A year of big screen success and failure
I outdid myself this year, in the name of reviewing as many
newly-released movies as possible. I saw 45 movies in the theater
last year, which, at an average of two hours a pop, not including
drive time and writing time, is a lot of hours devoted to this
column.
I like movies, so it doesn’t really feel like work most of the
time
– except perhaps for some of the really awful romantic comedies,
such as
”
The Back-Up Plan,
”
which I sat through this year. I enjoy writing about movies, and
sharing my suggestions with others, but when it comes down to it,
my feelings about movies are subjective. I like what I like,
sometimes even when I know it’s not a good movie, such as Will
Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s comedy
”
The Other Guys.
”
Here is my recap of some of the best
– and worst – of 2010. I’m looking forward to another year of
many hours spent in movie theaters in 2011.
A year of big screen success and failure
I outdid myself this year, in the name of reviewing as many newly-released movies as possible. I saw 45 movies in the theater last year, which, at an average of two hours a pop, not including drive time and writing time, is a lot of hours devoted to this column.
I like movies, so it doesn’t really feel like work most of the time – except perhaps for some of the really awful romantic comedies, such as “The Back-Up Plan,” which I sat through this year. I enjoy writing about movies, and sharing my suggestions with others, but when it comes down to it, my feelings about movies are subjective. I like what I like, sometimes even when I know it’s not a good movie, such as Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg’s comedy “The Other Guys.”
Here is my recap of some of the best – and worst – of 2010. I’m looking forward to another year of many hours spent in movie theaters in 2011.
Worst romantic comedy
This category is a tough one because I didn’t really see any romantic comedies this year that I really liked. In fact, for the last several years there seems to be quite a shortage. The only movie that I liked was “Love and Other Drugs,” which is more of a drama than a comedy and so doesn’t really count.
My vote for worst romantic comedy in a year that included “Leap Year,” “Valentine’s Day” and “Going the Distance,” goes to “The Back-Up Plan.” The movie stars Jennifer Lopez as a single woman who really wants a baby. For no reason that is explained by the screenwriters, this gorgeous, successful business woman has never been able to find the right man so she decides to use artificial insemination. And as soon as she gets herself knocked up, along comes Alex O’Loughlin as a hot, artisan cheese maker who would have made the perfect dad, if only she had waited one more day. She decides to date him without telling him about her pregnancy, which causes tension, and then she finally tells him about her pregnancy, which causes more tension. The acting is bad, the storyline is bad and this movie has made me shy away from any movies made by CBS Films.
Worst sequel
There are always sequels, or the next in a trilogy or whatever it’s called when eight movies are released in the same series, such as the “Harry Potter” films. Studios love having a built-in fan base and most people who saw No. 1 are likely to make the trek to the theater to see the latest installment.
But anyone who went to see “The Sex and The City 2,” movie did not get their money’s worth. I was not a fan of the series, but I enjoyed the first big screen movie. It was enjoyable and funny. But when Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte took the screen again, their desperate need for a glamorous getaway to Abu Dhabi seemed too much. Carrie’s big problem was that Mr. Big didn’t want to go out to fancy parties every night, Charlotte’s is that her nanny is too hot, Miranda’s boss is mean and Samantha is hitting menopause. The movie just missed the fun and humor of the first film and the series.
Best comedy
As with romantic comedies, the pure comedy genre has also had its share of misses in recent years. I saw quite a few movies with what I would describe as “guy humor,” including “Due Date,” “Dinner for Schmucks” and “Cop Out.” The movies combined low-brow humor with lame plots and ended up less than entertaining. So perhaps it’s no surprise that my favorite comedy wasn’t a “guy comedy.”
“Easy A” is about a high school teen who finds her popularity increasing as she gets an undeserved reputation for being easy. She helps the nerds and geeks at her school by pretending to have relations with them to increase their social standing, but she soon finds her own status plummeting. Emma Stone plays the lead role in the film. It is witty and clever in a way that reminded me of my favorite ’80s teen comedies, and there is even a sequence in it that pays homage to John Hughes.
