Back in the day,
Tower Records (remember them?) gave you their in-house magazine with every purchase. The magazine,
Pulse, included a section each month where readers could list their "
Desert Island Top 10". The premise is this - if you were stranded on a desert island, and you could only take ten albums with you, what would you take? I did
My Top Ten on my music blog. I figure that I could do the same thing with movies.
I made a rule that I could not use any movie that I have already reviewed. It was tough. I mean - there are so many movies I love. I have always been a movie geek and love
Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, and
Lord of the Rings. But I decided to pick movies that mean something to me, that changed me. So here it goes, in no particular order. Tell me your Top 10 in the comments, or on
my Facebook page.
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| Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons in "The Mission" |
1.
The Mission (1986) - Several years ago, film critic
Leonard Maltin wrote an article for
Reader's Digest about how Hollywood had become decidedly anti-religion. He cited this
Palm d'Or winner from the 1986
Cannes Film Festival, directed by
Roland Joffé as an example. For me, this film is exactly the opposite - deeply moving and spiritual. It tells a story based on true events of a mission to the Guarani Tribe in South America, led by a small band of Jesuit priests. When the Portuguese and Spanish governments become embroiled in a dispute over territory, the Catholic Church abandons the mission, leaving the Jesuits and the Indians alone, faced with the choice of fleeing civilization back to the jungle, or standing their ground against slave traders and mercenaries. The movie may be anti-organized religion, but it is very much in favor of personal spirituality, making decisions based on what's right rather that what authority says to do, standing against all odds. This is the core of what my beliefs as a
Mormon fundamentalist are about.
Robert De Niro and
Jeremy Irons give the performances of their career here. De Niro plays a former slave trader and mercenary who kills his brother in a fit of rage and seeks peace and forgiveness by seeking sanctuary at the mission with the Indians he once plundered. His decision is whether to continue serving them as a priest, or to take up arms in their defense, forsaking his vows. Jeremy Irons stars as the Jesuit who beguiles the natives with his oboe and refuses to resort to violence as a solution, but is willing to take a stand, no matter the odds. The landscapes are sweeping and beautiful. The soundtrack by
Ennio Morricone is perhaps one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever penned. This is a story of moral courage in the face of insurmountable adversity. And if it does not bring tears to your eyes at the end, you are likely not human.
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| Amelie |
2.
Amélie (2001) - Directed by one of my favorite directors,
Jean-Paul Jeunet, this film also launched the career of French actress,
Audrey Tautou as
Amélie Poulain, an eccentric free spirit, who lives the Parisian neighborhood of Montmartre with her father and works in a diner. Most of her spare time is spent daydreaming, her imagination depicted splendidly through special effects. The story revolves around a series of events that cause her to seek to do good deeds, her adventures lead her to many colorful characters in her neighborhood, including a mystery man who may be just as eccentric and obsessive as she is. The vivid and vibrant portrayal of Paris is impressionistic, and the motley array of personalities is something that Jeunet perfected in his film "
Delicatessen", along with a haunting soundtrack, make this movie beloved to me.
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| Bicycle Thieves |
3.
Bicycle Thieves (1948) - I came to a realization on my own, before my personal research confirmed this, that the
Italian neorealism movement of the late 1940s was a reaction to a country being brutally beaten by
Mussolini's fascism and World War II. The movement was the political vehicle for the spawning communist and socialist movements that were spreading across Europe at the time. I usually hate when people mix art and politics. I also dislike socialism and communism. But I totally admire the way the neorealists captured the gritty poverty and hardship of post-war Italy. This movie is like a snapshot into that time. Directed by
Vittori De Sica, it is not a feel-good movie. It tells the story of a man (
Lamberto Maggiorani) who pawns of his personal belongings to purchase a new bike that he needs for a new job that he just started. On his first day, the bike is stolen. He spends the next day walking around Rome with his son (
Enzo Staiola), looking for his bike. Both actors make the movie. Maggiorani tries to remain macho and stoic, but the frustration and hopelessness leaks onto his countenance. Staiola looks world weary beyond his years, and his time is spent looking at his father in worry. This is a European film. Don't expect any happy ending. This is a portrait of suffering in a world with no reprieve.
