These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Sorry all, the behemoth that I like to call the school year got in the way of my regular posting. I've still been watching, loving and critiquing films since I got busy, but sadly had neither the time nor the energy to rant. But the sun is out, spring is in the air, and I'm back, bitches!

To open this new era of me having free(r) time, I wanted to post about a few of my favorite movies. Most people are hard-pressed to name their favorite film. To cinephiles, it's akin to picking a favorite child. We all have movies we love for various reasons/moods/occasions. For example, I can't imagine allowing my birthday to pass without viewing the first movie on My Favorite Things list. Granted, I haven't seen every movie ever made, so this list is from my experiences up to April 2010.

Overall Favorite:

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain, 2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Little confession of mine: normally I'm into the "Dark Side" kind of stuff, but I'm also a sucker for a good fairy-tale. And this French film, my favorite for several years, serves up. Sure, a shy waitress replaces the fairy princess, and an odd-ball replaces the prince charming, but that doesn't make this movie any less charming. For me, this film has everything: romance, comedy, deep pathos. The bright colors, motley crew of characters and situations, poetic musings on taking chances and the power of fate, and the irrepressible imagination of the heroine keep me coming back for more. That, and it's beautifully romantic.

Favorite Action

The Bourne Ultimatum, 2007, Paul Greengrass
Sure, it's the third in a series. Sure, it doesn't have much in the way of story. But this movie has so many great action set-pieces (foot chases, explosions, car chases, hand-to-hand combat, intrigue) in exotic locales, natch, that are so perfectly conceptualized and executed, it's hard not to be in awe. This movie keeps your attention with the shaky camera, brilliant fights, and of course, looking at Matt Damon for a couple of hours will never hurt your cause. This is one I can't flip past.

Favorite Romance

Atonement, 2007, Joe Wright
I'm sure from reading the above films, you're wondering, didn't she already cover this? But Atonement is a great film adapted from a flawless novel. It's not purely a romance; there's a lot more going on about truth and the necessity of narrative for survival, but the central romance is the beating heart of this film. And it's handled so unusually for this kind of "epic" romance. No histrionics. No hand-wringing, ridiculous demonstrations or pretensions usually found in this kind of film. Just two people who love each other, and want nothing more than to be together. Not to mention the library scene is probably one of the most romantic (without cheesiness) ever committed to film.

Favorite Thriller

Rear Window, 1954, Alfred Hitchcock
This was the toughest to pick by far, with this being my favorite genre. But this is an example of perfect execution and virtuosic film making. Again, this is a film that for me has everything. Jimmy Stewart is a likable hero, Grace Kelly is sublime as his girlfriend, and the tension, mystery and suspense generated on a small set with a physically limited protagonist would make most filmmakers today incredibly jealous. Not to mention the dialogue is witty and holds up well.

Favorite Romantic Comedy

Bringing Up Baby, 1938, Howard Hawks
The best screwball comedy ever made. Period. But on top of that, it explains something very important and fundamental about love when Cary Grant exclaims, "I've just discovered that was the best day I've ever had in my whole life!" to Katharine Hepburn. And considering this day involved a mix-up with leopards, unintentional cross dressing, and following around a dog hoping it will show him a priceless bone, that means it must be love.

Favorite Horror

The Exorcist, 1973, William Friedkin
The term "favorite" is a bit strong in this category because horror/gore is my least favorite genre. But the most terrifying movie I've ever seen is this one. It's a healthy helping of Catholic guilt, a heap of over-active imagination, and a pinch of wussiness (okay, maybe more than a pinch), but this film terrifies me to no end. I've only actually made it through the movie twice. It's not the head-spinning or the crab walk that gets me. It's the desecration of a beautiful, innocent little girl by absolute evil, which is a terrifying idea unto itself. Add the elements of suspense, and the idea that God is not the only one who knows one's soul and one's weaknesses, ready to manipulate your every move, and you get me hiding under the covers with the lights on.

Favorite Comedy

Hot Fuzz, 2007, Edgar Wright
Anyone who knows me knows my devotion to all things Pegg, Wright and Frost. But this movie consistently makes me laugh no matter how many times I've watched it. Be it the brilliant sight gags, the twisting of every ridiculous buddy-cop-action movie convention into something freshly hilarious, or the witty dialogue, it gets me every time. Not to mention it's a pretty solid action movie on its own, taking it above trite parody. That's how we do it in the West Country!

Favorite Fantasy

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977, George Lucas
The selling out of Star Wars still devastates me, since I've been watching this movie since I was five, and it doesn't feel any less fascinating or absorbing. Sure, the dialogue is cheesy, and CGI has come leaps and bounds since then, but this is still a seminal movie in my life because it draws you into a world so real that one almost hopes it is.

Favorite Drama

Casablanca, 1942, Michael Curtiz
Why not under Favorite Romance, you ask? Well, it was a contender. Again, another movie that has everything. Its perfection in execution goes beyond words.

Favorite So-Bad-It's-Good

Twilight, 2008, Catherine Hardwicke
Um, do I have to state the obvious? Be it the bad make-up, cheesy special effects, or the car junk-yard clunky dialogue, this movie never fails to disappoint with unintentional humor.

Favorite Epic

Munich, 2005, Steven Spielberg
Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Well, that's the hypothesis tested in this film, which chronicles the actions of the Mossad after the murder of the Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. And Spielberg doesn't flinch from the uncomfortable and numerous answers to that question. This is not a typical epic, but with its varied locales, a seemingly unending odyssey of names and faces to die for the sake of safety, retaliation and the quagmire of violence, this film is exhausting, enlightening and shows that the world is not as simple as we'd like.

Favorite Adventure

Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1982, Steven Spielberg
A much lighter, souffle of a piece by Spielberg, who doesn't love the intrepid, always-in-over-his-head hero, Indiana Jones? The story is ridiculously over the top, but it's all so well done (sets, action, stunts, suspense) all one can say is "Pass the popcorn!"

Favorite Musical

Moulin Rogue!, 2001, Baz Luhrman

This is a tough category because I hate musicals, given for my general love of verisimilitude. So I have to pick one so outrageous, so over-the-top, so obviously not set in our real world and definitely in one where people regularly burst into song. Thus Moulin Rogue!, or as I subtitle it, A Beautiful Mess. A mix-tape of a musical, it's colorful, shiny, and so much fun it's hard not to love.


Honorable Mentions:

Children of Men, 2006, Alfonso Cuaron
Sunset Blvd., 1950, Billy Wilder
Some Like it Hot, 1959, Billy Wilder
Shaun of the Dead, 2004, Edgar Wright
Jurassic Park, 1993, Steven Spielberg
Psycho, 1960, Alfred Hitchcock
Rope, 1948, Alfred Hitchcock
The Dark Knight, 2008, Christopher Nolan
Citizen Kane, 1941

What are your favorites? Post in the comments below! (I'm always looking for something new to watch...)