Alright. Time to finally finish this. Since the beginning of my list there have obviously been some changes and additions, but I'll first post the rest of my original list before I go into detail about those more recent entries.
The write-ups won't be that long anymore for most films as they used to be, so if you have some specific questions about certain choices, don't be afraid to ask them!
After all this time, this might still be my favorite Coen Brothers movie. If you've followed the list so far, you can see that I'm a fan of many of their films, but this is the one that introduced me to them and ultimately convinced me to watch all of their work.
Some people say this film has one of the most perfect scripts ever written and I kind of agree. There's humor (which is practically always the fact with the Coens of course), there's an engaging and thrilling story (probably still their best) that also makes some subtle, interesting comments on our society as a whole, the characters are meticulously constructed and especially pregnant policewoman Marge Gunderson still stands as one of the best film characters in modern history.
There's more to this film than just a great script, though. The Coens also put a lot of care in the visual aspect of the film (again as with most of their movies). There's some playful editing here and there and there's of course the fantastic snowy landscape in which this film is set, which adds an unsettling atmosphere to the film, while also giving it a strangely poetic feeling. The Coens cleverly use the environment to their advantage in several important scenes.
In the end, Fargo is simply a wonderful film that pretty much has it all. It cleverly mixes casual life with a very dark story and it's just a movie that I like returning to now and again.
Just look at how interesting the Coen Brothers can make a seemingly simple dialogue scene. Put good writing, great acting and smart editing in one scene and you have solid gold!
As many people here already know, I am a HUGE fan of Paul Thomas Anderson. I absolutely adore the man. I think he's one of the greatest artists in the filmmaking business working today. One of the most interesting and curious things about his career, I think, is that he has very much changed as a filmmaker...
In his early days (Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia), he became known as a director who wanted to be in full control of his picture and as a filmmaker who wasn't afraid to put a lot of noticeably exuberant camera work in his movies. I personally love that young and bold attitude he had back then. He wasn't afraid to do some extreme and out of the box stuff (he still isn't, but now he does it in different ways, which I'll talk about later). It's simply a joy to watch an extremely skilled and talented filmmaker do a lot of tricks.
PTA grabs the audience's attention right from the beginning with some stories about odd "coincidences". You immediately know you're in for something unusual.
Magnolia is a vibrant mosaic of intertwining stories that aren't afraid to explore the deeply emotional territories of its characters. The film is obviously heavily influenced by Altman's Short Cuts (which also appeared in this list), but it feels more compact, calculated and emotionally heavy than Altman's more meandering and subtle ensemble piece. I like both films an awful lot and I can only pick a favorite depending on the mood I'm in, so when I composed this list, I decided that Magnolia was the one that I would place a little higher (mainly also because I've seen it more times). Maybe that would've been different on another day. It doesn't really matter.
The film is mostly famous because of its "froggy" climax. People tend to be kind of split about that specific sequence. I believe however that if you've truly "felt" and "lived" with the film for the whole ride until then, it makes complete sense. I don't know anyone who adored the film except for the ending. It's an inseparable total package of emotions and mystery. The film constantly hints at something hanging in the air. The whole movie is basically a build-up towards something "higher" and it can be strongly felt throughout because of the constantly present soundtrack, the "crescendo" development of the stories and of course the all around atmosphere that's being created (with the status of the weather being pointed out now and then and of course the brilliant opening sequence that immediately lets you know that you should be prepared for everything).
Magnolia is a film that totally works for me and just like Paul's other work, I think this will be a film that I'll gladly revisit many more times in the future!
Anyone who still keeps saying that Tom Cruise can't act after watching his performance in this film is nuts. He's fantastic!
Fargo and Magnolia, you know I am on board. Both in my top five, both my favorites of directors that I can't get enough of. Great write-ups. If I have a quibble it is that I don't think Fargo is a movie that has humor in it, I think Fargo is a comedy. I think that about a lot of movies that others don't though.
