Thoughts on Oscar Nominations

For this post I’m stealing something from Emma over at All About My Movies: My take on some of the 2010 Academy Awards nominations. I’ve left out the short films categories because I haven’t seen any of them, but if that changes I’ll be sure to post about those as well.

Best picture

Avatar (James Cameron and Jon Landau)

The Blind Side (Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson)

District 9 (Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham)

An Education (Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey)

The Hurt Locker (Katheryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicholas Chartier and Greg Shapiro)

Inglourious Basterds (Lawrence Bender)

Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire (Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness)

A Serious Man (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)

Up in the Air (Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman)

Up (Jonas Rivera)

I’m looking forward to what the expanded nomination list for Best Picture brings us in the future, but I have to say I cannot imagine why something as obvious and overrated as District 9 got a Best Picture nom over the far more entertaining sci-fi blockbuster of the year: Star Trek. Also: The Blindside? Really? I know its got old-school Hollywood behind it, but it really looks like nothing more than a Lifetime original movie with Sandra Bullock in the lead (I’ll admit I haven’t seen it, but it is the only Best Picture nominated film I have yet to watch). Everything else here is pretty much as expected. I’m rooting for Up, my favorite of the year, but it’s looking like Avatar and The Hurt Locker are the favorites (although I wouldn’t count Precious out of the running). Personally I feel that Up, The Hurt Locker and Up In the Air are the best films on the list, in that order.

Directing

Avatar (James Cameron)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

Precious (Lee Daniels)

Kathryn Bigelow is easily the best choice for Directing in my opinion. Rietman and Tarantino both pulled off some fine films, and Cameron brought us some stunning technological innovations and thrilling spectacle, but I wouldn’t give him another statue for it. Also, Lee Daniels? Wasn’t his direction one of the problems even critics who loved Precious have with that film?

Actor in a leading role

Morgan Freeman in Invictus

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

George Clooney in Up in the Air

Colin Firth in A Single Man

Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

I’ve seen every performance here save for Freeman’s in Invictus. Bridges gets my vote, with Firth and Renner coming in at a close second. I love George Clooney in Up In the Air as well. Everything here seems quality, although Invictus looks suspiciously like filler, especially with this year’s performances from the likes of Nicolas Cage (Bad Lieutenant) or William Dafoe (Antichrist).

Actress in a leading role

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

Helen Mirren in The Last Station

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Carey Mulligan in An Education

This is one of the weakest categories unfortunately. I know I’m not the only person the feel that Bullock’s nomination is a sure sign of the apocalypse, but the sheer lack of quality leading roles for women this year was depressing. I haven’t seen The Last Station and although Mirren’s precsence here feels like filler, I can’t help but feel it must be better than Bullock and at least on a par with Streep in Julie & Julia. Mulligan was exquisite in An Education but that doesn’t mean that film wasn’t one of 2009’s most overrated. I have a feeling this one will come down the Gabourey Sidibe and Oscar darling Streep. I love Streep, but I don’t think Julia Childs is one of her best performances, so I suppose I’ll go with Sidibe, who rally came from out of nowhere to deliver a quality performance.

Actress in a supporting role

Mo'Nique in Precious

Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air

Penélope Cruz in Nine

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

Mo’Nique has this one in the bag, no question. Gyllenhaal was excellent alongside Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart though and has been deserving Oscar attention for years now. Both Farmiga and Kendrick were delightful semi-surprises this year, and it looks like Cruz was actually filler this year, seeing as Nine was pretty much panned for being a kitschy remake of 8 ½/Broadway adaptation.

Actor in a supporting role

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Christopher Plummer in The Last Station

Matt Damon in Invictus

Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones

Woody Harrelson in The Messenger

Alright, here I’ve only seen Inglourious Basterds but I think it’s safe to say Waltz is just as safe, if not more so, than Mo’Nique. Out of the other nominations I have a feeling Harrelson’s is the next best and, although this is his first nomination in a career that more than deserves Oscar attention, I doubt Tucci in The Lovely Bones will bring him any gold.

