My Top Ten (Plus Five HM) for 2009

      In an effort to stretch my critical muscles, I thought I'd pick a random year and write up my top ten. Check here for my top 25 performances of 2009

       Film of the Year: Up in the Air-The opening montage of borrowed aerial shots lets us know that this is going to be an apologetically modern story for our modern times. Jason Reitman’s third film is a spiritual successor of sorts to his debut, “Thank You For Smoking”, in looking at grandiose themes with cutting satire. This time Reitman looks at the glitzy but ultimately unfulfilling life of corporate travel as well as the soullessness of human resources. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) travels around the country firing people with dignity. His social needs are taken care of by the occasional rendezvous and the familiar faces of gate attendants and airport lounges are the closest thing he has to a home. Through Bingham, Reitman looks at modern detachment from the inherent contradictions of the firing of employees with dignity, and a telescope view of at the loneliness such a job would entail. Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick both compliment in roles that deservedly won accolades.

2. Inglourious Basterds-Quentin Tarantino’s gleeful take on the World War II film is less beholden to history than having a good time. The film is marked by Mexican shoot-outs, explosions, and memorable characters of both the good and evil variety. From the polyglot colonel played with theatricality by Christophe Waltz to the egotistical sniper with a voyeuristic streak played by Daniel Bruehl to the larger-than-life German actress played by Dianne Kruger, this is a movie where the action isn’t second to performances.

3. The Soloist-This film, about the relationship between a human interest reporter and a homeless cellist with Julliard training, came and went without making much of a dent but there’s a lot to recommend about this film. Being a human interest reporter for seven years and having a fascination with what makes classical musicians tick certainly helps enjoy this film, yes, but it’s also a more universal story of two people symbiotically rediscovering themselves with Robert Downey Jr’s stoical performance keeping the film from dripping out any excess sap. Lisa Gay Hamilton, Catherine Keener and Tom Hollander all provide great supporting roles.

4. Star Trek-My cynical attitude towards franchise reboots quickly dissipated from “why?” to “why not” within a few scenes. J.J. Abrams’s sleek visuals and fully-realized action scenes are complimented by one of the most perfectly selected casts I’ve ever seen. Sure they all look unrealistically pretty compared to their predecessors but I’m willing to let that slide.

5. In the Loop-Armando Iannucci’s political satire is populated with fast-talking characters straining to be taken seriously who ultimately have little clue what they’re talking about. If you’ve seen “Veep”, the pace of dialogue and humor won’t surprise you (and I can’t say I’m qualified in any comparative analysis having only seen a couple episodes of "Veep") but it’s a joy to see this type of energy in cinematic terms. It might even be said that the one-off nature of the plot makes a sharper point about the directionless bureaucracy that guides politics considering that serialized television has to take a direction sooner or later.

6. Up-While not Pixar’s most ambitious movie concept, there’s a lot to be said for the execution. Ed Asner gives, for my money, the best voice over performance in history, the film rightfully gains recognition for its emotional punch of an opening montage, and a balloon trip to South America lends itself to visuals that dazzle in a whole new light. More than that, it’s a story with a sense of non-stop adventure backed by a pair of characters one gets easily invested in.

7. Sin Nombre-Cary Fukunaga explores the bleak life choices of people in the middle triangle of Central America whether they decide to risk their lives emigrating northward or live under a lawless void that’s pervaded by the lure of gang life. The story finds its heart in a gang member who makes a decision to do something decent (stop a brutal rape) and follows his impending doom.

8. 500 Days of Summer-Tonally, this love story is wispy fairy tale but it’s also an unflinching look at unhealthy romantic expectations. Wide-eyed Joseph Gordon-Levitt (matched in charm and cuddliness by a flighty Zooey Deschanel) is a man with a wide-open heart but is doomed by his unwillingness to face the reality of what his partner wants.

9. The Blind Side-The true story about a homeless teenager who gets adopted by an affluent white family in Tennessee is a classic sports film with unusually quiet and somber notes and a focus that takes place mostly off the field. It’s not the post-racial declaration of coexistence people might be looking for but it’s told with nuance and anchored by strong performances.

10. District 9-Neil Blomkamp’s regionally specific version of dystopia is so gritty and visceral, one can feel its otherworldly landscape. The film plays with P.O.V. and format to maximum effect. Set in a future version  of South Africa, the film parallels the struggles of apartheid without hitting the allegory angle too hard.

Runners-up:

Stephen Soderbergh’s  The Informant isn’t particularly coherent on a first viewing but it’s a very clever playing out of the “unreliable narrator” trope and has some curious casting.

