By Thomas Willett
With Premium Rush finally hitting screens nationwide this Friday, I am finally saying goodbye to summer. I figured that this would be as good of a time as any to look back on the past few months and determine what I considered to be the best in entertainment. While some obvious choices reigned mighty, there were a few underdogs that surprised me. Read on to find out what they were.
I have decided to take notice to media that was released between June and August. I must admit that there were numerous major disappointments (To Rome with Love), but there were also some surprises. Did a film that put Sarah Silverman in a dramatic role really end up being painstakingly honest and kind of beautiful? Yes.
I will admit that I am notorious for changing my opinion on numerous films as time progresses. It has been a personal running gag that I will bad mouth a movie, or criticize it heavily, only to have it place amongst my favorites months later (best example: the Social Network). I would like to be more confident on the first go, but that is why I enjoy the art of revisiting movies. Even history has shown some modern classics that were negatively reviewed upon their original release.
Here is the list of movies that kept me entertained this past summer between June and August. While I didn’t catch everything I wanted to see (Cosmopolis may be scratched off that list soon), I managed to catch most of it. Here they are:
1. Moonrise Kingdom
This is easily my favorite movie of the year to date. After a five month reign by the Grey, this Wes Anderson vehicle about puppy love at summer camp is a beautiful tale that may be his most clichéd effort to date, but it brings a sense of earnestness to the young performers that is rarely seen nowadays. It’s kitschy and very oddball, but Anderson has proven himself time and again to be one of the more authentic directors working today.
2. ParaNorman
Okay, so the trailer with Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” didn’t sell me. However, it was the revelation of a kid’s movie paying loving homage to all things horror that managed to make me cheer. It may be crass in a Nickelodeon type fashion, but it definitely thrives off of its weirdness and decision to make subtle references to things like Scooby Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is legitimately scary. Not since Monsters vs. Aliens have I been in love with a satirical angle on kid’s movies that the target audience won’t get.
3. The Dark Knight Rises
This would have been higher if I had only seen it once. In true Christopher Nolan fashion, I had to see it a few times to experience the immersion of the Hans Zimmer score. While this is a great capper to a solid trilogy, the run time and hefty themes make it a little exhausting. True, Tom Hardy is an exceptional Bane and Anne Hathaway reteams with her Havoc co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt for two solid performances, but with more characters comes more screen time. There isn’t anything wrong with this movie and it delivers on a lot of the promises, but it is really long and is winner of controversial ending of the summer. Still a solid film, but the less you compare it to the Dark Knight, the better.
4. Safety Not Guaranteed
I will admit to liking Mark Duplass’ work on the League. However, as the auteur behind the legendary output of indie comedies this year, I haven’t hopped on the train until recently. After an interview on WTF with Marc Maron in which he explained his style to be faux documentary, I looked at his work differently, and it’s pretty good. While Aubrey Plaza doesn’t shine as much as I hoped, this is a solid and fun movie about two misfits trying to go through time to fix their past. I would rank this higher, but a subplot with Karan Soni feels shoehorned in for time and adds nothing substantial.
5. Prometheus
I am not a fan of aliens, whether they are the extraterrestrial or the plot for the Ridley Scott movie that this supposedly was a prequel to. However, I have found myself more immersed in the action than the story, and in that regards, Scott has managed to make another solid movie in this universe. It may have a ridiculous birthing scene with Noomi Rapace that only adds to the films logic issues, but it is still a really entertaining story that has little to do with aliens and more about exploring unknown worlds. Michael Fassbender manages to sneak in a great performance as David 8 as well. This may not be the tightest plot, but it manages to be one of the more entertaining examples of blockbuster fare this summer, if just because it created forum discussions that not even the Dark Knight Rises has achieved.
6. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
This movie suffers from a third act that goes into cliché romance. However, don’t let that excuse the first two acts, which only make me love director and writer Lorene Scafaria more. The post-apocalyptic tale starts off dark and ballsy for a romantic comedy, and while Steve Carrell feels a little too old for these roles, playing off of Keira Knightley, they make an adorable couple. With cameos galore and an equally fun road trip plot, Scafaria’s follow-up to Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is not nearly as strong in story, but worth checking out for all of the small character moments.
7. Take This Waltz
If you remember correctly, this was one of the films that I felt underwhelmed by. That is because Sarah Polley’s a great visual director, but the story felt like it featured too much brooding. Still, casting Michelle Williams as Seth Rogen’s wife and giving Sarah Silverman a supporting role made for an interesting batch of chemistry. It is a story of falling out of love, but told in not nearly as interesting of a style as the classic Blue Valentine. While this film doesn’t appeal to me, I am now aware of Polley’s style and am curious to see her make a more interesting story in the future.
