Blast Through the Recent Past: The Panda's Top 100 Films of the Decade - The List is Complete! I'll Now Be Silent.

[The Panda]

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Directed by Wes Anderson

 

"Keep your hands off my lobby boy!"

 

Most Valuable Player: Robert D. Yeoman and Barney Pilling for the Cinematography and Editing

Awards Count: Won 4 Oscars, and the BOFFY for Best Picture

Box Office: 59.1m DOM

Metascore: 88

Synopsis: GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune -- all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

Critic Opinion: "Love and death, romance and horror, comedy and tragedy duel to an elegant draw in Wes Anderson’s rich torte of a movie — perhaps the most seductively European film ever made by a kid from Houston. The Anderson world has always been enclosed, an exquisite miniature simulacrum of the real or movie world. His camera style, showing figures in an unmoving frame, and reaction shots at a regimental 90- or 180-degree angle, mimics the viewing of museum installations by a fascinated robot. In rooms or exteriors of impossibly precise ornamental detail, the sense of the writer-director’s control is complete." - Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

User Opinion: "I thought I would hate it because Moonrise Kingdom was so bad, I thought to myself that I would never like an Anderson film  because of his obnoxious style (Moonrise, was to date, the only film of his I have watched).   What a pleasant surprise.  It starts okay, then it gets better and better until the triumphant finale. Ralph Fiennes is incredible, I just couldn't get tired of his lovable character. I wouldn't say that the movie is funny, but I always had a smile in my face. What a stellar cast, fairly big names for even the smallest roles." - @Goffe

Commentary: Wes Anderson hits onto my list again with another film that feels completely within his stylistic wheelhouse.  The movie on a technical level is just so impressive, I love watching how the camera moves in this one, actually quite a bit more than the actual cinematography winner for the year (Birdman).  What's great about these technical aspects is they're not done to be showy in and of themselves but to add to the quirk and charm of the feature.  Ralph Fiennes is excellent in the leading role, spewing out so many quotable lines and charming little moments.  There's a lively score that adds to the engagement in the film, a worthy Oscar winner.  It's a movie that's tough not to come out being won over by, Wes Anderson was at the top of his craft with this one.

Year Count: 2018 (8), 2015 (7), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (5), 2014 (5), 2011 (4), 2016 (4), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

Lincoln (2012)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

 

"Buzzard's guts, man! I am the President of the United States of America! Clothed in immense power! You will procure me these votes."

 

Most Valuable Player: Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln

Awards Count: Won 2 Oscars

Box Office: 182.2m DOM

Metascore: 86

Synopsis: In 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law. Lincoln must, by almost any means possible, obtain enough votes from a recalcitrant Congress before peace arrives and it is too late. Yet the president is torn, as an early peace would save thousands of lives. As the nation confronts its conscience over the freedom of its entire population, Lincoln faces his own crisis of conscience -- end slavery or end the war.

Critic Opinion: "While we have seen many actors portray Abraham Lincoln, including some acclaimed portrayals by Hal Holbrook who here appears as Preston Blair, none has been as captivating as that by Daniel Day-Lewis. Referring to actual evidentiary history as opposed to mythology, Day-Lewis takes the voice up a few octaves from what we have mythologically long believed to be Lincoln’s deeper baritone or bass (since the deeper voice fit the taller man), added some gravelly tonal effects and achieved a quality as distinctive and memorable as is documented was Lincoln’s accurate voice. Assuming a hunched posture and slowed, stilted cadence of movement, Day-Lewis physically articulates the emotional burdens of the war and the times which weighed heavy on the man. Imbuing Lincoln’s known strength of character and approachability, Day-Lewis gives a tour de force performance with a slow burn that bubbles with folksy humor, handily showing why Lincoln was truly a man of the people. Toss in hair, make-up and wardrobe and you feel as it Abe Lincoln himself is walking right off the pages of history into the movie theatre, ready to sit down for a chat." - Debbie Lynn Elias, Behind the Lens

User Opinion: "Finally got to see it and the film is quite an achievement. I mean really what can you say about DDL that hasn't already been said. The guy is simply at another level. Actually I thought all the performances were great. And I agree it's definitely Spielberg's best film in years." - @DAR

Commentary: There are a few movies where it seems tailor made fit for certain directors to do, and an Abraham Lincoln biopic is one that really suits Spielberg's stylings like a glove.  The film feels like you're watching an old classic, only with a bit more of a modern stylistic flair.  Lincoln is Spielberg at some of his most restrained when it comes to the sentimentality, and it does wonders for the film, as when the emotional lines hit from Day Lewis' many long, sprawling monologues they sink in.  Speaking of Daniel Day Lewis, this is probably the best performance of the mythic figure that Lincoln is that's been put to screen, I don't think I could ever see another actor play him now without feeling slightly disappointed that they aren't this good.  One of the most well deserved Best Actor wins of the decade for Lewis with this one.

Year Count: 2018 (8), 2015 (7), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (4), 2016 (4), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

The Big Short (2015)

Directed by Adam McKay

 

"Tell me the difference between stupid and illegal and I'll have my wife's brother arrested."

 

Most Valuable Player: Michael Lewis' Source Material

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 70.3m DOM

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: Based on the book by Michael Lewis (writer of Moneyball, Liar's Poker and Flash Boys, among others), the true story of a handful of investors who bet against the US mortgage market in 2006-7. Through their own research they discovered that the US mortgage backed securities market was a bubble about to burst, and they invested accordingly. What they didn't initially know was how structurally flawed the MBS system was, the level of corruption in the market...and the impact on the average person when the bubble burst.

