From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Review: WHAT’S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA

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Rating: 3.5/5

Writer/DirectorDustin Lance Black
CastJennifer ConnellyEd HarrisAmy MadiganEmma RobertsHarrison Gilbertson

Something’s wrong with Virginia. What that is, we’re not entirely sure of. The film opens with Virgina (Jennifer Connelly) being carried out of her house by Sheriff Dick Tipton (Ed Harris). There’s a little blood on her collar and she looks like she has no clue of events that just took place in her life. These events are explained by Virginia, however, later in the film.

Cut back to a few weeks prior and here our story begins, leading up to the carried Virginia by that big bad sheriff. Virginia lives in a small, quiet town in Virginia (naturally) where religion is a must, everybody has dirty little secrets, and nobody really understands the value of honesty. Virginia isn’t quite all there. In fact, we find out early on that she’s a mentally ill single mother who wants nothing but to see her son (Harrison Gilbertson) live - like, really live. And she has some big plans to get them out of that town.

But here’s where things get really, really complicated. Virginia has been sleeping with Sheriff Tipton (who’s married) for the last 16 years, and it’s questionable whether or not he’s the father of Virginia’s son. Tipton doesn’t want anything to do with the him, he’s only interested in Virginia’s body and all the sex toys he’s been buying online. He’s also running for public office and everybody in town looks up to him. The boy, Emmitt, is convinced Tipton isn’t his father, so the idea is all but forgotten by both parties. But Emmitt has a big reason for this - he’s in love with Tipton’s daughter Jessie (Emma Roberts). As you know, big secrets like these can’t last forever.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA was written and directed by Dustin Lance Black. For a film so enriched by a great cast and a rough story that works, I’m very impressed with his directorial debut. VIRGINIA tangles itself with so many people who are living perfect lives outside the skin, but under, they’re more rotten than a three week old banana. It’s no surprise Black used “Dick” as Dick’s born name. The man is evil, and Satan himself would probably feel cold air against his red hot flames if this man walked by. As viewers, we are supposed to be emotionally involved with the story’s characters, whatever emotion that may be. Ed Harris brings out the hate for VIRGINIA, and my God he does it so well. His stares and wicked gestures are what can bring out the pink elephant in any room.

But when we get right down to the emotions of the film, our best character is certainly Virginia. She’s been lost her whole life and still can’t get things right, despite trying her hardest. She doesn’t listen to the advice she needs and attempts to make things right with what she thinks is best. She’s adorable, yet very sad. Jennifer Connelly is normally the bombshell and that’s still here, but her comedic elements come into full fruition which loses a little bit of the sex appeal and adds more of the “this girl got herself acting chops” appeal. In a scene I don’t want to give away, I just have to note that it involves her and and a gorilla mask.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA is a story about how little white lies can grow and grow and grow and can literally kill other people. I now know what is wrong with Virginia, and I recommend you find out as well.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Interview: NEVER LET ME GO director Mark Romanek

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In the third part of our interviews for LET ME GO, we spoke to director Mark Romanek. You might remember Romanek’s ONE HOUR PHOTO, which broadcasts one of the many weird sides of Robin Williams. With a background of directing music videos, Romanek has a very unique vision for film and he seems very passionate about every project he takes on.

This week, NEVER LET ME GO released to the public. After you see the film, read this interview. Romanek goes into a lot of great detail on why this movie is very effective when it comes to life intimating art and the feelings you should pull coming out of the movie. Interview after the break!

So at what point did you come onto this project and how long did it take to get made?

We finished about three months ago. We shot about a year and a half ago, I think. It hasn’t been sitting around on the shelf too long. I got involved with it about two years ago. Peter Rice recommended me to Andrew McDonald, and Alex [Garland] and I went and met with them in London and met Kazuo [Ishiguro]. I guess they liked my idea as a movie, it jived with what they wanted to do. From that point on it was all about finding the right Kathy. Peter Rice saw Carey in AN EDUCATION at Sundance and sent all of us a four word text that said, “hire the genius Mulligan.” I asked him why it was such a brief [text] and he said, “because the movie isn’t even over yet.” He knew that we were struggling to find the right actress and he saw this girl, and just like everyone else in the world they went “holy crap, she’s amazing.” He said “that’s Kathy,” and at that point the movie was greenlit.

At that point were you wanting to make Kathy a little bit younger than she is in the book?

We were just looking for the right actress and it didn’t seem to be a big deal if she was a bit younger than in the book - it didn’t seem to change anything fundamentally, so when we found Carey we made her a little bit younger. I didn’t see the matter, as long as they were pushing the late twenties.

It is funny, though, that when the movie was made, obviously people in the industry knew who Carey Mulligan was and we have Andrew [Garfield], who looks to be on his way to stardom. When you shot it, Keira Knightley was the biggest star, and in five years people might be [saying], “oh, this has Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan in it.” Why do you think this is all happening for them?

They have it, whatever “that” is. They’re brilliantly good. There’s an appeal that they have. They’re both beautiful to photograph and yet unusual looking in a way - not traditionally or classically beautiful - and they have the chops. They’re serious young actors.

What kind of discussions did you have about filming the donations? It’s one thing to read about things, it’s another to watch them on-screen.

We felt like it would be a cop out to not deal with the reality of what’s going on. It’s meant to be shocking, it’s not meant to be disgusting. I tried to infuse it with a sadness and emotion to it when she’s sort of left there all alone, like a piece of meat, and so it’s not just shocking and gratuitous. I think it would have felt wrong to not deal with it directly at some point.

Do you see yourself continuing in the independent arena? You kinda had flirted with big budget studio stuff.

Yeah, probably for a couple more films. I’d love to make a bigger film if [we had] resources, if the story is exciting to me.  But I’d rather do it when I have more autonomy to navigate the studio process, which I didn’t really have the last time around. Look at David Fincher or Christopher Nolan, they’ve worked themselves into the position where they can make big budget films in the way they ‘d like to. I’d rather wait until I get to that place, if I’m lucky enough.

We are in a time when a lot of people, after one independent film, are getting offers. SPIDER-MAN is the ultimate example of that happening. Do you feel like you have to be especially wary since someone could be dangling a lot of money in front of you and then push you around?

That’s a yes or no question and the answer is yes. You know, it’s a jungle out there. I had a really nice experience on this movie. All the director wants is their idea of the movie to be believed in. And for the producers to facilitate, you do the job that they hired you to do. People underestimate how, if a film comes out well, how it has to be beautifully produced as well, not just beautifully directed and acted. Sometimes producers get a bad wrap and on this film, I think you met some of them, Alex and Kazuo are technically producers. It was a very supportive and collaborative thing. Whether you like it or don’t like it, it’s the film we wanted to make.

The thing I think is kind of interesting with this movie is it fits in the sci-fi era where we’re talking about cloning, but in the past. Normally I’ve seen topics like this dealt in the future. Did you feel like you had to approach it in any different way, because normally in the future you see everything is very modern and sleek?

Yeah, it’s more hard sci-fi! First of all, I wasn’t making a science fiction movie, I was making a love story. I always felt like the science fiction, maybe Kazuo said something similar, is really just a delivery system for these more interesting themes about immortality and friendship and love and how we choose to make use of this brief time we have in the world and how we come to the end of our lives and regret not lived it. These are the things that Kazuo writes about in a lot of his books. I was making a love story, the science fiction is the suit that the whole thing played out in, and it’s Kazuo’s original conception to be in alternate history, not futuristic, so it never felt right. You know we dabbled with some more futuristic-looking buildings or some of the sci-fi tropes you’d expect in sci-fi films…it never felt right. Since the film is about the preciousness of time, the brevity of our time, having things show the patina and age of time and the wear, having things be old, and show the effects of time, it felt like a more evocative setting for the themes in the movie. It’s one of the things that makes it an original idea as a novel.

Since you’re dealing with those themes every day, before you start, while you shoot, as you’re putting it together, do you have a different approach to life now?

