This is the thread where we discuss matters pertaining to the detrius that accompanies the "End of the Year in Cinema" -- 2007

LADIES, LADIES

we're just doing vintage Siskel-Ebert (w/ extra helpings of bitch)!

Morbs, you and I finally have a shared favorite film of the year, and Eric reminded me why I was mistaken to change the channel one Saturday afternoon in November when Red Dawn was playing.

I am an Eminem fan tho! (at least the first 3 albums)

o_O

the 4th is better than the 3rd, btw

yes

Gone Baby Gone on my Netflix queue, all set for next week. Boy, am I gonna be upset if it's Oscar prole-bait.

maybe I miscounted MM albums, I'm not a "muso."

I have Black Book from the library.

Senses of Cinema's World Poll:

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/

The International Cinephile Society?

http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=1363

Finally saw Gone Baby Gone. The first two-thirds are so gripping that it makes the last implausible 30 minutes more offensive. Amy Ryan pretty good (best line: "I feel like 9-11 now") but everyone except a muted Michelle Monaghan was terrific.

Casey Affleck does all kinds of tricks with that gurgled voice of his. What strange screen presence.

I actually felt kinda the opposite - the opening hour or so was fantastic, then it felt needlessly oppressive and dull for a little stretch in the middle, then pulled out a surprisingly effective ending. I didn't mind Monaghan except that she was a little too conspicuously more attractive than all the other women in the film.

Also the audience I saw it with roffled when Morgan Freeman's character made his first appearance on the TV press conference.

And yes Affleck was great to watch, as was Harris.

Gone Baby Gone was pretty great until the big quarry scene and from the following narration on things got gradually more and more off key. By the time Casey Affleck is ranting at Morgan Freeman it gets into serious stfu territory.

-- da croupier, Saturday, December 8, 2007 5:01 AM (2 months ago) Bookmark Link

SO OTM. this movie sucked and was endless after the first 40 minutes

my fav line was that the mother's alibi involved her going across the street to see Wife Swap, her fav show

also, SPOILER i guess
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there was a moment somewhere abt that 40 minutes in mark where i was like there better not be some gay the cops are in on it twist or im gonna wreck some shit

As far as movies that try to redeem hokey thriller material with that old Strained Seriousness, GBG is at least leagues preferable to Michael Clayton.

Also, wau this thread passed the 1K mark.

man i will take everything about michael clayton over gone baby gone

There's nothing in GBG as egregious as Tilda Swinton's sweaty 'pits.

Or the entire plot of Clayton.

johnny crunch, did you really think Ed Harris would be cast as a virtuous cop?

yeah i guess not. there was too much backstory coming out abt his character & the goatee just made him look dubious.

I hope you Film Comment reader got your poll ballots in.

(except nrq)

wow, glad I missed the Indie Spirits -- a Junofest. and the not-too-funny guy from The Office hosting.

i'm a contributor, dogg.

I'm glad I didn't know.

FC readers poll -- same top 3 as crix, Gone Baby Gone is highest non-critic entry, Barleyup 11 spots.

http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/poll/07extendedma.html

Alpha Dog is great....realllly great.

EVERYONE SHOULD GO WATCH IT. IT'S STARTING IN, LIKE, 20 MINUTES ON SOME MOVIE CHANNEL. (is there really no thread about this movie?)

I'm Not a Puppy, Not Yet a Dog

I just watched it a second time. I kinda think they should have ended it w/ SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER fat SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER sharon stone

right before maybe. surely someone else loved this?

Michael Sicinski top 17:

http://academichack.net/2007topten.htm#2007

Yet one more prompt for Eric to view I'm Not There.

http://tedpigeon.blogspot.com/2008/08/year-that-was-year-that-is-cinema-2007.html

Is the point that his list isn't affected by end-of-year hype? Cause most of those movies he chose were pretty much the same ones being forced down everyone's throats during critics' awards season.

Most Lars and the Real Girl comments seem to lead here...Not what I thought it was going to be--I expected a comedy, not a somewhat morbid mood piece. I could never really accept the film's central conceit, the idea that the whole town would play along, but other than that, some nice moments. I remembered Paul Schneider from All the Real Girls--he's really good, not sure why he doesn't get bigger parts or more attention. Kelli Garner and Emily Mortimer very good too. Gosling, I don't know--kind of mannered.

The Muriels' 10-years-later poll ... Zodiac tops.

http://www.murielawards.org/07anniv.html

1. Zodiac (dir. David Fincher) [193 points / 30 votes]

2. There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson) [193 points / 28 votes]
3. No Country For Old Men (dirs. Joel and Ethan Coen) [174 points / 27 votes]
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (dir. Andrew Dominik) [71 points / 11 votes]
5. Death Proof (dir. Quentin Tarantino) [62 points / 10 votes]
6. I’m Not There (Todd Haynes) [48/8]
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu) [34/6]
8. Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas) [33/5]
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel) [31/5]
10. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Tim Burton) [30/6]

Kind of a shit year, actually.