It occurred to me that it’s been a while since I have seen a movie in theaters. I check the listings of my favorite theater – The Landmark on Westwood and Pico and realized that I wanted to see every film they’re showing…except for maybe Precious thanks to my coworker Brad’s candid thoughts.

So let’s get into it. Jason Reitman’s third film has been getting some award season buzz for his latest, Up in the Air. (imdb synopsis)

I WILL be talking about the ending of the film you might want to skip this entry and come back once you’ve seen it.

[ SPOILER ALERT ]

SCRIPT/STRUCTURE
This will win over critics and audiences alike because it’s one of those movies that ties everything up into a nice little package. Or if you wanna be a jerk about it – predictable. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The setups had satisfying payoffs, even though at times you knew that something was coming. The film is paced nicely and with the exception of one small section during the denoument resolution portion of the story, every scene did what it was supposed to. It was efficient in that none of the scenes lagged.

The married couple cutout photos from all over the country was an especially great device. It was introduced as a quirky and harmless wedding gag, but paid off both physically and emotionally. When Ryan sees the map of the United States filled with pictures of his sister (whose character name I forgot) and Jim, he probably realizes he’s been everywhere, but never really with anyone. Ryan also decides to use his miles to buy them tickets to travel around the world.

CHARACTER
Predictable is fine so long as you care about the characters. There were good ones here. The whole veteran-paired-with-a-rookie dynamic isn’t anything new, but works well to inform who these characters are. The teacher teaches the job, the student learns the job. Throughout the journey, the teacher also learns something from the student. Ryan Bingham and Natalie Kendrick are clearly on opposites poles, but the evolution of their relationship progressed logically and realistically.

A good character always has good supporting characters to help/hamper him from achieving his physical and emotional goals. They also inform some of the contrasting, yet equally valid lifestyle choices that Ryan could have. Ryan’s love interest, Alex, his mentee, Natalie, sisters and brother-in-law all lent a hand in helping Ryan make choices throughout the film.

I have a hard time imagining another actor play Ryan Bingham. There’s a sincerity and charm in George Clooney’s performance that really gets the audience to latch on and go for the 2 hour ride. Believe it or not, Ryan does have an external goal in this movie – to achieve 10 million frequent flyer miles. But I forgot about that goal because I started to care about whether or not Ryan would change his mind about his lifestyle. And by the time he achieves his external goal, you really don’t care. And guess what, neither does Ryan. Credit Jason Reitman for recognizing the importance of character growth.

DIRECTION
Jason Reitman, like Sofia Coppola, comes from film royalty so perhaps I hold high expectations. I’ve enjoyed his first two offerings (Thank You for Smoking and Juno) and there’s a part of me that kind of wants him to fail. The film walks a fine line between heartfelt and cheesy. I think Reitman knows how to walk that fine line. I’m convinced that with a lesser director (or lesser actors) the film could’ve gone into uber-cheesy. The ending isn’t a typical Hollywood ending – where the protagonist gets what the audience thinks he wants – but it’s also satisfying because the character has changed.

I’ve sprinkled some other thoughts about his direction in some of the categories below.

STYLE
The movie was classically shot (tripod and dolly shots) with the exception of one or two Aronofsky/Ritchie-type montages sprinkled in. The one that comes to mind was when they showed Ryan Bingham’s routine – airport check-in, security check-point, renting the rental car, and hotel check-in – which was a great technique to quickly get the point across.

There was a sequence later in the film that looked different from the rest. As I watched the scene, I remember being offput a bit – like it stuck out. After marinating for a while, I can now appreciate the creative choice. When Jim Miller (Danny McBride) warms up his cold feet and follows through with the marriage to Ryan’s sister, the cinematography changed. The movie up to that point was was mostly static and slow dolly shots, but converted to a more verite, no…documentary…no, camcorder style of shooting for the wedding sequence. The goal was to create the feeling that you were watching home video footage of an important moment in your life – one you would share with family, which contrasts Ryan’s entire worldview.

