By the time Almost Famous reaches its ending I can’t help but to feel a little bit sad. It’s like I joined the cast and was part of the journey and now it is all over. Not many films are like that, it is very hard for a film to give you all kinds of emotional rides and still keep you satisfied. Almost Famous does this thanks to the brilliant down to earth story which is held together by its awesome soundtrack, and terrific main characters (and a few supporting ones) who are like open doors welcoming you in. Once you are through those doors you will never want to leave.
An Actor’s Revenge (1963, Kon Ichikawa) ****
This is a fun unusual film. The story of revenge is fun because it has humor, good fight scenes, and it’s never boring. I call it unusual because of the way it was shot, the film is a visual delight thanks to all its weird-beautiful colors and it simply looks great since it uses the widescreen format to its full advantage.
Apollo 13 (1995, Ron Howard) ****
This is mainstream hollywood at its best. Howard creates an amazing film filled with stylish camera work, great special effects and performances. All supported by a screenplay with characters with depth and an ending where you feel relieved and smile.
The African Queen (1951, John Huston) ****
Two memorable characters take us through an amazing boat ride in World War I, this film is Hollywood entertainment at its best with funny performances by Bogart and Hepburn and a great script filled with adventure, suspense and comedy.
Artificial Intelligence (2001, Steven Spielberg) ****
Spielberg’s masterpiece was misunderstood on many levels, but most importantly viewers forgot they were watching a fairy tale ( a dark one anyways) and complained about a happy ending. How come no one complained about the ending on Snow White, Cinderella and Pinocchio? What is the difference? On A.I. they ignored completely the wonders of the film and instead criticized it for being so ambitious and different. Here is film you can discuss afterwards and actually learn something about our humanity and our future. It will surely rank as one of the top science fiction films of all time in 15-20 years.
Bambi (1942, David Hand) ****
The best thing in a good Disney cartoon film are the supporting characters. “Peter Pan” has Tinkerbell, “Little Mermaid” has Scuttle, “Snow White” has the Dwarfs, and so on. Bambi has the best one: Thumper. This rabbit steals every scene he is in, he’s full of pep and he’s very very funny. As for the story, which is mainly about nature is told in a simple but fascinating way, as the sequences are all filled with little details about that particular life. As animated films go, this is one of the best.
Battleship Potemkin (1925, Sergei Eisenstein) **
The first time I saw Potemkin I saw it on video and I never knew what to think of it, actually I thought it was pretty annoying. Recently I found out that they were screening it at my local cinematheque and I decided to give it another chance. I came out with the same results. I was sort of intrigued the first 20 minutes but then the film lost me with its annoying repetitiveness. I know the film is a masterpiece thanks to its editing, but unlike Citizen Kane the technical brilliance of Potemkin is not enough to keep me watching. But after all is set and done it is still a must see film and I don’t regret watching it again.
Blood Simple (1984, Joel & Ethan Coen) ****
The camerawork is the star of this film as the Coens use the camera to set the tone of this clever film noir. Here you begin to see the development of that Coen trademark humor later mastered on future films like Fargo. Great debut film.
My Blue Heaven (1990, Herbert Ross) ***½
My Blue Heaven is a lightweight comedy that I’ve never gotten tired of watching. The film has a satiric offbeat atmosphere that I find fresh everytime. Rick Moranis and especially Steve Martin are pretty good in their roles as they take on the famous “mismatched partners” story.
The Cable Guy (1996, Ben Stiller) ***
I happen to like Jim Carrey, I think he is a funny guy. I can understand why some people hate him since he goes over the top a lot, but since he does it all with a positive attitude that I really don’t care. Cable Guy is one of his best movies, it is held by a very respectable cast thanks to Matthew Broderick and we see Carrey doing something sort of different for a change. Although the film goes to hell at the end, it does have a strong beginning with some very funny moments that makes it worth watching.
Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles) ****
So much has been said about this film that I really don’t know what else to add. I totally agree this is a masterpiece, but only on the technical side of the film. The editing and the photography are perfect. The story in the other hand is not really interesting, and the characters aren’t either. Therefore the film lacks emotion. Nevertheless, the film’s strengths are way bigger than its weaknesses.
Children of Heaven (1997, Majid Majidi) ****
Here is an example of how a simple story can be told in a brilliant way. The film creates warmth, humor and tension out of the most normal everyday things. For once the story about brother and sister contains friendship between them instead of conflict. It’s a breath of fresh air every time you see it.
Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski) ****
This complex thriller is awesome to watch. Every time I watch the film I forget most of the clues and it’s like I’m watching it for the first time. This happens because most of the clues are thrown from different directions and they always take you by surprise. On top of it all you have a great cast lead by Nicholson who is superb as always.
