2003 was
a year of many trends:
It was the year of
the COMIC BOOK (X2: X-Men United, Hulk, The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen, American Splendor, Daredevil).
The year of HARD
TIMES FOR IMMIGRANTS (In This World, In America, Dirty
Pretty Things).
The year of FATHERS
AND SONS (Finding Nemo, Big Fish, Elf, The Son, The
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).
The year of LOSS
AND DEATH (21 Grams, House of Sand and Fog, Mystic River,
Big Fish).
But above all,
it was the year of the documentary.
I have not been a
big fan of documentaries in the past. I have a few favorites, but
there's usually only one per year that catches my attention.
This year, there
were as many great documentaries as there were great films, it seemed.
Each one was worth seeing. Most of them were enthralling. Many of them
were funnier, more suspenseful, more shocking, and more challenging than
any of the thrillers, mysteries, dramas, and epics that graced the
screen. It was the year when the 'real' put the 'make-believe' to shame.
It also emphasized that a filmmaker doesn't need a big budget or big
stars to make a great film. All she needs is a great story. All he needs
is the willingness to take his time and reflect the real world with
passion and purpose.
So this marks the
first year in which I come away with a documentary topping my list of
favorites. In fact, there are four (five, if you count American
Splendor, which is part documentary) in my top 20.
So, chances are you
have not yet seen several of the best films of the year. Most
of them are available on DVD already. Try something new in 2004. The
word "documentary" usually carries with it a stigma of being boring,
dry, just a bunch of talking heads relating information. These are
something different. They're inspiring, sobering, heartbreaking, and
absolutely hilarious.
If it's comedy you
want, Spellbound is loaded with laughs, and it's inspiring as
well.
If it's special
effects you want, nothing brings the screen to life like Winged
Migration, in which cameras are magically drawn into the formations
of migrating birds, and you are shown the world from a bird's eye view.
If you've ever dreamed of flying, this movie will take your breath away.
If it's a murder
mystery or a thriller you want, Capturing the Friedmans is a dark
and twisted story of an American family poisoned by self-absorption,
secrecy, perversion, and addiction to video cameras. Stevie makes
you wonder about a case of alleged child molestation, but it grows into
something far greater.
And if it's art and
beauty you want, try Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working in
Time. This examination of a uniquely talented artist at work will
make you want to go into your own backyard and find the secrets buried
there.
Many have
complained about this year, but it has been one of the most rewarding
moviegoing years of my life. Two of these films have joined my list of
all-time favorites, and many of them are titles I am thrilled to
recommend to others. Most of them are worth seeing more than once, so if
2004 turns out to be a disappointment, there will still be plenty to
share and discuss.
1.
Stevie
I was tempted to choose
The Return of the King as the best film of the year. It’s not
perfect, but the great things it achieves outshine the greatness of all
of the others…
…except one. Return
of the King captured my imagination, but Stevie
blindsided my head and my heart. It’s been on my mind since the day I
first saw it several months ago. I’m showing it to my closest friends,
one by one.
Director Steve James is
the guy responsible for the best movie about basketball ever made:
Hoop Dreams. But he’s got an even more powerful piece of work here,
and it comes from his own home movies, so to speak. This true-life
account captures as volatile a conflict as I’ve ever seen onscreen. It’s
a war movie, but it’s about the war for a man’s sanity, spirit, and
soul.
It starts simply, with
James deciding to look up the young man he mentored ten years ago when
he volunteered with the Big Brother program. But when he finds Stephen
Fielding--"Stevie"--he finds a man accused of sordid crimes. Stevie has ties to the Aryan
Brotherhood. He has a girlfriend who is disabled and, seemingly, rather
naïve. He’s threatened to kill his own mother. And that’s just the
beginning.
As Steve James tries to
find out what happened to the boy he once knew, he discovers a
nightmare. The only thing uglier than Stevie’s past is his future. Many
of those around him are contributing to his downward spiral towards a
miserable doom. But some—the most unlikely people—are trying to save
him.
