This is my list, yes 2009 isn't over, so let us hope nothing blows my mindor this list will look quite foolish indeed.
Movies aren't on this list because they won an oscar or made a fuckton o' money. They caused me to think, or challenge my views on something. They caused me to reevaluate what I believed. They made me remember, they made me forget. They changed my life.Departed / Infernal Affairs: I group these two together and count them as one, considering the Departed is a remake. Regardless as such, this is the cat and mouse tale of the decade without a DOUBT. Who is the cat and who is the m
ouse? To be honest the question cannot be answered, but what unfolds for the viewer is a tale that leaves you on the edge of your seat. The star studded casts of the two films consisting of: Andy Lau, DiCaprio, Tony Leung, Mark mother fucking Walhberg or Alec Baldwin each deliver a performance worthy of praise and admiration. These films promise to leave you guessing till the very end, and given the version you watch, a surprise ending is what you are in store for.
Andy Lau: "I'm a cop"
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Beautiful imagery, metaphors wrapped in enigmas, Zhang ZiYi (hot), and my man Chow Yun Fat (never had a bed performance to my knowledge). This film struck success both in Asia and here in North American, a feat not easy for Asian cinema especially in our centralist-view based society. Regardless, the film packs powerful action scenes-although many if not all physically impossible-based in illusion and intrigue. Many would say that as a westerner I can never truly understand what the movie represents, both in practice and in idea. This I cannot refute, but to me the movie is beautiful and touching piece which leaves me coming back for more each time. It is my humble opinion that it is the love stories entwined in the film which make it the real gem. In many ways the actors are puppets on the grand stage of a play which they know in their hearts has a sad ending. Nonetheless the band plays on so to speak and to the ending is enough to leave anyone teary eyed (or guessing??? If you recall the end). Man I’m actually getting a little miffed thinking about the ending…fuck…
”I wish that we'll be in the desert together again.”(final line)
Zodiac: Based on real events, one of the many movies of this type on my list as you may notice. The film for me is the ‘King of Suspense’ of the last decade. To me this movie portrays the work of the little man, his trials and tribulations against a seemingly unknown evil. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a believable and amazing performance of, well, an average man. This man watches the news and hears about a mysterious serial killer. He then decides to take the investigation into his own hands…basically he’s fucking Nancy Drew, except it’s way more epic. Did I mention he’s supported by Robert Downey Junior? What more do you want people? I can safely that there were times during this film that I was so on the edge of my seat, I was worried I was going to fall off. The fucking suspense KILLED me, haha get it? I thought it was kind of clever. In many ways I think I love this movie so much because it is such an endearing tale about someone’s quest to just finish a job. Not to mention the ending left me with a tingling sensation on the back of my neck, I just needed closure, even in that final confrontation I needed it then more than ever…I want to believe that Jake got his, at least I felt like he did from his face…for me, it never came.
Jake: ”I... I need to know who he is. I... I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it's him.”
No Country for Old Men: Greed, Conscience, and a man’s word. That is what this movie can be summed up to in three words. If he didn’t take the money, this wouldn’t have happened. If he hadn’t have grown a conscience and good will in the night, this wouldn’t have happened. Had a man’s word not been the be all and end all of agreements which transcends this physical plane…you guessed it, wouldn’t have happened. Javier Bardem was essentially unknown to me prior to this film, but man oh man, was his performance top notch. I believe in some sense Chigurh (Bardem) represents death in its entirety, he is an unfazed and unstoppable killing machine bent on money and above all keeping his word (a justification used all to righteously as an excuse for murder…ironic, kinda). Apart from him is Tommy Lee Jones (the actual main character), Tommy plays a small time Sheriff caught in the past and trying to deal with something so unreal for him and his small town views. To me he represents America and the Western world in general, a set of ideologies and beliefs routed in tradition but now overall flawed in an ever changing world in which we live. His world is shaken by the string of unexplained and gruesome deaths he encounters in his investigation, the likes of which would of never happened in his day. Oddly we learn, as does he, that such things have always happened in human history, and always will. In the end there is only so much one man can do to fight evil, and in the end you can never truly win. I guess the bad guy does win sometimes. And then the film cut to black.
Gone Baby Gone: Casey Affleck, who saw this coming on a top 10 list? If there is one thing to say about this movie it is a question. I want you to watch this film and ask yourself, ‘Did he do the right thing?’ Since I watched that movie the question has never been answered one way or another for me. Some days I think yes, some days I think no. Did he do the right thing? Casey is supported by the heavy hitters Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. Both of which have their own crosses to bear as they struggle to walk the line between right and wrong and protect arguably the most innocent of us all, children. This movie made me question a lot of things, the duty of police officer for one, when does the badge stop and the human begin, or where does the human stop and the badge begin, some dialogue within the film reveals a past act by Ed Harris in the interest of a child where as a police officer he does something illegal for a great good. I often recall this and I know in my heart of hearts that if it was real and it was me, I would have done the same thing, every time…scary thought…but I admit it freely. I ask you to watch this film and ask yourself the same question I posed before.
