#10* (TIE)
Ode to My Father
This South Korean import about a son, in his late age, recounting the trials and tribulations of his life and paying respect to the sacrifice made by his
father, made me weep openly. I'm only a little ashamed to admit this since I wasn't the only one in the theatre who had this reaction. We were all responding to how effective this tiny film with zero star power is at telling a simple story that
resonates.
We follow the journey of Deok-soo from the Hungnam Evacuation of 1951 during the Korean War where everything he knows is ripped from him, to his adventures as a young coal miner in Germany, then as an engineer
in Vietnam during that war, and finally as he approaches middle age and begins a quest to reunite his family. Through it all we are rooting for Deok-soo to escape poverty and his life of complacency, even as the odds stack up against him.
He isn't he smartest, bravest or strongest, but he is the most motivated. Everything he does is to help his family and to honor his father by being the provider and head of household. It's an old fashioned notion and the film follows suit, telling
a straight forward chronological story that hits on all the conventions you'd expect in these types of film. But it works. Credit the efficient and focused direction by Yoon Je-kyoon and the strong performances throughout. By the end of the
2 hours you will feel as if you know Deok-soo and that you've experienced with him all the joy and sadness in his life.
Nitpicks (why it's not #9 or 8...): So focused
is the direction that we don't get as much development of supporting characters. This doesn't matter so much with the goofy best friend but is a noticeable loss for Deok-soo's wife (played by Lost's Yunjin Kim) and the titular "father" himself.
We don't get to know much about them which is a shame because it would have only added to the rich tapestry the film weaves. It's not often I say a film should be longer but an extra 20-30 minutes with them would've made this film even greater.
#10* (TIE)
The Fault in Our Stars
I promise not all the movies on this list are bummers but I admit, a movie about terminally ill cancer teenagers is not a laugh riot. But this movie
isn't as depressing as you might think. For most of it, our heroine, Hazel (Shailene Woodley), is trying to find any semblance of normality in hershort life, and she suceeds at times. In her friendship, then courtship, with Ansel, a cancer survivor
who takes a liking to her, she finds contentment and even happinness. The elephant in the room, that she's dying, isn't something she dwells on. She doesn't ignore it, but once it's acknowledged, not everything has to be about it. Much of
the film then, has Shailene and Ansel falling in love, something if done right, is always enthralling to watch.
When death does begin to creep to the forward of the narrative, it's that much more devastating because you've
spent time when them doing typical teenager things, and the thought of them dying strays from your mind. It's not fun to watch and it's certainly not fair, but that's sort of the point too. Life isn't fair. Hazel is dying but, what are you going
to do in the meantime? The answer is to live, and Fault In our Stars shows us Hazel and company living to the fullest while we watch, captivated.
Nitpicks: It's Hazel's
movie but Ansel plays a big part. Yet, he isn't as developed as he should be. For most of the film he's a knight in shining armor. When he lets that armor down however, it's that much more fascinating. I wanted more of that
#9:
Nightcrawler
Finally, a movie you don't have to worry about tearing up while watching. Nightcrawler isn't a sad movie. It's a dark, twisted, funny and cynical
movie that will make you gasp, not cry. The film follows Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) a loner with an intensity which his wide, almost never-blinking eyes convey aggressively. When he talks, he is talking both to you and through you, as
if he's already figured you out and knows how to get what he wants from you, even if you've just met him. He's not just one step ahead, he's three steps and a few twists ahead.
When Louis decides to become a crime
scene freelancer, he steps into a world where his intensity and willingness to do anything to accomplish his goal, is well matched by his greedy competitors and customers. In other words, he finds the perfect job. Of course we know he's going
to go over the edge but watching him do so is fascinating nevertheless. As he first upgrades his equipment, then starts to trespass to get better footage, then start to stage crime scenes, we know it won't end well. How terribly it will is the
question, and that anticipation makes the film suspenseful.
Gyllenhaal gives a nuanced performance that is restrained, just like his character is. Louis is tough to pull off however, because the script doesn't explain
the reasons he is the way he is. While lesser actors could get lost in play such a cipher, Gyllenhaal confidently takes hold of Louis's unpredictability and uses it to keep us glued to what he will do next.
