Best Film of 2010?

[Joe G.]

I was thinking of doing a review of "Into the Void" with the opener: ...Could have been great. Should have been a masterpiece... It had a great concept, outrageous visual style.

Tarantino was right to praise the film's title credits, and get people to watch the movie. But a lot of the film is simply meandering around with a crane. There's a shortage of plot. The opening acting is weak, probably compromised by the technical difficulties involved. There are little annoying errors, like the eye blinking that doesn't feel like eye blinking at all, but dropped frames.

Visually, it's a trip. The director also went a little on the pornographic side -- and with his sister no less!

As for Social Network, I have less desire to watch it now than when I first heard about it. I found the script online, read the first two scenes. Said, "Enough of that."

Like the rest, I'd had enough Let the Right One In. Couldn't imagine the Hollywood copy being any better whatsoever.

I'm leaning toward Black Swan.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

So you're passing final judgement on two movies, "Social Network" and "Let Me In", without actually seeing them???

 

[Peter Chang]

I'm not sure that 'vagina cam' should necessarily be our standard for what constitutes groundbreaking cinematography, though to be fair, the visual and aural aspects of 'Enter the Void' were indeed spectacular, certainly among the most audacious stylistics I've seen in quite some time (in a good way). The screenplay, on the other hand, felt like it was written by an adolescent trying to cobble sex, drugs and death into something profound. And failing (at profundity, not at cobbling sex, drugs and death together). Still, as a cinematic experience, it's pretty overwhelming.

Isn't it? It's pure and exhilarating cinema, from the aural (Bangalter/Daft Punk supervised and contributed sounds effects and music) to the visual. Befitting of a ghost, Noe's camera has no physical bounds and goes everywhere, weaving in and out of buildings, over rooftops and into the sky, into light sources, through bodies and into heads and planes of consciousness. The melding of helicopter and crane shots over the streets of Tokyo, locations, models, and sets with CGI is seamless and mindblowingly original. There's an article in the October 2010 American Cinematographer that delves a bit into camera and lighting.

 

[Peter Chang]

Peter, I have been stockpiling my supply of drugs so I will have enough to watch this movie properly.

Heh heh. This is cinema as a drug! Find the biggest screen with the best sound and as little distraction as possible to take it all in! You're welcome to swing by my place! :sifone:

 

[Peter Chang]

I was thinking of doing a review of "Into the Void" with the opener: ...Could have been great. Should have been a masterpiece... It had a great concept, outrageous visual style.

Tarantino was right to praise the film's title credits, and get people to watch the movie. But a lot of the film is simply meandering around with a crane. There's a shortage of plot. The opening acting is weak, probably compromised by the technical difficulties involved. There are little annoying errors, like the eye blinking that doesn't feel like eye blinking at all, but dropped frames.

Visually, it's a trip. The director also went a little on the pornographic side -- and with his sister no less!

Like Noe's other films (Irreversible, I Stand Alone), "Enter the Void" is not for the faint-hearted!

Plot here is secondary to the experience. Simple stories can be told with rich and bold technique to offer a cinematic experience. Noe doesn't care what you think a movie should be or where you think it should go - he goes out of bounds!

As for the acting, Noe reportedly averaged 50+ takes per scene, driving the actors to their breaking point with his obsession for a kind of Bressonian naturalism.

The eye blinking was spot-on - that's exactly what it feels like on DMT (the strongest psychedelic in the world).

This film has polarized audiences. Noe says:

"The reactions have been passionate. People say, 'This is your best movie by far.' Or, 'This is the best movie about being on drugs.' I've even heard people say, 'This is the best movie I've seen in my life,' which is something nobody has said about my previous movies. But some people think it's too much. That it's too experimental. That there's no narrative. At the end, I got the very best reviews and the worst reviews of my life for the same movie."
​

Among the passionate is Drew McWeeny at Hitfix (aka Moriarty in AICN days):

"Enter The Void" is as great a pure cinema experience as "2001" and "just as significant."
​

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/motion-...-spills-over-with-visual-wonder-and-big-ideas

He caught it at TIFF in 2009, so it was his #1 film of 2009, and "the single finest accomplishment by any artist working in film in 2009."

http://www.hitfix.com/galleries/motion-captured-s-ten-best-films-of-2009#11

Perhaps his assessment is fitting, as Douglas Trumbull (special effects supervisor on 2001) was president of the jury at a film festival that awarded "Enter the Void" best film.