A Christmas Story (1983, Bob Clark) ****
My pick for best christmas movie ever. Great performance by Billingsley as the little kid (just look at the impression he makes when he runs out with his new Red Ryder BB Gun) and it’s all highlighted by a heartwarming story.
The Conversation (1974, Francis Ford Coppola) ****
Other then “Apocalypse Now”, this is my favorite Coppola film. The story is full of tense moments and it has one hell of a great final scene. The line “He’d kill us if he had the chance” is a dandy.
Dark City (1998, Alex Proyas) ****
The “big” plot twist at the end of this film seems to be pretty small, and that’s a good thing. Here is a film that does not revolve around its ending; the film has so much depth that the ending just serves as a piece of the puzzle. After you see the film, instead of talking about the ending you will talk about the other pieces that put together this great sci fi mystery. Overall Dark City is definitely one of the best science fiction films out there and it has a masterful structure.
Days of Being Wild (1991, Wong-Kar Wai) ***½
Here is a film where you might not care about the plot and still enjoy it. The enjoyment relies on how the characters interact in their scenes and their down to earth dialogue.
Even Dwarfs Started Small (1968, Werner Herzog) ***
A bizarre film where anything can happen, highlighted by funny incoherent scenes and funny incoherent characters. Although it can get a bit dull after a while, it’s still a must see film.
The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin) ****
Plain and simple, this is the scariest film I’ve ever seen and probably will see. From the beginning of the film we know that something is not quite right, and as we move along that “something” is wetting our pants.
Exotica (1994, Atom Egoyan) ****
This film is more than a character study, it studies the soul of the characters. The performances, direction, editing, photography are all top notch.
The Exterminating Angel (1962, Luis Buñuel) ***
Amazingly funny film is a surrealistic treat. Buñuel takes us into a wild dinner party and lets his characters disintegrate in absurd situations. He gets to experiment a lot, and it is certainly amazing how he stills gets the audience gripped to their seats. Still, despite all its brilliant moments and there is still a small overlong sequence towards the end which is mostly silent that I certainly do not like.
Full Metal Jacket (1987, Stanley Kubrick) ****
I remember the first time I saw Full Metal Jacket, I was new to Kubrick and this film was probably the second or third film I saw from him. I remember that I was shocked when the final credits appeared, I wasn’t used to films that didn’t have a straightforward plot or a situation to resolve at the end. But I know I didn’t complain since I was intrigued by every minute of the film.
The film’s second half has been criticized for not being as strong as the first one, which a case can be made since the best two characters of the film (R. Lee Ermey’s and Vincent D’Onofrio’s) are missing in the second half. But still, the second half has great things in it; I like how Kubrick didn’t use real locations while filming since it gives the film a different view of Vietnam, kind of surreal. Also the final sniper sequence is one of the best set pieces in cinema I’ve seen.
Gangs of New York (2002, Martin Scorsese) ****
Watching the trailer of the long waited Gangs of New York I thought the film was going to be a disappointment, it looked like one of those films where I’ve already seen the story before. It’s good that I hardly saw any of those preview scenes, because as I watched the whole thing I was blown away by the fresh style of the film. The sets are amazing and the use of music is great (reminded me of The Last Temptation of Christ); best of all Daniel Day Lewis plays Bill the Butcher who is one of the best movie characters in recent years. The film is not the masterpiece everyone expected, there is something missing in the structure. Still, it’s great epic filmmaking.
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997, George Armitage) ****
This is a film where no thinking is required, its just plain fun. The film hangs together thanks to Cusacks character that is just wonderful to watch. The film has witty dialogue, cool dark humor, a killer soundtrack and Dan Akroyd as a top notch villain.
Hard Eight (1996, Paul Thomas Anderson) ****
P.T. Anderson’s first feature film is a great one. Judging by this film I wouldn’t have guessed he would make more ambitious films like “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia”. “Hard Eight” is a quiet film highlighted by a magnificent performance by Phillip Baker Hall and compelling screenplay with well developed characters by its director.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002, Chris Columbus) ***½
This sequel is bigger and better. I love that the film actually takes its time explaining things with a lot more dialogue and doesn’t just shows us just the action, it shows that it actually cares about the characters. It’s a bit long, but it’s got me hyped up about the series.
High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears) ***½
This is one of the best recent Hollywood romantic comedies out there. This is a film I’ve seen a few times and like most good films this is one gets better every time you see it. I like how the film treats its relationships between the characters; it doesn’t try to overblow the situations in order to grab attention. The simple problems the characters face are enough to keep you interested, especially when the film has a good sense of humor about relationships in general.
