Top 100: 40-31

     Continuing ever and ever closer to the conclusion of my "Top 100" countdown (check out the previous weeks by clicking the following weeks: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41), this week is an interesting mixed bag of popular main stream films, "arty" foreign films, and some old-fashioned classics. This includes two of the few films on my list to have honest to goodness musical numbers, two dark science-fiction films from the 1980's, one of the most unconventional "war" films you will ever see. In terms of the timeline, this week is biggest appearance for the 1940's, with three films coming from the pivotal 20th century decade. With the old there is also a lot of new, with three films coming from the first decade of the 21st century. There is also great range of auteur directors this week. There are two films from the Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, the third appearances of my two favorite modern auteurs, Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, and the second film from the much admired Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Now on to the countdown!

40. "The Terminator" (1984)

     Gritty, grim, unrelenting: a very cool combination that makes James Cameron's "The Terminator" one of my favorite science fiction films. James Cameron would later become one of the most successful movie titans in history with his record-breaking hits, "Titanic" and "Avatar", but it was this early film in his career, when he could only make the movie on a shoestring budget, that his talent was most fully realized. Cameron wrote the script when he was living out of his car, and the movie looks and feels like a film written in car. Even though technically more of a science fiction than anything else, the film is a kaleidoscope of different genres, combining elements of horror, action, and even some sort of grimy 80's-techno version of "film noir" (a club in the film is even called, Techno Noir). The film is also unabashedly violent, although not that graphic, which I love it for. In particular, there is a great scene where the Terminator (Arnold Schwartzenegger), after uttering the famous line "I'll be back", crash a car into a police station and then takes to methodically shooting up everyone in the building. The scene is done so plainly, so emotionlessly, so that the minimalist approach reinforces the feeling for the audience that the protagonists are being hunt down by a relentless, ruthless, futuristic killing machine. It is a classic scene that ranks as one of my all-time favorite action sequences.

     The story of "The Terminator" (which isn't as important as its style), is a time-traveling tale about the battle for the existence of humanity. In the near future, machines run by the ultimate computer system, Skynet, turned against their human masters and proceeded to eliminate them from existence. After an extensive battle and with the brave leadership of one John Connor, the humans were able to eventually defeat the robots, but in a last ditch effort to win the war, the machines sent a "terminator" (a superhuman killing machine) back in time in an effort to perform a retroactive abortion by killing John's mother Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) before his conception and birth. In order maintain their victory and keep history as it should be, John sends back a soldier named Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) back into the past to protect his mother from the Terminator. The film itself chronicles Kyle's attempt to save Sarah from the seemingly indestructible killing machine.

     Along with the great direction from James Cameron, the film also has an excellent cast. Linda Hamilton convincingly transform during the movie from a naive young waitress, to a tough, persevering heroine. Michael Biehn gives one of the most under-appreciated "hero" performance any the whole science fiction genre, as his earnestness is the key factor in keeping the audiences' attention, as well as keeping up the quick pace. The star of the film though is Arnold Schwartzenegger in the title role. Despite only having 16 lines of dialogue, Schwartzenegger, partly through physical appearance and partly through unnerving persistence, creates one of the greatest villains in cinema history. Interestingly, the original idea for the Terminator was to have the character be nondescript, so in this vein they where thinking of casting O.J. Simpson, but changed their minds when they felt that he was "too nice" to be considered a cold-blooded killer. I'll let you ponder the irony of that statement, but all I know is I'm glad they got Schwartzenegger, because I can not imagine anyone else playing the iconic role.  

