"Love's the same old sad sensation..." - My Review of Richard Linklater's BLUE MOON

One of my favorite showtunes is "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered", which is from the 1940 musical Pal Joey. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, but the lyrics were written by....well...

When most people hear the name "Rodgers" in the world of theatre, the thought tends to be followed by "and (Oscar) Hammerstein"...but prior to working with Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers was part of another long-term collaboration with Lorenz Hart. 

Hart, on the left, with Richard Rodgers

Rodgers & Hart's works felt more in line with the frothy fare that dominated Broadway of the 20s and 30s. Some of their most famous songs include "My Funny Valentine", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "This Can't Be Love", among dozens and dozens of others...oh, and of course, "Blue Moon".

Lorenz Hart's style was dripping with wit; he was very much in a similar vein to other lyricists of the era like Cole Porter...although there was always a strong sense of melancholy to Hart. So much has been debated about his true sexuality, but many suspect that he was a bisexual who also battled alcoholism and severe depression. Some also say that he leaned more towards homosexuality but did have a taste for voyeurism that could've swayed toward either sex.

His erratic and often snarky behavior paired with his alcoholic benders that would make him disappear for days on end would be the primarily catalyst for Rodgers teaming up with Oscar Hammerstein II to adapt the play Green Grow the Lilacs into a stage musical. This would go on to be known as Oklahoma!

Lorenz Hart was sort of being pushed to the side, and it is that snapshot of a moment that leads us into Blue Moon, Richard Linklater's long-gestating project that has had Ethan Hawke frothing at the mouth for over a decade to sink his teeth into. 

Set primarily within the confines of the bar at the iconic Sardi's, Blue Moon is a character study on that of Lorenz Hart and how he is handling the rapturous response to Oklahoma! on its opening night. Gone were the toe-tapping and whimsical melodies that Rodgers would pair with Hart's lyrics, now Rodgers was working with Hammerstein's earthier rhetoric...or as Hart would call it: "corn pone". 

Hart holds court at the bar which is tended by Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), the two clearly have a rapport down to them quoting lines from Casablanca at each other. Hart also takes an interest in the piano player Morty (Jonah Lees), whom he decides to nickname Knuckles. 

Using the term "omnisexual" to describe himself, he proceeds to flirt with a male delivery guy to the point of insisting he come to his apartment on Central Park West for a "soiree" while also boasting his infatuation with a 20 year old Yale student named Elizabeth (Margaret Qualley), an inspiring set designer whom he believes is his next love...even though it seems clear to us that she perhaps doesn't share that sentiment. 

The opening night festivities for Oklahoma! are about to begin and this is when the wunderkind Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) arrives and Hart tries his best to insert himself into remaining relevant in Rodgers' orbit...however, that sounds a bit more harsh than this situation may deserve.

Blue Moon is going to be one of those films that divides some people as to how much they respond to the content and how its presented. There is no denying that its static setting at Sardi's and the copious amount of dialogue and monologuing make this feel as though it was a play being adapted for the screen.

Shockingly, that is not the case. As written by Me & Orson Welles novelist Robert Kaplow, Blue Moon was mostly inspired by the letters Hart wrote to Elizabeth...along with firsthand accounts from the final months of Hart's life. In fact, the film opens with us seeing what led to Hart's death...which for those of you who aren't aware, I will refrain from discussing that here...but Hart's death only occurs 7 months after the events of this film.

While the ensemble of Qualley, Cannavale, Scott, and the rest do very solid work, this film is truly a showcase for whichever actor gets to revel in the complexities of Lorenz Hart. There is no denying that Ethan Hawke is a strong actor, but a role like this feels unlike anything he has played before. 

You always hear people proclaim how remarkable it is when an actor transforms and disappears into a role...and I will admit, this is a feeling I find difficult to obtain. I tend to always remember I am watching said actor and not as if I am watching the real person somehow.

One example of me coming close to this kind of hyperbole was Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in the HBO film Game Change, but I would easily put Ethan Hawke's work as Lorenz Hart in that group.

What Hawke manages to mine out of this performance is nothing short of brilliant. Considering Hawke is 5'10 in real life, Hart was roughly around 5ft and Linklater stages everything so brilliantly to make Hawke's stature seem far for diminutive. In addition to that, Hawke's physicality with this makes the illusion all the more remarkable. Every single detail from his voice and mannerisms and the makeup/hair department giving him Hart's balding desperate combover helps create one of the more fascinating bits of character study on film in recent years.

