The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Into the Past: 2011

Welcome to The Wasteland into the Past! Join this journey backwards in time as I take a cinematic look at years past. Each article will focus on a singular year and my Top 5 films from that year. Turn back the clock with me…and let’s get started! 

2011

Drive

What are your thoughts on Nicolas Winding Refn? This filmmaker is quite controversial and divisive. His style is off-the-chart but many of his films struggle in the heart and soul department. But there is one film that is the perfect alchemy of his strengths and lacks those concerning shortcomings…Drive. Many expected a new The Fast & the Furious based on the marketing but this film is so much more and something completely different in so many ways. Music is one of the cinematic elements that stands out from the start. Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” is a jam, and an atmospheric needle drop that captures the whole vibe of the film. “A Real Hero” is another fantastic song from College that really captures this acid and neon feel. The cinematography matches well with the crisp collars, long takes, and haunting usage of light and shadows. This film works on the shoulders of a silent protagonist who is both vulnerable and dangerous underneath the surface. Winding Refn has a great balance of tones and emotions in this film as we get incredibly affecting and romantic moments and then bloody and violent barrages that feel just so visceral. There are layers of intense emotions and feelings that fill this thriller. Ryan Gosling has shown himself to be one of Winding Refn’s muses and he channels this anti-hero so well. It is all in his stares and physicality. Warmth at times and brutality in others. This is a complex man living in a dark and complex world. One of the most terrifying villains in the last fifteen years of film is brought to life by Albert Brooks. Yes…Modern Love and Lost in America Brooks. He is steely, intimidating, and cruel. The cast is stacked along with Carey Mulligan as the Driver’s love interest, Oscar Isaac as her husband who freshly gets out of prison and a pair of veteran performers doing some good work with Bryan Cranston and Ron Perlman. There are thrilling chases, brutal violence, and plenty of heartbreaking and shocking moments.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

How hard is it to stick the landing of a huge, beloved film franchise? That becomes even harder when it is based on an even more beloved book series, and you are on your eighth film in the franchise. But David Yates did something unimaginable. He might have created the best of the lot. With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Yates and company had to complete the arc of our scarred hero and his mission to defeat the most powerful villainous wizard of all time. This was one of the first blockbusters to start that horrible trend of splitting stories into two films but for Deathly Hallows, it was essential. This was one of the most dense and layered books of the series and there was so much to explore. This being Part 2, there is plenty of space to deliver one of the most exciting and grandest fantasy epics ever put on the silver screen. The Battle of Hogwarts is one of the coolest battles put to film with all types of magical elements mixed in. There are plenty of magical elements going back and forth along with animated stone soldiers, giant spiders, and plenty more. The scale and thrills of the battle make for such an amazing cinematic experience. But this film is way more than just a bunch of big effects. The core of the film is the heart and soul that has been burrowing through all eight films. Watching Harry (with Daniel Radcliffe delivering an amazing performance) grow into his own and stand up as the leader of the forces against Voldemort as well as going toe-to-toe with the dark lord is something special. There is the unique and enthralling moment in an in-between world between Harry and Dumbledore. We get the tragic backstory of Severus Snape which is pregnant with so much emotion. You will never hear the world “Always” the same way ever again. Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon deliver such powerful performances in these essential moments. Ralph Fiennes is at the most dynamic and interesting as Voldemort as he slowly becomes vulnerable throughout the film. There are so many satisfying moments that just accentuate this impressive film from Ron and Hermoine kissing to Neville wielding the sword of Gryffindor to Mrs. Weasley killing Bellatrix Lestrange to the moving moment that Harry gets to share with his parents and Sirius one last time. This might be the second half and focus on only two different set pieces, but it is a towering and impressive cinematic achievement and an excellent finale for this franchise.

