Match Cut 2010 Better Than List

[baby doll]

http://www.nypress.com/imgs/blogs/blog6798widea.jpg

In honor of everybody's favorite weekly reviewer (who shall remain nameless), I thought we ought to have our own orgy of contrarianism, full of personal attacks and unqualified statements. And who better to kick it off than yours truly?

Barbe bleue and Eccentricities of a Blonde Haired Girl are BETTER THAN Inception. Stories within stories have been around as long as there have been stories, but Catherine Breillat and Manoel de Oliveira are modest and playful where Christopher Nolan is portentous and humorless. Breillat and de Oliveira also know things about mise en scène that Nolan never bothered to learn.

Last Train Home is BETTER THAN I Am Love. When it comes to stories about familial turmoil and globalization, I much prefer Lixin Fan's moving documentary about Chinese migrant laborers to Luca Guadagnino's half-baked Visconti ripoff.

The Misfortunates is BETTER THAN The American. Felix van Groenineg's raucous loser comedy affirmed American pop culture's ability to bridge cultures, while Anton Corbijn's Euro-trash thriller used anti-Americanism as a political tease. The sheer pleasure that van Groenineg's characters take in Roy Orbison's music is the perfect antidote to Corbijn's joyless Le Samouraï ripoff, in which the chilly style drains whatever fun there might have been from the ridiculous and predictable story: We're not meant to enjoy the film so much as admire it from a distance for its "perfection."

The Trotsky is BETTER THAN Shutter Island. Both of these movies are about characters with identity issues, but where Martin Scorsese's ahistorical period neo-noir argues that nothing is real--not even the horror of the concentration camps, which are exploited as a sexy turn on and then forgotten--Jacob Tierny's spirited teen comedy has the audacity to suggest that the life of Leon Trotsky is still relevant to today.

Women Without Men is BETTER THAN Everyone Else, The Kids Are All Right, Please Give, and Winter's Bone. Shirin Neshat's debut feature--a magic-realist network narrative set against the backdrop of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état--has received far less attention than these other films directed by women, but it has more chutzpah than all of them put together.

[Ezee E]

That Shutter Island criticism makes no sense. The horrors led Leo to alcoholism, and I can't think of the "sexy turn-on"

[baby doll]

That Shutter Island criticism makes no sense. The horrors led Leo to alcoholism, and I can't think of the "sexy turn-on"I think the ending makes it pretty clear that he was never at Dachau.

[Ezee E]

I think the ending makes it pretty clear that he was never at Dachau.
That's one of the things that seems to have never been disregarded. That's how he acquired the skills to be able to become so dangerous after all.

As for that "sexy turn-on?"

[baby doll]

That's one of the things that seems to have never been disregarded.Why do you say that, apart from the fact that they don't mention it during the denouement? As for the sexy turn on, they throw it in as part of his character's back story, and then disregard it along with everything else--or at least that's my inference.

[Spinal]

I'm adding spoiler tags. Also, based on what I can remember ...

I thought they said that the massacre of the German soldiers never took place. As to whether he was there in the first place, I was under the impression that that was an actual part of his history.

[Ezee E]

Why do you say that, apart from the fact that they don't mention it during the denouement? As for the sexy turn on, they throw it in as part of his character's back story, and then disregard it along with everything else--or at least that's my inference.
Yeah, the scene in Dachau and his witness of the death of the General (Captain?) was what led to him drinking, and then to everything else that led him into the prison.

As for how it influenced "Teddy" can be different. It influenced Teddy into thinking that the doctors were practicing the same type of tests that occurred in Dachau.

[baby doll]

Yeah, the scene in Dachau and his witness of the death of the General (Captain?) was what led to him drinking, and then to everything else that led him into the prison.

As for how it influenced "Teddy" can be different. It influenced Teddy into thinking that the doctors were practicing the same type of tests that occurred in Dachau.Maybe I need to take another look at it, because the way I'm remembering it is his wife was crazy and killed their kids for no reason, and that was when he started falling apart.

[baby doll]

Also, feel free to post your own better than lists.

[Spinal]

Yeah, I'm not sure myself and I watched like a week ago. I think I agree with your central point though, that the film is ultimately more about tricking the audience than it is about something tangible and meaningful.

[Ezee E]

Maybe I need to take another look at it, because the way I'm remembering it is his wife was crazy and killed their kids for no reason, and that was when he started falling apart.
You're partially right.

