The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2000s Countdown

Nice to see you watching and reviewing movies again MV

Was left rather unmoved by Almost Famous from what I remember. Quite enjoyed Death to Smoochy. Thought Tropic Thunder was great but have still never rewatched it. Not seen either Apocalypto or Cold Mountain

Looking forward to seeing what else you're gonna be watching. Will try and think if I can come up with any recommendations

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A Might Wind (Christopher Guest, 2003)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/04/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

This movie is a bit of an anomaly for me. I'm not normally a fan of comedies and Christopher Guest's particular brand of awkward humor is not even the type of comedy that usually appeals to me. I've seen This is Spinal Tap and Best in Show and was left unimpressed. I also tried to watch For Your Consideration, but couldn't get through it. Yet I have always loved A Mighty Wind.

Most of the jokes do land for me and I do think it's a very funny film (though it's not a bust-your-gut laughing kind of funny), but the thing that elevates it for me is the music. This is a mockumentary about a bunch of folk musicians who reunite and come together to do a televised tribute concert on very short notice. But though it's a comedy, this is a well researched and respectful piece of filmmaking. The cast didn't just play folk musicians, they became folk musicians. Every song within the movie is original and each was written or co-written by at least one cast member and was recorded by the actors themselves. It may be a phony documentary, but there's nothing pretend about the musicianship it features. And on that note, I can't recommend enough the soundtrack album which features 16 original songs (and a hilarious cover of The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up").

And there's more to the performances here than just the songs. It's a real delight to observe the chemistry between this group of actors who know each other so well. This is especially true of Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara, who play a folk duo that had previously been in a relationship. And for me, Levy brings the most laughs as a burnt-out drug addict with mental issues. He and O'Hara also bring a sweetness to the movie that never fails to make me smile.

I know this movie doesn't have a hope in hell of making the countdown proper, but it still stands a good chance of making my ballot just the same and I hope some other people will look at this and give it a try.

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It feels good to be doing this again. I think rewatching my favorite movies from my favorite decade for movies is just the thing I needed to get me out of my funk and loving film again.

Of course doing that also means that this thread is going to be uncharacteristically positive and upbeat for me, so people who enjoy reading my often expletive-laden rants may be disappointed. Though if I do end up finding the time to watch some of the people's recommendations, there may still be some angry ranting.

Mr. Brooks (Bruce A. Evans, 2007)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/05/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

Despite it being in my DVD collection for many years, I hadn't watched this movie for a very long time and had only vague memories of it being very good. Those memories were positive enough for it to land on my list of maybes for the countdown, but not enough for me to decide without a refresher.

Now that I've seen it again, I'm a little conflicted. What it does well, it does very well. And what it does well is Kevin Costner. He is chillingly cool as a respected businessman with a very, very dark side. I'm so accustomed to seeing him in roles where he's the handsome heroic leading man, so to see him here as a man addicted to murder is a treat. I also really liked the way that his dark side is treated as an addiction. He wants to stop. He needs to stop. For his own safety and for his wife and daughter. He knows he has a problem and he is grappling with the urge, but the compulsion is too strong.

William Hurt is very good too as Costner's dark side - urging him to kill again. But Hurt is also a big reason why I've come away with such mixed feelings. The alter-ego-as-separate-character thing can work really well (see Fight Club), but here I find it distracting and it took me out of the movie at some points. Another weak point was the side story of the detective on his trail, as played by Demi Moore. Now I'll grant that Moore wasn't given a whole lot to work with and the character wasn't written that well, but the performance still felt lifeless and disposable. And then there's Dane Cook who is, well, Dane Cook and is about as engaging as watching paint dry.

All in all, I'm not disappointed that I watched this again. I love me some Kevin Costner and I'll come back to this again at some point for him, but my very long shortlist just got a tiny bit shorter.

The Cell (Tarsem Singh, 2000)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/05/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

Okay, I'm not going to sit here and proclaim this as some kind of masterpiece of filmmaking. I know its reputation is, uh, not great (6.4 on IMDb, 45% on Rotten Tomatoes). I know the basic premise - FBI catches serial killer but needs to try to find the final victim - isn't original, nor is the plot that well constructed and the performances are mostly pretty forgettable. But I don't care, because holy **** those visuals are stunning.

