2011 Fall Movie Preview

Some people have football, some people have prime time television. Me?  I've got Oscar.

We’re into it now, the most wonderful time of the year.  As we roll into the precious Oscar-bait season, here are the films I’m most looking forward to, and a few that I hope will simply pass the time pleasantly.

Here’s to hoping a glorified Movie of the Week with really good acting (i.e. The King’s Speech) doesn’t nab the top prize again.  Trailers will be added as they become available.

Drive – Sept. 16
Best film of the year...?  You tell me.  Click here for my review.

Straw Dogs – Sept. 16
A perfectly worthy remake of Sam Peckinpah's mediocre original. My review.

Moneyball – Sept. 23
If it wasn’t for Brad Pitt and its coveted director, I’d have no interest in seeing Moneyball.  Hopefully this will do for baseball what Warrior did for MMA. 

50/50 – Sept. 30
The title says it all: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the reason you should see this, and Seth Rogen is the reason you shouldn’t.  Not banking too much on this.

Margaret – Sept. 30
Made in 2005 and delayed until now (so that’s why Matt Damon looks so skinny), Margaret will either be as good as director Kenneth Lonergan says it is, or a complete dud.

Take Shelter – Sept 30
Because it stars two of the most talented people in the business, and it’s the second feature by a guy who blew me away the first time around.

The Ides of March – Oct. 7
Have you seen this cast?  Seriously.

The Skin I Live In – Oct. 14
Because it’s Almadovar, baby.  All About My Mother…? Talk to Her…? Broken Embraces… ?  Need I say more…?

Martha Marcy May Marlene – Oct. 21
Because it got raves coming out of Sundance.  And because being moved from a summer release date to the fall is never a bad sign.  Also, John Hawkes.

Paranormal Activity 3 – Oct. 21
Because, yes, even though it’s turning into another Saw-like franchise, and will in no way be as scary as the first, I still liked to be freaked out every now and again.  

The Rum Diary – Oct. 28
Because the last time Johnny Depp played Hunter S. Thompson, I absolutely hated it.  Then I watched it again.  And again.  And again.  What’s the score here?  What’s next?

My Week with Marilyn – Nov. 4

Because if anyone can convincingly pull off playing Marilyn Monroe, it’s Michelle Williams.

J. Edgar – Nov. 9
Eastwood.  DiCaprio. Watts.  Oscar. Here. We. Come.

Melancholia – Nov. 11

Because despite the fact that Lars Von Trier may indeed be a Nazi-sympathizing asshole, he often does wonder with the cinematic medium.  And Kristen Dunst, Best Actress and Cannes?  Say what?

The Descendants – Nov. 23
Because I’m one of the few people who didn’t really care for Alexander Payne’s last film (Sideways), but I’m also one of the few people who thought his actual last film was a mini masterpiece (the final segment of Paris, Je T’Aime).

Hugo – Nov. 23
Because despite the fact that the trailer looks rubbish, it’s Scorsese.  Which will always be enough for me.

The Artist – Nov. 23
Because this will be the first silent film in decades that will be nominated for Best Picture.

A Dangerous Method – Nov. 23
Because this looks like pure Cronenbergian bliss.  Also, Michael Fassbender.

Piranha 3DD – Nov. 23
Because, come on, we gotta have a little fun.

We Need to Talk About Kevin – Dec. 2
Because it looks heavy, sad, depressing, and finely acted.  Pure Oscar season joy.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – Dec. 9
Because it looks old school spy thriller good.  Not cheap gimmicks, but patient intelligence.

Young Adult – Dec. 16

Because when Charlize Theron is good, she’s great. The writer/director Juno combo is risky (I wasn’t really a fan), but I’m confident Jason Reitman will pull it off.

Carnage – Dec. 16
Four characters. One set.  Roman Polanski.  Yes please.

The Iron Lady – Dec. 16
Because it’s Meryl Streep… as Margaret Thatcher.  She should probably dust off her acceptance speech.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Dec. 16
Because of its badass trailer.  And because Jeremy Renner is in talks to take over this franchise, which can possibly mean: Tom Cruise = dead.  Rock ‘n’ roll.

Albert Nobbs – TDB

Because it’s Glenn Close… as a dude.  She should probably dust off her acceptance speech.

Shame - TBD
Because the last time director Steve McQueen and star Michael Fassbender teamed up, I didn't breathe for 96 minutes (yeah, Hunger is that good).  Also, this production still:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Dec. 23

I really shouldn’t have to explain myself here.

