Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood) writes and directs this weird and wonderful film about a seemingly mild-mannered man prone to fits of rage, and his strange experience involving a harmonium, a phone sex hotline, and pudding. Adam Sandler plays Barry, a salesman who has no real life of his own, until a woman played by Emily Watson enters his life. The film has some really interesting Hitchcockian overtones to it, but never stops being anything other than the original vision of Paul Thomas Anderson. It also sure makes an extremely compelling case against ever using a phone sex hotline when you’re lonely.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Frank Oz’s adaptation of the stage musical is a wickedly funny morality tale about avarice and the lengths to which any ordinary man may go to get what he wants. Frank Oz’s direction shines brightest here as the film itself feels like it was shot on a stage; the setting of Skid Row is charming, as is Mushnik’s plant shop, and the realistic Audrey II puppet is a breath of fresh air. Many of the songs are also quite memorable, such as Steve Martin’s hilarious performance of “I Am Your Dentist”, and “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space”. Remember, whatever you do, don’t feed the plant.

Also This Week

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Old Joy (2006)

I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)

Watership Down (1978)

Here is a monologue from Ralph Bakshi’s 1972 adaptation of the Robert Crumb comic Fritz the Cat. In this scene Fritz, a student at NYU, is trying to put his college experience into perspective, as the beautiful animation demonstrates using visual metaphor. Perhaps some details of Fritz’s monologue ring true for you?

American Splendor (2003)

Presented in a highly original fashion and drenched in uplifting yet sardonic humanism, American Splendor is one of the most interesting biopics of the decade. Harvey Pekar is an average man working as a file clerk for the Cleveland Veteran’s Affairs office when he is inspired by his friend, the famous comic artist Robert Crumb, to begin writing his own comics based on the minutiae of everyday life in Cleveland. Paul Giamatti plays the renown artist, and the dramatized details of Pekar’s life are interspersed with interview clips featuring the man himself, Harvey Pekar. American Splendor is a brilliant and fascinating portrait of a seemingly ordinary man.

Eraserhead (1976)

Deeply unnerving, surreal, grotesque, and just flat-out disturbing, David Lynch’s very first feature is a difficult film to love, but its craft is as undeniable as its effectiveness in depicting an alienating atmosphere ripped straight from a nightmare. Henry is an awkward man whose life begins to turn upside down in frightening ways when he learns that an estranged ex has given birth, and he is the father. But what exactly is this creature that has suddenly entered his life? Lynch’s ambiguous narrative and surreal, nightmarish sequences remain as impenetrable today as they ever have been. Eraserhead is a challenging and mystifying experiment from a very talented artist, but also a very arresting and evocative work of filmmaking.

Also This Week

Dune (1984)

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

The Science of Sleep (2005)

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Inception (2010)

Directed by Christopher Nolan, the man behind similar dark and twisted films such as Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight, comes his latest masterpiece of a thriller, Inception. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a man who is skilled in the art of diving into the subconscious and extracting critical secrets as a form of cerebral espionage, a career for which he has paid the ultimate price. When a very powerful Japanese executive contracts him to perform a very special kind of job, known as inception, Cobb sees it as his chance for redemption.

As much of Inception takes place within the subconscious, the film contains some of the most mind-bending imagery possible in film, defying logic and physics. As Inception depicts its own characters diving deep into the subconscious of one man, further losing sight of their own reality and sense of space-time, so does the audience watching them. At the climax of the film, parallel editing shifts back and forth between four very different yet simultaneous lines of action, warping the narrative in totally abstract ways that may be difficult to grasp for many audience members. But Inception is not inaccessible, nor is it an “art film.” It is a rare type of summer blockbuster that also happens to be a work of art, and one that will quite possibly leave you with lingering questions regarding the nature of your own reality.

Also This Week

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010)

The Crazies (2010)

The Illusionist (2006)

Despicable Me (2010)

Daybreakers (2010)

Toy Story 3 (2010)

The conclusion of the groundbreaking CGI animated series by Pixar, Toy Story 3 sees the greatest film studio in the world put to rest, yet again, any doubts about their creative genius. This third-parter intelligently follows through on the foreshadowing from previous installments involving the question of what will become of the toys once their owner Andy prepares to set off for college. Set about 10 years after the first installments, Toy Story 3 feels as epic as any conclusion to a beloved trilogy, and both ties together and pays homage to its successors. Toy Story 3 feels in absolutely no way out of place in this series, and is sure to stand as an instant classic.

