Carlito’s Way (1993) Forget the straight-to-video sequel, this Brian DePalma gangster pic features a still-in-his-prime Pacino as mobster Carlito who, freed from a life sentence on a technicality, is determined to go straight. Mix in Sean Penn as a drugged-up wannabe gangster of a lawyer and one of my favorite chase scenes on film, and you’ve got a poor man’s Scorcese.
Robin Hood (1973) My favorite Disney film. Narrated through speech and song by a Roger Miller as a giant bard of a rooster, the film tells the oft-told tale of Robin Hood and his number two Little John as they steal from the rich to give to the poor of Knottingham. The story is good, but it’s the songs that steal this one and make it a classic.
The Caine Mutiny (1954) Both Fred McMurray and Humphrey Bogart play against type in this WWII-set courtroom drama. McMurray (Father Knows Best) is here a spineless author-turned-GI who convinces an officer on the USS Caine to assume command of the ship from Bogart’s Commander Twigg as he snaps. But it’s Bogey, grasping for courage with nerves shot from too many battles, that truly destroys his carefully-cultivated, anti-hero personae.
Rope (1948) While not among Hitchcock’s greatest, this 80-minute short-story of a film is one of my faves. Two cerebral types determine to strangle (with a rope) a less-intelligent college chum as an intellectual exercise the night they invite his father, fiancé, and other friends to a party in his honor. Their old teach Jimmy Stewart knows something’s up, though, in this meditation on class and evil. The film is shot in eight, ten-minute continuous shots, the length film was sold in in those days.
The Age of Innocence (1993) Although considered a disappointment, I love this story of a young man (Daniel Day-Lewis) who’s engaged to a sweet, simple girl (Winona Ryder) when he falls for a completely unacceptable divorcee (Michelle Pfeiffer) in 19th Century New York City high society. It examines the invisible chains that bind us and the nature of love, happiness, and fidelity.
Holiday Inn (1942) It’s not Christmas for me until I watch this one. A Bing Crosby, Fred Estaire musical about singer/dancers that fall in and out of love with the same girls to original songs by Irving Berlin. The comedy is great, Crosby voice is at its finest, and Estaire is a heck of a mover. But it’s “White Christmas” sung in a sprawling New England farm house with snow falling outside and Christmas tree lit that defines Christmas for millions. Here’s why.
Moulin Rouge! (2001) Baz Luhrmenn’s ADD/pop music homage to the love story distills every sugary-sweet or tragic romantic cliché into one caffeinated, high-fructose ride. Too cheesy for some, it’s the very employment of the clichés that makes Luhrmenn’s point: there’s something true in those songs and stories. The orgiastic explosion of visuals and sound in the opening mirror the beginning infatuation of love even as the ever-increasing darkness foreshadows the inevitable when a guy named Christian falls for a courtesan.
To Catch a Thief (1955) Ostensibly a mystery regarding the re-emergence of a jewel thief (Cary Grant), the third and final Grace Kelly film Hitchcock made was mainly a pretense to photograph his favorite girl in and out of the greatest clothes and locales (around the French Mediterranean) he could find. Grace is stunning; the supporting players, stellar; the cinematography, breathtaking; and the finale, a cliffhanger. Still, lest the true theme be forgotten, Hitch provides an iconic shot of a phallic cigarette thrust out in an egg yolk. Catch it now on the just-released, remastered Special Edition DVD.
The Fog of War (2003) This Errol Morris documentary follows Robert McNamara as he looks back on his involvement as a young statistician in World War I and, under JFK and LBJ, as Secretary of Defense during Vietnam. Over seventy, his mind is still razor-sharp as he speaks on the ethics of war. A must watch for anyone examining the morality of civilian deaths and collateral damage. As voters in a democracy at war, we all should be.
Unforgiven (1992) In Clint Eastwoood’s final western (he stars, produces, and directs), he deconstructs himself and the genre. Breaking a vow to his now-dead wife, he leaves hitman retirement to kill a cowboy who cut-up a prostitute. While the plot feels familiar, there’s no glory in violence or honor in killing here—only the weak succumbing to the strong, with no pretense made at morality. Eastwood introduces the nihilism he explores further in Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, but I’ll take Unforgiven every time.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
20 Movies I Like Better Than Anyone Else, Part 1
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5 comments:
Very interesting and diverse list. I can't quite pin you down, with all the violent movie love and praise for Eminem. For my money, Unforgiven and To Catch a Thief are the tops here. I really need to see Carlito's Way and Age of Innocence again. I remembered liking but not loving both. I loved your comments on the Fog of War, a great film with an obvious point of view, but not disingenuous like Michael Moore.
Caine Mutiny and Rope are much more than Bogart playing against type and 8 long shots, respectively. Check out Compulsion with Orson Welles for another version of the Leopold-Loeb case.
Holiday Inn is great but I always preferred the song "Count Your Blessings" in the sequel White Christmas over the song "White Christmas", maybe because "White Christmas is omnipresent for 6 weeks a year.
I've never seen the animated Robin Hood but will check it out.
Moulin Rouge is a seizure-inducing eyesore, but I love the spirit of it.
Carlito's Way is an interesting companion piece to Scarface. Penn is the best part for me.
I remember liking that version of Robin Hood, but haven't seen it in about 15 years. Casting a lion as the villain and a fox as the hero is a masterstroke.
Moulin Rouge is too cartoonish for me to embrace. Interesting, but not great, sorry.
Unforgiven is good, but I've always found Eastwood's direction (gasp) lacking. I want to love all of his movies, but there always seems to be something missing.
John Huston (who filmed the 1952 version of Moulin Rouge) tried to film every scene like it was the most important one in the movie. Eastwood has said he used that same philosophy. He seems to only shoot the script, making good movies only when the scripts are good (Unforgiven, Mystic River).
doctor, this doesn't seem like that violent of a list to me.... regarding eminem, i can't explain how good i think eminem is without saying i think he's the best recording artist working today in any genre. his rhyme schemes make my head spin, he rhymes in the middle or words, for crying out load. he picks tough subjects and handles them with much more touch than he's given credit.
true and true on caine mutiny and rope. i was trying to keep the write-ups short. i wasn't familiar with compulsion. i'll check that out. i like danny kaye in white christmas better than fred astaire in holiday inn, but there's more innocence in holiday inn, and not quite so many over-the-top musical numbers (and, yes, i know i put moulin rouge on my list).
on robin hood, this is probably just memories of my childhood, but i still like it. i like the fact that it is totally a kids movie, but the type an adult could get. I love toy story I and II, aladdin, and the incredibles, but they are all courting adults. not robin hood.
I like eastwood's style. i've read he'll only shoot a scene once or twice and with no rehearsals, so things are raw. people talk over each other and stumble with words. things go wrong, just like life. that can go good or bad, but if you've got people like gene hackman and morgan freeman on your cast, i think it really frees them up. Favorite exchange from Unforgiven:
Eastwood: It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.
The Schofield Kid: Yeah, well, I guess he had it coming.
Eastwood: We all got it coming, kid.
With respect to the violent movie comment, I was thinking more of your reviews of 28 Weeks Later, Unknown, The Last King of Scotland, etc. and viewing of Apocalypto. I definitely don't think it's bad. Just surprising, like your admiration for the talented and vulgar Eminem. Looking forward to the second half of the list.
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