Top 100: 60-51

     This week we reach the halfway point in my countdown, going from 60 to 51 (check out 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, and 70-61, if you missed them). Comedy makes its biggest presence felt since the first week, with three and one-half of the films falling under the genre's heading. Not surprisingly then, two more Woody Allen films (including my favorite Allen movie) make appearances, which brings a grand total of five of Woody's films on my list, tying him for the most appearances of any director on my list. There are also a few second appearances from some of my other favorite directors, and the only appearance from one director who I consider to be the most underrated director working today (a few of his other films almost made my list). In terms of a timeline, the 1990's and 1980's make the most appearances, with each decade having three films in this week's list. Now on to the countdown!

60. "Hot Fuzz" (2007)

     "Hot Fuzz" is the second film in the "Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy" from director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (the first film is "Shaun of the Dead" and the third film is reportedly going to be made some time within the next few years). The team of Wright, Pegg, and Frost came to fame in the popular British television show "Spaced" (a great show, so if you haven't seen it, make an effort to find it), and then really took off in the U.S. with the cult hit film "Shaun of the Dead", a hilarious parody of zombie films. In "Hot Fuzz", they take aim at the action genre, poking fun at films such as "Point Break" and "Bad Boys 2", as well as many other action films. In fact, Wright and Pegg, who wrote the script, read critic Roger Ebert's book "'Bigger' Little Movie Glossary" to get down some of the genre's stereo-typical staples such as having a character wake up in a dark hotel room and flick on the light switch without having to fumble for it, having a shot of the median lines on a road from a moving camera, and having a genial person in charge actually being the bad guy. This is just a small sampling of some of things about the action genre that the film mocks, and there are so many references to other films and small details that allude to the action genre, that if you blink you're likely to miss one, which is part of what makes the film so fun.

     The story of "Hot Fuzz" focuses on Nick Angel (Pegg), a London police officer who is so good at his job that it gets on the nerves of his colleagues and they transfer him to the small village of Sanford (which is actually director Wright's hometown of Somerset), an almost-too-perfect town, where everyone knows everyone and no crime ever occurs (thanks to the watchful eyes of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance, or N.W.A.). The police department is run by Inspector Frank Butterman (Jim Broadbent), who makes Angel team up with his son, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), who also works for the local police department. Danny is obsessed with action films involving cops and pesters Nick to tell him about his days as a London police officer, but Nick is simply annoyed as he waits for something exciting to happen in Sanford. Nick gets his wish when a set of mysterious murders begin to occur. Nick suspects the mysterious grocery store owner Simon Skinner (Timothy Dalton), but the real truth is a hilarious twist that I won't spoil for you here. The film is brilliantly written with a lot of great one-liners as well as all the funny references to action flicks. The ensemble, from stars Pegg and Frost, to smaller parts like Broadbent and Frost, to all the actors who do a great job at being "harmless" townsfolk, this is one well casted comedy. The combination of Wright, Pegg, and Frost is one of the best in business, and for any fan of either comedy or action films, "Hott Fuzz" is an absolute must.

59. "Drunken Angel" (1948)

     Kurosawa's "Drunken Angel" is the second film from the master Japanese auteur to make my list (the first was "Dersa Uzala", #94). In many of Kurosawa's films, his very humanistic view, with both pity and love for the human condition, is extremely prevalent, and this is no more so than in "Druken Angel". Released in 1948, shortly after Japan lost the Second World War and had two atomic bombs dropped on their country, the feelings of despair, anger, and disgusted resignation permeate the film and all of its characters. The film takes place in a terrible slum, with a cesspool sitting right in the middle (symbolic of the state of Japan at the time), where everything and everybody is going to hell in a handbasket. It's powerful and moving imagery, and proved that even in this early stage of the Kurosawa's career, a true auteur was blossoming.

