Braden A.'s Top Ten For 2007
While 2006 had a few wonderful new releases which really hit me hard, the overall number of great films released in 2007 has been significantly greater. Danny Boyle’s philosophical science fiction sleeper Sunshine was probably the first truly great film I saw in theatres this year. There was also the Canadian zombie comedy Fido, which starred the notoriously foul-mouthed Billy Connolly in a silent role. And more recently the Coen Brothers have wowed audiences the world over with their darkly funny and frightening thriller No Country For Old Men.
However only two new releases this year really hit me in a place deep inside me, and left me haunted and mesmerized. That is not to say that the three films mentioned in the paragraph above were no good - I enjoyed all of those films thoroughly, and even saw the Coens’ film twice in the theatre. But they just didn’t pack that punch that my two 2007 choices did, and so I couldn’t include them. But if you get a chance to see any of those three films, be sure to do it - think of them as my honorable mentions. Now, onto my list of my top 10 first viewings of 2007, in totally random order...
Ratatouille (2007 / Brad Bird)
The latest Disney/Pixar collaboration is magical. I’ve seen it twice now - the first time was in the theatre, and the second time was recently on DVD. Both viewings left me in an almost giddy state, but for totally different reasons.
The first time I saw the film, I took it all pretty much at face value. It was the story of a rat with refined tastes who dreams of being a cook, and fate leads him down a hard road which eventually sees him fulfilling this dream.
The second time, I saw so, so much more. This whole film is like an allegory for the success of Pixar and their revolutionary 3-D animation technology. This group of artists saw the quick decline of Disney’s hand-drawn animation studio as they began to focus more on churning out straight-to-video sequels and spin-offs rather than their signature big releases. So these artists decided to use their talents to try and revitalize the Disney world with a little film called Toy Story. Originally the mere idea of computer animation gave critics and fans alike a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. But the actual product proved that these artists knew exactly what made the old Disney films so magical, and also knew that times were changing and that computers were slowly taking over.
The result is a film like Ratatouille - a film which can be appreciated by children, their parents and their grandparents. A film which can be seen as the story of a rat, or the story of Pixar - and neither would be wrong. It’s a wonderful, funny, sweet, beautifully animated film which absolutely no one should miss.
The Taste of Tea (2004 / Katsuhito Ishii)
Staying in the realm of heart-warming cinema for just a little while longer, this little gem from Japan was like love-at-first-sight for me. It’s a precious film about an imaginative family all living in a small house together, and how each of their lives intersects with and affects the others’.
It’s a perfect mix of comedy and heartache, with no one family member contributing solely to one emotion or part of the story. The mother is working hard trying to resurrect the animation career she sacrificed when she decided to have children. The father is working busily in a soulless office environment. The son is trying to cope with a newfound crush. The daughter is confused by the fact that she seems to be followed around by a giant version of herself, who can seemingly pop out of nowhere. The grandfather works hard in his room on a project no one knows about. And the uncle tells stories of prehistoric eggs which turn out to be fossilized poo.
It all masquerades as light fare, but it’s surprisingly touching and each character is an authentic embodiment of universal emotions.
Dead Man’s Shoes (2004 / Shane Meadows)
I really wish I had seen this film before I wrote my mini-essay on revenge cinema - it would no doubt have made a huge contribution. I have always found the theme of revenge a fascinating one. The thin line between justice and vengeance, and where one crosses the line of justice into becoming a wrong-doer themself, is something many films have tackled but few have really had anything new to say about.
Dead Man’s Shoes changes this. Instead of portraying the protagonist of the story as a bad-ass mofo with big guns, cool lines and a ripped body, he is a tortured soul who is obviously deeply disturbed by events before and during the story that we are shown. He sees himself as a man seeking justice against a town overrun by misfits, but by the end we are seriously questioning his sanity.
A friend on an online forum described this as “the most realistic revenge movie ever” - while I may not use those exact words, it’s certainly an apt description and gives a good idea of what to expect from the film. There are no bombastic action sequences or wire-fu, no stylized violence or winking at the camera. This movie is raw and hard and definitely not an easy viewing. But for the incredible lead performance by Paddy Considine and the equally impressive supporting performances around him, it’s worth seeing for people looking for a more mature take on vigilante justice.