Critic Opinion: "Director/co-screenwriter Adam McKay, whose background is comedy (“Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights”), lightens things up by having characters break the fourth wall now and then to explain in simplified terms what’s really going on.  In one scene, it announces that Margot Robbie, the striking blonde from “The Wolf of Wall Street,” will make clear the intricacies of mortgage-backed securities. Cut to: Miss Robbie. In a bubble bath. Sipping Champagne. And her explanation does make sense. Sort of. But I somehow wound up focusing on those bubbles, slowly bursting and … Huh? Where was I? Oh yeah. See the movie. It’s a treat. And educational, too." - Soren Anderson, Seattle Times

User Opinion: "Every person needs to watch this film. Makes you wonder if 2008 was just a warning shot of much worse to come. The system is every bit as corrupt as it's ever been and we have way too much debt in numerous industries (student loans, oil exploration, still in housing, and on and on). Too Big To Fail is still in place even though the banks should have been split up to help lower the risk of crashing the entire economy.  I enjoyed the sense of humor, acting, and choices of music (GN'R, Metallica, and Zeppelin fuck yeah!!!). Bale's character is awesome, especially since it's a real life guy who figured out all this stuff before anyone else. People like him should be Treasury Secretary or Federal Reserve chairman instead of these mega bank executives like Henry Paulson." - @redfirebird2008

Commentary: While it's a shame that this is the movie that likely inspired the making of Bombshell and Vice, you can't really blame an excellent movie for being the inspiration of future mediocre ones.  The Big Short is Adam McKay at his very best, likely because he has some superb source material from Michael Lewis to work with.  The Big Short is a relevant and informative picture that manages to break down a complex market failure in 2008 into something that is digestible for the general audience to see.  Absolutely love the cameos, such as Richard Thaler and Selena Gomez, that's a pairing you'd never expect to see prior to viewing this movie.  Absolutely love how well this film is able to explain some concepts in Economics in layman terms, a great educational tool.  I'd love more adaptions of Michael Lewis' works, as they seem to always end up as winners.  

Year Count: 2018 (8), 2015 (8), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (4), 2016 (4), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

The Tree of Life (2011)

Directed by Terence Malick

 

"He was in God's hands the whole time. Wasn't he?"

 

Most Valuable Player: Emmanuel Lubezki for the Cinematography

Awards Count: Nominated for 3 Oscars

Box Office: 13.3m DOM

Metascore: 85

Synopsis: The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

Critic Opinion: "Everything in The Tree of Life recedes as quickly as it appears: the camera flashes between rooms and swoops in on faces. The film is a stream of glancing epiphanies, often involving characters reaching out to one another with varying success: Pitt mechanically stroking his son as he stares out the window, Chastain reading to the boys at bedtime, the wordless interaction between Jack and his baby brother.  At the centre of it all is the pained, weirdly touching portrait of a father: amateur musician, aspiring inventor, churchgoer, family man, tyrant. Pouting like a monkey emperor, Pitt emerges as a distinctively Malickian comic figure, deludedly lecturing his offspring about the genius of Toscanini or bragging about the bathrooms on his plane to China.  Tormented by his sense of failure, he lords it over his household: this is one place where the ''universal'' themes of the film connect with the domestic microcosm." - Paul Byrnes, Sydeny Morning Herald

User Opinion: "The Tree of Life is an incredible work of art. Deeply evocative, it stirs up memories long thought forgotten, while also telling a thoroughly emotional story. Pitt and Chastain give performances that are near the best of the career, and McCracken is a revelation as essentially the lead. The only aspect that doesn’t totally work is Sean Penn’s role in the story, but honestly, that ends up being such a small part of the film that leads to a cathartic wonder that it doesn’t really hurt the film. The choice of music mixed with Deplat’s original score keeps the tone appropriately grandiose. Terrence Malick’s direction is what truly makes the film, and it is consistently fantastic throughout. The Tree of Life is a stunning achievement that displays just how exquisite cinema can be. " - @Blankments

Commentary: This is one that in the future I could see climbing up my list more with a rewatch, as it's been a little while and the movie probably suits my current tastes more than some of my earlier tastes.  The Tree of Life is a gorgeous work of impressionistic filmmaking from Terence Malick, I can't really understand the comments of it being boring, as it's a film that if you patiently watch you'll soon find yourself swept away in the beauty and contemplation of it all.  Emmanuel Lubezki does some of his best work in this one, and that says quite a bit given how strong of a cinematographer he is, always being able to find absolutely jaw-dropping shots (even with material other less cinematographers would make something mundane out of).  This is definitely a picture worth revisiting, I'm glad 2011 was a weak year for the Oscars so the Academy had no choice but to go out of their typical wheelhouse and give this one a nomination.

Year Count: 2018 (8), 2015 (8), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (4), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Leave No Trace (2018)

Directed by Debra Granik

 

"The same thing that's wrong with you isn't wrong with me."

 

Most Valuable Player: Thomasin McKenzie as Tom

Awards Count: Some Critics Circle Wins and Nominations, Lots of BOFFY noms

Box Office: 6m DOM

Metascore: 88

Synopsis: Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), have lived off the grid for years in the forests of Portland, Oregon. When their idyllic life is shattered, both are put into social services. After clashing with their new surroundings, Will and Tom set off on a harrowing journey back to their wild homeland. The film is directed by Debra Granik from a script adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini.

