Film Idiom’s Top 20 movies of 2009

I have yet to see A Single Man, Crazy Heart, Precious, Bright Star, The Messenger, Brothers, Broken Embraces, etc. And probably never will see The Hurt Locker and Invictus

These, like my top Films of the Decade, are those films this year that most inspired or affected me in some way or another.

20. The Informant
19. In The Loop
18. An Education
17. Sunshine Cleaning
16. Paranormal Activity
15. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
14. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
13. Up in the Air
12. A Serious Man
11. The Cove
10. Watchmen
9. Moon
8. Up
7. Zombieland (2)
6. (500) Days of Summer (2)
5. Star Trek (3)
4. Avatar (2)
3. Where the Wild Things Are (2)
2. District 9 (2)
1. Inglourious Basterds (5)

*The numbers represent how many times I saw the film at the cinema (if more than once).

Film Idiom’s top 10 Films of the Decade!

10. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

9. Dogville (2003)

8. Zodiac (2007)

7. I Heart Huckabees (2004)

6. Waking Life (2001)

5. V for Vendetta (2005)

4. The Fall (2006)

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

2. Donnie Darko (2001)

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Well, there you have it. I drink your milkshake!

Honorable mentions include: The Good, the Bad, the Weird, 11:14, Runaway Jury, The Painted Veil, LOTR: Return of the King, Memento, Gosford Park, Far From Heaven, Sideways, Downfall, Zombieland, In the Bedroom, Big Fish, Proof, Atonement, Pride & Prejudice, etc.

Film Idiom’s Top 50 Films of the Decade- 20 to 11

20. Lost in Translation (2006)

19. Apocalypto (2006)

18. Once (2006)

17. Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

16. District 9 (2009)

15. Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

14. Into the Wild (2007)

13. Amelie (2004)

12. Pan’s Labyrinth (2007)

11. Avatar (2009)

Film Idiom’s Top 50 Films of the Decade- 30 to 21

30. Gerry (2002)

29. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)

28. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

27. The Pianist (2002)

26. Adaptation (2002)

25. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

24. Chicago (2002)

23. Southland Tales (2006)

22. Malena (2000)

21. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Film Idiom’s Top 50 Films of the Decade- 40 to 31

40. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

39. Broken Flowers (2005)

38. Let the Right One In (2008)

37. Infamous (2006)

36. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

35. The New World (2005)

34. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

33. The Visitor (2007)

32. Cloverfield (2008)

31. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Film Idiom’s Top 50 Films of the decade- 50 to 41.

This was a remarkably arduous undertaking, despite the fact that I ventured forth with the best intentions hoping to chronicle those few special films that most I connected with, inspired and challenged me personally over the past ten years.

I was planning to write a little something for each and include a picture but I haven’t got around to organising that yet. I really don’t actually know why I’m doing this at all. I must be very bored. I will also probably do a Top 20 of 2009 at some point.

Surprisingly, the latter of this list was actually much more difficult than the first 20 or so. So here’s the first set of 10. 50 through 41 of my personal Top 50 Film’s of the Decade.

50. I’m Not There (2007)

49. Lady in the Water (2006)

48. Fast Food Nation (2006)

47. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

46. [Rec] (2007)

45. The Experiment (2001)

44. Up (2009)

43. Goodbye, Lenin! (2003)

42. The Kite Runner (2007)

41. Star Trek (2009)

Where for art though inspiration?

I decided I’m going to do my next essay on Where The Wild Things Are. Also, I am compiling my *personal list of the Top 50 film’s of the decade. This is purely for my own enjoyment and reminiscence. The list will probably be done first.

That is if anyone actually reads this… Hell I don’t care if no one does. This is mostly for me!

Update

Sadly, I haven’t been writing lately. I think my next film article will be on Paranormal Activity, which I saw on Halloween at a special preview screening in the city. Or maybe Where The Wild Things Are, which I hope to see on Wednesday.

L’espoir fleurit au ciel de Paris

An Education
Director: Lone Scherfig
Year: 2009
Country: UK
Running time: 95 mins.

What is an education? Is it merely the devouring of countless academic books and hours spent in characterless classrooms, lectured at concerning subjects that seem irrelevant to your existence- being forced to free your mind in a decidedly conformist way? Or is it, in fact, actively partaking in the many wonders of the world; experiencing first hand what at school you can only read about- actually living in the moment, free and open to everything without abiding anyone’s rules and regulations? An Education gave the impression that it may just be both- but that ultimately, it is our choice regarding the sequence in which we experience these two integral life components that might just be the real lesson.

The film centres on Jenny, a high school overachiever in 1960’s London, who lives and breathes the whimsy of a romanticised aspiration; longing for the wonder of Paris, or even anywhere other than the stale existence of her suburban surroundings. She initially believes that pursuing her long-held goal of Oxford university is what will enable this dream to come to fruition; yet as soon as fellow music aficionado and suave older gentleman David, blows across her path, her goals are suddenly at the mercy of a strong and exciting new wind.

Scripted by the reputably witty novelist Nick Hornby, who’s dialogue- a tight and jocular zeitgeist of British sixties repartee- seems to relevantly hark back to the timeless romance classics of an era gone by; and the cadence of which gives the scenes a life and energy that sets the film apart from others of its kind. Based on the brief memoir of Lynn Barber, Hornby takes an archetypal storyline and makes it appear refreshingly novel, while riddling it with abundant references to appropriate art, music and literature, including a few heavy-handed acknowledgments to the classic coming of age novel Jane Eyre.

