Movies Worth Watching

EchoWars

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A few of the movies I saw this year that I'd recommend, and my short take on each. Not all are movies made this year, but rather I simply saw then this year (just so we're clear on that).

Without further ado, and in no particular order:

Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
In the 60's & 70's United States, we had the Black Panthers, the Symbionese Liberation Army, and the Weather Underground. Feckin' pussies, the whole lot of them. You want real left-wing proletarian revolution? Look no farther than Germany's Red Army Faction (RAF). When it comes to good old-fashioned hell-raising with the 'Powers That Be', these guys took a back seat to no one. Political kidnappings and executions, hijacked planes, bombings of US military installations in Germany (with resultant loss of life among US servicemen), and even a takeover of the German Embassy in Switzerland. Hell, when the Palestine terror group Black September kidnapped the Israeli athletes at the '72 games in Munich, several members of the RAF were on their list of those who they were demanding to be set free. The RAF talked the talk, and walked the walk. Amazing that they are nearly forgotten in the US. Good film, highly recommended.

Juno
Great movie. Ellen Page is an awesome actress and has quite a future ahead of her.

The Hangover
Seems there's no in-between. Those who saw it either loved it or hated it. Normally I'd avoid movies like this, but I laughed my ass off the whole way through. Well done. :yes:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Long and somewhat drawn out, but necessary in order to try and understand the personalities and motivations behind the actions of the main characters. If western folklore interests you at all, it is not to be missed. Casey Affleck turns in his best performance ever, and shows that he's the real talent in the family.

Sunshine
Sci-Fi done wrong. What starts out quite promising turns into a slasher film about 2/3 of the way through. But the visuals are worth the price of admission, which is why I still recommend seeing it. Still, it's a shame. The potential was there for a classic movie in the league of '2001'.

Moon
Sci-Fi done right. A simple premise, a mystery to uncover, and the capability of future technology and the power of corporations to do great good or great harm to the individual. Asimov himself could have written the script...it is that good. A true instant classic, and if you love good sci-fi, you are doing yourself a major disservice by missing this one. Find it, watch it. :yes:

Mongol
The kind of movie Hollywood has forgotten how to make. Excellent, sweeping epic about the early days of Genghis Khan. Supposed to be a follow-up film picking up where this one left off. I hope so...

Alpha Dog
A rather unpleasant true story about youth run amok in SoCal. Bruce Willis, Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch. Good cast, horrific story, and makes me recall the 70's movie 'The Onion Field' in some ways. NOT the 'feel good movie of the year'.

Seven Pounds
I like Will Smith, and this is his best work. Gut-wrenching well-told story...thank God this one is fiction.

The Orphanage
If Hitchcock had ever decided to make a straightforward ghost movie, it probably would have looked something like this. Very scary in a 'tell a spooky story around the campfire' sort of way. Damn good flick. :thmbsp:

Up
I love to see what computer animation can do for 'animated' films (which is why I liked Bolt too ;)). Tack on a good story to boot, and I'll probably like it. 'Up' is a great film, regardless of your age (watch it with the kids, so you'll have an excuse if you think you need one). :tongue:

If I think of more, I'll add them later.
 
Two from Sweden:

"Let the Right One In"

Classic-to-be vampire film. If Ingmar Bergman had done horror, this is what it would have looked like.
Chilly and minimalist with horrific moments, and a spellbinding, world-weary turn by 12-year-old Lina Leandersson as Eli.
Please watch the original before Hollywood "improves" it.

"Evil"

Story of an angry teenage boy with a violent father and a submissive mother, who gets sent to high-class boarding school for 'improvement'. He tries to find himself in the face of increasingly horrific treatment.
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"Starting Out In the Evening"

Frank Langella is masterful as a disillusioned, forgotten author in NY who gets company from a young grad student; she wants to write her thesis on him. Material could have been ruined by the usual 'feel-good' elements, but instead it becomes a riveting character study not soon forgotten.


