X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Know what's always bugged me about the premise of X-Men?  Most superheroes get their powers either by virtue of some benevolent accident or by being some alien/science experiment/technological nightmare.  The X-Men are supposedly mutants -humans given powers by the random mutation of normal human DNA.

I guess I can accept that except for one thing -why are all the powers so easily weaponized?  Wolverine can't be killed, Magneto controls metal with his mind, Cyclops shoots lasers from his eyes, and so on.  But given the nature of mutation, shouldn't the grand majority of mutants have either completely useless or even harmful abilities?  For every Professor X who can read other people's thoughts shouldn't there be a Really Bad Gambler Guy who can't help broadcasting his thoughts to others?  I would think the ability to drink used motor oil and convert it to ammonia would be a more common ability than the power to levitate objects by thought.

While I'm on a roll, here are some other great "X-Men backup squad" abilities:

• The Toaster: can instantly convert Italian bread into toast points ready to dip in sunny side up eggs.
• The Termite: able to reduce and soften wooden objects by causing instant rot at a touch.
• Matter Eater Lad: Can eat anything (believe it or not, this is a real dude.  Check out Adventure Comics #303, December 1963)
• Color Kate: She is able to make anything a different color!  Pink Trees!  Yellow Strawberries!  Take THAT evil!
• The Leper: Can cause limbs and other pieces of his own body to fall off at will. Too bad he can't reattach them...

Why am I talking about all this?  Because this line of thought is actually much more interesting and better formulated than the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past.  

Let's be fair: the movie was mostly entertaining and non-boring.  It did have some fun action, and some will say it is the best X-Men movie yet made (though I still prefer First Class).

But on the whole I just could not get over the 101 little things that kept coming along to bug me.  Shall we list a few?

1. Let's start in the horribly ravaged future, an earth burnt to the ground by continual war.  Why so bleak?  Evidently it has to be the WORST EVER or we the audience won't care.
2. We're supposed to believe that Mystique's abilities were the key to making the Sentinels unstoppable.  I can understand that her power would "inspire," but telling me that her DNA would upgrade machines is simply asking me to get dumber.
3. Clearly, Mystique is a major character because Jennifer Lawrence is now a big actor.
4. I don't think time travel would work that way.
5. I'm also not buying a "mutant detector" that works at dozens or even hundreds of feet.  Especially not with 1960's or 70's technology.
6. Magneto and the death of JFK.  Really?  Great, now another generation is going to grow up thinking ridiculous conspiracy theories about magic bullets.
7. A jail cell for Magneto in the Pentagon?  Really?  And I suppose they keep Dr. Doom locked up in Mount Rushmore.
8. We had to see Wolverine from behind, sans vetements.  Can't say I appreciated that one.
9. Professor X didn't have his power in the past.  Why?  Because if he had it everything would have been much easier, and the writers were too lazy to figure out other ways of ramping up the drama.
10. They sent Quicksilver home after breaking out Magneto.  Why?  Because if he stuck around the good guys would have too easy a time saving the world, and the writers were too lazy to figure out other ways of building the drama.  I mean, why keep the team together if it would be harder to save the world apart, am I right?
11. Come to think of it, so much of the plot seems overly convenient or contrived, as though things happened simply because the plot dictated that they must.
12. Magneto is powerful and all, but am I really supposed to buy that he can easily separate steel train rails into tiny wire, and then feed all that wire into the Sentinels in ways that can't be detected?
13. The Secret Service took the president into the Oval Office (that's in the West Wing), and then straight down into a bunker.  When the bunker was ripped out of the ground it came up right through the Residence.  Looked cool, but it came out of the ground in the wrong place.
14. So Professor X can read Wolverine's mind and speak to himself in the future?  That makes not even the least bit of sense.

So there were a few things I really liked as well, so let's be fair:

1. It was great how this movie not only treated The Last Stand as a horrible event, it actually removed it from existence!  That's what I call a win!
2. Magneto is certainly shown to be as powerful as he should be.  The movie felt like the Magneto Show in parts (and yet this becomes a negative also, but whatever).
3. Wolverine got to say "bub" a lot, and even got to smoke huge cigars -in spite of the fact that smoking is a worse sin in Hollywood these days than violent murder.
4. Quicksilver.  Though he seems a tad overpowered, his scenes are far and away the best parts of the film.  Particularly his bit in the Pentagon.

So there it is.  There's stuff to like, and stuff not to like.  I for one had a good time, but this film just never rises anywhere near the level of greatness to which it aspires.

Entertainment: 7/10

Artistic Value: 3/10

Technical Merit: 4/10

Overall: 5/10

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Have you seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier yet?  Yes?  Great!  No?  Then stop reading this right now and go see it.  I'm not kidding.  Go.

Since you are reading now, I'm assuming that you are back from the theater, giddy from all the superhero excellence.  Congratulations, you've just seen the best superhero film at LEAST since The Avengers.  It may just be the best film in all the Marvel universe so far.

I think I'll go through the things that bugged me first, get them out of the way, then tell you why the movie rocks.

• Some of the humor was out of place.  It fell flat because it just wasn't the right time for a joke.
• The overall plan of the bad guys was patently absurd.  It involved guns, twisted evil morality, and math.  The movie is better if you just pretend it makes sense.
• Can somebody PLEASE tell Hollywood to stop doing "shaky cam" when people are just sitting in a room and talking?  Thanks, because that really bugs me.
• Once or twice the action got a tad bit too frantic, where it was tough to see what was going on at all.
• You mean that after the beating that dude took, and the fact that he was TRAPPED ON A BOAT, he still got away from Captain America?
• The thought process that seems to go like this: "Hmm, I'm facing insurmountable odds, and thousands if not millions of people will die if I fail.  Should I call Iron Man, Hulk, and Hawkeye to help out?  I mean, they do have a vested interest in defeating the bad guys too.  Nah, I got this on my own."  Iron Man 3 had this same issue; the only practical reason why the other Avengers were not helping was that this was Captain America 2, not The Avengers 2.
• Why did they have the compulsive need to tell me the latitude and longitude of every location?  Does anyone else think that's just weird?