We Bought a Zoo – Dec. 23
To be honest, I don’t know about this. I like Cameron Crowe and his rock ‘n’ roll sentimentality, and I’m willing to forget Elizabethtown, but this trailer is pretty weak.  

The Adventures of Tintin – Dec. 23
Much like Hugo, Tintin is a flick that doesn’t interest me nearly as much as its director.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Dec. 25

Acclaimed book, proven stars, American tragedy; expect this to be a serious awards contender.

War Horse – Dec. 28
The second Spielberg flick this season that I’m not really looking forward to.  I do, however, have a sneaking suspicion that he’ll deliver here.

Not in the mood for heavy-handy marvel?  No problem, Hollywood’s got your back with Footloose (Oct. 14), Tower Heist (Oct. 4), Jack and Jill (Nov. 11), Twilight: Eclipse Part 1 (Nov. 18), Sherlock Holmes 2 (Dec. 16), and New Year’s Eve (Dec. 9).

Drive

I’m often criticized for not being more open about my movie tastes.  According to the sentiments of many acquaintances, I can’t enjoy a film unless I’m being tested.  A movie has to make me think, it has to be based in truth, it has to be subtitled and made under X amount of money.  I’m unable, they say, to appreciate the characteristic that films are specifically designed to do: entertain.

All of this, I often defend, is completely untrue, but their claims are not without merit.  Yes, I do prefer that a movie test me, both emotionally and mentally.  No, I do not think films are primarily made to entertain.  Yes, if you asked me to create my top 100 films of all time, 60 percent of them would not be in English.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not open to whatever is being projected.  When I sit down in a theater, regardless if the screen will soon be filled with The Tree of Life or Transformers 3, I sit with an open mind.  Every film is given a clean slate; no judgments are made prematurely.

It’s quite simple, really.  For me to enjoy a film, it needs to be one of two things: something I’ve never seen before, or something I’ve seen dozens of times, only done distinctively.

That laborious preamble is made to draw attention to a new film that falls into the former category, but is inexplicably entertaining.  The film is Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive.  It is unlike everything I’ve ever seen, and it is utterly flawless.

Drive begins with an extended pre-credit sequence that rivals any opening scene from any film made in the last decade (or the one before, or the one before that).  It’s quick, smart, impossibly suspenseful, grandly conceived and ingeniously executed.  And did I mention that it’s accomplished with its star, Ryan Gosling, not uttering a single word?

To crudely summarize the film’s plot, Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt car driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for thieves in need.  Shortly into the film, two important things happen: he befriends his timid, disarming neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and gets involved with a few low-level criminals who will do anything, and hurt anyone, to make a buck.

Like all great films, issuing a two sentence plot description in no way does the movie justice.  Also like all great films, to divulge details any further would be criminal.

Drive, according to its director, who’s best known for his romper stomper action flick Bronson, was inspired by original fairy tale stories (you know, the ones where Cinderella’s step sisters slice their ankles off to fit their foot in a glass slipper), and electronica music.  Drive has both, but not without every frame being firmly cemented in reality.  This is a highly stylized picture.  Colors are heightened, slow motion is often utilized, music (both the songs by various electronica bands and an original score by the great Cliff Martinez) swells, then fades, then swells again; all lending itself to a wholly original work of art.

Ryan Gosling, matching the career high he set last year with Blue Valentine, is mesmerizing as The Driver.  He moves slowly, speaks purposefully, and always appears to be three moves ahead.  He’s a calculating bruiser of a man.  The kind of guy who says very little, but is constantly speaking volumes.  His Driver is the best acting performance seen on screen so far this year.

Additionally, each supporting player fits into Refn’s world seamlessly.  Carey Mulligan delivers the caliber of performance we’ve grown to expect from her, and then some.  The fact that her character was scripted as a Latin woman, which was quickly amended once Refn met Mulligan, says a lot about what this incredible young talent brings to a film.  Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks and especially Albert Brooks (in a career-best performance) all dive head first into the material.  Chopping at the bit and loving it.

In May, I made a bold prediction that you’d be lucky to find a better American-made film this year than The Tree of Life (a statement I again backed up a few weeks ago).  I’ll speak to that now by simply declaring that luck has befallen us.  Drive is a colossal achievement of the medium.  It’s a thinker, a mover and damn fine entertainer.  Enjoy the ride. A

Straw Dogs

Every remake carries with it the same bottom line: is the new one better than the first?  Few are, so perhaps a fairer question is to ask if Rod Lurie’s slice of white trash Americana remake is worthy of Sam Peckinpah’s original slice of classical cult? 

Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs featured a familiar plot, considerably weak acting, and some of the most infamous consecutive eight minutes ever put on film.  Rod Lurie’s rehashing carries with it the flaws of the original, while boasting its strengths as well.

For Lurie’s film, notable screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) and his actress wife, Amy (Kate Boseworth) return to her hometown for a little R and R, and soon find themselves victim of some genuinely terrifying Southern charm.

Shortly after hiring Amy’s high school flame, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård) to repair their barn roof, David finds himself annoyingly distracted by the construction, while his wife endures a playful bit of sexual harassment.  But don’t worry, as Charlie informs just about every character in the film at least once, “We take care of our own around here.”  So really, there’s nothing to worry about. Right.

Chaos soon ensues; advantage is taken, identities are mistaken, felines are rested, tempers are flared, blood is shed, all in the name of camp cinema.

Lurie, as demonstrated in his fantastic (and fantastically overlooked) The Contender, has a serious eye for cinema. His camera is sharp, purposefully focused, and hued just right.  His dialogue is witty and inviting (Lurie has wisely removed a great deal of ham from the original’s script). And his work with actors almost always lends itself to determined results.

Marsden and Bosworth (mostly off the radar as of late) fit well into the roles generated by Dustin Hoffman and Susan George, with Marsden (mostly) well cast as the dweeb out of his element, and Bosworth slinking convincibly into the not-so-damsel in distress bit. And then there’s Alexander Skarsgård, whose popularity seems to be gaining by the week, delivering a cunning performance of subtle evil.  It’s a meaty role, and Skarsgård sinks his teeth right into it.

While Lurie’s flick has a good amount going for it, his Straw Dogs, like Peckinpah’s, is not without its flaws.  Time hasn’t done well for the story, which now feels dated and done, lacking all originality.  Marsden gets a little too medieval on some redneck asses, to the point of displaying the powers of a would-be superhero. Hoffman was a frail, scared shitless dork, which is why the performance worked.  Marsden is a buff, take-no-prisoners snob, which doesn’t make his initial fear all to compelling.

Was it necessary for Rod Lurie to remake an already mediocre film?  Sure, why not. For better or worse, it does the original justice by sticking closely to its source material. But that bear trap, I must say, is used far better this time around.  B-  

Tyler Perry, Top Gun 3D, Point Break Remake and other recent disasters

So, here's where we're at this week.  An absurdly corny and endlessly overpraised ‘80s flick will soon make even more money, one of the best action films of all time is pointlessly being remade, and oh yeah, Tyler Perry is the highest paid man working in the entertainment industry.  The entire entertainment industry. 

Tyler Perry – Highest Paid Male Entertainer

According to Forbes’ annual list of the highest paid entertainers per year, Tyler Perry killed the competition, netting $130 million from May 2010-May 2011, far surpassing second place Jerry Bruckheimer’s $113 million take.

How this was done isn’t of issue.  Perry makes a lot of movies.  They cost next to nothing and make shitloads.  The fact that his films are horrible matters little to the demographic they target.  Essentially, he’s tapping an untapped market, which he’ll continue to do with the movie he just wrapped and the two TV shows he created. 

Perry has a flawless work ethic, no question.  I just wish his work was based more on quality than quantity.  I’ve never seen anything good with his name attached to it (with the exception of Precious, of course, a film Perry invested no creative input into.)  But the fact that a far more prominent black director can’t even get a sequel to his most successful film financed, and Perry can release crap like this, well, it’s just damn disheartening.

Ride Into the Danger Zone (in 3D!)

I don’t like Top Gun. Never have, never will.  I’d probably enjoy it if most males ages 18-45 didn’t consider it the greatest movie of all time, and quote it incessantly, night after night, beer after beer.  (I do, however, appreciate the fact that director Tony Scott was able to make fun of the film, via a brilliant tirade in another one of his movies).

Regardless of how you feel about Maverick and Co., Top Gun has aged badly.  The music, the acting, the clothes, the hair – it’s all so… ‘80s. (Bad ‘80s, not good ‘80s.)  But guys desperately attempting to clutch onto any homoerotic nostalgia leftover from their youth will surely fork out $14+ to see Top Gun in 3D.  At least that’s what Paramount is banking on, as Top Gun 3D will flying by theaters early next year. 

Can’t you think of 10 far more worthy 3D conversion treatments?  Me, I’d like to see Jake LaMotta throwing seven left hooks in the third dimension, or John McClane jumping off a building, out of the screen, into my popcorn.  For better or worse, if Top Gun 3D is successful, you can expect much more of this behavior.