The Invention of Lying is a classic man-environment mismatch comedy: In this case it’s lying man vs. honest society, an inversion of 1997’s Liar Liar. It doesn’t deliver on Ricky Gervais’s trademark cringe humor but it gets maximum comic mileage out of its premise and has a surprising amount of heart.

Extract is an underappreciated Mike Judge film that once again takes on his familiar themes of working class frustration but delivers its “the right workplace for you is waiting out there somewhere” parable with a bit more conviction and heart than his previous films. The film deftly juggles a pair of intersecting hair-brained schemes while leaving room to fill out the quirks of its auxiliary characters with a strong sense of place.

Funny People is the only Judd Apatow (or Judd-Apatow-by-association) film I’ve seen that seems like a genuine attempt to move people with humor than a quest to inject moviedom with as many dick jokes as possible.

The Hangover created a sizeable dent in the pop culture sphere due to its lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry between and the gut punch value of its reveals as three friends try to piece together what happened the night before. With a naked Ken Joeng popping out of a car and Mike Tyson’s (with pet tiger in tow) extremely random cameo, the film kept audiences in an anything-can-happen trance that still holds up today.

"Special Correspondents" (2016) and Ricky Gervais's curious lowered bar in the filmic world

If there's one thing most people can agree on, it's that Ricky Gervais is a comic genius when it comes to making TV. The breadth of influence from his melancholy character creations on "The Office" and "Extras" has been seen all over the TV landscape.

What's curious is that a lot of this innovation is absent in Ricky Gervais's films. "Ghost Town", "Invention of Lying" and this film basically work through the age-old comic method of character and opposing concept like (off the top of my head) guy who wishes to grow up meets adulthood ("Big" or "13 on 30" in reverse), president wielding extraordinary power meets small-town politics ("Welcome to Mooseport"), thoughtless man with no appreciation for present meets eternal present ("Groundhog Day"), or powerless man meets eternal power ("Bruce Almighty") "Ghost Town" is a case of a guy who wishes to be left alone being forced to deal with the dead on top of the living people he wishes to avoid. "Invention of Lying" is a case of man without influence gets power over gullible society. "Special Correspondents" is a case of lazy news reporters meeting real news.

With the exception of "Invention of Lying" (which lends itself to home-run-hitting dialogue), none of these have the depth in their premise that could reach the same comic heights. As is, it's a decent film that works at the lower degree of difficulty set in by its script. The quieter moments of character development, though somewhat sitcom-llke, tend to work and the characters hit their notes.

Ricky Gervais is a news reporter who has accepted he's a schlub in life (much like his "Invention of Lying" character at the start) despite somehow managing to snag Vera Farminga as a wife. Gervais digs relatively deep although the tone of the supporting cast (Vera Farmiga is pretty arch, America Ferrera is "Latino comical" in a way that mirrors Sofia Vergara's "Modern Family" role) and the film's plot would pick a fight with any sense of pathos. Still, Gervais is likable and kind of sweet and his chemistry with love interest (though the two have an admirably platonic vibe).

Why Gervais is so stifled when he apparently has directorial control and is credited as a writer on these films is hard to figure out, but the film is what it is.

Revolving Door of TV Openings: 2011-2012 Edition

Here's my annual look back at which  TV and movie stars have come back to TV in the 2011-2012 season. The idea of this list is to show how expansive the revolving door is and just how many familiar names and faces make it back to our airwaves every year. The list is created by looking at the rosters of all the TV shows to debut every year and all the additions to existing casts and adding any names to the list that I personally recognize. Of course, that makes this all very subjective. I recognized Annie Potts and Leslie Bibb from the GCB cast list because I recognized them from Ghostbusters and Talladega Nights, respectively, but you might recognize Jennifer Aspen from her role on Rodney or a 4-episode stint on Glee (which I didn't).

If they're a movie star and primarily known as that (Anjelica Huston, Dustin Hoffman, and Jessica Lange were making their TV debuts but there was no way I was leaving them off this list), I label them as such and if they're known only for one movie (again, that's subjective), I list that one movie with an (M) around it.

I try to note when their last project was and the year beside the project means when they're last show went off the air. A * means recurring role, an (A) means animated, a (TR) means a talk or reality show, and a (C) means creator. An animated role is far-less demanding then a live action role and often doesn't preclude them from further projects. Also, keep in mind, a person doesn't have to have left a previous show project to work on a new show like Stephen Merchant and Rickey Gervais adding "Life's Too Short" to their talk show on HBO.

