onehundredfilms-blog

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006. The Mission (1986)

In year 11 English (I didn't do lit - I preferred a mix of books, films and articles; fail) we had to watch this Palm d'Or winner and, wait for it, I thought it dull and long-winded.

Similar to Rushmore but for completely different reasons, I waited about a decade and gave The Mission another chance and have since grown to appreciate it. I'm gonna talk about how good the acting and the story and all that are first before I wank over the soundtrack, okay?

It's set in the 18th century, when Spain and Portugal renegotiated ownership of various parts of South America (the Treaty of Madrid). Straight-line colonialism, I call it, where two white men draw a line down a map and divide someone else's land between them. The Andes and the Amazon mean the line isn't that straight in South America but you get the idea. The Mission is a bit self-righteous in its portrayal of the colonialists, particularly the pro-slavery Portuguese, who insist on removing the Jesuit-led mission from what is now their land so they can enslave the locals. But I guess back in 1986 we hadn't had nearly as many films about how colonial powers and white people in general had screwed the world for centuries, so back then it probably wouldn't have been as tired a theme.

Jeremy Irons plays Father Gabriel, a priest who connects with what are thought to be savage locals through music. Mendoza (Robert De Niro) is a slave trader who, after exile from the town, finds redemption and grace in the hands of the Guarani - the very natives from whom he'd made a living only days earlier. The two form an unlikely bond, as the progress with the conversation of the Guarani and the scene featuring Mendoza climbing the waterfall and having tears overcome him is one of the most moving you'll see in a film. Ever. But all of that is ruined by those nasty colonials, when a joint Spanish and Portuguese force turn guns on the far inferior bows and arrows of the locals. The Jesuits and Guarani fight side by side valiantly but in the end it's to no avail. The Spaniards and Portugeezers run them into the ground, and no doubt slap each other on their respective back when they're done. The Guarani retreat back into the rainforest and the Jesuits finally pull their mission out. Colonial guilt, yo. At least this time I don't feel guilty for coming from a country whose wealth was build on stripping its colonies of everything of value. 

But The Mission wouldn't be the film it is without the soundtrack. Ennio Morricone is the man responsible, and this is widely regarded as one of his greatest scores, alongside The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. There's the constant contrast between the choral church sounds of the 'developed world', the traditional tribal tones of the Guarani and the Jesuits, whose themes revolve around Gabriel's oboe - the instrument whose sounds meant the natives spared his life on their first encounter. There's the constant to-and-fro between the colonials and the colonies, the sweeping soundscape that accompany the beautiful landscape shots and the quaint, understated moments where director Roland Joffe depicts the humanity of Gabriel, Mendoza and the natives as the mission develops  before the armed intrusion of those imperial Iberians. Morricone's ability to build a climax from almost nothing or to give seemingly insignificant occurrences immense weight stands out here and, while Irons and De Niro's performances (note the appearance of a youngish Liam Neeson, too) are top-notch, the score enhances the performances, the cinematography and the plot and is easily the most memorable thing about this film.

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005. Rushmore (1998)

Better late than never. I know we're into February now and five films is wayyy behind schedule and at this rate, I'd struggle to get to 50 by the end of the year. More soon. Promise.

So, Rushmore. I saw this at a movie marathon (remember those?) when it first came out and just didn't get it. I was 15 at the time, which is probably why. I saw the film through the eyes of 15-year-old Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), who I assumed was the central character, and couldn't really see the point. Boy meets girl, boy chases girl, old guy chases girl, neither gets girl.

Fast forward about a decade and, after hearing countless people speak highly of the film, I decided to give it another go. I think it cost me £3 or something on play.com, so worth a pun, right? Now as a twenty-something, cynical and jaded but still a little wide-eyed and hopeful, I saw the film as the story of two characters, Fischer and 50-something Herman Bloom (Bill Murray) and the relationship the two had as they both fell for the same woman. Interestingly, I wasn't sure which of the two characters I identified with more. Bloom is in the midst of a mid-life crisis while Fischer is at that point where every moment feels like the most significant of your life. As the film develops, you see the similarities between the two and how Bloom's years don't really count for much. He's devoid of any passion for anything until he meets Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams), the Rushmore teacher for whom Fischer has already fallen. At times, Fischer is more the adult and Bloom the child and as the film develops, you realise Cross is effectively irrelevant, a little like at the end of Almost Famous, where the character of Penny Lane fades into normality to slide the emphasis onto journalist William Miller's relationship with Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond.

The music is lovely, almost twee, really, and the imagery is well-thought with countless subtle touches that reveal themselves every time you watch and re-watch Rushmore. The juxtaposition, though, between the idealised surrounds of one of America's most prestigious private schools and the reality of Fischer and Blooms respective day-to-day lives, is key, and there are some great shots that emphasise the distance between both characters' fantasies and the humble (Fischer) and cash-rich/serotonin-poor (Bloom) lives the two actually lead. 