We are basically watching a man filled with so much bravado and self-loathing try so desperately hard to hang on by a thread...and in turn, we are spellbound hanging on to every single word and tactic he says or does.

While some may bemoan that the film is nothing more than a vehicle for Ethan Hawke, I do think the script is very fascinating and filled with a lot of wonderful dialogue and that Linklater does well to maintain a great sense of space and not make us too claustrophobic...even if Hart himself is feeling everything close in around him. 

While I don't suspect it'll happen, this film should be in contention for Best Picture and Screenplay nominations, but if there truly is any justice, Ethan Hawke would be in contention for the win. I hope this comment ages poorly, but he seems to be on the cusp for a nomination and may very well miss it. 

Blue Moon is a beautiful and sumptuous little gem of a film that may have faltered if it weren't for the right casting, but thankfully, Ethan Hawke pulled off this difficult role marvelously.

BLUE MOON 

Rating: 9/10

Were You Changed for the Better? - My Review of Jon M. Chu's WICKED: FOR GOOD

*There will be some spoilers throughout this, so please be mindful*

Let me give you a little backstory on my history with Wicked as a musical property. I delved into it a little bit in my review for Part One, which you can find here...but I want to go into it a little deeper. 

I was a freshman in high school when Wicked premiered on Broadway and I would eventually end up seeing it twice: in 2005 (with Eden Espinosa & Megan Hilty) and 2007 (Julia Murney & Kendra Kassebaum).

Those who know me would automatically suspect that I might hold my nose up at Wicked. At the time, you could argue that I most definitely did. I was already a Sondheim fanboy and had spent that Broadway season championing Tesori & Kushner's Caroline, or Change and embracing the subversively sweet and raunchy Avenue Q.

I will gladly admit that there were certain songs and moments from the show that I was fond of pretty much instantaneously, but I think what truly hurt the show was the Book by Winnie Holzman. It always felt a bit rushed at times and suffered due to how key plot points (namely the scenes involving Dr. Dillamond or The Wizard) were presented...and I will address those a bit more within the review.

While there had been an extensive amount of people who attacked the first film for being very long and also lacking vibrant cinematography (not a criticism I latched onto), I was blown away by it. The team gave this story room to breathe and while maybe it could've been trimmed a tiny bit, I think the first film was mostly a resounding success. 

However...those of us who have seen Wicked onstage or at least to those who may have listened to the Cast Recording religiously, know that Act II is not as strong. That isn't unusual by any means; most musical fans know that Act II is usually weaker than Act I. Not everything can be Into the Woods in that regard. 

After seeing the first film, it was clear to me that Chu, Holzman, and Fox were going down the right path. If any part of the Wicked story could use expansion and development to reach a stronger potential, it was the second act.

One of the biggest signs of this was when the trailer dropped and it showed a glimpse of a scene that implied that Glinda was added to the song "Wonderful", which was originally just done with The Wizard and Elphaba. Not long before the film's release, a small clip of "Wonderful" was released to the public and it solidified my belief that the creative team found ways to deepen this material.

I am getting ahead of myself, though. 

These days, the hype train is a dangerous mode of travel. It ends up being subject to opinion, but for every film that meets the level of acclaim you are hearing (One Battle After Another), there is another that misses the station (Sinners). 

Wicked: For Good reactions from the first people to see it were rapturous with many deeming it superior to the first film and that Jon M. Chu stuck the landing and that we would likely see Erivo and Grande repeating their Oscar nominations...with many thinking Grande could actually WIN.

Once the critics reviews began to pour in, the response was drastically different. As of this exact moment, the film has a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. To put this into perspective, recently maligned Oscar nominated films that have higher scores are Emilia Perez at 71% (the audience score at cheekily opposite 17% is far more fitting), Crash at 74, and Green Book at 77. 

Meanwhile - W:FG's audience score is 97%

If I am being honest, I really don't get the aggressive criticism. 

Despite its length more than double that of Act Two, W:FG does benefit from the time to breathe. While I do think some of the inherent issues with that act are apparent regardless, I do appreciate the power of seeing it deepened onscreen and some of the new changes they made. 

One of the biggest differences with this portion of the saga is that it is significantly darker, and I do suppose that there are people who may take issue with the tonal shift that weren't familiar with the material in the first place. 