Critic Opinion: "Granik steps down the social ladder another rung with her third feature, Leave No Trace, the tale of a widowed, traumatized war veteran and his 13-year-old daughter living in a heavily forested public park near Portland, Oregon. A trained survivalist, Will (Ben Foster) knows how to evade trackers and live off the land, and young Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) doesn't mind their tenuous existence if she can stay with her dad. After police apprehend them, father and daughter are processed through social services and set up with a more stable work and living arrangement, but Will is so alienated from modern life that he can't function. Leave No Trace offers a stark commentary on homelessness and the terrible human cost of America's wars. What makes it a great and moving film, though, is the extraordinary connection between Will and Tom, who are as quiet and direct with each other in their isolation as the forest is with them." - J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

User Opinion: "Enjoyed this a lot. It's a very emotional film with two excellent performances from the leads. I wasn't expecting the second half to be what it was, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially as the movie sits in my mind. Probably my favorite movie of the year so far." - @WrathOfHan

Commentary: What a shame that the academy couldn't seem to find room for Debra Granik for a Directors nomination (meanwhile the BOFFYs could!).  Leave No Trace is a film that has sat better with me overtime, even though I found it to be a really solid work when I initially watched it.  The quiet character moments that surround Thomasin McKenzie really work and settle in.  It's a moving and relevant works over the effects of PTSD and homelessness, and it shows how these effects ripple into the lives of others beyond just the person being pushed to the margin of society.  All of the attention seems to go towards the flashier, cinematic films and it can be easy to forget how much tender care goes into directing a quieter, character based piece like this one.  

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (8), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (4), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Moonlight (2016)

Directed by Barry Jenkins

 

"You ain't got to love me, but you gonna know that I love you."

 

Most Valuable Player: Barry Jenkins for his Direction

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: 27.9m DOM

Metascore: 99

Synopsis: A young, African-American, gay man deals with his dysfunctional home life and comes of age in Miami during the "War on Drugs" era. The story of his struggle to find himself is told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love while grappling with his own sexuality.

Critic Opinion: "Jenkins aspires to something much greater than lazy box-ticking. He skilfully grants as much attention to the dazzlingly beautiful visual style as he does to the uniformly excellent performances. Form and performance work hand in hand to produce a relentless celebration of aesthetic beauty. Ranging from gliding camera movements and symmetrical shot constructions to slow motion and rich sound design, Jenkins deploys a wide range of techniques with refreshing confidence and enthusiasm. But the film is also in love with its actors, giving them space to take centre stage when needed. Mahershala Ali in particular is striking in the role of father figure Juan, a man who helps the young central character, Little (Alex R Hibbert), navigate his difficult childhood." - Elena Lazic, Little White Lies

User Opinion: "It's amazing how quietly and in a mostly understated intimate manner (thanks to the music and cinematography) interspeced by short outbursts of physical and emotional intensity, Jenkins meditates on and unpacks so much themes ranging from masculinity and its rancid pervasiveness, how black men perceive themselves and think they got to conform to a certain model ascribed to them from birth and the ensuing struggle when you fail to conform to the standard, being a gay black man among an homophobic environment, social determinism, alienation, filiation...painting an impressionist picture in small brushes to render the feeling of loneliness and isolation of Chiron from his childhood up to his adulthood focused on three passagi of his existence defining him." - @dashrendar44

Commentary: We're really getting to the portion of the list where it gets harder and harder to figure out how exactly to rank the films.  I have a general idea about where I'd group some of the films, but actually placing those groups in an order is a struggle and has me constantly re-arranging.  Part of that is that films, such as Moonlight, are so well made that it feels like I am doing the film a disservice by ranking it with a double digit number like 44.  It's an impeccable work of art from Barry Jenkins and really deserves all of the praise that it gets, even if it isn't topping out my list as it is for some others.  Moonlight is a rare film to see in cinema, it lets out a voice that is rarely heard and has you moved throughout the run of it all.

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (8), 2017 (7), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Lady Bird (2017)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

 

"Hey, Mom, did you feel emotional the first time that you drove in Sacramento?"

 

Most Valuable Player: Greta Gerwig's Direction and Screenplay

Awards Count: Nominated for 5 Oscars

Box Office: 49m DOM

Metascore: 94

Synopsis: Christine "Lady Bird" MacPherson is a high school senior from the "wrong side of the tracks." She longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity, but finds none of that in her Sacramento Catholic high school. LADY BIRD follows the title character's senior year in high school, including her first romance, her participation in the school play, and most importantly, her applying for college.

Critic Opinion: "On the surface, Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” – in which she wrote and directed - does appear autobiographical.   Both her and her lead character, Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), grew/grow up in Sacramento, attended/attend a Catholic high school and dreamed/dream of getting into college on the East Coast, but as Gerwig says, this film is not her life story.  Still, when watching Ronan play Lady Bird - whose God-given name is Christine – she seems to channel her inner-Greta Gerwig, complete with the writer/director’s on-screen trademarks.  Lady Bird carries a quick wit, a distinct, matter-of-fact assuredness of the obscure and a prideful and purposeful outsider’s point of view.  Observing high school’s absurdities with figurative crossed arms fuels Lady Bird, but she wades in the adolescent think tank just enough to be relatively accepted by its populace, but still deemed “weird” by the popular kids." - Jeff Mitchell, Phoenix Film Festival

User Opinion: "Going in mostly blind, and walking out, I now know why Ethan and the teenagers specifically are nutting over this movie." - @MrPink

Commentary: Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, and a powerhouse of one at that, praise to A24 for allowing films like Lady Bird to be made.  Similar to the praises to Leave No Trace, and really Moonlight (except this one is quite a bit less tragic in nature than those two), Lady Bird works spectacularly as a quieter coming of age character piece.  In fact, it's a coming of age film that really helps you to forget that it's living within that genre.  The focus on the familial relationships, the grievances against home until you're finally out of the nest, all of it really encapsulates those last few years of the teenage mind and learning to love the roots from where you came from.  A really lovely work here.

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (8), 2017 (8), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Sicario (2015)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve 

 

"Time to meet God."

 

Most Valuable Player: Benicio Del Torro and Emily Blunt for their performances

Awards Count: Nominated for 3 Oscars

Box Office: 46.9m DOM

Metascore: 82

Synopsis: When drug violence worsens on the USA Mexico border, the FBI sends an idealistic agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) on a mission to eradicate a drug cartel responsible for a bomb that had killed members of her team.