Well, I think the book affected a lot of people. It affected me before I made the film. It made me think about how every day is so precious. We really are here for a very brief amount of time. I have two beautiful children and a beautiful wife and every day I put this [iPhone 4] away when I’m with my kids and I try to make those moments count. One of the nicest things I had someone say to me about the film was that they called their father, because they realized they haven’t spoken to him in like, three or four weeks, and called him to say ”I love you, Dad. Thanks for being a good dad.” And, you know, this moved people to tell people that they love them because that’s what’s important.

Things like that can be a part of movies a lot, but not necessarily spoken out loud. You know how they always say there’s the seven stories. That’s one of these themes. Is it hard to kind of deal with that, you know “live every moment” thing, and how did it feel original when you’re making a movie like this, because the story is original, but the themes are as old as time?

You’re lucky enough to find that, some original new idea for a story or a tone of a film you haven’t quite seen before, and yet the themes that are in it are sincerely expressed and meaningful - that’s what you’re looking for. That’s why I wanted to do it. I felt it was sincere and that I could do something that I hadn’t quite seen before. It’s not wholly original, there are other films that have similar plots. There’s other cloning stories or whatever, but the tone of it I felt I hadn’t really seen. I couldn’t find a template for a movie that had handled this type of thing, so it felt a bit out on a limb. There’s like, Truffaut’s FAHRENHEIT 451 is kind of a literally subtle science fiction, but you know, it’s not the same. Godard’s ALPHAVILLE is a subtle science fiction film, but that film’s much more of an arch.

So subtle science fiction you think is a good banner?

No, I mean it’s a love story and science fiction gives it an original twist. I mean this sort of patina of science fiction gives the love story an original twist, but I’m very concerned that people come to see it [as an] emotional story and engage with it emotionally. If they think they’re coming to see a film with ideas on social commentary and the ethics of biology and stuff they’re going to miss the movie. They’re going to be watching the wrong movie.

Be sure to also check out Kate’s review of NEVER LET ME GO, along with my interviews with stars Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield.

From the GATW Archives: Sundance 2010 Review: JACK GOES BOATING

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This review was originally published on January 26 as a Sundance review. JACK GOES BOATING is now open in NY and LA, with expansion next week.

Rating: 7.5/10

Writer/Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Thomas McCarthy
Studio: Overture Films

A few days ago marked the world premiere of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s offbeat comedy, JACK GOES BOATING. This feature is also the directorial debut for the Hoff, who already carries quite the impressive acting resume. Before becoming a feature film, JACK GOES BOATING was a 2007 play (that Hoffman also starred in), and was written by Bob Glaudini (who wrote BOATING’s screenplay as well).

In this story of broken - and sometimes clumsy - romance, Hoffman stars as Jack, a limo driver who dreams of better days and better pay. His daily pastimes are hanging out with best friend and fellow limo driver, Clyde (John Ortiz), and jamming to reggae (he’s even given his hair a weak attempt at dreadlocks). Jack wants love, and Jack may have found love when Clyde and his backbiting wife, Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega), set him up on a blind date with Lucy’s co-worker, Connie (Amy Ryan- who is best known for her brief stint on “The Office”).

A broken nose on a train ride and a boss (Tom McCarthy) that can’t seem to keep his hands away from her upper torso (it gave me great pleasure to watch Tom play a creepster) has contributed to Connie’s idea that love just isn’t her thing. But this doesn’t stop her from giving Jack a chance. After the date, Connie tells Jack she wants to go boating, so Jack makes a promise to take her boating once winter passes. There’s only one problem (which he fails to mention) - he can’t swim. Additionally, after accidentally signing up to cook for her (besides Mom, nobody’s ever cooked for Connie), Jack goes on an awkward journey to learn how to cook and swim.

Let’s start this off with Hoffman, who never ceases to amaze me with his performances. It’s very clear that this man takes acting very seriously. Normally, Jack and Connie would never be a match, but Philip brings a strange, sad charm to his character. It works and it works well. You don’t feel bad for the guy, but you do want to see him find whatever it is he’s looking for.

Hoffman did a really impressive job balancing comedy and drama. Being a first-time director, I’m sure this isn’t an easy task. There are scenes in the film that BOATING’s audience will laugh at, while simultaneously questioning that laugh. I think we call that “bittersweet.”

The big surprise in this film comes from John Ortiz. Acting next to Hoffman, he could easily have a big shadow cast over him, but Ortiz holds his ground quite well. Clyde is a funny man, but when things begin to spiral out of control and his emotions get the best of him when his love life isn’t exactly how he first imagined, my heart ached for him a little. Love is sometimes a bitch.

JACK GOES BOATING is a pretty touching story about how love can be (often at the same time) awkward, funny, and important.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Interview: “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” author, Ned Vizzini

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Interviewing Ned Vizzini was a dream come true for me. I first read his third novel, “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” about three years ago, when my mom bought it for me for Christmas. The kind of funny story on my end is she thought I would relate to the main character Craig, and I really did (high school was rough, man). I fell in love with this book and read it over and over and over.

When it was announced that the novel would be made into a feature film, I sought out Vizzini and we began messaging one another (via Facebook) about doing an interview about the book and film. If you’ve seen my TIFF coverage, you would have seen that I did see the film and spoke with its directors and main cast. This was a true delight. After the break is my interview with Vizzini. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did conducting it - this one hit close to home.

I have kind of a funny story about how I got ahold of this book. My mom got it for me for Christmas about three years ago. She said, “Chase, I read the synopsis and I instantly thought, ‘This has Chase written all over it.’” I’m still not sure whether or not that’s a compliment, but I’m flattered either way. With that, I know that this is semi-autobiographical. 1) How much of this is your story? and 2) How difficult was it to spill out some of the depression you were battling?

What a kind mother! Thank her for me. My mother is always sending me articles about alternative mental-health remedies; she’s more concerned about me than I am.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is 85% true. I was actually depressed; I was actually in a psych hospital in Brooklyn. I freaked out while I was trying to finish a book and my mental state spiraled and I called a suicide hotline and they told me to go to the hospital and I did. I had a singular experience in there; I met people who made me look at life in a different way. When I left and started writing about it, I made the main character a teenager as opposed to a guy in his early 20s and added the love triangle because those always make novels better.

You might think depression was difficult to write about, but it was a huge relief. It came to me naturally. Seeing the words on the page got them out of my head.

The story deals with a very serious topic, but handles it in a sort of light-hearted and funny way. What kind of troubles (if any) did you have going about it that way?

I believe in the healing power of humor. I believe that anything that can be laughed at can be controlled and handled.

When I was in the hospital, there was one point where I was desperate to use the phone. They had one payphone in there and it was like prison; there was a social hierarchy behind who could use the phone and if you didn’t get in line early you would miss the cutoff at 7pm and that was it — no phone for you. I missed the cutoff and was despondent until this other hospital patient looked at me and went, “What are you so stressed about? You want to make a call? Just use the banana phone!” And he held a banana to his head like it was a phone.

How was I not supposed to laugh at that? Humor in the psych hospital is one of the few things people have.

Since I related so much to our main character, Craig, I’m certain others have as well. So many times the media use the “life imitates art” aspect when something bad happens - do you feel any sort of pressure or responsibility when you publish your books or articles about teen angst (which just so happens to be the title of your first novel)?

I don’t feel any pressure or responsibility to do anything but entertain people with my writing. That’s enough. I have enough problems making the writing good.

I know some authors want to give some input on books they’ve written that are being adapted into a film, and some want the director(s) to have complete creativity. What kind of involvement did you have (if any) for IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY?

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden had complete creativity with the film and I was very comfortable with that. Based on my first meeting with them, I knew they understood where the book was coming from, so I trusted them. I did suggest a song for the film, “Happy Today” by the WoWz, that ended up on the soundtrack; also before the “Under Pressure” scene one character wears a T-shirt for the San Francisco band Drunk Horse — that’s my T-shirt. It’s in my closet right now. Have fun trying to spot it!

