Reverend's Reviews: A Film Forest through the Trees

2011 was a good year for both mainstream and GLBT-oriented movies. I saw so many great films that I actually felt the need to break my best list into three parts: narrative, documentary and GLBT-themed. Without further ado, my selections as the finest the big screen had to offer in 2011 are:

BEST NARRATIVE FILMS:
1) The Tree of Life and The Tree (tie). These two extraordinary movies, one American and the other Australian, share more than their titular flora. Both explore the great mysteries of life, death, love and family.

2) Moneyball. Set in the world of major league baseball but far from a generic sports story, Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill give inspiring performances as underdog team managers who restored virtue and ethics to professional athletics.

3) The Descendants. George Clooney does his best work to date as a wounded husband and father struggling with multiple challenges amongst his character's ancestral Hawaiian islands. Beautifully made and extremely moving.

4) Take Shelter. Suspense movies are often referred to as "Hitchcockian" after the genre's master, but this one is the real deal. Michael Shannon stars as a farmer whose apocalyptic visions may be premonitions or the early stages of psychosis. Keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end.

5) Win Win. A troubled teenage wrestler ingratiates himself into the lives of a reluctant coach (a typically great Paul Giamatti) and his wife. A warm comedy-drama from the talented writer-director of the equally humane The Station Agent and The Visitor.

6) We Need to Talk About Kevin. Superbly crafted if deeply disturbing tale of a mother (the ever-fearless Tilda Swinton, in an award-worthy performance) grappling with her sociopathic son. The Bad Seed for the 21st century.

7) Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The year's best popcorn movie boasts a smart screenplay, great performances and amazing special effects. It is also the second-best "reboot" of a movie series, following James Bond's 2006 Casino Royale.

8) Hugo. Martin Scorsese's opulent valentine to classic cinema (and the works of Georges Melies in particular) is gorgeously designed and photographed, and is a touching, kid-friendly story at heart of "broken" people who are magically drawn together.

9) Carnage. A superior adaptation of the popular but overrated play God of Carnage, masterfully streamlined and directed by Roman Polanski and starring the powerhouse cast of Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and, best of all, Christoph Waltz.

10) Hanna. Exciting, fairy-tale inspired adventure of a teenage girl with superhuman abilities who takes on evil "wicked witch" Cate Blanchett. It also features an adrenaline-pumping music score by the Chemical Brothers.

BEST GLBT-THEMED NARRATIVE FILMS:
1) Tomboy. A compassionate, beautifully-made drama about a young girl's coming of age.
2) Pariah. Another fine film focusing on a lesbian teenager's coming out.
3) J. Edgar. Provocative historical epic with a very impressive, Oscar-worthy Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role.
4) Weekend. Nice and sexy British film that authentically depicts two gay men bonding over 72 hours.
5) Beginners. Mike Mills' heartfelt and amusing tribute to his gay father, enjoyably played by Christopher Plummer.

BEST DOCUMENTARIES:
1) Bill Cunningham New York. The celebrated New York Times photographer has the camera turned on himself, with revelatory results.
2) Make Believe. A fascinating and inspiring look at aspiring magicians.
3) Semper Fi: Always Faithful. Shocking but moving expose about a military coverup and one father's quest to hold those responsible accountable.
4) Project Nim. Informative if often heartbreaking account of the life of a chimpanzee used in a failed social experiment.
5) The Last Mountain. A community rallies against the greedy corporation destroying its environment in this excellent doc.

AND THE WORST FILMS OF 2011:
1) The Rite. This film needs an exorcism.
2) Horrible Bosses. Horrible movie.
3) One Day. Contrived, calendar-hopping romantic clap-trap.
4) X-Men: First Class. Inexplicably acclaimed, incredibly dumb.
5) The Thing. Pointless prequel to the 1982 sci-fi/horror classic.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Blade California.

MD Poll: God Bless America

In a summer showdown between superhero vs. supervillain, good triumphed over evil in the end when Chris Evans (a.k.a. Captain American of First Avenger fame) overcame Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class's Magneto) to win the title of Movie Dearest's Hottest Summer Movie Hunk of 2011.

Cap's fellow future Avenger Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had his back in third, followed by mortals Dominic Cooper (The Devil's Double) and Ryan Gosling (Crazy, Stupid, Love) rounding out the top five.  See the complete results in the comments section below and stay tuned for the next MD Poll later today.

MD Poll: The Boys of Summer 2011

The end of the summer movie season is upon us, so it is time for our annual look back at the film actors that made it so memorable ... and judge them on their looks alone and anoint one the hottest cinematic hunk of the past four months or so!

This year we have a slew of sexy superheroes (including all-American hunk Chris Evans and swarthy barbarian Jason Momoa, pictured) plus a vampire, a wizard and previous Summer Movie Hunk winner Ryan Reynolds.

Take your pick and place your vote in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar. The ultimate summer movie hunk, class of 2011, will be crowned September 24.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

Reel Thoughts: The X Factor

The new X-Men film is first class all the way. But what did you expect? Starring James McAvoy and the sizzling Michael Fassbender, and directed by Matthew Vaughn (the man who brought us the hugely entertaining Kick-Ass), X-Men: First Class reinvigorates the series by going back to its groovy, swinging roots. Part adventure, part history lesson and all-exciting, Vaughn’s film delves movingly into what made young Holocaust survivor Erik Lehnsherr into the villainous Magneto, played by Sir Ian McKellen previously. McAvoy is a perfect, compassionate counterpoint, as the telepath who would be Patrick Stewart, a.k.a. Professor X.

The story of these friends and future enemies begins in the 40’s, when Erik reveals his mutant power over metal in an attempt to save his parents, and at the same time, young Charles Xavier finds a familiar blue shape-shifter stealing food in the kitchen of his family’s palatial Westchester mansion. Raven, a.k.a. Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence of Winter’s Bone fame, who cements her reputation as a strong, committed actress who is ready to assume any role that would have earlier been given to Leelee Sobieski. But if Young Magneto and Junior Professor X are friends, who is their super-villain nemesis? That would be the utterly evil Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a former Nazi scientist and current mutant collector. The action moves to 1962, where it turns out the Shaw is primed to bring about nuclear war via the Cuban Missile Crisis.

X-Men: First Class echoes J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek prequel in that we are introduced to many characters who will be very important in the X-Men’s future, with enough nodding cameos to tickle fans of the film series. The rest of the cast is impressive, including Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) as Beast, January Jones as Emma Frost, and Rose Byrne and Oliver Platt as the only good guys in the US Military Complex that will eventually demonize all mutants.

The awesome sixties production design is a character unto itself, even if I doubt miniskirts were all the rage that early. X-Men: First Class truly succeeds in creating human stories amongst the action sequences. Fassbender’s quest for vengeance is a powerful plot, and the mutants’ quest to be accepted for who they are and not be hated and feared for it continues to strike a deep chord with LGBT audiences.

The best thing about X-Men: First Class is that you don’t have to have seen anything that came before to appreciate and follow the plot. In a summer that will be jam-packed with monsters, wizards and superheroes. X-Men: First Class graduates with top honors!

UPDATE: X-Men: First Class is now available on DVD and Blu-ray from Amazon.com.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.