I do very much love the world building here, and I would argue that the colors/cinematography are far more vibrant...which I do wonder if that happened after the vitriol towards how bland the first film often looked. While I did understand that to an extent, the amount of hatred it got seemed turned up to 11 and as if it was somehow a nail in the coffin it couldn't overcome; I didn't relate to it that intensely. 

What truly sells this film would be the glorious ensemble of actors. While Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum more or less do what they need to do, (although I would argue Yeoh mostly sleepwalks through a lot of the film) you really see the chops from Marissa Bode as Nessarose and Ethan Slater as Boq. While these two end up becoming fairly insufferable characters in a lot of ways in this portion of the story, I feel as though these two acted with such intensity that it made those scenes more powerful than I ever remembered them being onstage. Not surprisingly though, I did come away thinking more about Jonathan Bailey and, but of course, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. 

Bailey, who was recently crowned People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, does a very good job at showing the growth of Fiyero from a lackadaisical rich boy with no ambition to fighting for what he truly believes in. You could sort of compare that journey to the character of Younger Brother from Ragtime. 

As expected, his steamy duet with Ervio, "As Long as You're Mine" is rather effective in how timid she is and how passionate he is. Watching her come around and then matching his level of passion was a joy to watch and when the number ended, the theater broke into applause. 

Speaking of Erivo, it is truly remarkable how much she has given the role of Elphaba such a heavy emotional weight that I've never quite seen any other pull off. You could argue that is due to the fact we are watching her up close, but I still think the vulnerability makes me care about her far more than I ever had as a character.

Her new song, that she said she helped Stephen Schwartz write, is called "No Place Like Home". Much like the title, I will admit that it is about as bland and typical as you would expect. She sings it nicely, but the song is fairly forgettable. HOWEVER - the use of CGI animals is surprisingly affective in this and proved to be a key to making me a bit emotional at times. It is honestly quite a feat because the Animal Rights' concepts in the stage musical were some of the more awkward scenes...but I still think it's because watching a real actor comically done up as a goat to play Dillamond comes off as unintentionally comedic. For the film, it works rather well, and it makes you only want to side with Elphaba more.

Oh, and it must be said, Erivo's "No Good Deed" is easily a film highlight. Filmed amidst fire and fury with the aesthetic of burning charcoal, she sells it to the point that her eyes look as if they are bloodshot with rage and inconsolable regret. 

Then we get to Ariana Grande, the "Girl in the Bubble" (a song that was marginally better than Erivo's new song but not by much). In many ways, this film belonged to the character of Glinda more than Elphaba and a lot of that has to do with the character arc that Glinda goes down.

She is a puppet who is getting the power and attention she always craved, but now it is at the expense of her dear friend. She has no real magical power, and she is just as much an allusion as The Wizard is. I am most definitely one of the people who heard of her casting and was like "Oh god why?".

Keep in mind, I knew she had acting abilities. I actually found out about her years ago when she was featured in Jason Robert Brown's (horrible) Broadway musical 13. I knew she went on to act on Sam & Cat and became something of a modern-day Mariah Carey pop icon. 

It wasn't so much that I doubted she could pull of the vocals of the film, but I didn't know how well she could act the emotional beats convincingly. To her credit, she knew the gravity of what this role would entail. In interviews, she has stated how she cancelled a tour to go into prep for her audition by training with a vocal coach to properly sing coloratura soprano and also attended acting classes at Stella Adler. 

The results are on the screen...and even though she has seemingly gotten some rather mediocre reviews, I truly don't get it. I think she came out of these two films proving that she is just as worthy of getting plum acting roles just as Cher and Lady Gaga did before her. I would even argue that the potential Grande shows here makes me truly excited to see her take on more dramatic material or a very sophisticated comedy. 

There is one moment where a lot of the realities hit Glinda all at once and the camera focuses on her face while The Wizard and Madame Morrible in the background. Grande's tear-streamed face and her thought process felt so painful and genuine...and while there were a couple of times that I feel like the crying felt a tad forced, she was mainly believable in expressing that grief and the regret of how she has handled this whole situation. 

I do want to express two other facets of the film that have gotten some criticism. The first is one I referenced already, but I want to delve into it more: the song "Wonderful".

In the stage show, this is a song only performed by The Wizard with Elphaba only interjecting near the end...but in the stage show, I have always thought of as The Wizard as an afterthought character, and it doesn't help that with how rushed Act Two is, it makes you wonder how Elphaba almost seems to buy into his plea with little issue.

