A List of Perfect Films
Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I'm a bit of a movie buff. Now, I'm not claiming to have seen EVERY CLASSIC EVER, but I have a long list of films that I intend to watch and enjoy, from classics to new creations, side ventures, filmographies of favourite actors, and rare gems. But as someone who is such a lover of the media, I have to confess that there are favourites I have that aren't perfect. Some of them, the concept is great, but the characters need a bit more fine tuning and depth (Titan AE, Hackers), some of them I'm honestly only watching for a singular favourite actor, and the rest of the film I can almost skip through (Spiderman 2(2004)-Alfred Molina, Must Love Dogs (2005)-John Cusack), or that I grew up on and love, but I know are an acquired taste (The Last Unicorn (1982), The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)), or even films that, while very good, have a core element or two that could be removed for other embellishments (Across the Universe (2007)). A PERFECT film, in my mind, is a very careful balance of heart, comedy, drama, romance, spectacular writing, and amazing sets. Something rich and beautiful, but REAL enough that you feel more like visiting old friends than watching a film. Here's a list of some films I consider PERFECT, and if you haven't watched them yet, you need to.
1. A Knight's Tale (2001)
This rather irreverant, shamelessly anachronistic film starring the late Heath Ledger, Alan Tudyk and Paul Bettany follows young William Thatcher, a peasant who dreams of becoming a knight. When his Master dies unexpectedly in the middle of a jousting tourney, Will puts on the suit and fills in to finish and win the gold, and realises the farce is one they could pull off. Bettany deserves special recognition for his role as Geoffrey Chaucer, their loquacious "herald" (a part written with him in mind) while Will plays the part of Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein, playing a sport reserved for nobles, a crime punishable by death. As amazingly funny and well-written as the film is, special mention has to be made for an AMAZING soundtrack, including everything from David Bowie to Thin Lizzy to Queen.
2. Chocolat (2000)
Starring Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina and Judi Dench, this curious film takes place in a small village of France, and starts when a wandering gypsy woman (I say figuratively, not literally - she's actually a descendent of the Mayan witchdoctors) sets up shop in an old patisserie. When she opens just in time for Lent, however, she sells not bread, but something far more tempting: chocolates. A kind of spiritual war breaks out as the temptress challenges old (and cruel) ways, with a special foiling in the river rats (Irish travelers, including Roux, played by Depp) that set up shop at the river. Sometimes, a little debauchery is just what you need to shake the skeletons out of the closet, and move on from stagnant prejudice. The scenery is beautiful, but the real guilty pleasure is the sheer multitude of chocolates, including an absolutely divine dinner held for Dench's character's birthday party. The music is an indulgence of its own, with warm violins and a bit of punchy gypsy party music to go with it. Tatyana Yassukovich earns a special recognition for her voiceover work, which is just as rich and lovely as the chocolate!
3. You've Got Mail (1998)
"Don't you just love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. If I knew who you were, I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils." So begins the flim, starring the ever lovely pairing of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, a quirky little rom-com in turn based on a play. The pair meet on an internet chat room, and become electronic pen pals, with the one rule that they don't ask any specifics about their personal lives. Which is ironic, because they happen to not only be in the same line of business, but Joe Fox's big chain bookstore (which is a kind of Barnes & Noble) happens to be buying out every shop in town, including Kathleen Kelly's quaint "Shop Around the Corner", which specialises in children's books, and was started by her mother when she was a little girl. A love note not only to the fun curiousities of life, priorities in love, but most importantly books and New York, it's a spectacular use of dramatic irony, spectacular supporting cast, and lovely little tidbits of flavour that you can only really pick up when you sit and study it like a good book. Not only is the music fun, but it's part of the story telling, especially the scene where Mr. Fox visits the Shop as a customer, trying to avoid detection while "Never Smile At A Crocodile" begins to play.
4. Practical Magic (1998)
This beautiful film, starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock is about two sisters, Sally and Gilly Owens, the latest in a long line of witches, cursed by an ancestor to never have a happy ending. When their father dies because of the curse, and their mother close behind with a broken heart, the two girls grow up with their aunts Jet and Franny, played by the wonderful and charming Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing. Sally swears to never fall in love, and Gilly can't wait. So begins a tale of curses, magic, love, and a bit of self-discovery as the girls endure the curse's effects on their own lives, in a tale of not only magic and a world uncomfortable with witches, but also family. Another one with a beautiful soundtrack, the foiling between the generations of Owens women is particularly powerful, both as the sisters look to the aunts, and as they watch Sally's daughters fall under the influence as well.