Animated feature film

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Peterson)

The Princess and the Frog (Ron Clements and John Musker)

Coraline (Henry Selick)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson)

The Secret of Kells (Tomm Moore)

This category is one of the more interesting. Obviously I feel that Up would deserve the Best Animated Feature award the most, but I would rather see it win Best Picture and give Fantastic Mr Fox the animation award. Both Coraline and The Princess and the Frog had their unique charms, although I think Coraline would deserve the Oscar for it’s originality and dark tone over Disney’s return to 2D. As for The Secret of Kells, which I had never heard of before the nominations announcements, I can only go by the trailer, which looks a little underwhelming.

Foreign language film

Ajami (Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, Israel)

A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, France)

The Secret of Her Eyes (Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina)

The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, Germany)

The Milk of Sorrow (Claudia Llosa, Peru)

Documentary (feature)

Burma VJ (Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller)

The Cove (Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens)

Food, Inc (Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein)

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith)

Which Way Home (Rebecca Cammisa)

Here I’ve only seen Food, Inc which I was pleased to see get nominated. I’ve only heard excellent things about The Cove and consider it the frontrunner since I’ve heard little to nothing about the other titles. Glaring omissions: Anvil! The Story of Anvil and Capitalism: A Love Story

Writing (adapted screenplay)

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell)

An Education (Nick Hornby)

Precious (Geoffrey Fletcher)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)

In the Loop (Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche)

Having seen all of these films I would pick In the Loop for it’s Strangelove-esque portrayal of world politics and razor-sharp expletive filled dialog. Up In the Air had a nice Capra-esque tone to it, and although An Education has Nick Hornby going for it, I see Precious as the favorite in this category. Shame on District 9 for wasting more than one important nomination.

Writing (original screenplay)

The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)

Up (Pete Docter and Bob Petersen)

The Messenger (Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman)

This group is a closer one to call. Both the Coens and Tarantino are personal and Academy favorites, but Pixar’s delicately scripted Up deserves the gold here. Tarantino’s Basterds was fun, but Christoph Waltz was the best thing about it. Surprisingly, this is one year where I don’t think the Coen brothers are the obvious choice.

Cinematography

Avatar (Mauro Fiore)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Bruno Delbonnel)

The Hurt Locker (Barry Ackroyd)

Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)

The White Ribbon (Christian Berger)

I have yet to see The White Ribbon, but these nominees look disappointingly drab. Sure all the films look good, but Avatar for Cinematography? Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was good, but a few steps behind Prisoner of Azkaban both visually and emotionally. The Hurt Locker is the best choice here, capturing some frighteningly realistic and action-packed visuals while maintaining visual continuity and emotional connection.

Music (original score)

Avatar (James Horner)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat)

Up (Michael Giacchino)

The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders)

Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)

With the exception of Horner’s fairly standard adventure score this is another diverse but deserving selection of nominees. Fantastic Mr Fox carried some typical Wes Anderson charm with it, although when considering the soundtrack to an Anderson film I tend to think less about the score than the sumptuous pop selections. Beltrami and Sanders’ score to The Hurt Locker worked perfectly alongside Bob Murawski and Chris Innis’ editing to really get audiences’ adrenaline pumping. Sherlock Holmes managed to both get the job done as an action/adventure blockbuster and create a 21^st Century updated Victorian atmosphere that, alongside Downey Jr.’s performance felt right at home with the character. But Michael Giacchino’s score for Up is surely the best of the lot, just watch that dialog-free opening montage without the sound and tell me if it has half the impact as it should with Giacchino’s score.

