Pigeon Army
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Joined: 29/1/2006
From: Pixar HQ, George Lucas' Office.
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02. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Anderson, USA) - 4.5/5
Royal Tenenbaum is dying. At least, that's what he's telling his estranged family, but only as part of a ruse in order to insert himself back into their lives. Unfortunately, his estranged family isn't keen on letting him back into their lives, even under such a cover, and what follows is a film that manages to be simultaneously idiosyncratic and universal, affected and human, a film that relies as much on a highly individualised style as it does on heart-tugging substance. Wes Anderson tells the tale of the Tenenbaums in a wholly Anderson style - characters defined by traits that are as much weaknesses as they are strengths; vivid primary colours (particularly yellows); a penchant for symmetrically-framed mid-shots; enough Helvetica font to drown the creator of Comic Sans. While this style was employed to great effect in The Darjeeling Limited and The Fantastic Mr. Fox, it's here that Anderson nails it, as it works most harmoniously with the narrative of the film. And what a marvelous narrative it is - while many point to Anderson's style and fondness for dysfunctional families with affected speech patterns as hurdles to overcome, they're nothing of the sort, and that's most obvious here. The Royal Tenenbaums is endowed with one of the most subtle, thoughtful, intelligently-told, heart-warming narratives of American cinema in the last ten years. While the characters may seem defined by certain traits (and clothes), there's far more to them than one could ever imagine, and Anderson's measured characterisation and easy pace wins us around to each and every character. It's something best realised in the Archer Avenue tracking shot near the end of the film, a majestic piece of cinematography that also acts as an unbelievably powerful emotional climax to the film, all thanks to Ben Stiller (in a career-best performance, and his isn't the only one) and his delivery of one simple line - "It's been a rough year, Dad". Intricate, but never overwhelming; stylish, but never garish; funny, but never fishing; emotional, but never blatant; The Royal Tenenbaums is a rich tapestry of relationships, of family, of humanity. Few films are more difficult to not love.
11. Alien 3 (Assembly Cut) (1992, Fincher, USA) - 4/5
Much maligned on initial release, Alien 3 has since experienced a critical renaissance of sorts after director David Fincher's rise to prominence and the emergence of the Alien 3 Assembly Cut, which adds about thirty minutes to the whole thing. Having not seen the Theatrical Cut, I can't comment on how much better the Assembly Cut is than it, but given that the Alien 3 Assembly Cut is the best Alien film I've seen so far, I'm going to assume that this critical renaissance is deserved. Fincher's direction style is gritty and stylised, far removed from the work of Cameron and Scott in the previous two films, but probably closer to Scott's in this regard. Some absolutely stunning set designs and lighting work (easily on a par with the best of Alien - namely, the Derelict Ship where all the eggs are) are complemented by Fincher's energetic camera, whether it's the reverent filming of the dark and angular Assembly Hall or the nabbing of Raimi's 'evil-cam' in a riveting bait-and-chase routine conducted by the prisoners near the end of the film to help flush out the new, improved, dog-like, size-changing Alien. Fincher's direction also does a great service to the messy but intriguing script, with Vincent Ward's 'monks on a wooded planet' routine being pillaged and dismantled like an unlocked Rolls Royce in a bad neighbourhood and resulting in the current product. While the prisoners aren't necessarily well-drawn, Ripley is as well-realised as she has ever been, the tough routine she has slowly developed across the trilogy coming to a peak here, and characters like Charles S. Dutton's authoritative "murderer and rapistofwimmin" Dillon and Charles Dance's reserved prison doctor Clemens make for excellent support. A gripping thriller that also couples as an interesting and different direction for the trilogy, Alien 3 may have suffered all kinds of executive meddling on the way to the theatres - but if this Assembly Cut is the closest we'll get to Fincher's original vision, then it's a pretty good compromise all the same.