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
A brain, a basketcase, a princess, an athlete and a criminal. The best thing about this film is that it states outright that we're going to explore some basic archetypes in the genre of high school drama, and does an amazing job of not only staying true to the core concept for each, but exploring the implications behind the stereotypes. Part of the Brat Pack series in the '80s, this John Hughes film details a Saturday school detention, where five students are to sit and write an essay, "Who Am I?" The characters play off of each other, assuming much as each character is defined by their social roles in the hierarchy of high school. There is a great deal of arguing, amongst themselves and with the principal who is playing host, but then, good character conflict brings good character growth. It touches on substance abuse, sexual pressure, academic and athletic pressures, the fear of growing up to be your parents, and that looming knowledge that graduation is but a couple months away, and with it, the ugly real world. It's as much a character study as it is a thesis on the parts that make up the whole of the culture of high school, chock full of one-liners and touching moments that speak to all of us. Bender is really the one to watch, played by a young Jed Nelson who has such a passion and fire that he can be frightening, as the bully and the victim.
6. The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)
Starring Charlton Heston, James Stewart and Betty Hutton, this Cecil B. DeMille film follows the Ringling Bros. on tour, and is a particular marvel in that it was actually filmed with the circus, and includes sketches from classic clown acts like Lou Jacobs and Emmett Kelley, mixed in with the main story. Heston is Brad Braden, one of the managers of the show, and he's faced with a financial debacle: the owners aren't confident that the show will be profitable, and there's talks of cutting the season short, which means an entire circus full of people out of work. To combat this, they've hired The Great Sebastian, a renowned trapeze act, for the center ring, stealing it from the budding Holly who has been with the show longer, and has worked hard to earn that spot. In the trapeze, Sebastian and Holly take to outdoing each other with competitive stunts, while on the ground Sebastian tries to sweep her off her feet from Brad. With Phyllis, the horse girl, and her crazy admirer the elephant man, and Stewart's Buttons, a clown who never takes off his make-up, hiding a terrible secret, there's plenty of drama on and off the stage to keep life tense, but circus folks know how to keep the show rolling, no matter what happens. Buttons is really the one to watch, but I am a big fan of the clowns in general. So sue me!
7. The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy (2003)
I mark this as a trilogy, because you really have to take the tree films together. With a cast including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush and Jack Davenport, this fun romp through (HA!) the Golden Age of Piracy is, at once, a delightful tip of the hat to a historical era, and a rather tongue in cheek conglomeration thereof. The powder and "long pork" make me happy, as does the fact that every flag flying in At World's End's battle speech (told by Captain Swan in a tribute, no doubt, to her royal namesake) is a real flag from a real pirate in the Golden Age of Piracy. The music is Hans Zimmer, which is always great, and Jack's theme is instantly memorable. It dabbles with black magick, pagan gods, cannibals, drag... Plus, it's got a great bit of Keith Richards, intimidating an entire room of pirates by breaking a guitar string. It's funny, but heartful, great drama, AMAZING continuity. Pay special attention to the tragic Comm. Norrington and his fated sword. An honourable mention to Lee Arenberg, who has quick become one of my favourites! Watch him, he'll get big!