Danish Director Lone Scherfig, does a clean, competent job yet doesn’t offer anything unique as a signature; while it is apparent that she was finely tuned in to both the material and her star, by her ability to conjure moments of magic from both. Her film frequently and lavishly skills us in the auditory and ocular delights of the time; specifically those afforded to the upper classes, such as art, fine dining, classical music, etc.; with the soundtrack of the film featuring whimsical Parisian harmonies of Juliette Greco, the smooth 60’s jazz of various artists and even snippets of timeless classical pieces.

The performances here are altogether proficient. Notably, Rosamund Pike, who is surprisingly hilarious as the vacant, vapid Helen; and even the terribly miscast American thespian Peter Sarsgaard- who is typically more akin to John Malkovich than Cary Grant- does a reasonable job as Henry, the charming British rogue. Though An Education naturally belongs to the captivating charisma of relative neophyte Carey Mulligan, who carries the film with ease and sophistication far beyond both her experience level and age. She is the real throbbing heart of the film; dually exhibiting intelligence and sagacity in abundance while still retaining the capability of falling back into the naivety of youth- she is able to transform little inconsequential moments into something quite prodigious.

The film as a whole acts like a smooth, beguiling jazz tune, floating over the viewer, caressing delicately with words and nuances, painting rich pictures with its melody, capturing your attention completely, and yet never quite persuading you that this is what you want to be listening to. The enchanting delicacy of its harmony unravels towards the end, losing its way within the complexity of its own ambition; as the film’s fundamental message is just not presented convincingly enough.

An Education is a well-worn coming of age tale set within an intransigent and arduous world (especially for free-spirited females); and is ignited by a simple yet powerful performance from its young star. The film may be somewhat undone by a cliché and feeble climax, and an arbitrary and unnecessary voice-over closing- yet it ultimately offers us a course in how much things have changed over the years, how some things never seem to change, and that the lessons we learn along the way are what matters most in the end.

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

(500) Days of Summer
Director: Marc Webb
Year: 2009
Country: USA
Running time: 95 mins

In this current epoch, a time in which the romantic comedy landscape is so shamelessly saturated with crass, superficial fodder- to the point where traversing its coarse terrain is an occupation increasingly fraught with peril- it is decidedly refreshing when a film such as (500) Days of Summer, sprouts up organically, like an iridescent flower from the surrounding manure, and freshly plucked, permeates the atmosphere with a clean fragrance of originality.

This first time feature film for prolific music video auteur Marc Webb, and untried scriptwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, follows the romantic trajectory of Tom Hansen, a somewhat foolishly idealistic Angeleno “hipster”, stagnating in a shallow and unfulfilling job. This recusant’s foundations are shaken by the welcome interpolation of the enigmatic and bewitching Summer Finn, simultaneously infiltrating both his workplace and heart. Summer holds a cynical view of love, broken by her parents divorce at an early age, she too finds solace in the bittersweet melancholy of The Smiths- a fact that cements Tom’s attraction to her. Extremely capricious in nature, Summer’s amiability blows in and out on a callous wind while Tom is left addled and defenseless yet haplessly infatuated to the point of masochism; and even in her wake, he is unable to move past the memory of their time together, vowing to win her back, and setting in motion his recollection of various moments they shared.

Their ruptured romance is told, initially, in reverse, commencing post break-up, and chaotically traversing the intermediate moments, sewn together like a patchwork quilt. A nostalgia driven journey through his diary-like memory bank, the constantly flipping narrative evokes feelings within the viewer similar to the confusion felt on the part of Tom in regards to the breakdown of his and Summer’s romance. A successful tool to a degree, though at points the disarray works to its detriment, with certain shifts that are overly confounding, diffusing the emotional impact of a few key scenes. The soundtrack of the film, a finely cultivated mix of alternative yet prevailingly accessible artists (led by The Smiths & Regina Spektor), helps assimilate the audience to the fluctuating moods of our protagonist, framing many a moment with an impeccably complemented musical accompaniment and allowing certain scenes a striking emotional resonance.

The dialogue, for the most part, flows natural and earnest, sparked by an undercurrent of emotional honesty. However, the rhetoric emitted from Tom’s admittedly amusing, yet excessively precocious little sister walks a fine line between endearing and annoyingly counterfeit. The utilisation of a third person omniscient narrator, acting as a whimsical raconteur and serving up insightful snippets of Tom’s psyche, was a daring and welcome device employed within the film- though at points, after extended respites; a rather jarring effect is elicited by its return.

The films finest gifts, however, are Webb’s, particularly his undiluted artistry for all things visually eccentric and the sheer audacity with which he implements this skill. This includes an inspired black and white tribute montage to French New Wave films, Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, a split-screen scene showcasing “reality” vs “expectation”, a flawlessly executed creative transition, and perhaps most notably, a surprising and delightful musical interlude, which is used as a parodical embodiment of Tom’s utter ecstasy and joyful abandon after a successful night with Summer. This sequence transitions seamlessly into a later memory, contrasting perfectly between the glory of love and the utter despair of heartbreak.

Archetypal Indie darlings, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom) and Zooey Deschanel (Summer), are perfectly paired and equally charming protagonists, exhibiting an easy chemistry, and bestowing their characters layers additional to what is written for them. For there is an innate fragility to both Tom and Summer, one which is masked by a humoured indifference. This marks a creditably recognizable characteristic intrinsic in many young people today, and is a discernment that speaks to the distinctive qualities possessed by the two soulful leads, who often bring such a sense of introspective depth to their roles.

Though not without visible cracks in its mosaic façade, (500) Days is essentially a resplendent and bittersweet serenade to love, heartbreak and everything in between. Moments spliced together into an engaging pastiche of warm humour, sincerity and ingenuity; and awakening the long slumbering buds of romance in the romantic comedy genre, the film carries a tangible sense of the love and care that went into its production- an agreeable sentiment which lingers with the viewer for (many) days after.