Chad C is drunk as a skunk and determined to yell at everyone about his top 10 films of 2017. Before that, he runs down the Gerard Butler driven Den of Thieves and the 9/11 true event film 12 Strong.
A few years ago Moreno and I went to Toronto where we proceeded to get drunk and hang out with long-time listener to the podcasts, Cristian Tane. Then we forced him to let us go to his house and watch the Breaking Bad season finale while drinking his booze and smoking his smoking stuff. Cristian attends the Toronto International Film Fest every year and fits in around 30 films. This year I asked him to send me the highlights.
by Cristian Tane
Another year, another amazing TIFF. My fourth time attending the festival, and my fourth time seeing more than 30 movies – 33, to be exact. And, like I usually do, I intentionally avoided some of the bigger titles that have a set release date in the near future – that’s why “Sicario”, “Black Mass”, “Beasts of No Nation” or “The Martian” are not in the list below. I also missed out on some sold out films that I really wanted to see, like “High Rise”, “Our Brand is Crisis” or “The Lobster”.
But, even without all these titles, I still managed to see a lot of great ones. Here’s my top ten.
1. Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson) – 10/10
This is one of those incredibly unique movies that come out only once in a while – and as I write this, I realize that statement is true for most Charlie Kaufman works. An incredibly rich, beautiful, weird and ultimately touching stop-motion animation, that deals with love and sadness and connecting with other people in a way no other animation ever did. It started off as a play, then moved on to Kickstarter, and now here it is, getting rave reviews. It’ll be in theaters soon – don’t miss it.
2. Room (Lenny Abrahamson) – 9/10
Let me start with this: if you haven’t read the novel, please avoid the trailer. It gives away so much. I walked into this not knowing anything about the story – other than that it’s about a trapped mother and son. And my experience was enhanced because of it.
Having said that, let me just say, “Room” is an incredible accomplishment on so many levels. The story is fantastic. Both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay are terrific in the lead roles. Their performances carry the movie, and they are absolutely pitch perfect, in extremely difficult roles. The film is in turns dark, emotional, melancholic and hopeful. There’s one particular scene in the middle, set to an amazing song from one of my favorite bands (This Will Destroy You – The Mighty Rio Grande), that is so harrowing, emotional, and impressively executed, that, without a doubt, will end up as one of my favorite scenes of the year.
The only reason I haven’t rated this 10/10 is because of a couple of plot points that I felt were a bit forced and implausible. A minor complaint for a truly great film.
3. The Witch (Robert Eggers) – 9/10
“The Witch”, writer-director Robert Eggers’ first film, is easily one of the most atmospheric, unsettling genre films I have ever seen. With its incredible attention to detail, noticed in both the historical dialogue and Christian rituals of the time, as well as the spectacular cinematography, and the pitch perfect screenplay that deals with the characters inner demons just as much as the outer ones, this creeps under your skin and does to you what no cheap scares or CGI ever could.
4. Evolution (Lucile Hadzihalilovic) – 9/10
Gaspar Noe must be proud. His wife’s new film, “Evolution”, is easily the weirdest, most abstract and visually inventive film I’ve seen this year. Part sci-fi, part body horror, part eerie drama, this is one of those rare films that is so captivating and impressively shot, that it will require a second viewing, not only to untangle the disturbing plot, but also to not miss any of the visual details. Its slow pace and abstractness might turn off some viewers, but those who give in to this unique world will be highly rewarded.
5. Desierto (Jonas Cuaron) – 9/10
Talent seems to run in the Cuaron family. Alfonso’s son, Jonas, knocked it out of the park with “Desierto”, a mean, tense, action-packed film about a group of Mexican illegal immigrants, hunted by a crazy Texan while trying to cross the border. Cuaron stripped down a potentially socially charged story to its very core, choosing to skip back stories and exposition in favor of defining his characters through their actions. The result is a relentless thriller in which the desert is just as much a character as the actors, mostly due to Damian Garcia’s gorgeous cinematography.
6. Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) – 9/10
A remarkable technical accomplishment that also happens to feature believable characters, tense action, and excellent acting, “Victoria” is one of the most pleasant surprises at this year’s TIFF.
Yes, this was shot in one single 2-hour take, and a real one too, not fake like “Birdman”. Seamlessly going from romance to drama to action, from clubs to rooftops to side streets, no wonder Sturla Brandth Grovlen, the cinematographer, gets first billing on the end credits. What’s even more impressive is that even if you take out the gimmick of the one take, you’re still left with an exciting, tense, solid film, and characters with real chemistry.
7. Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier) – 8/10
Saulnier’s follow up to “Blue Ruin” is nowhere near as good, memorable or subtle, but it’s still a damn great movie. Saulnier is in full no-nonsense mode, with an ultra-violent tale set in the unique world of punk rock, pitting a band on the road versus a gang of neo-nazis, in a blood-filled fight to the death. It’s a tense, crazy movie, made even more so by having Patrick Stewart as the villain – he highlights an excellent cast, that features more standout performances, especially from Imogen Poots, and “Blue Ruin” star Maicon Blair.
8. Schneider vs Bax (Alex van Warmerdam) – 8/10
Two contract killers are pitted against each other, in this terribly fun and entertaining black comedy from “Borgman” director Alex van Warmerdam. This however isn’t another “Borgman”, it’s actually the very opposite. The black humor is still there and blacker than ever, but the story itself is as straightforward as they come – although, the more absurd everything gets, the more fun the story is.
9. Land of Mine (Martin Zandvliet) – 8/10
You’d think every single possible story about World War II was already told, right? Think again: “Land of Mine” offers a new, unique tale: the true story of German POW’s forced to find and disarm all of the hundreds of thousands of bombs left along the Danish coast. This is an excellent, accomplished film, extremely well directed and acted, that offers plenty of tense moments, and a great central character whose arc is both believable and intriguing.
10. Dheepan (Jacques Audiard) – 8/10
Jacques Audiard’s new film, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, continues his streak of excellent dramas, however without reaching the heights of his best one to date, “A Prophet”. “Dheepan” tells an intriguing story of a fake family that moves to Paris from the war-ridden Sri Lanka, only to be faced with different kind of hardships and violence. The characters are compelling enough, and the storytelling is poignant and powerful.
When Moreno first talked about Chef earlier this year I was very intrigued but like most smaller films it wasn’t as accessible as I would have liked it to be to catch it in theaters. Thankfully it recently became available and it was an easy sell to the wife so I finally got to see it. It’s not a perfect film but there’s a charm to it that I really fell for, and I could even tolerate Sofia Vergara. If you enjoy ANYTHING about the finer details about the culinary arts I think you’ll definitely enjoy this film, and want to go out for a nice meal immediately.
4. Guardians of The Galaxy
I don’t know that much needs to be said that hasn’t already. It all really comes down to the point Ammon tried explaining, poorly, while heavily intoxicated a few weeks ago. It’s a non superhero based comic book movie. It’s an action flick in space and it’s awesome. I am Groot.
3. The Lego Movie
I have gone to only one “kids” movie solo (Wreck It Ralph) and vowed I would never do it again, VERY creepy vibe, although I came close for this one. Thankfully I was able to borrow my cousin’s wife and kids for a morning matinee. I honestly think I had more fun at this than any child in that theater. I AM a huge fan of the building blocks and was completely blown away at it’s awesomeness. Definitely a flick for anyone ages 3+.
2. Grand Budapest Hotel
While never being one to make me run out to the theater I always look forward to a Wes Anderson vehicle. This right here is one his best. At this point I think either your a fan of his or you aren’t and if you happen to be on the fence this would be a bit more “normal” if you will. It took a lot to keep this out of my number 1 spot.
1. Birdman
And if you’ve seen it you know why. Just an overall amazing film that had EVERYTHING working for it. Performances, soundtrack, cinematography, script it was all there. If it doesn’t win at least 1 major award this season I would be very shocked. As I said before, it’s why I began a fan of film.
