Big Mike's Top Films of the Decade, Part 3

10. About A Boy (2002)

Hugh Grant gives his finest, his favorite and his most natural performance in About A Boy, a film that could have fallen into more than a dozen movie clichés, but instead becomes something very touching by belying it’s story with relatable characters in real situations. A strong British cast and a director who insisted on keeping it British-based like the novel by Nick Horby, combine to make a film would shun conventional wisdom and become a new type of film in the romantic comedy genre. Divorce, suicide and drug use may have been slightly more taboo in 2002, (no rhyme intended) but Will, Marcus, Fiona, Ellie, Rachel and Ali manage to come together and carve out a life for themselves amongst their unique island chain that more closely resembles the familial units of today that perhaps any other movie before or since it.

9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Very few romantic comedies actually get to be funny, touching and realistic all at once which makes Forgetting Sarah Marshall so unforgettable (pun intended.). With a great script and leading turn from Jason Segal made his Peter Brenner such a lovable character, you sympathized with him instantly. But, the performances of the other Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand made a much more profound story of people caught up in each other’s love lives, where nobody is the villain and even our hero needs to work on himself. It’s a very personal and moving film beneath the full frontal male nudity and puppet musicals, Forgetting Sarah Marshall stands as one of the best pure romantic comedies of all time.

8. Iron Man (2008)

The second best comic book movie on this list, for being able to do what The Dark Knight did better. By making Tony Stark a human character with very real flaws and setting the story in a world we recognize, director Jon Favreau blew the lid off of the summer last year for Marvel comics, die hard comic geeks, mainstream audiences, rival studios and oh yea, a little actor named Robert Downey Jr. Although he never really left, Iron Man was his overhand right knockout punch of a comeback that solidified him not only as one of our most talented actors, but a bonafide movie star.

7. Amelie (2001)

Exaggeration aside, it is extremely difficult NOT to fall in love with Audrey Tautou’s Amelie and her fabulous destiny. A romantic fantasy of a movie with a look that goes hand in hand with the main character, Amelie was a movie that made casual moviegoers take a second look at foreign films, but honestly, I just fall to pieces every time that I watch it. Even though the outcome is predictable enough after the first viewing, you fall in love with Amelie and hope for her to find love and find herself all over again.

6. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Combining zombies, British romantic comedies and a fast paced visual style that matched the tone of the picture; Shaun of the Dead was a bit of fried gold in a genre that had long gone stale.Action comedies had died off in the early Nineties, along with horror films, but here was a movie that never took itself too seriously, but was dead on (pun intended) as both a great film and a loving homage to it’s numerous influences. Scary, hilarious and touching, the movie and its creators managed to achieve what many movies fail to even aspire to become and that’s why you find it on most lists for this decade.

5. The Aviator (2004)

The second Scorsese movie on the list already, but it was probably a more personal film than even Gangs of New York. The story of Howard Hughes follows him from a young film director to aviation pioneer and shows us his relentless drive for perfection, the toll it takes on his personal life and what it means to struggle and fight for your vision. Sound familiar? Scorsese also seamlessly weaves in brilliant performances from everyone in the cast including DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin while shooting the film not only in period, but also in the cinematic style of the period from two-strip color film to dazzling Technicolor. One of his many underrated masterpieces, in the end, it might hold up better than a lot of his other films.

4. The Prestige (2006)

This might have been the movie I watched the most times in this decade, if for no other reason than I was determined to discover the secret of Borden’s trick. But, that’s not important in hindsight, because The Prestige is an amazing film that is not only a meditation on cinema itself, but plays with the very idea of entertainers, audiences and the relationship between the two of them. A lot of people talk about seeing something new every time they watch a movie, but The Prestige is a film in which it’s actually true. Chris Nolan made this movie in between both Batman films and matures so nicely as a director, it’s exciting to think about what he will bring in the 10’s with Inception and a third Batman film.

3. Children of Men (2006)

Though Children of Men certainly has its detractors, the movie has made several best of the 00’s lists and for good reason. Coming of the critical success of his installment of Harry Potter, director Alfonso Cuaron co-wrote and directed the science fiction story of a future where humankind is going extinct and made an amazing movie by focusing on the simple plotline of ‘get the girl to the boat.’ Clive Owen gives probably his best performance as Theo, a disillusioned former revolutionary, who becomes the reluctant hero that might just save mankind. But, the movie just pulls you into the story with a stark vision of the future that every day looks more and more likely and combines it with very simple characters trying to change the world and make a new future.

2. The Departed (2006)

The first of a few Scorsese movies on this list, The Departed is unique on the 2000’s because it is the one film that is really Scorsese in his comfort zone. A cop and robbers story set against the backdrop of Boston and Irish Americans (yes, it is important to note that.) he goes back to theGoodfellas style of directing and pulls out all the tricks, winning himself his Academy Award at long last. But, for me the film is all about the performances of the two leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. That both were ignored in the award season that year is more criminal that anything else in the movie. Even when you can start to sense every twist and turn in the story, Leo and Matty keep you on edge and manage to make you fearful for both of their lives, never knowing which one you really want to side with. And isn’t that a great theme for the film?

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

What can I say about this movie a year after its release that I haven’t said over and over again on this blog? Forget about the Academy Awards, the billion-dollar box office, the brilliant performances of Heath Ledger, Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, and the amazing talent of Chris Nolan as director and writer, the IMAX images, the breathtaking action sequences and the horrifying realistic themes of the film. The Dark Knight is just pure entertainment, a crime story, a comic book movie, and a political and social commentary and hands down one of the most fantastic movies I’ve ever seen in my life. I said it that morning after I walked out of the theatre and I will stand by it for the next several decades.

