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December 2007
The Best (and Worst) Movies of 2007
I guess seven really is a lucky number.
Simply put, 2007 was a great year for movies - so much so that putting this 10-best list together was actually rather painful. There were so many excellent films this year, I wanted to highlight them all. Unfortunately, since we only have 10 fingers, 10 is our base. Since these are the cream of a very fine crop, each of these titles is particularly tasty.
To be eligible for this list, a movie must have opened in the Dayton area in the calendar year of 2007. That’s why you’ll find some films that are technically 2006 movies, and why you won’t see acclaimed titles like There Will be Blood or Atonement, because those films haven’t gotten to the area yet.
Hyperlinked titles go to my full reviews. All films are on DVD unless otherwise indicated. As always, if films are still playing in theaters, I strongly recommend seeing them there first.
1. Once: Other films on this list may be “better,” or more important, but no movie in 2007 made my heart sing like this musical romance about two musicians who fall for each other, but are still nursing wounds of the past. We never even learn the names of the couple, but if you ask me, they deserve comparison with Rick and Ilsa.
2. Pan’s Labyrinth: Fantasy is not always lilting and pretty, as Guillermo del Toro showed in this masterpiece about a girl whose imagination is influenced by the horrors around her. It’s shocking, terrifying, bloody and wondrous, sometimes all at once.
3. No Country for Old Men: This is one of the very greatest achievements by the Coen Brothers, so by extension it’s one of this year’s great achievements in film. No movie of 2007 demands repeat viewing more than this one. (In theaters)
4. Ratatouille: Only Pixar would be nutty enough to ask “What if a rat wanted to be a great French chef?” And only Pixar would be brilliant enough to make it work.
5. The Bourne Ultimatum: Who says that action films can’t be great? Who says sequels can’t be great? And who says action movie sequels can’t be great? This film launches at rocket speed and rarely slows down, packing powerful punches both viscerally and dramatically.
6. Enchanted: The happiest film of the year restored Disney to its former glory, thanks in no small part to the amazing Amy Adams, who gave the performance of the year. (In theaters)
7. Children of Men: Alfonso Cuaron’s look at a bleak, childless future made Blade Runner look like Sesame Street, with the help of some masterful camerawork.
8. Knocked Up: Not only did this movie give socially awkward guys hope that a Katherine Heigl type could actually love them, it made the scenario moving and hilarious to boot. The best of three great pregnancy movies this year.
9. Michael Clayton: I heard way too many people call this legal drama slow or boring, probably because there was only one explosion in it. I relished the complex characters and the richly layered story with a deeply satisfying ending. (DVD TBA)
10: Across the Universe: To all those critics who trashed this messy but boldly imaginative Beatle-musical, I paraphrase the words of Eric Cartman: Screw you guys! I’m puttin’ it on my list! ( In theaters, on DVD Feb. 5)
After the jump come the runners-up, 10 movies so good that in ordinary years, they might well have made the main list. In alphabetical order:
Bridge to Terabithia: One of the year’s most misleading ad campaigns couldn’t dim the power of this moving fantasy.
Eastern Promises: Very, very, unusual, and very, very hard to shake. In other words, typical David Cronenberg, with a sterling performance by Viggo Mortensen.
The Great Debaters: Yes, a movie about a lot of students talking can be thrilling in the hands of a perfect cast and a confident director like Denzel Washington, who builds his second film to a deeply affecting finale. (In theaters)
Hot Fuzz: The Shaun of the Dead crew gleefully skewers big Hollywood action flicks. Take THAT, Michael Bay!
Juno: At first, it seems as though this indie hit is trying too hard to be ultra-hip, only to reveal that that was the idea all along. Ellen Page’s high-wire performance gradually reveals layers of subtlety and emotion as the 16-year-old comes to grips with giving birth, all while delivering the snarkiest one-liners of the year.
Letters from Iwo Jima: Clint Eastwood’s companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers turned out to be the superior picture, presenting the unique viewpoint of how the other side lived.
The Lives of Others: This shattering drama depicts an oppressive era in Germany - East Germany of the 1980s. That such things took place fairly recently makes the film all the more chilling.
No End in Sight: Never mind what all the politicians and gasbag pundits say. This documentary presents the clearest vision of how the Iraq invasion went wrong.
Volver: Pedro Almodovar’s very unique dramedy is one of the very few films about which I could honestly say that I could not predict where it was headed.
Waitress: My stomach’s favorite movie of the year.
This year was such a good year for movies that I didn’t have to see very many truly awful ones. I did my best to avoid obvious junk like Epic Movie and I Know Who Killed Me, but a handful of stinkers still made me wince.
Perfect Stranger: Stranger? Hah! I sure wish I’d never heard of this moronic thriller that ties itself in so many knots it’s suffocating.
Smokin’ Aces: This is what happens when people think they’re being hip and edgy when they’re just being crass and obnoxious.
Fred Claus: And this sour mess is what happens when people who think they’re too hip for Christmas try to make a Christmas movie.
Ghost Rider: The most expensive film ever made that should have gone directly to video. Asinine, even for this genre.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets: Ladies and gentlemen, this is indeed a book - a textbook on everything that’s wrong with big-budget Hollywood filmmaking. It’s loud, obvious, unbelievable and at times flat-out stupid. It feels like a team of second-graders scripted it. And I liked the first film! (PS: Bad year for Nicolas Cage)
Now you get to tell me and the other readers: What are your choices for the best and worst films of 2007? Affirm and/or debate me.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Categories: Reviews
The Second Annual Sir Critic Awards
My 10 best list will run in this space tomorrow, but first, it’s time for me to bestow my awards for various highlights and lowlights of the year.
Better Than You’ve Heard: The Kingdom
What Was So Great About : Transformers (BESIDES the effects, folks)
Best Disappointment: American Gangster - Really, really good film. Should have been great, with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Ridley Scott and Steven Zaillian putting it together.
Most Disturbing Box-office Stat, Part 1: Shrek the Third made more money than Ratatouille. Man, I’d love to hear someone actually argue that the Shrek sequel is better. And then send them to film school.
Most Disturbing Box-office Stat, Part 2: Alvin and the Chipmunks is going to be a bigger hit than Enchanted.