Those of you who haven't seen it, here's the trailer:
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/enterthevoid/

Those of you lucky enough to be in NYC, IFC Center is screening ENTER THE VOID uncut tonight through Tuesday, with the director Gaspar Noe in person at the Monday, Jan 31 9:25 PM showing. GO!
http://www.ifccenter.com/films/enter-the-void/

 

[Michael Millichamp]

Peter, I can't wait to see Enter the Void. Im literally about to go rent it from Hastings.

 

[Joe G.]

David:

"So you're passing final judgement on two movies, "Social Network" and "Let Me In", without actually seeing them??? "​

There is absolutely nothing whatsoever that attracts me to want to endure a screening of The Social Network. I find the lead actor one of the most unlikable actors to have ever lived. I don't want to experience the story. I'm not impressed with the babbling dialogue. Sorry. Not for me. There is the whole "free will" thing, no?

The implication that everybody likes it so I have to watch it too is sort of... odd.

As for the little girl vampire, I said that I didn't expect it to exceed the original. That's not a "final judgment." I already saw the story. I have a lot of other films on my Netflix queue.

There's a parallel situation. Insomnia, the European film (Sweden?), was fantastic. Then Christopher Nolan and company ripped it off. I liked Nolan, coming off Memento, but there was no reason to steal this film and redo it. I did not like the remake nearly as much as the original. I find the Hollywood vacuum up the world and regurgitate it model a bit sickening.

 

[Jason Murphy]

For those who want to get another sense of "Enter The Void"'s visual style, BUF has a brief reel of some of the VFX they did for the film. It's pretty impressive stuff, and much of the film uses the floating ghostlike camerawork on display in a lot of this clip.

http://www.buf.com/visual_effects.php?display=movie&id=882

Also, Sigur Ros fits pretty perfectly with the visuals, though their music isn't in the actual movie.

 

[Peter Chang]

Peter, I can't wait to see Enter the Void. Im literally about to go rent it from Hastings.

Hey, I know Hastings, having grown up in Aggieland, TX. :biggrin5:
My Hastings was a bit on the conservative side, so I'm not sure Enter the Void will be there. There's always Netflix!

 

[Michael Millichamp]

Hey, I know Hastings, having grown up in Aggieland, TX. :biggrin5:
My Hastings was a bit on the conservative side, so I'm not sure Enter the Void will be there. There's always Netflix!

Yea, good ol Nacogdoches Texas here.
They should have it. They carry alot of controversial films there.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

There seems to be a lot of support for Noe's Enter the Void so I will give my take on the film since I got a chance to see it tonight on Netflix.

The Good: Gosh golly Batman, this film is a feast for the eyes! If there is anything that Noe has mastered, it is the ability to craft a visual narrative that looks like nothing else around. I wish every director was this visually innovative and creative. I love his use of natural lighting and sets illuminated with practicals. So many films seem over-lit and it is refreshing to see a director willing to let the natural light do it's thing. I also love his use of long takes and birds eye view cinematography. The opening credit sequence was stunning, if seizure inducing. I have never seen anything like it. Basically, this is one of the best looking films I have ever seen.

The Bad: If you were not a fan of Noe's Irreversible for content reasons, you will be even more offended. Irreversible did not really offend me but I felt that there were a few scenes that went a bit too far. The same goes for Void. There were some very emotionally gripping scenes (the stuff involving the kids) but I felt that it took a back seat to the shock value stuff. I think Noe loves being labeled as a shock "artist" and wants to push the envelope farther and farther. I can imagine him saying something like, "Screw you timid Hollywood directors, do you know what I have that you don't have? A vagina cam! Ya, trying getting that past the MPAA!" The relationship between the brother and sister could have been very powerful and beautiful but instead, he made it creepy and filled their relationship with incestual undertones. Does an 8 year old really need to walk in on his parents having graphic sex? Noe thinks so! At this point, I am pretty sure that there is nothing that Noe would not show in order to shock. He dances a very fine line between art and pornography. He even said that he would like to shoot a porno someday so there ya go.