The real world parts of The Cell are a bit slowly paced and not that interesting, but once Tarsem takes us inside the mind of the serial killer, it is mesmerizing. It's disorienting, it's horrific, it's twisted, and it's disturbingly beautiful. And for that alone do I love this film.

This countdown I probably won't include films that have no shot in hell on my list. There was a certain film I was frustrated over NOT making the countdown last time because somebody left it off their list and it was very high on mine. I'm not sure it would have made it but I think so. I know that's kind of backwards thinking but oh well.

I'm sticking with my policy of including the 25 I like most. The lower slots on the countdown in particular aren't that predictable and I don't want a lack of a vote from me to cause it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If there's one that makes it onto my ballot that I seriously don't think will get any other votes at all, I'll put it at 25 but that's the extent of my strategic voting.

I also really love The Cell.

And I don't mind the real world segments. I think that they lay some good groundwork for the psychological aspects that come in the final act. It's one of those films I'm always happy to rewatch.

It's a serial killer triple feature!


Frailty (Bill Paxton, 2001)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/05/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

I've always really liked this movie - I even put it on my top 100 back in 2013 - but I don't think I've actually watched it since sometime before I joined this forum. Watching it again tonight, I am absolutely baffled as to why the hell it's been so long.

I have no complaints about this film, at all. The performances are all solid. The premise of an average man killing because he says God called on him to do it and the effect that this new mission in life has on his children is creepy as hell because its so believable. The plot also snaps along at an excellent pace, throwing curves at you every now and then, with the movie clocking in at only 100 minutes.

Now that said, I don't think I love it enough to put it on a future personal top 100, but I'm not taking it out of the running for my top of 25 of the 2000s just yet.

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Yeah, really solid. It has one of my favorite transitions, which is where the rain on the car window becomes the static on the television.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Paul Weir, 2003)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/06/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

So here we are with another movie that I've always really liked yet never seem to actually watch. I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen it in last 18 years. And, like Frailty, after seeing it today I have no idea why that is.

The movie is a near flawless experience. It's visually beautiful, it's exciting, it's funny in parts and tragic in others, and with all the excitement and tension, it clips along at a brisk pace. And while the excitement of watching battle at sea is plus, the thing that really draws me in to this film is the human element. Sure Russell Crowe's much respected "Lucky" Captain Jack Aubrey commands the ship with much authority (though the level of respect from the crew is a bit annoying at times) and he's quite the heroic figure, but we are never allowed to forget that he's a person with emotions and attachments. And that human element is no more apparent than it is with his interactions with real-life friend Paul Bettany as the ship's doctor. The film is near devoid of romantic elements (as it should be, this is a crew of men out at sea) but the genuine platonic chemistry between the two friends makes their quieter scenes together my favorite parts of it.

Definitely a highly recommended watch and I hope it makes the countdown, though I'm no closer to deciding whether or not it'll get my vote.

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Frailty is great. The Cell had some tremendous visuals but overall didn't hugely grab me. You've also hit upon two films I've been meaning to watch for years - Mr Brooks and Master & Commander

That's good to hear about you rediscovering your love/passion for film

Perhaps you need to change the thread title then. The Temporarily Positive Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2000s Countdownn perhaps?

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Gore Verbinski, 2003)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/06/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

I decided to follow up the 2003 nautical adventure movie starring one of my favorite actors with a 2003 nautical adventure movie starring one of my favorite actors.

I doubt anybody who is reading this hasn't seen this smash hit based on an amusement park ride, so I'm not going to say a whole lot here. I didn't rewatch this movie so that I could decide whether to vote for it or not - its place on my ballot is all but guaranteed - I watched it because it's a whole lot of fun. Despite being nearly 20 years old, it's still a thrilling adventure. The effects still hold up. Johnny Depp is still iconic and amazing as Captain Jack Sparrow. Geoffrey Rush is still great as the villain Barbossa. And Orlando Bloom is still irritating as the bumbling idiot Will Turner. Bloom's inability to act and the stupid shoe-horned romance between him and Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley, bland but passable) are still the big flaws in an otherwise fantastic film.

Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/09/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

I decided not to include this film in last weekend's serial killer triple feature because, while it is obviously based around the crimes of the real life serial killer, that isn't what this movie is about.

David Fincher's Zodiac doesn't sensationalize the killings nor is it particularly violent. Instead, it focuses on the way in which the men who tried to solve the case became obsessed with it and saw their professional and personal lives suffer for it. And it is in the portrayal of those men that is the film's greatest strength. I'm not normally a fan of Jake Gyllenaal, but I found his Robert Graysmith to be both believable and very likable as the awkward but very dedicated cartoonist who does his best to crack the case. Mark Ruffalo is also excellent as Dave Toschi, the police detective working the case. And of course Robert Downey, Jr. is a delight as pesky but tenacious reporter Paul Avery.

The film is also impressive with its attention to detail, providing a very immersive experience with it gorgeous cinematography, excellent costuming, and effective soundtrack. And while Zodiac is a drama rather than a thriller, it still offers some pretty intense and creepy scenes.

Zodiac has long been a favorite film of mine and if we were allowed longer ballots it most certainly would get my vote, but with only 25 slots to fill I'm not sure I'll find the space for it, but it is definitely not out of contention either.

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one of my favourite movies with johnny depp 😍😍

I Am Sam (Jessie Nelson, 2001)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/10/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know the the joke. This is the movie where Sean Penn went full.... well, you know... and went home empty handed at the Oscars. And, while I really like Tropic Thunder and think that bit is hilarious, I disagree with the notion that Penn's performance in I Am Sam doesn't offer a way for the audience to connect. On the contrary, I probably connected a little too well to his performance and those of castmates Dakota Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Laura Dern. I have not shed that many tears in a long time.

As someone who is child-free, I can't relate to what I am sure is the overwhelming task of trying to raise a child, especially as a single parent (neurotypical or not). However, I could easily relate to the feelings of worthlessness and the struggle to get through when it seems like the whole world is against you. I also really liked the juxtaposition of Sam as a very loving and devoted single father vs. his married, upper-class lawyer, Rita, who is emotionally distant and neglectful to her child and how society views the former as incompetent and the latter as a fit parent.

But all that said, I think the movie is a bit too Hollywood. At times it views as something of a fairy tale and its inconsistencies leave a few too many questions and make suspension of disbelief something of a challenge (Sam sure lives in a nice, well decorated apartment for someone with the intellectual capacity of a seven-year old and who works at Starbucks sweeping and straightening up). It also felt a little bit unbalanced in its presentation of child protective services and the court system.

Still I think these complaints are pretty minor overall and given the strength of its performances and emotional impact, it can be easily forgiven and I won't take it out of the running for my ballot just yet.

Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/10/2021
Rewatch: Yes.

Prior to 2008, I knew nothing of Harvey Milk - the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. His fight and his life were before my time. But in 2008, gay rights was a hot button issue in California and this movie's release could not have been timed better.

Though it is a biopic, the film only covers the last eight years of Milk's life, placing great emphasis on his battle against the 1978 California Proposition 6, which would've mandated the firing of all homosexual teachers and anyone who supported them. It also brings into sharp focus the personal sacrifices Milk endured, culminating of course in his assassination by a deranged former colleague.

But a film like this needs far more than a good story and its greatest strengths lie in its performances. Sean Penn absolutely disappears into his role as Harvey Milk (earning himself an Oscar for his efforts), but he is surrounded by strong performances in the supporting cast, most notably by Josh Brolin and James Franco.

Penn and company's performances are enhanced too by wonderful costuming, excellent make-up, the contributions of some of the people who knew Harvey, and by the authenticity provided by on-location filming.

All of these elements add up to a film that was an instant favorite for me and one that likely will secure itself a place on my ballot.

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Any more @Miss Vicky or was this the end?

I rewatched a few more that I need to write up - Kinsey, Lilo & Stitch, Surf's Up - but the last few weeks have been really busy and stressful so I haven't watched much.

I'm hoping to cram some movies in mid-late November, but I probably won't be able to watch anything the first week and my total movie watching isn't going to be anywhere near what I hoped for. My house is being fumigated for termites on Monday so all the humans and pets have to vacate it for several days. Preparing for it has been a whole lot of work and a whole lot of stress.

Sorry to hear about that.