39. "Wild Strawberries" (1957)

     I always think of Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece "Wild Strawberries" as the anti-"It's a Wonderful Life". Instead of being shown how he has improved the lives of everyone he has known (a la Jimmy Stewart), the film's protagonist Dr. Isak Borg (Victor Sjostrom), is made aware of the pain he has caused people in his life with his inability to open himself emotionally to others (somewhat similar to another famous Christmas perennial, "A Christmas Carol"). The film opens with a surreal dream that foreshadows some of the events and feeling that Borg goes through during the film. The set-up is that the old Dr. Borg has to travel to the university he taught at to receive his 50th anniversary award. To accompany him on his long drive, he somewhat reluctantly brings along his daughter-in-law Marianne (Ingrid Thulin), who like most people, he has a strained relationship with. During the journey, Dr. Borg visits of his old mother, as well as many of his old stomping grounds, where he begins to see and interact with images and people from his past. He and his daughter-in-law also encounter some interesting characters along the way, including a trio of lively young adults (two guys and a girl), as well as a middle-aged couple whose relationship has devolved into bitter hatred. Along the way, the doctor begins to feel great remorse for how he has lived his life, and is able to mend his relationship with his daughter-in-law and estranged son.

     All of Bergman's films delve into the nature of human beings, and the differences in how they cope with life, and the people in their lives. The particular focus of this film though, is the contrast between the cold righteousness of moral piety, and the warm-hearted love of irrational exuberance. It is not by coincidence that Bergman makes the film's protagonist a professor, someone who is utmost concerned with discovering the "truth" and believes in the objective reality of things. Someone who believes in absolute "right" and "wrong". The most interesting aspect of Bergman's beautifully filmed journey though, is the effects of Dr. Borg's cold, moralist attitude. It not only deprives himself of the rich lives of irrational human beings, but he also irreversibly damages those he professes to love. From family members early in his life, to his wife (who cheats on him but is more mad that if he knew, instead of anger, he would simply resign himself in righteous indignation), to his son most of all, every person he has touched bare scares from his unfeeling objectivism. The power of this film is pulled-off with the wonderful performance by Victor Sjostrom, who unfortunately died very soon after the film wrapped. His performance completely captures the cold nature of moral absolutists and their rational black-and-white view of the world, but the slow transformation of Dr. Borg throughout the movie is also carried out convincingly in Victor's very capable hands. "Wild Strawberries" is Bergman's finest work, and for anyone who loves life regardless of whether it's a "right" life or a "wrong" life, this is a must-see.

38. "No Country For Old Men" (2007)

     The first real adaptation for the Coen Brothers (unless you count "O Brother Where Art Thou" as a faithful adaptation of Homer's "The Odyssey") turns out to be there finest work, in this dark cinematic realization of Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name. The plot of the film revolves around a drug deal gone horribly wrong in the Texas deserts near the Mexican borders, leaving all of its participants dead. While hunting one day, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) happens to stumble upon the carnage, and the $2 million. He decides to take the money for himself, leaving behind his wife at their trailer and going on the lamb. Drug ring leaders not being people who take an "easy come, easy go" approach, hire existentialist serial killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) to track down their money. He does so relentlessly, hunting Llewelyn at every corner and killing countless victims along the way, in some cases by blowing a hole in their heads with a cattle gun. Meanwhile, the rural town's sheriff Ed Tom Bell, not use to such gruesome crimes, does his best to track down both Moss and Chigurh.

     It is a great story with many interesting themes running through it. Serial killer Chigurh's cold, unemotional personality, and interesting outlook on life and chance (he often flips a coin to decide whether he will kill someone or not) is especially interesting, simultaneously captivating and disturbing.  The film is done in a very measured pacing, calmly cool and efficient, much like Chigurh. The result is the audience being kept in a muted horror of sorts, watching horrific event after horrific event hoping that some how Llewelyn will be able to escape his inevitable fate, but not being to do anything about it other than absorbing the impact of the films events. It is really brilliant direction from Joel and Ethan Coen, that leaves the audience quiet and stunned (my own personal reaction was along the lines of "what the f@#k"). The film also has some great performances. I am usually not a fan of Tommy Lee Jones, but in this case, his typical syntax is perfect for Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, and most unusual for Jones, he actually creates a complex character that has more than one emotion. Josh Brolin, who plays the "hero" of the film, gives what I felt was the most ignored performance of the trio, but nonetheless stellar. His Llewelyn is a resourceful, determined man, but one brought down by his poor choices in the end. He really is the heart of the film and does a great job carrying the audiences attention. The best performance though, and one of the best performances of the decade, is given by Javier Bardem, in his Oscar-winning portrayal of Anton Chigurh. Bardem creates an instantly classic character in his portrayal, and his work is the first thing that people think of when recalling the movie. It is truly mesmerizing work, and is the key piece in the puzzle that makes "No Country for Old Men" the dark instant classic that it is.