8. Brave
I will admit that in the great debate of favorite United Kingdom countries, I rank England and Ireland ahead of Scotland. In fact, I argue that making this movie Ireland would have made it better. However, getting Trainspotting star Kelly MacDonald as your lead did make for some interesting moments. It is more scattershot than we’re used to at Pixar, but the mother-daughter morals that come from the third act feel like ambitious new ground. Even if Pixar becomes more hit and miss in the future, I am just glad that they are trying new things and not settling into a familiar mold. This also features my second favorite use of archery on this list, which sadly was used sparingly here.
9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
I don’t understand why this movie is getting the Oscar attention that it has. I will admit that the overall quality of this film is superb, but the story doesn’t create an emotional tension necessary to make it stand out. I also feel that the relationships depicted in this movie are a little too embracing of the poverty culture. That may be more of a personal bias, but it doesn’t help the story progress in interesting directions. It is a good movie that shows promise for the unknown cast, but is by no means the best of the year.
10. Savages
I am not sure where I stand on director Oliver Stone just yet. Having seen five of his movies, there are some that I like (Platoon) and others I scratch my head at (Wall Street). He is a mixed bag of a director, and casting Blake Lively as the lead was a poor choice. However, it does provide an awesome performance by Aaron Johnson that makes me wish that he wasn’t wasting his time on Kick-Ass 2. This is an energized film with plenty of fun to be had, even if this feels like Stone just had a laundry list of things he wanted to include. He may be more restrained than his former self, but it still has an edge to it.
Then there are TV shows. The only qualification is that they had to premiere in some sense in the specified time frame. I am aware that I probably could have fit more in if I didn’t watch the Olympics. However, as I have stated a few weeks back, there is some pride there that can look past Bob Costas and enjoy some good gymnastics.
1. Breaking Bad
No contest that this would be one of the best shows. I will admit that this season is not nearly as exciting as the previous, though that is because they needed to kill off Giancarlo Esposito, who’s Gus Fring may be one of my all-time favorite TV characters. Still, with two episodes to go, things are reaching a bleak, but fascinating ending that hopefully will take this show out on top. I also really enjoy participating in the discussions and getting to be part of the Breaking Bad culture. It also featured another killer episode from director Rian Johnson. What movie had that great of a contribution this summer?
2. Louie
While I really dig this show, I feel that season 3 has been one of the weirder seasons. Not that it is taking odd curves, but that it feels like it has hit a stride and the results aren’t as rewarding. In reality, they have had numerous great episodes and a cameo from Robin Williams. Still, besides a brilliant two part episode with Parker Posey, I am left hoping that Louie manages to pull itself together in the final batch of episodes and gets out of being the best middling show on right now.
3. Comedy Bang! Bang!
I originally called it a cross between UHF and Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. I don’t know if I am wrong. While the episodes change their premise and feel week to week, they managed to capture the zany feel of a public access show. Scott Aukerman manages to lead us through some bizarre, often pointless interviews that result in amazing cameos. This is a show that embraces the absurdist comedy culture and is helping to make IFC a niche channel for this type of humor. I also hope that more people are aware of Reggie Watts’ genius after seeing him play some chords on the show.
4. Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell
It is only two episodes in, but this down and dirty one man version of the Daily Show is pretty great. W. Kamau Bell came out of nowhere to have a show on FX that captures political views in youthful and clever ways. While Brand X failed to find a balance, this show manages to provide insight and humor into the Thursday night line-up between Louie and Wilfred. It may not be the most organized, but it doesn’t need to be. It is just news told with jokes in a funny way that I haven’t really connected with since Infomania went off the air last year.
5. Twenty Twelve
This is Britain trying to do a Parks and Recreation type show about the London 2012 Olympics. The results manage to feel like Parks and Recreation season 1. They have their funny moments, but I cannot help but feel post-Olympics, this will all feel dated and not at all appealing. In reality, it has funny moments that have nothing to do with the event, but in the great pantheon of satirical Olympian culture, I don’t feel like this will be on too many lists, which is sad for personal favorites Olivia Coleman and Jessica Hynes.
And now, since I didn’t just go out to the movies and watch TV all summer, here is a bonus appearance of a DVD pick of a movie that I feel was the best movie that I missed during the theatrical release. This is one that I regret missing so much that I just had to mention it here.
Jeff Who Lives at Home
I believe that if one film should define the Duplass brother’s reign on 2012, it should be this one. Not only does it feature Jason Segel’s best performance since Forgetting Sarah Marshall, it is just a really funny and honest family drama that explores dysfunctional families in a way that is more subtle than farce. These are real characters and even when it gets philosophical about destiny (all thanks to the movie Signs), it manages to feel sweet. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to see what movies could be when you just shoot from the hip and wear your heart on your sleeve.
There you have it. That has been my list of favorites for this summer. As we dive into the fall, I hope that we are brought with wonderful new films and TV shows and any other culture that wants to head this way. What did you think of this summer? Were the results not as pleasing as they could have been? Am I missing out on some great movies? Is there something better than Moonrise Kingdom? Why not drop me a line and let’s get a dialogue going. I am filling up my Netflix queue with missed opportunities to fill in my free time during the upcoming school semester. Why not add a few to the list?
You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com. Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com.
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