The 100 Films Of The Decade: 20 – 11 January 26, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alexander Payne, David Cronenberg, David Fincher, Michel Gondry, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Paul Greengrass, Pixar, Wong Kar-Wai
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20 About Schmidt (2002)
Dir. Alexander Payne
A perfect tragicomedy from Alexander Payne, About Schmidt’s measured pace and delicate wit make it a refined joy to watch. After the death of his wife and subsequent discovery of her affair, retired insurance actuary Warren Schmidt takes a road trip across America to regain some control over his life. Jack Nicholson acts with surprising restraint throughout in one of his subtlest performances since Five Easy Pieces, a film directly referenced here with a roadside café scene in which Schmidt dutifully accepts the waitress’ ordering policy, in contrast to the confrontational encounter from 1970. This scene neatly sums up the overall tone of About Schmidt – the grudging realisation that life is just a series of flawed relationships and quiet disappointments. Painfully funny in every sense.
19 WALL•E (2008)
Dir. Andrew Stanton
The world has become uninhabitable through pollution and a surplus of junk, with a cleaning robot and a VHS copy of Hello Dolly! pretty much all that’s left of civilisation on earth. The opening section of Wall-E is an ingenious, dialogue-free account of WALL-E falling in love with advanced probe robot EVE, only for her to attempt to blast him to pieces at every opportunity. As you’ll no doubt gather, Wall-E is a very unusual animated film, even by Pixar’s standards. The film unapologetically refuses to pander to young children (or even some adults!) in its political and ecological agenda, or with its subtle visually driven story, but embraces anyone happy to ride the film’s daring science-fiction concepts. In fact, it’s almost unthinkable that the Disney corporation would put out a film openly criticising the homogenous consumer society of America, considering their huge merchandise range and theme parks, but here it is! With a bold scope of ideas, a delicate emotional impact and stunningly realised artistry, Wall-E can sit proudly alongside Fantasia, Beauty And The Beast and Toy Story as one of the greatest animated films of all time.
18 Amores Perros (2000)
Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu
The film that first catapulted the Mexican New Wave on to the international scene, Amores Perros is an astonishingly visceral and profound viewing experiences. Consisting of three starkly different stories, all featuring dogs and all centred around a pivotal car accident, the opening ‘Octavio and Susana’ sees Gael García Bernal become involved in the dangerous pursuit of dog fighting and the closing ‘El Chivo and Maru’ is the surprising story of a professional hitman (Emilio Echevarría) living as an apparent vagrant surrounded by his pack of beloved mongrel dogs. But my favourite segment is the central ‘Daniel and Valeria’, a curiously moving tale of a supermodel confined to a wheelchair who loses her dog beneath the floorboards of her new apartment, the trapped pet paralleling the restraints of her life and relationship. The first, and best, of Iñárritu’s loose ‘Death Trilogy’ along with 21 Grams and Babel, Amores Perros is a smouldering cinematic powder keg waiting to explode across your senses.
17 United 93 (2006)
Dir. Paul Greengrass
Five years after the September 11 bombings seemed the appropriate time for a series of dramatic responses to the event. Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center was a disaster movie with a heart, but the twin towers attack could hardly be presented with more affecting power than in the startling 2002 real-footage documentary 9/11. So Paul Greengrass approached the tragedy from a different angle, presenting in real-time the brave resistance of passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, the hijacked plane that failed to reach its planned target. Filmed with permission from the victim’s families (though one can barely imagine the heart-wrenching catharsis they must have experienced watching it), United 93 is almost unbearably explicit in its unfolding of events. A difficult and controversial film for sure, but a defining piece of emotive cinema, with Greengrass’ vérité style simply documenting the horror without compromise.
16 Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Dir. Michel Gondry
The fractured and deceptive nature of memory forms the basis for this mind-bending romantic comedy from writer Charlie Kaufman. Taking the pioneering visual trickery of his music videos to the big screen, Michel Gondry perfectly channels Kaufman’s stream of consciousness into a beautifully lucid flow of imagery. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet appropriately play against type in a film that essentially reinvents cinematic storytelling as it goes along. Structured with dizzying ingenuity and presenting its ideas with impressive clarity, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is one of the most satisfyingly contorted assaults on mainstream cinema.
15 The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Dir. Andrew Dominik
The greatest exhumation of the Western since Unfogiven and one of the most beautiful films of the decade, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is a rueful psychological study of the criminal mind, of lonely landscapes and eager mythologizing, all filmed with impeccable mood and lighting. Brad Pitt embodies the ageing Jesse James with a growing paranoia and gradual acceptance of his own inevitable demise, manipulating his friendship with the young wayward gang member Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) to seal his legendary standing. Affleck is an absolute revelation in the complex role of the troubled and insecure Ford and several sequences, including a shocking train hold-up, are among the best the genre has ever delivered. A stunningly photographed, epic character assassination.
14 Downfall (2004)
Dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel
The first major German film to feature Adolf Hitler in the central role, Downfall presents us with the last ten days in Hitler’s bunker, Oliver Hirschbiegel filling every moment with a chilling tension and a true sense of irrevocable decay. Bruno Ganz, a legend of the German New Wave, pulls off a remarkable feat by humanizing Hitler as a dimensional character but offering no sympathy for him, instead we are witness to his spiralling madness and pain as power slips from his hands. But there’s an emotional attachment from the Führer, with all activity in the bunker seen through the eyes of young personal secretary Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara) who is not complicit to the evils of the Nazi regime and offers an important central heart to the film. Downfall is one of the most powerfully vivid depictions of a specific time and place you could ever see.
13 Zodiac (2007)
Dir. David Fincher
Having perfected the serial-killer shocker with Se7en (1995), David Fincher turned the whole concept on its head with this amazing procedural thriller. Following the lives of Crime Reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downney Jr), Political Cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and San Francisco Detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) over a 20 year period, this is a serial-killer film where the destructive evil is not so much in the perpetrator as within those who obsessively hunt him down and the effect on their relationships and careers proves devastating. Although Fincher punctuates the narrative with several bravura murder (or attempted murder) sequences, and even sneakily offers a false suspenseful ending, the majority of Zodiac is taken up with the gripping and insightful study of three characters destroyed by their own haunted quest for the truth. With its ambitious and subtle use of effects, its refusal to make things easy for the audience and a unique approach to its topic, I’ll stick my neck out and say that Zodiac is Fincher’s finest film to date.
12 In The Mood For Love (2000)
Dir. Wong Kar-Wai
Having made the greatest romantic film of the 1990’s with Chungking Express, the great Wong Kar-Wai repeated the achievement and then some for the 2000’s with the sublimely gorgeous In The Mood For Love. No film has ever achieved the same mesmeric beauty seen in this tale of unrequited love in 1960’s Hong Kong. Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) fall for each other after discovering an affair between their respective partners, but refuse to take the same destructive path themselves. Imbued with deep reds and yellows, and put to an incredible string score from Michael Galasso and Shigeru Umebayashi, In The Mood For Love is a sumptuous treat for the eyes and a tender sensation for the heart. Also highly recommended is the 2004 sequel 2046 which traces the aftermath of the unconsummated affair.
11 A History Of Violence (2005)
Dir. David Cronenberg
One of the few out-and-out Horror directors to carve out a critically lauded career of art house/genre crossover films, David Cronenberg distilled the best of both areas with his incredible noir-thriller A History Of Violence. Viggo Mortensen plays the mild-mannered diner owner Tom Stall, whose past catches up with him when he becomes a local hero after an attempted robbery. With a dark nod to the bleak character studies of film noir and an obvious debt to Straw Dogs, this riveting thriller is rich with social and evolutionary metaphors, Tom’s secrets representing mankind’s innate need for violence both for success and survival. Allowing plenty of scope for Cronenberg’s brilliantly explicit gore, but also for a revealing meditation on the nature of violence, A History Of Violence has become the essential first port of call in this director’s remarkable “body horror” of work.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 30 – 21 January 19, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Michael Winterbottom, Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Spike Jonze, Nick Park, Gus Van Sant, Michael Moore, Noah Baumbach
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30 Bowling For Columbine (2002)
Dir. Michael Moore
In the decade’s best documentary feature, Michael Moore attempts to examine the complex problems of America’s culture of violence and gun ownership, centred around the 1999 Columbine high school shootings. The causes and solutions are many and complicated, but Bowling For Columbine definitely teaches us to be wary of the media, huge corporations and Charlton Heston. Presented with a darkly comic tone throughout, the film also has moments of unbearable sadness in its description of tragic incidents. As a dramatic polemic, Bowling For Columbine is far more convincing than Moore’s follow up feature, Fahrenheit 9/11, which may have raised the profile and popularity of the documentary genre but did so by stating it’s case with amplified bias. Bowling For Columbine certainly has an agenda, but presents itself with sincerity and understanding of the broad range of issues involved.
