Best
The Year’s
&
Worst Films
Story by Aaron Rhomberg Layout by Kristina Nesteby Zack and Miri Make a Porno Writer/Director Kevin Smith is back with a com‑ edy reminiscent of his earlier film “Clerks.” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” stars Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks as two people who are broke and about to be evicted until they come up with an idea to make some quick cash. What makes this film succeed is Smith’s trademark humor in show‑ ing audiences a subject that has rarely been dealt with. The best part of the picture is the director’s exploration of the comedic side of pornography which is rarely seen. It is also enjoyable to watch the characters coming up with various concepts for their porn film. Rating: 8.5/10 Frost/Nixon Ron Howard’s tale about British TV reporter David Frost, who was granted an interview with Richard Nixon after he resigned as president after Watergate, stars Frank Langella who reprises the role he portrayed in the play “Frost/Nixon.” Lan‑ gella’s ability to become Nixon from his voice to the way he walks and his posture is uncanny. What also makes this a terrific movie is Martin Sheen as Frost. While the film may have some historical inaccuracies, it is still fascinating to watch. The intensity of the interview between Frost and Nixon may remind the viewer of the Pacino and Crowe interview in 2001’s “The Insider.” Rating: 8/10
Best
27 Clarke Catalyst 2009
The Dark Knight This is not only the first movie to reach $500 million domestically in recent years; it has also changed the face of comic book movies. It is not so much a comic book film as a crime movie. Director Christopher Nolan said he modeled the film after the 1995 crime film “Heat” that involves an ensemble of characters who weave the story to‑ gether. It also feels like “The Usual Suspects” and “The Departed.” Heath Ledger brings qualities to his portrayal of the Joker that made the character famous in the comics; some are the more deranged elements that many have never seen before. The movie also places these characters in a more real‑world setting than previous “Batman” install‑ ments which made Gotham City appear more gothic. Ledger is the first actor to win an Academy Award for playing a comic book character. Rating: 9/10 Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle’s touching picture is about a boy who enters an Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” When he gets a majority of the answers right, the host calls the police to inter‑ rogate him to see if he is cheating. During the questioning the boy goes into detail about his life in the slums to explain how he knows the answers. This film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won Best Picture, Best Director, Adapted Screen Play and many others. Rating: 10/10
Babylon A.D. “Babylon A.D.” is one of the worst sci‑fi movies since “Battlefield Earth”(2000). Even “Babylon” director Mathieu Kassovitz referred to his proj‑ ect as “a bad episode of ‘24.’” The movie stars Vin Diesel as a mercenary named Toorop who is hired by a Russian mobster to retrieve a girl and bring her to New York City. The movie looks to be a rip‑off of Diesel’s early work, “XXX,” and the “Pitch Black” series. Some problems with this film include not only the acting, but a reported 70 minutes cut from the film, thus rendering the plot incoherent. Characters turn up without any expla‑ nation. In the end, this movie is not even worth the film that was used to make it. Rating: 1/10
Australia Director Baz Luhrman’s first film since 2001 is a character piece starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Disaster Movie Kidman set between 1932 and 1942 in Australia at This film from the writers of “Epic Movie” and a production cost of $130 million. While the film “Date Movie” spoofs summer 2008 blockbusters such as “Wanted,” “Iron Man,” and “Kung fu has a great cast along with excellent cinematogra‑ Panda.” The film relies on toilet humor and other phy and set design, it drags on into a boring and pop culture references and Kim Kardashian as the typical love story set against war time. It becomes star. Need I say more? clichéd, reminding us of another war/love movie, 2001’s “Pearl Harbor.” Jackman is not the best dra‑ Rating: ‑10/10 matic actor and should stick to making the action films that have made him famous. Kidman’s career has been slipping; she hasn’t had a solid film in the last few years. Rating: 3.5/10
My Best Friend’s Girl A guy named Dustin (Jason Biggs) hires an acquaintance named Tank (Dane Cook) to take Dustin’s ex‑girlfriend (Kate Hudson) out and treat her badly to demonstrate that Dustin is the guy she should end up with. Things backfire when the ex begins to fall for Tank. Cook, who is known for his funny stand‑up performances, should not give up his day job. What makes him a hit doing stand‑up does not translate to the big screen. He tries to show us that Tank is cocky, offensive, and focuses only on himself. The problem with this is that it has been done numerous times. It also seems that Biggs is playing the same character as in the “American Pie” series and can’t break the typecast. Hudson plays the same dim‑witted girl role that has made her famous in previous films. Rating: 2/10
Worst
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