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Plenty to talk about this week so let’s get right to it.

 

Golden Globes Competition

 

The 2010 Golden Globe Awards are being held next Monday (Jan 18) around lunchtime Brisbane time.  They’re always an important lead up to the Oscars.  Generally, the winners take on front-runner status… particularly if they make a good acceptance speech (tears never hurt).

 

I have an Oscars competition each year but to make things a little more interesting in 2010, I’ve put together a Golden Globes competition too.  I've picked six tricky categories (including one in the TV field) for you to chew over.  Simply pick who you think will win and you're in with a chance.  There's also a tie-breaker question in case it's required - you must guess the age of the presenter of the Best Motion Picture Drama award.

 

The prize is a double movie pass to the film of your choice (I'll even try to get you along to a preview if I can).  As an alternative (and this will be useful for those not in Brisbane), I'll buy you a DVD that you’ve always been after.

 

Entries close on Sunday night, January 17 and you can enter by visiting the Film Pie website right here - http://www.thefilmpie.com.

 

Golden Globe Bets

 

I usually have a bet or two on the Golden Globes (as well as the Oscars) and this year is no exception.

 

I’d like you to think that I have some credibility when it comes to this sort of thing so you can check out my history right here.  I’m up just over $4,500 for the past 14 years and that ain’t bad.

 

That said, I’ve found things quite tough this year at the Globes.  There are obvious winners (Waltz, Mo’nique) but some categories are wide open.  That being the case, I’ve gone for value in the two big categories…

 

$100 on The Hurt Locker at $5.50 to win best drama to return $550.

$50 on 500 Days Of Summer at $6.00 to win best comedy/musical to return $300.

$100 on Carey Mulligan at $2.50 to win best actress (drama) to return $250.

 

With Up In The Air at $1.80 (ridiculously short) and Avatar at $3.75, I think there’s good value in The Hurt Locker’s $5.50.  Any of these three films could win but for the awards darling (Hurt Locker) to be at such long odds is too good to resist.  Considering that Kathryn Bigelow is $1.65 to win the best director prize, I’ll take $5.50 any day of the week!

 

Nine is the front runner in the best picture drama category but never has a film looked so vulnerable.  It flopped at the box-office and it didn’t even make the top 15 at the British Academy Awards shortlist.  Whatever the Golden Globes folk were smoking when they submitted their nominations, will surely have worn off by now.  I see 500 Days Of Summer and The Hangover as the two big dangers.  Given my love for the former, I’ve taken a punt at the odds of $6.00.

 

I wanted to have one bet amongst the acting categories and have singled out Carey Mulligan in a wide open race.  I think she’s wonderful in An Education but is up against Sandra Bullock (my arch nemesis) for The Blind Side and Gabby Sidibe for Precious.  She’s won quite a few awards already and I think she’s got the smooth English charm to woo the Hollywood Foreign Press (who run the Globes).  If Bullock wins, it will give me yet another reason to dislike her (aside from her last 40 movies).

 

The Hurt Locker

 

While speaking of The Hurt Locker, I can now answer a question which people have been putting to me – will we ever see it here in Brisbane?  It’s a serious Oscar contender and it was released more than 6 months ago in the United States.  What’s going on???

 

The good news is that film will be released in Brisbane on February 25.  It will be showing at the Hoyts Regent, Palace Centro, Balmoral, Southbank, Chermside and Gold Coast Arts Centre cinemas.  Excellent news about the release (although very close to the Oscars themselves) and I can’t wait to see it.

 

Avatar

 

I discussed Avatar in great detail last week but as a quick update, it is now the highest grossing film in Australian box-office history.  Last Friday night, it had taken an estimated $58.8m which defeats Titanic’s record of $57.7m.  Yes, the 3D prices are higher and yes, there’s been inflation but it’s still phenomenal when you consider that the 12 year record was defeated by Avatar in just 22 days.  Who knows how much it will end up making???  Also of interest is the fact that 78% of all customers here in Australia have seen it in 3D (which is great).

 

Avatar now has $429 million in the bank in the United States and $1.3352 billion from worldwide takings.  Titanic’s record will not last for much longer.

