This blog started as my movie marathon — watching a movie a day for a whole year — and has continued as a place for me to write reviews about movies, TV, and various other items.
This is still a work in progress as I migrate from my old platform at Tumblr. For now, you can still access the whole backlog of posts there at http://reelmatt.tumblr.com
Now that this marathon has been running for about three months (wow), I feel it’s time for some reflection. I’ve watched a whopping 94 films and still have over 270 films left to go until the end of the marathon year. I’ve been very lucky with how good these films are, the average rating is hovering around 3.5 with a total of fourteen 5-star films.
The object of this post, and future posts like this, is to gather all these top films together and look back on them. What’s the best of the best? If you had to pick one film, what would it be? How about by genre? Especially as the marathon continues, and the amount of films (with their accompanying reviews) increases, I hope these posts will serve as good references so you don’t need to peruse the whole list to find what’s good.
I’m planning on doing this every three months but we’ll see how that goes. For now, a trip down memory lane.
A classic Pacino film that is a must see. The closing speech by Pacino is one of the best monologues in film and ends the film on a high note.
For a great mystery film, Blood Work is a very strong contender. Bonus: Clint Eastwood and Jeff Daniels both have leading roles.
Falsely accused of murdering his wife, Dr. Kimble (Harrison Ford) goes on the run while trying to find the real killer. This is an adrenaline-filled, puzzling, and well-cast film that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
An alternate history of World War II, this Tarantino film was even better the second time. It has a perfect mix of elements from acting to direction and is one of Tarantino’s best films to date.
What impressed me the most about this film was the child, Billy (Justin Henry). This film is a tale of divorce and the effects it has on all parties involved and Henry was the key to making it all work seamlessly.
A documentary about the MPAA and film ratings, it’s a real eye-opening look at something so integral to the movie-going experience.
This documentary far exceeded expectations and then some. It truly is what life was like on July 24, 2010, all told through normal, everyday human beings from all walks of life.
Have you ever wanted to know what the fighting on the front lines in a war feels like? If you watch Restrepo all your questions will be answered.
Watching this film, you forget about it being religious and start thinking about it in terms of drama. It’s one of the most moving, powerful, and shocking films you will see.
A film that focuses on many stereotypes in today’s society that is highly relatable. The interweaving stories are done very well and make complete sense at the end.
One of the best films of 2012 that gets better as time elapses. By the end of the film, you will be on the edge of your seat with adrenaline coursing through your viens.
A Die Hard-esque science fiction movie that was surprisingly entertaining. Lots of suspense, lots of gore, and well-done 3D.
By far the funniest film I’ve seen this year, it has highly relatable characters with a standout performance by Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Oh yeah, the music was also well done.
This film is a crazy emotional roller coaster that is a great example of how to tell a fantastic story.
Best Comedy: Pitch Perfect
Best Drama: Argo
Best Classic: Kramer vs. Kramer
Best New Release: Argo