This topic I could discuss at length, or I could simply point you to the most recent version of my Top 97 Films of All Time, but I think the best way to pursue this topic is to discuss some films that I feel are unique to my list, to my tastes, as a means of revealing my favorites. And, of course, I will discuss a bit more why I have There Will Be Blood as my top film over the ever beloved Dr. Strangelove. But enough about the non-film talk, this entry should be one of the most fun to type up. No more postponing, let's make this happen!
First up is a lesser known film titled Lymelife. I have the softest of spots for coming of age films, it may perhaps be my favorite type of film. I have an even softer spot for Emma Roberts, and when she's firing on all cylinders, as is the case here, I am practically guaranteed to love the film. Thankfully this one also has a bit more to chew on outside of the talented cast (boasting two Culkins and Alec Baldwin), such as the inspection of a tattered American dream and the way reality can consume us, how it all collapses around us, and how we rebel. Also, some really terrific scenes. While this film sits lower on my Top 97, and will likely slide as I watch more film, I am eager to revisit it a third time to see what else I can gain from it.
Speed Racer is not a film that will be seen on many lists, and when it released I remember a bit of a backlash against the Wachowski's visual joyride. I really don't understand how it is possible to not be completely entranced by the stylistic grace brought to every frame of the film. The editing alone is enough to laud the film, basically taking the anime style of The Matrix and applying it to a live action adaptation of an anime. Even the casting keeps this theme in mind, casting the wide-eyed Christina Ricci in the love interest role, existing as an extension of the animeverse. When it comes down to fun, craft, and engaging narratives few films excel the way Speed Racer does.
King of Comedy is not the Martin Scorsese joint. Rather this one comes from the mind of comedic genius Stephen Chow. While I have loved the other Chow films I have seen, Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, nothing really compares to the gags of this film, or even the narrative for that matter. The jokes are not only funny because of the dialogue, but the way Chow and the other characters move is a joy, the sight gags are hysterical, and it has one of the coolest posters I have ever seen. Asian cinema is far too big of a blindspot for me, especially since I have enjoyed all the Asian films I have seen with a few notable exceptions.
Hercules is my favorite film from Disney Animation Studios. The jokes land, the heart is there, the music is phenomenal, and visually the film oozes style that it second to nothing from the studio. The color, the angles, it's all so perfectly crafted. It also brings me back to my childhood that other favorites like The Lion King only accomplish partially. So fantastic, I could watch this film every day. Also, James Woods gives the best voice acting performance...of all time!
Jeanne Dielman, sitting just one spot ahead of Hercules, is some three and a half hour long Belgian film about a lady who cooks veal. And potatoes. She also sends letters out. Oh yeah, and whores around to make money to support herself and her son. She does this whoring in the home. People also don't really talk in this film. And it is brilliant! Jeanne Dielman has been a beacon for feminist cinema, and as we watch the film play out I find it hard to argue with that claim. The film is complex, layered, and haunting. Underseen, perhaps, but still one of the best films of all time.
And finally there is the number one film. I was unsure whether or not it was 'right' to put There Will Be Blood ahead of Dr. Strangelove, but then I realized it didn't matter. Paul Thomas Anderson's brilliant examination of humanity through the portrayal of Daniel Plainview captures both the American spirit, in all its beauty and horror, but also the latent humanity that we all try to hide, to repress. It's a film made for me, it's the reason I watch film. I ask myself whenever I think about this if this is the best film ever made, if a film can be better than this one, and I hold out hope that one will be, but somewhere in my head I think I know the answer is negative. Each time I watch a film, in or out of the theater, I hope to capture the feelings I had at the conclusion of There Will Be Blood, and it has not happened yet. Perhaps it never will, but I will continue to chase.
So those are a few highlights of what makes my favorite films unique to me. I actually think most of my list is pretty unique, though I also expect it to change radically over the next few years as I see more films. And that is good, we all seek quality.
Thanks for reading.
Tomorrow's Topic: Pets
Rich
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