     The film tells the story of a grumpy old alcoholic doctor, Dr. Sanada (Takashi Shimura), who one night removes a bullet from the town's young arrogant gangster leader, Matsunaga (Toshiro Mifune). Sanada informs the gangster that he has tuberculosis which will only improve if Matsunaga stops drinking and smoking. This news sends Matsunaga into a rage, but eventually he calms down and comes back to the doctor for treatment as the two form a contentious, but meaningful, bond. Things get worse for Matsunaga though when the gang's old boss comes back to town after being released from prison. At first the two get along, as Matsunaga relinquishes power back to his old boss, but when he threatens Dr. Sanada for trying to protect his assistant Miyo, who was his wife before he was sent to the big house, Matsunga vows to protect them, as he battles to the death with his old boss. Originally, the script almost exclusively focused on Dr. Sanada, but Kurosawa was so impressed by Mifune's performance (who would later become a long-time collaborator with Kurosawa on many films) that he changed the script so that both characters have about equal screen time. Both actors, Shimura and Mifune, give great performances and create a very realistic relationship between these two flawed characters. "Drunken Angel" is a very moving film that sympathizes with its characters more than it judges them, which creates a powerful emotional experience that is hard to let go of. There is a lot in this film that many directors today who work in the "emotional drama" genre could learn from.

58. "Hotel Rwanda" (2004)

     If you have been reading many of the posts in this blog, you may have picked up that I not a fan of movies that are ultimately about some social message. Even if I happen to agree with the point of the film, as an existentialist, I found it very insulting to deconstruct people's lives (even of fictional characters) to some simple political point. To think any one's life could be summed up by some simple cause is beyond absurd and extremely reductive in my opinion, and in many cases, these film's usually manipulate its characters in unnatural ways just to make the point. It was for this reason that in 2004 I was less than excited to check out "Hotel Rwanda", but since it was well reviewed and nominated for a couple of Oscars, I felt obligated to see the film. While I do feel sad for the terrible lives that many Africans live (although I could never even pretend that I can understand what it is like to live their lives), I knew watching a film that tells me how bad they have it wasn't going to change a damn thing in one African's life, but this film goes way beyond preaching, and stunningly, "Hotel Rwanda" actually ended up being my favorite film from 2004.

     There a few lines here and there that try to drive in political points, but for the most part, the film is about human spirit's unstoppable will to survive and to protect loved ones. The movie tells the true story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel manager at Sabena Hôtel des Mille Collines in Rwanda during the mass genocide that occurred because of conflicts between the Hutu and the Tutsi people of the country around 1994. At first things are not totally out of control (especially around the hotel), but things quickly begin to descend into chaos as thousands upon thousands of people are murdered. Paul brings his wife Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) and their children to the hotel, which acts as a temporary safe haven due to the fact that it houses many diplomats from around the world. When the diplomats start to leave the country and the United Nations does little more than watch the slaughter, even the hotel becomes a target for angry rebels, as Paul is pushed to the brink of what one man can take as he does everything humanly possible to protect his family as well as over one-thousand other refugees he houses inside the hotel. It is a very powerful story that Terry George rightfully gets out of the way of for the most part. The film also has two amazing performances by Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo, who both deserved to win for their nominated performances (Don Cheadle lost in the Best Actor race to Jaime Fox in "Ray" while Sophie Okonedo lost to Cate Blanchett in "The Aviator"). This usually is not my type of film, and if your thinking the same thing I understand, but for me to recommend a film like "Hotel Rwanda" so highly tells you just how powerful of a movie it is.

57. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989)

     "Crimes and Misdemeanors" marks a sort of changing point in Woody Allen's career. While some of his earlier films have serious aspects to them, they were basically still comedies. Now, Woody Allen almost works exclusively in the hardcore drama department with films such as 2005's "Match Point" and 2007's "Cassandra's Dream". While some of these films are decent, the shift is disappointing, because I think he actually touched much deeper into the heart and psyche of humanity with his comedies than with his recent "wannabe Ingmar Bergman" films. In "Crimes and Misdemeanors" though, Allen creates the perfect mix of comedy and drama, burrowing into the dark recesses of the human mind without relying on overdone dramatic ironies and pretentious statements about the nature of life. Woody Allen seems to be a in constant search lately for the ultimate statement on life, but while that is a laughably impossible goal in my opinion, he could have stopped after 1989, because I will be stunned if he ever gets as close to achieving his goal as he did with "Crimes and Misdemeanors".

