Top 50, part 2
Part 2, transform and roll out:
#35: Equilibrium (2002), starring Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, and Mary O’Brien
Written and directed by Kurt Wimmer, who invented the notion of “gunkata” in his backyard, this flick wears its Matrix influences quite openly on its sleeve, but Christan Bale does a better job of portraying an emotionless protagonist than Keanu did. Which is handy, since the theme of the movie is permitting oneself to feel.
Why it’s better than #36: They’re pretty different, but Equilibrium I find to be more of a crowd-pleaser- the excellent choreography plays a big part of that.
#34: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), starring James Caviezel and Guy Pearce
This is the second film adaptation of the original novel by Alexandre Dumas. I haven’t seen the first one, but I can definitely testify that this version is much more accessible than the book. Caveizel’s character arc is absolutely believable, through all of its twists and turns, and there’s a very welcome sense of humor throughout that gives the movie some liveliness frequently missing from period pieces.
Why it’s better than #35: It has that classic root-for-the-underdog, poor-boy-makes-good flavor that makes it universally relatable.
#33: Intacto (2001), starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, and Max von Sydow (refreshingly pea-soup free)
The premise for this one is what really makes it for me- the idea is that luck is transferrable amongst people, and those with more luck will pull it from those who have less. It also deals with the idea that there isn’t simply good and bad luck- as living example of this notion, Max von Sydow plays the Jew, the last survivor of a concentration camp that was shut down by the Americans the day he was to be executed- but slightly too late to save the rest of his family.
Why it’s better than #34: As I said, the premise is really interesting, and it’s well executed. Also, I loved the extreme games of chance.
#32: Cloverfield (2008), Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan, and Odette Yustman
America hadn’t had a decent entry into the big-monster-trashes-metropolitan-center genre until this came out, but this made up for all the failed efforts. It had a very smart marketing campaign (anyone else remember the trailers that came out without any kind of identifying information?), and they kept the mystery heightened even once the film came out by not showing you the monster very clearly until the end.
Why it’s better than #33: First person perspective, though it makes a lot of people ill, is a great way to immerse the viewer and raise the tension.
#31: Battle Royale (2000), starring Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, and Chiaki Kuriyama (otherwise known as GoGo from Kill Bill)
I got into J-horror in a big way after The Ring came out, starting off with Ringu and expanding outward from there. It was horror cinema with a more supernatural focus (usually) and using an entirely different toolset compared to its Western counterparts. This one, while not strictly horror, I don’t think could ever have been made in the States; its subject matter (9th-graders made to kill each other off in a horrific tournament as a form of societal control) would be found too distasteful. Having been made, it is not permitted to be released in the States to my knowledge- I picked up my copy, which is clearly an import, from a used bookstore.
Why it’s better than #32: It actually asks a pretty interesting question (given the choice of having to kill your friends or being killed by them, what would you do?) on top of being a sharp satire of Japanese academia.
#30: Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (2000), starring Forest Whitaker and John Tormey
For those playing the home game, I realize IMDB says 1999, but that was its release date internationally; it didn’t hit our shores until February 2000, so it just barely clears the bar. Directed and written by Jim Jarmusch, Forest Whitaker plays one of the strangest and most interesting characters I’ve seen in a film- a modern-day hitman who strives to live by the ancient code of the Samurai. It has a very…relaxed pace, to put it mildly, but it has a great deal of subtle humor to offer, and it’s just fun to watch Forest Whitaker play off of the other characters (particularly the French ice-cream salesman).
Why it’s better than #31: I haven’t seen any other Jarmusch films yet, but he’s got a very nice handle on effective cinematography in this one, and does some great dialogue. Plus, as I said, I just really love the character of Ghost Dog.
#29: Black Snake Moan (2006), starring Samuel Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake
The marketing for this makes it look like pure exploitation, but it’s actually just a very sweet drama about unlikely connections and being able to move on from the past. I was quite pleasantly surprised by Timberlake’s performance in this as a failed soldier with severe anxiety disorder, which proves he’s no lightweight actor.
Why it’s better than #30: Some great music, great acting from the whole cast, and beautiful shots. The pacing is much tighter.
#28: Sin City (2005), starring everyone and their mom, but mostly Mickey Rourke and Bruce Willis
This is probably the most perfect translation of comic book to film currently out there. It’s rather ludicrous if you really get down and examine the narrative, but the style is so amazing to see in motion that you can forgive it its weaknesses. It’s also a testimonial to the power of their post-production team, as many of the actors were never in the same room with each other and most of the backdrop is CGI. Comic book movies are great to grab a whole bunch of your friends to watch with, and there aren’t too many better movies for that purpose than this. (Just make sure they’re fairly tolerant friends, as this definitely earns a hard R-rating.)
