Category: Favorite Films

What defines cool? A lot of things I suppose. Sometimes it’s the story or sometimes it’s the atmosphere but most of the time when we think cool, we think characters. The following films contain characters, both heroes and villains alike, that epitomize the meaning of cool in movies.

Le Samourai (directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)

If there’s one film that displays what cool looks like in movies, Jean-Pierre Melville’s gorgeously shot and elegantly-paced Le Samourai is it. The way Alain Delon plays a professional killer for hire is as classy as killer’s can get. Slickly dressed in suit, tie and hat with a style and grace that defines French elegance, Delon’s Jef Costello magnetizes the audience on screen. Despite the stakes — murder, doubt, and betrayal — he never breaks a sweat. Instead Jeff Costello always remains calm and collected, detached and almost emotionless. He defines the Japanese way of the warrior — Bushido — and is loyal to his trade, his craft. This is where his honour lies and the price is loneliness which is made loud and clear by Melville’s direction which is tight yet relaxed, as compositions define moments more than plots points or physical action. Here silence speaks and the character’s coolness shines.

Enter The Dragon (directed by Robert Clouse)

There’s nothing special about the story, directing or acting in Robert Clouse’s Enter The Dragon. One can say the directing is ham or amateurish at best. Some of it even downright silly. The film was reluctantly made and financed by Warner Bros costing only US$850,000 but went on to gross over US$90 million, an over 10000% return. Of course, the only reason it excels is the only (and ultimate) reason to watch it: its star, the immortal Bruce Lee. Here, the Little Dragon is introduced to the world in glorious form. With much of the fight scenes storyboarded and choreographed by Lee himself, the action shines with power and authenticity. Supporting cast members Shik Kien (who plays the villain Han), Jim Kelly and Bolo Yeung do add to the cool flavor of the film but ultimately this is all about Bruce. Even to this day, almost 47 years after his death (which happened before the movie’s release, so Bruce himself never saw the film) there’s still nobody like him on screen (or off) despite the endless copycats and homages, some of which were respectful while others were downright offensive. In Enter The Dragon Lee is intelligent, charming, beautiful and absolutely explosive. The camera loves his lean, muscular body. He’s magnetic both in his stillness and sudden explosiveness. To this day, Bruce Lee defines cool for not just every asian on the planet but for almost every practicing marital artist/fighter.

Heat (directed by Michael Mann)

I love Heat. Not only was it a chance to see two rarely seen together superstars of Hollywood act in the same shots, it defines what’s so cool about cops and robbers. And there’s nobody that films Los Angeles like Michael Mann does. The tight editing, sharp pin-pointed camera work and excellent sound editing elevate the senses. Along with dynamite performances from a large and talented crew, Mann’s film is so cool it almost glorifies the violent action. But in truth, the film is about inevitabilities and characters — like De Niro’s elusive bank robber who seems to be buying time for something more and Pacino’s detective who can’t keep a marriage together because he spends all his time chasing bad guys like De Niro. Here, smart men — men whose lives are lost in the engrossing action of their work — continue to do things that make no sense but they’re so good at it that nothing else in life compares. With loyalties, friendships and love on the line, the characters — all of them — struggle with their own individual dilemmas. With an excellent supporting cast of Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Jonathan Pryce, Jon Voight, Natalie Portman and Dennis Haysbert, Heat is sizeably long but engrossing. The bank robbery finale might be the most viscerally awesome gun-fire sequence in film history.

The Professional (directed by Luc Besson)

Luc Besson’s masterful killer-for-hire story has become a modern-day classic. Brimming with strong acting, excellent direction and brilliant sound editing, the audience is carried briskly through continuous action while carrying with it a real heart and empathy for its characters. The Professional showcases three wonderful stars: the highly underrated Jean Reno, the dynamically gifted Gary Oldman and a very young Natalie Portman in a star-turning performance. Immediately the film grabs you in its world of tragic circumstances and endearing characters all set in NYC. There’s great contrast here; the hero and expert killer Leon, played by Reno is lethal yet simple-minded, Oldman’s villain is a drug-induced cop who loves Beethoven and the young 12 year-old Matilda who may be small but carries a strength and maturity that’s both charming and dangerous. Rounding out the cast in a supporting role is the always great Danny Aielo who plays Leon’s Little Italy employer. Released as Leon in Europe, The Professional is as cool as it is fun and is my favorite film from director Luc Besson.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (directed by Sergio Leone)

