Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A hard-knock life on the streets of Mumbai, India has miraculously prepared a young man (Dev Patel) to be a superb contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire!

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Produced with George W. Bush's still in office and set a world away, Slumdog Millionaire was the perfect film for America 2008. With two wars raging and an economy collapsing, we were in desperate need of some "hope" and "change". With Jamal as our collective avatar, this candy colored fantasy set to a pulsing soundtrack, allowed us to dive into some serious "shit" (murder, tortue, prostitution, etc.) and come out on the other end victorious and unscathed no matter how improbable the odds. While it would not officially win its Oscar until February 2009, the deal was already sealed on November 4th 2008 with the electoral victory of President Barack Hussein Obama. More than any other campaign ad, this film was "Yes we can!" at 24 frames per second. Unfortunately this victory would be short-lived. Merely one year later, we found ourselves in trapped in The Hurt Locker. Hadn't we just left a place that was No Country For Old Men? Oh well! It was fun while it lasted. I'm interested to see what Best Picture greets Obama's second term. Right now it's a pretty open field...

Fight Club (1999)

A lost young man (Edward Norton) meets a lovable rogue (Brad Pitt) and together they embark on fantastical adventures involving bare-knuckled brawls, plastic explosives and liposuctioned human fat.

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In terms of art, fashion, music, design, etc. each decade has an arc. In the beginning it feels very much like the one before. Change is gradual since nobody is going to throw out their entire wardrobe and redecorate overnight. But slowly after a few years, the zeitgeist starts to find its own voice. New and exciting works emerge which spark innovation in others and we are riding high. Then comes the imitation. What was once new and interesting eventually becomes a "house style". Once something  has reached the point of self-parody, it is necessary to burn everything to the ground and start again. Thanks to the late-90s reign of increasingly safe, epic-romance films like The English Patient, Titanic and Shakespeare In Love, absolute demolition became necessary so that the cycle could start anew. Kind of like those controlled burns they do in forests. Thankfully David Fincher and Chuck Palahniuk were more than happy to strike the match. It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

50/50 (2011)

50/50 is the story of a young man suddenly coming face to face with his own mortality when he is diagnosed with a very serious type of cancer. Survival odds? 50%. He doesn't understand how this could happen to him ("That doesn't make any sense though. I mean...I don't smoke, I don't drink...I recycle...") and is now struggling to find his footing in his world that has been completely flipped upside down.

I really responded to this movie the first time I saw it, and of course the first time I saw it I was busy bawling because I cry during everything. The second time I watched it, I spent the movie appreciating the acting. Can I just say how happy I am that Joseph Gordon-Levitt exists as an actor? He's great in this, as is Seth Rogen as his Very-Seth-Rogen-Type-Best-Friend. I'm teasing...while Rogen is definitely playing a character in his wheelhouse, he adds real heart to this film. Additionally, the film is inspired by the true story of writer Will Reiser's experience with cancer (that Rogen helped Reiser cope with) so it's only right that Rogen play the supportive friend here.

This film is funny without being bawdy, sad without being depressing, and touching without being schmaltzy. I guess that's a little like life, isn't it? I highly recommend this film if you aren't sure what to add next to your Netflix queue! Enjoy!

Double-Bill: England Prevails

The Man Who Knew Too Much and The Lady Vanishes

Top-10: Desaturate

At the birth of cinema you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a black and white movie. Hand-tinting aside, it was the only game in town. Though two and three-strip technicolor were developed in the 1930's, cinema's pallet remained decidedly desaturated due to high costs. Color was something reserved for musicals and epics where the odds of return on investment were higher. Even after the battle with television lead Hollywood to go full-color in the 60's, black and white was able to hold on thanks to European filmmakers like Godard, Fellini and Bergman. But by the 1970's, the party was over. Nowadays, black and white films are few and far between. It usually takes an act of God to get a major Hollywood studio to bankroll a monochromatic film. But in the special cases when it does happen, the results are often stunning. Here is a list of ten great examples of post-1970 black and white photography and the master cinematographers who made them possible. Did we leave out your favorite? Let us know with a comment!