Critic Opinion: "And, Blunt is amazing in this movie. She and Del Toro both give strong performances. Del Toro’s is understated but chilling. His lines are minimal but his presence in the film is enormous. And then there’s Blunt. As Kate, we explore so many facets of her personality. There’s anger, confusion, sheer terror and even some moments of levity, although those are brief.  She’s a no-nonsense character. Her partner, Reggie (Daniel Kaluuya) teases her about the fact she doesn’t put much effort into her appearance. Her wardrobe is simple yet effective. Jeans and plain T-shirts. Even her bra is a topic of conversation when Reggie tells her she needs something sexy, maybe a bit of lace. Instead, Kate wears plain and simple. It’s just another piece of gear that helps her get her job done, the same as a Kevlar vest." - Amanda Greever, Tennessee Daily Times

User Opinion: "I thought it was fairly tremendous." - @Plain Old Tele (A quote that got 13 likes, seems like many people thought it was fairly tremendous too)

Commentary: Hail Villeneuve!  Denis Villeneuve is maybe the breakout director of this decade.  Yes, he had directed a few films before 2010 but the sheer number of quality movies he put out this decade, and how quickly he managed to do it, was pretty unbelievable (I'm counting 6 films, 5 of which were released consecutively in an annual fashion, he has only since taken a bit of a breather after Blade Runner in order to properly prep for DUNE in 2020).  Sicario is a movie that really takes your breath away, it's packed with tension, some captivating performances from Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Torro, gorgeous cinematography from Roger Deakins, and a gripping script from Sheridan.  Everything in the movie just clicks for one truly engaging package.

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (9), 2017 (8), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Okja (2017)

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho

 

"Translations are sacred."

 

Most Valuable Player: OKJAAAAAA 😭

Awards Count: Some Critics circle awards and nominations

Box Office: N/A

Metascore: 75

Synopsis: A young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.

Critic Opinion: "The Korean auteur is drawing more and more comparisons to Steven Spielberg, and it’s not hard to see why—Okja is like a more brutal E.T., if E.T. had been at risk of being turned into mass-produced jerky. Like that film, Bong’s is about the loss of innocence, but more importantly, it’s about the value of innocence. Mija is neither a simpleton nor a fool for developing a genuine relationship with Okja, and she’s right to try and rescue her when the Mirando Corporation eventually comes to take her away. You’ll likely be gripping your armrest, practically cheering her on, as Mija gives pursuit to Okja’s captors—though her enemy is a vast capitalist entity, her cause doesn’t seem hopeless.  The power of Bong’s film is that it never lets go of Mija’s purity of spirit, holding it up as a lesson many of us (particularly the meat-eaters) could stand to re-learn. Okja is, of course, a product—viewers know that about her before we even see her face. She’s a stand-in for all kinds of factory farming, and of routine inhumanities that result from systems of mass production or global trade. But Mija’s love for her isn’t naïve, or easily dismissed. Even the Mirando Corporation understands how valuable this affection can be—it’s why Lucy is trying to introduce Okja as a real animal people can understand, so customers won’t be afraid to fry her genetically enhanced flesh for breakfast." - David Sims, The Atlantic

User Opinion: "A stunning film.  I was told that it is hard to get a strong voice about animals made into a film.  Hollywood doesn't want to touch it.  Well Hollywood might be afraid of it but when you have Brad Pitt, a strong advocate for veganism and animal welfare, producing the film and a pariah and new power player on the block like Netflix willing to distribute, then you get a film like Okja made.  Then you add a terrific international cast like Paul Dano, Steven Yuen, Tilda Swinton and the star of the movie, Seo-Hyun Ahn plus a superstar Korean director like Joon-ho Bong and you have one hell of a film.  For those who don't know, Bong directed the highest grossing South Korean movie of all time, The Host and he also did the well received Snowpiercer.  Make no mistake about it, this film has a strong representation behind and in front of the camera.  And this is a film that is not only a strong voice, but it is one that is needed." - @baumer

Commentary: Jeez if this movie didn't have me emotional by the end of it all.  I do like the comparison that this is Bong spiriting some of Spielberg while adding his own sense of craziness and brutality to mix in with the sentimentality. Maybe the political message of the film is a bit heavy-handed, but it's fairly forgivable given how wildly entertaining the film is as a whole, and hey the ending manages to evoke the exact emotion that it intends, so who am I to complain?  Gyllenhaal and Swinton are at campy highs in this film, and it's a blast to watch.  Bong Joon-Ho really is one of the top auteurs working right now, he managed to make a big dorky pig one of the most emotionally resonant creatures of the decade.

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (9), 2017 (9), 2019 (6), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Us (2019)

Directed by Jordan Peele

 

"If you wanna get crazy, we can get crazy!"

 

Most Valuable Player: Lupita N'yongo as Red/Adelaide

Awards Count: 1 SAG Nomination

Box Office: 175.1m DOm

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: In order to get away from their busy lives, the Wilson family takes a vacation to Santa Cruz, California with the plan of spending time with their friends, the Tyler family. On a day at the beach, their young son Jason almost wanders off, causing his mother Adelaide to become protective of her family. That night, four mysterious people break into Adelaide's childhood home where they're staying. The family is shocked to find out that the intruders look like them, only with grotesque appearances.

