It's that time of year when critics bemoan the state of filmmaking, yearn for the 'old' days -when real films were made - and then somehow come up with a ten best list despite the dearth of quality.
I'll join the fray.
This year wasn't much good for Hollywood films. But who's surprised by that? When money is the bottom line - money becomes the only line. Looking at the top ten box office hits and it's clear that Hollywood fought for the hearts and minds of adults with Pearl Harbor and Hannibal. The rest of the films were for kids Harry Potter, Shrek, Monsters Inc or for teenagers Planet of the Apes, Rush Hour II, The Mummy Returns, Jurassic Park III and Lord of the Rings. The kids films and Lord of the Rings won the year of mainstream film for sure.
What about foreign films? As usual a fine year in films from abroad. Here's my list of favorite films divided into Foreign language films and English language (including some from Hollywood) films.
- Matt Langdon
Amelie - Enjoyable from first frame to last. Mindless to some, insignificant to others but I enjoyed it on two viewings.
Baran - A beautiful and heartbreaking Iranian film that's free of Hollywood movie reality about how the concept of love can transform people.
Code Unknown - Michael Haneke deserves better recognition in this country. This film was seen by few but it's a strong film about the lack of understanding and communication.
The Gleaners and I - Agnes Varda's cinematic journal was personl cinema at its most provocative, enjoyable and intellectual.
Last Resort - A surprisingly deft film (released by the now defunct Shooting Gallery, sniff!) about the refugee experience in England.
Under the Sand - Francois Ozon's best film yet about a woman (Charlotte Rampling) trying to come to terms with a death she doesn't believe happened.
Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring - Just like the 'good old days' it takes a foreigner to make the best Hollywood movies. An enjoyable ride.
Memento - Time flies when it goes backwards. Inventive film about a subject everyone thought had been overdone.
Mulholland Drive - David Lynch's fever dream suicide fantasy about Hollywood was as usual too weird for the crowds to understand.
The Fast and The Furious - Call this a guilty pleasure without the guilt. Totally ridiculous B-movie from start to finish but I couldn't stop laughing.
The Heart of the World - This seven minute (!) film by Guy Madden is the most unique tribute to cinema I've witnessed. I've seen it six times and look forward to the seventh and eighth.
Wisconsin Death Trip - A fascinating and involving documentary that recreates scenes based on old weird news items from 1890's newspapers.
The unifying and poignantly tragic opening and closing shots of The Circle
The second part of the Iranian film The Day I Became a Woman was the most cinematic sequence of any film I've ever seen.
The first amazingly seductive hour of In The Mood For Love.
The opening shot of The Widow of St Pierre. It says everything. After that you can leave.
The first section of Amores Perros. It's too bad there isn't a place for 45 minute movies.
The love/death/lifesaving scene under the truck in The Princess and The Warrior. Who ever thought you could fall in love under a truck with someone stiking a knife in your throat?
Ghost World for letting us see even cynics seek acceptance.
Our Song for being maybe the only American independent film released this year that is truly independent.
The final scene in In The Bedroom where Sissy Spacek decides even though it's 4am and her husband has been out all night doing his 'duty' she should make something for him to eat.
Moulin Rouge for the transcendental sequence when Ewan and Nicole sing seven well known love songs all strung together. Brought tears to the eyes. The rest of the film gave me a headache and nausea.
AI for its almost perfect ending when the robot boy is looking up from the bottom of the ocean at the Fairy Princess. A Byronic death that even Byron would have envied.
The Others for turning the ghost story genre on its head - ghosts turn the lights off when they get scared. Makes sense now.
The mess that ensues in Haiku Tunnel because the main character keeps putting off mailing the bosses' letters.
Divided We Fall for the humanstic portrayal of each of its characters - even the bad ones.
The quiet, unsettling cinematic 'nothingness' of La Cienaga showing that filmmakers don't have to hold the audiences hand and tell them what or how to think.
The long, long still, single takes in What Time is it There that lets the audience actually look at what's happening in each scene.
The unnerving and persuasive hypnotism done by the guy in the Japanese film The Cure that affects everyone within his ear reach.
The unique and colorful animation visuals of Walking Life which said so much more than the Philosophy 101 highbrow bullshit.
Falling artificial limbs in the desert in Kandahar.
The long, tracking shot toward the end of The Royal Tenenbaums that unites all the characters on and around a fire engine in New York City.
The Fast Runner (Canadian - Inuit)
Nine Queens - (Argentina)
Scenes from the Second Floor (Finland)
Sleepy Time Gal (Christopher Munch)
Truly Human (Denmark- Dogma 95)