8. The Dark Knight (2008)
The second in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, this film won Heath Ledger 32 posthumous awards, including an Oscar, and for very good reason! For any Batman fan, this one already packs a punch with an amazing line up: Christian Bale as the Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, before and after Two Face, Gary Oldman as Gordon, and Ledger as the Joker, the Moriarity to the World's Greatest Detective. In a vast redirection from Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman (1989), Ledger's Joker is more of a psychopath, cold and ruthless, and with a penchant for eloquent, but chilling speeches. Not only is Ledger's performance as Joker absolutely legendary, there is a good balance for the Batman as well, giving him scenes in the Cave with Alfred as well as on the town as Wayne, supporting Dent's political work. There are a good number of twists and turns in the plot, but each of them is carefully paced and perfectly executed. The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking, and if you can get it on BluRay, you absolutely MUST. No matter who he's on screen with, the Joker completely sucks you in, and you don't even notice at first that even the music goes deathly silent when it's his turn to speak, until you get swept away in the monologues of anarchy and uncomfortable social commentary that sharpens with the chilling music as the madman reveals his twisted, deadly plot. The Joker has always been one of my favourite villains, and I can watch this film over and over again without remorse. I always say, "Okay, just the beginning, because the beginning is amazing." And then, "Okay, just the Proposition Scene", and next thing I know, we're at the Interrogation Scene, and then the end. It's addicting, watch yourself.
9. Down Periscope (1996)
This comedy, starring Kelsey Grammar and a slew of other great comics is a solid A treat. A perfect comedy, the romp follows Dodge, a submarine officer with dreams of getting his own boat. When he finally does make Captain, however, it's for an antiquated diesel sub called the USS Stingray to test a security risk for a series of war games. Although his general (a Rip Torn much like his agent in Men In Black (1997)) insists he's just the right "pirate" for the job, Admiral Graham, his opponent, is playing dirty. His crew is a bunch of misfits and weirdos, including Harland Williams as Sonar, a (duh) sonar officer with impossibly good hearing, Toby Huss as a zapped-out electrician, and Rob Schneider as the high-strung First Mate. As a Navy brat, I know it's a little wrong, but I can't help but love this movie. The writing is perfect, the comedy is hillarious, and the cast of characters are just delightful. By the end of the film, you feel like a member of this ragtag crew, too.
10. Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)
What can't be said about this film? Firstly, you need to have a bit of a sick sense of humour to appreciate this one, because it's directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. With a cast of Terrence Zdunich, Alexa PenaVega, Paul Sorvino and Anthony Stewart Head, it really is an opera, but with a macabre, post-apocalyptic twist. Head plays an almost split-personality Repoman, whose job is to "repossess" body parts owed to GeneCo, a company that made big profits when an epidemic of organ failure nearly killed the world. GeneCo belongs to Rotti Largo, an old-school Italian mobster-esque father of three, facing terminal cancer and a trio of heirs that aren't worthy of his empire. In typical opera fashion, everything is entertwined, but the mix of blood, rock, opera and some absolutely spectacular graphic novel-style exposition makes this an absolute treat, including Zdunich as the sexy White Rabbit-esque Graverobber. As an added treat, Sarah Brightman, the original Christine Daae, capitalises on her naturally creepy eye factor as "Blind Mag", a soprano under terminal contract with GeneCo.
1. A Knight's Tale (2001)
This rather irreverant, shamelessly anachronistic film starring the late Heath Ledger, Alan Tudyk and Paul Bettany follows young William Thatcher, a peasant who dreams of becoming a knight. When his Master dies unexpectedly in the middle of a jousting tourney, Will puts on the suit and fills in to finish and win the gold, and realises the farce is one they could pull off. Bettany deserves special recognition for his role as Geoffrey Chaucer, their loquacious "herald" (a part written with him in mind) while Will plays the part of Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein, playing a sport reserved for nobles, a crime punishable by death. As amazingly funny and well-written as the film is, special mention has to be made for an AMAZING soundtrack, including everything from David Bowie to Thin Lizzy to Queen.
2. Chocolat (2000)
Starring Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Alfred Molina and Judi Dench, this curious film takes place in a small village of France, and starts when a wandering gypsy woman (I say figuratively, not literally - she's actually a descendent of the Mayan witchdoctors) sets up shop in an old patisserie. When she opens just in time for Lent, however, she sells not bread, but something far more tempting: chocolates. A kind of spiritual war breaks out as the temptress challenges old (and cruel) ways, with a special foiling in the river rats (Irish travelers, including Roux, played by Depp) that set up shop at the river. Sometimes, a little debauchery is just what you need to shake the skeletons out of the closet, and move on from stagnant prejudice. The scenery is beautiful, but the real guilty pleasure is the sheer multitude of chocolates, including an absolutely divine dinner held for Dench's character's birthday party. The music is an indulgence of its own, with warm violins and a bit of punchy gypsy party music to go with it. Tatyana Yassukovich earns a special recognition for her voiceover work, which is just as rich and lovely as the chocolate!
