Sunday 18 July 2010

RECAP - 30 TO GO

As we head into the top 30 we are left with a collection of films that in my opinion rank amongst the best of all time.
Is there anything that you would change? Anything that you would like to have seen higher or lower?
Be good to hear your opinions.

82. FORREST GUMP - 1994
81. AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - 1956
80. CIMARRON - 1931
79. CRASH - 2005
78. BRAVEHEART - 1995
77. ROCKY - 1976
76. TOM JONES - 1963
75. THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH - 1952
74. THE BROADWAY MELODY - 1929
73. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT - 1983
72. GOING MY WAY - 1944
71. GANDHI - 1982

70. DRIVING MISS DAISY - 1989
69. CAVALCADE - 1933
68. CHARIOTS OF FIRE - 1981
67. DANCES WITH WOLVES - 1990
66. OLIVER! - 1968
65. THE DEER HUNTER - 1978
64. A BEAUTIFUL MIND - 2001
63. ANNIE HALL - 1977
62. GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT - 1947
61. OUT OF AFRICA - 1985

60. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE - 1998
59. A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS - 1966
58. MRS MINIVER - 1942
57. HURT LOCKER - 2009
56. HAMLET - 1948
55. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING - 2003
54. PLATOON - 1986
53. THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA - 1937
52. GIGI - 1958
51. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

50. GLADIATOR - 2000
49. ORDINARY PEOPLE - 1980
48. THE DEPARTED - 2006
47. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY - 1941
46. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT - 1967
45. ALL THE KING'S MEN - 1949
44. BEN-HUR - 1959
43. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY - 1935
42. RAIN MAN - 1988
41. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - 2008

40. PATTON - 1970
39. MARTY - 1955
38. THE GREAT ZIEGFELD - 1936
37. TITANIC - 1997
36. GRAND HOTEL - 1932
35. CHICAGO - 2002
34. MIDNIGHT COWBOY - 1969
33. MILLION DOLLAR BABY - 2004
32. THE LAST EMPEROR - 1987
31. KRAMER VS KRAMER - 1979

STILL TO COME

WINGS - 1928
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT - 1930
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT - 1934
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU - 1938
GONE WITH THE WIND - 1939
REBECCA - 1940
CASABLANCA - 1943
THE LOST WEEKEND - 1945
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES - 1946
ALL ABOUT EVE - 1950

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS - 1951
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY - 1953
ON THE WATERFRONT - 1954
BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI - 1957
THE APARTMENT - 1960
WEST SIDE STORY - 1961
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - 1962
MY FAIR LADY - 1964
THE SOUND OF MUSIC - 1965
THE FRENCH CONNECTION -1971

THE GODFATHER -1972
THE STING - 1973
THE GODFATHER II - 1974
AMADEUS - 1984
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - 1991
UNFORGIVEN - 1992
SHCINDLER'S LIST - 1993
THE ENGLISH PATIENT - 1996
AMERICAN BEAUTY - 1999
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - 2007

31. KRAMER VS KRAMER - 1979

The premise behind this film is not overly promising. Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) walks out on her workaholic husband Ted (Dustin Hoffman) and son when she decides that she wants to live her own life. Ted has to change his life completely in order to become a single parent. Just has he is adjusting to this new life, Joanne returns and wants custody of their child.

There were so many films in the emotional family drama genre made in the 1980s, and they range from thoroughly watchable to absolutely dire, and then there is ‘Kramer vs Kramer’: easily the best film of this genre that I have seen.

But what makes it so good?

I have already written about my opinions on Dustin Hoffman in his other performances and ‘Kramer vs Kramer’ is another example of a great performance. Here is plays an everyday character unlike in ‘Midnight Cowboy’ or ‘Rain Man’, but still manages to create a person that is thoroughly watchable and that you want to know more about. I admire more these convincing normal roles than some of the more over the top Oscar winning performances over the ages because there is nothing for Hoffman to hide behind.

Streep also picked up the Oscar for Supporting Actress in this film. Meryl Streep is as diverse as Hoffman, and can play any role with conviction. As with Hoffman’s performance, this is one of her more normal characters and her acting is just outstanding.

