10) HUGO (2011, dir. Martin Scorsese)
Yes, Martin Scorsese found a
formula that has proven critically and commercially successful that started
(arguably) with GoodFellas. From there, most of his most
prominent work have been high-energy, kinetically stylized stories of the
criminal underground. In spite of this, I don’t think Marty gets enough credit
for the versatility in his catalog, and nowhere is that more evident than
in Hugo, the story of an orphan boy, an automaton, and a journey
through the history of cinema. In stark contrast to the vast majority of his
filmography, Hugo marks Scorsese’s outing into not only
strictly family-friendly territory, but also into the realm of 3D moviemaking.
It may sound like a shameful
cash-grab, but Scorsese instead brings us a magical 3D wonderfest, using the
medium as a celebration of the great distance cinema has reached in its century
or so of existence, as well as excitement of the possibilities of the future.
Call it a “Love Letter to Cinema”, but Hugo is not just
mindless pandering to cinephiles; the story is captivating in that classically
rapturous way, the characters are lovely, and the entire movie is spectacular
in the most literal sense. Watching Hugo at home (I missed its
theatrical run), its 3D-specific moments glare more than I'd prefer, but
nothing could take away the magic that Hugo casted.
9) MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015, dir. George Miller)
After three decades of
silence, apocalyptic wanderer Max Rockatansky roared back onto screens in Fury
Road, the fourth installment of the Mad Max series. Now
played by Tom Hardy, Max escapes captivity and joins forces with Imperator
Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who has gone rogue from the rule of a tyrannical
army and is now on the run. What follows couldn’t be simpler: to put it
bluntly, Fury Road is a two-hour car chase, and there’s no
other way to have it. Despite such a bare-bones premise, Fury
Road never stalls out, endlessly thrilling the viewer with explosive,
gritty action.
Contrary to the usual
tight-framed, handheld fare, George Miller widens his scope and beholds a
spectacle that is breathtaking. Set to the backdrop of beautiful desert
landscapes, Fury Road assaults the viewer with a barrage of
awesome special effects and jaw-dropping stunt-work, all complimented by
imaginative car & costume designs, always maintaining its exciting
momentum. And then there’s Hardy and Theron, who are nothing short of badass
with their grunts and growls that suggest a lifetime of survival in an
unforgiving world. Topped off with an egalitarian message that is effectively
profound (especially for a film of this kind), Fury Road is
not only one of this decade’s most memorable films, but fully deserves its
reputation as one of the best action films of all time.
8) PARASITE (2019, dir. Bong Joon-ho)
After getting their feet in
the proverbial door, the unemployed and impoverished Kim family infiltrate
their way to employment into the other-worldly wealth of the Park home. Such is
a very bare-bones premise for Parasite, and I dare not say anymore,
as Parasite is one of the most singular and original movies in
ages – the less you know going in, the better. From there, it is a
genre-defying romp that twists and turns to mind-boggling degrees. Most
remarkably, as off-the-rails as it becomes, Parasite never
crosses the line into a muddled mess, thanks in great part to tight direction
from Bong Joon-ho, debatably South Korea’s best cinematic export.
It’s definitely a mouthful of
a movie, with commentary touching on class divide, the atrophic effect of
frivolity, and the cutthroat nature that lurks within society, even at its most
civilized – all without falling into patronizing clichés. It’s the kind of film
that demands discussion afterward, but for those still reeling from Parasite’s
singular chaos know they’ve seen a great film. Parasite is
enthralling for every second of its runtime, thanks to flawless direction,
crack technicality, and one of the best scripts of recent memory. Joon-ho’s
filmography has one hell of a great track record, from the tense Memories
of Murder to the thrilling Snowpiercer – Parasite just
might be him at the top of his form.
7) THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019, dir. Robert Eggers)
Shot in gorgeously bleak black
& white, two wickies descend into Lovecraftian madness in the confines of a
New England lighthouse in Robert Eggers’ sophomore effort, The
Lighthouse. Here is a premise that bore the greatest of promises that
only art house cinema could live up to, and combined with the phenomenal
teasers, there was not one film I was more psyched for this past 10 years
than The Lighthouse. By all accounts, I hyped this movie up so
much that there was no way it could have met my expectations, but I’ll be
damned that Eggers actually pulled that off, let alone making one of the best
films of the decade.
The power of the film is
ultimately anchored by career highlights for sole leading men Robert Pattinson
and Willem Dafoe, but buoying The Lighthouse is a terrific
production design and masterful atmosphere – gorgeous cinematography,
hypnotically maddening sound design, and meticulously detailed set design (the
viewer can feel the very setting) – further complimented by a
singular personality that is commonly, if depressingly, absent from films of
this kind. Though The Lighthouse may not have been the horror
experience some expected, it is undeniably absorbing and breathtakingly tense
(surprisingly rewatchable, as well), and with an openness to countless
interpretations, The Lighthouse is absolute cinema at its
purest form.
6) INSIDE OUT (2015, dir. Pete Docter)
The human mind, and all of the
emotions that ensue from its workings, is difficult enough for adults to
comprehend. To break down and analogize that in a way that children can
understand must be a task of towering difficulty. Believe it or not, Pixar
pulled this off with Inside Out, gracing a film that's great
for children and even better for adults. Though technically the story of Riley
and her trouble in moving to a new home, the real action centers around the
feelings within her – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust (taking on
manifestations as characters) – and their frequent butting of heads in properly
guiding Riley through this new chapter in life.
Inside Out is one
of those strikingly universal films in which we all see ourselves in Riley one
way or another. In turn, a whirlwind of feelings will flood the viewer. You’ll
laugh, you’ll cry (among many emotions), and lucky for you, Inside
Out knows exactly when and how to balance itself, never dwelling in
one tone too much or too little. When you have the opportunity to wipe the
tears from your eyes, you then get to enjoy the terrific imagination employed,
the gorgeous animation, and the witty and engaging script. Inside
Out won the 2016 Oscar for Best Animated Feature – rightfully so. If
you ask me, though, I say this deserves to go down in history as one of the
greatest animated films ever made.
5) BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017, dir. Denis
Villeneuve)
I’ve talked enough about the
past decade’s resurgence of masterful science fiction, but it all built up to
this: Blade Runner 2049. Set some 30 years after the events of
its predecessor, 2049 follows K, a replicant Blade Runner and
his journey on the meaning of artifice vs. humanity, traversing a rain-soaked
dystopia masquerading as Los Angeles. Like the greatest sequels, Blade
Runner 2049 acts less as a next chapter than a whole new novel: while
founded on the style and themes that made its predecessor a sci-fi landmark, it
widens the scope of its material with a bigger story and expanded lore.
Blade Runner 2049 is
an entrancing and absorbing experience from start to finish, ultimately
bolstered by the cinematography of Roger Deakins (earning his first Oscar here)
as well as a mesmerizing score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, of which
Vangelis would be proud. Make no mistake, though, the style harmoniously
balances with its substance with a story that alluringly leads the viewer
through many a twist and turn, complimented by a vision of the future that is,
yes, bleakly plausible, but magnetic in its imagination and the special effects
that bring it to life. Blade Runner 2049 may not be the sequel
we deserve or needed in the first place, but I’m forever grateful it exists.
4) THE GREAT BEAUTY (2013, dir. Paolo
Sorrentino)
Jep Gambardella has spent a
lifetime wrapped up in the glam and glitz of the elite of Roman nightlife. That
lifetime has led up to now: he has just turned 65. With the past behind him,
the present surrounded by the aged aimlessness of his peers, and the future
uncertain, Jep finds himself longing for something more, something beyond
description – the Great Beauty, if you will. It is a journey that takes him
through the antiquated streets of Rome through and through, one that Fellini
would be proud of, marked with a profoundness amidst the superficial dazzle,
making for one of my very favorites this decade.