I think adding in Glinda to the song in the film was a masterstroke in many ways. Giving the scene a little more length makes it feel more believable while having Glinda there makes Elphaba perhaps more susceptible to caving under pressure. 

Considering the song's more "Tin Pan Alley" melody, it is stark contrast to the rest of the film which some have criticized, but make no mistake, the subtext of this whole song a lot darker with Glinda folded into it. Schwartz even changed Elphaba's only lyric in the song ("it does sound wonderful") to a lyric for Glinda ("Come and be wonderful") which gives off the feeling that she is willing to overlook so much as if she is in a cult. Add in that Glinda begins doing the Ozdust dance routine as a cherry on top and the scene is almost diabolical in its juxtaposition. Count me in on loving how this song was presented as in the stage show, it is an afterthought that was written to give Joel Grey another song to sing. I will also add that I loved the tip of the hat to Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator with the bouncing globe; something that was also touched upon during Goldblum's "A Sentimental Man" in the first film.

Although one of the more divisive bits of criticism we have is the shoehorning in of The Wizard of Oz timeline and how Dorothy factors into the proceedings. 

This was an aspect that is indeed a part of the stage show, but I think the film was wise to take out some of the more direct lines that felt a bit "wink wink/nudge nudge" to referencing that iconic film. 

I will admit that I was a bit bummed that the "we all can't come and go by bubble" line was moved to a different scene and done more earnestly instead of a snarky jab. I also missed Glinda's darkly humorous "a regime change!" comment after the death of Nessa. 

I think the other big issue with the inclusion of this property is that the timeline and character dynamics don't feel in line with The Wizard of Oz. Imagine Jack Haley's meek Tin Man ("Picture meeeeeeee, a balconyyyyyyy...") being the same one who is leading an angry mob of witch hunters...and when exactly does Dorothy interact with him and Fiyero, who becomes the iconic Scarecrow? Elphaba casts a spell to turn Fiyero into something to prevent him from getting killed when the other guards discover he is actually looking to help Elphaba rather than catch her...even to the point of threatening to kill Glinda to do it. 

When it comes to this aspect of the story, you really have to strain to try to fit it within the logistics of the 1939 film...but honestly, while it is a flaw of sorts, I think it is better to just avoid it and treat it as a whole separate entity. 

When it comes to the final moments, it is clear that Erivo and Grande developed a strong bond with one another in real life; all you have to do is watch their interviews for further proof of that. The song "For Good" has become something of a tearjerker for the ages (although I admittedly did not cry surprisingly), and I do think you can totally buy the love these two shared. Plus - the shot of the two of them on either side of a door was very effective knowing that Elphaba is about to meet her "demise".

For those who know Wicked as a musical, Elphaba stages her death and then escapes Oz with Fiyero. In order to protect themselves and Glinda, they have to let her believe that both of them are dead. 

With everything that has happened, Glinda is now essentially left all alone and has to do what she can to move on and truly become, as she has been posing, "Glinda the Good". When I first saw the musical 20 years ago, I actually told myself that Glinda knew they were alive because shockingly, I didn't want to think otherwise. Looking back on that now, I am a little surprised I had that response as I was already a pretentious film bro who embraced anything darker and depressing as being high art.

I am not claiming that Wicked is high art, but I do really love the idea of them surviving while Glinda has to cope with the grief...and with the final added touch that Glinda activated the Grimmerie (potentially with help from Elphaba) AND the fact that she lets the animals back into Oz as their own autonomous beings, the ending hit me hard. Plus, it did feel like a sweet touch that the final shot of the film was a tribute to the artwork of the Original Broadway Cast Recording.

I didn't cry, but the closest I came wasn't during them singing "For Good", but rather when we see the animals welcomed back to Oz with open arms, complete with Dr. Dillamond returning to his classroom. To reiterate, what was almost awkward and laughable onstage became far more potent on film. 

And that is Wicked: For Good...a film that I do think is surprisingly getting raked over the coals. I think in the grand scheme, the first film hits a little harder and works with better consistent material, but this follow up is a great example of "the whole is better than the sum of its parts".

The film also seemed to try a bit too hard in certain ways, as I felt the dialogue relied on more of the fantastical wordings and phrases. Like - in theory - I like the term "I'll be with you in a clock tick", but did we REALLY need them to reuse it a few times?? I don't recall it being used in the first film at all (I actually can't recall if it was even used in the stage version), so it just seemed strange that they relied on it so heavily in this. 