Actress I Fell Hard for this Year: Aw. c’mon, any regular reader of this blog should know that. If you’re not a regular, see below.
Best Scene: “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted. (Sense a theme here?)
Worst Scene: The this person did it, no that person did it, no, THIS person did it ending of Perfect Stranger. I wanted to enter the labs at the studio and destroy the original camera negatives of that trash.
Best Action Scene: The whole of The Bourne Ultimatum.
Most Astounding Time Manipulator: Pirates of the Caribbean: At What End? Made three hours seem like three years.
Needs a New Agent Quick, Part One: Mandy Moore. She’s shown she has talent in just about every movie she’s made. When will she again find one that deserves her?
Needs a New Agent, Quick, Part Two (special for the cast of License to Wed): Robin Williams. When was the last time a movie was made better because he was in it? One Hour Photo, maybe?
Most Misleading Ad Campaign: The trailers for Bridge to Terabithia made it look like a Narnia knock-off. Thank god word of mouth spread that the movie was much better than that.
Not Getting the Recognition he Deserves, Part 1: Will Smith. Sure, I Am Legend is a huge hit. But if this movie were a serious drama and it didn’t have zombies in it, I bet he’d be talked about for an Oscar.
Not Getting the Recognition He Deserves Part 2 (Men in Black Special) : No one wanted to see In the Valley of Elah, and the biggest shame of that is that Tommy Lee Jones’ sterling performance in this film, one of the best of his career, is getting overlooked.
Please Go Away and Never Come Back: Will Ferrell. Elf and Stranger than Fiction excepted, the mere sight of him makes me want to learn to use a Taser.
I shouldn’t leave without paying tribute to: Michael Kidd, who choreographed this, from The Band Wagon :
And this, from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
So what film awards would you give out? What were the highlights and lowlights for you at the movies this year?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Movie awards
Home (Re)Viewing: Rediscover ‘The Kingdom’
Christmas kicked the DVD releases to today, and the offerings are halfway excellent, with one excellent film and a near-excellent movie compensating for two less than stellar entries.
The Kingdom: Among 2006’s war on terror movies, this was expected to be a hit, since it’s more of an action movie than a weighty drama, but it ended up underperforming at the box office anyway. That’s too bad, because this was more than just an efficient shoot-em-up; it had some hard-hitting points to make about the nature of vengeance. This movie deserves a larger audience. Full review. GRADE: A-
Eastern Promises: Director David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, who made A History of Violence, reunite for this extremely offbeat look inside the Russian underworld, with Mortensen throwing himself into the part with wild abandon. It’s an unusual and sometimes harshly violent story, but it’s never less than fascinating for those who can stomach it. Full review. GRADE: A
Rush Hour 3: Did this come out this past year? I almost forgot, because from what I can recall, this movie is decent enough while it’s on, and then it fades from memory almost immediately. Jackie Chan is always good for a few laughs, but was this trip really necessary? Full review. GRADE: B-
The Heartbreak Kid: So much for the comeback bid by the Farrelly Brothers. They flailed about in this misguided film, grafting their raunchy style onto a remake of a well-regarded 1972 comedy. The blend didn’t take, resulting in Ben Stiller’s character being profoundly annoying. The female leads, Michelle Monaghan and Malin Akerman, try their best to make something of the mess. Full review. GRADE: C
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The SirCritical Holiday Movie Guide, Version 2.0
As usual, the floodgates have opened at the theaters for the holidays, saturating the megaplexes with variety of choices. So just as I was at Thanksgiving, I am here to help you sort out the best movies to see amid all the Yuletide cheer.
Except for the Alien vs. Predator sequel, that is. That title tells you all ya need to know. Merry Christmas to my readers, who make blogging a lot of fun. No blog is a failure that has comments!
NEW MOVIES
Charlie Wilson’s War: Mike Nichols’ satirical look back at the arming of the Afghans against the Soviets is very funny, thanks to some sharp writing and fine performances, particularly by Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman. However, the movie is too short, and its refusal to put Wilson’s story in the context of today’s events blunts its impact. GRADE: B
The Kite Runner: This drama based on the acclaimed novel by Khaled Hosseini, feels a bit too earnest and “good for you” in its early stretches, but as the drama heightens, it becomes undeniably affecting, culminating in a powerful finish. GRADE: B+
National Treasure: Book of Secrets: The first National Treasure blindsided me. I really enjoyed it even though the ads made it look like just another brainless action flick. That’s why I was so unpleasantly surprised by the lameness of this sequel, which is everything I was afraid the first movie would be: loud, obvious and flat-out stupid. I checked my watch about as often as someone cracked a limp one-liner. GRADE: D+
Sweeney Todd: Unlike much of the moviegoing public, I was aware that Johnny Depp sings in this movie, but that’s not why it underwhelmed me. I must give director Tim Burton props for his willingness to go for broke in making this film bloody and morbid. It’s nothing if not gutsy, in more ways than one. However, the movie is so oppressively grim, the sour mood distanced me from the material. I admired it more than I enjoyed it. GRADE: B-
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story: Here’s a rarity - a funny movie that saves all its worst jokes for the trailer. Maybe that’s why this Judd Apatow project flopped at the box office last weekend. Most obviously it’s a parody of Walk the Line, but that’s the weakest material in the movie. It’s when the film parodies everything from Don’t Look Back to Yellow Submarine to Pet Sounds that it becomes manically inspired. GRADE: B
STILL AROUND
Across the Universe: This Beatles-fueled musical is a mess, but it’s a mesmerizing mess, with many striking visuals and some strong cover versions. GRADE: A
American Gangster: Really good epic crime drama. It should have been great With Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe starring with Ridley Scott directing. Can’t fault the performances, but I wish the script were tighter and the pace faster. GRADE: B+
Bee Movie: Has some genuinely clever and funny moments before becoming another self-satisfied, too-cool-for-sentiment effort from DreamWorks. GRADE: C+
Beowulf: For its dazzling 3D effects and amazingly detailed animation it’s worth seeing, even if the story never carries much weight. GRADE: B+
Enchanted: If you see only one film over the holidays, make it this absolutely delightful film featuring the adorable Amy Adams in the performance of the year. See Amy, not Alvin.GRADE: A+
Fred Claus: So sour it’s like eating year-old fruitcake chased by eggnog that’s been left out overnight. You’d better watch out indeed. GRADE: C-
The Golden Compass: If set and costume design were everything, this would be the movie of the year. Unfortunately, this adaptation of Philip Pullman’s controversial novels feels inert because it labors too hard to explain the story and not hard enough to develop the characters. GRADE: C+
I Am Legend: Very effective for the first two-thirds when it focuses on Will Smith and his dog trying to survive in an apocalyptic, deserted Manhattan. So it’s too bad when the zombies overrun the movie in the last act. Smith’s outstanding performance was all the movie needed. GRADE: B+
The Mist: The newest Stephen King/Frank Darabont film has problems with tone, as it veers uncomfortably between serious terror and goofball scares. However, the film pulls it all together for a powerful finish.GRADE: B+
No Country for Old Men: One of the Coen Brother’s very best movies, which by extension makes it one of this year’s very best movies. On the surface it’s a thriller about greed and corruption resulting from a botched drug deal, but a closer look reveals it to be a look at how evil and particularly death are inescapable. No film this year lends itself better to repeat viewings. GRADE: A+
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‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ is heck
Lurking inside the good movie that is Charlie Wilson’s War is a great movie fighting to get out.
