I did a semi decent job staying on top of movies this year. I haven't seen Her yet because somehow I perceive it to be a chore. I'm sure I'll like it, but I just don't feel like seeing it. Haven't seen Nebraska yet. I want to see that slightly more than Her. Otherwise, saw a few major ones: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Gravity. Saw some smaller critical favorites: The Act of Killing, Inside Llewyn Davis, Frances Ha. Saw some of the way smaller critical favorites: The Spectacular Now, Short Term 12, Drinking Buddies, The Way Way Back.
If I had to pick my absolute favorites in order it would go like this:
1. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. Frances Ha
4. The Act of Killing
5. American Hustle
To name five.
Inside Llewyn Davis in my humble, is a masterpiece. It was the film I needed to see. Unlike most movies, the arc of the story is really just a straight line. There is no real fantasy in this film, no romance in the story, no improbable scenario that saves the protagonist. It is just someone's life, an artist's hard life, and that was enough to engross me for two hours. Do you know how hard it is to do that? Do you realize how masterful a production it has to be? I don't even know if I do.
12 Years a Slave is also a masterpiece for different reasons. The performances were amazing and the depiction of slavery felt true. If I'm to be so bold, I think I began to scratch the surface of understanding what that era was actually like.
That said, it's not to say that there haven't been other good movies on slavery. Something I understood better with this one was the dependency on slavery to sustain an economy and livelihood. The film depicted it with more nuance, the psychological effects of this system on both slave owners and slaves. And as soon as Fassbender comes on screen, the quality of the film is elevated to another level. He should get an award but probably won't.
I loved Frances Ha. I'm a fan of most Noah Baumbach movies and I love Greta Gerwig. Even Baumbach's lesser successes, like Greenberg, are still superior to most movies of that ilk. I think it's because of Baumbach's writing; he somehow cuts through... I want to say something smart here, but the only word that comes to mind is bullshit. Sorry. I'm not an actual film critic in case you were wondering.
The Act of Killing is a documentary that comes around once in maybe 10 years. Shoah is another (to put it in some kind of context). When a filmmaker is successful at exposing the darkest aspects of human nature, my reaction is visceral. My partner in documentaries, Michele, and I needed a drink (or five) after seeing it, and that wasn't even the director's cut.
American Hustle was hugely entertaining, great writing, great acting. Christian Bale gave my favorite performance of the film. It doesn't get to the level of say, a Casino, but still it's that kind of movie and it does a damn fine job.
When it comes to the "way smaller" movies, they all had their moments but fell a bit short. I know how hard it is to make a film, let alone a good one, so I'm not really criticizing here. Some of my issues had to with what I felt were improbable scenarios. It's not that I don't like fantasy or good classic storytelling, but I was a bit unsatisfied by how quickly and easily most of the characters bounced back from hard stuff. I wonder if some of the stories were biting off more than they could chew and then had to quickly resolve because the movie had to end.
Some people when they drink want to make out. Others, presumably, tell the truth. I become a snob. I drop names, embellish experiences and say generally obnoxious things. What is UP with that? This mostly happens when I meet new people. My real friends and acquaintances know that that my life isn't that great so I can't fool them. I am not a wine snob in the least -- oaky, fruity, earthy, what do I know. What I am is a snob on wine.
If you've lived and worked in New York for 15 years, chances are
you've met and maybe hung out with a successful, semi famous person. Or you know someone who has become successful and semi famous. But I quickly realized that knowing a successful person doth not a successful person make. It happened in my 20s, when I started getting an empty feeling from going out, I basically wasn't doing anything of value (bring out the violins). Sure, meeting new people is awesome, that is part of New York's M.O., but I wasn't actually achieving anything. And knowing someone who was did not make me achieve any more.
There are people in this world who try to surround themselves with the rich and famous and define themselves by who they know, not what they do. They feel the fame will somehow rub off on them, or that when they need these people they will come through. (I know James Franco: I have arrived y'all). Often times, that does not happen (unless you're bffs). I liken this to being a groupie. You might be sleeping with the lead singer of the band, hanging out with his bandmates and getting into shows for free, but who is getting all the glory and money? Not you. What you get is a story. And that's valuable, sure. But it's air unless you do something with it.
I'm sure my obnoxiousness has something to do with insecurity (how annoying, effing insecurity), but when I'm sober, I'm extremely aware of the position I occupy in the world. I'm pretty happy with it in general -- this is what happens in one's 30s, on some level it's a bit depressing -- but my 20s somehow come out when wine enters my system. I'm so not a Vino Veritas person. In fact I wake up the next morning remembering the stupidities that came out of my mouth hoping the other person was too drunk to remember. So I apologize in advance to those new people I will likely not see again.
I had a dream about the show New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel as a cute pixie teacher who moves into a loft with three guys. I had never seen it before, but I had seen the movie Drinking Buddies that starred one of the guys from the show, Jake Johnson, and since Jake Johnson is a good looking man, I obviously looked him up. Drinking Buddies is ok, not great, but enjoyable for a plane ride.
So this weird subconscious thing happened because I had a dream about New Girl on Friday night. I have no idea what was in it. Maybe a bunch of promos strung together, but I woke up needing to see this show like my life depended on it. I fully expected it to suck because I had seen one episode of that other popular network show, Two Broke Girls, and that royally sucked. I figured New Girl would be similar and Zooey, though I like her in general, would probably annoy me.
I was actually dead wrong. The show is hilarballs (I invented that, it'll catch on). I've been binging on it for the past two days. It's physically impossible to stay away from a show featuring good looking people being hilarious. And while I feel slightly gross for not accomplishing much this weekend besides going to a Pilates class and making soup, I know this journey down the road of improbable and enviable scenarios will eventually end with the end of season 2 on Netflix. These things always do, sadly, but thankfully. The show also made me understand why Olivia Wilde was not very good in Drinking Buddies. Olivia just tries too hard to channel Zooey Deschanel, attempting to recreate the exact same dynamic with Jake Johnson that Zooey has with him on New Girl. Her self consciousness made me cringe for her a bit. I mean, I ain't crying for Olivia Wilde, but if I was a successful good looking actress in my own right, I might a little. She clearly thinks her prettiness is an issue, and by trying so hard to downplay it, she becomes a shitty actress. And you can also tell that this sort of bothers her, that deep down she thinks she's a fraud. Man, I have just psychoanalyzed the hell out of Olivia Wilde with just one movie. I am a jenius.
