Remember Me and 9/11: Too Soon? - 10th Anniversary of September 11th Post

Blue sky day
Ten years ago, to the day, the U.S. suffered the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, and on the Pentagon. The heroic efforts of the passengers on board flight #93, who sacrificed their lives to abort another planned attack, prevented further carnage. At the end of the day, 3,000 people had perished people from many nationalities and faiths.

Those of us, who witnessed the events, whether live or on TV, have the images burned into our brains and we will always remember where we were when that second plane hit. Although this loss affected us all, I would like to express my condolences to the families and friends of all of the victims, for your losses are personal and huge. I am so sorry. And I will hope you understand the spirit in which my words are written, lest we forget.

I revisit, yet again, the film Remember Me, and its place in memorializing this enormous loss. It has become even clearer to me that since it was released in March of 2010, this film is one of the best tributes to every individual who was lost that day.
Too Soon?Was Remember Me made ‘too soon’ after the event? Some detractors criticized it for that. Well, first of all other films preceded it. World Trade Center, with Nicholas Cage, 2006, for example, was five years after the fact. And Adam Sandler’sReign Over Me came out in 2007. The lauded From Here to Eternity, about Pearl Harbor, was out in 1953. When is the right time, after 10 years, 15, 20, 25, after a generation has passed?

People thought it was too soon because, as I read it, the wound was still too raw.
“I left the movie theatre feeling like I’d been psychologically assaulted because I did not choose to see a film on that subject. That is not what I signed up for...Maybe a scant 8.5 years had dulled the memory of the masses, but it’s too soon for me...I wasn’t prepared to be unwillingly made to relive that day.” [Sara. March 16, 2010. –Brevet]
Remember Me’s Power
Let’s backtrack. What does Remember Me actually do to some people, to a lot of people?

It has the power to tap into our grief in a big way. It ferrets out our memories of 9/11 and brings them back in painful detail. It also seems to root around the wounds in our hearts and makes them bleed again. We are brought right back to our own personal losses in a visceral way. We suffer, yet again, the loss of a husband, wife, child, and others dear to us. We start pondering other types of loss, divorce, rape, and so on. Unhealed wounds come to the surface to hurt again. Remember Me is like a trigger for any trauma we have experienced and perhaps trips us up, forcing us to experience PTS symptoms. It is all very personal and strong. When you think about it, so many people are the walking wounded, for so many reasons, having suffered various types of personal trauma.

“...this was supposed to be an assault on the senses. It is a wakeup call to everyone to not take each day for granted...My mother was murdered very similar to the scene in the subway...Films can’t disclaimer everything. We all have had things happen to us that we probably would rather not remember...but sometimes we need to be reminded so that we can grow and change for the better.” [Tamara. March 18, 2010. –Brevet]

Indeed, one big reason people were commenting so passionately about the film was to
share their pain with others. Those of us who read learned this fellow commenter had had a miscarriage, that one was abused, another had lost a child, yet another survived a terrorist attack. The stories poured out of hearts, couldn’t be contained. The pain kept coming. It was astounding.

People are shaken to the core. It is not just a sad movie, a tear jerker. It is a tragedy, and I don’t think our society makes us really ready to accept tragedy into our lives. Under our society’s influence, we do not see the benefits of tragedy. I have discussed Remember Me as a tragedy in past posts and I don’t want to go over old ground again here. [The Tragic in Remember Me and
Tyler in Remember Me - The Human Face of Tragedy


The poster, Sara, blamed the movie. I am sorry for her pain but that was not the right target. I like what this person had to say about it:
“Any movie at any time can call to mind upsetting or unsettling events in our own lives. We can’t be sheltered from them and we can’t always know ahead what is coming. That is a bit of the message of Remember Me.” [ShariG –March 22, 2010. –Brevet]
So what about grief? Remember Me explores grief, which is its major theme, the grief of the characters who have lost a brother to suicide, a parent to murder. Then, at its climax, it drives home the point relentlessly with Tyler’s death in the North Tower. The key character, who had been dealing with his own grief throughout, was now being grieved. Not only was that, the whole nation, the world, thrown into grief. It was too much. It was heartbreaking in a primal way. One couldn’t get away from it. It was everywhere.

Grief is part of the human condition. We have humor. We have joy. We have fear. We have grief. Films give us all of these. Why should Remember Me’s story offend? The tie to 9/11 reinforces its power to affect us strongly. To haunt, as so many viewers have said.