Rome is set to a canvas of
lush colors and moody lighting in The Great Beauty, all shot
marvelously with sprawling photography that wows the viewer with every single
frame. A feast to the eyes, yes, but style in place of substance? Hardly.
Sorrentino regular Toni Servillo carries the film with a charming swagger that
exhibits a sense of humor as well as elder vulnerability. Assisting Servillo,
as well as the film as a whole, is an excellent script that never lets up with
witty humor and thoughtful musings on where this journey called life is headed
toward.
3) THE MASTER (2012, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
Perhaps the trauma of warfare
splits a man into two separate extremes – one that has been reduced to beastly
primordial instinct; the other that passes off as intellectual as a guise to
keep that beast at bay. Such is my personal interpretation of The
Master, the story of Freddie Quell, a damaged war veteran with a
desperation to fit back into society. Enter Lancaster Dodd, a culturally elite
pseudo-religious leader. Quell is taken under his wing, tasked to perform
strange and seemingly arbitrary rituals as a means to become civilized, but no
matter what, that beast refuses to stay at bay.
The duality of man is no new
territory for cinema, but few times has it been so simultaneously confounding
and compelling as much as this. Excellent production design and
alluring cinematography certainly play a part, but The Master wouldn’t
be a fraction of what it is without the lead performances of Joaquin Phoenix
and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who are at their absolute best here. Yes, The
Master is a puzzling experience but it is the kind that allows a new
layer to be peeled upon repeat viewings, becoming something different with each
watch. P.T. Anderson is a filmmaker I’ve never been able to warm up to, but the
towering mastery of The Master tempts me to reevaluate his
entire output up to this point.
2) THE TREE OF LIFE (2011, dir. Terrence Malick)
The works of Terrence Malick can
perhaps be described as cinematic prayers, films that profoundly examines man’s
place in the world, always at a crossroads between the path of nature and the
path of grace. Malick films were always an event to look forward to from the
start of his career, but everything was building up to The Tree of Life, his most
obtuse and intense prayer to date. Malick ponders the entirety of existence,
from the distant past of the dinosaurs to the far reaches of the cosmos, yet
all of this is deeply rooted in the tribulations of the O’Briens, a humble family
in suburban Texas circa 1950s.
It is certainly cinema at its most ambitious, artistic, and absolute,
even taking home the coveted Palme d’Or – an award I’m commonly critical of,
but I couldn’t think of a more fitting winner than The Tree of
Life. Stylistically, this is Malick taking his trademark style as far
as it can possibly go, and I’m prepared to say this is his most ambitious
undertaking yet in an already audacious career. It is certainly one of the
best-looking movies of recent memory, fondly recalling simpler times with a
childlike wide-angle lens, exhibiting an exceptional cast that doesn’t deliver
performances as much as they generate presences. It’s a film that’s borderline
impossible to describe, but is imperative to be experienced.
1) BOYHOOD
(2014, dir. Richard Linklater)
The term “masterpiece” is undeniably overused, but I couldn’t think of
a more appropriate descriptor of Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s
coming-of-age drama that was 12 years in the making. They pushed that hard in
the advertising, and that’s exactly why I was extremely skeptical of Boyhood walking
in. Then I finally saw the film, and when it was over, after wiping the tears
from my eyes, I realized that Boyhood has every right to boast
about its lengthy production timeline. To maintain the consistency in tone,
performance quality, and overall artistic momentum for such a period of time
without fault is one of the greatest achievements in the history of the form,
as far as I’m concerned.
And then there’s the film itself, which is ultimately most important.
Complimented by a wonderful cast and Linklater’s Average Joe-brand of
ponderousness, Boyhood is the coming-of-age drama to end all
coming-of-age dramas, timeless and universal without exception. Despite a
subplot involving an abusive stepfather that feels cheap and
out-of-place, Boyhood lets the power of its scenario speak for
itself, never derailing into contrived melodrama. Though the film has its
detractors, their cases have failed to sway me. I was touched beyond
description by Boyhood. Though we were brought many great films in
the last 10 years, nothing won me over quite like Linklater’s magnum opus.
No comments:
Post a Comment