So, driven by care and
a certain amount of guilt, Steve decides to get involved with Stevie
again, to try and salvage something of his life before it completely
disintegrates. He lets the camera roll not so we can see his virtuous
efforts—his chances of rescuing Stevie are slim—but so we can witness
the result of parental neglect, abuse, and poverty. He’s also teaching
us to look past the alarming exterior of a dangerously aggressive and
self-absorbed person.
And even as our
assumptions about this strange man are challenged at every turn, it is
his girlfriend who is the biggest surprise.
Stevie,
from the director of the extraordinary documentary Hoop Dreams,
is the most beautiful, riveting, heartbreaking documentary I’ve ever
seen, and it has followed me around and influenced my life this year in
a way few films ever have. It is a gift of humility and confession,
inquiry and insight. It will move you, and it may even change you.
Beware.
As Steve James and
others get involved, Stevie begins wrestling with himself in way that
may remind you of Gollum/Smeagol in The Two Towers. But this is
all very real.
His family is both a
help and a hellish influence. His ferocious mother, living in even
deeper denial, refuses to face the consequences that have come from her
abandonment of her son. His father disappeared from the picture long ago
and never returned. His sister has tried to help him, acting out of a
charity that comes from having suffered abuse herself. His grandmother
took him in and raised him out of compassion, but she also does her part
to keep the walls in place that prevent any healing or reconciliation.
James includes himself
in the fault of the matter, and yet he never for a moment takes on an
accusing tone. He lets us observe Stevie’s erratic, alarming, and
sometimes endearing behavior. We are party to candid conversations and
confessions of the various family members, and an impassioned rant by
the mother of the girl whom Stevie allegedly molested. We hear advice
from the racist bullies who call Stevie a friend. There are rambling,
off-puttingly indifferent sentiments from Stevie’s civil protectors. And
foster parents from his past offer deeply revealing insight into this
broken man’s history and heart.
One of the most
powerful achievements in the film is its quiet portrayal of the role of
a small church in a small community. I will say no more about that,
except to thank James for portraying the church so objectively, letting
us see what a compassionate community can do to change a person’s life.
While some episodes are
too rough, some details too disturbing for young children, I recommend
that families with older children get together and watch this film. I
highly recommend that pastors and counselors see this film. In fact, I
recommend it to any mature and discerning moviegoer. Even though the war
for Middle-Earth and the struggles of Frodo to carry his burden were an
inspiring experience at the cinema this year, nothing has stayed on my
mind like the present-day reality of Stevie, his choices, the
consequences, and the fact that he is still out there… a drowning soul
gasping for help. Pray for Stephen Fielding, and then go and help the Stevies
in your own life.
2.
The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King
The King of Middle-Earth
relaxes against a kindly Huorn
and wonders if a film adaptation of his fantasy epic is even possible.
Nahhh, he decides, and he sells the rights for a hundred pounds.
A scene from the upcoming Extended
Edition of The Return of the King,
where an overwhelming achievement in film will have its flaws repaired.
Now that the initial
euphoria has worn off, I can speak with more objectivity about Peter
Jackson’s achievement.
No, I can’t. Jackson’s
work is the single most Herculean filmmaking endeavor
I've lived to see. And I credit him and offer my most heartfelt
gratitude to him for preserving the power of Tolkien’s story as well as
he did. But I must also thank the designers, writers, and actors for
pouring their hearts into it. The project has fulfilled the greatest
cinematic dream of my childhood: that my favorite stories would reach
the screen in a way that resonated with my own imaginings of Tolkien’s
work.
While individual
elements are clearly flawed—especially the screenwriters’ attempts to
make noble heroes flawed, and then ennoble a hero who profoundly fails
in the book—their achievement, held up against the work of other
filmmakers, dwarfs anything released in my lifetime. They have brought
to life an exquisitely detailed world, overrun with powerful parables,
profound symbols, and whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
Having grown up with
his branches extended in the light of Scripture, Tolkien bore fruit
enriched with truth and life. Like an alternate Bible, a book of
compelling stories, it offers us examples of good and evil unlike
anything else in the whole of literature. And much of it has reached the
screen.
