As a holdover from 2017, here’s my contribution to MovieRob’s December Genre Grandeur of Road Trip Movies, a review of 2005’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. No one ever said it couldn’t be a road trip across the cosmos. đ
For this monthâs first review for Genre Grandeur â Road TripMovies, hereâs a review of The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy (2005) by SG of Rhyme and Reason
Below is the fourth remix of my compulsively compiled Top 365 favorite movie list! Please refer to my previous blogiversary post for all the details on what was added and dropped from the prior iteration, though all of the new additions are in bold type so as to be easily spotted.
As with last year’s update, the Top 200 havenât been touched too much, with only three cracking the Top 100. The most notable riser might be the Star Wars sequels, since grouping The Last Jedi with The Force Awakens raised the latter much higher than it was. The highest dropper is The Blind Side, which is still sitting pretty at #103; I just realized that #40 was probably too high for it.
As usual, itâs further below that things have been shaken up more significantly. Most of the anime films have risen higher, while the likes of The Iron Lady (-65), Fiddler on the Roof (-58), and WarGames (+106) have been shuffled quite a bit differently than last time. Of course, I believe in combining franchises, so youâll see that Cars 3, Creed, The Conjuring 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have been added to their respective predecessors. Plus, I cheated a bit by granting a tie to Ordinary People and Rabbit Hole, due to their similarities in tone and subject matter, and to both the animated and live-action versions of Disneyâs Cinderella. Interestingly, Psycho is still at #365, so I guess I just like ending the List with my favorite Hitchcock film.
Thus and therefore, I present my Top 365 Movie List, all films Iâd gladly watch anytime (and often do, depending on my mood). This is strictly a personal ranking, but Iâd love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and/or recommendations! There are plenty more movies out there to see, and I canât wait to discover what might earn its way on here next year. Once again, I wish everyone a very happy 2018!
Itâs hard to believe that yet another year has passed. Itâs even harder to believe that Iâve been blogging for four years now, ever since my trusty Viewing Companion (VC) suggested I combine my love for movies and poetry with a Top 365 film countdown. Plus it helped to keep my mind off my hot dog business that had just gone kaput. Since then, Iâve published 825 posts before this one and earned 526 followers, for which I am very grateful. Iâm glad to have started this blog simply to make friends in the blogging community and to learn of countless new movies through them. And I just find blogging to be such an enjoyable creative outlet for whatever youâre passionate about, as long as you donât overcommit yourself. Not that I would ever do such a thing. đ
With all the natural disasters and celebrity scandals, itâs hard to say whether 2017 was any better than 2016, but at least we were able to escape the tragedy through the movies. For one thing, I reached 500 followers earlier this year, which is a big milestone for me. This was also the first year that I watched twelve Blindspot picks, one for each month, and while Iâll rank them a little later, two ended up in my top twelve for the year. And as a certified list-fanatic, I always look forward to the end-of-year lists, including my Blogiversary post for counting down my favorite films seen in the last year and all those that Iâll be adding to my Top 365 list as of tomorrow. In addition, I must give a shout-out to the films that I still greatly enjoyed and that came very close to being List-Worthy, such as The Lake House, Fences, Empire of the Sun, The Help, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Good News, Educating Rita, The Glenn Miller Story, Ink, No Game No Life: Zero, Fletch, Girls und Panzer der Film,Cinema Paradiso, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
I had 51 new additions last year, but only 35 this time, mainly because the bar keeps being raised since I know Iâll have to take off something already on my List to make room for the newbies. Yet I still have a fair amount of diversity here, including three war dramas, four superhero movies, four time travel stories, four rom coms, two anime, two non-animated foreign films, an ape trilogy, a single horror, and a partridge in a pear tree. I suspect Iâve seen more films this year than any year prior and liked the vast majority, though do keep in mind that I tend to run behind other bloggers as far as new releases (including some I really want to see, like Coco, The Greatest Showman, and The Breadwinner), so youâll probably see more Oscar contenders from 2016 than 2017.
Itâs been especially hard ranking them this year, trying to balance personal enjoyment with objective quality, but these are my Top Twelve films seen in 2017, followed by the rest of the additions in alphabetical order. Donât forget also my unofficial âawardsâ to honor certain aspects of these 35 new additions, as well as the list of departing films Iâve had to sadly kick off the List to make room.
I may have to cut down a bit in the coming year, especially since Iâll be graduating and looking for a web design job soon. Still, I enjoy movies, poetry, and lists too much to give this up, so Iâve got plenty more planned. Without further ado, here are my Top Twelve List Additions of 2017.
The monumental military escape from Dunkirk was a pivotal moment in World War II, but it didnât really enter the creative consciousness until this year, with three separate films about it: Darkest Hour, Their Finest, and of course Christopher Nolanâs universally acclaimed Dunkirk. Itâs Nolan applying the best of his style, crafting three separate timelines that give us a comprehensive look at the evacuation from land, water, and air. Restrained in content yet still riveting, itâs an adrenaline-pumping experience.
Ever since I saw it, this anime drama has stayed with me. Itâs a redemption story about a young boy who bullied a deaf girl and was soon marginalized himself. Years later, he seeks to make amends with her and reconnect the relationships he ruined. While slow and artsy at times, itâs a beautiful film in both animation and themes that connected with me on a personal level.