Raging Bull - Michael Chapman

Friday Quote: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

"Initially you're overwhelmed. But gradually you realize it's like a wave. Resist, and you'll be knocked over. Dive into it, and you'll swim out the other side." 

 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Danger: Diabolik (1968)

Billionaire thief Diabolik (John Philip Law) continuously outwits the authorities in an increasingly elaborate series of outlandish heists and getaways.

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I seriously don't understand why this film was selected for the 1999 series finale of Mystery Science Theater 3000. While it may not be "art", it sure as shit isn't Manos: The Hands of Fate. Mario Bava and his crew had no aspirations beyond making a fun comic book movie - and boy were they successful! This film was somehow  able to perfectly integrate the decadent Bond/Batman aesthetics of the day with the anti-authoritarian tendencies of the burgeoning youth movement. Something for the grownups, something for the kids. How was this film not a huge hit? How did it not spawn countless sequels? Well at least we got the Beastie Boys' Body Movin' music video out of the deal. I'll take that any day over this teaser for an upcoming Diabolik TV show on Italian television. Steven Soderbergh seriously needs to postpone his retirement and make a worthy successor to this little masterpiece! You know he could totally do it!

Starstruck (1982)

Craig & 'Becca'lise would like to formally introduce you to a new guest contributor. Everyone say hi to Andi! 'Becca'lise first came across this little lady via her vintage blog Andi B. Goode. Admiration for her blog lead to Facebook/Twitter friendship which has in turn evolved into a mutual admiration between blogs and bloggers. Seeing as Andi is from Adelaide, Australia, her first piece (will there be more?) is an appreciation of her favorite Australian film Starstruck! For more of her film writing please check out her film blog, The Sofa Cinephile. And now without further ado...

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I can't really say what most people outside of Australia think of when they think 'Australian cinema'. Drag queens driving through the desert in a converted bus? Crazed serial killers? Young girls mysteriously disappearing? (Which, and it tickles me, some people still think is a true story. Too funny). I know a lot of my Australian cinema-loving friends will quote The Castle as a favourite, though it doesn't seem to have done so well in America? Perhaps it's 'too' Australian? (I know a lot of the jokes were changed to 'translate' for American audiences. But maybe something on that another time...)

Well, one of my own personal favourites is Gillian Armstrong's 1982 offering, Starstruck. It combines so many things that I love: the '80s, great new wave music, fun costumes and an homage to Busby Berkeley. And yet there is still, somehow, that understated quality that I love about Australian cinema. (There are exceptions, of course, like Baz Luhrman's Australia...which I don't actually like very much.) Well, understated is a matter of opinion, of course...

It's referred to by at least one IMDB user as a 'cult film' in the US but I'm not sure it's much more well known in Australia, to be honest.

Starstruck is the story of Jackie (Jo Kennedy), an aspiring singer, and her cousin Angus, her manager and songwriter, and their quest to raise Jackie to star status including the adventures and mishaps along the way that culminate in a New Year's Eve performance at the Sydney Opera House.

It's directed by Gillian Armstrong who has directed a lot of period movies (like Little Women and Charlotte Gray) including My Brilliant Career, a film I found slightly dry but very important (a word that is well open to interpretation). Starstruck is a surprising follow-up to My Brilliant Career in some ways, yet both are about young women struggling to overcome their situations in life to 'make it'.

Starstruck is hardly a masterpiece of cinema, but I think it illustrates Australia's affinity for the underdog just as well as so many of our other films. And it does it with appearances from The Swingers, great new wave music (including a cover of a Split Enz song), creative use of locations, colourful costumes and genuinely likeable characters. It's just a really fun movie!