37. "Inglourious Basterds" (2009)

     Quentin Tarantino is truly the master of cinema, and in 2009 he proved it again with his WWII/spaghetti-western masterpiece "Inglourious Basterds" (which is why I put it at #1 in my article: If I Picked The Winners: Best Picture 2009). The film is told in chapters (like many of Tarantino's films), and intertwines the tales of different characters, "Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France. One of the film's stroylines revolve around a bunch of hard-nosed Jewish-American soldiers and their leader Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), who are known as the "bastards", and are dropped behind enemy lines to use guerrilla warfare tactics (including scalping) in order to instill fear among German soldiers. Another plot follows the life of Shosanna Dreyfuss (Melanie Laurent), a teenage French-Jewish girl who barely escapes from "Jew Hunter" Hans Landa (Chistoph Waltz) with her life in the films suspenseful opening sequence. Landa serves as the film's villain (and one of the greatest villains in recent cinema history), and plays a crucial role throughout the film as a Nazi Sherlock Holmes. The film's finale is a spectacular movie premiere of a new German propaganda film and is held at the cinema owned by the disguised Shosanna. The event brings together all of the high-ranking Nazis, including the Fuhrer himself, and the opportunity for assassination proves too good to pass up for both the Basterds and Shosanna.

     As with all of Taratino's work, the references to other films (including his own films), and in this film, historical references as well, are so numerous that only an obsessed trivia junkie is going to be able to catch them all. The genius of this though, is even if you personally don't understand all the references, it is still clear that the characters do, creating a very cool fully-realized world. Tarantino's knack for great dialogue is as evident as ever, particularly in the opening scene between Landa and the French farmer who is hiding the Dreyfuss's under his floorboards. The way Landa plays with him, and slowly draws the truth out of him, puts the audience on pins and needles, and is probably my favorite scene from any film in the 21st century. Another trademark of Tarantino's films is amazing performances, and this film does not disappoint. The whole cast, from Pitt, to Laurent, to director Eli Roth as the "bear Jew", to Michael Fassbender as the English Archi Hicox, to Diane Kruger as the German actress/ double agent Bridgett Van Hammersmark, all give amazing performances, but the real star of the show is Christoph Waltz, who won Best Supporting Actor for creating the greatest fictional Nazi in cinema history. The mix of humor, intelligence, and indifference with which Waltz portrays Landa sets the tone for the film, and captures the audiences' imagination to who this man is. Landa, along with all the other great characters (which took Tarantino over a decade to create), make "Inglourious Basterds" one of the best, and unconventional, war films of all-time.

36. "High and Low"

     Based on the novel "King's Ransom" by Evan Hunter, "High and Low" tells the story of a rich business executive, Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), who is attempting to takeover the shoe company he works for from the company's other executives. Just as he has the money in place, his son is kidnapped and the kidnappers demand a ransom. This leads to the involve of the police and Inspector Tokura (Tatsuya Nakadai), who investigate the dregs of the town to find the kidnapper. Eventually, the police and Gondo realize that the boy kidnapped is not Gondo's son, but the son of his chauffeur, which creates a quandary of sorts for Gondo, as he is not so willing to give up his money when it is not his own flesh and blood. After some persuasion, the Inspector convinces Gondo to give up the money, as the Inspector scrambles to catch the culprit and bring back Gondo his money.

