Films of the Decade - Part Two: 2001

10. The Believer - Featuring an intense performance from Ryan Gosling as a young Jewish man who secretly harbours an anti-Semitic view of the world, The Believer is an unrelenting character study that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. Similar in tone to the more well known films American History X and This is England, The Believer would appeal to fans of either with its stark portrayal of the disturbing effects that racism can have on confused young adults.

9. Mullholland Drive - David Lynch is the king of absurdly fascinating films, his mind-bending plot lines and crazy methods of storytelling are enough to dissuade most casual filmgoers from sitting through his abstract creations. However, in the case of Mullholland Drive they would be missing out on a beautifully crafted movie involving a struggling actress and her warped perceptions of reality that confuses the hell out of you but still manages to be enthralling throughout! Featuring a few genuinely unsettling moments and creating more questions for the viewer than your average episode of Lost, Mullholland Drive is a tough movie to sit through but is definitely worth your time.

8. Black Hawk Down - A horrifically visceral take on the carnage and destruction of war, Black Hawk Down places the viewer in the heart of the action with some of the most realistic battle scenes ever committed to celluloid. Equally as powerful of other modern war greats such as Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, this harrowing story is based on real events making the storyline all the more poignant. When a team of elite U.S. soldiers drop into Somalia to capture two lieutenants of a renegade warlord they find themselves caught up in a destructive onslaught of firepower. This is not a film to be enjoyed but it is certainly one that you need to experience.

7. Ghost World - Bizarre but brilliant, Ghost World is a fascinating insight into the life of two adolescent girls who just don’t fit in with their peers. Based on a comic book, the story develops when the girls inadvertently play a prank on an unsuspecting victim only for Enid, played by Thora Birch, to fall for the guy she so cruelly mocked. Steve Buscemi is ever watchable as the hapless victim and the zany comedy only gets better with repeat viewings. Very under-rated.

6. The Man Who Wasn’t There - There’s no doubt that the Coen brothers are excellent film-makers, and despite being one of their less popular films, The Man who wasn’t there is a visually stunning black comedy focussing on the mundane existence of a village barber as his life begins to spiral out of control. Featuring excellent performances from Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand as the couple whose lives are about to be drastically altered, this film is spectacular to look at and funny in that twisted kind of way that the Coen’s do so well. If you like The Big Lebowski and Barton Fink, you need this film in your life.

5. Amelie - The most successful of Jeunet and Caro’s collaborations is a charming romantic comedy that tugs on the heart strings and amuses in equal delights. Amelie is a very innocent young lady, who assists those around her in various ways whilst simultaneously falling in love with a mysterious stranger. I am usually unconvinced by romantic comedies due to their overly whimsical nature but Amelie left me spellbound with Audrey Tautou’s delicate portrayal of a hopelessly romantic young woman, desperate to meet the man of her dreams.

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - This wasn’t the first attempt to bring Tolkien’s supposedly unfilmable stories to the big screen, the initial attempt in 1978 failed to succeed financially and it sadly remains without a sequel to this day. Thankfully with Peter Jackson at the helm, the enormous task of bringing Middle Earth to life was accomplished in a breathtakingly good fashion. A perfect amalgamation of fantastic visual effects and compelling storyline, Jackson’s labour of love turned audiences on to fantasy films in a big way, whilst still appealing to devout fans of the book.

3. No Man’s Land - In a brave but wise decision by the Academy, No Man’s Land beat Amelie to the best foreign Oscar in 2002. Despite this successful result, No Man’s Land is still far less well known than Amelie, which is a great shame as it set a new benchmark for films that focus on the small scale effects of war. When two opposing soldiers in the Bosnia and Serbia conflict become trapped in a trench between the two sides, the horrors of war strike home as they struggle to put aside their differences and make it out alive. Deeply disturbing, wholly original and utterly compelling, this could easily turn you into a pacifist after a single viewing.

2. Donnie Darko - The cult sleeper that surreptitiously became an iconic film for angst ridden teenagers all across the world is still as absorbing as the first time I watched it. Who would have thought a movie about time travel, giant rabbits and a moody teenager would be such a success? It is a shame that the brilliant storyline has been slightly tarnished with the abysmal cash-in that was S. Darko, but Donnie Darko still holds its own as a very unique and compelling vision.

1. Waking Life - Repeat viewings are essential to the enjoyment of Waking Life - that’s not a problem though - you will want to watch it again and again. Richard Linklater has been creating unconventional films for two decades and Waking Life is no exception. The use of a mind-blowing animation technique called rotoscoping that combines live action with animation in a style never seen before paved the way for other adult-orientated animations such as Waltz with Bashir and A Scanner Darkly. Some criticized the film for its hazy plot but that’s essential to the storyline and reflects the main character’s dreamlike state of consciousness. Complete with incredibly absorbing ideas and fascinating insights into the world of philosophy, this is a journey you’ll want to take all too frequently.

It was an extremely difficult task to decide which ten films defined the year 2001 - here are my choices that didn't quite make the list:

Blow
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Devil’s Backbone
Enemy At The Gates
The Hole
Das Experiment
Session 9
Lantana
The Others

Any films I missed? Let me know! 

Upcoming Films

The Expendables

I’ve been looking forward to this film for well over a year now and the trailer has squashed some of my fears. It’s obviously going to be an over the top action movie full of clichés but it definitely looks like there’s the potential for it to be a thrilling ride. Featuring an eclectic cast of action giants such as Bruce Willis, Jet li and Sylvester Stallone, the expendables is sure to be box office gold when it’s released.