29 The Orphanage (2007)
Dir. Juan Antonio Bayona
The opening caption ‘Guillermo Del Toro Presents’ helped to raise the profile of this excellent Spanish horror film, the enchanting style and subtle special effects as seen in Pan’s Labyrinth all present and correct here. But that’s not to take anything away from Juan Antonio Bayona, making an impressive feature-length film début. Belén Rueda gives a powerful lead performance as the distraught mother desperately seeking her missing child, and look out for Geraldine Chaplin in a nice supporting role as a wonderfully dotty medium. With a neat twist and an atmosphere of bubbling intensity, The Orphanage is a spine-chilling ghost story in the best tradition of The Haunting and The Innocents.
28 The Squid And The Whale (2005)
Dir. Noah Baumbach
An important name in the wave of American independent cinema along with this film’s producer Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach made the most strikingly personal film to emerge from the scene with The Squid And The Whale. Baumbach drew on his own childhood experiences of his parent’s divorce to present a remarkably frank portrayal of selfishness and mixed loyalty from both the adults and the children. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney are superb as the parents in crisis, but even better are Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline as the young Walt and Frank, both exceptional in presenting the raw anger and confusion resulting from a family break-up. The Squid And The Whale is a short, savage and incredibly funny depiction of domestic fallout, but also displays a convincing tone of melancholy, giving potentially unlikable characters a tender depth.
27 The Triplets Of Belleville (2003)
Dir. Sylvain Chomet
An irresistably charming slice of French whimsy, The Triplets Of Belleville has to stand as one of the singularly most bonkers pieces of animation you could hope to see. The extraordinary angular character designs of Sylvain Chomet, and the deliriously winding narrative, are a joy to behold. The plot summary points someway towards the barmy tone of the film - an elderly woman and her dog encounter an aged music hall trio whilst cycling to rescue her grandson, a Tour de France cyclist, kidnapped by the mafia for use in an unusual form of gambling. And there you have it. With very little dialogue and an emphasis on 1930’s musical pastiches and physical comedy, The Triplets Of Belleville is highly recommended to anyone with a love of ingenious animation and a fondness for the bizarre.
26 A Cock And Bull Story (2006)
Dir. Michael Winterbottom
Laurence Stern’s supposedly unfilmable novel The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy was deconstructing its own comic framework as early as 1759, being a fictional autobiography about a man’s attempts to tell his own autobiography but failing to do so, the digressions of the narrator becoming the main body of the book. Michael Winterbottom’s master stroke was to turn the novel into the story of an actor (Steve Coogan) trying to film the adaptation but failing to do so, the “making of” occupying most of the film. Therefore it’s a film-within-a-film of a novel-within-a-novel. But it goes further, with Coogan also playing ‘himself’ as an actor playing a more arrogant version of Steve Coogan, whilst also acknowledging the fact – there’s metatexuality for you! The sparring between friendly rival actors Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing Uncle Toby, is a constant joy. Like the painting disappearing within itself to the point of infinity, A Cock And Bull Story playfully uncoils all the conceits of cinematic storytelling in a totally unpretentious way, revealing one of the great unsung works of British cinema.
25 Elephant (2003)
Dir. Gus Van Sant
Another film based around the Columbine High School Massacre, Gus Van Sant observes the events leading up to a school shooting with an eerie calm detachment. Filmed from multiple perspectives, tracking backwards and forwards within a 24 hour period in the lives of twelve students, Elephant’s superb cinematography captures the characters with a dreamlike, almost surreal, beauty. The camera steadily tracks down corridors following the characters as they glide hopelessly towards their fate, and the largely non-professional cast add a great deal of compassionate realism to the film. Van Sant’s bold approach to the controversial topic and his unique style helped the film win the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2003. The titular elephant, inspired by an Alan Clarke BBC play, refers to the ‘elephant in the room’ – that which nobody dare talk of or recognize, but is an ever-present threat. But Elephant refuses to explain or understand the horrific events, instead it simply captures the personal tragedy of it in a strangely beautiful fashion.
24 Wallace & Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
Dir. Nick Park, Steve Box
A work of indisputable genius from the good people at Aardman Animations, The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit takes the same rollicking pace and stunning animated technique of the Wallace and Gromit short features, but successfully sustains the style for a whole 90 minutes. In fact, this film offers more in mood and tone from the lighting and set design than the majority of live-action films. There isn’t a moment where you don’t wonder in amazement at the extraordinary use of “claymation” – except you’ll be too caught up in the hilarious story to take it all in. Revelling in their obvious love of cinema (particularly Hammer Horror) and their tireless pursuit of the pun, directors Nick Park and Steve Box pull off the rare trick of creating a family film loved equally across the ages. Wallace and Gromit’s big screen début could not have been more perfect – now pass the crackers and Wensleydale!
23 City Of God (2003)
Dir. Fernando Mierelles, Katia Lund
Spanning fifteen years and dozens of characters, the explosive and shocking City Of God put Brazilian cinema on the international map by presenting the tumultuous life of young “hoodlums” and the growth of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro’s troubled Cidade de Deus suburb. The film’s invigorating energy and naturalistic atmosphere breathed new life into the crime genre in the same way Goodfellas had ten years earlier but, unlike Scorsese’s mobsters, City Of God presents its vast range of flawed characters with heartfelt understanding of their bleak predicament. A truly electrifying piece of cinema.
22 Spirited Away (2001)
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
This landmark anime brought the distinguished Studio Ghibli to a wide international audience, winning over many fans to their wildly imaginative films. Spirited Away follows the experiences of 10-year old girl Chihiro as she discovers an amazing alternative universe of spirits and monsters, a world which makes Alice In Wonderland look like a stroll in your local park. Absolutely teeming with weird and wonderful creations, the many narrative themes and concepts might not be fully appreciated on first viewing due to the film’s sheer spellbinding impact. But on repeated viewings, Spirited Away reveals itself as a rich coming-of-age tale, a satire on Japanese culture and society, and a deep meditation on life, death and identity. Treat yourself and take a dip into the fantastic mind of Hayao Miyazaki.
21 Adaptation (2002)
Dir. Spike Jonze
In case you thought things couldn’t get any more weirdly subversive than Being John Malkovich, director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman take deconstruction to new levels of invention with Adaptation. Kaufman presents a version of himself played by Nicolas Cage who, buoyed by the popular success of Being John Malkovich, attempts to adapt non-fiction novel The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). Living in his flat is his twin brother Donald, who also decides to take up screenwriting and scores a big success with his genre-driven spec script – the two brothers clearly representing the twin conflicting interests of the creative writer: success and integrity. Cage gives an unusually subtle performance (two in fact) but Brian Cox steals the film in a great supporting turn as tough-talking preacher of ’story and structure’ Robert McKee, asserting “God help you if you use voice-over in your work … Any idiot can write a voice-over narration to explain the thoughts of a character” after a typically adroit Kaufman voice-over. Adaptation may well be the best and certainly the smartest film ever made about the gruelling pursuit of writing.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 40 – 31 January 14, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Armando Iannucci, Edgar Wright, George Clooney, Kathryn Bigelow, Michael Haneke, Pixar, Richard Linklater, Spike Jonze, Terry Zwigoff
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40 Ghost World (2001)
Dir. Terry Zwigoff
Based on Daniel Clowes dark cult graphic novel of the same name, Terry Zwigoff’s first non-documentary feature presents a strange and fascinating look at adolescent sorrow. Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are two socially anomalous best friends who, after graduating from high-school, struggle to adapt to an adult world of disappointment. After setting up a prank meeting with a lonely heart subscriber, Enid strikes up an unusual friendship with middle-aged Seymour (an excellent Steve Buscemi), whilst loosening the bond between herself and Rebecca. A bitingly funny and tender film about the death of friendships and the agonies of maturity, Ghost World is a startling work of nuanced melancholy.
39 The Hurt Locker (2009)
Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
A fiercely tense war movie, Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker revisits the themes of her adrenaline-charged thriller Point Break by presenting characters who actively thrive on their dangerous pursuits. Naturally you’d expect any decent film about bomb disposal to generate a certain amount of nail-biting tension, but Bigelow heightens the strain further by casting well-known faces in discardable roles and framing each explosive encounter with a sincere depth of character. Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) is a man totally addicted to war and, having diffused over 800 bombs, approaches each new engagement with steely arrogance and exhilarating glee. This film is not concerned with the politics or strategies of the Iraq war, but more interested in man’s insane addiction to warfare and the competitive machismo of the soldiers. A brilliant, urgent and agonizing piece of cinema, The Hurt Locker is Bigelow’s best film to date and one of the great modern war movies.