That Would Be… a Waste of Time

When news broke that Alcon was considering remaking Point Break, I wasn’t mad, I wasn’t upset, I was goddamn offended.  Loyal readers may be familiar with my admiration for Point Break.  It’s the perfect action film, one that you can have just as much fun laughing with as you can laughing at.  I simply do not understand what a Point Break remake can lend to… anything.  Footloose will soon be butchered and The Thing looks utterly dismal, so why spend time and money making something that fans and Bodhi newbies alike will undoubtedly detest?

It won’t be surfing, it’ll be extreme water sports.  It won’t be two FBI agents, it’ll be guys in suits standing in darkly-lit war rooms, studying information on a lot of very large monitors.  And it won’t be The Swayz, it’ll be some cheap knock off doing his best Swayz impression, which will just be insulting. 

I’m not a religious man, but I pray this remake gets cast out into the vast Australian sea, never to come back again.

The Good News

Dustin Hoffman is set to direct his first flick.  Cameron Crowe’s new movie looks better than his previous feature (although, most movies do).  And our favorite Bad Motherfucker just got cast in a role that will undoubtedly reaffirm is status as America’s most sincerely badass actor.

Warrior

There’s just something about this Gavin O’Connor guy.  His first widely released feature, Miracle, was a Disney-produced recreation of the legendary 1980 Winter Olympics hockey game, when the youthful men’s US team miraculously beat the unbeatable Russians.  Now, while I acknowledge that the real event was as iconic as American sports moments get, hockey itself is a sport I could care less about.  Mix my indifference with a cast of unknowns and a burnt-out lead, and I’m all but lost.  Miracle, however, did its title justice by being a great addition to the camaraderie-conquers-all sports genre.  It’s quite a good film, one that was well-received critically, but barely seen commercially.

Next was Pride and Glory, a very R-rated spin on a very familiar, good cops vs. bad cops plot.  So again, O’Connor is working with tired, used-up material but somehow delivering distinction.

Now we’ve got Warrior, a (mostly) family-friendly battle of brothers, who after years of estrangement, find themselves toe to toe in an all-or-nothing mixed martial arts tournament.  Barf.  Seriously, did you see this trailer?  With its eardrum-shattering horn music, its conveniently clichéd dialogue and horribly staged plot execution?  Warrior, in my eyes, promised nothing, which makes the final outcome that much more awe inspiring.

Warrior, to speak frankly, is nothing short of excellent.  Its scenes are long, with plentiful accurate dialogue, but there isn’t a wasted minute in its nearly two and a half hour running time.  Its MMA fights are fast, ferocious and supremely badass.  And its acting, dare I say, ranks among the finest ensemble we’ve seen from any movie so far this year. 

Tom Hardy (spectacular in Bronson, better known for Inception and the upcoming Dark Knight Rises) plays Tommy, a reserved loner who resurfaces after years of being absent.  He soon begins training, eyeing the $5 million purse promised by the epic tournament.  His motives – what he plans to do with the money, why he resurfaced now – aren’t initially clear.

Joel Edgerton (Baz from the brilliant Animal Kingdom) plays Tommy’s older brother, Brendan, a loving husband, devoted father, and hip high school teacher, moonlighting as an MMA fighter to save his home from foreclosure. 

In the middle is their father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), a recovering alcoholic who both brothers appear to hate equally.  Paddy drove his wife and youngest son out years ago, and made a lasting enemy out of Brendan.  Nolte, in his best performance since The Thin Red Line, does absolute wonders with Paddy.  He takes him far beyond overused sports clichés, instead making him a real, complicated, fleshed out, washed up bruiser of an old man.  It’s the best performance in a movie filled with many, including bit parts by Noah Emmerich (an O’Connor regular, playing a take-it-or-leave-it bank loaner), Frank Grillo (as Brendan’s trainer), Kevin Dunn (as a high school principal), Jennifer Morrison (as Brendan’s wife), and O’Connor himself, who briefly plays the millionaire organizer of the tournament. 

Warrior can best be summed up by its opening and closing scenes.  The former is a 20 minute conversation – slow, deliberate, character revealing, the latter is a 10 minute fight – quick, raw, character revealing.  Both are paced perfectly and use no flashy gimmicks to make their point clear.  The scenes are bookends to a film you shouldn’t be expected to like, but will find yourself exceptionally surprised in doing so. A-

Contagion

Much like he’s used the influence of movies like Klute, Solaris and The Parallax View to create some of the best works of his impeccable career, Steven Soderbergh is seriously having a throwback blast with Contagion, a pandemic genre flick that shows the world plagued with the suspicion of a globally fatal disease.

