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Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

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Ressner's Top Ten Political Flicks

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Politico's Jeffrey Ressner on the year's top ten political movies -- No End in Sight, The Lives of Others, Breach, Sicko, In the Valley of Elah, The Kingdom, A Mighty Heart, Persepolis, Charlie Wilson's War and The Bourne Ultimatum. Of these, my personal favorite is The Lives of Others, which I keep processing as a fall of '06 film and not an early '07 release (which of course it was). The second best, hands down, was In the Valley of Elah -- the most neglected top-drawer film of the year.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 30, 2007 at 6:01 PM

comment #1

Matthew Lucas says ...

I feel the same way about "The Lives of Others." It keeps popping up on 2007 top ten lists but I can't being myself to put it on mine because it received an Academy qualifying run in LA in December '06, technically making it a 2006 release despite its official February 2007 release date.

Posted by Matthew Lucas at December 30, 2007 6:59 PM

comment #2

p.Vice says ...

I thought Zodiac was the most neglected top-drawer film of the year.

Posted by p.Vice at December 30, 2007 7:33 PM

comment #3

actionman says ...

No End In Sight was brilliant. Breach was a terrific spy film. Sicko was funny and shocking all at once. Elah was excellent and thoughtful if a little heavy handed by the end. The Kingdom is one of the best action thrillers in years. Bourne Ultimatum was the best of the series. I was less impressed with A Mighty Heart but still found it to be well done in most respects; Jolie bothered me for some reason and I am generally a fan of hers. Haven't seen Charlie Wilson or Persepolis but plan too. Got The Lives of Others for Christmas so I plan on finally watching that this week. I also thought Rendition was very good and hardly the stinker that critics made it out to be. Missed Lions for Lambs but am still interested. I love political thrillers and I hope that we still get them even though it seems that most audiences don't care to see them.

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2007 7:37 PM

comment #4

actionman says ...

the most neglected top-drawer film of the year, aside from Zodiac, was Things We Lost in the Fire.

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2007 7:51 PM

comment #5

renorambler says ...

what about Michael Clayton. To me, that was political and certainly top ten

Posted by renorambler at December 30, 2007 9:32 PM

comment #6

actionman says ...

The piece was more about recent political movies that directly involve one of the "sand" countries. But I agree, Clayton was great, socially relevant, and top 10 or 15 for the year. It's been a struggle coming up with a top 10 list I am happy with, and I haven't even seen TWBB...Tuesday...

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2007 9:41 PM

comment #7

actionman says ...

Also, watched Bourne Ultimatum again last night with my parents (who saw it in the theater and loved it) and holy shit balls is that movie pure fucking film-as-adrenalin. Greengrass should get a special 6th director's nomination at the Oscars; brilliantly executed for two fast hours with never a let up or pause. The car chase in NYC is a tour de force.

Posted by actionman at December 30, 2007 9:50 PM

comment #8

ZayTonday says ...

Too bad Warner isn't doing any awards consideration stuff whatsoever for Elah.

Posted by ZayTonday at December 31, 2007 12:23 AM

comment #9

Dave says ...

Agree, Breach was very underrated.

Saw Charlie Wilson's War last night-- MUCH better than I expected. I dunno what it was about it, maybe the fear of more snappy Sorkin dialogue, but it turned out to be a great crowd-pleaser, and Philip Seymour Hoffman is fantastic (as usual) in it. If it weren't for all the eff-bombs, it'd be the best airplane movie of 2008.

Before the movie, they played the trailer for Stop-Loss. It looks "fine", but it landed with a thud-- not because it's ANOTHER Iraq movie, but because it feels like it was made three years too late.

Read this: http://www.slate.com/id/2180883/fr/rss/

Then square that with the trailer. The movie feels like more anti-Iraq War wish fulfillment, not something that feels real.

God, could we get just *one* movie about the war that actually reflects the opinions of the majority of those fighting it?

Posted by Dave at December 31, 2007 6:45 AM

comment #10

Rob says ...

For most of In the Valley of Elah, I thought it represented such an amazing step forward for Paul Haggis. I was genuinely moved during most of the film until...

SPOILER, sort of

The fucking Annie Lennox ballad and the awful upside-down flag scene. Two details that are as hackneyed as all the worst moments in Crash.

I can't remember the last time a movie this good so viciously cannibalized itself in the closing moments.

Posted by Rob at December 31, 2007 7:50 AM