I know it's just concept art, but look at all the awesome!  Look at it!

Except for the absurd bad guy plan, these are rather small potato complaints.  That's because this movie is about as great as a fan of Captain America is ever going to get.  The action is intense and fun, showcasing the abilities of both Cap and the titular Winter Soldier -who just happens to be the best Marvel villain since Loki.  

The action sequences are stunning.  Especially after a certain point in the movie nothing feels "safe," and the action really feels dangerous.  The car chases and wrecks and explosions all have a marvelous "real" feeling to them, something often lacking in our current world of CGI.

The supporting cast have a lot to do.  Black Widow feels as deadly as always, Nick Fury gets a chance to show he also can cause serious damage, and Falcon gets to be thrilling and new.  The titular Winter Soldier gets some great opportunities to demonstrate just how dangerous and deadly he is, and he left me wanting to see far more.

That's all fun stuff, but it's Cap that truly shines.  I never did get that "wow, that's Captain America!" feeling from The First Avenger.  The Avengers helped Cap come into his own, so that was better for his character.  But in this movie the Cap finally gets that "wow, that's Captain America!" feeling right.  This is a guy who takes charge, who is not out of his league in any situation, who has an unfaltering moral compass, and who absolutely shows us why he deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's greatest superheros.

Ok, so the writing won't win any oscars, and the direction was good enough not to be noticed.  Certain aspects of the plot were as predictable as clockwork.  The acting was merely passable, though nobody expects more.  The plot and storytelling are great, though as I mentioned the bad guy's plan is kinda over the top.  And by the end everything didn't quite tie off as satisfyingly as I would have liked.  But you know, all in all the complaints are small and lost in all the awesome.

This was a highly entertaining film, setting a new bar for greatness in superhero films.  If Marvel keeps improving at this rate I can't wait to see what they have in store for The Avengers 2.

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 4/10
Technical Merit: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Best of the Letter R: Rear Window (1954)

I already once did a review on Rear Window.  That original review can be found by clicking here.

I'll summarize this way: Rear Window is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock film, and I am the world's biggest Hitchcock fan.  It has great character development, great attention to detail, and simply fun dialogue.  And underneath everything is a great running discussion on human relationships.

This is a must-see for any movie fan, a film that starts lighthearted and slowly builds up the suspense.  The result is magnificent!

(the following rating is a bit different than my original review.)
Entertainment: 9/10
Artistic value: 9/10
Technical merit: 9/10

Overall: 9.5/10

Runners Up for the Letter "R:"

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• Ran (1985)
• Rebecca (1940)
• Rocky (1976)
• Robocop (1987) -yes, I'm serious.  Robocop rules.
• Raging Bull (1980)

Noah (2014)

Going into this film the big question for me was this: were the makers of Noah respectful of the source material and true to its message?  Everything else really hinges on this question.

Christians are often a hard lot to please when it comes to movies.  We whine and moan when Hollywood ignores some of the great, epic stories from the Bible.  Then, when Hollywood actually makes a Biblical story into a movie we whine and moan that they did not do every single detail exactly "right."  We're harder to please than Tolkien fans.

For me, I don't mind much if a Biblical film adds stuff in, or takes a rather different interpretive twist than I might otherwise expect.  After all, most of the stories in the actual Bible only cover a few chapters, perhaps a few dozen verses at most of exposition.  For any film to be made from these stories requires speculation and added dramatic themes.  Noah certainly adds themes and plot elements to the Scriptural story.

There is a ton to love in this movie.  It gets so many of the details right, such as the size and look of the ark.  Without showing anything terribly violent or lewd the depravity of man is nonetheless masterfully depicted.  God, though only called the Creator, is clearly present throughout the film, causing miracles and giving guidance and direction where needed.  A prominent theme of the film is in fact that God will provide what his people need; we only need to trust him.

The theological theme I most appreciated was the unmistakable clear message that sin has terrible root in all of us, and that sin pervades and destroys all things.  Literally, all is destroyed by sin in this film, even the whole earth seems ravaged and ruined by the destruction of man.  And make no mistake, the movie points out very clearly that everything is ruined by sin, not just bad environmental policies.  Noah despairs of a true answer to evil, wrestling with the depravity of man.  Now, this theme also leads to the worst dramatic element and even the most non-biblical theme (that of Noah trying to ensure that people die out entirely).  However, the clear root message is true: we are all sinful, and a "restart" after the flood will no doubt lead to problems again.  See, the Biblical message takes us to Christ -not even starting again with the world's best person will make everything right.  We need a better plan, a greater redemption.  We need a Savior.

Noah the movie takes this true theme and makes it the central dramatic foil, causing Noah himself to become fixated on the notion that creation is good and people are bad, thus people (all people, even himself and his family) need to die.  The answer -according to the movie -is love.  Noah's love for his grandchildren and family, the "innocence" of infants, and the natural love that children have -this seems to be enough to redeem according to the film.  This is of course insufficient and inadequate, a disservice to the Biblical story.

Other story problems abound.  Noah is quite the warrior here, something that seems rather unnecessary for a prophet of God and incompatible with his description in Scripture as someone who "walked with God."  I just don't see why it was so necessary to defend the ark with weapons, other than to provide that big cataclysmic battle scene.

