65. Trouble in Paradise (1932)

Running Time: 82 minutes
Directed By: Ernst Lubitsch
Written By: Grover Jones, from the play The Honest Finder by Aladar Laszlo
Main Cast: Herbert Marshall, Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis

A PICKPOCKET'S LOVE STORY

To say that "Trouble in Paradise" was a great movie and deserved to be in the "1001" book, would be a bit much. While it was, in my opinion, a relatively mediocre film, it certainly had certain characteristics that were great.

Gaston Monescu (played delightfully by Herbert Marshall) is a thief who one night has a romantic dinner with Lily (Hopkins) and the sexual tension is so thick in the air, that it could easily be severed with a knife. After a few sweet nothings that the couple trade back and forth, it is immediately brought to the table (literally) that they are both thiefs. While Gaston has stolen Lily's broach and her garter and Lily has stolen Gaston's previously pickpocketed wallet, they both soon realize that they have stolen each other's hearts and that they were meant to be together. It's an oddly touching scene to see these two flirt, as they graciously return the goods that they've lifted from one another.

Fast forward a year later and Gaston and Lily are living happily ever after, still in love, but utterly broke. They're out of money and despite still making their living as thieves, they need to find a big target and fast. One evening, while at the opera, Gaston lifts a $125,000 bag from the heiress to the Colet Perfume Co. and makes off with it. A few days later an ad is published in the newspaper, offering a $20,000 reward for the return of the bag. Gaston and Lily know that they'll never make that much by selling the bag, so the decide to return it and collect the reward dough. Upon meeting the heiress, Madame Mariette Colet, the sexual tension is once again lighting up the screen and these two play it perfectly grabbing you by the neck and making you hang on every single word that is spoken.

Madame Colet eventually convinces Gaston to become her personal assistant, but not before Gaston recognizes a safe in the Madame's bedroom and sees another chance to grab a lot of cash. So Gaston becomes Madame Colet's personal secretary and the two end up falling head over heels for each other, only never saying that straight forward, but instead using signals to flash it to the audience. Throw in Charles Ruggles and Edward Everett Horton as two hopeful suitors for the Madame and the comedy light is turned on.

While I wasn't totally blown away by this picture, there were definitely some aspects of it that I really fell in love with. The main thing was the performance of Herbert Marshall who graces the screen with a very debonair and delightful way about him and his dialogue flows right out of his mouth and captivates the viewer. I hate to throw out the word delightful when describing Marshall's performance, but after careful consideration, that's exactly what he is. The two female leads are also quite elegant in their performace, but I leaned more toward Kay Francis and the scene with her and Marshall when she's just about to leave for an engagement is absolutely brilliant and the inuendos are flowing heavily. Everything else I'd clasify as mediocre. Charles Ruggles, who I watched in "Love Me Tonight" was, again, very good in this film and the plot overall was also something I'd simply clasify as right in that middle ground.

RATING: 6.5/10 I could easily see this rating going higher as some time passes and I think about it, but first reaction gets "Trouble in Paradise" a '6.5'

NEXT UP: Scarface: The Shame of a Nation...Really looking forward to this one and seeing Paul Muni portray a heel this time around.

January 9, 2010 7:08pm

64. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Running Time: 93 minutes
Directed By: Mervyn LeRoy
Written By: Howard J. Green, from the memoir by Robert E. Burns
Main Cast: Paul Muni, Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, Edward Ellis

THE GRANDPAPPY OF ALL PRISON MOVIES DOESN'T DISAPOINT

I had heard of, so many times, this film with the very long title, but in all my days of watching movies I had never seen it, that is, until today. I had high hopes for this one going in, and I wasn't wrong, as "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" delivered the goods in more ways than one.

Paul Muni plays James Allen, who's just returning home from World War I with aspirations of being a construction worker. His dreams of wanting to build and create things are quickly dashed as he gives in to his old supervisor and goes back to work at the local factory. However, when his mother realizes how important his dreams are to him, she gives him her blessing to go and pursue his desired occupation. Allen travels all around the country looking for work as a construction worker, getting laid off from several jobs and flat out being told "NO" when asking for work at others. Eventually, he's reduced to a tramp, wandering the streets, without foor or money.