It shoves us up against the wall. We have nowhere to run. We must deal. If Remember Me’s story had been told with crass disregard using 9/11 exploitatively, as some contend, then it could not have this power. It would be found out as a fraud. Grieving people would not feel this power if that were the case. They might not be ready to take on the measure offered yet, but that is another matter. “Some can deal with it, others not [yet]. But this says nothing about the quality of the movie and is surely not a reason to write bad reviews about it.” [Anne. March 17, 2010. –Brevet]

No one should be told how to grieve but it has been my experience that it cannot be avoided. It is excruciating agony. It is zoning out. It is, at times, inability to cope with the usual life commitments. It can be tears, insomnia, catatonic-like behavior, overeating, not eating, letting oneself go, depression, fear for loved ones, panic, general anxiety, obsessive behavior, inability to concentrate, and more. Intense grief can contribute to substance abuse, to divorce, to suicide even. The circumstances around some grief can be hugely traumatic, not easily absorbed.

Some people don’t want to talk about the lost one and others want to talk incessantly about the lost one. Some people put photos away, and others put them all over the house. Some people can no longer listen to music. Various things can trigger relapses, instances of acute grief: certain pieces of music, certain words, a memory, a movie, a friend’s face, a building, a street, -anything really. And in many cases these triggers cannot be anticipated.
Not ReadyRemember Me is a trigger for so many, on many levels, and some people just cannot deal. When I talked about Remember Me as a tragedy I talked about the great alchemical transformation within us. We can be changed, moved, touched, and brought to greater awareness. We can be put in touch with the well of tears at the center of the world. But we must go through the pain. There is no way around it. None.

“And to those who are angry and feel as though they’ve been sucker punched by this, I do understand where you’re coming from. I, too, was profoundly affected by this event on a personal level. But at some point we must face this and we haven’t yet. Generations past have faced their tragedies and so must we. I’ll concede this, with being less than 10 years...perhaps it’s a tad too soon for a film like this. Maybe...Yes, we are still in tremendous pain over it. But at some point, we must face it.” [Nikola. March 16, 2010. Brevet] Yes, I agree, we must face it.

But some people are not ready for it. That is not a criticism, just an observation. For them, Remember Me’s message is ‘too soon’. Perhaps they lost someone on 9/11 and haven’t gotten to that place in their grieving which allows them to absorb the power of Remember Me. Grieving is a very individual process, even if it has aspects similar for all. And those famous five stages do not necessarily come in a particular order or last for a pre-set amount of time. Grief is fraught with backsliding; it is not a constant regression at all. It is mercurial, unpredictable, can burn one moment and lie dormant the next. And, until we die, it can re-appear, because, even when we have resumed some semblance of normalcy, it is still there. The lie is to think we get over it. We are never fully, ‘over it’, even if we have gone through it. We just live with it.

When the people who are not now ready for Remember Me’s message get to the place where they are ready, this film will be able to work its transformative might on them. They must wait. Abusing this beautiful film is not the answer. They must wait. And when they are ready, must crawl before they walk, walk before they run, run before they fly.



Would we rather be unaffected?Now if a film has the power to tap into our grief, perhaps this is a call to attend to it in some way. Very few films can do this. I know for a fact that Remember Me has this power. It has this power over me and has had it over others who have commented on public blogs and websites.

If it has this power, does that mean it is too soon after the tragic event? The real question is, would we rather be unaffected? Really? Would that not mean that the event meant nothing to us? Being immune might just mean we are callous. Because the pain means it matters, the dead matter.

Here’s what a couple of viewers had to say: “Yes, this movie packs a punch. I just don’t think that’s a bad thing...Should it be painful to remember? Yes. To me this film is a touching, respectful way to do just that: to remember.” [Karen. March 28, 2010. –Brevet]

And: “...it is a movie that will move many but will also cause great pain to others and that is what the power of movies can do, whether good or bad.” [Linda L. –March 17, 2010, answering someone who had wanted warning. –Brevet]

If Remember Me has the power to tap into grief, does that mean that one should attend to it? Does it not mean that it was made ‘just in time’? If Will’s story had been filmed later, if they had waited longer, would it have had the same impact?



The YoungI’m guessing that anyone younger than, say seven at the time, would forget, or would forget the import and meaning of 9/11 or would get a skewed perception of it due to their youth and the protection of their parents, unless they were right there, in lower Manhattan, and had to escape the raging dust storm. So anyone born between, say, 1994 and 2010 wouldn’t remember. And if they did, it was a history lesson.

From comments, it is clear that a certain demographic did not remember. “My daughter’s going to be 17 this year and we live in Europe. She knew about 9/11 and was taught about it in school by documentaries. But....only after seeing Remember Me she realized the emotional impact on all those people living in NY and in America. ..I think Remember Me should be shown in high schools ‘cause there are several themes’ worth to be discussed about.” [blackbeanie June 10, 2010 IMDbRemember Me message board]
And: “My daughter is really too young to remember 9/11, but this was a chance for us to talk about it...” [Pam. March 15, 2010. –Reesman] These are not the only people to report this phenomenon.

