So I went on a movie going spree this week to try to catch a few that had eluded me. I started with a revisit to The Departed, and I was reminded why this was my favorite movie of the year. Nicholson is classic Nicholson, and Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are solid. But I think the stand out performance comes from Leonardo DiCaprio. And Scorsese's direction is flawless.
Damon, who like I said was solid in The Departed, is even better in The Good Shepherd. It's a long movie, but you would never know it the way it moves through its story.
The Pursuit of Happyness is better than I thought it would be. Will Smith will get himself an Oscar nomination for this one.
Notes on a Scandal is quite good. Judi Dench is nothing like you've ever seen her, and Cate Blanchett matches her in terms of performance. Plus there's an excellent supporting performance from Bill Nighy and a very good score by Philip Glass.
And then there's Dreamgirls. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this, and I'm afraid it just doesn't live up to any of it. There is no question that Jennifer Hudson is absolutely thrilling in her part. She literally electrifies the screen in two scenes/songs I can think of. But take her out of the movie, and there's not much movie left. The one exception to that might be Eddie Murphy, who is good in his supporting part. However, I was impressed more by its costumes and its art direction in particular.
So my top ten revised (or expanded from eight to ten):
10. Notes on a Scandal
9. The History Boys
8. Bobby
7. Before the Fall
6. The Queen
5. Half Nelson
4. The Good Shepherd
3. Little Children
2. Little Miss Sunshine
1. The Departed
