8 Great Movies that Men SHOULD Watch!
February 28th 2008 22:54
This list is inspired by my earlier post, where I decried a list of movies that men must watch. My list is meant to be a followup... basically, if you think this list of 100 films is fantastic, perhaps you should move to the films on this list.
Here it is: 8 Movies that Men SHOULD Watch, edited by the fact that this list is limited by my rather small knowledge of cinema.
1. Annie Hall
"Annie Hall" is a terrific Woody Allen comedy that warns young men against living like Allen. Allen's character meets a girl who he feels superior to; their relationship is like that of a student and a mentor. His arrogance causes a rift in the relationship when he loses some of that superiority and he's left with nothing. A film of sad nostalgia, an orange traffic cone for the rest of us.
2. After the Wedding
Suzanne Bier's emotional trainwreck is hard to watch and the theatre where I saw it was filled with wracked sobs. "After the Wedding" exposes the family unit to plain view, forming it hastily out of clay, then smashing it up again. The process is heartbreaking, but oddly cathartic, despite the terrifying final scenes. Needs to be watching in a cinema for full effect. In Danish.
3. Le Samourai
This French gangster flick is a visual delight... Jean-Pierre Melville's vision of an assassin who lives by a strict code of honor is exquisite in detail. The assassin is almost the frame of a man, subsiding on his honour, stripped of all other mortal concerns. In French.
4. In the Mood For Love
One of my absolute favourites... directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "In the Mood For Love" recreates 1960s Hong Kong, with the colours and lighting picked perfectly. Maggie Cheung parades an endless stream of stunning Chinese qi pao dresses, showing off her magnificent figure, inspiring lust in Tony Leung, who is her neighbor. They're married to separate spouses, who are both having an affair, which drives them to each other's company. A beautiful reflection on being made insignificant in the helpless trappings of a marriage. In Cantonese.
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's
Usually loved by women who are in search of a good cry, especially for the end, which has been stolen for the endings of a great many inferior films, this Blake Edwards romantic comedy gives us rare introspection into the shell of a woman. Audrey Hepburn is a beautiful, carefree woman that flits from man to man, looking for one that'll bring her riches and fortune. I've met quite a few women that aspired to be something like Holly Golightly - vivaciously charming, great company and stunning in a Givenchy dress- but they miss the fact that it's a facade and she's a simple country girl that fled her life.
6. Knocked Up
I was loathe to add this to the list, but, in its own vulgar, obvious way, Judd Apatow's hit comedy gives direct commandments to young men: when it's time to grow up, grow up. Dress better. Get a job. Bring up your child in the best possible environment.
7. Audition
Usually, women are the target of crazed serial killers... well, not in Takashi Miike's insanely terrifying horror. For once, the roles are reversed, for once, we are the ones being hunted. My girlfriend took considerable glee at my discomfort and for good reason. This is a movie that'll haunt you - Miike's twisted addition is that it's nearly warranted, making it reason to fly straight. In Japanese.
8. Pusher
A dark look at the underground drug network in Denmark. The language is harsh and guttural, but the main character, played by Kim Bodnia, who adds surprising depth to a story with very little dialogue. He's racing against the clock to pay back a higher-level drug dealer, and nothing goes right.
Deeper inside Nicholas Winding Refn's "Pusher", is the desire of a man, born into harsh circumstances, trying to lift himself out. It's a bleakly hopeful film, which takes your hope and dashes it against the wall several times. In this grim reality, the viewer feels sympathetic for Bodnia as he spends his money on sushi, attempting to enjoy the better life. In Danish.
Here it is: 8 Movies that Men SHOULD Watch, edited by the fact that this list is limited by my rather small knowledge of cinema.
1. Annie Hall
"Annie Hall" is a terrific Woody Allen comedy that warns young men against living like Allen. Allen's character meets a girl who he feels superior to; their relationship is like that of a student and a mentor. His arrogance causes a rift in the relationship when he loses some of that superiority and he's left with nothing. A film of sad nostalgia, an orange traffic cone for the rest of us.
2. After the Wedding
Suzanne Bier's emotional trainwreck is hard to watch and the theatre where I saw it was filled with wracked sobs. "After the Wedding" exposes the family unit to plain view, forming it hastily out of clay, then smashing it up again. The process is heartbreaking, but oddly cathartic, despite the terrifying final scenes. Needs to be watching in a cinema for full effect. In Danish.
3. Le Samourai
This French gangster flick is a visual delight... Jean-Pierre Melville's vision of an assassin who lives by a strict code of honor is exquisite in detail. The assassin is almost the frame of a man, subsiding on his honour, stripped of all other mortal concerns. In French.
4. In the Mood For Love
One of my absolute favourites... directed by Wong Kar-Wai, "In the Mood For Love" recreates 1960s Hong Kong, with the colours and lighting picked perfectly. Maggie Cheung parades an endless stream of stunning Chinese qi pao dresses, showing off her magnificent figure, inspiring lust in Tony Leung, who is her neighbor. They're married to separate spouses, who are both having an affair, which drives them to each other's company. A beautiful reflection on being made insignificant in the helpless trappings of a marriage. In Cantonese.
5. Breakfast at Tiffany's
Usually loved by women who are in search of a good cry, especially for the end, which has been stolen for the endings of a great many inferior films, this Blake Edwards romantic comedy gives us rare introspection into the shell of a woman. Audrey Hepburn is a beautiful, carefree woman that flits from man to man, looking for one that'll bring her riches and fortune. I've met quite a few women that aspired to be something like Holly Golightly - vivaciously charming, great company and stunning in a Givenchy dress- but they miss the fact that it's a facade and she's a simple country girl that fled her life.
6. Knocked Up
I was loathe to add this to the list, but, in its own vulgar, obvious way, Judd Apatow's hit comedy gives direct commandments to young men: when it's time to grow up, grow up. Dress better. Get a job. Bring up your child in the best possible environment.
7. Audition
Usually, women are the target of crazed serial killers... well, not in Takashi Miike's insanely terrifying horror. For once, the roles are reversed, for once, we are the ones being hunted. My girlfriend took considerable glee at my discomfort and for good reason. This is a movie that'll haunt you - Miike's twisted addition is that it's nearly warranted, making it reason to fly straight. In Japanese.
8. Pusher
A dark look at the underground drug network in Denmark. The language is harsh and guttural, but the main character, played by Kim Bodnia, who adds surprising depth to a story with very little dialogue. He's racing against the clock to pay back a higher-level drug dealer, and nothing goes right.
Deeper inside Nicholas Winding Refn's "Pusher", is the desire of a man, born into harsh circumstances, trying to lift himself out. It's a bleakly hopeful film, which takes your hope and dashes it against the wall several times. In this grim reality, the viewer feels sympathetic for Bodnia as he spends his money on sushi, attempting to enjoy the better life. In Danish.
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