The most famous of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti westerns, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is far from perfect. The pace drags a bit in the early going and the detailed montages of its three main characters take a while to play out. The fact that the budget was low and the side characters being dubbed (as much of the supporting cast didn’t speak English) do date and take away from the film’s enjoyability. But when the moments sit with its stars Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach and especially when two or more of them are on screen together, the film raises itself to another level. Eastwood’s “man with no name” is absolutely the coolest cowboy ever. Eastwood’s gunslinger is the good guy but he’s no saint — after conning reward money from the Sheriff’s office by both catching and releasing his convicted criminal partner Eli Wallach, he abandons him in the scorching hot desert. Wallach’s Tucco is a character with wit, charm and humour but he’s no coward. The scenes “Blondie” and Tucco share together are shots to be savoured. To round out the cast, Lee Van Cleef plays the kind of villain you would never want to face; he’s cold, intelligent and efficiently ruthless. He’s so cool, you wish he was a good guy (like he is in a Leone’s other Western classic For A Few Dollars More which is also, arguably, the better film). I like that Leone grounds the film during the civil war as it gives it historical perspective and a kind of philosophical depth to the film as we question the meaning of all this violence. Which is worse? Men who lie, steal and kill because they are left with no options or the governments and merchants who kill in the thousands all for ideals no one truly understands? In the end, it’s only money that matters and the films conclusion summarizes as much. And what an ending! Shot with creativity, technical brilliance and beauty, the climatic three-way gun draw between the film’s stars might be one of the most original scenes in film history. Accompanied by Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, the film is a classic.

A Better Tomorrow (directed by John Woo)

I still remember seeing John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow for the first time at the theatre. It was an unforgettable experience. It was, at least for me, the first time Hong Kong cinema got serious about movies. Taking the age old cops and gangsters genre John Woo, working with a great script that he also wrote, created characters with so much charm, heart and authenticity that the world fell in love with them. 1970’s kung fu action star Ti Lung plays “Ho-guo,” the honorable big brother of Hong Kong’s most powerful mafia. Along with Chow Yun-Fat who plays his business partner Mark, the two make for the most likeable and coolest gangsters on the silver screen. All seems good until a deal goes wrong and betrayal reveals the inevitable. Ho winds up in jail and Mark takes revenge for his friend by going on a ruthless killing spree in Taiwan but ends up disabled. And just like that, their mafia reign is over. The late Leslie Cheung plays Ho’s little brother, a young burgeoning cop who once idolized him but now sees his sibling as his enemy. It’s a great story about ambition and the boundaries between brothers in blood and brotherhood forged in battle. The film is a classic in Asia and has inspired the likes of Quentin Tarantino to make/write films like Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. This is a film I never tire of watching despite the fact that so many filmmakers (on both sides of the Pacific) have copied its style and content. Chow Yun-fat’s electric performance alone makes it worth seeing over and over again.

Wanna see more excellent film recommendations? Check out my lists of other Favorite Films here.

“Art must take reality by surprise.” — Francoise Sagan, Playwright

It’s hard to find films that offer something new. Hollywood is big business, and like all corporate businesses, many decisions are based on risk. New things are risky and making movies is one of the riskiest. But as with everything driven mostly by the pursuit of profit and efficiency, there’s always a hefty price to pay. The sacrifices made usually reveal themselves in the quality of the end product but also in the process of making films (i.e. the work). The greatest worry, of course, is that the craft itself could be damaged, as viewers lose the ability to make the distinction between good and bad filmmaking.

But there’s always hope, for artists are forever finding new ways to work around obstacles. The following movies in this segment of my continuing series of Favorite Films give evidence of that. All of them are fairly new and offer surprises to the audience both in plot and visceral experience. They give us something to look forward to in a time when new movies feel more dated – more tired and worn out — than older ones. These are exceptions to the rule of stale formulas and mindless sequels so common in the movie industry today.

Chan Wook Park’s latest film The Handmaiden is a stunner. Astounding costumes, set designs and cinematography all enhance the atmosphere that delights the palette. The film is buoyed by two excellent performances from actresses Kim Tae-Ri and Cho Jin-Woong, who play mistress-servant roles that gets all tangled up in an elaborate and deceitful game of seduction. Based loosely on Sarah Water’s novel Fingersmith, the film is set in the 1930’s and captures the sumptuous Victorian designs and influence in Japanese-occupied Korea. In a world of secrecy and privilege, we witness a young girl’s nocturnal adventures — much of the film takes place in the dark — as she takes on the job as the handmaiden to a wealthy heir, the beautifully young yet lonely Lady Hideko. Since I wish not to give anything away, Park’s film sums up to a beautiful yet thrilling erotic experience — a deep character study thrusted into a period piece with stunning literary allusions. Already acclaimed for his magnificent and shocking thrillers such as Old Boy and Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, The Handmaiden is by far his most deviously-intelligent and visually stunning film, one filled with surprises at every turn.

