Thursday, February 09, 2012
Cinemavens
It's a day late, but we are still counting down our list of Top 100 Films, and this week we present numbers 71-80 of the Cinemavens' Top 100 Films List. If you missed our previous posts, catch up with numbers 81-90 and 91-100 on our list. Remember to comment below, or like us on Facebook to stay updated. We love to hear your feedback!
And so we begin this week's list with #80:
Watching Martin
Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” is quite the experience. After an insane opening scene,
we are offered a look at the glamorous and enticing world of the gangster.
Watching those mob bosses bust out wads of one-hundred dollar bills and laugh
and be friends with everybody sure looked like fun. Then over the next 2 hours,
Scorsese craftily exposes the underworld for what it is: dishonorable, violent,
prideful, and family-destroying. He does this with the help of incredible
cinematography and dialogue. And we haven’t even mentioned the perfect acting
by Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco and Ray Liotta.
The gritty back story
of Bruce Wayne is excellent. This Batman movie is much more focused on Batman’s
character, and is in some ways better than The Dark Knight. Unfortunately, the
second half does not measure up to the first half, as "Batman Begins" falls prey
to what we call the superhero-origin-story-conundrum, where the origin story
part is excellent, but then it seems like they didn’t know what to do for the
second half, so they threw together a plot that just doesn’t quite satisfy.
(Iron Man, Captain America, X-Men: First Class). With that being said, the
movie is overall very good dives deep into issues and is realistic, making
Batman Begins feel much more intimate and suspenseful than other superhero
movies. We can’t go without mentioning Tom Wilkinson, who gives a very enjoyable
performance as mob boss Carmine Falcone.
Set in 1989 Brooklyn during a large heat wave, Spike
Lee's "Do The Right Thing" is a great film that takes a deeper look
into race tolerance and violence. The film follows a young man in this
neighborhood, played by Spike Lee himself, Mookie. In this neighborhood everybody is black
except for the two main business owners. Sal's pizzeria is owned by a white Italian
family and the general fruit store is owned by a Korean Family. A man, referred
to as "Buggin-Out", walks into the Pizzeria and complains that there
are no "men of color" on his wall of famous people. This adds tension
to the neighborhood as the heat wave brings people's moral down. Slowly all the
characters are drawn into one giant fight of racism and all tolerance is lost.
The film does not take sides but portrays a realistic view of how people deal
with one another and their differences.
Juliette Binoche
treats us to the performance of a lifetime in this mind-bending drama.
The film explores the complex relationship between an usual couple over
the course of one sunny afternoon in Italy. They may have been married
for 15 years, or they may have just met for the first time.
"Certified Copy" weaves themes of family, love, and the nature
of truth into this unusual framework. It is a movie that must be seen
multiple times to be fully appreciated; its depth only builds with each
subsequent viewing. Take the time to explore its mysteries, and you will
be given the pleasure of watching a truly emotional relationship displayed on
the screen.
Although
it’s technically a remake, the script is very different from the original. Director Steven Soderbergh pieced together
this film with an enjoyable story, unique style and an all-star cast. There are a lot of memorable stills that make
me laugh no matter how many times I’ve seen it, but the true genius lies in the
cast. Watching this cast on scene gel so
seamlessly is a true joy to watch.
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and company, really come together so
brilliantly, that the audience almost feels as if they are part of the
group. This will be remembered as one of
the most fun heist movies ever made.
Nominated
for all the big awards for 1958, “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” boasts strong and
thoughtful dialogue. Director/Writer
Richard Brooks really put together a thoughtful piece in this film. When Paul Newman’s character is talking to
his father in the basement, really listen to their back and forth banter, there
are extremely well thought out lines that make you ponder deeper meanings. In addition to its’ strong dialogue, Paul
Newman and Elizabeth Taylor were both nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress
respectively. While I wouldn’t call this
a career defining role for Taylor, as she already was Oscar nominated before
this film, but her wearing the white dress in this film became a defining image
for many.
“Letters
from Iwo Jima” is the sister film of “Flags of our Fathers,” and both are
directed by Clint Eastwood. What makes “Letters from Iwo Jima” unique is its
humanistic portrayal of war. The film follows two Japanese soldiers, Lt.
General Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe) and Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), as they nervously
await and attempt to repel the American invasion on the island of Iwo Jima.
Instead of focusing on action, we witness Kuribayashi and Saigo deal with the
intense fear and horrifying nature of war. Their performances are powerful, and
the film’s themes are stirring.
Often considered to be
Woody Allen's greatest work in a long list of directorial efforts, "Annie
Hall" also ranks among the best romantic comedies ever crafted.
Allen constantly breaks the standard conventions of movie-making,
often breaking the fourth wall and frequently transporting his characters
through time and space to witness events that they couldn't have seen in
reality. Allen himself stars as a neurotic Jewish comedian, and the film
follows his relationship with Annie, played wonderfully by Diane Keaton.
There are fundamental differences in the personalities of these two
characters, which allows the movie to explore the pitfalls (and occasionally
the joys) of relationships.
Not at all an easy story to witness. Great
movies about tragedies like this give the viewer a taste of the horror but show
the strength and resilience of human character in adversity. This movie is a
perfect example of that. Movies like this are also very important, as they
raise public awareness of the horrifying things going on outside of our safe
little bubble. Don Cheadle does an incredible job acting as well.
“Million
Dollar Baby” adds yet another impressive directorial effort from Clint
Eastwood. The film depicts a lonely, irritable boxing trainer (played by Clint
Eastwood) who initially refuses to train an eager but inexperienced boxer (Hillary
Swank), but eventually he capitulates and trains her. Their rocky relationship
eventually grows, and Eastwood starts to consider her like a daughter. The
development of their relationship is a pleasure to witness, and the film leaves
a potent emotional impact on the audience.