 

Australian Box-Office

 

A new Australian vampire movie shot here in Brisbane called Daybreakers opened in the United States last week with a nice $15m.  Many have been critical of the Australian film industry in recent years (because we make films which aren’t marketable) so it’s good to see local product making a mark internationally.  I’ve seen the film (which is quite good) and I’ll publish my review when it’s released in early February.

 

Here’s a link to an article on the Inside Film website which shows all the 2009 Australian films and how much they made at the box-office.  For some films, the news wasn’t good but it’s not easy competing against overseas product.  And I can assure you that there are plenty of good films around the world which make no money (just go to the Sundance Film Festival for example).  My point is that it’s not just in Australia where people won’t see decent movies.

 

I have to laugh though at Prey, which sits at the bottom of the list.  I remember seeing it on a Saturday night at the Palace Barracks (in a big cinema I might add) and I was the only soul in the theatre.  But the fact that it made just $744 is dreadful.  Considering I paid $10 for my ticket, I can now proclaim that I contributed 1.3% of the total box-office of a movie.  That’s funny for me but not so funny for the film’s producers.  It was a terrible movie though (featuring in my worst 10 of the year list).

 

Margaret Pomeranz – A Good Sport

 

At The Movies with Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton is one of my favourite shows on the television.  I try not to miss it each week.  The way they interact is hilarious.

 

For fans of Margaret, you’ll hopefully find this clip very amusing – an on-line ad for the new Triple J Breakfast show.  She’s a great sport.

 

The Ice Storm

 

I almost didn’t know about it but last Wednesday I was able to see a screening of The Ice Storm at the Gallery Of Modern Art.  It’s part of a retrospective of the films of Ang Lee (which include Sense & Sensibility – my favourite romantic film and Brokeback Mountain).  Former premier Wayne Goss was in the crowd so I give him a thumbs up for having good taste.

 

The film is 12 years old and yet I can remember seeing it with my younger sister on Boxing Day in 1997 at the now defunct Village Twin.  It’s such a great film and if you haven’t seen it yet, keep an eye out for it in DVD stores (or on television).

 

It was great seeing it on the big screen again but the final 20 minutes was ruined by the inattentive projectionist.  The lens was too low and as a result, the bottom of the screen was cut off and we could see the odd boom mike at the top.  There were plenty of laughs in the audience which ruined the emotional ending.

 

That does it for another week.  Don’t forget to enter the Golden Globes competition!

 

 

Saddle up.  The 2010 movie year is underway!  I hope everyone had a great break and were able to catch up on a few movies.  There wasn’t much for me to see at the cinemas (I’d seen most of them in previews) but I had fun catching up on some old classics on Foxtel.

 

Before I continue, I do need to reminisce.  In 1996, I started grading every film I saw (on an A+ to C- scale) and kept all the results in a spreadsheet.  In 1999, I started up a simple website and sent out a weekly e-newsletter to a few friends to let them know what was worth seeing.  In 2000, I started writing up full length reviews at the rate at roughly two per week.  In 2005, I started reviewing on-air for 612ABC helping further spread my learned / warped opinions.

 

Time does fly.  It is now 2010.  According to my database, I’ve seen and graded 2,751 films in the past 14 years.  I’ve also written 1,080 full length reviews.  If you’d have said I’d still be doing this back on 1 January 1996 when I graded my first two films (Operation Dumbo Drop and Copycat), I’d have had a quiet chuckle.  It’s funny how the world works.  The unanswerable question is – what would have done with the all the spare time from the past decade if DIDN’T have such a love for movies???