Get Spaced!

I've written about it time and time before. And now, the genius comedy that is Spaced is available for free on Hulu. Click the pic!



No more excuses. Get Spaced.

The Final Frontier

I thought that my first blog back should have some sort of profound meaning and indeed, it might.  You see, I have never seen a Star Trek movie before.  Ever.  Not a single one.  Never watched the original show, Next Generation, nothing.  Honestly, I have been anti-Trek since I was a kid.  I'm Star Wars all the way.  And amongst my other Trekkers fans, I was the most excited to see Star Trek this summer.  I believed that J.J. Abrams was going to make an amazing movie that would completely re-invent the franchise while maintaining the spirit of the original.  You know how I knew that?  Not by watching Alias or Lost, because I don't watch those shows.  I guess I just took it on faith.  And I was not disappointed.

Star Trek grabs you with a great opening sequence and does not slow down.  This is Abrams' Trek, straight up and down.  Space battles, giant monsters, time travel and lots of fights serve to make it feel like a real science fiction/action movie set in the world of Star Trek.  It is a reboot of a franchise along the lines of Casino Royale more than Batman Begins.  But, of course the main core of the film is the cast.  To re-cast actors in roles that have been iconic for more than forty years was quite a task, but everyone in the film performs admirably.   Pine and Quinto are big studs, man and they both carry the film.  Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Karl Urban and Simon Pegg make their characters unique yet familiar, recognizable yet distinct.  (I know that I am speaking as if I am more than knowledgeable on Trek, but let's be honest.  Hasn't it been parodied to the point where even if you've never seen it, you've already seen it?)  And Zoe Saldana is pretty hot too, even when competing with green chicks and Winona Ryder.  But, Pine makes the movie for me.  He comes out of nowhere to completely steal the show.  I've been looking forward to his performance since I first saw the trailer in front of Quantum of Solace.  My friends and I attended at double bill of Casino Royale and Quantum at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and as we stood in line, we noticed this pretty boy with his chick standing in front of the door.  They didn't appear to have a ticket because they weren't going in, but was dressed so trendy that we couldn't help but laugh and refer to him as "Jim Bond".  It wasn't until after we watched the Star Trek trailer and our shouting subsided that we realized, "Hey, that was Captain Kirk outside."  I hope he was happy with our response because we felt guilty for making fun of him earlier.  And after watching the film twice, I feel real bad about it.

As I mentioned, I have never seen a Trek movie before, but after walking out of the theatre, I told my friend that I hope they make fourTEEN more Star Trek movies like this.

Spaced Case

If you have never watched Spaced, it almost defies description. Simply, it is a British sitcom about Tim and Daisy, pretending to be a professional couple in order to rent a small flat. But the show is so much more than that. It transcends the limitations of a conventional television series and became a meditation on all things British, pop culture and your mid-twenties. Believe me when I say that if you’re reading my blog, Spaced is right up your alley.

Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes (nee Stevenson) star as the title characters and wrote all fourteen episodes of both series. What’s remarkable about the show is that each series is written almost as a stand alone since they never knew if they would be another series. So, instead of ending with a big cliffhanger, each series ends with a more satisfying resolution. Also, every episode was directed by Edgar Wright, a rarity anywhere in television. He brings his style to Simon and Jess’s sensibilities and they created a show with a huge cult following in England and abroad. Finally, the show is available on a Region 1 DVD.

And what a DVD package it is. Not only are all the commentaries and extras from the Region 2 release included, but oh so much more. All new commentaries have been recorded for the American release with notable American fans coming into the booth. Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Diablo Cody and Matt Stone all discuss and share with Edgar, Simon and Jess on several episodes. For my money though, I like the commentaries in which Edgar is joined only by Patton Oswalt or Bil Hader. This lets them really talk more about the show instead of just branching off into other things as most Kev Smith commentaries tend to do. Patton, Bill and Edgar get to geek out over the Star Wars references, cursing and smoking on television and the lovely Daisy Steiner. There is also a feature length documentary about the making of Spaced which includes all the original cast members and key crew members, as well as a few critics and fans. Edgar, Simon and Jess revisit different locations and discuss all the hard work and fun that encapsulated the series’ run for three years.

So, what is the show all about? Simon and Jess pitched it as The Simpsons, X-Files and Northern Exposure. But, I think if you have ever wondered what a live action Family Guy might look like, imagine it with British accents and its almost as good as Spaced. Filled with references to film and television as well as cutaways, circular comedy and constant callbacks, it’s better than 30 Rock and as good as Arrested Development. Its chock full of great lines, big sequences and relatable characters. For anybody who has ever danced like a chicken, lived every week like Shark Week or used the phrase “Worst. Anything. Ever.” then you simply must see Spaced. I cannot say enough good things about this show that I am really a huge fan of it and want to give it the Big Mike Bump so that more people see it, love it and share it. Currently, BBC America is rerunning episodes nightly, so you can get a free taste of the show and I promise you, you will want to get the DVD set. It is art of the highest level, a prime example of the medium being used to transcend its means and touch the core of its audience on a very personal and intimate way. “Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits, rabbits, rabbits!”

It’s not finished!

It’s finished.