38 Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Dir. Edgar Wright
Inventing its own unique sub-genre of the rom-zom-com, Shaun Of The Dead pulled off an impressive feat by combining sweet romantic charm, genuinely horrific gore and side-aching comedy. But perhaps this successful blending of styles isn’t all that surprising, since they were all the hallmarks of the TV sitcom Space, the film’s direct stylistic influence. Space director Wright and cast members Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (and even Jessica Stevenson in a bit part) bring their groundbreaking 25-minute sitcom to the cinema and sustain the central zombies-in-suburbia theme for 100 minutes with brilliant invention, clearly revelling in their love of George A. Romero films. Hot Fuzz tried the same trick with action movies three years later but didn’t quite have the originality of Shaun Of The Dead.
37 Before Sunset (2004)
Dir. Richard Linklater
In Before Sunset Richard Linklater seamlessly recaptures the charm and impetuous joy of Before Sunrise nine years earlier, but now with an added poignancy of regret and the sense of lost opportunities. Set against the beautiful backdrops of Parisian cafés and winding paths, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy excel as the mature Jesse and Celine, still passionate about life’s great questions but clearly fractured by the intervening years of doomed relationships which seem like a direct result of their years apart. Handled with sweetness and subtlety, it’s the perfect conclusion to one of the screens great romantic pairings.
36 In The Loop (2009)
Dir. Armando Iannucci
The great guru of modern British comedy, Armando Iannucci, made an equally expert transition to the big screen with this ferocious satire on Anglo-American relations. When Minister for International Development Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) publicly states that war in the middle east is “unforeseeable”, he triggers a series of frantic political gesturing on both sides of the Atlantic from pro- and anti- war advocates, but he soon realises he’s being used as the pawn in an international game. Fans of The Thick Of It will be amusingly thrown by the presence of familiar faces with different names and professions – so Ollie becomes Toby, Terri becomes Roz, Sir Julius becomes Sir Jonathan. Perhaps Iannucci is implying that certain character types always recur throughout government and civil service. But of course there’s only ever one Malcolm Tucker and Peter Capaldi dominates the film with his insatiable prowling performance. Filmed in an immediate semi-improvised style and with a perfectly structured narrative, In The Loop is the most savage and incisive comedy this side of Network.
35 Waltz With Bashir (2008)
Dir. Ari Folman
Essentially a documentary framed by the fictional meeting between ex-infantry soldier Ari Folman and an old friend with whom he shares his nightmares and fantasies about his role in the 1982 Lebanon War, Waltz With Bashir met with huge acclaim for its honest and striking depiction of a harrowing conflict. The film has a unique style, combining traditional hand-drawing and flash animation based on video footage, which proves the ideal medium for presenting Folman’s partly vivid, partly hazy recollections. His memories take on an almost hallucinatory abstract sense, emphasizing the horrors of the war but capturing them with an oblique beauty. As with Grave Of The Fireflies and When The Wind Blows, it takes an animated movie to artistically realise the all-too-graphic scenes of warfare and, like those two films, Waltz With Bashir is a work of devastating visual poetry.
34 Good Night And Good Luck (2005)
Dir. George Clooney
At the height of Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch-hunt in 1950’s America, pioneering TV news journalist Edward R. Murrow and his team were alone in defying pressures from sponsors and the CBS network in their attempts to expose the Senator’s ruthless tactics. George Clooney had already made an impressive switch to direction with Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, but with this real-life story he came up with one of the greatest dramas of the decade. Presented in gloriously evocative black and white, allowing for real footage of McCarthy to be seamlessly woven into the story, Good Night And Good Luck is a rousing tribute to the occasionally noble arena of broadcast journalism. As well as a superb period feel it’s hardly surprising that Clooney also shows real talent for drawing out great performances, as this is very much an actors film. Whether in the naturalistic style behind the scenes of the television show or the stirring dramatic hyperbole in front of the studio camera, the tremendous ensemble cast of Clooney, Robert Downey Jr, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Ray Wise and Frank Langella do sterling work. But the movie belongs to David Strathairn, whose stoic performance as Murrow is the heart and soul of the film.
33 Where The Wild Things Are (2009)
Dir. Spike Jonze
Critics who sneered at the pretensions of taking a ten-sentence children’s book and turning it into a 100-minute screenplay completely missed the point of Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers interpretation. Where The Wild Things Are is clearly not an adaptation – it even ignores key elements of the book – but instead uses Sendak’s story as the springboard to a deeply personal examination of what it is to be a child dealing with all the extremes of emotion. One could go further – Max may very well represent every troubled soul trying to come to terms with the crazy world around them. Society, politics, religion, joy, sorrow – it’s all here, but being a Spike Jonze film means these ideas just happen to be played out by the supporting cast of Fraggle Rock. Praise must go to Max Records, who is on screen almost the whole time and handles his challenging role with remarkable depth for such a young inexperienced actor. Let the wild rumpus start!
32 Finding Nemo (2003)
Dir. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
A film that threatened to topple Toy Story from Pixar’s creative apex, Finding Nemo became the decade’s benchmark by which all subsequent computer-generated films were measured, with only a few Pixar films living up to its own outstanding artistry. The story of a clownfish looking for his son across Australia’s great Southern Ocean provides an enthralling adventure ride packed with tumultuous thrills and smart comedy, set against an incredibly lush underwater landscape. With a heartfelt emotional connection, shrewd widely accessible humour and gorgeous animated design, Finding Nemo is a film you’ll regularly want to search out.
31 The White Ribbon (2009)
Dir. Michael Haneke
A year in the life of a rural German village before the outbreak of The Great War sees a series of unpleasant and unexplained incidents occur. My initial reaction to The White Ribbon confounded my expectations in just the way Michael Haneke had surely hoped. No explicit sense of chilling horror or inciting dramatic tension, but instead a deeply troubling and uncomfortable feeling of unease. If this is Mr Haneke’s fictionalised reasoning for the rise of fascism in Europe then it’s a convincing argument. The strict religious morality of the village contrast sharply with the sudden abhorrent acts of evil, but the latter inhabits and nurtures the former like an internal rot. Haneke offers no simple resolution to mankind’s lurking malice (despite wagging his finger fairly sternly at religion and social hierarchies), but captures the bleak inevitability of it all in stunning black and white.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 50 – 41 January 12, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Cameron Crowe, Hayao Miyazaki, Paul Thomas Anderson, Studio Ghibli, Tim Burton, Todd Haynes
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50 Almost Famous (2000)
Dir. Cameron Crowe
A semi-autobiographical comedy drama from rock journalist-turned-director Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous tells the story of 15-year old William (Patrick Fugit), assigned by Rolling Stone Magazine to write an article on the road with ‘almost famous’ rock band Stillwater, on the false assumption that he is a much older and experienced journalist. Amidst the raucous rock ‘n’ roll comedy, a charming romance blossoms between William and band groupie Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). But the emotional heart of the film comes from Frances McDormand as the anxious disapproving mother whose two children have both escaped the trappings of home life, only for them to find truth in the adage ‘home is where the heart is’. The film’s wonderful enveloping rock soundtrack, containing choice cuts from Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John and The Beach Boys among others, became just as popular and influential as the film itself. Hilarious, uproarious but also deeply touching, Almost Famous perfectly encapsulates the fundamental driving forces of love and music.
49 Persepolis (2007)
Dir. Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
In bringing her own graphic novel to the screen, Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical account of growing up during the war and revolution in late 20th-century Iran becomes a captivating and poetic animated feature. Although set against a harrowing depiction of war-torn Iran, with an honest portrait of Iranian families’ hopes and fears, Persepolis’s amusing coming-of-age tale is indicative of humanity’s resilient sense of humour when surrounded by tragedy. The teenage Marjane secretly buys banned western rock music, wears punk clothing and submerges herself in Austria’s bohemian youth culture during an expatriation, but her rebellious streak is offset by her shame at rejecting her own Iranian routes. The superb black and white animation flows from scene to scene with dazzling invention, faithful to both the stylised immediacy of graphic novels and smooth fluidity of the animated movie.
48 Moon (2009)
Dir. Duncan Jones
Just as Arthur C. Clarke’s prophetic decade of discovery came to a close, a film came along to conjure up comparisons with 2001: A Space Odyssey and revive interest in the great British science-fiction film. Sam Rockell gives a tremendous virtually solo performance as Sam Bell, stationed alone for three years at a lunar industrial base, with only the HAL-like robotic servant GERT (the sedate tones of Kevin Spacey) for company. But after a concussive accident in a lunar rover, Sam wakes in the infirmary to discover that he might not be quite as alone as he’d thought. Duncan Jones’ first feature makes excellent use of it’s relatively low budget, with superb sterile sets and impressive split-camera effects. Also of note is the excellent model work – a refreshingly tangible quality in an age of predominant CGI. But all this would mean very little if it weren’t for the film’s thoughtful and engrossing narrative. A brilliantly sustained claustrophobic puzzle of lost identity, Moon is no mere space oddity. (sorry!)
