This took me two hours to write up and I would be so pissed if LJ ate it

[heywilma]

Some plans for this week:

Tomorrow - go shopping for... really belated Christmas presents. Er >.> Work after that. And possibly movie marathon after that.
Wednesday - vacuum and clean, because mum gets back on Thursday. Yes, if not to appease my mother I would happily live in a pigsty, and I could deal with never finding anything.
Thursday - should probably do laundry. I am already starting to run out of underwear.
Friday - chillaxing. I have an unfinished Rome boxset and I am not afraid to watch it all day :D
Saturday - murder party :D
Sunday - ??? WHO KNOWS.

After watching Slumdog Millionaire, I've decided that Danny Boyle is pretty much consistently brilliant. Granted I've only seen three of his movies so far, but they all rated very highly with me personally.

And related, movies of 2008 in review. The reason why I never do these year in review memes is because I can't actually remember what happened during the year. Last year's movies, however, are all documented in this handy list. The categories are a bit all over the place, and THAT IS WHY I AM NOT A CRITIC.

Prettiest cast Atonement
Starting off with something completely superficial, of course :D This was difficult, but in the end you really can't go wrong with a combination of James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and Romola Garai. I'm not actually all that fond of Keira Knightley, but I don't hate her in this, so, a plus for her.

Surprisingly awesome Young People Fucking
With a title like that, what more do you go into the movie expecting? But no, they have to go and make the thing funny and clever and you really can't not like it.
Runner-up Kung Fu Panda
Because it wasn't Pixar. But Dreamworks, you really outdid yourselves this time.

Way overhyped Juno
No contest. Did the screenplay really deserve an Oscar. I mean, I enjoyed it, but people really needed to just get over it.

Most aesthetically pleasing
For this category I'm going to cheat a little, and name a couple of movies.
The Longest Night in Shanghai Very clean, understated visuals. Since the movie takes place, as it suggests, at night in Shanghai, the lightscape of the city feature predominently, and the view contributes.
Hellboy II: the Golden Army From Guillermo del Toro, what else can you expect? Okay, I've not actually seen Pan's Labyrinth yet (yes I know), but.
The King and the Clown The colours, the costumes, the set are all pretty exaggerated, but gosh it makes for really pretty viewing.
Marie Antoinette For a while I've been hearing about how lovely the movie looks, and now I've seen it, I can attest to that. That said, however, I feel it was a little overdone, and overall, it wasn't a movie I particularly enjoyed.
The Fall Unlike Marie Antoinette, the extravagance of the setting is actually handled well, and it doesn't look nearly as put-upon as it did for MA.

Zomg I can't believe I'm actually watching this Twilight
That... is really all you need.
Runner-up Pathology
Because seriously, that entire movie was one big WTF.

Now I kind of have a crush on it Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Diego Luna. Sigh.

I wish I was watching this on the big screen 'cause holy crap this shit is bananas Labyrinth
What >.> It's true.

I completely missed the point Whatever We Do
It's a short film with Robert Downey Jr and Zooey Deschanel, and I know it's supposed to be a reflection on contemporary relationships, and everything, but I was mostly "O.....kay?". Obviously it was too edgy for me.

I only saw this movie for the eyecandy Mamma Mia!
Kathy demanded I add this category, so I did. NOW PAY ME IN PEANUT M&Ms. If the cast of this movie wasn't as hot as they were, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Also I wouldn't have been curious about their singing. FYI: Pierce Brosnan is pretty terrible.

Worst The World Sinks Except For Japan
Out of the 100+ movies I saw, this was seriously the worst. I realise it is a parody, and it was made to be bad, but nothing should ever actually be this bad. Terrible acting, crappy production levels, dialogue I wish I didn't have to hear, and the 'story' was just laughable. It also takes Japan's traditional Xenophobia to a whole new level.

Best soundtrack Chicago
That may also be classified as cheating a little, since in a musical you can't help but notice the music, obviously. The songs are undeniably fabulous, though, so I don't really care :D

Best animated Kung Fu Panda
This trumped three Pixar features, one Disney, and the Simpsons movie, so I'd say it's a pretty solid win here. I really just want to stroke Master Shifu's ears, is that so wrong? They look so soft~

Best special effects Speed Racer
It was psychedelic, AS EXPECTED, and a fun time to be had by all.

Best villain Sloan in Wanted
Because WHO expected MORGAN FREEMAN to pop out a "SHOOT THIS MOTHERFUCKER"?

Best actress Saoirse Ronan in Atonement
This is probably a choice harder than the one the Academy Award panel people have, since they don't have like 100 actors to pick from. Briony was a very memorable character, moreso than a lot of other female protagonists, and this is due in no small part to Saoirse, obviously. Well deserved, I think.

Best actor Hugh Jackman in Australia Sir Ian McKellen in Apt Pupil
WHAT AM I NOT ALLOWED TO OBJECTIFY HUGH JACKMAN It's a slightly less recent movie for sure, meaning everyone would already know this and I'm just stating the obvious, and Ian McKellen is pretty much guaranteed to be great in every role he plays, but this one, like Briony, really stuck with me.
Runner-up Robert Downey Jr in... everything.
Because I watched seven and a half movies with him in it last year (only six are on the list, the other one and a half was Heart and Souls and Good Night, and Good Luck) and he was uniformly awesome in all of them. Except for me not getting Whatever We Do, but it doesn't mean he's not good in it.

And with that, I am done :D

LJ didn't eat it :D

Comments

[alexi-lupin.livejournal.com]

Labyrinth is awesome, though. :D David Bowie's epic crotch bulge makes me LOL.

IKR?! Morgan Freeman! It just sounds so weird, hahaha.

I thought Saoirse Ronan was brilliant in Atonement too.

[zenni.livejournal.com]

For ages afterwards I had Magic Dance stuck in my head. Everything about Bowie in that movie was epic, from his hair to his tight, tight pants.

The first third of Atonement was my favourite, and Saoirse really had a lot to do with it.

[alexi-lupin.livejournal.com]

I love that
"You remind me of the babe."
"What babe?"
"The Babe with the power."
"What power?"
"The power of voodoo!"
"Who do?"
"You do!"
"Do what?"
"Remind me of the babe!"
XDDD

[sir-cumspect.livejournal.com]

I loved Apt Pupil! It was scarily amazing and sad and disturbing all together.
Ian McKellen was fantastic.

More people should see it!

[zenni.livejournal.com]

Man, my face through a big chunk of that movie was stuck at :O

[sly-cult-race.livejournal.com]

You've seen Young People Fucking?

I mentioned it a few times to people, but I didn't realize anyone else had seen it. Its so hilarious!