Mike Nichols’ acerbic comedy about the unlikeliest people in the world bringing down the Soviet empire left me feeling not quite enthralled at the end. As well as it often works, the movie feels undercooked, and it pulls its punch in the final reel.
That’s all the more striking considering Charlie Wilson’s War is frequently quite bold. After all, it’s not every movie that introduces us to a character played by Tom Hanks sitting in a hot tub with bare-breasted women.
Hanks plays the titular character, a Texas congressman of no particular distinction, except for one thing: he is a hustler par excellence. He combines the swagger of a Hugh Hefner with the gift of gab. Recognizing this, a vivacious Texas socialite and ribald anti-communist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), recruits Charlie to negotiate with the powers that be to help arm rebels in Afghanistan so they can repel the Soviets, who had invaded the country in 1979.
A very serious film could have been made from this story, chronicled in George Crile’s book of the same name. Yet Nichols and writer Aaron Sorkin go the Dr. Strangelove route, daring to play the material for laughs, and not unjustly so. The whole situation is so absurd, so surreal that one can’t help but find it morbidly funny. Charlie Wilson’s War feels like a political history filtered through a Mad magazine satire brought to you by the usual gang of idiots.
Hanks and Roberts play off each other well, with both stars enjoying the chance to subvert their images. Roberts doesn’t fully succeed in her portrayal, because her southern belle routine feels affected and mannered, but her charisma still puts the role across. It’s a little jarring at first to hear Hanks declare that he wants to see Roberts “nekkid,” but Hanks most lights up in the scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays a diabolically clever CIA operative. Hoffman’s scenes are fall down funny, with the actor wielding withering putdowns the way Errol Flynn brandished a sword.
That’s why it’s especially discouraging to see the movie lose its nerve. Many a pundit has pointed out that the actions of this time in history set in motion a chain of events that ultimately led to 9-11, because those rebels that Wilson armed paved the way for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Yet Charlie Wilson’s War goes to pains to avoid pointing this out, making only the most oblique references to it. It has been reported that Sorkin’s script did include a pointed 9-11 reference, but the real Joanne Herring, bristling at the connection, threatened to sue the filmmakers, so it was dropped.
It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that merely including the 9-11 reference would have made the picture great. Charlie Wilson’s War has other problems. At 97 minutes, it’s too short for a story of this complexity. Some scenes and characters feel truncated. Amy Adams (Enchanted) brightly plays one of Charlie’s assistants who clearly adores him, yet not much is made of this promising subplot. Either Adams worked overtime to give heft to an underwritten character, or some of her footage got left in the editing bay.
Indeed, it’s what’s left unsaid that most holds the movie back. Not fully exploring the historical impact of Wilson’s actions would be rather like ending Dr. Strangelove without (spoiler) blowing up the world at the end. Charlie Wilson’s War promised so much that I smiled, but I still wanted more.
GRADE: B
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The Screen Actors Guild nominations - feh!
As the strike with the Writer’s Guild of America lengthens, the public is getting frustrated with their favorite shows being in seemingly endless reruns or canned altogether.
Not me. I am intensely displeased with another guild: the Screen Actors Guild for passing over my favorite performance of the year, by the Adorable Amy Adams (TM) in Disney’s delightful film Enchanted.
Here are the other Best Actress nominees:
Cate Blanchett - “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie - “Away From Her”
Marion Cotillard - “La Vie en rose”
Angelina Jolie - “A Mighty Heart”
Ellen Page - “Juno”
I never saw the Elizabeth sequel, but with all due respect to the great Blanchett, whose movie I did not see, I find it very hard to imagine her reprise as the queen rises to Adams’ level of brilliance, which takes the role far beyond mere “kids stuff.” For that matter, I’d take Adams over Jolie, too. All that said, Christie looks like the favorite to win.
Other categories:
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney - “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis - “There Will Be Blood”
Ryan Gosling - “Lars And The Real Girl”
Emile Hirsch- “Into the Wild”
Viggo Mortensen - “Eastern Promises”
I’m thrilled to see the best male performance of the year, by Mortensen tapped here. And Gosling is a deserving left-field choice as well. A rather tough call for the winner, but I’ll guess Day-Lewis, who so throughly immerses himself in all his performances. Conspicuously absent: Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd and Denzel Washington for American Gangster.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Casey Affleck - “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem - “No Country For Old Men”
Tommy Lee Jones - “No Country for Old Men”
Hal Holbrook - “Into the Wild”
Tom Wilkinson - “Michael Clayton”
I like Bardem to win here, but I’m very pleased to see Jones tapped as well. He’s the heart of No Country for Old Men.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett - “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee - “American Gangster”
Catherine Keener - “Into the Wild”
Amy Ryan - “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton - “Michael Clayton”
If SAG goes for showy, they’ll go for Blanchett. If they go for lifetime achievement, Dee. If it’s falling in line with the critics groups, it’s Ryan, though my personal favorite might actually be Swinton.