 

2009 – A Fantastic Year

 

We’ll all have our own perspectives on “the year that was” but I have to say that 2009 was a pretty damn good one for me.  The highlights included:

 

   -Hosting an hour long Q&A with Anthony LaPaglia and others involved with Balibo (view the photos here).
   -Interviewing Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson on the red carpet at the Gold Coast premiere of Charlie & Boots (view the photos here).
   -Managing the Queensland Colts golf team (ages 18 to 23) for the annual inter-state series competition in Melbourne (and I made a video which you can see clips of here).
   -Starting a new DVD review show on ABC Southern Queensland every Friday morning with David Illife (where I get to speak about both current and classic movies).
   -Creating a brand new website (which took some self-teaching) and converting over 1,000 old reviews (this took months).
   -Attending what is likely to be the last Brisbane International Film Festival at the Regent and getting to meet Oscar favourite Carey Mulligan in person.
   -Finally making an effort to attend more theatrical productions (I saw four in 2009 and am looking to increase that this year).
   -Meeting a bunch of cool people through the creation of my Film Pie Facebook group and Twitter account (which now has me hooked).
   -Winning money by gambling on the Oscars and the Golden Globes for the eighth year in a row.

 

See, told you it was a good year (I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m bragging… not meant to… just exciting).  The downside is that it’s going to be hard to top in 2010 but we’ll see.

 

Over the holidays, I was able to tweak the website a little.  There’s now a live Twitter feed on my front page (where you can see me rambling on about a whole bunch of movie and non-movie things) and I’ve also improved the search engine functionality.

 

2010 – Looking Forward

 

I honestly surprise myself by how much I am able to squeeze out of my life.  I am a busy, busy man and I can easy stress / freak out.  So I need to try to not bite off more than I can chew in 2010 – but I’m sure I will anyway. J  But one resolution I do have is to attend a major international film festival (Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Venice) in the next 2-3 years.  I think it’d be a fun experience so I need to set it as a goal now so I don’t let it slip off the radar.

 

I’ve already penned a few reviews for 2010 films which should easy my load over the next month.  There’s some great movies coming out – as tends to be the case during Oscar season.  I look forward to telling you all about them.

 

Films due to be released in the next few months which I’m very keen to see are A Single Man, The  Hurt Locker, Precious and Percy Jackson & The Lightening Thief (call that one a guilty pleasure – the trailer looks cool).

 

Avatar

 

Late last year, I gave a huge thumbs up to Avatar and declared it my second best movie of 2009.  It looks like a lot of people have agreed.

 

Avatar has been a stunning hit at the box-office.  I have spoken to so many people who have been annoyed to be going along and then finding the session they’re after sold out.  Demand has been huge and cinema owners must be loving it.

 

I must confess that it’s going to be a shame to see Titanic’s long standing records defeated.  I know there are a lot of Titanic bashers but I stand by my original review – it’s one of the great films ever made.  Titanic spent an incredible 15 consecutive weeks atop the U.S. box-office chart.  My memory is a little hazy but I don’t think another film has spent more than 4 weeks on top since that date.  That’s impressive!

 

Titanic made $600 million in the United States (second best is The Dark Knight with $533m) and $1.835 billion worldwide (second best is The Return Of The King with $1.129 billion).  When you consider inflation over the past 12 years (which I estimate as being around 40% - that’s the accountant nerd in me coming out), it’s even more impressive that Titanic’s record still stands – and by such a wide margin!

 

But as the saying goes, records are meant to be broken.  The irony is that after 12 years of waiting, it’ll be James Cameron’s next film which will unseat Titanic.

 

In just 17 days, Avatar has made $352.1m in the United States and $1.022 billion worldwide.  Word is still spreading and I think the international total could end up topping $2 billion.  I admit these numbers can be a little distorting because the ticket prices for Avatar have been higher than your average movie (as its in 3D) but you can balance that up against the global financial crisis which you’d think would have had a small downward impact on sales.  Still, I must say wow!  James Cameron has done it again.  Despite all the doubters before the films release (who focused on the huge cost), he’s proven himself as one of the great filmmakers of all time.  Whether you like his movies or not, majority opinion rules.

 

Awards News

 

Not long after I published my final blog of 2009, the Golden Globe nominations were announced.  To quickly recap, the best picture nominees were:

 

Best Picture (Drama) – Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, Up In The Air

Best Picture (Musical / Comedy) – 500 Days Of Summer (yay), The Hangover, It’s Complicated, Julie & Julia, Nine

 

Both races are going to be very close and I’d hate to have to pick a winner at this point.  The winners are announced on January 18 (Brisbane time).