Another problem was the stowaway, the bad guy who sneaks onto the ark.  This was (in my opinion) utterly unnecessary and superfluous.  Anything achieved by this could have been done in other ways.

I didn't much care for the rock giant/fallen angel things.  Their inclusion is done in such a way as not to be anti-biblical, but they don't add much either.  Ultimately, they seem mostly done simply to have a Lord of the Rings kind of feel to the whole film.

I didn't care much for the way the story unfolded with the building of the ark.  Scripture seems to imply that the construction of the vessel took about 100 years (contrast Genesis 5:32 with Genesis 7:6).  In the movie it took 10 years.  Plus, we didn't get to see much of the construction, not even a time-lapse.  It was just "Let's build an ark!" and then BOOM, next scene it was 10 years later and there's an ark.

Finally, I take some exception to how many people were on the ark.  Once the flood started I was beside myself in the theater, wondering how they could possibly justify having only 6 people saved from the flood on the ark.  The Bible is about as clear as it could be: Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives were all saved.  That's 8 people, not 6.  Now, to be fair, the issue is actually resolved, and does so in a way that does add up to 8 people and even furthers the theme of "everything God's people needs he supplies."  However, it seemed too clever and contrived, and certainly is not what would be understood from a simple reading of the Bible.

I guess that sums up my feeling as a whole.  There is not much at all that I can point to and say "That contradicts Scripture!"  As a whole, the story is all there and the themes are largely fine.  But in no way could I say that this is the film that I would have made in respect to the original story.  Noah feels more like a story that is tweaked to fit, carefully constructed so as not to be loudly condemned, rather than a faithful telling of the Scripture.  They seemed to aim for controversy, but in such a way as to have a way to justify themselves when called on it.

Artistically and Technically I don't have much to say.  Honestly, without my prior knowledge of the story and understandable built in enthusiasm I'm not sure I'd have gotten all that excited about Noah.  Simply from a technical standpoint I'm just not all that convinced the movie is all that good.  Sure, the production value is very high.  Yes, the special effects are good, and everything feels expensive enough.

But not much really wowed me.  The acting was simply passable.  Russel Crow did a fine job, but he was really unable to make me connect with his character.  Otherwise, there was not much that was worthy of much note.  In fact, most of the characters lacked the development that they needed to be interesting.  Shem, in particular, was entirely one-note and lacking depth.  Of all the actors, only Anthony Hopkins really had an on-screen spark, and he mostly phoned in his role.

As for art, this movie was drab and colorless.  Seriously, there was so much brown in this film I was begging for a bit of purple by the end.  There was almost no color pallet at all; brown brown brown brown, and then a bit more brown with some dark brown.  Visually, this movie was about as pleasing to the eye (at least as regards color) as brown stuff doing brown things in a dark brown room.  In fact, I believe I just described one or two of the interior ark scenes.  Everything looked good in terms of special effects -but the problem was I didn't want to look at anything and what I did want to see was hard to see because of all the brown.  I guess all the brown made the rainbow at the end really pop out, but it was a bit much.

Two things do stand out that are worthy of a second look.

First, while on the ark Noah tells the Creation story.  The story he tells is nearly word for word the Creation account in Genesis, from Creation ex nihilo through Eden, Adam and Eve, the Fall, and the murder of Able by Cain.  This story is accompanied by a rapid-succession montage video that visually shows what he is describing, and it is brilliant.  Here's the brilliance: that video could be seen as showing a 6 day creation.  But it could also be described as showing an old-earth, theistic evolution kind of story.  It does not seem to fall squarely on one side of the fence or the other, allowing the viewer to conclude what we will.  That sequence deserves another look; I want to see it again.

Secondly the finale was very good.  In fact, the last 2 minutes of the film might be the only truly "great" moments that it contains.  I won't spoil anything, but the way the themes come together and God shows his blessing is truly memorable.

Ultimately, I was hoping for a better movie.  I feel there was a lot of greatness hiding behind a lot of rubbish.  There was a true story being shown behind battle scenes, threatened infanticide, and rock people.  But overall, Noah just isn't the film I was hoping for.  I wanted the prophet of Scripture who heard God's voice, walked with God, and knew of God's blessing; I got instead a guy who never directly heard the voice of God, wasn't sure he knew what God wanted, and was unsure of God's blessing.  But at least he killed people as efficiently as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, right?

Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic Value: 6/10
Technical Merit: 5/10

Overall: 4/10  (yes, the sum of the parts actually does seem to be less than the individual parts themselves!)


P.S. On the plus side again, I do want to emphasize the great opportunity this movie presents in discussing the themes and questions it develops!  There is so much that can be discussed over coffee with others who have seen it!

Best of the Letter "Q:" The Quiet Man (1952)

The Quiet Man is a pretty good movie.  At first blush it's about a retired American boxer (John Wayne) who returns to the Irish village where he was born and finds love in a fiery redhead (Maureen O'Hara) and an enemy in her brother (Victor McLaglen).  But really this is a movie about understanding (and misunderstandings).  It's about cultural differences that can make huge gaps between people, even those who look alike and speak the same language.

For an example, when a local finds out that Sean (Wayne's character) had relatives in the town in years past, he exclaims "Your grandfather died in Australia, in a penal colony!"  My first reaction was shock at hearing this, thinking that it was a rather tactless thing to point out.  However, upon further reflection I realized it was meant as a badge of honor -this is Ireland we're talking about after all, and it was the British who sent criminals to Australia.

So other misunderstandings abound -about propriety, honor, what a dowry means to the bride, and so on.  We have to learn along with Sean what is expected, and what is regarded as good.

Then there's the good old knock-down, drag-out, bare-knuckled brawl at the end, the one that finally deals with the bad blood and actually draws people together.

