Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action
I’m the bat, man.
The Dark Knight is obviously herald as the superhero movies to end all superhero movies, but it wouldn’t be half as strong as it is without a firm structure to stand upon. Batman Begins is one hell of a film. It’s the reboot to put all other reboots to shame. The elements really aligned, from a suspiciously talented director to a dream cast that makes the mouth water. Add to it a script that stays faithful to the character while crafting an intriguing and thrilling story, plus cinematography by incredibly skillful up and coming director of photography, and you have a rock solid flick. Christopher Nolan has almost single handedly shown that even superhero movies should be taken seriously in addition to how entertaining they can be.
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupart Grint, Emma Watson
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Country: UK, USA
Genre: Fantasy
Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.
After two films that followed the same formula, a new director stepped in to helm the third installment of the series. Alfonso Curaón, probably best known for Children of Men, turns the frothiness of the previous two films and shrouds it in the dark of night. Where the first two films left audiences with a resonating feeling of sitting by the firelight, Azkaban leaves the audience with the feeling of being lost in the woods at midnight. Gary Oldman steps in, in the perfect way that only Oldman can to any role he’s given, to the notorious role of Sirius Black. The mystique of the Harry Potter series takes a turn for the better here, foreshadowing the long journey to come.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Daniel Craig
Director: Sam Mendes
Country: USA
Genre: Drama, Neo-noir
Every shot in this film looks like an Edward Hopper painting.
The legendary cinematographer Conrad L. Hall really outdid himself on Road to Perdition creating such a visually stunning palate of shadows and dark colors in true noir fashion. Sam Mendes took an interesting turn for his second directorial venture, finding inspiration in the stunning graphic novel by the same name. Ever the master of dealing with actors, Mendes pulls one hell of a performance from Tom Hanks, in a much darker role than his usual everyday hero types. Road may be a gangster movie on its surface, but below the dark anterior lies a touching father and son tale. Mendes and Hall artfully play with the distance between Mike and Michael Sullivan throughout the film, allowing them to grow together both visually and emotionally. And let’s not forget about Jude Law in his most disgusting and despicable character he’s ever played. Honey dipped fried chicken anyone?
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Director: Martin Scorsese
Country: USA
Genre: Thriller-ish.
At Shutter Island nothing is as it seems.
In his fourth collaboration with DiCaprio, Scorsese has pulled out one of his best performance, and crafted perhaps one of his most interesting films. Sure to infuriate some and delight others, Shutter Island is all about evoking a response out of the audience – participation. It’s a detective story about a detective, but the investigation isn’t the investigation that the detective is investigating. Or is it? It raises a lot of questions, and doesn’t take the audience for granted in finding the answers for themselves. Also, in a departure from his usual visual style, Scorsese has created one of his more luscious looking, albeit foreign feeling, films to date.
Tags: Adaptation, Crime, Detectives, Drama, Dysfunction, Ensemble, Horror, Mystery, Neo Noir, Period Piece, Suspense, Thriller, Violent, War
2010 Films | this guy over here February 25, 2010 | 
Comments (2)
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: USA
Genre: Action, Drama
Duh.
What can be said about TDK that hasn’t already been said? Not much. It’s obviously the greatest and best superhero film of all time. So, instead, I’ll just pay homage to it: Remember Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker? That was awesome. Remember the opening bank robbery? That was awesome. Remember the moral choices that Bruce Wayne had to make? Those were awesome. Remember the car chase in the tunnels? That was awesome. Remember when they replaced Katie Holmes with Maggie Gyllenhaal? That was… a choice. Remember Batman’s voice? … Even the best things aren’t without their flaws…
Starring: Matt Damon, Joan Allen, David Strathairn
Director: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA
Genre: Action
Ultimatum (noun) – a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.
What’s surprising about the third film in the franchise is its timeline. It overlaps quite a bit with The Bourne Supremacy, though watching the previous film in the series you’d never know it. It takes a bit to catch up, but luckily Ultimatum doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator. It’s jam packed with the stuff we’ve come to love from Bourne, fist fights (he punches a book into someone’s face!), car chases (even one on a motorcycle!), and good ol’ fashion treason. Strathairn brings a wonderful intensity to the mix, while Allen becomes a very appealing ally. It’s an incredibly thrilling film, certainly equal to its predecessors. The scene at Waterloo Station with Paddy Considine = pure adrenaline. And when all is said and done, the film leaves open the possibility of another sequel, but doesn’t fail to give closure to the trilogy.
Starring: Matt Damon, Brian Cox, Joan Allen
Director: Paul Greengrass
Country: USA
Genre: Action
A.K.A. Jason Bourne Hunting
Sequels always face an uphill battle. Simultaneously they must forward the story of the character(s) while still stringing together all of the things audiences loved about the first film. It’s an uphill battle that Bourne handles with a magazine slap to the face. The Bourne Supremacy takes all of the action sequences from the first film, and mixes it in a story of espionage and revenge. It takes the action sequences and pumps steroids into them. The end car chase that mirrors the first films is so outrageous and over the top, but it’s hard not to admire its brazened stunt driving. It’s pure thrilling entertainment. Damon kicks it as Bourne, but it doesn’t hurt when you have a supporting cast like Brian Cox and Joan Allen. Greengrass takes over the helm, and knocks it out of the park with his fast paced style.
Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman
