So this is it—the last time I’ll ever be able to vent my opinions about movies in the Journal. In celebration of this momentous occasion, I’ve compiled a list of what I consider the five best films that have been released during my time at Queen’s. If you’re in fourth year, then hopefully this will be an interesting compilation of cinematic wonders released in the last few years—and if you’re in any other year, then just deal with it.
1. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Determining the movie to top this list was absolutely no challenge. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind is one of those films where everything falls exactly into place: a legitimate masterpiece. The ingenious Charlie Kaufman’s finest screenplay is perfectly paired with music video director Michel Gondry, who has yet to find a better feature-length outlet for his unique visual style. The film showcases Jim Carrey’s greatest dramatic work as well as Kate Winslet’s most energetic. Hell, even Elijah Wood manages to sneak in a memorable performance. Gondry and Co. take the tired romantic-comedy genre and turn it on its head, as the standard boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl plot is played backwards and from the perspective of the protagonist’s mind—while his memories are being erased. It’s a bit of a brain-twister, but never ceases to entertain and richly rewards its audience for close viewing.
2. Old Boy (2003)
The second film of Chan-Wook Park’s “vengeance trilogy” was released in North America a full year after its run in Korea, but instantly became a cult classic. Park’s film follows Oh Dae-su, a Korean businessman imprisoned in a room for 15 years by an unknown assailant who launches a quest for revenge against the perpetrator following his release. Based on a popular Japanese manga of the same name, the movie transcends its pulp origins, ending on a note—which was not in the original source material—that elevates it to the level of classical Greek tragedy. Filled with memorable characters and witty dialogue, Old Boy is one of the most entertaining films in recent memory. Park’s comic-book-style visuals suit the material perfectly and the movie boasts the slick production values of a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a dirty, violent and shocking little piece of cinema, but unforgettable for those who are willing to take the ride to its conclusion.
3. Dogville (2003)
Dogville is not an easy movie to sell to an audience. It’s over three hours long, it was shot on handheld video cameras, and it was filmed entirely on a stage without any sets, just chalk lines where the buildings should be. Based on that description, it sounds like a pretentious mess, but the result is one of the most gripping and powerful dramas released since the millennium, thanks to director Lars Von Trier. The mad Danish genius behind the Dogma95 movement cast Nicole Kidman as well as some of the finest American character actors working today. The film revolves around the idyllic American town of Dogville, which welcomes a stranger (Kidman) into their community. At first the town seems impossibly kind and ive towards the strange woman, but things soon turn sinister. This is the type of pessimistic and dark view of American culture that can only be produced by an outsider. The powerful story and stunning performances mark the movie as a classic, and the initially distracting stylistic devices that Von Trier employs become secondary as the narrative and emotional drive of the film take over. For anyone willing to brave their way through Von Trier’s alienating experiments, Dogville offers a truly remarkable cinematic experience.
4. Dig! (2004)
Ondi Timoner’s documentary won the grand jury prize at Sundance in 2004, but was never really given the opportunity to appeal to a broad audience in the manner of doc-blockbusters such as March of the Penguins or An Inconvenient Truth. This is a shame, because Timoner’s film is probably one of the most intriguing, compulsively watchable documentaries ever made. Following the careers of two bands, The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Timoner spins a tale about the perils of genius and commerce in the music industry. The star of the piece is Brian Jonestown’s frontman Antone Newcome, an unquestionably talented musician whose self-destructive tendencies have ruined every opportunity he has been given. Antone’s struggle is riveting and all the more so emphasized when contrasted with the career of The Dandy Warhols, a band who openly it both to being influenced by Antone and not coming close to matching his talent. Yet, the more emotionally stable band is able to sign a record deal and reach a level of financial success that Antone could never attain. Following the bands for seven years, Timoner was given extraordinary access to her subjects’ lives and captured some truly amazing footage. As interesting and entertaining as any fictional film ever made on the same subject matter, Dig! is a sadly underrated documentary that begs to be seen.
5. Children of Men (2006)
The most recent movie to make the list, Children of Men is a surprisingly intelligent and socially relevant film whose reputation should only grow over time. Set a mere 20 years in the future, Children of Men only belongs to the science-fiction genre by default. The movie is very much about the state of the world today and it doesn’t present a very flattering picture. The film examines the global economic disparity between classes and cultures in the context of a world in which humans have become infertile. However, it’s not a stale think-piece composed of static dialogue scenes philosophizing about the state of the world today. In fact, the film is predominantly an action/chase vehicle, weaving all the social commentary into the unrelenting narrative. Additionally, director Alfonso Cuaron shot the film exclusively in long handheld takes, with some action scenes entirely played out in a single shot. On a technical level, the film is groundbreaking and will likely influence a new generation of filmmakers, but the style also serves the content of the piece. Children of Men wasn’t a huge financial success, nor did it win any major awards last year, but it will undoubtedly be ed far longer than those films that overshadowed it.
So that’s my list: a collection of five truly amazing movies that I can return to time and time again. You may not agree with my choices (you’re not alone—I’m personally offended that neither Borat nor The Devil’s Rejects made the list), but at least you never have to read my opinion in this publication again. I hope you have enjoyed reading, or at least pretending to read, my reviews over the past few years. See you at the movies—I’ll be the guy in the back row loudly engaging in a pretentious rant about the art of cinema, while complaining that you’re eating your popcorn too loudly.
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