography by Roger Deakins made it all worthwhile. The films also has a lot of layers that challenged the audience to interpret their own version on the assassination. Did Jesse let Ford killed him? or was it just a lack of carefulness that led Jesse James to his death? You decide what you want to believe. For me, that's the beauty of the film.
Once
I've never been a big fan of musical film. I don't like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and not even remotely interested in seeing Hairspray, no matter how good they were reviewed. Once is the film that changed my perception of a musical.
Once is a small film with big heart. It is first and foremost, a love story. But if you think this is just another "Music & Lyrics", you are dead wrong. This movie has three things that other so-called romantic comedies don't have; Heart, subtleties, and chemistry.
The 2 protagonists, played by newcomer Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, shines with their acting, their great voices, and their perfect chemistry. The music on this movie are composed by Glen Hansard himself. He practically gives life to this movie. With a beautiful backdrop on the streets of Dublin, this movie is a perfect blend for you who likes indie music and film.
Juno
If last year we got the sleeper hit, Little Miss Sunshine, this year we have Juno. First timer screenwriter, Diablo Cody, delivers one of the best script of the year with its smart and witty dialogue. Juno is a story about a 16 year old girl facing her pregnancy. The title character is played by the young and talented Canadian, Ellen Page. Page portrayals of Juno is somewhat fascinating. She delivers the character with the perfect amount of wittiness and emotional depth of a troubled 16 year old. The supporting cast, which comprises of J.K Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Olivia Thirlby, and Michael Cera, did a great job to accompany Page on the main role. Juno is not only funny, but it also has a lot of message. And for that, Juno is one of the movies of 2007.
Planet Terror
Planet terror is actually one of the part of Grinhouse, a back to back movie directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. There is a reason why i put Planet Terror instead of Grindhouse as the movie of the year. It's plainly because i didn't enjoy the second part of Grindhouse, which is directed by Tarantino, Deathproof. While Planet Terror is a very fun and enjoyable ride, Deathproof is just plain boring. Planet Terror told the story of a town hit by strange sickness, which made the people who are infected turned to a zombie-like creature. There are explosions, cranky jokes, ridiculous make ups, and hot chicks, which make it more enjoyable. This movie is a homage to 70's exploitation movie, and b-movie. And who thought that this kind of movie can be such fun. All thanks to the good hands of Robert Rodriguez.
I'm Not There
A groundbreaking achievement for director Todd Haynes, who took a different approach to make a biography movie about Bob Dylan. Instead of making the movie in regular way such as, Ray, and Walk The Line, which uses a single actor as the main character, Haynes uses 6 different actors to portray 6 different stage of Dylan's life. Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin, Bob Whishaw, and Cate Blanchett are all Dylan. Yes, you heard me right, THAT Cate Blanchett. With a non linear story, this movie captured the emotion of the man behind American music with such depth and beauty.
3:10 to Yuma
I think it's fair that 2007 marks the comeback of western movie. After Dominik's Assassination of Jesse James, James Mangold took a slightly different part for his western flick. If Jesse James relies heavily on its drama, 3:10 to Yuma is more of an action western. With two great leads played by Russel Crowe, and Christian Bale, which played superbly on their role, this movie flies high among other action movies on 2007. It's been a while since we were provided a good western action movie, and 3:10 to Yuma may mark the comeback of one of the most classic genre in American cinema.
Alright, without further ado, this is my list of the movies of 2007.
Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne trilogy has never failed to impressed, especially after Paul Greengrass took over the director's chair from Doug Liman. On this third installment of the series, Bourne got more serious. It's an adrenaline ride from the first minute til the end. It leaves the audience no room to cool down, and that's the beauty of it. Greengrass' signature handheld camera managed to capture all the coolness of the action. And this movie made John McClane, Jack Ryan, even James Bond looks like a rookie. For that, i give credit to our coolest, most bad ass, and newest action hero Matt Damon.
Superbad
Don't let the title fooled you, Superbad isn't bad at all, it's actually supergood, and superfunny. Judd Apatow produced this movie from a script that is written by his close friends and most frequent collaborator, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The comedic performance from both of the main roles are brilliant. Jonah Hill, and Michael Cera may be the comedy's next best thing, and of course, you should include the debutant, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who played the superfunny McLovin. I say, step aside Stiller, and you too, Sandler!! 'Cause these kids can kick your asses. Real bad.