I love Wes Anderson’s “fantasy” films (such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Fantastic Mr. Fox). They manage to portray with more sincerity and freshness the truths of human (or in this case, canine) life than most “serious” dramas. Using simple caricatures and one-point perspective camera compositions, Anderson intrigues the audience constantly with his visual and narrative choices; you never quite know where he’s going but you can’t help but follow. In Isle of Dogs he takes it to another level. Set in Japan, it’s a story about a 12-year old boy named Atari who sets off alone in search of his bodyguard dog Spots whom he believes may have been sent to a garbage dump called Trash island. There, numerous canines have been exiled by government decree due to an outbreak blamed on the popular four-legged companions. Featuring voices by Anderson regulars like Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Edward Norton, it also introduces new contributions by Bryan Cranston and Scarlet Johansson, who together play a bunch of misfit canines who help the young human protagonist navigate the land to find his dog. The film is, in many ways, mentally challenging to the audience. Anderson stays true to Japanese culture while also leaving much of the language expressed in its native tongue. This makes it difficult to follow at times. But it’s not only worth it, it’s part of the experience of venturing into the unknown, just like in real life. At its heart Isle of Dogs is a novel adventure that emphasizes without preaching the value of friendship, loyalty and is an ode to our love of dogs.

Director Damien Chazelle, who also wrote the screenplay, has made a small but electric gem with Whiplash. Featuring a magnificently intelligent and physical performance from J.K. Simmons who plays demanding music instructor Terence Fletcher, the film literally whips you back and forth just as he does to its main character Andrew Neiman played by Miles Teller. It’s a simple story of a young jazz musician whose ambitions to become one of the “greats” lead him to push all things in his life out of the way, including his sleep, his relationships, his mental-emotional health and, perhaps, even his own dignity. Neiman does all of this willingly. Seeing his potential, Fletcher invites the freshman drummer into his elite music conservatory, a group of artists who compete just as harshly against each other as with themselves just to be there. But Fletcher is a mean, ruthless and abusive mentor even if he’s one who’s self-aware; his hope is to force just one of these young musicians to reach their full potential and he makes no apologies for how he does it. True to his passions, Neiman delivers an intensity and drive that matches his teacher but things twist and turn as quickly as Fletcher’s temper. I loved every minute of this movie and it culminates into a final scene that’s emotionally breathtaking for every passionate artist who’s out there watching.

French writer/director Mattheiu Delaporte has created a surprisingly suspenseful film. It’s never easy making mysteries and this one is original and highly unpredictable. Starring Mathieu Kassovitz as the meticulous yet bored real-estate agent Sebastien Nicolas, the film leads off with a strange yet sombre opening — Sebastien makes a final phone call just before he commits suicide by blowing up his entire apartment. What follows is the mystery as to what makes a man do what he does, and it is in this journey that we learn about Sebastien Nicolas, a man who leads a double life by impersonating strangers whom he has just met. After following his insane adventures — which reveal the skill and meticulous preparations as well as the risks he takes — we find our protagonist at a crossroads. After nearly getting exposed for his latest shenanigans, Sebastien decides to call it quits. That is, until he meets a reclusive violin virtuoso, Henri de Montalte (also played by Kassovitz) who presents to him his most challenging role yet. But in impersonating the retired musician he gets sucked in deeper than ever in the double life as he engages de Montalte’s ex-lover and her child. What plays out is not what’s expected and both Delaporte’s direction and Kossovitz’s incredibly seamless and chameleon-like performance is perfect — we are so convinced by the character’s behaviour we forget who is being fooled here. This is a modern mystery that brilliantly makes us wonder about how we see the world as well as how we see ourselves including the various parts and identities we play in life.

Romance movies are some of the most predictable films made, not just in Hollywood, but everywhere on this planet. But here, in Ritesh Batra’s beautiful little film The Lunchbox, the tale is told in a fresh and often surprisingly whimsical manner. The premise is simple; lonely young housewife Ila (Nimrat Kuar) decides to re-ignite the romance in her marriage by making a special lunch for her husband but due to a rare mistake by the food delivery company — a very popular service in India — the lunchbox ends going to another man, Sajaan Fernandez (Irrfan Khan). The swapping of lunchboxes ends up creating the most unexpected of situations as her magnificent lunch delights the palette of the stranger while her neglectful husband gets even more turned off by the standard fare that was ordered by Fernandez. For some reason the lunchboxes continue to get mis-delivered but Ila doesn’t even bother to question it anymore as her marriage continues to fade just as she begins to develop this unusual relationship with Sajaan, a dutiful yet prickly accountant who’s about to retire. The chemistry between the two actors feels magical even though they never share a screen together. Irrfan Khan’s performance is as sublime as always, underplayed and lasting with depth and intelligence. Kuar’s Ila is beautiful and, in her confusion with both her newfound relationship with Sajaan and the overarching purpose of her life, she reveals a vulnerablity that invites empathy. Batra’s The Lunchbox is a film that reveals the beauty of strangeness — the kind of wondrous peculiarity that’s on the brink of extinction in a world dominated by modern living — and it’s beautifully expressed here by the metaphorical exchange of hand-written letters.

To see more Favorite Films go here.