Best Action Films of the Decade, So Far

All week long I will be running a guest segment with a bunch of my friends offering their picks for the best films of the decade, so far (released in 2010 or later). By giving you a bunch of different tastes in film, perhaps you'll find something new to enjoy. First up is Chris Bandoian, a fellow member of the Philadelphia Film Society. Here's what Chris had to say about the Best Action Movies since 2010:

When taking a look back at the last few years of cinema, I came to realize that Hollywood no longer makes action movies the way that I grew up knowing them. It seems that the conventional action film doesn't really exist anymore. In recent years, I've found that the closest thing I hope to the unforgettable action movies of my childhood are the new-wave brand of super hero movies. You’ll notice that the list is dominated by this type of film. You’ll also notice that the list contains no true sci-fi movies. Simply put, there haven’t been many genuinely good sci-fi movies in the last few years. If this were 2005, you know Serenity would be up here. But it’s not.  So…yeah. 

#1 - Inception (2010)

In my opinion, there is no question that Inception would be number one on any list. It’s a beast of a movie. Original, thought provoking, excellent cast, and truly beautifully shot and conceived. What more do I have to say?

#2 - Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained was a great movie reminiscent of the 60’s spaghetti westerns, but with Tarantino flair. The movie was engaging and unexpectedly funny. Christop Waltz and Jamie Foxx were so good that when it came time to award the best supporting actor; people weren't sure who was supporting whom. In the film business, that’s a good problem to have.

#3 - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

For reasons I’m not going to get into here, The Dark Knight Rises was by far my least favorite and weakest of the trilogy. That’s not to say that it was bad by any measure. The Dark Knight and Batman Begins were just really, really good movies (but not released in this decade).

#4 - The Avengers (2012)

The Avengers was another excellent graphic novel/super hero movie. From the cast, to the dialogue, to the effects, it was one of 2012’s most enjoyable movies to watch.  Even taking into account the awkward Hawkeye (Renner) and Black Widow (Johansson) character arc, it still leaves you excited for what’s to come.

#5 - Kick-Ass (2010)

Kick-Ass was a movie that people wanted to hate, stating that it was too gory and essentially a cautionary tale about contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Get a life. It was original, perfectly cast, fun, and full of action.  Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) stole the show.  Hopefully Kick-Ass 2 (out in August) will do the first offering justice. 

Honorable Mention Selections: 
The Raid: Redemption  
Looper 
Skyfall  
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
Hanna  
The Expendables and The Expendables 2  
The Man from Nowhere 

The Decade's Best ... So Far

For this month's "List", I decided to look at the best movies of the decade, so far. The end of April represents the one-third mark of the decade (from 2010 to 2019). Therefore, stay tuned during ALL OF NEXT WEEK when I give my top picks of what the decade has offered as well as daily guest columnists who make their picks in all different genres.

Here's a special thanks to those helping me out with picks of their own: 

Greg Rouleau (Drama)

Chris Bandoian (Action & Sci-Fi)

Stephen Fisher (Horror & Thriller)

Ryan Patrick (Family & Animated)

Ashley Doherty (Comedy)

Be sure to check back next week for the decade's best in all of the above genres!!

The Place Beyond the Pines

Film: The Place Beyond the Pines

Starring: Ryan Gosling (Drive), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and Dane DeHaan (Lawless)

Director: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine)

U.S. Release: March 29th, 2013 (Limited - Rated R)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 140 minutes