If you were 15 yrs. in 2009 and saw Remember Me — perhaps because Robert Pattinson was in it — you would have been seven on 9/11. Some of those viewers thought Tyler committed suicide, and that confused them [Kim, April 29, 2010. –Brevet]. They had no idea about September 11th. To those of us who can pinpoint our exact location during those 102 minutes it is inconceivable that teenagers wouldn’t know. And yet, this is exactly what has happened. “For the younger generation, people who were too young to be aware of what happened then but know about it now, maybe bringing such a monumental catastrophe down to such an intimate, personal level will help them connect and understand that day in a way they couldn’t before.” [Jennifer L. –March 17, 2010. –Brevet]

I read again and again that ‘everyone knows what happened that day’—said by people who state that they don’t need to be reminded—but in fact that’s not true. The point is that everyone does not know. The other point is that everyone does not really understand the loss. Given that it is a consensus that we must never forget it is puzzling why some people don’t want to be reminded.



Too Late?
What happens if Remember Me is too late? Some tragedies happened too long ago to have the same effect. They feel historical, in a time presumably different enough to be irrelevant except to impart a teary lesson in a remote way. It was so long ago. Like the Trojan War, even WWII. We care, we cry, and then thank God that was then, this is now.

But 9/11? Remember Me was in theatres less than 10 years after the attacks, soon enough for it to turn us inside out. It would force us to attend to our grief. No way around. It would force us to learn the lesson, hear Remember Me’s message. It would force us to find meaning, so that Tyler’s death, so that every one of those deaths, was not in vain.

Is this bad? Why is this bad? Grief is one of the worst things thrown at us in life but we have to bear it somehow.

In fact, those of us who assert confidently that Remember Me will become a classic someday must understand that its monstrous power might be muted the farther away from 9/11 it gets. We are the ones who can feel its full strength now, if we let it. Although, given its genius, its insistence on keeping everything at an intimate level, I could be wrong. Like any great tragedy, its power to affect us at the epicenter of our being would remain undiluted, because it speaks to the universal through the personal.



RememberingOne can remember things, even horrible things, in a removed way, hear a speech, shed some tears, and then go on with life as usual. People are upset about Remember Me because it does not allow them to just skim the surface of memory. Instead it is heart-stopping. It gets right inside and won’t let go.

People have noticed that Remember Me polarizes. For example: “The film is extremely polarizing and personal...I think a great deal of the reaction was over reaction and knee jerk.” [Sammie1863. June 19, 2011. IMDb. ‘Most honest film regarding 9/11’ thread.]

I have come to the conclusion that the two camps are: *-those who refuse to remember in a meaningful way, who shoot the messenger because they won’t deal with real pain. Some of these will genuinely not be ready. I respect those for whom it is really too soon. But some others do not have the emotional depth to care. They are the ones who happily and contemptibly shoot Remember Me down for no valid reason. **-those who brave the firestorm of pain to grasp the true dimensions of what was lost. It is only the latter who will appreciate the heartfelt tribute Remember Me is. It is only those who are willing and able to really remember September 11th, who have the emotional and moral fiber to do it. Now.



Cheapening, Elevating, DeepeningI quoted Pattinson in another post [Robert Pattinson in Remember Me: Part One]:

“As an actor, you can elevate the human condition or cheapen it. I would assume it’s the same with anything you do- you try to elevate and maybe someday you will.”[Robert Pattinson, speaking to Jenny Lumet for Details, March 2010]

A couple of quotes from viewers note the cheapening aspect.
“I believe the only thing shameful about Remember Me is the critics who have cheapened a noble effort without so much as looking back –almost gleeful in their determination to tell movie audience to stay away.” [Coopergirl. March 16, 2010. –Brevet]

“This movie is a tribute, not an insult to the memories of all those who were impacted. It cheapens everyone, from those responsible for this film to the viewers, to the actual victims of that horrific day, to say otherwise.” [Karen. March 18, 2010. –Brevet]

Actually, it is not possible to cheapen something so authentically crafted as Remember Me. The attempt says more about the person trying to do so than about the movie. The point of origin for mud slingers is the dirt on their own hands.

I will springboard off this thought. I think one of the things Remember Me does is not only elevate, but also deepen the human condition. This is just as important. Elevating and deepening. Deepening is driving into the heart of it, making it profound. It is a very internal thing. It is a place where you encounter and accept pain and suffering. Elevating is lifting up, raising up, supporting, perfecting.

Deepening and elevating are not exclusive and humans need both, need to do both.
Elevating is pointless without depth. I think one of the things Remember Me does is not only elevate, but also deepen the human condition. And it is never too soon for that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Article references:

1) “Reacting to Remember Me: an Interview with Screenwriter Will Fetters”, by Brad Brevet.March 16, 2010. http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/reacting-to-remember-me-an-interview-with-screenwriter-will-fetters This post finished with 355 comments from viewers.

