What I Watched this Week #2 (2/22/10)

I actually got to see several good films this week:

Goodfellas - I was finally able to see this film, and I understand what all the praise is about. From the small handful of Scorsese films I've seen, it's arguably the best. I love The Departed, but Goodfellas just had something special. With faultless direction, top-notch performances (especially the Oscar-winning Joe Pesci, of course), and a rivetingly tragic story, it's too bad it only came away with a Supporting Actor Oscar win. Scorsese deserved his awards for The Departed, but I think he shouldn't have had to wait an extra 16 years to finally win. Grade: A

Precious - This has been floating around limited release for about three months now, and finally made it to my town this last week. I was unsure of what what I thought about the film after seeing it, and my first instinct was to give it a B. It is a very good film, but a few technical aspects of the film, all rooted in Lee Daniels directing, seemed a bit lacking. I guess Daniels' only previous experience as a film director was a crime thriller, so that may be where some of the unusual shots came from. However, the film succeeds on both the strength of its very emotional story and the power of the performances, especially Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique, which led me to give it more credit. Grade: B+

In the Loop - A very, very funny and clever political satire. Very well-written film, as evidenced by its single Oscar nomination of Best Adapted Screenplay. I liken it to one of 2009's best films, In Bruges. Similar to In Bruges, it's a very sweary movie, but in the best way possible. The dialogue is so unbelievably creative and irreverent and Armando Iannucci's direction so precise, and I was laughing out loud the whole movie. The primarily British cast is led most hilariously by Peter Capaldi and Tom Hollander, while some of the Americans, like James Gandolfini, Anna Chlumsky, and David Rasche, held their own as well. Grade: A-