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| Blue Velvet |
4.
Blue Velvet (1986) - I knew that there was going to be a
David Lynch movie somewhere on my list, since he was such an important director to me in my formative years - "
Elephant Man","
Eraserhead", "
Wild at Heart", and even "
Dune". But ultimately it had to be "Blue Velvet". It was always the fallback movie when I was teen and got together with friends, trying to settle a movie we could all watch. One of my friends even baked a "Blue Velvet cake" for a birthday. This is David Lynch at his finest - every frame crafted like a painting. He also uses one of his most common themes - decay and ferment beneath the pleasant facade of American life. It tells the story of an innocent boy (
Kyle McLachlan) who returns to his idyllic hometown and becomes immersed in the mystery that lurks in the night of his town.
Dennis Hopper gives one of the craziest performances of his life as the laughing gas-sniffing, velvet-caressing Frank, and Lynch includes the usual cast of misfits, including the suave
Dean Stockwell, Brad Dourif, and
Jack Nance. The soundtrack includes such '50s and '60s classics such as
Bobby Vinton's "
Blue Velvet" and
Roy Orbison's "
In Dreams" (which figures prominently in one of my favorite scenes). The rest of the soundtrack is done by a pre-
Twin Peaks Angelo Badalamenti with vocals by
Julee Cruse. In this movie, David Lynch accomplishes what he did so well back then - he trips you out. Not so much now. But boy, did he back then.
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| Donnie Darko |
5.
Donnie Darko (2001) - It is unfortunate that this movie - that deals mainly with a plane crash - was released only weeks after 9/11. No one wanted to think about plane crashes at that point. Who knows how successful this film would have been otherwise? However, after it was released on DVD, it became a cult classic. It tells the story of a disturbed boy with schizophrenia, Donnie Darko (played wonderfully by
Jake Gyllenhaal) who avoids death by going for a walk when part of a plane lands on what was his bedroom. He spends the movie being plagued by a terrifying bunny rabbit named
Frank who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. During this time, he deals with his illness in school, gets to know a new girl (
Jena Malone), and stand up to a creepy self-help guru (
Patrick Swayze). When it all unravels, don't expect to understand everything. Just go with it. It has to do with time loops and alternate universes, and somehow Donnie, through his mental illness, is the only one who can truly perceive the phenomenon. It is a beautiful film with some great songs from the '80s, like "
Love Will Tear us Apart" by
Joy Division, "
Under the Milky Way" by
The Church, and "
The Killing Moon" by
Echo & the Bunnymen (ironically). My favorite scene is the movie theater scene where director
Richard Kelly pays homage to "
Evil Dead", another one of my favorite films. Word to the wise: if you purchase this film on DVD, get the original, and
not the
Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is even more convoluted and doesn't flow as well.
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| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |
6.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - This vastly original screenplay written by the iconoclastic
Charlie Kaufman won an
Academy Award for
Best Screenplay. Both
Jim Carrey, as Joel, and
Kate Winslet, as the free-spirited Clementine, give the finest performances of their careers. The story recounts how they begin a new relationship, only to discover that they have had a relationship before. Their relationship was so doomed that both of them, independently of each other, went to a company to have their memories of the relationship erased. The story is about how love is inevitable and worth going through, even when it is bound to fail. Most of the film takes place in the mind, in the memory rather than in the real world. So the narrative is discordant and jumbled, bouncing all over the place. Like memory, the film style is ephemeral, visceral, and psychedelic. The most compelling moments take place as Joel's memories of Clementine begin to disintegrate, even as he realizes that he wants to keep remembering her. It all works. This is a wildly imaginative love story, and you will not forget it.
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| Kung Fu Hustle |
7.
