Spoiler alerts!!!
9.- Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino (1.994) A film like no other. Tarantino expresses himself through a series of events that seem like random acts of violence put together in no particular order. That is, until the viewer starts putting the story together. Tarantino uses time as he pleases and therefore you see Vincent Vega (John Travolta) happily eating a hearty breakfast when minutes ago he had been shot in the chest with 12 gauge shotgun. This is not the first or the last time that alternative times are used in the narrative of a story, but it really is unsettling for the viewer, something I find fascinating. Then you have Vega's partner, brilliantly played by Samuel Jackson. A cold blooded henchman who recites the Bible while killing with no remorse at all. His monologue prior to shooting the drug dealers who owed his boss money was fantastic. And then you have "The Shark" played by Harvey Keitel, another of Tarantino's favourite actors. An extremely cool character who cleans up after someone else's mess. The dance sequence between Travolta and Uma Thurman is now a movie icon and the music is overall fantastic.Like any Tarantino movie, there's a lot to talk about but it's not the intention here.
10.- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Sergio Leone (1.966) The quintessential Western. You can call it a Spaghetti Western if you like, but it's still the best that's ever been made. Leone uses three American actors in Clint Eastwood (The Good); Lee Van Cleef (The Bad) and Eli Wallach (The Ugly) to create a story of violence in the far West of the mid to late 1.800's The characters are cold hearted, with nerves of steel and with pinpoint accuracy when shooting. They are all relentless and violent and don't take no for an answer. Leone gives us a sound score that everyone remembers through the mastery of Enio Morricone. The landscapes are extremely dry deserts shot actually in Southern Spain instead of Texas, as most of the actors were either Spanish or Italian. A must see for every movie fan, an especially if you're also a fan of Tarantino, who has imitated and Leone in several of his movies.
11.- 12 Angry Men. Sydney Lumet (1.957) One of these movies that get better with time. Everytime I watch it, I find something new I hadn't noticed before. It's the story of a jury of twelve males gathered to deliberate about a murder case. They are only referred to by their numbers. You have people from all walks of life and of every age and religion. These men argue about the case and sometimes their arguments are clouded by their own biases and personal baggage. The jury is a sample of society and how people are mostly not good or bad, but respond to feelings, personal issues, their upbringing, etc. Henry Fonda plays the very centered juror who doesn't want to send a young boy to the electric chair without being fully convinced he's guilty. He embodies the essence of Justice: people are innocent until proven guilty. The strong script and exceptional cast along with Lumet's perfect use of cinematography, made this film a classic everyone should watch.
12.- One flew over the cuckoo's nest. Milos Forman (1.975) The famous Broadway play brought to life by Milos Forman and then producer Michael Douglas. A movie that showcased Jack Nicholson as a great actor, but also encased him into the "crazy" characters he'd play along his career. A small time crook fakes his way into an psychiatric asylum trying to avoid a third conviction, and once inside, he becomes the undisputed leader of the place. The strict and somewhat cruel nurse Ratched, played by a fantastic Louise Fletcher, knows that Nicholson isn't totally insane and they immediately start a personal war that ends when Nicholson is lobotomized and then murdered by one of his closest friends in the ward, who escapes the asylum. A very hard to watch film, beautifully acted, that plays with the viewer's emotions. I find it hard not have this film among my favourites.
There's my first twelve, again, in no particular order. There will be more in future posts
12.- One flew over the cuckoo's nest. Milos Forman (1.975) The famous Broadway play brought to life by Milos Forman and then producer Michael Douglas. A movie that showcased Jack Nicholson as a great actor, but also encased him into the "crazy" characters he'd play along his career. A small time crook fakes his way into an psychiatric asylum trying to avoid a third conviction, and once inside, he becomes the undisputed leader of the place. The strict and somewhat cruel nurse Ratched, played by a fantastic Louise Fletcher, knows that Nicholson isn't totally insane and they immediately start a personal war that ends when Nicholson is lobotomized and then murdered by one of his closest friends in the ward, who escapes the asylum. A very hard to watch film, beautifully acted, that plays with the viewer's emotions. I find it hard not have this film among my favourites.There's my first twelve, again, in no particular order. There will be more in future posts
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