It works from a thematic standpoint and give Jason Reitman credit for making a cinematic choice like this. This is what directing is.

THOUGHTS/GRIPES
I enjoyed the film and think it’s rated just about right. Ever since Lost in Translation, I’ve always been weary about films being overhyped and eventually underwhelming when I finally watch it. Would I think it would be as good if I watch this AFTER it wins a Golden Globe? Who knows.

I did think one sequence was a bit heavy-handed. It incorporated the use of interview-like footage of employees who have been terminated. These interviews were intercut with either Ryan or Natalie laying people off. Towards the end of the film, Reitman intercut some footage in which the subjects express how grateful they were to have a husband/wife/family to help them cope with the pain and  uncertainty of unemployment. By this time in the film, the narrative already gets its point across. I didn’t need them to shove it down my throat. Heartfelt and cheesy = po-TAY-to and po-TAH-to. I could probably go either way depending on how cynical I’m feeling at that moment.

Anyhow, great film to start awards season. Next up: Avatar in IMAX 3D! (although it’s unclear if it will get any awards buzz outside of Outstanding Visual Effects)

I apologize for the delay in getting this up, but Tess got me a PS3 for my birthday/Christmas so I’ve been putting in some quality time there. For anyone who’s played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you know that it’s a surprise anything gets done at all.

10. L.A. Confidential
1997 marked the first year I made a concerted effort to watch every film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. You had best believe I was angered that Titanic (the clear favorite) beat out the best film of the bunch. This was a brilliantly-written procedural full of rich characters and outstanding performances from a sick cast. It’s a crying shame that Russell Crowe was not nominated for his performance of Officer Bud White. Most people hate the guy, but I’ll always put my money on him for a good performance after I watched this movie.

9. Jaws
So many iconic scenes from this film: the “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” scene, the scars scene, and of course the awesome climax, but the one that’s been ingrained in my memory since childhood is this one. I’ve been captivated and terrified of sharks since. This is probably why I haven’t tried surfing yet. I figure that a movie that incited my galeophobia should probably rank up pretty high.

8. The Shawshank Redemption
It’s impossible to NOT watch this movie if you happen to see this on the cable guide. There’s really nothing to hate about a wrongly-accused weakling who finds the strength to overcome dire circumstances. Also, this was the first of many good films narrated by Morgan Freeman.

7. The Usual Suspects
I remember being told to pay close attention when watching this movie. And when you’re in high school and watching it with a bunch of your friends, “close attention” isn’t really on the radar. Nevertheless, I was instantly pulled in to this well-crafted and intricately woven story about small-time crooks.

(I should probably count the entire trilogy as one, but I’m just reporting what Flickchart shows)
6. LOTR: The Two Towers
Lots of cool action sequences, but clearly the middle movie. The Helms Deep (skip to 2:45) part was all kinds of badass, too.

5. LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring
I remember watching this in the theaters with my good friend Phil. I did not say a single word for the ENTIRE movie. I was THAT awestruck by what I just saw. I loved that I was transported into a different world and I was eager to see the following chapters as soon as the credits crawled up the screen.

4. LOTR: The Return of the King
Yeah, maybe it had like 5 different endings, but this was the epic of epics. I’m not mad at that. That one battle at Minas Tirith where the ghost army comes is worth the price of admission alone.

3. City of God
Captivating story, edgy visual style, and one of the best movies of the 00’s. Latin filmmakers were on the come up in the early 00’s with Innaritu’s Amores Perros and Y Tu Mama Tambien’s Cuaron, but this film by Fernando Meirelles was my favorite of the pack. Who wouldn’t want to see a coming of age story set in the violent slums of Rio?

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I’ll always be a sucker for a good love story, but this one has it all. It’s the perfect blend of plot, character, theme and visual style. I can’t imagine a better pairing of screenwriter and director, Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry. I was asked recently what American movie best exemplified inventiveness in narrative filmmaking. I dare you to pick a film that betters this one.