I could be wrong: maybe Starstruck is a lot better known than I think it is – I tend to be a fairly isolated/insulated movie watcher at times. Either way, it's one of my all-time favourites (not just of Australian cinema) and one I come back to time and time again.

Movie Party: Amadeus

I love throwing little parties for no reason, and my favorite ones usually draw inspiration from a favorite film. After our "12 Months of Kubrick" series of movie-watching get-togethers in 2012, I was left facing an empty calendar in 2013. So a friend threw out the idea of having an Amadeus party, mostly so she could make me play piano for her! I loved the idea, and we decided to throw something together.

Amadeus is one of my favorite films ever, so planning a party inspired by this film was a fun project. I knew I wanted to have memorable details like an old-school wig, a feather pen for guests to sign our guest book, and an impromptu piano recital!

CQ (2001)

A young American filmmaker (Jeremy Davies) in 1960s Paris must juggle directing a cheesy sci-fi film with directing his own personal art film.

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No matter how serious your cinematic tastes are, there have to be at least a couple films you love purely because they are fun. You cannot convince me that you grew up watching Ingmar Bergman films exclusively. And if this is the case, you're not someone I care to associate with. You can't eat broccoli for every meal, sometimes you need a scoop of ice cream. While it may be the smallest part of the food pyramid, it's there for a reason. And just as it is important to have a well-rounded meal, it is also important to have a well-rounded viewing regimen  God bless Roman Coppola for reconciling the two halves of his brain into a film that is both tasty and nutritious! CQ is the perfect synthesis of the commercial and experimental currents that were running through that turbulent and bi-polar decade we call The 60s! Only here will you find references to something as silly as Danger: Dialbolik commingling with references to something as avant-garde as David Holzman's Diary. Oh and that Angela Lindvall gal is pretty easy on the eyes too... Do yourself a favor and seek out this movie. It's good for your health!

Double-Bill: Drivin' With Harry Dean

Paris, Texas and Repo Man

Friday Quote: Stardust

"You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain, lies, hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and strangely easy to mistake for loathing, and... What I'm trying to say, Tristan is... I think I love you. Is this love, Tristan? I never imagined I'd know it for myself. My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it's trying to escape because it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange - no gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine." 

 Stardust (2007)

The Best Films Of 2012: THE RESULTS!

Well the results are in! And though We were only collecting Top-5 lists from people, a tie for 5th place left us with a total of 6 films which is kind of an odd number. Seeing as there were also two-way ties for 6th  and 7th place, We made an executive decision and turned this into a Top-10 list! Forget The Academy, this is where the real good stuff is.Also - please feel free to peruse the ballots of all the wonderful people who submitted lists to us. All hypertext titles will take you to This Cinematic Life reviews of the films in question. If a contributor's name is in hypertext, give it a click and check out the cool stuff that they are up to.

Thank you all so much for participating and be prepared 'cause we've got another cool list idea percolating for the months ahead! And now without further ado...

Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

Follow the trials and tribulations of passionate young people putting everything they have into making highly personal video games.

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I left the world of gaming long ago. The last console I owned was a Sega Genesis. Though I appreciate gaming and gamers, when it came time to declare my geek major, I went for film with a minor in comics. That being said, it's nice to see that the gaming industry is still around and has evolved to the point where mere mortals can make games. Oh and what mortals these be! Choosing a documentary subject is often a total gamble in that you often don't know the outcome in advance. For all you know you could be investing a lot of time, money and energy into a story that goes nowhere. Luckily for these filmmakers, they struck gold. This story is filled with so many opportunities for great drama and they are all seized upon and played expertly. And by setting these familiar stories (the battle between indie and mainstream, the quest for artistic purity, business drama, family drama, self doubt, etc.) in a medium that many are unfamiliar with, the formula gets tweaked just enough to make it almost wholly new. This film is almost enough to make me want to pick up a controller again. Almost.

The Cabin In The Woods (2012)

A bunch of kids spend a weekend in a cabin.  Think you've seen this all before?  That’s what this film is hoping.

