The worst part of leaving Los Angeles might have to be the amount of unique cinemas to choose from a whole slew of every new film currently out, before every other city even, as well as a great diverse choice of classics from double headers to q&a's with the filmmakers. I will forever miss that about LA.
I've gotten to the point, now in my 27 years as a student of film, where I can consciously choose the films I attend based on a group of 6-8 true auteurs in the current game of filmmaking. The talented individuals who conceptualize a very purposefully designed film prior to production and the final product is a true work of art in every sense, and hopefully they entertain along the way. Mixed in with various new potential players in the field as well as some small character study films, I feel confident every movie going experience will be a positive one, pending the annoying patrons who don't understand the courtesy of not distracting those around them.
Top 3 Films of the year:
(The films I have taking up my top 3 spots are such engaging cinema in each of their own distinct ways it seems trivial to place them in some sort of order based on how well I liked them, which is tricky to gauge).
Black Swan
After rewatching Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN last night, I realize that based on my personal taste, this filmmaker is perhaps the greatest man directing films today. His entire career is solid and each film exists as the components of an overall larger filmography showcasing the director's talents and progression.
With BLACK SWAN, he has created easily the most disturbing and frightening film of the year. I was truly scared at times and twice in the film I checked my pulse to feel it beating quickly while simultaneously out of breath. Never felt the emotional connection I prefer to have at the end of a film, but this film pulled the best acting of both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis' careers. I love that you can see him combining themes and tones from both REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and THE WRESTLER. Aronofsky's films are topping my best of lists the last three films he made (after just finding my best of list from 2006, I see THE FOUNTAIN, another film of his was number 1). 2nd favorite scene of the year : the "Transformation" scene.
The Social Network
David Fincher, another solid filmmaker uses a very specific tone and mood for nearly all his films. THE SOCIAL NETWORK displayed a dark, intense and at times depressing mood. A film with no likeable characters usually doesn't agree with me (a strong dissenter to THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, TRAINSPOTTING and NATURAL BORN KILLERS, which are probably all solid films), so it is quite surprising how well I liked this film. The characters were very rich and realistic and this film came out in such an importantly evolving time our society has reached, in this day of being plugged into technology 24 hours a day. A film that says a lot about our current world and society.
127 Hours
After SLUMDOG MILLIONARE came out, I said to myself that Danny Boyle was probably the most talented filmmaker alive (an award I apparently just revoked and gave to Aronofsky), and after this intense fucking film, he stays at the top of his game and of hollywood. A film that takes place almost entirely with one person and one small space is so gripping and uncomfortable, and somehow finds a way to develop such a strong emotion toward the character, brilliantly played by James Franco, that I spent several minutes at the end of the film crying my eyes out. What an incredible story told in an incredibly realistic way.
THE REST
Inception
Perhaps the most entertaining MOVIE of the year. Christopher Nolan has the rare ability to be as groundbreaking and brilliant as people like PT Anderson, Aronofsky, Tarantino, etc., and also be much more accessible and mainstream. His ideas are clever and thought provoking and are told in a way that average movie goers can be intrigued and challenged. My favorite scene of the year has to be the fight scene with Joseph Gordon Levitt in the rotating hotel hallway.
City Island
Incredible performance by Andy Garcia that I was sure would win him a nomination from the academy, yet I have not heard anyone talk about this incredibly touching character study with great acting and lots of laughs and perhaps a few tears.
The Fighter
Best performance of the year comes from Christian Bale as Dicky Ward. Bale continues to blow me away not only with his choices but his transformations, both physically and wholly really. From his interviews and what we know of him, he reminds me a bit of the Bob Dylan of acting, only much more intense. One of the greatest actors of all time. This film is a great story told simply and fluidly to move with a rhythm similar to the fighting taking place.
Get Low
Cool story. Great characters played by Bill Murray and Robert Duvall. A very slowly building emotional journey.
I'm Still Here
This actually be perhaps the greatest acting of the year. I was convinced at the end of the film it was all real, even though absurd and seemingly suspect, his transformation into this down and out, fucked up human being is remarkable. Cool project. Wish it would been better received.
Toy Story 3
Pixar. Making the best films since BACK TO THE FUTURE and GHOSTBUSTERS. Films that look better than any other and appeal to all ages of all walks of life. I would hate to be unable to enjoy one of these touching stories.
Kick-Ass/The Other Guys
Both act as parodies in as much as their own unique films. One of the best scenes of the year occurs in the middle of THE OTHER GUYS where the camera pans across still frames of intense action from action to action without any of the action moving creating quite the nice 3D comic book effect. and how can you not appreciate a film that is able to give Nicolas Cage a really great comeback!
Honorable Mention:
Exit Through the Gift Shop (The year of the documentary. Through a much more accessible world, the documentary continues to gain a lot of speed and percent of the market. It's nice to see).
