Contagion, Another Year, Black Swan and Fair Game
I watch a lot of films throughout the year but I also miss a lot of really good films. This week I’ve been trying to catch up a little, clean out the PVR, check off my Zip List, Netflix List and check out the new titles on iTunes.
Contagion (2011)
If you’ve read this blog for any period of time you’ll know that Steven Soderbergh is my favourite director. His latest thriller about a deadly virus has a stellar ensemble cast and reminded me a little of his earlier film Traffic, probably because he also shot parts of that film and Cliff Martinez provided the score as he does here.
After watching this film you will wash your hands a lot more often. You will try not to touch your face as often as you do (2-3 thousand times a day). You will agree with me that Jude Law’s fake teeth in this film are incredibly distracting and kinda funny looking.
Why didn’t Soderbergh just cast Steve Buschemi in the role of a blogger with bad teeth?
Another Year (2010)
My friend Andy, hounded me for weeks to watch this film directed by Mike Leigh. The plot on IMDB describes it as “a look at four seasons in the lives of a happily married couple and their relationships with their family and friends.” Sounds boring doesn’t it?
The family and friends of this happily married couple are some of the saddest characters you will ever meet on your LCD/LED/Plasma screen and they are fascinating. Leigh’s script was nominated for an Oscar and Lesley Manville’s performance as Mary, the wine guzzling divorcee is fantastic.
Black Swan (2010)
I’m not sure why I skipped this film last year. I loved Darren Aronofsky’s direction in The Wrestler and Natalie Portman is great in everything she does (unless George Lucas is directing her). I’m not a fan of ballet and that kept me from watching one of the best films from 2010.
Vincent Cassel is great as the outspoken artistic director. I mean who gets to talk to people like that other than Hank Moody (David Duchovny) in Californication?
Barbara Hershey spent years getting plastic surgery for her role as the creepy, controlling mother that should have been in Carrie. I found her to be much more frightening than Portman’s transformation into the Black Swan.
Fair Game (2010)
It’s no secret that Sean Penn can’t stand George Bush and the Republican Party. Making this film was his chance to speak out against the Bush administration in the guise of a slick political thriller. None of the names have been changed to protect the guilty. Cheney and his neocons are portrayed as liars hell-bent on going to war.
I knew nothing about this film before watching it and was surprised to learn that it was based on a true story. The way in which Liman ends the film is brilliant and nice done. One side note. It was really strange seeing Ty Burrell from Modern Family cast as a neighbour in a serious film like this.
Posted in Movies at 10:31 PM