In Contagion, Soderbergh casts a plethora of heavy-hitters (almost every major player has been nominated for an Oscar; most have won), and throws them into a world in which a mysterious, incurable disease is wiping out millions, with no clear end in sight.

There’s the successful businesswoman (Gwyenth Paltrow) who may or may not have been the first person to contract the disease, her soon-to-be widowed husband (Matt Damon), the cool calm and collected head of the CDC (Laurence Fishburne), the educated scientist (Kate Winslet), the educated problem solver (Marion Cotillard), the hysterical conspiracy theorist (Jude Law), the quiet janitor (John Hawkes), the determined General (Bryan Cranston) and on and on.

Soderbergh is a true actor’s director. No matter your status or number of awards, no matter how much money you make or how distinguished your filmography is; if you’re right for the part, you’re right for the part. 

Contagion has some serious A-listers, but it also has quite a few little-known actors in very significant roles.  And everyone, most thankfully, is given equal screen time. There are no grandstanding moments of epic catharsis, no Oscar-baiting, music swelling scenes of remorse. As a film, Contagion depends most on its actors, and it’s very rewarding to see everyone putting in such solid work.

But there’s another reason you may enjoy Contagion as much as I did, and that is the simple pleasure of watching a master at work. 

Steven Soderbergh, I’d argue more so than any living filmmaker, is a true master of his craft.  His technique, simply put, is deliberate and flawless.  Acting again as his own cinematographer, he knows when to focus pull his camera, when to use steadicam or hand held, what filter to use, and, most importantly, when to leave the camera the hell alone on a tripod.  In addition, the music (by Cliff Martinez), is always pitch perfect, the editing (here by Stephen Mirrione, an Oscar winner for Traffic) is always seamless and evolving; everything involved is the result of a true auteur of the medium.

Minutes after Contagion ended, I tweeted that if you were a Soderbergh fan, you’d love this film, but I cautioned that if you were unfamiliar with Steven Soderbergh, Contagion may not be for you. But seriously, who’s unfamiliar with Steven Soderbergh? A-

Click here for my write-up on Steven Soderbergh's entire career.  

A 2011 Pre-Oscar Season Summation

Before I unleash the movies I’m most excited about this Oscar season, let’s take a look at what we’ve seen so far.  As has been the case for the past few years, American movie theaters have mostly (and most popularly) been polarizing audiences with thankless, big budget nonsense.  But, also like most every year, there have been a few hidden gems begging to be exposed.

For the record, the best film I’ve seen so far this year, which also contains the two best female acting performances, is Incendies.  But since it was nominated for the Foreign Language Oscar last year, thereby making it ineligible for competition this year, I’m not counting it in this wrap up.

There’s a lot of repetition in these categories, but that’s simply because we haven’t been offered anything else truly worthy.  Yet. 

Titles link to my original reviews.

Best Film

The Tree of Life

In the kicker of my original review, I warned readers that they’ll be hard pressed to find a better American movie this year than Terrence Malick’s love-it-or-hate-it work of art.  Months later, I’m sticking by that statement.  For now.

Honorable Mention: The Double Hour, a twisty, turny, little-seen, quasi masterpiece that left theaters as quickly as it entered them.  The little attention this movie received is heartbreaking. The fact that it still doesn’t have a DVD release date is devastating.

Best Director

Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

Quite simply, I just don’t know how he did it.

Honorable Mention: Michael Winterbottom – The Trip

Best Actor

Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life

By year’s end, my pick for Best Actor will undoubtedly change, but damn if Pitt didn’t nail it.

Honorable Mention: Demián Bichir – A Better Life

Best Actress

Kseniya Rappoport – The Double Hour

Honorable Mention: Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life

Best Supporting Actor

Hunter McCracken – The Tree of Life

Yeah, I liked this flick… a lot.

Honorable Mention: Christopher Plummer – Beginners, John Boyega – Attack the Block

Best Supporting Actress

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

One of the best comedic performances I've seen in years.  McCarthy, however, took it beyond mere comedy; she gave her character a heart.

Honorable Mention: I have seen none better than McCarthy.

Best Screenplay

The Double Hour - Alessandro Fabbri, Ludovica Rampoldi, and Stefano Sardo

Honorable Mention: The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

Best Documentary

Cave of Forgotten Dreams – Werner Herzog

Honorable Mention: Tabloid – Errol Morris

Best Everything Technical

The Tree of Life

If Emmanuel Lubezki doesn’t win Best Cinematography for this movie, there is something seriously wrong with the Oscars (other than the eye rolling choice of host).