I might be in the minority in actually enjoying Vol. 2 even more than the first Guardians of the Galaxy. For one thing, I found it funnier, and Kurt Russell as Star-Lordâs Celestial dad is a far more appealing villain than Ronin. Plus, thereâs some great development for secondary characters like Yondu and Nebula, while the action is as eye-popping as anything in the MCU. I canât wait to see the Guardians meet the Avengers in Infinity War!
As someone with direct family ties to the space program, I loved learning about this untold story of the black female computers at NASA. The way they rose from being snubbed and discriminated against to becoming indispensable members of the NASA team is tailor-made for inspirational drama, and even if some of the facts are changed, itâs an uplifting tale of intelligence and effort rewarded.
I was very wary of my June Blindspot pick, due to Saving Private Ryanâs brutal reputation, and while it did have scenes that were hard to watch, I now see why it is considered among the best war films of all time. Spielberg outdid himself with the scope and intensity of the battle scenes and gleaned some fantastic performances from Tom Hanks and Jeremy Davies. The characters werenât quite as well-defined as in, say, Memphis Belle, but the story was a hard-hitting testament to the horror and sacrifices of war.
This was the year I finally checked out the Planet of the Apes remakes, and every one of them exceeded expectations while also upping the quality of the visual effects. Caesarâs journey from spared experiment baby to Moses-like leader of a newly sentient race tackles far deeper themes than youâd expect from talking apes, heightened by the emotional stakes of a world torn by hatred and fear. It also confirmed Andy Serkis as the king of motion-capture performance.
Like Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge is way more violent than I usually like, but Mel Gibsonâs faith-filled take on the true story of Desmond Doss was brilliant nonetheless. It was also the first R-rated film I saw in the theater. The first half is refreshingly clean, with Dossâs personal struggle as a conscientious objector in the army, while the blood-soaked second half allows his tenacious resolve to prove himself the equal of any man carrying a gun. As Mel Gibsonâs return to form, itâs gratuitous but also moving, patriotic, and exceptional.
Now for my other top-rated Blindspot, again with time travel. This little-known gem from director Kurt Kuenne is a cinematic puzzle, following a man who awakes from sleep every time on a different day of his life. The way the unfolding story is edited is remarkable, and even if some people felt the ending was schmaltzy, it left me deeply satisfied.
Yes, itâs another time travel movie! Are you starting to pick up on my tastes? This romantic comedy between time-traveling Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams as yet another time-travelerâs wife charmed me as few films do these days. I was smiling more often than not, and it frankly made me wish for a romance like that of my own one day.
Thatâs right, all you naysayers; I still love La La Land! After seeing it again, I recognize its flaws a bit better, such as the less than professional singing/dancing, but like 2012âs Les Miserables, itâs a film I enjoyed so much on my first viewing that I just donât care about what others criticize. Damien Chazelleâs direction, Justin Hurwitzâs score, the performances, the themes of creativity and personal goals, the awesome opening sceneâit all added up to what I still consider the best film of 2016. Feel free to disagree.
If #2 wasnât divisive enough, how about this one? Iâve seen it twice, and I still love it. Shockingly, my VC even declared it the best Star Wars movie of them all, and sheâs a long-time fan. The action scenes are outstanding, boasting more than a few âwhoaâ moments, and it progresses the story in fresh and unexpected ways that kept me enthralled from start to bittersweet finish. True, Finnâs subplot doesnât amount to much and there are still unanswered questions, but none of the complaints Iâve heard resonate with me at all. This was my #1 movie that I hoped would be good this year, and it didnât disappoint!
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And here are the other additions in alphabetical order, some of which will be joining others of their franchise:
And to honor these films, here are some of my personal awards I give out every year, the kind that no one cares about but are still fun to give.
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Best opening scene: La La Land
Best final scene: A Silent Voice
Coolest scene: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Biggest emotional impact: Arrival
Oldest film: A Star Is Born (1937)
Most recent film: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Longest film: Saving Private Ryan (169 minutes), followed closely by The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (163 minutes)
Shortest film: Shuffle (82 minutes)
Best soundtrack: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Best score: La La Land (The Red Violin a close second)
Best special effects: War for the Planet of the Apes
Most mind-bending: Arrival (and if it qualified, Ink)
Most family-friendly: Cinderella (2015)
Most mature: Saving Private Ryan
Scariest: The Conjuring 2
Funniest: Wayneâs World
Most controversial: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Best VC Pick: The Red Violin
Best male performance: Mathieu Amalric in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best female performance: Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Most represented year: 2017, with nine films
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And now for the most painful part. It killed me to rip some of these movies from my Top 365 List, some of them just added last year and others that have been there from the beginning. Iâll tell you this: if Iâll have to knock off more favorites a year from now, itâs going to be even harder to get a List-Worthy ranking in the coming year. Despite my cutting them, these 25 âretireesâ are all great movies I still love, and they will not be forgotten.
Thank you to everyone still reading and everyone who has read, liked, followed, and commented throughout the year. Even the simplest feedback is always encouraging and appreciated. To cap off the year, below is a montage of all that 2017’s cinemas had to offer (brief language warning at 1:28).
I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and may 2018 be the best year yet, or at least better than the last one!
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As long as wars and battles rage,
The world will yearn for peace;
So says the pacifist with sage
Detachment and release.
Yet when the battles come too close
And reap their ruthless wound,
How quick is he made bellicose,
His former faith impugned!
