500 Days of Summer: This movie should be a strong contender for the now 10th Academy Awards – Best Picture category. This story presented in a non-linear narrative (not in chronological sequence) represents a memory-based look at a failed romance. Stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (A River Runs Though It and 3rd Rock from the Sun) and Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), engage the audience in the couple’s relationship woes. The mere $7.5 million produced film grossed over $40 million at the box office and received plenty of critical acclaim. The soundtrack includes songs by the Smiths, Doves, Simon and Garfunkel, as well as one of the best scenes from the film incorporating the Hall and Oates classic “You Make My Dreams.”
Funny People: Written and directed by Judd Apatow and starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, this not-so-funny comedy flick is the feel-good movie of the year. Sandler plays George Simmons, a very successful comedian who learns that he is ill with less than a year to live. Ira, a newbie to the world of stand-up, finds a way to perform at the same club as George one night and ends up becoming his protégé. This movie was almost 3 hours long, but the atmosphere created by the story, the cameos, and the bond between George and Ira left me wanting more. Apatow also provided us with a wonderful soundtrack that includes songs by Paul McCartney, James Taylor (plus a live performance), Neil Diamond, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Wilco. Sandler even pulls off a wonderful rendition of the lost Beatles song “Real Love.”
I Love You Man: Written and directed by John Hamburg (co-writer of the films Zoolander and Meet the Parents/Focker). I Love You Man is a movie about a boy, made especially for boys (as well as Rush fans). This film is about Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) who, upon becoming engaged to the woman of his dreams, suddenly realizes that he has no male friends to choose from to be his best man. Peter goes on a series of hilarious “guy dates” in search of the right guy. Sydney Fife (played by Jason Segel) becomes Peter’s new “brother”. This movie is extremely raw and a lot of the rawness is what makes it so enjoyable. Guest appearances include Lou Ferrigno and the band Rush.
Excerpt: After 12 years of King of the Hill, Mike Judge returns to the big screen with what looks like a sequel to his cult classic Office Space. Excerpt tells the story about problems in the workplace and marriage. The cast includes a wonderful performance from Jason Bateman (who plays the boss) along with Mila Kunis (voice of Meg on Family Guy and love interest on Forgetting Sarah Marshall). The movie also features a great supporting cast including Ben Affleck playing Bateman’s best friend and it’s the funniest performance of his career.
Star Trek: This is not your father’s Star Trek. In this fast-paced, highly entertaining, action-packed film, JJ Abrams brings back the dormant franchise with a heavy punch. For fans of the original series, you’re in for a treat when you see the perfect cast of the young Enterprise team. The opening battle is one of the best opening scenes filmed since Saving Private Ryan. I’m not kidding! Here we are caught up in a terrifying sequence of events that leads to the death of George Kirk and the birth of James T. Kirk simultaneously. Chris Pine plays Kirk with such precision that he would earn a best actor nomination in a perfect world. Along the way, we get other wonderful performances from Zachary Quinto (Heroes) as Spock, Karl Urban (Bourne Supremacy) as Bones, Zoe Saldana (Avatar) as Uhura, and Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), providing us with the comic relief of the film. like young Scotty. Rounding out the team are John Cho (Harold and Kumar) as Sulu and Anton Yelchin (the young John Connor from Terminator – Salvation) as Chekov.
The Hurt Locker: This movie is one of the most vivid depictions of the Iraq War ever made. Here Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break and Strange Days) tells the story of the US Army’s Explosive Ordnance Team (EOD). Freelance reporter Mark Boal (In the Valley of Elah) wrote the story while he was attached to a royal bomb squad stationed in Iraq. This is filmmaking in its dirtiest form.
Public Enemies: A true action crime thriller from director Michael Mann. This fast-paced, stylized film tells the story of the hugely popular bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), whose quick-witted bank raids made him a folk hero during the Depression era (not this one). The film also depicts the early days of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and, in particular, an agent pursuing Dillinger, Melvin Purvis (played by Bale). Time and time again throughout the film, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned the FBI in many wild chases and shootouts. Mann is known for his unique cinematography in making his films look visually stunning. This time he mixes HD and standard definition cameras into the mix and gives us another work of art.
Whatever Works: Written and directed by Woody Allen. This is Allen’s return to narrative filmmaking using New York as his backdrop (after a 4 year European hiatus). Allen has revealed that the script itself was written in the early ’70s, with Zero Mostel in mind for the main character Boris. The script was shelved after Mostel’s death in 1977. Boris Yelnikoff (Larry David) plays an eccentric character who breaks the imaginary fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience. In the midst of panic attacks and a suicide attempt, Boris finds himself in the arms of a naive 21-year-old woman played by Evan Rachel Wood. Whatever works reminds us how much fun Allen can be when he’s not serious.
My Sister’s Keeper: A heartbreaking film from director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook). Cassavetes takes a gruesome subject and instead of turning it into a tearjerker movie, he creates a movie that’s more like a 90-minute music video. However, he will still need to have a box of tissues on hand. My Sisters Keeper is about a defense attorney (Cameron Diaz) who is forced to come out of retirement to return to the courtroom to defend herself and her husband (Jason Patric) when her 13-year-old son lashes out at them. demand for emancipation. Her daughter Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin/Little Miss Sunshine) was genetically conceived in the hopes of prolonging the lives of her cancer-stricken sisters. Here, Breslin once again shows off her acting chops with another amazing performance.
Up In The Air: Written and directed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Thanks for Smoking). With this film we are offered a timeless masterpiece. Here we meet Ryan Bingham, whose job it is to fire people. George Clooney’s dry wit makes for a very likable character with a not-so-popular job. Although he is the bearer of bad news, Clooney’s performance is so good that we sympathize with him as he undergoes some life-changing experiences. This isn’t a big budget movie by any means, but along with Hurt Locker and 500 Days of Summer it will go down as a classic for years to come.
