New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to rewatch Winter’s Bone before Oscar season. I’m sure I would praise Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes a lot (I do recall being impressed by them), but then again, their performances didn’t stick with me since last June, unlike, say, everyone in Greenberg (but that’s another story). I do remember, though, being surprised by everyone’s infatuation with it. I do like the fact that this small film is being recognized, and it’s far from being a mediocre film, but they’re clearly throwing it a (wait for it...) winter’s bone.

8. True Grit

True Grit is possibly the most disappointing movie of 2010 on multiple levels. Much like everyone else in the world, I’m a pretty big Coen brothers fan (but, like Pixar, I know they’re not perfect. I don’t like Barton Fink or even The Big Lebowski all that much). I wondered what spin they would put on what, to me, seemed like a generic Western. Would aliens be involved? Would there be a crossover with A Serious Man, with Rooster Cogburn creating the ideas for the Mentaculus? Would John Goodman or Richard Jenkins be around?

Nope. Not only is True Grit straightforward for the Coen brothers, but it’s straightforward for a film in general (and...dare I say, an Oscar movie?). The first time I saw it, I was disappointed by the Coen brothers. Only one scene really struck me as being Coen-esque (the introduction of Rooster Cogburn in the courtroom); everything else was pretty straight-forward and devoid of auteur-ism. The ending, especially, brought me down. Why isn’t there a cool, crazy epilogue that I’m so used to?

After a little bit of reflection, I realized that that wasn’t fair. Perhaps this was their intention? I can’t fault a movie for not being what I thought it would be. Maybe on a second viewing my opinion would change?

Nope. I was able to accept it a little more for what it was, but I was still bothered by lots of aspects. It doesn’t really have a theme. The plot is pretty threadbare. The character of Maddie Ross doesn’t seem real, or at least, she’s not interesting. I’m also upset by all the praise that Hailee Steinfeld is getting; most of it is condescending because she “holds her own” again Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon. That’s her character, at the least. Maybe she’s a very talented actress; I’ll reserve judgment on that until later.


9. 127 Hours

Overall I’m in the Danny Boyle minority. I like Sunshine and Trainspotting as much as the next person, but other than that, I’m just not a fan. I didn’t hate 28 Days Later, and Millions is alright, but Slumdog Millionaire is pretty offensive. 127 Hours, Boyle’s follow-up to the should-have-stayed-direct-to-DVD Slumdog, is at least not offensive and imperialistic. It’s just not very good.

My theater got 127 Hours in November and it underwhelmed. I assumed it was going to just be another failed Oscar movie (like Conviction and, sadly, Never Let Me Go). For some reason, I get extreme satisfaction when Oscar bait fails. I always like when the Academy goes out on a limb (I wasn’t following closely in 2006 but The Departed winning? Surprised the hell out of me!) and I thought that 127 Hours would fall by the wayside. I’d allow James Franco to get recognition. Other than that, everyone should forget about 127 Hours as much as they forgot about Millions.

Continued:       1       2       3       4       5       6