I've never done one of these "best of" year lists, I'm not really sure why…
I wanted to give it a shot this year. During my time at The Rafael Film Center, I was exposed to a broader spectrum of films than previous years and I found it interesting how that would affect my outlook on this year for film. Which I felt to be incredibly stronger than previous years, mainly due to a certain kind of…push…for a definition to a changing climate of film expression. I saw a much larger amount of foreign and documentary film…a few of which made my top ten of the year. I like that about this year…I found so many new view points and new ideas, directions and innovation. But what I noticed, that interested me the most was the large amount of honesty in film, or at the very least the attempt to bring a deeper level of honesty. The stories this year we're overwhelmingly personal.
I am also including my "worst of" list…and my "Yet to see" list. Just to give some perspective as to where my priorities have been swaying for films this year. I'll be writing a discussion of each section in the coming days as separate posts, a little closer to the actual end of the year. At which point I'll adjust them for any films I've seen between now and then.
Let's start.
My Best of (or favorite of) 2013
In no particular order except for #1 My tenth spot is reserved for a possible film I have not yet seen this year. Which there are many.
1. Before Midnight
2. A Hijacking
3. The Act of Killing
4. The Spectacular Now/ The Kings of Summer
5. All is Lost
6. The Hunt
7. Stories We Tell
8. Prisoners
9. The Wolf of Wall Street
10. ****
Honorable Mentions. Films that were very good, but just shy of exceptional.
1. STOKER (so so close to making my top ten)
2. Spring Breakers (I appreciated it more than I actually liked it)
3. MUD (one of the more solid films this year, just didn't hit my gut as hard as others)
4. Only God Forgives (perfect example of failing upwards)
5. The Lords of Salem (Zombie is so close with this one, beautiful to look at)
6. Man of Steel (so many good elements that didn't quite come together, and the destruction was way overboard)
7. War Witch (an extremely provocative film that gets too caught up in mysticism)
8. In The House (I love French cinema, this is a delicious little pulpy tale dressed in suburban clothes)
9. Don Jon (a really good first directing try for Mr. Levitt, that ultimately lost me in the end)
10. **** (saving for the end of the year just in case)
My Worst of (or very least favorite) 2013 in no particular order at all. There were a lot of bad movies this year, but to me these are the worst of the worst. It's incomplete just because I didn't quite feel the other "bad" movies are bad enough to include…or I just want to wait incase I see something else truly terrible. But these put me into a state of disgust.
1. Kick-Ass 2 (atrocious, embarrassing. I'm in agreement with Jim Carrey's decision to not promote this)
2. Runner, Runner (I don't think I've seen poorer writing for a star vehicle like this, I laughed out laud at the dialogue delivery)
3. Thor : The Dark World (a movie to serve a purpose but without enough weight to stand on its own, worst Marvel film yet.)
4. You're Next (Amateur, dressed as innovative, ultimately boring)
5. White House Down (the Channing Tatum one) (blah, cheesy and pointless)
6. Aftershock (just gross, and for no reason at all, I failed to see the point of why this even exists)
7. The Purge (I hate films that do this sociological experiment to justify violence, we already have one "clockwork orange"…why even try)
8.
9.
10.
Notable films I have yet to see this year.
1. Wolf of Wall Street *Check
2. Labor Day
3. HER *Check
4. American Hustle * Check
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
6. Paradise Trilogy (Hope, Love, and Faith)
7. Gravity
8. Captain Phillips
9. Blue Caprice
10. Fruitvale Station *Check
11. To The Wonder
12. Upstream Color
13. Blue Jasmine
14. Short Term 12
15. The Great Beauty
16. Hobbit 2 *check
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Tout Va Bien
I'm wondering if this is a common thought. Even with my enormous knowledge and appreciation of film, I still hold onto some préconceptions when I think of certain types and movements in cinema, that once in a while, discourages me from watching them. Because, honestly, sometimes I'm just looking to tune out and watch something fun like most people.
I wonder if this is a common occurrence?
The french La Nouvelle Vague movement, is one of those pieces of film history that I haven't explored to the fullest. I feel that there is this silly idea in my head that the body of work is inaccessable films made by pretentious film critics.
...And I would be totally wrong.
When reading my "top three..." post, you'll find one of the most famous pieces, "the 400 blows" listed as a huge influence on me. Sometimes I forget that the other films involved with Nouvelle Vague are just as personal and accessible. This is especially true with Godard. Whose display of knowledge with technique is unparalleled, and represented so clearly in is work. His knowledge of different film conventions of storytelling and breaking down those conventions and using that as a part of his storytelling is masterful.