Fargo and Magnolia, you know I am on board. Both in my top five, both my favorites of directors that I can't get enough of. Great write-ups. If I have a quibble it is that I don't think Fargo is a movie that has humor in it, I think Fargo is a comedy. I think that about a lot of movies that others don't though.
I feel like it's more than a comedy. It's a drama with lots of humor in it. I get that after a few watches, it starts working as purely a comedy, though, because it's the comical moments that make you want to return to it again and again.
I think that Fargo, like most Coen brothers movies (if not ALL Coen brothers movies), is first and foremost a portrayal of extremely flawed and unfortunate characters who feel lost and as if they don't belong to the society they live in. If you look at the rest of their filmography, you'll find that many of their films revolve around these themes
I love Fargo. Currently my 10th favorite film of all time. The blend of violence and dark humor is pure genius and the acting is great from practically everyone. Also the snow landscape, as you mentioned gives it a certain atmosphere which doesn't really feel like it fits in, but ends up being the opposite of that.
So glad to see you finally continuing with this list, Cobpyth!
Fargo might be the first Coen Brothers film I ever watched. That was before my sensibilities as a viewer had changed and I wasn't yet accustomed to their trademark sense of humor, so I didn't get what all the fuss was about. Since then I've become a big fan of their films, but I think that first sour experience with Fargo has tainted it for me. I've enjoyed it more on re-watches, but nowhere near as much as you or most people do. In fact, I think the recent mini-series surpassed it in just about every aspect, from the dark humor to the storytelling to the central performances by Thornton, Freeman and Allison Tolman.
Magnolia is a great movie. I don't like it as much as There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights or The Master, but everything PTA touches is gold. I especially love Tom Cruise's role in the film. Magnolia is certainly PTA's most Altmanesque. I watched Short Cuts afterward and I could easily see its profound influence on Magnolia. In terms of preference, I'd give Short Cuts the slight edge.
Simply calling this a film about boxing or about sports doesn't do this masterpiece by Martin Scorsese justice. Scorsese follows a fictional version of real-life boxer Jake LaMotta (there are no words that can describe the brilliance of De Niro's acting performance in this film) and deeply analyzes the philosophy and psychology behind the character and his unusual environment.
It's interesting that I've just seen Wong Kar Wai's The Grandmaster two days ago (be sure to check out the 130 minutes long Chinese version, because it's a fantastic movie), because I think both films have a lot of thematical elements in common. Not only are some of the slow-motion action sequences very similar to eachother in style, but both films also elevate above their specific genres in identical fashion. Scorsese and Wong Kar Wai are not really interested in the purely entertaining side of what they're portraying (even though both films are highly enjoyable to behold), but they want to say something more thoughtful and "true" about their subject.
Scorsese finds truth in Raging Bull by truly giving us a look inside the psyche of his main character. We witness his everyday life, his specific rituals, the commitments he has to make and the aggression and lust for violence that lies within him. The film isn't afraid to be brutal sometimes, but at the same time Scorsese also didn't shy away from showing the epicness of it all, the phenomenal "larger than life" feeling that stardom (in the boxing ring) provokes. It's hypnotizing and addictive, but also oddly paranoic. LaMotta wasn't mentally prepared for the latter and therefore slowly grows into a monster. Scorsese lets us truly dive into the rich thematical kingdom of the dark side of the human mind and cleverly portrays it both seductively and repulsively (like he does in some of his other briliant films that are centered on the human evil).
Above all, the film is also the perfect example of a purely cinematic experience. Raging Bull makes us perceive things like we've never done before, often exclusively through the force and impact of moving images and sound...
I've said it a few times before, but I think Raging Bull is a very good film, though not one I much enjoy. I've seen it three or four times, and while I'm open to seeing it again, I wouldn't mind if I didn't.
Welcome to the bathhouse! I assure you that you won't regret your visit...
It was a warm night in spring, a couple of years ago. I was just starting out as a "serious" movie watcher and I was looking for something "out of the box". While scrolling through the IMDb top 250 list (which is a place where many young cinephiles begin nowadays, even though they later learn to condemn it), I clicked on this film's title. I had read about the huge acclaim it had, but I didn't really know what to expect. I decided to watch it...