For what they were working with, I would say they got very solid results from the Act Two material...and when you factor in those two lead performances, I don't think you could've found two better people to play these roles at this time. 

Will this end up being on my Best of 2025 list? Odds are probably not...but I do suspect I will still revisit both films multiple times. 

It’s a product that might not hold up to a lot of scrutiny, but it just works on an emotional level..and sometimes that is enough. 

                            WICKED: FOR GOOD

Rating: 7.5/10

"The Way of Nature & The Way of Grace" - A LOOK AT THE BEST FILMS OF 2011

2011 was a pivotal year in a lot of ways...but not necessarily in a positive sense for me.

I was already dipping in terms of how much I was focusing on film as I have already addressed in the past. To reiterate, it was mostly just personal/life changes such as college/doing theatre/a new relationship/moving to NY...but I felt less invigorated by what I had seen in terms of cinematic output, and it was as if my passions were looking elsewhere.

This certainly isn't to say that a year like 2011 was void of good films. Truthfully no year for film is lacking good quality films...except for maybe the early days of "the talkies"...but I think a big thing is a lack of passion. 

2011 does have a couple of films I think very highly of. 

However, 2011 was a year in which I listed a few films and then thought "hmmm...how will I fill out the last couple of slots?" 

This is a trend that will, spoiler alert, continue into 2012 as well. 

There are no Honorable Mentions this time around; we will dive right into the list proper with one film that I do find very good but mostly makes the list with the help of its leading lady.

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 #10 - THE DEEP BLUE SEA

Written & Directed by Terence Davies

I wasn't sure what film I was going to put in my #10 slot, and I will list a couple of "Honorable Mentions" at the end for what else I considered.

This isn't to say that The Deep Blue Sea is a weak film, but it is also a film that likely wouldn't even be on my top 10 in most years. However, it is a film made with great artistic flair by the late Terence Davies, who made my #1 film from 1992: The Long Day Closes.

Truthfully though, the biggest reason this film entered my top 10 was due to the exquisite work from the absolutely luminous Rachel Weisz. She plays Hester, the wife of Judge Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale) who begins an affair with the younger Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), a former RAF pilot during WWII. A lot of the themes deal with the thrill of having a sexual awakening at an older age but perhaps losing out on the affection one might've had in a previous relationship. 

In some ways, you could see the film having a similar theme to that of The Baker's Wife, a 1938 French film which would become a very infamous musical in the 70s with a score by Stephen Schwartz that closed out-of-town before it ever made it to Broadway. 

It flirts with being a bit pulpy, but the film is sumptuous to look at, and you have such a rapturous performance by Weisz to carry you through. She did manage to win a major critics' prize that year (New York) and netted a Golden Globe nod, but she joined a pretty strong list of superior performances snubbed for the Oscar that year. More on that later.

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#9 - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Directed by David Fincher

Written by Steven Zaillian 

I have never been someone to overly praise David Fincher as a filmmaker. I do think he has a lot of style, but a lot of his films leave me at a distance in some ways.

His best works often deal with very captivating subject matters and strong scripts, those being Zodiac and The Social Network. I think what makes The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a bit more interesting in his catalog is that is an English-language adaptation of a well-made Swedish film of the same name that was in turn based on a book by Stieg Larsson. There is that stigma of "Oh, well this film is not going to be on par with the original".

 I would argue that this adaptation actually IS on par with the original. Both manage to do well at telling this story and it helps that Rooney Mara is on the same level of her Swedish counterpart Noomi Rapace. 

In this version, we have Daniel Craig starring as a journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who is trying to find out what happened to a girl from a wealthy family who had disappeared 40 years prior. In order to dig further, he enlists Lisbeth (Mara), an anti-social, cool, emo hacker who is recovering from years of emotional and sexual abuse.

Spoiler alert of sorts in terms of what films will be featured on this list, but Rooney Mara is the only performance on this list that managed to get a Best Actress nomination. The category, as I alluded to when talking about Rachel Weisz, was an absolute joke that year and is not an accurate representation of the high caliber of performances done by the leading ladies of that year. When I get to the end of this post, I will single out all of these ladies (including some whose films won't make this list) in order for them to get the praise they deserve.