What were once original motifs in classic horror films from the mid/late 70’s to early 80’s, quickly became retreaded and watered down clichés for the next few decades’ worth of slasher films.  Cabin builds on that familiarity with everything that’s wrong (or right, depending on your view) with the horror genre, and deconstructs it.  It takes all the tired tropes and dumb choices these films make, and causes you to view every scary movie you've ever seen from a fun/new angle.

Do you ever wonder why there’s always a beefy jock and some horny blond in damn near EVERY horror cast?  Do you facepalm over why characters are stupid enough to split up in the middle of being trapped in a desperate situation?  Or are you the type that smiles and enjoys it when stock victim goes outside to check something out and meets their untimely end when clearly they should've just stayed inside?  Whether you love these tropes or hate them, you’re bound to get something out of this film because writers Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard love them and hate them too.

The prerequisite sex scene, the virginal Final Girl, etc.  Whedon & Goddard not only deconstruct the genre, but they do so in a refreshingly post-Scream NOT self-aware manner.  The narrative doesn’t stop to have its characters point out some horror convention that it is post-modernly eschewing.  The filmmakers are smart enough to know audience are in on the joke (we don’t need it spelled out for us) and the film itself still plays it straight, and that is what makes it so crafty and lets the jokes land so well.  It’s not just what this film has to say; it’s how it says it.  Not only do they know how to gleefully subvert your expectations, they also know to really earn a climax.  This film has the best third act I've seen in a long while, both in how fascinatingly the truth is revealed and in how delicious a spectacle it becomes.

If I’m being cryptic about the film’s story, I’m doing you a favor.  I have a real hard time praising all the clever and witty things about this joyous film experience without spoiling the bejesus out of it. The less you know about the plot points, the better.  Just know that if you've sat through the good and the bad, from Evil Dead to Friday the 13^th part VII, then you will find this a genuinely gratifying experience.  This film is like a reward for a contest you didn't know you entered.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

I recently bought Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes by Anita Loos. While cracking it open yesterday and reading the introduction about the groundbreaking characters of Lorelei and Dorothy, I couldn't help but reminisce about the silver screen version I've seen a billion times.

Dorothy (Jane Russell) and Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) are "just two little girls from Little Rock" with big dreams and dollar signs in their eyes. Lorelei's rich and innocent fiance sends her to Paris, with Dorothy as chaperon, but neither of them realizes that a private detective hired by her future father-in-law is keeping a close eye on them...Dorothy in particular, wink wink! Full of fun over-the-top musical numbers (my favorite being "When Love Goes Wrong"), including the famous "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," this film is colorful and witty. Marilyn sparkles and has some hilarious lines as the not-as-dumb-as-you-think blonde, and Jane Russell is dynamite.

The real star, however, is author Anita Loos herself for creating these characters in her novel back in 1925. Loos was one of the Hollywood's first noteworthy screenwriters (girl power!) and went on to write the screenplay for the scandalous Red-Headed Woman (1932) starring Jean Harlow, and contributed to dozens and dozens more films. She's a fascinating character in her own right...I recommend her autobiographies A Girl Like I and Kiss Hollywood Good-by for more about this acid-tongued trailblazer!

Remember: a kiss on the hand might feel very good, but a diamond tiara lasts forever!

Double-Bill: 8-Bit Nation

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and Indie Game: The Movie

How To Survive A Plague (2012)

A documentary chronicling activists of the late 80s/early 90s who fought drug companies and the  US government in order to get something done about the plague of AIDS.

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I completely understand why this is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination on Thursday. It's a great documentary! It's not just informative, it's also engaging. Not only is this a great piece of activism reminding people that AIDS is still something to be conquered, it is also a great story of young people hearing the call to action and making great things of themselves by striving to help others.  Director David France's decision to withhold video footage of the people who have survived the disease until near the end, was master stroke. You go through the film never knowing who is safe. And the deaths that do come over the course of this narrative are particularly tough. Some moments in this film nearly brought me to tears. Thank God for the people who were out there with cameras to record all of this important action as it was happening. Thanks to the people in front of and behind these cameras, HIV is no longer a certain death sentence. But there is still plenty of work to be done. How do you survive a plague? You get off your fat ass and do something!

