Lists may be the bane of the existence of many.
Recently, the contributors and readers of a website called htmlgiant have had several discussions with regards to listing and its validity or lack thereof. Lists & Polaroids / Twenty Important Translations from English to a multitude of languages / Best Movies of the Decade. Personally, my default position with regard to lists is that I hate them because I just really don't give a shit what people like. I'm not in marketing, and even if I were, simple listing would do very little in the way of mapping out demographics and such. But I usually make sure people know that I dislike lists only to segue into a list.
So, in the grand tradition of consistency (in the words of Hank Moody from Californication: "I'm a consistent motherfucker, that's why!"), Stu González and I had a drink meeting-- meaning, it was me, him, lots of paper and ink, and a handle of Highland Mist-- whereby we discussed the merits of compiling (attempting to compile) comprehensive "end of decade best and worst of" lists. We decided that we'd drink until we were legless. Whoever lasted the longest would automatically earn the right to put their "worst of" list on this blog. We fought about it, but Stu won fair and square, and instead of being the bigger man and deferring to me what I wanted, he chose to keep what he had won. As such, these entries will consist of a series of arbitrarily numbered bests/worsts from a pool of arbitrary topics: none of which were stipulated in the drinking game. The only must, is that the lists be decade specific (2000-2009).
And while it is my general position that no miscellaneous lists can be "comprehensive," I am going to make an attempt at being as thorough and concise as I can possibly be. This list will be, in a similar vein to Antosca's list for htmlgiant, the top 20 films of the last decade.
My Top 20 Films of the Decade:
20. "Fay Grim" (2006) Written and Directed by Hal Hartley/Starring: Parker Posey, Jeff Goldblum, and James Urbaniak/Hal Hartley is quite possibly my favorite filmmaker. This knowledge well-known to anyone who knows me, it is my belief that Hartley's best works came about in the 90's. This film, a sequel to Henry Fool (1997), has Hartley experimenting with camera angles, most notably, the "Dutch angle," whereby the camera is tilted slightly, adding a striking visual accompaniment to the mania of the story about a wife looking for her supposedly dead husband amidst international intrigue. Parker Posey turns in one of her best perfomances as the titular character.
19. "Time to Leave" (2005) Written and Directed by François Ozon/Starring: Melvil Poupaud, Jeanne Moreau, and Marie Rivière/Excellent, quiet little French film about a hot-shot gay photographer who discovers he has an incurable disease and chooses to tell no one but his grandmother. An interesting study into how one faces terminal illness. Solid performances and a beautiful closing shot.
18. "In Bruges" (2008) Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh/Starring Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, and Brendan Gleeson/Good travel film about inept hitmen, and one the best one-liners I've heard: "You're an inanimate fucking object!". My favorite scene is the one in the restaurant where the American guy gets beat up by Farrell for being a jackass about smoking. Normally I loathe violence, but in this case it kind of made me feel good. Yeah, I'm a smoker.
17. "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" (2004/'05/'06) Written by Dave Chappelle/Directed by Michel Gondry/Starring Dave Chappelle with appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, The Fugees & more/This film is LOADED with exciting performances by some really great performers in hip-hop/r&b. Chappelle is charming and funny the entire way through (and you get a really good idea of what kind of guy he is in person), and it was Gondry at his most "hands-off" as a director. This film has excellent re-play value, awesome collaborative effort.
16. "Interview" (2007) Written by Steve Buscemi and Dave Schechter/Directed by Steve Buscemi/Starring Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller/Remake of Theo Van Gogh's 2003 film is light on plot, heavy on character. I thoroughly enjoy these kinds of films, and admittedly, while I never saw the original (in honesty didn't realize it was a remake until I looked it up), I'm going to assume it took a very similar approach. Miller and Buscemi really battle one another. When two good actors can carry a movie on sheer tension, I have to give the credit where credit is due. This is a quality film.
15. "Sin noticias de Dios" or "Don't Tempt Me!" (2001/'03/'05) Written and Directed by Augustín Díaz Yanes/Starring: Penelopé Cruz, Victoria Abril, Demián Bichir, and Gael García Bernal/This one benefits from the fact that I've recently seen it, but I LOVED the creativity with which scenes set in Heaven (in French with a song in Portuguese)/Hell (in English)/Earth (in Spanish) were presented aesthetically-- especially heaven-- nouvelle vague styled (even borrowed footage from the intro to Les Quatre Cents Coups). Very tongue-in-cheek performances and treatment of the subject matter. Cruz and Abril approach sexiness from two different angles and achieve the expected results.
