The Proposal (2009)

As many romantic comedies that are out there today, you tend to forget how important chemistry is between an actor and actress. There’s been Astaire & Rogers, Hepburn & Tracy, and now… Bullock & Reynolds? I wouldn’t go quite to that length, but I loved how the two actors worked together in this one. They save what is a not-so-inventive plot.

Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is an over-worked assistant to a quite cruel, big shot book editor, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). When Margaret realizes that she hasn’t updated her Canadian immigration papers, she bribes Andrew into marrying her to avoid deportation. The two then fly to the mystic land of Alaska to meet Andrew’s family to redevelop what is already a strained relationship.

Pretty farfetched, huh? It’s not that the two make the plot plausible, but they make you forget about the silly concept by their reactions to each other and their circumstances. Betty White as Andrew’s grandmother adds a lot of humor and strength to her role, and although the character is way out there, Oscar Nunez from The Office brings life to a supporting role that usually would be forgettable.

Bullock and Reynolds aren’t quite Hepburn & Tracy yet, but if they continue to do movies like screwball comedies of old, they might just make it there. I give The Proposal 3.5 out of 5 nude run-ins.

Side note:
Are “funny” deleted takes during the closing credits becoming too overdone? The ones in this film just don’t make sense and aren’t funny. It almost left a bad taste in my mouth.

#95: The Last Picture Show (1971)

Oscar Winner:

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Ben Johnson), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Cloris Leachman)

This was my second time to watch this movie and I honestly wasn’t looking forward to it. My first viewing occurred during the first summer back from college and I was beginning to gain a strong interest in film. I saw this on the library shelf and thought I should give it a try with all the acclamations that shouted from the cover. What I know now was that I was lost on the independent nature of this film. I was used to the “classics” being just that, and I think I was shocked by its revolutionary style in cinema that began in the 70’s. I’m thankful for this marathon in that it’s made me take a look again at films like these because I’m glad that the second time around I saw the brilliance of this film.

The Last Picture Show focuses on a tiny Texas town and follows two best friends, Sonny and Duane (Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges) as they try to find themselves in that awkward period between boyhood and adulthood. Shot in B&W, director Peter Bogdanovich flips the wholesome image of small-town America in the 50’s upside-down as you are shocked by the turmoil that exists between all the townspeople. This could be labeled an “independent film” but the term didn’t even really exist at the time.

It’s a film about real people with real problems, and how people have always relied on tangible things to fill their lives. Bogdanovich particularly focuses on sex in a frank and candid manner that shocks you not in an erotic manner, but that of horror as people constantly use it for self-gratification rather than love. The film uses the tight knit community to show that everybody has a secret and it helps you realize that not everything is pretty on the outside.

The film won 2 Oscars out of its 8 nominations, which is very commendable for a piece that is not flashy and that develops in a patient manner. The black and white cinematography is beautiful, but gets upstaged by the amazing ensemble of actors that include Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman (Yes, she can be serious!), and Ellen Burstyn. I think any aspiring actor or director needs to watch this to see the importance of range and character development.

I was blown away by the depth and the heart-breaking issues this film tackled. You can see how revolutionary it must have been for the time, but most importantly, it holds up to any art-house piece that is out there today.

I give The Last Picture Show 5 out of 5 pool parties.

The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

While Whitney and me were visiting her family in Norman, we had a free afternoon and came across this film. I remembered it coming out, but it seemed to come and go.

Adapted from the popular novel and set during the Civil Rights moments, it follows Lily (Dakota Fanning), a teenage girl who runs away from her strict father (the always good Paul Bettany) and the guilt she carries about the loss of her mom. Alongside her only friend and housekeeper (Jennifer Hudson), they stumble across a bee farm run by African-American sisters. These women take in Lily as she starts to discover her true roots and tries to figure out more about her painful past.

Although I’ve never read the book, this film seemed very true to its original source. It definitely plays out like a novel, and it was just a bit too slow for me. The performances and story are good all around, but it just wasn’t my taste. That being said, I would recommend it to a lot of people who I thought it might appeal to, which leans more to a female demographic. Like a good book, it’s full of sad and happy moments, but for one of the rare times, I would have rather spent my time reading the book. I think I would have been a bit more invested into the characters and I would have liked to taken in the story at my own pace.

I give The Secret Lives of Bees 3 out of 5 grits.

Night At The Museum (2006)

I had always wanted to catch up with this film because the advertisements and plot always peaked the curiosity of my inner kid. It did not fail to disappoint because NATM is one of the most fun family films I’ve seen in a while. It is far from perfect, but I can totally see why kids made this a big hit and it’s one that adults will be able to have fun with as well.

Larry (Ben Stiller), a divorced dad, is slowly loosing his son’s respect due to always hopping from one dead-end job to another. He finally lands a night security job with the Museum of Natural History, and to his surprise, all the historical artifacts come to life at night. This pushes Larry’s perseverance like never before as he tries to figure out how to handle the nighttime antics while also trying to earn his son’s respect.

I couldn’t help but think of Jumanji when watching this. The fun lies in not knowing what will happen, but what will come alive next. I’ve seen Stiller in better roles, but he plays the over-exasperated guard pretty well. What I thought was very commendable of the film was its ability to challenge the audience, particularly kids, to visit museums. It stresses the importance of knowing about what has come before us, but does it with such energy that I can see kids actually wanting to go to their local museum without complaining.

