2008: HALFTIME SCORE (The Favorites)

[oscar jubis]

Movies listed below are my favorite English-language ones released during first half of 2008. The ones I don't want to forget when I post year-end lists about 7 months from now. Movies listed under "I" are potential Top 10 films. II: Potential runner-ups. III: Honorable Mention. Ranking within categories could change after second viewings and comparison with movies yet to come out. A mid-year list of foreign-language films will be posted in a few days.

I
CHOP SHOP
THE FALL
PARANOID PARK

II
THE VISITOR
SHOTGUN STORIES
MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS
WALL-E

III
Brick Lane
Son of Rambow
Iron Man
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Redbelt
Kung Fu Panda

[Chris Knipp]

"Half Time" doesn't unfortunately mean a lot since 2/3 of the best stuff in this category by careful calculation comes out in the last 1/6 of the year, more or less.

I keep forgetting that PARANOID PARK is 2008, but I'd also list that. And WALL·E and THE WACKNESS. I would mention some of the others, THE FALL. I haven't seen SHOTGUN STORIES but I've just gotten two reminders so I'm requesting it from Netflix immediately. I'm not convinced about the others.

Best to wait and see.

[oscar jubis]

Some of the best American directors to emerge over the past decade or so come from the South. Shotgun Stories was produced by David Gordon Green and shot by Green's DP. Green and director Jeff Nichols are both from Little Rock. I am even more impressed by Ramin Bahrani, who was born in North Carolina. In my opinion, no one can claim to know what's going on in American cinema without having seen Man Push Cart and Chop Shop.

Of course, Hollywood always saves their "prestige" projects for late fall-early winter. That's why the upcoming foreign-language list has more entries.

[oscar jubis]

The high number of films listed is a product of the fact that more foreign-films are released than ever before. At this pace the movies currently listed under "III" are unlikely to make the year-end list. It's paradoxical that foreign-films have never been so hard to watch in a theater. Distribution of foreign-films often means short runs and scattered screenings in specialty markets. One really has to work to find them and watch them. If you don't live in a large metro area, you have to wait for the dvd. It's simply the way it is.

I
STILL LIFE (China)
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS (Romania)
OPERA JAWA (Indonesia)
XXY (Argentina)
PARAGUAYAN HAMMOCK (Paraguay)
BEAUTY IN TROUBLE (Czech Republic)
THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (France)

II
LUXURY CAR (China)
5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (Japan)
THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (France)
THE CUSTODIAN (Argentina)
THE COUNTERFEITERS (Germany/Austria)
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Germany/Turkey)
THE BAND'S VISIT (Israel/France/USA)
A DIRTY CARNAVAL (South Korea)

III
Tuya's Marriage (China)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
Alice's House (Brazil)
Roman de Gare (France)
Jellyfish (Israel)
Caramel (France/Lebanon)
The Bet Collector (Philippines)
Love Songs (France)

[Chris Knipp]

I
CHOP SHOP
THE FALL
PARANOID PARK

II
THE VISITOR
SHOTGUN STORIES
MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS
WALL-E

III
Brick Lane
Son of Rambow
Iron Man
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Red belt
Kung Fu Panda

Last edited by oscar jubis

You sure rate Chop Shop high. It has an infectious physicality. The verismo is seductive. Artistically it has a way to go. I also was imporessed by The Fall. In its way it is outstanding and unique. I love Paranoid Park. It's nice that you mention Blueberry Nights. It was so roundly trashed. I maintain that people can't forgive Wong for putting his dialogue in plain English.

Shotgun Stories, along with Chop Shop and Ballast, are strong small independent productions that seem unlikely to be picked up so the directors may stay working small and independently. Not so with David Gordon Green, since he crossed over with his Snow Angels and now has sold out completely with Apatow's Pineapple Express. I am looking forward to that one. The Visitor is a sweet effort but its simplistic elements make it not much of a keeper I think, Brick Lane--mediocre. Son of Rambow--sweet little film, nothing to write home about. Both of them are from a year or so ago. We're getting them later. WALL-E might actually rate above the others.

Kung Fu is the one I haven't seen. By reputation I'd think it might be better than the others.

I'm in doubt about Blueberruy Nights myself now. Maybe they're right and he shouldn't have gone to English. The only ones I think will last are The Fall, WALL-E and Paranoid Park. The other ones on your lists only show that we're not there yet, that the best is yet to come. Let's hope, anyway.

[Chris Knipp]

Youe "foreign" list:

The high number of films listed is a product of the fact that more foreign-films are released than ever before.

So, this means quantity is commensurate with quality? But wait! More "foreign" films are released than ever before. Well, yeah.... Anyway....

It's paradoxical that foreign-films have never been so hard to watch in a theater.

It's also untrue. f But simply misstated. You mean certain foreign films are hard to watch in a theater, because, there being more of them released, still only a few are really heavily promoted and widely distributed.