3. You've Got Mail (1998)
"Don't you just love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. If I knew who you were, I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils." So begins the flim, starring the ever lovely pairing of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, a quirky little rom-com in turn based on a play. The pair meet on an internet chat room, and become electronic pen pals, with the one rule that they don't ask any specifics about their personal lives. Which is ironic, because they happen to not only be in the same line of business, but Joe Fox's big chain bookstore (which is a kind of Barnes & Noble) happens to be buying out every shop in town, including Kathleen Kelly's quaint "Shop Around the Corner", which specialises in children's books, and was started by her mother when she was a little girl. A love note not only to the fun curiousities of life, priorities in love, but most importantly books and New York, it's a spectacular use of dramatic irony, spectacular supporting cast, and lovely little tidbits of flavour that you can only really pick up when you sit and study it like a good book. Not only is the music fun, but it's part of the story telling, especially the scene where Mr. Fox visits the Shop as a customer, trying to avoid detection while "Never Smile At A Crocodile" begins to play.
4. Practical Magic (1998)
This beautiful film, starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock is about two sisters, Sally and Gilly Owens, the latest in a long line of witches, cursed by an ancestor to never have a happy ending. When their father dies because of the curse, and their mother close behind with a broken heart, the two girls grow up with their aunts Jet and Franny, played by the wonderful and charming Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing. Sally swears to never fall in love, and Gilly can't wait. So begins a tale of curses, magic, love, and a bit of self-discovery as the girls endure the curse's effects on their own lives, in a tale of not only magic and a world uncomfortable with witches, but also family. Another one with a beautiful soundtrack, the foiling between the generations of Owens women is particularly powerful, both as the sisters look to the aunts, and as they watch Sally's daughters fall under the influence as well.
5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
A brain, a basketcase, a princess, an athlete and a criminal. The best thing about this film is that it states outright that we're going to explore some basic archetypes in the genre of high school drama, and does an amazing job of not only staying true to the core concept for each, but exploring the implications behind the stereotypes. Part of the Brat Pack series in the '80s, this John Hughes film details a Saturday school detention, where five students are to sit and write an essay, "Who Am I?" The characters play off of each other, assuming much as each character is defined by their social roles in the hierarchy of high school. There is a great deal of arguing, amongst themselves and with the principal who is playing host, but then, good character conflict brings good character growth. It touches on substance abuse, sexual pressure, academic and athletic pressures, the fear of growing up to be your parents, and that looming knowledge that graduation is but a couple months away, and with it, the ugly real world. It's as much a character study as it is a thesis on the parts that make up the whole of the culture of high school, chock full of one-liners and touching moments that speak to all of us. Bender is really the one to watch, played by a young Jed Nelson who has such a passion and fire that he can be frightening, as the bully and the victim.
6. The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)
Starring Charlton Heston, James Stewart and Betty Hutton, this Cecil B. DeMille film follows the Ringling Bros. on tour, and is a particular marvel in that it was actually filmed with the circus, and includes sketches from classic clown acts like Lou Jacobs and Emmett Kelley, mixed in with the main story. Heston is Brad Braden, one of the managers of the show, and he's faced with a financial debacle: the owners aren't confident that the show will be profitable, and there's talks of cutting the season short, which means an entire circus full of people out of work. To combat this, they've hired The Great Sebastian, a renowned trapeze act, for the center ring, stealing it from the budding Holly who has been with the show longer, and has worked hard to earn that spot. In the trapeze, Sebastian and Holly take to outdoing each other with competitive stunts, while on the ground Sebastian tries to sweep her off her feet from Brad. With Phyllis, the horse girl, and her crazy admirer the elephant man, and Stewart's Buttons, a clown who never takes off his make-up, hiding a terrible secret, there's plenty of drama on and off the stage to keep life tense, but circus folks know how to keep the show rolling, no matter what happens. Buttons is really the one to watch, but I am a big fan of the clowns in general. So sue me!