2) “Controversial ‘Remember Me’ Ending: Dividing Critics and Audiences”, by Bryan
Reesman. March 15, 2010.http://www.moviefone.ca/2010/03/15/remember-me-ending-controversy/20This post attracted 441 comments.

3) IMDb: Remember Me message boards: Various threads.

4) “Robert Pattinson on Life beyond Twilight”, by Jenny Lumet. Details. March 2010.
http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201003/twilight-star-actor-robert-pattinson-remember-me
rememberme-film
xoxo
Carrie

BACKSHELF PICKS: Warren's tips for your Netflix list

“Easy A” (2010) — Like a John Hughes teen comedy for the next generation, “Easy A” presents the stereotypes of high school life and then deconstructs them in fun ways. Rising starlet Emma Stone plays a girl who intentionally develops a slutty reputation to get attention, and succeeds on a cataclysmic level.

Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are hilarious as the ultimate unflappable parents.

“Remember Me” (2010)— When I heard that Robert Pattinson of “Twilight” fame had been cast to star in “Water for Elephants,” an adaptation of one of my favorite novels, I fretted. Then I saw him in this intense, often emotionally raw love story about a young man trying to find himself after a series of family tragedies, and I have hope.

In some ways, the set-up for the film sounds like a romantic comedy:  On a dare, a guy tries to woo the daughter (Emilie de Ravin) of the cop who arrested him.

Naturally, he falls in love with her and her with him, but it all gets complicated when she finds out about his manipulations.

The ending is a polarizer. You’ll love it or hate it. It bothered me at first, then it seemed to make sense.

gazette to read the rest
xoxo
Carrie

Remember Me Used To Sell Showtime

I got this in the mail with my monthly cable bill.  AT&T U-verse uses Remember Me to advertise a movie premium package.

xoxo
Carrie

Bid on Rob's “Remember Me” Shirt on eBay Spain

Thanks you spunk-ransom.com

The description of the item states,

Lee bottle green shirt
used during the filming of Remember Me
by the great actor Robert Pattinson
Do not miss the opportunity to get a piece actually used by the Twilight actor Robert Pattinson.
This shirt is the mark Lee and bottle green.
Also missing is a button that will surely be toggled pedería the shirt.
The item comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Premiere Props company (you can get more information about the company crdibilidad internet).
It was purchased about a year ago when the firm put Premiere Props auction on Ebay. From there they confirmed that the shirt was used for one of the photos I had to ask the actor to use later as family photos, etc. that would later appear in the set.
The neck is painted a 15 that corresponds to the number of picture in which would use it.
Do not miss your chance! It took me 300 euros but I lay it on sale for 250 euros and I need the money.
Very few things actually used by Robert Pattinson. And at least this price, do not have to look at the Premiere Props website to see the prices they have the stuff used by actors.
* Note: If the item is not paid within three days following the end of the auction or purchase, the article goes on to the next bidder or re-offered for sale.
Many thanks for visiting the ad!

Click here to bid!

Thank you to Robsten Dreams for the tip!

~Robstenfan

Remember Me:10 Best Chick Flicks 2010

'Remember Me' made #2:
"Remember Me" – Featuring career-defining performances by Emilie de Ravin and “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson, this film about two tortured college students who find love and comfort in one another while enduring painful losses remains one of the ten best chick flicks of 2010, despite its lukewarm reception by critics and audiences.
see the rest of the list over at screenjunkies.com

~Robstenfan

5 Best Movie Death Scenes 2010

The 5 best movie death scenes 2010 include heroes and villains alike. You may have expected some of these deaths, while you others may have caught you off guard. Either way, prepare some final words for each fictional individual on the list.

1. Lucas Lee's Death – "Scott Pilgrim Versus the World." In “Scott Pilgrim Versus the World,” Scott Pilgrim convinces Lucas Lee, a narcissistic nemesis, to show the crowd a “grindy thingy” on a skateboard. Lucas takes the bait and grinds down a lengthy trail of railing. In a hilarious death scene, the skateboarder picks up too much speed and goes up in flames. Scott earns 2,000 points for his clever tactics.
2. Tyler's Death – "Remember Me." In “Remember Me,” Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a troubled young adult. Despite much foreshadowing, it is easy to be caught off guard by Tyler’s death scene at the end of the movie. A zooming camera reveals Tyler standing inside one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on September 11^th.
3. Jenny's Death – "The Human Centipede." The Human Centipede” takes a lot of heat from critics for its overly grotesque plot. For example, Jenny, played by Ashlynn Yennie, finds herself in a more-than-unfortunate situation that involves her digesting the waste of two other human beings. Jenny dies of blood poisoning. In a way, the entire movie was a slow death scene for this character.
4. Jill's Death – "Saw 3D." You will not be surprised to discover that someone dies in “Saw 3D.” As was the case with its predecessors, the movie features torture and heavy gore. In one specific death scene, one of Jigsaw’s apprentices kills Jigsaw’s ex-wife by placing her head in the Reverse Bear Trap. After a series of flashbacks designed to raise the audience’s anticipation level, the device snaps back and rips her face open. Make sure you keep those 3-D glasses on for this death scene.
5. Jabberwocky's Death – "Alice in Wonderland." Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” is a treat for viewers of all ages. However, it is not without a climatic death scene. At the end of the movie, a courageous Alice slices the head off the Jabberwocky, a terrifying beast. Its head rolls down a series of stairs.