The Return of the
King is full of small holes, but many, I suspect, will be filled
with the Extended Edition reaches DVD format late in 2004. I suspect we
will have the opportunity to see that on a big screen. And THAT will
truly be a must-see event. While I cannot call this the most perfectly
crafted film of the year, its highs tower over the highs of others, and
it will remain a staple of my movie-viewing… and the world’s… for
decades to come.
3.
Finding Nemo
It’s as though all animation
has been building to this. Nemo is as visually enthralling as any
cartoon ever made. Marlin the clownfish and his forgetful friend Dory
are a brilliantly funny team, voiced perfectly by Albert Brooks and the
hilarious Ellen Degeneres. Pixar’s wizards show themselves to be as
confident at storytelling as they are at animation.
While I wouldn’t say it’s funnier than the
Toy Story movies, the story takes on poignant themes for kids and
for grownups. There are lessons about being responsible kids and
courageous parents. But there’s also a love story that sneaks up on you
before it’s over. Thanks to Pixar, animation as a form of storytelling
is reaching a new peak.
4.
The Son
In an era when
moviemakers seem to need so much in order to tell a story, the Dardennes
Brothers show us that powerful storytelling has nothing to do with
extravagance. This quiet, subtle film sets us on the shoulder of a
seemingly simple carpenter and lets us observe his strange, erratic
behavior until our questions take hold and refuse to let us go. Why is
he spying on the new boy that is working in his shop? Is he a pervert?
Or is he waiting for something to happen?
Olivier Gourmet gives
the best performance by an actor this year, making his character both
ordinary and mysterious, kind and volatile, methodical and yet
unpredictable. In the stuff of the everyday, the Dardennes find powerful
spiritual metaphor. They have created here a timeless cinematic parable
about forgiveness.
5.
Lost in Translation
I received a letter
from a friend who was very disturbed by my recommendation of this film.
He’s getting married, and he was appalled that I would recommend a movie
in which two people in different marriages strike up a flirtatious
friendship and toe the line of an affair.
I whole-heartedly
agree with my friend: this film is not a good story about how to have a
healthy marriage. But it is, nevertheless, a truthful story about
people who have made a mess of their lives, and who are learning a
little bit about honesty and friendship. They laugh together. They
explore together. Stuck in a mid-life crisis, Bob
the celebrity needs to rediscover a sense of wonder and courage. He
needs to regain control of his career. And he needs to renew an
appreciation of his marriage. Young Charlotte needs a voice of age and
experience in her life to tell her that it won't always be so
frustrating. She also needs to be seen, and Bob’s attention gives
meaning to a life that her husband’s neglect is leaving empty.
Emotional adultery?
Perhaps. They are indeed giving each other company and companionship
where their spouses have let them down. But I can’t judge these two too
harshly. They’re foolish, they’re partly responsible for their failing
marriages. But their moral compasses are still active, and they know
that they cannot consummate their relationship. They resist the carnal
adultery most storytellers would have allowed them to indulge. They can
sense that a Big Mistake is within reach. And they withdraw. They know
their relationship exists for another purpose… to encourage each other,
to appreciate each other, to help each other get back up and break out
of their personal paralysis. They acknowledge the limits of their
unusual friendship, and they part ways, wiser and… I believe… better
equipped to make their marriages work.
With her second
feature, Sofia Coppola has become for me the most exciting American
director. Demonstrating a uniquely languid and poetic visual style that
echoes both Jarmusch and Kieslowski (two of my
favorite directors), she shows impressive confidence and a deliciously
subtle touch. This film is full of gorgeous light, tender and tough
moments, and a perfect fusion of imagery and music.
She has also chosen
her two stars perfectly. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson deliver
performances I doubt they'll ever top, and they
create a relationship almost completely unique in the library of film.
Again: It’s not a film about a healthy
relationship. It’s about broken people in broken relationships finding
signs in the chaos and stumbling toward the light. Kudos to Coppola for
concocting one of the most complex and challenging relationship stories
I've seen in a long time.
6.
The Station Agent
Another great supporting performance by Patricia Clarkson, a stunning
breakthrough by Peter Dinklage, and a winningly funny turn by Bobby
Cannavale
bring to life this understated, observant, funny script about lonely,
marginalized characters learning to weather the risks and burdens of
relationship in order to enjoy the rewards of community.
