It has been a week since I started my tour of the 2010 holiday cinema but I cannot get over "True Grit" and "The King's Speech" nor can I forget that "Little Fockers" was actually awful and "Tron: Legacy" was a lot of fun. Oh, and when I reminisce about "Black Swan" I close my eyes forgetting that my memory is clearer that way and then open them to escape the girl that haunts me!
The holiday 2010 season has been a great one and disappointing one in film and if you want my two cents, read on! In order of what I saw, not necessarily in order of what I loved, here are a few reviews that might save you $10 or spend your monthly allowance.
Black Swan
has been on the moviegoers map for a while and it might just be the vehicle that carries Natalie Portman to the Oscars' stage this year. Portman was stripped physically and emotionally in this role that unlike any she has played. From the technical abilities she displayed in dancing ballet to the vulnerability of someone who wants more than anything to play the lead role to the psychotic visions she shares with the audience, Portman was convincing and frightening. It is a dark film and not one for the weak of heart but a worthwhile look behind the scenes of the aesthetically beautiful ballet. Mila Kunis also deserves mention as the fellow dancer to brings out the most disturbing thoughts from Portman. Barbara Hershey was the perfect stage mother/former dancer and Vincent Cassel was fantastic as well as the artistic director of the ballet. Wynona Ryder's turn as the former star of the ballet was impacting for the amount of screen time. For those familiar with Darren Aronofsky's previous films, this one lives up to the delightful feeling of discomfort and repulsion that you have experienced before.The King's Speech is my pick for everything this year and though when I started this entry there were not yet Oscar nominees, the truth is out there now so it should be mentioned. Colin Firth, the lovely and talented actor who in recent years has moved on from pop cinema into roles that have finally been written to his justice, must be crowned "Best Actor". His portrayal of Bertie (later King George VI), a royal with a stammer that prevented him from even flawlessly telling a bedtime story to his daughters (one of which is now the Queen of England) was both heart-breaking and awe-inspiring. As someone who did not know the story of this period of history in the royal family, the film was also a fantastic history lesson as well as a great family drama. Helena Bonham Carter rounded out the love story between Bertie and the now Queen Mother, Elizabeth, a strong and determined wife and partner for the King. Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist who gives Bertie the dose of tough love, true friendship and unorthodox treatment that he needs is played by the remarkable Geoffrey Rush who is ever a privilege to watch on screen. Guy Pearce a strong and worthy antagonist to Bertie as Prince/King Edward VIII.
Little Fockers embarrassed me. I was embarrassed seeing a movie that on the whole exhausted the humor of erectile dysfunction. I was embarrassed as I sat next to my parents, to see DeNiro as Jack Burnes asking Greg Focker to help him after he took the perverbial "blue pill" and suffered a 6-hour side effect. And, I was lastly embarrassed that the film was even made. My opinion: skip it. There are better films (The Hangover, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Wedding Crashers) with crass, college humor and better story lines. If you miss Jack Byrnes watch "Meet the Parents". If you love the Fockers, watch "Meet the Fockers". I'm all for fun at the movies and love Robert DeNiro (one of the greatest American actors ever) in a comic role as much as a dramatic role but it just did not make me happy. Consider also "Everybody's Fine" on of my DeNiro favorites as of late.
True Grit is a remake of the 1969 John Wayne film of the same name. It is a very, very good remake and having seen both, I can say that both are worth watching. I think the greatest joy in the 2010 version is the introduction of a the young and ridiculously talented Hailee Steinfeld who plays the role of Mattie Ross. There is little time that Steinfeld is not on screen and she delivers the Coen Brothers' dialogue flawlessly. The dialogue is unique and has a fantastic cadence that is echoed by all of the actors in the film. I am reminded of David Mamet who is a master at creating a rhythm in the way he writes the script. It is truly wonderful. Mattie Ross seeks the hired help of a U.S. Marshal to locate and capture her father's murderer, Tom Cheney, and hires one "with grit". Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges does indeed have grit. Bridges transformed into a curmudgeonly, crusty old marshall who ultimately wants to protect Matt Damon was surprising as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf the cocky but eventually redeemed bounty hunter who was commissioned by another to find and kill the same Cheney. The tense trio set off on an adventure to catch the killer and it is a fun ride to be on.
Tron: Legacy
That's a wrap of of the films I saw almost two months ago, finally. It's about time!