Spirited Away ended up being a film that completely opened my mind for a whole new medium of filmmaking (anime). I was absolutely mesmerized by it. It was one of the most magical film experiences I'd ever had. I immediately considered it as my new favorite animated movie and while the film has been challenged by a few other great films since, it still holds that place today.
Miyazaki's surreal masterpiece about a girl who suddenly - while visiting an old, abandoned amusement park - gets caught up in a strange fantasy world where her parents are changed into pigs and where magical creatures run a giant bathhouse is an absolute wonder to behold. It's one of the few truly original cinematic visions of our postmillennial era. It fills my heart with joy that so many people seem to love and appreciate this film as much as I do. It's one of the most respected and popular animated films ever made (it also won the Oscar) and I hope it will be the number one film on our MoFo Top 100 list.
Just put it on, let yourself be overtaken by its highly imaginative world and interpret the rich adventure of Chichiro in any way you want (every watching experience is different), while enjoying the film's warm atmosphere and sheer beauty...
Felt the same way you did when I first saw Spirited Away, and ended up being one of my favorite films of all time (currently 9th). I was amazed by its imagination and the world filled with mysterious, exotic, and interesting creatures.
In terms of technical brilliance and pure artistry, Raging Bull is probably Scorsese's crowning achievement, or at least right up there with Taxi Driver, but I rarely revisit it as often as some of Scorsese's other films. If ranking his films based on their greatness, it might be number one, but in terms of favorite Scorsese films I'm not even sure if it's top five for me. I do think it's De Niro's best performance, though, and that's saying something considering the long list of amazing performances he's given over the years.
Spirited Away is one of the few Miyazaki films I've seen. I admire its creativity and its limitless imagination. Aesthetically, it's one of the most impressive animated films I've seen, but even though I enjoyed it and I understand why it's so revered, it's not a film that inspired any sort of personal connection. I assume it's a lock for the top ten on the animated films countdown, and possibly top five.
It's time to praise one of the most popular and masterful films ever made. Like so many other people, I'm also a huge fan of Francis Ford Coppola's legendary gangster film, The Godfather. The sole reason for its relatively low placement, is that I haven't seen it in quite a while (except for a few bits and pieces here and there).
This film is arguably the epitome of epic American filmmaking. It tells a great story with many layers and the way it's told is visually effective and efficient, but at the same time also poetic and stunningly beautiful. Many people have called it the greatest film ever made and honestly, I can totally understand why. The scope of this story is so extremely large, but nevertheless Coppola was able to give every moment and detail in this film a certain meaning and depth. Every scene has a reason for being there, whether it's foreshadowing, plot exposition, showing a certain important emotion or feeling, offering new insights into a character or shedding light on an integral part of the gangster life. They all work very well as stand-alone moments, but at the same time they're also a significant part of the big picture that's being presented. So, if you're the kind of person that looks for great individual moments in films, you'll find it here, but if you want a cohesive story that deeply analyzes the film's characters and the environment it's set in, The Godfather will also completely satisfy you.
The professionalism and coldness of a gangster is shown through a legendary piece of black comedy.
One of the things that makes this film so extremely popular (even nowadays), is probably the fact that this extremely rich film has something in it for everyone. Intelligence and emotions, action and quietness, warmth and coolness, love and hate, good and evil, happiness and grief, power and defenselessness, friendship and betrayal... You can all find it here.
Apart from the visual experience and the epic story, there's another aspect of this film that is, in my opinion, just as important as the others. I'm talking of course about the famous soundtrack of the film. Seldom has music been used more effectively than in The Godfather. It's incredible how perfectly it fits and creates the mood of the picture. Genius.
I feel like I've just repeated some clichés about this film's quality and simply pointed out the typical good things everyone always notices about this film (while not even speaking about the brilliant acting, etc.), but I don't really care. It's proof that this classic has become a part of the collective memory of film watchers around the world. Here's another scene that everyone always talks about:
One of the most brilliant montages in the history of cinema.