movie review.docx
- 文档编号:23145555
- 上传时间:2023-05-08
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:9
- 大小:431.30KB
movie review.docx
《movie review.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《movie review.docx(9页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
moviereview
TheBestMoviesof2008
It'sthattimeofyearwhencriticsmaketheoftenfutileattempttosumuphundredsofmoviesandtwelvemonthsofviewingintoanice,neatpackage.Howdoyoudefine2008inmovies?
Personally,Ifoundmyselfturningawayfromfilmsthatweretoofocusedonthedepressing.ThemoviesthatIlovednotonlytranscendedcriticismbutalsoweremoreoftenthannot"positive."MaybePoppyinHappy-Go-LuckyworeoffonmebutbleakfilmslikeRevolutionaryRoad,Changeling,Ballast,WendyandLucy,andI'veLovedYouSoLongdidn'tmakemytoptwentyandI’mcompletelyburnedoutoneverythingNazi(TheReader,Valkyrie,TheBoywiththeStripedPajamas).Notthatthey'reallbad,Ijustfoundmyselflookingforthosemomentsofemotionaltranscendenceinsteadofremindersaboutthebleaknessofhumanity.Walter'sdrum-playinginTheVisitor,thebeautifulweddingatthecenterofRachelGettingMarried,theDickensiantriumphthathasmadeSlumdogMillionaireaphenomenon,themovementofMilk,evenTheRam'sfinalmomentoftwistedgloryinTheWrestler,and,ofcourse,thelittlerobotwhosavedplanetEarth.Blametheeconomy,thewar,thebittercampaigns,orjustthegeneralstateoftheworld,butthemoviesthatreallyspoketomein2008gavemehope,notjustforfilmmaking,butforlife.
Beforewegettothelist,IfeelIshouldaddressthequestionI'vebeenaskedthemostthisseason-was2008agoodyearformovies?
Let’sbreakitdownstatistically.Igavemyhighestrating(fourstarsor"bones")lesstimesthisyear-11outofover200seen-thanIhavesince2002-and,tobefair,IsawhalfasmanymoviesthatyearthanIdidinthisone,sothepercentageofqualityatthetopwasdisturbinglylow.ButIalsogavethreestarsmorethananyotherratingin2008.So,thereweren'talotofgreatmovies,buttherewerealotofgoodones.Atthesametime,andI'llgetintothismoreinnextweek's"WorstFilmsof2008"article,therewasanunacceptableamountoftotaljunk-onestarorlessfilms.(Ishatteredmyrecordforthatrating.)Morethree-starfilmsthanfour-staronesandmoreone-starfilmsthantwo-stars-itseemsprettyclearthateverythingsliddownanotch,making2008notaverygoodyear.Butwe'reheretostaypositive.Thesewerethebest...
10.Hunger
RememberwhatIsaidaboutemotionallypositivemoviesinmyintroduction?
Forgetthatforjustalittlebit.SteveMcQueen'sstunningdissectionofthehumanpowertochoosethementaloreventhespiritualoverthephysicalisoneofthemostrivetingfilmsoftheyear.Almostdialogue-freeexceptfora17-minute,unbrokenconversationthatsetsupitsfinalact,HungeristhestoryofIRAprisonersledbyBobbySands(MichaelFassbinder)andtheirdecisiontogoonahungerstrike.Thefirsthalfofthefilmping-pongsprotagonistsfromacopintheprisontooneofthephysically-abusedinmatestoeventuallyBobbyhimself.Seeminglydisjointedbutstunninglyphotographedsceneslikethecopwashingthewoundsonhishands(frombeatingprisoners)toanamazingsequencevisualizingthephysicallyviolentwaytheinmatesarecutandcleanedaddresonancetoSands'decision,whichtakescenterstageinonlythefinalact.ButMcQueenisn'tmythologizingSandsorhungerstrikes.Hungermaynotbethematically"positive,"butinseeingthestrikingvisualsensibilityofoneofthebestdirectorialdebutsoftheyear,Icertainlyfeltsomethingclosetoelationattheuseoftheform.
9.LettheRightOneIn
Speakingofdebuts,TomasAlfredsonmadeoneofthebestoftheyearwithhisrivetingtaleofvampireinlove,LettheRightOneIn.Imistakenlygavethefilmonlythree-and-a-half“bones”thefirsttimeIsawit.Watchingitagainandlettingitsinkinfromthefirstviewing,itdeservesfour.OneofthethingsthatstruckmemostbothtimesIsawLettheRightOneInisthewayAlfredsonandhiscinematographerturntheirsnow-coveredsettingintoacharacterintheirbrilliantblendofadolescenceandblood-lust.Who'smoreemotionallyisolatedthantheawkwardpre-teen?
Theawkward,pre-teenvampirewholiterallycan'tbeclosetoanyone.Andtheisolationofpubertyisamplifiedbyacold,snow-coveredsettingthatforceseveryoneindoors.OskarisdrawntoElipartiallybecauseshe'stheonlyotherchildontheplayground.Theirlovestoryisoneofthebestoftheyear,abeautifultaleofhowmuchwearewillingtoforgivetokeeptheoneperson(orvampire)whohaseverlovedusclose.