There are a few rough spots, mostly having to do with production values.  Director John Ford (one of the best Hollywood has ever seen) had to fight tooth and nail to make this film, one that meant a great deal to him personally.  However, I get the feeling he was constrained by budget and perhaps had his hands tied in a number of ways.  The result is inconsistent greatness.  The outdoor shots are especially great, but many of the sets were not as good, and some shots are so obviously done on a soundstage that they cause a distraction.

But on the whole the film is very good.  Decently written, fun to watch, with good acting and great on location scenery, this is a great one to see.  And in a very limited pool of contenders, it is certainly the best of the letter "Q."

Entertainment: 5/10
Artistic Value: 8/10
Technical Merit: 6/10

Overall: 7/10


Runner up for the letter "Q:"

• Quigley Down Under

Best of the Letter "P:" The Princess Bride (1987)

For my original review of this film, click here.

I struggled with the letter "P."  There are so many great films that start with this letter, it almost seems a shame to elevate one over the others.  But ultimately there can be only one, and that one must be The Princess Bride.

Ok, I'm about to give every reason The Princess Bride should NOT be the best of the letter "P."  There is good writing, but I've seen better.  There's passable acting, with the occasional brilliant bits, but I've seen better.  The special effects are terrible, the makeup and monster effects laughable, and the overall feeling of the film is total cornball.  There is not much that is artistic about it, and some of the production values are rather bargain bin, to put it mildly.

But in terms of everything coming together just right, it is perfect.  Sure it's corny, but the charm meter is off the chart.  And it has a great gift for rhyme.

The Princess Bride will forever be a reminder to me of one of the chief functions of film; it is peerless entertainment.  On that basis alone, and even though other films might get a higher score from me overall, I say that it is the best film you can watch that starts with the letter "P."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 3/10
Technical Merit: 5/10

Overall: 8/10
(P.S. This score represents some changes from my first review.  I have the hardest time thinking about the technical side -I really think most of the poor production value stuff is purposeful.  But even so, there is so much technically that could have been done so much better.)


Runners Up for the Letter "P:"

• The Philadelphia Story (1940)
• Psycho (1960)
• Planet of the Apes (1968)
• The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• The Prestige (2006)
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -Not really a great film, but since it was my parent's first date, it gets an honorable mention.  It at least leads to great things!

Best of the Letter "O:" On the Waterfront (1954)

"You don't understand!  I coulda had class.  I coulda been a contender.  I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.  It was you, Charlie."

Classic scene, perfectly acted.  But there's another scene that rises above as my favorite:

Father Barry stands up from performing last rites for Dugan, then looks up at the mob of workers and begins to preach: "Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary.  They'd better wise up!  Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion.  And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion.  And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead."
A call then rings out from above "Why don't you go back to your church?"
The priest's voice roars up with righteous anger as he points to the body at his feet, "Boys, THIS is my church!  And if you don't think Christ is down here on the waterfront you've got another guess coming!"

I LOVE this movie.  Perfectly written, beautifully filmed, flawlessly directed, with iconic performances from some of the 50's greatest actors -Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee Cobb, and Eva Marie Saint in her first feature role.

This is a movie our country needs today, the reminder that corruption, short money, and violence to protect power always tears everything and everyone down.  This is also the movie Hollywood needs to remind them how to make a good film with real heroes and believable villains.

Inspiring.  Exceptional.  A work of genius and beauty.  Do not miss it; On the Waterfront is the best film you can see that starts with the letter "O."

Entertainment: 8/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 10/10


Runners up for the letter "O:"

• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Best of the Letter "N:" North By Northwest (1959)

I am a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan.  I've loved his ability to do things no one else had done before, invent new techniques, and tease out action and drama into true suspense that continues to build.

North By Northwest is Hitchcock's most fun and entertaining film, full of twists and turns and great action.  It also captures perfectly the style of the great director toward the end of his career, when he was able to bring a world of experience into full effect and create some of his most timeless masterpieces.  It also happens to be my favorite Cary Grant movie, and I LOVE Cary Grant.

Not everything works out in terms of "making sense."  However, if you are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief everything will work out just fine in terms of being monstrously enjoyable.  Just sit back and watch one of the great credit sequences of all time, a great score, fantastically great writing, and some iconic moments -such as the murder at the U.N., the crop duster attack, and the frantic climb on the face of Mount Rushmore.  And don't forget to bid at the auction like a crazy man -it just might save your life!

North By Northwest.  A movie about a case of mistaken identity, murder, international spy rings, and romance on trains.  Definitely classic Hitchcock.  And also the best movie you can watch that starts with "N."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 5/10
Technical Merit: 8/10

Overall: 8/10


Runners up for the Letter "N:"

• No Country for Old Men (2007)
• Network (1976)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• Night Train to Munich (1940)

Best of the Letter "K:" The King's Speech (2010)

Every once and a while a drama comes along that really is as good as they used to be.  The King's Speech is a tour de force of acting and phenomenal storytelling, one that comes together in all the right ways.

Colin Firth simply dazzles as King George VI, a monarch with a rather large problem -he stutters.  He is terrified of speaking in public, an undesirable quality for a guy who's very life involves speaking in public.  Geoffrey Rush is the speech therapist who finally is able to help him past the rather massive impediment and able lead his people with clarity and competence.  This movie belongs to Colin Firth.  His performance is hands down the best acting job of the past 5 years.  The opening scene, in which the prince (and future king) waits to deliver a speech, contains some of the best and most subtle acting of perhaps any single movie scene in my memory.  Firth simply looks sick with anxiety.  It immediately gets the audience on his side and makes him a sympathetic character.

It's all about the journey, and by the end we can sympathize with the rather remarkable progress that he has made to overcome his problem and deliver a brilliant and inspiring oration that became a lighthouse signal to guide Britain through the fog of world war 2.