  

Top 10 of 2011 So Far

Win Win

Bridesmaids

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Midnight in Paris

The Double Hour

The Tree of Life

Beginners

Tabloid

The Trip

Attack the Block

Stay tuned for my Fall Movie Preview.

Attack the Block

Let me tell you a little about Attack the Block, the odd, hilarious, all-together fascinating new British film from first time director Joe Cornish. The movie begins with a clumsy mugging that is hastily interrupted by the crash landing of an alien in the middle of the street.  Five teenage hoods (who, in terms of thuggishness rank somewhere between the twerps that follow them around, and the hardcore killer that they emulate) chase the foreign being down and beat it to death with knives, fists and fireworks.

Moments later, their neighborhood is completely overrun with bear-like black beasts, who seem to want nothing more than teenage blood.

So what I’ve just described is a flick about troublesome teenagers, angry aliens, and drab apartments.  Attack the Block should in no way work.  But boy does it ever.

When I left the theater, I was contemplating the difficulty of penning a screenplay like Attack the Block’s.  At face value, it isn’t really anything special (it has, however, been wrongly dubbed the British Cloverfield), and the dialogue isn’t intensely game-changing.  In short, this movie would fail, badly, if it didn’t have a handful of perfectly cast young actors fleshing out its characters.  The most prominent of which is John Boyega, who makes a startling acting debut as Moses, the gang’s leader. Boyega looks like a 15-year-old Denzel Washington, which is fitting, given the depth of range he squeezes into this 88 minute film.  This kid, mark my words, is going to be a massive star.

Jodie Whiteaker (best known for her role in Venus, the 2006 film starring Peter O’Toole) is also quite good, given the various emotional peaks her character has to hit and cascaded down from.  And all the supporting characters, every single snot-nosed punk involved, make Cornish’s words fly off the screen.  Much like Alex DeLarge, I wasn’t entirely sure what they were always saying, but you can bet your ass I was constantly amused.

Attack the Block is equal parts comedy, action and horror (three genres I don’t particularly care for), the result of which is a movie that is funny, freaky and ferociously brilliant. The camera zips along gracefully, and slow-mo’s appropriately, the techno-heavy score is loud, but fitting, and the direction is bold and seamless.

This is a small film; it’s played well overseas, but is struggling to find an audience here.  Shame.  If it finds steady footing, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Attack the Block considered for a few Oscars.  Screenplay and Score, most prominently; but my hope of hopes would put Boyega in the running for Supporting Actor.

A test of a great film, I often say, is one that you wish wouldn’t end.  Considering that Attack the Block takes place in real time, that’s about as grand a compliment as I can offer.  "Allow it," as Moses would say. A-

20 Documentaries to (Really) See Before You Die

Documentaries are my favorite genre of films.  No question.  (Note: I pay no attention to the uninformed notions that every foreign film should be categorized under a sole genre.) So when I heard about Current TV’s list of 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die, I was immediately excited. 

Now, normally I’d dive off into a rant injected with inspired sarcasm and playful mockery, but fair being fair… Current TV’s list isn’t all that bad.  Sure, most of the movies seem to be on the list simply due to their popularity, and there are, of course, a few puzzling inclusions (Catfish… really?), but ultimately, what’s on the list isn’t nearly as noteworthy as what was left off. 

So for our purposes, I’m presenting two lists: the 10 best docs Current TV included, and 10 great docs they left off.  Both lists will be cataloged chronologically and will (hopefully) be immensely enjoyed by documentary enthusiasts and fanatics of cinema alike.

The 10 Best Documentaries from the Current TV list

The Thin Blue Line (1998) [ranked 2^nd by Current TV]

Many people are making comparisons between what the Paradise Lost documentaries did for the West Memphis Three and what The Thin Blue Line did for Randall Adams.  In the late ‘70s, Adams was falsely convicted of murdering a police officer, 12 years and one Errol Morris documentary later, he was freed.  Nevermind that Adams ultimately sued Morris for the rights to his story; it’s all in the game.

Crumb (1994) [ranked 15^th by Current TV]

At their best, documentaries find a subject so candid and willing to divulge secrets, that the result is utterly stupefying. Robert Crumb, and several members of his family, have no qualms about telling Terry Zwigoff, and his audience, why he is the way he is.  The result is equal parts shocking, hilarious and utterly heartbreaking.

Hoop Dreams (1994) [ranked 1^st by Current TV]

Often ranked first among all the films of the documentary genre, Hoop Dreams is the end result of a white dude who followed two Michael Jordon-type prodigies around for four years.  Although basketball appears to be its central focus, the movie has very little to do with the sport.  Human emotion and grim reality are far more accurate attributes.

