Every year there are some over hyped films that get your hopes up and then let you down. Normally at the end of the year no one talks about the films that ruined your evening at the movies, but this year I want to list the films that disappointed me to no end.
INTERSTELLAR- Christopher Nolan's epic WTF. a grand tale of exploration was wrecked by deus ex machina twists and long drawn out pacing. Did this really have to be almost 3 hours long for such a weak pay off?
LEGEND OF THE KNIGHT- over hyped, over praised look at the societal influence of Batman and how he makes us better. A no duh sort of film that looked so good in the trailers but had nothing that's new for anyone who's ever looked at society and comics. And outside of Deny O'Niel talking all too briefly about Batman there is no reason to watch this.
UNDER THE SKIN- Scarlet Johanson is really good as an alien hunting humans, but after a mind blowing first half hour the film just goes off the rails and stops working.While never bad, it's never remotely as great as that first 30 minutes.
SELMA- wasn't that good. A good but unremarkable telling of the events surrounding Martin Luther King's historic march. Nowhere near as good as some claimed, a botched PR handling of the film (it wasn't screened for anyone until after most end of year awards had been chosen) was turned into a chip on it's shoulder where the PR people and the film's supporters made you feel like you were being racist if you didn't love the film. No it's just not that good and it has historical problems.
EPIC OF EVEREST- restored version of the silent film of the Mallory and Irvine attempt on the mountain has lots of nice scenery but little else. In actuality it's boring as all hell even if it does capture the pair disappearing into the void.
WHITE GOD- held out to be a great story of canine revolution, the film never was a clever as advertised and while it has moments, it never fully comes together.
WOLFPACK- Sundance darling bewildered the Tribeca audience I saw this with. Yea its an interesting story but at the same time its clear too much isn't said, too much is constructed and after a while you stop caring.
MERU- glorious you are there film about the climbing of a legendary peak really puts you in the moment and is really good until you realize the story has no context. Who are these people and why should be care? I still don't know. Why is this on the Oscar Short list?
SON OF SAUL- the story of a prisoner in a death camp trying to find what happened to his "son" was supposed to be a gut punch of a film. For some perhaps for me it was okay. I blame the always in the face of Saul style and the lack of understanding for events in the camps. I say that because at the press conference the director seemed amazed that the prisoners helped with the executions. This was news to him? Really? Neither a gut punch nor remotely a best foreign language choice it just sort of is.
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