Yes, grief can make the wholesome hate,
The peaceful prime for war.
Sometimes their conscience wakes too late,
With much to answer for.
_________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
Perhaps the most surprising thing about these new Planet of the Apes movies is how good they are compared with how bad they could have been. Think about it: apes using sign language, sparse and simple dialogue, âmonkeys riding horses,â as Everybody Loves Raymond once put it, concepts that could so easily become laughable. And yet both Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes raised the bar for what this science fiction series could be, and 2017âs War for the Planet of the Apes continued the high quality and stuck the landing, so to speak.
Picking up two years after Dawn, this end to the trilogy sees Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his band of intelligent apes embattled with a military garrison led by the fanatical Colonel (Woody Harrelson, in grand villainous mode). There is plenty of wreckage still from Kobaâs uprising in Dawn, from defecting gorillas siding with the humans against Caesar to the emotional baggage of Kobaâs and Caesarâs actions. When the Colonel exacts a personal toll on Caesarâs family, the ape leader starts to share in Kobaâs hatred and soon sets out with his most loyal friends on a quest for revenge. The story morphs several times as it goes, from western-like journeying through snowy mountains to brutal incarceration to a thrilling prison escape tale, all while following Caesarâs emotional rollercoaster and completing the allegorical Moses narrative begun in Rise.
With each film in this trilogy, the visual effects have gotten more and more polished. The previous two still had moments when I could tell the apes werenât real, but War makes them as realistic as any effect Iâve seen. Even if motion-capture technology  is perhaps not entirely perfected, itâs jaw-droppingly convincing at this point, which allows the apesâ emotions to be as clearly conveyed as any of the human charactersâ. The characters behind that effects façade are also better defined here than in prior films. The chimp Rocket and orangutan Maurice have been with Caesar since the first film, and while they barely registered in Dawn, the fact that they join Caesar on his trek allows them to stand out better from the rest of the apes. Also joining them is the eccentric Bad Ape (Steve Zahn), a zoo escapee who adds some much-needed humor to an otherwise bleak tale.
My VC has had a more restrained appreciation for these movies, admiring the visual skill but finding the execution a bit plodding and slow-paced. Even so, she found the story of War to be the strongest of the three, and although I prefer Dawn, War had the clearest character arc of the three, continued the subtle references to past movies, and worked in some evidence of how the world becomes as Charlton Heston found it in the original.
I agree with her that the pacing could be tighter, particularly during the grueling prison scenes, but these films arenât content to be mere action spectacles. They instead tackle deeper moral questions and universal themes of humanity, enlivened by moments of refreshing sweetness and stunning action. Theyâre a rare breed of blockbuster, and if their example overran Hollywood, that wouldnât be such a bad thing.
Best line: (Caesar) âIf we strive but fail, and the world remains armed against itself, then we’ve been divided, because the hunger for peace is in the hearts of all.â
If there is money to be milked,
Hollywood is there!
If there are empires to be built,
Hollywood will dare!
If there are purists they can jilt,
If there are wishes they can wilt,
Hollywood wonât care!
If franchises refuse to die,
Some revel at the sight,
While others weakly question why
And still tune in despite.
But if you silence your outcry,
Hollywood might satisfy.
They sometimes get it right.
_________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
I was among the most skeptical when yet another Spider-Man was announced, and as amazing as Tom Hollandâs debut in Captain America: Civil War was, I still wasnât sold on Homecomingâs potential. Iâm one of those people who grew up loving Tobey Maguireâs Spider-Man, and Iâm firmly convinced that no other Spider-Man will replace him as my favorite or Spider-Man 2 as the best in the series. All that said, I loved Spider-Man: Homecoming far more than I was expecting and certainly more than the Andrew Garfield films (which I didnât exactly hate either).
The trick that this new Disney/Sony partnership pulls off successfully is making this version of Spider-Man sufficiently different that it doesnât feel like a rehash of what weâve already seen. For example, Peter Parkerâs origin story is completely skipped, assuming the audience already knows the basics about a radioactive spider and the death of his Uncle Ben. Instead, it focuses much more on Peterâs high school life, with fawning crushes, scholastic decathlon training, and his geeky friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and more nonchalant friend Michelle (Zendaya). The typical Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborne arenât here (mostly), and instead we have some fantastic continuity with the MCU, embodied in Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) as Peterâs detached mentor/benefactor.
In avoiding past Spider-Man movies, we also get a new villain in Michael Keatonâs Adrian Toomes, who becomes the Vulture using alien tech left over from the Chitauri battle in The Avengers. Aside from the priceless in-joke of casting Birdman himself as the Vulture, Keaton makes his embittered contractor-turned-weapons dealer one of the best and smartest Marvel villains in a while, one whoâs not evil for evilâs sake but who is still ruthless in doing what he thinks is necessary and justifying it as a family man. His battles with Spider-Man are far more thrilling than I expected from a second-rate villain like Vulture, and the fact that his motivations donât involve world domination or destruction is actually refreshing at this point in the MCU.
Of course, the biggest challenge goes to Holland, who embraces Peter Parkerâs inexperience and high school geeky side with appealing charm and an amusing tendency of being awestruck by all the coolness he encounters. Whatâs missing is his reason for helping people, which is unavoidable if you leave out Uncle Ben, but the filmmakers managed to create a decent replacement inspiration. With the high-tech suit provided by Stark, thereâs a lot of fun to be had as Peter learns the bells and whistles available to him, including his own A.I. he names Karen (Jennifer Connelly), but he also begins thinking that the suit is what makes him a hero. How he comes to terms with that is quite well-handled, even if âWith great power comes great responsibilityâ is still better.
