Sunday, February 7, 2010
Adam (2009) At first, Adam appears to be an attempt at a quirky comedy about a quirky character (of the same name) and his quirky lifestyle. He’s a genius—in general, but specifically in astronomy and engineering—who’s stuck working on children’s toys; he’s a spiffy dresser with a pristine collared shirt and sweater collection; he’s a socially awkward, sweet-hearted loner in New York City. I wasn’t convinced. But as Adam unwinds, we learn that there’s much more to the film—and the character.
District 9 (2009) I think it’s best to go into District 9 knowing nothing more than its concept. I knew the film was not about an alien invasion but about human-alien relations after their arrival. And I knew Peter Jackson produced—and “presented” (I’m not a fan of the [insert big-name director here] presents” marketing strategy)—it.
The Lovely Bones (2010) I figured The Lovely Bones was in trouble when Paramount Pictures pushed it out of last years award race and into the bowels of January—why then am I holding out hope for Shutter Island? Still, any director and writing team that creates The Lord Of The Rings and King Kong is worth watching in my book. Now, after seeing The Lovely Bones, I think it’s safe to say that in this case, the studio got it right.
The Hurt Locker (2009) What do I do? I’m in a predicament. The Hurt Locker is essentially a four-star film. It features an opening sequence that pulsates your heart with the same intensity as the explosion that pulsates through the characters onscreen; about midway through—just as good ol’ Ralph Fiennes joins the battle—a scene depicting a sniper shootout in the desert rivals Avatar’s “seeds from the Tree of Souls surround Sully” as the best scene of the year. The only thing stopping The Hurt Locker from being a four-star film is the ending. How do I justify my rating without talking about the ending? I have to cover this later, but for now, I guess I can say two things: it’s cliché, and it’s accompanied by some god-awful death-metal music…and it’s in slow motion.
Up In The Air (2009) Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) fires people for a living in Jason Retiman’s Up In The Air. He travels, fires, travels, fires; he doesn’t lose any sleep. He’s one of the top employees of his company, delivering the bad news to hundreds, thousands, softly but distantly. He lives in hotels about 350 days a year. He sets goals for himself: achieving 10 million frequent flyer miles, collecting signature memberships and credit cards along the way. He’s alone, desperate—he just won’t admit it.
An Education (2009) An Education is the best period film of 2009—and I love me a good period film—although that isn’t saying much this year. Perhaps a more relevant praise would be to say that Lone Scherfig’s film about a 16 year-old girl (Carey Mulligan, who’s 24 in real life) growing up in 1960’s London and her romance with a thirty-something (Peter Sarsgaard) is the most inspirational film of the year. It's going to help me get a 4.0 this semester.
Youth In Revolt (2010) Youth In Revolt is an important film. It doesn’t advance the art of filmmaking like Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane or Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2. It doesn’t feature a new, revolutionary technology like Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park or James Cameron’s Avatar. It does, however, represent the new and exciting effort to establish Michigan’s film industry. The film was shot in different parts of the state, including Ann Arbor and Royal Oak—my high school, Brighton High School, is even in one scene.
A Serious Man (2009) I screened A Serious Man at a small, old, rundown, deserted theater. There were a total of four people in attendance, including my girlfriend Elizabeth and I. The film begins with a sequence set in the medieval times and spoken in Yiddish. Needless to say I, having seen the trailers and knowing the film takes place in 1967, got out of my seat to make sure we were in the right theater. We were. Continue.
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I'm Carter Moulton, a student and writer at Michigan State University. I enjoy thinking about the stars and the arts.
Founder & Film Critic: Filmgazing.com
Former Arts/Entertainment Writer: The State News FAIL 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Movies Reviewed: 77 Average Score of Films Reviewed: 3.045 Four Stars Given: 20 (26%)
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