Change Your Image
matrix5904
1. Ikiru |1952| Akira KUROSAWA
-The ultimate film upon the human condition which delivers a message that is irredeemably true to us all: we will die. What can we do to make the short time until then as meaningful as possible?
And most importantly with this theme, Ikiru is not saturated in naive idealism or unbridled optimism as when the main character finally succumbs to his fate, the film is not happy enough to simply trade in on the viewers sorrow but crucially goes on to posthumously critique the life and integrity of the main character (and his will to build a children's play area against the cloying wall of bureaucracy) with earnest ferocity.
And so we have a film which is not simply satisfied by it's own thesis of finding meaning and a silver lining to life but a piece of art which most acutely aggregates the essence of life, of what it means to live and die. Utter catharsis.
2. Ran |1985| Akira KUROSAWA
-Pure cinema on the grandest of scales and one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare to boot. No frame is superfluous and perhaps most importantly we have a film whose dialogue is just as tense as it sweeping action scenes where body language and subtext is just as deadly as the samurai sword.
3. Eyes Wide Shut |1999| Stanley KUBRICK
-A film I could live within. The most sumptuous of Kubrick highlighting all his indebted skills and virtues of cinema. grand Set Design, sharp Scriptwriting, economy as meaning, wry cinematography, brooding ambience, the lot...
4. Solaris |1972| Andrei TARKOVSKY
-how to adapt literature and actually add to its greater discourse and meaning.
5. Dumb & Dumber |1994| Peter FARRELLY
-Showing the other side of cinema and how it doesn't always have to be directly infused with meaning and cultural tangents. How such things can arrive indirectly through a vehicle of pure entertainment as supported by the virtues of cinema: ultimately how 'low art' can still orbit around the human condition. A tale of pure individuality, of following ones whims all the way to Aspen and beyond.
6. The Bow |2005| Ki-Duk KIM
-Timeless, Language-less, It depicts the heart of cinema. This couldn't exist elsewhere.
7. Dazed & Confused |1993| Richard LINKLATER
The quintessential coming-of-age drama in its purest, most innocent form. A moment of living occurs on the screen. Pure Atmosphere.
8. 2046 |2004| Kar Wai WONG
-Directorial decadence and how to trust in the viewers intuition.
9. Come and See |1985| Elem KLIMOV
-The best film about the horrors of humanity and of the simple surreality of death and destruction. Also the purest art film I have witnessed. It eeks at you after switch off; beyond entertainment.
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind |2004| Michel GONDRY
-The best note about love in all of the arts. We have problems, but that is okay. This is love.
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againThe next Kubrick, Scorsese and Speilberg's are on this list!
After all, Critics may dismiss something as straight cut as Point Break or Jerry Maguire but in doing so they lose sight of their potent atmospheric qualities: There ability to embody the entire zeitgeist of their creation. A cultural gemstone of the past just as valid as any Tarkovsky or Bergman in their simple purity.
Film as feeling.
::Stats:: 2010's - 4 2000's - 36 1990's - 31 1980's - 14 1970's - 6 1960's - 1 1950's - 8 1940's - 1
Films below an IMDB 7.0 - 8 Films above and equal to an IMDB 8.0 - 38 Most voluminous individual Year - 1994 [7] Films from the same production Company: Universal [8] Foreign Language films: 18 Films with surreal imagery: 31
::Near Misses:: To Kill a Mockingbird Ed Wood Vicky Christina Barcelona Human Traffic
::Recent Additions:: Last Tango In Paris (1972) Pusher (1996)
Reviews
Solaris (2002)
so slow, so hypnotic
***note this review was originally written when i was a happy idiot*** this film is so slow that it is easy to see why it is stuck at the IMDb 6/0 mark. it is a boar of the film world, whereby is can easily be struck down by the many predators surrounding it.
however, i feel that it has an engrossing atmosphere and one scene that sticks in my mind is the white noise scene where Kelvin passes over to the world of Solaris (the child bridging that gap). The atmosphere of the movie gives the effect that you are actually being sucked into Solaris with the space station itself. By the end of the film, you are hypnotised within the grasp of solaris and have discovered the ability to introspect into the literal situation of -- would you go actually go back to earth IF a lost loved one -- of whom you had something to solve from within them -- came back to you in all of their glory. Their mannerisms and faults copied by the spectacle of this God-like entity.
King Kong (2005)
I Give You..............."KONG"
***note this review was originally written when i was a happy idiot*** This film is a historic masterpiece to which will be looked back on in further generations as being a classic.
From the way the title screen engulfs the screen to the masterful CGI, this is, the most immersive film i have "ever" seen. i must stress that to not go and watch it at the cinema is a major disadvantage to the overall experience because it actually feels like you are really there within the reality of the film. Not once do you fault the CGI's superb quality and this leads to a truly living and breathing world to where giant insects 'can' exist and dinousaurs 'can' roam freely.
Also it must be emphasised that the relationship between Ann & Kong is the most spectacular feature of the film; not once is the emotion forced and whilst capturing the splendid behaviour of a gorilla, this leaves a truly realistic and subtle relationship with Ann that will touch your soul.
This film is superb, anything 'less' than several Oscars is a total shame
Ying xiong (2002)
Best Film Of my 17 years of life
***note this review was originally written when i was a happy idiot*** Poetic, Artistic, BEAUTIFUL..... this movie is.
I cant stress how wonderful this movie actually is and i particularly love the beginning "fight" sequence between Tony Leung & Jet Li and I hyphenate the word FIGHT because it is probably best described as >>poetry<< For example when both jet Li & Tony Leung actually stop "fighting" it is quickly realised that this movie is art because as they do stop. it is only in order to let a frail old man to play his Chinese instrument for to accompany the battle.... and then as the man gracefully plays his instrument with his years of delicate wisdom the fight is then carried out in pure imagination with both fighters eyes calmly closed, meters away from each others blades and then to when the instruments strings snap to the wise mans wrinkled masterful hands; the aggression of the fight resumes in reality
...... it IS beautiful
Léon (1994)
I Loovvvvee Mozart : )
***note this review was originally written when i was a happy idiot***
OK well this movie is just PURE GENIUS...... i originally saw it when i was a young kid where it was nothing more than just a "fun", dark and gritty movie with some cool action. BUT NOW, since i have grew up and now actually take notice of the subtle touches of movies (metaphors, sound, acting, photography etc) i have got to say that this movie is just amazing.. i could literally go on and on listing all of my favourite masterful touches but i think that it MUST be emphasised that the acting in this movie is absolutely breathtaking; Stansfield(Gary Oldman) "hahaha" is just genius in his delivery, for example when he psychotically screams "eevvrrryyyooonnee">>>> It just really is an Oscar winning performance which brings me to my next point in that "why is this movie SO underrated ??!!".... it is frustrating that it isn't given it proper honours but at the end of the day this movie is just pure genius......