Surprisingly, Spider-Man: Homecoming exceeded my expectations (especially an awesome action scene at the Washington Monument), which is always welcome. There are still things I would have changed, from an off-hand porn joke to a few politically correct jabs. Plus, Iâm not a fan of Marisa Tomei as the new âhotâ Aunt May, who is no longer the wise and pious counselor of past versions and made me miss Rosemary Harris from the first three films. Even so, the plentiful humor and overall entertainment value of the whole made up for these lesser elements, though my VC was less pleased with the constantly joking tone. So, although it doesnât exceed Tobey Maguireâs movies for me, Iâm largely satisfied with a new generation growing up with this Spider-Man (especially since theyâll likely still watch the original to get the full origin story).
Best line: (Peter) âI’m nothing without the suit!â (Tony) âIf you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.â
The world might keep more hope and zeal,
Might waver closer to ideal,
Might capture greater curb appeal
If life were like the movies.
Our friends might longer stay our friends,
Our enemies might make amends,
Our chances rise for happy ends
If life were like the movies.
But no, theyâre not, weâre often told.
Such dreams decay as we grow old.
And yet they never lose their hold;
Thatâs why we watch the movies.
_____________________
MPAA rating: PG (should perhaps be PG-13, though the directorâs cut is R)
Itâs time now for my final Blindspot of the year, the Italian classic Cinema Paradiso (or to use the Italian title, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso). Iâve been curious about this film for a while since it seems that everyone who sees it loves it to pieces, not least of all Cinema Parrot Disco, who named her blog after it. Of the three different versions that are apparently floating around, I watched the original international release of 123 minutes, as opposed to the 155-minute Italian release or the 173-minute directorâs cut. Even apart from the long list of accolades that were listed prior to the filmâs actual start, I undoubtedly recognize why it is hailed as such a classic, but it also left me a tad perplexed simply because I wanted to absolutely love it but instead just really, really, really liked it. That is to say, it didnât quite bridge the tiny gap between fondness and favorite, but fondness isnât too shabby.
Told mostly in flashback, Cinema Paradiso is at its heart a coming-of-age tale about a young boy named Salvatore (Salvatore Cascio), who is enamored of his post-war Italian villageâs local theater, the Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, and constantly pesters the big-hearted projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). Their bond is the sweetest aspect of the whole story. Despite Alfredoâs tendency to make hyperbolic threats while waving his hands around as Italians do, his affection for young âTotoâ is unmistakable, from teaching him how to operate the projector to encouraging him to seek out bigger things than their rural village.
The town at large is also full of colorful characters, from the rich man who spits on the poorer folks from the theater balcony to the crazy tramp who claims the entire town square as his own. Itâs a community of mischievous lads, indignant priests, and avid movie lovers, perhaps idealized by Salvatoreâs nostalgia, but still feeling dynamic and genuine. Itâs also a look at an era long past. While many today scorn the old black-and-white films of yesteryear, Cinema Paradiso shows a time when they thrilled the whole neighborhood, where theaters erupted with laughter and chair-stealing mobs would form if they were denied their latest favorite. Film itself is a prominent character here, a reminder of how magical it once was, how dangerous it could be, and how beloved it still is.
Deserving Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Cinema Paradiso is full of moments designed to make you smile and even tear up by the end, and it presents them with good humor and romantic sweetness that never loses its honesty. With such strong performances, appealing sentimentality, and sincere love of film, itâs hard to pin down why it didnât quite affect me the way I was hoping. I canât really point to anything specific, aside from perhaps its length or the less-than-satisfying romance aspect, but I also feel that my appreciation will only grow if I see it again. Itâs easily a five-star movie and an affecting tribute to the magic of film.
Best line:  (Alfredo, to Salvatore) âGet out of here! Go back to Rome. You’re young, and the world is yours. I’m old. I don’t want to hear you talk anymore. I want to hear others talking about youâŠ. Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.â
In a galaxy far, far away, Iâve been told,
There are stories that fit in an orthodox mold
Of Death Stars and daring
And Jedi preparing
To free all from some evil emperorâs hold.
There are stories as well that are harder to tell,
That leave our hopes answered or dashed where they fell.
The many may mourn
With rebuttals of scorn,
For isnât it always correct to rebel?
But stories in galaxies distant and near
Can hold fans and fault-finders equally dear.
Some waver and jeer;
Some stand up and cheer.
Does it matter whoâs right when weâre both so sincere?
____________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
I donât get it. I just donât get it. Despite desperately avoiding spoilers, I quickly realized that The Last Jedi was to be a divisive entry in the Star Wars canon. Everything I did hear has been the critics lauding it and my fellow movie bloggers and âregular peopleâ coming away with mixed feelings, thinking it falls somewhere in the middle of the pack and certainly below The Force Awakens. Thereâs even a petition to have it struck from the Star Wars canon. Now that Iâve seen it, I just donât get the backlash because I LOVED IT! Thatâs right; for every divisive movie, youâre bound to get the full spectrum of audience reactions, and to balance out all the half-hearted ones, Iâm here for a fully positive, non-spoiler review. My tastes probably differ from the majority. After all, Iâm the guy who still loves La La Land, but personally I think The Last Jedi is head-and-shoulders above Force Awakens.
