+16
60. Batman Begins : Yet another recent viewing - The Dark Knight kind of puts this and Dark Knight Rises in the shade, but thinking about it, I have to admit it's a pretty impressive film. I don't think I rated it too highly at the time - I saw the final stretch as a little too hectic and unfocused, and the film is the only one out of the three without one clearly defined villain. It also carries the baggage of being an origin story - the other two get going from the very start. Nevertheless, Chris Nolan builds a dark and desperate world, with a Gotham that finally wouldn't be out of place in our universe and a vulnerable and tortured Bruce Wayne. We also get the Scarecrow for the first time in a feature film, and the visual effects of his hallucinogen might be my favourite aspect of the whole movie. This has a fantastic score - one of the standout features of the entire trilogy - and the 'Batmobile' this time has had a novel makeover as another feature which adapts to reality. I've seen this a few times now, and feel like it might be an age before I watch it again, but as far as superhero films go I'll admit that Batman Begins is superior to most - this didn't make my list though.
59. The Secret in Their Eyes : This film did make my list. Watched it again in preparation for this countdown, which confirmed it in my eyes as one of the films of the decade. An epic story which is part murder mystery, part romance and part political allegory. I love the cinematography and visuals, the complexity woven into the script, the acting, the score and just about everything else about it. Argentinian cinema is a huge blank spot for me - this film is basically the only one I know of, but it's quality sure makes up for lack of quantity. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2009, and I recommend it highly to anyone who hasn't seen it. Don't watch the American remake - and if you've seen the American version, ignore it - it's just about a completely different film, and substandard. One of the best films about justice, love, friendship and politics I've seen. It was #16 on my list.
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Films I've seen : 32
Films that have been on my radar : 6
Films I've never even heard of : 4
Films from my list : 6
#59 - My #16 - The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
#66 - My #9 - A Serious Man (2009)
#71 - My #23 - Snatch (2000)
#78 - My #13 - The Death of Mr. Lazarescu - (2005)
#84 - My #21 - The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
One pointer - World's Greatest Dad (2009)
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Remember - everything has an ending except hope, and sausages - they have two.
We miss you Takoma