’ Ed Harris: Fucking A! You gotta take a side. You molest a child, you beat a child, you're not on my side. If you see me coming, you better run, because I am gonna lay you the fuck down! Easy. Casey: Don't feel easy. Ed Harris: Is the kid better off without his father? Yeah. But okay, I mean, could be out there right now pumping with a gun in his waistband. It's a war, man. Are we winning? No.’
Bourne Identity: This is the action film of the decade. Without a doubt in my mind this is it. If we have learned anything form this movie it’s that you can’t train these guys so well or it’s probably going to come back and bite you in the ass, you know these secret agent kind of things, a lot of ins, a lot of outs. Matt Damon delivers a powerful performance as Jason Bourne, mother-fucker-awesome-to-the-max-extraordinaire. My favourite scene of this film is by far the US embassy, MOTHER FUCKER TOOK OUT LIKE 6 MARINES IN CQC, then he takes a fire map from a wall and a radio off a marine SO HE CAN HEAR THEIR MOVEMENTS BROADCASTED, like Jesus CHRIST, this guy owns a lot of ass. I think if you ask any straight male what guy they could be if given the chance and they would tell you Jason Bourne. I mean, the guy kicks ass. So why is it in the top 10, I mean apart from that if it wasn’t Id be to afraid of Jason’s retaliation…shit, can I call him Jason? Well the fight scenes and stunts, to which there are many, are amazingly choreographed and executed. The chase scene in the mini, fantastic. The story is believable enough that he’s a badass secret agent, now with morals and a heart so willing suspension of disbelief isn’t required to the extremes needed of the 80’s and 90’s action films. To anyone who watches this, complete the trilogy, money and time WELL spent in this writer’s opinion.
Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?
Oldboy: The Korean revenge movie, of the decade, nay I would go as far as saying all time. If there is any movie which can show you just how fucked up Koreans are, it is this. This film is not for the faint of heart, I warn you now. Possibly my favourite movie of all time, yes bold statement, this film shows you the lengths some will go for a dish best served cold (15 years cold), revenge. My first time witnessing a performance by Choi Min Sik left me in awe, to this day I have yet to watch a bad movie where he has taken part in, a fine fine actor to say the least. Director Chan-Wook Park creates an engaging screenplay which sucks the audience in and does not let go. This is a challenging film to say the least, I dare not go into the details and spoil it, but if you view this with an open mind there is no way you can be disappointed. The film is set to a killer soundtrack which one of the pieces to this day remains as my phone ring tone (the Last Waltz). To conclude, as is the way of all Asian cinema, the ending is left ambiguous and up to the viewer to decide, which some may find quite the treat. I leave it to you.
’Woo Jin Lee: Be it a rock or a grain of sand, in water they both sink the same.’
The Pianist: To sum, big Jew, lots of Nazis-awesomely dressed as always-doing Nazi shit, more Jews, there’s a ghetto tossed in there somewhere, and ya…and I think Adrian Brody plays an instrument somewhere in this film? I think it might be the cello, but the jury is still out on this one. If there was one word to describe this film, it would be STRUGGLE, everything for the Jews is a pure struggle, fuckers just can’t get a break it would seem. Nonetheless and pseudo-racism aside this is a touching tale. I don’t have any memories before watching this film of really feeling for a character in a film, I guess when I saw this I was still young and naïve to cinema, so forgive me. You really feel for Adrian, in many ways you are brought into his life and then have it ripped out from around you as the world goes to shit. The themes of the film are obvious to even the most blank of minds, equality, yadda yadda yadda Jews this, Nazi this, it has been done to death but alas I believe there is an unexplored theme which I found interesting upon inspection. You learn by watching this that a nation and its ideals do not represent the people who call it home. Such is the product of democracy where only the majority speak for all. Of all the people to help Adrian in this film, the one who does is the last you’d expect. I guess in the simplest of words, you can’t judge a book by its cover. I believe in many ways aside from the obvious victims (Jews) the unsung victims are the German’s who didn’t believe in the Nazi party and their ideals, the German Officer in this movie is one of such people. In the end I am left feeling more sorry for him than I do for Adrian. The film ends with a beautiful rendition of Chopin's Grand Polonaise brillante in E flat major. ( Ya I had to look that up, what am I an artsci how the fuck would I know otherwise?) In many ways this grand finale in front of this huge crowd makes it seem like nothing really happened, like it was just a bad dream, one day he’s playing, the next he is playing again…I guess the only scars carried are those in his memory.
