Top 10 Films

Sam at Honest to Blog! asked for lists of readers' top ten films. And for some reason I love torturing my indecisive mind, so after a lot of thinking and re-thinking; here's mine! In no particular order because that would be simply impossible. I haven't outlined the plots for any of them, because I hate the idea of spoiling a film for others.

The Dreamers

Finding a PG rated still to start things off was a little difficult. This film is not for the faint hearted, prudish, or easily offended. It is a little bit messed up. But Eva Green is absolutely phenomenal, and it's far and away my favourite film that's set in France. The whole film is my favourite scene, it's just fantastic- visual poetry.

Memento

Not a film I can watch on repeat, however the first time you watch it I guarantee you will want to see it again to catch what you missed. It's a bit to get your head around initially.

Closer

I love Natalie Portman, but there just isn't that many films of hers that I like equally as much. Garden State and V for Vendetta are both entertaining, but Closer is really the only one I can watch again and again. Clive Owen's presence helps, admittedly. This film is not as messed up as The Dreamers, but the language is pretty crude. This still is from what is probably my favourite scene, if you consider it to start at the photoshoot. It's not as hostile and intense as other parts of the film, but it definitely gives the viewer an uneasy feeling.

American History X

Edward Norton is amazing, that is all. (Not for the weak-stomached).

Inglourious Basterds

I'm no Tarantino fan girl- he's an incredible filmmaker, but I can't seem to watch his films again and again. Inglourious is the exception. I went along without knowing anything about the storyline and absolutely fell in love. It's brutal and funny and quirky and sexy and pure entertainment from start to finish. And Michael Fassbender is an effing babe.

Rat Race

A comedy that never gets old. You should have bought a squirrel.

The Life of David Gale

This film was not well received by critics according to the Wikipedia page, but it does alright on IMDb, and I loved it. I first saw it played late on TV a couple of years ago, and the ending really grabbed me. The plot is definitely flawed in places, but Kevin Spacey is consistently brilliant.

Atonement

This is one of those rare film adaptations which better the book. It's completely magical and devastating. The score is amazing. It's perfectly paced. It's stupidly tragically beautiful, and I cry every time. I absolutely recommend.

View from the Top

I can definitely do the odd cheeseball film, and View from the Top is number one on the list. Hello, tacky flight attendants and crazy airlines? Never gets old to me.

The Birds

If you haven't seen this freaking classic, you are missing out in a big way. In my opinion it's far superior to Psycho.

The Town: Film Review

I went along to the premiere screening at Reading last night with little knowledge about this film’s plot or cast. Despite knowing many intimacies of his personal life with Gwyneth and the Jennifers, I wasn’t too familiar with Ben Affleck’s cinematic career. However I developed an appreciation for his acting talent as the film progressed, and the revelation that he also screenwrote and directed the film when the final credits rolled was a pleasant surprise (to me, because I don’t research).

I love heist movies, so the opening scene grabbed me immediately. Doug (Ben Affleck), Jem (Jeremy Renner) and two of their friends storm in to rob a Boston bank, with Halloween masks hiding their faces. Claire (Rebecca Hall) is quickly introduced as the bank manager, who is forced to open the bank safe and then briefly taken as a hostage. My favourite aspect of this scene is the way it is fragmented with silent CCTV footage, giving each cut back to the bank a loud, violent, gunshot-like impact.

I enjoyed Hall’s performance as Claire right from this beginning (although it took me at least half the film to work out I recognised her from The Prestige which was distracting). I enjoy films that give the audience their first impression of a character in an extreme situation, and her fearful, slow walk to the water’s edge at the end of this (quite long) opening sequence was shot beautifully.

From the bank robbery onwards, The Town extends on the action, and also brings in a great deal of drama and romance.

Doug begins self-preserving surveillance of Claire, trying to make sure she has nothing on them to pass on to the FBI. They soon share a charming encounter in Claire’s local laundromat; she breaks down crying and he makes her giggle. A relationship quickly develops (which she says her friend described as a “rebound from the bank robbery” later in the film).

I felt the subplot about Doug’s mother was dwelled on too much throughout the film, considering how little value it added to the conclusion; and probably could have been cut out altogether.

I didn’t really like the character of Krista (Blake Lively), but this too was due to her weak ties to the central plot, and not a reflection on Lively’s performance. In her first scene I assumed she was Doug’s paid whore, though we soon learn she’s just a bit drug fucked, has a daughter and a history with Doug, and is also Jem’s sister. She had very little screen time with Doug throughout the film, so her emotional outbursts towards the end came across a little unconvincing.

The variety within the film kept a great pace- I found myself just beginning to tire of the ‘sap’ when another action sequence would begin. There are a few lackluster scenes, but overall I thought it was a great film, and I was impressed by it even before I knew the director. I definitely recommend you check it out.

Day 9 of 30

I decided that doing one catch up post would be a silly idea, because it would be long and boring, and no one would read it. So we'll treat the past few days as a little break from 30 Days of Interpretation, and I'll start up again with Day 9 today. Forgive me?

• The last film you saw at the cinema

The last film I saw I have already mentioned; the wonderful film adaptation of John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began. If you've read the books and haven't seen it yet, you're a moron (or you're in some unfortunate country that's not screening it). If you haven't read the books nor seen it, I would recommend going to see it right now. I don't think it will affect your enjoyment of the books, and if anything it will make you want to read all seven (plus the follow-up trilogy) now! I found Caitlin Stasey really annoying in Neighbours, but just brilliant in this movie playing the lead role of Ellie (possibly due to the fact she's grown up a bit). I think the only person I didn't really like in the film was Corrie, but I didn't like her much in the books either.

Aw man, I want to go see it again now.