     The film tells two, almost totally disconnected, stories. One is a more light-hearted tale of a documentarian Cliff Stern (Woody Allen), who is attempting to make a documentary about a philosophy professor he admires. Unfortunately for Stern, he is instead commissioned to make a documentary about the life of his brother-in-law, pompous television producer Lester (Alan Alda), who represents everything Stern hates. Lester is apparently based on real life television producer Larry Gelbert, and some of the statements that Lester makes such as "Comedy is tragedy plus time", and "If it bends, it's funny. If it breaks, it's not funny", are real life quotes from Larry Gelbert. The other half of the film is a serious drama that analyzes the life of opthamologist Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau). Judah has been having an affair with a women named Dolores (Anjelica Huston) for years, but tired of playing second fiddle, Dolores demands that Judah marries her or else she will tell his wife about the affair. Judah becomes panicked, and turns to his mobster brother for advice, who suggests that he could kill Dolores. At first the idea detest Judah, but as time goes on, the option becomes more and more appealing, as the moral fiber of Judah is tested. The film ends with a chance encounter between Judah and Cliff, where the two have an interesting conversation about their differing views on human nature. Woody Allen reportedly wrote the film as a response to his 1986 film "Hannah and Her Sisters", because he felt he had been too nice to the characters. Whatever the reason, the result is one of Allen's greatest films.  

56. "Bottle Rocket" (1996)

     "Bottle Rocket" was an extremely small film that was only shown in 48 theaters in the United States when it was released in 1996. Chances are then that you never have seen the film, or probably even heard of it, although I would guess you have seen the film's two stars, Owen and Luke Wilson (who make their feature film debuts in the movie), in another film or two. "Bottle Rocket" was based on a black-and-white 13 minute short film that director Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson made while attending the University of Texas. The two met in college and quickly became friends. After writing and shooting the short, they showed it off at the USA Film Festival in Dallas. Upon receiving an enthusiastic response, the short eventually caught the attention of producer James L. Brooks, who gave them the funding to turn it into a feature length film. Unfortunately, the film totally bombed, including scoring the worst test screening scores in the history of Columbia Pictures, but miraculously, it did not ruin the careers of director Wes Anderson and actor/writer Owen Wilson. Subsequently, after both men later worked on more successful films, and with the help of critics and people like Martin Scorsese, who named it as one of his top ten films of the 1990's, people took another look at the film which has helped make it into the cult classic it deserves to be.

     "Bottle Rocket" is about the friendship between Anthony Adams (Luke Wilson) and Dignan (Owen Wilson). Anthony has just returned from a stay in a mental institution, but Dignan has the perfect cure to cheer up his friend: a crime spree. With some help from their friend Bob (Robert Musgrave), and after some "training" with firearms, the trio are ready to begin the spree and pull of their first job. They then go on the lamb and hideout at a cheap motel, where Anthony falls in love with the motel maid Inez (Lumi Cavazos). The relationship and the complications it causes tears a rift in the friendship between Anthony and Dignan, but the two are able to get over their falling out in order to pull off the "big" heist (with matching suits and everything). It's a really well written movie and showcases the talents of both Wilson Brothers in their debut films. I also thought I would use this section to sing the praises of director Wes Anderson, who is one of my favorite directors currently making movies. His unique style and talent really come through in this film, and even though his other films did not quite make my list, films like 1998's "Rushmore", 2007's "The Darjeeling Limited", and 2009's "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" are all classics that I highly recommend. Unfortunately, many people criticize Wes Anderson for his films being too similar, and it is true that all his films have a very distinct style and they all deal with people coming to accept each other for their uniqueness and weird quirks, but so what? Most directors do basically make the same film over and over again, but most of them do not receive the harsh criticism that Anderson has received, which I feel is a bit unfair. Regardless, I am definitely a huge fan of Wes Anderson's work, and "Bottle Rocket" is his crowning achievement.

