Random Observations

Monday, February 6, 2012

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (95-91)

95. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine is one of the most unique films I’ve ever seen in both its subject matter and its style. It’s ultimate message about how relationships are worth remembering even if they’ve ended badly is ultimately pretty simple, but it’s told in a way that makes it extremely effective.

It should come as no surprise that this won the Academy Award for best original screenplay; it should be a surprise, however, that it received no nomination for best picture. I don’t get it.

Anyways I don’t want to give too much of this movie away because it’s such an original viewing experience. Ask any of your friends; it seems like everyone who’s seen this movie absolutely loves it. It’s emotionally powerful, well acted, well directed, is extremely imaginative, and has a good bite of subtle humor.

94. Rudy (1993)

Rudy is basically your generic inspirational sports film. It’s better than most movies in this category, but I don’t think I can call it a great movie. However, I grew up in a Notre Dame household and I’ve seen this movie almost as often as any other movie, so it’s in here for sentimental reasons more than anything else.

Rudy is an emotional movie, and you will most definitely find yourself rooting for Sean Astin’s character. Of course, this is why some people dislike these kinds of movies; it almost seems too pull on the viewer’s heartstrings. But it’s effective and that’s difficult to disagree with.

You first cheer for Rudy as he attempts to transfer into Notre Dame. It’s a bit melodramatic in the sense that literally everyone says he doesn’t stand a chance—his father, his asshole brother, his teacher, his girlfriend…it’s kind of ridiculous. But once he gets in, it’s awesome, and then he devotes his life to making the football team.

The tryout scenes are the best in the film, as they are filmed very well, and extremely well accompanied by a great Jerry Goldsmith score.

This is worth watching if you want to feel good, really. It’s a little manipulative but it works. Also worth watching for Sean Astin’s career’s second-best performance and an early appearance by Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau.

93. Rio Bravo (1959)

I’m a western fan. They’re fun movies. They’re awesome because it’s a time so different from today, where being tough gets you everywhere, law is just a word, and order an abstract idea. Rio Bravo is one of the best.

It stars John Wayne as a sheriff holding a murderer in prison while the town chooses to revolt against him. Hired guns come in and the Duke recruits Dean Martin, a recovering drunk, to battle against far superior opponents.

While it lacks the emotional intrigue of other westerns such as Unforgiven and The Searchers, Rio Bravo is indeed a great movie. Dean Martin steals the show in a brilliant performance, and with some memorable characters and rich direction by film legend Howard Hawks, this is certainly a movie worth watching.

92. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

The Bourne movies are all pretty similar. There’s certainly a formula working in which there’s a mystery Bourne needs to unfold, there’s an elongated fight between Bourne and an assassin, and a great car chase. However, while The Bourne Supremacy is undoubtedly the low point of the series, this is probably the best.

The highlight of the film comes fairly early on when Bourne is giving directions over the phone to a journalist who’s being sniped by an assassin. It’s suspenseful as hell because while there seems to be nothing Jason Bourne can’t handle—and he proves his badassness time and time again throughout the film—this is out of his control.

The fight between Bourne and an assassin is excellent, the car chase is good. The ending is a little confusing but whatever.

It’s just a very fast-paced action film with excellent stunts and camerawork and taut direction.

91. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

The quintessential American novel is one of Hollywood’s quintessential American films. John Ford directed one of his first classics in the film that made Henry Fonda a star.

It’s a powerful and thought-provoking film about poverty and the American dream, filled with great characters and performances. My favorite character is easily John Casy, played by John Carradine, in his most memorable role.

This is a very bittersweet movie. It’s sad because it’s all about poverty but at the same time you are proud of Tom Joad (Fonda) and all he does as he becomes a great hero.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (100-96)

100. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

This is one of my favorite movies from the last decade. Quentin Tarantino is a truly original filmmaker and this is in my opinion his second-best film. It tells multiple stories in Nazi-occupied France.

The main story is a group of “basterds” led by Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), essentially Jewish-American terrorists who go around killing Nazi soldiers one by one. Yes, this is an extremely violent movie and it’s certainly not for everyone. But it’s extremely entertaining and tense.

The most effective scene comes when a German actress is a spy in a hideout of Nazi soldiers. It’s such a tense scene and it works on so many levels.

99. Ghostbusters (1984)

Bill Murray’s sarcastic sense of humor never worked so well as in this classic comedy. The movie itself is a neat concept, having people go around capturing ghosts. That’s just great. But really the comedy is outstanding.

There’s a number of memorable characters and they’re all fun to watch. Watching Murray and Dan Aykroyd play off each other may be the best part of the movie. And of course, the film climaxes with a 100-foot tall marshmallow man, one of the more unforgettable scenes in movie history.

98. The Bourne Identity (2002)

When I was younger, this was like my 2^nd favorite movie. Watching it now, it isn’t as good as I thought it was, but it’s still relentlessly entertaining.

Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a CIA agent who has amnesia and has to piece together what’s going on in his life in such a convincing nature, that it’s hard to believe that most people initially thought he couldn’t play an action role. I don’t know why anyone would ever say that, I totally remember him kicking someone’s ass in Good Will Hunting.

The highlight of the film is the car chase which is still a very impressive scene and one of my favorites ever. It also has a great fight between Bourne and an assassin.

It’s a refreshing change of pace for action movies in the sense that it’s intelligent. It has a lot of international intrigue and while not completely believable by any means, there are no stupid gadgets or anything like that. It’s a pretty good movie. I’m not so sure I’d say it’s great, but it’s always been one of my favorites.

97. Bull Durham (1988)

The highlight of Bull Durham lies in its understanding of the game of baseball. I am a big baseball fan and it’s always been my favorite sport and it’s been my favorite sport for sports movies, and this is one of the best.

Kevin Costner plays the veteran on the Durham Bulls, a man on the verge of breaking the Minor League record for home runs, which of course no one cares about. Tim Robbins plays the young hotshot pitcher who is of course a complete idiot. He and Costner bond throughout the movie as Costner teaches him about the game. And then there’s Susan Sarandon, who plays a woman who sleeps with one person from the team every season. She has trouble choosing between the two of them, of course.

Bull Durham is both an effective romantic comedy and a sports movie. It actually has a lot to say about relationships. My favorite moment comes when Robbins refuses to pitch what Costner wants, so the latter tells the batter what the pitch is. Needless to say, it is hit for a home run.

96. The Sting (1973)

The pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford was found to be gold in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and it was continued in 1973’s Best Picture Oscar-winning The Sting.

Directed by George Roy Hill and filled with wonderful Depression-era sets and score, it’s a very fun movie with characters you can’t help but root for.

Robert Redford plays con-man Johnny Hooker, whose friend and partner is killed by Doyle Lonnegan’s Chicago gang. He wants revenge but can’t take it himself. He goes to Henry Gondorf (Paul Newman) for help. Gondorf is a hilarious and very irreverent character which makes for some great interactions between he and Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw.

Hooker eases his way into the trust of Lonnegan while being talked to by the FBI and Gondorf. It’s apparent he wants revenge but it is unclear at how he will go about doing it. The ending does not disappoint.

This is such a fun movie. It has great humor, outstanding characters and performances—particularly from Newman and Shaw—and it’s a wonderful period drama, one of my favorites.