Rushmore (1998)

Featuring incredible performances from Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, Rushmore is a quirky dramedy from auteur Wes Anderson. A misguided teen (Schwartzman) caught in the No-Man’s Land period of adolescence places himself in precarious situations involving his future at a posh Prep School, trouble with various authority figures, and an awkward triangle involving one of the school’s teachers. In Anderson’s signature style, the primary characters become caricatures of themselves in order to exaggerate various aspects of life, in this case a crisis of identity during adolescence. Rushmore is a unique and brilliant entry into the Coming-Of-Age genre.

Also This Week

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

The Assassination of Jesse James (2007)

Dark City (1998)

Director’s Cut. Alex Proyas directs this extremely imaginative sci-fi neo noir about a city in which nothing is as it appears. Before The Matrix, there was the Dark City, a place in which a race of beings are conducting an experiment on humanity. Proyas uses extreme angles, wide shots, and an intimidating cityscape to create this very artistic and entertaining thriller. The film also features a brilliant and symbolic contrast in color between the darkness of the city and a sunny beach, of which I will say no more. One of the best films of the 90s.

Splice (2010)

A couple of biochemists change all the rules and go beyond what is seemingly “showable” in cinema in the sci-fi cautionary tale Splice. In a plot that is about as bold as films are going to get for the moment, a human/animal hybrid is created in a lab despite the risks, with surprising consequences. The less you know about the rest of this film, the better. The mise-en-scene is icy cold, and the make-up effects in the latter part of the film are spectacular.

Also This Week

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978)

28 Days Later (2002)

I thought this was too cool to not post here. This is the final trailer for Christopher Nolan’s (Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight) latest thriller, Inception. Very surreal imagery in this trailer, along with interesting use of hand-held and slow motion cinematography. It opens July 16.

Here is the elaborate and arresting final battle between Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). The fight choreographer for the film was Yuen Woo-Ping, who made his mark as a director of Kung Fu films in the 1970s and went on to become the choreographer for films such as The Matrix and Kill Bill.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Ang Lee’s beautiful epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is unique among martial arts films, and a milestone in the genre’s proliferation in the western market. Set in ancient China, a plot is unraveled involving a mysterious young sword thief whose master seeks to confront an old nemesis. Most notable about this film is the exquisitely choreographed fight scenes, which nearly take on the form of a “ballet” rather than a brawl. Memorable scenes include a rooftop chase, an almost tranquil confrontation among bamboo treetops, and a spectacular final fight scene between the characters of Jen (Zhang Ziyi) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh).

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

If you loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, check out House of Flying Daggers. With a plot that contains as many twists as a Hollywood murder mystery, this visually stunning martial arts film centers on two characters who may or may not be on the same side of a greater political struggle. The film contains many nods to Crouching Tiger, including the casting of Zhang Ziyi (though in a very different role this time), a strikingly similar romance plot, and a fight scene among a bamboo forest.

Also This Week

La Mission (2010)

Fist of Fury (1972)

Sunshine (2007)

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

Stalker (1979)

A groundbreaking work of sci-fi that stands at the top of an already impressive resume from masterful director and artist Andrei Tarkovsky. Stalker is a mysterious and atmospheric odyssey of three men who travel illegally into a closed-off area of wilderness known as The Zone, which is rumored to contain an alien room of some kind that can grant wishes to those who enter it. The film is as deliberately and wisely ambiguous about the true nature of The Zone as it is about the intentions of the three men. Andrei Tarkovsky’s metaphorical narrative is challenging and haunting, and his film’s influence can be seen in various modern works including Children of Men, and the video game series S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. A beautiful and entrancing masterpiece that should be seen by all film enthusiasts.

Chungking Express (1994)

One of Wong Kar-Wai’s most experimental films, Chungking Express explores the notion that, at any moment when we least expect it, our lives can be changed by one individual. Kar-Wai’s film is a story of two halves; the first half centers on a young police officer, dealing with the aftermath of a break up, who unexpectedly crosses paths with a mysterious female who is not entirely who she seems. The second half is about a different police officer who catches the attention of a young woman who works at a Hong Kong take-out stand. Both halves contain Kar-Wai’s distinct visual flair, unique cinematography, and beautiful themes about love and loneliness.

