My Top 20 Dramas: Part 3, #6-10

My Top 20 Dramas (continued)

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. The order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see titles for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s #6-10 in my favorite genre:

10. Jackie Brown (1997)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster and Robert De Niro

Based on an Elmore Leonard novel, Jackie Brown still feels like a Tarantino movie. At 154 minutes it never feels long. Tarantino takes the time he needs to properly introduce the characters and we know them well by the end of the movie. It’s essentially a heist movie with a little romance thrown in. It’s shunned by some because it appears to feature older actors and may be intended for a different demographic than his first two movies. I love every minute and enjoy seeing everything unfold. Jackson is always good when he works with Tarantino, but Forster and Grier have never been better. If you have avoided this due to bad reviews and like Tarantino’s style, check it out. Chances are you’ll end up appreciating it.

9. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Mélanie Laurent

This time Tarantino gives us his version of a war movie, but it’s not like any war movie you’ve ever seen. The opening 20-minute scene is about as tense as it gets and is reminiscent of Hitchcock. The film is driven by dialogue in four different languages, so subtitles are used frequently. Waltz won an Oscar as Hans Landa, the Jew Hunter. The film is typical Tarantino fare with plenty of dark humor, violence, references to film, chapters and outrageous scenes. As always, the music fits the action perfectly. The screenplay was Oscar-worthy and the acting strong throughout. The 153 minutes race by and Tarantino casually changes history with his version of events. It’s a lot of fun.

8. The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski

Starring Irène Jacob and Philippe Volter

This film won’t appeal to everyone. It’s subtitled and tells the story of two women; one French and the other Polish. They look alike and have similar interests. Kieslowski’s story has several different layers of meaning and it’s something for viewers who like to reflect on what they have seen. It’s not a traditional narrative and there’s no obvious plot. This is not a Hollywood production. We never learn why the two women look identical or why they seem to share some of their feelings and experiences. That’s for us to decide and everyone will have a different answer. Irène Jacob, who later starred in Three Colors Red, is stunning in the role and plays it with a lot of emotion. The film is also about relationships and music. In fact, it explores several kinds of love. It’s shot beautifully and watching it is like entering into a fantasy world. If you like to think and find your own meaning, this might appeal to you. If you don’t like subtitles or prefer things to be neatly explained, skip it.

7. No Country for Old Men (2007)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones

Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) finds a suitcase full of money while he’s out hunting and decides to take it and go on the run. It’s a weird choice considering he could have left the country and never be seen again, but all of his other actions make sense. We see how he hides, fearing that he’ll be pursued. His caution is justified when Anton Chigurh discovers his identity and tries to recover what he claims is his money. The story is told from the viewpoint of the local sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Jones) and the resolution isn’t an obvious one. Chigurh is an interesting character and is afraid of nothing. There’s always tension whenever he’s on screen. The Coens picked up Oscars for Best Directing, Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay, while Bardem won Best Supporting Actor. It’s a unique film.

6. Fargo (1996)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

Starring Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy

It’s tough choosing between Fargo and No Country for Old Men, but there’s so much to love about Fargo. The acting is excellent and the characters memorable. It’s full of dark humor and witty dialogue, and the story moves along at a brisk pace. The setting suits the mood of the film and Roger Deakins captured the desolation of Minnesota perfectly. I have a lot to say about the film, so feel free to check out my recent review if you want to know more.

Here’s the full review.

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #11-15 on my list here.

See #1-5 on my list here.

I’ll reveal the final five films tomorrow.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your Top 20.

Return to index of every review on the site.

My Top 20 Dramas: Part 2, #11-15

My Top 20 Dramas (continued)

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. The order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see titles for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s #11-15 in my favorite genre:

15. As Good as It Gets (1997)

Directed by James L. Brooks

Starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear

Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars for their unconventional romance. It’s a good example of the type of humor I like as it is sprinkled among serious dramatic scenes. The main duo, ably supported by Kinnear, all did great work. Nicholson possesses excellent comic timing and all three characters were convincing in their roles. The story is touching, involving and very funny in places. It’s capable of making you laugh and cry and that’s a rare thing.

14. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Directed by Milos Forman

Starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif and Danny DeVito

More Nicholson and further evidence of his natural instinct for comic timing. It’s a thought-provoking film set in a mental institution, mixing humor and drama. Some scenes are uplifting, but others are extremely sad. What is freedom? What are the most important things in life? It also features good early performances from Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif (who was nominated for an Oscar). I don’t think I’ll ever forget Will Sampson’s contribution as The Chief. Ah, Juicy Fruit.

13. Juno (2007)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

Juno is another drama with plenty of funny moments. The acting is superb across the board and the chemistry between Page and Cera works well. One of my favorite scenes involves a talk between Juno and her father (Simmons) in which his gentle wisdom leads her to a key revelation about her feelings. The Oscar-winning screenplay from Diablo Cody feels authentic and captures the mind of a teen particularly well. I laughed and I was charmed by this gem. The story never gets too serious and the whimsical mood is perfectly enhanced by the choice of songs.

See my full review here.

12. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

Starring the voices of Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi

Here’s an animated movie that wasn’t targeted at children. Most animated fare is light-hearted and full of humor, but Grave of the Fireflies is deadly serious. I’m usually crying three minutes into the film because of a beautiful scene where a boy’s spirit is reunited with his sister’s. The remainder of the story is told through flashbacks and shows how the two siblings died. It contains so many touching moments and is based on a true story in which a young boy was unable to save his little sister. It’s set during the Second World War, but never preaches about which side was right or wrong. It’s purely an observation of how war affects people’s lives. It’s easily the best serious animation I've ever seen.

11. Three Colors Red (1994)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski

Starring Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Frédérique Feder

Krzysztof Kieslowski and Irène Jacob first worked together three years earlier in The Double Life of Veronique and it’s a pleasure to see them together again in Kieslowski’s final film. She plays Valentine, a young model who inadvertently meets a retired judge (Trintignant). She disapproves of his lifestyle and slowly influences him and inspires a change. I like it so much because Valentine is such a pure spirit and a source of goodness. The judge isn’t particularly likable at the outset, but I end up pitying him and then liking him. It’s a thought-provoking piece about how people can change. It also has deeper themes and some have speculated that the judge represents God. Released in the same year as Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction, Three Colors Red is the most powerful part of Kieslowski’s excellent trilogy.

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #6-10 on my list here.
See #1-5 on my list here.

I’ll reveal the next five films on my list tomorrow.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your Top 20.

Return to index of every review on the site.

My Top 20 Dramas: Part 1, #16-20

Top 20 Dramas

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something. For those reasons, the stories tend to stay with me longer than other genres.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. For me, the order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see films for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s my current Top 20 in my favorite genre:

20. The Prestige (2006)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall

Nolan hasn’t disappointed me yet and The Prestige is a movie I always enjoy seeing. It’s well-acted and suspenseful. The air of mystery keeps the story interesting as it unfolds and the pacing is just about perfect. There are a few twists along the way and everything combines to make an intelligent and entertaining drama.

19. The King’s Speech (2010)

Directed by Tom Hooper

Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter

Winner of four Oscars including Best Picture, The King’s Speech was my favorite film of 2010. The subject matter sounded boring, but the film had me fully-invested throughout. Rush had tough competition and was unlucky not to win a second Oscar. The casting was done well, with Firth and Rush nailing their roles and making me believe that their friendship was real.

If you would like to know more about the film, take a look at my full review.

18. Memento (2000)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss

More Nolan and another challenging film that will make you think. The plot is fairly simple, but Nolan keeps the viewer guessing by telling two stories at once. One is told in reverse and is in color, while the other is shown in chronological order in black and white. The story is about a man unable to form new memories and the choices Nolan makes place the viewer in a similar position to that of the main character. 

17. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Directed by Julian Schnabel

Starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner and Marie-Josée Croze

The true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of Elle magazine, who suffers a stroke. The story is subtitled and told in French. The thing that makes it stand out is the use of the camera. Schnabel puts the viewer in Bauby’s position by only showing what he would see. Despite its sad subject matter there are many moments of humor as we hear Bauby’s thoughts. It’s a well-conceived film and a powerful drama.

16. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb and Martin Balsam

Lumet’s made films for 50 years before passing away in April 2011. This was his first feature film and acknowledged as one of his best. All but a few minutes take place in one room and involves the discussion between jury members as they decide whether a man is guilty. Structured like a play, it’s driven by dialogue. The suspense builds and the camera angles increase the feeling of claustrophobia as the story progresses. It’s completely captivating.

See #11-15 on my list here.

See #6-10 on my list here.
See #1-5 on my list here.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your own Top 20.

Return to index of every review on the site.

Delicatessen - Cannibalism can be funny

Delicatessen (comedy, romance, fantasy)

Directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Starring Dominique Pinon, Marie-Laure Dougnac and Jean-Claude Dreyfus

Lionsgate Films | 1991 | 99 min | Rated R | Released Sep 14, 2010

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

French, German, Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Subtitles:

English, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Discs:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4/5

Delicatessen is an unusual film. If you have seen any of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s other works, you’ll have an idea of what to expect. There are no jokes, but there is a lot of weird visual humor. It’s like meeting a French version of Quentin Tarantino or David Lynch.

The plot, such as it is, is set in an apartment complex above a delicatessen. The butcher, Clapet, hires people to do odd jobs. We are never told what year it is, but the action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce. Clapet’s motive for hiring people is to kill them and feed their body to the building’s inhabitants. The movie’s opening scene shows one such murder.

A new man arrives to apply for the now vacant position. He’s Louison (Pinon), an ex-circus clown. He has no money so pays for his taxi with his shoes, and then wears clown shoes for the remainder of the film. Clapet hires him. Pinon has appeared in every Jeunet film in the past 20 years and seems perfectly at home with the director’s quirky style.

The building is falling apart and Louison has plenty of work. He is generally well-liked and soon attracts the attention of the butcher’s daughter, Julie (Dougnac). An unlikely romance blooms between the two and she begs her father not to kill Louison. She wears glasses and can barely see without them, but takes them off for her first date with Louison. The results are hilarious. She tells him that people in the building get eaten, but he has fallen asleep and misses the warning.

If you have seen the trailer, you’ll be familiar with a sequence in which the butcher has sex on a squeaky bed. We are shown various odd characters engaging in weird activities, and they all synchronize their actions with the sound of the springs squeaking. I don’t think I have seen anything else like it.

Sound travels through the building’s pipes and is used to develop parts of the plot. In an early scene, the camera takes us through a pipe to show where it leads. Very Lynchian.

Jeunet is original, creative, weird and genuinely funny, in a dry sort of way. The overall mix is unique. The film plays more like a series of vaguely connected scenes than a fluid story, but each element has something interesting. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

Video Quality 4.5/5

The world of Delicatessen is filled with mist and grime. Outdoor scenes are deliberately murky and the image looks a little soft and noisy, but such scenes are infrequent. Detail is strong in the remaining scenes and shines during the frequent close-ups. Jeunet’s films have unusual color palettes too. For example, Amelie is full of greens and reds. Delicatessen has a reddish-brown tint and it fits the atmosphere well. Apart from the few misty shots, the overall quality is excellent for a film with such a low budget.

Audio Quality 4/5

The French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix does its job well. Dialogue is clear and it’s easy to hear frogs croaking and water rushing, as well as the unusual musical duets performed by Julie and Louison. The score has a distinctly French feel to it and adds something to the overall mood. Subtitles are displayed in white text and appear inside the frame.

Special Features 4/5

There’s plenty of background information to be found for those wanting to know more about the film:

Making of: Fine Cooked Pork Meats (13 minutes)

Trailer and Teaser (4 minutes)

Main Course Pieces (65 minutes)

Audio Commentary (Jeunet’s comments in French with optional subtitles)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Archives (9 minutes)

What is Delicatessen? Is it a comedy? A romance? Fantasy? Horror? It’s a wonderfully unique mess served up as only Jeunet can. If you are already a fan of his work, this fits right in. For those new to it, this is a good place to start. I prefer Amelie and A Very Long Engagement, but Delicatessen has a lot of replay value and I’m happy to have it in my collection. Give it a try if you don't mind foreign language films.