Friday Quote: Beasts of the Southern Wild

"I see that I am a little piece of a big, big universe, and that makes it right." 

 Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Les Misérables (2012)

Ah, Les Misérables!  This was one of my most eagerly anticipated films this year. I'm a huge fan of the musical (saw it on stage last summer and the summer before that as well) and I ended up being a huge fan of this film too. So yes, I'm biased.

I won't trouble you with a long plot summary (it's epic and there are lots of characters) but it's a classic story of redemption, heartbreak, loyalty, defiance, and yes, there's lots of singing! I appreciated the intimate approach with the songs. Having seen the show on stage, I can certainly appreciate the power of amazing voices, but the film allowed you to really look at their faces, see their anguish and their tears. Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius) really knocked it out of the park for me on their songs, and I couldn't ask for better from Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, particularly in his "What Have I Done/Soliloquy" at the beginning of the film. Very moving performances all around...if you are even the slightest bit emotional, bring tissues!

Oh, and casting the original Jean Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) as the bishop was brilliant. Brilliant! You can also catch the original Eponine (Frances Ruffelle) as one of the prostitutes. Little details like that make it all the more special for fans like me.

It was difficult for me to write this without being like "OMFG SUCH A GREAT MUSICAL EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING GO SEE IT NOW!" and no I'm not going to slam anything or anyone related to this film (Russell Crowe tried his best, okay??). See it for yourself if you haven't already, if only to be up to date when the Oscars roll around!

To love another person is to see the face of God...

A House Divided...

It's Oscar time! Craig here with my annual musings on this rather wacky and all over the place field of nominations. LOT of surprises this year. Some good, some not so good. Really bummed to see Moonrise Kingdom virtually shut out and The Master shut out of non-acting stuff. Perhaps these will fare better in our upcoming poll? With the lack of a real clear front-runner and the odd differences between the Guild nominees and these nominees, I don't think I'm going to do too well when it comes time to lay money on the line on Oscar night. Oh well! Onward with my ramblings!

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-Wow no Moonrise Kingdom or The Master in Best Picture? Guess Harvey Weinstein threw all his weight behind Silver Linings Playbook rather than The Master and of course only one "quirky" film can get nominated at a time, right?

Buffalo '66 (1998)

The following is a review written 10 years ago by an 18-year-old Craig Duffy for an anthology put together for his 12th-grade English class. It has not been edited in any way...

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I consider myself a fan of independent film. I have seen countless "indies" (short for independent film) since I discovered my love for film. Some people may think that some Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy) or John Waters (Cecil B. Demented) film would be my favorite in the independent category. A logical assumption (seeing as I do love those directors' work) but still a misconception. My favorite independent film is Buffalo '66.

Buffalo '66 is the story of a young man named Billy Brown (played by the amazing Vincent Gallo) just released from prison. Billy ends up kidnapping a girl played by Christina Ricci and forcing her to pretend to be his wife.

I know the premise may sound hokey or like a standard romantic comedy, but trust me, it's not. At the beginning of the movie most people find Billy annoying. He comes off like a possibly homicidal version of the neurotic characters Woody Allen always plays. But as the film progresses you inexplicably find yourself actually caring for Billy. The ability to make such a dramatic turn in the audience's eyes is all the work of Vincent Gallo. In addition to acting in the movie Gallo also wrote, directed and did the music. It's a wonder that he didn't get some kind of nomination for the film.

Not only is the film well acted, it's well made. The cinematography is simply beautiful. The color scheme is very bland, which reflects the coldness of the setting (Buffalo, New York in the winter). Also by using this very muted color scheme, other colors like reds and golds are allowed to catch your attention and bring it to crucial moments. Christina Ricci tap dancing and Billy's dad singing to Sinatra records have to be two of the most beautiful scenes ever photographed.