 

The other big lead-up awards are the guilds.  The Screen Actors Guild have already given their nominees for the best performances.  The Producers Guild announces their nominees on January 5 and the Directors Guild on January 7.  These two are particularly important since they almost mirror the Oscar nominees.

 

At this point in time, the race for the best picture Oscar is down to 4 films – Avatar, Up In The Air, The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds.  I’m confidently picking Avatar at this point.  The box-office is phenomenal and everyone is talking about it.  I know the Academy does not tend to embrace science-fiction but I think the film is too big to ignore and the competition is too weak.  The Hurt Locker made a meagre $12m at the box-office in the United States and Up In The Air is struggling to get a lot of momentum.

 

Some have been critical about the weak plot or even weaker dialogue in Avatar.  I disagree with those criticisms (to each their own though) but when it comes to awarding a best picture prize, witty dialogue doesn’t usually count for much.  How else can you explain the wins of films such as Braveheart (over Sense & Sensibility, Apollo 13), Titanic (over L.A. Confidential) and Gladiator (over Traffic).

 

Anyway, I’ll have more in coming weeks on the race to the Oscars (which are held this year on March 7).  My annual pick the winners competition (now in its 10th year) will also keep you guessing.

 

That’ll do me for the first week.  I’ll now start thinking about stuff to ramble on about for the next 51 weeks.

 

One of my favourite parts of any day is the moment when I lie in bed and first put my head on the pillow.  The day is complete.  I’ve given it all that I can and now I can rest and relax.  Any troubles fade away as I slip into the world of unconsciousness.

 

I kind of have that same feeling when putting together my list of the year’s best movies.  I’ve reached the end of a long journey and this is the last thing I must do before saying good-bye to the movie-going year.  I can then close the book, take a quick break and then charge myself up for a fresh year, filled with new adventures. 

 

I love putting together my top 10 list each year for two reasons.  Firstly, it’s a way of honouring and recognising these wonderful movies.  They have provided me great satisfaction and if anyone subsequently watches them based on my recommendation, I felt that I’ve done a service to the filmmaker.

 

Secondly, it provides a record of what the year was like in terms of movies.  Given that I’ve been reviewing seriously for more than a decade, I’ve now got plenty of lists to look back upon. The films from some years have definitely aged better than others.  It’s hard to believe that my first top 10 list, including such “classics” as Romeo & Juliet and The Ice Storm, was something I prepared 14 years ago.

 

On that note, here’s the quick honour role of my top films by year – Romeo & Juliet (1996), Titanic (1997), The Sweet Hereafter (1998), Being John Malkovich (1999), Billy Elliot (2000), Requiem For A Dream (2001), Mulholland Dr. (2002), Chicago (2003), Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004), Million Dollar Baby (2005), Capote (2006), The Lives Of Others (2007) and Juno (2008).

 

I need to point out that there’s no right or wrong answers when it comes to compiling a top 10 list.  We’ve all got different tastes and no two lists will ever be the same.  There’ll be some out there who will agree with most of my selections and there’ll be some who think the exact opposite.  That’s part of the reason why I love going to the movies.

 

I had some fun talk back calls on 612ABC just over a week ago when I went through my top 10 list.  You can listen by clicking here and you can also find it on the front page of my website.

 

Before I get to my top 10 for 2009, I have to name a few honourable mentions.  They were great movies but I couldn’t squeeze them into my list.  They are The Reader, Whip It, Changeling, Doubt, The Class, The International, Duplicity, State Of Play, Mary & Max, Let The Right One In, A Serious Man, Coraline, Up, Eden Is West, I Love You Man, Paranormal Activity, Drag Me To Hell, Balibo, Public Enemies, The Hangover and Where The Wild Things Are.  Wow, that’s a lot.

 

In all, I’ve seen 235 movies this year.  That’s my second best effort behind 2006 (when I saw 238 movies).  Without further adieu, I present the graduating class of 2009…

 

10.  Elegy

 

This is a deeply affecting film about life, love and loss. Ben Kingsley and Penelope Cruz give brilliant performances. I actually had the chance to see it twice at the cinemas and I loved it just as much the second time.  It just squeezes into my top 10.  

