This is something of a late entry, given that most of us have already closed the book on 2019. Nonetheless, I have reflected on the films I watched this year and selected 5 timeless favourites which I will certainly be revisiting for years to come. They aren’t listed in any particular order, merely the order in which I thought of them.
Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff – 2001)
Ghost World is a brilliantly honest coming of age story, unique in its acknowledgment of the ambiguity and disillusionment that comes with the transition into adulthood. Sarcasm and commentary on the creative lifestyle abound. Need I say more?
(P.S. I already have: https://viewkid.family.blog/2019/12/31/ghost-world/)
MVP: Steve Buscemi as lonely eccentric.
MVQ: “Now I remember why I haven’t been anywhere in months. I just – I can’t relate to 99 percent of humanity.”
The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen – 1998)
At first glance, The Big Lebowski appears to be a film about a man seeking compensation for a soiled rug. For that reason, I delayed watching it for years, anticipating that it would be difficult viewing.
In actuality, The Big Lebowski is a pleasure to watch. This is largely because it allows the audience to inhabit the headspace of the Dude, who moves through life unperturbed by external events and material losses. In seeing the world from the Dude’s perspective, the viewer is encouraged to avoid getting caught up in the frustrations of daily life and instead cultivate inner contentment, or at least a more laid back attitude. In some ways, the film is disorienting because of the many repetitions in dialogue and setting. I believe this is a conscious choice by the Coens, intended to bring the audience further into alignment with the Dude by emulating the echoes and flashbacks that would be rife in the mind of a 48 year old stoner.
Some critics suggest that in seeking compensation for his rug, the Dude is expressing a latent desire for order and meaning. I disagree with this interpretation. The Dude’s uncharacteristic attachment to the rug is what embroils him in a string of calamitous events that test his equanimity. In my view, this is intended to convey that suffering is caused by attachment to material objects. The Coen brothers have rejected the notion that the film is conveying any particular message, so there is no definitive answer here.
This film inspired me to try my first White Russian (or as it is jokingly called in the film, a Caucasian) the following day. Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction to the beverage and fainted in my driveway before being taken to hospital. I will therefore always have a strong sense memory associated with The Big Lebowski.
MVP: Jeff Bridges as pyjamaed hero.
MVQ: “Smokey this is not ‘Nam, this is bowling. There are rules”
Whiplash (Damien Chazelle – 2014)
Whiplash was one of those movies that made me feel seen, as it captured something I had felt but never seen articulated so effectively – the relentless pursuit of excellence, to the extent that it consumes every aspect of one’s life.
I was deterred from watching Whiplash for many years despite hearing positive reviews, because I knew it’s subject matter was something in which I have no interest – drumming. However, upon watching I realised that this film isn’t really about drumming. In fact, it honestly could have been about anything – the drumming is merely a platform to convey a message.
MVP: J.K. Simmons as the teacher from hell (although I secretly wish I had a teacher who pushed me to these levels of excellence and insanity)
MVQ: “Get the fuck out of my sight before I demolish you!”
Eagle vs Shark (Taika Waititi – 2007)
Taika Waititi is undoubtedly one of my favourite directors. It took me a long time to finally watch Eagle vs Shark because it is his least well-reviewed film; however, upon watching, I was happy to discover that it is fantastic and gravely underappreciated.
Eagle vs Shark may be less popular because the characters are so painfully awkward that the story only resonates with extremely awkward viewers. For those of us who can relate, it’s the kind of film that makes you feel okay, ecstatic even, about being a weird person.
I personally loved how unabashedly odd this film is. In Eagle vs Shark, Waititi imagines up a world that is sweetly naive and non-judgmental. When Jarrod complains that he is a loser, Lily acknowledges that this is true yet accepts him nonetheless. In that way, Eagle vs Shark gives its characters permission to be who they are, even if they suck sometimes.
MVP: Jemaine Clement as vengeful nerd and worst boyfriend of all time.
MVQ: “I’m so complex!”
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock – 1960)
I reluctantly watched Psycho because it was assigned as homework for my screen media class. Never has reluctance transformed so swiftly into enthusiasm! I expected that it would feel stale, having been released in 1960; however, it felt sleek and relevant. The cinematography remains innovative and the concepts explored still resonated in 2019.
No one prepared me for how much I would like Norman Bates. I had always assumed he would be portrayed as a despicable murderer. Imagine my surprise when he appeared on screen as a gently spoken and loveably awkward young man, with a healthy fascination with taxidermy.
My favourable impression of Norman Bates wasn’t diminished after he is revealed to be murdering people while dressed as his dead mother. As Norman says early in the film “we’re all in our private traps”. Norman’s trap is clearly the enduring impact of a traumatic past. In what is perhaps the most evocative analogy for enmeshed parenting ever depicted, the embittered voice of Norman’s deceased mother has merged with his own internal dialogue, eventually overcoming his autonomy.
MVP: Anthony Perkins as endearing serial killer.
MVQ: “We all go a little mad sometimes”
I evidently love a movie about an outsider; whether they be an angsty teenager, a serial killer or a man-child hung up on his childhood bully. Here’s hoping that 2020 brings even more films filled with social outcasts and rejects for me to dissect and relate to.
View Kid 