Critic Opinion: "Still, Nyong’o’s performance anchors the film. Rather than playing one character who devolves into villainy, as the actor Jack Nicholson did in his thrilling embodiment of The Shining’s Jack Torrance, Nyong’o presents two distinct characters whose moral trajectories rely on each other. The work here is daunting: Red and Adelaide share a rich, painful history, but Nyong’o must stretch them away from each other and fill the ensuing gap from both directions. There’s certainly precedent for one actor playing two lookalikes in horror flicks, such as in the director David Cronenberg’s 1988 film Dead Ringers and in the 1993 erotic thriller Doppelganger. But Peele diverges from these movies in his choice of origin story. The Tethered aren’t twins of their counterparts or supernatural alter egos; they are threatening figures engineered by the same social order that protects the humans they terrorize. As Red and Adelaide, then, Nyong’o telegraphs this morbid domination and irrevocable codependence." - Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic

User Opinion: "This movie cannot be explained with logic. It's all symbolic.  It's not about 'sci-fi experiment gone wrong' but a metaphor of today's United States. US stands for United States as underlined by dialogue in the movie: "We are Americans." It was neither a us or them thing. Rich people/high class/"surface people" stay rich, and are even being richer, while "people born in tunneals"/shadows/bottom people suffer. This whole movie is a revolt of bottom people." - @A Marvel Fanboy

Commentary: A symbolic twilight zone like sophmore feature from Jordan Peele that goes into struggles between social classes.  I think near the beginning of the year I would have potentially ranked this even higher after seeing the film, but Bong Joon-Ho really upstaged Peele in Parasite, which covers many of the same bases as this one.  However, just because Parasite was a near perfect movie doesn't really diminish the strengths of Us.  It's a pure cinematic delight, and it leaves you excited to see what Peele will be able to muster up next.  The film is one that gives you hope that the original blockbuster isn't dead, and there's room for creative minds to still be able to develop major financial hits that are seen by wide audiences.  One of the most exciting films that I saw in theaters this year and decade as a whole.

Year Count: 2018 (9), 2015 (9), 2017 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Dunkirk (2017)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

 

"Seeing home doesn't help us get there, Captain."

 

Most Valuable Player: Christopher Nolan's Direction and Lee Smith's Editing

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: 190.1m DOM

Metascore: 94

Synopsis: Evacuation of Allied soldiers from the British Empire, and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German Army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between May 26- June 04, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II.

Critic Opinion: "“Dunkirk” tells a story that is deeply familiar to the British, but that is relatively unknown here in the United States. It’s a World War II perspective of which Americans likely aren’t aware – and that lack of familiarity might well lend itself to a more engaging experience. It’s a war story we haven’t seen on-screen; that, plus the presence of a master like Nolan at the helm, will certainly intrigue moviegoers.  It’s just remarkable. The interweaving of the timeframes is beautifully done, with each story getting its own space while still maintaining a connection to the whole. No one captures a stunning shot like Nolan does; “Dunkirk” is rife with those striking wide shots so detailed as to feel like close-ups. The time juggling might initially feel tough to follow, but the adjustment period is brief. And again – the pictures Nolan gives you are just so incredibly striking. Land, sea, air – it’s all incredible to look at." - Allen Adams, The Maine Edge

User Opinion: "It is so good, even @Jay Hollywood and @MrPink will pull off the A grade to rate it." - @CJohn

Commentary: Seeing this movie in 70mm IMAX was a sight to behold.  I remember when I went into the theater they even had a guy come out and introduce to the film to audience, giving a great hype speech about what we were about to see and the method in which playing 70mm film worked.  It was one of the most immersive theatrical experiences I have had, masterful tension building and telling a story that had not been properly put to screen prior to this.  Before Dunkirk, I appreciated Nolan for the original work that he put into cinema, but I think this is the film that made me a true fan and realize the guy is a true auteur.  It's a nice feeling that movies like Dunkirk can still be major hits in theaters these days.

Year Count: 2017 (10), 2018 (9), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3), 2013 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Her (2013)

Directed by Spike Jonze

 

"We are only here briefly, and in this moment I want to allow myself joy."

 

Most Valuable Player: Spike Jonze's Direction and Screenplay

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 25.6m DOM

Metascore: 90

Synopsis: Theodore is a lonely man in the final stages of his divorce. When he's not working as a letter writer, his down time is spent playing video games and occasionally hanging out with friends. He decides to purchase the new OS1, which is advertised as the world's first artificially intelligent operating system, "It's not just an operating system, it's a consciousness," the ad states. Theodore quickly finds himself drawn in with Samantha, the voice behind his OS1. As they start spending time together they grow closer and closer and eventually find themselves in love. Having fallen in love with his OS, Theodore finds himself dealing with feelings of both great joy and doubt. As an OS, Samantha has powerful intelligence that she uses to help Theodore in ways others hadn't, but how does she help him deal with his inner conflict of being in love with an OS?

Critic Opinion: "‘Her’ is a keeper of a film, quietly dazzling. It’s directed by Spike Jonze (the man behind ‘Being John Malkovich’ and ‘Adaptation’). Shot in the hazy, honeyed glow of a quirky car ad, you can watch it simply as the history of one man’s romantic life. There are four Hers. First is Theodore’s ex-wife Catherine (Rooney Mara, go-to actress for a frosty ex), who we see in flashback and one bitter scene where she is devastating about his relationship with Samantha: ‘You always wanted a wife without the challenges of someone real.’ Next is Samantha, then there’s a disastrous blind date scene with Olivia Wilde. In the background is Amy Adams (so natural, she barely seems to be acting) as Theodore’s geeky-cool best friend.  Some of the ideas about intimacy in ‘Her’ are as old as the typewriter. Is this love, or does this person just make me feel comfortable? It gets twisty as Sam discovers her consciousness. Who is more human, distracted, switched-off? Theodore? Or Sam, who’s writing music and learning quantum physics. And more scary even than computer love are the fashions of the near future. Like a geography teacher dressed for a night out, Phoenix wears some worrying high-waisted dad-slacks." - Cath Clarke, Time Out

User Opinion: "The plot about a man falling in love and engaged in a relationship with his OS is handled in a way that not only reflective and relevant to today's highly advanced technological society; but also provoking thoughts and drawing attention to other underlying themes. Simple yet complicated themes about love, friendship, loneliness, affection, and human relationships in general. The movie is sad but sweet, smart and funny. Good music and cinematography. And of course, great direction from Spike Jonze." - @Sam

Commentary: I remember back when this movie was coming out I was so convinced it was going to be a box office hit because a bunch of my hipster friends said they wanted to see it on twitter (most of which ended up pirating it) that I made a Her over 100m Club here, citing my friends as the reason I thought it'd make that.  What a failure of a club!  But what's not a failure?  This movie.  Her is an excellent technological commentary that may even be a bit ahead of its time.  It manages to strike a delicate balance of being a purely human and romantic piece, while also managing to layer in commentary over the need for modern society to disconnect.  I'm just going to pretend this is the movie that wins Joaquin the Oscar, instead of that dumb Joker role (I'm already going to assume the Joker win is happening). A wonderful little movie from a truly innovative filmmaker.  