 

9.  An Education

 

An Education is a beautiful coming of age story. It's about a conservative girl in her final year of school who is swept off her feet by a much older guy. He opens her eyes to an exciting world outside her comfort zone. I went through every emotion watching this one and I think it’ll pop up at next year’s Oscars.  Star Carey Mulligan, who was in Brisbane to promote the film, is the front runner for best actress.

 

8.  Milk

 

Milk won 2 Oscars earlier in the year and brings to the screen the real life story of Harvey Milk, who in 1977 became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. He was assassinated one year later.  Sean Penn gives an incredible performance and I really enjoyed the movie for what it has to say.  Director Gus Van Sant placed me in a time-machine, took me back 30 years, and opened my eyes.

 

7.  The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls

 

I only saw this film a few weeks ago and it’s a doco which looks at the lives of Jools and Lynda Topp - a yodeling, folk singing comedy duo to come out New Zealand. This is pure, joyous entertainment. I had a smile on my face the whole time. Their songs are terrific but we also see some of the great work they've done in their roles as political activists. This is the year's best documentary.

 

6.  500 Days Of Summer

 

Romantic comedies are usually my least favoured films but 500 Days Of Summer flips the genre on its head. The boy (Joseph Gordon Levitt) is the emotional character who believes in love at first sight. The girl (Zooey Deschanel) is the care-free character with a fear of commitment. Told creatively through flashbacks, this is a terrific film with an awesome soundtrack.

 

5.  Departures

 

Departures was an uplifting tear-jerker about an unemployed cellist who finds work in a funeral home. He helps prepare the dead for whatever lies beyond. This Japanese film won the Oscar for best foreign language film earlier in the year and now I know why. Softly directed and deeply moving. Just incredible.

 

4.  Summer Hours

 

Summer Hours was a beautiful French film about three siblings who have some tough decisions to make following the death of their elderly mother. It makes you think about how much we really know our own families and the way in which we feel a connection with material possessions.  Reflective, comforting and thought provoking.  Director Olivier Assayas has done well.

 

3.  Revolutionary Road

 

Revolutionary Road stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as a young couple in the 1950s having some serious marital problems.  I loved the intricacies of the characters but boy, this was heavy going.  It’s dark and depressing.  Watching these two characters argue so heatedly on screen made me very sad.  But this is a compliment and it shows just how powerful a movie can be.

 

2.  Avatar

 

Avatar has raised the bar in terms of action movies. This is the most spectacularly visual film ever seen on a big screen. It made me feel like a kid again. The "critic" side of my brain was switched off - I just sat back and immersed myself in this epic adventure. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to has loved it and I think this is going to be high atop of the box-office charts for a few weeks.  Can it win the Oscar?  I’ve now seen it twice and think it’s a big chance.

 

1.  The Wrestler

 

The Wrestler was released way back in January but all year I’ve had an inkling that it’d be my number 1 film of the year.  As the credits started to roll, I wanted to stand up in my seat and cheer.  Mickey Rourke plays a semi-retired wrestler who tries to resurrect his career and repair his relationship with his teenage daughter.  It highlights the harsh realities of professional sport but it’s ultimately a movie about a broken man trying to find a purpose for his life.  I won’t easy forget it.

 

 

The Film Pie banner on my website has been updated to show an image from these 10 films – a tradition I’ve adopted for the last five years.

 

As this is my final blog of 2009, I’d like to wish everyone “a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah, a Krazy Kwanzaa, a Tip-Top Tet, and a solemn and meaningful Ramadan.

 

I look forward to a great year of cinema in 2010.  See you at the movies!

 


It’s the penultimate blog of 2009.  Next week, I’ll unveil the final version of my top 10 list of 2009.  If you’re looking for a sneak peak, you can listen my 612ABC show from last Thursday where I went through the list with Spencer.  We also took some talkback on people’s favourites.  You can listen right here -

 

612ABC Best Of Year Show

 

One film which will be making the list (which wasn’t included in the show) is Avatar, which I saw last Friday night.  It is simply stunning and you must see it.  The reviews from most critics have been glowing and this is going to win a lot of Oscars (certainly in the technical categories).  Whether it can win the big one remains to be seen but this movie has serious momentum and will make a lot of money.