It's fun to watch, and interesting subjects. Godard likes to have fun with film, break the rules he knows so well, and still remains insightful with his commentary.
Tout Va Bien
This is the hilarious poke at the conventions and process of filmmaking I was speaking of. During a strike at a meat factory. A news team husband and wife, hole up with the corporate manager in his office as the employees take over, and make their grievances known with very frank interviews. The film is depicting similar class struggles of that of the french revolution. One of the most common mechanisms used is "breaking the 4th wall", which for people who don't know, the characters break through (figuratively lol) the screen and speak, or are perceived to be speaking, directly to the audience. As seen in the screenshot below, Godard goes so far as to create his set as a cross section, so the audience is forced to see and experience everyone equally.
I was most surprised to find how funny and thoughtful this film was. Wrapping back around to the opening paragraph of my exposition, I found this to be very entertaining. And that was the flip I had while watching it. I went and rented another Godard film the very next day. It was a similar feeling to finding that old band you haven't listened to in a while and once you hear them again there is this flush of emotion, nostalgic but in a new appreciation kinda way.
The opening narration started me off to a good pace. With a discussion of what character beats to use during the making of the film we're about to watch. The movie is scattered with brief moments of film processing. There is an intimacy included, involved with not only the subject matter, but of the filmmaking process overall. And how much the two are blended together with visuals, story, the acting.
The story involves a reporter and her director husband getting involved with covering the struggles of workers striking against their meat factory employers. Throughout you find the relationship struggles involved with the two principals to be almost voyeuristic. With being so surrounded and involved with the events we're brought into, the relationship is taut with a true sense of realism.
The film is very clever. As my viewing partner pointed out (Sarah, an excellent movie watching partner), the interviews conducted of the striking workers are devoid of the questions being asked them, and instead are shown as a kind of monologe with only the answers in succession, as if the interview is being conducted but only hearing one side. It was interesting, funny, clever. And a great way to point out who's outlook we're really paying attention to in the moment. It's one of the most effective "breaking the 4th wall" examples I've seen.
I know this is a very brief overview for something from a master like Godard, but I was filled with so many thoughts from watching this...It was hard to nail it down...I just wanted to get it out there.
A wonderful reintroduction to Nouvelle Vague (The new wave) and I will be watching this one again very soon.
Re watching the classic "Breathless" might also be on the menu.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Top Three Pt.2
As I said in the previous post on the "Top Three" film list...I immediately started thinking of alternates to my "off the cuff" choices. I really feel its important to pay attention to where your mind immediately goes when posed with questions like these. I'm standing by my top three...but these came into my head so quickly, I felt it necessary to evaluate them as well.
Top Three take 2:
1. Chinatown
2. 400 Blows
3. Unforgiven
1.Chinatown
"Chinatown" was the first one to come into my head. I would have swapped this one out for "Taxi Driver".
This film might have one of the most perfect scripts ever written. I know how that sounds...but I've read it on paper...and it's pretty phenomenal writing. With direction from Polanski, whom I feel may be the most skilled director since Hitchcock (yeah...I said it!) you have possibly the best crime noir film of modern cinema.
There is a simple device used in the film, that is obvious when you mention it, but the genius is that you're oblivious to it when watching it happen.
Jake Gittes is in literally every scene of this film. And what that means is, all the information that is being given, reaches the audience at the same time it reaches our main character. We are learning and figuring out the mystery with Jake in "real time". This allows for a massive amount of intimacy to be created between us and the story.
And what a story...political upheaval, city corruption, a good guy with a bad reputation, a severely damaged leading lady with a big secret, falls for the somewhat damaged savior...I mean...come on...if you like crime noir done right...this is the last word.
"Forget about it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Best last line of a movie ever. (ooohhhh, I feel a new list coming soon)
2. The 400 Blows
I saw this at a very impressionable age. I sometimes feel I get my own sense of disillusionment and wanderlust from seeing this film really young (12-13yrs old)
This is probably one of if not the best "first time out" for a director. Truffaut used what most first time directors forget to use...their own experiences.
When starting out with writing a film, or directing, I feel it's a valuable asset to use one's own life as the basis for the story. It's so familiar that you understand the story like the back of your hand, and can focus more on technique, style, collaboration, because you will never lose sight of where the story should go.
I used this for my first short film. And I can say that, at least visually and tonally, I got exactly what I wanted. With that under my belt, it created the confidence I have now to use my personal emotions and experiences towards stories that aren't so much directly about myself. And the tree starts to grow. I have the 400 Blows to thank for believing in this method of discovery in filmmaking.