And as for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it manages to be a very slick and stylish affair that one might expect from Fincher, but it is greatly buoyed up by the work of Rooney Mara. 

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#8 - LE HAVRE

Written & Directed by Aki Kaurismaki

There is something about Le Havre that feels a bit different than other works by Kaurismaki. This isn't to say that I am an expert on his filmography, but of the few works I have seen (amongst them The Match Factory Girl and Fallen Leaves), there is an uplifting quality to it that feels a little more buoyant than some of his films typically have.

On top of that, the topic at hand feels very current for those of us here in the States with ICE running rampant.

Marcel (Andre Wilms) is an elderly man who had dabbled as an author but now works as a shoe shiner and lives a modest life with his wife Arletty (Kati Outinen, a frequent Kaurismaki muse who starred in his works such as the aforementioned Match Factory Girl and also Shadows in Paradise among others).

Arletty falls ill and amidst his worry, Marcel comes across an undocumented immigrant from Africa and with the help of other townspeople, they attempt to hide him from the police.

So yes, this is a very potent theme that is sadly resonating deeply. Le Havre is a very hopeful film in a lot of ways, certainly more so than a lot of Kaurismaki's works, which is likely why it is the one that got more widespread attention in the international market. 

The idea of camaraderie and community is something that needs to be held dear, and in the face of vile bigotry, Le Havre is a wonderful glimpse into how those of us on the left need to fight against the right.

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#7 - THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975

Directed/Conceived by Goran Hugo Olsson

One of the more fascinating documentaries to come out in recent years, The Black Power Mixtape was essentially a lost project that spent decades locked away.

Swedish filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson came across hours of 16mm film footage that had been shot by Swedish journalists back in the 60s & 70s that hoped to shine a light on the Black Power movement, even featuring such prominent figures of the cause such as MLK Jr, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael, and several others. 

There are 9 segments, each representing a year from 1967-1975 (hence the title) and also goes into various issues circling the cause such as the War on Drugs, the Vietnam War, and COINTELPRO. 

The film especially gives real insight and renewed interest towards Angela Davis, who contributed present day commentary. She is one of the most fascinating women to have ever lived, and it is captivating to hear what she has to say in this footage and her thoughts in modern times.

A phenomenal documentary that sadly still feels so prescient today.

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#6 - OSLO, 31 AUGUST

Written & Directed by Joachim Trier

Co-written by Eskil Vogt

As of this writing in 2025, I have not yet seen Joachim Trier's latest film Sentimental Value. It is one of my most eagerly awaited film experiences of the year and a lot of that drive comes from his 2006 film Reprise, his 2021 masterpiece The Worst Person in the World and his 2011 outing Oslo, 31 August. 

These films would comprise the Oslo Trilogy. 

Trier has become the most prominent Norwegian filmmaker working today and I really love the genteel and quietly chaotic/messy voice he gives to the cinematic landscape. I also love how well he writes complex roles for women; something that we need for more of. However, in Olso, he gives a wonderful showcase to actor Anders Danielsen Lee.

Lee plays a character also named Anders, who is a recovering drug addict who is granted the opportunity to leave rehab for an overnight trip to visit his old girlfriend only to try committing suicide by drowning in a lake. When he can't go through with it, he returns back to rehab and keeps the suicide a secret unto himself.

On the 30th of August, Anders finds out he was accepted for a job interview and is allowed to leave for another day trip on the 31st...and in the process, he also utilizes the time to connect with his friends and his past.

In the end, this is a film dealing with a very gritty and unrelenting topic, but Trier handles it with such a gentle restraint and presents it in such an unassuming and honest manner. By the end, you can't help but feel the admiration and empathy, but you also feel like got put through the ringer at the same time.

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#5 - SHAME

Written & Directed by Steve McQueen

Co-written by Abi Morgan

Oh boy, here we go.

In another outing with the great duo of McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender, Shame delves into the life of a sex-addicted NY executive named Brandon Sullivan. 

He frequently has dalliances with prostitutes, masturbates relentlessly to porn, and participates in public play...but things take a turn when Brandon's sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes into the picture. He had been avoiding her for a while, but one night, he goes to watch her sing in a club: a very somber rendition of Kander & Ebb's "Theme from New York, New York". He is there with his married boss David (James Badge Dale), who takes an interest in Sissy but can tell she has a tendency for self-harm. 