This is an amazing film, and the best film that begins with the letter "K."  Highly recommended, though viewers should be aware of two scenes that contain strong language.

Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic Value: 9/10
Technical Merit: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

Runners up for the letter "K:"

• King Kong (1933)
• The Killing (1956)
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• Kagemusha (1980)

Best of the Letter "H:" High Noon (1952)

We're going to get this out of the way right now: you will get utterly sick of the "High Noon Ballad (Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling)".  This tune plays nearly incessantly throughout the full movie.  On top of being a bit dated, the tune is also rather out of date by today's standards, rating on the "cool song, bro" scale somewhere between "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight" and "The Ballad of Davy Crockett."

Aside from that song, this is a thoroughly wonderful, amazing, spectacular movie.  Few have been as influential on how we think of westerns, with the concept of the lone hero facing off with the gang of misanthropes at (you guessed it) High Noon.

Gary Cooper does his dead level best, starring as well as anyone could as Marshal Will Kane.  He grows increasingly distressed by how the town he protects refuses to help either him or themselves, and his fury is seen, yet remains below the surface.  This is also Grace Kelly's (that is princess Grace of Monaco to you) first starring role in a movie, and it becomes quite evident why she hit the big time after this one.

The themes established are poignant: pacifism vs protecting those you love; honor vs revenge; justice vs injustice; doing what is right even when everyone deserts you.  The themes are laid out, teased out, and the suspense builds.  By the time Frank Miller comes to town the suspense is high and the time is noon.  And then the classic showdown, well-planned action, and perfect denouement play out.

Westerns don't get much more classic or iconic than this, making High Noon the best film you can watch that begins with "H."

Entertainment: 8/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Runners Up for the Letter "H:"

• Harvey
• Hoosiers
• The Hunt for Red October
• Hotel Rwanda

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

I have to admit something: I read the books and liked them.  I began them on a lark, sort of a "Let's see what all the kids these days are reading" motive, which then became "this author really knows how to tell a story!  ...even if her grammar is BAD!"  But of course I had seen the first movie prior to reading the book.  After loving the book I watched it again, just to see if my impressions had changed.  They had not.  I still thought the first movie was too safe, too formulaic, too by-the-numbers.  It seemed to lack a soul, the exciting edge the book has.

Catching Fire goes a long way toward fixing that.  The major issues in the first are made much better here in the sequel.  The result is a film that has excitement and yet takes the time for real plot development.  The actors do a fine job, though there is nothing too very worthy of mention.  Donald Sutherland's President Snow character is much better used here, becoming a vicious, cunning, despicable kind of guy who projects an image of benevolence.

I didn't find much to complain about (which for those of you who know me, you know how weird that is).  But one thing irritated me rather much.  At one point the director chose to utilize a rotating camera shot, where the audience point of view spins around the characters on screen while they dance.  Unfortunately, the scene is not shot in one take, and the editing of the scene together results in a choppy, jerky, distracting mess.  It just plain didn't work.  Now, if it had been done in one take it might have been great.  As it is, the scene is not very grand.

I still wish the story went in a different direction than it did, but I wished that about the book too.  All in all, this is a sequel that outshines the original.  Add to that the fact the third book seems to lend itself to being adapted to film and I think we've got a good little movie trilogy here.

Entertainment: 7/10
Artistic Value: 6/10
Technical Merit: 5/10

Overall: 6/10

Best of the Letter "G:" The Godfather (1972)

Many people have described The Godfather as the best mob movie ever made.  I disagree.  At its heart, I don't believe The Godfather is about organized crime.  Distilled to its essence, this is a movie about a father and son; how their relationship is strained, tested and reconciled, with the transforming to become like his father.  It is about the effort to protect a family, to care for loved ones, and to make right certain wrongs.  Under normal circumstances these would be noble goals on a path of virtue.  But the circumstances of the Corleone family in The Godfather are anything but normal, which makes the character arch and journey of Michael Corleone one of the great tragedies of American cinema.  And this story -when combined with some of the best acting, writing, and deliberate pacing of all time -makes The Godfather one of the best and most perfect films ever.

Godfather and son

So yeah, it's a family movie.  It's about the mob, killing people, drugs, and very horse's head serious threats.  But at heart The Godfather is a movie about a family.  And this family has love and anger and issues just like any other family.  But this family also deals in death.

This is where The Godfather succeeds so masterfully.  The criminals here are not shallow black-hatted caricatures that simply act evil as a foil to showcase the pure motives of the good guy.  Here we have no "good guy" as we might have expected previously.  Instead, all the bad guys have good in them, while at the same time all of the "good guys" (well, the main characters anyway) have great capacity for evil.

This movie has it all, and does it all exceedingly well.  Never has a film done acting better, the direction is top-notch, and the screenplay is legendary.  The Godfather has very few, if any missteps, and the result is simply wonderful.  This is one of the great dramas and tragedies of our age, especially when combined with part 2.  Don't miss this one!

Entertainment:  9/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 10/10


Runners Up:

• The Great Escape
• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
• Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
• The Goonies (just kidding.  But seriously, goonies never say die.)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Being a fan of action movies and comic books, I am predisposed to enjoy movies such as Thor 2.  So, naturally, I actually DID find myself enjoying Thor: The Dark World.  There is so much for a comic nerd to love here, and enough action to please those who are just along for the ride.

Of course, that's not to say this is a flawless or exceptional film in any sense.  Thor 2 suffers as a sequel, due to the first being much more well-crafted and executed.  The sequel just doesn't quite have the spark the first did, and the change in the director's chair clearly shows all the way through.