By the way, that guy walking last, Bobby Canavale... his performance was
my favorite supporting performance of 2003.
7.
In America
One of the rarest
things in cinema is a convincing story about a family that cares about
each other. In this story about Irish immigrants trying to renew their
lives and spirits by making a home in New York, Samantha Morton and
Paddy Considine give award-worthy performances. Sisters Emma and Sarah
Bolger play their daughters, and they turn in the most affecting
performances by young actors this year. The movie has a distinctly
personal touch—it’s based on the director’s own experience. Jim
Sheridan, who directed My Left Foot and In the Name of the
Father, delivers a movie that makes you laugh and cry by telling you
the truth through the trials, adventures, crises, and joys of an
unforgettable family.
8.
Last Life in the Universe
Hilarious. Deliriously
melancholy. The story is wildly unpredictable, and the comedy is really
sharp. Crowded with allusions to other films
from all over the place. Hints of Jarmusch, Tarantino, Lynch. Two
delightful lead performances. And the great Christopher Doyle (Hero)
turns in some of the most excruciatingly beautiful cinematography I've
ever seen. There is one sequence of unexpected digital animation that
took my breath away... one of the most effective uses of CGI I've ever
seen.
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang may have
something truly unique here, with characters who carry on dialogue
in three different languages, just as the film keeps shifting
between three different styles of filmmaking and constantly referencing
American films and Japanese films. Different scenes have different
sensibilities, causing us to question how much cultural crossover is
affecting the way the characters perceive
their situations. There are so many elements of American films in this
movie: The romance felt very Western... almost an As Good As It Gets
kind of setup, with the obsessive compulsive man finding his perfect
match.
Unfortunately, right about when we switched into Tarantino-mode
for the conclusion, the story started losing its weight. I really
cared about these two characters, and I had a lot invested in
their relationship. When the perspective of the film
suddenly prods me to doubt that I can trust their perceptions, things
become too convoluted and frustrating. Perhaps the fault is mine...
perhaps I've just seen a few too many films that leave me asking,
"Okay, what was real? What was fake? Was it all just imagined?"
Anyway, this is still a must-see for several unforgettable scenes,
extravagant colors and compositions, two memorable performances, and
some big laughs. I will be rushing out to see whatever Pen-Ek
Ratanaruang directs next. Until then, I'd like
to live in a house full of freeze-frames from this film; it'd be like
living in a fine art gallery.
9.
Pieces of April
Peter
Hedges wrote one of my favorite films, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?,
which was about a messed-up family that knows the value of sticking
together through crises. Now, Hedges has written and directed a film,
and it's clear that family is the theme that he was born to explore.
Pieces
of April seems like a very simple film. It's got a great cast, a low
budget, a handheld camera, and a simple story about a rebellious girl
who tries to reconcile with her family before she loses the opportunity.
But each character in the film is memorable. The people that live in
April's ghetto apartment building are an eclectic cast of funny, lonely,
and surprising oddballs. And the story becomes an inspiring holiday tale
about how good things can happen if we take the time to knock on the
door and get to know our neighbors.
It's also
a powerful story of forgiveness and courage. While Katie Holmes
dispelled all of my doubts about her qualifications as a lead actress,
Oliver Platt and Patricia Clarkson steal the show as her parents.
Clarkson takes a character who is at first glance very funny and
frustrating, and slowly reveals the cracks in her tough exterior so that
we can see a broken heart. And then Hedges leads us to a conclusion in
which healing and hope strike powerful chords. The sound of a
camera-shutter becomes the most memorable sound I heard at the movies
all year. Who knew that such a simple click could move an audience to
tears?
10.
Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World
Peter Weir has never
disappointed me. I always find his films to have strong stories, great
performances, troubling questions, and completely convincing worlds.
Here, he takes on his most ambitious undertaking yet, a film set
entirely at sea on a ship that, after the first big conflict, seems
likely to fall apart. Extraordinary effects and cinematography give the
audience the most compellingly convincing journey on the high seas that
they’ve experienced. And the trip is a joy because of the engaging and
surprising characters in charge of the voyage.