8.TheVisitor
WalterValeisoneofthemostfull-realized,believablecharactersoftheyearandit'sinthewaythatwriter/directorThomasMcCarthyandactorRichardJenkinsbringhimtovividlifethatgivesTheVisitoritsbeatingheart.TheVisitorisasfulloflifeasanyfilmin2008,partiallybecauseit'saboutamanwhodiscoversthepassionforhisowninthemostunusualofplaces-hisownapartment.IhateitwhenpeopletrytoclassifyTheVisitorasamovieaboutournation'signorantandstupidimmigrationlaws.Yes,that'spartofthefabricofthestory,butTheVisitorisamuchmorecomplexfilmthanthat.It'sabeautiful,heartwarmingstoryofamanwhoopenshisclosedhearttomusic,friendship,andlove.WhenWalterplayshisdruminthatfinalscene,hedoessowithangeratwhathappenedtohisfriendTarek,butalsoasatributetothemanwhochangedhislifebymerelybeingavisitortothiscountry.
7.TheWrestler
TheWrestlerisalmostmoreremarkableforwhatit'snotthanforwhatitis.Afilmaboutanover-the-hillwrestlingsuperstarwhocanfindnoHappinessorstabilityoutsidethering-andincreasinglylessinsideofit-itcouldhavebeenamelodramatic,soapymess.There'sevenyetanotherstripperwithaheartofgold,oneofthemostoverdoneclichésinmoviehistory.ButDarrenAronofsky,MickeyRourke,andMarisaTomeitakethestereotypesandmakethemgenuineagain.ThephysicalandemotionalpainofRandy"TheRam"RobinsonfeelscompletelyrealineverysinglesceneofTheWrestler.Rourkehasbeenpraisedforgivingoneofthosesoul-baring,physicallydemandingperformancesthatyouonlyseeeveryfewyears,butit'sapartoftherealismthatAronofskyisgoingforintheentirepiece.Eventheemotionalconfrontationwithhisestrangeddaughter,anunderratedEvanRachelWood,whichwouldhavebeenpuresoapoperainanotherdirectorandactor'shands,feelspainfullyhonest.
6.Happy-Go-Lucky
Ican'tshakePoppy.Ithinkaboutherbackstory,whathappenstoherinHappy-Go-Lucky,andIwonderwhatshe'suptonow.Maybeshe'sbeensomemorableinpartbecauseIthinkshe'sbeensomiscategorizedbypeopleinstantlyturnedofftoacharacterwhosemaingoalinlifeseemstobetotrytomakeeveryonehappy.ButPoppyisnotnaive.She'snotblissfulinignorance.That'samisreadingofthefilm.Whensheencounterstheabuseofoneofheryoungstudents,shedoesn'tignoreit.Shedoesn'tbelieveinblindlovewithhernewbeau.SheevenknowsthatScott,hersometimesviolentdrivinginstructor,isalittlecrazy.LikeWalterandRandy,Poppyisfullythree-dimensionaland,inbringinghertolife,SallyHawkinsgivesthemostmemorableperformanceoftheyear.Happy-Go-Luckyisahardmovietodefine.Ithasitscomedicmomentsbutalsogoestosomedarkplaces.Andwhat'sthemessageofMikeLeigh'smovie?
I'mnotsurethereisone.Ithinkit'sjustaclassiccharacterstudyandtheonethisyearthathasmostimprintedherselfonmybrain.
5.RachelGettingMarried
JonathanDemme'sbestfilmsinceSilenceoftheLambsisoneofhismostpersonal.Surroundedbymusicians,multi-culturalartists,andgoodfriends,RachelGettingMarriedislikeDemme'sdreamwedding.Howbetterforafilmmakertocapturewhatthematicallyneedstobeanoverwhelmingdeclarationoflovethantodosowithmusicheloves(it'snocoincidencethatthegroomsingsNeilYoung)andpeoplehehonestlycaresabout?
Intothisatmosphereofoverpoweringwarmthcomesawomanwhocannolongerfeellove.Shedoesn'teventhinkshe'sworthyofGod'slove.Hathaway'saward-winningportrayalofKym,thedeeplydamagedsisterofthetitularRachel,providestheperfectcounter-balancetothecinematicweddingofthedecade,buttheentireensembleexcelsinDemme'screativelyrewardingenvironment.RachelGettingMarriedisoneofthemostuniquemoviesof2008becauseit'sfilledwithdichotomies.Slowlypacedyetriveting.Painfullyemotionalyetnotmelodramatic.Lovingandfilledwithself-loathing.Andbrilliantineveryscene.
4.SlumdogMillionaire
WhenIwaswritingtheintroductiontothispiece,Iwaslookingforawordotherthan"triumph"todescribeSlumdogMillionairebutnothingseemsnearlyasappropriate.DannyBoyle'sbestfilmisaboutthehumanwill'sabilitytotriumphoveranykindofadversity.It'sturnedintothesleeperhitoftheyearbecauseofitspowertoinspireeveryaudiencethatseesit.Don'ttrustanyonewhodoesn'tleavethetheaterforSlumdogMillionairewithasmileontheirface.SimonBeaufoy'sOscar-worthyscreenplaydistillsabookfullofwhatwerebasicallyshortstoriesintoastudyabouttheimportanceoflifeexperienceoverpurelyintellectualpursuit.AndwithBoyle'smasterfuldirection,theyturnthestoryofaluckyyoungmanonacrashcoursewithdestinyintoaninspirationalfilmthateveryonecanrelatetoaroundtheworld.We'dallliketothinkthattheupsanddownsofourlifehaveanend-goalandthat,eventhoughwemaynotknoweveryansweronWhoWantstoBeaMillionaire?
ourlifeexperiencehasledustowhereweareforareason.SlumdogMillionaireisoneofthebestfilmsof2008becauseittakestheamazingandmakesitrelatablyinspirational.
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- movie review