Saturday, January 19, 2008

23 on August the 12th.


"what's your favorite movie?"
impossible. that's one of the hardest questions i've been asked...and it's asked a lot. sometimes there is my favorite, "movie of the moment". and there is of course the ever-changing "top ten". and if you really want to get into it, you can have the "top ten" in various genres. you have your classics, your cult classics, your guilty-pleasures, your dramas, your comedies, your westerns, your foreign films...but that seems like cheating. it's best to stick with the all encompassing "top ten"...and no matter how often that changes, it usually holds tight to a few.

so here it is, my "top ten", of the moment. in no particular order:

Breakfast At Tiffany's
there are so many layers to this film. it's beautiful. and sad. and audrey hepburn is magical.
Leaving Las Vegas
at times painful to watch. dark and haunting. mike figgis captures the utter loneliness, connection, and acceptance of these characters with perfection. nick cage is dead on and elizabeth shue is tragically vulnerable.
American Beauty
a hell of a directorial debut. this film perfectly encompasses the dysfunctional suburban family. each character outshines the next. not only is it visually appealing, the score is brilliant and the writing is remarkable, and the acting is impeccable. i rule!
Lost In Translation
sofia coppola is remarkable. she captures the characters connection with ease. there is a mellow, relaxed pace that ads an unassuming quality to the film. the metaphor of being "lost in translation" is expressed in various ways throughout the film creating layer upon layer. the film is beautiful. bill murray is a pleasure. it gets better with each viewing.
Magnolia
pt anderson is always impressive. every character's story is heartbreaking. the way one life connects to another and the idea that it can't all be a coincidence, can it? this film is so smart and powerful and warrants multiple views, there is way too much to process for just one.
On The Waterfront
brando is remarkable. it's not so bad having the mob run the labor union, when you're on their side. disappointments, tragedy, and rising above yourself.
The Conversation
those damn coppolas'. this is a psychological thriller at its finest. it's haunting. genius.
Chinatown
stunning. roman polanski captures the pure grittiness of this tale. the web of deception weaves deep in this film. it's powerful and tragic.
The Apartment
billy wilder is one of my all-time favorites. jack lemmon and shirley maclaine shine. this film is time-less. funny. sad. lovely.
Conversations With Other Women
this film has managed to hold the position as my favorite "movie of the moment" for the past year and a half. it is like nothing i have seen. the simple complexities. the honesty. it's brilliant and i can't get enough of it.

Honorable Mentions(is this cheating?):
apocalypse now, the royal tenenbaums, sunset boulevard, fight club

so there it is, my "top ten", for now.

now it's your turn.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i really like Ferris Buellars Day Off. Sure it is a comedy. But I can not find a single thing wrong with it. It is flawless.

Colin Lewis said...

My top Ten of the Moment:

Fight Club:
Explains exactly what it feels like to be a man

Breakfast at Tiffany’s:
How Lovely Being lonely can be

Before Sunrise/Before Sunset:
Two movies that are one, the beauty of a false relationship

Citizen Kane:
How hard it is to buy your mothers Love.

Unforgiven:
The darkness of a man's soul can be coaxed out, but be careful.

It's A Wonderful Life:
You never know where life is going to take you, but your riches come from the richness of your character

Who Shot Liberty Valance:
Your reputation will take you places, even if it is not true

Batman Begins:
The best example of our greatest hero

Velvet Goldmine:
The Beauty of complete despair and completely debased

Conversation(s) with other women:
The simplicity of relationships, a woman is many women over her life, but a man is just one man