Saturday, January 9, 2010

So This is the New Year

Unlike Ben Gibbard's lyrics, I actually do feel a little different. However, this is not what I will be writing about today. The decade has brought us many great films, and I was afraid to create a list simply because I would forget something. Of course what I should have been doing was write down great films of the decade as they popped in my head then do an elimination game afterwords, but that would have been too simple. Instead, I am going to write them here as what has stuck to me after all of my thinking. Please forgive my use of the word "perfect" in my reviews, but I really can't describe some things any other way. Here are my favorite films of the decade:

10) Garden State
I aspire to make something like this and #9 on my list. The complete honesty that Braff writes in his film is something that not everyone has been able to hit, especially with recent films. In a way, this reminds me of Charlie Kaufman and Ingmar Bergman. These two writers are not afraid to truly create themselves into a film. Andrew Largeman is not a completely lovable character, but he is real. And I have to add, this film has one of the best soundtracks of all time.

9) Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
The best Sci-fi film of the decade. It wasn't concerned about just creating an interesting concept, but also creating characters that fit what the film is about. Richard Kelly has said that when he was filming Donnie Darko he lost 5 pounds per week because of the connection he created with Donnie. That is true dedication and honesty. Seeing a giant bunny rabbit named Frank should make people laugh, but I get chills every time I see his voice, or the shot of him standing out in front of Donnie's house. There are still some things I'm trying to figure out with this film, but that is part of the beauty of it.

8) Signs
To people who know me, this should not come as a complete surprise. Maybe a little surprised that I didn't choose Unbreakable? Signs is absolutely perfect for me. Shyamalan's beautiful metaphor in this film adds to what's perfect about it on the surface. It's a story about a man who lost his wife and lost his faith, and aliens are trying to take over the planet. SPOILERS Who knew that the thing that would destroy these aliens is water? This is a huge religious reference. We are told time and time again in the Bible that Jesus is in our hearts, and whenever we need him we just turn to him. In the film, these aliens are actually just sins (or evil) trying to enter our lives and destroy the way we live. All we have to do is turn to what the majority of the planet is made of (in the film this is water, but the metaphor is Christ) even though it's the last place we try. The suspense builds up so perfectly in the film that I get at least a little creeped out every time I see it. And, of course, Shyamalan's cinematography and style he uses for the actors is perfect.

7) Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro truly shows his ability to make a great fantasy with this film. Mixing the fantasy world with the history of the Spanish Civil War was perfect. After I saw Hellboy I was a little weary of his style, but later I found out he did almost everything in that film to please the fanboys of the original source. It turns out that del Toro really knows what he's doing. There are moments of wonder and joy, others of evil and hate. Some scenes could have taken a cliche turn, such as her dress getting ruined, but they never take the simple road. Most of it was done to really get us thinking there might be this fantastic world where she can escape from the madness.

6) Punch Drunk Love
PT Anderson is one of the best filmmakers of our time. The story of Barry is a very sad and desperate one. He doesn't know how to control his emotions, or display how he feels to others. This becomes quite difficult when he meets Lena. All he wants is a woman to be with, to share moments with, to know he is not alone. Lena seems to have fallen in love with Barry, even before the first time she met him. What makes this movie incredible is the fact that you can make this into a story about aliens or superheroes. I've heard convincing theories for both, and whether I agree with them or not, it definitely gets me thinking. The cinematography, editing, acting, everything is perfect.

5) Adaptation
Is there really much more that I comment on Adaptation other than say "pure genius?" Charlie Kaufman wants to write a script about The Orchid Thief, and wants to keep it simply about flowers. He gets stuck and isn't quite sure what to do. How about write a script about yourself trying to write a script? Then add in your subconscious that bugs the living hell out of you? And then when you don't know how to end it because it doesn't work out as a film, be anticlimatic and make it like countless other horrible Hollywood adaptations? But the best part about it, this works perfectly. It is perhaps the most original, odd, and funniest scripts ever written. Spike Jonze also does the source material justice. Nicolas Cage gives his best performance for this film as well. I'm just going to stop now, because I could talk about Adaptation for days. I think this is enough? Yeah, moving on...

