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Author Topic: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon  (Read 41700 times)

Teproc

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #70 on: March 30, 2020, 01:59:18 AM »
Yep, Moonlight explores a person through time and place, while 12 Years a Slave explores a time and place using a person as a vessel. One of those is inherently more cinematic ("machine that generates empathy") than the other, which is why I much prefer Moonlight.
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1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #71 on: March 31, 2020, 02:03:43 AM »
2nd Chances
Nightcrawler (2014)
"What if my problem wasn't that I don't understand people but that I don't like them?"

I first watched this during an end-of-the-year cram, and I liked it but it got a little lost in the crush of films. Now I'm pretty sure this will be in my Top 100. I'm drawn to the neo-noir nihilism as it keeps escalating the disturbing side of its psycho drama. The performance by Jake Gyllenhaal is my favorite from him as he transitions from blatant hustler to slickly confident soulless promoter, dealing in insight that cuts to the harsh truth of every situation, treating each encounter like a negotiation to improve his position. His monologues aren't the ravings of a madman, but a reflection of the competitive business he's fallen into. (This carries over to a jaw-droppingly audacious seduction of his boss (Rene Russo) that ends with the line, "A friend is a gift you give yourself.") I have some skepticism of the network's thirst for blood and bodies, but I'm probably watching this again soon, even if just for the rare car chase that's important to the story and all the thrills that surround it.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Very Good
On my list for 2014, this jumps from #34 to #11. It's my new favorite film of this Marathon.


Logan (2017)
"Bad s**t happens to people I care about. You understand me?"

"Then I'll be fine."

There's gonna be a LOT of Superhero films in this Marathon, and this is an area where opinions tend to vary wildly. This was/is my 3rd favorite from 2017, which had 8 major releases from the sub-genre. When the podcast was working on which Marvel films to include in a play-in round, I suggested opening things up to include Wonder Woman and Logan. (Sorry, Aquaman.) I expected WW to win, even though it's an underwhelming film with a terrible 3rd Act. To my surprise, Logan came out on top, and that combined with James Mangold's recent success Ford v Ferrari put it on my list.

The action scenes some of the best of the decade, though there's too much of it by the end, and the graphic violence overshoots the mark a little entering Deadpool levels of cartoonish slaughter. My favorite bit this time was the limo escape from the compound, where we learn the child's mutant power and her feral way of using it. However, unlike FvF, which is one of the best paced films of recent memory, Logan's requiem during the quiet scenes make it like two different films, trying to die peacefully while also going out in one last big blast.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Good


Dredd (2012)
"A helmet can interfere with my psychic abilities."

"A bullet might interfere with them more."

This was even pulpier and trashier than I remembered, probably because of the more thought-provoking turn writer Alex Garland took in the two films he made after this. It's way better than I thought a Judge Dredd adaptation could be, and the slow motion inhaler drug leads to some amazing photography, but strip away the craftsmanship and there isn't much originality going on here. Still, nice to have a bit of bloody fun.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Good

smirnoff

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #72 on: March 31, 2020, 02:51:12 PM »
but I'm probably watching this again soon, even if just for the rare car chase

I haven't been able to bring myself to rewatch this film yet... mostly because I just don't care to spend more time with the protagonist. If I do come back to it, it will be to see the car action. It stood out in my initial viewing.

1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #73 on: March 31, 2020, 03:48:09 PM »
In the moment I wondered if I was watching the best car chase of the Decade, forgetting about Mad Max: Fury Road. Later in the evening, while enjoying the compound escape in Logan I thought maybe I was in a good car chase mood. And I haven't forgotten the Fast & Furious films. Those entertain in a different way, with stunts as big as they can imagine - how about they take on a sub? - but Nightcrawler and Logan blend the excitement on the road with real concern for the characters inside the cars.

1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #74 on: April 01, 2020, 01:02:40 AM »
2nd Chances
The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
""Faulkner is cauc-asian" - well, they got that wrong because you're obviously white."

I showed Old Man to Mrs. 1SO because she likes stories about elderly people leading active lives, and like me she was charmed by the chemistry between Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek. She hated Casey Affleck (who I forgot was in this), mainly for the tired way he mumbled through the film. I forgot how low-key and odd this was, which is something I like about filmmaker David Lowery even though these are usually qualities that drive me away. Let's hope he stays just enough outside the mainstream because there's a Jonathan Demme sized masterpiece in that route.

Revisiting Wilderpeople, I noticed how Taika Waititi's humor is so distinct, seeping into everything else (including the press for his movies) that it will always hold him back, funny as it may be. I laughed and smiled a lot, and shrugged at the more emotionally rich story playing under the jokes. This doesn't bother me as much as it does others, but it's why I prefer What We Do in the Shadows, which doesn't aim for extra layers of drama.


Doing the math, I have 138 films in the main section of my Marathon, plus three titles from this section so far. That gives me a lot of alternate options for a Top 100 and makes it near impossible for these two charmers to find a space.


UP NEXT: More films I remember liking that need a 2nd look.

Teproc

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #75 on: April 01, 2020, 01:49:27 AM »
In the moment I wondered if I was watching the best car chase of the Decade, forgetting about Mad Max: Fury Road. Later in the evening, while enjoying the compound escape in Logan I thought maybe I was in a good car chase mood. And I haven't forgotten the Fast & Furious films. Those entertain in a different way, with stunts as big as they can imagine - how about they take on a sub? - but Nightcrawler and Logan blend the excitement on the road with real concern for the characters inside the cars.

Even if we're not counting Mad Max, surely the opening to Drive (a film I do not care much for) has this category in the bag, no?

Baby Driver is also probably worth mentioning.
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1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #76 on: April 01, 2020, 09:12:29 AM »
The opening to Drive sets up the character's skill and the world, but isn't that exciting as a car chase. There's a much more exciting chase in the middle of the film, but it's too brief. (We'll see if I write a different tune later. Drive is on the main list.)

Baby Driver is a good mention, though the way that opening chase is played like a musical sets a different tone. I mean, I can certainly see it being in the conversation, but having recently watched that Nightcrawler scene, perfectly described by smirnoff, there's something extra special going on there.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2020, 09:40:04 AM by 1SO »

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #77 on: April 01, 2020, 11:43:21 AM »
I'm a big big fan of You're Next. One of the best horror films of the decade.

1SO

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #78 on: April 01, 2020, 12:15:55 PM »
I remember it took a turn that surprised me, giving a routine slasher with cool masks some unexpected "Ready or Not" style depth.

Later on in this portion of the Marathon I have The Guest which does the opposite, starting like an above-average thriller before taking a turn that makes it disappointingly routine heading to the end. I'm now realizing I should watch these films together.


Also, because I've watched so many Horror films, I feel it's important to rewatch some in the context of this Marathon. What may be a great Horror film among others of the genre may not necessarily be Top 100 good.

These are the titles on my main list that Letterboxd classifies as Horror:

« Last Edit: April 01, 2020, 12:26:48 PM by 1SO »

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: 1SO vs. The 2010s: Best of the Decade Marathon
« Reply #79 on: April 01, 2020, 12:52:57 PM »
Controversial opinion: Black Swan and Under the Shadow are both bad films.

 

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