Eventually, Allen meets up with Pete, a man who promises he can get him a hamburger, a very welcome suggestion to Allen's ears. Upon arriving at the hamburger stand, Pete coaxes the proprietor to give him a couple of burgers and when Pete gets a load of the cash register, he can't resist holding the place up. Allen, of course wants nothing to do with this, but when a gun is stuck in his face and he's told to empty the register, he has no choice and when the cops arrive and he's left holding the loot, he's sentenced to ten years in prison, working on the chain gang.

It only takes Allen about a year to devise a scheme to bust out of the joint and when he convinces another inmate to bend his ankle shackles with a sledgehammer, he sees an opportunity to get away. So that's just what he does and despite a hot pursuit complete with guards and their dogs, Allen is home free. Reversing his name to Allen James, so as to give himself a little bit of cover, Allen takes a job in the construction business and moves up the ladder of success pretty rapidly. When he takes an apartment from a woman named Marie, who is immediately attracted to Allen, he makes his first mistake. When Allen doesn't return Marie's affection and feelings, Marie blackmails him with the information that she knows he's an escaped convict and unless he marries her, she'll turn him in.

Basically, for me, this was a no brainer. I love prison flicks and so I knew I'd love this movie. This movie does a really good job of showing the viewer just how difficult it was to be a prisoner on a chain gang and this movie really has a little bit of everything. The suspense that is created when Allen slips off his shackles and takes off running through the southern woods, the romantic scene as Allen and his new gal Helen, sit in his car on a moonlit night and flirt like crazy. The car chase scene, which for it's time was quite elaborate. You can really connect to this character, and you really get a feel for how desperate he gets at certain times in the movie and how badly he wants to be free of his shackles so that he can continue to pursue his dreams. Paul Muni turns in a fantastic performance and makes me quite excited for his upcoming role in "Scarface: The Shame of A Nation", which I'll be reviewing in just a few days. Great movie, and although I haven't seen the other films nominated that year, "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is rightly deserving of the Best Picture Oscar that it received.

RATING: 10/10 What can I say I'm a sucker for a good prison movie and this one is top notch.

NEXT UP: Trouble In Paradise...I got it from Netflix today, but I'll more than likely save it for tomorrow, so check back then for the review of that one.

January 8, 2010 5:35pm

63. Boudu Sauve des eaux/Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)

Running Time: 83 minutes
Directed By: Jean Renoir
Written By: Jean Renoir, Albert Valentin, from the play Boudu Sauve des eaux by Rene Fauchois
Main Cast: Michel Simon, Charles Granval, Marcelle Hainia, Severine Lerczinska

BOUDU SAVES ME FROM HAVING TO WATCH A BAD FILM

With eighty-three minutes to kill this evening, I decided to watch my next film in the "1001" book and Jean Renoir's eleventh film, "Boudu Saved from Drowning". I was actually quite surprised by how good this film was, as I really didn't have high hopes for it after seeing the first five minutes and despite the grainy quality of the picture and the hard to read subtitles, it was actually very good.

Boudu is a homeless man, or a tramp, as he is referred to in the film, who keeps to himself and enjoys spending his days playing with his dog. One day when his dog goes off by himself, and Boudu cannot find him, Boudu becomes very distraught and after walking around the town, decides to throw himself into the river. When a nearby bourgeois apartment dweller and bookstore owner sees him plunging into the river, he immediately races down his steps, out the door and into the river to save Boudu. We learn that the bourgeois man is named Edouard Lestingois and has a heart of gold.

Lestingois revives Boudu and invites him into his home, where he quickly provides him with a meal, some new clothes and giving him one of two lottery tickets that belonged to a recently deceased friend of Lestingois. Boudu, however, is not grateful. He wishes that Lestingois had never pulled him from the river and let him die, as he planned to do.

We quickly learn that Boudu's character is not an intelligent man, nor is he a man of manners, as he shows this by totally wrecking the kitchen, just by trying to shine his shoes. Lestingois eventually gets fed up with Boudu's behavior of spitting on the floor, and hitting on the women of the house, and decides that he must go. But will the man with the heart of gold have the heart to kick the man that he gave life to, back out on to the streets and what about the lottery ticket, will that come into play at all?

