Tuesday, January 25, 2005

End of year Awards continued (The Rickies)

Sports and Pop Culture edition, with a little religion. Yes, you may be offended by my opinions at least once. So, lighten up.

Instead of a huge list, I will put out a few of my awards daily for the next week.

In light of this year's Academy Award nominations, announced today, I will give my movie awards for the year. By the way, is the Academy the lamest organization in the world? No Paul Giamatti for Sideways? What. An absolute travesty. I knew they would not have the guts for Kevin Bacon in The Woodsman (the best actor never nominated?) or the forsight for Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine, but c'mon. A sham. But, at least the great Don Cheadle has finally been recognized. I have been preaching the gospel of Don since 97.

Anyway...

Worst Movie I Saw
The Ladykillers (how could a Coen Bros. film starring Tom hanks be that atrocious?). Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy and Along Came Polly were pretty close. There are many dishonorable mentions this year.

Best Movies I Saw
Sideways would be the best film I saw in most years (Alexander Payne is an extraordinary writer and filmmaker), however, I knew when I saw it in April that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would end the year as my top movie. Nothing compares for sheer audacity, brilliance, innovation, emotion, thoughtfulness, performance (yes, from Jim Carrey), guts and tenderness. I cannot properly express my love for this film.

Others I enjoyed included mainstream flicks such as Spiderman 2 (I am so glad that Sam Raimi is making big budget comic hero flicks), The Bourne Supremacy (the James Bond of my generation- I am a sucker for good spy flicks. One of the Top 2 car chases ever!), The latest Harry Potter (darker and far superior to the first 2), Collateral and

Independents I may mention as highlights would include Fahrenheit 9/11 (say what you will about this egomaniac, he is the best editor working in movies and a heck of a movie maker), Supersize Me (great debut and companion piece to FastFood Nation) and Garden State.

The Village was a cool metaphor but not a great flick. The Manchurian Candidate was an interesting morality tale that is not as far from reality as we would think, but pales miserably compared to the perfection of the orignal and The Life Aquatic was the least of Wes Anderson’s movies, but he created a world I would like to visit, which is the mark of a great director. The Door in the Floor was properly disturbing and once again established Jeff Bridges as the greatest American Actor of the past 30 years (I will debate anone/ anytime who wants to go a couple of rounds on this subject- my arsenal is full of wmds).

Most Significant Evangelistic Event of the Last 2000 Years
The Passion of the Christ (oh wait, that was everyone else not me that said it). I was moving during the hype. Was it? Could someone tell me? I did not see the story of the new revival in Christianity Today. Of course, I am sure I will one day read that this year made the 1st and 2nd Awakenings look insignificant.

Most Obvious Case of the Cool Kid Coming to hang Out with the Geeks at the End of the hall and us thinking he was "one of us" when he actually thinks we are all going to hell
Mel's brilliant courting of evangelicals for his the Passion of the Christ was the most brilliant guerilla marketing event of the past 25 years. We bought into it hook-line-and-sinker and gave him millions of dollars to build anti-pope/ anti-Protestant churches and put out violent vengeful films whose heroes are vigilante murderers (or did you not go to see his last movie?- funny, no one seemed to complain about it).

Most Hyped Movie I thought was okay with a very good ending but kind of insluting and like a (too long) SNL skit
Napoleon Dynamite (not enough Pedro). Seriously, it was more than a little insulting and grating.

Hyped Movie Napoleon Dynamite Could Only Hope to Be
Garden State

3 comments:

New Life said...

Outstanding post. I particualrly liked your take on The Passion. Thanks!

Rick

james said...

Yes, "the Passion"..."the greatest evangelical tool of our time."

Like you, I was pretty disappointed that there was no treatment of the greatest redemptive element in human history. The Resurrection.

I'm with you on Eternal Sunshine, Sideways, and Garden State. Still need to catch Bridges, Cheadle, and Foxx in their respective films.

kidpositive said...

funny thing about mel gibson: the guy doesn't even believe his wife is gonna get up to heaven. i read it last year in a New Yorker article (i think it was october of 2003) about the anti-semitic controversy it was stirring up. at the end, gibson talked about how wonderful his wife was, and how he wish it were, but if the "book" says so (that only those within the "church" will make it in), then that's how it is. maybe he was misquoted.

i never saw the Passion. or Titanic. or Armageddon (sp?).

but i did see Eternal Sunshine..., and it and Jim Carrey are now on my A-list, whatever that means. i think he's underrated as an actor. Eternal Sunshine is one of those movies i can watch over and over and over. there's something so human in it, and that's what i love.