screenjunkies
xoxo
Carrie

Remember Me - One of the Most Profitable Films in 2010

The Numbers.com site has analysed the crop of 2010 and has come up with their list of most the most profitable films for the year.

This week we continue our wrap-up of 2010 by looking at the year's most profitable films. In making this calculation, we took the production budget, domestic and international box office and domestic DVD sales for each movie released during the year and calculated a rough total gross profit for the film. There's just one chart this week, but we think you'll find it interesting.

Remem­ber Me just makes it on the list of 30 films with a com­par­a­tive profit of $20,996,644. Other films that are included on this list are Toy Story 3 and The Twi­light Saga: Eclipse.

To read about their method­ol­ogy and to view the entire list, click here: Year in Review: Most Prof­itable Movies of 2010 — The Numbers.com

Source | Via

 

robpattinson 

~Robstenfan

New/Old Rob Picture From the 'Remember Me' Promo Photoshoot

RPLife
xoxo
Carrie

New/Old Picture of Rob in Remember Me

source | blogtwibrasil

~Robstenfan

Top Ten Movies of 2010

Ifeel as if 2010 marked a turning point in movies. Sure, we had our share of blockbusters with Alice in Wonderland crossing $1 billion worldwide and Iron Man 2 and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse joining it as the three lone live-action films to cross $300 million. However, after Inception and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, the only other films to cross the $200 million mark domestically were animated features — Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, Shrek Forever After and How to Train Your Dragon. What does that say about this year's crop of films?

Well, first off, I think we all know a film doesn't need to make over $200 million at the box-office for it to be deemed "good." And this year it wasn't as much about the big blockbuster films as much as it was about the little guy that could, and smaller, indie films hit quite a stride. Adding up the reported budgets for six of the films that made my top ten the total comes to only $99.5 million, and only three of the films were made for over $100 million. What's even more surprising about this is the six films I'm referring to aren't obscure art house features or foreign language films you've never heard of. They're films we've been talking about all year long.

However, before I get to my list of ten, let me address a few that didn't make the cut for one reason or another, because to simply diminish a year down to ten films is simply wrong, especially when the gems left on the cutting room floor may become the films that manage to stand the test of time even better than the films that currently reside on top.

HONORABLE MENTION

• Remember Me [my review]: Perhaps the most misunderstood film of the year. People called the ending a "twist" which I guess means any time you're walking around your house and you stub your toe it's a twist because you didn't expect to do it. This movie presented events in a way no other film has dared to try, the same way we lived it, without knowing and without warning. And I applaud it for having the guts to do so.

ropeofsilicon for the rest
xoxo
Carrie

Pop Culture Movie Moments of 2010

A few times a year, movies are able to transcend their basic purpose as escapist entertainment by making their mark on pop culture, from fashion and hairstyle statements to quotable dialogue, controversial themes and memorable performances, capturing the zeitgeist, or spirit of the times.

Here's alook back at 2010 and the movies that got people talking:

'Valentine's Day' (February 12) – Director Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy may have fizzled at the box office like a bad date, but all eyes -- and tabloids -- were on cute couple Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner, who dated briefly as a result of working together.

'Alice in Wonderland' (March 5) – Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp scored another big hit with their sixth collaboration, prompting a deluge of 'Alice in Wonderland'-themed tie-ins, another set of surefire Halloween costumes (the most popular being Alice and the Mad Hatter), and an excuse for Hollywood to justify the box-office up-charge for their 3D craze.

'Remember Me' (March 12) – Coming off the strength of his first two 'Twilight' hits, Robert Pattinson's serious turn in this romantic drama got more press than box office for the film's somewhat controversial 9/11 twist ending and the fact that most Twi-hards kept their distance.

'The Runaways' (March 19) - Coming off the strength off her first two 'Twilight' hits, expectations were high for Kristen Stewart's turn as Joan Jett in this rock 'n' roll biopic of the all-girl '70s band. Again, most Twi-hards kept their distance. On the plus side, former child star Dakota Fanning finally came into her own with her adult role as rocker Cherie Currie.

