31 movies in 31 days (January 2009)

Last year I made an attempt at watching 365 movies in a year (and failed!) This year I’m trying a little trick to not fall behind, and so far it’s going pretty good, I have one day and one movie left to go to fill my «january movie quota». Below you can see the complete list, including silly comments, funny quotes and ratings. A few movies bombed totally, but there where a few gems… My rating «system»

* = total waste of time, stay away ** = if you have absolutely nothing better to to *** = weeeell, its ok i guess, it has parts worth seeing but don’t expect too much **** = pretty good! but probably not wort seeing twice ***** = really, really great ****** = a must!

1. A very long engagement  (***) (Beautifully made by Jeunet, maker of «Amelie from Montmartre», and starring the stunningly beautiful Amadou, but the dialog, or translation, was annoying at times, as french movies too often are in my experience, and the length of some scenes could have been trimmed drastically. It felt like this thing dragged on forever. Disappointing from Jeunet who has made gems like «Children of the Lost City» and «Delicatessen», and of course the sweet «Amelie». He uses many of the same actors, and many of the sets are as complex and lovely as in his previous work, but there is something lacking. I must say he fumbled the ball a little on this one, or perhaps he could have needed someone to reign him in and tighten things up.
2. W. (*** or ****) (George W. Bush is one WACKY president! Not a great movie, but it does give a glimpse into the past of Dubya. Good quote: «There IS no exit strategy» – Dick Cheney before the U.S. decided to invade Iraq. Because the endgame is access to oil not to «liberate» Iraq or to find weapons of mass destruction. Help us Obama, you are our only hope!)
3. Seven pounds (******) (A six and then some. A very sad and beautiful love story. Good quote: «Because you are a good man even when no-one is watching».
4. Slacker uprising (***) (Good quote: «What would Jesus bomb?!» . Michael Moore. This must be Michael Moore’s worst movie. The whole thing feels like a good pat on the back for himself. Sad and messy).
5. JCVD (****) (Now THIS was a surprise! Jean Claude van Damme has a five minute monologue in this movie that is quite moving, and VERY personal. Good, and ironic quote, coming from Mr Blood Sport himself: «It is stupid to kill. People are so beautiful»).
6. Somers Town (***** or maybe ******) (Super cute and easy on the eyes about love and friendship. Who knew life could be so light filled!)
7. Swing Vote (****) (Fantastic quote: «I’ve taken freely, and I’ve given nothing.» I actually had Kevin Costner in a virtual choke hold during one scene, pinched between thumb and index finger, but his character finally came around. Moral? There are many tards in America, but they CAN rise to the occasion. Or something like that).
8. The Hunting Party (***) Good quotes: «What’s up with this Harvard shit? You know I dated a girl from Harvard once, and she wasn’t so fucking bright.» + «Putting you life in danger is actual living. Everything else is television.» 25 days after wathing this I can’t even remember who acted in this or what the story was. NOT a good sign.
9. Eagle Eye (***) Memo to self: Must stay away from movies with car chases! Funny quote: «If I don’t get some good leads soon, you’re all going to be demoted to something that involves touching SHIT with your hands!» – Billy Bob Thornton in Eagle eye + «Whenever any form of government becomes destructive to it’s own ends, it is the rights of the people to abolish it.» -Declaration of Independence.
10. Vanilla Sky (*****) Open your eyes! The script in this movie is superb, and there are so many quotable lines. Like: «People have a nickname for you behind your back: Citizen Dildo» – said to Tom Cruise + «My own death was right there in front of me, and you know what happened? YOUR life flashed before my eyes» + «The five emotions in life: Guilt. Shame. Rage. Revenge. Love.» + «I think she is the saddest girl to ever hold a Martini.» – Penelope Cruz + «You’re rich, and women love you and I’m from Ohio and I’m drunk» + «You will never know the exquisite pain of the guy who goes home alone. Because without the bitter, the sweet ain’t as sweet.» + «What is the answer to 99 out of 100 questions? Money!» + «Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.» + «I’ll see you in another life when we are both cats.
11. Mongol (****) The cinematography is stunning, but the story is a bit too long. And seriously, Mongolia REALLY has to get over their Djengis Kahn and Yurt-hangup, it’s milked dry a long time ago :)
12. Slumdog Millionaire (*****) Darkness, then light. There is some truly evil shit going on in this movie, but at least it has a happy ending. No quotes at all from this movie, strange. But it made me want to read The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas.