Why it’s better than #29: It’s quite simply ridiculous amounts of fun. The virtual epitome of the popcorn movie.
#27: Moon (2009), starring Sam Rockwell and the soothing voice of Kevin Spacey
The best sci-fi for this decade, Moon defied a lot of expectations for me. It’s hard to talk much about this movie without giving some of the major plot points away, but Sam Rockwell gives a great performance (particularly since he’s virtually the only cast member- only Kevin Spacey as the voice of the computer has a comparable number of lines) and there’s a wonderful score by Clint Mansell.
Why it’s better than #28: Much more serious and high-concept.
#26: 28 Days Later… (2002), starring Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris
Not technically a zombie movie, this film was still the opening salvo for the zombie movie wave for the past 8 years. It has a consciously low-budget aesthetic that really adds to the apocalyptic feel. Also, it was one of the first movies (to my knowledge) to be shot entirely on digital, which gives it an interesting look- it takes some getting used to, but once you adjust you’ll appreciate it.
Why it’s better than #27: It keeps you hooked right from the beginning, and it’s an interesting play on the traditional zombie.
#25: One Hour Photo (2002), starring Robin Williams
The director/writer for this, Mark Romanek, got his start in the music video business, and that style shows in his shot composition- there's some great use of color and framing. Half of the movie could be taken as a great photograph if it were frozen, which is rather appropriate. Made during Robin Williams' "serious characters" run, One Hour Photo is very Hitchcockian in its focus on voyeurism and obsession.
Why it's better than #26: You can empathize with and understand every character, which makes it all the more disturbing as they each slowly break down over the course of the movie. Robin Williams is particularly great playing against type here.
#24: The Last King of Scotland (2006), starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy
Forest Whitaker plays Idi Amin, a Ugandan dictator noted for his brutality- the movie itself is shown from the perspective of his personal physician during the '70s. This movie jumps up the list so far due almost entirely to Whitaker's performance- the Oscar he got for this was entirely deserved. He completely loses his usual mannerisms, from body language to diction, in the part of Amin, and it's amazing to watch. The story and other actors are quite good in their own right, but they're completely outshined by Whitaker here.
Why it's better than #25: The Forest factor, of course.
#23: [REC] (2007), starring Manuela Velasco (and a faceless cameraman- I mean, you don't ever see his face, I assume he has one)
Since horror movies seem to equal pure gorefests these days, I feel it ought to be stated- the true goal of a horror movie ought to be to *horrify*. As in frighten, scare, shock, dismay. That said, virtually any horror movie can accomplish this goal in the midst of a theater thanks to the amplified emotional effect of being in a crowd, along with the powerful sound system and massive images. If you're watching it in your room, alone, at night, hunched over a computer monitor with tinny speakers, and it still makes you afraid to walk through your own house, then you know you've got something special. This is such a movie. [REC] really shares its spot with Quarantine, the American remake, although I prefer this version.
Why it's better than #24: As I said earlier, I tend to rate movies higher based on emotional impact. [REC] offers nothing but pure, pants-wetting, unadulterated terror, as few other movies have done.
#22: Million Dollar Baby (2004), starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman
Another very emotional movie, but this one is aiming at slightly more complex targets. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, it's all about a young female boxer and her struggles. I usually have no interest in sports movies, so it takes something really special to overcome my predisposition. I knew nothing about it going in, so the abrupt tonal shift caught me completely off-guard, leaving me in a unique position to offer a word of advice- see this with someone else in the room. Trust me, you'll want them around.
Why it's better than #23: Clint Eastwood tends to invest the films he directs with Meaning (capital M intentional), a quality composed of a great deal of factors. Sometimes it's off-putting, but here it grants the film a great deal of power.
#21: Iron Man (2008), starring Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard, and Jeff Bridges
I'm as much a sucker for a crowd-pleaser as the next guy, every now and then. Combine it with some fairly intelligent writing and one of the best casting jobs, and you've got a real winner. Based on a comic book I used to like as a kid? So much the better. RDJ is a great comedic actor in the rare moments where he's not addicted to various substances, and he's easily the perfect choice to play Tony Stark. A lot of great effects work is on display as well, but it never overwhelms the story or the characters.
Why it's better than #22: "TONY STARK BUILT THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!" (I know, I should think that Million Dollar Baby is better than Iron Man, but I also know which one I'd rather pop in the PS3 on a given night.)
Part 3 will be up as soon as I finish writing it.