'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' (June 30) – Twi-hards continued to line up in droves, beginning with midnight screenings, to drink in the third chapter of the Stephenie Meyervamps vs. werewolves saga this summer. The world got plenty of shirtless shots of Taylor Lautner, not to mention the big-screen 'Twilight' parody 'Vampires Suck.'

ET for the rest
xoxo
Carrie

New/Old Remember Me Promotion Photoshoot

gossip-dance
xoxo
Carrie

Clint’s Top 10 Films of 2010

I’ll actually be glad to see the ass of 2010 – it’s been a fairly tough year. Not speaking about the ass rash most of us garnered sitting through ”Harry Potter : Check out the storks on Hermione” or ”Chronicles of Narnia : Will third studio be the charm?” Nor the amount of work that piled up on my desk (funnily enough, it still sits there – underneath some Roxy Music CDs and a thesaurus (needed to know what a ‘Focker’ was) throughout the year, nope just in general terms, 2010 was a bit of a chore to get through at times.

Earlier in the year I was dealt both a blow and a test when my best mate suddenly passed away (in his sleep) – obviously that’s going to take more than a new year to get over but still, kinda saw 2010 get off to a rough start (And at Christmas time, it’s amazing how much you think of those you’ve lost), then I jumped shipped from one job to the other in the hope of better pay and more respect – I got neither (my little girl’s meals started to get smaller); in October  – after much traveling and a couple of rocky airplane trips – I came down with pneumonia. The bastard thing stuck around like the sticky crap that climbs the kid’s bedroom walls – drained me big time; and then, of course, opportunity knocked when a door back into film publicity and talent management swung back open… yes, that’s great, but at the same time, it’s been a really hard juggle! (and I haven’t officially even started the job yet) and I finish the year with a big bout of ‘Shit, I’m stuffed’.
But you know what makes up for all of it? Seeing my little Charisma grow, smile and take after her Dad with her Olivia Newton-John obsession. That’s the shizzle right there!

Film-wise, it’s been a pretty good year – Sure, I struggled with the Top Ten, but not because there hasn’t been enough good flicks out but mainly because, due to work, I haven’t been able to get to as many screenings this year. Still, I’m pretty sure I covered the majority of the ones worth covering – and will catch up with “Gulliver’s Travels” on DVD.

10. Remember Me

I remember getting an Atari for my 10^th birthday. That was a big surprise. When I caught the top of those tiny ted joysticks atop of their black spongy controls, I knew my entry into double figure land was going to be one to remember. Wanna know what a bigger surprise was? ”Remember Me”! This truly out Gorfed Gorf and Swallowed Pac Man hole in terms of pleasant surprises – I kid you not. Say what you will about his sparkling work in those vampire pics, Robert Pattinson delivers one of the richest and most weighty performances of any actor this year with his uneasy son and lover at the center of director Allen Coulter’s love letter to 9/11 (yes, there is such a thing). Catch it on DVD – you’ll find it, unjustly, at the ‘bottom’ of the new releases shelf.

moviehole
xoxo
Carrie

10 Great Films You Missed in 2010

Each and every year a dozen or so gems go unnoticed, slipping in and out of the cinemas quicker than a mistress does into a closet once the wife’s car pulls in. This year there were plenty of good flicks that were treated like the geeky, chess-playing introvert at the school dance – and shouldn’t have been. You really should’ve asked the following to dance…

10. Remember Me

I know, I know, ‘but it’s got that guy with more gunk in his hair than Liz Hurley does in her nether regions’ but c’mon! many-a-good-actor have started out in the cinematic mailroom and graduated to an awe-impressive high-rise suite – just look at Robin ‘Mork’ Williams, Josh ‘Goonies’ Brolin, Tom ‘Bosom Buddies’ Hanks or Stephen ‘Evil Ed’ Geoffries! (Ok, bad example) – ain’t Robert Pattinson innocent until the gavel slams down!? This film, a heartrending relationship drama (it’s both about the rapport between a young couple and also one between a young man and his estranged father) that played to the tick of a 9/11 countdown, proved there’s much more to “Twilight” vamp Robert Pattinson than blank stares, sparkles and tree hopping. Quite simply, Pattinson was an eye-opener in this film. Skeptics need see it.

9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Quite possibly the best video-game movie ever made…. That’s, funnily enough, not based on a video game. The problem with Edgar Wright’s film adaptation of the popular comic was that it’s, quite honestly, too original. Today’s audiences like to be spoonfed the same dull-tasting comfort food, and even from the trailers (not to mention early pics of Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s funky amethyst tresses), it was clear we were in store for anything but (‘’Couples Retreat’’). Some of you really need to get out more often and experience the wonders that cinema has to offer.

moviehole for the rest
xoxo
Carrie

What's the most under-appreciated movie of 2010?

