Okay. So this should have been posted 10 days or so ago, but I didn’t make it. I forgot. Whatevs. I kept a running tally of the movies we saw last year, although I’m pretty sure it’s incomplete and I’m trying not to let that bug me, even though, uhm, I’m sorry, it totally bugs me — the ones I’ve forgotten.
Nevertheless, proceeding apace: I separated them into an “In Theater” category and an “At Home” category. “At Home” mostly means a rental, but occasionally, it means a movie we stumbled across on TV and watched because we were too lazy to live our lives.
Also, to further complicate matters, I’ve created a key to denote my regard — or lack thereof — for each movie.
It goes like this:
** = I liked it
bold = I loved it
(movie) = I did not like it
italics = I violently hated it
I realize there are nuances of feeling between these, but, well, not for this list. These isn’t a review of these movies, obviously, just my pared-down feelings about them. Both categories are chronological.
IN THEATER:
PS I Love You ** Cheesy chick flick with gorgeous Irish actors? I’m there!
Atonement **
Cloverfield Yes, I loved this; for what it was, it totally worked for me
27 Dresses ** Yes, I have an odd crush on James Marsden
There Will Be Blood Daniel Day-Lewis, renewing my long-standing obsession with him
Michael Clayton **
Jumper
Vantage Point Rant about both of these movies here
10,000 Years B.C. Completely nonsensical rant about this movie here
Baby Mama ** I heart Tina Fey
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Totally raunchy, but it’s hilarious
Iron Man
(Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) Oh, Indy!!
The Strangers ** This was really suspenseful — and basically two actors holding it for the entire thing
The Happening **
Get Smart ** Mainly because of Steve Carell
Hancock **
Mamma Mia ** I think I’ll get the DVD — I could see this going into the love category
(The Dark Knight) Some great performances, just the whole didn’t work for me
(Traitor) Don Cheadle is starting to wear on me; dude needs to lighten up
Tropic Thunder HAHAHAHAHA!! Damn, this movie is FUNNY
Burn After Reading Not for everyone, I imagine, but I loved it
Eagle Eye ** I liked this more than I thought I would, kinda liking Shia LeBouf, hm
(Lakewood Terrace) Samuel L. Jackson as a racist cop
Changeling ** Yes, Angelina, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world
Role Models I beseech you to rent this – SO funny -I love Paul Rudd
Quantum of Solace So very very crappy crappy
Twilight ** Haha! Yes, the last theater movie of the year. Liked it, didn’t love it — I think I’m extending it more grace than it might deserve
AT HOME:
Once Oh, how I love this — it makes me ache
Midnight Cowboy ** I had never seen this
Brokeback Mountain **
Amazing Grace ** More of an eh
Across the Universe I watched this repeatedly for days on end
Gone Baby Gone **
No Country for Old Men
Only Angels Have Wings I’d never seen it before — I love it
(Elizabeth The Golden Age) Oh, Lizzie! You did me wrong
The Searchers
The Astronaut’s Wife Stumbled across this one, unfortunately
Double Idemnity
Rob Roy Seen this so many times, I love it every time
(La Vie en Rose) I know she won the Oscar, but, uhm, I didn’t like this. Biopics of singers are starting to wear on me, too, I think
Into the Wild **
Batman Begins ** But I LOVE Christian Bale pretty much all the time
Juno
(Miss Austen Regrets) I have no memory of this movie
Junebug **
The Mist Good Lord, this sucked
Savages How much do I love Philip Seymour Hoffman?
We Own the Night Joaquin, you let me down, dude
Tucker, The Man and His Dream Another rerun, Jeff Bridges, sighhh
Jane Eyre (BBC) ** You know, the best one I’ve ever seen, actually
Sunset Boulevard One of my all-time favorites
Gunga Din **
Sweeney Todd ** How many times have I gone on about this movie?
