I knew I’d fail, if for no other reason than I’m going to NYC in June and there’s no way I’m gonna watch a new movie every day whilst I’m in the greatest city in the world, but I really thought I’d last longer than 82 days.
Blame it on those cops pictured above. All I wanted to do when I came home yesterday was watch endless episodes of Reno 911.
Title: Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Written by: Laurence Stern (novel) and Frank Cottrell Boyce
Initial Flickchart position: #682 of 1405 overall. My #38 film, of 54, from the year 2006.
What It’s About:
Director Michael Winterbottom attempts to shoot the adaptation of Laurence Sterne’s essentially unfilmable novel, “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.”
General Comments:
All I know about The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is that it’s an essentially unfilmable novel, and after watching this film I’d have to say that’s right. I’m not sure what Winterbottom intended to do with this adaptation. It seems like it was done in this weird haphazard way in an effort to mirror the style of the novel(s), but also to re-emphasise that the book(s) really are unfilmable. There were also clear parallels between the story of Tristram and his father and “Steve Coogan” (the character) and his newborn son. The strong point of the film for me was the fake behind the scenes aspects, but I’ve always had a fondness for seeing what goes on during the filming of a movie. The film also features some of my favourite UK actors, namely Steve Coogan, Kelly MacDonald and Dylan Moran. Overall I’d say I liked the film, although I can’t pinpoint why, but it just seems likes a chaotic mess with no real narrative or structure. But maybe that’s the point.
Watch Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story because it’s great to see Steve Coogan get a turn as the lead, and he really does a good job. Plus Kelly MacDonald is as lovely and beautiful as always.
Rating: 5.5/10
Title: Spooner
Directed by: Drake Doremus
Written by: Drake Doremus and Jonathan Schwartz and Lindsay Stidham
Initial Flickchart position: Not currently listed on Flickchart.
What It’s About:
Facing eviction from his parent’s home on his 30th birthday, a socially awkward guy (Matthew Lillard) meets the girl of his dreams (Nora Zehetner) and creates his own rules for growing up.
General Comments:
It tries to be moving and poignant but for the most part it comes across as forced. There are instances that approach being pretty good but in the end the film’s a bit of a letdown.
Watch Spooner because it’s good to see Matthew Lillard trying to expand his range. He’s always played that loud, sometimes goofy guy, who’s overflowing with confidence and bravado, so it’s both very strange and kinda intriguing to see him playing someone who’s almost completely lacking in confidence and social skills. He does a good job of showing the sadness of the character and his desire to be with Rose.
Rating: 5.5/10
Title: A Bittersweet Life
Written and Directed by: Jee-woon Kim
Initial Flickchart position: #218 of 1403 overall. My #6 film, of 51, from the year 2005.
What It’s About:
Sunwoo is no ordinary hotel manager. Decisive and efficient, he’s also the right hand man of underworld boss Kang. But tough guy Kang has a weakness; his young girlfriend Heesoo. Suspecting she’s unfaithful, Kang orders Sunwoo to take care of the problem.
General Comments:
Yet another superbly great Korean crime drama. Everything about it is so beautiful, stylish and poetic. There really is nothing else to say.
Watch A Bittersweet Life because it it’s further proof that no-one does crime dramas like the Koreans. It’s a genre they’ve made all their own.
Rating: 7.5/10
Title: Secret Reunion
Directed by: Hun Jang
Written by: Joo-ho Kim and Kwang-young Choi and Hun Jang
Initial Flickchart position: #339 of 1400 overall. My #35 film, of 81, from the year 2010.
What It’s About:
A North Korean spy and a former South Korean agent form a tense partnership.
General Comments:
Another good Korean flick, this time a spy/action drama. Pretty much all aspects of the film were good, although I think the fight scenes were a little underwhelming. The gunplay was done well but the actual fist fights just weren’t that great. There’s not much more to say about the film really.
Watch Secret Reunion because it’s yet another good Korean film, and it’s one that doesn’t end on a downer.
Rating: 6.5/10
Title: King of New York
Directed by: Abel Ferrara
Written by: Nicholas St. John
Initial Flickchart position: #284 of 1398 overall. My #7 film, of 31, from the year 1990.
