#57 - Taxi To The Dark Side

Directed by Alex Gibney
2007 Documentary
Rated R

****

Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room) directed this 2007 Oscar winning documentary about atrocities committed by U.S. soldiers at "terrorist prisons" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gibney is able to present the soldiers as normal people doing terrible things when put in an extraordinary situation, but he never makes apologies for them. The film is more about the lack of communication from the top to the bottom which allowed these atrocities to occur, and the way Bush and his aides used every loophole they could to basically grant them permission to do what they wanted to get information. While it is obvious what Gibney's own opinion is, he never lets it get in the way of presenting straight facts, and he crafts one of the better documentaries about the Iraq war.

#56 - Paranoid Park

Directed by Gus Van Sant
2007 Drama
Rated R

**** 1/2

Gus Van Sant's last four films, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, and Paranoid Park, have all had a similar style; experimental docu-dramas that follow seemingly normal situations that unexpectedly explode in violence. His next film, Milk, about the life of Harvey Milk, is a big-budget production with several stars, so it appears his style will be shifting again. But what a note to go out on. Paranoid Park tells the story of Alex, a 16 year-old skateboarder who witnesses a grisly accidental murder. Told from the perspective of Alex trying to write down what happened, it is told out of order, with things cut out and then added in later when Alex is finally able to write them down. The murder in question isn't actually seen by the viewer until about halfway through the murder, but no matter how much we have been prepared for it, it is still more shocking and disgusting than expected. As with his last two films, Van Sant's uses mostly non-actors, again getting that documentary feel that he seems to be going for, and it works perfectly. These kids feel so much like high schoolers and skateboarders because they ARE high schoolers and skateboarders. It would be interesting to see how Gerry would've worked had he gone with two non-actors instead of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. As for the pacing, people who weren't fans of the previous two films will find this much easier to follow; while it does jump around a lot, Van Sant has realized that he can throw in some straightforward movie techniques and still stay true to his vision. The film certainly feels largely improvised, and it works in its favor. Alex's discussion with the Detective plays out completely like you would expect in real life. This is Van Sant's most complete of his recent films (though maybe less affecting), and he seems to have realized it. Looking forward to what style he goes with next.

#55 - L' Armée des ombres

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville
1969 War Drama
Not Rated

*****

Last year, Jean-Pierre Melville's 1969 masterpiece about the French Resistance during World War II, Army Of Shadows, was finally released in the United States. Melville has always been one of the more interesting French New Wave directors to me, mainly because he was so capable of making films that would appeal to both independent film purists and action lovers equally. Take an early scene, for example, when Gerbier (Lino Ventura), who has just escaped from the Nazis, is running down a dark street to escape his captors. Despite the lack of a soundtrack, Melville basically creates one with the sound of Gerbier's shoes hitting the pavement with every step. It is an incredibly tense moment, and just one example of what an innovator the director was. The rest of the film is equally as brilliant, though certainly dark...about as dark as a film can get. Don't expect to smile much through these 2 1/2 hours, as there isn't much to smile about. But find happiness in the fact that you are seeing one of the great films of all time.

#54 - Hot Rod

Directed by Akiva Schaffer
2007 Comedy
Rated PG-13

**

The whole time I was watching this movie I was trying to think of the right word that could pretty much sum up all my thoughts on it. Finally I have. Underwhelming. From the script, to the performances, to the jokes, everything could've been quite a bit better with just a little more work, and some different choices in a few places. Andy Samberg stars as Rod Kimble, an amateur stuntman, who, when his stepfather needs $50,000 for a heart operation, decides to jump fifteen buses to raise the money. While Samberg certainly shows that he has comedic chops and knows how to use them, I really don't think he's well suited as the leading man type. As for the rest of the cast, it's very hit or miss; while Bill Hader is (as usual) hilarious as Rod's friend Dave, Isla Fisher's over-the-top comedic talents are completely wasted having her as the straight-girl love interest. Also wasted are Sissy Spacek and Will Arnett, who don't have enough to work with, and Chris Parnell, who comes into the movie way too late. As for the script, the story is flismy and pretty dumb, but I wasn't expecting any more than that, as this is an SNL production. What I was expecting more of, however, was jokes; the biggest judge of whether a comedy is good or not is how much it makes you laugh, and this was certainly closer to the low end of the spectrum (though I will say the "Rod's Quiet Place" sequence was hilarious). Hot Rod is full of missed opportunities; with a little more work (or maybe an R rating?), they definitely could've had a modern cult classic in the vein of Wet Hot American Summer on their hands; instead, it's proof that, despite the greatness of his Digital Shorts, Samberg isn't infallible.

#53 - Stranger Than Paradise

Directed by Jim Jarmusch
1984 Comedy/Drama
Rated R

****

Jim Jarmusch's 1984 Indie classic is shot in beautiful black and white, and seems almost like a comedic version of a John Cassavetes film; it's slow-moving, amateurishly acted, and shot mostly handheld. The charms of Jarmusch's dialogue manage to drag the film out of any slow spots it occasionally hits.