Shame was, not surprisingly, treated with great hesitancy by the MPAA due to its graphic depictions of sexual addiction and therefore received the death knell NC-17 rating. 

Honestly, that was a shame (no pun intended) as this film truly deserved to be seen by a lot more people...not that it was anywhere close to being a crowd-pleaser. 

The fact that Fassbender and Mulligan didn't even receive nominations for their devastating work is only further proof that awards aren't always going to single out superior work. I would even argue that Mulligan should've WON in Supporting Actress that year...but if there is an actress who truly hasn't gotten her due yet, Carey Mulligan would be AT LEAST top 3.

Shame is a bold take on addiction and pain and anguish to a point where you find yourself staring at the screen with empathy, even if a character is doing something you might consider immoral. This is the kind of work that McQueen always excels at and frankly, I would love to see him return to these kinds of darkly brooding character studies. 

McQueen and Fassbender should be as acclaimed as Scorsese/DeNiro or Kurosawa/Mifune.

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#4 - WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Written & Directed by Lynne Ramsey

Co-written by Rory Stewart Kinnear

One thing about this list that I really love is that a lot of these films contain magnificent performances from wonderful actresses. The sad truth, however, is that most of them didn't end up receiving Oscar nominations. Some of them had lesser or no chance, but I think the one that was the most painful snub wise was Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin mainly for two reasons:

1) She was win worthy. Quite possibly the finest performance of her career to date.

2) She actually got nominated for pretty much all the major precursors and still got overlooked.

It doesn't seem as surprising in hindsight, because We Need to Talk About Kevin is a film that is dark and subversive and dives into themes of psychological horror in a rather unrelenting way. It was never truly on the path to become a Best Picture contender, but I certainly would've loved to see it there.

Swinton and John C. Rielly (returning to his more dramatic roots after a decade of being prominent in Adam McKay comedies) play Eva and Franklin, a couple who have a child named Kevin (Ezra Miller while playing the present-day Kevin). Eva was a reluctant mother, and while raising Kevin, it seemed as though he was only more volatile and emotional around her rather than Franklin.

The film's setup is that we meet Eva in the aftermath. She lives alone, in a rundown house, works for a travel agency that is close to the prison where Kevin is at. He was convicted of a mass-murder of students at his high school, and she seems devoted to going to visit him despite the tense history they shared. 

I often use the term "character study" and I will also admit that it is a term that might get used a bit too broadly by people...however, the amount of character depth that Ramsey is about to mine with Swinton is truly gripping and compelling to watch. 

Admittedly, I might've had this film a couple slots lower, but I do find that Swinton alone was able to elevate this a little. In the end, it is such a compelling concept, and I do love what Ramsey is able to mine out of this material.

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#3 - MELANCHOLIA

Written & Directed by Lars von Trier

As apt a title for a film as I can possibly imagine, Melancholia manages to make depression and the end of the world look, in a word, exquisite...and that is all the more impressive considering it is Lars von Trier at the helm. 

Lars von Trier is no stranger to darker subject matter. If anything, that is his bread & butter. However, Melancholia takes on such a glorious approach that it almost feels like an abstract painting come to life.

The film is split into two parts named after two sisters: Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). At first, everything is centered around Justine's wedding to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) but when her divorced parents (Charlotte Rampling and John Hurt) begin bickering and her boss Jack (Stellan Skarsgard) pushes a role on her she wasn't expecting to take on, her depression flares up. However, this isn't the end of it.

What if the impending doom of our existence was thrown into the mix by a rouge planet known as Melancholia is expected to strike Earth very soon?

Melancholia is a film, in its very basic synopsis, about depression. One could argue knowing what a sadist Lars von Trier is that the idea of Earth being destroyed is actually a great joy...but as it stands, this is a film that is simply glorious in how it engulfs you in its spell. Dunst and Gainsbourg were both royally robbed of Oscar nominations, and both could've easily been win competitive.

A truly divine and horrific piece of work from true piece of work of a filmmaker. 

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#2 - THE TREE OF LIFE

Written & Directed by Terrence Malick

It is always interesting when you see a film that is met with such a rapturous response but still has a very strong minority who absolutely find it to be an obtuse bore. 

I feel like I always saw that mentality attributed to 2001: A Space Odyssey, but if there is an example from recent years, that would undoubtedly be The Tree of Life. 

When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it managed to get hearty applause mixed with booing...but it was still enough to win the prestigious Palme d'Or.