ENSEMBLE CAST
“3:10 to Yuma” - Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol, Dallas Roberts, Vinessa Shaw, Ben Foster, Alan Tudyk, Logan Lerman
“American Gangster” - Armand Assante, Josh Brolin , Russell Crowe, Ruby Dee, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Carla Gugino, John Hawkes, Ted Levine, Joe Morton, Lymari Nadal, John Ortiz, Rza, Yul Vazquez, Denzel Washington
“Hairspray” - Nikki Blonsky, Amanda Bynes, Paul Dooley, Zac Efron, Allison Janney, Elijah Kelley, James Marsden, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, Brittany Snow, Jerry Stiller, John Travolta, Christopher Walken
“Into the Wild” - Brian Dierker, Marcia Gay Harden, Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, William Hurt, Catherine Keener, Jena Malone, Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn
“No Country for Old Men” - Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Macdonald
My personal pick is for No Country, which may very well win. I’m delighted to see Hairspray here -that’s deserved. The biggest surprise: NO nominations for Sweeney Todd, or the lauded Atonement, which had been called a favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar. That hurts - but that also makes No Country a stronger favorite, and I can’t argue with that.
Your thoughts?
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‘The Hobbit’ - two films? Really?
For years, Lord of the Rings junkies have been clamoring for Peter Jackson to make a movie out of The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien’s prelude to his epic Rings series.
Well, they got their wish - kind of. New Line/MGM announced that there would be not one, but two films made out of the book, due for release in 2010 and 2011. However, Jackson would most likely produce the films, not direct.
I’m not a Tolkien fanatic, but I am anxious to see The Hobbit onscreen, as I and many other fans of a certain age remember the Rankin/Bass animated version with more than a tinge of nostalgia. But I wonder: is it really necessary to make two films out of this story?
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve read The Hobbit, but from what I remember, it wasn’t all that dense, certainly not in comparison to the much more elaborate Rings novels.
Call me a cynical cuss, but it seems to me that two films are being made not because they’re actually necessary, but because New Line needs two to fill in the void left by The Golden Compass. Audiences here have greeted the monumentally expensive ($200M+) film with a giant “meh,” making it quite unlikely that the other two books in the His Dark Materials series would be filmed.
So, not long after Compass goes awry, New Line and Peter Jackson make nice after a legal tussle. How con-VEEEEN-yent.
And what about the choice of director? I, for one, am actually glad that Jackson won’t make them. I don’t want to see him pigeonholed in the role of “elaborate fantasy filmmaker” forever. I hope to see him tackle other genres.
But if not, Jackson, who? The name of Spider-Man director Sam Raimi has been bandied about, and he’s indicated he’s willing to do it. I like the idea. Some fans are howling in protest, because, in their view, Raimi made a mess of Spider-Man 3. I don’t quite agree, but I do think Raimi burned himself out on the wall-crawler, so taking on The Hobbit might recharge his batteries.
So are you anxious to see The Hobbit(s)? Can it reasonably be made into two movies? And who should direct? Jackson, Raimi or someone else?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Coming Attractions
Home (Re)Viewing: Once, Simpsons, Blade Runner
Hey look, it’s another bang-up week for DVD releases! Must be the holiday season or something ….
Once: Few films have have filled me with as much feeling as this beautiful romance/musical about a pair of musicians who get on famously, but fear taking their relationship anywhere because both are hurting from break-ups. We never even learn the characters’ names, but this couple ranks among the greatest movie couples, if you ask me. And it has the soundtrack of the year to boot. An absolute must-see. Full review. GRADE: A+
Halloween: Tried to make Michael Myers more interesting by giving him a background as a misunderstood kid. Failed. Full review. GRADE: C-
The Simpsons Movie: If only the TV show were as funny as this movie turned out to be. Full Review. GRADE: A-
Stardust: This imaginative but overstuffed fantasy underwhelmed me when I first it, because it took forever to focus on its central romance, which works very well thanks in no smart to a literally glowing Claire Danes. I bet the movie will improve on repeat viewings, and it’s certainly more effective than the inert The Golden Compass. GRADE: B-
From the Catalog
Blade Runner: After years of existing only as a no-frills, substandard DVD, Ridley Scott’s influential sci=fi movie gets the deluxe treatment it deserves, complete with yet another version, and two- four - and five-disc versions that offer you all the Blade Runner you can stand and then some. Question: the theatrical trailer calls this the film that “started it all.” Started WHAT all, exactly?
Also out today
Balls of Fury: Tried to do for ping-pong what Dodgeball did for dodgeball. Failed.
Underdog: Have some fear, another slipshod-looking CGI/nostalgia combo is here!
Batman and Alvin - together at last! (sorta)
Before I get to the topics at hand, let me just say: $76.5 MILLION for I Am Legend this weekend - DA-YAM. I knew it would be big but not that big! It was also one of my best-read reviews, so thank you for that.
Showing before I Am Legend was the new trailer for The Dark Knight, next summer’s Batman sequel with Heath Ledger as the joker. As expected, this one looks monumentally promising, and I especially like how Ledger’s Joker truly looks like someone who could do you serious harm in a dark alley - or anywhere else, for that matter. It’s a nice contrast from the outwardly comical takes by Romero, Nicholson et al.
I also like the brief glimpses of Maggie Gyllenhaal as the love interest Rachel. Even with this limited footage, I can already tell she’s trumping Katie Holmes, who gave a game performance in Batman Begins but paled in comparison to everyone else. Suddenly July 18 seems even further away.
Finally, I was and wasn’t surprised by the $45 million gross for Alvin and the Chipmunks. I was a little startled the number was THAT high, but then again, I realize that nostalgia can trump even crass poop jokes.
I made my feelings on this film very clear in a post a few months back, and I still have no intention of seeing it. I’ve got 10-Best-List potential films to catch up on, and Alvin ain’t one of ‘em. But for those of you who did see it, how was it? Was I too alarmist in my post, or was the scorn deserved?