14. "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright/Directed by Edgar Wright/Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, and Dylan Moran/A romantic comedy with zombies! That was one of the taglines. If there's one criticism that many level against this film, it's the acting. But I hardly think it's fair. Pegg might have been overwrought emotionally at times, but the comedic exchanges are brilliant, and as filmmakers, they demonstrate a pretty good understanding of the genre. In my mind, nothing quite matches the original Dawn of the Dead which is amazing in just about every way and to me is the measuring stick for these kinds of films (the Evil Dead series is spectacular, but not really a zombie thing).
13. "Sleuth" (2007) Written by Harold Pinter/Directed by Kenneth Branagh/Starring: Michael Caine and Jude Law/Talk about a lineup of dramatic heavyweights. This is another remake, and a formiddable one, at that. Caine is an amazing actor and Law is no slouch (one of my favorites, in fact). The fact that Branagh is helming this thing and NOT acting as well is good news. Branagh is a fine performer (especially in Shakespearean productions), but with this film, he sits back and commands killer performances without the awkwardness of having to direct oneself. Pinter wrote the screenplay, which is strange to me since he is a playwright and he didn't write the play this is based on, but he takes thin material and makes it interesting. Caine and Law constantly one-upping one another in a game of cat and mouse is fun to watch.
12. "She Hate Me" (2004) Written by Michael Genet and Spike Lee/Directed by Spike Lee/Starring: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Dania Ramirez, Woody Harrelson, and Q-Tip/I don't think many enjoy this film as much as I do. It has its flaws (the CGI sperm and the sexual montages border on awful), but I think there are segments of it that really lift it. It's not Do the Right Thing or Jungle Fever, but it's a well executed piece of cinema at the best of times. The scenes with Q-Tip and Mackie are sparkling with chemistry, the re-enactment of the Watergate scandal was clever (powerful, in fact), and the Bonasera crime family doesn't seem as tacked on the more times I watch.
11. "Nada +" or "Nada Mas" (2001) Written by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti and Manuel Rodríguez/Directed by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti/Starring: Thais Valdés and Nacho Lugo/Lighthearted and visually bold, Malberti's portrayal of Cuba and her people is fun and doesn't beat you over the head with a bunch of political bullshit. It's all very subtle, understated even. And not just because it HAS to be. Just when you think it's about to get deep and serious, there's colorful cartoony scenes and goofy chase scenes. All the performances are fairly over-the-top, excepting Valdés and Lugo, who are stolid and matter-of-fact in equal measure.
10. "Man, Woman, and the Wall" (2007) Written by Masashi Yamamoto based on a story by Fumihiro Yamada/Directed by Masashi Yamamoto/Starring: Sola Aoi and Keita Ono/Apparently this little Japanese film is a "less raw" kind of a type of cinema called "pink" in Japan. I can't comment more on that because I am unfamiliar with this style. Exploitative but sensual, bordering on art-house sensibility, what I like most about this film is its overall feel and approach to the subject. It never gets too menacing or deranged, and Yamamoto treats his characters with care. Admittedly, I was taken aback by the scene where Ono rummages through his beautiful neighbor's trash in efforts to experience her more. My western sensibilities say, "Oh, that's mad stalkerish," and it's actually fun to be challenged like that. The idea of obsession is one of my favorites, and the perspective is executed nicely here.
9. "Batalla en el cielo" or "Battle in Heaven" (2005) Written and Directed by Carlos Reygadas/Starring: Marcos Hernández, Berta Ruiz, and Anapola Mushkadiz/This film will always be remembered in my mind, as the movie that made my friend Robert walk out. The sex scenes made him uncomfortable as they apparently reminded him of his parents. I asked him if his parents are tubby, middle aged Mexicans. His reply: "fuck you." Yes, there is explicit sex in the film. I love the close-ups on the characters' genitalia in post-coital comedown. It's a beautiful thing. Perhaps to some it is porn, but I find it bold and beautifully done. The repitition of imagery is done seamlessly. The story itself is about an aging couple who kidnap a baby only to have it die on them soon after and the existential crisis that follows. The supposed-to-be powerful, but ultimately hollow expression of Marcos's religiosity in the end, to me, is a statement of Reygadas's disapproval of this type of insincerity in the face of reality.