#35: Equilibrium (2002), starring Christian Bale, Taye Diggs, and Mary O’Brien
Written and directed by Kurt Wimmer, who invented the notion of “gunkata” in his backyard, this flick wears its Matrix influences quite openly on its sleeve, but Christan Bale does a better job of portraying an emotionless protagonist than Keanu did. Which is handy, since the theme of the movie is permitting oneself to feel.
Why it’s better than #36: They’re pretty different, but Equilibrium I find to be more of a crowd-pleaser- the excellent choreography plays a big part of that.
#34: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), starring James Caviezel and Guy Pearce
This is the second film adaptation of the original novel by Alexandre Dumas. I haven’t seen the first one, but I can definitely testify that this version is much more accessible than the book. Caveizel’s character arc is absolutely believable, through all of its twists and turns, and there’s a very welcome sense of humor throughout that gives the movie some liveliness frequently missing from period pieces.
Why it’s better than #35: It has that classic root-for-the-underdog, poor-boy-makes-good flavor that makes it universally relatable.
#33: Intacto (2001), starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, and Max von Sydow (refreshingly pea-soup free)
The premise for this one is what really makes it for me- the idea is that luck is transferrable amongst people, and those with more luck will pull it from those who have less. It also deals with the idea that there isn’t simply good and bad luck- as living example of this notion, Max von Sydow plays the Jew, the last survivor of a concentration camp that was shut down by the Americans the day he was to be executed- but slightly too late to save the rest of his family.
Why it’s better than #34: As I said, the premise is really interesting, and it’s well executed. Also, I loved the extreme games of chance.
#32: Cloverfield (2008), Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan, and Odette Yustman
America hadn’t had a decent entry into the big-monster-trashes-metropolitan-center genre until this came out, but this made up for all the failed efforts. It had a very smart marketing campaign (anyone else remember the trailers that came out without any kind of identifying information?), and they kept the mystery heightened even once the film came out by not showing you the monster very clearly until the end.
Why it’s better than #33: First person perspective, though it makes a lot of people ill, is a great way to immerse the viewer and raise the tension.
#31: Battle Royale (2000), starring Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, and Chiaki Kuriyama (otherwise known as GoGo from Kill Bill)
I got into J-horror in a big way after The Ring came out, starting off with Ringu and expanding outward from there. It was horror cinema with a more supernatural focus (usually) and using an entirely different toolset compared to its Western counterparts. This one, while not strictly horror, I don’t think could ever have been made in the States; its subject matter (9th-graders made to kill each other off in a horrific tournament as a form of societal control) would be found too distasteful. Having been made, it is not permitted to be released in the States to my knowledge- I picked up my copy, which is clearly an import, from a used bookstore.
Why it’s better than #32: It actually asks a pretty interesting question (given the choice of having to kill your friends or being killed by them, what would you do?) on top of being a sharp satire of Japanese academia.
#30: Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (2000), starring Forest Whitaker and John Tormey
For those playing the home game, I realize IMDB says 1999, but that was its release date internationally; it didn’t hit our shores until February 2000, so it just barely clears the bar. Directed and written by Jim Jarmusch, Forest Whitaker plays one of the strangest and most interesting characters I’ve seen in a film- a modern-day hitman who strives to live by the ancient code of the Samurai. It has a very…relaxed pace, to put it mildly, but it has a great deal of subtle humor to offer, and it’s just fun to watch Forest Whitaker play off of the other characters (particularly the French ice-cream salesman).
Why it’s better than #31: I haven’t seen any other Jarmusch films yet, but he’s got a very nice handle on effective cinematography in this one, and does some great dialogue. Plus, as I said, I just really love the character of Ghost Dog.
#29: Black Snake Moan (2006), starring Samuel Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake
The marketing for this makes it look like pure exploitation, but it’s actually just a very sweet drama about unlikely connections and being able to move on from the past. I was quite pleasantly surprised by Timberlake’s performance in this as a failed soldier with severe anxiety disorder, which proves he’s no lightweight actor.
Why it’s better than #30: Some great music, great acting from the whole cast, and beautiful shots. The pacing is much tighter.
#28: Sin City (2005), starring everyone and their mom, but mostly Mickey Rourke and Bruce Willis
This is probably the most perfect translation of comic book to film currently out there. It’s rather ludicrous if you really get down and examine the narrative, but the style is so amazing to see in motion that you can forgive it its weaknesses. It’s also a testimonial to the power of their post-production team, as many of the actors were never in the same room with each other and most of the backdrop is CGI. Comic book movies are great to grab a whole bunch of your friends to watch with, and there aren’t too many better movies for that purpose than this. (Just make sure they’re fairly tolerant friends, as this definitely earns a hard R-rating.)