"Pan's Labyrinth"

Beautifully made Spanish film mixing fantasy and the Spanish Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a little girl.
A well-acted, very elegant film with an honest darkness to it that makes it worthwhile for adults.


And finally, going back a bit:
"Crumb"

Terry Zwigoff's documentary about Robert Crumb. A veritable lexicon of sexual repression, amazing comic art, weird family members and both very funny and very sad moments, set to great 1920es music.
 
"Let the Right One In"

Classic-to-be vampire film. If Ingmar Bergman had done horror, this is what it would have looked like.
Chilly and minimalist with horrific moments, and a spellbinding, world-weary turn by 12-year-old Lina Leandersson as Eli.
Please watch the original before Hollywood "improves" it.
Saw that one a year or two ago. Great movie.
 
I've got "The Orphanage" here on AK recommendations, but didn't find it as compelling as you guys, although it was pretty much on edge near the end .

Liked "Up" also.

Can't think of any others right now that bowled me over. Lots of OK ones, but nothing really compelling that I'd buy.
 
"Pan's Labyrinth"

Beautifully made Spanish film mixing fantasy and the Spanish Civil War, as seen through the eyes of a little girl.
A well-acted, very elegant film with an honest darkness to it that makes it worthwhile for adults.

Now there's a great movie, Guillermo del Toro at his best.

I relate on "sunshine" I have seen part of it, very "2001" visuals, and sometimes pacing...but just not worth it. Real shame, as there was a glimmer of hope with it, a little more work and it may have been one of the best sci-fi movies in recent memory.

"Up" is a awesome movie, I took two friends to see it on my birthday (one has work, so it was the easiest thing to do), I intially thought it was going to be a somewhat enjoyable couple of hours and qualify as doing something on my birthday. I really, really enjoyed it, far more than I thought I would...the old man character was so perfectly done, and the buildup was tremendous.

Of movies i've seen this year, by far the best was "Once upon a time in the west" with Sergio Leone directing and Ennio Morricone composing. It's a old movie, but still beautifully done, the best western ever made. I also had the joy of seeing it in the local old theater, the Kentucky...one of the coolest around (in two way, it was a early one with air conditioning:D). If you don't think westerns are art, I cant recommend this enough.
 
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Current movies I have seen this past year but like OP not all are from this past year,
Inglorious Basterds
Pans Laberyinth
Children of men
The Wrestler
Garden State
 
'Charlie Wilsons War' is a great movie. Absolutely hilarious!! Tom Hanks does the part so well and it's a true story. Also check out 'Talk To Me'. It is also a true story and absolutely one of the funniest movies I have ever seen (one liners out tha @$$).
 
its not that i didnt like Inglorious Basterds..... they just advertised the wrong movie. it was very well done, but the basterds are barely in it.
 
The Op correct about Will Smith Seven Pound and Pan Labyrinth. I just did not like the Jesse James movie. I guess I must have been influenced by my childhood Jesse James movies.

The films that left some impressions with me were Don Cheadle "Traitor" and a film about a Marine Officer escorting a dead soldier back to his home. I cannot remember the name of the film, but it was well done.
 
Careful Glenn, the AK Critics will chime in shortly and tell you how what you think is good viewing is in reality cheese and not worth mentioning.

Nice list BTW.
 
Thanks for the reviews Glenn. My Netflix queue was looking pretty empty till I read this thread. Now I've got some new movies to look forward to.

The Orphanage
If Hitchcock had ever decided to make a straightforward ghost movie, it probably would have looked something like this. Very scary in a 'tell a spooky story around the campfire' sort of way. Damn good flick. :thmbsp:

I did want to add my 2¢ on The Orphanage. One of the finest genre films I've ever seen. The folks who made this film remembered what most in Hollywood seem to have forgotten. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a story well told. It's worth the rental fee just to see Belén Rueda act.
 