The only criticism I have is that director Wes Anderson could have achieved the same effect with a film 15-20 minutes shorter. There were two or three points during the final half-hour at which you felt as though the film were about to end, only for it to continue a while longer, chugging toward its conclusion. For one of those quirky films whose following is best described as 'cult', 93 minutes is slightly drawn-out, but I guess editing it down and cutting some of the more self-indulgent scenes would have meant less awkward pans to some of the killer facial expressions or awkward silences dotted throughout the film. Is it a crime to wanna have my cake and eat it? Anyway. Good film, go and watch it if you haven't already.

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004. American Beauty (1999)

Okay, so I bought myself a Blu-ray player at the end of last year and am in that limbo period where I'm dividing my time roughly equally between the old and the new. There are plenty of films that would work just as well on DVD format - mainly recently released - but then there are films that really benefit from the higher definition.

American Beauty bucks the trend - I was still in high school when I went and saw it at the cinema, so it must be old - as the cinematography definitely makes the upgrade seem worthwhile. Not bad for a film released last century.

Anyway. Where do I start? I guess a quick look at its Academy Awards paints a (best) picture; best actor, for Kevin Spacey, best cinematography, best screenplay, best director and of course, best picture. Let's start with the acting. Spacey is, of course, brilliant in the leading role. His portrayal of Lester Burnham, whose midlife crisis frames several sub-plots that all tie together by the end, pinpoints the wide range of emotions experienced as his character makes his way through the final year of life but still affords enough space to his co-stars - Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari and Thora Birch. My favourite, though, is Chris Cooper playing Frank Fitts, an ex-Marine ruling his household with an iron fist while battling his own demons.

When you talk about the cinematography, most people will think of the imagery that comes with the rose petals that worm their way into Burnham's increasingly vivid fantasies. Equally captivating, though, are the grainy and often black-and-white videos shot on Ricky Fitts' camcorder - the most pertinent of these being the plastic bag floating on the breeze, not unlike the feather in the opening sequence of another best picture Oscar winner, Forrest Gump. Lovely as those shots are, though, it's the depiction of Burnham's dreams and daydreams that makes me satisfied with my recent purchase.

As for the themes, well, you can take what you want from this movie and whatever it is you do take, you'll probably read it completely differently if you watch it again in a year's time. You can look at Burnham as the hero or the villain, the victim or just a vehicle for the central idea that good or bad, right or wrong, some things are just beautiful. And if you hadn't formed that conclusion of your own accord, his final thought, "I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me. But it's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world," reminds us of this. There's the shattering of the white-picket-fence suburban ideal (Edward Scissorhands, anyone?) and the quiet satisfaction of seeing someone stop caring about their job and making the most of it - a bit like in Office Space but with a little more class and a little less toilet humour.

Okay, I could talk about this film for hours but I won't. I'll just say it was well worth all the critical acclaim and so far, has stood the test of time on all fronts. 

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003. In the Loop (2009)

I can't believe this film was out more than three years before I was aware of it. See, I'm a massive fan of The Thick of it. Armando Ianucci is a genius. Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) is one of my favourite characters ever and the scripting is the perfect blend of political satire and immature humour.

Now In the Loop isn't quite a feature-length TTOI but it comes close. Tucker is in it but the remainder of the TTOI characters play different characters, albeit fulfilling similar roles, including Chris Addison, Joanna Scanlan and Paul Higgins. James Gandolfini from the Sopranos is there too, accompanied by a slew of regulars from the American version of The Office (which is actually quite good, once you get past the first few episodes). Oh yeah, and Steve Coogan. How could I forget? The idea is the same as well, but rather than revolving around menial departmental affairs, they apply the tried-and-tested approach to international relations and diplomacy.

In the Loop is a tongue-in-cheek attack on the American tendency to rely on the British to beat the drum every time they fancy a war and while the laughs rarely cease, the writers' political standpoint is central at every stage. There are plenty of poignant questions throughout, for example, why should an American politician have any say on what goes on in Britain? And how democratic are we really, when the likes of Tucker and sidekick Jamie McDonald (Alistair Campbell, anyone?) effectively dictating how MPs should represent their constituents. 

We all know what happened in the second Iraq war. While you could debate their motives for hours, the Americans decided they wanted it but needed an excuse. Because of Britain's 'special relationship' (the Americans don't reciprocate, of course) we parrotted the 'we have intelligence' line about weapons of mass destruction until people realised neither side would ever reveal their sources or divulge any details and that war was inevitable. In the Loop takes the left's view that the intelligence was fabricated and that the trigger-happy Americans would have taken any excuse to strike, regardless of what was right or wrong or what the people of either country wanted (or would have wanted, had they known the truth).

The film wouldn't have worked, though, had the one-liners (of which Capaldi yet again takes all the best) not been sharp and incisive and had the characters not been so carefully created and cast. My only gripe was with the timing: a film like this would have packed a harder punch had it come out several years earlier. You know, when Dubbya and Blair were both still in office and the general public on either side of the Atlantic needed all the dissenting voices they could get. Then again, I don't think they specified where the war would be once during the film, and with the Leaders of the Free World constantly throwing cats among the middle eastern pigeons the underlying message is still about as relevant as it would have been a decade ago.