I try to document just when their last TV gig was too:

Amanda Peete, Bent (Studio 60 2007)

Amber Head, Playboy Club (Hidden Palms, 2007, Zombieland [M])

Annie Potts, GCB (Ghostbusters (M), Dangerous Minds, Law and Order SVU* 2009)

Anjelica Huston, Smash (M)

Ashton Kutcher,  Two and a Half Men (Movies, That 70s Show 2006)

Brittany Snow, Person of Interest (American Dreams 2004)

Catherine Tate, The Office (Catherine Tate Show 2004 [C])

Chelsea Handler, Are You There, Vodka? (Chelsea Lately [TR])

Christina Ricci, Pan Am (M)

Claire Danes, Homeland (My So-Called Life 1995, Temple Grandin 2010)

Colm Meany, Hell on Wheels (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1999)

Connie Britton, American Horror Story (Spin City 2000, Friday Night Lights 2011)

David Hornsby (A), Unsupervised-Creator (It’s Always Sunny*)

Dylan McDermott, American Horror Story (The Practice 2004, Big Shots 2008)

Debra Messing, Smash (Will and Grace 2006, The Starter Wife 2008)

Dennis Farina, Luck (M)

Dianne Ladd, Enlightened (M)

Diedrich Baker (A), Napoleon Dynamite (Drew Carey Show, Outsourced 2011)

Dustin Hoffman, Luck (M)

Garrett Morris, 2 Broke Girls (SNL, Jamie Foxx Show 2001)

Hank Azaria, Free Agents (Simpsons [A], Movies, Huff 2006)

Hector Elizondo, Last Man Standing (Monk 2009)

James Spader, The Office (Boston Legal 2009)

James van der Beek, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (Dawson’s Creek 2003)

Jason O’Mara, Terra Nova (Life on Mars 2009)

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story (M)

Jill Hennessy, Luck (Crossing Jordan 2007)

John Goodman*, Community (Roseanne, Normal Ohio, Damages* 2011)

Jonah Hill (C), Allen Gregory (M)

Jeffry Tambor, Bent (Arrested Development 2006, Welcome to the Captain 2008, Archer* [A])

Jessica St. Clair, Best Friends Forever (Best Week Ever)

Jon Heder (A), Nepoleon Dynamite (M) 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (SNL, Seinfeld, New Adv. Of Old Christine, 2010)

Justin Long (A), Unsupervised (M)

Kat Dennings, Two Broke Girls (Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist [M])

Katherine McPhee, Smash (American Idol [TR])

Kathryn Hahn, Free Agents (Movies, Crossing Jordan 2007)

Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law (The Office 2011)

Kelsey Grammer, Boss (Frasier, Back to You, Hank 2011)

Kiefer Sutherland, Touch (24 2010)

Kristin Chenowith, GCB (West Wing, Pushing Daisies 2009, Sit Down Shit Up, 2010, Glee* 2011)

Laura Dern, Enlightened (M)

Laura Prepon, Are you There, Vodka? (That 70’s Show 2006)

Leslie Bibb, GCB (Talladega Nights [M])

Leslie Mann (A), Allen Gregory (M)

Luke Wilson, Enlightened (Movies)

Maria Bello, Prime Suspect (Movies)

Matt Walsh, Veep (Upright Citizens Brigade, Dog Bites Man 2006)

Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (M)

Maya Rudolph, Up All Night (SNL 2008)

Maulick Pancholy, Whitney (30 Rock 2011)

Nancy Travis, Last Man Standing (Almost Perfect, Becker, Bill Engvall Show 2009)

Nick Nolte, Luck (M)

Rachel Bilson, Heart of Dixie (The OC 2006)

Regnald vel Johnson, Heart of Dixie (Family Matters 1998) 

Ricky Gervais (C), Life's Too Short (Extras, Ricky Gervais Show [TR])

Stephen Merchant (C), Life's Too Short (Extras, Ricky Gervais Show [TR])

Ted Levine, Luck (Monk 2009)

Tim Allen, Last Man Standing (Home Improvement 1999)

Will Arnett, Up All Night (Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Running Wilde 2011)

Will Forte (A), Allen Gregory (SNL 2010)

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl (M)

Top ten tv shows of the year

1. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX-No comedy had me flat-out marvelling at the directions it dared to take their characters. Although it's been five seasons, the show has really hit its stride. You could take practically 75% of the scenes and set them alone as comic set pieces which would be funnier than most skits on SNL. The show's characters have truly become fleshed-out and differentiated from each other at this point, yet they all share that singular humor that makes them so off-center from the rest of the world. It's like these guys are Abbott and anyone who comes into their circle of insanity is Costello.

