American Beauty (Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Dir. Sam Mendes, 1999)
Why: This film is near to perfect; the acting, the plot, the dialogue, the cinematography, the music, it is all perfectly balanced and in synch. Kevin Spacey is nuanced and controlled, subtly maintaining the character’s cynical, downtrodden quality with the energy and life that develops. The story is clear and believable but yet allows for mystery and enigma. The colours on screen combined with the use of flat spaces create a vivid impression of the suburban madness!
Jurassic Park (Sam Neil, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Dir. Stephen Spielberg, 1993)
Why: OK this is more of a personal choice…I freakin’ love dinosaurs, they are beyond cool. Anyway, as a film buff/student I do see that the film has faults, for one thing the SPX and CGI is aging badly now. Also, the plot is pretty ordinary and there is no earthly explanation for the amount of screen time spent on Jeff Goldblum’s nipple! However, there is one scene that redeems it all. When Grant and Ellie first see the dinosaurs, it’s wonderful, first you see Grant look, he turn Ellie’s head, then the music starts really soft…when they see the dinosaur it swells. In a wide shot we can see how small the characters are and when the dinosaur rears up and lands we can feel the ground shake. It’s sheer magic! That’s filmmaking!
The Constant Gardener (Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Dir. Fernando Meirelles, 2005)
Why: This is a really beautiful film, very sad, very powerful, and very brave. The flashbacks to happier times when Tessa was still alive and the life they shared creates pathos that is amazingly prevailing and compelling. The attack it makes on corporate irresponsibility and greed is also brilliantly conveyed.
Lord of the Rings (Trilogy) (Ian McKellan, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Sean Bean, etc, Dir. Peter Jackson, 2001-03)
Why: Now I’m not a great fantasy buff or anything, I do however love these films. They really are great adventure stories, their epic and exciting. The characters are fairly one-dimensional, the plot is Good vs. Evil and Orlando Bloom looks like a girl BUT they are pure escapism, there is courage, wisdom, horses, swords, dresses and danger. It’s a world that doesn’t exist but for 9 hours of cinema film Peter Jackson makes it real and alive.
V for Vendetta (Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Dir.James McTeigue, 2005)
Why: This won’t take long; it’s really cool! V is cool, he does cool things, he says cool things. There done. No really, though it just can’t match up to the graphic novel, there is a slickness and style that makes this film enjoyable. I also like seeing things, including the Houses of Parliament, being blown up and swish ninja moves.
Well there it is, anyone agree, disagree, want to try and convince me otherwise. Leave a comment.
2 Comments
Its always cooler to prefer the book than the movie, the graphic novel to the move/etc.
But in V’s case, this just osnt so.
The move does things much mich better.
From character to script to pacing, the movie wins.
Also, constant gardner isnt good.
Waterworld:
Theres a movie that you can sink your teeth in.
In contains all the truths a person could need to know.
Yeh I used to think that the V movie was better but then I read the Graphic novel and it was so much deeper. Got too agree with emamajama there.
LOTR is ok but 9 hours, phew thats ott!
My fave film has to be Twelve Monkeys!Crazy!
ps Waterworld is v.cool.