55. "Zelig" (1983)

     As I'm sure you can tell, Woody Allen is one of my favorite directors, and ranks as one of the best all-time comedians in my book. Out of all the great films Allen has made in his incredibly prolific career, I would have to go with "Zelig" as my favorite. "Zelig" is one of the first "mockumentaries", or fake documentary done for comedic purposes. I'm a pretty big fan of the mockumentary genre (including the genres most famous film as you will see later), but "Zelig" is incredibly unique for films in this sub-genre. "Zelig" 'documents' the story of Leonard Zelig (Woody Allen), a man in the 1920's with an unusual affliction that captures headlines as well as the nation's imagination. Zelig's disease is that he is a human chameleon. When he is around a bunch of upper class aristocrats, he looks and acts like an upper class aristocrat. When he is around Chinese people, he looks like Chinese people. When he is around a bunch of tall black basketball players, he looks like a tall black basketball player. He even transforms to fit in with famous celebrities of the day, like Woodrow Wilson and Babe Ruth, when he meets them. After the news gets out, Zelig becomes a commercial phenomenon, as chameleon Zelig merchandise such as dolls, watches, and board games, as well as a hit song "Chameleon Days", a hit "chameleon dance", and even a movie entitled "The Changing Man", are all made to cash in on the nations fascination with the "living chameleon". Scientists are obviously enthralled by the case, and with the help of one Dr. Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow), we slowly begin to understand what is behind the unusual affliction.

     Part of the reason why I love the film so much is it combines two things I'm very interested in: history and the brain. Woody Allen went to ridiculous levels to create authentic looking 1920's newsreels. They used only film equipment from the 1920's, brought back old film technicians out of retirement, and stomped on the film in a shower to give it the right look. More than just the look though, Woody Allen recreates the culture and feel of the time. In fact, there is no movie I have ever seen that does a better job of (almost literally in this case) transporting you to the past. For anyone interested in 1920's American culture, this is a must see. The movie also takes an interesting look at the brain and how the mind works. Now obviously it's a comedy and not a medical lecture, but as someone who finds odd afflictions of the brain endlessly interesting, this angle of the film is very captivating. The difference between a "normal" brain and an "abnormal" brain is not as large as we would like to believe and shockingly, in one of the most curious cases of life imitating art, in 2007 Italian psychologists discovered a rare form of brain damage that left the individuals with symptoms similar to Zelig. They even went so far as to call it, "Zelig-like Syndrome". If you are not into rare forms of malfunctions in the brain like I am though, you will still enjoy "Zelig" a lot, as it is one of the best comedies put on film.

54. "Gone with the Wind"

     When adjusted for inflation, no movie in history has made more money than "Gone with the Wind", meaning that the film has sold more tickets than any other film. It is simply the biggest film in cinema history. "Gone with the Wind" is based on the incredibly popular book of the same name by Margaret Mitchell. The book was an instant cultural phenomenon, which lead hot shot producer David O. Selznick to purchase the movie rights to the book for $50,000, a very large amount at the time. The making of the film was an event in and of itself, as the studio went through multiple directors (starting with George Cukor and ending with Victor Fleming who is credited as the film's director), put on huge publicity stunt by auditioning many actresses for the part of Scarlett O'Hara, and spent an almost unparalleled $3.9 million dollars on the production. Stories about different facets of the films production appeared in newspapers for years, as it quickly became the most anticipated film in the history of cinema, and shockingly, even with all this hype the film did not disappoint, as it swept the nation and was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, winning eight including Best Picture, and creating what may be the most famous quote in movie history ("frankly my dear, ... I don't give a damn").

