And the final report of the year...

The holiday season allowed me to do a significant chunk of movie watching, including the final new release of 2010. That makes the possible candidates for the 2010 Top Ten closed, with a top 10 list to come very shortly.

For now… here's what I saw in the past week.

TRUE GRIT (2010)

This was the one I wanted to see before the year got out, and my last two hours of available personal time for the year were put to good use, as I saw a 4:20 screening of this on Thursday at 12/30 before my day off. More about this later.

TIME AFTER TIME (1979)

First it was listed on Ain’t It Cool News as a good time traveler flick, and then the expiration date for Netflix Instant got closer. Finally, I wanted to see Malcolm McDowell again in something. It was pretty good.

That being said, I have to agree with some archived reviews that said the direction was clumsy. The romance was not very believable, and while it was a unique diversion for a sci-fi movie, it felt like it was an easy way to play along with a human interest subplot to avoid expanding the much more interesting and dynamic implications of both H.G. Wells being in modern society and Jack the Ripper reeking havoc in a new world.

I also have to say that, after watching a beautifully shot San Francisco in The Conversation a month ago and now this, that it seems like a really beautiful City to visit.

CHE (PARTS 1 AND 2)

[Criterion 496] This was a viewing project. A film in two parts (over two hours each) on Che Guevara. Selected randomly from my Netflix list, this is also a Criterion release and I’m still making my way through the extras on the Blu-Ray. Sometimes I don’t like to read the reviews afterwards because they reveal faults in the film I simply couldn’t realize while watching it because of the initial inundation of senses that comes with watching a movie made by someone who has an obvious vision and is passionate about it. And sure, the reviews I read had a little bit of a point, but I don't think anyone with some sense of impatience is going to dismiss some of the plotting and pacing that director Steven Sodenbergh decided to go with. I will say, that I did really want to see the second part (I split the viewing over two days) after the style and performance of part 1 hooked me. Given that I didn't know much about Che despite his appearance on the dorm room posters of radical college students, it's a very strong epic movie that can compell my attention like this film series did. With additional contemplation, I have to say that this film is nearly perfect and very long... whether length is good or bad I can't really conclude one way or another.

TOP 10 OF 2010 .... TOP 10 OF 2010 ... COMING SOON!