#12: Sophie's Choice (1982)

There are so many things about the making of this movie that surprise me after having seen it.  This is Kevin Kline's first movie?  Who knew Peter MacNicol (dude from Ally McBeal) was this awesome of an actor?  Meryl Streep had to beg for this role?  The hell?!!  Meryl Streep took home the Oscar for best actress for this picture, and she absolutely deserved it.  She's flawless.  Granted, I saw the story Sophie tells at the end coming.  I mean the term "Sophie's choice" is constantly used now to define a choice between two persons or things that will result in the death or destruction of the person or thing not chosen.  I don't know if that started when the book was published or after this movie was released.  Still, Meryl's reaction shot when they took her daughter was amazing.  The story is pretty much a downer - tragic as tragedy can be.  It's beautiful though.

#11: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

I love this movie.  I've seen it before but had to watch it again.  It's funny.  It's sweet.  The cast is great.  The plot is simple, yet the characters are rich.  Maggie Smith embodies my favorite character (as always).  There aren't enough movies like this.

#10: Lone Survivor (2013)

Hmm... This is another movie I'm on the fence about.  I thought I would like it more, but it's a bit propaganda-ish.  The title gives away the ending (**SPOILER ALERT** Mark Wahlberg's character survives), but the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat.  It's mostly an homage to the men who died in Afghanistan, and there's nothing wrong with that.  I just think, as a movie, it could've been better.  There's a brief description of the guy that's the enemy and why they have to take him out, and then we're with our guys on top of the mountain fighting for their lives.  I mean we never really meet the bad guys except when they start shooting, and even then, they're just guys with guns.  It's not really clear why what's happening is happening and why we should care beyond not wanting to see our protagonist die.  The real heroes don't show up until the end, and I wish the film focused a little more time on them.  I don't know.  This is an excellent Navy Seals recruitment film or an example of how a military mission can go horribly wrong rather quickly.  That's about it.  I feel for the guys who lost their lives though.

#9: August: Osage County (2013)

This movie makes me happy my mom is not a nut case.  I thought it was a great story.  There seems to be a dramedy trend this year.  Meryl does her thing as always.  With so many great films this past year, I'm not surprised this one didn't get more recognition though.  It's fantastic in every way but, fortunately, there were a lot of fantastic films in 2013.

#8: American Psycho (2000)

Christian Bale has enormous range as an actor.  Patrick Bateman is like a bipolar version of Bale's Bruce Wayne.  This movie is black comedy at its best.  It really isn't about serial killing.  Bateman is a metaphor for our capitalistic society.  He's a bullshit artist.  He appears to have it all but he's empty inside.  It's all a facade.  And he's the most dangerous thing out there.  I love the scene with the homeless guy and when he picks up the prostitute in a dark alley.  They trust him because he's supposed to be the benevolent one - "job creator", the one from whom economics is supposed to "trickle down."  But he's a killer who only cares about himself.  The '80s references are hilarious.  I especially like his crazed sermons on the relevance of random pop music icons.  Ingenious way of showing his utter insanity and vapidness.

#7: Carmen Jones (1954)

I love this movie for what it is - an adequate adaptation of a Broadway musical that was an adaptation of a classic French opera.  It's dated in its portrayal of women.  The actors are spectacular in spite of heavy handed direction.  The music is beautiful but doesn't fit the characters or period.  It's a Greek tragedy at it's most sensationally melodramatic.  All that said, I appreciate it as a national treasure because of how groundbreaking it was at the time and what it did for black cinema.  It was also nice to see a young Harry Belafonte and Pearl Bailey.

#6: Peeples (2013)

I really wanted to like this film.  It had a lot of potential.  I love Kerry Washington on Scandal.  I think she's a great actress and has proven her talent in a lot of films.  Craig Robinson and David Alan Grier are two of the funniest comic actors around.  Grier's role in Boomerang is a classic and, of course, I will always have much love for him from his groundbreaking work on In Living Color.  Craig Robinson is usually a highlight in every film he's in, from Zack and Miri Make a Porno to This Is The End.  S. Epatha Merkerson is also always divine.  So the acting talent is definitely there.  I love the idea of a story about African-Americans that takes place in Sag Harbor as opposed to Harlem.  We are a diverse people and all of our stories deserve to be told.  However, this just doesn't do it for me.  I think I read a review somewhere that described it as a black Meet the Parents.  I hate "black" versions of things.  It's just not necessary to emulate something else.  We are a creative people and I'm sure there are a lot of original stories to tell about us.  Besides, this doesn't even come anywhere close to Meet the Parents.  It's just not that funny.  It's actually pretty boring.  None of these characters are interesting enough to watch for two hours, and not a lot happens that is compelling enough to make me feel anything.  I think boring is worse than bad.  Bad can be entertaining on a certain level.  Boring is just... eh.

