Saturday, December 01, 2007

Top Ten Films II

A while ago, I posted my top ten films of the last six months (whether seen on DVD or at the cinema). Here is an updated list for the second half of the year, though I doubt any of these would make it onto my all time top ten, and most of them would come behind the earlier list.

10. Mad Max II 1981
9. Ten Canoes 2006
8. Lucky Miles 2007
7. The Thing 1982
6. Eastern Promises 2007
5. Perfect Blue 1998
4. Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding) 2006
3. Red Road 2006
2. Inland Empire 2006
1. Coffee and Cigarettes 2005
Two disappointments in the last week have been Lions for Lambs and Elizabeth: the Golden Age. I am looking forward to Night on Earth, Bladerunner and A Scanner Darkly, which are all sitting on my desk on loan from a friend. Any other recommendations?

UPDATE: Having now watched A Scanner Darkly, I think it would have made it onto this list around number 4 or 5.

23 comments:

Martin Kemp said...

Paris, je t'aime is worth a look. 18 short stories (6 min each!) set in Paris.

byron smith said...

Yeah, I've heard from a few people that's good. And happy birthday!

Dave Barrie said...

We enjoyed The Method last week. It's about a group of people who must compete against each other in a series of psychological tests for a job in the corporate world.

If you've ever player the game Assassins (also known as mafia) then you'll have a good idea what the movie is like.

Anonymous said...

What are you doing watching "Mad Max 2" again? I've somehow avoided it after 3 years of peaking... ;-)

Anonymous said...

Does your love for Coffee and Cigarettes mean you have a love for the music of Tom Waits?

byron smith said...

Dave B: thanks, I'll look out for it.

Dave L: being a young 'un, it wasn't 'again' for me. I'd only seen MM3 as a kid and so Jess and I decided we ought to see all three a couple of months ago.

Geoff: indeed it does, and I've loved every Jarmusch film I've seen so far.

Anonymous said...

"Geoff: indeed it does"

Then you're alright with me.

He's one of the artists I have to face myself with the truth that I will probably never see him perform live

Joanna said...

Have you seen Junebug? It's a little gem.

Anonymous said...

I just watched Bobby last night. An interesting film about the asassination of Robert F Kennedy. It certainly has a stellar cast, and is very revealling of the times of 1968 in USA. An interesting thought to imagine what America would have been like if he had one the election (which seemed likely at the time). Comparisons to more recent times spring easily to mind...

stef.

byron smith said...

Jobloggs - haven't heard of it. I'll keep an eye out.

Stef - I saw a doco on RFK a couple of months ago that made me want to see 'Robby'. But I haven't yet.

Geoff - yeah, somehow, I can't see him holding an Australian tour...

Anonymous said...

"Amores perros" - The Mexican Pulp Fiction.
A film called "No man's land" - The best war movie I've ever seen. It's about the Bosnian conflict. Two soldiers from opposing sides in the conflict are stuck in trench together. Lots of critique about the UN and media intervention. A great movie

byron smith said...

I loved Amores Perros. And thanks for the recommendation. I'll need to add all these films to my 'DVDs to look out for' list.

Unknown said...

Did we discuss As It Is in Heaven at the MCSI dinner, Byron? It is certainly worth a look. And The Finished People (2003). I also saw The Station Agent(2003)-- a very quirky film starring Peter Drinklage.

h. goldsmith said...

while a scanner darkly and blade runner are both very good movies, neither comes close to the experience of reading the novels they're based on. reading philip dick is, well, an experience.

Justin said...

The Lives of Others (1996)

Justin said...

Thats 2006...

byron smith said...

Yeah, I loved it - as I mentioned back here. I also wrote a brief review.

byron smith said...

Neil - I've been meaning to see AISIH for months (though I don't think we discussed it). I've taken note of the others too. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I just watched a film called 'Last Days'.
(Flagrantly) Based on the final day or so of the life of Kurt Cobain. I will now read Ecclesiastes and cry.
I'm not a huge Nirvana nut or anything, but this film actually forces you to enter into this poor dude’s loneliness and boredom. Haven't ever seen anything that has affected me in this way.

Stuart Heath said...

Some films I've liked this year (in no particular order):

1. The Science of Sleep (La science des rêves)

2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

3. This is England

4. La vie en rose (La môme)

5. 28 Weeks Later

6. Gone baby gone (very grim - be warned!)

7. Casino Royale (okay, it was last year, but at the very end!)

Think I've covered pretty much all the genres, there (but science des rêves is only tenuously a romcom). Hard to pick any standout romcoms for this year, but I kinda liked Becoming Jane. Bit slim on that front :(

byron smith said...

Dave - Thanks for the recommendation and warning!

Stuart - I enjoyed #1 & #4, though wasn't really taken by either of them. I'd really like to see #3 and almost borrowed it the other night. I've also heard #2 is good, but that watching it as a non-American would be like watching a Ned Kelly film as a non-Australian. Haven't heard much about #6 - I'll have to check it out.

Stuart Heath said...

Ah, all right. I was going to leave it be, but I've thought of two films that I really should have included: Clubland and Hot Fuzz.

byron smith said...

I saw Hot Fuzz with my in-laws over Christmas and enjoyed it far more than I thought I was going to. It was quite clever, in a very silly way.