Films of 2009 so far

It's been a long time since I last did this so I have a lot of catching up to do.

January.
Frost/Nixon. The story of a failing chat show host with little political knowledge attempts to resurrect his career by exacting one of the biggest political confessions of the century out of one of its most controversial political leaders. It is based on a stage play which is a good sign as it generally means that the film will be well written. The downside of this as in Doubt (see later) is that it tends to be a bit dialogue heavy. Frost/Nixon however keeps moving quickly enough that this is not noticeable and the result is a collection of little known but very good actors coming together weaving a web of intrigue and manipulation using each other for entirely self seeking ends. This is apart from Frost's political researchers who want to give Nixon the "trial he never had" on behalf of the American people. The film is mainly about Frost who is brilliantly portrayed by Michael Sheen who likes flamboyant parties and is very light hearted and gradually learns just how much is at stake and how much he is overmatched. 10/10
Australia. Baz Luhrmann's attempt to produce a wartime epic was treated unfairly but the critics. The film is split in two with no real link between the halves which is its real weakness. Also the way he attempts to reproduce a genre of film that is now antiquated and clashes with all the action and special effects used in the film was a waste of time. Having said that Baz Luhrmann is about about light-heartedness, romance fun. We get all this Baz Luhrmann (excepting Romeo and Juliet) makes films that are very enjoyable, Moulin Rouge's problem was the tragedy as it clashed with the enjoyment in the rest of the film. There are no such problems here. Not the greatest film but very enjoyable, 7/10.
Defiance. Ed Zwick takes on World War II. One of my favourite directors returns with a little known true story of 3 Belarusian Jewish brothers who protect hundreds of Jews during the war. Defiance is an interesting film telling a very compelling story. The three lead characters, particularly Daniel Craig, give strong performances but support is also very good. The weakness of this film is that it is very episodic and there is little overarching narrative making explaining the story very difficult. There is also little in terms of context ever explained so we never know at what stage of the war everything is taking place in. Still very good, 8/10
Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle is very much attempting to be a modern day Kubrick making films in every genre. This, his take on Bollywood, comes across very well. The narrative structure of him explaining his life story to the police when he is being accused of cheating is very interesting. The story is very moving and the characters are well acted. Danny Boyle has always performed his best when dealing with darker topics and making the more harrowing, horrific, depressing films and his missteps have come when he has tried to make comedy. As a result this film goes very dark when narrating the plight of Indian orphans which, for me, was just too depressing for a film that was essentially a modern day fairy tail. Having said that that is the one problem in an otherwise excellent film, 9/10.
Milk. This film was all about Sean Penn, who produces a fantastic performance, and James Franco who is also very good. This film also suffers from a lack of real storyline and focuses on the personal life of Harvey Milk rather than his political struggle to the extent that when he is killed at the end you don't quite know why. The film leaves you with the impression that gay people are gay but you don't quite know how he fought or who he was fighting against half of the time. Time also passes at an inconsistent rate without you really knowing quite what happens in the meantime, 5/10.
Valkyrie. Alfred Hitchcock said that the secret to making a good film is a good script, a good script and a good script. This is what Valkyrie lacks. Bryan Singer's career has stalled recently due to the fact that he keeps making films with a poor script. This film brings together one of the best casts you are likely to see on screen but the main character is so badly written that Tom Cruise can't do much with it. Kenneth Branagh does a great job early on but disappears after the first 20 minutes which is a real loss. The film does hold tension quite well however and the ending is sad but there is no way of avoiding that and I actually wanted them to succeed which is something, 6/10.

February
The Spirit. Frank Miller makes the move from writing to directing and you can tell tha he is no film maker. The film is obviously in a set, the lighting and the contrast looks quite good but is clearly appealing to the comic book fans who are a small minority. The saving grace of the film is Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson who play off each other very well. The film is very tongue ion cheek and the banter between the two villains is very enjoyable, 6/10.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. The first Underworld film was very good but the terrible second film meant that a prequel was the only way to keep the franchise going. Visually the film is fantastic but the storyline we have heard before in the first one and the writers clearly have not heard of the concept of characters, 3/10.
Bolt. The lesson that no one seems to have yet learned from Pixar and Shrek is that there is a positive correlation between jokes and success of animated films. Bolt sacrifices all its good characters and concepts after the first half hour for a friendship between a cat and a dog which gets boring after the first 5 seconds. The concept is not original and the first half hour results in making you wonder what the film would have been like if we had just watched the tv show he was a star of instead as it looked better, 6/10.
Doubt. Another film of a stage play designed entirely to win Oscars. Meryl Streep is brilliant but doing what she did in Devil Wears Prada and other films. There is nothing new in that performance. Philip Seymour Hoffmann is very good as is Amy Adams who plays innocence so well. Viola Davis is good but her 5 minutes on screen in my opinion do not merit the nominations she received for it. Still a good film, 7/10.
The Secret of Moonacre. Once again that thing about a good script. The story wasn't great, there was no excitement and there's only so much a good cast can do, 4/10.
Franklyn. These types of films with interlinking storylines can work very well if the storylines interlink correctly (e.g. Vantage Point). The problems with Franklyn are that the Eva Green storyline doesn't link with the rest her sole connection to the story is that she owns a flat, everything else that happens to her is coincidental and a distraction from the rest of the film. The other problem with Franklyn is that the superhero part of the film is too good. The imagery and characters are perfect and I would rather it had been real and I was watching this film rather than what had been actually made, 7/10.
The International. Conspiracy thrillers need 3 things, a conspiracy, thrills and a good idea, something original, a twist, something to make the film interesting. The international has enough of the first 2 to be watchable but nothing original or surprising to be actually interesting, 6/10