47 Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2008)
Dir. Tim Burton
Stephen Sondheim had not licensed one of his musicals for the cinema since his dissatisfaction with A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, but he wisely let Tim Burton make a film of his macabre stage masterwork. Leaving all the songs virtually intact, Burton adds his own visual opulence with a fantastically stylised recreation of back-street Victorian London. The score is fantastic, the gore is revolting and Johnny Depp sings like Anthony Newley. The greatest live-action musical since Cabaret, Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street is a Grand Guignol triumph of razor-sharp excellence.
46 Control (2007)
Dir. Anton Corbijn
Retelling the troubled life and tragic suicide of Ian Curtis could have been a painfully morose experience, but Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn’s adaptation of Deborah Curtis’ Touching From A Distance is as richly rewarding as Joy Division’s own awe-inspiring music. Control’s stark black and white presentation acutely reflects the haunting mood of the era, as if the iconic monochrome photographs of the band come to life before our eyes. Newcomer Sam Riley conveys great poignant apathy in a complex examination of depression and isolation. A poetic counterpoint to 24 Hour Party People, Control is one of the most beautiful British films ever made.
45 Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
A terse excercise in passive-aggressive strangeness, I was initially perplexed and confounded by Paul Thomas Anderson’s unusual romantic comedy, but repeated viewings revealed a quite extraordinary work of subversive, unconventional romance. Casting Adam Sandler is the first great provocation, his character of Barry Egan being a darker, more damaged version of the actor’s usual misfit persona. Then there’s the soundtrack, with Jon Brion fusing random off-kilter drum rhythms and an oppressive harmonium together with Shelley Duvall singing ‘He Needs Me’ from Popeye. The screen fills with bold splashes of colour seemingly at random, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman turns up as a violently abusive phone sex-line supervisor. Disorienting and odd, Punch-Drunk Love is a typically daring assault on a generally bland genre by a true cinematic visionary.
44 Frost/Nixon (2008)
Dir. Ron Howard
Who’d have thought David Frost would be at the centre of the greatest cinematic clash since Hans Gruber fell to his death. But Peter Morgan creates another exciting rendering of real events after his success with The Deal and The Queen. Shaping the film as an intellectual boxing match, the heavyweight self-satisfied ex-president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) squares up against lightweight wheedling showbiz playboy David Frost (Michael Sheen). But the encounter soon develops into a crucial opportunity for both parties to salvage their reputations. It could be argued that Ron Howard makes little concessions to cinema in adapting the play, but it hardly matters since the acting and dialogue are pitch-perfect. A riveting dramatic duel.
43 Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
The boundless creativity and imagination of Studio Ghibli proved the perfect company to bring Diana Wynne Jones’ fantasy novel to the screen and brought anime supremo Hayao Miyazaki out of his short-lived retirement. The story brims over with elaborate fantasy and frankly defies a one-sentence summary, but among the many fantastic creations on display are Calcifer the vivacious fire demon, the repulsive Witch Of The Waste, and the devoted prince-turned-scarecrow Turnip Head. Howl’s Moving Castle casts an intoxicating animated spell and is another sparkling gem on Studio Ghibli’s rich cinematic crown.
42 Frozen River (2008)
Dir. Courtney Hunt
A powerful first feature from Courtney Hunt, Frozen River is a timely reminder of those living on the literal peripheries of society during the economic downturn. In a remarkable début film performance, Melissa Leo plays struggling single mother Ray Eddy, who resorts to smuggling immigrants across the dangerously icy Canadian border as a means of supporting her children over christmas. Entirely filmed on location in snowbound Upstate New York, the grim setting adds a menacing power to this intense story of despair. Close-ups of Ray’s stark pale face and dry cracked skin have the same dramatic impact of Dorothea Lange’s famous photos of Depression-era mothers, and this film is an equally significant document, albeit fictionalised, of a financially stricken era. Frozen River offers the rare merging of a sharp socially conscious drama with an urgent edge-of-the-seat thriller.
41 I’m Not There (2007)
Dir. Todd Haynes
The intrepid Todd Haynes revealed the dramatic strategy of his remarkable film by explaining “He’s like a flame: If you try to hold him in your hand you’ll surely get burned. Dylan’s life of change and constant disappearances and constant transformations makes you yearn to hold him, and to nail him down”. Of course, this most distinctive and audacious of biopics isn’t really a biopic at all. The name Bob Dylan is only mentioned once, in the opening credits as ‘inspired by the music and many lives of Bob Dylan’ (hence he’s ‘not there’). Six disparate actors, including Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw and even Cate Blanchett, portray six fictional songwriters at various junctures of creative life. I’m Not There brilliantly captures the extraordinary, multi-faceted career of a musical giant in a bold cinematic style.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 60 – 51 January 10, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Alexander Payne, Coen Brothers, Lars Von Trier, Paul Greengrass, Tom Tykwer, Wes Anderson
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60 Sideways (2005)
Dir. Alexander Payne
Purveyor of sophisticated and satirical comedies like a latter-day Preston Sturges, Alexander Payne continued his brilliant track record with this comic-drama of two 40-something friends (Paul Giametti and Thomas Haden Church) taking a road trip to the vineyards of Santa Barbara. Sideways famously raised the profile of Pinot Noir and worldwide sales of Merlot actually dropped after Giametti’s Miles exclaimed “I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!” I feel obliged to make a wine analogy, so let’s say that Sideways has a complex and elegant flavour with witty aromas and it’s ageing nicely.
59 Dancer In The Dark (2000)
Dir. Lars Von Trier
Another emotional wrench from Lars Von Trier, Dancer In The Dark takes the redemptive themes of Breaking The Waves to new agonizing levels. Bjork is excellent as Selma, a blind factory worker who makes the ultimate sacrifice to save her son’s eyesight. Criticised by some for all too clearly manipulating the audience’s response to Selma’s plight, the combination of extreme sentimentality and Dogme 95-style reality (although all the rules of that restrictive doctrine are in fact ignored) turn the film into something wonderfully unique. And importantly, Von Trier understands the powerful essence of the film musical – that the songs represent the soul crying out to be heard where dialogue just won’t suffice. An extraordinary film.
58 The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Dir. Paul Greengrass
The third Jason Bourne film, and the second from Paul Greengrass, leaves the first two standing as the heart-pounding action cranks up to dangerously high levels. Bourne (Matt Damon) continues to search for his true identity across Paris, London, Madrid, Tangier and New York, each location providing a sensational dramatic set-piece. Greengrass’ camera rarely settles for the two-hour running time, so expect your head to be reeling as the final credits roll. Undoubtedly the most exhausting and exhilarating action movie of the decade.
57 Syndromes And A Century (2006)
Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
With a steady camera and delicately precise framing similar to Yasujiro Ozu, Weerasethakul succeeds in creating a sweet and subtle portrait of two separate hospitals 40 years apart. The first is a calm rural retreat and the second is a bustling city medical centre, with identical scenes played out in both but differing outcomes, suggesting that certain times and places can transform people. The film was initially banned in its homeland of Thailand after Weerasethakul refused to remove scenes considered inappropriate by the censors, stating that “there is no reason to mutilate them in fear of the system. Otherwise there is no reason for one to continue making art.” Limited screenings later showed a blank screen during the missing sections in protest. Syndromes And A Century is a beautiful testament to a director’s artistic conviction.
56 The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)
Dir. Joel Coen
The Coen Brothers’ lovingly crafted film noir is as good as the best entries from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Like a cracking James M. Cain story, The Man Who Wasn’t There concerns barber Ed Crane’s (Billy Bob Thornton) predicament as he attempts to blackmail his wife’s lover, only for things to spiral out of control. Great support is given here by James Gandolfini, Scarlett Johansson and Coens regular Frances McDormand. With steady but gorgeous cinematography, where every bristle of hair and puff of smoke sparkles, this sensational noir homage is recommended to anyone who may think things always look better in colour.
55 Big Fish (2003)
Dir. Tim Burton
A joyous, free-falling fantasy from Tim Burton, taking a break from the adaptations and re-imaginings of recent years to present a completely original and dazzling story. Big Fish floats from one extraordinary event to another, making the viewing experience all the more surprising. In his best film since Ed Wood, Burton gives us another Ed who is equally full of tall tales and big ideas. Ed Bloom recalls a life filled with unusual characters and bizarre incidents, only we’re never quite sure who or what to believe. Excellent ensemble work from Ewan Macgregor, Albert Finney, Jessica Lange, Billy Cruddup, Helena Bonham-Carter, Steve Buscemi and Danny De Vito in a charming and personal film from the dark master of Hollywood.
