Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)

This film is the next installment in a strange new genre that overlays a fantasy element upon an otherwise indie dramedy, much like Kick Ass and even The Fall. This time around, our protagonist meets a new girl but must defeat all her prior 'exes' before they can move on and form a relationship. These duels consist of a ‘real' version of Guitar Hero/Rock Band, where each contestant battles it out to be the best musician. The film is interestingly set in a video game itself, complete with nostalgic Zelda sound effects, 1UPs and other gaming antiquities that appeal to 20-something year olds. The transitions are not as slick as Kick Ass and this is to the detriment of the story. But, there’s some quick-witted puns and a pretty solid (original) rock soundtrack in there to keep you interested. Worth a watch or two.
 

7/10

Valentines Day (2010)

If you've seen Love Actually, you're going to notice a whole raft of rip-offs in Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, this time around it's cheesier, dumbed-down and almost humourless. Despite a well-known ensemble cast, it sets focus and gives the most screen time to the horrible in-oh-so-many-ways Ashton Kutcher. Basically, ten or so couples' lives interweave as they each try to find that special someone on the day. A few of the characters are even paper cut outs of Love Actually characters: there's someone in the porn industry used to help balance all the schmuck and a lovesick kid complaining about how love sucks. The soundtrack, thankfully, is one of the more positive aspects of this winding, silly little film; it's hard to go wrong with safe, old classics. All and all, it's not offensive and has a few nice moments but, really, it's only worth that single watch and you may fall asleep if you're not careful.

5/10

Four Lions (2010)

A British black comedy that tries to offer a little insight along the way, Four Lions is about a group of British-born muslims who decide to go extremist. Their accents, egos and clumsiness make this feel like an Ali G movie only they're missing two things: humour and pacing. Given this, the absence of a soundtrack was glaring and it almost felt like a film from the 1920s where the glory was in simply having a picture on the screen rather than its content or technical skill. I haven't made it past halfway in two viewings and I'm unlikely to try again soon so I class this as unwatchable - unless muslims running around with British accents is comedy enough for you. That said, the camera quality was good and there's always the possibility it improves wildly in the second half. I doubt it.

3/10

Boy (2010)

A comedy with a hint of drama, Boy is set in a rural Maori town in that great year that is 1984. It's about a boy called 'Boy' - reminiscent of 'Dog' from Footrot Flats - who meets his freshly-paroled, yet well-meaning, father for the first time. With cultural insight into Maori rural life (without employing Once Were Warriors' violence) it uses clichés and homages coupled with the amicable music of the Patea Maori Club to create a simple, family-orientated flick for all ages. Unfortunately, I found myself wanting something a little deeper and veiled for adult viewers (Pixar studios are the masters of this art) and a stronger overall theme. That aside, Boy is harmless and thus rewatchable.

6.5/10

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

A truly charming gem in a sea of romantic-comedy-roughs, Sleepless in Seattle follows a boy's christmas wish being transmitted over a live radio broadcast: "my dad needs a new wife" (his mother died 2 years earlier). It's tremendously bouyed by the likeable performances of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and a nostalgic oldies soundtrack which aptly sets the mood (featuring Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong et al). This is one of those chick-flicks, like The Notebook or Love Actually, that rise well above par and reach beyond their target audience. The ending is suitably all or nothing and the film wraps up perfectly - and all three of these forerunners needn't atone for anything. Worth watching on many an occasion.

9/10

The Ghost Writer (2010)

Armed with some very familiar faces in the cast The Ghost Writer is a mystery about a replacement ghost writer hired after the first one dies under strange circumstances. The new writier is paid handsomely to add flair and punch to the manuscript of a former British Prime Minister's memoirs, before they get published. Dreary and slow in the first leg, the film eventually evokes the thriller genre and, despite a hit and miss soundtrack, winds you up in its chilly atmosphere and shadowy intrigues. While I found myself wanting a little more evidence of the writer's skill (he seemed more like a detective, than anything) this ended up being beside the point. The stylish ending is jarring and abrupt and, for many, may even be deal-breaking. But, I would still recommend at least one viewing (should you end up hating it) and two or three (should you not) in order to fully understand all the characters and their dealings.