I
STILL LIFE (China)
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS (Romania)
OPERA JAWA (Indonesia)
XXY (Argentina)
PARAGUAYAN HAMMOCK (Paraguay)
BEAUTY IN TROUBLE (Czech Republic)
THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (France)

II
LUXURY CAR (China)
5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (Japan)
THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (France)
THE CUSTODIAN (Argentina)
THE COUNTERFEITERS (Germany/Austria)
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (Germany/Turkey)
THE BAND'S VISIT (Israel/France/USA)
A DIRTY CARNAVAL (South Korea)

III
Tuya's Marriage (China)
Mongol (Kazakhstan)
Alice's House (Brazil)
Roman de Gare (France)
Jellyfish (Israel)
Caramel (France/Lebanon)
The Bet Collector (Philippines)
Love Songs (France)

There are really kind of a lot that I haven't seen here. But THE EDGE OF HEAVEN is excellent. it's going to be there at the end of the year. THE COUNTERFEITERS isn't in the same class at all. The team that made it are just skillful drudges. OPERA JAWA from what I've heard about it I would not like that one., 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS : A for earnestness. BEAUTY IN TROUBLE: you know what I think of that one. THE BAND'S VISIT: a tiny tiny tiny sweet little film, a five-minute anecdote. Non-threatening treatment of Arabs and Israelis. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON: a lovely piece of work, that is delicate and light but will hold up. THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS: snore. STILL LIFE: masterful. If this is to be counted as of this year, I would definitelys list it among the best. MONGOL: mediocre. ALICE'S HOUSE: a soap opera segment. ROMAN DE GARE: a diversion, pleasant enough. CARAMEL: sweet and flavorful, nice little film. LOVE SONGS: a favorite of mine, but I am loathe to push it. Not the sort of thing that Americans seem to be able to get. XXY is coming to this area soon. I read what you wrote about it and will see what I think. The others I havne't seen. Are these really US releases? I haven't seen reviews indicating many of them were releaased even in New York, so where were they released I'm wondering.

Definitely to keep and consider at year's end:

STILL LIFE
EDGE OF HEAVEN
FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON

Special mention:
LOVE SONGS.

The rest, of those I've seen, not worth lingering over but worth seeing--but so are others not listed here such as TELL NO ONE, THE LAST MISTRESS, and the coming SUMMER HOURS by Assayas (from what I hear; I haven't seen it; I have seen the others--also DAYS AND CLOUDS, the Italian film, quite worthy.

[oscar jubis]

*Of course all are US releases otherwise they'd be on my undistributed list, which I've decided not to post.
*I haven't seen Tell No One, The Last Mistress and Days and Clouds yet. Thus no opinion, although my expectations of the latter, based on previous films by Mr. Soldini, are low.
*Ballast has not been released yet. Have you seen it, perhaps at a festival?

[Chris Knipp]

Check out my SFIFF reviews. There's one of Ballast there. It is to be released I think. In October in NYC. Actually it has two distributors. I'm not being strict about the categories, it's more important to note films that are new and interesting and related. And it relates to those others. Another one I want to point out to you is Take Out, which was shown in NYC in June and I saw and reviewed.. Excellent.


Sean Baker or 2004?, Tsou Shih-Ching: Take Out (2003)

It only got released this year, despite the date of completion. Cavu Pictures.

You've expressed your anticipated low opinion of Days and Clouds before. Well as the saying goes, "Expect the worst and you won't be disappointed." It has gotten good reviews and of course got a US distributor. Maybe Bread and Tulips did pretty well here and the pickup of this new one has something to do with that. This is a much more serious subject. Soldini has directed 24 films, apparently, so there might be some variety in the style and quality. It may not be an artistic masterpiece but it stood out among the other films in the series. I'm talking about Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, in the Festival Coverage you'll find my thread for this year's and a review. Days and Clouds is one in the series that stays in my mind, I think because its issue is particular and close to home--something middle class Americans can relate to in these hard economic times. It's been recently shown at the Sundance Kabuki Cinema in San Francisco, main headquarters of the SFIFF, which now has a theater dedicated to daily film presentations by the San Francisco Filom Society. This is an innovation made possible by the Sundance Corporation which is raising the level and quantity of the SFFS's offerings in the city considerably and makes them more truly competitive with other area film centers such as the San Rafael one (California Film Institute) and the Pacfic Film Archive in Berkeley.

[tabuno]

Here's my populist list of good movies for the first half of 2008 that excludes most foreign films since I have limited access and time and money.

I

Get Smart
The Chronicles of Naria: Prince Caspian
WALL*E
The Hulk
The Bank Job
Kung Fu Panda

II

Definitely, Maybe
Forbidden Kingdom
Horton Hears a Who
Made of Honor
Sex and The City

III

27 Dresses
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Bee Movie
Fool's Gold
Iron Man
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Nim's Island
Stop Loss
Vantage Point
Wanted

[Chris Knipp]

Your list as before I guess is all over the place, because it includes stuff that has completely tanked critically and even at the box office such as 27 Dresses, Bee Movie and Fool's Gold, Made of Honor and Vantage Point, but other things like Wall·E, IRON MAN...well, IRON MAN that have done extremely well both critically and at the box office.