Year Count: 2017 (10), 2018 (9), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (4), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Directed by Barry Jenkins

 

"I hope that nobody has ever had to look at anybody they love through glass."

 

Most Valuable Player: James Laxton for the Cinematography

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 14.9m DOM

Metascore: 87

Synopsis: African-American teen sweethearts Fonny and Tish are ripped apart when Fonny is wrongly arrested for the rape of a Puerto Rican woman because of the machinations of a racist cop. While seeking justice for Fonny, a pregnant Tish relies on her Harlem community, including her sister, mother Sharon and future mother-in-law.

Critic Opinion: "If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of 19-year-old Tish (KiKi Layne) and 22-year-old Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James), who were friends in childhood before falling in love in 1970s Harlem. Tish and Fonny's Harlem is a vibrant black community, but a hotbed for racial tension ever-lingering from the race riots of 1964, which resulted the death of a 15-year-old black boy at the hands of an off-duty police officer. The Harlem that Baldwin depicts in his original novel is defined by this continual crisis of unjustly policing black people -- an epidemic that also afflicts Tish and Fonny, who are navigating life after Fonny is falsely accused of rape and wrongfully incarcerated shortly before Tish learns she is pregnant. The conditions set the stage for Jenkins' twofold protest portraiture, both against a flat depiction of black love, and against the tendency to gloss over the adversity and suffering that is a constant backdrop to it. " - A.T. McWilliams, Thrillist

User Opinion: "Lovely little movie that packs a quietly powerful punch and is filled with nothing but authenticity. Barry Jenkins definitely knows how to set a mood for the viewer to get swept up in. Also, the most beautiful score of the year. Kiki Layne and Stephen James (put him in every movie please) are magnificent, and the rest of the cast does well (especially the always terrific Regina King in another Jenkins-directed parental performance). It’s a lush follow-up from the director that proves Moonlight was no fluke" - @filmlover

Commentary: Snubbed for the Oscar nomination, meanwhile trash films such as Vice, Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody all managed to get in.  What a sham!  Barry Jenkins really shows that Moonlight was no fluke with this followup that I actually find superior to his debut work.  A mixture of Britell's sweeping score and some really superb cinematography sucks you into the film and keeps you emotionally engaged from start to the finish.  It's this rare film that manages to both be a quiet character piece, but at the same time feel utterly cinematic in nature, and something you wouldn't want to miss on a big screen.

Year Count: 2017 (10), 2018 (10), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (4), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

 

"All the best memories are hers."

 

Most Valuable Player: Denis Villeneuve for his Direction

Awards Count: Won 2 Oscars

Box Office: 92.1m DOM

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

Critic Opinion: "In this way, Blade Runner 2049 has the mind of science fiction, but it has the heart of a neo-noir. Like its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 creates men pitched toward anxiety — over their place in the world, their power within it, and how uncomfortable they are with the emotional costs of survival. The films don’t explore this tension enough. But Deckard and K, as well as the actors who portray them, suggest men at opposite ends of the noir spectrum. In the original film (which has multiple versions, including one with voice-over that makes the noir stylings even more apparent), Ford plays Deckard as a cynical, guarded figure. At times, he reminds me of a colder, less wry version of noir figures like Robert Ryan and Sterling Hayden, who bristled with machismo underscored by a dark underbelly in films like Odds Against Tomorrow and The Asphalt Jungle. This is a man who keeps his emotions buried deep, which is as much an expression of professionalism as it is an act of survival" - Angelica Jade Bastien, Vulture

User Opinion: "I am grateful that I am alive to see Blade Runner 2049 in theaters." - @That One Guy

Commentary: There are few classic movies that warrant a sequel, and Blade Runner was not one of them.  There are even fewer unwarranted sequels that turn out to be of equal quality to their predecessor, and Blade Runner 2049 is one of those.  Denis Villeneuve expands on a universe that you didn't think needed to be revisited and manages to add a whole new layer or three of depth that hadn't existed in the previous film alone.  The film is a breathtaking, lengthy work that keeps you in awe at the visual wonder in each of the setpieces.  It's like a Mad Max: Fury Road, only with a lot more brooding.  We also get an incredible new character from Ana de Armas, who maybe steals the film away from Ford and Gosling as the most memorable character within the film.  The movie is a remarkable technical feat, but not just simply a showpiece of what Villeneuve can put on screen, but one brimming with thought for unpacking.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (10), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2014 (5), 2011 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (4), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Moneyball (2011)

Directed by Bennett Miller

 

"When your enemy's making mistakes, don't interrupt him."

 

Most Valuable Player: Michael Lewis' Source Material

Awards Count: Nominated for 6 Oscars

Box Office: 75.6m DOM

Metascore: 87

Synopsis: Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage. Billy is about to turn baseball on its ear when he uses statistical data to analyze and place value on the players he picks for the team.