     The film explores the drastically different lives of the rich and the poor, which is partly what the title refers to. In poetic style, the title is also quite literal, as Gondo and other wealthy members of the town live high up on the hills, which overlook the poor slums down below in the valley. The setup may sound like a launching point for a socialistic diatribe about material inequality, but to the credit of director Akira Kurosawa, ever the humanist that he is, the film is much more than crass Marxist philosophy. Kurosawa depicts the drastic differences between the people in the distinct cultures of "the rich" and "the poor" not as members of preordained caste, but as unique individuals doing the best to cope with their problems given the personalities. As powerful as the film is as a humanist exploration, it is also an extremely entertaining as a suspenseful film noir mystery (think "Ransom", but much better). Even though Kurosawa is most famous for his samurai films and Shakespeare adaptations, with one huge exception (that you will eventually see), I actually prefer Kurosawa's films which are set in more modern times. Kurosawa is surprisingly good at creating suspense and style, which are the key ingredients for any film noir picture. In fact, Kurosawa is probably the most underrated "film noir" director there is (especially since I am sure there are some who would not consider any of his films as "film noir"), as his few films in the genre stack up against any of the 1940's classics. As usual, Kurosawa collaborator Mifune gives a great performance as the executive who believes his son is kidnapped, and Nakadai does a great job as the Inspector as well. "High and Low" is a great police suspense drama, and if you are a fan of the genre, don't let the subtitles stop you from watching this masterpiece.

35. "The Thing" (1982)

     Until very recently, John Carpenter's 1982 remake of "The Thing" was my favorite horror film, which is why I listed at #1 in my article, "5 Great Films for Halloween". The mood of the film is incredibly palpable, creating one of the greatest atmospheres of any movie. The film is based on the science fiction short story, "Who Goes There?", by John W. Campbell Jr. The film is set in Antarctica, at an American science outpost. One day the American's at the outpost see Norweigians in a helicopter shooting at a dog before the helicopter crashes. They take in the dog and put it in with the others, but unbeknownst to them, the dog is actually a shape-shifting alien that can imitate any creature it consumes. After consuming the other dogs, the alien slowly starts to pick off the residents of the outpost one by one. By the time the scientist realize what is happening, total paranoia has struck the base, as no one knows who is real and who is an alien. It all culminates in a downward spiral and one of the best unanswered endings of any film.

     John Carpenter's direction of the film is truly masterful, using a combination of tension and gore to its maximum effect. For all the praise heaped on the supposed "Master of Suspense" Alfred Hitchcock, none of his films coming anywhere close to the level of horror and suspicion realized by Carpenter's dark masterpiece. "The Thing" is paranoia incarnate, and this is especially apparent in the film's most famous scene. It takes place in the latter half of the film when everyone is well aware of the shape-shifting alien's presence. The film's protagonist MacReady (Kurt Russell) devises a plan on discovering who on the base is human and who is simply an image created by an alien. MacReady's hypothesis is that any part of the alien is basically the whole, so that if you hurt a small piece of the alien, the whole will react. In order to do this, he ties up everybody and takes their blood samples. He then heats up a small piece of metal and touches it to the blood samples. No one (including the audience) has any idea if the theory is total hogwash, or the absolute truth, but waiting to find out is one hell of a wait. Russell does a great job as the gruff hero in this scene (as he does throughout the film), and along with the other actors and superb directing, this is one of my all-time favorite scenes of any film. If just to see that one scene along, 1982's "The Thing" is a must-see.

34. "Going My Way" (1944)

     Despite winning 1944's Oscar for Best Picture, I am sure there are many critics and people today who would lambaste "Going My Way" for its naive cheery optimism and faith. If you wish to take this cynical route, you're sure to find some flaws, but the film is so good-natured, so easy going under the talented direction of Leo McCarey, that it is simply spiteful to reject the film's charm. One of the things that I admire about the movie the most is its unique pacing. The film is in no particular rush to go anywhere or do anything, as scenes come and go here and there. The result is a surprisingly natural feel (despite some of the unnatural setups) and there is a real sense of sincerity in many of the conversations Father Chuck O'Malley (Bing Crosby) has with many of the characters. The lackadaisical attitude of the film creates a really warm and welcoming feeling that you may not expect from a film focused on religion. More than anything though, the movie is about love and understanding, but with musical numbers and jokes along the way.