This is your first book adapted into a film and the film premiered last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, which is one of the most prestigious festivals on the planet. How cool did that feel?

Less cool, more lucky. That would be the best word to describe how I felt seeing IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY premiere at Toronto. A whirlwind of other emotions came into play too but honestly I could write an essay about them and probably will, so let’s stick with lucky.

Do you realize how badass your last name is? I’m willing to bet you’ve gotten PRINCESS BRIDE quotes all your life. I’m sorry brings back bad memories, but it’s just so awesome.

Vizzini is a fairly common southern Italian and Sicilian last name; I’m half-Sicilian. I used to hear PRINCESS BRIDE references but people preferred to make fun of me for other things as a kid, like talking too much. I did once meet Wallace Shawn, who plays Vizzini in PRINCESS BRIDE, and he’s had it rougher than me. He’s an accomplished writer and actor and he’s still got people coming up to him going “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!”

Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr.?

Dinosaur Jr. Because I mentioned to a friend of mine that I liked a Dinosaur Jr. song and he’s one of those people who has 60,000 hours of music on his computer he gave me their whole catalog (not including 2009’s Farm) and so I’ve got so much of their music on my computer that I prefer them by default. But Nirvana beats both these bands.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Review: LET ME IN

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Rating: 4/5

Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves and John Ajvide Lindqvist (screenplay), John Ajvide Lindqvist(novel)
Cast: Chloe MoretzKodi Smit-McPheeRichard JenkinsElias Koteas
Studio: 
Overture Films

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published on September 12th, 2010.

Nobody really knows when love will first chomp at them. For Owen (THE ROAD’s Kodi Smit-McPhee), it happens at a very tender twelve years old, when he meets Abby (KICK-ASS’s Chloe Moretz) in Matt Reeves’ LET ME IN. But the the first time they encounter one another, she tells him “we can’t be friends.” She means well and has very good reasons - she needs blood to survive and can’t come into a living quarters without being invited.

She’s what us modern suckers call a vampire.

If you’re reading this (thank you, by the way), then you probably know this is the American remake of the 2008 Swedish film, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, which was in turn based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s novel of the same title. It’s nearly impossible to write this review without comparing (or simply referring back) to its original, but I’ll do my best. The plot of LET ME IN is the same, the kills are based around the same scenarios, and in some sequences, it’s shot-for-shot from the original. But what Matt Reeves brings to the table is his own unique spin on all those elements - the story, the kills, and the shot-for-shots.

It’s all about the visuals for Reeves. The man took his time to make sure not to upset fans of the original and to honor it with his work in LET ME IN. There’s a particularly fresh scene in the film that will not leave my mind. It involves one single take, one car, and one major crash, which all turns the events of the film. It’s one of the most intense car crashes I’ve ever seen committed to film. “Holy shit” is the only phrase that comes to my mind to describe it - it’s that much of a show-stopper.

One thing I really appreciated about LET ME IN was Reeves’ more intimate focus on Richard Jenkins’ character, The Father. This is a man who genuinely loved Abby and dedicated his entire life to seeing that she gets her blood without her having to destroy her own innocence in its pursuit. Jenkins finely displayed the sloppiness that an aging soul will start to embody when growing both tired and hungry for all the madness to end.

Some people might not give LET ME IN a chance solely based on it being a remake of a beloved original. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN grew a pretty large fanbase for itself after hitting the U.S., so skipping this so it “doesn’t ruin the original” might seem logical. I assure you, however, this is one of the best film of its kind in the recent years. It’s not better than the original, but that’s not what Reeves set out to do - the man wanted to make a solid film and he did just that with LET ME IN.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Capsule Reviews: ATTENBERG, REPEATERS, and Max Winkler’s CEREMONY

ATTENBERG


ATTENBERG opens with our two main females standing in front of one another (seen above). They begin to show us the literal meaning to “French kiss,” and swirl their tongues around and around. Marina (Ariane Labed, right) doesn’t like the feeling, so she starts growling and sticking her tongue out. Then both of them jump around like dogs and the scene ends. This is pretty much the entirety of ATTENBERG, with a subplot of Marina spending time with her father during the last days of his life. Marina hates men too, she’s 23 and despises even the thought of a penis. Then she stumbles upon a man who fascinates her.

ATTENBERG was written and directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari, who served as an associate producer on the much talked about movie DOGTOOTH. After walking out of ATTENBERG, I couldn’t decide if I really hated it, or really loved it. I still can’t decide. Tsangari definitely has her foot in the door of arthouse cinema, but ATTENBERG stretches this genre to “WTF!?” Our lead, first timer Labed, was fantastic in it. She’s a natural at being awkward; the Michael Cera of women.

REPEATERS


REPEATERS is GROUNDHOG DAY in hell. Three patients in a rehab hospital get this weird electricity charge through their bodies on a stormy night, which forces them to repeat the same day over and over. At first it’s a rush. One time they rob a liquor store. One time they break into their male nurse’s house and find porn magazines all over the place. As the repeats start to get worse and worse, one of them (Richard de Klerk) starts to go on a crime spree, and killing whomever gets in his way.

For an indie flick, REPEATERS was really well-made and a lot of fun to watch. Director Carl Bessai takes us on a journey  of raw, unplanned mischief, the kind you probably always thought about venturing on didn’t want to face the consequences. It’s one of those films where you don’t know whether to root for the bad guy or the hero, or even who is who.

CEREMONY


CEREMONY was written and directed by MICHAEL AND CLARK’s Max Winkler. This marks the debut of his first feature as well. CEREMONY stars Michael Angarano as Sam Davis, amateur children’s book writer, and former flame of Zoe, played by Uma Thurman. Davis has big dreams: become an established writer and marry Zoe.  There’s a few problems: Davis is awful at his writing and illustrations and Zoe is soon to be married. So what does he do? Convince his friend Marshall (ROCKET SCIENCE’sReece Thompson) to take a road trip with him, unknowing to him Davis has plans to break up a marriage. They end up staying at the mansion Zoe, her fiance, and their entire wedding party are staying at, and things become, well, a lot more complicated.

CEREMONY is hilarious and very surreal when it comes down to the moments on life-changing decisions. Winkler knows how to balance his comedy and drama. With Angarano as our lead, he nails his character as a young Vince Vaughn: the out of place winks, the full confidence in situations he has no way of gaining. CEREMONY’s title might throw off the young crowd (this is not your typical rom-com), but it’s a lot better than sitting through an actual ceremony. Nobody cares about those things.

From the GATW Archives: Theatrical Review: JACKASS 3D

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Rating: 4/5

DirectorJeff Tremaine
JackassesJohnny KnoxvilleBam MargeraSteve-OChris PontiusJason AcuñaRyan DunnPreston LacyDave EnglandEhren McGhehey, and Seann William Scott

If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.

How do you review a movie stuffed full of painful pranks, poop, vomit, squirting poop (diarrhea?), dick punching, farts, more poop, more vomit, and death-defying stunts? You could cover yourself in bird feces while your best friend punches you repeatedly. Or, you take the lighter and less edgy route, like what I’m doing, and write down some of the things you just witnessed.

JACKASS 3D could not have released at a better time. Playing along with this being the third installment in the JACKASS franchise, the, sorry, jackasses behind all of these films aren’t so idiotic after all; they know just what the public wants, and that’s 3D. Was this idea a gimmick on Hollywood’s obsession with 3D? Absolutely. Does it work? Hell yes.

The opening credits are always the best parts of these films. In the first one, they all fit inside and around a giant shopping cart, crashing into some fruit stands. In the second, they ran from a stampede of bulls. In JACKASS 3D’s colorful introduction, our brave men wear ridiculous outfits and get punched, kicked, and paintball shot. This was filmed with super slow-mo cameras, so the audience can see every wrinkle in the face when impacted. It isn’t as much fun as the previous two, but it’s still a great intro.