Really not a bad film at all, as the dialogue flows together really well and the characters are very easy to connect with, Lestingois most all, in my opinion. However, the subtitles were very difficult to read and the picture was very grainy and old looking. even for a 1932 film. The plot is very simple and not a whole lot happens, but sometimes that's just how I like my films and sometimes, just sometimes, less is definitely more, as is the case with "Boudu Saved from Drowning". Michel Simon does a fantastic job portraying the unintelligent Boudu and Granval turns out a good performance as the good hearted Lestingois.

RATING: 6.5/10 Jean Renoir's second of six films in the "1001" book and this one was quite pleasurable.

NEXT UP: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang...Not expecting anything else from Netflix until Thursday, so look for the review then.

January 5, 2010 11:11pm

62. Love Me Tonight (1932)

Running Time: 89 minutes
Directed By: Rouben Mamoulian
Written By: Samuel Hoffenstein, Waldemar Young, George Marion Jr. from the play Tailor In the Chateau by Paul Armont and Lepold Marchand
Main Cast: Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Charles Ruggles, Charles Butterworth, Myrna Loy, C. Aubrey Smith

MY FIRST MUSICAL...ON THIS JOURNEY

Despite not being able to come up with any examples at the moment, I'm sure the basic premise of "Love Me Tonight" would go on to be imitated and parodied for years to come, following it's release in 1932. A common man meets and falls in love with a princess. It's as simple as that and "Love Me Tonight" was not a bad flick...not a bad flick at all.

Maurice Chevalier plays Maurice Courtelin, your average common man, who makes his living as a tailor in the city of love, Paris, France. He is the self proclaimed "best at what he does", however business is down. That is, until Viscount Gilbert de Vareze comes to him with an outraegous order of nearly a dozen suits. Promising to pay Maurice when he returns to town the following day, the Viscount exits Maurice's shop, with no intention of returning. When Maurice is tipped off by another bill collector who's looking to collect from the snake-like Viscount, Courtelin goes after his money directly.

In the meanwhile, at the chateau, where the Viscount's uncle, the Duke, takes up residency, Princess Jeanette (MacDonald) desperately seeks and wants a groom and despite the best efforts of Count de Savignac, a suitor who would like nothing more than to wed her, The Princess goes unmarried.

On his way to the chateau, Maurice the tailor breaks down and while waiting for his driver to fix the problem with car, he spots the Princess while out for a stroll on her horse drawn carriage. As she nearly wrecks the carriage and falls into a ditch on the side of the road, Maurice quickly rushes to the rescue, helping her out of the ditch and almost immediately falling in love with her, as he serenades her with a song called "Mimi". Eventually the Princess writes off Maurice as utterly mad, and speeds away from the "lunatic". Eventually Maurice finds his way to the chateau, finds the Viscount and demands his payment for the suits. The Viscount, however, needs time to retrieve the cash, so he offers the tailor a place to stay for a few days and tells him that he will eventually be paid. Once Maurice realizes that he's in the chateau of the Princess and the new love of his life, he quickly accepts the invitation. But, so he'll fit in and be welcome, he is introduced as Baron Courtelin and thus our tale is in full motion for a raging climax.

While nothing stood out as absolutely brilliant about "Love Me Tonight", nothing stood out as absolutely terrible either. If I were to sum up "Love Me Tonight" with one word it would simply be...average. Despite a couple of very memorable scenes, for instance, the opening of the film and the rendition of "Isn't It Romantic?", which stretches from Maurice's shop, into the streets and eventually all over the city of Paris. Perhaps it's the performances that I liked the most. Maurice Chevalier plays the lead role very effectively, as the very charming, dapper and loveable Maurice Courtelin. One of the performances that stood out for me, and probably the thing I'll most remember about this picture as time goes by, is the role of Count de Savignac played brilliantly by Charles Butterworth. One of my very favorite lines from the film, right after Count de Savignac tries to serenade the Princess with his flute:

Savignac: (After falling off of a ladder) "Oh I'll never use it again!"
Princess: (Yelling down from the balcony) "Is it your leg?!"
Savignac: "NO...I fell flat on my flute!"

RATING: 5.5/10 Nothing great, nothing terrible, so a "5.5" seemed the right way to go. Butterworth and Chevalier were brilliant and I'll be on the look out for them in the films to come.