(You could make an argument for Timecode, but that felt more like an experiment rather than an actual narrative film)

1. Braveheart
FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Man, where to begin? Aside from Mel Gibson being kind of a joke these days, and the insane historical inaccuracy, this is flat-out fine cinema. Ok, William Wallace does come back to Scotland looking waaaaaay older than his wife-to-be, Murron, but I can overlook that. All he wanted to do was come back and raise crops – and a family, God-willing but they done set him off after murdering his wife. What’s great that it isn’t JUST a revenge story. William Wallace gets revenge on his wife’s murderer at the end of the first act. To this day, I still can’t choose who is more beautiful – William Wallace’s wife or the French Princess.

Every man dies, but not every man gets biblically know such beautiful women.

Movies that SHOULD be on this list and will probably be once i log back into Flickchart: (in no particular order)

Swingers, Requiem for a Dream, Dark City,  In the Mood for Love, Last Life in the Universe, The Last of the Mohicans, The Last Dragon (just kidding, I noticed the last two titles started with “last”) and Heat

For the first time since 2006, I was able to spend Thanksgiving back in the Bay. It was everything I remembered – great turnout for the annual Turkey Bowl (I think Eric said it was the 14th one we’ve done), awesome dinner that comprised of deep fried turkey, prime rib, and sweet potato pie, and of course, quality time with family and friends.

This one was especially nice because my cousin from my mom’s side, Sandy was in town to join us for the Delfino Thanksgiving. My little younger brother Francis and a few cousins are now in high school so they are now much closer in age group than they ever used to be. We gathered some family and friends for some post-dinner bowling at Cloverleaf. I remember going bowling one New Year’s Eve with my family. At that time, I think my cousin Annika was like probably around 5 or 6, so it’s a bit scary to think how many years have passed since then. It was a bit surreal – I saw the same employees I saw when we all used to go bowling every Monday (or Tuesday) night back during ‘97-’00…one was a little bit wider than I remembered and the other had a little less hair.

While there’s always the comfort of home, everything’s so different now. It seems that my time living away from the Bay happened to be when lives changed – mine and some of my very close friends. Between May ‘07 and November ‘09, there have been engagements and weddings and kids and mortgages. These are all life-altering milestones. You’re offically grown up when you experience any one of these events. And for someone like me who kind of experienced young adulthood all over again when I moved to NY, these milestones – though they’ve crossed my mind – were never really attainable.

But this year, you can add a couple more big things: divorce and losing a home. Coming from a divorced home shouldn’t be a big deal, but I’ve always felt now that couples are getting married later in their twenties, there’s less of a chance that the couple is making the wrong decision. At least that’s what I thought about the people I’ve known to get married within the past few years. Then I found out a couple I know is getting a divorce after just a little over a year of marriage. I can’t even fathom what that experience would be like.

I suppose the danger of losing a home in this economy isn’t too far-fetched, but it’s a bit disconcerting when it’s affecting my friends. Imagine the exhilaration of being responsible and stable enough to purchase a home only to deal with the anxiety of losing it. You hear/read stories of people who have experienced the exact same story, but it never quite hits as hard until someone you know is facing it too. Being just one-degree away is horrifying.

See, these are real-world problems. I’ve complained about my own personal problems – the inability to find something better than my current placeholder job and the frustration toward my creative futility. Yeah, these aren’t really problems. The things I’m talking about can easily be resolved with some patience and focus. My problems don’t have imminent negative consequences like the two I’ve mentioned.

Hearing these stories have given me some perspective. And without intending to sound insensitive, a part of me is relieved I am not experiencing some of the misfortune my friends are. I’m very thankful for everything I have, even though sometimes I don’t think it’s very much.

I turned 32 years old yesterday. I’m not married and don’t have a mortgage. I’m up to my neck in bills and can’t even save money. In fact, I barely even have a real job. I want all of these things, but I realize it will take time. I’ve been blessed with a loving family, fun and loyal friends, and the best girlfriend and dog in the world.

Life is great.