Last week, we wondered which film was the most under-appreciated of 2010. Through tweets, e-mails and comments, many of you weighed in with your choices.

Some of the more popular picks didn't surprise -- they were big-release movies with a distinct sensibility that got dissed despite (or because) they felt unique -- "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" most notably among them, or even the Sept. 11 romantic tearjerker "Remember Me." 

Others were indie favorites that simply never caught fire with enough people: David Michod's dark Australian gangster movie "Animal Kingdom," or Nicole Holofcener's intimate look at (mostly female) relationships, "Please Give." (For our critics' take on overlooked movies, you can check out Kennth Turan here and Betsy Sharkey here.)

And then there were the titles so different from pretty much anything else out there that they were bound to have their supporters (if not that many of them) -- Rob Reiner's throwback coming-of-ager "Flipped," or the documentary about Norwegian black metal (always Norwegian black metal), "Until the Light Takes Us."

But two films emerged at the top of the list: Matt Reeves' "Let Me In" and Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go." They were movies that wouldn't, on their face, seem to have much in common. 

One is a vampire tale and the other is a dystopian mood piece. One derives from a Swedish cult hit and the other from a British bestseller. One came from a fanboy director known for a monster movie; the other from a filmmaker who hadn't made a movie in eight years (and was best known for a movie about a Robin Williams weirdo when he did).

But the two films have more in common than it would first seem. Both directors use well-established genres, as a Trojan horse of sorts, for a movie of ideas. Both films are unlikely love stories. And both share a particular (and particularly bleak) worldview, one in which social forces align against helpless young people who are forced to resort to desperate measures to survive (and even then it's hardly a certainty).

That sentiment was not, apparently, widely appreciated in 2010. But there were plenty who thought it was under-appreciated.

LATimes
xoxo
Carrie

Top Ten Movies of 2010 - Laremy Legel Edition

From Scott Pilgrim to Inception -- the the top films of the year.

Over the next ten days, as we attempt to put 2010 in perspective, Film.com will be presenting a myriad of top tens for your reading enjoyment. Then our writers and distinguished contributors will have their ballots tabulated, and the Film.com "Film of the Year" will be awarded on January 1.

In the meantime, a few accolades for the films that didn't make my top ten.

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Best Use of Mood: Black Swan
I liked the film, but I don't know that the story was all there. It was much more about mood than point, and it wasn't as accessible as Aronofsky's previous film, The Wrestler.

Best Traditional Drama: The King's Speech
A solid movie, but the stakes weren't high enough for my liking.

Best Animation: How to Train Your Dragon
It was nice to see an animation where the goal wasn't heartache and tears.

Best Score: The Social Network
Honestly, this movie is all about the score. Without the music, it's just an oddball drama about a bunch of Harvard kids who aren't very likable.

Best Accents: The Town
The accents in The Fighter were more authentic, but these were much more fun.

Best Comedy: Get Him to the Greek
Russell Brand and P. Diddy should collaborate more often. The result was underrated comedy gold.

Best Action: A-Team
There wasn't much to choose from, but the stylish and comical A-Team was the best in breed.

Massively Underrated: Youth in Revolt / Remember Me
Youth in Revolt was an innovative comedy, but it was released during a time period where people skip the theatrical experience. And if Remember Me had featured Ryan Gosling instead of Robert Pattinson it would have been correctly hailed as great. But people got far too caught up in the ending and Pattinson's celebrity to catch that he was really freaking good in this movie. Definitely worth a watch if you you're a fan of relationship dramas.

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Which brings us to number twelve and eleven, undoubtedly the loneliest spot to occupy in a top ten list.

Honorable Mention
Kick-Ass
Evocative and provocative, our nation's answer to Battle Royale was subversively excellent. Plus, it featured good Nic Cage! Note: he's the one without the bear suit.

Somewhere
No, it wasn't really about anything. However, it once again proved that being rich and famous doesn't make you happy or healthy.

And now, without any more in the way of painful adieu, I present to you my top ten viewing experiences in 2010.

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10. Howl
A very difficult film to watch, but off the charts in terms of visual style. Part animation, part courtroom drama, and part treatise on the divide between creativity and censorship. This was also the film where everyone communally realized that James Franco was an actor with serious range, a realization that would be hammered home once 127 Hours was released.

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9. Certified Copy (Copie Conformie)
This is as much a movie about our experience with storytelling as it is a purposefully confusing exercise. You think you know where this film is headed, right until you realize you're completely lost. A really innovative technique, and Juliette Binoche's performance is exceptional. I'd encourage you not to read a synopsis or summary beforehand, because part of the "trick" behind this one is going in without expectations or prior knowledge.

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8. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The most fun I had at the movies this year. The perfect film for a society that continues to sidle towards full-on attention deficit disorder. I loved the method employed here because entertainment was always job one. Introspection? Not so much, but who needs deep thoughts when your movie looks this good?