When We Were Kings (1996) [ranked 40^th by Current TV]  

As a boxing fanatic, there’s nothing better than watching experts recount the pound-for-pound glory that equated to The Rumble in the Jungle.  Made mostly in the ‘70s but released in 1996, this doc won the Oscar, which feels paltry in comparison to its ingenuity. 

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1998) [ranked 46^th by Current TV]            

Werner Herzog shares the rank, along with Errol Morris and Frederick Wiseman, as being our best living documentarian.  This doc recounts the struggle of Dieter Dengler, a pilot who was held as a POW for several months during Vietnam.  When filming was done, Dengler told Herzog that his story wasn’t through being told.  Herzog agreed, and eight years later, he made Rescue Dawn, an equally impressive narrative vision of the same story.

Capturing the Friedmans (2003) [ranked 20^th by Current TV]

Andrew Jarecki was interested in making a short film about New York City’s most popular clown performers.  While interviewing David Friedman, he discovered that David’s family had more than a few deep, disturbing secrets.  Capturing the Friedmans is the result.  Prepare to be floored.

Grizzly Man (2005) [ranked 10^th by Current TV]

Herzog’s documentaries, and most of his narrative films, are about eccentrics doing things that fit their character appropriately.  Timothy Treadwell lived with Alaskan grizzly bears for 13 summers, and ultimately died as a result.  Here, Herzog edits the hours of footage Treadwell shot into a mesmerizing tour de force.  There’s a scene in which we see (but do not hear) Herzog listen to Treadwell’s death.  His reaction is haunting in its simplicity, and will forever be imprinted in my mind.

When the Levees Broke (2006) [ranked 43^rd by Current TV]

Furious over the lack of government action concerning Hurricane Katrina, Spike Lee made this epic, four hour documentary chronicling the days before, during and (mostly) after the storm.  His film is a scathing indictment of pretty much everyone involved, from the Bush administration on down.  This is an honest, gut wrenching look at one of America’s grandest fuckups.  It’ll rock you.

Man on Wire (2008) [ranked 29^th by Current TV]

What’s interesting about an eccentric Frechman whose (current) life goal is to string a tight-rope high wire between the two newly built World Trade Centers?  Simple: everything.

Trouble the Water (2008) [ranked 9^th by Current TV]

Where When the Levees Broke captures government inaction after the fact, Trouble the Water captures Katrina in real time, as it happened.  Like many New Orleans residents, Kimberly and Scott Roberts thought they could weather the storm.  Difference is, they filmed it. 

10 Great Documentaries (absent from the Current TV list)

Nanook of the North (1922)

I’m not sure how you can make a list of important documentaries and not include the most essential one of all.  Nanook of the North, about the daily dealings of a feisty Eskimo, was the first feature length documentary ever made.  Its scope is ingenious, its execution is flawless.

Triumph of the Will (1935)

This is a film that, based solely on what is presented onscreen, gets far more credit than it deserves.  Its overall legacy, however, is undeniable.  In filming the 1934 Nazi Party Congress, Leni Riefenstahl created the best looking, most flawlessly choreographed propaganda film of all time.  The movie itself is long and repetitive, but its power is shocking and vital.

Blood of the Beasts (1949)

For one semester during my junior year of college, I sat week after week, completely mesmerized by a course titled History of the Documentary.  Many of the films on this list were viewed for the first time in that class, none more memorable than Georges Franju’s Blood of the Beasts.  The film is, essentially, a day in the life of three different Parisian slaughterhouses.  It’s 20 minutes long and in black and white.  Everytime I finish watching it (which I force myself to do at least once a year) I remind myself of two things: at least it isn’t longer, and thank God it isn’t in color.  Blood of the Beasts is monumentally powerful, both in its grisly images of death and the blasé attitudes of the men inflecting it. This film ranks among the top 10 best movies I’ve ever seen.  (Note: Blood of the Beasts is available on DVD, but only as a special feature on Franju’s Eyes Without a Face, which is available via The Criterion Collection.)

Night and Fog (1955)

Much like Blood of the Beasts, Night and Fog is short and brutal, but commanding and unforgettable.  This 30 minute documentary cross-cuts beautiful, scenic shots of lush, green fields with the most horrific images of the Holocaust that I’ve ever seen.  Its purpose isn’t to shock, but rather educate.  If you’re going to watch it, and I sincerely believe you should, then watch it the same way I did, as a double feature with Blood of the Beasts.  The experience will be over fast, but the lasting power will creep in and stay.