Let me explain that perhaps shocking claim. I liked The Force Awakens and liked it even better upon a rewatch, but Iâll always consider it âthe one where they killed Han Solo.â I remember walking out of the theater with my whole family shell-shocked, not high from a rousing film as it sounds like most people did. Not to mention, itâs too similar to the original movies. I now joke that, if it was a drinking game to take a swig every time thereâs some parallel to the originals, youâd be drunk by the halfway point. Thus, Iâve come to value originality, which might be why I enjoyed Rogue One more than most as well. And The Last Jedi has originality to spare. There are still clear echoes of its forerunners (Jedi training in solitude, escaping from a besieged base), but those are broad strokes in a film that is far from a retread of what came before.
Last Jedi follows several plotlines that converge by the end: the Resistance trying to escape the overwhelming attacks of the First Order, Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) taking matters into his own hands for the sake of their survival, Finn (John Boyega) and newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) endeavoring to shut down an enemy tracking device, and of course Rey (Daisy Ridley) training and trying to convince Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to return to the fight while also finding a connection with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). I didnât find any of these plotlines to be boring, though itâs true that Finnâs role is fairly inconsequential by the end, and the stakes are as high as theyâve ever been in a Star Wars movie. In fact, one of my concerns is the sheer number of casualties on both sides. Still, hope is one of the key themes, as it has been since the beginning of the franchise, and despite how dark things get, it never failed to be entertaining, helped by a good dose of humor. (Again, I welcomed the levity that others have criticized. My mom still talks about how the entire theater was erupting with laughter during Episode IVâs theatrical run, so I donât see whatâs wrong with the humor here or how itâs not Star Wars-y enough. Again, maybe Iâm just different, considering Iâve never hated the Ewoks or even Jar Jar Binks.)
The originality I mentioned is explicitly acknowledged by Lukeâs warning that âThis is not going to go the way you think.â Whenever you think you know how something will play out, it veers in another direction. Granted, that sometimes makes certain actions meaningless, but it also keeps things continually fresh and unpredictable, spicing up what could easily have been a paint-by-numbers sequel. A key thematic struggle is what the best course of action is, not in a morally gray sense, but as far as whether to fight or flee and whether to obey orders, sort of tapping into the same fearful desperation as Dunkirk.
The new cast continues to be engaging, with the advancement of Rey, Kylo, and Poeâs characters especially, and unexpected callbacks to the original trilogy deepen the emotion of several scenes. There were new characters I liked, like Rose, and new characters I didnât hate, like Benicio Del Toroâs codebreaker named DJ, but all the performances were excellent. Luke and Leia have plenty to do as well, and each has their standout scenes. (Unfortunately, one of Leiaâs is also the most eye-rolling moment of the film.)
Yes, there are disappointments, particularly for the much-theorized questions about Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) and Reyâs origins, but those didnât detract too much for me, especially because Iâm not convinced theyâre entirely settled. Remember that Luke and Leia being siblings wasnât revealed until the third film. Plus, the vacuum of space doesnât seem to be as deadly as it is in real life, something Iâve also noticed in Guardians of the Galaxy, for example. Perhaps the biggest disappointment that none of these more recent films can escape is the fact that Luke and Leia and Han didnât get the happy ending we assumed after Return of the Jedi. Thatâs inherent to any continuation, but given the story established in Force Awakens of Luke becoming discouraged by yet another rebellious apprentice, The Last Jedi builds the plot admirably and respectfully, just perhaps not as die-hard fans might wish. One potentially problematic flashback is made more understandable when viewed as a moment of weakness and a misunderstanding, and I found the ending open enough to expect great things from Episode IX. And Iâm sorry, thereâs nothing here nearly as traumatic as Han Soloâs death at the hands of his own son. Why werenât people rallying petitions to undo that?!
One aspect the prequel trilogy always excelled at was the action sequences, and The Last Jedi did not disappoint, especially since the whole movie is practically one long space battle. Laura Dernâs Admiral Holdo gets one of the filmâs most epic sequences, while Mark Hamill gets the scene of the year, in my opinion. Even Rose and Finnâs jaunt on a casino planet was a fun diversion from the life-and-death struggle of the main plot. John Williamsâ still-iconic score, the visual effects, and the odd creatures (donât hate on the Porgs) were every bit as Star Wars-y as Force Awakens, in my opinion, and the light saber duels are as awesome as weâve come to expect from this series.
I guess I do understand some of the gripes people have had, such as the out-of-left-field new aspects of the Force or how wasted Gwendoline Christieâs Captain Phasma is, but for the larger uncertainty, Iâd like to cite The Empire Strikes Back. Everyone hails it as the best of the franchise (I disagree), but think of how many questions were left at the end of that film. Was Lando Calrissian any better developed at that point than some of the new characters here? I mention this because my mom remembers how disheartened she was back in 1980 and how she would poke holes of her own, complaining that she couldnât understand Yoda and the whole training part was boring and it was disappointing that the hyperdrive kept failing. Middle movies are often trickier than beginnings and finales, and based on my own initial enjoyment and how much happens in The Last Jedi, I do think that people will come to appreciate it more with time. So donât overreact.