Russell Crowe is much better here than he
was in Gladiator, and his character—Captain Jack Aubrey—is more
complex and interesting. Aubrey’s struggle to remain a responsible
leader when tempted by revenge is an important one for us to ponder
right now, in this time of international unrest. And his best friend
Stephen, played with award-worthy subtlety by Paul Bettany, is a great
example for all of us—a conscientious but dutiful hero who has the
courage to challenge his superior with truthful questions. He knows just
how to stoke the embers of conscience in the heart of a leader. The
ocean waves are a terrifying threat, and the cannons of the enemy
battleship do a lot of damage. But at the end of this adventure, the
ethical questions are what keep ringing in our ears.
11.
Dirty
Pretty Things
Echoing Casablanca
and Blue Velvet—a most unusual combination—Steven Frears’
latest gives us an unconventional love story, a detective story, and a
behind-the-scenes look at the dark side of London. The film’s heroes are
illegal immigrants trying to earn money and escape nightmarish
circumstances before they’re discovered. In their desperation, they’ll
accept any kind of job. And the only jobs available are those that the
‘legal’ city people won’t do. Thus, they see the worst of human
behavior. And while it puts them in terrible danger, it can also give
them enough knowledge to be dangerous themselves. Chiewetl Ijiofor
and Audrey Tautou are harassed, haunted, and heartbroken heroes who
can’t trust anybody except each other in this edge-of-your-seat
thriller. Although it has elements of many great films, it never
succumbs to sentiment or crowd-pleasing
shortcuts. We’re always aware that we’re seeing a story that hasn’t been
told before.
12,13.
(tie)
Pirates of the Caribbean
&
X2: X-Men United
In recent years,
“popcorn movies” have been rather consistently disappointing. They get
months of pre-release hype, they boast of brilliant special effects and
big stars, but then they arrive they fall flat due to mediocre scripts,
predictable conclusions, and cookie-cutter characters.
But these two films
brought back the glory of popcorn flicks.
Pirates boasts
the year’s most delightful performance—the funniest of Johnny Depp’s
career. It also gives us a heroine that is as gutsy as she is gorgeous.
Full of respectful nods to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pirates
recalls the best adventure films of the 80s. Since the 80s,
adventure films have lost much of their power because the filmmakers are
too busy trying to dazzle us with style and spectacle.
The Matrix series went as far as that could
go, making the "cool" factor more important than the storytelling, and
inspiring a hundred copycats that were even worse.
Director Gore Verbinski
and screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio remember
that audiences will become much more attached to characters than
they will to effects. And thus, the trio of Depp, Orlando Bloom,
and Keira Knightley become the most likeable
and whimsical adventure team since Luke, Leia, and Han. Geoffrey Rush
relishes his role as a cross between Captain Hook and a zombie. And yes,
the effects are quite good when their time comes. This was one of
the two funniest live-action films of the year.
The other hilarious
action flick was X2: X-Men United, one of those rare sequels that
surpasses its predecessor in every way. The jokes are sharp. The cast is
note-perfect. The spectacle is spellbinding. And the tone is just right:
X2 feels like a stack of the best comic books a teenager could
wish for. Continuing to explore the franchise’s theme—the plight of the
alienated—Bryan Singer takes the X-Men into a full-scale war, in which
several members of the team get significant character development and
the villains nearly steal the show. Where Pirates paid tribute to
Raiders, X2 does homage to Star Trek 2: The Wrath of
Khan. And by finding a compelling story for this crowded cast of
characters to tell, it joins Wrath of Khan and The Empire
Strikes Back as one of the best sequels ever made.
Sure, they’re not
deeply profound films. But they give us something that is in short
supply at the movies these days—guilt-free, unpretentious fun. They’re
the kind of movie you’ll come across on television some late night and,
even though you’ve seen it a dozen times, even though it’s already
half-way through, you’ll stop and watch it anyway.
14,15.
(tie)
Winged Migration
&
Rivers & Tides:
Andy Goldsworthy Working in Time
Two
visually enthralling documentaries that will have you gasping at what
you see.
