Sad news for movie lovers: the great Irish actor Pete Postlethwaite – who Steven Spielberg (who directed him in AMISTAD) once proclaimed as “the best actor in the world” – passed away yesterday at 64 years old. He was battling cancer.
He started acting in TV and film later in life, beginning his career on stages and as director. Notable roles came in the 1996 Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO + JULIET (he was the only actor in the film to actually speak his dialogue in iambic pentameter, the language of Shakespeare’s play), THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, the wonderful BRASSED OFF, and more recently in INCEPTION and the Ben Affleck-directed THE TOWN. He’s probably most remembered by film goers for a movie I detested – the 1996 cult classic THE USUAL SUSPECTS, where he played Kobayashi. In 2004, he was honored by Queen Elizabeth with England’s OBE,
Always a force of nature, he was nominated for an Oscar for the 1993 film IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER.
2011’s “In Memoriam” is 12 months away, but the greats are already leaving us.
I know, ever since it ingrained itself into the pop culture consciousness over a decade ago, that it’s hip to hate James Cameron’s great epic TITANIC, despite the fact that, flaws and all, it was exhilarating – visually, natch, but via the tremendous acting as well. It’s my opinion that Kate Winslet was robbed of her first Oscar by Helen Hunt’s annoying tics in the overrated TV Movie Of The Week AS GOOD AS IT GETS. And, as Roger Ebert said, “Leonardo DiCaprio not getting nominated for TITANIC is like Clark Gable not getting nominated for GONE WITH THE WIND“. True dat, Rog.
I say, in the nicest way possible, screw you! You’re all liars. TITANICis a fantastic epic for the ages. But, I digress.
I CAN and WILL say, though the wannabe critic in me is telling me not to, that I will more than likely, indubitably HATE this. Easily. No questions asked.
Unprofessional? Sure. But only if I was paid for my analysis.
A peculiar thing happened as I sat down to write the list of my favorite films of the decade. I first thought to pick 10, but that wouldn’t do. Then I listed 15. Nope. 20? Uh uh. I couldn’t stop. As someone who could stream-of-consciously pontificate ad nauseum, I finally disciplined myself to halt at 25 (…or so). And since that was frustrating enough, I realized to list them in order of preference would clearly be more of an arduous task, so I figured, screw that. Let me take the easy way out and list them alphabetically. You know, the easy way out.
Now, that’s not to say I don’t have one particular favorite – I didn’t need a proverbial gun pointed at my head and told “Pick one, boy, or imma gon’ shoot you” to state that PAN’S LABYRINTH, without hesitation, is it. No film has haunted me more, both visually and viscerally, than Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy. It’s one of the most remarkable films of all time. That was the easy part. But what’s a wannabe critic to do?
At first, I wasn’t going to boast such lofty platitudes as to state “I’m a critic,” but then realized, “Hey! I guess I am!”But really, who isn’t? If you have an opinion, or some basic knowledge of craft, you are a critic (what I am not is a film expert). Film, like music and all arts, is a personal experience, and opinion is individualistic, and what effects/affects one’s soul might alter over time and differ from the friend who sits next to you.
It’s strange cataloging such a vast amount of cinematic experiences for a whole 10-year span when you consider I haven’t even chosen a Best of 2009 list yet. I haven’t finished watching some end-of-year releases. And while I’m looking forward to the unseen, I can’t fathom that any of them could live up to the two revelatory experiences that I did see in 2009 that join this “decade favorite” shortlist – the glorious UP, and Kathryn Bigelow’s THE HURT LOCKER. The former joins the Pixar Parthenon (whose first 11 minutes alone – which include a four-minute soliloquy quietly detailing a love affair from the genesis at childhood to marriage to old age to the inevitable – are some of the most joyful and heartrending moments ever put on-screen and are proof enough of its addition here), while the latter should finally eliminate the Academy’s long-standing history of misogyny; in over eight decades, only three other women have ever been nominated for a Best Director Oscar (Lina Wertmuller in 1976 for SEVEN BEAUTIES, Jane Campion in 1993 for THE PIANO and only a few years ago, Sofia Coppola for 2003s LOST IN TRANSLATION) with no wins. After deservedly bestowed with just about any and every critics award for Best Film and Best Director, that long-festering Oscar scar should be healed and the award should go to Bigelow. And she’ll deserve it.