Critic Opinion: "There are no stirring speeches, no magic moments, no naturals and no fields of dreams in "Moneyball," which is instead driven by the dry science of baseball statistics. If that sounds as thrilling as a Sudoku tournament, think again. "Moneyball" is a winner, one of the freshest and smartest sports movies in years.  Based on Michael Lewis' nonfiction book, "Moneyball" only seems to be a classic underdog story. Its sort-of heroes are the 2002 Oakland A's, a cash-strapped team routinely pummeled by richer franchises. (The film opens with a 2001 trouncing by the Yankees.) "There are rich teams, there are poor teams," observes general manager Billy Beane, played by a rough-edged but vulnerable Brad Pitt. "Then there's 50 feet of crap. And then there's us."" - Rafer Guzman, Newsday

User Opinion: "You should read the book. One of the key reasons Michael Lewis focused on that particular season (aside from the fact that was when he was regularly interviewing Beane, various players, etc) is that it was the season after they lost three of their superstar players and it was an open question how Beane would try to fill the gap. The book itself branches out quite a bit into Beane's underlying philosophy and its historical antecedents.  The game is used for dramatic effect to some degree in the book, but it's more a capper of the longer saga that played out through the whole season (with particular moments focusing on specific players, Beane's superstitions, etc).I really can't recommend the book enough, honestly. Lewis is a tremendously entertaining writer and it's a blast to read." - @Plain Old Tele (I know this is more of a glowing review of the book than the movie)

Commentary: More proof that Michael Lewis is an absolute goldmine for filmmakers who want to appear knowledgeable in a subject matter they're going to direct, and manage to be pretty damn entertaining while they're at it.  Moneyball is one of the greatest sports movies that have been made, and that's specifically because it hammers down on the behind the scenes nerdiness of sports (where the games and seasons will actually be won), rather than the blaring training montages and heroic, underdog comebacks.  Moneyball is a love letter to stats lovers and is great for educating the public on the importance of trusting the data over conventional wisdom.  The movie manages to deliver a strong performance out of Jonah Hill of all people.  If you happened to overlook watching this one, given it came out at the beginning of the decade, definitely give it a watch, it's a pretty brilliant film.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (10), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (4), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

Edited January 11, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

 

"Sell me that pen."

 

Most Valuable Player: Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort

Awards Count: Nominated for 5 Oscars

Box Office: 116.9m DOM

Metascore: 75

Synopsis: Jordan Belfort is a Long Island penny stockbroker who served 22 months in prison for defrauding investors in a massive 1990s securities scam that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including shoe designer Steve Madden.

Critic Opinion: "It’s rare that a tracking shot brings a tear to my eye. But there’s one in The Wolf of Wall Street that almost made me weep. Investment banker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) stands before the scores of bankers of his scammy Stratton Oakmont brokerage and cajoles them into telling their clients to buy stock in the shoe company Steve Madden (it’s the early 1990s). Belfort finishes his speech by simulating the swing and smack of a baseball. When the imaginary ball flies, the camera sails with it. It soars over the rows and rows of desks as men and women scream into their phones because their young, coked-up commander — who illegally owns a huge share of the company — has coked them up, too." - Wesley Morris, Grantland

User Opinion: "The movie is a masterpiece. I like all of Scorsese's 00s movies but this really is his best since Goodfellas. I guess many people will find it 20-30-45 minutes too long but I wouldn't cut a frame. Also I think the debate about whether it glorifies Belfort's lifestyle is bullshit. The movie lures you in but there's always reminders that everything we see is kind of sick. Like in the first office party the way the camera lingers over the woman who shaved her head for 10.000 $ is disturbing or even the already legendary Lemmons sequence who starts as Laugh out loud funny and halfway through turns isturbingly funny. And even if someone can somehow miss these little touches spread throughout the movie, the brilliant final shot hammers home the point of the movie. In the hands of someone else this material could be an easily digestable message that pats the audience on the back and says "shame on you wall street douchebags stealing from us little people" so everyone can go home happy and vindicated. But Scorsese is intersted in something more meaningfull than that. He tells us that those guys did what they did (and continue to do so) because we, the not-privileged and not-wealthy, we really wan't to be rich and do whatever we want without consequences, we want to be THAT guy. Our greed is the fuel of capitalism, we create these guys. We talk about a fair world and about be happy with what we 've got but at the same time we just so want to buy this pen." - @Joel M

Commentary: A movie that is excessively long, with an excessive amount of drugs, cursing and nudity, yet it's that excess that seems to be what's at the heart of the entire film.  The numbing addictive nature of it all sends the audiences on a trip with Jordan Belfort down a ridiculous path of greed and corruption.  Leonardo DiCaprio gives the best performance of his career, watching him squirm towards that car when he was on Lemmons was something else entirely.  The Wolf of Wall Street takes a tried and true Scorsese rise and fall mobster narrative and takes it to New York, and you get something that is both universally familiar, entirely new and just as revolting as the violent crimes you'd witness in some of Scorsese's mobster movies.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (10), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (5), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

First Reformed (2018)

Directed by Paul Schrader

 

"Will God forgive us for what we're doing to his creation?"

 

Most Valuable Player: Paul Schrader for Directing and Writing

Awards Count: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Box Office: 3.4m DOM

Metascore: 85

Synopsis: A minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.

Critic Opinion: "Confronting environmental disaster and social decay, Schrader seems deeply critical of the monetisation of religion which has lead to ‘super churches’ in Western Christianity. Although Toller’s boss Pastor Jeffers (Cedric Kyles) insists “There’s no dollar sign on his pulpit, no American flag either”, Schrader disputes this, as well as the cynicism which sees big business buying into the institution of the church – how can the church be apolitical when it’s corporate? Steeped in the plagues of late capitalism and climate change, there’s a definite solemness about First Reformed, and a sense of incredible despair.  Nowhere is this exemplified more than in Hawke’s mesmerising performance – an absolute career best. The camera stays with him almost constantly, and he embodies a man adrift even when he says nothing – a held breath or clenched jaw speaks to Toller’s inner turmoil. He presents Toller as a man growing increasingly disillusioned with the cause he’s dedicated his whole life to. Yet Toller is also a true Schrader protagonist, spiralling into his own misery – he says it himself, quoting Thomas Merton: “I know that nothing can change, and there is no hope.”" - Hannah Woodhead, Little White Lies

User Opinion: "Obviously I completely understood that ending, but what did you guys think of it?" - @aabattery

Commentary: There are very few films that exist that manage to take on religious themes in a nuanced fashion that doesn't seem to go toward the God's Not Dead route of preaching to the choir, to scared to ask challenging questions nonsense, and then films that decide to dismiss it entirely.  First Reformed offers a conflicted look at how most would end up viewing spirituality, something that brings up dissonance, seemingly conflicted ideas, but still something that is clung to.  It dives into so many relevant ideas, such as criticizing religious monetization and the unwillingness for churches (that claim to not be of the Jerry Falwell types) to speak out against major issues of injustice and environmental destruction.  A surreal and philosophical film that sits with you well after you see it.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2013 (5), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Directed by Ryan Coogler

 

"Where's daddy?"