Unlike The Force Awakens, I did walk out of The Last Jedi beaming at the thrill of a great movie, and I compliment Rian Johnsonâs divisive direction. In fact, it might be my favorite film of the year. My one big complaint is how long it is and how desperate I was for a bathroom by the end. I have no idea where Episode IX will take this tale, and thatâs a good thing, to my mind, though I do hope it ends on a high note. While I was nervous going in, The Last Jedi had me guessing, laughing, sweating, and silently cheering from start to finish, and while Iâm sorry for those who had less positive experiences, the controversies didnât diminish my enjoyment one bit.
Best line: (Rose) âWe’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.â
The incidence of miracles is far too low these days.
Coincidence is cited now, when âaccidentsâ amaze,
But when it seems that chance is too unlikely an excuse,
We start to dream of destiny and what it might produce.
Call it what you will, my friends: coincidence or fate,
Or more precisely, Providence that makes our courses straight.
Though some may call it all a crock, a universe of chance,
When once you glimpse the grand design, âtis more than happenstance.
____________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
Around Christmas, I tend to watch traditional movies Iâve seen a million times (Itâs a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, The Polar Express, etc.), so I wasnât sure at first what would be best for the season. Then, I remembered that Serendipity begins and ends at Christmastime, making it a good fit for a Christmas Eve post. Somehow, I thought that most rom coms since the â90s just werenât worth my time, but Serendipity surprised me as a wholly charming and enjoyable member of a genre that deserves a better reputation.
It begins with a classic meet-cute for Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) and Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale), both Christmas shoppers after a pair of gloves at Bloomingdaleâs. Despite already having partners, thereâs an instant connection as they have dessert together at a restaurant called Serendipity 3, and while Jonathan is quick to acknowledge it, Sara is more hesitant and unconvinced that they were âdestinedâ to meet. Using a dollar bill, a book, and an elevator, she decides to test fate a bit too far, and the two potential lovebirds go their separate ways. Fast forward a few years, and both of their relationships have progressed to engagement. Yet, thereâs also a gnawing sense of what-could-have-been, and they both decide to search out what might be destiny.
No romantic comedy can be successful without two appealing leads, and Cusack and Beckinsale have marvelous chemistry together, that hard-to-define bond that simply either works or doesnât. It definitely works here, and I could see how their short time together at the beginning could give them pause on whether this stranger might be âthe one.â Beckinsale is lovely as always, though for some reason, even with his sweetly obsessive role in Say Anything, neither I nor my VC thought of Cusack as a romantic lead, yet he affably fills the kind of role that could have gone to Tom Hanks a few years earlier.
The dialogue may not be on the level of Nora Ephronâs, but thereâs a good number of chuckles along the way as Jonathan and Kate go on a scavenger hunt for clues as to where their mystery lover might be. Eugene Levy puts in an amusingly offbeat side role, while Jeremy Piven and Molly Shannon are perfect companions in trying to keep the two star-crossed lovers relatively grounded. The themes of fate vs. coincidence are nicely laced throughout as well, sometimes for comedy (âMaybe the absence of signs is a sign!â) but also in more thoughtful ways, especially how the audience gets to see connections and near-misses that the characters donât.
I wasnât sure exactly how much I liked Serendipity at first. One minorly major complaint was in how Jonathan and Saraâs other love interests are treated. Usually, this kind of movie shows that the initial relationship is doomed from the start, making the breakup inevitable, but while that is the case with Sara and her weird fluting boyfriend, Jonathanâs alternative girl is a little too viable a match, making me feel sorry for her by the end. I thought that might be a deal-breaker for me in deciding Serendipityâs ranking, but after seeing it a second time with my VC (who also enjoyed it), itâs a minor complaint in an otherwise satisfying romance. Predictable but very watchable, it falls a bit short of my absolute favorite rom coms, but Iâve come to value any movie that leaves me smiling by the end.
Best line: (Jonathanâs friend Dean) âIf you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.â
I hope no one mistakes this post as a countdown of La La Land songs because there arenât even twelve to pick from. No, this long overdue list is a follow-up to my old Top Twelve list of Na Na Na Songs, which still gets a good number of views to this day. I love how na nas can so easily take the place of actual lyrics, but la las are even more common, to the point that some songs just use them in place of a chorus. Not that Iâm complaining, since itâs easier to learn that way.
After much exhaustive research, I have compiled a very long list of songs featuring the âLa La Laâ and picked out my absolute favorites. There are so many that this kind of list is truly a matter of opinion. If you like hard rock, you might include âDead!â by My Chemical Romance. If youâre into reggae, you might pick âSweat (A La La La La Long)â by Inner Circle. And donât get me started on how many are titled simply âLa La La,â sometimes with commas or hyphens to tell them apart. So this list is strictly my personal preference, but I tried to include a good mix of genres and styles. Thus, here are my Top Twelve La La La Songs!
âThose Were the Daysâ by Mary Hopkin
To start things off, letâs go back to 1968, when Mary Hopkin repopularized a Russian folk tune as a chart-topping ballad with more than a few la las in the chorus. I first heard this song at the grocery store recently, and it quickly got stuck in my head, as la las tend to do. Since I always incorporate movie references in my lists, I must mention that the tune was used in the score for the anime drama Giovanniâs Island, giving it a wistful Russian flavor.
âMy Cherie Amourâ by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonderâs 1969 hit definitely features one of the more iconic la la sections out there, which I hear all the time at work. Right from the beginning, the Motown legend lets the la las bookend his R&B favorite. Itâs an easy song to sing along to, isnât it?