Kung Fu Hustle (2004) -
Stephen Chow is not only my favorite
Hong Kong director, but he is a favorite with my children. My kids will watch "
Shaolin Soccer" and "
CJ7". I have watched Chow's movies with other people who have a hard time understanding them culturally. I explain that they are much more than martial arts movies. They are living cartoons, relying on visual effects and whimsical narrative. This film - with Chow as both main character and director - tells the story of Sing, a down-on-his-luck, two-bit criminal who dreams of joining the notorious Axe Gang. The gang comes into conflict with the inhabitants of a slum called Pig Sty Alley, which is harboring Kung Fu masters that come to aid of the community. The Axe Gang hires assassins to root out the Kung Fu masters, allowing Sing to tap into his unknown ability as a Kung Fu master himself who comes to the aid of the poor people of Pig Sty Alley. The effects and martial arts stunts are stunning, if not a bit ridiculous. This movie is violent and fun, filled with sight gags and outrageous characters. If you have not been exposed to Chinese cinema, this is a good place to start.
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| Love & Death |
8.
Love & Death (1975) - I am a huge fan of
Woody Allen's early comedies, but this one is by far my favorite. A parody of
Dostoevsky and
Tolstoy, the film tells the story of Borris and Sonja (
Diane Keaton) as an unlikely couple in Russia who set out on a quest to assassinate
Napoleon. Not only in this a bona fide slapstick movie, but it has produced some of the wittiest Woody Allen quotes that I am known to produce from time to time. ("
You love Mother Russia, don't you?") (
"Sex without love is an empty experience." "Yes, but as empty experiences go, it's one of the best.") Like all of Woody Allen's comedies, there is a strong moral undercurrent about war, the moral imperative of killing, and religion. These result in some conversations between Allen and Keaton that are, at once, hilarious and yet profound. The best scene is the closing shot that features Woody Allen dancing with Death across the Russian countryside.
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| Pan's Labyrinth |
9.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - A decade ago, as the "
Lord of the Rings" trilogy wound down, there was an online poll that asked - if
Peter Jackson could not direct "
The Hobbit" prequel, which director should give it a try? The answers were mundane like "
George Lucas" or "
Steven Spielberg". My answer was immediate -
Guillermo del Toro. I had only seen two films by this Mexican director - "
Mimic" and "
Blade II". But I had seen enough to know - this man was a creative genius. (Eventually, he would be selected to direct "The Hobbit", but would have to withdraw due to conflicts.) This was before I had to see "Pan's Labyrinth", which is his masterpiece thus far. Set during the Spanish Civil War, it tells the story of
Ofelia, a young girl whose mother is married to a cruel fascist officer bent on hunting down anti-Franco rebels. Ofelia is launched into a world of fauns, demons, and faeries who set her upon a quest that seems to mirror the political struggle around her. This movie is beautiful, haunting, disturbing, and touching all at once. One of the great things about this film - it never answers the question: is this world a result of Ofelia's imagination, her need to escape the violent world around her? Or is it real? The answer is left to the viewer. One thing is certain - the real monsters are the men like her step-father, who are more wanton and bloodthirsty than any creature from the faery world. The soundtrack is adds to the ambiance of the story. This movie will not leave you dry-eyed.
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| Thunderheart |
10.
Thunderheart (1992) - Based loosely on the events at
Wounded Knee in the 1970s, this crime drama is much more than it appears on the surface. It is about coming to terms with your heritage, in spite of trying to run away from it.
FBI agent Ray Levoi (
Val Kilmer) is sent as a special Native American liaison to a reservation in South Dakota due to having a mixed heritage - his father was part Sioux. He and his partner (played brilliantly by
Sam Shepard) are to investigate a murder. It turns out to be much more than anyone suspects - a struggle between pro-government and anti-government factions, collaborations between big business and the FBI. Levoi must soon choose between his duties as a federal officer and what is best for the Lakota people. The sweeping Dakota landscape aids in the telling of the story. The most compelling aspect is the way that Levoi comes to terms with his Lakota heritage and has an awakening in the form of visions. This film brilliantly illustrates the difference between native culture and the dominant American culture - how they are at odds with each other. I recently showed this film to my older kids, and they liked it, despite it being an "old movie", as they term it.