Four Lions

Famed for the controversy surrounding the majority of his work, Chris Morris is the exceptionally edgy comedian behind some of the greatest television series in comedy history such as Brass eye and The day Today. His feature length directorial debut follows the exploits of four young British Muslim terrorists who endeavour to realise their potentially destructive dreams. Written by the guys behind Peep Show, this is sure to be a very entertaining comedy.



Rec 2

Rec is easily one of the scariest movies I have ever seen so the idea of a sequel is always going to be a worrying proposition, how could anything live up to the sheer terror of the original? I doubt that this film will, but I cannot help but be intrigued by the prospect of the film picking up a mere 8 minutes after the first one ended. Definitely one to watch out for.



The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec

Luc Besson is the man behind one of my favourite thrillers, Leon, and while this film is tackling completely different territory, the fantastical world he has created looks very promising. Echoing the visuals of Gilliam and featuring Bessons inventive action sequences, The extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-sec could potentially be this years Pan’s Labyrinth.

New Release - Whip It

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut has all the makings of a cult classic, from the impeccable indie rock soundtrack to the impressive cast credentials, but unfortunately fails to deliver. Crude, unfunny jokes pepper a storyline chock full of clichés and corny dialogue, whilst the actresses struggle to bring life to the two-dimensional characters they are portraying.

The storyline focuses on a teenage misfit, Bliss Cavendar, coerced into performing at beauty pageants by her parents, whilst secretly yearning to explore the wilder side of life when she discovers a roller derby league not far from her home in Austin.  As usual in these coming of age stories, Bliss meets a guy, falls out with her parents and flourishes within a new group of friends after overcoming a number of obstacles. This is all very pleasant but far from original, making it very easy to predict the outcome of the movie.

The inclusion of Ellen Page as the story’s heroine is a wise move by Barrymore, fans of Juno desperate to see more of the star will certainly flock to the movie, if only to be disappointed. Despite this, Page puts in a fairly  impressive performance, proving that she is a talented actor, even when presented with an average script.

I am sure that the target audience of twelve year old girls will get a lot out of Whip It but I wouldn’t recommend this film to anyone else due to its lack of broad appeal. Whip it would definitely pass time during the April showers but I would prefer to get wet than suffer through this pre-teen chick flick once more.

5/10


If you liked this film you will also enjoy these:

Juno
Little Miss Sunshine
Me Without You
Bend It Like Beckham

New Release - Kick Ass

It has been a long time since I have left a screening with endorphins pumping through my body and the strong urge to learn a martial art but Kick-Ass did exactly that; I felt like I could take on the world! An explosive ride that covers insane action sequences, intelligent superhero parodies and intense dramatic turns, Kick-Ass is a welcome addition to the realm of the comic-book movie.

I was initially sceptical about the prospect of watching another superhero spoof movie, most recent attempts at the genre have been abysmal, but Kick-Ass completely transcends its predecessors through the use of intelligent pastiche which drives the story forward as well as providing laughs. The brilliantly choreographed action scenes would not feel out of place in a Spiderman film, or even a Tarantino script, in fact it feels like Spiderman and Kill Bill were put into a blender and Kick-Ass was the end result.

The story focuses on Dave Lizewski, your average teenage nerd, whose obsession with comic books inspires him to create his very own superhero, Kick-Ass, despite his discernible lack of superpowers. Dave’s attempts to become a vigilante crime fighter initially end in disaster but in the process of rescuing a cat his luck changes, propelling him into the public limelight and  establishing him as a figure to be reckoned with.

It is not long before other vigilantes surface, some desperate for the fame and attention, others out for revenge, and when Kick-Ass becomes embroiled in a crime lords devious plans, we are treated to a number of intense melees that gradually escalate in size and repercussions for those involved. There has been some controversy over the graphic violence depicted in these scenes, especially as the trailer is intended to appeal to a fairly young audience, and that comes as no surprise when a pre-teen girl decapitates villains on screen and uses the c*** word. Controversy aside, I cannot deny that this was very entertaining.

Chloe Moretz easily steals the show as Hit Girl - the incredibly volatile young superhero with a penchant for explicit language, which will surely propel her into the realms of stardom. Nicolas Cage is surprisingly effective as her doting father, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse is ever watchable as Red Mist. However it is Aaron Johnson who shows the most promise as Kick-Ass, with his convincing turn from a bumbling student to a brave and reckless crime fighter marking him as a talent to watch out for.

An essential part of the film is its eclectic soundtrack, with choice tracks taken from excellent films such as 28 Days Later and For a few dollars more. Usually I would be concerned at such a prospect but the Kick-Ass soundtrack adapts the tracks brilliantly, making them feel like its own, alongside great songs from The Prodigy and Sparks to name a few. The choice of music fits perfectly with the high-octane action sequences and even adds emotional depth to key scenes - not bad for a superhero comedy movie!

Kick-Ass is that rarest of films, a successful hybrid of two genres that delivers an almost perfect cinematic experience. My only criticism would be that some sequences near the end were slightly far-fetched but in a film where suspension of belief is required, maybe I'm being a little harsh. This is an essential film for all cinemagoers, catch it on the big screen and I guarantee you will be completely immersed in the explosive yet entertaining world of Kick-Ass

9/10




If you liked this film you will also enjoy these:

Special
Spiderman
The Dark Knight
Superbad