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David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Movies To Holiday By

Here’s a chart for you… movies currently in theaters worth your consideration, not necessarily for awards, but as movies… just plain old good movies. Yay!

Films For The Whole Family
TIntin – A non-stop feast of images and movement that may make grandpa’s head explode, but should engage kids small enough not to quite understand the plot and teens and adults.
War Horse – A true old-fashioned epic. Not for the cynical. But if your heart is open, it’s a epic of emotion and incredibly staged action.
We Bought A Zoo – For the family that smokes weed together… they see animals. It’s an old fashioned morality and romance film with a modern feel, c/o Cameron Crowe. Not the best film you’ll ever see, but completely engaging and likable experience for the whole crew.
Hugo – The first hour will be slow for the adults, the last hour for the kids. But the adults will recover and the kids should start thinking more. Any film lover should love this film.

PG-13 That’s Pretty Safe For Everyone
Mission Impossible – The best of the 4 Mission films. From the opening on, it feels more like a big screen version of the series. It’s not trying to impress you with all its moving pieces… just cool stuff and huge set pieces. A pleasure. Violence may make some squeamish about the kids, but they’ve seen worse at 8p on Fox (and that’s just Fox News… ba dum dum.. tip your waitresses).
Sherlock Holmes 2 – The same schtick as the first one, writ larger. They know what they are and how to do what they do. If you liked the first one, you’ll be happy here. Noomi Rapace is excellent. Wish there was more for Jared Harris to do. Writing is better. But the same gimmicks work if you love those gimmicks.

For Adults With A Sense Of Humor And Irony
Young Adult – The best work of Diablo Cody and of Jason Reitman. Theron gives one of the great performances of any year… the character’s unlikability seems to be blurring the view of some, but she creates a very real person who is severely broken, but very funny. And Patton Oswalt is a scene-stealer as someone who’s been physically broken, but whose humanity is completely intact.
The Descendants – A really good movie… though best for men of the middle age. George gets to play a egoless fuck-up who has convinced himself that doing the right thing, when he feels it is so, makes it all okay… and is wealthy enough to get away with it…. until the tragic twist that opens the film. A tremendous actors’ film.

HARD R
Dragon Tattoo – I have been holding back until I can see this film a second time, but Fincher’s visual skills remain at the top of the mountain. Some really fine performances. The previous film makes things complicated.
The Sitter – Not a very well-made movie, but you’ll laugh a bunch of times.

ART HOUSE
Albert Nobbs – An underrated film of subtlety and grace with some excellent performances. Let it breathe a little and it will do well by you.
Pina – A great doc, really more about the work of the great choreographer than about telling her story. See it in 3D. Amazing experience of the work.
My Week With Marilyn – For me, Michelle Williams gives the performance of the year in a year of some pretty stunning performances. She reaches beyond the Marilyn we think we know and creates a breathing human. Breathtaking work.
The Iron Lady – Another underrated film. Meryl Streep’s performance is best when she is playing a very old lady. But you won’t see much of that in the ads or clips. A memory piece. Definitely worth seeing.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Excellent thriller. Many find it confusing. I didn’t. But not sure what that means if you do. Great, great ensemble.

Dark Art
In the Land of Blood and Honey – I haven’t seen it, but word is pretty good for this film with no American stars of any kind telling a story of pain in the Middle East. I’m very curious… and not just about why they haven’t tried harder to let me see the film.
A Separation – Another very strong film about people making hard decisions. It’s set in Iran, but really, it could be set almost anywhere. Not a happy night of moviegoing, but powerful and insightful.

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35 Responses to “Movies To Holiday By”

  1. Don R. Lewis says:

    I brought it up in other threads and am not trying to start a dogpile buuuuut…
    I loved YOUNG ADULT but found Reitman to be lacking. He totally missed out on several instances where some directorial flare would have driven home a point. I don’t really consider the dark, low budget look to be a directorial choice. For example- the hair pulling by Mavis. He grazes over that so non-chalantly. I also wanted more from the Mavis and her parents scenes.