All in all, I think that Noe is too much of a pariah to be a master filmmaker. He values controversy and shock-schlock over storytelling and I think it is holding him back. I can see some genius at work but it is competing with a wannabe porn director. He has nailed visual spectacle, more so than even Cameron but he will never be more than controversial director with a few love it or hate it credits to his name. But thats just one man's opinion, there seems to be many more people here who loved it. I liked it for the most part but I felt exploited. The whole time, I felt like he was whispering in my ear, "Hey, you didn't think I was going to show that did you? Are you shocked?" It all seemed a bit immature to me.

That being said, any budding cinematographers must see it for the visuals alone. Stunning is putting it mildly.

 

[Chuck Z]

Enter the Void was a piece of shit. It was conceptually very interesting for about the first 30 minutes, but after the shooting, it went completely down hill. After which point it dragged on until the 2 1/2 hours were up. Shock value was completely over the top, especially most of the flash back sequences. There was literally no reason for us to learn of their back stories in the way in which he presented them. This film needed to be hacked way down. It would have been MUCH MUCH more effective had it been about 45 minutes long.

 

[Chuck Z]

As for my favorite *viewed* film of 2010, I'd have to give the nod to Never Let Me Go.

I thought Carey Mulligan deserved a nod for best actress, while the musical score and cinematography, I believed, were outstanding. A shame it didn't get any recognition.

I actually preferred Andrew Garfield's performance in this movie to his role in The Social Network. While the latter was more straightforward, I enjoyed the quirkiness he brought to his character in Never Let Me Go. It was an atypical role.

Also, I think it's probably the most depressing film I've ever seen.

 

[Tom Lowe]

"Never Let Me Go" had some interesting moments, but overall, it was much too slow and depressing for me.

 

[Peter Chang]

For those who want to get another sense of "Enter The Void"'s visual style, BUF has a brief reel of some of the VFX they did for the film. It's pretty impressive stuff, and much of the film uses the floating ghostlike camerawork on display in a lot of this clip.

http://www.buf.com/visual_effects.php?display=movie&id=882

Also, Sigur Ros fits pretty perfectly with the visuals, though their music isn't in the actual movie.

Nice find, Jason! There were 349 VFX shots in ENTER THE VOID. I'd recommend watching this VFX reel AFTER seeing the film, to better preserve the virgin viewing experience.

 

[Peter Chang]

Enter the Void was a piece of shit.

Polarizing, see? rogar-Smoke(DBG):

The Good: Gosh golly Batman, this film is a feast for the eyes! If there is anything that Noe has mastered, it is the ability to craft a visual narrative that looks like nothing else around. I wish every director was this visually innovative and creative. I love his use of natural lighting and sets illuminated with practicals. So many films seem over-lit and it is refreshing to see a director willing to let the natural light do it's thing. I also love his use of long takes and birds eye view cinematography. The opening credit sequence was stunning, if seizure inducing. I have never seen anything like it. Basically, this is one of the best looking films I have ever seen... He has nailed visual spectacle, more so than even Cameron... any budding cinematographers must see it for the visuals alone. Stunning is putting it mildly.

It won best cinematography at Sitges. With the exception of a couple scenes, this film was lit almost entirely with practicals.

On Cameron and Avatar, Noe said:

"During that scene when the tree burned, I had the same feeling that I had when I was 10 and I saw the Red Sea parted by Moses in 'The Ten Commandments.' I cried when they burned the tree, and I cried when they got into the fluorescent woods. I had tears because of the beauty of the scene, not because of what was going on. I’m sure Cameron did some mushrooms. Those scenes in the forest with the glowing plants — if you’ve ever done mushrooms any time in your life, you know those are exactly the kind of visions you have. I’m sure he must have done some ‘mental research’ before he made that movie."
​

 

[David Battistella]

"Never Let Me Go" had some interesting moments, but overall, it was much too slow and depressing for me.

I can totally appreciate that point of view. I just thought it was gutsy because it showed how humans can make the most awful things seem "normal" and "ok".

It's difficult subject matter for sure but I found it stood out for these reasons and for the way it was filmed and acted.

A powerful story of love and sacrifice that was centered around personal and very human themes.

David

 

[Anson Fogel]

ANIMAL KINGDOM.

Now on my top 10 list for 2010. Again, surprised at the lack of mention here, but its Australian and....not marketed like crazy. It IS, however, an incredible debut.

Watch it.