There are a few outright negatives I noticed.  Firstly, the movie was overall poorly edited.  Second, it had more than a tad bit of those "isn't THAT just a little convenient!" moments (such as the fact that it was Jane who finds the Aether by accident, or that the things Erik Selvig was working on could be easily adapted to save the day).  Third, I never quite understood why Thor's desperate plan was all that necessary.  I mean, the movie never convinced me that Asgard really was all that outmatched by the dark elves.  Finally, the end (and I won't spoil anything for you) tried to have a really strong punch, but seemed to lack coherency -raising many questions that contradict or defy explanation.

But hey, on the whole it was very enjoyable and well done.  It had a well-mined seam of humor and it certainly set up further development in the Marvel universe.  Where they are going with the overall story arc of these movies is hinted at throughout the movie, and it all looks to be quite epic.

Final thought: Loki rocks.  He's by far the most interesting character in the film.

Entertainment: 7/10
Artistic Value: 4/10
Technical Merit: 5/10

Overall: 6/10

Best of the Letter "F:" Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Charming, somber, grand and fun and full of greatness.  Fiddler on the Roof is one of the best musicals of all time, and a perfect adaption of a play for the silver screen.  Carried by the singularly brilliant and enormously entertaining performance of Topol as main character Tevye,  Fiddler is a great example of what can be done in the musical genre.

Depicting the plight of Jews in early 20th century Russia, Fiddler addresses the question of how the distinctive, chosen people maintain their identity in a changing world.  In one word?  "Tradition!"  "Without our traditions, we would be a shaky as a fiddler on the roof!"

Some of the best musical numbers of all time are found here: "If I Were a Rich Man," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Matchmaker," "To Life," "Do You Love Me?," and of course "Tradition!"  Combine these great musical pieces with great dancing, acting, and meaning, and you have the stuff of memories.

Even the part I can't stand is fitting.  Ever since my first viewing I have hated the song "Wonder of Wonders," as sung by the geeky tailor Motel.  Musically the song is a wreck, the choreography basically has him scampering through the woods in a completely awkward manner, even the cinematography changes style to something more jerky, so that everything adds up to a giant, glaring cancer of discomfort in the middle of an otherwise healthy and beautiful film.  And yet on further consideration, I have to admit that the song absolutely suits the character, and in his joy at that moment he doesn't care what I think of him.  That in itself is kinda beautiful, even if I still fast forward through the scene when I watch the movie.

The characters are memorable, the plot is full of beauty and heartache, the sets are wonderfully dirty, and the lighthearted moments are as frequent as the somber ones.  Fiddler is a film for the ages, a great performance by Topol, with some of the most iconic moments in musical history.

Watch it and enjoy.  It's the best film that begins with the letter "F."

Entertainment: 8/10
Artistic Value: 9/10
Technical Merit: 7/10

Overall: 8.5/10

Honorable Mentions for the letter "F:" (and there are many)

• The French Connection
• Fight Club
• Fargo
• A Few Good Men
• Finding Nemo
• The Fugitive
• First Blood
• The Fifth Element  (for you, Dave)
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best of the Letter "E:" The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Here's just a bit of trivia about me: by the time I was 9 years old I could quote every line of the Star Wars trilogy.  I still can quote every line of all three Star Wars movies!  (And yes, there are only 3.  There are also a few hideous usurpers that deserve not the name, but there are only 3 Star Wars movies.)

Star Wars is why I originally fell in love with movies.  I had the toys, and I still play the video games.  I have so many fond memories about these films that re-watching one of the movies is like revisiting childhood lane.
But of course, films do not always age well.  Something you love as a child may not be as sparkling awesome as an adult.  Star Wars is really no exception.  What I thought was flawless as a child shows cracks when I grew up -cracks like bad acting, some examples of poor writing, and Ewoks.

Does it get more iconic than this?

And yet The Empire Strikes Back is different.  Episode V took the world of Episode IV and expanded on it and perfected it.  Somehow actors who had somewhat wooden deliveries in Episode IV became much better actors.  Somehow the writing became much more polished and smooth.  Things that were fun became phenomenal.  Special effects were kicked up a notch.  Icons became, well, more iconic.  Even the music improved with the addition of the Imperial March.  (It's might be noted that perhaps the reason it is the best of the series is that Lucas had the least control over it...)

Star Wars has never been better than The Empire Strikes Back.  Darth Vader has never been more ultimately evil, and his character still remains one of the best villains of all time.  Han Solo is the most lovable, heroic scoundrel of all time.  Yoda is the greatest bad-grammar-makes-you-seem-smarter pseudo philosophers of all time.  The action is fantastic, the themes are timeless, the story is somber, and the scope is epic.

Sure, the movies is not perfect.  But it does everything it needs to do perfectly.  It sparks the imagination, is undeniably entertaining, and develops a universe that fans still love to inhabit.

And it is the best movie you can watch that starts with the letter "E."

Entertainment: 9/10
Artistic Value: 5/10
Technical Merit: 7/10

Overall: 8/10


Runners Up for the Letter "E:"

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Elf
• The Exorcist
• The Emperor's New Groove
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best of the Letter "D:" Das Boot (1981)

Submarine movies tend to have a clausterphobic tenseness that is simply unlike other kinds of movies.  And of all submarine movies, Das Boot is king.  There had been submarine movies before, and lots since, but Das Boot was and remains the best.  And on top of it all, it is also a fantastic overall film

Director Wolfgang Peterson weaves together a magnificent tale of a German U-boat  and its adventures on a mission during world war 2.  What is immediately noticeable is that these are not evil men, nor Nazi robots.  They are not faceless or nameless or without basic qualities of human life.  They are men, no more so or less so than any of us.  For me this represents a "humanization" of the enemy.  I was raised a red-white-and-blue blooded American, and most of the movies about WW2 that I've seen present Germans as more or less stereotypical bad guys.  Germans of the 30's and 40's in film are typically wicked or simple nameless uniforms -an obstacle for the hero to overcome but certainly not people in their own right.  I mean, the Germans of WW2 couldn't have been caring or capable of heroics, could they?

