...but is it my top pick this week? Well, no. I had considered it, but considering it's (as the title of the post indicates) the highest grossing film of all time (without adjusting for inflation, of course), it really doesn't need my help, so I looked elsewhere. What I came to for my PICK OF THE WEEK was a smaller film, but perhaps a better one. It's:Crazy Heart
A few of the best performances of the year, in a movie with some of the best music of the year, this is a small gem that holds the distinction of being the film to finally get Jeff Bridges an Oscar. While it's not on the level of something like The Wrestler, this flick is of a similar ilk and should appeal to anyone who likes country music and/or good character studies. It's well worth a look if you haven't seen it yet.
-Also out this week is, of course, the behemoth known as Avatar. Though not as impressive on subsequent viewings, this is still a pretty entertaining piece of popcorn cinema, and should join many a DVD collection in the coming days (not to mention Blu-Ray collections). You don't need me to tell you anything about this film, so if you want it, go out and get it.
-The rest of the releases are a mixed bag. None of them really do it for me, but the best of the flawed bunch is the suspense drama Uncertainty. It's yet another interesting project by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and while it could have turned out a lot better, it also could have been a lot worse. Next down on the list is the costume drama The Young Victoria, which has a wonderful turn by Emily Blunt, but not much else. After that is this year's 44 Inch Chest, which I didn't dislike, but found lacking (you can read my review here). Last (and in my eyes, least), we come to The Lovely Bones, one of the more decisive movies of 2009. It got a critical dicing, but audience reaction was split down the middle, with equal numbers loving and hating it. Personally, it did absolutely nothing for me, but if you're a fan, pick it up and enjoy.
-My Vintage pick is, in honor of the release Friday of Paper Man, a grouping of some of the best performances of Jeff Daniels' career. In alphabetical order, they are Imaginary Heroes, The Lookout, Radio Days, and The Squid and the Whale. All are excellent movies on their own, and he's excellent in them, to boot.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?
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Crazy Heart's soundtrack is amazing, so I recommend that as well!
ReplyDeleteDon´t forget his role as Debra Winger´s husband in the great Terms of endearment, by James L. Brooks. In a pictures with great performances by women, he really does it very well.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeleteI'd add in Goodnight and Good Luck too...strong supporting work there.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my pick of the week is The Lovely Bones
ReplyDeleteI think Jeff Daniels' best performances are in Something Wild and Purple Rose of Cairo. Both are amazing films which I highly recommend.
ReplyDelete-Robbie
Minority Report and The Lovely Bones Blu-rays arrived via Amazon this morning. Avatar Blu-ray on Thursday! Considering picking up Crazy Heart. For me, it felt like a lesser version of The Wrestler. Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhal were fantastic, and the soundtrack was awesome, despite my general distaste towards country music. I just can't decide if I liked it enough to own it.
ReplyDeleteWild Things- That's perfectly cool, but I found the movie to be borderline awful. But if you like it, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteRobbie- Great call on The Purple Rose of Cairo. I love him in that, but I prefer Radio Days slightly as a film, so I went with his smaller role in that Woody Allen film as opposed to the other.
ReplyDeleteKevin- I actually ordered Eyes Wide Shut, La Femme Nikita, and The Thing on Blu-Ray via Amazon today. Tomorrow I'll be at Best Buy for Crazy Heart and Uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteAgreed about Crazy Heart.
Definitely agree on the music and Jeff Bridges, but other than that, I found Crazy Heart to be a waste of time. It just meandered along from cliche to cliche, with several plot points coming off as a poor man's version of The Wrestler (the hospital scene immediately comes to mind). Not to mention a performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal that was completely unremarkable and doesn't even come close to the explosive work she did in Sherrybaby, Happy Endings and Secretary. And she got a nod over Samantha Morton in The Messenger?!? Yeah, nice work, AMPAS.
ReplyDeleteNow, Avatar'll be an interesting case. Without the benefit of IMAX and (for most) 3-D, will it still retain its appeal? I mean, it's certainly not rewatchable due to the performances or the writing.
If it weren't for its unexpected devoted following, I would have predicted that The Lovely Bones would be one of those "so-bad-it's-good" cult films. Maybe Amelia can fill that void.
Poor Jeff Daniels. Makes me almost wish that Samuel Goldwyn Films had just gone ahead and committed category fraud and campaigned him for Best Supporting Actor in The Squid and the Whale (even though I normally hate that). Just to give him SOME sort of recognition.
Ironically, outside of the music, my favorite part of Crazy Heart was Colin Farrell. The Wrestler is far better, but The Wrestler is also one of my favorite films of the last few years. Gyllenhaal was better than you give her credit for, but I agree that Sherrybaby and Secretary (and I'd even throw in World Trade Center) were more deserving performances.
ReplyDeleteAvatar will turn into dumb fun, just less remarkable.
I found The Lovely Bones to be "so mediocre it's bad", but that's just me. And let's pretend Amelia never existed.
Daniels certainly deserved it...
No mention of the wonderful "Summer Hours"?
ReplyDeleteI cry ignorance there. When looking over the list of releases this week, it was incorrectly grouped in with the direct-to-DVD flicks, so it slipped past me.
ReplyDeleteSeems you're a fan, so if you liked, go get it and enjoy!
I do apologize for the omission, though.
ReplyDeleteAvatar hit stores today, not Tuesday, for anyone who cares...
ReplyDelete