8. "Pretty Persuasion" (2005) Written by Skander Halim/Directed by Marcos Siega/Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods, Jane Krakowski, Ron Livingston, and Selma Blair/As a general rule, I can't stand films about teenagers. There are exceptions, of course, and this is one of them. Wood's portrayal of a spoiled, manipulative, and intelligent teen girl is amazing. In fact, she's a bad ass. This movie is everything Juno isn't, and that's a good thing. Kimberly Joyce doesn't betray pretensions to the hip (an annoying trait of supposed indie flicks in the last decade), she's a vindictive bitch, and she's so much the better for it. She plays sides, ignores the pain of others, all while reveling in her own grandeur. The world is her orchestra, and she is the insane conductor.
7. "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) Written by Hubert Selby Jr. and Darren Aronofsky, based on Selby Jr.'s novel of the same title/Directed by Darren Aronofsky/Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connolly, and Marlon Wayans/Perhaps part of what I really love about this film is that is pisses my mother off so. She thinks it's one of the worst movies ever. I haven't been able to pinpoint the reasons because she's very vague, but it entertains me. When I told her I was writing this, she asked if this movie would be on it. "Of course," I say. "It has to be. Number seven." Visually, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Lots of juxtaposition: Closed vs. Open spaces. Crowded vs. Intimate shots. Bright colors. Dull colors. Grit. Beauty. The cinematography helps the story, and it's a story that frankly doesn't need a lot of help. This is a very honest film. The characters spend much time fantasizing about what they want their lives to be. I could say that they abuse drugs because the feeling delivered is the closest experience to the realization of their fantasies, and maybe that is right, but I don't know. Each time I watch it, I find myself flip-flopping about the end. "It's sad. No, it's happy. No, sad," etc. The only thing I know, is that it's one of my favorite films about drug usage. As an aside, Burstyn is endearing in this.
6. "Ghost World" (2001) Written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff/Directed by Terry Zwigoff/Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Brad Renfro/Daniel Clowes is my favorite graphic novelist. "Ghost World" is his "magnum opus," and for good reason. A grown man has never captured teen girls (another exception to my rule about teens) in a such an accurate light. Granted, there's some quirk in there, but that's only because Clowes himself is an eccentric. Zwigoff isn't any different. Their collaboration on this film makes sense: Zwigoff is the man behind my favorite documentary (Crumb), and Clowes's work has just been begging for cinematic representation. "Ghost World" is a series of sweeping statements on art, film, and life (especially as a teen-ager at the end of a stage in life). It's snobby, it's pretentious, but it makes several points. Maybe it's just a big "fuck you" to everyone. Its minimalism suggests that it might not be a visual wonder, but when you can get an almost passable performance from the thespian train-wreck that is Scarlett Johansson, it makes the luxury of having fully developed characters that much better.
5. "Kill Bill Vol. 1" and "Kill Bill Vol. 2" (2003/2004) Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino/Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, and a whole lot of other motherfuckers/Let it be said that Tarantino is one of my favorite auteurs. Bar none. Maybe not my number one, but this guy fucking BLEEDS cinema. I don't know if there's anyone as film literate as him. I might know someone personally who approaches this kind of knowledge, but QT is up there. He expresses his love by giving us "Kill Bill," an epic in all respects. Better than the LotR series, better than the three films that sum up the Star Wars series. Just better. Initially, I had considered putting up "Vol.2" as my number 5 because there was no way I was going to waste spots, but then I figured, fuck it, they are just not complete alone. Maybe stylistically, as they are drastically different in that department, but if you look at the story, they cannot stand alone. Thus the shared position. It's true, "Vol 2," to me, is much better, but I have my reasons. The second installation develops character, fleshes out the story, has the better dialogue, and is stylistically more to my liking (a hint: my favorite Kurosawa film is Stray Dog, which is a noir, NOT a samurai film). The most damning misstep for Vol. 1? Casting Vivica Fox. Ugh. Taken together, these two volumes are a love-letter to all that is fun and beautiful about film.