Derek Cianfrance is an artist. The writer/director imposes a rare ambition that enables his lifelong passions to make it to the big screen. Cianfrance's sophomore effort (but first real major motion picture release), Blue Valentine, was a project 12 years in the making. However, the director used the film as a platform to make his mark as a visionary filmmaker set on exploring the deepest, and sometimes darkest, depths of humanity. And as we saw with Blue Valentine, Cianfrance is no sucker for a happy ending. Instead, when making an impressive feature such as his latest release, The Place Beyond the Pines, the director demonstrates immense loyalty to the most important people around him, his characters. For example, when Cianfrance was looking for a financier and pitching his film, he was told to trim down his lofty 158 page script to 120. How did he respond? Cianfrance widened the margins and shrunk the text, never deleting a single word. Loyalty.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a three-chapter story following a multitude of characters. First, there's the danger-seeking stunt motorcyclist named Luke Glanton (played by Ryan Gosling). Traveling from city to city as an entertainer, Glanton returns to Schenectady, NY for the first time in over a year only to discover that a one-night stand has turned him into an absentee father. Desperate to offer support and remain in his child's life, Luke uses his unique set of skills to execute a few bank robberies in an attempt to provide for his son. Next up is the ambitious and youthful newbie police officer, Avery Cross (played by Bradley Cooper), whose world changes after he thwarts one of Glanton's robberies. However, these men's decisions have long-lasting effects on their children and loved ones, proving that life is never as black and white as it seems.

Embodied by the impressive prolonged and uncut scene which begins the movie, The Place Beyond the Pines is a lengthy, but engrossing, effort from mastermind Derek Cianfrance. The writer/director delivers a grand story filled with harrowing subplots and sincere themes. And although the film fails to unravel with the smoothest of rides, The Place Beyond the Pines becomes a shining example of an entire feature being greater than the sum of its parts. Broken down and dissected on a microscopic level, Cianfrance's latest work is faulty and imperfect. On the other hand, The Place Beyond the Pines measures up as a carefully-calculated piece of filmmaking that survives on sheer sincerity and realism. Like each and every one of us, Cianfrance's characters are flawed human beings who face difficult choices in life. But no matter their intent, the consequences live on and effect everyone around them. The Place Beyond the Pines explores generational burdens with a brutal honesty and integrity that Cianfrance has clearly mastered in his brief career.

Despite the film's grand intent, The Place Beyond the Pines is far from unblemished. Operating as a slow-churning three chapter story, each progressing chapter manages to be weaker than the last. Therefore, the feature begins with a solid hook revolving around Gosling's affable character, but then it undoubtedly loses its flare as the running time begins to stockpile. Yet, to its benefit, Cianfrance generates a suspenseful conclusion that can end in only one of two ways. Perhaps the beauty of The Place Beyond the Pines is the fact that either ending would make for a fitting resolve to the story (although they'd be completely different in mood and purpose).

Derek Cianfrance has made his mark as a risk taker, all of which have paid off extremely well. Unfortunately, over the years, Hollywood has begun to rid itself of such filmmakers. Living in fear of financial repercussions and a lack of an artistic-appreciative audience that flocks to movie theatres nowadays, directors like Cianfrance are finding it difficult to make purposeful films. The Place Beyond the Pines is a challenging movie that's wonderfully shot and wonderfully acted. Despite all of its shortcomings, it deserves to be lauded for its underlying themes of cause and effect as well as forgiveness. Far from the watered-down and superficial fluff that finds its way across screens all over America, The Place Beyond the Pines is a welcoming return to the art-form of storytelling.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B

Hathaway To Join Interstellar

Christopher Nolan and Anne Hathaway, so we meet again! The director and Academy Award Winning actress teamed up in last summer's mega-blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises, but Deadline.com reports that Hathaway is just about set to join Nolan's next project, Interstellar. Hathaway will headline alongside recently confirmed actor Matthew McConaughey in the sci-fi thriller that focuses on a scientific theory that wormholes can be used as a source for time travel. It's becoming a regular staple in Nolan's short career that every "next" project is the most anticipated film on the planet. Well, as long as you keep delivering exceptional work, Mr. Nolan, get used to it.

DVD Outlook: April 2013

April represents another month of big-named DVD releases with Oscar Nominees galore. But before we get to my picks for the best DVD rentals coming out this month, there are a few films that I didn't love, but you'll probably want to know about. Two somewhat anticipated films that never really resonated with me in 2012 were Hyde Park on Hudson (4/9 starring Bill Murray as former president Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and the mob movie Gangster Squad (4/23 Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling). Instead of those letdowns, I suggest checking out any or all of the following three films which landed on my Top Ten List of 2012. Make sure you find time to sit back and enjoy some of the marvelous movies that April has to offer.