7. The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy (2003)
I mark this as a trilogy, because you really have to take the tree films together. With a cast including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush and Jack Davenport, this fun romp through (HA!) the Golden Age of Piracy is, at once, a delightful tip of the hat to a historical era, and a rather tongue in cheek conglomeration thereof. The powder and "long pork" make me happy, as does the fact that every flag flying in At World's End's battle speech (told by Captain Swan in a tribute, no doubt, to her royal namesake) is a real flag from a real pirate in the Golden Age of Piracy. The music is Hans Zimmer, which is always great, and Jack's theme is instantly memorable. It dabbles with black magick, pagan gods, cannibals, drag... Plus, it's got a great bit of Keith Richards, intimidating an entire room of pirates by breaking a guitar string. It's funny, but heartful, great drama, AMAZING continuity. Pay special attention to the tragic Comm. Norrington and his fated sword. An honourable mention to Lee Arenberg, who has quick become one of my favourites! Watch him, he'll get big!
8. The Dark Knight (2008)
The second in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, this film won Heath Ledger 32 posthumous awards, including an Oscar, and for very good reason! For any Batman fan, this one already packs a punch with an amazing line up: Christian Bale as the Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, before and after Two Face, Gary Oldman as Gordon, and Ledger as the Joker, the Moriarity to the World's Greatest Detective. In a vast redirection from Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman (1989), Ledger's Joker is more of a psychopath, cold and ruthless, and with a penchant for eloquent, but chilling speeches. Not only is Ledger's performance as Joker absolutely legendary, there is a good balance for the Batman as well, giving him scenes in the Cave with Alfred as well as on the town as Wayne, supporting Dent's political work. There are a good number of twists and turns in the plot, but each of them is carefully paced and perfectly executed. The cinematography is absolutely breathtaking, and if you can get it on BluRay, you absolutely MUST. No matter who he's on screen with, the Joker completely sucks you in, and you don't even notice at first that even the music goes deathly silent when it's his turn to speak, until you get swept away in the monologues of anarchy and uncomfortable social commentary that sharpens with the chilling music as the madman reveals his twisted, deadly plot. The Joker has always been one of my favourite villains, and I can watch this film over and over again without remorse. I always say, "Okay, just the beginning, because the beginning is amazing." And then, "Okay, just the Proposition Scene", and next thing I know, we're at the Interrogation Scene, and then the end. It's addicting, watch yourself.
9. Down Periscope (1996)
This comedy, starring Kelsey Grammar and a slew of other great comics is a solid A treat. A perfect comedy, the romp follows Dodge, a submarine officer with dreams of getting his own boat. When he finally does make Captain, however, it's for an antiquated diesel sub called the USS Stingray to test a security risk for a series of war games. Although his general (a Rip Torn much like his agent in Men In Black (1997)) insists he's just the right "pirate" for the job, Admiral Graham, his opponent, is playing dirty. His crew is a bunch of misfits and weirdos, including Harland Williams as Sonar, a (duh) sonar officer with impossibly good hearing, Toby Huss as a zapped-out electrician, and Rob Schneider as the high-strung First Mate. As a Navy brat, I know it's a little wrong, but I can't help but love this movie. The writing is perfect, the comedy is hillarious, and the cast of characters are just delightful. By the end of the film, you feel like a member of this ragtag crew, too.
10. Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)
What can't be said about this film? Firstly, you need to have a bit of a sick sense of humour to appreciate this one, because it's directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. With a cast of Terrence Zdunich, Alexa PenaVega, Paul Sorvino and Anthony Stewart Head, it really is an opera, but with a macabre, post-apocalyptic twist. Head plays an almost split-personality Repoman, whose job is to "repossess" body parts owed to GeneCo, a company that made big profits when an epidemic of organ failure nearly killed the world. GeneCo belongs to Rotti Largo, an old-school Italian mobster-esque father of three, facing terminal cancer and a trio of heirs that aren't worthy of his empire. In typical opera fashion, everything is entertwined, but the mix of blood, rock, opera and some absolutely spectacular graphic novel-style exposition makes this an absolute treat, including Zdunich as the sexy White Rabbit-esque Graverobber. As an added treat, Sarah Brightman, the original Christine Daae, capitalises on her naturally creepy eye factor as "Blind Mag", a soprano under terminal contract with GeneCo.