One thing I noticed while compiling my favorites was how similar my list was in comparison to many other published lists. Though I don’t remember Spike Lee’s great 25TH HOUR receiving that many rave reviews upon initial release (which at that time I found curious – when I saw the film I immediately elevated it to Lee’s high echelon of masterpieces alongside DO THE RIGHT THING and MALCOLM X), I’m happy that here, at the end of a decade, the film makes multiple showings on various Top 10s. Better late than never, I surmise. Other notables were expected (e.g. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, PAN, ETERNAL SUNSHINE) while others’ inclusions I was happily surprised with (who knew so many admired MINORITY REPORT, A.I. and David Fincher’s greatest film, ZODIAC as much as I did?). Others made my list that I couldn’t find on anyone else’s with a fine-tooth comb, accolades notwithstanding (THE DESCENT – the scariest horror film of the decade, and IN THE BEDROOM, a master class in acting by its cast). See, art is subjective.
On most ‘best’ lists that you’ll read is David Lynch’s MULHOLLAND DRIVE. I’m usually allergic to Lynch’s trash-pretending-to-be-art oeuvres (most notably the dubiously honored yet detestable BLUE VELVET andWILD AT HEART), and after viewing this confounded curiosity back in 2001, my feelings hadn’t changed. Perhaps a second viewing is in order to at least try to understand the trifecta of critical, hipster and geek appeal. Or maybe I have better things to do…
A major exclusion on my list (but whose inclusion on most critics lists is not so startling) is Martin Scorcese’s THE DEPARTED. Scorcese’s remake of Alan Mak and Andrew Lau’s 2004 INFERNAL AFFAIRS told a solid story, sure, and his direction is flawless, which we could/should always expect from aguably the greatest director alive. But I could not get past the embarrassingly cringe-inducing Jack Nicholson performance. If it’s true that he’s played The Joker for about 20 years now in one form or another in every film since Tim Burton’s gorgeous-looking yet sterile BATMAN (and it IS true, since I’m the one who said it), then his Frank Costello was a compendium of every one of those over-the-top performances he’s given since that film – and for a great actor who has (mostly) coasted on his legend rather than his art these past 2 decades, that’s saying a lot (Oscar be damned, AS GOOD AS IT GETS was pure Lifetime Movie Of The Week. And if you mention THE BUCKET LIST I will get violent). THE DEPARTED is not Scorcese’s best – though certainly not a clunker, but I can’t help but feel his Best Director Oscar was a consolation prize for the multiple he should have won for a lifetime of masterful movie-making (who can deny that he was robbed for TAXI DRIVER, GOODFELLAS, or RAGING BULL?).
As I’ve written, I could have continued the list with another 25+ titles but with PAN’S LABYRINTH as my favorite film of the past 10 years, the proceeding, alphabetized 25 (…or so) could be listed in any sequence. Without agenda, or really much of a formula in my decision-making process, these are the films I gravitated toward more and more, and those which left an indelible heart-print on some subconscious or conscious level. I won’t say these are the “best” films of the decade (I’m not always comfortable making such proclamations) but they are my favorites. I also won’t be so audacious to claim that my favorites are any better (or not) than yours.
Remember, art is subjective.
