Good Movies to rent when you're alone and not reading . . . I often prefer a GoodRead, but I got to the cinema once or twice a week, alone or with friends. Obviously you aren't reading this in order to find the best 10 movies of the millennium. Nor are you expecting great reviews on this page. There are many great sites out there, collecting reviews, offering suggestions.
So, why should I list my favorite movies? I list them for myself. So I'll remember what to rent when I'm alone and not reading. Maybe I challenged myself to remember all the good movies I have seen in the last years. Maybe I'm trying to tell you something about myself. Maybe not. Could this be the PurposeOfHomepages? Maybe I challenged myself to write a short note about the movies, trying to express why exactly I liked the movie. Why indeed?
Le Fate Ignoranti (2001) shows the widow discovering her husband had an affair with a man -- for seven years! She wants to know more and discovers the sad and wonderful life of a number of weirdoes in the middle of Rome.
In The Mood For Love (2001) plays in the sixties in Hongkong and shows us two neighbours discovering that their husband and wive are having an affair. Slowly they are drawn to each other, but being shy, they enjoy the tender closeness without actually having an affair. The mood for love is captured in slow motion scenes, smoke drifting across the lights, unanswered phone calls, and a few short moments of hands touching.
Wonderboys (2000), reminded me of Dead Poets' Society, but with a twist. It's about a teacher, a student, writing, growing up, the meaning of life, smoking grass, loving somebody else's wife. Helps you deal with your own life: Problems pile up, it is full of shit, but then again, it's fun, there are things to do, friends to be had.
Memento (2000), an outstanding example of "show, don't tell". The main character has no short-term memory. Due to this, he cannot form new long-term memories. In order to survive, he takes pictures of things, scribbles notes on the pictures, and tatoos the most important things on his body. You will feel just like the main character in the movie. No memories. Only some pictures and the tatoos to help you figure it out. The movie tells the story starting from the end. There is a murder in a house. Next scene: Two people enter the house. Next scene: Cars arrive in front of the house. Amazing.
Episode 1 (1999), by George Lucas. I saw it about five times with the same two friends while we attended a conference in Florida. When we left we were always quoting from the movie: "You assume too much!" -- "You will be piuunished!" We didn't care wether the movie was good or not. It was cult! Every line true wisdom. Every movement to be copied. It was hilarious. "Jedi Mind tricks don't work on me!"
Mononoke Hime (1999). The first Anime with a truly interesting story to tell. Sure, there are things like Pokémon, Akira or Tenchi. But none as good as this one. Maybe Ghost In A Shell approaches Princess Mononoke. But Ghost In A Shell has a confusing story. The Comic is even worse: Interesting read, but confusing. Sometimes I like confusion. I like 12 Monkeys (see below). I like the William Gibson books such as Neuromancer. But somehow it is not the same. Some confusion creates atmosphere. Some confusion creates emptiness. Princess Mononoke has none of it. It is beautiful, mysterious, action-packed. And the quality is great.
Fucking Ĺmĺl (1998), by Lukas Moodysson.
Festen (1998), a Danish Dogma movie. English title: The Celebration. The story of the son coming to his father's birthday to finally accusse him of child abuse within the family, the first reactions of the remaining guests, the slow turning of the tide, the cook's friendship, the slow dawning of the truth. A great movie about a terrible thing. Entirely without showing anything cruel. The crime is never shown, the movie doesn't reopen old wounds. It shows the victim dealing with the crime, shows society dealing with the crime.
Romeo+Juliet (1996) transposed the play into a Mexican town where guns are used instead of blades, neon lights, colorful dresses. The scenes are fast cut, there is a great soundtrack by Craig Armstrong (he played with Massive Attack, too). And beyond all that Shakespeare's verse.
12 Monkeys (1995), weird like Brazil (1985), but without the oppressive Orwellian paranoia. Both movies by Terry Gilliam. Brazil has weirder visuals and more paranoia, 12 Monkeys has more Cyberpunk like qualities: A dark future and time travel. Don't start to debate the time travel paradoxes of 12 Monkeys, that will spoil all the fun. Enjoy the colors, the flow, the confusion.
La cité des enfants perdus (1995) by Marc Caro et Jean-Pierre Jeunet. English title: The City Of The Lost Children. Caro and Jeunet also did Delikatessen, which I haven't seen (yet).
Blue'' (1993), ''White'' (1994), ''Red (1994), a triology by Krzysztof Kieslowski.
Nightmare before Christmas (1993) by Tim Burton. Amazing story, the puppets are well done, the music is fun, the voices are great, in short: Eventhough I liked Chicken Run and the Wallace and Gromit movies, Nightmare before Christmas is much better. The story is weirder, the sound is better.
Seven Samurai (1954), by Akira Kurosawa, a classical western story set in Japan, a great black and white movie, superb points of view, cuts, great rhythm.
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