50. Wendy and Lucy
A sad wee film this one. A film about disappointments, I think. Wendy is disappointed again and again through the film, but the funny thing is that sometimes it's the really minor disappointments that hit people hardest. Like when she realises what a paltry sum of money the security guard has given her. Her expression is perfect: resigned, and sad in that way where you're not sure if you're going to start crying or laughing. Michelle Williams is great here, she clicks into the mood of the film perfectly - quiet, still, thoughtful, melancholic, poignant. Don't know why she's so bothered about that mangy mutt though.
49. Infernal Affairs
Appallingly, this is probably best known for being the film that The Departed was based on. It's appalling because Infernal Affairs is clearly the superior film. It's so much more sharp and stylish. And lean, if you know what I mean, no fucking about or explanations - you don't need explanations to understand the two main characters, you just have to look at them. It makes The Departed look as bloated as Jack Nicholson's face. And the ending's way cooler too, America just couldn't let the bad guy get away with it.
48.The Man Who Wasn't There
This film's just full of Coenness. It's got the recurring motif, in this case children's hairdos (just like the hat in Miller's Crossing, the clock in The Hudsucker Proxy.) It's got an almost completely passive main character, whose only attempt to change their routine leads to disaster (see Barton Fink, A Serious Man.) It's got a henpecked husband (a la Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou.) It's got a totally unexpected death (in the style of Burn After Reading, The Big Lebowski.) It's got that funny wee fat man with the pencil moustache (as in pretty much every decent Coen Brothers film.) What more could one desire?
47. Together
The most effective feelgood film that you could imagine . Why he would want to stop making lovely films like this and Fucking Åmål, to start making brutal films about sex trafficking is beyond me.
4 down, 46 to go. Come back soon.
Monday, 1 February 2010
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Lukas Moodyson doesn't ONLY make fils about sex trafficing nowadays, his newest ones are mainly about puking and pooing. I mean, who needs a storyline when there's puke?
ReplyDeleteTo Charlotte: That puke and poo film is proper horrible. I wish I'd never watched it.
ReplyDeleteV pleased to see Together here, it's gorgeous. But Lilya Forever is also amazing.
But most pleased to see Wendy and Lucy in the list. We watched the Will Oldham film on the strength of Wendy and Lucy but it's nowhere near as good.
Speaking of Wendy and Lucy, another one we watched recently that you might like is Frozen River - same sort of ultra low-budget, intelligent, new school of indie film.
Yes, haven't seen Frozen River yet, but I definitely intend to
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I would have said Together was a lot older than that. A really good film but I don't think it's totally feelgood. Yes, it does have a lovely ending but it also highlights the fragility of communities.
ReplyDeleteWendy and Lucy was a great film. We enjoyed it so much we then watched Old Joy which was written by the same guy. It was total shit.
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