Remembering Gene Wilder

Another brilliant creative light has been extinguished with the passing of beloved comedic actor Gene Wilder yesterday at 83.

My first exposure to the gentle soul with the wild hair and mischievous smile didn't come with Willy Wonka or Young Frankenstein, but rather 1976's Silver Streak.

I was six and as usual my Saturdays were spent seeing a movie with my mom. The film featured a runaway train, enough of a draw for a young boy, but I can remember instantly being drawn to Wilder's "funny" face and easy-going demeanor. He was a soft-spoken leading man, calm and articulate, until events caused his inevitable comedic "eruption," an unmatched cacophony of grunts, groans and hollers that endeared him to you even more.

I was too young to see 1980's R-rated Stir Crazy in theaters but I can remember catching it repeatedly at a buddy's house on cable and reveling in the effortless interaction between Wilder and Richard Pryor. I seem to recall "We bad" became an anthem of sorts as we strutted around the playground.

It wasn't until my teens that I discovered Mel Brooks' horror-spoof Young Frankenstein. Talk about a perfect vehicle for Wilder's talents. It became an instant favorite of mine and remains one I still seek out whenever I'm feeling down and in need of a little pick-me-up.

Gene Wilder's films are all classic pick-me-ups, like good chicken soup when your sick. They comfort, fill you with warmth and make you smile. And they'll do so for generations to come.

Top 10 Films of the 21st Century

Yesterday the BBC unveiled their list of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century (2000 and beyond). As usual with lists of this type, critics from around the world were polled for their selections. And as usual, I disagreed with many of their choices. For me, engaging stories and characters always supplant self-indulgence and incoherency. But to each his own, right?

Their list reminded me that I posted my own ranking of the 21st century's top ten films at the end of 2009. Looking it over again, I found I'd keep most of my selections, albeit in different order, but there are a few I'd remove to make room for more deserving, recent releases.

Below is my revised top ten films of the 21st century (in descending order). Let the debate begin.

10. Gladiator (Dir. Ridley Scott; 2000)
9. Memento (Dir. Christopher Nolan; 2001)
8. The Artist (Dir. Michael Hazanavicius; 2011)
7. Boyhood (Dir. Richard Linklater; 2014)
6. Wonder Boys (Dir. Curtis Hanson; 2000)
5. The Royal Tennenbaums (Dir. Wes Anderson; 2001)
4. No Country For Old Men (Dir. Joel Coen; 2007)
3. 12 Years A Slave (Dir. Steve McQueen; 2013)
2. Sideways (Dir. Alexander Payne; 2004)
1. There Will Be Blood (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson; 2007)


Honorable Mentions:

About Schmidt
Aviator, The
Brooklyn
Cinderella Man
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Contender, The
Crazy Heart
Dark Knight, The
Departed, The
Grand Budapest Hotel, The
High Fidelity
History of Violence, A
In The Bedroom
Inglorious Basterds
Life Itself
Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The
Madmax: Fury Road
Minority Report
Moonlight Kingdom
Zodiac

Quick Flick Review: Jason Bourne

Paul Greengrass' Jason Bourne features one exhilarating, expertly crafted action sequence after the next. Unfortunately when it comes to evolving the storied franchise, things fall a bit flat.

It's been nine years since we last saw Matt Damon as everyone's favorite amnesiac government assassin. In that time, Bourne has kept his head down, living off the grid and making ends meet as a bare-knuckle street brawler. (You gotta eat, right?) It isn't until his old Treadstone ally Nicky Parsons (Julia Styles) tracks him down claiming to have new information on his past that Bourne becomes the hunted once again.

It seems in addition to possessing revealing details on Bourne's father, Parsons has uncovered files on a shadowy new CIA surveillance program called Ironwill. Well of course the agency can't have knowledge like that in the hands of its most-wanted rogue operative and soon they dispatch a team, led by cyber-terrorism chief Heather Lee (a steely Alicia Vikander), to neutralize the threat.

What ensues is basically the same been-there-done-that formula as the three previous films. Sure, the action is great, breathless and clever, but to what end? There are really no new disclosures, nothing to evolve the characters or storylines.

Tommy Lee Jones steps in as the resident top-ranking government baddie, but he's really just another incarnation of the ones played by Chris Cooper, Brian Cox and David Stathairn. Apparently the agency gets these guys off an assembly line.

Both Damon and Greengrass have always resisted reviving the character unless the story was something special. This was the best they could come up with? Grade: B -