8/10

Black Death (2010)

Black Death tells the story of a young priest who volunteers to guide a band of 'holy' soldiers to a remote village said to be unaffected by the black plague during the height of its disastrous effects. Their goal is simple: to investigate the apparent fortune of the village and uncover any truth in the rumours that evil, ungodly rituals are somehow protecting the village. The acting and writing are solid and the plague and its era offer an interesting enough setting. However, the lack of a soundtrack makes the film feel a little plodding at times. The story holds its own for most of the movie but suddenly takes an unexpected time leap and feels as if a sequel was hurriedly jammed into its ending and this is a real let-down. It's worth a viewing once or twice regardless.

7/10

The Last Station (2009)

A superb period piece, easily the best in a decade or more, about the last few months of (Count) Leo Tolstoy's life. Touted by many as the greatest writer of all time, the Russian thinker/writer founded a movement that was part throwback romanticism and part communism. The acting and soundtrack are flawless and the clash between aging reality and youthful idealism are explored compellingly through the older and younger couples. On a more personal note, it follows the conflict Tolstoy had between his beliefs and his respectful yet capitalist wife of 40+ years. In the end, The Last Station claims that love is the great bridge between divided people whether its a chasm of politics or age. Easily rewatchable.

10/10

Sixteen Candles (1984)

A coming of age flick about a girl who uncharacteristically lets her hair down when her 16th birthday gets overlooked by seemingly everybody. Occasionally funny and packed with what would've been a great soundtrack – deep in the 80's – Sixteen Candles is, unfortunately, a little out-dated with its script and direction-less plot. Still, it’s worth watching once just to have a grasp on the many reference bombs that still get dropped today by former 80’s teenagers stuck in golden age mode (yes, I'm referring to the Community writers). Plus, it's a boon that the film was made in the year of my birth - but that's purely personal.


6/10

Kick-Ass (2010)

Genre melting pots are always a bit risky: on the one hand, they can evoke a lifetime's emotions but, on the other, they can leave you feeling short-changed - in an entertainment sense. A single film can't be very funny, very dramatic and very block-busting to perfection - something has to suffer. In spite of this, Kick-Ass has an unusual way of blurring an indie 'real life' high-school drama with a fantasy world of superheroes all the while capitalising on moments of slap-stick humour that eventuate each time we're yanked (often violently) back to reality. This comic punch is achieved via a soundtrack that is slickly matched to key scenes and reflects the haphazard yet fun nature of the film. Kick Ass isn't going to win (m)any Best-Something Oscars but it will give you a unique film experience guaranteeing at least a laugh, a thrill and a tear. For that reason alone it's worth seeing several times.

8.5/10

Whip It (2009)

Part comic girl-power flick and part alternative sports movie, Whip It features Ellen Page (from Juno) as a snarky teenager who rebels against her mother’s pageants by joining a roller derby team in secret. An underground sport, it involves all-girl teams speeding around a velodrome-like track with the added novelty of being able to freely trip, block or punch members of the opposing team à la Basketbrawl. The soundtrack's not bad and the sport's obscurity helps to keep the film interesting. However, the film lacks a sense of purpose and it warrants only one round of attention in a lifetime.

   

7/10

2009's Silver Screen Champions (Top 10)

10. Glee:  This number is not for everyone: if you’re allergic to clichés and stereotypes, over-the-top goofy humour and/or American Idol-esque covers then insert How I Met Your Mother - a funny look at the twenty-something generation of today - here instead. But if you want to see some interesting takes on both new and old songs alike then grab a vodka-based RTD and sing along.

9. Chuck:  Chuck is the epitome of TV genre mish-mash. You get a little bit of 24-lite spy action, some long-lost family drama akin to Brothers & Sisters, a Grey’s Anatomy-worthy soundtrack (albeit more random) all topped off with some geeky Big Bang Theory comic relief. At times, it's the strangest thing to see transpire on TV but, occassionally, Chuck surprises you with fun little episodes such as the one centred around a 90's high school reunion. This one mixes best with melting pot drinks: Long Island Iced Tea.

8. Friday Night Lights:  Still the best family drama that you’ve never given a chance, FNL suffers from the Battlestar Galactica complex: being easily pigeon-holed (and avoided) because of what it looks like when it is in fact a rich and finely-acted portrayal of life in general. At times, the Taylor family seem so realistic that you really feel like you just wandered into their living room and, once you do, you’ll never want to leave. Beer may seem like the natural choice for a show that’s 10% American Football but there’s something much richer going on here, like maybe a Jager(meister) Bomb.

