D. Soler's Top 10 For 2005:
First Men In The Moon (1964) - There is this theater in Seattle named The Grand Illusion. It has one screen that’s about as wide as two people standing next to each other, arms outstretched. The sound system is comprised of two, tall speakers, placed on wooden shelves to either side of the screen. There are about 60 foldout chairs, give or take five, and these are arranged in two sets of rows on an inclined floor. In short, it is a small place that immediately evokes epithets like “charming,” “simple,” and the like. The kind of place that not many people in Seattle know about, and even fewer visit with any regularity.
The Grand Illusion usually plays one movie a week, exchanging one for the next on Thursdays. These films are never the contemporary mega-blockbusters that clog the multi-plexes; instead, they show lesser-known films, whether contemporary or not. Sometimes, the decidedly dedicated staff at the Illusion decide to mix things up a little, and they throw together a week full of Silent Comedy shorts, or a suite of strange documentaries.
Last summer, the Grand Illusion put on a 3 week film festival dedicated to Ray Harryhausen. Every week, they screened two films that featured Harryhausen’s unique creature and special effects. It was, without a doubt, one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had. Each week, I sat in the same chair, and watched two films back-to-back; and after each one of these double-viewings, I would leave the theater with a heady sense of fulfillment.
Thus this first film on my Top Ten list for the year 2005. First Men In The Moon astounded me within its first thirty minutes. Its cast of characters, its tantalizing mix of Victorian society, steam-powered technology, fearless innovation, and daring adventure - everything about this film is vibrant, and intriguing. H.G. Wells story, already a worthy read, is presented with slight differences, with an eye for adapting its strengths to the medium of cinema. The characters come alive, especially the scientist, Cavor, who combines a high-energy personality with a distracted, preoccupied air to brilliant comedic effect. I respect any movie that knows its characters, and allows them to act in a manner that is consistent with their personalities. This film had that, and a great story that plays out along mysterious paths that lead to both adventure, and insight.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - If I remember correctly, this film was screened right before First Men In The Moon. (It was, in fact, the film I was looking forward to seeing most, which is perhaps one reason why the follow-up was so stunning.) Somehow, I had missed this film in my youth, despite its relatively meager violence, and frequent presence on the t.v. I’m glad that I saw it first at the Illusion.
The sheer amount of adventure that takes place in this film is incredible, even by contemporary standards. There are giant beings; gods; monsters; swordplay; magic; destiny; heroism - this films crams it all onto the screen, and doles it out in well-crafted scenes that make up a delightful epic. I say delightful, in particular, because this film was so fun to watch. It takes the appealing aspects of Greek mythology (magic, wonder, Fate, heroism), and mixes it up in a heady concoction.
Rolling Thunder (1977) - I have to agree with The Gaijin Mountain Man on this one: of all the films I watched in 2005, this one by far affected me the most. Again, I have to thank the Grand Illusion, and one of its most ardent patrons, Mr. Quentin Tarantino, for making this experience possible. And what an experience: there were moments when I leaned forward in my chair, just to get that much closer to the characters. One scene, in particular, where the returned veteran is confronted by the man that wooed his wife in his absence, gave me chills. In that moment, the film ceased to be visual fiction: I was watching two men standing in a cramped room, sharing some beer, pounding out something that affected them both at the gut level, enfeebling any words that came to mind.
It was brilliantly done, and I hope I get to see it again. If you ever have a chance to watch it, drop everything, and do so.
The Place Promised In Our Early Days (2004) - Yet another film I watched in the comfortable cloister at the Grand Illusion. It was also a surprising character study. If there’s anything that the films on this list share in common, it’s how well the characters are handled.
In this case, the relationship that grows between three young kids in a near future Japan is handled with an unabashed sense of compassion for innocence. As far as character traits go, innocence is a frequent casualty in a lot of contemporary cinema. No matter how skilled the director, the cast, the production, or any other aspect of the film in question may be, the innocence that is so carefully prepared is eventually - if not directly - destroyed.
