Ripped from the headline! Based on true events! 2010 featured an unusual number of movies based on real people and events, including two of the year’s very best – The Social Network and The King’s Speech.
But there were also Howl, 127 Hours, The Way Back, Fair Game, Carlos, the Mesrine films, Casino Jack and I Love You, Phillip Morris.
Here is the trailer from Carlos, the 5 1/2 hour miniseries on the 70s/80s terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Carlos begins as a playboy who thinks it would be cool to fight for the Palestinians, inadvertently gains some celebrity and LOVES IT. Carlos has a star making performance by the Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez who perfectly captures Carlos’ bravado, audacity, vanity, sexiness, delusion and dissolution. I strongly recommend waiting for the DVD release of the full length version (or watching for it to pop up again on Sundance Channel).
Black Swan: Natalie Portman is under a little too much pressure
It’s the Holidays – this is your best chance to see a few excellent films. I strongly recommend Rabbit Hole, an exquisite exploration of the grieving process with great performances by Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhardt, Diane Wiest, Sandra Oh and Miles Tenner. True Grit is the Coen Brothers’ splendid Old West story of Mattie Ross, a girl of unrelenting resolve and moxie played by 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld in a breakthrough performance, and Jeff Bridges is perfect as the hilarious, oft-besotted and frequently lethal Rooster Cogburn. The King’s Speech is the crowd pleasing story of a good man (Colin Firth) overcoming his stammer to inspire his nation in wartime with the help of a brassy commoner (Geoffrey Rush). Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a rip roaring thriller and a showcase for Natalie Portman and Barbara Hershey. The Fighter is an excellent drama, starring Mark Wahlberg as a boxer trying to succeed despite his crack addict brother (Christian Bale) and trashy mom (Melissa Leo). Fair Game, the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson story with Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, is also excellent. I Love You, Phillip Morris is an entertaining offbeat combo of the con man, prison and romantic comedy genres. For some delectable food porn, see Kings of Pastry.
There are some Must See films still kicking around in theaters this week: Inside Job and The Social Network. Both are on my list of Best Movies of 2010 – So Far.
I didn’t pick a new DVD of the Week. This is the time to catch up on the year’s best, such as Winter’s Bone, Toy Story 3, Inception, The Secrets in Their Eyes, A Prophet, Mademoiselle Chambon, Ajami, The Girl on the Train, The Ghost Writer and Joan River: A Piece of Work, all available on DVD. For my recent DVD choices (including trailers), see DVDs of the Week.
Movies on TVinclude Arsenic and Old Lace, My Darling Clementine and The Producers on TCM.
Now we’re at the time of year when the award-aspiring movies are released just in time for Oscar eligibility. Trailers and descriptions are on my Movies I’m Looking Forward To page.
We’ll start on December 22 with Sofia Coppola’s (Lost in Translation) semiautographical Somewhere. On Christmas Day, the Coen Brothers open their version of True Grit. The King’s Speech, with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter, will finally get its wide release.
On the 29th, I’ll be awaiting Another Year, a potential masterpiece by one of my favorite directors, Mike Leigh. We’ll also have a flashy performance by Javier Bardem in a contemporary Job story – Biutiful. Kevin Spacey will star in a real life story of political corruption in Casino Jack. Peter Weir (Master and Commander, Picnic at Hanging Rock) will showcase The Way Back.
The year’s final release will be the offbeat un-romance Blue Valentine, with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Festival critics loved and hated this film. The trailer, which depicts the beginning of a relationship that falls apart during the movie, is quite charming.
This weekend brings us Black Swan with Natalie Portman and I Love You, Phillip Morris with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
December 17 may be the best opening weekend for quality films all year. I’ve already seen the exquisite drama Rabbit Hole, with Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhardt. We can also see Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter, Julie Taymor’s version of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, The Company Men and the sci fi TRON 2: Legacy.
And later in the month will come Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere, the Coen Brothers’ True Grit, Javier Bardem in Biutiful and Kevin Spacey in Casino Jack. Just in time to qualify for Oscars, Master Director Mike Leigh will release Another Year, and Peter Weir will showcase The Way Back.
The year’s final release will be the offbeat romance Blue Valentine, with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.