Gone Baby Gone
To tell you the truth, i never really like Ben Affleck as an actor. He never quite reach the point where everybody acknowledge his performance. Just see the terrible Gigli, his movie with his then fiancee, Jennifer Lopez. However, i must say i am really impressed with his directorial debut here. Instead of playing the main role, he gives the role to his brother, Casey Affleck. I think Casey Affleck is twice the actor than his brother.
The movie itself told a story about how a private investigator, Patrick Kenzie and his associate/girlfriend Angie Gennaro, solve a case of missing child. The film has a great twist, and most importantly, questions our moral sense in a most dire situation. Gone Baby Gone may be one of best american crime drama in the past couple of years. And for that i thank the Affleck Brothers.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
This is a movie that you how it's gonna end. It's just a matter of how good the director gonna deliver it. And in this case, Andrew Dominik has done a great job. It wasn't easy to watch the movie. The runtime is almost three hours long, and the movie doesn't have many action sequence either, but the brilliant performance by its cast, especially Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt, and the beautiful cinematography by Roger Deakins made it all worthwhile. The films also has a lot of layers that challenged the audience to interpret their own version on the assassination. Did Jesse let Ford killed him? or was it just a lack of carefulness that led Jesse James to his death? You decide what you want to believe. For me, that's the beauty of the film.
Once
I've never been a big fan of musical film. I don't like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and not even remotely interested in seeing Hairspray, no matter how good they were reviewed. Once is the film that changed my perception of a musical.
Once is a small film with big heart. It is first and foremost, a love story. But if you think this is just another "Music & Lyrics", you are dead wrong. This movie has three things that other so-called romantic comedies don't have; Heart, subtleties, and chemistry.
The 2 protagonists, played by newcomer Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, shines with their acting, their great voices, and their perfect chemistry. The music on this movie are composed by Glen Hansard himself. He practically gives life to this movie. With a beautiful backdrop on the streets of Dublin, this movie is a perfect blend for you who likes indie music and film.
Juno
If last year we got the sleeper hit, Little Miss Sunshine, this year we have Juno. First timer screenwriter, Diablo Cody, delivers one of the best script of the year with its smart and witty dialogue. Juno is a story about a 16 year old girl facing her pregnancy. The title character is played by the young and talented Canadian, Ellen Page. Page portrayals of Juno is somewhat fascinating. She delivers the character with the perfect amount of wittiness and emotional depth of a troubled 16 year old. The supporting cast, which comprises of J.K Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Olivia Thirlby, and Michael Cera, did a great job to accompany Page on the main role. Juno is not only funny, but it also has a lot of message. And for that, Juno is one of the movies of 2007.
Planet Terror
Planet terror is actually one of the part of Grinhouse, a back to back movie directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. There is a reason why i put Planet Terror instead of Grindhouse as the movie of the year. It's plainly because i didn't enjoy the second part of Grindhouse, which is directed by Tarantino, Deathproof. While Planet Terror is a very fun and enjoyable ride, Deathproof is just plain boring. Planet Terror told the story of a town hit by strange sickness, which made the people who are infected turned to a zombie-like creature. There are explosions, cranky jokes, ridiculous make ups, and hot chicks, which make it more enjoyable. This movie is a homage to 70's exploitation movie, and b-movie. And who thought that this kind of movie can be such fun. All thanks to the good hands of Robert Rodriguez.
I'm Not There
A groundbreaking achievement for director Todd Haynes, who took a different approach to make a biography movie about Bob Dylan. Instead of making the movie in regular way such as, Ray, and Walk The Line, which uses a single actor as the main character, Haynes uses 6 different actors to portray 6 different stage of Dylan's life. Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin, Bob Whishaw, and Cate Blanchett are all Dylan. Yes, you heard me right, THAT Cate Blanchett. With a non linear story, this movie captured the emotion of the man behind American music with such depth and beauty.
3:10 to Yuma
I think it's fair that 2007 marks the comeback of western movie. After Dominik's Assassination of Jesse James, James Mangold took a slightly different part for his western flick. If Jesse James relies heavily on its drama, 3:10 to Yuma is more of an action western. With two great leads played by Russel Crowe, and Christian Bale, which played superbly on their role, this movie flies high among other action movies on 2007. It's been a while since we were provided a good western action movie, and 3:10 to Yuma may mark the comeback of one of the most classic genre in American cinema.
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