     The reason the film was able to succeed despite unreasonably high expectations is because it is a damn good movie. One of the first true "epic" films (the movie is nearly four hours long), it set the standard to which all large historical movies would be judged for years to come (and even now to some extent). While the modern cynical viewer may criticize the film for some of its grandiose over dramatic moments (and there are a few), I think it is a shame to search for the films flaw. To make this movie in 1939 was an enormous achievement, and if you put down your guard for a few hours and let the experience wash over you, it is actually a very moving picture and one of cinema's greatest dramas (as well as a great character study). If you are not aware of the film's story, it takes place in the south during the Civil War. Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is a manipulative, narcissistic young Southern Belle, obsessed with marrying one Ashley Wilkes (palyed by Leslie Howard, and surprisingly based on the real-life gangster 'Doc' Halladay, a distant cousin of Margaret Mitchell). The only problem is Ashley prefers Scarlett's genial cousin Melanie (Olivia De Havailand). Even though the two get married, this doesn't stop Scarlett from plotting to win Ashley back. In the meantime though, she goes through a few husbands, but she continually is being drawn back to the crude but debonair Rhett Butler (Clark Gable, who only took the role because it gave him enough money to divorce his first wife and marry his second wife), as the two play out their relationship to its tragic end. For any self-respecting person who wants to call themselves movie buffs, "Gone with the Wind" is an absolute must, as it is one of cinema's true classics.        

53. "Jurassic Park" (1993)

     "Jurassic Park" is the full realization of 1933's "King Kong" (even with the huge wooden doors that open at the beginning of the park's jeep ride). Based on the popular book of the same name written by Michael Crichton (which is also very good), the sci-fi story details the creation of an amusement park by John Hammond (Richard Attenborough). In a fantastical mix between science and entertainment, Hammond uses dinosaur DNA from mosquitoes trapped in amber for millions of years to clone the prehistoric creatures and showcase them in a theme park in an island in the Pacific. Before the grand unveiling, Hammond decides to grant a sneak preview to a select few that includes his grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards), as well as a group of scientists such as Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and my personal favorite, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum). As a huge fan of theme parks who was totally obsessed with Disneyland and Disney World as a child, the authenticity of the theme park feel (with a welcome center and all) totally floored me. The idea of being in a theme park as it "broke down", even if it contained dinosaurs, was a cinematic realization of a childhood fantasy as well, although as Ian Malcolm points out, "If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."

     The movie is more than just some personal fantasy trip though, as director Steven Spielberg plays the thriller akin to how a classical composer such as Mozart conducted a symphony. This story, this movie, were made for Spielberg to direct. Using some of the same tricks of the trade that made him famous in 1975 for "Jaws", "Jurassic Park" has so many 'Spielbergian' touches that I will forgo listing them all (although I have to mention my favorite one when the T. Rex is chasing a few people in a jeep, and their is a shot of the side-view mirrors and a close-up on the writing which reads "Objects may appear closer than they appear"), but they all work to perfection. It makes me smile just thinking about it. Finally, I must mention my favorite part of the film: John William's score. John William's has made some unbelievably good scores before, but this is above and beyond, and is definitely my favorite score of any movie ever. The music is so god damned majestic, that I swear God must have made it himself. I don't know if there is an afterlife or heaven, but one thing I am for sure of, if there is I know that the "Jurassic Park" soundtrack will be playing at the Pearly Gates, and hopefully the movie will be playing somewhere too. 