We need movies like Das Boot to remind us what war makes us often forget: that people on the "other side" are still people.  And there is nobility and goodness possible in them.

Ok, let's get this out of the way: Das Boot is filmed entirely in German, which means I need English subtitles to understand it.  And I like it that way.  It means it is much more authentic and real.  Don't let the subtitles put you off or you will miss out on one of the most human war tales of all time.

And the realism stands out.  Other movies have imitated that tense wait for depth charges and the harrowing, violent chaos as the explosions come.  Yet none have ever done that experience as well.  Das Boot will bring the viewer into that confined space with those crewmen, and even for only a minute we feel part of that terror.

After a while we feel like we know these men.  We share with them the terror of the depth charge bombardment, the frustration of trying to make difficult repairs, the joys of wind in the face and the thrill of the hunt.  And we share in their humanity as they weep over having to leave stranded sailors from a torpedoed ship, knowing they will drown.  That scene is one of the most effective anti-war war scenes of all time.  They have rejoiced over hitting the ship with a torpedo a few hours previous, yet weep when they realize that the sailors on the now sinking ship will not be rescued and are doomed.  They killed them, yet did not want them to die.  It's an amazing and effective scene.

Anyway, watch Das Boot.  You'll cheer for the crew, then feel conflicted.  You'll see a great example of action film making.  And you'll be watching the best movie ever that begins with "D."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 8/10
Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 10/10


Runners up for the letter "D:"

• Die Hard
• District 9
• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

And films worthy of mention: Deliverance, Dawn of the Dead, The Departed 

Gravity (2013)

Currently doing great at the box office, generating fantastic word of mouth, pleasing critics and crowds alike, and generating not a little pre-Oscar buzz, Gravity is the current "it" movie.  Telling a harrowing tale of astronauts stranded in space, Gravity is exciting and tense, an action packed tale of trying to survive in a quite inhospitable place.

And it works.  In so many ways, Gravity is a great movie.  It pushes the envelope of what can be accomplished in making a movie, to the point where you might be forgiven for thinking they really had filmed this movie in space.

It's the action, visuals, and special effects that shine the brightest in Gravity.  Everything looks absolutely stunning.  In some shots so much is happening at once on screen that it is impossible to keep track of everything in the chaos.  There are long character point-of-view sequences (where the audience sees out of the eyes of our protagonist) that are brilliantly done.  And there is a technically flawless shot that takes us from observing an astronaut tumbling through space, zoom in and into the helmet, shows us what she is seeing, then pulls outside again in one unbroken shot (stunning).  But what works better in some cases is the small stuff -the way fire behaves in zero gravity,  or the way a tear floats out from an eye rather than down the face.  Truly, Gravity makes all the space stuff in Apollo 13 seem crude and unpolished.  It just looks that good.

There are a few other things that stand out.  When Ryan (Sandra Bullock) establishes some contact after long radio silence she (and we) are elated to hear another voice.  The way she latches onto the smallest familiar sounds help us understand just how isolated and lonely she must be.

I also loved how space is treated the way space actually is -silent and completely hazardous.  If there is no air, no radio, and no physical contact, then there is no sound.  So space stations can explode only meters from Ryan, but there is no noise.  And if she is using a drill, we only hear a noise that travels through her glove and into the air of her suit.  It's all subtle and marvelous.  Honestly, there can be no other serious contender for Best Sound Mixing.  Come to think of it, Gravity should run the tables on most of the technical Oscar categories.  The only sad thing is that the movie had to open with a wall of text explaining that space is silent -I assume the average audience just wouldn't know this basic fact.

But let me tell you, all the good only heightens for me the unrealized possibilities (and downright drawbacks).  There are really only two characters in the film, played by Bullock and George Clooney.  Bullock plays her character with drive and some subtlety, leading many to think this might be her second Oscar performance.  However, her character simply isn't really developed all that much.  And George Clooney plays George Clooney.  Ok, SPOILER ALERT!!  SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW A RATHER BIG PLOT POINT!  Clooney's character is played as a professional, but rather self-absorbed.  But the self-absorption angle plays against the completely selfless sacrifice he makes to help Ryan.  His character is so flat, so nearly emotionless that it is hard to feel anything for him either.
SPOILERS END.

I didn't like the abundance of action.  In itself, action is not a bad thing.  However, Gravity tries to be reflective as well, attempting to address the big issues like "why try to live when everyone dies eventually?" and the precariousness of life as we tumble through space.  The action is so unrelenting that it tends to work against such reflections; spectacle substitutes for substance.  Eventually whatever points the movie is trying to make just feel shoehorned in and underdeveloped.

SPOILER ALERT AGAIN!  SKIP TO NEXT PARAGRAPH AGAIN TO KEEP AWAY FROM SPOILERS!  The way that things only blew up when Ryan was around also tended to frustrate me.  I mean, the debris plays havoc with the international space station, but there is hull integrity and such when she arrives.  But give it a few minutes and WHAMMO, everything's blowing up.  Then she gets to the Chinese station, it's rather intact still, then WHAMMO, everything's blowing up again.  Ryan is either serious bad luck to be around, or stuff was just waiting to explode until she got there.  Actually, it's all done in the name of plot convenience, a device I don't particularly like.
SPOILERS END.  IT'S THE LAST TIME, I PROMISE.