 

AFI Awards

 

The 2009 AFI Awards were held over the weekend and here were the major winners –

 

Best Film – Samson & Delilah

Best Director – Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah)

Best Original Screenplay – Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah)

Best Adapted Screenplay – David Williamson & Robert Connolly (Balibo)

Best Actor – Anthony LaPaglia (Balibo)

Best Actress – Frances O’Connor (Blessed)

Best Supporting Actor – Oscar Issac (Balibo)

Best Supporting Actress – Rachel Griffiths (Beautiful Kate)

 

Not to sound like a broken record but 2009 has been a great year for Australian cinema in terms of quality.  I’ve seen plenty of amazing films and I can’t begrudge Samson & Delilah winning the top prize.  I have a soft spot for Balibo after meeting Anthony LaPaglia and hosting a Q&A earlier in the year.  It was nice to see that film recognised also – and LaPaglia deservedly winning the best actor prize.  I also supported the win of Frances O’Connor for best actress after 4 previous nominations without a win.

 

I don’t know what’s in the works for 2010 but let’s hope some more terrific Aussie films will be seen.

 

3D Reaches Dendy Portside

 

The Dendy Portside cinemas are the latest to acquire a 3D projector.  They’ve gotten in just in time and I think the Dendy would be a superb venue to watch the 3D version of Avatar.  Tickets are $18.50 for adults and $15.00 for Club Dendy members.  I know it sounds a little pricey but as I’ve spoken about previously, these projectors are expensive and the cinemas have to find some way of recouping the large cost.

 

Matt’s Best Of The Decade – Drama

 

For the past 10 weeks, I’ve been slowly revealing my best films of the decade.

 

We’re done to the grand finale this week – my two favourite drama films.  And I have to admit that when I think about, these two films would be my OVERALL favourites of the decade.  I’ve seen them a lot of times and I’ve never grown tired of them.

 

Both were released back in 2000 and they are…

 

    Billy Elliot (released in 2000) – full review is here.

 

    Magnolia (released in 2000) - full review is here

 

I ended up seeing Billy Elliot five times at the cinema.  That sounds a little crazy I know but I took different groups of friends each time.  It’s an incredible story which is told so beautifully by director Stephen Daldry (who earned an Oscar nomination).  There are so many great scenes and if I started talking about it now, I wouldn’t stop.

 

In 2005, I went to London to attend the British Open golf but also high on my list to do was see Billy Elliot: The Musical.  I queued up for 3 hours to get tickets (front row, centre) and simply adored it.  To see it with the original cast made the experience all the more special given it has become a worldwide sensation and is still being performed in both London and New York.

 

Magnolia is a completely different film – a 3 hour ensemble piece that you will either love or hate.  Paul Thomas Anderson is a talented director and this is his masterpiece.  He tells a compelling story but does so poetically – with the use of his camera lens and Jon Brion’s film score.  My favourite scene is a continuous take where the camera follows around a group of characters with no editing whatsoever.  He used the same technique in Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love.  The opening is brilliant and the ending is poignant.  This could be my most watched film on DVD.

 

Drama is a huge category and honourable mentions go to – American Beauty, Traffic, Monster’s Ball, The Quiet American, Million Dollar Baby, Capote, The Departed, United 93, The Wrestler, The Cider House Rules, The Insider, Topsy-Turvy, Wonder Boys, Almost Famous, Cast Away, The Contender, Thirteen Days, Bloody Sunday, Black Hawk Down, Last Orders, City Of God, The Emperor’s Club, The Pianist, 21 Grams, Elephant, House Of Sand & Fog, Touching The Void, The Constant Gardener, Good Night And Good Luck, Look Both Ways, Mysterious Skin, Sideways, Match Point, Atonement, Blood Diamond, Michael Clayton, The Namesake, No Country For Old Men, The Diving Bell & The Butterfly, There Will Be Blood, Milk, The Reader and Revolutionary Road.  Just to name a few…

 

If you missed past blogs, you can currently check out all my other favourite films of the decade on the front page of my website.