Movie Junk

Review of The Year

Hollywood’s elite will next week gather at the Kodak Theatre to give each other a pat on the back for their services to film. Forget that, this is where it’s at. Here is a look back over the best and worst of all things film this past year.

BEST FILM

MONEYBALL

Moneyball will almost definitely be overlooked next week but the true life story of The Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane was the stand out film of the year. Billy is left with not much of a team. The richer clubs have taken his best players and he has to find a way to turn around The Oakland A’s for next season. Superbly acted, directed and scripted, Moneyball is a fantastic against the odds story that has a whole lot of heart. Brad Pitt gives a career best performance to bring Beane to life, the same can be said for Jonah Hill, whose portrayal of a performance analyzer who helps re-build the Oakland A’s, is the perfect match for Beane.

I know nothing about Baseball, nothing. It didn’t matter. Moneyball is about as close to movie perfection you’re going to get.

BEST PERFORMANCES

BRAD PITT - MONEYBALL

No surprises here. Pitt was tailor made for this role, struggling against a stubborn scouting network and an apathetic coach, Pitt gives a fantastic performance of a man whose strength of character gets him through.

Haunted by the demons of his past as a former baseball player who failed to live up to expectations, he is determined not to come up short again. It’s an engaging, involving and wonderfully observed portrayal of a man fighting for some kind of redemption.

JEAN DUJARDIN, BERENICE BEJO - THE ARTIST

It’s hard, nigh on impossible not to fall in love with these two. The Artist was so refreshing and enjoyable and it was brilliantly held together by this pair. George Valentin and Peppy Miller, one a star of the silent movie, the other a rising name in the new world of talkies come together and showcase the heights and pitfalls of 1920’s Hollywood.

Dujardin in particular stands out, his transformation from a star to a regular guy who’s down and out is pitch perfect, and he does it all without saying a word, well almost.

WORST FILM

TRANSFORMERS 3: SOME RIDICULOUS SUB-TITLE THAT I CANT REMEMBER

Is Michael Bay actually a teenage boy? Is he really more into creating explosions than films? Transformers 3 was not a film, not by any stretch of the imagination.

A little known fact about Transformers 3 was that the script was actually written on the back of a damp beer mat.  What’s really great about the movie is that the character development is so subtle that you barely even notice it, giving you lots more time to revel and point at all the explosions while no doubt stuffing your fat face full of more popcorn.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely got a lot of stick for her performance but this film has bigger problems than her, specifically the fact that it is god awful. Michael Bay has apparently signed on for a fourth film, and if that’s the kind of news that excites you then you are a moron.

MOST OVERRATED FILM

THE DESCENDANTS

Step forward this years indie film that everybody has decided to get carried away with. George Clooney is back as a man who has just learned that his wife is cheating on him. Only problem is she is stuck in a coma and he has to traipse through Hawaii with his family to track down the man she was seeing.

Clooney falls back on his tried and tested acting technique, the delayed reaction, to get him through playing a part that requires more than his limited abilities are capable of. A pregnant pause here, a steely eyed stare there and bobs your uncle it’s two hours later and I’m seven quid poorer.

There is nothing remarkable about the Descendants, it is an average film with average performances, not the best film of this or any other year.

OTHER MENTIONS

Liam Neeson doing what Liam Neeson does best in the unstoppably awesome The Grey. The lovely feeling of nostalgia that was delivered by Super 8, how refreshing it was to see a great original movie amongst the usual summer sequel fest. The unintentional hilarity that comes with watching Abduction, Taylor Lautner may just be the worst actor on the planet. Nicolas Cage stating that he wants to re-visit The Wicker Man but in Japan, who exactly are the Hollywood Execs stopping this from happening? The tension cranking score in Moneyball, I think it’s fair to say I firmly love everything to do with that movie. Ryan Gosling making a shiny scorpion jacket look cool in the unquestionably cool Drive. Finally Gary Busey declaring himself bankrupt. I’ll offer 5 to 1 odds that by this time next year he has also declared himself criminally insane.

Drive Review

Ryan Gosling is back as the un-named “Driver” in the aptly titled Drive. From the outset we are thrust into this films world. The bleached out shots of downtown Los Angeles, the fuchsia titles and the snarl of a muscle car as it streams through the night. This is Michael Mann territory, it’s reminiscent of Miami Vice. Drive wears its 1980’s influences firmly on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to flaunt them.

Step forward our protagonist. Detached, methodical, quiet. He goes about his job with maximum care. Mechanic by day, getaway driver by night. The opening set piece is an exercise in how to create tension. The throbbing music, the long protracted silences and ultimately, the chase.

From here on out Drive takes it down a gear or two and focuses on a blossoming relationship between Driver and his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan.) They don’t talk much but you care for them and his affection for her is obvious. So when Irene’s estranged husband shows up and gets himself in a spot of bother, Driver is forced to act on emotion.

The script is pretty stripped down and bare. A basic plot where a man takes a job in order to protect a woman, when that job goes south, everything starts to unravel. It’s the films style that is the standout here. This could of been an average movie but for the way it has been shot and edited. Glorious visuals, a fantastic soundtrack and a slow burn pace are the keys to Drive’s success. It doesn’t hurt that the cast are outstanding as-well. I’ve probably run out of superlatives for the ever impressive Gosling, Mulligan is wonderful as a down-trodden soul that you just can’t help but feel for. Credit also has to go to the inspired casting of both Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks. Cranston is compelling as the Driver’s boss with ties to the criminal underworld and Albert Brooks is puts up a controlled performance as the antagonist, always simmering with menace.

A simple film given a unique style. The throbbing tones that open the film set its pace. Drive’s pulse beats throughout its run-time, leading you on a journey through Driver’s world. Style over substance? Perhaps but Drive is far too cool for you to care.

Crazy Stupid Love Review

Steve Carell is back as the as the anchor in the ensemble piece Crazy Stupid Love. After learning that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce, he sets about re-inventing himself with the aid of new best friend and all round ladies man Ryan Gosling.

Comedy can be found in all sorts of places and heartbreak is no exception. Upon hearing of his wife’s intentions and her previous infidelity he rather predictably hits the bottle and bestows his woes upon anyone who will listen. The film struggles to garner any real pace or direction until Gosling comes along and sets in motion Crazy Stupid Love’s most enjoyable aspect. Their exchanges as he grooms Carell from a pathetic edge of the bar sob story to a man on the prowl are about as good as it gets, with Gosling in particular taking to the role with ease. It’s when the plot staggers into sentimentality that problems arise.

Carell is more than adept at creating a comedic character with a heart, a seven year long shift as the loveable idiot Michael Scott on The Office proved that. Comedy however is where he is most comfortable and he manages to pull off a few decent laughs but, through no fault of his own, the films insistence on maintaining a gooey centre means that when an emotional punch is required it comes up just short.

For the most part it is plenty enjoyable and offers a smattering of decent performances. Julianne Moore is as ever strong in a decent if slightly underwritten role. Emma Stone continues to impress but doesn’t really tread any new ground although the upcoming adaptation of The Help should see her venture into different territory. Ryan Gosling is probably this films saving grace, he took it as a job to wind down after committing so much of himself to the involving Blue Valentine. It just goes to show that even when on autopilot he is still one of the best young actors around.

A perfectly passable way to spend a hundred minutes or so and that is more than can be said about most romantic comedies. Crazy, Stupid, Love is engaging and has more than enough genuinely funny moments to keep most of the paying public satisfied. It would of been even better had the film-makers had the courage to not take themselves quite as seriously when the film’s final act began to creep around the corner.