In The Place Promised In Our Early Days, the innocence of each character is given something rare and precious: respect. The characters are dreamers when they are young, and when these dreams remain unfulfilled in their later years, they are not used as a pointed criticism of adult responsibility, or the inevitable compromises of civilization. Instead, they are weighed at their full worth, and the strain that lofty expectations and dreams can cause to a more mature character is fully examined.
It was such a surprise to see such an emotionally mature subject handled in an animated film, and a gorgeous one at that. I look forward to seeing more of Shinkai’s work.
The Lady Vanishes (1938) - This year, the Lady and I decided to take advantage of a Netflix membership, and watch as much Hitchcock as we could queue up. Out of the films I’ve watched so far, this one really stuck with me. Again, this deep impression has a lot to do with how well the characters are handled. The first third of this movie juggles quite a few characters, and in the resulting pell-mell of dialogue, body-language, and society, a rich cast is fleshed out for the tense plot that waits just around the bend. By the end of the film, a surprising violent streak cuts through the story, and what seemed to be a charming mystery turns bloody, and desperate. Hitchcock was such a competent story-teller, and his skill is on full display in this film.
A Bittersweet Life (2005) - This was screened at the first Genrebusters Film Festival, and it was definitely the movie of the hour. The crime genre is rampant, and each film offers its own mixture of traditional elements, with a few unique odds and ends. What makes A Bittersweet Life so provocative is its central theme of a good man in a bad business. Everything that happens is really a matter of course, but still matters because of who its happening to. It also bears mentioning that the fight scenes in this film are very well done, mixing skilled hand-to-hand brutality with some of the uglier flailing that is inevitable in combat. The scene where the hero escapes torture and death does an excellent job of mixing these elements, and is marvelous to behold.
Infernal Affairs (2002) - Another crime drama that really reached for the throat, and seized upon it to the very end. This film achieves memorable proportions because it is well-written, and populated by intriguing characters. Each side receives equal representation, and the cat-and-mouse game they play actually elicits thrills. Surprisingly, there are only a few gunfights in the entire film, and these erupt without preamble or embellishment. The dramatic conflict is the real focus here, and it is handled well. This is a good tale of people wrapped up in crime, without the gaudy, blood-soaked escapades that characterize so many other contemporary efforts.
Heroes of the East (1979) - I watched a lot of Shaw Brothers kung fu films this year, and this one stole the entire genre, took it to a high mountain, and offered the greatest of its gifts to the Gods. Lucky are the mortals that may behold the craftmanship, respect, and pure martial arts ability that made this film a real piece of cinema, and not just a pipedream. There are so many fight scenes, it’s amazing that each one maintains a high level of quality in choreography, speed, and visual presentation. Not only does it offer an incredible array of fight scenes, it also deals with the philosophy of martial arts, and the question of what makes a true warrior. Labeling any film as the ultimate member in its genre is extreme: nonetheless, Heroes of the East is a representative of those that came before, and those that have followed.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) - I reviewed this film a few months ago, and don’t have a lot to add. It is a film that was made by craftsmen who used a minimalist approach to recreate a piece of history for cinema, and touch upon subject matter that parallels contemporary events in an incidental, almost creepy manner. There are many ways for a film tries to touch upon a general sense of uneasiness, and it was refreshing to see a subtle approach, as opposed to that which is employed by a film like Syriana.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) - Here is a film that simmers for almost its entire length, playing out the tension like a hangman’s rope, before it hangs it all in a swift, brutal manner that is nonetheless logical. This film stuck with me because, just when you think that you know where the story is going, it takes a few wide turns into different territory. I liked that it dealt with the growing influence of the media on the chain of events in what would otherwise have been a dull, long standoff between the police, and a pair of S.O.L. bank robbers. It’s not an uplifting film, in any sense of the word, but it does hook you with its deliberate character studies.