52. "Barton Fink" (1991)

     I'm going to come clean, I have no idea what "Barton Fink" is about or what it is suppose to be saying. Initially, the fact that the movie left me confused annoyed me somewhat and brought the film down a level, but as time has gone on, I don't care that the movie didn't make sense. All I remember is what a crazy and memorable trip the film is. The film takes place in 1941, and is about New York intellectual playwright Barton Fink (John Turtorro). After drawing the attention of some Hollywood types, he is contracted by eccentric movie studio exec Jack Lipnick (Michael Lerner) to write a Wallace Beery wrestling picture. Being way out of his realm, Fink struggles with immense writers block as he stays in the dreary Hotel Earle, where he befriends his next door neighbor Charlie Meadows (John Goodman), who claims to be a traveling salesman. In the meantime, he tries to enlist the help of a writer Fink has always admired, W.P Mayhew (the character is based on real life writer William Faulkner), but finds his hero to be a self-centered drunken jackass. As time goes on, Fink's life starts to spiral out of control, until an incredibly bizarre ending that almost dips into surrealist territory.

     The Coen brothers actually wrote the film when they themselves had a bad case of writers block trying to complete the script for "Miller's Crossing". While I'm sure it wasn't a fun experience to have writers block, if this is the result, they should try getting stuck more often. The film also has some very interesting visuals and concepts, even if they don't totally make sense. This is the Coens' at their most intellectual and cynical, and while it may be a bit off-putting at times, the film is simply too mesmerizing to deny its greatness. A large portion of the success of the film goes to the high-caliber performances from its actors. Michael Lerner was the only to actor to receive an Oscar nomination for his performance (Best Supporting Actor), and while his nomination was definitely deserved, it was a shame the Academy ignored the film's star John Turturro and especially the performance by John Goodman, which is breathtaking and frightening. Goodman is a constantly underrated actor (probably because he appeared on the television show "Rosanne"), and his performances in the Coen's brothers work is particularly outstanding, but his performance as 'Charlie Meadows' is probably his best. There are a lot of interesting theories to the meaning of the film, including one that says the film is symbol for purgatory, but in the end it doesn't matter what the meaning of the film is. Whether you understand it or not, you're probably not going to forget it.

51. "Fanny and Alexander" (1982)

     "Fanny and Alexander" is one of famed Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman last theatrical releases. He would go on to make Swedish television shows and mini-series, but the only film he made that received a theatrical release after "Fanny and Alexander" was 2003's "Saraband". In fact, even "Fanny and Alexander" was conceived as a four-part miniseries, and a much longer version of the film (the theatrical version is a three hour movie as it is) was later shown as a four-part miniseries. When you watch the film, it is not surprising that there was a lot cut out, because there are so many characters and storylines, including a few that don't go anywhere, that it is a little difficult to keep tract of all the characters in the beginning. It's this massive scale that makes the movie feel so true to life though, as each character comes across as fully realized human beings who likely have hours worth of interesting back stories, even if we don't get to hear them.

     Despite the large ensemble, the film is essentially about brother and sister Fanny and Alexander (hence the title). At the beginning of the film, in a very long Christmas party sequence, we see the loving environment that the kids grow up in. Their parents are the director and leading lady of the town's local theater company, and the kids are also surrounded by a large extended family, all of whom have more heart than anything else, as the jovial sense of having a passion for life surrounds the two children. Things quickly take a turn for the worse though when their father dies unexpectedly and their mother remarries a cold-hearted, stern bishop. He forces his new wife and kids to move to his large estate, which is absolutely sterile and devoid of human emotions. Both the children and their mother begin learn of the bishop's sadistic nature, and the kids even begin to suspect that the bishop may have murdered his previous wife and children. From there, the film takes some interesting twists that I won't get into, but I will just say that some supernatural elements play a part in the film. Bergman is an interesting director in how he pries at human emotions and the motivations behind, and "Fanny and Alexander" is a prime example of his best work, as the contrast between unconditional irrational love, and calculated reason is nowhere more stark than in this film.

     That's it for this week, so until next week, let me know of any of your thoughts in the comments section. I would also like to make a quick note that next week's ten may not be posted at the usual Thursday night/ Friday morning time because of it being Christmas week. I will probably either post it before or after Christmas depending on how busy I am.