Cinematic Throwbacks: December 2000/2010

(Yeah this is quite late. Sue me)

2000:

Cast Away was always a film I knew to be great. Tom Hanks during his peak run. Robert Zemeckis before he got into his weird CGI people phase. Instantly compelling premise. Cool backstory to the production.

It's borderline criminal that this film has largely been reduced within pop culture to "that movie where Tom Hanks talks to a volleyball." I mean, that part of the story makes sense. It's not played deadly serious in the film either.

This is truly a great rewatchable. It's almost like two separate films. Part 1 is Hanks crashing on the island and his initial few days there. Part 2 is 5 years later and his escape back home.

I think where this film ascended to being really an all time fave was when I started to appreciate the last act, when Hanks is back home after the rescue. It's emotional stuff, complete with a Hanks monologue that is practically my life mantra these days.

When Sean Connery died a few months ago I knew I'd be watching this movie soon and that it would be especially sad. And it was.

I'm gonna say something bold. I think this is a better film than Good Will Hunting, also directed by Gus Van Sant, and also featuring smart characters having really great conversations. The script for this movie is fantastic. 

Connery was not nominated for this film, and that was a flat out crime. His last few years of acting were mostly in action movies and thrillers, but here he was just in an absolute movie star zone. Total charisma, his Scottish brogue deployed to peak effect. I don't know why more filmmakers did not try to get this kind of performance from him. Or maybe he didn't seek them out. 

It's pretty remarkable that Rob Brown was able to match up with him so well in his 1st film. Brown has been in some other good things like The Express, but he's never had the big career he looked primed to. 

The Coen Brothers have done better movies. They have done funnier movies. But O Brother still holds the title of their most delightfully silly. 

This movie is just a lot of fun to watch. The Coens turn George Clooney into just a buffoon. I miss goofy Clooney. He's too serious nowadays. 

Everything is super over the top. Love all the performances down ballot from Clooney, especially the good natured Tim Blake Nelson. The plot is based on The Odyssey, but not really. It's just a bunch of silly scenes, but carried off so well. 

2010:

Yeah this was a big one. Months before this movie came out, the hype was already building that this could be the movie to finally get Natalie that Oscar.

Maybe the last great Natalie fandom era kicked off when I left work on a Friday afternoon as a snowstorm was starting, then drove all the way to the Uptown theater in rush hour traffic through said snowstorm to catch the first showing. I would not be deterred, even though I did walk in just as the movie was starting.

I spent the whole snowy drive home marveling at the film, and of course the new career peak performance by my gal.

Even beyond Natalie this is a great film, the 2nd straight masterpiece by Darren Aronofsky after The Wrestler. Very original story, great supporting performances (Mila Kunis needs to get another great dramatic part), terrific score. Works as a drama or a horror movie depending on how you want to approach it. The last act is dizzying.

But yeah, Natalie is the thing here. I have performances of hers that I enjoy more or mean more to me, but this one is a total tour de force, like nothing she did before or since. It swept through all the major awards, culminating in her 1st Oscar (she should have at least 4 or 5 now but who's counting).

This was also a big Oscar film that year, as Christian Bale and Melissa Leo took the supporting trophies.

Bale was especially worthy, having dropped all that Batman weight to play a drug-addicted former boxer. Mark Wahlberg is excellent in this too, and this is also one of my favorite Amy Adams performances.

I hadn't watched this movie in a very long time. It's a good sports movie with just the right amount of real life drama. Tbh on this viewing I kind of related a lot to the idea of being trapped by one's own family, as Wahlberg is here. 

Pretty sure True Grit is my favorite western of all time. 

The Coen Brorhers are here again, this time doing a remake of a John Wayne movie, but putting their spin on it. 

Such a great movie, with some of the Coens very best dialogue. Jeff Bridges, riding high off his recent Oscar, gives a great performance that I think flew under the radar cause a lot of people just thought he was playing himself. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin provide good support. And this movie was the debut for Hailee Steinfeld, in really one of the all time great first impressions. Doing Coens dialogue opposite these actors, as basically the lead of the film is astounding. She got nominated for this, but it was a while before The Edge of Seventeen made her a fave. 

So what else came out these years?

December 1990:

Edward Scissorhands: Never really got into this one, although Winona Ryder looked gorgeous. 

Look Who's Talking Too: I remember being really excited at getting to see a sneak preview of this. 

Kindergarten Cop: NOT A TUMAH! 

The Godfather Part 3: I honestly think this gets a bad rep. It's a good film. 

December 2000:

What Women Want: Haven't seen this since then. I imagine it has aged poorly. 

The Family Man: An It's A Wonderful Life ripoff with Nicolas Cage in one of his more subdued performances. 

Dracula 2000: I watch this on TV sometimes if it pops up. It's a truly odd artifact of its time.

All The Pretty Horses: I literally fell asleep at this movie. Man, Matt Damon made some tough sits in that era.

Miss Congeniality: I liked this a lot at the time. Probably should have appreciated it more cause Sandra Bullock didn't have another satisfying star vehicle for years. 

December 2010:

How Do You Know?: Not a great movie, but I tend to watch it some on TV a lot cause dayum Reese Witherspoon looks good in it. Also, this is still the last film Jack Nicholson has been in. 

Little Fockers: Mercifully the last of these focking movies, although this did have Jessica Alba in her underwear iirc.

So, next month....oh wait it's already next month. We got some holdover movies that were technically December releases that I saw in January. Maybe I'll get that post done by summer.