Music (original song)

“Almost There”, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

“Down in New Orleans”, from The Princess and the Frog by Randy Newman

“Loin de Paname”, from Paris 36 by Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas

“Take it All”, from Nine by Maury Yeston

“The Weary Kind”, from Crazy Heart by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

I haven’t seen Nine or Paris 36 but I have listened to “Take It All” and “Loin de Paname” thanks to the wonder of YouTube. Still, I think “The Weary Kind” deserves this one. The only omission I can think of would be the hilarious “Stu’s Song” from The Hangover, which would been a welcome replacement for one of the two adequate songs from The Princess and the Frog.

Visual effects

Avatar (Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R Jones)

District 9 (Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken)

Star Trek (Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton)

Alongside Supporting Actor and Actress I think this is the category that already has a winner. Unless the Academy has some bizarre take on what constitutes visual effects Avatar has this one down.

Art direction

Avatar (Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Dave Warren, Anastasia Masaro and Caroline Smith)

Nine (John Myhre and Gordon Sim)

Sherlock Holmes (Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer)

The Young Victoria (Patrice Vermette and Maggie Gray)

In this category I’ve only seen Avatar and Sherlock Holmes. All the films look exquisite from the stills and trailers I’ve seen. However, I have a feeling Avatar will win IF the Academy considers computer generated sets art direction. Avatar does boast possibly the most immersive and impressively crafted digital worlds ever put on film.

Costume design

Bright Star (Janet Patterson)

Coco Before Chanel (Catherine Leterrier)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Monique Prudhomme)

Nine (Colleen Atwood)

The Young Victoria (Sandy Powell)

Both Bright Star and Coco Before Chanel are about clothes and both has some beautiful costumes, but having only seen those two films I can’t really form a strong opinion on this. I will say Nine has the lavish Broadway costumes that the Academy has shown love for in the past, but The Young Victoria has the lavish period costumes the Academy also seems to adore.

Film editing

Avatar (Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron)

District 9 (Julian Clarke)

The Hurt Locker (Bob Murawski and Chris Innis)

Inglourious Basterds (Sally Menke)

Precious (Joe Klotz)

Out of all these only Inglourious Basterds and The Hurt Locker really deserve and Editing award, The Hurt Locker being my choice, for reason that run alongside both the Best Directing and Music categories.

Makeup

Il Divo (Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano)

The Young Victoria (Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore)

Star Trek (Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow)

Sound editing

Avatar (Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle)

The Hurt Locker (Paul NJ Ottosson)

Inglourious Basterds (Wylie Stateman)

Star Trek (Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin)

Up (Michael Silvers and Tom Myers)

I don’t know much about sound editing or sound mixing, but if I had to choose among these films I would say it’d be a toss-up between Up’s rich mixture of sounds, ranging from talking dogs and thousands of balloons to old men dueling and old fashioned newsreels and The Hurt Locker’s tight yet encompassing sounds of warfare.

Sound mixing

Avatar (Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson)

The Hurt Locker (Paul NJ Ottosson and Ray Beckett)

Inglourious Basterds (Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano)

Star Trek (Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J Devlin)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Greg P Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson)

Again, I don’t know much here, but I would say Avatar, Star Trek and Inglourious Basterds sport the most impressive soundtracks.

So, other omissions? Well, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Ponyo and Coco Before Chanel deserved Best Picture nominations, not to mention the Best Documentary Feature/Best Animated Feature/Best Foreign Film categories. World’s Greatest Dad would have made an awesome dark horse for Best Picture although a Best Original Screenplay would probably be more likely. Alec Baldwin in It’s Complicated got some early buzz for Supporting Actor, and even though he doesn’t compare to Chistoph Waltz it would have added an interesting element to the show come March 7. The Brothers Bloom, Adventureland and Where the Wild Things Are were all deserving of screenplay noms, Watchmen had some amazing visual effects, Public Enemies’ editing was superb, and from what I’ve heard Two Lovers got shut out unjustly.

So, what do you think of the 82^nd annual Oscar nominations? Any films you think got snubbed? Any films you think got some undeserved attention?