Also This Week

Badlands (1973)

The One Armed Swordsman (1967)

Oceans (2010)

2046 (2005)

Wong Kar-Wai’s 2046 is a beautiful, meditative piece on the fleeting nature of romance and love. Set in the 1960s, a writer moves into an apartment in Hong Kong and begins a string of loveless flings with other women in the building, including one who wishes for something more. The film also contains a sci-fi parallel narrative which is used allegorically to explore the meaning of love. 2046 is one of the acclaimed director’s best films to date.

Network (1976)

“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take this anymore,” a mentally unstable news anchor, played by Peter Finch, shouts on live television. Network is a film which is quintessentially of the 1970s in America, a time when local activism and global capitalism clashed on several fronts, including on the airwaves. Network is a wonderfully sardonic piece about the absurdity of television, but also touches, in a somewhat pseudo-philosophical manner, on the illusion of control we have over our own destiny.

Also This Week

Fritz the Cat (1972)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

The Goddess (1934)

Kick-Ass (2010)

Osaka Elegy (1936)

Days of Heaven (1978)

Days of Heaven is another beautiful film from Terrence Malick, who shoots this story set in the early 1900s Texas panhandle of a family of migrant workers from Chicago with the eye of an artist, as he does with all of his films. Every single shot of the wheat fields and prairies of the American Midwest is as beautiful as a painting. The theme from Ennio Morricone is equally as beautiful.

Happy Together (1997)

Wong Kar-Wai’s Happy Together is also another beautiful film from a masterclass filmmaker. In the film, two men from Hong Kong travel to Argentina in an effort to rejuvenate their withering romance. Kar-Wai’s beautiful mix of black & white and color, his wide-angle cinematography, and the unique use of slow motion effects from cinematographer Christopher Doyle highlight this somber film about learning to let go of the past.

Also This Week

Lolita (1962)

Greenberg (2010)

Stella Dallas (1937)

The Secret of Kells (2010)

Ah Kam (1996)

No This Week: 3/14-3/20 due to final exams.

Caché (2005)

A posh French family are terrorized when an unknown individual begins sending video recordings of the family members and their home, each with more and more threatening implications, in this paranoid thriller. The film touches on issues of class in French society while retaining a tense atmosphere as well as intelligence. The film smartly guides its viewers to question not simply the details of the plot, but also how issues of class, surveillance, and trust affect our lives.

Solaris (1972)

Andrei Tarkovsky directs this meditative sci-fi film about residents of a space station in orbit over the planet Solaris who are tormented by hallucinations. As usual, Tarkovsky’s vision remains that of a true artist, with contemplative pacing, stunningly beautiful visuals, and long takes. Solaris is a film that will make you think about what it means to be human.

Also This Week

The Machinist (2004)

Vagabond (1985)

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Lost Highway (1997)

A Prophet (2010)

Serenity (2005)

The Fountain (2006)

Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain is an extremely inventive sci-fi film with a plot that spans one thousand years. Aronosfky’s film is both about and utilizes the concept of visual abstraction. The heart of the film centers on the mythical Tree of Life, which becomes a symbol for one man’s undying love for a woman in each of three separate narratives. Aronofsky often begins his scenes with an extreme, disorienting close-up of an object, only then pulling back to an establishing shot. At the same time, most of the film’s visual effects were not CGI effects, but were created through the use of macro photography, which is the use of extreme close-up photography in order to abstract the true nature of the object being photographed. This technique becomes closely tied to the metaphysical story of the film pertaining to abstract concepts such as death and love. The Fountain was received with mixed reviews upon release, but it represents a stunning and fascinating work of art that has deservedly grown in popularity over time.

Primer (2004)

Made on a mere $7000 budget, this sci-fi film presents the viewer with an incredibly jarring scenario involving two young engineers who create in a garage, unknowingly, a device which can seemingly propel an object back in time to a short degree. The rabbit hole that is this film only grows larger and deeper as the plot unfolds, and the film challenges the viewer to accept its abstractions of time and narrative structure. A wholly fascinating film that demands more than one viewing, Primer is a mindfuck unlike any other.

Also This Week

Disorder (2009)

Distant (2002)

Green Zone (2010)

Here is the beautiful theme from Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2001). The film features a unique clock motif to highlight the central theme of the passage of time. One of the ways this is conveyed is through this soundtrack piece, which uses violins to resemble the ticking of a clock.