Others on you list are very decent or good such as
WANTED
THE BANK JOB
THE INCREDIBLE HULK (I assume)
MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY
KUNG FU PANDA (I assume, mean to see it). In fact KUNG FU PANDA has rated very high in every category.

As I've said I really enjoyed SEX AND THE CITY. It makes a good choice for populist pleasure.

I think GET SMART and DEFINITELY, MAYBE were lacking though, and I don't see how GET SMART is populist. Some others I haven't seen so I can't comment.

The only one I think has greatness in it is WALL·E

[tabuno]

I'm glad that Chris Knipp pointed out his less than stellar opinion regarding Get Smart (2008) because it affords me an opportunity to offer my response that in my opinion that Get Smart will likely be on my top ten movie list because it definitely broke through to a new level of comedy I haven't seen before. This populist movie was signficantly more popular with the mass audience than the movie critics. Yahoo movie critics rating it B- while Yahoo users rated it B+ and Metacritic movie critic scored it 54 while Metacritic users rated it 7.9. Even Roger Ebert enjoyed it very much:

"There have been countless comic spoofs of the genre founded by James Bond, but “Get Smart” (both on TV and now in a movie) is one of the best. It’s funny, exciting, preposterous, great to look at, and made with the same level of technical expertise we’d expect from a new Bond movie itself. And all of that is very nice, but nicer still is the perfect pitch of the casting."

I have to agree and I haven't really liked Steve Carell as an actor so when Mr. Carell can dazzle me with a new more intellectually subtle form of humor that improves upon the television of Don Adams it is something that brought deeper more resonating laughter than the usual mindless stuff out there. Comedy is difficult and when a comedy can reach the level Steve Carell brought to the screen for me it almost always trumps any drama or action-thriller out there no matter how good.

[oscar jubis]

*I liked Horton Hears a Who and I will watch The Bank Job, Definitely Maybe, Charlie Bartlett and Get Smart on dvd. I wished you'd check out The Visitor and Chop Shop, Tab.

*Take Out: I hope I get a chance to watch it. Distributor is very small organization. Maybe a dvd outfit will pick it up for home video release.

I don't have an anticipated low opinion of Days and Clouds. I don't have an opinion at all. I have low expectations. It's seemingly a "naturalistic" move on the part of the director, which seems wise after his so-so fantasy Agata e la Tempesta (the fact that it received a ton of David nominations speaks volumes about the state of Italian cinema).

[cinemabon]

FYI: Howard Schumann's review of "Chop Shop" is being featured at www.imdb.com Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0990404/

[Chris Knipp]

I've seen Chop Shop now and I liked the visuals and the portrait of Willett's Point. Howard wrote a nice piece. He's good on this type of picture. The analogy to Pixote is a stretch. Many comparisons have been drawn including De Sica. I'm planning to see Man Push Cart. Yes, Take Out is onlly in three theaters, max. At the NY showing the filmmakers were there to answer questions, which often happens with small releases there. The fact that Days and Clouds got nominations proves nothing about the state of Italian cinema. It's a good picture, but the film that actually won "a ton" of prizes was The Girl by the Lake. Days and Clouds only got two. Having low expectations isn't going to help Italian cinema any. The two big Cannes prizes may.

[oscar jubis]

Howard managed to interject a quote from Obama's book in his review of Chop Shop. Hopefully he'll be celebrating come November. I was happy to find laudatory comments about the film from IMDb users from Tibet, Italy and Turkey. It's good that samples of American films that serve as an alternative to Hollywood are being shown abroad. I've often found that foreigners have a limited picture of what constitutes American cinema.

As you might expect, dear "leafers", I find the comparisons between our little film and established classics like Mama Roma and Bicycle Thieves quite apt. Ramin Bahrani's impulse to portray "the other NYC" (we get only a brief glimpse of Manhattan in the background when Ale jumps in the back of a truck transporting day laborers), his feel for location shooting, his evocative and precise sense of place, his adroit direction of actors with no experience and more importantly, his generosity of spirit, earn him a place with the Pasolinis and De Sicas. Of course, generalization and categorization can be reductive. The point is that Bahrani has made a film in the same vein and of quality comparable to the established classics.

Two things that perhaps haven't been sufficiently discussed are Bahrani's inspired bits of visual poetry (something as simple as a discarded sandal floating on a puddle) and a view of the film as an ode to sibling love. Ale's "project" is to make it possible for them to stay together and for Isamar to give up degrading herself in order to make ends meet. Perhaps what I found most moving is the manner in which each sibling attemps to hide their trespasses (she gives blowjobs to truckers, he steals auto parts) from each other. When they learn the truth, each attempts to conceal their disapproval based on an understanding of the actions as situational and circumstantial, not emanating from their true character.

Bahrani's next film has been completed. Goodbye Solo will probably premiere at Sundance '09. This time, Bahrani set the film in his native North Carolina.