Number 1 on my list is American Beauty. This is one of the first movies that I remember being specifically mesmerized by the actors in the film. Kevin Spacey won an Academy Award for his portrayal of an everyday-kind-of-guy going through a mid-life crisis while lusting after his teenage daughter's best friend. It's the kind of character that most people would find repulsive in real life, but he becomes a fascinating character on a journey of self-discovery in this film. Sam Mendes was a largely unknown director before this film, but when this film won the Best Picture Oscar in 1999, it put him on the map. It's a brilliant film.
My number 2 movie is Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums. I fell in love with this movie about a dysfunctional family dealing with growing apart as they grow up. The ensemble cast is top-notch, and each of the quirky characters are given enough screen time for us to come to know and love each of them by the end of the film. You truly do come to care about these people as they all learn to confront some uncomfortable truths about themselves.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy holds a place of honor on this list. I grew up a Star Wars nerd, and I'm still a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy flicks. However, it's hard to find representative movies of those genres that don't suck in some way or another. Star Wars had the terrible prequels, Star Trek movies are only good half of the time, and fantasy movies are typically made for younger audiences. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy blows away all of those other movies, and they appeal to a wider audience than even the books could have. These movies had great special effects, believable acting from grown men playing Hobbits and wizards, and a great epic story.
Number 4 on my list is Donnie Darko. I had no idea what I was getting into the first time I saw this movie. Donnie Darko defies conventional genre labels, as I've heard it referred to as a sci-fi movie, a horror movie, and a dark comedy all from different sources. I think all of those descriptions work, since this movie takes the viewer through time and space in its exploration of the strange events surrounding a teenage boy and his terrifying dreams. It's surreal in context, but rooted in an almost-conventional coming-of-age story. If nothing else, it'll keep you watching just so you can try and figure out what the heck's going on.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind finishes up my list. Yet again, I've chosen a movie with a non-linear storyline, and with a plot that defies tradition and physics. However, this love story about a boy and girl falling in and out of love left me re-examining my own relationships, and wondering how life would be if I were to just erase unpleasant memories from my life. The movie's great, and the deep conversations that it inspires after the credits roll are totally fun too!
Thus ends Brandon's top five! The snobs are out. Peace!
Click on any of the movie posters to see the trailers.
Good list. I love all of those movies, though I found Eternal Sunshine to be a bit overrated. I love Michel Gondry and his interesting perspective (specifically his physical representation of feelings and characters..see: the gift he gave to Conan O'Brien), but Charlie Kaufman seems overly concerned with metaphysical ideals that just aren't very accessible to anyone except for neurotic people like himself.
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