Getting pretty serious now. After this post we will have unveiled exactly half of our top 100 lists. We are slowly transitioning from movies that we really enjoy to movies we really love. In my next set of ten films I have just one comedy, a handful of dramas and even one animated movie.
Here we go.
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel and Paul Rudd
Plot: "Devastated Peter takes a Hawaii vacation in order to deal with recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know Sarah's traveling to the same resort as her ex ... and she's bringing along her new boyfriend."
Stock: Up
Much like Barnes has seen The Fast and The Furious twice at the theater, I have done the same with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The first time I watched it with Devin Frank and I enjoyed it so much I went again with Hunt. The latter trip was quite memorable due to Kevin and I sneaking beers into the movies. Hunt waited until there was lots of laughter to crack open his cans while I waited until it was dead silent to open mine. Needless to say, it was a great evening.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall tells a story about a girl breaking up with a guy who cannot accept the heartbreaking news. He goes on vacation to try and forget about her only to discover she is at the same hotel with her new boyfriend. Hilarity ensues.
There's something about Jason Segel playing a vulnerable guy that really resonates with me. Some of his one-liners were absolutely perfect. "I came here to murder you." Paul Rudd does an excellent job as the wacky-surfer guy, "You sound like you're from London," and Russell Brand is terrific as the new boy-toy.
One of those movies where you will find a new one-line everytime you watch it, and it's also one of those films where if you don't enjoy it then we are going to have some problems.
Directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai and John Ratzenberger
Academy Awards (2): Won Best Animated Film and Best Music (Nominated three more times including Best Picture and Best Writing).
Plot: "By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip."
Stock: Up (Pun)
Prior to watching this animated feature I had heard nothing but good things about it. I was told it was not just a kiddies film and that if I would give it a chance I would enjoy it. Even with all the positive vibes surrounding Up, I was still skeptical when I finally sat down and watched it two years ago.
That skepticism evaporated within the first ten minutes. Because in those ten minutes I experienced such a wide range of emotions. I was hooked.
Up will make you laugh, will make you cry, and will flat-out entertain you. Just like I was told beforehand, you forget you are watching an animated film. It's just a really good movie ... period. There's a reason it was nominated for Best Picture.
You walk away from Up in a great mood even though you've been through such a wide range of emotions. It doesn't matter if you are 5 or 95, everyone will enjoy Up which makes it a truly unique film, one more than deserving of this lofty ranking.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood
Academy Awards: Nominated twice (Best Actor/M. Rourke and Best Supporting Actress/M. Tomei).
Plot: "A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle."
Stock: Holding
Sometimes a movie can be decently written and tell a decent story yet still be a great film because of one stand-out performance. The Wrestler is that kind of flick. It centers around Mickey Rourke who gives one of the best acting performances of my lifetime.
It comes off as a documentary because of how good Mickey portrays Randy "The Ram" Robinson. I had never heard of Rourke prior to The Wrestler but it's been labeled as a "comeback" for Mickey. Make no mistake, after watching The Wrestler, Rourke became one of my favorite actors and had me very excited for his Iron Man debut the following summer. He was that good as Randy.
Besides Rourke's spectacular job, the ending of this film is perfect ... flat out perfect, there's just no other way to describe it. Randy is dealing with several issues, both mental and physical, and the ending magnificently chronicles all of his decisions ... with a single shot.
Was I rooting for Rourke to win the Academy Award he was up for?? You better believe it. Was I bitter when Sean Penn won for Milk?? None whatsoever. That's a great aspect of the Oscars ... sometimes it's just as important that you get nominated as it is that you win.
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey
Academy Awards: Nominated once (Best Editing).
Plot: "Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi."
Stock: Down
Before all the cop shows exploded where villains are glorified due to their creative kills, there was Se7en. Not necessarily a "Whodunit?" as much as a "Hedidwhat??"
Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt have excellent chemistry as the old vet and young rook respectively. Their contrasting morals and ideology blend well throughout this detective thriller. Morgan plays the gentle cerebral cop, while Pitt comes in as the hot-shot/hot-headed detective. They both have differing view on how to combat the new serial killer in town who is killing one new victim every day, and basing his kills on the Seven Deadly Sins.
Much like The Wrestler has a fantastic ending, Se7en has one of the most-talked about, most-debated endings of recent memory. In my mind, they almost got it perfect, but added one scene too many. However, it's still a classic finish to a classic film.
And oh yeah, score another one for Kevin Spacey. It's been a while since we've heard of him, but he comes back strong with a terrific performance as the villain in this unforgettable movie.
Director: Ron Shelton
Starring: Kevin Costner, Rene Russo and Don Johnson
Plot: "A washed up golf pro working at a driving range tries to qualify for the US Open in order to win the heart of his successful rival's girlfriend."
Stock: Down
Must be something about the underdog that resonates with me. Tin Cup centers around a down-on-his luck golf pro who decides to try and enter the United States Open. Roy McAvoy (I think of him every time I see Rory McIlroy's name) goes for it a little too often, but it's that mindset that creates a memorable character in my book.
Some people may see this film as a romantic-comedy, but I'm not one of them. I see it as an underdog movie centered around an amateur golfer. The whole Kevin Costner-Rene Russo story-line is further down the list of importance.
There are so many outstanding scenes in this movie. From Roy playing an entire round with just his seven-iron, to Roy banking it off the port-a-john onto the green, to Roy making a bird fly off its' perch from the clubhouse. If you are a golfer you will find this movie enjoying.
And even if you aren't, you will still find the characters compelling. Cheech Marin embodies everything you could want in a caddy, both on-and-off the course. And let's just overlook Don Johnson shall we?? Even his presence doesn't take away from this film, which is a miracle in its' own right.
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly
Academy Awards: Nominated five times (including Best Actor/L. DiCaprio and Best Supporting Actor/D. Hounsou).
Plot: "A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond."
Stock: Up
Leonardo DiCaprio is the actor of our generation. He's had an amazing career showcasing an incredible range. It surprised the hell out of me that he's only been nominated for three Oscars and hasn't won one. He'll get his soon enough. The last time he was up for an Academy Award was for his portrayal of Danny Archer in Blood Diamond. Not taking anything away from Forrest Whitaker who won the Oscar that year, but Leo was just as good.
Leo sums up this movie in an interview better than I ever could, "I've never been a part of a movie that has a social message like this on such a grand scale ... it tells us something about the world we live in."
He's exactly right. Blood Diamond's social message concerns our pursuit of the rarest diamonds, and the bloodbath that takes part in their recovery. It certainly opened my eyes and if you haven't seen it, I'm sure it will do the same.
Not only is Leo outstanding in this movie, but so is his partner-in-crime, Djimon Hounsou. Their partnership turns into a friendship and you feel lucky to witness that slow transformation.
If I had to sum up this film in one word it would be this ... captivating.
Director: Lasse Hallström
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis
Academy Awards: Nominated once (Best Supporting Actor/L. DiCaprio).
Plot: "Gilbert has to care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life."
Stock: Holding
We go from Leo's most recent Oscar bid to his very first one in back-to-back picks. This was not by design at all folks. Just the way the chips fell.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a simple story. It doesn't have an overly complicated plot or a confusing story-line. It centers around Gilbert Grape and his family.
Played brilliantly by Johnny Depp, Gilbert Grape has quite the family. His dad killed himself in their basement, his mother is an obese women, and his younger brother Arnie is mentally challenged. The focus is on how Gilbert lives his life with his crazy family and the pitfalls of small-town life.
Should Leo have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1994?? That I can not answer, but I know he deserved it more than Tommy Lee Jones who ended up winning it. Leo plays Arnie, Gilbert's younger brother and best-friend. Their relationship is full of ups-and-downs, but their chemistry is undeniable. Two of my favorite actors came together early in their careers for this cult hit.
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch
Academy Awards (5): Won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (K. Spacey), Best Writing and Best Cinematography.