Underrated films of the decade

The Baudelaire orphans, Klaus, Sunny and Violet from "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"

These are just some films I've seen and enjoyed that I don't think got enough credit or were seen by enough people. Some of these films are hidden greats, some get the job done really well, and some just have that niche that makes them stick out to me. Comment if you've got suggestions because there are films out there that I haven't gotten around to yet.


The Baxter - Michael Showalter
Overlooked as another lifeless romanic comedy, The Baxter is a lighter 40-Year-Old Virgin with a fresh premise and a delightful supporting performance from Michelle Williams.

Conversations With Other Women - Hans Canosa
A little-seen minor masterpiece that uses its split-screen technique as metaphor for the difficulty of relationships.

Crank - Neveldine/Taylor
Looked at as just another loud, dumb action vehicle for Jason Statham, Crank is brimming with outrageous humor and cinematic invention.

Down in the Valley - David Jacobson
This small Edward Norton film draws inspiration from Taxi Driver, yet is entirely self-assured as its own film. One of Evan Rachel Wood's breakthrough roles.

Dr. T & The Women - Robert Altman
Widley considered one of Altman's weaker comedies and criticized for being masochistic, Dr. T & the Women is a fascinating look at how one man surrounded by women is driven to the edge. Stands alongside the Coen's A Serious Man as one of the best film versions of the story of Job.

Film Geek - James Westby
You can feel the love for film oozing out of Melik Malkasian's performance as Scotty Pelk, the awkward main character of this micro-budget festival film.

The Final Cut - Omar Naim
Echoes of similar futuristic dystopias don't falter this well-made arty genre picture because it proudly stands alongside some of the best as a worthy companion piece.

The Good German - Steven Soderbergh
Soderbergh's experiment with old equipment and moviemaking style may be a bit messy and very flawed, but it is fascinating and stunning to look at.

The Good Girl - Miguel Arteta
Who knows why this minor masterpiece hasn't been seen by more people? Not only does is star Jennifer Aniston, but it's got Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson and Zooey Deschanel as well as one of the most poignant and beautiful moments on film this decade.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad - Suroosh Alvi & Eddy Moretti
This basically homemade doc is a fascinating and compelling look at the effects of war in the Middle East on regular people.

In Good Company - Paul Weitz
Brushed aside as another generic mainstream drama, In Good Company doesn't blow you away, but it hits the right notes consistently and ends in a satisfyingly off-kilter way.

Lady Vengeance - Chan-wook Park
Everyone seems too busy loving Oldboy to pay much attention Chan-wook Park's less flashy final chapter in his Vengeance Trilogy.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - Brad Silberling
Unfavorable comparisons to Tim Burton were numerous upon its release, but Lemony Snicket's... has some amazing visuals, creative quirk, fun performances and the perfect Thomas Newman score to accompany it. Also perhaps the best end credits sequence this decade.

Lucky Number Slevin - Paul McGuigan
McGuigan's stylish thriller was criticized as style over substance, but when the style is this good and the story is this fun, does it matter?

MirrorMask - Dave McKean
How many people saw this masterpiece? In the vein of Labyrinth except more surreal, dark and polished.

Mostly Martha - Sandra Nettelbeck
This German romance was remade as No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Do yourself a favor and watch the near-perfect original instead.

Ocean's Twelve - Steven Soderbergh
After the highly successful Ocean's Eleven in 2001, Soderbergh went and made this sequel in a radically different style and piled on the Hollywood in-jokes so heavy that the only people who probably get all the jokes are the people who made the thing. Still, repeat viewings reveal lots of hidden gems such as the phenomenal soundtrack, groovy neo-retro-new-wave style or the totally unnecessarily elaborate intricacies of the plot.

Pontypool - Bruce McDonald
One of the best zombie movies. Stands alongside Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days Later...

Primer - Shane Carruth
Primer won the Grad Prize at Sundance when it came out, but was overshadowed by Zach Braff's Garden State.