Tell me what you think about Batman, Alvin, Will, or whatever else tickles your fancy.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Coming Attractions
Will Smith is ‘Legend,’ the movie less so
I Am Legend begins as an intriguing movie, then turns into an excellent movie before finally mutating into a rather silly movie that’s just kind of OK.
That said, I wholeheartedly recommend the movie, for one reason above all others: an outstanding performance by Will Smith. When I Am Legend focuses on Smith and his dog, it’s great. It’s when the film tries to give them some humanoid company that it runs off the rails.
Smith plays Robert Neville, a military scientist who became the last normal man standing in New York City after an apocalyptic viral outbreak decimated the population and knocked “the city that never sleeps” out cold - except for the infected, bloodthirsty survivors that prowl the streets at night. Robert vows to stay in the city until he finds a cure.
Movies have depicted a deserted metropolis before. This Richard Matheson story has been filmed twice before, as The Last Man on Earth and The Omega Man. There was also that eerie moment in Vanilla Sky when Tom Cruise drifted through an empty Times Square. But no vision of an empty urban landscape is more chilling than the one depicted in I Am Legend.
One stunning shot after another had me practically convinced the crew pulled off an impossible feat and emptied the whole of Manhattan. In this movie, Times Square is not only deserted, it’s filled with weeds and the occasional herd of deer that gallop through there. Shot by Andrew Lesnie, the director of photography on the Lord of the Rings films, I Am Legend looks nothing short of fantastic.
The director is Francis Lawrence, who made the devilish Keanu Reeves movie Constantine. Once again, Lawrence proves himself to be a skilled visual stylist, although he has an uneven grip on narrative. However, for much of I Am Legend, that flaw doesn’t matter because the narrative is so spare, relying on Smith’s considerable skill to make it work.
When we meet Robert Neville, he’s already partly around the bend, talking not only to his dog, but also to mannequins he’s placed here and there to keep himself amused. Considering Smith has made wisecracks his stock in trade, it’s startling to see he is at his best in this movie when he says nothing. At one point, Robert must make a painful decision, and the moment plays in a gradual close-up of Smith’s face that’s almost unbearably powerful.
That’s why it’s so disappointing when the third act relies on tired action scenes with zombies running amok. The monsters not only take the focus off Smith, but they look goofy to boot, as if the zombies from 28 Days Later mated with The Mummy from the Stephen Sommmers movies, complete with the same hokey rubberized face. It’s a real drop in the quality of the digital effects to boot. I Am Legend should have known when to leave well enough alone - and in particular leave Smith alone.
It would be wrong, however, to call the ending a cop-out, just as it would be wrong to penalize this film too much because of some glaring flaws in the last couple of reels. I Am Legend is not the great movie it could have been, but it has a great performance that delivers the goods.
GRADE: B+
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Golden Globe nomination reactions
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the Golden Globe nominations this morning. Here’s the full list; my brief reactions follow the categories. Generally, not many surprises. By virtue of a time crunch, these are off the top of my head.
Picture, Drama: “American Gangster,” “Atonement,” “Eastern Promises,” “The Great Debaters,” “Michael Clayton,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood.”
Cheating, er, stretching to fill seven nominations, Atonement, No Country and Clayton have the best shots at Oscar nominations. American Gangster never built up a great head of steam, Eastern Promises is too strange and violent. Blood may make the cut, but the work of Paul Thomas Anderson is hard to embrace for many. My early guess on Debaters is it will have passionate defenders, but will taste too much like medicine. Into the Wild’s Oscar chances just got hurt. Winner here is probably No Country, maybe Atonement.
Actress, Drama: Cate Blanchett, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”; Julie Christie, “Away From Her”; Jodie Foster, “The Brave One”; Angelina Jolie, “A Mighty Heart”; Kiera Knightley, “Atonement.”
Round up the usual suspects. For the Oscars, throw out Foster and Blanchett, whose films weren’t well recieved, probably Jolie too, since her film bombed. I like Christie to win here.
Actor, Drama: George Clooney, “Michael Clayton”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “There Will Be Blood”; James McAvoy, “Atonement”; Viggo Mortensen, “Eastern Promises”; Denzel Washington, “American Gangster.”
Pleased to see Mortensen make the cut. I like Day-Lewis’ chances here.
Picture, Musical or Comedy: “Across the Universe,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Hairspray,” “Juno,” “Sweeney Todd.”
I love seeing Across the Universe here. Disappointed but not surprised that one of my favorite films Once, didn’t make the cut. No celebrities = no nominations from major categories in this group. Winner: Juno or Sweeney Todd.
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Amy Adams, “Enchanted”; Nikki Blonsky, “Hairspray”; Helena Bonham Carter, “Sweeney Todd”; Marion Cotillard, “La Vie En Rose”; Ellen Page, “Juno.”
I’m saddened to see Keri Russell didn’t make the cut for Waitress. Something tells me I’d still prefer her over Carter and Cotillard, whose performances I’ve not seen yet. Laura Linney’s chances at a nom for The Savages just dropped. Winner: Adams or Page. Dropping all pretense at objectivity - Go Amy!
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Johnny Depp, “Sweeney Todd”; Ryan Gosling, “Lars and the Real Girl”; Tom Hanks, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Savages”; John C. Reilly, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”
Depp’s to lose.
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, “I’m Not There”; Julia Roberts, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”; Amy Ryan, “Gone Baby Gone”; Tilda Swinton, “Michael Clayton.”
Interesting that Roberts gut shunted to supporting, her already shaky Oscar chances just got killed. The race is between Ryan and Blanchett. Blanchett is more well known, but the HFPA does like to recognize breakthroughs like Ryan. Tough call.
Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”; Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Charlie Wilson’s War”; John Travolta, “Hairspray”; Tom Wilkinson, “Michael Clayton.”
Either Bardem or Hoffman from this group. Again, saddened to see Waitress get stiffed by passing over Andy Griffith, whom I’d much prefer over Affleck.
Director: Tim Burton, “Sweeney Todd”; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Ridley Scott, “American Gangster”; Joe Wright, “Atonement.”
Coens or Wright. I’ll guess Coens.
Screenplay: Diablo Cody, “Juno”; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, “No Country for Old Men”; Christopher Hampton, “Atonement”; Ronald Harwood, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”; Aaron Sorkin, “Charlie Wilson’s War.”