13. Top Gun (****) («Take me to bed or loose me forever». I believe I have used that line :) Motivational quote of the year: «If you screw up THIS much, you’ll be flying cargo planes full of rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong!»
14. Revolutionary Road (*** or ****) If I wanted middle class realism I wouldn’t watch movies! What I learned from this movie: The best way to save a marriage is by going deaf.
15. How to lose friends and alienate people. (****) Lots of good quotes in this sweet comedy/love story. «You don’t know who anyone is. You thought Brad Pitt was a cave in Yorkshire!» + «I would never eat anything with eyebrows» + Want: Nice subtle t-shirt seen in the movie «Young, dumb, and full of come».
16. Gran Torino (*****) Charming and funny as Clint Eastwood goes back to his Dirty Harry roots. It has some really mind blowing quotes, like: «I’ll blow a hole in your face, and THEN I’ll go in the house, and I’ll sleep like a baby.» + «We used to stack fucks like you five feet high in Korea, and use you for sandbags».
17. Star Wars episode 2: Attack of the Clones (*****) (Great movie, but sad being reminded of what a thief George Lucas is, stealing from Fifth Element and Blade Runner. Quote: «Life seems so much simpler when you’re fixing things. I’m good at fixing things.» – Anakin Skywalker, mourning his mother’s death.
18. Con Air (***) Boring movie, but it had a good quote at least: «There’s only two men I trust. One of them is me, the other is not you».
19. Bedtime Stories (****) Not a big fan of Adam Sandler, but I actually enjoyed this. Totally silly of course, but I laughed alot, and you can’t ask much more from a comedy). Quote: «He: -Would you mind pretending to be my girlfriend for a second? She: – I don’t feel comfortable doing that. He: «-I’ll convert my truck to biodielsel…» She: -OK, Ill do it.» + «Your fun is only limited by your imagination.»
20. Max Payne (**) Whatever.
21. Star Wars Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith (*****) Quote of the day: «So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause» – Padme Amidala
22. Star Wars Episode 4 – A new Hope (*****) Strange to finally watch episode 4 after 3. Now I actually enjoy 1-3 more than 4-6, I hope that is just a fleeting thing…
23. City of Ember (****) Stunningly beautiful, and I love post-apocalyptic plots, but there is something «unfinished» about this film, a depth that is missing perhaps. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it should have been longer?
24. Lower Learning (*) (Ugh, stay far away from Lower Learning. This abomination is hereby declared the first spontaneous movie abortion of 2009. It started out pretty good with some hilarious dialog, but turned to crapola pretty quick, and then just dragged on and on and one. Started to fast forward before I was halfway through it. Fun quotes: «I’m talking about another kind of love, the kind that is wet and smells a little» + Teacher to third grader: «You know Frankie … why don’t you go and fuck yourself».
25. Soul Men (**) I can’t believe I watch all of it. Hearing Samuel L. Jackson singing was pretty cool, but everything else about this flick is rather uninteresting.
26. Balls Out – The Gary Houseman Story (*) Total waste of time.
27. Humbolt County (**) Well, whatever.
28. The Accidental husband (***) (Uma Thurman is filling out nicely. This romantic comedy has some sweet scenes, but it has very little depth (compared to classics like Four weddings and a funeral, or even Notting Hill). Perhaps because it is made for chicks, and chicks has no soul, that is something everyone knows.
29. Religulous (***** or ******) (Bill Maher takes religion down a peg. Good quotes: «Human history is a litany of getting shit DEAD WRONG» – Bill Maher + Christian girl to reporter when asked about a poster that says God hates fags : «I don’t hate them. GOD hates them» + «You need a Holy Ghost enema right up your rear end!» – Crazy christian chick + «Grow up, or die!» Oh, and I learned something interesting: there are only 14 million Jews, and between 1.25 and 1.8 billion Muslims.
30. The Wrestler (****) What on earth happened to Mickey Rourke’s face! It looks like someone blew up a silicon boob on the INSIDE of his skin. High point: I can die a happy man after watching Marisa Tomei doing a lap dance in The Wrestler. It has been said that this movie could be for Mickey Rourke what Pulp Fiction was for John Travolta, but Mickey barely has any lines at all. His body and face talks volumes, but other than that there is little going on.
31. Blindness (2008) (******) A must see! The first MOVIE movie of the year. This movie is so dark and brutal, but ends with light! There are so many interesting things going on in this story, so many historical and biblical references it makes my head spin. A thought: If the whole world went blind right now, what skills do you have to help you? Blind gardener? Pianist. Story teller. Good ears. Good nose… Good quote: «How lucky we are to have a leader with vision» («leader» and «vision» meant literally)

Marisa Tomei from The Wrestler: [embed:http://www.youtube.com/v/-uVHewOL7nc]