Final 15 films of 2010 to look out for. The last segment of snippets in this Marathon tour guided by resident LoyarBurok movie critic, Wai. See here and the links therein for our previous 5 segments. Hope this has been of help to you, movie buffs. Now, go out and get that film!
As with “The Other Guys” this flick has already been released in the States. Sadly, “Scott Pilgrim” has not enjoyed the same box office success. In fact, it pretty much crashed and burned. Now, this does not mean the film is crap. Quite the contrary. Visually, this is an entirely unique animal, with very cool video game-inspired graphics, comic book-style scene transitions and highly kinetic cinematography. The characters themselves are intentionally portrayed in the off-kilter manner of the graphic novels they’re based upon. This is a film ahead of its time. Or as Marty McFly would say: “I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it.” Go watch it, and pride yourself as being ahead of the curve.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not exactly a fan of Facebook. So why am I hawking a movie about the founders of this social medium? Because it’s directed by none other than David Fincher, the man who gave us “Fight Club”, “Se7en” and “Zodiac”. So don’t expect a fluffy and whimsical rom-com. In fact, Facebook’s legal advisors have already butted heads with the film’s producers, ‘requesting’ certain scenes to be edited or removed entirely. Proof that this is likely going to be an honest, down and dirty inside look at the birth of the global phenomenon. My status? In the cinema on opening weekend.
Ok, I’ll admit it. The thing that excited me most about this film wasn’t director Darren Aronofsky. Or the dark and bizarre story in which a star ballerina faces off against a rival who may or may not be a figment of her imagination. What really piqued my interest was a scene in the trailer where Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis play tonsil hockey. Gentlemen, do I have your attention now? For the rest of you who aren’t into girl-on-girl action, there will be other things to savour. Portman has a background in ballet, so the film’s dream-like dance sequences should be handled quite nicely. Just don’t expect a warm and happy ending. It’s Aronofsky, after all.
I have been looking forward to this ever since Disney first previewed some test footage at San Diego Comic Con 2008. If you think that’s a long wait, then you obviously aren’t familiar with the history of the Tron franchise (if it can be considered a franchise at all). The first movie, while a box office failure in 1982, slowly built a cult following over the years. Its then-revolutionary CGI was hailed as a game changer, paving the way for major talents like Pixar Studios to take things to the next level. To be honest, as a film geek, I can barely believe a sequel exists; and even more mind-boggling is how fantastic it all looks and sounds (Daft Punk!!!). I’ll go out on a limb right now. “Tron Legacy” will be one of 2010’s best cinematic experiences.
15. Animal Kingdom (unconfirmed)
Chances are, Malaysians will never see this film in the theatre. It hasn’t even received a wide release in America. It’s an Australian film, and according to all who have seen it, is nothing short of brilliant. “Animal Kingdom” is a sly and fitting title, since the story’s all about a family of vicious, borderline psychotic criminals. Caught in the middle is a teenage boy, who has just been introduced to the family business, right when the cops begin to close in on the whole dysfunctional clan. First time writer-director David Michôd has constructed a complex and riveting tale, beautifully acted by some of Australia’s brightest talents. It would be a shame if this film went unnoticed by mainstream audiences. So if you can’t find this in theatres, there is always your trusty neighbourhood DVD store.
So there you have it! The final 15 films of 2010 to look out for soon.
LB: Storyteller by trade and dreamer by nature, Wai has been deeply nuts about the celluloid world since the first time he discovered he could watch a story instead of reading it. But he likes writing about it. Wai goes by a single name because he likes to avoid any “Imperial entanglements” (a.k.a. “conflict of interest with the powers that be” for those of you who don’t speak Star Wars) in his employment. Plus, cool people use one-word names.
Storyteller by trade and dreamer by nature, Wai has been deeply nuts about the celluloid world since the first time he discovered he could watch a story instead of reading it. But he likes writing about it. Wai goes by a single name because he likes to avoid any “Imperial entanglements” (a.k.a. “conflict of interest with the powers that be” for those of you who don’t speak Star Wars) in his employment. Plus, cool people use one-word names. He has just set up a movie website, the first of its kind in Malaysia, in an effort to foster greater filmic knowledge for the rakyat. Check out www.electroshadow.com
Posted on 31 August 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
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