March
Watchmen. The most anticipated film of the year so far and one that I had been looking forward to. This is a film based on what is considered the best graphic novel of all time, however graphic novels still don't have that many fans in relation to the entire population. This means that when you make a film don't get a director who reveres the material too much to make necessary changes. Having read the graphic novel I can say that the sex scenes are not necessary and could benefit from the odd joke to break up its intensity. The film is directed by Zach Snyder who gained attention with his remake of Dawn of the Dead which, while packed with tension and frights, ultimately was one of the most depressing films ever made (according to Empire magazine) and he followed this up with 300 which looked fantastic but took itself too seriously and did not have quite the sense of fun that would have made it into a great film. As a consequence, while being well acted and visually fantastic, Watchmen is too violent, too serious and not as much fun as what may be one of the best trailers of all time made it look. 6/10.
The Damned United. Football films, and most sports films in general, have a tradition of not being very good and all having the same plot. This film, however is not really about football but about the characters of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, both expertly acted by Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. The film is about ambition and rivalry almost destroying Clough's career and friendship with Peter Taylor. The film is very good, Brian Clough the flawed hero who we warm to but is clearly very flawed and makes mistakes. The film is moving yet very funny in places and is very well acted all round, retaining a quintessentially British flavour, 8/10.
Duplicity. This film from Tony Gilroy, who gained critical acclaim for he incredibly overrated Michael Clayton, was clearly intended to be his Ocean's 11. The film is a tongue in cheek espionage crime thriller which is very entertaining to watch and has an interesting twist at the end. With some very over the top characters, [particularly Paul Giamatti|) the film is very entertaining. The two problems with the film is that it is not quite as slick cool or appealing as Ocean's 11 and also that Clive Owen can't do comedy he always comes across as too serious, can't handle the comedy lines and it is clear that the part was written for George Clooney. The film is still quite entertaining, 7/10.

April
The Boat That Rocked. Richard Curtis moving away from his traditional romantic comedy to explore his love of music written before I was born. This film is about a pirate radio station on a boat in the North sea and the no consequences lifestyle they live. The film has some very entertaining moments and is by and large well acted. However it represents the problem of post-modern filmmaking in that there are moments where amorality is clearly wrong but there are no consequences for it. Also despite Richard Curtis making a film about a vaguely at one time real issue he still feels free to make the government look evil and out of touch which just doesn't work, 5/10.
Monsters vs. Aliens. This film learns the lesson that Bolt didn't that comedy can cover a multitude of errors. This film makes reference to almost ever sci-fi film ever made, and goes at a very high jokes per minute ratio with the high points, particularly the dancing president, the result being that the kids have as much fun as the adults. The one problem with the film is that the romance that is there ends up not working. Monsters Inc., the Incredibles, Shreck, Wall-E and all the successful CGI films have their romantic moments this film doesn't and it is its one failing, 9/10.
In the Loop. To make a successful comedy you need more that one idea. In the Loop has one idea which is Peter Capaldi's foul mouthed spin doctor. The result is too much swearing, not enough wit, the film is either too scared or not allowed to make references to real politicians or mention Iraq (I couldn't work out which)and is now 6 years out of date on what it is talking about, 5/10.
State of Play. Good British Tv ideas tend to get messed up by lax morals and characters sleeping together distracting from the story. State of Play works because they cut all that out to focus on the actual story that works well. Good acting from both Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck and an intriguing twisting story make for a good film. The best part about the series was Bill Nighy's editor who is replaced by Helen Mirren who simply can't do it as well, bringing Nighy back would have made such a difference, 8/10.
Dragonball: Evolution. I went in with low expectations and they weren't met, 3/10.

