Who is this? Is anyone even reading this, no matter, its January 2nd, and I’m in the mood to write about the year. I just posted 2 Netflix notes, which is actually more rewarding than I remember it being, i believe I will continue this trend into the new year. I will break this down into categories, and by matters of segues lets start with movies.

Lets round this year up by saying why is everyone so damn bleak. Thanks There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men for setting the stage.

I’m not one for lists myself, (although i get suckered into reading them most of the time) so lets just go with some movies I liked this year and why.

Ironman: RoDo, is my favorite actor.  I “met” him in sundance a few years ago and he can fit in my pocket, however, he still got some skills and its nice to see a superhero that enjoys it. You know before Stark becomes an alcoholic.

Dark Knight: my friend saved me seats in IMAX and we were perfectly center in the theater.  They had me at that opening sequence I felt like I was flying in a helicopter around Gotham. That and Heath Ledger was you know awesome. Negative points for the stupid batman deep voice and the cartoonish Twoface, there are some f’ed up looking people out there with some real horror going on, no reason to make a realistic joker and a cartoon floaty eyed twoface.

Wall E: Beautiful, from the animation to the simple story, it really captured something special. The kind of movie that may only be possibly nowadays as a cartoon. I dont know if people have the patience for the lack of dialogue without the computer graphics to help it along.

Man on Wire: This dude is crazy, what he did was magical, and I couldnt imagine what you do with your life after achieving that.  Its like going to the moon then coming home and selling used cars.

In Bruges: I really liked Martin McDonagh’s short film Six Shooter, so I was excited at the prospect of seeing a full length version of his dark comedy. However it sat in my apartment for way too long.  Netflix does that to me. And in true Netflix form, once I saw it I couldnt believe that I waited so long to watch it. Colin Farrell is bumbling and extremely likeable all at once, and Ralph Fiennes is sharp and angry. Gleeson pulls it all together, one of the stand outs in the genre, and of the year.

The Fall: This movie was like a painting. Each scene more jaw dropping than the next, and this was all done without computer graphics.  According to Tarsem (the director) it was all about framing. Beyond that the story was exactly what it should be, it was a yarn, strung together by a devious stuntman, who made it up on the fly for a little girl. The real acting gem in this movie however is the little girl Catinca Untaru, adorable and heartbreaking, she really sells it.

Milk was really good as a story, however something about Van Sant’s directing left me unfulfilled. His pacing was off, and the balance of past and present seemed jarring.  Sean Penn plays the role well, but since I have no frame of reference, its easy to say that he did a great job. I mean he’s expected to right? He’s Sean Penn. So that wasn’t much of a surprise, and Brolin’s character although apparently golden globe nominee worthy really seemed weird to me. He was angry, like a child.  I dont get his character, and i guess I wasnt supposed to, but what was his motivation, his demons?

The Wrestler: I hesitate to write about this one because it made me feel so uneasy.  It’s hard to watch this movie, its all about the fall of the dream.  One of my friends said something about wanting to see a prequel, and I think that would have been a nice way to set up the movie, instead of the event poster montage. Although I guess that wasnt the point. It’s hard to watch this because its about the self destruction of the star. The person that can’t give up on the dream for fame, the need for self validation. The sadness and loneliness of that path. Mickey Rourke is perfect, but it doesnt seem to be a stretch to play yourself. The last frame bothered me a bit, and while my girlfriend has a good point about the use of the Springsteen song being the perfect conclusion, I think it was a cop out to use it for the end credits. It seems that the essence of the movie is in that song.

I still havent seen a bunch of the award season hopefuls, but im assuming as good as they are or aren’t im not missing much although Slumdog is still on my short list, the rest are probably rentals.

Well that was longer than expected, thats all i got for now, part 2 to follow.