The "troubled" boy story who is not only poorly cared for and taught, but highly enigmatic and resourceful. But he lacks the knowledge to recognize the consequences of his actions before he actually does them. He is thrown into an adult world, expected to act as such, before he acquires the knowledge of life needed to do so.
It's beautifully honest filmmaking, very personal. The last haunting shot, creates a melancholy very few films attain over an entire run time...much less one shot.
3. Unforgiven
I've been having some very engaging conversations lately on the subject of "stereotypes".
This film is a beautiful examination of the idea of romanticizing the anti-hero. The thing that separates this from other films with the same idea is that the main character is basically the result of such romanticizing. The Clint Eastwood character is constantly being held up to the stories that others have of him. He uses it to his advantage, but you start to see those stories strip away...and the realities of the what the stories really are. It starts to show something of a truth.
Now this specific film deals with the idea of the cowboy, and the anti-hero stereotype portrayed specifically films specifically. But the idea, the device, can be applied to many different stereotypes in life overall.
The script, is also one of the best ever written. What's common about good scripts is that it's only comprised of what is absolutely necessary to move the story. You notice the lean nature of how things are moving, the smoothness, easiness.
It's almost simple as well as complex. It's a wise film, and shows it's thoughtfulness in a mature and direct manner.
Absolutely stunning work all around.
*"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."
Top Three take 2:
1. Chinatown
2. 400 Blows
3. Unforgiven
1.Chinatown
"Chinatown" was the first one to come into my head. I would have swapped this one out for "Taxi Driver".
This film might have one of the most perfect scripts ever written. I know how that sounds...but I've read it on paper...and it's pretty phenomenal writing. With direction from Polanski, whom I feel may be the most skilled director since Hitchcock (yeah...I said it!) you have possibly the best crime noir film of modern cinema.
There is a simple device used in the film, that is obvious when you mention it, but the genius is that you're oblivious to it when watching it happen.
Jake Gittes is in literally every scene of this film. And what that means is, all the information that is being given, reaches the audience at the same time it reaches our main character. We are learning and figuring out the mystery with Jake in "real time". This allows for a massive amount of intimacy to be created between us and the story.
And what a story...political upheaval, city corruption, a good guy with a bad reputation, a severely damaged leading lady with a big secret, falls for the somewhat damaged savior...I mean...come on...if you like crime noir done right...this is the last word.
"Forget about it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Best last line of a movie ever. (ooohhhh, I feel a new list coming soon)
2. The 400 Blows
I saw this at a very impressionable age. I sometimes feel I get my own sense of disillusionment and wanderlust from seeing this film really young (12-13yrs old)
This is probably one of if not the best "first time out" for a director. Truffaut used what most first time directors forget to use...their own experiences.
When starting out with writing a film, or directing, I feel it's a valuable asset to use one's own life as the basis for the story. It's so familiar that you understand the story like the back of your hand, and can focus more on technique, style, collaboration, because you will never lose sight of where the story should go.
I used this for my first short film. And I can say that, at least visually and tonally, I got exactly what I wanted. With that under my belt, it created the confidence I have now to use my personal emotions and experiences towards stories that aren't so much directly about myself. And the tree starts to grow. I have the 400 Blows to thank for believing in this method of discovery in filmmaking.
The "troubled" boy story who is not only poorly cared for and taught, but highly enigmatic and resourceful. But he lacks the knowledge to recognize the consequences of his actions before he actually does them. He is thrown into an adult world, expected to act as such, before he acquires the knowledge of life needed to do so.
It's beautifully honest filmmaking, very personal. The last haunting shot, creates a melancholy very few films attain over an entire run time...much less one shot.
3. Unforgiven
I've been having some very engaging conversations lately on the subject of "stereotypes".
This film is a beautiful examination of the idea of romanticizing the anti-hero. The thing that separates this from other films with the same idea is that the main character is basically the result of such romanticizing. The Clint Eastwood character is constantly being held up to the stories that others have of him. He uses it to his advantage, but you start to see those stories strip away...and the realities of the what the stories really are. It starts to show something of a truth.
Now this specific film deals with the idea of the cowboy, and the anti-hero stereotype portrayed specifically films specifically. But the idea, the device, can be applied to many different stereotypes in life overall.
The script, is also one of the best ever written. What's common about good scripts is that it's only comprised of what is absolutely necessary to move the story. You notice the lean nature of how things are moving, the smoothness, easiness.
It's almost simple as well as complex. It's a wise film, and shows it's thoughtfulness in a mature and direct manner.
Absolutely stunning work all around.
*"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."
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