****
25th Hour (dir. Spike Lee 2002)
****
A.I. (dir. Steven Spielberg 2001)
****
Almost Famous (dir. Cameron Crowe 2000)
****
Brokeback Mountain (dir. Ang Lee 2005)
****
Children of Men (dir. Alfonso Cuarón 2006)
****
City Of God (dirs. Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund 2002)
****
The Descent (dir. Neil Maarshall 2005)
****
The Diving Bell And Butterfly (dir. Julian Schnabel 2007)
****
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (dir. Michel Gondry 2004)
****
The Hurt Locker (dir. Kathryn Bigelow 2008)
****
In The Bedroom (dir. Todd Field 2001)
****
The Incredibles (dir. Brad Bird 2004)
****
Kill Bill Vol I & II(dir. Quentin Tarantino 2003/4) (I’m counting as one – so sue me – and someone on YouTube was smart enough to mash-up the two trailers)
****
The Lives Of Others (dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck 2006)
****
Million Dollar Baby (dir. Clint Eastwood 2004)
****
Minority Report (dir. Steven Spielberg 2002)
****
No Country For Old Men (dirs. Joen & Ethan Coen 2007)
****
Once (dir. John Carney 2006)
****
Ratatouille (dirs. Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava 2007)
****
Spirited Away (dir. Hayao Miyazaki 2001)
****
There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thoman Anderson 2007)
****
Up (dirs. Pete Docter & Bob Peterson 2009)
****
Wall-E (dir. Andrew Stanton 2008)
****
Y Tu Mamá También (dir. Alfonso Cuarón 2001)
****
Zodiac (dir. David Fincher 2007)
****
A quick P.S. if you will…
There are pangs of guilt for leaving off other favorites that I’ve loved over the years, like the brilliant Romanian 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS (2007) by director Cristian Mungiu, Todd Haynes’ astonishing Douglas Sirkian homage FAR FROM HEAVEN (2002), Gus Van Sant’s great 2008 biography of Harvey MILK, the best “monster movie” of the decade, Joo-ho Bong’s great THE HOST, Richard Linklater’s magical 2004 sequel BEFORE SUNSET, Ang Lee’s exhilarating 2000 martial arts epic CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON or Miranda July’s 2005 masterwork ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW. So let it suffice to say – all worthy.
And this is not to mention the acclaimed films I never even watched these past years that made many critics lists, including ADAPTATION, LOST IN TRANSLATION, GOSFORD PARK, SIDEWAYS, THE CLASS, CACHE. If you ask me the reasoning behind my flippancy for these much-discussed, mostly applauded works, I won’t have a satisfying reply.
I was thinking about Heath Ledger today while watching his portrait on the Biography Channel and decided to repost something I had written on the day he died, a little over a year ago, on my now-defunct Myspace blog…I know the truth of how he died has since been revealed (accidental overdose on prescription medication) but at the time, the gossip bloodhounds had a field day, as they always do but I was just saddened by the death of a great, young actor.
Word of mouth out of Hollywood, even before its release, was that Ledger was a shoo-in for an Oscar nod for “The Dark Knight”. Insiders reveled that not since Anthony Hopkins seared the screen as Hannibal Lechter has a film villain been so diabolical, so nonchalant in the human pursuit of evil. That the hype sustained the truth is testament to Ledger. His Joker is an archetype, a new paradigm in cinematic villains.
Also, as of that writing I had only seen “Brokeback Mountain” once, and thought it was a fine film, but not so quick to jump on the ‘masterpiece’ bandwagon. It is only in revisiting it do I truly understand its depth and beauty and, yes, I could see why people (Jake Gyllenhaal’s creepy performance notwithstanding) would call it a ‘masterpiece’.
January 22 2008
Heath Ledger Current mood: melancholy Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
A revelatory, astonishing performance by a soon-to-be great actor in a good-not-great film. That’s what I said when I first saw Heath Ledger in ‘Brokeback Mountain.’ So few times in my film-going life had I witnessed a performance of such visceral implosion – a man bleeding inside out from inner torment. In an improved more cohesive world, Ledger would have walked the stage and accepted a most deserved Oscar that year.