14. 8½ (1963, Fellini, ITA/FRA) – 4/5
For the first hour of Fellini's supposed masterpiece, I was bored. It may well have been because I was rather tired today, it may have been because I didn't 'get' it, whatever, but after the interesting and visually astounding 'party' of sorts at the ampitheatre, I felt lost. Characters came and went without too much fuss, whatever themes Fellini was attempting to get across were somewhat lost, the editing felt weird and disorienting, the narrative kind of winding back around itself and going places I couldn't follow. Then, at about an hour in, I suddenly started enjoying it. I don't know what it was that triggered it - I think maybe it was Luisa's introduction fully into the narrative, but I can't be sure. However, that's besides the point - what started as a bit of an incomprehensible mess for me suddenly became a lot more lucid and clear, and while I'm still unsure of and not particularly excited by that first hour, once the film grabbed me, I didn't want it to let go. The captivating, heady dream sequences integrate with the narrative until the seams become indistinguishable from the rest of the fabric; Marcello Mastroianni's performance takes a sudden turn into greatness, a mix of intense self-loathing and intense self-loving; Fellini messes with temporal and geographical consistency so that days and long distances merge seamlessly into each other; the cinematography, always amazing up to that point, becomes the kind of magical excellence I'd hoped for; and Nino Rota's score ties the whole thing together, brilliant and exhilarating as it is. But, ultimately, the most important thing is that it all made sense - for all the talk about it being the definitive film about cinema, it's not so much that as it is a film about the artist and a film about ego. The process of creating cinema isn't under the lens as much as the artist conducting that process - and it's a sensational, individual, confrontational dissection of that artist, Guido Anselmi, presenting him as a man lost in memories and dreams, a man who reaches for the stars only to find the stars aren't good enough for him. Mastroianni's performance guides that, and if it weren't for the opening hour, I would probably love this film unequivocally. Perhaps, on another viewing, I will, knowing now what I know. But for now, I don't.
17. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, McKay, USA) - 4/5**
Outside of Stranger Than Fiction, this is probably the only good "starring Will Ferrell" film out there. It may have its detractors (especially on this board), but I can trust Anchorman to bring the funny every time, and I can say that of few films. It's unrepentantly silly, takes wild tangents and can frequently be juvenile, but there's something so appealing about that all the same. There are a million quotable lines, a million moments of inspired hilarity, a million character moments that just set me off - it's excellent, go-to entertainment for when I need a good time or when I need cheering up.
28. [Rec] (2007, Balagueró & Plaza, SPN) – 3.5/5 ***PROBABLE SPOILERS AHEAD***
For what it's worth, [Rec] can be a pretty effective horror when it wants to be. Proving that conventional jump scares, while sometimes cheap, never go out of fashion, directors Balaguero and Plaza show just how well one can pull off a period of silence brought to a startling halt by an expected and, yet, unexpected image and an accompanying loud noise. Be it the boy in the attic, Guillem's 'turning', any scene involving the 'turned' Jennifer, the finale - Balaguero and Plaza work that tried-and-true method of frightening their audience with style and intelligence, never going overboard with it or treating the audience as fools. They also stick to the conceit well, and the film is buoyed by strong performances, particularly from Manuela Velasco as cute-as-a-button reporter Angela and Jorge Serrano as panicky cop Joven. However, [Rec] falls prey to another common horror film trope - stupid protagonists. While some moments are completely justified in-character (Jennifer's mother refusing to hand her over, the locking of Guillem in the room with the two zombies), there are moments where things just get ridiculous. Health inspector bitten and about to turn in a partially blocked-off hallway? Hell, let's stand right in front of it and wait for him to crush my head! I have a big-arse poking stick to very effectively kill zombies with? Fuck, let's ditch it after using it once! I have to catch a zombie girl and inject her with a fluid that'll kill her? Damn, I'll just repeatedly turn away from her and not use the gun I have to put her down first and then inject her! It's like zombie-ism isn't the only thing contagious in that apartment building, and as common as it is to horror films, it just detracts from my enjoyment to no end.
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ORIGINAL: Rinc
She's supposed to be 13! I'd want her to be very attractive though
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ORIGINAL: MonsterCat
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ORIGINAL: Pigeon Army
Stop being mean to Deviation
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RE: Top 100 Films I've Watched This Year: 2010 - 
. To state the obvious, the film's cinematography is exceptional, might be a strong contender for my top 10 b-and-w films ever in that regard. 
), or the fact that I watched it the day before my exam, or might just be a sign that it hasn't dated well in terms of pacing. Regardless, it's a very strong 7 and I certainly look forward to seeing more Murnau (especially Sunrise and City Girl). 
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