Nitpicks:
More Renee Russo! She plays Louis's main customer and she's fantastic. She may not be as unhinged as Louis, but Russo's character is just as hyper focused. A relationship between them is more teased then explored, but that would've only added
to the film.
#8:
Selma
Selma takes the "Lincoln " route by dramatizing an important event in Martin Luther King Jr's career, without covering the entirety of his life.
This approach allows more character development and deliberate pacing, giving the audience a chance to get to know the main characters.
David Oyelowo is magnificent as MLK. He gives a performance where he effectively
conveys both the commanding presence of MLK Jr. while he is preaching, marching, and lecturing, and the more human side of a flawed father and husband while inhabiting quiet moments at home. I cannot tell you enough how impressed I was that the
film didn't ignore MLK's infidelities. Lesser movies would've made no mention of it, not wanting to risk muddying the thematic waters. But Selma explores it, giving Carmen Ejogo (as Corretta Scott King), a chance to shine as the wife who hates
her husband's actions, but still loves him. That's complicated, and a risk that could've very well not played off, making MLK a monster or Corretta Scott King just a victim. Instead, Selma treats it with the dignity and importance it deserves.
Just because MLK did something bad, doesn't make him a bad man. It makes him a man no better than any other, which makes what he did for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement even more impressive. Selma doesn't canonize MLK.
The film treats its subject with reverence yes, but doesn't try to hide the fact that above all, MLK was a man.
Nitpicks: There are a lot of characters in Selma: student protestors
who are upset with MLK for coming in and stealing their thunder, the dozens that make up MLK's entourage, the politicians who were for and against the march, the clergy who came in to assist when MLK put out a call to those of faith...the movie introduces
all of them and gives them a few scenes each but I'd rather them not be introduced if they were given such short shrift. There is very little resolution in some of these minor character's arcs. I know that's part of history, because the success
of Selma didn't mean the end of anything in particular, but you do walk away feeling a bit cheated narrative-wise.
#7:
Gone Girl
Twisty
and twisted, is the best way to describe this film adaptation from the best seller. The story of Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy's disappearance puts him under suspicion, explores a lot of themes effectively. There's the veneer of the "perfect
marriage" crumbling as facts come out about Nick and Amy that are none too pleasant; There's the sensationalism of the murder by the media, especially when there's a cold, seemingly-emotionless husband. There's the theme of feminism and at the same time,
anti-feminism. There's even some stuff about the economic recession of 2008. All of this plays out as subtext in a great thriller that keeps you guessing. Is Nick really a remorseless killer? Is he a hapless husband being railroaded
by the police? Affleck and Rosamund Pike (as the titular Gone Girl) are fantastic, each playing their true character's motivations close to the vest, until it's time to reveal them. When the answer answers come they aren't what you expect, and
each revelation changes how you feel about the characters in the movie. It's exciting, and you can't take your eyes off of the screen.
Nitpick: Nick's sister could've
been better developed and for all the talk about how great of a lawyer Tyler Perry's character is, he doesn't do much but react to what Nick uncovers. Plus, I know this is based on a book so the plot is set, but how great would it have been had we gotten
to the courtroom in the Gone Girl Universe? What twisty and twisted happenings could've happened with a televised trial?
#6
Chef
A story about communication based around cooking, this small movie by Jon Favreau will make you happy and hungry at the same time. Favreau casts himself as a chef who's lost his mojo, unable to connect with his former self (communicate, if you
will) or his son. He's in a job which he hates and finding that he's lost the love of cooking. He sets out on a journey of self discovery ( I know that sounds boring but it's not I promise) with his son and best friend in tow. They buy a
food truck and go back to the basics, cooking great food simply to make other people feel great. As they travel they tweet, facebook, instagram and vine the happenings, as Favreau begins to understand himself, his son, and the people he is cooking for
better. There are some fun cameos as well and the film makes you laugh. This is one of the most overlooked gems of this past year.
Nitpicks: Not many. Sofia Vergara
(as Favreau's ex-wife and mother of his child) could've used more face time and I'm not a huge Johannson fan in general, but she's fine here.