NEXT UP: Boudu Saved from Drowning...It's available instantly on Netflix, so the review should be up sometime tomorrow.

January 5, 2010 5:00am

61. Vampyr/The Vampire (1932)

Running Time: 72 minutes
Directed By: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Written By: Carl Theodor Dreyer, Christen Jul, from the short story Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Main Cast: Julian West, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz, Jan Hieronimko

THIS MOVIE SUCKED...IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE...

"If you've never seen a Dreyer film and wonder why many critics regard him as possibly the greatest of all filmmakers, this chilling horror fantasy is the perfect place to begin to understand."

The above is a quote taken directly from the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book and one of the most absurd comments that I've taken away from Mr. Schneider's text. Suffice it to say, that I did not like "Vampyr" and thought it was very boring, very pointless drivel. If I had to make a recommedation based on the two Dreyer films I've seen, to a person who has never seen a Dreyer flick, then it would take me all of about three seconds to reccomend "The Passion of Joan of Arc", which I didn't love, but compared to "Vampyr", it was a sheer masterpiece.

To explain the plot of "Vampyr" would be really tedious and boring for me to do, as their isn't really a whole lot of plot to review. The film tries it's best to be a horror film and fails miserably. I can say, however, that I kind of see the world that Dreyer was trying to capture on film. The atmosphere that he was striving towards was a very murky, creepy, spooky one and one that he may pull off, but with the lack of story, the atmosphere falls flat on it's face with nothing to support it.

"Vampyr" was certainly not my favorite film thus far, and may very well be my least favorite. Despite a very nice POV scene, in which we're shown the point of view of a corpse looking out of a casket, as it's being carried down the road, "Vampyr" failed to bring me any closer to realizing the greatness that many proclaim, Carl Th. Dreyer possesses. I don't know, maybe I'm just missing something. Maybe the artist that is Carl Th. Dreyer is somewhere, somehow being lost as I view his pictures, but if that is the case, then that's fine...I'll go on and live the rest of my life not realizing the greatness that is Carl Theodor Dreyer, if it means I'll never have to watch this terrible movie again. Sorry Carl, you and I just aren't connecting somewhere.

RATING: 1/10 I nearly went with a ".5/10" but we'll call one the lowest of the low and leave it at that.

NEXT UP: Love Me Tonight...Rouben Mamoulian directs and while I've certainly heard the name before, I've yet to see one of his films. This one should be up Monday, as I'm not expecting any Netflix delivery until then.

January 2, 2010 1:41am

59. M (1931)

Running Time: 109 minutes
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Written By: Egon Jacobson, Fritz Lang
Main Cast: Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke, Gustaf Grundgens

M IS FOR MARVELOUS

This actually isn't the first time I've seen M, as I actually saw it for the first time about a year or so ago and remember liking it very much, eventhough at the time, it was one of the oldest movies I had ever seen. My reaction didn't change much upon another viewing, in fact it really didn't change at all, as I still think this is a really great film.

When little Elsie Beckmann doesn't return home from school at her expected time, her mother begins to worry and rightfully so. You see, the particular German town that we're focussed on for this movie is crippled with fear as a murderer looms in the shadows, preying on the children of the city. And little Elsie Beckmann is no exception, as we, the viewer, soon see that she is just the latest in a string of child victims to be picked up by this killing monster. Upon buying her a balloon and some chocolates, we're then shown that very balloon floating through the air and the ball that Elsie Beckmann was playing with, rolling around, unclaimed.

Of course, this newest murder swings the city into full on hysteria, as the police plaster talk of a reward for his capture, all over the newspapers and we get a very well constructed montage telling all of the details and the investigation proceedings of the case. While watching this film, you're quickly transported to a city where a murderer is on the loose and this montage does a fantastic job of really hammering that point home and making you realize just how out of hand this killer has become.

The police go so far, as to hassle the petty crooks in the town, the thiefs and pickpockets and what not. The crooks get so tired of being harassed and so tired of not being able to pull of their own jobs, that they get together and decide that they must be the ones to catch this murderer, not to mention the fact, that they are no fans of a murdering man themselves. They want him locked up and executed just as badly as the parents of the deceased young. So the crooks enlist the help of the beggars to help them catch the predator, offering a $15,000 reward of their own for the beggar that can bring him in.