(according to flickchart.com)

DISCLAIMER: You’ll probably notice some glaring omissions. This is NOT an absolute list. I’m already looking at the list and can name a few movies that should be in here. But because flickchart isn’t perfect, this it what it has. Entries are subject to change (not likely in the top 10 spots, but 11-20 are certainly debatable. In fact, I’m sure films between 21-30 also have a good chance of sliding into the top 20 depending on my mood.)

Also, you’ll notice some classics missing from this list (ie. Citizen Kane, Vertigo, The Godfather Trilogy, 2001: A Space Odyssey) But just because they’re excellent works of cinema doesn’t necessarily mean they’re my favorites. Sometimes I think I only like them because my film teachers told me that I should like them

20. Raiders of the Lost Ark
There’s no denying the quality of this quintessential action-adventure flick. Great storytelling and great characters. Fun times to be had whenever this movie’s on. Except I feel like this one just slipped in there. I’m sure there are movies between 21-30 that could easily bump this down – like Pulp Fiction, for example.

19. Oldboy
Disturbing and mind-blowing at the same time. I gotta give it up to Park Chan-wook for leaving nothing sacred in the 2nd installment of his Vengeance Trilogy. There’s an awesome tracking shot of Dae-su fighting his way out of a building with only a hammer. Dae-su also eats a live octopus.

18. Aliens
A bit surprising this ranks so high because it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. This movie gets a huge sentimentality vote. I remember going to a party at my friend Todd’s house when I was 9-10 years old and a bunch of peeps were in the family room watching it. I remember shrieks of horror coming out of that room for almost 2 hours straight. It took me a few years to finally watch it myself (well, not by myself, myself) and it was “game over, man!”

17. Alien
I actually watched Alien after Aliens – I think the fact it’s the original is the only reason that it’s ranked higher than the sequel. While different in tone and genre, it’s equally badass. That dining table scene is one of the most iconic and horrifying scenes ever, methinks.

16. Lost in Translation
This is a controversial selection because it’s such a polarizing film. I was firmly on the side that proclaimed its overrated-ness. But after watching it over and over and reading the script, I’ve grown to appreciate Sofia Coppola’s talent. She’s not the greatest director in the world, but the film spoke to me. There’s a subtlety about this film – the relationship between BM’s and ScarJo’s characters is so nuanced that it borders brilliance. This isn’t a popular sentiment, but I’m sticking to my guns.

15. Leon: The Professional
“Eeeeevvvvvvrrrrrryyyyyyyooonnneeee!” Hitman ready to hang things up? Check. Insane crooked cop involved in drugs? Check. Uncomfortable sexual romantic tension between hitman and 13-yr old witness? Check. Gary Oldman, Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in their most memorable roles. Awesome opening scene. Awesome climax.

14. Road to Perdition
This one kind of flew under the radar for me. Whenever flickchart would present it as an option, my mouse would always drift into its direction. This is a cat-and-mouse, road picture, coming of age story with excellent direction, performance, characters, and cinematography (also Conrad Hall, ASC’s last film)

13. Snatch
I know, right? I’m scratching my head too. Except everytime this movie comes on, I’m immediately reminded of how much fun it is to watch. Looks like the sugary sweet Guy Ritchie dialogue, good music, and slick editing has trumped some of the healthier fare. Again, on a different day, this film could easily slip into the 21-50 range. I should say this film really made me want to be an editor. Then I realized you’d have to be an Assistant Editor first – ugh…talk about tedious.

12. Chasing Amy
Easily the most mature complete and personal Kevin Smith film. I’ll admit that sentimentality plays a huge role here. It was at this time I started to appreciate dialogue and there’s lots of good, witty dialogue here. There’s a great profess-your-love monologue and an even better rejection. Then there’s actually some decent editing (albeit elementary) in a Kevin Smith movie – scene at the hockey game that intercuts between the fight on the ice and the one in the stands between Holden and Alyssa. Then there’s a great fight outside of rink. Of course, there’s the whole threesome proposal that to everyone but Holden sounds like the stupidest idea ever. What resonated with me is the fact that the protagonist not only messes up once, but TWICE and actually doesn’t get the girl. Stupid Ben Affleck.