Add to these wonderful performances some excellent supporting roles from Jane Alexander as the family friend and Justin Henry as the eight year old son: incredible for such a young actor.

Add to these performances a script that is poignant, realistic but also full of wit and gentle humour which gives the actors something great to work with. The script combined with the sensitive direction stops the film from falling into contrived nonsense, which is found in so many of these types of dramas. But it’s still extremely emotional: the ending is unexpectedly tearjerking but not in an over-the-top manner, but because of the realistic portrayal of a family torn apart.
‘Kramer vs Kramer’ is what family drama should be about. There are no unlikely twists, no over the top performances, such a few characters put in a realistic but sad situation and forced to deal with it. I don’t know if with a different cast that this would have worked, but with the leads of Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep this becomes a terrific film.

Friday 16 July 2010

32. THE LAST EMPEROR - 1987

One of the hardest stories to make into a Best Picture winner must have been ‘The Last Emperor’. The majority of epics take a story of a nobody and show how their character develops through a series of events to end in a big moment in their life or their dramatic death. ‘The Last Emperor’ does the opposite. It takes the story of Pu-Yi, who at the age of three becomes the emperor of China in 1908. He lives in the Forbidden City and never leaves. His life within these walls is excessive, but the outside world is unsafe and he is essentially a prisoner in his own home. By 1967, after many events he is a gardener in the Beijing Botanical Gardens.

‘The Last Emperor’ is not an easy film to watch. It is very long and deals with an unusual main character who is awkward and not easy to warm to, but it is a triumph of cinema: filming the impossible.

This film was made possible by one of the greatest directors ever: Bertolucci. He handles the topic in a very clever manner by having the main story running from 1950 to his death, with the childhood and years as the emperor told as a series of lengthy flashbacks. Although the technique of flashbacks is hardly revolutionary, I have seldom seen it so well done. Certain things trigger the memory of the Emperor and Bertolucci takes this opportunity to contrast the drab life of the older man to the colourful and extravagant life of his childhood.

The artistic quality of this film is outstanding. Every scene is shot in such a beautiful way: the costumes, cinematography, scripting: all carefully done to transport the viewer to the different eras.

It’s not a film that includes great famous performances. Although the film won all of the nine Oscars for which it was nominated, it did not include a single nod to the acting force. It did not help that the Emperor was played by different actors throughout the timeline, but each of the actors playing this unusual character bring something new to the role. Whereas Pu-Yi is a difficult character to really get inside, the actors are almost like props in this sumptuous epic. One actor who does shine is Peter O’Toole as the tutor who cares for the young emperor. He is the voice of reason in the Emperor’s surreal world and provides his usual level of wit that we have learnt to expect from such a great actor.

It is ultimately a film made possible by two men: Bernardo Bertolucci who proves himself as a wonderful director, able to make an epic that is both vast and intimate, and Pu-Yi, one of the most interesting and surprisingly not well known figures of the 20th Century.

33. MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Makers of ‘Rocky’ take note. This is how to make a sports film.

Sports films fall flat when they focus on the sporting aspect. The excitement of sport is not knowing the outcome, but in film dramas the director’s job should be to make the viewer think and make up their own mind about a certain situation. This is why the best films are the most intelligent films that give you challenging situations and complex characters. That is why ‘Million Dollar Baby’ is a success.

The film focuses on Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), a waitress with no future who decides to commit herself to becoming a female boxer. She wants top coach Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to train her. After initial reluctance he agrees. His attitude to training is not to push boxers to their limit, after a former pupil, Scrap (Morgan Freeman) lost an eye in his last final. Scrap is now a caretaker in Frankie’s gym. We also learn about Frankie’s relationship with his daughter which helps to explain the close relationship that develops between coach and fighter.
The purpose of the film is not to find out if Maggie wins a particular fight, or not. In every fighter’s career there are highs and lows and ‘Million Dollar Baby’ does not try to pretend that after starting to train into your 30s that you will suddenly become a world champion. Instead it focuses on the fragile and intricate relationships between these complex but every day characters.

