Category: Rant

Throughout 2008, I think I have never really watched a lot of films. I have started becoming seriously interested in films ever since I saw “Coffee and Cigarettes”, and considered myself a “film buff” ever since “The Dreamers”. But now, it’s been awhile since I saw “The Dreamers” the last time, and I wonder if the film still has the same magic on me.

Yesterday, while looking into my archives, I also realized that I used to watch much less films. Whereas Shii had times where he watched more than one movie a day, I have only had that during film festivals, especially the silent film festival last year. But apart from that, I probably watched 4-5 films every month, and every single one of them made an impact. I loved those films, almost all of them, I thought about them a lot and remember them vividly. Nowadays, there are months during which I watch no films, and others where I watch a film every second day. On average, I am now at a little less than 10 films per month.

I have always had lists of films I wanted to see, but now I am seriously treating them like shopping lists with titles to check off. I see some of those lists as positive (Shii’s and 314’s favorites, Jim Jarmusch’s votes for the Sight and Sound poll in 2002), but some of them are quite a problem due to their sheer length, like the list of Criterion films, the AFI 100’s, other critics’ favorite lists. I know that I have always been afraid of not being able to see everything I want to see, but isn’t it better (and happier) to see a select number of titles which I truly like rather than trying to see everything and then feel indifferent about them?

Using lists also leads to another problem – you watch other people’s choices, not your own. While I am genuinely interested in my friends’ lists, because those films go beyond just the film itself, but also says something about the person who made the list, I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely upon other people too much. If I did that, I would never have seen “No man’s land”, “Kontroll”, “Rudo y Cursi”, “A Midsummer night’s dream” (the 1999 version), “A time to love and a time to die”, “Brick”, “Scoop”, “Die Legende von Paul und Paula”, “Va savor” etc. etc. Some of my favorite movies are completely unknown, and there probably is a good reason for that. Somehow, I need to find a new way to choose what films I want to see. But what should I do?

So, which ones of these did you see?

Fight Club The oldest movie on the list, and my favorite from teenage days.

JSA For years, I thought this is the best film of all times. Smart, emotionally devastating, wonderfully directed and acted out.

Dogville L’enfer c’est les voisins. I can’t believe it’s possible to depict cruelty in society in a more gripping way.

Donnie Darko Cult film, a smart protagonist, a wonderfully sweet relationship and a poetic end. My favorite film for a long time.

Coffee & Cigarettes My favorite film by my favorite director, and the first one of his I saw.

To be or not to be The film I name if somebody asks me about my favorite film of all times.

The Shop around the Corner “You’ve got mail” theoretically deserves a spot on this list, but it’s just not a good movie. This one is, an amazingly good one.

One, Two, Three I know more quotes from this film than any other. Wilder at his best, with political satire and a hint at Atlanta.

Huo Zhe The only Chinese film, but very high on the list. I frequently think back at the film, perhaps the best allegory to life that I have seen.

No Man’s Land I was glued to the screen when I saw this surprise masterpiece. Perhaps I should rewatch it, but I remember how unusual, creative and spot on this film was.

Harold and Maude Perhaps the best love story of all times, and certainly the funniest and most unconventional.

Jules et Jim I always thought that I liked triangle love stories, but in reality, I just liked “Jules et Jim” very much. It is the only time it is absolutely done right. Tragic yet light-hearted, the Nouvelle Vague style was perfect for it.

Brick Many years after watching and rewatching the film, I admit it is not the ‘deepest’ film out there. But in terms of directing and story-writing, I think it’s Hitchcock reborn.

Tampopo For sure, the best film about food of all times. But more than anything it’s also about people eating food.

Welcome to Dongmakgol It is the “other JSA”, but so incredibly different from that. As a funny, sweet yet tragic tale of friendship, this film was a unique emotional ride.

The Dreamers I watch this film once every year, and have not done so this year. The day I will not feel an affinity to this film anymore will be the day I am finally mentally old. Or I lost interest in movies – unlikely to happen.

Ai no Mukidashi Actually parts of the film look cheap and the actors are mediocre. But I have never seen a film as epic as this, catering to almost every one of my interests. And yet, despite its 4 hours, it is ‘just a love story’.

Dr. Strangelove I have at least one friend who calls this his favorite film. Rightfully so, because Kubrick has made a lot of great movies, but this one tops it all with a brilliant Peter Seller and the best war parody of all times.

La Haine The Nouvelle Vague might be French cinema at its best, but it’s scary how the banlieue plays a marginal role in their sometimes quite sociocritical movies. “La Haine” fills this gap with a great ‘slice of life’ film about some young kids’s lives.

All about Eve Bette Davis’s monologue is the best in film history after Peter Lorre’s in M. Apart from that, “All about Eve” is a satire which comes with an engaging, funny story, great actresses and a whole bunch of truths about the theater industry.

Inglourious Basterds A guilty pleasure for the cinema enthusiast and rabid Daniel Brühl fan as I am, I thought his death scene is the best ‘love scene’ of the decade. Long live Ennio Morricone.

Die Ehe der Maria Braun Maria Braun is the most fascinating female character I have ever seen. Strong, somewhat crazy and so strangely deeply in love with her husband.

Seven Samurai I didn’t believe one day I would like a Kurosawa like this, but “Seven Samurai” just has everything: An epic story, great mise en scene and fabulous characters.

Rudo y Cursi Mexico, Gael García Bernal, soccer. This combination well-done had to literally shoot the film into my favorites.

Rear Window I had to watch this in French class and hated it, but now I know that it’s a masterpiece of film-making, coupled with a great story and some lovely insights into common people’s lives.

Sunrise Actually this is the best love story of all times, one of newly rediscovered love which makes it all the better within Murnau’s fantastic direction.

The Big Lebowski The film almost turned white russians into my favorite drink. Apart from ‘love’ and ‘family issues’, the film probably touches every aspect of human life in the wittiest way possible.

University of Laughs Perhaps this film really is just a stage play, but it doesn’t matter because Koji Yakusho is a genius. This film plays around with the topic of comedic plays on so many levels that I could only marvel as a fan of the stage.

Yi Yi No film can turn me into tears without fail like this one. Throughout the eyes of the main characters, all the beauty and tragedy of the world seems to be unveiled.

Before Sunrise There might never come a love story like this. This film is just that special to me, even though it is not anything more than “two characters meet and spend a night together”.