The Films That I Saw: July 2012

July was quite busy although my health issues has made me feel tired as I’m going to slow things down by watching 3-4 films a week depending on what they are. Therefore, it’s likely that the number of new films that I’ve seen in July is down in comparison to June. I’m just trying to take things one film at a time and pace myself. Still, I think it’s been a pretty decent month as far as my film-viewing has been concerned.

For July, I saw a total of 44 films. 19 Re-watches. 24 first-timers. Here are the list of the 10 best first-times I saw in July:

1. Kes

2. Autumn Sonata

3. The Triplets of Belleville

4. The Dark Knight Rises

5. Sawdust and Tinsel

6. Insomnia

7. The Underneath

8. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

9. Dodesukaden

10. Diamonds are Forever

Monthly Mini-Reviews

The Help

While it’s obvious why it got a Best Picture nominated, it’s a film that is really imperfect and heavy-handed. Despite the strong performances from Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer along with notable supporting work from Alison Janney and Sissy Spacek. It’s a film that goes on for a little too long while a lot of the drama is overdone at times. Emma Stone is alright but when it comes to heavy dramatic moments, she’s not very good at it. One of the worst things about the film is Bryce Dallas Howard whose over the top performance really overstays its welcome and it comes off as more as a caricature than an actual character. One of 2011’s most overrated films.

The Big Year

This could’ve been more than just a decent movie because the premise is very interesting. Three different men trying to break a record to see who can spot the most bird species in the span of a year. The stuff about the birds was interesting but it’s a very uneven film once the personal lives of these characters are presented and it drags the pace of it. The one character that really is badly written is Owen Wilson’s who comes off as a very unsympathetic guy who is so obsessed with breaking his own record that he is willing to skip his wife’s appointment all because of a bird he wants to see. It’s a moment that tries to make Wilson’s character not seem like a total douche but it’s handled so poorly.

Synth Britannia & Live Aid: Against All Odds

Two BBC documentaries about the music world has peaked my interest. The first about the world of synth-pop reveled into its origins and how it re-shaped the musical landscape of the 1980s despite the dismissive attitude of critics during that time. The second documentary about Live Aid is a two-part series on how it developed and how it almost never happened due to egos and other issues. Even a last-minute cancellation from U2 nearly happened as U2 later decide to go back and give out one of the event’s great performances. A must-see for any fan of popular music.

Earrings

The short from Alex of And So It Begins… is truly a stunner. Filled with gorgeous visuals and a captivating performance from Catherine Warner. This short is definitely a must-see for its exploration of grief and guilt as well as the way it’s told without much dialogue. Plus, it’s got a killer soundtrack.

Re-Watches:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey

2. Barry Lyndon

3. Pulp Fiction

4. Never Let Me Go

5. Somewhere

6. Die Hard

7. The Spy Who Loved Me

8. Galaxy Quest

9. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

10. Angus

Well, that’s it for July. The Bond marathon will continue with another Sean Connery film, three more Roger Moore movies, and the two films starring Timothy Dalton. For the next Auteurs profile on Andrei Tarkovsky, his films will be seen and reviewed for the month as I hopefully will also do a few films by Jim Sheridan as well as various other features for the time being. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2012