Another year has pretty well come and gone, and it is time to do a little reflection as to some of the better films I’ve seen the past twelve months and tell you about some of the films I’ve liked the most.
Most years, I have to struggle to find ten worthy films. This year I’ve struggled to get the list down to ten. So, I’m going to name fourteen films in my Top Ten.
Here they are in alphabetic order; there’s no way I can list them in my order of preference:
Across The Universe
You either loved this film or you hated it. I loved it! That is not to say it was a perfect film. The director, Julie Taymor, tried a lot of new things in this film. Some succeeded and some flopped, but overall it was a very enjoyable film. And how can you go wrong with a score full of Beatles songs and two very appealing actors, such as
Evan Rachel Wood and
Jim Sturgess in the lead roles?
American Gangster
I thought that they had gone as far as they possibly could with the gangster flick, but I guess I was wrong. This film gives a new twist to an old story. In this movie,
Denzel Washington, plays an African-American who builds up a huge drug empire in New York and comes into direct conflict with a Jewish cop, played by
Russell Crowe. Director Ridley Scott does a masterful job in fusing the stories of two diverse individuals together and the acting is simply superb.
Charlie Wilson’s War
Tom Hanks plays American Congressman, Charlie Wilson, the man who single handedly manoeuvered the United States into providing military assistance to the Afghan rebels fighting to push the Soviet military out of their country during the 1980s. Wilson saw an opportunity to trap the Soviets in the same kind of quagmire that the U.S. had been involved in in Viet Nam.
Julia Roberts and
Philip Seymour Hoffman excel in supporting roles.
Enchanted
What an enchanting film! The Disney people use animation and live action to tell this beautiful fairy tale about true love and happily ever after. The film is filled with cinematic magic as animated characters invade the real world; includes five new songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, and lots of fun that both children and adults can enjoy.
Amy Adams makes for a beautiful heroine and
Patrick Dempsey and
James Marsden play the male heroes. Watch for a wonderful performance by
Susan Sarandon as the deliciously wicked step-mother and Queen.
Hairspray
This has to be one of my favourite films of the year. The filmmakers did a great job in adapting the stage play into a movie, a task that very few are successful in pulling off. The film sings all the way through, while telling a serious story about integration in the U.S. during the 1960s. The film sports some terrific veteran actors, including
John Travolta, Christopher Walken and
Michelle Pfeiffer, as well as such youngsters as
Brittany Snow,
Amanda Bynes and a tremendous new actress in
Nikki Blonsky, who steals the film every time she is on camera.
In the Shadow of the Moon
Documentary about the American astronauts who flew the Apollo space missions to the moon, as they tell their own story in their own words, with some great footage of the actual events. This was one of the most exciting periods in world history, and is still looked upon as one of man’s greatest achievements. But this film brings the story down to human levels and keeps the viewer interested from start to finish.
Into The Wild
An unusual story about an unusual young man. Christopher McCanless gave up all his worldly possessions upon completing college and went on an adventure. He traveled through the United States and eventually went to Alaska. Director Sean Penn tells this story slowly and beautifully, and in a very touching and emotional manner. This is a film that will move the viewer and will stay with him for a long time to come.
Emile Hirsch is brilliant as the young and idealistic McCanless.
The Kite Runner
Based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, this film is one of the best to hit the screens this year. Filmed in the Afghan language and using three previously unknown child actors, the movie is true to the book and has a powerful impact of its own, above and beyond that of the book. The story tells about a young Afghan writer who returns to his homeland to help out an old family friend.
Michael Clayton
George Clooney plays a lawyer who is the fixer in his large and powerful law firm. Whenever the firm runs into a problem, it turns to Michael to bail them out. This is the case when a huge case begins to turn sour and the lawyer handling it seems to go over the deep end. Michael is called in to calm the lawyer down and protect the interests of the firm. Once again, Clooney gives an outstanding performance and carries the film on his shoulders in a role that is almost guaranteed to bring him an Oscar nomination.
A Mighty Heart
Another film with a powerful acting performance, this time by
Angelina Jolie. This is the story of
Daniel Pearl, a Jewish-American journalist who is working on a story on Muslim terrorism and winds up getting kidnapped and is eventually murdered. Jolie plays Pearl’s wife with a dignity and charisma that she has rarely shown before.
No Country For Old Men
The Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel, have done it again. This film is simply breathtaking although very violent. But if violence doesn’t put you off, go see this masterpiece that features magnificent performances by
Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and
Woody Harrelson. Probably the best film of the year.
Once
An understated Irish film about a busker and an immigrant, and the time they spend together as they write, rehearse and record a demo disc the busker can take to London in the hope of landing a recording contract. In the meantime, the two protagonists fall for each other and spend a lot of time learning about each others’ pasts. A terrific movie with some great music.
3:10 To Yuma
Excellent remake that may even be better than the original, as a rancher agrees to hold a captured outlaw who’s waiting to be transported to court in the town of Yuma.
Russell Crowe and
Christian Bale give memorable performances in one of the best westerns to hit the screens in a long time.
Waitress
Keri Russell plays a small town waitress with a loutish husband who gets her pregnant against her will. She has a burning desire to make something of her life and dreams of using her uncanny gift for making out-of-this-world pies. Her goal is to win a pie making contest and open her own shop and dump her husband. When a stranger shows up in town, she sees an opportunity to better her life.