54 Up (2009)
Dir. Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
The unbroken chain of brilliant films from the Pixar studios from Toy Story onwards could be compared to Disney’s own gold run after their late 1980’s revival. But after the release Up it seems clear that the company had reached a maturity and prodigious creativity comparable to Disney’s original golden era of the 1930’s and 1940’s, where consistent artistic excellence and innovation were the order of the day. Incredibly, Up has the same dramatic poignancy of Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, a similar story of a widower taking a touching road trip with a young companion, but still manages to reach a wide family audience. A momentous achievement.
53 The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Dir. Julian Schnabel
Based on the inspiring memoir of journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby, who wrote an account of his life after a paralyzing stroke left him with only the ability to lift his left eyelid, Julian Schnabel does a poetic and moving job of bringing this supposedly difficult-to-film story to life. Mathieu Amalric portrays Bauby, displaying great apathy and sincerity in a performance that largely involves him blinking a single eye. Bauby’s physical confinement juxtaposes with lively flashbacks of his time as editor of Elle magazine, as well as his own vivid fantasies of idyllic beaches and mountains. Along the way we encounter other characters who are similarly confined, including a friend who was held captive for years, and Bauby’s father (Max Von Sydow) who is too frail to escape his high-rise flat. The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is a rich and inspirational viewing experience.
52 The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Dir. Wes Anderson
Critics seemed to miss the boat on this one, but it’s my personal favourite of all Wes Anderson’s films. A colourful and quirky ocean adventure, like Woody Allen adapting Jules Verne, The Life Aquatic maintains Anderson’s dry comic approach to dysfunctional family life. A tribute to Jacques Cousteau as well as a thoughtful paean to childhood and a child’s spirit of adventure, the film mixes beautifully surreal sets and stop-motion animation from Henry Selick with a soundtrack of Seu Jorge covering David Bowie songs in Portugese – what’s not to like? Bill Murray leads a great cast including Cate Blanchett, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson and Willem Dafoe. Uniquely Wes Anderson yet still unlike anything else ever made.
51 Heaven (2002)
Dir. Tom Tykwer
Krzysztof Kieslowski died before filming his love-on-the-run screenplay, so it was left to Tom Tykwer to bring it to the screen. Part of an uncompleted trilogy (with Hell and Purtgatory), Heaven opens as Phillipa (Cate Blanchett) plants a bomb designed to murder a corrupt Italian businessman, but unknowingly kills four people including a mother and child. But young Carabinieri clerk Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) falls in love with Phillipa during her questioning and helps her to escape. The critical backlash against this film now seems absurd because Heaven clearly succeeds in every respect. Moments of unbearable tension sit alongside moments of astounding beauty and, despite committing a heinous act, the audience’s sympathy towards the fugitives is affectingly palpable. Possibly the most underrated film of the decade.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 70 – 61 January 8, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Curtis Hanson, Danny Boyle, David Cronenberg, Martin Scorsese, Michael Haneke, Richard Kelly
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70 Wonder Boys (2000)
Dir. Curtis Hanson
An unfinished novel, a murdered pet, a pregnant lover, an unstable student and a coat worn by Marilyn Monroe on her wedding day are just some of the elements that make up Curtis Hanson’s wonderful comic drama Wonder Boys. In his finest screen role, Michael Douglas plays Professor Grady Tripp, a lecturer suffering from a seven-year bout of writer’s block as well as a failed marriage. The supporting cast is excellent, particularly Toby Maguire as the darkly enigmatic student with a fixation for Hollywood suicides. A charming, witty and engaging portrait of troubled characters all looking for resolutions to the trappings of marriage, education, emotional trauma and creative impasse.
69 Eastern Promises (2007)
Dir. David Cronenberg
A British midwife (Naomi Watts) gets mixed up with London’s Russian mafia in David Cronenberg’s riveting crime thriller. Reunited with the director after their success with A History Of Violence, Viggo Mortensen continues to show his brilliant range as Nikolai, the driver of a powerful mafia boss hiding a dangerous secret. With Cronenberg’s typical flair for startling gory violence (notably during an incredible fight sequence in a Turkish bath) and an impressive plot twist, Eastern Promises is a brilliantly constructed and electrifying slice of cinema.
68 Hunger (2008)
Dir. Steve McQueen
Making an impressively assured switch from Turner Prize-winning art to award-winning cinema, first time director Steve McQueen brings the harrowing events of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strikes to the screen in this frighteningly honest depiction. At the centre of Hunger is a 17-minute one-camera take (and the longest single shot in mainstream cinema) of a priest trying to convince strike leader Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) to call off the protest, giving the film a rich political discourse amidst the graphic prison sequences. This is an unflinchingly brutal drama, certainly not an easy or pleasant watch, but powerful and important filmmaking.
67 Babel (2006)
Dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu
The ambitious cinema of Alejandro González Iñárritu may seem to overreach itself with its grandiose themes of universal suffering, but there’s no denying the minute-by-minute dramatic punch of his films. Taking the multi-narrrative single-location style of Amores Perros and 21 Grams and transplanting it to an international stage, Babel presents four interlocking stories of personal tragedy set across Morocco, Japan, United States and Mexico. The Tower of Babel association is clear enough, since each story is built around misunderstandings caused by language barriers, particularly the moving tale of confused death-mute Japanese teenager Chieko. Babel’s power lies in its sheer determined bravado.
66 Coraline (2009)
Dir. Henry Selick
Another stunning animated gem from stop-motion maestro Henry Selick, following The Nightmare Before Christmas and James And The Giant Peach. Based on Neil Gaiman’s fantasy-horror novel about a girl who finds a passage to an almost identical world in a strange old house, Coraline spills over with imaginative concepts and design. Revelling in delicous dark comedy and an occasional almost-inappropriate nakedness (you’ll know the scene), the 3-D technique only added extra visual novelty to an already faultless 2-D animated fantasy.
65 The Piano Teacher (2001)
Dir. Michael Haneke
Along with Lars Von Trier, Michael Haneke is perhaps the last great European aueteur of cinema, having built up an imposing body of work, often bleak and alarming but always significant. Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, The Piano Teacher continues Haneke’s trend for grim visceral horror. Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert) teaches piano at the Vienna Conservatory and lives with her oppressive mother (Annie Girardot), but after being seduced by one of her students she starts to unleash a dangerous and uncontrollable desire. Disturbing, demanding and overlong, but well worth the effort for those who can take it.
64 The Departed (2006)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
In his remake of Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese adds an extra hour of screen time and again dissects the American gangster scene to present a typically epic portrayal of mobsters and informants in the Massachusetts State Police. Winning Best Film and Best Director Oscars may have seemed like compensatory awards for decades of Scorsese’s Academy losses, but that really belittles the achievements of this excellent crime thriller. The ridiculously starry cast includes Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Scorsese’s favourite 21st century lead, Leonardo DiCaprio. Violent epic grandeur and his best film since Goodfellas.
63 American Splendour (2003)
Dir. Shari Springer Bergman, Robert Fulcini
One of the great portraits of creative anguish, American Splendour is quite unlike any other biopic. Paul Giametti plays underground writer Harvey Pekar, who reflected the poignant monotony of his own life through the comic book series American Splendour whilst being treated for cancer. The real Harvey Pekar also appears throughout in the flesh and in animation, commentating on the film’s inaccuracies. Amusingly, Pekar’s actual appearances on the Letterman show are seamlessly spliced into the dramatic reconstructions. With its floating jazz score, bleak humour and off-kilter structure, American Splendour is a beautifully sad jewel of a film.
62 Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Dir. Danny Boyle
The remarkable international success of Danny Boyle’s triumph-against-adveristy tale mirrors the film’s own ascending underdog status and somehow tapped into a global aspirational mood during a world financial crisis. But Slumdog Millionaire is no gentle ride and certainly not the ‘feel good movie’ labelled by advertises. In fact, it’s a tough, uncompromising film that only allows a feel good ending after subjecting the viewer to all the pain, suffering and heartache of it’s struggling protagonist. For a film with a comparatively low-budget, a bleak tone, a harsh subject matter and recurring subtitles, Slumdog Millionaire’s international acclaim, particularly at the Oscars, only reaffirms the film’s great aptitude for dramatic storytelling.