One thing that director Jeff Tremaine has gotten so clever about is the cinematography. Of course, certain things can only be filmed certain ways due to the nature of of what’s being filmed, but he and his team of filmographers pay a great detail of attention to everything shot in 3D. I never thought I would say a dildo flying at me in slow motion would hold my complete attention, but here I am.

One thing noticeable in JACKASS 3D is the tiredness of the crew. These boys have been beaten to hell, and it’s very apparent their bodies just can’t do it anymore. There were some pretty painful stunts in this, but it seems as though things have been dumbed down a considerable amount. That’s not saying you won’t cringe while watching this, because you absolutely will, but JACKASS 3D seems to be more about the visuals than head-breaking stunts we’ve seen in the previous two films.

The two that shined the most in JACKASS 3D is Steve-O and Chris Pontius, whom you probably recognize as Party Boy from the TV show and previous two films. Steve-O is known for doing some of the  most disgusting things no one would even do in the bedroom, and here, he takes the crude and literal gags to a whole new level of gross. Pontius is our comic relief, smiling from ear to ear as he says random things and inflicts pain on his southern region and tries to fight scorpions with his mouth. These are the two guys that want to do this stuff forever.

JACKASS 3D isn’t just about the pranks and crude humor - it’s a celebration that connected all of them and changed their lives ten years ago, when Jackass first aired on MTV. If this is the last film we see of the boys putting themselves in dangerous and sickening positions to entertain us and give earn them a little bit of spending money, I’d say they perfectly closed on a tragically hilarious and successful run.

From the GATW Archives: Austin Film Festival 2010 Review: PEEP WORLD

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You’re a fucking bitch.

Rating: 3.5/5

DirectorBarry W. Blaustein
WriterPeter Himmelstein
CastMichael C. HallSarah SilvermanRainn WilsonBen Schwartz and Judy Greer

Everything written in Peep World is true. This is why our family of four siblings hate each other. Or just the author of the book,  the youngest of them all (seven years to be exact), Nathan (Ben Schwartz), who became rich by exposing all of his family’s dirty little secrets. The angriest sibling, Cheri (Sarah Silverman), can’t go a day without interacting with Peep World's rapidly growing popularity -  it's currently being shot into a feature film outside of her apartment window. Joel (Rainn Wilson) is a fuck up ignoring that he's a fuck up because his pushover brother Jack (Michael C. Hall) is always there to pay for his, well, fuck ups.

Now, after the world has read all about his insane family and the weird - and often perverted - things they’ve done in their lives, Nathan must reunite with them for their father’s seventieth birthday. Tough times head.

Whoever was in charge of casting PEEP WORLD deserves a large scoop of ice cream and pat on the back. Sarah Silverman is one bad bitch who never fails to to make the laughs happen. In PEEP WORLD, all of her bottled up hilarious angst verbally regurgitates on that family foe who betrayed her. Michael C. Hall, known as either the gay guy from Six Feet Under or the badass in Dexter, hereplays a giant coward who does nothing when his father (Ron Rifkin) gives him a good tongue-lashing. It’s nice to see Hall spread out his abilities. He’s now completed the trifecta in acting (gay, badass, sissy). Rainn Wilson will always be Dwight from The Office, but he brings a fair amount of something different to this role: sadness. At one point he delivers this line, “I’m not angry, I”m telling you hurt” with such sincerity. His upset emotions work. Family isn’t supposed to be exploited for one’s gain, but Nathan did just that. What’s so great about these actors working together is their accurate sibling rivalry on screen. The sole purpose of this film is to show how pissed off everyone is.

My one complaint is that PEEP WORLD feels too short for a feature-length film. Our actors don’t have enough screen time to fully embarace the hardships their characters are currently undergoing. These aren’t people anyone would like, but the actors playing them have murdered numerous people, spat out the most racist remarks in comedy specials, and made it cool again to be a dork - and we eat it up.

PEEP WORLD plays out like a 90 minute episode of your favorite sitcom. Larry David, Bill Cosby, Ray Romano, etc. should be proud of director Barry W. Blaustein’s latest work. Every decision the characters make on screen result in an awkward and hilarious moment nobody wants to get caught in. The only thought that comes to mind is: better them than me. PEEP WORLD is a strangly enjoyable look at how sometimes family can be an asshole. Not mine, of course.

From the GATW Archives: Austin Film Festival 2010 Review: LOUDER THAN A BOMB

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Rating: 4/5

DirectorsGreg JacobsJon Siskel
Genre: Documentary

poetry slam n. - A spoken-word poetry competition.

Many young adults going through high school (which is often referred to as “the suck”)  begin career paths that set them on the way to their future.  Depending how they dedicate themselves in those four fast years, it could lead them towards something they’ve always wanted, or hit with a complete halt from a series of very bad decisions.  In LOUDER THAN A BOMB, we’re shown four young teenagers who, even being so young, were given a new chance at being someone in a poetry slam contest of the same name.  All puns aside, LTAB is very explosive.

LOUDER THAN A BOMB is viewed from four different teenagers from four different schools.  We’ve all seen this story before - teens distance themselves from the past and rises above it all, blah blah blah.  What’s new with this story is seeing are subjects trade in violence for poetry.  It’s not your typical football story.  Our setting is six months before Louder Than A Bomb’s competition, and there’s a lot of work to be done.

LOUDER THAN A BOMB is a buildup story.  We’re shown what these students go through to get their spoken word heard by a large number of people.  It’s not about winning for some of these folks - it’s about educating their listeners on their story.  Nova has lived her life taking care of her irresponsible father.  She uses that to fuel her poetry.  She can make a room go silent.  Nate is a mother’s boy whose mother spent his youth abusing drugs. His touching words are built from this. These two come from broken homes and are not afraid to tell the world.  Spoken word can be a powerful tool, and they use that to make it clear in BOMB.

To keep our focus at the topic, our filmmakers cut to clips of our subjects doing slam poetry throughout the talking head interviews.  With each clip, we learn the style of each or our artist.  As read above, two of them use their hardships.

It’s fascinating to see how these four tell their stories.  With some more interesting than the others, all four of these work just as hard and dedicate themselves to crafting their art.  Poetry slam is much like acting, it’s all in your gestures. LOUDER THAN A BOMB shows us that dynamite look at capturing your dreams, whatever that may be.

From the GATW Archives: GATW Editor-in-Chief Chase Whale does “Fat Guys at the Movies”

If you’re reading this article, you either 1) are visiting our site to get some sweet movie news, or 2) saw the headline on Twitter and immediately thought, “WTF!?” Yes, I did do Fat Guys at the Movies, but not sexually and in a movie theatre. Gordon in the Whale may be coming soon, though.

Fat Guys at the Movies is a movie podcast that Kevin Carr and Neil Miller (Film School Rejects) have been doing for quite some time now. The title of the show is a play off both Carr and Miller being big (and handsome, of course) men.  The funny story here is I used to be a really pudgy guy and lost a lot of weight this summer. I guess that would make me a phat guy at the movie?

Carr and I met on Twitter a while back and have been making each other laugh out loud ever since. He is a funny man and I enjoy reading his tweets, so it was a nice little treat being asked to guest host an episode. I may or may not have perpared by covering myself in peanut butter. If you’re not creeped out yet, click on the banner below to head over to FGATM and listen to the podcast. If you like (you will), subscribe to them on iTunes!

From the GATW Archives: Theatrical Review: SOMEWHERE

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Rating: 3/5

Writer/DirectorSofia Coppola
CastStephen DorffElle FanningChris Pontius, and Michelle Monaghan
Studio: Focus Features

Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is really bored and needs somewhere to go. He’s an actor in the spotlight who spends his days lodging in a fancy hotel, partying, and sleeping with any woman who gives him attention (spoiler alert: it’s a lot). It’s clear Marco isn’t doing so well; he sleeps a lot during the day, pays twin strippers to pole dance in his room until he falls asleep, and this is making him empty inside. Condolences, right? But his life takes a new spin when daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) gets dropped off to spend some quality father-daughter time with him.

SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU WANT KNOW HOW IT ENDS, KEEP READING.

SOMEWHERE is a character study and needs a good lead to make it movie worth anyone’s time. It’s not much of a stretch for an actor to play an actor, especially as an actor playing an actor who gets all the women and booze he wants (an unlovable loser), but with a story regarding the aforementioned, we should want to connect with this person’s emotions. Most dream of a life like this, so without the sympathy card, this movie will not work. Dorff brings to life an actor exhausted by and of this lonely repetitive lifestyle. It’s GROUNDHOG DAY for the rich and bored. Dorff is a very unexpected choice for Coppola, but he fills his scenes marvelously.

Sofia Coppola has a very unique way of storytelling; she likes to use layers and symbolism, whether it be in your face, or very subtle. There’s an obvious pattern in SOMEWHERE. In the opening scene, Marco drives his black Lamborghini multiples times around some sort of small racetrack; he goes around and around. This scene sets the tone for the entire film. SOMEWHERE is a very quiet film, but its message about loneliness, repetition, and boredom is pretty loud.

It should be noted that SOMEWHERE is a lot like Coppola’s sophomore feature, LOST IN TRANSLATION. Our characters spend their lonely lives living in hotels, drinking, and trying to figure out how to be happy. SOMEWHERE’s message about “the good life” isn’t as powerful and intriguing as LIT’s, but the message is still there.

Notable performances also come from Elle Fanning and Chris Pontius. Actually, it their performances together are what should really be pointed out. Pontius is widely known as a member of the JACKASS crew, doing really weird things, but here, he proves he can perform on screen without showing his penis and going off  a script. He’s good with kids and his interactions with Fanning are quite adorable. As long as she can handle so much stardom at such a young age, Elle is well on her way to being the Fannings’ biggest name.

The one and only thing that gets under my skin more than it should considering how much I liked this film is how the ending was made. Marco is driving down a desolate road, he pulls over (car still running), and walks away. End scene. Is Coppola trying to tell us he’s leaving everything behind, including his adorable daughter and their newfound friendship?  Earlier in the film, Marco’s car breaks down, he makes one phone call and gets picked up.  He’s had his hand held his entire career, so if this is Sofia’s way of telling us he truly checked out, it’s a true cop out.  She’s a natural at storytelling, so Marco’s exit should have been better told.

Even with its irritating ending, there’s something so relatable about Marco that makes the story go, well, somewhere. Desperation? Loneliness? He’s living a life most have passioned for and gets burned out, and his decision to leave this lifestyle behind is oddly gratifying. SOMEWHERE is so close to ideally showing that faded feeling and how almost losing your way should sometimes be looked at as a well-adjusted life change.

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Review: RABBIT HOLE

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Editor’s note: This review was originally published on September 15, 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

Rating: 4/5

WriterDavid Lindsay-Abaire
DirectorJohn Cameron Mitchell
CastNicole KidmanAaron EckhartSandra OhDianne WiestJon Tenney

Losing a loved one to death is the hardest situation we will ever have to face. Death is the only certain thing in life, as morbid as it is to say. But, more than that, no parent should ever have to bury any of their children; it’s the children who are supposed to bury the parent. Life doesn’t always work out that way, and that’s our situation in John Cameron Mitchell’s (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH) new film, RABBIT HOLE.

HEADS UP - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Based on the play of the same name, RABBIT HOLE follows a married couple, the Corbetts (Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman), who have lost their two year old son eight months prior to the film’s start. We don’t know how - at first. The pain is still fresh and they’re trying their best to continue life without him. Becca (Kidman) no longer works and occupies her days planting flowers. She’s still angry at the world (and, most notably, the Spirit in the sky), and her emotional and mental stability is slowly shutting down. It’s then that she unexpectedly runs into the teenager responsible for her child’s death.

For a while, we have zero clue who this boy is and why she’s so intrigued by him. Mitchell toys with us, giving our inquiring minds that curious itch to quickly find out who this boy is - and who he is to Becca. They begin meeting regularly at a park, sitting on a bench, just talking. We find out that the the death of the the Corbetts’ son was an accident - 100% pure bad luck. These are are some of the best scenes in the film. There’s minimal talking, with the occasional exchange of tears. Becca’s anger seems to fade away when she’s with him. She sees life in this boy and understands his regret. Bravo to Mitchell for making this strange situation so beautiful.

Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart sure know how to show the pain and suffering two parents would endure over a child’s death. When they’re arguing and screaming at one another, you’ll want to exit theatre - it’s that emotionally draining. But this is the goal of our two leads - to engage us and involve us so fully, we feel the need to react immediately. If that doesn’t scream Oscar bait, I’m not sure what does. Watching Howie (Eckhart) witness his wife dwindle away, lost to her seemingly incurable sadness as he tries to resurrect her happiness, is simply heartbreaking.

RABBIT HOLE isn’t easy to watch. In fact, I can assure you that bringing Kleenex to your screening would be a very good idea. Its heavy theme is supposed to take you on a tear-streaming journey, and it sure will. In a tale of tragic loss, unexpected friendships, and finding happiness in whatever that may be, RABBIT HOLE scores big.

From the GATW Archives: GATW Editors’ Top 10 of 2010

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It’s been a pretty wicked year of movie watching for the editors of Gordon and the Whale. In 2010, we collectively attendedSundance,SXSWAFI FestDallas IFFFantastic FestLA Film Fest, and I ventured to Canada to cover the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time in GATW history. Since Sundance’s opening in January, we’ve slowly been building our lists - lists that are today known as the GATW Editors’ Top 10 of 2010.

Organizing the list is always the hard part. Which ones should make the cut? What order do I put them in? These two questions linger all the way until “Publish” gets clicked. Well, our lists are done and that time is here. The films picked are very eclectic and diverse, ranging from films only seen at festivals, to films released in 2010 as slated. Enjoy! -Chase Whale, Editor-in-Chief

Chase Whale
Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Member of the Austin Film Critics Association

It has been such an interesting movie watching year for me. I never once imagined that I would be sitting next to journalists like Scott Weinberg or James Rocchi, or even THE Roger Ebert and THE Harvey Weinstein in a screening, but it happened. Paying attention quickly became the least of my worries, and composure became the most. Below is my top ten, seven of which I saw in (at least one of) their presence. These films engaged me so much that my focus didn’t break for the films’ entire running time. If you know any of the four aforementioned men, you understand how powerful that can be.

10. ANIMAL KINGDOM
Aussie flicks are all the rage in my top ten and here’s one of them, David Michod’s ANIMAL KINGDOM. I once described it as a “really badass Australian version of POINT BREAK” to pound into my readers’ brains that it’s not just your typical cops and robbers story. KINGDOM displays the unnerving things people will do when they are backed into a corner.

9. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
Is GIFT SHOP real? Is it staged? Who cares - this movie is awesome! Artist-turned-director Banksy delivers a very interesting and entertaining look at the graffiti world, when an unknown French man with a camera accidentally becomes famous when he starts to create art of his own.

8. BLACK SWAN
Leave it up to Darren Aronofsky to show the soft side of a wrestler, and leave it up to him to show the dark, sadistic side of a ballet dancer. Nothing this man makes is short of beautiful, even if haunting and uneasy to watch.

7. BLUE VALENTINE
Love can be beautiful, and love can be painful. Derek Cianfrance’s BLUE VALENTINE explores both sides in a non-linear look at a young couple from the day they meet, to the last day they are together. What makes this movie so good is the fact that the love our characters have that brings them together and rips them apart feels so real. Anyone who’s every experienced love  - and the pain of love - should by moved by this.