     The "plot" of the film revolves around the arrival of Father Chuck O'Malley at Saint Dominic's. After an interesting debate he has with an atheist along his way, the friendly O'Malley finds Saint Dominic's in a declining situation. The parish is in a poor neighborhood, and the elderly Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) while well meaning, is simply too old to communicate well with the younger generation. Nearing the latter part of his life, he is also terribly homesick for the "old country" (Ireland) and misses his elderly mother. Luckily for Fitzgibbon (even if he doesn't totally approve of his methods), O'Malley's colorful background before joining the clergy help him relate to the younger members of the church, including some troubled boys and a runaway teenage girl who aspires to be a singer. Just as everything appears to be falling into place, a massive fire hits the church, but being a movie from the 1940's, everything works out in the end, including an emotional reunion. Even though I am not a huge fan of the ballad singers of the era, there are some entertaining songs in the film (such as "Swinging on a Star"), and Crosby has one of the more interesting voices of his time period. Crosby also proves his acting chops (and won an Oscar for the role), creating a believable Father who takes a realistic and caring approach to human beings and their flaws. The other great performance is giving by Barry Fitzgerald, who won Best Supporting Actor (although he was also nominated for Best Actor, the only time any actor was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role, something that is now impossible thanks to rule changes). Fitzgerald's character is a very loving, but old-fashioned, priest, who does his best to adapt to a changing world. Fitzgerald, along with many other endearing performances, make "Going My Way" an old classic that is still worth watching.

33. "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006)

     My favorite comedy of this young century, "Little Miss Sunshine" was the surprise indie hit of the decade. Written by Michael Arndt, a former assistant to Matthew Broderick (and the writer who may be be nominated this year for his script of "Toy Story 3"), "Little Miss Sunshine" tells the story of dysfunctional family who go on a road trip when their cheerful youngest daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) wins the chance to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in California. The family includes Olive's foul-mouthed, heroin-addict sex obsessed Grandfather Edwin Hoover (Alan Arkin), her father Richard Hoover (Greg Kinnear)  who has his own self-motivational program that he is trying to get off the ground, her teenage half-brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), an avid admirer of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (who happens to be my own favorite philosopher) who is on a vow of silence until he gets into the air force, her uncle Frank Ginsberg (Steve Carell), the second most esteemed expert on the author Proust who recently tried to commit suicide after his gay lover/grad-student left him for the other great Proust expert, and her mother Sheryl (Toni Colette), who tries to keep the whole thing together. Along the road trip, a number of crazy things happen that challenges each and every character in their personality and their relationship with one another.

     It is a really well written story, with some very hilarious moments. Thematically, the film is similar to many of Wes Anderson's films (whose "Bottle Rocket" made my list last week), in that the ultimate lesson at the end of the day is that we are all better off being ourselves and excepting each other, with weird eccentricities and all. The thing that really makes the movie into an all-time great though is the amazing ensemble. Every single actor who makes up the family (Kinnear, Colette, Arkin, Breslin, Dano, Carell) give award worthy performances (although only Breslin and Arkin received Oscar nominations, and Arkin won Best Supporting Actor), in what is one of the greatest casts of all-time. Each actor creates fleshed out human beings, with their own issues and own backgrounds. The performances are so good, that you feel you could literally have hours-long conversation with each character talking about their lives and their past. It is truly a remarkable accomplishment, that is guided well by the directing team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who before this film, were best known for directing the interesting music video for the great Smashing Pumpkin's song "1979" (there is even a sly reference to the song in the film). Which reminds me to mention the great soundtrack of the film, which makes for a good CD purchase regardless of whether you have seen the film or not. The movie took over five years to make due to trouble getting it financed, but in the end, luckily it all worked out, because otherwise the movie going public would have been denied a truly wonderful experience.