4. "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" (2007) Written and Directed by Cristian Mungiu/Starring: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, and Vlad Ivanov/This is one of those films that reveal much about humanity without slapping you about the face with a "moral" or a "lesson" or some kind of judgment with regards to the humans involved. Mungiu uses the same approach with his characters that Todd Solondz does (Happiness, Storytelling, Welcome to the Dollhouse). He doesn't manipulate his audience one way or the other. He presents us with a picture of humanity. I remember while I was at college in Houston (a Catholic college), people urged me to see a film called "Bella" because it was supposed to present the audience with a "life-affirming (i.e, "pro-life") view towards abortion. But the subject is not so much about life-affirmation as it is about seeing that without a safe alternative, desperate women will go at great lengths to follow through on a decision that they have made about their own bodies. In a country where abortion is illegal, women are subject to a range of abuses. But this film shows. It doesn't tell. And it is extremely compelling.
3. "Amores Perros" (2000) Written by Guillermo Arriaga/Directed by Alejandro González Iñarritu/Starring: Gael García Bernal, Emilio Echevarría, Vanessa Bauche, and Goya Toledo/Hands down, my favorite Spanish language film. It starts out strong, and ends even stronger. There has been some discussion about the English translation of the title, which is, "Love's a Bitch." It's wholly inaccurate, but the sentiment makes sense. I can't be certain there is a literal translation. Amores=lovers, Perros=dogs. I say, "Dog lovers," but that isn't exactly accurate, either. Though dogs are very integral to the story. What really propels this film into something amazing is the acting (and the writing, which is sadly not matched in the next two films). There's not a weak spot in the whole damn thing. Echevarría steals the show as El Chivo, a hitman with an undefined past who roams the streets with his dogs. He doesn't get redemption, but he certainly is human as fuck, and that is amazing. You want to cry with him, as he calls his estranged daughter, desperately trying to reconnect in an act that is ultimately--and he knows this-- futile.
2. "The Edge of Heaven" (2007) Written and Directed by Fatih Akin/Starring: Nurgül Yeşilçay, Baki Davrak, Tuncel Kurtiz, and Hannah Schygulla/I am officially a big fan of Fatih Akin. The give away is that my top two films in the last ten years were both written and directed by him. "The Edge of Heaven" is a film ostensibly about death and how we deal with it. It's also about being an outsider. About being an outsider who loves an insider who isn't really an insider. Bottom line, Akin draws you in. You care for his characters, but only realize it when you hear yourself saying, "now what is he/she gonna do?" It's almost as if you are following around real people. They aren't extremely clever and witty. They aren't overly emotional, they aren't entirely detached, there's a perfect balance. Akin, being a German of Turkish descent, paints a picture of Turks who are trying to live their lives within the bounds of a culture that is not theirs. They don't fit in, and they don't try. Ultimately, this film will break your heart, because it doesn't end at all how your emotions want it to. Undying love is answered with denial, and you lose the character you most adore.
1. "Head-On" (2004) Written and Directed by Fatih Akin/Starring: Birol Ünel and Sibel Kekilli/When contemplating this list, I already had this film as number one. In some ways this film can be considered a package deal with The Edge of Heaven. It is the predecessor, but all the same, the themes are similar, and even the style is. Death is the caveat to life; random, inevitable. It can come from anywhere at any time. And that is a common theme. A driving one. One that serves as plot arc. So what makes this better than my number two? What sets it apart? It's a more compelling story. The characters are just that much more endearing. Kekilli is beautiful, and for me, I went from wanting simply to fuck her, to loving her character. Not literally, of course, but as a matter of the story. And Cahit (Ünel) goes from annoyance to seeming indifference, to the exact same feeling. The best part, once again, as a viewer, you are denied the ending which you desire.
17. "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" (2004/'05/'06) Written by Dave Chappelle/Directed by Michel Gondry/Starring Dave Chappelle with appearances by Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, The Fugees & more/This film is LOADED with exciting performances by some really great performers in hip-hop/r&b. Chappelle is charming and funny the entire way through (and you get a really good idea of what kind of guy he is in person), and it was Gondry at his most "hands-off" as a director. This film has excellent re-play value, awesome collaborative effort.
16. "Interview" (2007) Written by Steve Buscemi and Dave Schechter/Directed by Steve Buscemi/Starring Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller/Remake of Theo Van Gogh's 2003 film is light on plot, heavy on character. I thoroughly enjoy these kinds of films, and admittedly, while I never saw the original (in honesty didn't realize it was a remake until I looked it up), I'm going to assume it took a very similar approach. Miller and Buscemi really battle one another. When two good actors can carry a movie on sheer tension, I have to give the credit where credit is due. This is a quality film.