Jarhead: Jake again?!? What can I say, the man does good work. This is probably the Full Metal Jacket of my generation, I guess ya, anti-war type sentiments and all. The Gulf War, essnetially the precursor to the war of my generation, so why not have a movie about it? Basically I only saw this movie originally because of the trailer, Kanye’s Jesus Walks thrown in made it seem baller as fuck, and I was right. This is not an action movie as many believe it is, me included prior to watching it. This is a character piece and drama about an event which changed the world as we knew it, I was too young…but from what I gather that’s what the Gulf War did. As I watch this film I am most drawn to Jake and Jamie Foxx (another great). Having never been a Marine nor in combat I can never fully appreciate just what these guys go through, but the movie pulls me in, it makes me feel like I am apart of that family, that brotherhood, I am in the corps, it is very powerful in its representation of the life of these men, not much more, if not the same age as me. The film challenges issues like morality, right and wrong, and loyalty in a world turned upside down. But what gets me most about the film is the powerful bonding and imagery created that again as I mentioned, I can never truly understand. To some people the Marines is the home they never had, to others just a stop on a long broken road, Take this powerful monlogue by Jamie Foxx:
’I could be working with my brother right now. He's got a dry-wall business in Compton. Does the inside of office buildings; you know, the metal studs. I could be his partner, said he'd give me that brand new Dodge Ram Charger. You know, the 318 Magnum? The beast? All indoor work, too, lots of AC. I could sleep with my wife every night, fuck her, maybe; take my kids to school every morning. And I'd run his crews, too, probably increase productivity 40 to 50%. Make $100K a year. Do you know why I don't? Because I love this job. I thank God for every fucking day he gives me in the corps,’
Combine that ‘from the heart’ speech with the beautiful cinematography that is an oil fire and you have a powerful scene indeed. To me what hit the hardest was just how affected and changed the lives of these men would be forever. A few months in a desert never changed so much for little. Really makes you think. The ending is the crux, life back in America, changed forever by the horrors of the desert. The men of Jake’s platoon flash on the screen showing where they are and what they do, some have meaningless dead end jobs, one is dead, Jamie Foxx is still a Marine this time in Iraqi Freedom, Jake goes to visit the girlfriend who left him. The montage shows you that nothing really lasts forever, not now, not ever, not in the hot desert sand. The fact is, they are back in a country that they would have given so much, everything for, and it doesn’t even care, it doesn’t even know what went on over there and it never will. It will never understand just what some people give/gave for what they take for granted on a daily basis. Nothing has changed. Nothing will ever be the same. I think all of my ideas are captured perfectly in this ending quote by Jake:
’A story. A man fires a rifle for many years. and he goes to war. And afterwards he comes home, and he sees that whatever else he may do with his life - build a house, love a woman, change his son's diaper - he will always remain a jarhead. And all the jarheads killing and dying, they will always be me. We are still in the desert.’
Memories of Murder: Another Korean film, so it is of no surprise if at this point you are scratching your head in confusion. After I watched this film one Saturday morning the only thing I could say was wow. I was literally floored, this is a powerful powerful emotional film. For the record, this film stars Kong-Ho Song, my second favourite Korean actor in many greats, but I digress. The film centres around Korea’s first serial killer and the investigation which would last decades and to no avail, a true story so my spoilers are warranted. The film is a powerful look at the lengths people will go to accomplish a job. In many ways I think the film has a lot of parallels to the aforementioned “Zodiac”, this film is better in my opinion but both center around the same issue.
The film depicts the lives forever changed by these senseless acts of murder and its ensuing investigation. The main characters, who there is no sense naming as Korean names are complicated and just, lol. Anyways, the main characters all begin the film with a set of virtues which make them unique, essentially the big two are Kong, the veteran small town cop, and his new partner, a transfer detective from Seoul with a righteous vigour and mantra to never break the laws he protects. As the story unfolds and ends we are left with two shadows, the characters represent silhouettes of their former shelves, a powerful testament to the effects of these deaths. It goes to show you that even the people trying to stop the bad guys get hurt, not just the victims and their families. In a sense these cops had to bear the guilt of every death as they failed in their quest to stop the murderer. A weight no soul should ever have to lift. Again, the beauty is in not just the story but the characters, The towel a rogue cop wraps around his boot so as not to leave scars when he beats confessions out of suspects, a young female cop desperately trying to showcase her abilities in a male dominated Korea, the new detective from Seoul's insistence that documents never lie (and the irony at the climax that challenges his entire sense of being forever), and the main detective's speech on the difference between FBI agents and Korean cops which leave for chilling revelations.
Again, like Zodiac, the film leaves you on the edge of your seat, it’s a mystery and drama and a little bit of action all rolled into one amazing experience. With each turn the police get closer and closer and with each step, a new body appears and the morale of the police and the nation of Korea sink lower and lower. As the body count rises so does the desperation and this you can FEEL, you can feel it as you watch the film, and it haunts you throughout. The movie leaves you holding your breathes in some scenes as you wish nothing more than to see the killer brought to justice and closure finally come. Again, that closure never comes.
I could write on and on, but I think a youtube clip says all I have to. If a picture says 1000 words, look at his face after what the girl tells him. Imagine if you will a lifetime of police work, searching, beating out confessions, sweat and blood all to hear this…enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdTF4w03VboWhen I saw this scene…I eeked like a 12 year old girl watching Twilight, powerful, powerful shit. Just like real life. I actually tear up when I watch that scene, and I know what they went through after watching the film…fuck man…
She has no idea and everything. He has every idea and nothing.
David King.