Not every joke is funny and some characters get a little tiring, but I haven’t seen a film provoke so much imagination in a long time. I give NATM 3.5 out of 5 monkey slaps.

Side notes:
• It seems like every family film I see these days have a scenario in which the parents are divorced. I know that it’s the norm these days, but it’s still sad to me that this scenario more relatable to a bigger audience.

• I usually don’t notice this as much, especially in a family film, but I loved the historical feel that the cinematography evoked.

#96: Do The Right Thing (1989)

Spike Lee has always been somewhat of a controversial figure in America’s eyes, but you can’t deny the fact that he brings issues up that sometimes need talking about. Usually I don’t concentrate on what actors or directors do outside of their pictures, but I think that Lee is one of those celebrities, for one reason or another, who has gained such a reputation (viewed either negatively or positively) that it has affected whether or not people see his films. Which is a shame, because Do The Right Thing is one powerful, introspective and moving film filled with humor, drama and in a way, horror. I think that regardless of what your opinion is of Lee, this film is a must see that will garner a new respect for the man.

Do The Right Thing, with a recognizable late 80’s hip-hop culture at its center, follows Mookie (Lee), a pizza delivery boy for the only white occupants in the African-American Brooklyn neighborhood. As the film progresses through one extremely hot day, you meet eccentric and thoughtful characters that make up one huge family. As racial tensions began to slowly boil over, Mookie is forced to make choices that not only affect the neighborhood, but also reflect on the troubles that America’s society faces every day.

There is no question that this movie is about racial issues as the hit “Fight The Power” opens and segues throughout the film, but Lee approaches it in such a new way, that instead of being hesitant, you dive head first into the story. You are weaved into an ensemble of characters that are so funny and touching, that regardless of race, you start to feel a connection. Then with innovative use of cinematography, breaking of the fourth wall, and camera angles, Lee guides you to a face-to-face conflict that is so terrifying in its realistic nature, you don’t know what hits you. What he forces you to do, which is contrary to what others say about the director, is to think for yourself and answer the question, “Why?”

I know that this sounds heavy handed, and it is, but I don’t want to neglect the fact that this movie is a very entertaining ride with superb performances from an all-star cast. When you combine high entertainment with themes that challenge an audience, you can see why this film is now considered as one of the top 100 American films.

I give Do The Right Thing 5 out of 5 pizza slices.

Up (2009)

In my eyes, Pixar can do no wrong in both their short and full-length films. Even their film Cars, which was good but not great, is way above most animated films that come out of rivaling factories. The quality that makes them stand out amongst the rest is their great storytelling ability that spans across all ages.

Up stretches this characteristic to the utmost by having its two main characters be an old widower and a persistent young boy scout. Oppressed by loneliness and life, the elderly Carl (Ed Asner) picks up his life (literally) and flies his home with helium balloons to a place he’s always wanted to visit. What he does not plan for is an adventure that comes in the form of a stowaway and a land full of creatures… both familiar and unusual.

I don’t think Up surpasses other Pixar films, but it succeeds in being innovative, yet not too unfamiliar. It’s so rare to see elderly main characters and the director, Pete Docter, uses Carl as an emotional center that encompasses life that any adult can relate to. To say that I just teared up a couple of times would be an understatement. Just when you are hit at your emotional core, the film whisks you away to a land of humor, action and entertainment that you just can’t find in one place.

Up had just enough moments where I felt like I was watching an animated children’s move and not a film, but it has to be one of the stronger movies I’ve seen this year. One thing you can ALWAYS guarantee with a Pixar movie is a fun time, and as ticket prices continue to go up, it’s great to have that security as a moviegoer.

I give Up 4 out of 5 talking dog collars.

#97: Blade Runner (1982)

I won’t lie, I’ve never been a huge sci-fi fan. They’ve just never done much for me, so going into Blade Runner, I was really skeptical. Oh yeah, and the echos of it being terribly boring didn’t help either. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but that didn’t necessarily mean that I was thrilled by it.

It should be noted that I watched the director’s cut (Ridley Scott) of this film, that apparently abandons the Harrison Ford narration of the film, expands on the romantic scenes with Ford and Sean Young, and has an ending, which I can testify to as having “somewhat of a bleaker ending.”

With that said, Blade Runner follows Rick Deckard (Ford), a blade runner who is called out of retirement to terminate human clones, known as replicants, who wish more harm than good in the futuristic Los Angeles of 2019. Five replicants (one who is played by Daryl Hannah) have escaped from their exile island to further their short life-spans, and it is up to the rebel Deckard to stop these violent and strong clones from killing civilians to obtain their goal.

Much has been made about the visuals of this film, and they are spectacular. Even though this film was made in 1982, they still hold up, which can’t be said for many things that have come out of the 80’s. And honestly, that’s really the only reason why I can fathom that this film is on the list. The story is intriguing, but the replicants come off more boring than dangerous, and although Harrison Ford does well with the part, it’s nothing to write home about. I did get caught up in the story, but the final battle scene is just like the rest of the movie, very long and slow so you can take in the visuals. I don’t mind endings of movies that keep you guessing, but this one didn’t provide enough information throughout the film to even gather clues to what Scott was trying to say.

If you are really into cinematography and visual effects (especially before the rampant CG you see all the time these days), Blade Runner should be in your collection, but if you are neither a fan of sci-fi or slower paced movies, I would be very surprised if you would enjoy this film.

I give Blade Runner 2.5 out of 5 funky costumes.