Films Watched: September 2011

These are the movies I watched in September:

September 4: The Cuckoo (dir. Aleksandr Rogozhkin, 2002)

It’s not that The Cuckoo is a bad World War II movie, I’m not feeling fatigued by World War II movies in general. [My post on The Cuckoo]

September 5: The Help (dir. Tate Taylor, 2011)

Viola Davis for Oscar! Viola Davis for Oscar! Her performance as Aibileen grounds this movie that has too many subplots and carries on for about 20 minutes too long.

Tangled (dir. Nathan Greno & Byron Howard, 2010)

Disney’s take on the Brothers Grimm Rapunzel is fresh. Rapuznel, voiced by Mandy Moore, is the kind of Disney princess you wish has been around a few years earlier.

September 8: The Devil’s Backbone (dir. Guillermo del Toro, 2001)

Spain loves three things apparently: horror films, the supernatural, and orphans. [My post on The Devil’s Backbone]

September 10: The Commitments (dir. Alan Parker, 1991)

The Commitments is the Strictly Ballroom of Ireland. Ponder that and watch this performance of Mustang Sally from when the cast reunited in March of this year. [My post on The Commitments]

September 11: Gettysburg (dir. Ronald F. Maxwell, 1993)

Gettysburg wins for having the best use of awesomely bad facial I have ever seen. I tweeted all about this and my other theories about this movie.

September 13: A Face in the Crowd (dir. Elia Kazan, 1957)

The final scene in A Face in the Crowd is one of the best I have ever seen. [My post on A Face in the Crowd.]

White Heat (dir. Raoul Walsh, 1949)

Do I need to anything more than this clip?

September 15: Magnolia (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999)

If Magnolia (or any movie with multiple interrelated characters) makes you suddenly view people, the world, or human experience differently, then you should probably open your eyes more often. [My post on Magnolia]

9/16: Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)

Drive oozes style. I’m still processing my thoughts on it but I overall really enjoyed the movie. Carey Mulligan seemed miscast but Ryan Gosling, the soundtrack, the driving scenes, and even the violence more than made up for it.

Ninja Assassin (dir. James McTeigue, 2009)

After careful consideration, I am not cut out for martial arts movies. [My post on Ninja Assassin]

September 18: The Fisher King (dir. Terry Gilliam, 1991)

A perfect mix of comedy, romance, and fantasy with touches of New York City’s at its finest. [My post on The Fisher King.]

September 19: You Again (dir.  Andy Fickman, 2010)

I love movies that try to ugly Kristen Bell and insult my intelligence/gender in an earnest attempt to be funny.

September 20: Temple Grandin (dir. Mick Jackson, 2010)

Temple Grandin was the TV movie of 2010. The strength of the movie comes from Temple Grandin’s life and from Claire Danes’ performance as the title character. Danes is remarkable in the role without seeming uncomfortable or cliched.

Legend (dir. Ridley Scott, 1985)

Legend is ridiculously awesome and has made me concerned that Robert Pattinson could be the next Tom Cruise of the world. [My post on Legend.]

September 21: The Lookout (dir. Scott Frank, 2007)

I realized midway through that I had already seen The Lookout, which is kind of ironic. [My post on The Lookout.]

September 22: The King of Comedy (dir. Martin Scorsese, 1983)

Celebrity stalking is freaky, especially when Sandra Bernhard gets involved. My post on The King of Comedy.

September 23: Ichi the Killer (dir. Takasi Miike, 2001)

I could only handle 30 minutes of this before I gave up. In my defense, some guys tongue got cut off.  [My post on Ichi the Killer.]

September 24: Moneyball (dir. Bennett Miller, 2011)

An enjoyable movie to start off Oscar season. [My review of Moneyball.]

Barton Fink (dir. Joel and Ethan Coen, 1991)

This was the last movie I watched for my birthday blitz marathon and writer’s block is a bitch.  [My post on Barton Fink.]