    I still love the film….it really sticks with you.

  2. Ken says:

    @Don R.- The hair pulling scenes in YOUNG ADULT are pure perfection. Reitman gives us a glimpse of the jarring contrast to what Mavis was so well known for in high school — “Most Beautiful Hair”. Couple this with the fact that her mother nonchalantly asking Mavis if she still pulls her hair, yet quickly brushes off any indication that she may have a serious problem… aka trichotillomania. I thought it was GENIUS. I love the interaction between Mavis and her parents– and I get what you mean by wanting more scenes– but I think that’s another indication. Mavis and her parents are like acquaintances… she grew up in a room next door to them BUT they weren’t really parents. They allowed her to turn into this narcissistic, entitled brat (how much of it is nature vs. nurture??) and when she states that she might be an alcoholic, they barely flinch. It’s such a great insight.

  3. Ivan says:

    “telling a story of pain in the Middle East”… hm, I don’t think Bosnia is in Middle East, David.

  4. David says:

    Please don’t forget two excellent G films that are (IMHO) two of the years best, regardless of rating: Arthur Christmas and The Muppets.

  5. Don R. Lewis says:

    Great points Ken but to me those scenes come off “as written” and lack any real visual sense as to what’s going on. Other than “this is what’s going on” kind of formalist, standard, bring direction.

  6. spassky says:

    The Artist is definitely going to win out with the family (I’m guessing i’m the only one in it who has seen the film), but I’m going to rally my dad and try and score a last minute touchdown with ‘Tinker, Tailor, Gary Oldam,’ or perhaps a field goal with ‘J. Edgar’…? It honestly depends on how drunk i get. Or rather, what type of drunk I get. Because I may eventually go the route of sappy early onset midlife crisis and want to see ‘the descendants.’ Either way– lots to pick from.

    (PS- this is all taking in to account that the theaters playing tintin, girl with weird face peircings, etc… are all awful in my area, or are in the hinterlands of new jersey)

  7. LexG says:

    Hey, Poland, can we get a DRAGON TATTOO SPOILER THREAD?

    I am absolutely MYSTIFIED by a central plot twist that Fincher mixes up from the original, but there’s no way to even go about talking about it without an industrial-sized SPOILER WARNING.

  8. Greg says:

    My Christmas Movie Going

    Saturday: The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, Carnage
    Sunday: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, War Horse, Pina
    Tuesday: We Bought a Zoo, The Darkest Hour

    I think that gets them all.

  9. matthew says:

    I really liked We Bought A Zoo. Not the best Crowe (not sure if he’ll ever top Almost Famous), but a very sincere and moving film at its best. To me, at least; I can see how some will find it a bit too easy. The problem I had with it was the regulation inspector character; he’s so over-the-top that he overshadows a lot of the reality of the rest of the film. Big mistake on Crowe’s part.

  10. EthanG says:

    Trying to help avoid the box office slump DP?

  11. Krillian says:

    When’s the top ten scoreboard coming up? That’s one of my favorite MCN features.

  12. Edward says:

    My wife and I went to see Hugo in 3D a couple days ago, even though she hates 3D, because she knew it was important to me to see it in 3D. She is as much a movie lover as I, if not more, but she had no idea what she was getting herself in to. She doesn’t watch trailers or obsess over every little detail. So when the twist of Hugo hit, she was floored. She had no idea where it was going, and it was great to be reminded again how wonderful a gift not being spoiled can be.

    Hugo is clearly one of the best movies of the year, and I hope it eventually finds the audience it so richly deserves.

  13. cadavra says:

    Second on ARTHUR CHRISTMAS. I tell everyone I run into to go see it while it’s still in theatres. I truly believe it’s the best animated Christmas movie ever.