Quid Pro Quo - Carlos Brooks
Vera Farmiga proved she can do better than her performance in The Departed in this odd mystery/drama that stars the very talented Nick Stahl.

Scoop - Woody Allen
After Match Point, almost anything Woody came out with would have paled in comparison, but Scoop is genuinely funny and cute.

Sex and Death 101 - Daniel Waters
Bizarre and messy, Sex and Death 101 has some very interesting stuff underneath what may look like a lame sex comedy.

Shopgirl - Anand Tucker
Aside from one embarrassing scene, this Steve Martin-penned drama hits the perfect note.

S1m0ne - Andrew Niccol
It settles for some issues we've seen before, and it isn't without some messy flaws, but S1m0ne is a thoroughly funny and telling critique of our culture's fascination with celebrity.

The Skeleton Key - Iain Softley
An absolutely first-rate thriller that employs classic Hollywood style to keep you riveted even when you know it's just a movie.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - Kerry Conran
Sky Captain pre-dates Sin City in my mind at least. Here green-screen immersion is used to bring director Conran's imagination to the screen unfettered.

Smiley Face - Gregg Araki
Stoner comedies have never been this arty (in that indie way). Or maybe indie films have never been this purposefully stupid? Either way Anna Faris shines and Araki brings an odd sense of meaning to a film about getting high and being stupid all day.

The Station Agent - Thomas McCarthy
A breakout mini-hit on release and one of the films that brought Peter Dinklage into our (ever so grateful) lives.

Teeth - Mitchell Lichtenstein
People hear "vagina dentate" or "it's about a girl with teeth in her vagina" and automatically turn around. But they're missing one of the most entertaining and offbeat cult films about female revenge this decade.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
T3 doesn't have the series' best villain, and people complain that it negates T2's message that the future is unwritten. However, the threequel boats some fine action set pieces as well as still-impressive effects. The inspired casting of Nick Stahl and Claire Danes pays off and who doesn't love Schwarzenegger in his signature role? (I also personally kind of prefer the whole "you can't change fate, only postpone it" aspect)

Trick 'r Treat - Michael Dougherty
Delayed for no logical reason for three years, X2 screenwriter Michael Dougherty's directorial debut got a dvd release in late 2009. Those who have seen it have experienced one of the most entertaining horror anthologies since Romero's Creepshow.

Wet Hot American Summer - David Wain
The State got together and made a movie. One of the funniest movies ever.

Willard - Glen Morgan
This remake of the 1971 original (which featured Michael Jackson's "Ben") is an intentionally campy, sometimes quite frightening horror film which features some of Crispen Glover's best work since Back to the Future.

World's Greatest Dad - Bobcat Goldthwait
A limited release and some awkward subject matter may have frightened or disgusted would-be audiences away from this hilarious and refreshing dark comedy.

Young People Fucking - Martin Gero
Don't let the title scare you away! This is a surprisingly hilarious and even endearing little comedy that is a bit dirty, but not half as explicit as you would think.

Mario, Lea, Lina and Martha from "Mostly Martha"

Be Sensible!

Look, we all hate it when people use their cell phones, talk, bring small children, eat loudly and bring annoying children (not all children mind you, just the annoying ones that won’t stop crying, moving or talking) at the movie theater, but do we really need another article about how much we hate these things and why? Why not try to do something about this stuff? I for one have seen a lot of excellent ads by cell phone companies before a film starts that remind people to turn off their phones. Check out this cool preview that screened before a showing of Star Wars last year:

Having reminders like this only adds to the movie-going experience for me. They bring a sense of importance to a relatively inexpensive activity.

Now look, I have no idea how to stop some idiot parents from bringing their 8 year-old to Orphan or some other grossly inappropriate film. The most I can think of to do for this is to ask the MPAA to quit sucking so much and start making sense with their ratings. Give us informative blurbs about a film’s content, and don’t give certain films ratings based on some prejudice (studio blockbusters getting PG-13 after PG-13, homosexuality and male nudity getting R after R, etc.)