Except he came home an alcoholic from World War II. He refused to acknowledge his wife's insanity because of his own post-traumatic stress. Whether or not he was a true hero of World War II could be debated. Heck, she even burned down the apartment, and they moved far away, and the rest is well known.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, I'm not sure myself and I watched like a week ago. I think I agree with your central point though, that the film is ultimately more about tricking the audience than it is about something tangible and meaningful.
Is it about tricking the audience though? Maybe on the first go with the movie. But seeing it a second and third time have made me realize just how much of it is about the grievance of Andrew Laeddis. It's a more painful movie to watch each time because of that. Add that to the trouble that the Doctor goes through with his plan to try and show that rehab is a proper means of action, only to fail again and again.

[Ezee E]

http://www.nypress.com/imgs/blogs/blog6798widea.jpg

In honor of everybody's favorite weekly reviewer (who shall remain nameless), I thought we ought to have our own orgy of contrarianism, full of personal attacks and unqualified statements. And who better to kick it off than yours truly?

Barbe bleue and Eccentricities of a Blonde Haired Girl are BETTER THAN Inception. Stories within stories have been around as long as there have been stories, but Catherine Breillat and Manoel de Oliveira are modest and playful where Christopher Nolan is portentous and humorless. Breillat and de Oliveira also know things about mise en scène that Nolan never bothered to learn.

Last Train Home is BETTER THAN I Am Love. When it comes to stories about familial turmoil and globalization, I much prefer Lixin Fan's moving documentary about Chinese migrant laborers to Luca Guadagnino's half-baked Visconti ripoff.

The Misfortunates is BETTER THAN The American. Felix van Groenineg's raucous loser comedy affirmed American pop culture's ability to bridge cultures, while Anton Corbijn's Euro-trash thriller used anti-Americanism as a political tease. The sheer pleasure that van Groenineg's characters take in Roy Orbison's music is the perfect antidote to Corbijn's joyless Le Samouraï ripoff, in which the chilly style drains whatever fun there might have been from the ridiculous and predictable story: We're not meant to enjoy the film so much as admire it from a distance for its "perfection."

The Trotsky is BETTER THAN Shutter Island. Both of these movies are about characters with identity issues, but where Martin Scorsese's ahistorical period neo-noir argues that nothing is real--not even the horror of the concentration camps, which are exploited as a sexy turn on and then forgotten--Jacob Tierny's spirited teen comedy has the audacity to suggest that the life of Leon Trotsky is still relevant to today.

Women Without Men is BETTER THAN Everyone Else, The Kids Are All Right, Please Give, and Winter's Bone. Shirin Neshat's debut feature--a magic-realist network narrative set against the backdrop of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état--has received far less attention than these other films directed by women, but it has more chutzpah than all of them put together.
As for me Jackass 3D is a better movie then Greenberg. Call it performance art or just being stupid, but it sure beats middle-aged men being stupid.

[Boner M]

The Trotsky was pretty fun, but it was so badly acted. Esp. by Jay Baruchel.

I'll think of some additions to this thread soon.

[baby doll]

As for me Jackass 3D is a better movie then Greenberg. Call it performance art or just being stupid, but it sure beats middle-aged men being stupid.Greenberg is a film about an immature middle-aged man, which is different from an immature film.

[Boner M]

That Armond picture is so amazing. "Yo kid, I'll buy you an ice cream and take you to Crank. No pedo!"

[B-side]

TRON: Legacy is BETTER THAN Inception. Where Inception can prove trying, TRON: Legacy is a smooth, fun ride around neon-lighted rooms, Holocaust parables and skin-tight leather-clad Olivia Wilde.

[soitgoes...]

Poetry is BETTER THAN Inception. They both have actors, but Poetry's actors are Asian.

[Watashi]

Legend of the Guardians is BETTER THAN How to Train Your Dragon.

[number8]

I thought I was the only person who saw Trotsky. Great movie. Jay Baruchel's best role.

[Boner M]

I thought I was the only person who saw Trotsky. Great movie. Jay Baruchel's best role.
He was bad in it, though.

[baby doll]

Poetry is BETTER THAN Inception. They both have actors, but Poetry's actors are Asian.Tougher than it looks, isn't it?

[NickGlass]

That Armond picture is so amazing. "Yo kid, I'll buy you an ice cream and take you to Crank. No pedo!"