61 Donnie Darko (2001)
Dir. Richard Kelly
‘Harvey on acid’ may sound like a trite IMDB review title, but it’s perhaps the best way to describe Richard Kelly’s strange soporific fantasy. Devilishly blending science-fiction mystery, college drama and dark comedy, the varied meanings and interpretations of Donnie Darko are still well up for debate, but thankfully the film is smart and witty enough to withstand repeated viewings needed whilst attempting to make sense of it all. Or maybe it’s just more fun not to make sense of things, afterall where’s the feeling of wonder in fully comprehending everything? Definitely the weirdest and coolest of the US indie new wave.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 80 – 71 January 6, 2010
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Charlie Kaufman, Danny Boyle, Frank Darabont, Paul Verhoeven, Terry Gilliam
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80 Black Book (2006)
Dir. Paul Verhoeven
After two decades of Hollywood blockbusters, Paul Verhoeven returned to the Netherlands with honed skills and hefty financial backing to make this fantastic World War II thriller, a pet project with frequent co-writer Gerard Soeteman for over twenty years. The story of Jewish singer Rachel Steinn’s (Carice van Houten) infiltration of the SS is a welcome throwback to all the large-scale war movies of the fifties and sixties – a huge, lush and exciting two-and-a-half-hour adventure. But Black Book breaks away from certain genre clichés by controversially depicting sympathetic Gestapo officers and selfish resistant fighters, as well as presenting all nationalities speaking in their mother tongue. This lavish tale more than indulges Verhoeven’s penchant for copious amounts of sex and violence, and few films are able to sustain a driving narrative with such a staggering amount of plot twists. Marvellous.
79 Lost In La Mancha (2002)
Dir. Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
When Terry Gilliam began filming his long-desired adaptation of Don Quixote with budgets, schedules and a cast of Jean Rochefort and Johnny Depp in place, he couldn’t have imagined that the only film to emerge from the project would be the documentary Lost In La Mancha. Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s behind the scenes footage followed each step of the way, as the delicate production completely unravelled beyond Gilliam’s control. Aircraft noise disruption, flash floods, an injured leading man, crippling insurance claims – the unluckiest production shoot ever is all caught on film in this remarkable document, as the director’s mission becomes almost as impossible as Quixote’s own quest. Gilliam’s second attempt to film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is now underway.
78 Team America: World Police (2004)
Dir. Trey Parker
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone defiantly take on a broad range of satirical targets, including action movies, musicals, terrorists, liberals, fascists and the Iraq war, for their polarizing masterpiece Team America: World Police, all done in the unique style of Gerry Anderson’s “supermarionation” (I wonder what he made of it all?). Any criticism of excessive bad taste, or the fact that the film is oddly not as politically biting as South Park could be, pale into insignificance against the sheer onslaught of outrageousness on display. Offended nations world over could take solace in the fact that liberal Hollywood A-listers come out of the film far, far worse than anybody else. One of the most consistently hilarious comedies of all time? Fuck yeah!
77 Sunshine (2007)
Dir. Danny Boyle
Before gaining international acclaim for Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle made Sunshine, an intelligent science-fiction film that became all but critically and commercially buried. Cillian Murphy is part of a team sent on a mission to reignite the fading sun and save the dying Earth in this atmospheric, contemplative sci-fi along the lines of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris and Alien. This was a risky project for Boyle, adding an entry to a practically defunct genre in the UK, and Sunshine was ultimately a commercial failure, but one which stood alone as a testament to the great British science fiction film (certainly until the release of Moon in 2009). Definitely a neglected gem ripe for rediscovery after only three years in the wilderness.
76 The Mist (2008)
Dir. Frank Darabont
After two hugely successful Stephen King adaptations – the massively overrated The Shawshank Redemption and the turgid The Green Mile – Frank Darabont got it just right with this sleeper horror hit. Something of an homage to 1950’s B-movies, The Mist presents an impressive array of terrifying and repulsive monsters from another dimension, provided by the studio behind Pan’s Labyrinth’s creations. But the real horror lies in the Lord Of The Flies style mob that emerges within a local community trapped in a grocery store, who resort to human sacrifice at the command of religious zealots. Also, kudos must be given for one of the most downbeat endings in cinema history! If possible watch Darabont’s preferred black-and-white presentation of the film, which adds an agreeably authentic period feel absent from the colour version.
75 DiG! (2004)
Dir. Ondi Timoner
Filmed over seven years and drawn from 2,000 hours of footage, it’s fair to say this incredible story of rock rivalry is as cleverly constructed as any fictional narrative. But the finished product is a hugely enjoyable distillation of all the dangerous trappings and foibles of rock stardom – drink, drugs, luck, misfortune, compromise, jealousy and ego. The developing careers of two bands – The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols – develops into a tragi-comic expose when Jonestown singer Anton Newcombe believes his band is set for superstardom, only to be confounded by the international success of the Dandy’s. The tragedy is that Newcombe destroys all possible chances for success through his own destructive excesses and the film ultimately presents little proof of his oft-mentioned “genius”. A true-life Spinal Tap with added pathos.
74 The Queen (2006)
Dir. Stephen Frears
What sounds like a rather sensationalist idea for a drama – focusing on the Royal Family and the Prime Minister in the immediate wake of Princess Diana’s death – becomes a superb and riveting character study by playwright Peter Morgan. The drama boils down to a fascinating culture-clash between the detached emotional restraint of the House Of Winsor and the exposure-hungry hysteria of 1990’s media. An excellent sympathetic performance from Helen Mirren takes the film away from any imitative novelty and presents the figure of a grandmother caught up in an extraordinary chain of events. But the most striking element is the black comedy laced throughout, notably when the Royal Family go out on a shooting trip whilst the rest of the country are in apparent mourning. Surprisingly effective.
73 Y tu mamá también (2001)
Dir. Alfonso Cuarón
The new wave of Mexican cinema injected the last decade with the same fresh vigour and bold approach that the Nouvelle Vague did in the 1960’s. One of the first, and best, is Alfonso Cuarón’s vivacious road movie, which certainly has shades of Jules et Jim. Following the journey of teenagers Julio (Gael García Bernal) and Tenoch (Diego Luna) as they travel to an illusory paradise beach with the older and more sexually aware Luisa (Maribel Verdú), the trip takes place against the backdrop of a political shift in Mexico, although these events merely colour the landscape and actually seem to heighten the focus on the sincere coming-of-age narrative. Very funny, very sexy and with a fantastic soundtrack to boot.
72 Synecdoche New York (2008)
Dir. Charlie Kaufman
Charlie Kaufman’s obsessive mission to examine (but never really understand) the role art plays in resolving life’s issues was well explored in Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, but reaches unrestrained fever pitch in his directorial début. The problems of Adaptation’s protagonist appear frivolous compared to the deep-rooted neurosis of theatre director Caden Cotard (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Given a genius grant to pursue his artistic ideal, Caden spends decades attempting to perfect a full-scale recreation of New York life in a giant warehouse, populated by an ever-changing, increasingly imitative cast. With all the logic of an Escher painting, Synecdoche New York is art-imitating-life-imitating-art to the power of ten. Frustrating, perplexing, wildly ambitious and unmistakably brilliant.
71 28 Days Later (2002)
Dir. Danny Boyle
Jumping between genres with Kubrickesque ease, Danny Boyle brought British horror kicking, screaming and indeed raging into the 21st century. Alex Garland’s screenplay depicts a chilling and barren post-apocalyptic England a mere four weeks after animal rights activists free a less-than-cuddly chimp from a research facility. Presenting another revolutionary (or is that evolutionary) stage in the zombie sub-genre, which in this case means not actually featuring any zombies, the “infected” are instead fuelled by a viral rage and have the rare ability to out-run their victims. Incidentally, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s 28 Weeks Later (2007) did more than justice as the sequel to this truly exceptional horror.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 90 – 81 December 27, 2009
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: Terry Gilliam, Robert Altman, Zhang Yimou, Pixar, Lars Von Trier, Michael Winterbottom
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90 Gosford Park (2001)
Dir. Robert Altman
Only Robert Altman, the great American maverick, could turn an English country house mystery into an ambitious, naturalistic study of the class system with a cast of sixteen leading actors. Rich with period detail and full of Altman’s trademark roving camera and overlapping dialogue, Gosford Park sits in the upper echelons of this director’s work, alongside Nashville and Short Cuts. By the end, the murder mystery element seems secondary to the social commentary and impressive characterisations. All the performances delight, particularly Alan Bates in one of his last roles as the lofty head butler hiding a shameful secret. Also highly recommended is A Prairie Home Companion, Altman’s final film released just before his death in 2006.
89 Spellbound (2002)
Dir. Jeffrey Blitz
A documentary about participants in the National Spelling Bee may sound like a quirky novelty for a debut feature, but Jeffrey Blitz turns the event into a charmingly insightful study of a diverse society. The film focuses on eight very different families, covering children as varied as Angela from a Mexican family in rural Texas, Emily from a wealthy horse-riding Connecticut family, and April from a low-income Pennsylvanian family looking to better themselves. Through these families, the contest becomes something of a metaphor for the American dream, where socioeconomic status won’t stop high achievers reaching the top – especially if they can spell Iogorrhea correctly. D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L. Delightful.