4) The Fountain
Darren Aronofsky's film about life and death touches me every time. I don't think I can sit through The Fountain once without get a tear in my eye. Tom is a guy who is afraid of death, whether it's in the past, present, or future. Izzy is a woman who is constantly threatened with death. Of course, Izzy is the woman that Tom is in love with. And when I say in love, I don't mean he has a thing for her, but this is his soul mate. He wants to spend every single moment with her, but she doesn't have many moments left. Izzy seems to become more comfortable with the idea of being dead as she gets closer to the end, but Tom isn't ready to accept death. We see him grasping for the cure, whether it's eternal life or a simple cure for Izzy's tumor. Aronofsky is trying to tell his audience that there is something after death. Perhaps he doesn't know what this is, but there is no reason to be afraid. There is something calming and beautiful within this message. This is Aronofsky's best, and most underrated, film.

3) Brick
Not only is Brick the best neo-noir of the decade, but it's also just one of the best neo-noirs. Rian Johnson proves that he truly understands the genre. He subtly throws in sexual references without showing nudity or an actual sex scene, the main character never ceases to amaze us with his brain and his charisma. Johnson also throws in a character who is the main character's subconscious. There's a lot of laughs, a lot of mystery, and I was not bored for a single second.

2) Into the Wild
Chris McCandless is perhaps one of the biggest inspirations for the way I live my life. I will never take it to the extent in which he lived, but I try to do what he did up until his death: find out who he really is aside from what society tells him. The film is very close to the book, and the changes make sense. For example, Chris goes to see Wayne on more than one occasion. They become best friends, almost like brothers. But what would the point be to show this in the film? That part of the story would have overstayed its welcome. Sean Penn's directing was brilliant. There really was no other way to shoot this rather than chronological order from Chris's actual trek across western America. Nothing was shot with a green screen, and everything that is seen Emile Hirsch does it without help. The cinematography of western America fits perfectly with the story. Chris saw the beauty in all things of the wild, and the filmmakers captured it the best they could. Chris McCandless's story is one that everyone needs to hear, so that perhaps everyone can go out and find who they truly are and what makes them happy. Maybe this is the key to a perfect equilibrium?

1) Synecdoche, New York
This should have been the obvious choice for me. Perhaps I'm like Woody Allen in my obsession with death? If you want an in depth look at my thoughts on this film, check out my first blog entry. Caden Cotard is a man who is constantly afraid of dying throughout the film. We see him freaking out about the color of his poop, when he gets knocked in the head he thinks there might be major damage, and time seems to be slipping away. The audience is with Caden the entire time. We go through his pain, and laugh at his faults. That is what Charlie Kaufman does best, make a character that is like himself, then make us laugh at what's wrong with him. There are countless amount of scenes that make always stick with me. For example, when Caden's daughter is dancing naked in front of him, and all he can do is bang on the glass and yell "Olive, it's daddy!" until he is thrown out. Perhaps the most difficult part of the film is trying to figure out who Caden really is, even though there is enough presented to us. Olive asks Caden to apologize for leaving she and her mom for his gay lover Eric. Later on, the woman who starts to play Caden is married to a man named Eric. We slip into his mind so much, that we are not sure exactly what is real and what isn't. Almost like 2001: A Space Odyssey there are moments where we can't tell what's up and what's down. But the film never feels disjointed, and it never makes you feel like it's incomplete. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is excellent as Caden Cotard. His slow decay to death is beautifully done. This is the perfect film, and I have yet to find a single flaw in the acting, writing, directing, cinematography, editing, etc. If you have not seen this film yet, stop whatever you're doing and go. I will be happy to discuss it with you once you're done.

I know that this is quite a long list of runner ups, but they have either inspired or entertained me to no end. It was hard to leave each of these off of my top 10 list. Here are my runner ups in alphabetical order:
(500) Days of Summer
Amelie
Almost Famous
Big Fish
City of God
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Lord of the Rings series
Lost in Translation
Love Actually
Magnolia
The Nines
Religulous
The Royal Tenenbaums
SiCKO
The Squid and the Whale
Snow Angels
Wall-E