6. RUBBER
French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux was probably on a lot of drugs when he made his second feature, RUBBER. A tire rolls around and kills people with its psychedelic mind (tire?) powers. Yes, that sounds like drugs to me. But what Dupieux achieves is a well-made, very smart full-length feature about a killer tire. The fourth wall is broken. Bunnies are blown up. Laughs are a-plenty. And there’s absolutely no reason for it.

5. FOUR LIONS
Terrorism is hilarious. Huh? Well, in Christopher Morris’s FOUR LIONS, terrorism is hilarious, or at least, it’s supposed to be taken that way. Four British Jihadists plan to blow themselves up, that is, if they don’t kill each other first in the planning process. In a time when acts of war seem like second nature, FOUR LIONS lightens the mood on the idiocy of it all.

4. THE KING’S SPEECH
THE KING’S SPEECH was the talk of the town when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The reason: it tugs at the heart. Following the formula of GOOD WILL HUNTING and WITH HONORS (remember this film?), SPEECH follows a man who enlists an unlikely person to help him grow into the man he’s destined to be.

3. TRASH HUMPERS
Writer/director Harmony Korine is notorious for making trash cinema. He literally took it one step further with his latest flick, TRASH HUMPERS, where three fearless misfits who wear masks that resemble Freddy Krueger wreck a town and hump (seriously) everything in their way. Yeah, shit gets weird. Harmony’s idea of shooting this on video tape and wanting his audience to make believe this was randomly stumbled upon is so clever.

2. SUBMARINE
SUBMARINE is what HAROLD AND MAUDE would look like if they both met and fell in love in a British high school and Wes Anderson was their match maker. I’m going to end on that.

1. THE LOVED ONES
True terror lives in the heart of Sean Byrne’s THE LOVED ONES. The film still doesn’t have a U.S. release, but I don’t care - it could go on my list every year if allowed. There are movies that are violent for the sake of being violent, but LOVED ONES needs that violence to push the extremely fucked up story forward. Just when you think things can’t possible get any worse, more rampage gets drilled into your skull.

James Wallace
Managing Editor

This year of film took us all over the map, forward and backward through time, and into alternate realities (a few of them simultaneously in some cases). Think about all the places we’ve traveled together in the means of theatrical transport known as cinema: inward to the heart of love and love lost, into the subconscious of the dream world’s multiple and concurrent layers, back to the ’30s and ’40s to relive the struggle of a would-be king, behind the scenes of the world wide web for the birth of a digital empire, into the psyche of a tormented dancer losing grip with reality, onto the pages of a comic book mixed with the experience of a video game, into the underbelly of the outback, back to the old West, down a canyon, and even farther underground into a coffin, and so many more places. We’ve witnessed life, death, love, hate, peace, violence, adversity, and the overcoming of. All a shared journey experienced between us - the audience - and the storytellers - our tour guides if you will who have escorted us to these places in a way like never before. Below you will find the year’s best films that I, along with many of you I’m sure, was moved the most by whilst on the cinematic voyage of 2010.

Disclaimer: Don’t see a film on this list and you’re puzzled by its exclusion? There’s always the possibility that I unfortunately didn’t get to see it in time for this list’s creation. Or that I did, and I just didn’t like it! Email me and we can talk about it if you’d like.

Runner-Up: HESHER
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a stringy haired, tattooed Grim Reaper-like guardian angel throwing up the devil horns on one hand and the middle finger on the other as the world he set on fire just for the hell of it burns behind him. Doesn’t sound like the makings of one of the sweetest coming of age movies of the year. But I assure you, it is.

10. BURIED
Ryan Reynolds, a 84 x 28 x 23 pine box, a lighter, a flashlight, two glow sticks, a half-charged cell phone, a few ominous voices, and that’s it! All combined to create the minimalistic, stylistic, claustrophobic thriller BURIED. Together Reynolds, director Rodrigo Cortés, and writer Chris Sparling unearthed a film so real and unrelenting in its non-stop thrills and terror that it would make even Alfred Hitchcock smile behind his hand as he covered his eyes. It keeps you completely immersed in every single second of its 95 minute runtime, never leaving the box it takes place in but always thinking outside of it.

9. 127 HOURS
If ever there was a story of courage, it is Aron Ralston’s - the real life adventurer who found himself between a rock and a hard place quite literally when his arm was trapped by a boulder while hiking in Blue Johny Canyon, Utah, ultimately having to sever it off himself with nothing more than a cheap multi-tool. It is awe-inspiring in every sense of the word, uniquely displaying the depths of human spirit and the will to survive, made even more awe-inspsiring by Danny Boyle’s kinetic, visceral direction and James Franco’s one man show-like portrayal in 127 HOURS. Difficult to sit through it may be but only because of how genuinely well the story is retold by Boyle and co.

8. TRUE GRIT
It wouldn’t be a year of great cinematic adventures without a film by the brothers Coen. And it wouldn’t be a top 10 list without TRUE GRIT, the brother’s latest pièce de résistance a la revenge. It felt like a perfect marriage with something old being the Coen’s long awaited reunion with The Dude - donning the eye patch once worn by The Duke as Marshall Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn , something new in the year’s best breakthrough performance by Miss Hailee Steinfeld, something borrowed from Charles Portis’ 1968 Saturday Evening Post turned novel in which the director’s accessibly adapted in a way that only they could, and something blue in Matt Damon’s solemn, swaggering portrayal of the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf.

7. ANIMAL KINGDOM
In a world where we’re all given a place on the food chain, what will some do to claw their way to the top? That’s the question this gritty crime/family drama asks and answers so beautifully and tragically, with both the silence of a whisper in its slow burning narrative and the noise of a shout in its cringe-inducing moments. If the world is comprised of lions and lambs, ANIMAL KINGDOM is the best tour of the zoo you’re going to get this year.

6. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Many said that an aforementioned film on this list defined the current generation of hipsters, bloggers, gamers, and indie rockers. Those people must have missed SCOTT PILGRIM (along with the rest of the world quite unfortunately, as not too many people turned out for Edgar Wright’s authentic adaptation of Brian Lee O’Malley’s monochromatic graphic novel). Here’s a funtivity for you. Step 1: Throw in a blender an 8-bit video game, some anime, a comic book, a Martial Arts film, an iPod filled with indie music, and a graphic tee for flavor. Step 2: Blend and drink, chasing the pop culture concoction with an energy drink. Step 3: Take a roundhouse kick to the face. Or you could just watch SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD and receive the same exact experience.

5. BLACK SWAN
Who would have thought that a film set in the world of competitive ballet could be so, dare a say it, interesting? But visionary director Darren Aronofsky sure proved that wrong this year as with his dark and twisted tale of sex, drugs, and classical dance featuring Natalie Portman spreading her wings to give her best performance to date.

4. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
I use to think of Facebook as a dot com commons, a digital domain if you will to debut the latest pics from the hottest social gathering or just an outlet to share with your “friends” sought-after information about the delightful meal you were about to consume. And then I saw THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Now I see Facebook as a Roman-like empire with a Shakespearean rise to fortune and glory, with its tormented Caesar Mark Zuckerberg at its virtual rostrum. But that’s what you get with David Fincher behind the camera, Aaron Sorkin holding the pen, and Jesse Eisenberg starring in a role he was born to play. In short, I “like” this movie a lot.

3. THE KING’S SPEECH
For a film about the power of words, I have none to describe it! THE KING’S SPEECH is moving beyond mere syllables strung together in what will surely be a failed attempt to capture its real life inspiration. If you want “powerful” redefined, see this film and be rendered speechless yourself.

2. INCEPTION
It is rare phenomenon for a film to come along and equally appeal to the masses of mainstream movie goers and the niche of cultural cinephiles. Christopher Nolan’s INCEPTION was just one of those white tigers of a film that worked on multiple levels. *wink wink nod nod* The totem, so to speak, to authenticate the reality of this? To this day, I am still caught up in an intense debate with both my dad and my colleagues of the blogosphere on the simple spinning of a top and its subsequent mind maddening implications. It changed the way we thought about dreams. It changed the way we looked at storytelling. And it will surely change the way that films are made in the years to come.