The Fabulous Baker Boys Rerun, Jeff Bridges, I now own it
The Door in the Floor Damn, Jeff Bridges, DAMN, A-mazing
The Handmaid’s Tale We saw this years ago and it suuucked. We both read the book this year — loved it — and for some reason, rented this AGAIN to see if it improved — It was WAAY worse; I want to gouge out my eyes to erase the memory
Fearless See all previous comments about Jeff Bridges
Elizabethtown ** A rerun, but I’m charmed by this movie
John Rambo ** Oh, so violent, but someone actually doing a movie about Burma — and getting the horror right, from what I know and have been told
Dan in Real Life I want to live in this movie; I want the family to adopt me; I need to own this
(Charlie Wilson’s War) Deeply boring to me
How to Draw a Bunny (about artist Ray Johnson) **
Hitman Hahahaha! Assuages one’s blood lust; I go on about it here
Escher Movie ** I cannot remember the name, I liked what I saw before I fell asleep
Bella See comment for Dan in Real Life — also, the lead is the most gorgeous man in the world — he just is
In Bruges I’m surprised how much I loved this, because of my general distaste for Colin Farrell, but I loved him in this
The Films of Charles and Ray Eames, Vol. 2 Genius — we are huge Eames fans around here
(Charlie Bartlett) No more movies about people named Charlie, okay?
Anatomy of a Murder Uhm, who doesn’t love this movie?
Frailty **
Five Easy Pieces ** Another first for me — I need to see it again
The Darjeeling Limited ** I want to see this again when I’m less stressed
Feast of Love ** A cheesy movie, I suppose, but some of the dialog resonated with me
The Bank Job Oh, I officially have a crush on Jason Statham
Moliere I found this funny and oddly touching
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton ** Yes, that’s right — I was alone on a Saturday afternoon, it was on TV, and I liked it — deal with it
(21) What was this about again?
Remains of the Day A rerun, I can only see this movie maybe once every 10 years, I love it, but it’s so painful
American Psycho Damn, Christian Bale — when is your Oscar coming??
The Verdict This was after Paul Newman died
The Sting ** This as well — I’d never seen it
Cinderella Man **
Bleak House (Masterpiece Theater)
The Hulk **
In the Realms of the Unreal About outsider artist Henry Darger. Google him. So so so fascinating
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Oh, how I love Frances McDormand!
Little Women A tradition every autumn
Miracle on 34th Street
It’s a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story All of these are beloved traditions!
I’m so glad you loved Burn After Reading. My husband and I saw it last week and we keep cracking each other up by saying, “Osborne, Osborne Cox?” I don’t think I have ever loved Brad Pitt more.
Kristina — I totally agree! Some of Brad Pitt’s best work. He is COMPLETELY ridiculous and just allows himself to go there.
I’m glad to see that you liked Iron Man. I was so worried they were going to screw that one up, but they did a great job.
And I was also more fond of Batman Begins than I was of The Dark Knight. I like TDK, but I just do not get all the adulation it’s been getting. I’ve watched it a couple of more times at home and it’s not getting better with multiple viewings. It was too long, too violent and too convoluted.
I loved Juno too. If you haven’t seen Hard Candy you must see it, Ellen Page is amazing.
I love that you love Hitman. So awesome.
Miss Pettigrew! That was my “free” DVD I got last night from the bookstore in a buy-2-get-1 deal. My co-worker made a snide remark about the 2 Jane Austen movies I bought, but. . . that’s his “stinky boyness” (tm Nightfly). Can’t wait to watch Miss P.!
Cullen — Yes, I agree about Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. I much preferred Batman Begins — with one exception: I preferred Maggie Gyllenhal (sp??) to Katie Holmes as what’s-er-name.
And I love Robert Downey Jr. HUGE fan. He made that movie — and I say that knowing Jeff Bridges was in it! He just had the perfect tone for that character. (Oh, and the scenes in “Afghanistan” were filmed very near the deep dark middle of nowhere where my in-laws live. Lots of movies have been filmed around there, actually.)
Brian — Hitman is awesome. I feel that no, no, no, I should not love it, like I am very very naughty, but I just can’t help it.
Kate P — I hope you like it. Frances McDormand AND Amy Adams, two actresses on my recent list of favorite actresses! It seems more like a play to me, but I love how they nail the period rhythms and energy.
Also Lee Pace is in it — he was in that charming but doomed show “Pushing Daisies” where he played The Piemaker and was a bit of a nerd, but, uhm, he’s kind of sexy in this movie. Completely different — and kind of thrilling — energy in this role. Let’s just say he made an impression on me …. Oh, and Ciaran Hinds is in it! He’s in my heart forever for Persuasion. Swoooon ….
Oh, gosh, I wasn’t clear–I bought it because I enjoyed it in the theater. I don’t buy movies often, and only get them if they’re ones I already want to watch again and again. 🙂
You’re right, though, it’s an excellent cast.