88 House Of Flying Daggers (2004)
Dir. Zhang Yimou
Previously best known for his lavish acclaimed dramas Raise The Red Lantern (1991) and The Story of Qui Ju (1992), Zhang Yimou marked the first part of the decade by making two hugely popular wuxia films – Hero (2002) and House Of Flying Daggers – the latter being the best martial arts film of the last ten years. As romantic as it is dramatic, the action sequences are simply breathtaking and, typical of Yimou, the whole film looks incredibly sumptuous, especially the remarkable bamboo forest sequence bathed in vibrant green. The final epic confrontation stretches from the rich reds and yellows of autumn to the dazzling white of a wintry snow blizzard. Stunning.
87 Capote (2005)
Dir. Bennett Miller
Every now and then an actor gets a role so perfect they could have been born to play it, such is the case with Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of Truman Capote, which rightly won him the Best Actor Oscar. Subtle and underplayed, the film focuses on Capote’s interviews with two suspected murderers during the writing of his acclaimed non-fiction crime novel In Cold Blood. As Capote develops an emotional attachment to one of the prisoners, the conflicting role of the writer is brought into question – that of someone molding a creative document whilst confronting moral implications and breaches of trust. A remarkably assured first feature from Bennett Miller.
86 24 Hour Party People (2002)
Dir. Michael Winterbottom
The explosive music scene of Manchester from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s is brilliantly captured in all it’s anarchy by the great hope of British filmmaking, Michael Winterbottom. Ostensibly seen through the eyes and anecdotes of the great Factory Records head Tony Wilson (here portrayed by Steve Coogan, lending a suitable Alan Partridge-esque culture-clashing to the role), 24 Hour Party People is a heady concoction of real events, rumours, urban legends and a heavy dose of artistic licence. Not just a film for those who love the music, this is a fictional document of a wild and creative era which reveals far more about the times than any regular documentary could.
85 Man On Wire (2008)
Dir. James Marsh
A documentary framed as a heist movie, Man On Wire recounts the incredible feat of high wire artist Phillipe Petit, who shocked onlookers by walking on a wire between New York’s twin towers in 1974. Combining jaw-dropping archive footage and photographs with present-day interviews and dramatic reenactments, James Marsh succeeds in presenting a non-fiction story as exciting as any fictional thriller – one which would seem unbelievable were the events not originally captured on film.
84 Dogville (2003)
Dir. Lars Von Trier
Lars Von Trier returns to the themes of Breaking The Waves and Dancer In The Dark – that of the hardships of women abused by society but who ultimately discover a higher level of well-being – but he finds another unique method of presenting these themes in Dogville. The action takes place on a minimalist studio stage, with white lines on the floor representing walls and the barest of furniture and props. The story concerns Grace (Nicole Kidman), a woman on the run from gangsters, who finds refuge in the town of Dogville, but has to endure harsh physical labour in return for her safety. The experimental staging is highly successful, stripping the story of all distracting artifice and focusing attention on the dramatic parable. The biblical allusions are heightened by the story being split into nine titled chapters and the excellent narration from John Hurt adds serious gravitas to proceedings. Highly recommended.
83 Tideland (2005)
Dir. Terry Gilliam
“Hello I’m Terry Gilliam and I’ve a confession to make – many of you are not going to like this film.” In his introduction to Tideland, the director pleas for understanding from the viewer, explaining that the naivety and innocence of a child’s mind could be seen as shocking and unnerving. Jeff Bridges collaborates for the first time since The Fisher King (1992) as the has-been rock ‘n’ roll father of Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland), a girl with a darkly vivid imagination. This is purest, untapped Gilliam, free of studio interference and compromise, but instead dangerously unrestricted in letting his brain run riot. The result if often very dark, very funny and very Terry. A polarizing film for sure, but an essential one for all those willing to fully embrace the skewed mind of Gilliam.
82 Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Dir. Pete Docter & David Silverman
Only from being followed by the likes of Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E and Up, could a film as wonderful as Monsters, Inc. end up as a neglected picture, but such was the creative gold rush of the Pixar studio this decade. Much was made of Sulley’s brilliantly tangible blue fur but Pixar, and indeed Disney, know better than to hang a film on technical advances alone. The story is fast, funny and endlessly inventive and the vocal work of John Goodman and Billy Crystal is just perfect, as is the music of Randy Newman. Incredibly, it was beaten to the Best Animated Film Oscar by the totally charmless and unfunny Shrek, which dates like a dodgy pair of flared trousers with each passing year.
81 Capturing The Friedmans (2003)
Dir. Andrew Jarecki
Whilst Spellbound presented a generally upbeat take on the American way of life, Capturing The Friedmans revealed an altogether darker and stranger truth at the heart of the American family. Initially starting the project as a fairly innocuous documentary about children’s party entertainers, filming took a dramatic twist when director Andrew Jarecki discovered that both the brother and father of one of his participants, New York clown David Friedman, had been convicted of child abuse. What begins to unfold is a story where things are far from clear-cut, with Rashomon-style contradictions of truth, leading viewers to question almost every turn of events. Strangely compelling.
The 100 Films Of The Decade: 100 – 91 December 23, 2009
Posted by Glyn in 100 Films Of The Decade, 2000's, Lists.Tags: David Fincher, David Lynch, Shane Meadows, Sidney Lumet, Stephen Frears, Tim Burton, Todd Haynes, Werner Herzog
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This is not a 100 best films of the decade, or a 100 most important or influential films. That kind of list would have to be drawn from a huge collation of lists covering wide areas of film. Naturally I can’t claim to have seen the definitive 100 best films of the decade, but I have seen hundreds of films from the last 10 years, many of which have disappointed me – although I credit myself for avoiding films I’m pretty sure I’d hate on the assumption that sitting through them would be a worse experience than unknowingly missing out on a possible masterpiece. That’s you I’m looking at, Transformers. Or rather, not looking at.
The best I can do is offer 100 films which I consider to be essential viewing for anyone with a robust interest in cinema and the medium’s many possibilities. These are the 100 films which have touched, astonished or hooked me to the point of obsession. It’s a very personal list, filled with the directors, writers and actors I love. For a decade largely dominated in the mainstream by CGI-laden blockbusters, super-hero films and gross-out comedies, I’m happy to announce that my list features none of these selections. The nearest for consideration were the excellent but overrated The Dark Knight, which fell just outside my 100, and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, which was certainly a staggering achievement but ultimately too drawn-out and self-aggrandizing for my liking.
The exact ranking of the films is more of a template and not to be taken as a rigid order – afterall, out of 100 truly great films how can one really be measured as better than another? Suffice to say I believe those in the top 50 are greater in some way than those in the last 50. And the top 20 is pretty much my fixed selection of the films I consider to be the very best of the decade. Until I catch up with all those other superb films I’ve yet to see and the whole thing changes …
100 Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
Dir. Sidney Lumet
In his 50th year as a filmmaker and at the grand age of 83, Sidney Lumet made this mesmerizing thriller about two brothers botched robbery of their own parents jewellery store. Told with a non-linear, multi-angled structure, the tension is cranked up as the inept robbers become increasingly desperate in their attempts to cover their tracks. Another gem to add to Lumet’s incredible back catalogue and a first-rate cast of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney into the bargain!
99 Grizzly Man (2005)
Dir. Werner Herzog
Always a filmmaker exploring the crazy limits of human endeavor, it’s no wonder Werner Herzog took the story of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell to heart. Treadwell spent 13 summers with the wild bears of Alaska until he and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by one in 2003. Herzog narrates in his own intense style, weaving together recovered footage from Treadwell’s own video camera with interviews from his family and friends to paint the portrait of man eventually destroyed by his own dangerous obsession.
98 Inland Empire (2006)
Dir. David Lynch
For those not sufficiently weirded-out by Mulholland Dr, David Lynch offers Inland Empire, a 3 hour assault on the senses, blurring the lines between fiction and reality on the Hollywood backlot. Shot entirely on digital video, Inland Empire still retains the eerie aesthetic that is totally unique to Lynch. This is probably his strangest film, which is really saying something, and it certainly won’t win over any new fans. But more fool them – the cinema of David Lynch is as good as it gets and the stranger the better.
97 Far From Heaven (2002)
Dir. Todd Haynes
I had already immersed myself into the world of Douglas Sirk before seeing Far From Heaven, so it’s difficult to say how I would view the film had I not been aware of the debt owed to its source material. The sumptuous autumn colours, rousing score and near-melodramtic performances perfectly evoke Imitation Of Life and, in particular, All That Heaven Allows. But Haynes delves deeper into the themes of racism and homosexuality which Sirk could only use as subtext in the 1950’s, making this uniquely a period piece for the 21st century. And Julianne Moore can do no wrong in my book.