In my opinion "M" deals with some very sensitive subject matter, especially for the year 1931. But that's kind of the thing that makes it really stand out. While many of us are not used to hearing talk of murderers, who abduct, seemingly molest and murder young girls, in the old movies we watch, you get a real surprise when you pop in "M" and start to hear and see the violence that is being alluded to. While nothing is ever actually shown, your imagination really takes hold of you and it's probably a worse picture that you create in your own head, than anything that could've been shown on camera. In my opinion, it's not the acting (eventhough Peter Lorre does a good job), the sets, the cinematography or anything like that, that makes "M" a great picture, but rather the plot. The plot for this flick is so great that you can't helped but be sucked into the heart of a city paralyzed by fear over this gruesome killer.

RATING: 8/10 I deducted a few points, just for some little odds and ends, and mainly because, eventhough this film was great, it still didn't give me that "10" feeling. Still a great watch though!

NEXT UP: La Chienne...or The Bitch, which I currently cannot find, so look for the "Unfound Files" post momentarily.

January 1, 2010 2:54pm

Top 25 Films of the Decade (2000 - 2009)

So here we are on the eve of the New Year and it's not just any New Year's Eve, it's the eve when we say "Goodbye" to another decade and make our way into another one. So it only seemed fitting that on this New Years Eve 2009, since I am now the author of a blog about films, that I post a quick list of the Top 25 films of the past ten years. I know, I know, this blog is supposed to be about the movies that I watch for the "1001" book, but it's not everyday you get a chance to take a look at a decade in retrospect. So after a brief post on the "Top 25 Films of the Decade" it will be back to business as usual here on "1001 Movies I (Apparently) Must See Before I Die.

A quick note about the list before I get into it: I didn't put a WHOLE lot of thought into this list. I just took a quick look at my DVD shelf and some message board posts over at IMDB, concerning the best movies of the decade, so it is possible that I'm forgetting something. But, actually I think I covered all the bases here and what I'm left with is a nice list of my favorite movies from the past ten years.

Here we go...

25. Signs (2002) M. Night Shyamalan - One of my favorite horror flicks, not only of the past ten years, but ever. Now that's not really saying a whole lot, as horror really isn't my genre of specialty, but still a fantastic film that provides lots of thrills and even some drama, with some great performances from Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, pre-nutjob...that goes for both of them.

24. Monster's Ball (2001) Marc Forster - One that I really fell in love with the first time I saw it and thought that Billy Bob Thornton and even Halle Berry turned in some excellent performances as the racist prison guard and poor black woman respectively.

23. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) David Fincher - An absolutely heartbreaking love story and yet another fantastic film from David Fincher. Pitt and Blanchett are great and provide us with plenty of memorable scenes.

22. The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004) Niels Mueller - A little known flick, that if memory serves me correctly, went straight to DVD. Sean Penn plays Sam Bicke a man who has been pushed around all of his life and finally snaps under the pressures of his own life. Great flick and a fantastic performance from Penn.

21. Match Point (2005) Woody Allen - Without a doubt, the best Woody Allen film of the past ten years. Woody Allen takes a complete 360 and delivers a film unlike any of his predecessors and does it to perfection!

20. The Wrestler (2008) Darren Aronofsky - Being a fan of professional wrestling myself, this one is kind of a given for the list. Absoultely loved the rebirth of Mickey Rourke, as he totally delivers and rebuilds his career in as long as it took him to portray Randy "The Ram" Robinson.

19. Cinderella Man (2005) Ron Howard - Not really a huge Ron Howard fan, but he did produce two really good films this decade in Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind. The latter didn't quite make the cut for my list of flicks, but I couldn't deny the sadness and triumph of Cinderella Man.

18. The Weather Man (2005) Gore Verbinski - Another obscure flick for the list, but one that I absolutely loved. I actually remember seeing the trailer and KNOWING that I'd love this film and man, was I right.

17. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) Peter Jackson - Since the "1001" book groups these three films into one entry, I figured I'd follow suit. I didn't go 100% bat shit over this group of films like some people did, but they grabbed my attention and excitement enough to be included on this list.