If
somebody gave you a chance to fly with your own two arms, you'd take it,
wouldn't you? Winged Migration is about as close as you
can come to that without a hangglider. It will lull you into a
half-dream state, giving you the rare privilege of flying with all
manner of birds. If you find this stuff boring, you really need help.
It's one of those films that could make the toughest atheist stop and
wonder if such dazzling and complicated wonder really could have
happened "by accident."
Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working in Time
takes you into the world of a man who looks
at a landscape and discovers how to do something with it that borders on
the miraculous. You'll see a simple man pick up sticks and perform
wonders. You'll look at a desolate landscape and discover how it can
become a work of art that makes passers-by stop in their tracks. When
it's over, you'll have the urge to run out into the wilderness to create
a monument of your own, something for generations unborn to discover
when they eventually pass through. Or maybe you'll just go decorate your
backyard. Some of the stuff in this film is hypnotizing. And it reminds
me that we were not created to just sit and watch things. We were made
in the image of the Creator, and so we are built to create!
16.
Spellbound
Not even the Super
Bowl will draw you to the edge of your seat like the National Spelling
Bee, especially after you've become acquainted with several of the
contestants. This documentary is full of big laughs, suspense, and
candid moments of unforgettably obsessive human behavior. It's a joy for
the whole family.
17.
American Splendor
The best
biopic of the year made its mark by being relentlessly creative. It's
one of those films that shows you don't have to achieve greatness
to be great. Many of the world's most remarkable talents, many of
the people with the keenest insight, are lacking the typically
"marketable" characteristics that make a celebrity. Some of the most
interesting people are doing everyday jobs, quietly, without fanfare.
And if we take the time to get to know them, we may discover wisdom and
intrigue far beyond those flashy dullards that regularly hold the
spotlight.
18.
Raising
Victor Vargas
There are
great stories everywhere you look. Peter Sollett found one in the
experience of a typically chauvinistic, egotistical Hispanic teen who
wants a girlfriend so he can boost his reputation. By watching the boy's
inevitable failure, we are witness to the humbling of an arrogant heart.
Victor Vargas is learning hard lessons about love, romance, family,
respect, and honesty. And the cast are so completely convincing, we
forget we're watching actors. We have that unsettling feeling that we're
spying on our neighbors in some of their most private and revealing
moments.
19.
In This World
One of
the year's most suspenseful sequences takes place when a young boy from
Afghanistan tries to get out of the country and reach a better place.
But first he must cross the heavily patrolled border of Turkey alive, at
night, in heavy snow.
What
makes the sequence so thrilling it that it is filmed up close, through a
video camera, in the very place and conditions where these things
actually happen. The unnerving, excruciating intensity of this film
comes from the fact that everything is too real. Those security
checkpoints with the armed guards, those are real. These people trying
to smuggle themselves out of the nightmarish conditions in the Middle
East, they are real.
And some
of the problems they face... this is the most troubling thing of all...
well, it's our fault. In the name of overthrowing "the axis of evil" we
have left countless families in poverty, neglected, a hair's breadth
away from starvation and plague. Once you're taken there, you'll want to
escape to. And if you are fortunate enough to escape through the illegal
system of human smuggling, you'll find that the "free world" is not as
promising and ideal as you hoped.
Michael
Winterbottom has braved perilous conditions to bring us this vital
vision, to show us what the news cameras will not present to us. Seen in
tandem with "Dirty Pretty Things," this film can go a long way to help
us find compassion, to help invigorate our conscience, regarding those
viewing the West from afar.
20.
Shattered Glass
The story of Stephen
Glass, the journalist who faked dozens of admired news stories in The
New Republic, makes for the most compelling film about ethics and
responsibility since The Insider. New director Billy Ray shows
promise in the way he draws fantastic performances from Hayden
Christensen, Hank Azaria, and, best of all, Peter Sarsgaard. If
Shattered Glass has a flaw, it's that the story is barely
substantial enough to justify a full feature film. Call it the best
short story of the year (even if it has the dumbest title of the year.)
21.
