From: Adam Kempenaar
To: Sam Hallgren, Eric Baker
Subject: List hell
I'm only three movies in -- 7 through 5 are below -- and I already hate my top ten list. Did I really like '8 Mile' better than 'Gangs of New York' and 'Far From Heaven'? If I was standing in front of the DVD rack right now and could only buy one disc, couldn't I just as easily walk out with 'Heaven' or 'Gangs' before '8 Mile'? It's keeping me up at night. On top of that, when I made my list I still had an hour left of 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,' which I was enjoying immensely. Without seeing the whole thing, however, I couldn't rank it. Well, I finally finished it last night and loved it, so much so that it easily deserves a spot in the top ten. I guess it will have to be my honorable mention. Sam, your praise of the cast is well-deserved. As I discussed in my remarks on 'Rabbit-Proof Fence,' maybe it's because it is a foreign film, but the actors seem so incredibly natural. Watching the two leads I felt almost like I was watching a documentary, as if Julio and Tenoch were actual friends, which is I suppose why the ending left me so stunned. I don't want to give anything away to our readers, although nothing is particularly surprising about the conclusion. In fact, I'm sure you two have had enough experiences with great friends you had as teenagers to know that the ending was probably inevitable. But the movie stands as a brilliant record of the last gasp before the sterileness of adulthood. The use of narration is magnificent because it does exaxctly what a voice-over should do, which is to illuminate, to add something to the film rather than merely fill in information that should be shown to us in the first place.
As you know, Eric, I too have a fondness for the comedic stylings of Will Ferrell -- at least when he was leading the 'Saturday Night Live' cast. My first reaction to the 'Old School' trailer was what you'd expect from a movie snob, something like, "What in the hell are Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn thinking making trash like this?" And then I saw a longer preview before 'Catch Me If You Can,' and I'll admit it -- at least three or four jokes had me giggling with embarrassment. Although completely the antithesis of Owen Wilson, who is far more subtle a comedian, Ferrell is like Wilson in that they are able to make an unfunny line funny just in the way they deliver it. Come to think of it, Vaughn is exactly the same way. It would truly pain me to pay money for this movie, but I may have to do it. Prediction: the guilty pleasure of the year.
Eric's question about John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener and Jake Gyllenhaal -- "Are these guys getting pigeonholed by agents or directors, or are they merely one-trick ponies finally exposed for what they really are? -- is a good one. I don't really know the answer, though I guess I believe all three are talented enough to tackle other types of characters. Certainly Reilly has proven himself over the years in a variety of roles, and it was nice to see him playing something other than the dimwitted husband in 'Gangs of New York.' Keener and Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, need to branch out. 'Lovely & Amazing' soured me on them both for awhile.
Now back to the list...
7. About a Boy (Chris and Paul Weitz) - I said pretty much everything I wanted to say about this movie in my review, so I'll be brief. I was skeptical about this film because the previews made it seem so sappy, and granted it is pretty sentimental at times. But this is more than made up for by Hugh Grant's quick-witted cynicism. He finally drops his usual bag of tricks -- namely, blinking and stuttering -- and just enjoys playing a cad who cares for himself above everyone else. Like you Sam, I enjoyed Toni Collette as well -- or as I like to call her, the 'female Billy Bob Thornton.' A good book and a good film.
6. Solaris (Steven Soderbergh) - As anyone who remembers our discussion from Dec. 2 knows, I was the only one who really loved this film. Soderbergh's now signature technique of overlapping dialogue with images from past, present and future moments has never been more effective, save for maybe the love scene from 'Out of Sight.' But even then, as in 'The Limey,' it seemed a bit gimmicky rather than in full service of the story. Here the cinematography and editing matches the eerie, perpetually dream-like quality of Chris Kelvin's (George Clooney) predicament.
5. The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman) - Unlike you Sam, who seems to feel a bit guilty about enjoying this summer thriller, I am unashamed about ranking it among my top five. A spy movie that focuses on character over explosions and special effects -- what a concept. Liman's technique is stylish without seeming grandiose, and the penultimate finale -- Bourne's (Matt Damon) hushed, tense confrontation in a field with a spy (the great Clive Owen) who has been assigned to kill him -- is spectacular. I also loved Franke Potente as Bourne's love interest, precisely because she adds a dimension of reality and honesty, as you so nicely put it, Sam -- a dimension usually absent from movies in this genre.
- Adam
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