Why it’s better than #29: It’s quite simply ridiculous amounts of fun. The virtual epitome of the popcorn movie.
#27: Moon (2009), starring Sam Rockwell and the soothing voice of Kevin Spacey
The best sci-fi for this decade, Moon defied a lot of expectations for me. It’s hard to talk much about this movie without giving some of the major plot points away, but Sam Rockwell gives a great performance (particularly since he’s virtually the only cast member- only Kevin Spacey as the voice of the computer has a comparable number of lines) and there’s a wonderful score by Clint Mansell.
Why it’s better than #28: Much more serious and high-concept.
#26: 28 Days Later… (2002), starring Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris
Not technically a zombie movie, this film was still the opening salvo for the zombie movie wave for the past 8 years. It has a consciously low-budget aesthetic that really adds to the apocalyptic feel. Also, it was one of the first movies (to my knowledge) to be shot entirely on digital, which gives it an interesting look- it takes some getting used to, but once you adjust you’ll appreciate it.
Why it’s better than #27: It keeps you hooked right from the beginning, and it’s an interesting play on the traditional zombie.
#25: One Hour Photo (2002), starring Robin Williams
The director/writer for this, Mark Romanek, got his start in the music video business, and that style shows in his shot composition- there's some great use of color and framing. Half of the movie could be taken as a great photograph if it were frozen, which is rather appropriate. Made during Robin Williams' "serious characters" run, One Hour Photo is very Hitchcockian in its focus on voyeurism and obsession.
Why it's better than #26: You can empathize with and understand every character, which makes it all the more disturbing as they each slowly break down over the course of the movie. Robin Williams is particularly great playing against type here.
#24: The Last King of Scotland (2006), starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy
Forest Whitaker plays Idi Amin, a Ugandan dictator noted for his brutality- the movie itself is shown from the perspective of his personal physician during the '70s. This movie jumps up the list so far due almost entirely to Whitaker's performance- the Oscar he got for this was entirely deserved. He completely loses his usual mannerisms, from body language to diction, in the part of Amin, and it's amazing to watch. The story and other actors are quite good in their own right, but they're completely outshined by Whitaker here.
Why it's better than #25: The Forest factor, of course.
#23: [REC] (2007), starring Manuela Velasco (and a faceless cameraman- I mean, you don't ever see his face, I assume he has one)
Since horror movies seem to equal pure gorefests these days, I feel it ought to be stated- the true goal of a horror movie ought to be to *horrify*. As in frighten, scare, shock, dismay. That said, virtually any horror movie can accomplish this goal in the midst of a theater thanks to the amplified emotional effect of being in a crowd, along with the powerful sound system and massive images. If you're watching it in your room, alone, at night, hunched over a computer monitor with tinny speakers, and it still makes you afraid to walk through your own house, then you know you've got something special. This is such a movie. [REC] really shares its spot with Quarantine, the American remake, although I prefer this version.
Why it's better than #24: As I said earlier, I tend to rate movies higher based on emotional impact. [REC] offers nothing but pure, pants-wetting, unadulterated terror, as few other movies have done.
#22: Million Dollar Baby (2004), starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman
Another very emotional movie, but this one is aiming at slightly more complex targets. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, it's all about a young female boxer and her struggles. I usually have no interest in sports movies, so it takes something really special to overcome my predisposition. I knew nothing about it going in, so the abrupt tonal shift caught me completely off-guard, leaving me in a unique position to offer a word of advice- see this with someone else in the room. Trust me, you'll want them around.
Why it's better than #23: Clint Eastwood tends to invest the films he directs with Meaning (capital M intentional), a quality composed of a great deal of factors. Sometimes it's off-putting, but here it grants the film a great deal of power.
#21: Iron Man (2008), starring Robert Downey Jr., Terence Howard, and Jeff Bridges
I'm as much a sucker for a crowd-pleaser as the next guy, every now and then. Combine it with some fairly intelligent writing and one of the best casting jobs, and you've got a real winner. Based on a comic book I used to like as a kid? So much the better. RDJ is a great comedic actor in the rare moments where he's not addicted to various substances, and he's easily the perfect choice to play Tony Stark. A lot of great effects work is on display as well, but it never overwhelms the story or the characters.
Why it's better than #22: "TONY STARK BUILT THIS IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS!" (I know, I should think that Million Dollar Baby is better than Iron Man, but I also know which one I'd rather pop in the PS3 on a given night.)
Part 3 will be up as soon as I finish writing it.