28 Days Later
Director
Danny Boyle has his best film since Trainspotting in this
horrifying thriller about a dreadful plague. The disease forces us to
think about the fragility of our civilization, but it also operates as a
profound metaphor for rage in our society, and the way that one person's
anger can influence and poison everything around them. Strong
performances, powerful directorial restraint, and a masterful use of
sound make this the best horror film of the year, and a sci-fi parable
that should stand the test of time.
22.
Man on the Train
Jean Rochefort gives one
of the year's most exquisite performances as a poetry instructor who
decides to trade places with a bank robber in order to expand his
horizons. French pop singer Johnny Hallyday is excellent too as the
grizzled robber who decides to try his hand at poetry instruction. The
film has the character of fine literature: It's understated, artful on
all levels, and it leaves us with more questions than answers.
23.
City of God
With the
intensity of Martin Scorsese at his best, director Fernando Meirelles
unleashes a nightmarish vision of crime and chaos on the streets in City
of God. He plunges us into the squalor and poverty of of the Rio
de Janeiro region, and lets us watch in horror as we realize the
conditions in which children are growing up into hardened gangsters.
With exhilarating energy and sobering honesty, Meirelles wakes us up to
a reality that's just around the corner, and a people in desperate need
of love and hope.
24.
Whale Rider
I wasn't
as satisfied with this film as many were. That is partly because I don't
feel that I understand or appreciate the Maori culture more after seeing
the film than I did before seeing it.
But it is
a charming and endearing tale, a familiar myth of an unlikely champion
being born and rising, against all resistance, to lead a struggling
people into the future. And the best reason to see it is for the
astonishing debut of Keisha Castle-Hughes, whose performance shows a
wisdom and intuition far beyond her years.
25,26.
Kill Bill vol. 1 / The
Triplets of Belleville
These two films barely make the list, and here's why: They're both
relentlessly creative, packing more imagination, cleverness, and
attention-grabbing intensity into five minutes than many films do in
their whole duration. But at the center, there's not much heart.
Kill Bill vol. 1
got a lot of flack for being too violent, but the violence is comical
and over-the-top, so I don't take it very seriously. The battles are
superbly choreographed and filmed, and the comedy is sharp throughout.
Unfortunately, it occasionally asks the audience to take it seriously,
and frankly I just don't care much about a heroine who aspires to
nothing higher than personal revenge.
The
Triplets of Belleville really deserves all of the praise it has
received for inventive animation. But it's no match for Nemo, because
style and cleverness aren't everything. I'm entertained, but I don't
walk away with much to think about, and the story is too spindly a
skeleton to justify all of the effort poured into the spectacle. So
sure, go see it, it's a blast.
But we
gotta hope these animators, and Tarantino as well, invest their talents
in something of more substance next time around.
27.
OT:
Our Town
If you liked
Spellbound, or if you've ever been in a play... well, what the heck, if
you've ever been in high school... you should see this moving, funny,
sobering documentary about a high school in Compton, California, where
two bold teachers decide to organize the town's first play in twenty
years. Kids who've never seen a play are about to try and become the
stars of "Our Town." As they practice this play that they don't
understand, the themes of the play begin to shine until the story of the
play and the story of their lives fuse into a powerful whole. On opening
night, you'll be on the edge of your seat, anxious to see whether these
inexperienced, damaged, but resourceful kids can pull it off in front of
a live audience.
28.
Cold
Mountain
It's the
best long preview for a great film I've seen. Each scene is vividly
realized, each episode compelling and powerfully acted. But alas, the
film rushes through its epic tale, so that the viewer does not have the
time and space necessary to absorb the emotions and implications of each
short story. It's a great achievement for everyone involved... except
the editors. Rumor has it there's a four-plus hour version out there
somewhere. I want to see it.
29.
House
of Sand and Fog
When we try to get what we want
without showing compassion or respect for others, we make things
miserable for everyone. I can't think of a film that portrays this truth
better. And I can't think of a more riveting performance by the great
Ben Kingsley.
30.
The Fog of War
Errol Morris gives us
the privilege of an up-close and personal interview with Robert
McNamara, who tells compelling stories about his experiences in World
War 2, as president of Ford Motors, and as the Secretary of Defense for JFK and Lyndon Johnson during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam
War. Chilling, thrilling, and sobering stuff.