7. True Blood: True Blood took what was essentially in-bred vampire porn in the first season and expanded it into a deliciously dark universe with a slew of well-orchestrated episode cliff-hangers. A host of new characters (i.e. creatures) and plot directions kept us guessing Maryann’s diabolical intentions and in True Blood style, it didn’t pull any punches. It was even bold enough to suggest that true evil may lie with the religious zealots and not the creatures of the night. Enjoy with a spicy Bloody Mary – isn’t it obvious?

6. Dexter: The reason you watch Dexter is not really for the plot: can a serial-murderer maintain a normal life and family despite his other ‘distraction’. You watch Dexter to determine your moral compass: is the murderer who only kills other ‘active’ murderers (before they strike again) a good guy or a bad guy? You either condone murder when it saves the innocent or you take the high road, condemning Dexter while his targets continue to kill the innocent. Such questions are best deliberated over a thinking drink: Gin and Tonic.

5. 24: Action, as a whole, has fallen to the wayside in TV land. Only the guaranteed success of 24’s Jack Bauer remains to represent this dying genre in a world full of crime and hospital procedurals. Last season considered what would happen if we continued to ignore genocide and warfare in the third world and if it then overflowed - with disastrous implications - upon the West. The new season (8) is deftly balancing several stories at once ranging from political assassination attempts to bitter ex-boyfriends bent on revenge. 24 is a truly unique experience best served with a Single-malt Scotch whether you watch it for all the gadgets, fight scenes or political scandals.

4. Battlestar Galactica: The sci-fi that grew wings and became 
a gritty drama about humanity, survival and all things Asimov
finally filled in all the blanks and gave us closure. Novel in that the crew are attempting to find a mythical Eden known as planet Earth, it asked what really constitutes being human: is it merely our DNA? Is it defined by our actions? Or the way we think? And of course: can a robot achieve any of these aspects of humanity? BSG is definitely deserving of something robust and ship-worthy like Rum.

3. Kings: Set in a mythological city, this intelligent drama considered what it would be like if we were still ruled by religiously-ordained monarchs with near-absolute power – only in today’s time of cell phones and computers. Infused with aspects of the Bible’s David and Goliath story its fantastic script was unfortunately neglected by most of the American public as it approached the taboos of both religion and non-democratic politics. Red wine in a goblet is a must.

2. The Big Bang Theory: Mixing geeks and comedy is hardly a new idea but TBBT takes the formula and makes it universally funny. Sheldon is a laugh a minute as the super serious physics nerd who is continually breaking the world down into scientific descriptions to the horror of Penny: the ‘normal’ waitress living next door. Ethanol levels in your choice of drink are irrelevant when you’re laughing this much (although a mere Spritzer would likely be sufficient for Raj).

1. Grey’s Anatomy: Outgrowing its hyper-realistic first series and its over-sexed second, Grey’s had a pitch-perfect start to its sixth season. It took the highly strung finale of last season and the loss of a major character and infused the next ten episodes with so much emotion and drama that GA could easily keep you sobbing on the edge of your seat. Every. Episode. It just resumed the 2nd half of the season a few days ago so it's definitely time to catch up with the aid of some sharply-matching tequila shots.

TV trumps the Movies

The messy birth of a brand new year has finally passed as we shift into calmer, solstice months. And what better way to enjoy your lazy days than to reconsider the silver screen over-achievers that reigned over that familiar territory also known as 2009. This is especially aimed at people who continue to rebuff television, as a whole, based on a few glances at the reality TV heavyweights that continue to pollute our primetime slots.

If you look hard enough and invest the time to get to know a great show's characters you'll find that TV shows can easily outperform the past year's big-league movies.

Whereas movies are like short stories:

• shorter
• super-polished
• simplified around an important event

TV shows are like novels:

• longer
• less 'perfected'
• more complex

Of course, this assumption relies on consistent writing throughout the fifteen or so hours of a season. Yup, that's seven times the screen time to flesh out characters and storylines.

So this summer (or winter) put down your easy-come-easy-go films and commit to a brilliant TV show. Next time I'll post my top 10 of 2009.