 

Most Valuable Player: Michael B. Jordan as Oscar Grant

Awards Count: PGA Stanley Kramer Award Winner

Box Office: 16.1m DOM

Metascore: 85

Synopsis: This is the true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother, whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend, who he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to T, their beautiful 4 year old daughter. He starts out well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come easy. He crosses paths with friends, family, and strangers, each exchange showing us that there is much more to Oscar than meets the eye. But it would be his final encounter of the day, with police officers at the Fruitvale BART station that would shake the Bay Area to its very core, and cause the entire nation to be witnesses to the story of Oscar Grant.

Critic Opinion: "Oscar Grant was, at all events, a private citizen who did not deserve to be shot dead in cold blood.  The film becomes overtly political at the end, showing the subsequent civil-rights campaign (for me, this part did not need to be emphasised). Yet what is so potent about Grant's story, moment by moment, is its apolitical, or non-political aspect. There is something almost spiritual in the eerie importance that all the ordinary, banal facts of a life achieve under scrutiny, as time is running out. Every phone conversation, every encounter, every argument, every silly or fleeting thought; everything assumes a new mysteriously vivid quality, an occult focus, as the shadow of death falls across it." - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

User Opinion: "The most tragic, heartbreaking, and gutwrenchingly sad film that I've ever watched. First film to get me misty eyed in years. It's brilliantly made on every level, but I'll just let Gopher sum it up because it's too hard of a film for me to talk about. Also, if there's five better lead actor performances than Michael B Jordan this year, it's the greatest year for acting in easily a decade. Give that man his nomination." - @Cmasterclay

Commentary: A raw and unfiltered take of the final day of man's life, who did not deserve to die as abruptly as he did.  Fruitvale Station is a poetic contemplating debut feature from Ryan Coogler that strikes a major emotional chord, even if there are a few moments where it might seem a bit too heavy handed.  The film takes the politics of the subject and puts it aside to force the viewer to look at the humans at the center of the political discourse, and the lives that are effected by tragedy.  This film should have gotten more attention than it did, but maybe it came just a few years too early for the public to care about the message that it carried.  To this day, I'd say it's Coogler's best work and I can't wait to see him come back to directing something more small scale after the Panther films and Creed.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2013 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

La La Land (2016)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

 

"No, Jamal. You be trippin'."

 

Most Valuable Player: Justin Hurwitz's Score

Awards Count: Won 6 Oscars

Box Office: 151.1m DOM

Metascore: 93

Synopsis: Aspiring actress serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and jazz musician Sebastian scrapes by playing cocktail-party gigs in dingy bars. But as success mounts, they are faced with decisions that fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

Critic Opinion: "An enchanting valentine to the Hollywood musical that will have you purring with pleasure, the film is a follow-up to Whiplash, Chazelle's 2014 film about the tough love between a jazz drummer and his teacher. The script for La La Land actually predates the filming of Whiplash: Chazelle wrote it in 2010, while he was still looking for a way into the film industry. But in many ways it feels like its heir, a response to the embrace Whiplash received at the Oscars, where it was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning three—for best supporting actor, film editing and sound mixing. La La Land doubles down: If Hollywood loves Damien Chazelle, Damien Chazelle loves it right back.  The film begins with a traffic jam on a Los Angeles freeway. Each car radio is tuned to a different station. Suddenly, amid the cacophony, the commuters leap from their cars and onto their roofs for a song-and-dance number, "Another Day of Sun;" the camera swings up high to take in the scene. The song finishes, and everyone climbs back into the car to resume leaning on the horn. Thus are the major elements of the film set in motion, not just our leads—stuck in the traffic is a boy (Ryan Gosling) in a red sports car and a girl (Emma Stone) in a Prius who gives him the finger for honking his horn at her—but also the grander romance that will run conterminously with theirs: Old-school musical meets modern world and sweeps it off its feet." - Tom Shone, Newsweek

User Opinion: "I spent the last two hours jizzing over every inch of damien chazelle's god sent masterpiece." - @Ethan Hunt

Commentary: I'm not quite as high on the Damien Jizzelle drug as I was back in 2016 when I saw this film, there's quite a few issues in it that stick out to me now (that didn't necessarily back when it came out), but I still find it to be a wonderful dose of good natured fun that transcends these flaws.  The cinematography and score are both still wonderful and brimming with lively energy.  The ending is still a bittersweet tearjerker, and it's a blast of a watch.  I think it's really possible to both love a piece of art and still recognize that it's not close to a flawless one.  There's movies I placed this above that I think are probably more competently made film, with less issues of millennial entitlement, whitewashing jazz and musicals with singers that can actually reach the correct pitch, but there's some magical element about it that makes it so lovable despite all of that.  And maybe that's what makes great art, not technical flawlessness, but something you can still love when the flaws are plain and evident.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (3)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[Fancyarcher]

Love love love La La Land. It also contains my favorite score of the entire decade. I must have put the track Epilogue on repeat at least sixty times now. 

 

List is superb thus far.