15. "Sin noticias de Dios" or "Don't Tempt Me!" (2001/'03/'05) Written and Directed by Augustín Díaz Yanes/Starring: Penelopé Cruz, Victoria Abril, Demián Bichir, and Gael García Bernal/This one benefits from the fact that I've recently seen it, but I LOVED the creativity with which scenes set in Heaven (in French with a song in Portuguese)/Hell (in English)/Earth (in Spanish) were presented aesthetically-- especially heaven-- nouvelle vague styled (even borrowed footage from the intro to Les Quatre Cents Coups). Very tongue-in-cheek performances and treatment of the subject matter. Cruz and Abril approach sexiness from two different angles and achieve the expected results.
14. "Shaun of the Dead" (2004) Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright/Directed by Edgar Wright/Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, and Dylan Moran/A romantic comedy with zombies! That was one of the taglines. If there's one criticism that many level against this film, it's the acting. But I hardly think it's fair. Pegg might have been overwrought emotionally at times, but the comedic exchanges are brilliant, and as filmmakers, they demonstrate a pretty good understanding of the genre. In my mind, nothing quite matches the original Dawn of the Dead which is amazing in just about every way and to me is the measuring stick for these kinds of films (the Evil Dead series is spectacular, but not really a zombie thing).
13. "Sleuth" (2007) Written by Harold Pinter/Directed by Kenneth Branagh/Starring: Michael Caine and Jude Law/Talk about a lineup of dramatic heavyweights. This is another remake, and a formiddable one, at that. Caine is an amazing actor and Law is no slouch (one of my favorites, in fact). The fact that Branagh is helming this thing and NOT acting as well is good news. Branagh is a fine performer (especially in Shakespearean productions), but with this film, he sits back and commands killer performances without the awkwardness of having to direct oneself. Pinter wrote the screenplay, which is strange to me since he is a playwright and he didn't write the play this is based on, but he takes thin material and makes it interesting. Caine and Law constantly one-upping one another in a game of cat and mouse is fun to watch.
12. "She Hate Me" (2004) Written by Michael Genet and Spike Lee/Directed by Spike Lee/Starring: Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Dania Ramirez, Woody Harrelson, and Q-Tip/I don't think many enjoy this film as much as I do. It has its flaws (the CGI sperm and the sexual montages border on awful), but I think there are segments of it that really lift it. It's not Do the Right Thing or Jungle Fever, but it's a well executed piece of cinema at the best of times. The scenes with Q-Tip and Mackie are sparkling with chemistry, the re-enactment of the Watergate scandal was clever (powerful, in fact), and the Bonasera crime family doesn't seem as tacked on the more times I watch.
11. "Nada +" or "Nada Mas" (2001) Written by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti and Manuel Rodríguez/Directed by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti/Starring: Thais Valdés and Nacho Lugo/Lighthearted and visually bold, Malberti's portrayal of Cuba and her people is fun and doesn't beat you over the head with a bunch of political bullshit. It's all very subtle, understated even. And not just because it HAS to be. Just when you think it's about to get deep and serious, there's colorful cartoony scenes and goofy chase scenes. All the performances are fairly over-the-top, excepting Valdés and Lugo, who are stolid and matter-of-fact in equal measure.
10. "Man, Woman, and the Wall" (2007) Written by Masashi Yamamoto based on a story by Fumihiro Yamada/Directed by Masashi Yamamoto/Starring: Sola Aoi and Keita Ono/Apparently this little Japanese film is a "less raw" kind of a type of cinema called "pink" in Japan. I can't comment more on that because I am unfamiliar with this style. Exploitative but sensual, bordering on art-house sensibility, what I like most about this film is its overall feel and approach to the subject. It never gets too menacing or deranged, and Yamamoto treats his characters with care. Admittedly, I was taken aback by the scene where Ono rummages through his beautiful neighbor's trash in efforts to experience her more. My western sensibilities say, "Oh, that's mad stalkerish," and it's actually fun to be challenged like that. The idea of obsession is one of my favorites, and the perspective is executed nicely here.