  14. movieman says:

    Like everyone else, I had a great time at “Ghost Protocol.”
    But does anyone have a theory as to why a film that almost didn’t get made is doing so well?
    Most had written off the “M:I” franchise years ago, and Cruise is hardly America’s Sweetheart any longer.
    So why is “GP” (apparently) the #1 “gotta see” movie of the holiday season?

  15. LexG says:

    America is joyously rediscovering that it’s okay to love Tom Cruise again. NO ONE puts on a better show, plus this the return of PURE CRUISE… No more of the contrite/self-deprecating comedy Cruise. This is Classic Cruise, and enough time has passed and everyone loves a comeback story– everyone loves Cruise again. Maybe compared to every other annoying actor’s dumb politics and tabloid antics and low charisma and “who, me?” Cera/Eisenberg grudging-star antics, people wanted a real movie star again, and a movie that’s actually ENTERTAINING in the holiday season. And that making that building-climbing setpiece created an energy for everyone absolutely wanting to see it on a big screen.

    GOD CRUISE IS BACK.

  16. movieman says:

    After the flop of the ridiculously commercial-seeming “Knight and Day,” I really thought America had completely lost interest in the poster boy for Reagan’s “Morning in America.”
    Weird how these things are cyclical.
    Had a blast at “Ghost P.,” but am still a bit puzzled why a left-for-dead franchise (and its equally moribund star) are suddenly the hottest ticket around.

  17. LexG says:

    Cruise is the poster boy for ALL THAT IS AWESOME IN LIFE, he is the ULTIMATE MAN, I have fantasized about being CRUISE since I was 13 years old and so has everybody of my generation. Cruise is our KING, Cruise is America. You will BOW TO HIM.

  18. movieman says:

    Not convinced, Lex. Sorry.
    Cruise stopped being anyone’s idea of an “ULTIMATE MAN” or “KING” when the skeletons started bursting out of his busy, busy closet.

  19. cadavra says:

    MI:GP is doing so well because of two simple words:

    1) Brad.
    2) Bird.

  20. movieman says:

    While I’ll give you BB as the major reason that the movie seems so fresh (and is so much unexpected fun), is there really anyone outside of cult/ fanboy circles who’d even recognize his name?
    My hunch–and it’s just a hunch–is that Paramount’s IMAX-only (therefore limited and “exclusive”) release last weekend lit the fuse. Because it was unavailable in most areas of the country (and IMAX-priced expensive and hard to buy a ticket to in cities that did “preview” it), “GP” suddenly became “hot” and the cool thing to see over the holidays.
    Factor in that it’s primary–and probably most enthusiastic demographic overall–are young men, many of whom were off school this week, and I guess it’s early b.o. dominance shouldn’t be that big of a shock.
    As atrociously as Paramount mangled the releases of “Hugo,” “YA” and (sadly, seemingly) “Tintin,” they definitely scored a bullseye with “GP.”

  21. Nick Rogers says:

    Good point, movieman. As someone who drove an extra hour to see it early (and with the DKR prologue), I think it’s as solid a theory as anything else.

    Plus, I think it’s just that MI4 and SH2 are simply the easiest across-the-board choices for any large family outings. I think the only thing to significantly challenge either one will be War Horse, if only because grandparents would be more apt to prefer that over either of the franchise sequels.

    Tintin’s low debut doesn’t shock me. People simply don’t know the character, and if they see one Spielberg, they’ll wait for War Horse. The Darkest Hour fills the prerequisite shlock spot. We Bought a Zoo looks (and sounds) too soft for preteens / teens. And Tattoo is for the adult audience.

  22. bulldog68 says:

    I second what movieman said re public’s knowledge of Brad Bird. It’s doing well for a pure and simple reason, people are having a good time at it. The crowd in the theater I was at, was on the edge of their seat, especially for the fantastic tower scenes. I could actually see people squirming in their seats.