32. "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)

     I have to admit that there is a personal reason why I enjoy this film that is unlikely to apply to most other people. I love tap dancing and have been tap dancing since the age of 7, and I even teach tap classes. It is a really fun medium of dance to do and to watch, and few were better at it than James Cagney. Cagney at first sight doesn't exactly look like a dancing type of person, and throughout his career he was more famous for playing gangsters with crazy voices like in "White Heat". That is what makes it so surprising to see him burst out into these amazing routines. Before becoming a movie star though, he worked on the stage in vaudeville, which explains why he can sing and dance. The vaudeville background may also explain his unique style of tap dancing. Instead of the upright elegance of a Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, a lot of the time during the tap numbers Cagney is practically half-bent-over. It is kind of a strange, almost comedic, way of approaching the dance, but it is an absolute blast to watch. I'm not aware of any other Cagney films in which he showed off his dance prowess, but just from the numbers in this film alone, he has to put up there as one of the all-time great film tap dancers.

     "Yankee Doodle Dandy" though is much more than just a movie with good tap dancing. There are numerous films from the 1930's and 1940's with great tap dancing that didn't make the list, because as films, there usually not very good. This couldn't be further from the truth with "Yankee Doodle Dandy". The film tells the story of early 20th century song and dance man George M. Cohan (although the film drastically changed many facts), who was responsible for creating many hit shows and songs, such as the song of the film''s title and "Over There". Cohan was born into a show business family, and the film starts out when he is part of their act (and where he says the famous line, "My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you." When the popularity of the act begins to fail, he breaks out on his own to try to make it big. The film is wonderfully directed by Michael Curtiz, who instills it with a very playful attitude, while developing the characters that allow the dramatic moments to pay off later on. Part bio-pic, part musical, part-comedy, this is an excellent film on many levels, and with the classic scene of Cagney doing one-foot wings down the stairs of the White House (click here to see the amazing feat that Cagney improvised), Cagney absolutely deserved the Oscar he received, and the film definitely deserved all the success it had.

31. "Stray Dog" (1949)

     My second Kurosawa film on this week's list (and my fourth overall), like "High Low", "Stray Dog" is a modern day film noir crime drama. The film stars Kurosawa regular Toshirô Mifune as Detective Murakami, a young police officer who was a struggling veteran of the Second World War until he came to the force. One day while riding on the bus, Murakami has his Colt pistol stolen by a pickpocket. This incident is quite embarrassing for the young detective, and to relieve his shame, he becomes determined to find and retrieve his gun from the man who stole it. With the help of the veteran Detective Sato (Takashi Shimura), the two scour the seedy parts of the city, and eventually are able to capture the thief, who comes from a very similar background as Murakami but took a much different path.

     The film is probably Kurosawa's most stylized film, as the film noir influences are abundant. Kurosawa being the great auteur that he is, easily masters the style and creates a suspenseful setting, but unlike many films in the genre, substance is not sacrificed for the style. The film is basically an exploration into the existentialist belief that every individual is free, and must take responsibility for his own life. Both the protagonist and the villain are WWII vets who went through the traumatic experience of fighting the war, and then facing abject poverty afterwards. After that commonality though, the two men took different paths. One took control of his life and became a cop, doing what he could to make the world more like he wished to see it. The other man let the hardships of life overtake him, driving mad so that he turned to a life of stealing and murder in order to rebel against his existential confines. At the same time, being the humanist that he is, Kurosawa isn't exactly judging the thief though, as is made clear in a beautiful scene where Murakami finally catches the criminal in a field of tall grass. The criminal looks up into the sky and the world surrounding him, and gives out a burst of yells and tears, in what is clearly a moment of sympathy for a human being who can not seem to relinquish the pain of his life. As always, Mifune give a wonderful performance that is perfect for the genre, as does Shimura as the old-wise mentor character. The film is a beautiful genre piece, and if you haven't seen any of Kurosawa's films, "Stray Dog" is a great introduction to one of the all-time wonderful auteurs.

     That's it for now, so until next time, let me know what you think in the comments section. Happy New Year!