Catfish
Harry Brown
MicMacs
El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes)
(apparently already won the oscar for foreign language film last year. I thought it was 2010. Great film and story regardless.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Best Music of 2010
My ability to listen to as many albums as I did several years ago is gone. in 2009, I no longer had my own apartment or house or car and focused my energy and efforts on being in the world and traveling as opposed to sitting on my computer and listening to music. I still enjoy very much doing the latter, however, due to those things, my musical horizons have not increased as rapidly as in the past. However, this year I reached into the past and started listening to Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. I've had fun exploring their catalogue of music and am excited to find more classic artists in 2011 as well as new music. I love music and creativity and the following are albums that I enjoyed for the past year.
1. Menomena - Mines It's great to find a band when they have one release and to see them put out quality albums with each new record. Ever since I AM THE FUN BLAME MONSTER, I had found one of the greatest, most unique albums I had ever heard and the bands following releases were good and offered something new each time. However, with the release of MINES, I feel like the band has found their best sound yet. Much of the album is reminiscent of what they've done in the past, however, on MINES, the sound is much larger and much more diverse and much more capable for aural exploration. Also, the most singsongy album of theirs to date.
2. The National - High Violet
After getting into the National with BOXER, I was certain no National album could live up to my love of that album, thus keeping me from ever looking into their back catalogue. However, with HIGH VIOLET, the National has made just as solid of an album as their last. The songs are perfect and the album is a testament to a band that puts forth all their time and energy on creating a masterpiece.
3. Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett
I have been a DJ fan ever since I mail ordered the GATHERED IN SONG ep from an early internet site advertising the release from "Damien Jurardo." Confused about his name for some time after and catching a live performance at the cornerstone music festival in 2000, I immediately delved into his career and since have purchased every release possible from the artist. I have seen him more than I've seen any other band or artist and until getting into Bob Dylan, DJ has always been my favorite singer/songwriter/artist. After a slew of great songwriting mostly in the same vein, this year we see Jurado breaking free from a formula that has worked so well for him and pulls from new influences and has the help from producer Richard Swift for a new sound that suits Jurado well. The opening is the best album opening of the year, and of Jurado's career, reminiscent of an epic church song.
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Another band I have been with since their first release. I will never forget the first time I heard/saw Arcade Fire on the Conan O'Brien show and immediately going out the next day to buy FUNERAL. The album produced a sound I had never heard and was excited about music. This was an important time (2004) in my musical pilgrimage and discovery and FUNERAL was a perfect album to open my horizons. After a disappointing but still solid NEON BIBLE, the band has returned with possibly the sharpest album of their career. While not holding the pureness of FUNERAL (a record that holds a more raw power like that of IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA or even the promise ring's 30 DEGREES EVERYWHERE), THE SUBURBS is a brilliantly constructed album from start to finish that holds such a strong sense of living life in the suburbs, something I can easily relate to.
5. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
His psychological shortcomings get released in the form of being an asshole and while his rhymes are kind of, what's the word, bad, the guy knows how to produce an incredible sound.
6. Aloha - Home Acres
90's emo (ie The Promise Ring, Get Up Kids) meets 2000s experimental rock (ie. Dirty Projectors, Battles)
7. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
The best live music experience I have ever had was at Bonnaroo this past summer seeing Dr. Dog (which reminded me of what may be the closest thing to seeing the Beatles or a similar act in the heyday of psychedelic drug use mixed with experimental rock n roll), The Flaming Lips (the greatest live show of all time) perform THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, and then followed by LCD Soundsystem at 2 in the morning all in one day. What a beautiful day ended with a tent full of people having fun dancing to a full band performing such brilliantly produced unique songs.
8. Mimicking Birds - Mimicking Birds
Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful
9. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
I cannot get enough of his voice. A great live show I saw in the summer of 2009. Great stage presence and confidence that match his songwriting and simple songs.
10. The Black Keys - Brothers
My first experience with the band who apparently has 5 other albums prior to this excellent album.
11. Baths - Cerulean
Drugs
12. MGMT - Congratulations
Better than their last album of one hit wonders. Fun and trippy. A couple of the songs actually remind me of what Everything, Now! has been doing for a long time.
13. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
This album is full of so many influences and styles. Very fun.
14. Toro Y Moi - Causers of This
15. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Duh.
16. Arrah and the Ferns - All the Bad in One Place
Good friends with such a level of improvement and maturity over their first fun pop album. I am excited about their reunion and continual progression.
17. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
More drugs
18. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
19. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
20. Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking it Easy
Country!
21. Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
22. The Books - The Way Out
23. Cowboy Angels - Rent. Vol. 1
It's the year I and many others became country apparently.
24. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
25. Ok Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Honorable Mentions: , Spoon - Transference, Surfer Blood - Astrocoast, Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame, Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me , Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
Favorite Songs from Albums not listed or not given full listens:
FRIGHTENED RABBIT - Nothing Like You
DR. DOG - Jackie Wants a Black Eye
DELPHIC - Doubt
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI - Round and Round
FOALS - Total Life Forever
GIL SCOTT-HERON - New York is Killing Me
GORILLAZ - Stylo
THE RADIO DEPT. - Never Follow Suit
KNXWLEDGE - Kollective
MUX MOOL - Hog Knuckles
1. Menomena - Mines It's great to find a band when they have one release and to see them put out quality albums with each new record. Ever since I AM THE FUN BLAME MONSTER, I had found one of the greatest, most unique albums I had ever heard and the bands following releases were good and offered something new each time. However, with the release of MINES, I feel like the band has found their best sound yet. Much of the album is reminiscent of what they've done in the past, however, on MINES, the sound is much larger and much more diverse and much more capable for aural exploration. Also, the most singsongy album of theirs to date.
2. The National - High Violet
After getting into the National with BOXER, I was certain no National album could live up to my love of that album, thus keeping me from ever looking into their back catalogue. However, with HIGH VIOLET, the National has made just as solid of an album as their last. The songs are perfect and the album is a testament to a band that puts forth all their time and energy on creating a masterpiece.
3. Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett
I have been a DJ fan ever since I mail ordered the GATHERED IN SONG ep from an early internet site advertising the release from "Damien Jurardo." Confused about his name for some time after and catching a live performance at the cornerstone music festival in 2000, I immediately delved into his career and since have purchased every release possible from the artist. I have seen him more than I've seen any other band or artist and until getting into Bob Dylan, DJ has always been my favorite singer/songwriter/artist. After a slew of great songwriting mostly in the same vein, this year we see Jurado breaking free from a formula that has worked so well for him and pulls from new influences and has the help from producer Richard Swift for a new sound that suits Jurado well. The opening is the best album opening of the year, and of Jurado's career, reminiscent of an epic church song.
4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Another band I have been with since their first release. I will never forget the first time I heard/saw Arcade Fire on the Conan O'Brien show and immediately going out the next day to buy FUNERAL. The album produced a sound I had never heard and was excited about music. This was an important time (2004) in my musical pilgrimage and discovery and FUNERAL was a perfect album to open my horizons. After a disappointing but still solid NEON BIBLE, the band has returned with possibly the sharpest album of their career. While not holding the pureness of FUNERAL (a record that holds a more raw power like that of IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA or even the promise ring's 30 DEGREES EVERYWHERE), THE SUBURBS is a brilliantly constructed album from start to finish that holds such a strong sense of living life in the suburbs, something I can easily relate to.
5. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
His psychological shortcomings get released in the form of being an asshole and while his rhymes are kind of, what's the word, bad, the guy knows how to produce an incredible sound.
6. Aloha - Home Acres
90's emo (ie The Promise Ring, Get Up Kids) meets 2000s experimental rock (ie. Dirty Projectors, Battles)
7. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
The best live music experience I have ever had was at Bonnaroo this past summer seeing Dr. Dog (which reminded me of what may be the closest thing to seeing the Beatles or a similar act in the heyday of psychedelic drug use mixed with experimental rock n roll), The Flaming Lips (the greatest live show of all time) perform THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, and then followed by LCD Soundsystem at 2 in the morning all in one day. What a beautiful day ended with a tent full of people having fun dancing to a full band performing such brilliantly produced unique songs.
8. Mimicking Birds - Mimicking Birds
Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful
9. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
I cannot get enough of his voice. A great live show I saw in the summer of 2009. Great stage presence and confidence that match his songwriting and simple songs.
10. The Black Keys - Brothers
My first experience with the band who apparently has 5 other albums prior to this excellent album.
11. Baths - Cerulean
Drugs
12. MGMT - Congratulations
Better than their last album of one hit wonders. Fun and trippy. A couple of the songs actually remind me of what Everything, Now! has been doing for a long time.
13. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
This album is full of so many influences and styles. Very fun.
14. Toro Y Moi - Causers of This
15. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Duh.
16. Arrah and the Ferns - All the Bad in One Place
Good friends with such a level of improvement and maturity over their first fun pop album. I am excited about their reunion and continual progression.
17. Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
More drugs
18. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
19. Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
20. Phosphorescent - Here's To Taking it Easy
Country!
21. Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
22. The Books - The Way Out
23. Cowboy Angels - Rent. Vol. 1
It's the year I and many others became country apparently.
24. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
25. Ok Go - Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Honorable Mentions: , Spoon - Transference, Surfer Blood - Astrocoast, Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame, Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me , Frog Eyes - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph
Favorite Songs from Albums not listed or not given full listens:
FRIGHTENED RABBIT - Nothing Like You
DR. DOG - Jackie Wants a Black Eye
DELPHIC - Doubt
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI - Round and Round
FOALS - Total Life Forever
GIL SCOTT-HERON - New York is Killing Me
GORILLAZ - Stylo
THE RADIO DEPT. - Never Follow Suit
KNXWLEDGE - Kollective
MUX MOOL - Hog Knuckles
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