Indeed! I love his fashion sense. Those motorcycle patterns are hip.

[B-side]

Indeed! I love his fashion sense. Those motorcycle patterns are hip.

He's a rebel. The motorcycle is symbolic of his disdain for the new cultural norms.

[Qrazy]

This is better than That. While That brings thematic intrigue to the table This packs more of an emotional punch.

[NickGlass]

Exit Through the Gift Shop is BETTER THAN Animal Kingdom, 127 Hours, and The Social Network. Banksy's debut feature--an inquisitive, hoax-y network narrative set against the backdrop of the graffiti scene--has received far less attention than these other films directed by men, but it has more chutzpah than all of them put together.

[Russ]

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is BETTER THAN Certified Copy. Both films have been labeled by some as "boring" and "pretentious." I know, because I've said it about Certified Copy, which I'm sure raised a few eyebrows here. However, there's no contesting that it would have benefitted greatly from a monkey spirit and one or two talking catfish.

Trash Humpers is BETTER THAN Inception (this, after just having watched Inception for a second time on blu-ray). It truly is 'better than' by virtue of the fact that all the trash-humping is slightly less interminable than the entire snow fortress dream level. Plus, they could have condensed a good 45 minutes of Inception's endless exposition and rule-establishing/explaining into 2 minutes worth of Ellen Page running around, squawking, "Make it, make it, don't fake it."

[endingcredits]

This is better than That. While That brings thematic intrigue to the table This packs more of an emotional punch.

I dunno, man... I found This was just too damned aloof to be emotionally captivating whereas That really took me for a ride. Perhaps I owe This another watch.

[Qrazy]

I dunno, man... I found This was just too damned aloof to be emotionally captivating whereas That really took me for a ride. Perhaps I owe This another watch.

Well to each their own I guess but you're WRONG>

[endingcredits]

Well to each their own I guess but you're WRONG>


http://yourargumentisinvalid.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/your_children_will_be_impaled. jpg

[jamaul]

The only thing better than Inception is the sequel, if Christopher Nolan ever makes it.

Haters.

[Eleven]

The only thing better than Inception is the sequel, if Christopher Nolan ever makes it.

Haters.

Incept Harder
Inception 2: Reception
Inception 2: Of Course He Wasn't in His Dream at the End, Nerds

[Qrazy]

The only thing better than Inception is the sequel, if Christopher Nolan ever makes it.

Haters.

A sequel to Inception would be terrible.

[Raiders]

The only thing better than an Inception sequel is if Christopher Nolan mated with a clone of Christopher Nolan and the lovechild offspring created a trilogy of Inception films.

[Qrazy]

The only thing better than an Inception sequel is if Christopher Nolan mated with a clone of Christopher Nolan and the lovechild offspring created a trilogy of Inception films.

I'm not sure if the almighty Tarkovsky would allow that to happen. It may strain the fabric of his universe too far.

[Ezee E]

The best thing is clearly Bruce Wayne calling up Cobb about having to go into Joker's mind and find out where it is that Joker placed an even bigger bomb after he put one on that boat.

[Spinal]

Tangled is BETTER THAN Toy Story 3. And it isn't even close. Despite conventional wisdom and an abyssmal Disney marketing campaign, it is Pixar that has turned in a crass commercial effort in which it recycles one of its most dependable franchises and borrows heavily from The Brave Little Toaster while forgetting to bring the funny or a well-constructed screenplay. On the flipside, Disney, frequently seen as the villainous corporate behemoth, has produced a pitch-perfect tale of adventure and pure, humbling love. The emotion it evokes is honest and well-earned, not cheaply manipulative. The story it tells is heartbreakingly logical, not cloying. It is a film that may get lost in the shuffle this year, but will surely be seen in time as an animated classic to rank alongside the best Disney has created.

And anyone who can't recognize this basic truth is undoubtedly a hipster nihilist.

[jamaul]

The only thing better than an Inception sequel is if Christopher Nolan mated with a clone of Christopher Nolan and the lovechild offspring created a trilogy of Inception films.

But ... how would Christopher Nolan or Clone Christopher Nolan have a baby if they are both boys? :confused:

[Henry Gale]

I hate to admit it, but when I saw the picture in the first post my immediate assumption was that it was the main character from Meet The Browns.

http://incontention.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/white2.jpg ?http://i1.fc-img.com/CTV02/Comcast_CIM_Prod_Fancast_Image/81/260/1232040300503_01MeetTheBrowns_ mif_290_210.jpg
Hipster nihilist racism?