9. "Batalla en el cielo" or "Battle in Heaven" (2005) Written and Directed by Carlos Reygadas/Starring: Marcos Hernández, Berta Ruiz, and Anapola Mushkadiz/This film will always be remembered in my mind, as the movie that made my friend Robert walk out. The sex scenes made him uncomfortable as they apparently reminded him of his parents. I asked him if his parents are tubby, middle aged Mexicans. His reply: "fuck you." Yes, there is explicit sex in the film. I love the close-ups on the characters' genitalia in post-coital comedown. It's a beautiful thing. Perhaps to some it is porn, but I find it bold and beautifully done. The repitition of imagery is done seamlessly. The story itself is about an aging couple who kidnap a baby only to have it die on them soon after and the existential crisis that follows. The supposed-to-be powerful, but ultimately hollow expression of Marcos's religiosity in the end, to me, is a statement of Reygadas's disapproval of this type of insincerity in the face of reality.
8. "Pretty Persuasion" (2005) Written by Skander Halim/Directed by Marcos Siega/Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods, Jane Krakowski, Ron Livingston, and Selma Blair/As a general rule, I can't stand films about teenagers. There are exceptions, of course, and this is one of them. Wood's portrayal of a spoiled, manipulative, and intelligent teen girl is amazing. In fact, she's a bad ass. This movie is everything Juno isn't, and that's a good thing. Kimberly Joyce doesn't betray pretensions to the hip (an annoying trait of supposed indie flicks in the last decade), she's a vindictive bitch, and she's so much the better for it. She plays sides, ignores the pain of others, all while reveling in her own grandeur. The world is her orchestra, and she is the insane conductor.
7. "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) Written by Hubert Selby Jr. and Darren Aronofsky, based on Selby Jr.'s novel of the same title/Directed by Darren Aronofsky/Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connolly, and Marlon Wayans/Perhaps part of what I really love about this film is that is pisses my mother off so. She thinks it's one of the worst movies ever. I haven't been able to pinpoint the reasons because she's very vague, but it entertains me. When I told her I was writing this, she asked if this movie would be on it. "Of course," I say. "It has to be. Number seven." Visually, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Lots of juxtaposition: Closed vs. Open spaces. Crowded vs. Intimate shots. Bright colors. Dull colors. Grit. Beauty. The cinematography helps the story, and it's a story that frankly doesn't need a lot of help. This is a very honest film. The characters spend much time fantasizing about what they want their lives to be. I could say that they abuse drugs because the feeling delivered is the closest experience to the realization of their fantasies, and maybe that is right, but I don't know. Each time I watch it, I find myself flip-flopping about the end. "It's sad. No, it's happy. No, sad," etc. The only thing I know, is that it's one of my favorite films about drug usage. As an aside, Burstyn is endearing in this.
6. "Ghost World" (2001) Written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff/Directed by Terry Zwigoff/Starring: Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, and Brad Renfro/Daniel Clowes is my favorite graphic novelist. "Ghost World" is his "magnum opus," and for good reason. A grown man has never captured teen girls (another exception to my rule about teens) in a such an accurate light. Granted, there's some quirk in there, but that's only because Clowes himself is an eccentric. Zwigoff isn't any different. Their collaboration on this film makes sense: Zwigoff is the man behind my favorite documentary (Crumb), and Clowes's work has just been begging for cinematic representation. "Ghost World" is a series of sweeping statements on art, film, and life (especially as a teen-ager at the end of a stage in life). It's snobby, it's pretentious, but it makes several points. Maybe it's just a big "fuck you" to everyone. Its minimalism suggests that it might not be a visual wonder, but when you can get an almost passable performance from the thespian train-wreck that is Scarlett Johansson, it makes the luxury of having fully developed characters that much better.
5. "Kill Bill Vol. 1" and "Kill Bill Vol. 2" (2003/2004) Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino/Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, and a whole lot of other motherfuckers/Let it be said that Tarantino is one of my favorite auteurs. Bar none. Maybe not my number one, but this guy fucking BLEEDS cinema. I don't know if there's anyone as film literate as him. I might know someone personally who approaches this kind of knowledge, but QT is up there. He expresses his love by giving us "Kill Bill," an epic in all respects. Better than the LotR series, better than the three films that sum up the Star Wars series. Just better. Initially, I had considered putting up "Vol.2" as my number 5 because there was no way I was going to waste spots, but then I figured, fuck it, they are just not complete alone. Maybe stylistically, as they are drastically different in that department, but if you look at the story, they cannot stand alone. Thus the shared position. It's true, "Vol 2," to me, is much better, but I have my reasons. The second installation develops character, fleshes out the story, has the better dialogue, and is stylistically more to my liking (a hint: my favorite Kurosawa film is Stray Dog, which is a noir, NOT a samurai film). The most damning misstep for Vol. 1? Casting Vivica Fox. Ugh. Taken together, these two volumes are a love-letter to all that is fun and beautiful about film.