Terrence Malick is a fascinating filmmaker, perhaps one of the more philosophical to ever exist considering he devoted a lot of his education to study the likes of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Wittgenstein; so much so that he wrote a thesis on them.

He is also fascinating in that he would go years, sometimes DECADES, without making a film and is known for being very protective of his private life and frequently declines interviews which gives him such an air of mystery.

I wouldn't say The Tree of Life is Malick's best film, but it does very much feel like the kind of film he had been building towards his entire career. This is a film that seems plotless in a lot of ways and yet it is about...well...LIFE.

How does one properly explain what exactly occurs in The Tree of Life?

If I were to reference the synopsis via its Letterboxd profile, it "follows the journey of Jack, through the innocence of his childhood up through his disillusioned adult years". We see his family life in the 50s with Jack played by Hunter McCracken and his parents played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. As an adult, he is portrayed by Sean Penn. 

However - this is film, more than most, is a work of art. It feels like it is some kind of crazy exhibit brought to life and all you can do is sit and ponder about everything happening in front of you on the screen and going on around you.

In a lot of ways, very few films have truly left me at a loss for words quite like The Tree of Life and I still feel that power over a decade later. One could argue perhaps it may be pretentious to speak in such awe of this film, but I am not claiming to know everything that Malick is trying to convey here.

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#1 - A SEPARATION

Written & Directed by Asghar Farhadi

Dear readers, we have ourselves a doozy for the #1 selection.

Even within a year where I don't necessarily have as strong a passion for it compared to others, there can often be one film that manages to stand a cut above the rest. 

A Separation is not just the best film of 2011, but one of the best films I have seen since 2000. It was an easy top 3 selection for "Best of the Decade", and I would even go as far to say it may be the best film to ever tackle the concept of divorce. 

Leila Hatami & Peyman Moaadi star as Simin and Nader, they have been married for 14 years and have one daughter named Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). Simin is eager to leave Tehran and has the visas prepared, but Nader doesn't want to go; he wants to stay behind and care for his ailing father with Alzheimer's. 

Simin decides to file for divorce but is denied the application as it is felt her reasons for divorce are "insufficient". With that, Simin moves back home with her parents and Termeh remains with Nader. In order to get help, Nader hires a poor and highly devout woman named Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to be his father's caregiver during the day.

However, things take an unexpected turn when Nader finds himself in the line of fire with Razieh and her hotheaded, unemployed husband Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini) ...and the film also becomes a witch hunt of sorts where morals are complex and grey areas are in abundance. 

Everything about A Separation is first-rate. The cinematography takes on a handheld, immersive approach; the acting ensemble is stellar (Hatami, Moaadi, and Bayet definitely deserved nomination at the very least); the script is highly compelling; and it all makes for an experience that truly took me by surprise. 

I fully suspect that if A Separation came out a decade later, we likely would've seen it slip into the Best Picture and Director races. The only major nomination it got (aside from winning International) was Best Original Screenplay which it lost to Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris. That win occurred during the period when it seemed like everyone was embracing Woody Allen again before it all crashed and burned a few years later. 

I have seen some comments about how A Separation was a precursor to Marriage Story, and while I do acknowledge that the latter was a good film anchored by a wonderful Adam Drive performance, I think A Separation still remains the best film centered around a divorce and it manages to make it so much more than just a "divorce film". 

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FINAL THOUGHTS:

2011 was indeed a year where I got to slot #9 and thought "Hmmm...what will I put here?".

However, the smaller number of films proved to be pretty strong. This top 5 is pretty stellar in my opinion, with A Separation and The Tree of Life being among the best films made since the turn of this century. 

There were a few films I did consider for my final two slots on this list, such as Take Shelter, The Skin I Live In, Drive, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. On top of that, I did say I would single out the amazing Lead Actresses who wiped the floor with the actual nominees. Aside from Rooney Mara, the sole strong nominee, you had the following:

Leila Hatami, A Separation

Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia

Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

 Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur 

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene 

Charlize Theron, Young Adult 

I hope I didn't forget anybody, but the fact that I could name 7 better performances than the 4 of the 5 nominees is pretty damning thing...but that kind of thing does happen from time to time. 

I have already made multiple comments about it, but we are now approaching 2012 and I feel like this will be one of my least favorite years we've discussed yet. We will see if something changes as I write about it, but for now, I am not expecting to be that excited.