Well there you go. My Top 10 of the year. Agree? Disagree? Don’t give a fuck? Let me know below. You can also follow me on Twitter @jekupka and for those who have read this far, I leave you with this…
As I told you last week I’m (prematurely) brining you my Top 10 Movies of The Year these next two weeks before I take a couple off for the Holidays. I can pretty much guarantee at least 1 of these 4 movies (The Theory of Everything, Boyhood, Big Hero 6, St. Vincent) would make it if I have/had time to see them before the year closes out but it will probably be the middle of January until that happens. So this is what I have. I also have a couple of honorable mentions in those of X-Men Days of Future Past and Interstellar. Yes, you read that right, not even in my Top 10, but these are…
10. A Walk Among The Tombstones
A period piece set in 1999 New York (that is VERY weird to say), it follows Liam Neeson (Matt Scudder) as he hunts down the kidnappers/killers of a local kingpins wife. I found it to be a pretty solid nod to the Film Noir genre and would love to see more of this character. Not necessarily in sequels but as stand alone stories. I actually enjoyed his “side kick” TJ and felt they had a great dynamic. If you haven’t yet done so I do suggest checking it out.
9. Lucy
Well if I don’t lose you here then consider me shocked. Probably one of the more polarizing films of the year I don’t find many people who just find it “fine”. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. It helped that I completely buy what it’s selling. And to the extent you can do that, is the extent of how much you’ll like this movie.
8. Wish I Was Here
Again I’m biased (you can read all about that here), but I’m also a sucker for this kind of flick. I thought the performances were solid and there is a good story here. I say give it a(nother) shot.
7. Gone Girl
Not only is it one of the few movies that has ever been trailored (is that a word?) properly, it is also one of the best book adaptations I have ever seen. Featuring an amazing score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and the great direction of David Fincher, I would be very surprised if this doesn’t win a few Oscars come February.
6. The Raid 2
If you have seen The Raid you know what to expect with The Raid 2. If you haven’t seen The Raid what the fuck are you waiting for? The sequel to one of my favorite films of 2012, The Raid 2 has us following Rama as he attempts to uncover the corruption among the police force. This is a must for anyone who is a fan of action OR martial art flicks.
Well tune in next week for my 5-1, as for now you can leave any comments, questions, or concerns below. I’d also love to hear if any of you readers have started making your Top 10. What should I add to my growing “You Must Watch These Now!” list. And don’t forget you can always follow me on twitter @jekupka, until next week I leave you with this…
I was going to start this week’s blog by examining the rewatchability factor in movies. What is it that gives a movie its rewatchability quality? After yelling at God for hours, drunk as shit, I slept it off and realized that what gives a movie its rewatchability is entirely personal, and solely up to the individual. For me, the movies I love to rewatch are often my favorite movies of all time. It’s been a while since I thought about or even made a list of my top 10 favorite movies ever, so I’ll break them down now. For me, this list is constantly changing; as I change as a person and become affected by the world around me, so does my outlook and how I see movies. A couple of these have been staples in the top 10 but may have moved around a bit, some are new entries. I realize most of these are from the last 25 years and cinema has been around for a lot longer than that. I also have three favorites starring Robert De Niro. Shut up.
10. True Romance
My favorite movies usually blend genres. Like most Tarantino penned movies, True Romance remains genreless. It’s funny, romantic, and has the right amount of action. Alabama and Clarence Worley may not appear to be the perfect couple, but they’re perfect for each other. Because of this, you pull for these kids to ride love out into the sunset, and that’s what makes it one of my favorites. I tried writing “You’re So Cool” on a napkin and giving it to an ex-girlfriend, and she blew her nose on it. That’s why she’s an ex.
9. Die Hard
This is one of the movies that has remained in my top 10 since I started keeping the list. It’s hard to knock off one of your favorite movies since childhood, and Die Hard still continues to be an enjoyable watch every time I happen to catch it. As far as action movies go, you can’t get much better. Even some of the more campy, 80s elements of the movie still holds up. The sequels are okay (really, I mean just 2 and 3), but the original is still the best out of the bunch.