The Up Series (1964-2005)

In 1964, 14 British seven year olds of varying backgrounds were chosen to be documented for a British television show.  Seven years later, director Michael Apted visited the same group of kids.  Seven years later, he sought them out again.  Another seven years goes by, another interview gets filmed.  The films are the result of a brilliant, simple concept; one that could only be executed by a person of sheer dedication.  Michael Apted is such a man. When Apted does finally conclude his Up Series, I hope the entire collection is preserved, only to be viewed hundreds of years from now by curious historians. 

Titicut Follies (1967)

I’m starting to notice a trend here: most of the films on this list are brutal, horrific, and all together mesmerizing.  It’s not that I’m a sadistic son of a bitch who enjoys watching people (and animals) be tortured and killed, I’m simply captivated by the sides of human nature rarely depicted in narrative films.  Chief among my interest is Frederick Wiesman’s chilling Titicut Follies. For his first film, Wiesman gained unprecedented access to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution where he was given free license to film most anything.  This includes inmate torture and beatings by guards, living situations that are far from humane, bodily operations achieved quickly and crudely, and so on. Titicut Follies is the start of a master's career, and  a staple of the documentary form.

Woodstock (1970)

Aside from Nanook of the North, I was most surprised by Woodstock’s exclusion from the Current TV list.  The three hour film chronicles the epic concert in its entirety, giving the viewer a first person pass to the most infamous concert in the history of the world.  Many critics argue that Woodstock is the best documentary ever made. Let me put it this way: the musical performances in this film aren’t the first or second most interesting part about it.  And that’s saying a lot.

Burden of Dreams (1982)

You know those cheesy, studio-approved, five-minute Making Of special features on DVDs? Well, imagine a full length version that is justly classified as a masterpiece. Werner Herzog was initially apprehensive of letting Les Blank film him while he shot his epic Fitzcarraldo, but thank God he relented.  Burden of Dreams captures a genius on the brink of insanity, all due to Murphy’s Law.  Funny, moving, and endlessly wicked, Burden of Dreams may in fact be better than the film it chronicles, which is a pretty damn bold statement.

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

You all saw Milk, right?  The 2008 Oscar winner with Sean Penn playing the first openly gay man elected to public office?  Yeah, well, remember how good that was, how emotional and endearing? Well, imagine that, but entirely real.  Have tissues close by.

Deliver Us from Evil (2006)

The main subject of Deliver Us from Evil is Father Oliver O'Grady, who molested and raped dozens of children while he was a Catholic priest.  The man has not spent one day in jail, or suffered any form of consequence for his actions.  You know how I know this?  Because O’Grady tells us so candidly in Amy Berg’s gut wrenching film. Prepare to be enraged.

The Cove (2009)

Seriously, Current TV, where the hell is The Cove?  You know, that excellent documentary about the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins in Japan every year. The doc that won the Oscar two years ago.  The doc that actually got the Japanese government to end the slaughter the film depicts.  The doc that contains one of the most moving finales to any film, ever.  If there’s ever a documentary to see before you die, The Cove certainly is it.

Note: as of Sept. 1, 2011, The Thin Blue Line, Hoop Dreams, When We Were Kings, Man on Wire, Trouble the Water, Triumph of the Will, The Cove, and a number of the Up films are available on Netflix Instant.

Current TV’s original list:

50. Spellbound (2002)
49. Truth or Dare (1991)
48. The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
47. One Day in September (1999)
46. Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1998)
45. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
44. Burma VJ (2008)
43. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
42. Catfish (2010)
41. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
40. When We Were Kings (1996)
39. Biggie & Tupac (2002)
38. March of the Penguins (2005)
37. Inside Job (2010)
36. Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
35. Paragraph 175 (2000)
34. Brother’s Keeper (1992)
33. Tongues Untied (1989)
32. Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)
31. Jesus Camp (2006)
30. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
29. Man on Wire (2008)
28. Gasland (2010)
27. Tarnation (2003)
26. Murderball (2005)
25. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
24. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
23. The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000)
22. Shut Up & Sing (2006)
21. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
20. Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
19. Touching the Void (2003)
18. Food, Inc. (2008)
17. Street Fight (2005)
16. Bus 174 (2002)
15. Crumb (1994)
14. Dark Days (2000)
13. The Fog of War (2003)
12. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
11. Paris Is Burning (1991)
10. Grizzly Man (2005)
9. Trouble the Water (2008)
8. An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
7. The Celluloid Closet (1995)
6. The War Room (1993)
5. Supersize Me (2004)
4. Waltz With Bashir (2008)
3. Roger & Me (1989)
2. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
1. Hoop Dreams (1994)