    I don’t think the public has some sort of hive mind that they collectively get behind one movie or another. But sometimes a movie just hits the right note at the right time, and MI:GP is being well received as an action movie that doesn’t involve a man in tights. It’s been a while. Maybe since Fast Five.

  23. Don R. Lewis says:

    I saw WE BOUGHT A ZOO today and found it really, really bad. And I’m a huuuuuge Cameron Crowe fan. Huge. I think that’s why I found it so lacking. It felt like a new album by a once great rock band that started to become irrelevant so it went back to the same hooks and sounds that once made it great. It felt like derivative Cameron Crowe.

    I also love his films because there’s honesty and truth wrapped around or equalling sentimentality. Here it felt just so phony and slathered on. I didn’t really feel much for any of these characters as they just felt perfunctory to the inevitable end point. I thought all the acting was good and Scarlett particularly. She did more with her eyes and had a more subtle performance than usual. But stilll…blech.

  24. movieman says:

    Awwwww, Don. Really??
    You didn’t even like the kids (Damon’s daughter and son and Elle Fanning)?
    Except for the zoo inspector character who seemed too broadly played for the rest of a mostly naturalistic movie (I think someone may have already mentioned him in another thread), I really, really liked “Zoo.”
    It hit my warm-and-fuzzy spot as effectively as any film has in a very long time.

  25. LexG says:

    FANNING POWER.

    ELLE > Scarlett.

  26. JS Partisan says:

    Yeah… no.

  27. LexG says:

    As a great man once said: The heart wants what the heart wants.

    Elle Fanning.

  28. JS Partisan says:

    ScarJo is an awesome, deep, and seemingly introspective woman. Elle Fanning is still a girl. Always go with the woman especially a woman who works like… SCARJO!

  29. Don R. Lewis says:

    I know, movieman. I actually feel bad but it did nothing for me. I don’t mind being manipulated by a film when it’s done well. This just reminded me of every other Crowe movie. The kids love story was fine but the “rain scene” was SAY ANYTHING. When Damon toasts forks with his daughter in light of a “big day,” it was JERRY MAGUIRE. The music cues were so “LOOK AT ME! I’M CAMERON CROWE! I DO MUSIC CUES!” Soooooo on the nose.

    I do agree that Elle Fanning is really a great young actress though. She has “it” even though her character was fucking bizarre and creepy in ZOO. She was fairly amazing in SUPER 8.

  30. wilder says:

    ‘As a great man once said: The heart wants what the heart wants.

    Elle Fanning.’

    a 13 year old girl. that’s way more fucking bizarre and creepy.

  31. cadavra says:

    Well, let me clarify my statement. I didn’t mean that people were going because they knew it was a Brad Bird film. I meant that the footage in the trailer and clips looked so spectacular that it created an instant want-to-see…unlike MI3, which looked like–and ultimately was–a fairly generic spy thriller. And that spectacular look was mostly the result of Brad Bird’s creative vision. (He’s likely destined to follow Tashlin and Burton into the Hall of Fame for great cartoon directors becoming even greater live-action directors.)

  32. movieman says:

    It will be interesting to see how BB’s directing career proceeds beyond “GP,” Cad.
    Is it a foregone conclusion that he’ll abandon animation for live-action movies from this point on?

  33. movieman says:

    Don- I guess I didn’t mind seeing Crowe replay his greatest hits since I really loved those early movies–and truly disliked, nay hated, his post-“Almost Famous” films.
    Damon’s two kids were spectacular (and I’m usually uber-resistant to most juvenile performers), and the lovely Fanning continues to delight and amaze.
    She didn’t get nearly enough attention for her remarkably subtle, nuanced performance in “Somewhere” last year. Of course, the movie itself–which was probably my favorite of 2010–hardly got its due either.

  34. cadavra says:

    Movieman: Who’s to say? I suspect he’ll go back and forth for a while until he decides what he wants to concentrate on.

  35. LexG says:

    “…the lovely Fanning…”

    Perv!

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

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