Careful Glenn, the AK Critics will chime in shortly and tell you how what you think is good viewing is in reality cheese and not worth mentioning.

Nice list BTW.

Heck we all like a bit of cheese now and then. There's even a thread on it.

To get back on track. Great list Glenn. I've seen some, and want to see the rest. I think Juno is a great film as well. It will be a classic. They took what could have been a preachy subject and treated it like I think it would play out in many homes.

I liked The Orphanage as well.

The Orphan was interesting as well and took an odd unexpected twist.

I really need to write down the movies we watch. We watch a lot of movies, many are off the wall flicks I think many here would enjoy. I can't for the life of me remember any of them.

I know I've said this before, but we are blessed with what is one of the top 3 selections of movies in the NW at a little shop downtown. And that is just what they have on the shelves. They have nearly that many left to catalog and put out. It would most likely rate among the top selections around the country.
 
A few more:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
A love story like no love story you have ever seen, guaranteed. Jim Carey stuffs a sock in his usual slapstick-type of performance and plays this one (mostly) straight. Kate Winslet is his impulsive² girlfriend who seems to live life on the edge and prefers it there (and reminds me to an uncomfortable degree of a girlfriend of mine from about 15 years ago). Kirsten Dunst and Elijah Wood round out a talented cast who are given a rather unique script and help make it work. I have friends who have refused to see this film because of their dislike of Jim Carrey. If you fall into that category, don't let it stop you.

The Departed
Best cop film in years. Maybe ever. Do. Not. Miss.

Michael Clayton
Probably George Clooney's best work. Clooney plays the 'fixer' for a law firm...the guy who goes in to clean up the mess when the shit has really hit the fan. Only there's a bit too much shit this time. Tilda Swinson plays the lawyer for the chemical company who's in wayyy over her head. Good story, excellent performances.

The Grey Zone
Kinda of an oldie (2001), but I just saw it after it was recommended to me. As IMDB says, the true story of Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, a Hungarian Jew chosen by Josef Mengele to be the head pathologist at Auschwitz. The story follows the actions of the death camp Sonderkomando's, the Jews forced to work in the gassing and cremation of their fellow Jews. Knowing that most of the Jewish Sonderkomando's are themselves killed after a few months, they plan a rebellion before their time finally comes. Hellova cast...David Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, Natasha Lyonne...and a good story to boot.
 
I would have to agree with Up. Has Pixar ever made a bad movie? Talk about hot streaks.

I would also add Red Cliff I and II- a re-telling of the Battle of Chi-bi, part of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (a centerpiece of Chinese literature and definitely not a romance). I'm not referring to the condensed/abridged one-part version for American audiences (attention span?) but the original two-part version as seen in Asia. Directed by John Woo and with a star-studded cast.

An Indian movie which intrigued me this year was 2008's Ghajini- a Bollywood remake of a Kollywood movie based on the premise of Memento. Very well done and the highest grossing Indian movie ever.

The Departed
Best cop film in years. Maybe ever. Do. Not. Miss.

The Departed is a remake of Infernal Affairs, a 2002 Hong Kong cop film. The one plot element in The Departed that I did not like was the little love triangle- it just seemed a little contrived. That element was not in Infernal Affairs, so I have a slight preference for the original. Actually Infernal Affairs was a trilogy with The Departed taking about 90% of its story from the first film and 10% from the other two. I had seen the Infernal Affairs movies many, many times before seeing The Departed and it was fun mentally equating characters and scenes between the two. If you liked The Departed I would check it out.
 
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...I would also add Red Cliff I and II- a re-telling of the Battle of Chi-bi, part of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (a centerpiece of Chinese literature and definitely not a romance). I'm not referring to the condensed/abridged one-part version for American audiences (attention span?) but the original two-part version as seen in Asia. Directed by John Woo and with a star-studded cast.

Amazing film. As shipdriver mentioned: Do yourself a favor and watch the original two-part version. Stunning and powerful. Myth and legend brought to life!
 
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