96 Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Dir. Stephen Frears
One of the great underrated thrillers of our time, Dirty Pretty Things submerges itself into the desperate world of immigrant workers, who live on the expendable peripheries of society. Chiwetel Ejiofor (in a startling screen debut) and Audrey Tautou (riding high from Amélie but proving her great range) are excellent as the mismatched pair of immigrants who plan to sell a kidney in exchange for passports. Stephen Frears continues to prove himself as a director of great insight and energy.
95 Panic Room (2002)
Dir. David Fincher
Wrongly rejected by critics who were perhaps expecting another film as ambitious as Fight Club, this home-invasion thriller is a tightly controlled excercise in isolated terror. Made on a huge studio set à la Rear Window and with plenty of Hitchcock touches, Fincher adds his own unique flourishes with seemingly impossible tracking shots. Panic Room is Fincher’s taut study in suspense and a small masterpiece compared to his bloated Benjamin Button.
94 Battle Royale (2000)
Dir. Kinji Fukasaku
“At the dawn of the millennium, the nation collapsed. At fifteen percent unemployment, ten million were out of work. 800,000 students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence, and fearing the youth, eventually passed the Millennium Educational Reform Act—AKA: The BR Act…” And so the scene is set for every bitter teachers revenge fantasy. Takeshi Kitano plays the wronged teacher who masterminds the ultimate youth challenge scheme, where a group of schoolchildren must fight to the death on an isolated island. A fantastically violent and controversial sci-fi thriller, this is Lord Of The Flies with detonating neck collars and submachine guns.
93 A Mighty Wind (2003)
Dir. Christopher Guest
A Christopher Guest comedy is always something to celebrate and A Mighty Wind just pips For Your Consideration as his comedy of the decade. Almost a folk riposte to Spinal Tap, here Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are legendary trio The Folksmen, preparing for a reunion concert. The song parodies are spot on and remain brilliant in and of themsleves. As always, the supporting cast of Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban and Parker Posey are exceptional.
92 Dead Man’s Shoes (2004)
Dir. Shane Meadows
Something of a godsend to 21st century British cinema, Shane Meadows makes uncompromising films deeply rooted in the neglected underbelly of society. His films are often powerful character studies in the best tradition of the British social-realism scene, but his best film is this unflinching thriller with a style which creeps up on its audience and eventually strangles them into shocked admission. Paddy Considine has a commanding presence as the paratrooper returning to avenge the death of his disabled brother. The Peak District has never looked so fascinatingly sinister.
91 Corpse Bride (2005)
Dir. Tim Burton & Mike Johnson
Another dark romance from the mind of Tim Burton, lovingly rendered in excellent stop-motion. This has all the hallmarks of classic Burton – wildly comic, weirdly poignant and fully embracing his love for 19th century gothic horror. Although it’s not amongst his very best work, (that would be Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd for my money) Corpse Bride is almost a greatest hits package that can’t fail to delight any Burton fan: Danny Elfman once more provides songs and score, most of the Nightmare Before Christmas crew return, Michael Gough and Christopher Lee add vocal support and, of course, Johnny Depp takes the lead. The saturated blue colours lend a haunting beauty to a world populated by gaunt, rotund and skeletal grotesques. For those weary of certain all-too-saccharine animated films, Corpse Bride is the perfect macabre antidote.
Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets (1968) March 16, 2009
Posted by Glyn in Horror, Thriller, USA.Tags: 1968, Boris Karloff, Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Corman
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USA, 1968 Dir: Peter Bogdanovich
Starring Boris Karloff, Tim O’Kelly, Peter Bogdanovich, Athur Peterson, Monte Landis, Nancy Hsueh
Targets opens as a Gothic horror, like any of a dozen Roger Corman B-movies, with Boris Karloff stalking around his 19th century mansion. Then the lights come up and Karloff is seen watching the film with studio executives. Playing a version of himself, under the rather obvious but amusing moniker of Byron Orlok, Karloff is the ageing horror star who decides to call it a day, stating “I’m an antique, out of date … an anachronism. The world belongs to the young. Make way for them, let them have it.” Immediately after these words, the film cuts to Karloff as seen through the lens of a rifle. Young Bobby (Tim O’Kelly) has just made an easy purchase of a new rifle and ammunition using his dad’s chequebook. Within the first few minutes, the film’s intentions are clear – it’s ring out the old, bring in the new in terms of horror.
Targets came about through a strange set of circumstances, when B-movie maestro Roger Corman realised that Boris Karloff owed him three days filming. With the proviso that sequences from one of his previous Gothic horrors must be incorporated, Corman gave film critic and aspiring filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich the chance to direct his first feature using the old footage and three days with Karloff. The obvious conclusion that Bogdanovich would simply make a creaky old B-movie were dispelled when the young director instead created something daringly new out of the necessary elements. Simultaneously a celebration of the classic Gothic style which had dominated Hollywood since the 1930’s and a critique of the old methods in the face of very real terrors that existed in 1960’s (and modern day) America, Targets is a brave piece of mainstream cinema. Rather than sit amongst the traditional American horror films of the 1960’s, Targets has more in common with the challenging works of the American New Wave instigated with Bonnie And Clyde in 1967. Indeed, Bogdanovich would go on to become a key figure in the first flourish of this New Hollywood, alongside Robert Altman, Mike Nichols, Sam Peckinpah and Arthur Penn, and Targets can be seen as one of the first attempts to present modern-day violence with an appropriate level of seriousness.
The two narrative strands of the retiring Karloff and the disturbed Bobby interweave with each other throughout, until they finally merge in the closing sequence. The scenes with Karloff are poignant and warm, whilst the scenes with Bobby are chilling and cold, with Bogdanovich using an effective colour scheme to express the mood of the contrasting narratives. Karloff’s scenes are bathed in yellows and browns, like autumn years viewed through a whisky glass, conveying a cosy warmth befitting the story of the “antique” actor recalling his old-fashioned movies. Conversely, Bobby’s scenes are filled with blues and whites, making them feel sterile and unemotional, befitting the story of a cold-blooded murderer disconnected from the world around him. Although coldly stylized, the stark reality and matter-of-fact presentation of Bobby’s murders are incredibly frightening. Unlike the rousing music and stock effects which accompany the Gothic opening, Bobby’s attacks are presented in their authentic sound-scape, mostly silences punctuated by loud gun shots. The sequence of Bobby killing his family and calmly putting their bodies to bed is all the more terrifying for it’s domestic setting and non-sensational approach. This really was a new direction for the horror genre, chilling in a different way even to the contemporary horrors of Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), because the Bates motel actually feels very much in the Gothic mould. Targets horrors are all too real, occurring in undimmed daylight. All the more alarming though – Bobby is a charming, well-mannered young man who commits his crimes as if they were a natural extension of his everyday life. “Hardly ever missed, did I?” he happily boasts after a spate of shootings.
The film’s final sequence has a riveting premise as Bobby shoots through a hole in the screen into the audience of a drive-in, the victims unable to see him but are themselves visible from the light of the film. The melodramatic soundtrack of the drive-in movie (the same Gothic horror from the opening scene) heard through the cinema’s speakers whilst Bobby picks off members of the audience seems sickeningly inappropriate, yet reveals the pertinent truth that certain things are just too horrific to suit the manner of sensationalism. Karloff’s concluding words “is that what I was afraid of?” speaks volumes about the stripped-down reality of horror films with a contemporary setting. No dressing up of large sets, no monstrous make-up, no strikes of lightning – just a boy with a rifle.
What is most striking about Targets is how incredibly assured it is with it’s own knowing deconstruction of cinema. Bogdanovich even plays a version of himself called Sammy (named after writer-director Samuel Fuller, who advised on the film) who is trying to prepare a new horror film that will show Orlock in a different light, as indeed this film allows Karloff’s acting to shine in a role of rare sincere depth (it’s a wonderful performance from the veteran in one of his last films before his death in 1969). This film has as much to say about the art of filmmaking as it does about contemporary violence in the USA. For a low-budget picture from a first-time director, Targets is a brilliantly confident and detailed film, but it had little effect in 1968, proving unpopular with audiences after the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. It’s only important effect was securing Bogdanovich good notices, leading him on to greater heights of success in the 1970’s. But 40 years on, Targets can be seen as remarkably portentous in the way that it literally passes the baton between the old (the Corman Gothic cycle) and the new (gritty thrillers and slasher movies of the 1970’s). It is equally effective as both a horror-thriller and as a critique of the gun laws in the USA, arguing that the real threat could well exist in your own home, as opposed to those of a 19th century mansion. Both can be scary, but Targets ensures that contemporary home-grown terrors are the more disturbing.