The Impossible - 4 stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

Coming in a very close second on my Top Ten Films of 2012 is J.A. Bayona's The Impossible. The remarkably moving and undoubtedly sentimental feature received rave reviews from critics all across the globe and landed an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Actress category for its leading lady, Naomi Watts. Centering on a family divided by the horrific tsunami that struck southeast Asia in 2004, The Impossible is an eye-opening and intense piece of filmmaking that will surely win you over. Filled with grand special effects and a healthy blend of suspense and drama, The Impossible is truly one of 2012's most under-seen films. (APRIL 23RD)




Silver Linings Playbook - 3 and a half stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

One of 2012's most lovable films is David O. Russell's romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook. Following  a recently released mental patient named Pat (played by Bradley Cooper) and a young depressed widow named Tiffany (played by Jennifer Lawrence), Silver Linings Playbook delivers a heartfelt and well-balanced comedy/drama. Focusing on serious issues such as mental illness, David O. Russell gives us a genuine, yet absurdly upbeat, movie experience. Receiving Oscar Nominations in all four of the acting categories, Silver Linings Playbook is one of 2012's most well-rounded features. (APRIL 30TH)




Django Unchained - 3 and a half stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

The highly regarded Quentin Tarantino gives us Django Unchained, his finest directorial effort to date. With an Oscar-winning screenplay and a gold-statue-worthy Best Supporting Actor turn from an immensely talented Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained is clearly an unforgettable experience. Following a bounty hunter (played by Waltz) who needs the aid of a slave named Django (played by Jamie Foxx), their wild journey ultimately brings them to a crazy plantation owner's home (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) in order to free Django's wife. Despite Tarantino's obscene fascination with gore and the film's over-extended ending, Django Unchained still manages to provide a bloody good time. (APRIL 16TH)


Honorable Mention: A few other noteworthy releases this month come in the form of Gus Van Sant's Promised Land (4/23) and famed documentarian Ken Burns' The Central Park Five (4/23). Although both films prove to be overly long, they were still decent enough to warrant a thumbs up from me.

(Official) Carrie and See Girl Run Trailers

If you haven't seen Brian De Palma's Carrie, well then brace yourself for the first official trailer to Kimberly Peirce's ambitious remake of the horror classic. At first viewing, I was shocked by how much of the story was actually shown on the trailer. By including many of the original's pivotal scenes in the trailer, it made me anxious to see what Peirce and her leading stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore have in store for the rest of the film. Carrie follows a bullied teenage girl (played by Moretz) who discovers her telekinetic powers and is forced to unleash them when her classmates push her too far.





Although I am still pretty unfamiliar with the upcoming indie drama See Girl Run, Adam Scott has become a lesser know actor that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Following a thirty-something at a crossroads in her life, See Girl Run explores how emotionally consuming hypotheticals of past relationships can be once you begin to question your current situation. There is a very raw and genuine feel to the trailer (which fits directly into the strengths of Adam Scott's acting ability) that hopefully plays out well throughout the entire film.

Only God Forgives (RED BAND) and The Purge Trailers

If you enjoyed Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive as much as I did, then chances are you can't wait for his follow up revenge film Only God Forgives. Prior to its scheduled world premier at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Refn and company has released the film's first official red band trailer. Once again starring Ryan Gosling, Only God Forgives follows a Bangkok police lieutenant and a gangster whose long awaited showdown culminates in an epic revenge-filled Thai boxing match. Check out the red band trailer for Only God Forgives below.





Another recently released trailer that caught my eye was for The Purge, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. From the producers of Hawke's 2012 horror release, Sinister, The Purge offers a fresh idea in the horror/thriller genre. Set in the somewhat near future, immensely overcrowded prisons force the U.S. government to allow a 12 hour period one day a year (known as "the purge") in which all crime is legal. During this time, a family must protect itself against a home invasion. Check out the film's trailer below.