Plot: "Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation for his daughter's attractive friend."
Stock: Down
A film that when it initially came out I had no desire seeing. A film that when it was released to DVD I had no desire seeing. A film that when it finally found it's way on television I had no desire seeing. A film I had absolutely no desire of seeing almost cracks the top-50.
Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a typical father who has a mid-life crisis. This crisis alters his entire way of being and sees him transform from a blue-collar dad to something a bit more strange. It's very much a dark comedy (which is why I originally did not want to see it), but it has top-notch writing and an ensemble cast of great actors.
Besides Spacey, there are two things I love about American Beauty. One is the writing. It crafts multiple story-lines and is able to weave them in-and-out of each other flawlessly. Secondly is the cinematography. It's a visually striking film, one that creates some memorable scenes.
"Remember those posters that said, 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life'? Well, that's true of every day but one - the day you die." - Lester Burnham.
Director: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins and Scott Glenn
Academy Awards (5): Won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (A. Hopkins), Best Actress (J. Foster) and Best Writing. Nominated two more times.
Plot: "A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims."
Stock: Holding
My mom was so terrified of this film that I actually didn't want to see it. I was too scared. To this day she calls it one of the most "disturbing" movies she's ever watched. Well I don't know if it's disturbing, but it certainly is a high-quality movie.
My second straight pick that won Best Picture, Silence of The Lambs chronicles a tale of Jodie Foster tracking down Buffalo Bill, a serial killer who is on the loose. Foster elicits the help of a former serial killer, Anthony Hopkins (Dr. Hannibal Lecter) to catch Buffalo Bill.
Lecter and Foster (Clarice Sterling) begin to form a relationship that is complicated and confusing. Sterling wants Lecter to help her, but Lecter seems more interested in Sterling than Buffalo Bill. They play off each other well, and while Sterling is absolutely scared of Lecter she slowly rids herself of that terror and ends up being right in her comfort zone around Dr. Lecter.
Anthony Hopkins plays such a great Hannibal Lecter that he won the Academy Award for Best Actor despite being on the screen for less than 16 minutes. Doesn't make any sense unless you've seen the movie.
It's the only horror movie to win Best Picture. Do with this as you will.
Silence of The Lambs is an entertaining, exciting and creepy film. You won't forget it. My mom certainly hasn't.
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore and John Malkovich
Academy Awards: Nominated three times (including Best Actress/A. Jolie, and Best Cinematography).
Plot: "A grief-stricken mother takes on the LAPD to her own detriment when it stubbornly tries to pass off an obvious impostor as her missing child, while also refusing to give up hope that she will find him one day."
Stock: Up
When I got DirecTV back in September of 2009 I was excited for a variety of reasons. I now had the ability to record shows and watch them when I wanted to. I could pause live TV. With the Sunday Ticket, I could watch any football game I desired. It was a pretty cool feeling.
The first movie I recorded and watched was Changeling. I had heard it was a good movie and wanted to check it out. It wasn't what I expected at all. It turned out to be one of the most powerful/heart-wrenching films I've ever seen.
I hold Angelina Jolie in the same light as Ben Affleck. They may be really nice people, but I'm not a big fan of their acting at all. However, Jolie was absolutely incredible in Changeling. Her performance was the catalyst for this powerful ... and true ... story.
No one wants to lose a child, so when Jolie loses her you immediately sympathize with her. Things start to get really out of control when the LAPD finds a boy who claims to be Jolie's son. Obviously Jolie says it's not her son, and eventually she gets thrown into a mental hospital. All the while she just wants to find her son.
Toss in a great job by John Malkovich as the outspoken minister and you have yourself an excellent film. It's a bit long (141 minutes), but it needs to be that long to adequately tell this story.
Well that will do it for this week. I will be back tomorrow with trailers and hopefully a "By The Numbers" post for the first 50 movies of my countdown later this week. As always, make sure to check out Barnes' list HERE to see which films just missed his top-50.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
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