8. Midnight Run
I hadn’t included this in any previous incarnation of my top 10 and I have no fucking idea why. My brother and I used to watch this movie at least twice a day for years, way younger than we had any right to. We would act out the whole movie, switching off dialogue. As a buddy movie, Midnight Run is often overlooked and criminally underrated, and is one of the funniest, best written movies in that subgenre. I would see 13 more Midnight Run movies if it meant De Niro and Grodin would reprise their roles.
7. The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects wasn’t the first movie to throw the ol’ “swerve” at you, but for a young, barely getting laid twat like myself, it fucking floored me. I must’ve thought about the ending for weeks after first watching and even knowing the reveal, I still find myself captivated by the movie. It’s tightly written, wonderfully acted, and Singer’s direction give it a classic film noir feel while maintaining a modern sensibility.
6. The Royal Tenenbaums
I really want to put Tenenbaums much higher but my top five is impenetrable at the moment. That may change. I’m a sucker for Wes Anderson’s film novelizations. That is, movies presented as visual books. Or at least that’s how I take it. It’s uniquely his own vision and I fucking love it. Anderson’s ability to get Oscar worthy performances out of every single actor in Tenenbaums is incredible. Movies about a family or dynasty usually aren’t my thing, but you can’t help but get pulled in by the dysfunction of the Tenenbaum clan.
5. Taxi Driver
If you’ve ever seen the fantastic documentary “Decade Under the Influence”, you’ll know the 1970s were a golden age in cinematic history. So many unique voices were creating interesting and captivating films. Scorsese being one of the more prominent voices to come out of the decade, his look at 1970s New York will crawl under your skin and fester like an infection. I’ve been obsessed with this movie since I first saw it as a teenager; something about the “mood” Scorsese gets across is noxious. The world feels hopeless, evil, dirty, and like quicksand, will pull you in deeper the more you try to escape. Did I really just use a quicksand analogy for one of the best movies of the century? Fuck me right in the stupid mouth.
4. Fight Club
I think Fight Club now gets looked at a little different than it should. Fight Club has a lot of important things to say but it seems most of the world remembers it for Brad Pitt’s abs, and using Tyler Durden’s quotes for memes and t-shirts, pretty much the exact opposite of what the whole fucking point is. Fincher took a book that had a very specific narrative, did his Fincher-y thing and gave us a visually mesmerizing, thought provoking piece of film that still manages to hit audiences hard almost 20 years later.
3. There Will Be Blood
I remember being absolutely transfixed watching this for the first time. I don’t think there’s a single piece of wasted film in TWBB. Paul Thomas Anderson’s story of an arrogant, egotistic, ruthless and successful oil tycoon is a symbol of how corporations work today, where only the bottom line matters. When Plainview first takes that fall in the tunnel, then drags himself to the office to sell the mine, we’re in it to win it. When he’s done beating Eli’s head in and says, “I’m finished,” he’s allowing us to leave his presence. Every moment in the journey you as an audience member are taking, is done by the commanding word of Daniel Plainview.
2. Pulp Fiction
My #1 and #2 are interchangeable, so I’ll list them alphabetically. I probably should have a definitive #1 but shut up. Not taking anything away from Goodfellas, I feel Pulp Fiction is more of my generation, so I have a closer attachment to it. It was and still is one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen, in every sense of the word “cool”. From its non-linear storyline, to every single character’s arc, Pulp Fiction can still floor me at every viewing. And much like TWBB, I don’t think a single frame of film is wasted here. Brilliant.
1. Goodfellas
If you can’t tell, I’m a Scorsese mark. The guy makes ballsy movies and Goodfellas is arguably his best. Watching Goodfellas is like having story time when you’re in kindergarten. Only you might develop a coke problem and your classmates may grow up to kill you. When Henry Hill says, “As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster,” you know you’re in for, what he calls, a “glorious time”. You take that and bookend the film with “I’m an average nobody, I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook,” and you have a complete journey with a character who’s done some horrible things with no redeeming qualities. That he ends up as a “nobody”, a place even worse than death, is probably the biggest satisfaction you can gain from this.