Patton (1970 / Franklin J. Schaffner)
While watching the trailers for the new Stallone movie Rambo, the narration evoked images of George C. Scott grinning while riding in a tank across a war-torn wasteland. The line in the Rambo trailer, “...war is in your blood...” is a perfect embodiment of the story of General George S. Patton Jr., whose brilliance in military strategy was matched only by his own insanity.
I’m usually not one for war films, and this is something I am often quite outspoken about. Ever since I saw Saving Private Ryan, I have found much of this genre to be more frightening and disturbing than any horror film can even dream of being - especially since family members whom I am quite close with fought in wars, and have told me stories of friends and loved ones lost during these horrible times. But Patton works more effectively as a character study than as a war film.
George C. Scott’s performance is still striking. His portrayal of the megalomaniacal World War II general and the infamous “slapping incident” which slowly unraveled his entire career is a great achievement in the history of American cinema. And its battle sequences are not only impressive on a technical scale, but also as a storytelling device - Patton sits miles back with a pair of binoculars, watching his pawns carry out their orders. It’s a view reminiscent of how God must see humans from afar - He has drawn the original plans and put them into action, then simply watches them go about their business the same way you or I would watch a television program.
It hasn’t lost its effectiveness in nearly 40 years, and I was left kicking myself for having avoided seeing it for so, so long.
Hard Boiled (1992 / John Woo)
Here’s another film which left me kicking myself for having not seen it sooner. John Woo’s ballet of bullets and carnage is, simply put, one of the greatest action films I have ever seen. It has some of the most spectacular gunfights ever put on celluloid, but it’s really something which must be seen to be believed. If you haven’t seen it, do it as soon as possible - especially since it’s no longer a pricey Criterion.
The thing that really blew my mind away seeing this the first time was Woo’s incredible sense of place and of cause-and-effect. By “place”, I mean that everything in the action scenes is meticulously placed to provide both dramatic effect, and also a sense of realism. Of course there are unrealistic, movie-like sequences such as Chow Yun Fat flying into a room on a bungee cord brandishing a machine gun with one hand - but we’re not bombarded by objects or characters appearing out of nowhere simply to make something blow up. If you see a guy running down a hallway shooting it up, then the movie cuts to another event, then back to him, he’s about where he would be had these events been carrying on simultaneously. This is a detail which really adds a lot to the tension of the scenes, because it makes things actually feel more urgent and, in the end, impressive.
After seeing the opening teahouse shootout, I thought to myself “it couldn’t possibly get much better than this”. But I was oh-so-wrong. Each action set piece increases the stakes and gets bigger and badder, up to an incredible finale. The movie may be a tad overlong, but it’s an awesome ride.
After the Thin Man (1936 / W. S. Van Dyke)
While I had known about this series of films prior to this year, I didn’t really have any strong desire to see them until one of my professors posted a list of their favorite films online and it included Shadow of the Thin Man, among many other films such as Blade Runner, Chinatown and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. This person couldn’t possibly lead me astray with so many of my own favorites on their list, could they? So when I saw that the complete Thin Man box set was on sale 75% off, I decided to pick it up and give the series a try.
The first was a wonderful little murder mystery which reminded me of the Agatha Christie novels I loved so much in my early teenage years. But what I loved most was the chemistry and dry, sarcastic wit shared between leads William Powell and Myrna Loy. I had seen Powell previously in My Man Godfrey - another wonderful ‘30s comedy for those interested - but nothing since then.
But it was the second installment in the series which totally knocked my socks off. Featuring the same two leads as well as a colourful cast of supporting characters - including a decidedly unusual role for Jimmy Stewart - this film was hilarious, suspenseful, beautifully shot and just a great viewing.
While my professor’s original recommendation of Shadow of the Thin Man turned out to be not-so-great, I am still very grateful for having been introduced to an overall great series, and this one film which is a comic gem.
Mind Game (2004 / Masaaki Yuasa)
This eclectic Japanese animated film may have some expecting a stereotypical animé production when they first read of it. In trying to describe the film, the concept sounds quite complicated, and its high concepts, philosophical views and ethereal style may worry some who are not big fans of the Japanese animation style. But fear not, this is nothing like anything you’ve seen from Studio Ghibli or on Saturday morning before Dragonball-Z. Mind Game is a celebration of life and love through the medium of film, incorporating different styles, colours, patterns, music and sound to create something as close to impressionistic art on film as the world has seen in many years.
It begins with a bit of a downer - a young man is murdered after declaring his life-long love to the girl of his dreams. But the film is surprisingly upbeat, as entire spectrums of colour dance around the screen in ever-evolving images like a kaleidoscope of emotions. It’s all pretty trippy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one day this becomes somewhat of a cult favorite among young stoners.