The structure of the film is especially good at mixing the flashbacks and the “speak to the camera monologues”, and of course the whole film is backed by a killer soundtrack.
Jackie Brown (1997, Quentin Tarantino)) ****
I think that it might be a waste of talent for Tarantino to adapt a novel instead of writing an original film. But the underrated Jackie Brown proves that Tarantino is not only a great screenwriter, he also is a great director. The film is filled with the usual Tarantino-like personalities with all the smart dialogue, situations, and awesome performances.
The Karate Kid (1984, John G. Avildsen) ****
As far as cheesy films go this is one of the best. The film works thanks to the amazing Mr. Miyagi who makes most of his scenes memorable by his witty dialogue and actions. Also although you’ve seen this story before, the scenes are touched by a stroke of freshness and humor. This is a film I respect and never get tired of.
Killl Bill: Volume 1 (2003, Quentin Tarantino) ****
Whoa.What a great film. I don’t know if it’s the lack of good films I’ve seen from 2003, but this one truly hit the spot. Not since Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut has a movie left me in this state of shock, I’ve seen the film twice now and I want to see it again.
The performances
For this kind of film nobody expects the acting to be memorable, but its probably one of its greatest strength. I was gripped by Uma Thurman’s performace. Her expressions, the tone of her voice were enough to deliver the message: she needs her revenge. By the first 15 minutes I was already pumped.
The other characters are dead on too, especially Vernita Green who tries to live a normal life but her dreams are doomed from the moment she left Thurman alive. Go Go Yubari is also a joy to watch, she’s the freakiest good looking 17 year old girl you’ll see.
Technical Aspects
In a martial arts film the technicalities play a huge part in delivering the story, and of course in Kill Bill, the cinematography, camera placements, the fast paced editing is brilliant. There is an incredible long take where the camera follows Uma through various rooms until she reaches the bathroom, the changes in point of view are breathtaking to watch.
My favorite technical aspect of the film was the sound. I don’t really think I’ve ever noticed if the sound was good in other films, only if you think about it later you might admire it. But in Kill Bill I noticed it right away; it became supporting character all through the film.
Conclusion
Kill Bill surely is a love it or hate it film, but those who hate it will probably feel that way for the wrong reasons, its not a film to take seriously, I think the Niagara type of blood splashes make it clear, but still there are some slow people out there.
I actually like that the film is divided in two parts, it gives you breather to appreciate what you just saw, and I was fully satisfied by the end of it, especially with that climatic Star Wars style ending. I understand that the film wasn’t conceived this way, but sometimes these types of accidents can be a blessing.
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004, Quentin Tarantino) ****
The KILL BILL Epic
Was it all about parenthood?
Finally both volumes of the Kill Bill series are out, and if I can pick one main theme about the film, the theme would be parenthood. We learn in Volume 2 that the Bride made her life changing choice on behalf of her unborn daughter. Apparently there is something about pregnancy that makes women make choices that are unfamiliar to them but are understandable once you are in that person’s shoes. We get a hint of this theme early in volume 1 as Vernita Green pleas for her life on behalf on her own 4 year old daughter, we also see O-Ren Ishii feeling sad, as she takes a look a GoGo Yubari’s knife moments after she killed by the Bride. We get the feeling that GoGo was a daughter figure for O-Ren. Then we get to Bill, and we see how he’s changed thanks to his daughter B.B. It looks like B.B. has grown in a safe environment, we see that she owned a goldfish, she has a curfew, and her father fixes dinner every night, it all sounds like a pretty normal childhood. Not what you would expect from a cold blooded assassin like Bill.
This is all awesome stuff from Tarantino as he covers this theme in a masterful action epic. It is clear now that there was no way Kill Bill would work as well as it did if it wasn’t split in two. The only way I see it happening is if the film had a one hour intermission, but that would make the film almost 5 hours long, and that is too much to ask. Besides both volumes feel and are complete just the way they are, and by the end they feel like ONE movie.
Another cool aspect is how Tarantino has changed the form, both volumes have a different pace; you would think that the pacing in Volume 1 would be better with all the quick storytelling and all the action. But I think the pacing in Volume 2 is even better, although it is slower and there is less action. But that is all easy to do when awesome characters like The Bride, Budd, Elle and Bill are filled with all that Tarantino dialogue.
As a whole, Kill Bill is a masterpiece, it is a picture that touches every feeling humans have, we have a genius filming a ridiculous picture but doing it in a serious way, that pretty much sums up what movie making is all about. It will be truly amazing if a better film than this comes out in the present decade.