No Country or Juno; I’ll guess No Country.
Foreign Language: “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” Romania; “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” France and U.S.; “The Kite Runner,” U.S.; “Lust, Caution,” Taiwan; “Persepolis,” France.
Diving Bell is the one that shows up elsewhere, so it’s the likely winner. Persepolis has a good shot.
Animated Film: “Bee Movie,” “Ratatouille,” “The Simpsons Movie.”
Hmm. Was the lauded Persepolis not eligible or just forgotten? Either way, the rat all the way.
Original Score: Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Edder, “Into the Wild”; Clint Eastwood, “Grace Is Gone”; Alberto Iglesias, “The Kite Runner”; Dario Marianelli, “Atonement”; Howard Shore, “Eastern Promises.”
Weird group. I’ll guess Atonement.
Original Song: “Despedida” from “Love in the Time of Cholera”; “Grace Is Gone” from “Grace Is Gone”; “Guaranteed” from “Into the Wild”; “That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”; “Walk Hard” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”
“Walk Hard”??? Over any of the songs from Once???? FAH! Kudos to them at least for picking the right song from Enchanted instead of going for the more poppy “So Close.”
Whom do you all like/dislike?
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What Are You Watching is back!
It’s been awhile, but it’s time once again for all of us to survey what we’ve been watching. Since I was on vacation recently, I have quite a few titles to divulge.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead: Sidney Lumet’s latest film has been attracting raves that say it’s the best thing he’s done in years, which is true, although I can’t quite elevate it to “best of the year” level. I couldn’t shake a slight but nagging “been there, done that” air of yet another “perfect crime gone wrong with jumbled chronology” film. Even so, it’s still very powerful thanks to taut direction by Lumet, and a stellar cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. GRADE: A-
Bug: Despite its title, this film is not a horror show about creepy crawlies a la Arachnophobia. Rather, it’s a psychological drama focusing on paranoia. It was an interesting, well-acted attempt at sort of an intense chamber drama, but it missed the mark because I didn’t buy Ashley Judd’s too-rapid descent into madness. GRADE: C+
Death Proof: The expanded version of Quentin Tarantino’s half of Grindhouse suffers from the same problem as the shorter version: WAY too much insular jibber-jabber in the early stretches, although I did like the added dialogue with the movie girls, who are far more interesting than the Jungle Julia gang. And yes, the chase scenes are still amazing. GRADE: B+
The Devil’s Backbone: Guillermo del Toro’s ghost story set in an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War serves as kind of a dry run for his great achievement with Pan’s Labyrinth. This story isn’t as tightly focused, but it still has its fair share of amazing visuals. GRADE: A-
Guys and Dolls: Like too many musicals of the mid-50s and beyond, this film feels elephantine because the filmmakers tried too hard to shoot the stage play. The heavy air of artifice may work great on Broadway; not so much on celluloid. (My Fair Lady suffers from the same problem.) Still, the source material remains intact enough that the Damon Runyon-esque fun shines through, with some great songs. People criticized Marlon Brando’s attempt at crooning, but I’ve never seen the lug be so darn lovable. GRADE: B
Fear Strikes Out: Understandably for a movie made in the 1950s, this take on the story of baseball player Jimmy Piersall features some hoary, pulpy psychology, but it still works with powerful acting by Anthony Perkins as Piersall and Karl Malden as his domineering father. This same filmmaking team went on to greater success with To Kill a Mockingbird. GRADE: B+
I’m Not There: Todd Haynes’ look at the phenomenon of Bob Dylan, with no less than six actors playing a facsimile of the man. It’s a boldly inventive approach that sometimes works brilliantly, particularly in the scenes with Cate Blanchett, but it becomes self-indulgent too often for me to see the masterpiece other critics saw. The Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid scenes in particular, with Richard Gere, slow the film down to 16 RPMs. GRADE: B
Klute: I checked this out because I heard it was the dominant influence on Michael Clayton, one of my favorite films from this year. It’s a touch dated now, particularly with its dissonant musical score, but terrifically atmospheric visuals from director Alan J. Pakula and DP Gordon Willis, plus an Oscar-winning performance by Jane Fonda still come across very well. GRADE: A-
No Country for Old Men: Yeah, I reviewed this already in my holiday movie recap, but one of the best films of the year can’t be lauded enough. See it in a theater, especially if you’re a Coens fan. GRADE: A+
Sunrise: Most people remember Wings as the first movie to win the best picture Oscar, but this film, the winner of the one-time-only “unique and artistic” prize is the one that truly endures. F.W. Murnau’s layered imagery was stunning then, and it’s stunning now, and the story is intensely romantic. Even the title cards are imaginative. GRADE: A+
Yojimbo: This film was the inspiration for Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, and it’s even more fun, with a typically vibrant and often funny performance by Toshiro Mifune. Be wary of a Netflix rental. The copy I received was one of the early DVDs with a terrible transfer that Criterion should have been ashamed to put its name on. GRADE: A
As ever, your turn to tell me what you’ve seen lately. Remember, anything goes, whether you’ve seen it in theaters, on DVD, on cable TV, network TV, VHS, laserdisc, or what have you. Repeat viewings count, if you so desire. What are you watching?
Home (Re)Viewing: The Potter ultimatum
Today’s DVD releases bring us two of last summer’s better sequels, and some more vintage Disney releases courtesy of the excellent Treasures series.
The Bourne Ultimatum: As I have said here before, this is the action film of the year, hands down. Director Paul Greengrass stages scenes with astonishing verisimilitude. Be sure to check out some of the cool “How they did that” featurettes, which reveal Matt Damon to be quite the capable stunt driver, among other things. Full review. GRADE: A+
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: A slight comedown from Azkaban and Goblet, primarily because the filmmakers made the mistake of trying to make the longest book into the shortest movie. Too much compression leaves Ron and Hermione with too little to do, but when the film works, it’s spectacular, with a particularly intense final confrontation. Full review. GRADE: B+
Walt Disney Treasures: Three new releases come out today. One is a new set devoted to Disneyland, which promises more extensive footage than the prior set; another set is the third devoted to Donald Duck cartoons. But the real treasure here for Disney buffs is the set of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts Walt made early in his career. The loss of the rights to Oswald paved the way to the creation of a certain mouse …
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Film awards are reeling in, No Country a favorite
Various film critics’ groups have been naming their best-ofs for this year, so I’d like to round up the picks in the major categories so far and see what might lead down the path to Oscar.