âSleep When Weâre Deadâ by ItaloBrothers (Nightcore)
When it comes to club music, the German ItaloBrothers may be mainly known in Europe, but theyâve got some good stuff, such as this electronic jammer from 2015. The original is a little too slow for me, so I prefer the sped-up nightcore version, which makes it more of a head-banger and still retains the la las that earn âSleep When Weâre Deadâ a place on the list.
âBrown-Eyed Girlâ by Van Morrison
You could say Iâm getting the older songs out of the way early, but I had to include this classic from 1967. âBrown-Eyed Girlâ was a breakout hit for Van Morrison and remains popular as an often-covered golden oldie of rock. Oh, and itâs been in several movies, such as Sleeping with the Enemy.
âCrocodile Rockâ by Elton John
A retrospective on the days of classic rock, âCrocodile Rockâ was a huge 1972 hit for Elton John and his first #1 single in the United States. Johnâs falsetto la las in the chorus especially stick out, and a cover was used prominently in the film Gnomeo and Juliet.
âY Brawd Houdiniâ by Meic Stevens
Unless youâre from Wales, youâve probably never heard of this song or Meic Stevens, but neither had I till in my research I stumbled upon this earworm, which would be a perfect drinking song if I had any idea what the man was saying. Luckily, there are plenty of la las to sing along to as you clap and sway to this hidden gem.
âDeck the Hallsâ
I went back and forth about whether to include this perennial Christmas favorite since it seems like itâs in a separate category than these other songs, but no list of la la la songs would be complete without âDeck the Halls.â Itâs the main reason Iâm doing this list so close to Christmas, and who hasnât sung along to âfa la la la la, la la la laâ? Hereâs the new version from Pentatonix:
âThe Passengerâ by Iggy Pop
This is another song I only discovered while researching this list, but how am I just now hearing this awesome 1977 tune, which has supposedly been used in several movies? Maybe I just never paid much attention to Iggy Pop, but âThe Passengerâ is a brilliantly catchy single that, like #7, is a song that had me swaying along with the la las.
â(Donât Fear) The Reaperâ by Blue Oyster Cult
Blue Oyster Cultâs biggest hit may not have as many la las as its competition, but Iâve always loved this rock classic from 1976. The la las still stand out to complement the memorably haunting guitar riff, and the song has appeared in the film Scream and the miniseries The Stand.
Now for the only song here to appear solely in a movie. âKiss the Girlâ doesnât get as much attention as the more show-stopping tunes delivered by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, but itâs oh so romantic for Ariel and Ericâs near-kiss. The âsha la laâ part just adds to the mood set by Sebastian and his singing menagerie.
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Around the World (La La La La La)â by ATC / âPesenkaâ by Ruki Vverh! / âMagic Melodyâ by beFour
Time for the song with more la las than any other in the top twelve. (Iâm just guessing.) I donât get how, but this songâs indelible melody has been recycled numerous times. It was originally a 1998 song called âPesenkaâ by Russian band Ruki Vverh!, then became more famous internationally in 2000 as âAround the Worldâ by Eurodance band ATC (or A Touch of Class). Yet my favorite iteration is probably 2007âs âMagic Melodyâ by German group beFour, and itâs not just because the two female members are gorgeous. There are many many others, as you can see here. The words may change, but this is one la-la-filled song that seems designed to get stuck in your head.
âDonât You (Forget about Me)â by Simple Minds
Itâs been really hard ranking these songs, but I knew what #1 would be from the very beginning. The Breakfast Club made this 1985 chart-topper iconic, which is acknowledged in Pitch Perfect as well. Simple Minds is an often overlooked â80s band, but this is one hit that will live on for as long as brains, athletes, basket cases, princesses, and criminals watch movies.
And here is the ENORMOUS list of runners-up, or rather every la la song I could find, listed alphabetically by artist. I know itâs far from complete, so feel free to suggest any I missed. Iâve added a double star after the songs I actually like enough to consider true runners-up.