16. Kill Bill Vols. 1 and 2 (2003, 2004) Quentin Tarantino - My former favorite director chimes in with his best of the past ten years with the release of the Kill Bill double feature. Really who doesn't love these films, as they have a little bit of everything for the movie-goer in you.

15. High Fidelity (2000) Stephen Frears - Another one that I fell in love with almost immediately. High Fidelity provides great laughs and follows Rob Gordon as he muddles through his love life and talks directly to you...the viewer.

14. Vanilla Sky (2001) Cameron Crowe - I know this one gets dissed by a lot of people, but I'm really not sure why, as it provides some fantastic scenes and camera work and gives you a little bit to think about as well. Can't wait to see the original "Open Your Eyes", which is included in the "1001" book.

13. Cast Away (2000) Robert Zemeckis - Cast Away was the movie that got me into movies...I mean really into movies. I went from casual movie watches and floored it into high gear after seeing Hanks alone on a deserted island. So for that reason, it's hard to deny it a decent spot on my Top 25 of the Decade.

12. Mystic River (2003) Clint Eastwood - The past ten years was the decade for Mr. Eastwood as he really stepped into his own as a director and produced some of the decade's most memorable flicks, with Mystic River being, in my opinion, his best.

11. About Schmidt (2002) Alexander Payne - I always tear up at the end of this film, as Warren Schmidt reads a letter from the child that he sponsors and cries his eyes out, letting all of the troubles that have accumulated over the course of this flick, pour out of him. Great, great movie!

10. Shaun of the Dead (2004) Edgar Wright - Not only the best "romantic comedy about zombies" but one of the best comedies and films that I've seen, especially of the last ten years. Thumbs up to Edgar Wright and his cast of funny people for breaking out over the past decade.

09. Lost In Translation (2003) Sofia Coppola - Bill Murray, the comedic legend, stars as Bob Harris and absolutely tears the freakin' house down with his performance. And the kicker is...Lost In Translation isn't even really a comedy. Scarlett does a great job too in this Coppola directed flick.

08. Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan - One that probably made the majority of us, who saw it, go "HUH!??" Memento takes the standard movie formula and completely turns it inside out...literally. Great flick and one that will always be a favorite.

07. Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (2003) Pen-Ek Ratanaruang - English translation of the title: Last Life in the Universe. Caught this one on television near the end of 2006 and totally fell in love with it. The only foreign flick to make my Top 25 Films of the Decade and what a foreign film it is. If you haven't seen it...go see it.

06. Mulholland Dr. (2001) David Lynch - If Memento made you go "HUH!?", then Mulholland Dr. made you go "........", or in other words, it left you speechless as you ran to the internet to get an explanation of the plot. Love this film and love movies that really make you think. Possibly Lynch's best flick ever...possibly.

05. Almost Famous (2000) Cameron Crowe - Wow, Cameron Crowe grabs two of the twenty-five slots this decade and totally knocks out a home-run with Almost Famous, the story of a boy who wants nothing more than to be a music journalist...and gets his wish when he's given the opportunity to tour with Stillwater.

04. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Michel Gondry - One of the most romantic movies ever made, in my opinion as two people fall in love twice, after having their memories erased. Great, great film with a great script by Charles Kaufman.

03. Little Miss Sunchine (2006) Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris - Dayton and Faris came out of nowhere and haven't been heard from since with this absolutely heartwarming flick, with an absolutely crazy cast. Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin and Abigail Breslin.

02. Punch Drunk Love (2002) Paul Thomas Anderson - Adam Sandler steps out of his comedy shoes and steps into a great role as Barry Egan, a social outcast who wants to keep it that way. This could easily be number one on any given day, but on this day I had to go with another choice...

01. Sideways (2004) Alexander Payne - My favorite flick of the decade and what a movie it is, as Thomas Haden Church and Paul Giamatti turn in outstanding performances as Jack and Miles, and the ladies (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh) don't do a bad job themselves. Great flick and one that will ALWAYS have a top spot on my "Favorite All-Time Movies".

So there you go, my "Top 25 Films of the Decade". This has really been a great ten years in film and I'm glad I lived through it and was able to take in a lot of the cinema that was produced. Of course, now it's back to business as usual here on the blog and my review of "M" should be up later tonight. Hope you enjoyed this temporary break from the normal. Have a safe and happy New Year.

December 31, 2009 9:05pm