1. BLUE VALENTINE
Coincidentally, my favorite film of the year hasn’t even officially been released yet! Fortunately, I was amongst the first eyes to see and hearts to be affected by the beautiful BLUE VALENTINE when it premiered at Sundance in January. The feature-length debut from writer/director Derek Cianfrance comes in the form of a poignant portrait of love and love lost so raw, unrelenting, and emotional, it won’t just tug at your heart strings but take firm hold and rip them right out of your chest. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give award-worthy performances as a boy and a girl who fall in love quickly, get married out of necessity, and are torn apart slowly. All is told through juxtaposed scenes comparing their beginning to their end. From its narrative, to its performances, to its direction, to its cinematography, to its music, BLUE VALENTINE is a sweet yet somber love letter written on celluloid. While difficult to watch, it deserves to be seen.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order to due the fact that I have no more hair to pull out for the maddening act of ranking): A PROPHET, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP, THE GHOST WRITER, HIGH School, HOWL, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, I SAW THE DEVIL, KICK-ASS, THE KIDS ARE ALL RGHT, THE LAST EXORCISM, LET ME IN, THE LOVED ONES, THE TOWN, TRON: LEGACY, RED HILL, SKATELAND, SHUTTER ISLAND, TOY STORY 3, WINTER’S BONE, YOUTH IN REVOLT.

Kate Erbland
West Coast Editor
This year has been a slow burn when it comes to picking my favorite films, scribbling notes in my Moleskine, tapping out titles to keep in mind on my iPhone, endlessly reordering my top ten, then throwing in a list of Honorable Mentions for good measure. But the majority of the films below are ones that have stuck with me over time, flicks that, very often on first viewing, were assured a place in this list. Viewings have stretched all the way back to snow-drenched Park City in January, to rain-soaked Los Angeles just last week, but these are films that will continue to occupy my mind for a good while.

10. INCEPTION
A tangled and dreamy web that never provides full answers or complete disclosure. Was it all a dream? Was it all a nightmare? Who cares, when it’s all scored by Hans Zimmer?

9. TRUE GRIT
On the surface, the Coens’ remake of the semi-classic is one of their most accessible works. Go deeper, however, and their Western speaks to all manner of things – the meaning of America, the question of grace, the weight of a gun.

8. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
A fairy tale with real world consequences and genuine emotion, all wrapped up with pitch-perfect 3D that proves that extra dimension is (sometimes) (more than) worth those additional dollars.

7. MONSTERS
A festival favorite that combines both believable romance with even more believable alien “monsters.” A deceptively quiet film that somehow gives you all the answers and still makes you want to see (and ask) more.

6. THE FREEBIE
The possibility of infidelity has never been both so damn sexy and so bracingly sad. Katie Aselton pulls triple duty here – starring in, writing, and directing this indie gem. But the real work comes from a sensitive and stirring performance by none other than Dax Shephard.

5. WINTER’S BONE
The darkest little slice-of-life flick this side of Appalachia, consuming and combustible, just as scary as BLACK SWAN, just as dark as DOGTOOTH, but more honest than any other film on this list.

4. EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
A shifting kaleidoscope of a “documentary,” it consistently begs engagement from its audience – but I dare you to not find yourself sucked in, tickled, and more than a little brainwashed by its end.

3. THE SOCIAL NETWORK
An exceedingly well-crafted piece of work, it boasts every element that makes a film great – performance, writing, directing, score. It’s the year’s total package film.

2. DOGTOOTH
Both darkly funny and just plain dark, it’s an unwavering film that will either enthrall you or repulse you. One family’s maddening lifestyle as a microcosmic commentary on the abuses and tricks of those in power, it will bash your teeth in – if you’re brave enough.

1. BLACK SWAN
Big and bold and relentless, unhinged and unlimited, it’s a superlative work, a modern psychological horror masterpiece so breathtaking that it makes me write words like “masterpiece” and “breathtaking” to describe it without batting a single (critical) eye.

Honorable Mentions: THE KING’S SPEECH, FOUR LIONS, NEVER LET ME GO, ANIMAL KINGDOM, UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS, BLUE VALENTINE, TOY STORY 3, THE NEW YEAR, and ONE LUCKY ELEPHANT.

From the GATW Archives: Rusty Gordon is now a member of the DFW Film Critics Association!

Photo by Annie Ray

Today has been a really, really good day for GATW. This morning, NBC DFW wrote an article about me that was included in their list of the “25 Most Interesting People in DFW.” You can check that out HERE. Such a cool thing to even be considered! And I’m next to Erykah Badu?! EEEP!

Now, just minutes ago, we got word that Rusty has been accepted into the DFW Film Critics Association!

Some of you may not know who Rusty is, so let me give you a little insight. Rusty is our main film critic that spits out 2 to 3 brilliant, crazy, hilarious, and influential reviews each week. All he needs to write a review is a laptop and a shirt to chew on (you know, the front neck of the shirt). He’s a shy guy, but once he lets you in, you’ll never get away from his hugs. Wanna make this guy’s day? Buy him some chocolate milk and a large pepperoni pizza.

Congratulations, Rusty, and thanks to NBC DFW for writing one of the coolest articles about me. We love you. (tear)

Posted on July 8th, 2009 on GATW> 

From the GATW Archives: Skype Interview: Marc Clebanoff, writer/director of BREAK (featuring a film cameo by David Carradine)

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Getting off the phone for the third time with the same journalist with the same questions can be quite annoying for a director. Hell, it can be quite annoying for anybody - not Marc Clebanoff.

You see, I was given the chance to interview the young director over the phone - whose film debut just so happens to be one of David Carradine’s last roles - and it took me not one, not two, but three times to get it right. You can blame me for it, but I will blame technology.

In the interview, instead of talking about David’s recent death, we celebrated his life with some of the intimidating and somewhat awkward memories Marc had with him on set. Marc was kind enough to send me the clip he talks about in the interview.

Check out the interview and when you’re done, head over to NoCleanbreak.com to rent/buy the DVD!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW!

From the GATW Archives: Interview: Nick Frost (PIRATE RADIO/THE BOAT THAT ROCKED)

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Last, but certainly not least, in my interviews for PIRATE RADIO, Mr. Nick Frost. Of course, this guy needs no introduction. If you’re a movie geek like the GATW crew, then you’ve seen some of his funny performances and know who this teddy bear of man is.

I have to admit, I was pretty nervous meeting Nick. Biggest reason? He’s just a regular-looking guy like myself - except a lot funnier, a lot richer, and with a little more charm. When Nick came in the room, sat down, and started talking, those nervous jitters quickly went away. The guy really is just a regular dude. Before he got his start as an actor, he was a restaurant manager for years. He literally went from working for the man to telling the man where he can stick it.

When interviewing Nick, our roundtable covered a lot of different topics. Some strange (his long hair and mustache), and some very interesting (being naked, American fans, and watching himself on the big screen). Check out the interview after the jump, and let us know what you think.

Also, I want to point out how great of a guy Nick is. After confirming his Twitter account is in fact him (@NickJFrost), I sent him a tweet telling him it was nice speaking to him. Just a few moments later, he directed messaged with this, “Nice to meet you too. Have a good flight.” Gentleman, scholar, and all-around nice guy.

On being half-nude with Tom Sturridge:

I don’t mind being nude, I don’t have a problem with it…you know I have that kind of weird reverse body dysmorphia where I look in the mirror and think, “Man, you are hot” (laughs) and then go and try on to buy jeans in a size 30 and think, “why can’t I fucking get these things on? Why can’t I get these over my knees?” (laughs) I’m very happy with the way I look.