#52 - Rocket Science

Directed by Jeffrey Blitz
2007 Comedy
Rated R

**** 1/2

Last year, two heartwarming, crowd pleasing indie comedies were released. Both featured great performances, brilliant writing, and fun, hip scores. The difference between the two, however, is that one went on to win an Oscar and be nominated for three more (Juno), and the other went under pretty much everyone's radar (Rocket Science). Why Juno proved to be a blockbuster when Rocket Science didn't I couldn't say, though I can assure you distribution companies had A LOT to do with it. Newcomer Reece Thompson stars as Hal Hefner, a fifteen year old with a stutter who's parents just divorced. When he's approached by the very attractive captain of the debate team to join up, he takes her up, hoping to win her over. Something you need to understand about this film is that it NEVER conforms to expectations; every time I thought I had it pegged for where it was going next, it surprised me. Anyone out there not a fan of cliches will love this film. Add to that the performances (featuring one of the funniest supporting casts in a long time), the brilliant script (that, unlike Juno, doesn't feature a brutal first fifteen minutes) and the fun score (peppered with songs from Violent Femmes), and you have 2007's little movie that should've.

#51 - The Darjeeling Limited

Directed by Wes Anderson
2007 Comedy/Drama
Rated R

** 1/2

In Wes Anderson's fifth film, about a group of estranged brothers who go on a trip around India after a year of being apart, suffers from almost the exact same thing that his previous film, the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, suffered from; Anderson seems more interested in showing us what he can do with a camera than what he can do with actors and a script. His style of having a character acknowledge another one off screen, panning over to them, then panning back, started to give me a headache about halfway through. And i'm getting a little tired of slow motion shots with an upbeat indie song playing in the background. Fortunately, the performances are good (including a nice little cameo by the incredibly underrated Irfan Khan), and the script keeps the movie rolling at a good pace. Overall, however, this is just more of the same from Wes Anderson. It's time for him to change it up.

#50 - Breakfast At Tiffany's*

Directed by Blake Edwards
1961 Romantic Comedy
Not Rated

*****

If someone asked me to pick my all-time favorite movie, I don't think I could do it. HOWEVER, if someone asked me to pick my top 3 favorite movies, I could. In no particular order; The Philadelphia Story, High Fidelity, and Breakfast At Tiffany's. Loosely based on Truman Capote's novella, it tells the story of Holly Golightly, a fast-talking New York girl, and Paul Varjak, a struggling author "kept" by a rich socialite. The film has everything you could want from a romantic comedy, plus more; brilliant acting (Hepburn's performance is easily one of the greatest of all time), fast writing, great music, and a love story for the ages. And while I won't say it's the best movie ever made (because it isn't), it certainly holds that title in the romantic comedy category.

#49 - Horton Hears A Who!

Directed by Jimmy Hayward
2008 Animated Comedy
Rated G

****

When I saw the initial trailer for Horton Hears A Who! last summer, I was positive it would be one of the worst movies of 2008. After seeing the film, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Jim Carrey stars as Horton, an elephant living in the forest of Nool, who discovers a city living on a speck floating through the forest. Determined to keep the city (Whoville) safe, Horton does whatever he can to get it to the top of an uninhabited mountain. Unlike the last Dr. Seuss adaptation he starred in (2000's horrendous the Grinch), Carrey is this time able to curb his outrageous comedy style (albeit only a little) to fit the character much better. The always reliable Steve Carell is also good as the mayor of Whoville, and a collection of current comedy heavyweights (Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett, Jonah Hill) round out the strong cast. The film's most impressive aspect is the animation; Blue Sky Studios clearly doesn't have the budget for the beautiful animation that Pixar is constantly pumping out, but they use their weaknesses to their advantage. There is an incredible attention to detail in almost every shot, and a ridiculously over-the-top anime scene offers probably the funniest sequence in the movie. Overall, this is a welcome surprise in an already weak year, and a surefire nominee for Best Animated Feature at next year's Oscars.

#48 - Yankee Doodle Dandy

Directed by Michael Curtiz
1942 Musical Biography
Not Rated

*****

Every so often you are able to see a performance that reminds you why movies are made. This is one of those movies. Jimmy Cagney's performance as legendary stage performer George M. Cohan is easily one of the top 5 of all time. Yes, the movie is propaganda, but so what? It came out right after Pearl Harbor was attacked, and it doesn't make any apologies about it. Besides, even if it wasn't, Cagney's performance is so perfect and timeless that it keeps any flaws that the film may have from reaching the surface.

#47 - Gigi

Directed by Vincente Minnelli
1958 Musical
Rated G

**** 1/2

Over the years, this 1958 Best Picture winner has somehow gained a reputation as being one of the weakest to win that award; this couldn't be further from the truth. Musicals of the 50s and 60s were so popular for three reasons; lavish production values, brilliant songs, and mindblowing dance numbers. From the great writing in the songs ("The Night They Invented Champagne" and "I Remember It Well" are two standouts) to the clever script, Gigi shows that a musical could get by with wit, as well. Add to that great performances from Leslie Caron (who makes up with the fact that her voice was dubbed in with her performance), Maurice Chevalier and Louis Jordan, and you have one of the most enjoyable musicals of all time.

#46 - Little Shop Of Horrors

Directed by Frank Oz
1986 Musical Comedy
Rated PG-13

***

While some of the songs ("Little Shop Of Horrors," "Skid Row" and "Suddenly Seymour" in particular) are a lot of fun and really catchy, and the abundance of cameos (Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest, John Candy, Bill Murray) bring some big laughs, for a much lauded cult classic (based on a 1960 Roger Corman b-movie about a carnivorous plant from space that thrives on human blood), this was a bit of a letdown.