May
Coraline. The Nightmare Before Christmas was credited to Tim Burton although Henry Selick actually directed it and I suspect that the film's success was as much to do with the talent of Selick as the talent of Burton (also explaining why the Corpse Bride wasn't as good). Coraline has the right ingredients of story, humour and characters. It does the right things, you like the right people and are scared of the right people. The problem with Coraline is the mixture, the funny characters aren't funny enough, they don't lighten the mood enough (and it definitely needs lightening) and the scary parts are too scary. Coraline suffers the same failing as the Nightmare Before Christmas in that it works better for adults than for children. Coraline is a children’s film but it too scary and there is too much tension, the failings are on the right side but a children's film that is not suitable for under 8s (at least) is a problem, 7/10.
Star Trek. Re-inventing the cultiest of cult programs for the 21st Century and the mainstream was a massive risk and not one that most people could have got away with. JJ Abrams, however, is an exception. The man who created Lost and made the monster movie into a sensation with Cloverfield understands the public psyche and what people want. Consequently Star Trek works. It manages to make Star Trek accessible to uninitiated while having references for fans, it balances adventure with comedy, actions with character development and most importantly is first and foremost entertainment. Consequently you leave the cinema having had a great time, 9/10.
X-Men Origins - Wolverine. The X-Men films never quite reached their potential, they wasted the characters rather than developing them. As a consequence this way of resurrecting the franchise might have worked. However, Wolverine not only fails to answer most of the questions (like why does he stop ageing when he becomes Hugh Jackman) and only uses the old film clichés (his brother is good, no bad , no good but the military are bad bad bad...sorry rant over). The film is quite well made but the script isn't up to scratch. The director was someone who I considered had the potential to make good films, Gavin Hood having already made Tsoti and Rendition. But he showed in this that he only knows how to make serious films and has no idea how to make a film enjoyable. As a consequence Wolverine is serious overbearing and not very good, 5/10.
Angels and Demons. The Da Vinci Code was so bad that normally I would consider there to be no point in making a sequel. However, Ron Howard is a great director and Tom Hanks can act when he puts his mind to it. So giving them a second chance to get it right I can understand. The film is a vast improvement. It helps that people have now realised that the material of Dan Brown contains no factual value. The Da Vinci Code tried to be serious claiming that its material was true and that detracted from the adventure of the film. This film knows that the idea is a load of tripe and has lots of Tom Hanks running about with a brief pause to blurt out meaningless drivel. However, this time they know that it is meaningless drivel and the actors are enjoying themselves. The film moves at a faster pace and as a result the film is very enjoyable. It falls foul of the Hollywood cliché that the actor you recognise is the bad guy but for all that the film is more interested in giving you an hour and a half of fun than convincing you that there really is a conspiracy to destroy the Vatican which is a breath of fresh air after the first one and makes for a much better film, 7/10.
June
Red Cliff. Chinese films, at least the ones that make it over here, have a habit of looking fantastic, being incredibly serious (or the jokes don't translate), being very long and having very poor storylines. Enter John Woo returning to directing a Chinese film. Consequently what we have is a film with no characters, only the vaguest pretence at a storyline and lots of fighting, in other words what John Woo normally does. The issue with Red Cliff is that it tries to have a story and characters, neither of which work, there is too much fighting and the film is so long that it drags, at an hour and a half I think I would have enjoyed it at two and a half I got bored, 6/10.
Night at the Museum 2. Why anyone ever thought this concept would work as a film I will never know. The first film was bad, this film improves but not enough. Ben Stiller seems to have made a career out of making vaguely funny films with celebrity pals stealing the show. This worked with Tropic Thunder but this time the celebrity pals aren't funny enough, the story doesn't have much to it and yes the films has its moments but by and large is very mediocre, 5/10.
Terminator: Salvation. What do you expect? This isn't going to be a serious, let’s explore characters film, all it was ever going to be was machine fights, special effects and visuals. The film has just enough of a plot to keep going although it is never very coherent. The action is good and there is a lot of it. The finale is exactly what a Terminator film should have (a human vs. robot fight in a factory) and the film has some laughs. The filmmakers try to have fun, the action sequences are a selection of shots from "my favourite war films shots" and there is some enjoyable dialogue including the line "I'll be back", great fun, 7/10.

Pete Awards

The winners are:

Best Music:The Dark Knight
This was a close one as none of the scores this year were outstanding but this score did the job to crteate a superb atmosphere for the film.

Best Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
This was a hard one as a number of films were well written, the twist at the end of Eagle Eye amonst won me over but the superb Frost/Nixon gets it.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Another very competitive field but I cannot avoid jumping on the bandwagon as Heath Ledger was simply astounding in the role.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams - Doubt
Not a great crop of performances this year but Amy Adams portrays innocence better than anyone in Hollywood and deserves recognition for hoding her own alongside Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Best Actor: Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon
This one was so close I could have given it to any one on the list but Michael Sheen gave a brilliant portrayal of David Frost who as someone who is English and in their 20s I am more familiar with than Richard Nixon.

Best Actress: Christina Ricci - Speed Racer
Probably the best comedy actress in the world but gets little recognition. With little to do in the film she managed to give a great performance.

Best Director: Andrew Stanton - Wall-E
The director doesn't get enough recognition in animated films and Wall-E was successful in a large part due to superb directing.

Best Film: Frost/Nixon
A brilliant film. Just pipped Changeling, my film of 2008, at the post for best film. Slumdog millionaire, while good just had a few too many moments like the rape scene that it didn't need that just detracted from my enjoyment of it very slightly.