As you all heard, Ledger died a few hours ago, and I only hope it wasn’t due to drug abuse, which has been hinted at, or suicide – that would only prove his cowardice. I feel sadness for his daughter and ex-wife (especially if it were drug use), but my tolerance remains quite low for suicides and overdoses due to recreational drug use (no sympathy whatsoever for that kind of overdose, actually – you know what the risks are), especially when children are involved.
Something struck me when I heard the news. I’m not sure why it affected me – not since River Phoenix died almost 15 years ago (of an overdose, no less) has an actor’s death made me stop and take a deep breath. Here was a man not privy to the gossip hounds, nor a usual staple in the tabloids eighth level of hell. Not much on the radar in Perez Hilton’s subhuman swill pool (and he, after all, is the gatekeeper to that eighth level of hell).
Sure, the gays loved him because of ‘Brokeback’ and I often wonder how many gay men would really care all that much of his passing if he never starred in that film or if he didn’t possess such a manly beauty.
But lovers of film in general knew him as a raw talent – as an actor, he seemed to come from another time, where and when actors delved into their psyche to explore the human remains, no matter how dim-witted the film or revolutionary the project. Here was a talent that would stand with the greats in time. Just like Marlon Brando and Sean Penn, he wasn’t transient. He was that good.
I actually believe that. And now, I’ll never know. And that’s partly why it affected me so. I mean, actors and actresses die all the time, but so few so young. And even fewer so talented. We will never know.
What a loss for true film fans. This is a music video directed by Ledger. It’s for Ben Harper’s “Morning Yearning” and proves that Ledger also had an instinct for directing.
I will never know. We will never know.
My fingers touch upon my lips
It’s a morning yearning
It’s a morning yearning
Pull the curtains shut try to keep it dark
But the sun is burning
The sun is burning
The world awakens on the run
And we’ll soon be earning
We’ll soon be earning
With hopes of better days to come
That’s a morning yearning
Morning yearning
Morning yearning…
Another day another chance to get it right
Must I still be learning?
Must I still be learning?
Baby crying kept us up all night
With her morning yearning
With her morning yearning
Morning yearning…
Like a summer rose I’m a victim of the fall
But am soon returning
Soon returning
You’re love’s the warmest place the sun ever shines
My morning yearning
My morning yearning
Happy New Year again, one and all – it’s been a few weeks, I understand, and I thank all of you who have inquired about the lack of posts-a-plenty. But, there’s a legitimate excuse – I’ve had the flu, missed almost a week of work, and still can’t shake this groggy, nasty head cold due to this arctic freeze we’ve been slogging through this week (at least here in NY).
Oh, woe is me, blah blah blah. I’ll try to update as frequently as possible, but I can’t even promise myself I will. Especially since I’ll soon be writing my American Idol Report Card on a weekly basis.
But, I’m meandering now. Here is my first post of 2009 (also, see the post script below)~
If you haven’t seen “Slumdog Millionaire”, you’re missing a juxtaposition of wonderment, sadness, darkness, exhilaration, surprise, giddiness and unadulterated joy and finally, romance. Because of its popularity and copious awards (it will be a sure-fire Oscar contender), there’s a backlash brewing already.
I say, fuck the naysayers who’ll hate it based solely on its mass appeal (don’t you hate people like that?!) ~ enthrall yourself in its magic. Sit back, suspend some belief and relish in the amazing script by Simon Beaufoy (you’ll wonder why no one’s thought of some of these plot points before, so archetypal it is) and the natural, beautiful performances (most notably from the two leads, Dev Patel, the adorable actor who’s one of the stars in the great BBC show “Skins”, and the intoxicating, stunning Freida Pinto).
I said it before, I’ll say it again ~ it’s hard to fathom that the same man who made the disgustingly demented “Trainspotting” helmed such a tale. But, Danny Boyle also made one of my favorite films of the past few years, “Millions”.
Here’s the last scene and closing credits of the film, where the cast dances, in grand ol’ Bollywood style, to “Jai Ho”~
Enjoy ~ because it’s only a matter of time before Fox Searchlight has it removed!
My New Boyfriend 