4. "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" (2007) Written and Directed by Cristian Mungiu/Starring: Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, and Vlad Ivanov/This is one of those films that reveal much about humanity without slapping you about the face with a "moral" or a "lesson" or some kind of judgment with regards to the humans involved. Mungiu uses the same approach with his characters that Todd Solondz does (Happiness, Storytelling, Welcome to the Dollhouse). He doesn't manipulate his audience one way or the other. He presents us with a picture of humanity. I remember while I was at college in Houston (a Catholic college), people urged me to see a film called "Bella" because it was supposed to present the audience with a "life-affirming (i.e, "pro-life") view towards abortion. But the subject is not so much about life-affirmation as it is about seeing that without a safe alternative, desperate women will go at great lengths to follow through on a decision that they have made about their own bodies. In a country where abortion is illegal, women are subject to a range of abuses. But this film shows. It doesn't tell. And it is extremely compelling.
3. "Amores Perros" (2000) Written by Guillermo Arriaga/Directed by Alejandro González Iñarritu/Starring: Gael García Bernal, Emilio Echevarría, Vanessa Bauche, and Goya Toledo/Hands down, my favorite Spanish language film. It starts out strong, and ends even stronger. There has been some discussion about the English translation of the title, which is, "Love's a Bitch." It's wholly inaccurate, but the sentiment makes sense. I can't be certain there is a literal translation. Amores=lovers, Perros=dogs. I say, "Dog lovers," but that isn't exactly accurate, either. Though dogs are very integral to the story. What really propels this film into something amazing is the acting (and the writing, which is sadly not matched in the next two films). There's not a weak spot in the whole damn thing. Echevarría steals the show as El Chivo, a hitman with an undefined past who roams the streets with his dogs. He doesn't get redemption, but he certainly is human as fuck, and that is amazing. You want to cry with him, as he calls his estranged daughter, desperately trying to reconnect in an act that is ultimately--and he knows this-- futile.
2. "The Edge of Heaven" (2007) Written and Directed by Fatih Akin/Starring: Nurgül Yeşilçay, Baki Davrak, Tuncel Kurtiz, and Hannah Schygulla/I am officially a big fan of Fatih Akin. The give away is that my top two films in the last ten years were both written and directed by him. "The Edge of Heaven" is a film ostensibly about death and how we deal with it. It's also about being an outsider. About being an outsider who loves an insider who isn't really an insider. Bottom line, Akin draws you in. You care for his characters, but only realize it when you hear yourself saying, "now what is he/she gonna do?" It's almost as if you are following around real people. They aren't extremely clever and witty. They aren't overly emotional, they aren't entirely detached, there's a perfect balance. Akin, being a German of Turkish descent, paints a picture of Turks who are trying to live their lives within the bounds of a culture that is not theirs. They don't fit in, and they don't try. Ultimately, this film will break your heart, because it doesn't end at all how your emotions want it to. Undying love is answered with denial, and you lose the character you most adore.
1. "Head-On" (2004) Written and Directed by Fatih Akin/Starring: Birol Ünel and Sibel Kekilli/When contemplating this list, I already had this film as number one. In some ways this film can be considered a package deal with The Edge of Heaven. It is the predecessor, but all the same, the themes are similar, and even the style is. Death is the caveat to life; random, inevitable. It can come from anywhere at any time. And that is a common theme. A driving one. One that serves as plot arc. So what makes this better than my number two? What sets it apart? It's a more compelling story. The characters are just that much more endearing. Kekilli is beautiful, and for me, I went from wanting simply to fuck her, to loving her character. Not literally, of course, but as a matter of the story. And Cahit (Ünel) goes from annoyance to seeming indifference, to the exact same feeling. The best part, once again, as a viewer, you are denied the ending which you desire.
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