Captain America: The First Avenger

How do you make a comic book film standout in such a saturated cinematic landscape? One of the most consistent complaints about the MCU is that they all feel the same with dab visuals and safe filmmaking. But there are a few films in the MCU that have a completely unique and specific feel to them. With Captain America: The First Avenger, Joe Johnston was able to craft a film that had such a vintage feel in visuals, editing, and production. This WWII thriller with tinges of science fiction has such a great feel and look that makes it stand out in the best way possible. The colors feel richer in this film and the way this film is edited makes it feel like some old school adventure and film reels. The music from Alan Silvestri has so much personality and specifically feels like an old school military affair that captures the warrior’s spirit that lives inside Steve Rogers. This tale is one of heart, soul, and courage. This film has that old fashioned feel thematically with a protagonist who just wants to do good and fight bullies. We can all get behind that for sure. Chris Evans delivers an earnest performance that feels so genuine and fits perfectly in the tone of this film (whether he is a scrawny young man wielding a trash can lid or a bulky super soldier with his iconic shield). Evans delivers physicality and a good heart. You feel every bit of connection between Steve and Peggy Carter. You are rooting for them all the way up to the rain check of their first dance. Hayley Atwell is so great as Peggy delivering a strong and confident performance with a good old-fashioned English stiff upper lip. There are great supporting pieces as well in this cast who help fill in this great story. Hugo Weaving is fantastic as the egomaniacal villain The Red Skull (with the make-up looking perfect) with a performance full of swagger, disdain, and pride. Tommy Lee Jones delivers some of the best one liner in the film as the grumpy old Colonel Phillips. Sebastian Stan and Dominic Cooper are nice pieces like Bucky and Howard Stark. But the real heart of the film is Stanley Tucci’s Dr. Abraham Erskine. The soul and depth that Tucci brings to each scene with Steve is beautiful and meaningful. The first half of the film is so rich in character and emotion and Tucci is a big source of quality. The action delivers too from Steve’s first foot chase as a super soldier to the crazy montage full of badass moments to the final invasion of the Hydra facility where The Red Skull’s master plan is manifesting. Endless heart makes The First Avenger one of the most unsung films in the MCU.

The Descendants

How do you deal with your grief? Losing someone (or the inevitability of impending loss) can really do a lot to you. Sometimes things get easier as time goes on but when it comes to someone hanging on and not quite dead yet, it makes things even more complicated and harder to manage your emotions. Waiting is always the hardest part. The Descendants is the story of a husband whose wife is in a coma after an accident. She is not going to make it, but she also had a secret…she was cheating on her husband. George Clooney portrays this man who struggling with the betrayal of his wife, the impending loss, the worry of being there for his two daughters and (for good measure) a decision he must make to potentially sell pristine Hawaiian land for commercialization. Alexander Payne crafts a complex life for Clooney’s character Matt King and we cannot help but want to go on this journey with him. There is a strong mix of somber feeling, Hawaiian music, and dry humor that makes the tone and atmosphere of The Descendants so unique and engaging. Payne is the master of capturing a feeling of being lost while balancing a world that is awkwardly charming as well. Clooney delivers one of his strongest performances as he carries sadness, a bit of pent-up rage, and presence that makes him so engaging. His facial expressions are enough to make this a great performance. Shailene Woodley is surprised with such a layered performance from a young actor who carries her own with someone like Clooney. There is a strong ensemble of character actors that fill out this film with the likes of Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, and Matthew Lillard making an impact. But it is Robert Forster who steals every scene with his grit, strength, and pride as Matt’s father-in-law. This film captures the beauty of Hawaii in such a beautiful and organic way. The great balance between humor and drama makes The Descendants so engrossing, meaningful, and impactful.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

What mad genius thought that the director of The Incredibles should direct a Mission: Impossible film? Brad Bird felt like a perfect choice for Mission: Impossible and he delivered such an incredible entry with Ghost Protocol. This is one of the greatest franchises in the action genre and somehow keeps getting better. Ghost Protocol took the franchise to new heights with a fantastic film that delivered some impressive set pieces. You should certainly expect that when you have a bona fide movie star like Tom Cruise leading the way. Cruise found the perfect character in Ethan Hunt who embodies his drive to do anything for the mission. For Cruise, it is to do the most insane stunts himself to up the ante of tension and suspense. Scaling the enormous building in Dubai is insanely entertaining, thrilling, and terrifying all at the same time. This just might be the most famous that Cruise has done in his entire career. The stunts and action are such a huge part for this franchise and this one delivers. You have the whole opening sequence of Ethan escaping a prison is so much fun and exciting to watch. You can Cruise running but this time he must run from the Kremlin exploding. Ghost Protocol has a bunch of the traits you want from a Mission: Impossible film but brings a sleek and engrossing cinematic look that Bird was able to master for this live action debut. But one of the biggest elements that makes this film so interesting is the ensemble around Ethan. The villain might not be the strongest (with a solid performance from John Wick alum Michael Nyqvist. You have the inclusion of another IMF agent on his own mission with Lost’s Josh Holloway. But it is the introduction of Jeremy Renner that brings some extra star power as a potential franchise lead in Brandt (who disappears after this one…strange). Simon Pegg’s Benji is such a beloved piece as the franchise, and he is a big standout this time. Alec Baldwin is a great high authority in these films with his natural charisma and chemistry with Cruise. Another one-off but welcomed addition was Paula Patton. This is a sleek, exciting, engrossing, and well-crafted piece of action filmmaking and deserves all the praise (including the amazingly cheesy one-liner at the end).