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7. Get Low
A compelling take on loss and love, but packed with wry humor throughout. It was great to see Bill Murray continue his strong run, and Robert Duvall was the pitch perfect Tennessee curmudgeon. Get Low also offers excellent pacing and a dandy pay-off, not too shabby for a film that pivots from comedy to drama somewhere near the last third.

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6. The Fighter
Christian Bale gives the best performance of the year, and all of the characters refuse to conform to storytelling tropes. Plus, bonus, it's largely representative of the true life story of Micky Ward it is based upon. You could make the case that boxing movies, and true stories in general, are easier to execute than almost any other genre. You'd be right, but it wouldn't make this film less captivating.

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5. A Prophet
I wasn't able to see it until January, so one of last year's Best Foreign Film nominations has to appear on this year's list. The best prison film in years, this one builds and builds until the tension is almost unbearable. A Propheteasily strides across three languages and is the closest thing we're going to get to a Godfather redux in our lifetime.

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4. Another Year
Seeing a realistic relationship portrayed in cinema is a rare sight, but Another Year pulls it off with style and grace. Director Mike Leigh is an expert storyteller, and his deft hand makes a small story feel monumentally important. You'll adore the subtle interplay between the main couple, portrayed by Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen, and their friends who flit in and around their fantastic bond.

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3. True Grit
The Coen Brothers, at their best, possess a quiet competence that's simply unmatched. They pulled beautiful dialogue from the book, brought the best out of young actress Hailee Steinfeld, and gave us another iconic Jeff Bridges performance. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin were thrown in to provide even more dramatic oomph. An occasionally violent film, an occasionally quiet film, but an extremely watchable film throughout. Where does it rank among the Coen's films? Hard to say, it's like pondering roses or success. You just find yourself wanting a little more.

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2. 127 Hours
The most visceral movie experience of the year, and no director started out with a larger "how is this going to work?" quotient than Danny Boyle when he picked up his camera to start shooting this. But it's really, really, good, if you can get through it. A massively hopeful message, and a natural thematic bookend to True Grit, this one really should be seen in the theater if you get the chance. As I said in my review:

"If not for the prodigious gifts Boyle possesses in terms of pacing, comedy, and music infusion, we could have been headed down the path to melodrama. But we don't ever get there, and the arresting visual fireworks on-screen will bring you as close to crying, "Yeeeeeeeoooooow!" as you'll get in the theater this year."

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Which leads us to my number one film of the year ...

1. Inception
Christopher Nolan's massive mind-bender was a triumph of editing and technology. To show this much imagination in a summer "popcorn" film was nothing short of courageous. Multiple storylines across different timelines? Ambitious. Plus, and perhaps most importantly, the film flies by. I saw it three times in theaters, each time demanding a skeptic go with me, and they all came out converted. This is a movie for fans of intricately built plots, but it's full of visual beauty as well. Is it completely logical? It is not. Do we care? I say no, the medium of film doesn't always have to make sense, and Nolan's ambition outshines any qualms we might have. My favorite film of the year, perfectly crafted, excellently scored, and featuring great performances on the acting front. For 2010, make mine Christopher Nolan.

Film
xoxo
Carrie

Best of 2010: PopSugar Editors' Fave Celeb Encounters

From checking out a new angle of Robert Pattinson to sharing a snack with Jennifer Aniston, we had some amazing celebrity encounters this year. Watch our latest Best of 2010 special to hear which stars our editors got up close and personal with!

PopSugar
xoxo
Carrie

A Year in Sexy Movie Photos

Dakota Fanning & Kristen Stewart in 'The Runaways

Robert Pattinson & Emilie de Ravin in 'Remember Me'

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'

Cam Gigandet in 'Burlesque'

Taylor Lautner in 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'

Kellan Lutz in 'Meskada'

NextMovie for the rest
xoxo
Carrie

Which Movie Romance Is the Best of 2010?

Isn't it amazing how an onscreen couple can set our hearts aflutter? We escape through them, perhaps swoon a little as they experience their first kiss, and maybe even shed a few tears when they break up. In 2010, all eyes were on these couples as they showcased their chemistry on the silver screen. Which gets your vote as the best romance of the year?

Don't forget to vote in all of our Best of 2010 polls!

Which Movie Romance Is the Best of 2010?

Ally and Tyler, Remember Me

Garrett and Erin, Going the Distance

Maggie and Jamie, Love & Other Drugs

Bella and Edward, Eclipse

Jake and Winnie, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Ron and Hermione, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

Charlie and Sophie, Letters to Juliet

Claire and Doug, The Town

 buzzsugar

~Robstenfan

New? Remember Me Still

Gossip-Dance
xoxo
Carrie