Other films that impressed
me:
Stone Reader- A must-see documentary
for anyone who loves books... especially for those who can honestly say
that good books have changed their lives. The film is rather long, but
so full of unexpected surprises and delights that it rewards your
patience.
Thirteen- Holly Hunter is fantastic
in this frightening film about the trials of single-parenting a
rebellious teenage girl. But watch out for Evan Rachel Wood. She's got
that energy that suggests she's on her way to becoming one of the
greats.
Russian Ark - An awe-inspiring
feat of cinematography and choreography, a concept that you'd never
think could be achieved, and a fascinating collage of historical
episodes.
Matchstick Men
- A memorably funny performance by Nicolas Cage, a startling and intense
turn by Alison Lohman, and masterful cinematography by director Ridley
Scott made this small story of cons and relationships into Scott's
strongest movie since... Blade Runner?!
The Human Stain
- Critics went berzerk wailing that Anthony Hopkins can't play a black
man. But the whole point of the movie is that the character "passes" so
convincingly as white that nobody knows the difference. GET OVER IT. The
story is full of insights about the foolish ways we run from what is
best for us. The performances are all strong. And Robert Benton directs
with his typically soft and subtle touch.
Lost in La Mancha
- A hilarious look at the madness behind the scenes of the Terry Gilliam
masterpiece that was never finished. A portrait of an artist as a cursed
man.
Intolerable
Cruelty - A hilarious, twisted
comedy that boasts George Clooney's most inspired comic performance yet
and some dazzling cinematography by the great Roger Deakins. Even with
its wicked wit, the film ends up honoring the ideal of marriage by
showing the emptiness and chaos that comes from disrespecting it. But
it's obvious that the Coens co-wrote this with other comedy writers...
it's a bit too lowbrow and goes for too many easy laughs. Still... I had
a grand time. The Coens have yet to disappoint.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
- Great cinematography, art direction, and another knockout performance
by Scarlett Johansson make this film worth seeing in spite of its rather
bland screenplay. It's another good story about the power of seeing and
of being seen.
Holes
- One of the best family films in several years, Holes is funny,
insightful, well-acted, and creative. It's the best film Andrew Davis
has made since The Fugitive.
Man Without a Past
- A delightfully odd story about an amnesiac who makes his mark on a
town that seems to be teetering on the edge of the world. Great
performances by actors with GREAT faces... a film that you can't look
away from.
Monster
- A brutal, dispiriting film about a woman who was beaten into a
senseless and love-starved creature, and who used what was left of her
freewill to respond with rage and violence. Charlize Theron stuns us all
with a performance that vaults her to the A-list of actresses.
To Be and to Have
- An unforgettable stay out in the country, with a French schoolteacher
and his classes of charming, struggling, curious, and growing children.
This film could inspire a whole new generation of great teachers.
Worth
mentioning:
Levity
Swimming Pool
Willard
Spider
Elf
Capturing the Friedmans
Secondhand Lions
A Mighty Wind
Final Solution
The School of Rock
Seabiscuit
Bonhoeffer
The Good Thief
Near misses:
Hulk
- A
stylistically rich comic adaptation, but the performances of the two
leads were bland and the conclusion... well... what in the world was
that all about?!
21 Grams and
Mystic River - Great performances,
melodramatic and contrived storytelling, insufferably bleak and
angst-ridden.
Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary-
Dazzling cinematography and ballet, but it didn't seem to open up the
story of Dracula to any new observations or resonance. An aesthetically
astonishing experience, but in service of what?
Phone Booth
Lawless Heart
Comedian
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
Big Fish
The Matrix Revolutions
Alias Betty
Open Range
The Gospel of John
Forgettable:
The Missing
Bad Santa
Old School
The Barbarian Invasions
The Matrix Reloaded
L'Auberge Espanol
T3: Rise of the Machines
Le Divorce
The Legend of Johnny Lingo
Radio
Identity
Suffered through:
Dreamcatcher
Anger Management
The Life of David Gale
The Fighting Temptations
Hangman's Curse
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
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