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002. Philadelphia (1993)

Okay, I'm only two films into the challenge and I've already been reduced to tears. While the best films are the ones that challenge public perception, the passing of time sometimes means it loses some of that impact; I was 10 when Philadelphia came out and it'd be quite hard for me to contextualise this one. But while TV reruns are hardly going to shatter people's attitudes in 2013, the humanity you see in the characters in this film will move you regardless.

I'm sure you know the synopsis: lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) gets sacked after getting AIDS. His employers say it's due to incompetency but Beckett insists it was purely discriminatory. They go to court, Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) represents Beckett and they win. Along the way, various characters get over their own prejudices and when they win, you realise it was as much about the journey as the outcome. Oh yeah, Beckett dies at the end.

So a fairly standard courtroom drama, which, like all the best films of that type, is based on real life events. And, as always, the verdict is inevitable: David always beats Goliath. So regarding the plot, nothing new. The bits that resonate more are the changes you see in the characters as the story and case develop and as Beckett's condition worsens. Miller starts off a tacky personal injury lawyer (some things haven't changed!) with homophobic views and is reluctant to take the case on. An hour or so later, his redemption comes not when he wins the case but when he visits Beckett in hospital and replaces his respirator just hours before his imminent passing. Beckett's - and his partner, Miguel Alvarez's (Antonio Banderas) - progression is more from anger and the pursuit of justice to resolution and acceptance of the inevitable.

Apart from the initial impact being long gone, there are certain elements of Philadelphia that seem dated these days. Obviously, there are the fashion, the haircuts, the technology and even some of the language that makes you wonder where the past couple of decades went. But even a lot of the camerawork and editing seems below-par, with dodgy cuts from one courtroom scene to another and that horrific zoom up to Miller's house just before he receives news of Beckett's death. 

Also, it starts with Springsteen and ends with Neil Young. Yes. It seems unfair they couldn't both get the Academy Award for Best Original Song. But then there is no shame in coming second to The Boss, Mr Young.

All in all, a great screenplay and some excellent acting, even if younger viewers may struggle with the production and the relevance of its themes. If you haven't seen it already, please do.

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001. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

I was supposed to start with Citizen Kane, one of the best films of all time, but my new player doesn't like a lot of films purchased in Australia. I'll figure it out at some stage and we'll get to it later in the year.

So instead I thought I'd go for one of my all-time favourites, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. There are loads of reasons to love this film, not least the cyclical chronology (by the end of the year you'll know how much I love this technique) and how every time you watch it, you take something slightly different from it.

In case you haven't seen it, here's a brief rundown: Joel (Jim Carrey) meets Clementine (Kate Winslet). They fall in love, have a relationship, break up and each have the other wiped from their memory. While doing Clementine's wiping, Patrick (Elijah Wood) falls for Clementine and uses bits and pieces from her memories to woo her. When Joel gets his memory wiped, he changes his mind and decides he'd rather keep the memories. They end up wiping her anyway but they meet again and start fresh. Ha, you don't have to watch it now, do you?

I don't normally like Jim Carrey (I'm not 12 anymore) but his performance in this film is excellent and while Kate Winslet's portrayal of Clementine is a bit irksome at times, the quirkiness she puts across is the ideal counter to her mopey other half. Annoying as she is, you pine for Carrey's character to hang on to her and it's her "meet me in Montauk" that leaves that tiny imprint in his mind and leads to him going back to where they first met and start again.

I couldn't say anything about this film without mentioning the visual mastermind behind it all, Michael Gondry. As our lead characters attempt to evade the erasing process, the effects on display as they duck and dive are excellent and even when the special effects aren't on show, the colour and composition in some of the film's simplest shots are breathtaking (any shot involving snow). All to that the occasional grainy shot of Joel as a child and you have the perfect depiction of a journey through a man's conscious and subconscious.

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A new year, a new project

2012 has been a weird year. A few ups, a few downs but mostly good. Anyway, I recently realised how infrequently I've written this year so I'm looking to rectify that in 2013.

A couple of years ago I set out to see and report on at least 100 different bands' live performances over the course of a calendar year and you (hopefully) followed as I made it to 107 with a couple of weeks to spare.

Now I've written about music for years and years (okay, maybe seven or eight) but I've never really written about film. I reviewed Unleashed/Danny the Dog (depending on where you watched it) for a student paper once but that's about it. I recently invested in a Blu-ray player and have since toyed with extending my attention span so writing up on films in 2013 seems like a logical next project.

100 in a year is roughly two per week and I only have 60-70 in my collection. So I guess there's gonna come a time when I'll have to start buying and borrowing films to get me across the line. I apologise in advance for losing important parts of your collection. I'll probably want a few requests along the way, too.

As always, I'm not gonna be offering serious critique all of the time - there are plenty of publications in which you can find in-depth analysis of themes, characterisation and cinematic techniques. Yes, I'll probably discuss these things a lot of the time but this is just me writing about a bunch of films I fancy watching in the new year.