âIf It Means a Lot to Youâ by A Day to Remember
âPyramaniaâ by The Alan Parsons Project**
âPotential Breakup Songâ by Aly and AJ
âA Horse with No Nameâ by America**
âThis Is My Timeâ by Amy Stroup**
âLa, La, Laâ by Auburn (feat. Iyaz)
âLa La La Laâ by Baby Rasta y Gringo
âI Can Walk on Water, I Can Flyâ by Basshunter**
âI Careâ by Beyonce
âThe Man in Meâ by Bob Dylan**
âLala Songâ by Bob Sinclar and Sugarhill Gang**
âIf U Seek Amyâ by Britney Spears
âSing La La Laâ by Carolina Marquez (feat. Flo Rida and Dale Saunders)
âLa La Laâ by Chris Webby
âYou Make Me FeelâŠâ by Cobra Starship & Sabi**
âDreamsâ by Cranberries**
âLittle Liesâ by Dave Barnes**
âHot Summer Nightâ by David Tavare
âIâm Leavinââ by Elvis Presley
âOoh La Laâ by The Faces
âL.A. Love (La La)â by Fergie
âKilling Me Softly with His Songâ (the Fugees version)
âOoh La Laâ by Goldfrapp
âParis (Ooh La La)â by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals**
âLa La La I Love Youâ by GummibĂ€r
âVenus in Flaresâ by Half Man Half Biscuit
âCarolinaâ by Harry Styles**
âAll We Ever Knewâ by The Head and the Heart**
âTonight Tonightâ by Hot Chelle Rae**
âSweat (A La La La La Long)â by Inner Circle
âLa La Loveâ by Ivi Adamou**
âThatâs Entertainment,â âGoing Underground,â âThe Man in the Corner Shopâ by The Jam**
âLa-La-Laâ by Jay-Z (from Bad Boys II)
âOn the Floorâ by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull
âSingâ by Joe Raposo **
“Fa La La” by Justin Bieber
âCanât Get You Out of My Headâ by Kylie Minogue
âLa La Laâ by Lil Wayne
“Children” by Listenbee, feat. Cosmos & Creature
âLa La Laâ by LMFAO
âShare My Worldâ by Mary J. Blige
âHe Gives Me Love (La La La)â by Massiel
âTeddy Bearâ by Melanie Martinez
âLovinâ Youâ by Minnie Riperton
âDead!â and âBoy Divisionâ (barely) by My Chemical Romance
âKind & Generousâ by Natalie Merchant**
âLa La Laâ by Naughty Boy**
âI Drive Myself Crazyâ by NâSync**
âMountain Soundâ by Of Monsters and Men**
âFreedomâ by Pharrell Williams**
âRussian Rouletteâ by Red Velvet**
âOnly Girl (In the World)â by Rihanna
âLa La Laâ by Shakira
âThe Boxerâ by Simon and Garfunkel (sort of)
âSheila Take a Bowâ by The Smiths
âSpice Up Your Lifeâ by Spice Girls
âStand Backâ by Stevie Nicks**
âLa La-Laâ by Sukshinder Shinda
“Head over Heels” by Tears for Fears**
âOoh La La Laâ by Teena Marie**
âFreedomâ by Tyrone Wells**
âShalala Lalaâ by Vengaboys
âHimmelblauâ by Wolfgang Riechmann
Wow, that was tiring! What could I do next? A list of âda da daâ songs or maybe âwhooâ or âoh oh ohâ? That would probably take even longer so not for a while. As one last movie inclusion, Iâll end this list with the opening credits to The Big Lebowski, with Bob Dylanâs âThe Man in Me.â And a Merry Christmas to everyone who got this far. Thanks for reading (and listening)!
A tree that grows as decades fly
Has proved its will to live.
And most may think a tree so high
Will yield all it can give.
Indeed it may, as many do,
Its strength confirmed by age,
But age can also rot it through,
A cancer hard to gauge.
We cannot know its fortitude
Until the tempest blows,
And if its weakened roots protrude,
Then everybody knows.
_______________
MPAA rating: R (for language and a bedroom scene)
I can usually admire what I call Triple A movies, those that are All About the Acting, but even the best actors need a worthwhile story to tell. I had hoped 45 Years would have the right combination, but not so. This golden-years pairing of Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling has a pretty simple concept and doesnât expand too much on it, filling the performances with subtlety but leaving the plot an unsatisfying bore.
Norfolk retirees Kate (Rampling) and Geoff Mercer (Courtenay) are approaching their 45th anniversary, only to have their bucolic married bliss disturbed by a letter informing Geoff that the body of his former sweetheart in the â60s has been found frozen in a Swiss glacier. Geoff had told Kate about how he had lost his girlfriend Katya in an accident, so this isnât too much of a surprise, but the flood of memories from this news overcomes Geoff and makes him obsess over his days with Katya. This sets off a chain of false fronts and hidden distress as Geoff says heâs all right but wonât let Katya and Switzerland go, while Kate insists it doesnât bother her even though sheâs clearly troubled.
The two stars carry off this slow escalation of emotion with expert nuance, and I can see why they were both nominated for several awards, with Rampling winning far more than Courtenay. Yet, as Kateâs irritation comes to a head, her deep-seated insecurity seems rather overblown considering that the whole film takes place over the course of a single week. If Geoff were to continue his preoccupation with Katya for weeks or months, I could better understand Kateâs objections, but shouldnât she give him a chance to grieve when his buried sorrow is unearthed? I realize she loses some trust at his half-truths, but she takes it all much too personally. I mean, does she really expect to lose her husband of 45 years to a dead woman? By the end, it doesnât matter how sincere Geoffâs professions of love seem; sheâs let her unquieted doubts ruin her 45th anniversary, probably for nothing.
Perhaps thatâs the point (or should be) of this well-made and melancholy film, the danger of letting little troubles eat away at your inner peace, as when Kate sloughs off a potential source of agitation but adds on the word âStillâŠ.â Thatâs a worthwhile moral, but the film doesnât pull it off as well as it could have. Looking back at it, the news Geoff got was only a big deal because their lives were so boring and uneventful. With 97% approval, Rotten Tomatoes describes 45 Years as a gem âfor fans of adult cinema,â so perhaps Iâm not adult enough to overlook the flimsy reason for this story to even be worth telling.
Best line: (Geoff) âWhat? You really believe you haven’t been enough for me?â  (Kate) âNo. I think I was enough for you, I’m just not sure you do.â
For this monthâs first review for Genre Grandeur â Road TripMovies, hereâs a review of The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy (2005) by SG of Rhyme and Reason
If, while driving through the stars,
Rhyme and Reason 