Now, just for fun, my favorite cell phone ad:

Four underrated movies I just had to write about

I think the title explains this post pretty accurately.

In Good Company (2004)
The thing I like about this film is that it doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It knows it’s a light drama with a likable cast, but it actually gives them some interesting and realistic situations to handle. I also enjoy that, even though it’s PG-13 (for “some sexual content and drug references”) it’s a very clean film, one you could watch with a group of teens and later discuss how characters handled situations and how people treated each other. Basically it’s the moral opposite of American Pie, which was half directed by In Good Company's Paul Weitz.
Denis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlet Johansson work well together here. Quaid is Johansson’s father, who’s new boss is the young Topher Grace who starts getting romantically involved with Quiad’s daughter. The situations never get melodramatic or over the top, and by the end you can sympathize with each character. A nice change of pace from the barrage of lame crude comedies we see all the time.

The Final Cut (2004)
On the surface, this is a typical dystopian future sci-fi thriller with your basic “is technology too powerful?” theme. The Final Cut, however, is elevated above your average dystopian future sci-fi thriller due to the interesting look and its noir-ish atmosphere. When I say interesting look, I’m referring mostly to the fact that the film looks as though it were taking place today, save for a few leaps in technology, mainly the “Zoe” memory chip. This microchip is placed in your brain to record your memories, which allows others to view an edited version to remember you by after you have passed away. Robin Williams plays an editor, aka “cutter”, of diseased individuals’ memories who gets wrapped up in a plot that I won’t reveal here. Half the fun of The Final Cut's plot is that it isn’t particularly new or revolutionary, but it has interesting twists and turns as well as some very well thought out observations on the powers of technology.

Down in the Valley (2006)

This, in my opinion, is the most underrated film on this little list, such as it is. Down in the Valley carries some of the feeling of boredom and regret found in films such as The Last Picture Show while having a character that is inspired by Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. In fact, Edward Norton, as the seemingly always calm and together Harlan, has a scene straight out of Taxi Driver where he talks to an imaginary foe while staring himself down in a mirror, playing with his guns. Norton and Evan Rachel Wood (as Tobe) are excellent together as two troubled young people who feel trapped by high powers (Tobe by her father and Harlan by society). Tobe’s father, Wade (David Morse), is an untrusting, controlling, harsh man who doesn’t enjoy having his power over his children questioned by Harlan, even when Harlan calmly and politely introduces himself to him and his rather meek son Lonnie (Rory Culkin). It becomes obvious Tobe and Lonnie could use a better father figure in their life, but when Harlan and Tobe’s relationship starts to end it becomes clear that Harlan may not be as reliable a male role model as he first appeared.
Some have been quick to judge Down in the Valley as a straight-up rip-off of Taxi Driver, but I think that’s a bit of a harsh accusation. I think it’s obvious writer/director David Jacobson has seen Taxi Driver and was heavily inspired by it, but instead of saying Down in the Valley is a rip-off, I would say it takes some of the basic ideas and elements of Taxi Driver and reworks them in a different direction and to a different degree.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)


Why Lucky Number Slevin isn’t more well known is beyond me. With a cast including Morgan Freeman, Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, Josh Hartnett and Lucy Lui you’d think more people would have seen it. On top of a star-studded cast, this film has more style than any film Guy Richie has ever made with dialog Tarantino fans would eat up and twists reminiscent of The Usual Suspects. What I love about Lucky Number Slevin most is probably the style. Sure the actors are good, the dialog is fun and the plot is clever and engaging (albeit not quite as air-tight as that Usual Suspects reference might lead you to believe), but this films has so much style it almost wouldn’t matter if the plot turned out to suck. Slevin is filled with colors, hit men, mob bosses, music and insanely cool wallpaper (the kind you would probably never see anywhere outside a film like this), just to name a few things. If you think Guy Richie is overrated (which he is) and want to see something really slick and entertaining, check this film out.