2. In Treatment, HBO-The raw drama, the power of the performances, the insight into the human psyche is, well enough hyperboles... The root of what makes drama good is right here. There's nothing but a room, a couch and a chair with a patient who we slowly learn about as the weeks go on and a psychiatrist who's pretty damn good at his job. More specifically, we're watching a guy who's pretty damn good at his job go to work in four out of every five episodes. On every 5th episode, we learn how much of a basket case he is when he visits a psychiatrist of his own (Editorial note: I have restrained myself from watching the "Paul goes to therapy" episodes because I find it ruins the illusion).

3. The Office, NBC-The first half of season 4 once Ryan got fired and Pam and Jim started becoming more insular in coupledom was somewhat disappointing, but the writers took us for a massive twist or two that threatened to destroy the safe confines the sitcom had built up for four years. Michael quits the company and competes against his own business with Ryan and Pam (two risky prospects to say the least) as his wingmen. It was an entirely game-changing development that stayed as true to the characters as we come to expect from a show that creates such a sesne of realism. The show was also improved by the addition of three great additions: Idris Elba, Amy Ryan and Ellie Kemper as guest stars (the third now a permanent cast member).

4. Breaking Bad, AMC-Holy crap, this show really became intense in the second season. The show erased any moral limits to Walter White and while it might not be realistic (although the show tries within reason to make moral decay realistic), there is a palpable sense of suspense over how far removed from his original moral center White will get. In the meantime, Jessie has become a voice of reason and the uneasy alliance between the high school dropout and his former teacher really has taken on another dimension of instability. Beautifully shot backdrops, drugs, violence, sex, and lots of high school chemistry.

5. Better off Ted, ABC-Very few shows get as good mileage out of just five characters and that's all the more impressive when you consider that they fit into such classic stock conventions: the straight leading man, the two bickering nerds, the beautiful girl-next-door whose free-spirited personality often tips the scales towards looniness, and the sexually threatening boss without a conscience. Maybe that boss figure (Portia de Rossi) truly is an original with the way she can say the most inhumane things with a wink and a smile. "Better off Ted", technically in its second season, is a workplace comedy that satirizes the nonsensical social norms and mores of the modern workplace better than anything I've seen in a while

6. Glee, Fox-Like an old MGM musical where you're just as intrigued by the dance numbers as you are by the story, Glee has some fantastic song-and-dance numbers that make hypocrites out of us all for going gaga over the show's mp3 downloads when we were being so condescending to our younger cousins and siblings when they get obsessed with "High School Musical." The characters are absurdly caricatured but real enough to keep us tuned in. Some acknowledge that "Glee" is weak on consistency or believability but, at the very least, then show spurs a lot of water cooler talk centering on just how to interpret the show and its flaws therein. The bottom line is that it's entered the cultural conversation.

7. Royal Pains, USA-There are a million shows about doctors on TV but this is the only one that intrigued me enough to watch in the first place and there was a lot to keep me going once that happened. In the same way that something like "Touched by an Angel" and "Joan of Arcadia" serve as entertainment that reaffirms our faith in the world, there's something very relevant here in the midst of this health care debate, Hank symbolizes what we all need: A doctor who is fully committed to doing good and is willing to put his career on the line for it. Hank is insistent on treating people whether they can pay for it or not despite the musings of his accountant brother who is concerned about the bottom line. The show paints its characters in pretty broad strokes (Hank's medical assistant is part of that glamorous world with her exotic accent and expensive dresses) but it's somewhat satirical of that world as well.

8. Dollhouse, FOX-Joss Wheedon's appeal at creating thought-provoking feminist dramas shines once again in his latest series which takes us into a futuristic world where Eliza Dushku is one of several vagabonds who signed away their free will to a shady underworld company that practices its own rules of ethics. The show features a arcing storyling in the style of Lost but the episodes also stand alone well. Bonus points for the casting of Rushmore's Olivia Williiams.

9. Flight of the Conchords, HBO-This New Zealand import wrapped up its second (and possibly last) season just in time for me to stumble upon this gem. Because both styles of comedy center around the pathos of the mundane, "Flight of the Conchords" initially struck me as a Ricky Gervais comedy (particularly "Extras") with songs. However, the show grew on me rapidly for its unique spin on the regular-guys-eeking-it-out-en-route-to-stardom premise: The show is about two guys who are successfully being deluded by the people around them into thinking that their sad, aimless existence is actually some micro-form of stardom. Compliments for pulling of this premise hillariously go to the deluders: Rhys Darby as their clueless pushpin manager and Wendy Schaal as the borderline psychotic fanbase of one.