On funny on-set stories:

Just kind of holding Tom Sturridge and I, being naked, and I was holding him like a small dead bird (laughs)…if you had to show an alien race, just how different human bodies can be, Tom would be at one point and I would be at the other

On the first bedroom scene, shared with Talulah Riley:

I think as beautiful and sophisticated as Talulah is, you forget that she’s actually fairly young…I like to think I’m a gentleman, and I think it was important to make her feel comfortable…I think it can be quite tough for a young lady being semi-naked in front of forty cameramen and sound men and electricians, you know it’s not a natural state of affairs really.

On being famous in America:

Over here it’s a bit difficult with the camera phone world, now it’s slightly annoying. I don’t see myself as a celebrity. If someone takes my picture with a camera phone without saying, “Hey, do you mind if I have a picture?,” I see that as tremendously annoying…I don’t see myself as public property. I’m not out there for the celebrity. I never go to parties or premieres…I think if you start to go down that road you open up a can of worms because you are then public property and people can stand outside your house and take photos of your wife while you’re having lunch, and you know, that’s not why I started doing this. Yesterday…I started smoking again, like a fucking idiot, and I was having a ciggy last night after we finished here [PIRATE RADIO press party], and there were paparazzi outside and that [snapped] me smoking, and that kind of upsets me because you know, if my mother-in-law sees it, I’ll get a fucking flea in my ear. (laughs)

On watching his own performances:

Yeah, I think everyone does, even the people who say, “Oh, I never watch anything I do,” it’s a lie…I think every actor is fairly egocentric enough to watch themselves at least once. But once is usually enough…I’ve never seen PENELOPE or WILDCHILD…Last time I saw “Spaced” was eight years ago…I’ve never watched it again. But yeah, once is enough. Just to see if it’s funny, or if I’ve done a good job.

On his long hair:

The 80s are back now…it’s the 80s (laughs)…I think a lot of it is because I am unemployed…Simon [Pegg] and I took like a year to write PAUL and then we started shooting PAUL, [and] my hair’s long in that and we’ve been wrapped on that like six weeks, so I just haven’t cut it…I’ve grown a terrible mustache to annoy my wife, which is now being kept for a role that I’m doing so my wife will be very upset…slightly.

From the GATW Archives: IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY coming to theaters in 2011

Not sure why I haven’t written about this sooner - but back in April, when I spoke with the cinema gifted duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden about their new film SUGAR, we wandered off-topic into what they’re up to next - which is a film adaptation of the book “It’s Kind of a Funny Story.” What’s kind of a funny story about this is that the book is my absolute favorite piece of pop culture written material and Team Ryan/Anna are my favorite two directors - not even a large pepperoni pizza could have satisfied me more at that moment. I’ve seen their film HALF NELSON more than any thing else.

Today I read on Wikipedia that Paramount bought the rights to “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” and it’s scheduled for a 2011 release.

Posted on GATW on June 17, 2009.

From the GATW Archives: Indie Spotlight: HOMECOMING writer/director Sean Hackett

I’ve have yet to meet up-and-coming filmmaker Sean Hackett, but I already know he’s a talented and darling young man. I can’t exactly remember how Hackett and I began conversing (I know my Erbland was involved at some point) but he asked me to watch his first feature, HOMECOMING. I finally did that last night and am very happy with my decision to skip THE GREEN LANTERN - HOMECOMING is an absolute delight.

HOMECOMING follows an army medic Estelle Szymanski (Friday Night Lights' Brea Grant) who returns home on a short leave. There she engages in fun, awkward, and uncomfortable situations with her two best friends from high school, Owen and Austin (Hackett and Tom Fox Davies, respectively), who don't want her to go back to Afghanistan. During those few days home, her mother (Colleen Camp) attempts to set her up with a boy (John Robinson, Gus Van Sant's ELEPHANT) in hopes she'll change her mind about going back to fight in the war.

Hackett and his team have set up a Demand page; if you like to support thought-provoking and good independent cinema, help this play in your area by demanding it. There’s also aFacebook page and Twitter if social networks are your thing.

Watch  a clip from HOMECOMING, which debuted exclusively onThe Playlist.

My First Time in Front of the Camera: REDFORD SENT US

Two years ago marked the first time Team GATW attended the Sundance Film Festival. While we were there, young filmmaker (and now dear friend) Anthony Meadows was in town shooting a documentary about Sundance called REDFORD SENT US. What Meadows did was follow some bloggers around (Devin Faraci, Rudie and Travis fromCriterion Cast, Rusty and myself, and Scott Hutcheson of WAMG) to name a few) in their daily Sundance routine and interviewed us about the festival. He also spent some time with the lovely Katie Aselton, who was in town promoting her directorial debut, THE FREEBIE.

After a year, Meadows has released the film online free for your viewing pleasure. I watched it not too long ago and I must say, Meadows’ style of filmmaking is really impressive. I really wish there was more blogger interaction in the film but what he gives us is worth the viewing; I’m so glad I got to be a part of this. It’s really strange watching myself in this, though, because I’ve lost over 40 pounds since it was shot (my arteries really appreciate it). Who knew bloggers could actually lose weight?

Full feature after the break!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE MOVIE! 

From the GATW Archives: TIFF 2010 Review: John Carpenter’s THE WARD

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Editor’s note: This review was originally published on September 15, 2010 as a Toronto International Film Festival review.

WritersMichael Rasmussen & Shawn Rasmussen
DirectorJohn Carpenter
CastLyndsy FonsecaAmber HeardDanielle PanabakerMika BooremMamie Gummer

Well, it looks like John Carpenter has made his first unintentional comedy. I just can’t take horror seriously when the killer is chasing our victim around and it instantly reminds me of an old episode of Punky Brewster. Remember when she played hide-and-seek and got locked in the refrigerator (teaching us children never to hide in the ice box)? THE WARD has a morgue scene very similar to this and I couldn’t help but laugh. If you know Carpenter’s work, you’re probably sighing right now and I’m sorry. My heart is hurting with you.

Here’s the set up, which looks fun, seeing as who’s behind it: Kristen (Amber Heard) sets a house on fire and gets taken to a psychiatric hospital. Joining her are four other girls (Lyndsy Fonseca, Danielle Panabaker, Mika Boorem, and Mamie Gummer) who all suffer from a term one would usually call an ex-lover - “crazy.” One by one, these girls start to mysteriously disappear, so Kristen takes it upon herself to uncover the dark truth behind the disappearances. Cue the “dum dum dum” music.

Here’s the first of many flaws with THE WARD: none of the girls look or act crazy. This is the most important detail in a film that takes place in the looney bin. If I’m in the mental ward, it’s because I’m dangerous as hell and society would hate life if I was to be let loose. These girls don’t just act normal, they talk normal (no cocked head, dripping spit here), and we don’t know any of their history other than they’re “just crazy.” Our ward staff acts more nuts than the girls do. Give me visuals or stories, I need to know not to trust any of them with my mother.

The sickest thing about THE WARD is this: Carpenter might be edging toward slightly perverted in his growing age. There’s a 2-3 minute shower scene with our five main characters. Some might say this is a throwback back to the old slasher films when gratuitous and unnecessary nudity was a must, but here’s the kicker: all we see is their backs (over and over, I must add) and a silhouette of side boob. The camera just goes side to side, back to back. I seriously love Carpenter just as much as the next person, but this scene is creepy.

What THE WARD ends up getting plagued with is cheap scares and cheaper effects. When Kristen is the last one out of the shower, we see an outline of a ghost behind her. The loud music booms as a skeleton-like hand grabs her by the neck. This is the oldest trick in the book, and it has worked brilliantly in the past, but here it’s just irritating. Our ghost isn’t terrifying and actually looks quite silly. The confusing part is that effects master Greg Nicotero worked on this. One great director and one great special effects creator can’t seem to thrill me for once, and I’m scratching my head.

This marks Carpenter’s first feature in seven years. The man has made classics, with films like HALLOWEEN and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, but THE WARD just adds rust to the nail I call his recent career as a director. THE WARD is just bad. Don’t be surprised if this ends up straight-to-cable.

P.S. I still love you, John.