“As much as The Ringer appears to follow the formula of a sports movie, it’s at least as much a parody of such earnest Oscar-bait films as I Am Sam and Mifune. Put one mentally challenged person in a movie (or beloved actor playing same), and the temptation tends to be to make him or her into a messianic innocent. But populate a movie almost entirely with such people, and they actually get to have personalities.”
More retarded critique HERE
“The notion that Wolf Creek is opening nationwide on Christmas Day brings to mind the scene from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, in which a young boy opens up his holiday gift and finds a severed head. The movie is about as diametrically opposed to the concept of “goodwill toward men” as movies get, made by a disciple of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre school of horrors. It plays like Alexandre Aja’s High Tension without the lame twist that ruined that film. And if any of this news means anything to you, you know Wolf Creek is a must-see. ”
wolf it all down HERE
The New Times critics’ composite Top Ten of 2005 is HERE. Needless to say, every one of us probably has strong disagreements with some of the choices.
I don’t know. I agree with the first two films on top: “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “Capote.” I thought these two films are the standouts this year. I greatly enjoyed both (maybe because I have a fascination for both subjects). But, mainly, both deals with the character of each film. Great performances by David Straithairn and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, respectively.
I didn’t much care for either of the movies that you blurbed, Luke, but your writing on them here is thoughtful and eloquent. Quick question – in your “The New World” screening, was there an audible murmur in the crowd when Christian Bale showed up, as the audience realized there was still another hour to go?
(I am referring, of course, to the films Luke blurbs in the New Times link… I haven’t seen either “Wolf Creek” or “The Ringer” yet, but I have a titanic boner for both films and can’t imagine “not caring” for either)
in my list squid & the whale is definitely at number one, followed closely by me & you & everyone we know. beyond that everything gets shakey.
sorry i have been missing in action on the board. i’m in missouri for a good spell, the land of dial-up and honey.
I guess Last Days is the best movie I saw this year, which surprised the hell out of me cause I thought I’d hate it. Saw Kong yesterday. I thought the first hour was pure rhino shit. Loved the second two hours. Also, can anyone explain to me why the monkey effects look spectacular, but effects like a row-boat moving through water look like warmed-over cat-shit?
Kontroll was my favorite movie of the year. Or was that considered a release from last year?
shitheel–yep. last days is definitely in my top. that’s the other killer i knew i was trying to remember. i was trying to remember what other movies gave my soul a rejoinder this year, and i forgot about that one.
great question about the row boat/monkey.