A roundup of awards so far is here.
LATE ENTRY: The Broadcast Film Critics Association, who hand out the Critics Choice awards, just announced their nominations, which can be found here. Although this group isn’t as well known, they do tend to be rather predictive of the Oscars.
BEST PICTURE
National Board of Review: No Country for Old Men
New York Film Critics: No Country
LA Film Critics: There Will Be Blood
Boston Critics: No Country
Washington, DC Critics: No Country
No Country is the clear victor here. Only the LA critics dissent, picking, as is their wont, the more iconoclastic choice of Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil-drilling drama. No Country will almost certainly be Oscar-nominated, but I’m not sure I see it winning; the film doesn’t go down easily and its abrupt “what was that” ending tends to alienate a lot of people who like their stories to end on a more definitive note. It’s my second favorite film of this calendar year, after the luminous Once.
BEST DIRECTOR
NBR: Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
NYC: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country
LA: Paul Thomas Anderson, There WIll be Blood
Boston: Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
DC: The Coens
More spreading of the wealth here. Although I have my reservations about No Country winning the Best Picture Oscar, I think its distinctly possible the Coens could get a directing trophy as kind of a “you’ve done a good job all these years” award. Anderson and Burton have good shots at nominations; I’m less convinced about Schnabel.
BEST ACTOR
NBR: George Clooney, Michael Clayton
NYC: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
LA: Day-Lewis
Boston: Frank Langella, Starting Out in the Evening
DC: Clooney
Clooney picks up some well-deserved honors and will probably score an Oscar nom, but having won recently for Syriana, I don’t expect him to win. Day-Lewis, who hasn’t won since 1990 for My Left Foot, has an excellent shot.
BEST ACTRESS
NBR: Julie Christie, Away from Her
NYC: Christie
LA: Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Boston: Cotillard
DC: Christie
Christie is a legend, so an Oscar nomination is certain; a win not quite so since she won for 1965’s Darling, but she still seems to be the strongest contender out there. Cotillard, who played Edith Piaf, will most likely score a nomination, but foreign-language performances rarely win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
NBR: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
NYC: Javier Bardem, No Country
LA: Vlad Ivanov, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Boston: Bardem
DC: Bardem
Bardem’s a pretty clear favorite here, although personally I think he’s more of a lead. He’s in. Affleck has no shot, nor does Ivanov. The former’s film is polarizing, the latter’s isn’t on enough radars.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
All: Amy Ryan in Gone, Baby Gone
I knew Ryan would pick up some awards, and that’s fine with me, she’s far and away the best thing about the film. However, I didn’t expect her to sweep; some people were already saying Cate Blanchett would WIN for playing Bob Dylan in I’m Not There. However, since Blanchett won an Oscar recently for The Aviator, I think you have to call Ryan the front-runner now.
Watch this space for commentary on the Golden Globe nominations Thursday; I’ll unveil my own ten-best list Dec. 28.
Meanwhile, whom do you like in these categories so far?
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‘The Golden Compass’ spins aimlessly
New Line Cinema wants The Golden Compass to be their next Lord of the Rings, but this fantasy is so inert, the only direction this Compass points is south.
I wasn’t expecting this adaptation of the first novel in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy to measure up to Peter Jackson’s Rings films. If anything, I was hoping The Golden Compass would be at least a mild improvement on the engaging but unspectacular Chronicles of Narnia.
Instead, I came out of The Golden Compass wishing it had been engaging but unspectacular, instead of dull but occasionally eye-popping. The overarching problem with the film is that as much attention as the filmmakers pay to the amazing scenery, if anything, the screenplay has been fussed over too much.
The film tells the story of Lyra (Dkaota Blue Richards), a young girl whose best friend Roger (Ben Walker) is kidnapped by a group called the Gobblers. When Lyra sets off to find him, she meets the steely-eyed Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), whom Lyra discovers is in league with the Gobblers. Armed with a device called an Alethiometer, a sort-of truth-teller, Lyra sets out to undo the evil plot with the help of some witches, polar bears and a flying cowboy type (Sam Elliott).
You may notice my description is somewhat truncated, and that’s because the movie lost me early. It labors so hard to explain Pullman’s parallel universe that the screenplay gets bogged down in exposition, leaving not enough time to develop the characters. Consequently, I couldn’t get involved in the drama. I wasn’t confused by the dense plot so much as I was indifferent to it.
Every once in awhile, The Golden Compass sparks to life via a few action scenes that are well staged by director Chris Weitz (About a Boy). There is no question that the movie is beautifully designed, with some wonderfully imaginative moments, and Richards, Elliott and especially Kidman give uniformly strong performances.
Even so, I was never wrapped up in the movie enough to muster more than the occasional “wow.” Even during the highly touted polar bear battle, I couldn’t help but think “Hey, Coca-Cola polar bears by way of American Gladiator.” That’s how disengaged I was. It surely doesn’t help that Ian McKellan is miscast as the main bear, Iorek, because in this context, I could only think that Gandalf had grown a lot of fur. It’s also disappointing that Daniel Craig’s role in this film is little more than an extended cameo.
Much has been made of the alleged atheist content in this film. While there’s no question that Pullman is an atheist, I feel the controversy is overblown, as most church/movie flame-ups are. Weitz, who also wrote the screenplay, has turned the story into so much literary gobbledygook, kids won’t come out of this movie atheists any more than they’ll come out of a Harry Potter movie flying on brooms.
If their reaction is anything like mine, they’ll worship at the temples of art direction, costume design and cinematography more than anything else. I’m sorry to say I’m not anxious to see this Compass spin again.
GRADE: C
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Some great snowy movies
I hate, loathe, abhor and despise snow. With the sole exception of Christmas Day, snow can take a flyin’ fricken leap and stay out of our borders. In addition to being cold, slippery and hard to shovel, it makes the IQ of the average motorist drop at least 50 points.
