MoviesHere's what D.S Wills thinks about his favourite movies. - - - - - - - - I have many favourite movies, and may movies I like. There are movies I respect, but don't particularly enjoy, movies I enjoy but don't particularly respect and movies I all round just fucking love. Because there are so many movies I love, I find it impossible to list them in order of preference. Because there are so many different reasons a movie might be awesome, it is not right to compare them. So here, in no particular order, are some of the movies I love, and can remember, and why I love them.
Big Fish - A strange but wonderful tale. Tim Burton makes a film surely no one could dislike. The narrative is odd, much like the focus, but everything combines perfectly to add up to a full and loving tall tale. The end will melt the heart of anyone, without any sadness or tears shed. Garden State - I think at this moment in time, 'Garden State' is my favourite film. I know I said I couldn't ever choose an actually favourite, but right now I'm in the 'Garden State' mood. The music, the atmosphere, the tone, the perfect directing, and the hotness of Natalie Portman. Wow. I'm sure I could write a more eloquent review, but fuck it. Watch the film and you shall understand. Lost In Translation - Bill Murray could act any role. A quiet film. A powerful study of modern life and nonsexual inter-gender relations. Visually sweet. Donnie Darko - One of the first films that made me forget what was happening and send me into months of contemplation about making my own film. When I finally came to the conclusion that I could never make anything this good, I rewatched the film and once again fell into contemplation. 'Donnie Darko' is so damned intelligent that enjoyment and philosophy are fused into this drill that powers through your brain. Unique and brilliant. The Big Lebowski - Comedies can be clever. This film is belly-achingly funny and pretty smart too. I love anything that glorifies slacking off and drink/drug/hedonism based lives. Clerks - Kevin Smith's first film set him up for a brilliant spell as an actor/ director. Once again, slacking off is glorified the way it should be. The heroes are lazy hated-filled idiots and drug-taking unemployed bums. Through these characters Smith explores much of modern life without really leaving the little shop in which he worked and filmed the movie. Dazed And Confused - Nostalgic. Even for someone who didn't go to an American high school back then. Now that is impressive. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - Jim Carrey throws off his typical comic act fantastically. This drama is clever and thought provoking, but also has an incredibly real relationship driving the movie forwards. Carrey conveys the confusion of his character as well as any actor ever could have done. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas - They said filming Hunter S. Thompson's masterpiece was impossible. Well, this film may not live up to the brilliance of the novel, but comes closer than anyone could have guessed. Beat madness. Edward Scissorhands - Creepy and atmospheric Tim Burton classic. Like so many Burton films, 'Edward Scissorhands' looks at an unusual character on the edge of society. Perhaps that is why I like it so much. Go! - Drugs are fun; drugs are funny. Fast paced mayhem, reflecting the mind-set of someone on drugs. Goodfellas - Better than 'The Godfather'? I think so. Some of the greatest acting of all time. Brutal brilliance. The Matrix Trilogy - Say what you like about the third film, the first two were outstanding. I don't know much about the technical side of film-making, but I can tell these films pushed the boundaries and broke the rules. Natural Born Killers - This movie mocks celebrity and modern media. It is possible to imagine two brutal killers becoming heroes should the press choose to celebrate them. Hip directing and fast-paced witty action make 'Natural Born Killers' one of my favourite films of the nineties. Pulp Fiction - Tarantino is one of the greatest directors ever. His knowledge of movies makes him the perfect film-maker. I cannot keep up with the number of references he makes in each of his movies. 'Pulp Fiction' is a twisting, turning masterpiece. Reservoir Dogs - 'Reservoir Dogs' again shows Tarantino's ability to weave stories while never losing his audience or the artistic merit. Sick, twisted, brutal, and damn near perfect. Snatch - British gangster flick. I don't know much about this film, but when I saw it I loved it. Clever, fast-paced and incredibly funny. Directed wonderfully.
There are hundreds of other movies I love, and these might not even be my favourite ones. In fact, I came up with this list off the top of my head and I keep on adding.
Directors - As you may have guessed from my list of favourite movies, I tend to enjoy the work of certain directors. My favourite directors are, again in no particular order, as follows: Tim Burton - Unique. Focuses on characters on fringes of society, in my opinion the most important and interesting people in any society. Kevin Smith - Directs and stars in films about subculture and slackers. Like Burton, focuses on those on the edge of society. Quentin Tarantino - Just about the perfect director. Ever other director has a blotch on their record, but not Tarantino. His knowledge of movies is encyclopedic. Zach Braff - His debut film impressed me so much I had to watch it over and over. Maybe I'm jumping ahead of myself crediting Braff so much after just one film, but what a film. Hopefully there is more to come from him. Richard Linklater - His movies are much like my novels. Driven by philosophy and disillusionment, but also engaging on a character level. |