The Killing (1956, Stanley Kubrick) ****
One of the most frustrating scenes I’ve seen is when Johnny Clay sees his brilliant plan go to waste at the end of the film. It’s a good sign that every time I watch it I go “oh no!” This means that I’m involved in the story and actually care about characters and their intentions. I’m not a big fan of nonlinear stories since they mostly serve as a “trick” to fool the audience on thinking that they are seeing something great on the screen, if you put “The Killing” in a linear order it might suffer a bit, I say a “bit” because it has solid characters and Kubrick is only using the form as a storytelling technique and he is not asking us to rely on that particular form. A film like “Memento” relies too much on that technique, if you put the film in order it loses a lot, maybe everything. However if you put a like “The Killing” or “Pulp Fiction” in order you still have a solid masterpiece.
Last Year At Marienbad (1961, Alain Resnais) ****
5 minutes watching this film I was reminded of the last sequence in Kubrick’s “2001”. Little did I know that was going to be the tone of the whole film. All I can say is that I was dazzled by this one, it has a flashy style and amazing photography.
Manhattan (1979, Woody Allen) ****
Beautiful looking Woody Allen film filled with great dialogue and a great cast. Allen explores the male-female relationships with new insights and shows us humans how we are and how we react. All done with awesome humor and honesty.
Metropolis (1926, Fritz Lang) ***
This is certainly the most entertaining silent film ive seen. This film is great to look at thanks to its awesome set design and special effects. All the images bring life to one of the oldest stories ever told.
The Mirror (1976, Andrei Tarkovsky) ***
Tarkovsky films are difficult to watch, but there is something about them that intrigues us and keeps us coming back for more. “Mirror” is probably his most accessible film, it almost plays like “Mulholland Drive” where the scenes play like episodes and it’s up to us to find out their meaning. Like all of Tarkovsky work it deserves multiple viewings to be fully appreciated.
Nashville (1975, Robert Altman) ****
It’s certainly amazing who Altman juggles between 24 characters and keeps their motivations intact through the length of the whole film. Definitely a deep and thoughtful film with big strokes of humor.
Open Your Eyes (Abre los ojos) (1997, Alejandro Amenabar) ***½
Even though I saw the remake (Vanilla Sky) first and knew what was going on, I was hugely impressed by Open Your Eyes. This is a film that carries one of those special energies that lets you experience a story like you are watching it for the first time. I’m very disappointed with Cameron Crowe’s newer version since he actually ripped almost everything off the original and added very little. When I heard Crowe was going to remake the film I thought he was going to use the inspiration to tell us a similar story using his own tools, but in Vanilla Sky some of the scenes play out exactly the same as the original, with the same dialogue, same movements, even same standing positions! I swear the actors were trying to impersonate the original characters.
The only positive thing in Crowe’s version is that he deepens the story of Cesar/David by showing us a glimpse of what his life is before all the crazy stuff start to happen, which is absent in Amenabar’s version. Still, Vanilla Sky deserves to be out there along with Open Your Eyes, sort of like brother and sister, there is a strange connection between the two that you can’t really explain but that you would miss if one of the two were missing.
Overall Open Your Eyes is far superior and deserves to be watched (and rewatched) even if you’ve already seen Vanilla Sky.
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975, Peter Weir) ***½
Surreal story with an awesome atmosphere makes this film a must see. The great thing about it is that we never find an answer to its mystery and maybe we really don’t want to. We just enjoy it as a beautiful experience.
Point Break (1991, Kathryn Bigelow) ****
Point Break is a great Hollywood mainstream action film; this is as good as it gets for this type of film. A special detail about Point Break is that as we watch the film it’s easy to care about the characters, no matter if they are good guys or bad guys. I think this happens because there is some honesty in them, therefore it adds a whole level to their personalities. As far as the action aspect goes this film goes everywhere, we have car & running chases, surfing, skydiving and shootouts. Not bad for a silly film that makes you feel satisfied at the end.
The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner) ****
If I had to pick my favorite comedy of all time, this would be it. Every scene is memorable thanks to its witty and funny dialogue. The best scenes include the swashbuckling sequence between Westley (Carl Elwes) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) and the scene with Miracle Max (Billy Crystal).
Rope (1948, Alfred Hitchcock) ****
The amazing thing about this film is how it was shot, Hitchcock used 8 minute takes between every cut. To do this and yet have amazing camara work and a thrilling and entertaining story makes this film a masterpiece. This film has been a mayor influence on me to someday become a filmmaker.
Scarface (1983, Brian De Palma) ****
Audacious film by Brian De Palma controlled and suported entirely by Al Pacino’s amazing performance. I have yet to see a film with more memorable one liners.