So yeah, there are things that definitely could have been improved.  But on the whole Gravity is fresh and fun.  It deals with space better than any movie since 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Though it fails to become the intellectual equal of 2001, still I found myself drawn to compare the two movies -which itself should tell you how good Gravity is.

Entertainment: 8/10
Artistic Value: 6/10
Technical Merit: 9/10

Overall: 7.5/10

P.S. I'm conflicted about "artistic value."  I think Gravity opens the door on a number of good themes and artistic statements.  I'm just not convinced that it deals with them in any meaningful way.

Best of the Letter "C:" Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca is the best movie that has ever been made.  There, I said it.  Films simply do not get more iconic, more influential, more perfect, nor more beloved than this.

I love movies and books that are written with wit, so it is natural that I should love this one.  Practically every line is quotable, yet none of the lines (aside from perhaps "Looks like destiny has taken a hand.") are delivered like they intend to be quoted.  The dialogue is sharp, yet natural.  The people act like people should, yet each one begins to symbolize large segments of humanity.  This is a masterfully written film.

By the way, Casablanca contains my favorite put-down of all time: Ugarte: "You despise me, don't you?" Rick: "If I gave you any thought I probably would."  (ouch!)

Never has a film had a better cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre -we're talking an extravagance of acting riches here!  

The cinematography is perfection in black and white.  All black and white films should look to Casablanca for instruction on how to frame a shot, how to showcase an actor, and how to contrast shadow with light.

The story is perfection in simplicity.  Sure, there are the bad guys and good guys.  But in the midst and confusing everything are the politics of love and the question of remaining morally neutral.  Will Rick do what is right, or will he try to get revenge on the girl who jilted him -or will he try to steal her from her husband?  Will Louis carry out the evil desires of the Nazis by trying to keep somewhat neutral?  Or will he finally stand up for what is right?  By the end everything turns out the only way it can and truly be called a happy ending.  "We'll always have Paris," and "the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

How does a movie get better than this (aside from better model plan special effects)?  Equal parts charming, sweet, earnest, and important, Casablanca is the best movie you can see that starts with "C."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Runners up for the letter "C:"

• Chariots of Fire
• Citizen Kane
• The Civil War -by Ken Burns (yes, a documentary)
• Chinatown

Best of the Letter "B:" Ben-Hur (1959)

One of the most celebrated films of all time, Ben-Hur is an epic masterpiece.  Charlton Heston stars as Judah Ben-Hur in this classic tale of friendship, betrayal, and revenge.  Betrayed by a close friend, Judah finds himself no longer rich and privileged in Jerusalem, but condemned and enslaved on a Roman galley.  But this is a hero's journey, so when Judah saves the Roman commander during a battle he gains wealth, status, and everything he needs to pursue his revenge upon his betrayer.

And that's the theme on which things get special.  You see, the subtitle of the film is "A Tale of the Christ."  The movie opens with the nativity, and Judah encounters Jesus on several occasions.  Never once do we see the face of Christ, nor do we hear his voice.  Yet the stamp of Christ is all over the course of Judah's life.  This film is as Christian as they come, and it is also one of the greatest stories written.  Judah is given every reason to hate, reason to strike out in war against his enemies.  Yet the person of Jesus calls to him, and the voice of Jesus instructs him.  There, on the hill of calvary, Judah witnesses the crucifixion and returns to his home a different man.  He speaks to Esther with wonder, telling her how even on the Cross Jesus prayed "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."  And then Judah tells her, "and I felt his voice take the sword out of my hand."

It is in forgiveness that Judah gains true victory over his enemies, and he also learns how God works in both subtle and miraculous ways.  It is a beautiful, wonderful story fully worthy of every accolade that might be given.

When it comes to production values, Ben-Hur still ranks among the top best movies ever made.  Granted, there are a few points where things break down a bit -the rather sad looking naval battle is the low point.  But overall there is no mistaking the grandeur of everything you see.  And in particular, the famed chariot race is still one of the most exciting and spectacularly filmed action sequences of all time.  The stunt work, camera work, and (of course) horsemanship, are all fantastic.

Listen, movies just do not get much bigger or better than this.  Ben-Hur is one for the ages, fully deserving the 11 Oscars it won.  And for the record, the other films that have since won 11 Oscars could not claim to deserve all of them.  Ben-Hur is in a league of its own.

Entertainment: 9/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 9.5/10

Overall: 10/10

Runners up for the letter "B:"

• Blade Runner
• Babette's Feast
• Brazil
• Braveheart

Best of the Letter "A:" Alien (1979)

Simultaneously one of the best horror and science fiction films of all time, Alien is simply good film making.  From the opening credits to the final moments, director Ridley Scott creates a terrifically tense, eerie and exciting tale of a voyage into the unknown.

It's hard to come up with anything that doesn't work in Alien.  The special effects are still great, the set design and art are simply perfect, the alien design is iconic, and the script is much better than you might give it credit for before viewing.  Even the poster is great, with that quite memorable tag-line, "In Space, No On Can Hear You Scream."

Basically, the plot is about a group of truckers exposed to a parasite by an evil corporation.  It's just that the truckers work in space and the parasite is, well, an alien.  But it is that simplicity in the plot that makes it work so well.  These are normal people in an abnormal situation.  Sure, it's hundreds of years in the future, but they are still normal people worried about normal things, like paychecks and bad food.  Oh, and they are also worried about whether the giant space monster will eat them before they can kill it.

Deride the choice all you will, Alien is a genuinely great film that deserves all the accolades it has received, along with many more.  And it fundamentally changed perceptions on what a science fiction movie could be.

Entertainment: 9/10
Artistic Value: 7/10
Technical Merit: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Runners up for the letter "A;"

• Amadeus
• Anatomy of a Murder
• Aliens 
• An American in Paris