I personally think I overlook Swank when looking at great actresses of our time, but she really is a fearless actress. Despite her obvious beauty, she attacks tough and unglamorous roles with determination and skill. Compare this role to her disturbing role in ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ (a film which without her would have bordered on mediocre but with her becomes a fascinating portrayal of a confused character) and you will see her talent. Maggie is a tough but likable character who we want to learn more about. We don’t necessarily mind if she wins fights or not, but we do want her to be happy, which is ultimately the most important thing for her.

As I have mentioned before, Eastwood has a limited range of characters that he plays, but this outwardly tough, but sensitive inside character is perfect for him. He can control the scene when required, but has the art of not dominating when not required. Because of his careful selection of roles I have yet to find an Eastwood performance that I do not like.
Morgan Freeman is always consistent, and the addition of this character gives the film an extra dimension.

Of all the Best Picture winners, this was easily one of the biggest surprises. I read about it and I thought: oh dear, a soppy film about a woman boxer. But, I found myself unable to tear my eyes away. Whether it was the great acting, the intelligent storyline and handling of issues, or the interesting way that the film was told, with Freeman’s character narrating, or most likely, a combination of all of these factors I’m not sure, but I found it to be one of the best films of the year and the second best winner of the last decade. For those apprehensive about watching this film as they will think it is not really their thing, I would suggest that you watch it, as you may be very very pleased that you did.

34. MIDNIGHT COWBOY - 1969

After a decade of musicals and period dramas, ‘Midnight Cowboy’ was a very different film. When the winner was announced in the first months of 1970 it was clear that a new decade had been entered with a completely new style of winner.

Young Texan Joe Buck (John Voight) moves to New York in the hope of making some money. Dressed as a cowboy he prostitutes himself to wealthy woman, but ends up being constantly degraded. He invents himself as a hustler character, but it is not long that due to his naïve nature that others are taking advantage of him. He meets the street savvy Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) who initial cons the young Texan, but they soon form a bond and become friends.

It is a wonderful character study. The film really does get to the bottom of these two complex characters, especially in its handling of Voight’s character. He is a happy-go-lucky, trusting yet naïve man, completely out of his depth. But, we also witness flashbacks, which suggest sexual abuse and dark secrets. We know less about Rizzo’s history, but over the course of the film learn to pity him, and even like him, even though as a character he is fairly unpleasant.

The actual story is not what is important here: the film does not follow a series of events in the strictest sense. Instead we witness moments from their friendship, all of which add something to the film. The film is very much of its time. Set in the late 1960s, it shows the drug culture, the art scene and the ideas of hope and disappointment associated with this period of history.

Technically the film is like no other that I have scene from that era. In fact, of the all the Best Picture winners, this feels like a foreign film more than any other. The scene in which the characters are at a drug-fuelled party is perhaps the most obvious example of this. This scene is extremely uncomfortable to watch: the camera work and editing is extremely claustrophobic as if there is no escape from the events unfolding on scene. The cartoon heads in the death scene add another element of surreal, yet captivating moments.

With all its impressive technical attributes it is perhaps easy to forget to mention Voight and Hoffman. These two leads are both so impressive. Voight is perfect as the perky partner in this odd relationship: both likable and tragic. Every look, every expression seems to reveal something new and it is a performance that should be watched. I have mentioned Dustin Hoffman before. He really can play any part and play any part well. Throughout the history of films there have been actors great at playing a particular part. I really like Clint Eastwood, but his acting range is limited. What he does he is good at, and that’s fine, but very few people: Brando, Spacey, Clift, have the ability to tackle any part and succeed as Hoffman. This is another example of a wonderful performance, found in a difficult and depressing, but powerful film.

Saturday 3 July 2010

35. CHICAGO - 2002

For the first time since ‘Cabaret’ in 1972, musical lovers were given a wonderful musical to tap their toes along too. There had been ‘All The Jazz’ (brilliant, but not really a musical), ‘Moulin Rouge!’ (a little odd) and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (inspired), but nothing that crept back to the glory days of Gene Kelly, Judy Garland or Roger & Hammerstein, until ‘Chicago’ came along.

‘Chicago’ is a musical set in 1920s Chicago about Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger), a wannabe singer who kills her boyfriend when he tries to split up with her. She is sent to the same prison as Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta Jones) who killed her sister and husband after catching them together. Whilst in prison they are put under the control of Mama Morton (Queen Latifah) who holds the key to top lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). The top cast is finished off by John C Reilly as Roxie Hart’s drippy husband, Amos.