But it would be a crime to make it sound like this film encourages the use of drugs in order to appreciate its meaning. Despite its sometimes violent content, even a child could understand the message behind this film. Living life to the fullest is really all we can do on this world with the short time we have, and before we know it life just zips us by, so every moment of every day should be a beautiful adventure.
Dead Ringers (1988 / David Cronenberg)
I’m an enormous fan of David Cronenberg. If I were to make a list of my top five directors, he would be on it. His sense of visual style and his method of telling a story often make me sit back and think, “this is what I want my movies to look like.” He fuses philosophical concepts with elements of science fiction and horror, and even his duds end up being interesting viewings.
I think my love for Cronenberg had something to do with why it took me so long to see Dead Ringers. I’ve seen it touted as his best film on more than one occasion, and I feared disappointment because my hopes were so high. But to get it out of the way before I go any further, I couldn’t have been more wrong in my doubts - Dead Ringers is the best film by David Cronenberg, and marks the very high point of his career.
Jeremy Irons’ performances as twin gynecologist brothers Beverly and Elliot Mantle are astounding - and it’s key to mention that they are two totally different performances. The two brothers are like polar opposites of each other - one is a shy social outcast more interested in his books than in any romantic pursuits, while the other is somewhat of a party animal who is equally brilliant but does not like spending so much time studying.
It’s a disturbing drama using Cronenberg’s signature weirdness and both over and undertones of sexuality and the human body, and it’s all fascinating and very emotional. You don’t need to be a Cronenberg fan to love this one.
Memories of Murder (2003 / Joon-ho Bong)
It seems inevitable that almost every new police thriller be compared to Se7en. David Fincher’s dark, disturbing film brought together elements of film noir, horror, and The Silence of the Lambs to create a film which works on many levels and warrants repeat viewings.
Korean filmmaker Joon-ho Bong (whose latest film is the stylish and critically acclaimed monster film The Host) has crafted a thriller worthy of being compared to Se7en. It is based on the true story of some police officers in a small town in South Korea in the 1980s, who are investigating the very first serial killer the country has ever seen. The audience knows from the get-go that the killer has yet to be caught, so what is it that makes the film so powerful if we know there is no resolution? Partly due to brilliant performances all-around (especially from Kang-ho Song who also appeared as the lead in The Host), the film creates an atmosphere of hopelessness as the detectives try to track down the killer with none of the proper equipment, training or tactics required.
It’s a beautifully filmed crime film - which is a trait that seems typical of the recent boom of films from South Korea. But it is also deeply emotional and ultimately haunting. And I can’t forget to mention that chilling musical score.
The Mist (2007 / Frank Darabont)
Every year there are usually between one and three films released which really get to me, making me love them instantly, and this love only grows in repeat viewings, eventually making them enter into my “all-time favorites” list. Last year this film was The Fountain; in 2005 it was Batman Begins, etc. This year that film is The Mist.
Being that this is Frank Darabont’s fourth collaboration with Stephen King and the track-record of their team-ups has been practically flawless so far, I don’t think it was much of a stretch to expect a well-crafted horror film from The Mist. But I got so, so much more than that. It’s an atmospheric emotional roller coaster ride with great performances all-round and scenes of sheer terror which haven’t been seen in horror films in, well, a long time. Darabont understood what worked in King’s novella, and then from that took what would work best on screen to create a film of great length when compared to most horror outings of late (the film clocks in at slightly over two hours), and is based more on characters and writing than on gore and monster effects.
However, the gore and the monsters are wonderful as well. Admittedly the CGI is a bit spotty at times - especially in the initial attack in the loading dock scene - but scenes such as the infamous trip to the pharmacy, and then the awe-inspiring finale, are just executed so, so well. Thomas Jane’s performance is both heroic and down-to-earth, and he has scenes which show true humanity rarely seen in horror films or monster movies. The one that hit me the hardest occurs when a character is dragged away into the mist after being convinced to do something quite stupid by a couple of other cowardly characters, and Jane screams at them, “you got him killed...and I’ve got his f***ing blood on me!” It sounds simple and unimpressive when trying to explain it here, but in the scene the sheer desperation in Jane’s voice is just incredible.
I’ve been obsessed with the film since I saw it a second time before it left theatres, and there is no question that this is my favorite film of the year.