What It’s About:
A former drug lord (Christopher Walken) returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York’s poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
General Comments:
A surprisingly good crime drama with a great rap/hip-hop soundtrack throughout the film. Walken is of course fantastic but I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of Laurence Fishburne as a young gangster working for Walken. David Caruso, a guy I absolutely hate, played his usual slimy, sleazy, annoying bloodnut role. I was so so happy when he got blown to shit with that shotgun at the funeral. It couldn’t of happened to a more deserving guy. One of the things I liked most about the film is the mood it conveyed. There was a clear and obvious ’90s NYC vibe throughout the whole film and it really did a brilliant job of immersing you into that whole environment.
Watch King of New York because it’s a very good crime drama that oozes that early ’90s mood and is set in the greatest city in the world.
Rating: 7/10
Title: The Chaser
Directed by: Hong-jin Na
Written by: Won-Chan Hong, Shinho Lee & Hong-jin Na
Initial Flickchart position: #294 of 1395 overall. My #17 film, of 63, from the year 2008 (but both rankings might be too high).
What It’s About:
Joong-ho is a dirty detective turned pimp in financial trouble as several of his girls have recently disappeared without clearing their debts. While trying to track them down, he finds a clue that the vanished girls were all called up by a same client whom one of his girls is meeting with right now.
General Comments:
There’s never a happy ending in Korean thrillers. Never. I should know this by now but I guess I’m just tuned to the Hollywood way and then I’m always surprised when a film doesn’t end on a positive note. Still, there’s no denying that the Koreans make really good crime/drama/thrillers, and this is another good entry. It’s not really a revenge flick so to compare it to Oldboy or I Saw The Devil may not to totally fair, but it has to be said that it’s nowhere near as good as those two films. Hell, The Man From Nowhere is better too.
Watch The Chaser because it’s a pretty decent crime thriller and it’s nice to take a break from the Korean revenge films, no matter how brilliant they are.
Rating: 6.5/10
Title: Cop Out
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Written by: Robb Cullen & Mark Cullen
Initial Flickchart position: #972 of 1394 overall. My #70 film, of 78, from the year 2010.
What It’s About:
A comedy about a veteran NYPD cop (Bruce Willis) whose rare baseball card is stolen. Since it’s his only hope to pay for his daughter’s upcoming wedding, he recruits his partner (Tracy Morgan) to track down the thief, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.
General Comments:
I finished watching this yesterday at 8pm and I think it had literally sucked the life out of me. I couldn’t bring myself to write a single word about it and was so tired I had to go to bed. It’s yet another poor Kevin Smith film and it’s a shame he hasn’t made a truly good film since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back in 2001.
Watch Cop Out because Seann William Scott and Ana de la Reguera are pretty funny in it and it has some good music in the soundtrack.
Rating: 4.5/10
Title: Faster
Directed by: George Tillman Jr
Written by: Tony Gayton and Joe Gayton
Initial Flickchart position: #772 of 1393 overall. My #63 film, of 77, from the year 2010.
What It’s About:
An ex-con (Dwayne Johnson) sets out to avenge his brother’s death after they were double-crossed during a heist years ago. During his campaign, however, he’s tracked by a veteran cop and an egocentric hit man.
General Comments:
I would have given this a below average score if it weren’t for the fact that The Rock just walks up and kills people. That alone is the reason this by the numbers revenge flick gets the score it does.
Watch Faster because The Rock has finally done an action movie after his string of shitty family/kids films.
Rating: 5/10
Title: Season of the Witch
Directed by: Dominic Sena
Written by: Bragi F. Schut
Initial Flickchart position: #1068 of 1392 overall. My #5 film, of 5, from the year 2011.
What It’s About:
14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the source of the Black Plague.
General Comments:
Nic Cage really does make some odd choices with his roles. Red Rock West, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Bringing Out the Dead, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans, Kick-Ass. They’re all good to great films, but then he goes and appears in garbage like Ghost Rider, Next, Bangkok Dangerous and Knowing. Season of the Witch falls into the latter category. It features some truly terrible dialogue, a whole bunch of religious bullshit, Cage getting angry and yelling through spit, and Ron Perlman doing his “I’m big and hitting stuff” routine. It’s below average in every possible way, and makes Drive Angry look like a masterpiece.
Watch Season of the Witch too see how low Nic Cage is willing to go.
Rating: 4.5/10