If nothing I've said has moved you to want to see this movie, I guess I'll just have to pull out the big guns. Christina Ricci, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Arquette, Mickey Rourke and Anjelica Huston all appear in this movie! Also for all you Matrix fans out there, this movie used the technique of bullet time photography a  full year before you saw the camera spin all the way around Keanu or some swing kids in a GAP commercial. If this hasn't gotten you to want to see this movie then I don't know what will. Next time you're at the video store see if they have it, and if they do you will find it's a lovely way to "span time."

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A decade later and I still find myself agreeing with the points made in this piece. I think I might even like this film more now. When I wrote this, I had little knowledge of Vincent Gallo as a person. In subsequent years I've come to learn what a despicable person he can sometimes be, yet I still love this film. It's still in my Top-10. In my opinion, if a film can be good enough to make someone overlook the filmmaker's questionable behaviors and opinions, then it truly is a great film.

In A World...

Imagine yourself in a darkened theater; the scent of popcorn wafting through the air as the projector hums to life, slapping the screen with the MPAA green band (or if you’re naughty, a red band one). For many of us cinephiles, this is the best part of the movie-going experience. For a few minutes we are presented with a few fleeting images from movies we’re anticipating, film’s we’ve yet to hear about, and others we have zero desire to ever see. What often makes these little babies so nifty is how well put together. It’s hard to deny that there is a true art to creating a good, compelling trailer.

In the old days, people not even remotely involved with the finished film were hired by studios to slap together whatever footage they had on hand to create a trailer. The results were mixed. More often than not, the finished two-minute preview showed too much or gave off the wrong tone. However, in this day and age, more and more filmmakers are taking a more hands-on approach with this phase of the process. While the results are still a bit mixed, it’s nice to know that those creating the film are now able to choose what they present and how they present it.

I’m going to share with you a slew of movie trailers, many of these trailers are brilliantly done – some even better than the finished film. And then there are the others… 

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Chronicling the ten-year man-hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

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Time to start believing the hype. Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal have succeed in turning an event we all know the outcome of, into one of the most tense and intense pieces of cinema ever. It's so good in fact that I kind of wish this film could exist in a political vacuum where people could put aside questions of torture and due process, and just marvel at the sheer might of the filmmaking on display. Sadly there is no vacuum to be found when you are dramatizing a true story, during Oscar season, near an election, featuring events that occurred as recently as one year ago. People are going to bring all kinds of baggage to their interpretation of this film no matter what, but for me it's all about watching Maya's face in that last shot. It's all right there. If the emotions on her face cannot convince you of the filmmakers' sympathies, then nothing will. Like John Ford's The Searchers before it, Zero Dark Thirty is a film destined to be debated for years to come.

Double-Bill: By Any Means Necessary

The Searchers and Zero Dark Thirty

Calling All Destroyers!

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful holiday/solstice/new year. Props by the way for surviving the Mayan Apocalypse! And seeing as we are all a bunch of Grade-A survivors, who better than us to decide which films of 2012 were the bestest?

Now we're well aware that the number of 2012 releases you've seen is likely to be somewhat limited. We get that times are tough and nobody here has a benevolent parent company behind them to set up free and advanced screenings or provide them with screener DVDs. For this reason we are only requesting of you a Top-5 list. As per usual, these lists will be polled together to generate a master list of 2012's best films. No greater emphasis is placed on your #1 choice vs. your #5 choice, so don't sweat that stuff. This is all just about which films show up on the most lists.

The deadline to submit your list is January 13th at 10pm PST, so there is still time to check out a few more movies at your local cinema or on Netflix Instant. You can submit your list either as a comment on this post or you can message us via our Facebook. Results will be posted on Friday January 18th. We can't wait to see what you guys come up with. Happy listing!