#5: Gosford Park (2001)

As a fan of Robert Altman films, quasi Anglophile, and "Upstairs, Downstairs" lover, this movie is perfect for me.  I think this is my favorite Altman film.  I love his style with the roaming camera moving throughout all of the characters in the room while the dialogue comes in-and-out.  It makes you as an audience member feel more like a fly on the wall than most other films.  There's something subversive and sneaky about it.  The actors are all fantastic of course.  I mean there are so many sirs and dames in this movie it's ridiculous.

#4: The Kid (1921)

In an age where two and a half hours is the standard film length, a 50 minute film (even a silent one) is SO refreshing!  Honestly, I really liked this movie.  This is definitely my favorite Chaplin film that I've seen thus far.  The story is so simple yet so well put together.  A destitute woman with no financial means has a child.  She tries to do right by her child by giving him away to a wealthy family, leaving the child in the back seat of their limo.  The limo is stolen.  The thieves find the baby and dump it.  A tramp (using the old-folksy meaning not the modern one) finds the baby and raises it the best he knows how.  High jinks ensues before we get back to the inevitable reuniting of mother and child.  ALL IN UNDER AN HOUR.  I've seen more modern films that can barely tell a third of that in less than two hours.  Plus, Chaplin proves that you don't need sound to tell a great story.  Feature film should be about visuals anyway.  Bottom line... I highly recommend this one.

#3: The Guilt Trip (2012)

God... What can I say about this movie... other than it was boring...
I love Barbra Streisand. I love Seth Rogen. I don't love this movie. It was basically an hour and half of watching an argument between a mother and her son. Zzzzzz. I feel like the road trip story has been done to death. It's been done every which way and watching people travel cross country really isn't that interesting. The best road trip movies I've ever seen - Easy Rider, National Lampoon's Vacation, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Thelma & Louise - are so much more than road trip films. They're all stories that just happen to take place on the road rather than stories about being on the road. This movie just didn't do it for me. Like many real-life road trips I've been on, after 20 minutes, I just wanted out.

#2: An Unmarried Woman (1978)

The topic of divorce must've been really hot in the 1970s. Between Kramer vs. Kramer, Manhattan and this critically acclaimed film, I feel like it must've been somewhat of a storytelling revolution. I love that the protagonist of this story is named Erica (of course). I feel that much closer to her. I love that, after her husband leaves her for a younger woman, she struggles to be her own woman. Even though I thought the part where she finally meets and falls in love with Saul was a bit abrupt (maybe that was the point), their love affair was very believable. Honestly, as a single woman in my thirties, I would be elated if a guy gave me the kind of offer that Saul gives Erica, but I guess times are different. As an independent woman in the 21st century, I have nothing to prove. Erica needs to prove to herself that she can live a life on her own without any assistance. On the downside, Bill Conti's score got on my fucking nerves. That saxophone blaring during every other scene was beyond annoying (and comical at times). It was a decent film though. I feel like it was groundbreaking at the time, but nowadays I prefer Kramer vs. Kramer in how it shows the day-to-day struggle of being a single parent and how divorce can totally disrupt one's life. However, I like how An Unmarried Woman shows divorce from a female perspective.

#1: The General (1926)

So I decided to start my 365 movies with a classic from the beginning of the film age in the early 20th century. I have to admit that watching silent films, particularly early ones, is a bit of a challenge for me. This one was more enjoyable than many I've seen in the past though. This is my first Buster Keaton film, and I get why he is so admired by filmmakers and comedians. I'm not a huge fan of physical comedy, but I give him props for some amazing stunt work. It's interesting that the Union soldiers are the villains in this movie. I'm so used to modern day films where the Confederates are usually the antagonists. Also interesting, the film doesn't address any of the issues that caused the Civil War at all (i.e. slavery). There are a few black actors shown at the train depot in the beginning of the film and that's it. In fact, a comedy that takes place in the antebellum South during the Civil War is also a little odd to me. The overall story was sweet and well executed though. I liked seeing a 1920s take on a mid-1800s love story. There is a point where the action sequences and set pieces get in the way of the real story - a man trying to win the affections of a woman through valiance in military service. I thought it was funny that it was really his true love, his train engine, and the pursuit of it once it was stolen that led to him rescuing "the girl." Nice touch.

365 Movies in 365 Days

So I kind of abandoned this blog for awhile (6 years), but I've decided to start anew.  This year I'm trying to avoid the typical New Year's Resolutions (i.e. lose weight) that never come to fruition.  Instead, I have a goal that is both challenging but easily measurable and attainable.  I'M GOING TO WATCH 365 MOVIES BY DECEMBER 31, 2014.  Yep!  I have 365 days to watch 365 movies.  Ideally, that would mean I'd watch one movie per day, but we're already halfway into day six of 2014 and I've only watched three movies.  Shit happens!  Life happens.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  If I have to watch a couple more movies over the weekends to catch up, so be it.  Hopefully I won't be forced to marathon watch movies every weekend in December.  Anyway, I'm excited to become a cinephile of sorts.  I love movies, and I think this will be an excellent education in storytelling and filmmaking.  I'll blog about each movie I watch and maybe some other tidbits that I learn along the way.  Should be good stuff.