35. Man on Wire
When I was seven years old my mother took me on a trip to New York. I have forgotten most of the vacation, but I distinctly remember visiting the World Trade Center. I remember looking out the windows on the observation deck at the beautiful city, and I recall standing on the roof. Little did I know that a little over ten years prior Phillippe Petit also stood on the same roof- and walked on a high wire across a 1350 foot pitfall.
Man on Wire is one of the great documentaries. It is in a class by itself. There is never a moment that is not engaging. From the very beginning when we see the construction of the World Trade Center until the end we are in a constant state of interest. Petit is quite a character and many of the things he says and does are profound. Parts of the movie work almost like a thriller or heist film, other parts pure drama. I remember three things most vividly about the film. I remember Petit recalling how he saw an image of the World Trade Center in a picture and immediately drew a line between the towers. Later, Petit justifies risking his life by saying that failure to walk the line would be a failure to live, and if he died it would be a glorious death. Finally at the end of the film, when Petit and others talk about him crossing the void 8 times there are tears on their chin- as if they were apart of something special.
Fittingly, there are no talks about September 11th in the film, even though it was released in 2008. This is a story about strength, hope, and the willpower to do something great- not evil.
34. Chop Shop
Chop Shop is a movie that took me by surprise. I watched it for the first time off of a critics recommendation, but did so some time after reading the article. For some reason I assumed that this was a foreign film when I sat down to watch it. The movie opens with Alejandro, a young boy no more than 11, standing with a group of men looking for work. The foreman tells Alejandro that there is no work for him and as the truck begins to drive off the boy jumps in the back. As the truck slowly begins to drive we see a skyline in the distance. It is New York City- yet the world Alejandro inhabits could exist in any third world country.
Alejandro lives with his sister, Isamar, in a small, dilapidated room over a auto repair shop in the slums of Queens in an area known as the Iron Triangle. He lives with residents in urban decay, sells candy for high prices on the subway, sells pirated DVD’s, and even occasionally steals. His sister sells things too, but not the kind of things bought in a store. One of the best moments in the film shows Alejandro realizing his sister is a prostitute. He never says anything, nor does he judge her. They are doing what it takes to survive.
The two children save up enough money over time to purchase a beat-up food vending van. There intentions are to remodel the van (doing the work themselves, of course) and sell tacos and other food out of it. This is their American dream, to run a taco van. The boy is shattered when he realizes that the van will cost double the price he paid for it to be repaired. This is life on the streets.
The director, Ramin Bahrani is an exciting new voice. His work is similar to old Italian Neorealist films, such as Bicycle Thieves (soon to be featured on A Movie A Week). He does not tell a story as much as explore the environment and conditions of the world his characters inhabit. The results are eye-opening.
33. Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood is a National Treasure and his Million Dollar Baby is a triumph. What begins as a story of hope ends as a story of utter despair; there is never a moment that is not truthful to the characters. The performances by Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood are all nothing short of perfect. We understand them, where they come from, and why they do what they do.
Many may have not watched the movie because they saw it is a boxing picture. This is no more a movie about boxing than Raging Bull is- this is a human story with deep implications that burn the soul. The ending has been deemed controversial in many circles. I suppose many do not believe that the final act in the film is moral. Certain groups even boycotted the film because of the ending. This is absurd. It does not matter whether you think the actions taken at the end of the film are moral or not, the point is that the characters are doing what they think is right. Winner of the 2005 Academy Award for Best Picture.
32. Star Trek
I don't know if I have seen a movie as simply entertaining as Star Trek in a very long time. J.J. Abrams (TV's Lost) has rebooted this franchise with such energy that it is hard to dismiss this film as another summer movie. The casting is perfect, and Abrams films the story at a relentless pace (he reminds of a young Robert Zemeckis) always moving the camera from side to side, or around the characters.
I have never been much of a Star Trek fan. The characters, with the exception of Spock, always seemed wooden and boring to me. Not here. Chris Pine, Zacahary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin all inject so much energy and life into their characters that one can only smile when they come on screen. Mix these great performances with an exceptional villian in Eric Bana, and fantastic special effects, and you end up with one of the most satisfying blockbusters in years.
When watching this movie I feel like a ten year old boy, sitting up on the end theater seat, eyes wide open. This is not only the re-imagining of a long stale franchise, but a creative, bold new franchise in its own right. I eagerly look forward to the next installment.
31. Kill Bill (vol 1. / vol2)
Quentin Tarantino, that most energetic of filmmakers, has created something truly mesmerizing in Kill Bill- a collage of style.
Working as a video store clerk in CA for years before selling his first screenplay, Tarantino was a student of the grindhouse, a form of theater that specialized in nothing but B Kung Fu movies, Spaghetti Westerns, and ridiculous action, horror, or porno flicks. He has followed the lesions of his teachers with exact precision with Kill Bill; this is a movie that does not defy genre, but embraces it.
Split into two sections (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) Kill Bill assaulted its viewers with non-stop action that is beyond insane. The fight at the House of Blue Leaves sequence in which the Bride (Uma Thurman) takes on dozens of bad guys (and girls) with her sword belongs in the history books. Surely it is the bloodiest, most ridiculous, and outrageous battle sequence ever filmed. On top of the zany madcap action we have Tarantino’s always unique sense of dialogue and humor- making the film enjoyable even when action is not in the forefront.
The second part of the film (Vol. 2) is the best. Here Tarantino leaves much of the Kung Fu behind and transitions to his other professors, the ones that created the wonderful Spaghetti Westerns. Vol. 2 is more of a straight revenge tale, but it is here where the characters really develop. The final sequences with Bill (the late David Carradine) have a surprising amount of emotional resonance.
More than anything, Kill Bill is a showcase for Tarantino’s unique voice and talent; a true example of both style and substance. It is a fantastic ride.
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