With the Oscars just around the corner, and me being a rabid fan of the awards - and no, not just for the dresses… – I wanted to put together a little list of some of my faves (by no means is this all the ones I like or have seen but rather a, shall we say, smattering of a few standouts.)
No Country for Old Men (Best Picture 2008) I love Javier Bardem in this. He is creepy and his haircut is reminiscent of something my mother may or may not have forced me into from the ages of 2 to 6. So let’s just say I relate. And also that kindergarten was a tough year. I especially love him because, while he has been absolutely amazing in Spanish films like Los lunes al sol (Mondays in the Sun) and Mar adentro (The Sea Inside), No Country for Old Men solidified him a star in the US as well.
A Beautiful Mind (2002) Ok, if you know anything about me, you know that I have a particular penchant for a good psychological movie. I’ll take your One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’s (1975) and your Girl, Interrupted ’s , but where I really get involved is one where you’re not entirely positive which parts of the story are reality and which ones aren’t. It’s kind of like where you wake up and you realize that you actually forgot to show up for entire year of Dr. Cron’s Calc class and you didn’t graduate and have to take the whole year over. And while you’re in the shower panicking as to how on earth you’re going to commute between work and finishing up that damn Calc course, you have a thought…. “Was that real? No wait, probably a dream.” And you feel better. It was scary but ultimately you come out alright. Plus, Russell Crowe is excellent. You know what, just rewind the ol’ time machine and watch him again in Gladiator (2001). Less shirts being worn, more being mauled by tigers.
The Silence of the Lambs (1992) As my roommates, and my mother, and my boyfriend, can attest to, I really like Criminal Minds. Well, Silence of the Lambs was Criminal Minds way before it was cool. It’s got serial killers on the loose, it’s got dead bodies, it’s got mystery and suspense, and it’s got Anthony Hopkins. Based on the novels by Thomas Harris (which are also excellent by the way!), the series is definitely one of my absolute favorites.
The Sting (1974) It’s the 1930’s and Robert Redford is a professional grifter who pulls off the con of a lifetime with the help of Paul Newman to get revenge for his murdered partner. The screenplay is amazing, keeping you right on the edge of your seat until the last minute, and with more twists and turns than a double topsy mulletron (if you don’t know, don’t ask). One of the Oscar Best Picture winners that was also a major commercial success - no shock there, it stars Hollywood powerhouses Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw and Robert Earl Jones (ok maybe I’m attributing most of his fame to his son, James.) Definitely a gem that might be a little under the radar to today’s audiences, but amazing nonetheless.
Gigi (1959). I’m sorry, but by no means in this one of my favorites, it just amazes me. Frankly it is utterly absurd and I think there is a very distinct possibility that, not only was the academy high out of their trees when they voted for it, but also Maurice Chevalier when he thought to himself, “You know what will solidify my career? Belting out ‘Thank Heaven for Little Girls’ and touching small children on the heads completely unsolicited, not unlike an elderly pederast, slightly drunk Santa.” I’m not saying it’s bad, rather, I’m sure that there are people the world over who number this among their personal Criterion Collection. But my god, the top hats, the dancing, the choreographed singing….
Rebecca (1940) Hitchcock’s first American project under the insane, iron clad production fist of David O. Selznick. Pretty much a template for every future horror movie to come – haunted house on the hill, ghostly presence, creepy servants, pretty girl almost getting killed, you name it, he’s got it in there. It’s beautiful in black and white and the scenery, plot twists and music are perfect. Definitely a classic and the only one of his films to ever win a Best Picture.
All Stars: American Beauty (2000) Schindler’s List (1994) The Godfather Parts 1 &2 (1973 & 1975) Casablana (1944) Gone With the Wind (1940). Please see this list. Do not attempt to use the but-I-don’t-have-a-DVD-player-and-still-consider-VCRs-a-valid-form-of-technology excuse. Do not fear, I will loan you my tapes.
Yes, I realize that I left off Driving Miss Daisy (1990). I’m sorry, alright! I love Morgan Freeman in a hat just as much as the next person but, you know what? It didn’t make the cut. Neither did Lawrence of Arabia (1963).
I have found little enjoyment watching movies that other people applaud as "oscar-worthy." I find myself instinctively (some might say even hipster-ly) pushing back against the buzz, looking for that under-appreciated underdog to sweep me off my feet and rouse my interest without being told what to like by the Man. I found, however, that one movie changed my inherent dislike for anything academy approved, and that was Pan's Labyrinth.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I talked to who had seen it said the same thing: visually stunning, fantastically written, and remarkably accessible for a foreign film with subtitles. If you decided to see the movie based solely on the meek-sounding name and clips of fawns and butterflies, you were in for a surprise. Blood and gore come quickly and often, but never in a gratuitous way. I found this movie to have the perfect blend of action, adventure, fantasy, and history. The production is sublime, the execution seamless, the writing well paced; everything comes together so well that even the most American of Americans might forget they are watching a foreign film, complete with subtitles.
If you have any sort of imagination, or interest in history, or even if you barely cobble together enough thoughts and actions to be defined as "living," do yourself a favor. See this movie.