Ah, but I do like watching snow in the movies, so on the occasion of the Miami Valley’s first “snow day” of the season, I’m going to take the suggestion of GO! blogger (and one of my bosses) Mandy Gambrell, and list some of the best “snow” movies that aren’t also Christmas movies - that’s too easy.
Sidenote: It was kind of frustrating searching for “snow movies” on Google and I get a list of movies with Brittany Snow. She’s cute, but … NOT what I had in mind!
In no particular order:
Fargo: The wintry landscape is practically a character in one of the Coen brothers’ best movies. When I think of this film, I always think first of the scene where William H. Macy trudges out to his car, then gets flustered while he’s trying to scrape off the ice.
The Shining: And the scene that stands out the most to me in this movie is the chase through the snow at the end. Hello, steadicam! Here’s a strange little re-edit of that scene I found on YouTube:
The Sweet Hereafter: Horror of a chillingly real sort occurs when a school bus falls through the ice, devastating a Canadian town.
Edward Scissorhands: One of my favorite scenes in Tim Burton’s best film is when Edward is making his ice sculptures and creating the snow, with Danny Elfman’s score soaring.
Bambi: Who can forget the scene where Bambi learns to “skate?”
Citizen Kane: Rose - bud …
Scarface: Whups, wrong kind of snow …
So what are some of your favorite snow movie scenes? What do you like to watch if you’re snowed in?
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Home (Re)Viewing: Pirates: At WHAT End?
This week’s DVDs include the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise taking on way too much water, and one of the most lovably crass movies of recent years.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: The earlier Pirates movies both suffered from overlength to some degree, but this last (?) installment succumbed to overkill. There are some spectacular battles in the last 40 minutes of the movie, but they’re preceded by two hours that seem to stretch out for two years. The filmmakers were trying way too hard to top themselves, making this third installment overstuffed and overwrought. Full review. GRADE: C+
Superbad: This movie, co-written by and co-starring Seth Rogen of Knocked Up fame got a lot of attention for being outrageously raunchy, but the real reason it was such a big hit was that the characters were fully fleshed out, to coin a phrase. They were obnoxious, but in an endearing sort of way that made me root for them - and laugh loudly at the same time. Full review. GRADE: A-
While I was out last week
Waitress: Keri Russell shines in one of the most winning films of the year, playing a pregnant woman and pie-making genius coping with an unplanned pregnancy, a controlling husband and a doctor to whom she’s powerfully attracted. Matching Russell is Andy Griffith, who gives a wonderfully salty performance as the owner of the pie diner where Russell works. It’s sad that we won’t see any more movies from the late writer-director-co-star Adrienne Shelley, but this film makes for a lovely capper to her career. Warning: Don’t see this on an empty stomach. Those luxurious shots of exotic pies will be torture. Full review. GRADE: A
The Namesake: Mira Nair turned in one of her best films with this moving if slightly overlong story about an American-born Indian man trying to forge his own identity, much to the chagrin of his proud parents. And yes, Kal Penn’s talents extend beyond acting stoned in the Harold and Kumar movies. GRADE: A-
Also out now
BRATZ: I need to see this like I need a hysterectomy.
Hot Rod: Not to be confused with Hot Wheels, this movie bears all the hallmarks of an SNL star vehicle that should have stayed at sketch-length.
I Know Who Killed Me: I’ve defended Lindsay Lohan before, but I doubt that even she would try to justify this hybrid of torture porn and Cinemax’s Friday After Dark fare.
Mr. Bean’s Holiday: He’s much funnier on TV.
The Nanny Diaries: The directors of American Splendor join the long, sad ranks of documentarians who try to make fiction films that generate an “eh” response - at best.
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White Christmas: The holiday classic that wasn’t
While I was out on vacation last week, one of my road trips was to the Holiday Auto Theatre just outside Hamilton - a drive-in that’s open year-round AND that shows older movies on what they call “Retro Wednesdays and Thursdays.”
If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend paying them a visit. In addition to being cool enough to show classic movies, they also play a lot of vintage “Let’s All Go to the Lobby”-type shorts, which are a ton of fun for nostalgia freaks like me. Of all the drive-ins I’ve been to, this one feels the most like a blast from the past.
I went there last week to catch a holiday double feature of It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas - and I was reminded of why I don’t care for White Christmas. I can see why other people enjoy it, but it distresses me that White Christmas gets all the attention when there’s a much, much, much better movie that never gets booked into theaters or played on TV very often - Holiday Inn.
Contrary to popular belief, the song “White Chirstmas” does not come from the movie of the same name. It originally appeared in Holiday Inn, which trumps White Christmas in almost every way.
The story of Holiday Inn is much more fun, covering every major holiday of the year. White Christmas’ story revolves around a dumb misunderstanding when Rosemary Clooney believes that Bing Crosby is trying to take advantage of his former wartime commanding officer, who owns the inn of the 1954 movie. And Irving Berlin’s songs for White Christmas aren’t nearly as good as the ones for Holiday Inn.
One of the reasons Holiday Inn doesn’t appear regularly on TV is because of the blackface number Bing Crosby performs about Abraham Lincoln - but White Christmas has a “minstrel show” number with no blackface at all. And if you ask me, that’s almost as creepy.
I will allow that White Christmas does have better female leads in Clooney and Vera-Ellen, who are far more memorable than Marjorie Reynolds or Virginia Dale of Holiday Inn. But there’s one other casting matter that makes Holiday Inn infinitely superior to White Christmas.
Bing Crosby’s costar in White Christmas was Danny Kaye. His co-star in Holiday Inn was Fred Astaire. Not to take anything away from the very talented Kaye, who starred in one of the funniest movies ever made, The Court Jester - but he’s simply not Fred Astaire.
Don’t believe me? I submit for your approval Astaire’s “firecracker” dance from Holiday Inn, which is better than anything in White Christmas.
And finally, it’s this scene that made the song “White Christmas” an instant classic.
And that’s just that.
Now I’d like to hear from you. What “Christmas classic” doesn’t seem so classic to you? Be advised that I will hotly challenge anyone who picks It’s a Wonderful Life. Anyone who dismisses it as mere “Capra-corn” hasn’t been paying attention.
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