INGLORIOUS BASTERDS: Until Once Upon a Time in Hollywood came along, this was the QT penned film that seemed to have the most to say. Had the most heart. But exactly what it was trying to say, I don't think I'm so sure (something about how we relate to cinema). And as for the feelings, I'm not so sure I was always feeling them (the plight of Shoshanna). But it seemed that Tarantino was lifting himself out of his box of cinema for cinema's sake. His movies were becoming shaggier, more indulgent, more self important, even if I was never able to completely give him credit that he was really on point with his message. Thankfully, I don't really care about the thematic successes of a film. But I do care about filmmakers who take risks and put something out there that is willing to be misinterpreted. And IB definitely does this. It also contains probably his greatest of all characters (Landa), his most impressive moment of suspense (the opening, constructed without a single wink to the audience). And one of his more controversial but undeniably excitingly extreme. narrative elements (Nazi Hunters! Nazi scalps! I'm in!). When the films ends, with QT patting himself on the back about his masterpiece, I remember nodding and understanding why he thought this. Even though, ultimatelty, with all of these pluses, IB is the film of his that leaves me the most cold. As great as Melanie Laurent is, her storyline seems to meander in not so great ways. She is also the emotional heart of the film, but is presented to the audience at a great emotional distance. And as legendary as many treat the Who Am I game, I've always found it never hits those heights of suspense it requires to sustain its length.
Still, this is QT and I'm a fanboy. And whatever criticisms I have, I still retain a huge chunk of affection for the film. It was the beginning of his films probably being less satisfying as narratives, but so much more interesting as self indulgent hunks of cinema. His indulgences here maybe just are as interesting to me as they were in later films.
CHILDREN OF MEN: Great concept. Great execution. Great acting and characters. Unapologetically grim tone. I think this movie is probably above any criticism I can level at it. It is kind of a masterclass in this kind of filmmaking. I'm not in love with it, it's much too perfect for that, but I respect the hell out of it.
AMELIE: Was on my list, hopefully disproving any allegations that can be levelled at me for being a pretentious, grumpy cynic. If cinema is many to articulate all the different feelings and thoughts of living on this planet and being human, this is the candidate for whimsy and joy. It's a beautiful film, full stop. And it is also a great love letter to Paris, to mischief, to love and to filmmaking. Everything I want in a movie is here, and in this instance, I don't have to feel even worse about the plight of existence once I'm finished with it. I actually might even dance a little.
TWO TOWERS: Marvellous filmmaking. Pretty good source material. And while this trilogy has earned respect in my head, it certainly has never made its way to my heart, as it has so many others. Normally though, it is the battle scenes in these films that put me to sleep, in the instance of Two Towers though, the raid on the castle (or whatever it is) is stupendously exciting stuff. Other than this though, I don't really have much of a take away from Two Towers. Like many, it feels like it is mostly just the connective tissue to two other films.
KILL BILL VOL 1: Was on my list. Was probably number 2. Is it really the second best film of the decade...almost certainly not. But there was no other place for me to put this as the compulsive rewatchability it affords me is undeniable. I'm never not in a mood to watch this, and God knows how many times I've put it on. Is it mostly just a set up for part two, which will do most of the narrative heavy lifting? Yup and good on it. This allows it to simply express itself with a pure kineticism you almost never find in any film, like, ever. It just wants to put fists through things with its red eyes fixed on revenge. It's all I need. Well, that and a director who can distill everything this is thought to be disposable trash about film, and turn it into poetry. And that is ultimately what Kill Bill is. A poem. Even its excessive violence is beautiful, and hypnotic and hilarious. Tarantino would never defy gravity in such a way again. It's a special special movie.
WALL-E: Much like my feelings towards The Incredibles, WALL-E is a film that I think has an undeniably brilliant first half, only to be undone by its finish. As I watched it for the first time, all I wanted was for WALL-E to stay on that trash planet. I wanted the silence to continue. I wanted to just continue to contemplate the purpose of this sad robot. And then, all of a sudden I'm forced to reckon with a satire of American culture. Now, is this satire on point? Yeah, I think mostly. But its intrusion on what was basically perfection up until this point is an anchor thrown at everything that came before. It grounds what seemed a daringly mysterious experiment in near silent cinema, and starts hitting us over the head with such an obnoxiously loud point, it knocked all the love of the movie out of me. The kind of movie that I feel was overthought into irrelevance. Where some focus group must have come in and demanded all that quiet beauty lead us to a louder more brash climax to really stick in our head. Unfortunately, the satire at the end of this lodged right into mine, crashing through my skull into my brain, like a ball bearing dropped from a very immense height. Yes, noticeable, but not pleasant. Or the kind of impact I was asking for.