Despite the rather dark subject matter of murder, ‘Chicago’ is a riotous and witty film from start to finish. There are some wonderful lines in the film. A personal favourite is during the court scene. Flynn is defending Hart, when the district attorney produces a diary. Flynn objects, ‘My client has never held a diary! And even if she did, this would be... invasion of privacy, and violation of the fourth amendment, and... and illegal search without a warrant!’. Roxie Hart steps in: ‘Yeah. And she broke the lock’. Despite reminding me of the glory days of musicals it is also has a very modern feel about it, with black backdrops during the musical numbers and it oozes sex in a very modern, very un-Sound of Music way. There is nothing dated or old-fashioned about it.

The musical talent of the women is outstanding, especially Zeta-Jones. She is outstanding as the rival: excellent comic timing, brilliant singing voice and slick sharp dancing. This film is her shining point. Latifah is sassy as the prison warden and Zellweger is good in the lead, although unfortunately is at times overshadowed by her co-stars, and her best moments are when she is on her own (during the numbers ‘Roxie’ and ‘Funny Honey’).

There are some wonderful song and dance routines in this film. It gets off to a flying start with the most famous number, ‘All That Jazz’, but the fun continues with Latifah’s ‘When You’re Good to Mama’ and ‘We Both Reached for the Gun’. The highlight of the film, however, is the absolutely wonderful, ‘Cell Block Tango’. Six murderesses on death row tell Hart how they killed their lovers through this feisty number: witty lyrics and a sexy Tango routine.

I was delighted that ‘Chicago’ won the Best Picture Award. It had been over 30 years since a musical had won and when one finally did win it was one of the best winners of the decade.

36. GRAND HOTEL - 1932

‘Grand Hotel’ won the Best Picture Oscar for 1932 and those interested in trivia will know that it is the only Best Picture winner which was not nominated for any other award. The premise is simple: a group of different characters come together at the top Berlin establishment ‘Grand Hotel’ and the film examines the characters and how they interact with each other.

It is a wonderfully exciting film. The opening sequence still has such impact on me, no matter how many times I watch it. The bustling lobby full of guests and porters, the endlessly rotating doors, the telephony staff, and then some of the biggest names of Hollywood in the 1930s appear.

The film is like an early day ‘Gosford Park’ in many ways. It is not so much about the plot, but how these characters are reacting in their circumstances and during, of course, the Depression. The characters are all different and all treated in a different way, which means that they all receive enough attention, meaning that the audience gets to know them all well in the short time of the film’s duration.

Greta Garbo is Grusinskaya, a Russian ballerina who wants to be alone and does not want to perform anymore. Midway through the film she transforms as she falls in love and becomes alive again. This is a beautiful performance from Garbo. John Barrymore is a Baron who has run out of money and charms the women in the film, acting with desperation. Joan Crawford is a stenographer: manipulative, scheming with an acidic tongue and cynical views. Lionel Barrymore is a bookkeeper spending his life savings in the Hotel as he knows that he will soon die. He is longing to be accepted and feels that people do not feel that his money is worth anything. Wallace Beery is a brutal businessman, totally dismissive of Lionel Barrymore’s actions. It is wonderful that each of them play their parts to perfection, commanding the screen, but never dominating for a second. Credit must go to Goulding for his sensitive direction in balancing these great names.

The script moves the film along at a healthy speed: frantic but always easy to follow, and is peppered with wonderful quotes, the most celebrated being, ‘Grand Hotel, always the same. People come. People go. Nothing ever happens’, which perfectly sums up how the individual character development is much more important than the plot.

From an artistic perspective, ‘Grand Hotel’ is a success as well. The hotel is stunning: with sweeping corridors which look down to the bustling reception, elaborate rooms, gorgeous costumes, wonderful use of light and shade. It is, in short, a beautifully shot film.

‘Grand Hotel’ is dated. Very dated and very melodramatic, but for two hours it manages to entertain in such a charming and fun way that I cannot help but rate this film highly. Anyone interested in what is now referred to as the Golden Age of Hollywood should watch this film as it is one of the best examples of 1930s melodrama that I can find.