Best documentary
I’ll admit I don’t see a lot of documentaries. If I want to see a documentary, I am much more likely to see it when it comes out on DVD. Part of that is because documentaries aren’t very likely to play around Gilroy. But it’s also because a lot of documentaries can be dry and depressing, as was the case with “Waiting for Superman,” which chronicles issues with public school education. But there was one documentary that was a joy to watch and that was last year’s almost dialogue-less “Babies.” The filmmakers picked four families to follow through the first year of birth from different countries. The babies came from Africa, Mongolia, San Francisco and Japan. The parents’ lifestyles are all drastically different, but what the movie really shows are similar the human experience can be as each baby takes the same milestones of crawling, talking and walking in stride. The thing I liked the most about the movie is how loved and content all the babies seemed to be, no matter where they lived.
Best Clint Eastwood movie
Okay, so there were only two Clint Eastwood movies I saw this year, and technically one of them was released in 2009. I just saw it in 2010. “Invictus” is about South Africa in the months after Nelson Mandela took office as president after decades of apartheid, in which the white minority held all the power and limited the rights of anyone labeled as “colored.” Some might think the movie is about the country winning the rugby world cup, but it’s about so much more than that as Mandela struggles to win over a minority population that is scared the African National Congress is out for revenge. Morgan Freeman brings a graceful dignity to his role as the African leader while Matt Damon is excellent as the rugby team captain.
Damon was also good in Eastwood’s more recent film, “Hereafter,” as a reluctant psychic who can speak to the dead. But the movie about death never really came to life.
Best family movie – live action
I saw quite a few family movies this year, including both animated and live-action films. Since I am having a tough time deciding which of my favorites deserves the title, I’m dividing this category into two. For live-action family movie, my vote goes to “Nanny McPhee Returns.” The movie is a sequel to “Nanny McPhee,” and Emma Thompson took on the title role once again. This time she helps a mother of three who is saddled with two extra young house guests while her husband is missing in action during one of the world wars. Nanny McPhee arrives, looking more like a witch than a governess, and teaches the children some simple lessons. Maggie Gyllenhaal is perfectly frazzled as the mother who has too much to handle, while Thompson grows less ugly as the movie goes on. The movie is silly, but cute and fun to watch.
Best family movie – animation
I am a sucker for a cartoon that can make me feel real emotions and this year’s “Toy Story 3” did just that. Of course, it is a Disney Pixar movie, and the filmmakers are masters at creating children’s fare that appeals to adults. Just remember 2009’s “Up,” which had grown men crying in the theater. “Toy Story 3” is the last in the trilogy and it’s been quite a while since movie No. 2 came out. Andy is all grown up and ready to head off to college. But before he leaves, he has to clean out all the childhood things he doesn’t want or need anymore. Andy quickly picks Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) to come with him to college, but the fate of the other toys is less certain. The toys end up on another journey, but the thing about the movie is that it creates an emotional response for anyone who has put aside childish things as they grew up.
Worst movie disappointment
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” was destined to be a big hit, given the track record of the last six movies in the franchise. It had a built-in fan base in those who have read the book series and those who grew up watching the movies. The movie received probably more press than any other film released this year as magazines tripped over themselves to get interviews with the three stars about what it is like to finish filming on a series that took them from childhood to adulthood.
I saw the film with someone who was really looking forward to seeing the first half of the final chapter of “Harry Potter,” and we both left the theater disappointed. The filmmakers split the final book into two movies, with the first movie coming in at more than two and half hours. It allowed the filmmakers to keep more of the story on screen, but the first half of the book just didn’t translate well. It was just sort of boring. I have no doubt the last film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” will be a great action film, but I do feel kind of cheated by having a dud movie slipped into the franchise so close to the end.
Best movie of the year
A lot of movies I saw this year were bad or just mediocre, but there was one movie that stood above all the rest for me. I had high expectations for the film, which I know from experience can often lead to disappointment. Christopher Nolan directed “Inception,” a twisted story that had me still guessing what had really happened even after it ended. Leonard DiCaprio leads the cast as a master manipulator of dreams. Using high-tech equipment he and his crew of dream bandits can go into someone’s dreams and find their secrets. But when he is hired to perform inception, the act of planting an entirely new idea in someone’s mind, he and his crew have to go more layers deep than they have gone before. I am not sure that I really understood the movie, but it is one of those movies I want to watch again and again. The movie also had a profound effect on me apparently, since I had some crazy dreams for a few weeks after seeing it. Now that it is out on DVD and Blu-ray, I am looking forward to watching it a few more times.