Overall score 4/5  

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Au revoir les enfants: One gesture can be fatal

Au revoir les enfants (drama, war)

Directed by Louis Malle

Starring Gaspard Manesse, Raphael Fejtö and Francine Racette

Criterion | 1987 | 104 min | Rated PG | Released Mar 15, 2011

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Audio:

French: LPCM Mono

Subtitles:

English

Disc:

Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4.5/5

Au revoir les enfants is a semi-autobiographical story from director Louis Malle who was born in 1932 and lived through many of the events depicted on the screen. Because it’s based on the truth, it has added meaning for the viewer. It’s about school, friendship, racism and regret.

The story begins with a 15-year-old boy, Julien Quentin (Manesse), leaving his mother and taking the train to a Catholic boarding school. The school is run by monks and all of the students are boys. It’s set in the 1940s during the German occupation of France. A new boy, Jean Bonnet (Fejtö), takes the bed next to Quentin.

Most of the students tease Bonnet and make his life a misery. As you have probably experienced, this is typical treatment for a new student in any school. In addition to the teasing, he finds that the water is cold, baths have to be taken in the local town, and air raids disrupt the lessons. Bonnet's life becomes more tolerable when a monk tells Quentin to befriend him without explaining why. After a while, Bonnet’s ability in a wide range of school subjects such as music, math and French, earns Quentin’s respect. The two become friends.

The portrayal of school life is realistic and reminds me somewhat of The 400 Blows. It gradually becomes clear that Bonnet has a secret. He claims to be a protestant and mentions that his father is a prisoner. Quentin searches Bonnet’s locker and uncovers the secret, but he’s not completely aware of its significance at the time. 

When his mother visits, Quentin persuades her to include Bonnet on a trip to a local restaurant. She likes him although he doesn’t say much. While they are eating, we are shown a group of collaborators harassing a Jewish man who simply wants to have dinner. Jews are not allowed in the restaurant. Quentin is puzzled by this treatment and isn’t even sure what a Jew is and why they should be hated.

Quentin matures throughout the film and his awareness of events happening in his life increases. It’s a coming-of-age tale of sorts, and the seemingly innocent existence of the students is overshadowed by something more sinister.

This sad tale will emotionally affect viewers who allow themselves to be drawn into the story. I can only imagine what Malle must have gone through in order to make it. Perhaps it was his way of confessing?

I don’t want to reveal anything more as it might ruin the experience for anyone yet to see it.

Actress Irène Jacob made her film debut in the role of a piano teacher which ultimately led to her being noticed by director Krzysztof Kieslowski. As a result, he cast her in The Double Life of Veronique and Three Colors Red. Both films are essential viewing for film fans who enjoy stories encouraging thought and speculation.

Video Quality 4/5

Criterion’s transfer is strong and has plenty of detail without ruining the intended look of the film. Instances of dirt, debris and scratches are kept to a minimum. The colors are particularly impressive despite the muted setting. 

Audio Quality 4.5/5

This is a quiet film for the most part and the French LPCM 1.0 presentation is clear throughout. The subtitles for the French dialogue are properly paced and easy to follow, while any German spoken in the film is not supposed to be understood and is not subtitled.

Special Features 4/5

Pierre Billard – Film critic and author of Malle’s biography talks about Malle’s career (31 minutes, 1080i)

Candice Bergen – Malle’s wife for 15 years talks about his life and passion for film (14 minutes, 1080i)

Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant – Talks about the reason for its appearance in the film (26 minutes, 1080i)

Louis Malle at AFI – Audio only speech (in English) from Malle’s 1988 appearance at the AFI (53 minutes)

Trailers (3 minutes, 1080i)

22-page booklet

One of the best films of the 80s gets the Criterion Blu-ray treatment and the results are stunning. Buy it if you like emotional dramas.

Overall score 4.5/5

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