Secrets & Lies (1996, Mike Leigh) ****
Mike Leigh is a genius in the way he creates characters. Here we have a film in which main focus is not the plot, only the characters. The characters in Secrets & Lies are really alive, we know it and they know it. The magic on this film relies on the simplicity of the scenes and the complexity of those characters; once they are together we sit there in awe.
Signs (2002, M. Night Shyamalan) ***½
I had real problems with Shyamalan’s previous two films; they were films that worked toward their final surprise. In Sixth Sense I was mad because after seeing an extremely watchable film I felt cheated, the film had its rules but I just didn’t buy them. It is way too easy to get fooled when a director shows us just what he wants us to see, same thing happened with The Others. With that plan in mind a director can pull off anything, although unsuccessfully. But people will cheer these kinds of films; they will say “The movie is great! Why? Because it fooled me!”. Shayamalan’s next film, Unbreakable was at least in the right track, I was really enjoying it, but the final surprise was just plain stupid and empty that it all fell through. A common mistake for these films is that they give you no choices, all they do is tell the story and then tell you in the last 5 minutes that what you saw is not true. Tough luck if you don’t believe it. At least a film like The Usual Suspects gives you a choice at the end of the film, even better it lets you choose what to believe and what not to believe.
So, I was pretty glad that they were no silly surprises in Signs, only pleasant ones. Here Shyamalan goes for good ol’ basic filmmaking were characters, story, moods and feelings are the star of the film. Shyamalan must be real good with kids because he brings out good performances from Rory Culkin and especially little Abigail Breslin. Just notice the scene at the end of the film where Gibson carries Culkin outside and Breslin follows them, the velocity of Breslin’s walk is just brilliant. When a simple scene like this carries out the emotions that the characters are feeling, you know that the director is doing a good job.
Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987, Howard Deutch) ***
As far as cheesy 80s teen love stories this is one of the best. Although the film is predictable it benefits by the performances. Stoltz and Masterson’s characters are so down to earth that you just want to hug them, and Koteas’s character is so hilarious that he steals almost every scene his in. Altogether a very good feel good movie.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999, George Lucas) ***½
I really don’t understand how this film is underrated. I know its nowhere near as good as the original trilogy but that is not a bad thing. A lot has changed since the first three films and therefore Episode I comes out different. The film creates incredible worlds in space, land and underwater highlighted by old fashion style action. Sure there is a loss of filmmaking essence with all the overblown special effects and some bad dialogue, but since the film is full of energy it’s hard to complain. Extra points go to the awesome battle between the Jedis and the superb Villain: Darth Maul.
Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder) ****
Sunset Boulevard surprises you from the very beginning by letting you know the fate of its main character. It is brilliant that although you know the fate you are still intrigued by the amazing story (a technique mastered again in De Palma’s Carlito’s Way). Although it is a dark story, you will laugh plenty of times with the insane scenes and dialogue. Above all it has a cool narration that sets the mood of the film.
Taste of Cherry (1997, Abbas Kiarostami) ***½
I guess you can love this film or hate it, but im sure most people will love it if they give it a chance. As the film rolls along it becomes fascinating as you become intrigued by the disturbing story and never really know what is going to happen next. This is another proof that simplicity and sophisticated dialogue can go a long way.
The Thin Red Line (1998, Terrence Malick) ****
Terrence Malick has made 3 films in the last 30 years, and in all 3 films there is a narrator feeding us some insights on what were are seeing. In his latest film the narrator or should I say the narrators are feeding us insights on war, or maybe not. Although this is a war film it isn’t really talking about it, the subject is life and its different philosophical interpretations. The film is a joy to listen to and it’s also a visual feast thanks to John Toll’s amazing photography. A unique masterpiece.
Through The Olive Trees (1994, Abbas Kiarostami) ***½
Kiarostami knows the frustration of loving a woman who does not love you back or doesn’t really show you how she feels. Here he shows us a character who fits those characteristics and develops them like there is no tomorrow!
This is only one of the layers that “Through The Olive Trees” has. Its an all around remarkable film that deserves multiple viewings.
Time Of The Gypsies (1989, Emir Kusturica) ****
One of the great things about films is that it opens the door for us to visit another world that is totally different from ours; in Time Of The Gypsies we visit another culture. We see the characters in this film interacting in a world new to us, full of surprises, concluding with funny and sad results.
Yellow Submarine (1968, George Dunning) ****
A masterful mess is what this film is. The Beatles are on there way to save Pepperland from the Blue Meanies and they travel through a really crazy world, full of head scratching visuals. The creators let their ideas flow and created a real surrealist animated film, and of course the film is highlighted by its superb soundtrack.