10. Sit Down Shut Up, FOX-Mitch Hurwitz's follow-up to "Arrested Development" started out terribly, but really found its strides in its "second season" (technically, this was just the network burning off the remaining nine episodes of the first season). Whatever problems the show had, it had a great cast that never let the show down and created interesting characters out of the lines that were given to them. A show lives and dies on its characters and "Sit Down Shut Up" had that base so when the plots were clicking (as what happened more often in the season's second half) the show really came on fire. I also loved how unapologetic the show was about never involving the students into the picture.

Top 10 comic personalities of 2005

I haven't updated it this year, but last year i was thinking of all the top ten lists that happen in December and I thought of a new one, i could add to the mix. Of course, the new magazine, Cracked Magazine does this too now.

2005:

1. Nick Hornby for his novel “Long Way Down” and success of continuing adaptations on screen

One of the few people who I’d voluntarily read a novel from. His books are witty and refreshing enough that his books go by like a magazine article ordinarily does. His books have been adapted into hit movies like High Fidelity, About a Boy, and Fever Pitch, and when his latest comedic book about four people who randomly meet on the rooftop of a building, all with plans to commit suicide (how’s that for a comedic challenge) came out, the movie rights were gobbled up right away, by someone no less than Jonny Depp.

2. Sara Silverman (Role in the Aristocrats and Jesus Walks)

Over 100 comedians tell the same joke and she was the one who was able to find an original angle and run away with it. Sort of a Jewish version of Andy Kaufman, who’s a lot easier on the eyes, she’s starting to become well-known for her brand of humor.

3. Steve Carrell (for his role in the Office and for his starring vehicle in 40-Yr Old Virgin)

Surprise, surprise, Steve Carrell is not just good as a fake newsman, but can do other things too. He had roles in the new Woody Allen movie, Melinda and Melinda, in Bewitched, and starred in his own creation The 40-Year Old Virgin. Even better, catch him on the American version of The Office on NBC for his take on the office boss who tries too hard to be friends with his employees. His awkward silences will make you cringe.

4. Steve Colbert (for his new talk show)

By now, John Stewart is just a little bit too powerful. He probably thinks he’s an actual news anchor who can match wits with fellow anchors on CNN because he’s better dressed than them. At least, Steve Colbert hasn’t forgotten that he’s a comedian. Colbert brings non-stop comic inventiveness to his part, always finding sharp comedic angles.

5. Chris Rock for adding color to the Oscar Ceremony, his successful new show on the UPN, his continuing touring of the circuit in stand-up and for Madagascar

There are those who think Chris Rock isn’t the best comedian in America because he’s not mainstream, but just an appealing voice to the black crowd. Those critics should’ve seen him handle the stage at the most mainstream event there is: the Oscars. While the press made a big deal of a completely non-existent feud he had with Sean Penn, he worked the crowd with as much class and humor as any other host. He also leant his talents to Madagascar, the top-grossing cartoon of the year and made one of the year’s best new TV shows about his childhood growing up in Brooklyn, with comedic monologues featured in flashbacks, another way to get his stand-up co

6. Ricky Gervaise for continuing contributions to TV with “Extras” and for voicework in Valiant

Most of us were not satisfied with Gervaise for producing only twelve regular season episodes of The Office and that’s why we’re thankful to have him back on our TV in any way, shape or form. He made an HBO series about two extras that was must-see TV on Sunday nights for at least another six weeks, this time with a more likeable protagonist and the village idiots being carried out through stunt casting.

7. Vince Vaughn for breakout role in the Wedding Crashers

Vince Vaughn’s rapid fire monologues was what separated Wedding Crashers from a B-grade raunchy comedy to one of the summer’s biggest hits. Before this year, Vaughn was in a lot of funny movies, but this year we were more sure that he was the cause of and not just a lucky guy in the middle of them.

8. Jason Lee for My Name is Earl

This incredibly far-fetched idea for a sitcom suddenly becomes amusing and watchable in the hands of Jason Lee.

9. Penn and Teller for there magic act and for making The Aristocrats

The Aristocrats got mixed reviews, but it was pretty ingenious way to separate the men from the boys (and the women vs the girls, of course) by giving them all a crack at the same joke, and it was all done out of a love of comedy. They also got more publicity for their magic act, which has its moments, too, although Penn does talk a little too much and can give you a headache (but Teller compensates for it, I suppose).

10. Alec Baldwin for bit roles on TV and in movies-

Baldwin is an incredibly underrated comic actor, probably because people take him seriously, but he never misses a beat and dives into a comic part with 110% intensity. He was recently in a minor film with Matthew Broderick called Open Shot which came out on DVD this year and was also in Fun with Dick and Jane, plus he guest-starred on Will and Grace and hosted Saturday Night Live (try downloading his Scoutmaster molests Canteen Boy sketch from the early 90s, to see how funny he can be).