[NickGlass]

Women Without Men is BETTER THAN Everyone Else, The Kids Are All Right, Please Give, and Winter's Bone. Shirin Neshat's debut feature--a magic-realist network narrative set against the backdrop of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état--has received far less attention than these other films directed by women, but it has more chutzpah than all of them put together.

Seriously, though, what is this? The only similarity is that they're directed by women.

[Fezzik]

Tangled is BETTER THAN Toy Story 3.


Dammit, beat me to it.

As for me...


Scott Pilgrim vs The World IS BETTER THAN The Social Network

While both are either about or fueled by current popular culture (Nerd/Hipster culture in Pilgrim, Facebook in Network), Wright uses the platform to create a fun, breezy film that highlights (and lampoons) its source culture, while Network takes the story of the most popular website on the planet and turns it into a chatty, overly self-important look at current business practices.

[baby doll]

Seriously, though, what is this? The only similarity is that they're directed by women.It seems that every reviewer has been going on about what a great year it was for movies directed by women, while always praising the same three movies--The Kids Are All Right, Please Give, and Winter's Bone, none of which I was particularly crazy about. Like I said, it's harder than it looks.

Here's another attempt...

La Fille du RER is BETTER THAN Everyone Else. The young lovers in André Téchiné's new film live in the larger world with the rest of us, while Maren Ade isolates hers in a summer home in Sardinia, limiting the film's resonance.

The Ghost Writer is BETTER THAN Winter's Bone. In Debra Granik's neo-realist thriller, the Iraq war is seen but not heard, allowing the film to seem political without having to take a stand either way (Manny Farber would call this a gimp). Apparently, only in a European film is it even conceivable that a former head of state could stand trial for human rights abuses.

I Love You Phillip Morris is BETTER THAN The Kids Are All Right. Lisa Cholodenko's bougie LA sit-com is a feature length "It Gets Better" video about lesbian moms who've made it to the Promised Land. Meanwhile, it's only a small part of Phillip Morris' achievement that it isn't so constrained by pious ideas of equality that the characters aren't allowed to be interesting.

Women Without Men is BETTER THAN Please Give. Both of these network narratives about the lives of women are half-baked, but where Nicole Holofcener's latest is a derivative, stylistically bland Woody Allen knock off, Shirin Neshat's debut feature has no shortage of chutzpah, both in terms of form and content.

[Mara]

Tangled is BETTER THAN Toy Story 3. And it isn't even close.

Although I liked Toy Story 3 better than you did, this statement is still true.

Mother knows best.

[Sycophant]

Tangled is BETTER THAN Toy Story 3. And it isn't even close. Despite conventional wisdom and an abyssmal Disney marketing campaign, it is Pixar that has turned in a crass commercial effort in which it recycles one its most dependable franchises and borrows heavily from The Brave Little Toaster while forgetting to bring the funny or a well-constructed screenplay. On the flipside, Disney, frequently seen as the villainous corporate behemoth, has produced a pitch-perfect tale of adventure and pure, humbling love. The emotion it evokes is honest and well-earned, not cheaply manipulative. The story it tells is heartbreakingly logical, not cloying. It is a film that may get lost in the shuffle this year, but will surely be seen in time as an animated classic to rank alongside the best Disney has created.

And anyone who can't recognize this basic truth is undoubtedly a hipster nihilist.

This is a good post. Tangled has been sitting well and is improving even still as I think about it, while I never liked TS3 much and it's further soured on reflection.

[dmk]

Shutter Island is BETTER THAN Inception
Please Give is BETTER THAN Inception
Piranha 3D is BETTER THAN Inception
Kaboom is BETTER THAN Inception
The Other Guys is BETTER THAN Inception
Inception is BETTER THAN Inception



Nicole Holofcener's latest is... stylistically bland
Why they didn't hire De Palma to direct it I'll never figure out.

[soitgoes...]

Tougher than it looks, isn't it?Not really. I was making fun of the fact that it's in to compare any film to Inception or The Social Network.

[baby doll]

Not really. I was making fun of the fact that it's in to compare any film to Inception or The Social Network.They are the consensus favorites.