11. Good Will Hunting
Ah, Affleck’s better half. When I first watched this movie in the theater, an ex-girlfriend of mine called it a dick flick. Quite fitting, actually. That scene in the bar w/ the douchey scholar is gold. “How you like them apples?!” The “sitting on a winning lottery” scene was gold. The “it’s not your fault” scene always gets me. And how could you not love that final scene when Will drops the note off at Sean’s place? “I went to go see about a girl” C’mon!

And since I’ve recently been getting my feet wet with Google Wave, here’s Good Wave Hunting:

Stay tuned for 10-1 which will come next – along with honorable mentions that would likely supplant some of the films listed above.

It sounds blasphemous, but I’ve come to grips with it – I don’t like Star Wars as much as I used to.

Recently, Goux turned me on to yet another online time-wasting entity called flickchart.com. The site presents you with 2 movies and you are asked to pick which of the two you like better. The more choices you make, a list formulates and you can see how the choices all relate to each other. Like assigning ratings on Netflix, it’s insanely addictive. As I built my list, there were some surprises – the most shocking was that I actually picked Roland Emmerich’s The Day After Tomorrow over Boondock Saints. (I think that movie is super over-rated)

But perhaps the most thought-provoking result was that the Star Wars trilogy couldn’t even crack the top 10. Had this been around 15 years ago, I could guarantee the trilogy would occupy the top three spots in this order:

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. The Return of the Jedi
3. Star Wars

Sure, tastes can change – I did own the Vanilla Ice – To the Extreme CD as a kid – but these films were staples for almost my entire life. They should never get bumped down all the way past #10, right? What could’ve possibly happened that has affected where these films rank in my list of all-time favorite films?

I haven’t been able to pinpoint one single reason, but here are some observations:

[NOTE: I am fully aware everything from this point forward will paint me as some bitter and jaded old guy.]

Ok, there’s been 30 years of discussions about this film so there’s no need to pound you with the film’s cinematic, technical, and cultural impact. It’s been referenced in Kevin Smith films since Clerks came out in 1994 and is still being referenced today by shows like Family Guy. That’s a 15 year span of Star Wars references – in fact, I’ve made my share of references on this very site! But in my childhood and through college, you could always use the films as your common bond. It hadn’t really permeated the masses yet so if someone recognized a Star Wars reference you made, you knew it came from the movies themselves. Now everyone knows Star Wars – even though they may have never even seen a movie in its entirety. And now it’s referenced in so many different things that it seems a bit diluted.

It’s not that fun to drop Star Wars quotes/references anymore because everyone knows them. I think it’s much more fun to make references from lesser known (but still culturally relevant) films. I’ll make Better Off Dead and The Goonies quotes/references for life!

I wonder what will be the film that the next generation references? Pulp Fiction? Fight Club?

Because George Lucas is a master businessman, he gave us the first three chapters – how Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. They spawned a whole new generation of Star Wars fans and slapped fans of the original trilogy in the face at the same time! I can’t be certain that my disgust distaste for the prequels have truly impacted my affection towards the originals because I still love the first two Alien films despite the last two.

I’m much older now and different things speak to me. Somehow, the sentimentality of the original Star Wars films have waned -perhaps due to the reasons above. Perhaps my cinematic palate has become more refined these days. Or maybe it’s just that it’s so cliche these days to say these films were the inspiration for wanting to make movies…which is probably true deep down in my subconscious.

But I think as a writer, I’ve grown to appreciate character over plot these days. The Star Wars films – while they certainly have rich characters (and some not-so-rich) – are mainly plot-driven stories. I feel like I’m much more interested in seeing how the protagonist reacts to what occurs next, rather than just seeing what happens next.

I’m more interested in seeing how Andy Dufresne or Will Hunting cope and overcome their situations (both physically and emotionally) than seeing how Luke and Han escape the Death Star.

See, I’m old AND jaded, right?