My Favorite Films (Part 3)

Please refer to http://goo.gl/Oe7tO5, which explains the criteria for this series and don't forget to check out Kyle's blog at www.enterthemovies.blogspot.com for his lists, too!

11. The Cooler

Year: 2003
Director: Wayne Kramer

The Cooler is a film that a lot of people have not seen and I consider that a shame. It excels in just about every aspect of film-making, from the acting and writing to the direction, editing, and soundtrack. William H. Macy has been one of my favorite supporting actors for almost two decades and it is a treat to get to watch him carry a film on his own. His performance as Bernie Lootz, a perpetual loser who has the seemingly magical talent of 'cooling' down gamblers on winning streaks, is a mix of comedy and drama, of subterranean lows and magnificent highs. Macy plays the sad sack loser role quite well (and has a lot of experience with those roles), but it's wonderful to see him transform when his luck finally turns around. Mario Bello and Alec Baldwin (in possibly his best performance) each have meaty roles and turn in great performances as well, but The Cooler is really Macy's film.  I love gambling and casinos, so the setting of the film is exciting for me, as was the old school soundtrack. If you're ever in the mood for a drama, comedy, romance, or gangster film, do yourself a favor and check out The Cooler, it fulfills all these cravings and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

12. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

Year: 2008
Director: Kurt Kuenne

I love documentaries. I probably watched 20-30 of them every year and the very best doc I've ever seen, no hesitation required on my part, is Dear Zachary. It's a film I've recommended to dozens of people (and even borrowed my copy to a lot of them) and no one who has watched it has had a negative response. They usually thank me for turning them onto the film. If I were to reveal too much about the story, it could possibly spoil things for the uninitiated, so I'll just say that I have never seen any film (of any kind) that has effected me as emotionally as Dear Zachary did. For weeks after seeing it in 2008, it was in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about it - about the people involved or what it said about the nature of good and evil. After you see the film, I'd suggest checking out the 15 minute follow up that Kuenne posted to YouTube a couple years ago called, "The Legacy of Dear Zachary: A Journey to Change Law", as it provides some interesting information and is definitely worth your time.

13. The Departed

Year: 2006
Director: Martin Scorsese

There are very few films that are entertaining and exhilarating as The Departed. Martin Scorsese has been making fantastic films for almost 50 years and was recently featured on My Favorite Directors list, but my favorite film of his is relatively recent. It won him his long overdue Best Director Academy Award (not to mention awards for Best Picture, Screenplay, and Editing) and is his highest grossing film. Whatever praise I shower upon the film almost feels unnecessary at this point, but I'll soldier on. I'm not sure what I love most about The Departed. The characters? They are well written, authentic, and engaging. The acting? Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon turn in excellent lead performances and the supporting cast - led by Jack Nicholson, but featuring Mark Wahlberg (never better), Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone, and Vera Farmiga, among others - is stellar. The direction? Scorsese seems to have settled into a late career grove where everything he does is magnificent. The soundtrack? The Rolling Stones are, of course, featured, but my favorite bit of music is from The Dropkick Murphys. The action? The drama? The editing? The cinematography? There are just too many excellent aspects to choose from, so I won't pick one. I will say that, after several viewings, The Departed has worked it's way into my personal Top 10.

14. Die Hard

Year: 1988
Director: John McTiernan

 

When I was a kid, I thought Die Hard was the best action movie ever. In the years since, my opinion hasn't changed. It has everything a great action movie needs - awesome set pieces, fantastic characters, witty dialogue, and suspense, not to mention some terrific acting, superb direction, and wonderful technical aspects. It has one of my favorite heroes (John McClane) and one of my favorite villains (Hans Gruber), plus a host of memorable side characters. Bruce Willis, known then as a comedic television actor, and Alan Rickman, hardly known at all in the States, combined for one of the best and most memorable duos of the 80's. Die Hard may have spawned countless knock-offs and a few underwhelming sequels - the third installment, Die Hard with a Vengeance is nearly as good as the first, but the other three are just okay or downright terrible - but the original will live forever. 

15. Dogma

Year: 1999

Director: Kevin Smith

 

Dogma is definitely not a film for everyone. If you're deeply religious (and don't have a sense of humor), you probably would find it unpleasant, to say the least. If you don't care for vulgar language, it's not something you should seek out. But if you have a certain sense of humor and would like a slightly more "grown up" comedy, I can't recommend it enough. From writer/director Kevin Smith, the creator of Clerks, Chasing Amy, and Zach and Miri Make a Porno (to highlight some of my favorite films of his), Dogma is by far his most ambitious film. Smith is widely known as a much better writer than director (even he admits his movies look pretty terrible most of the time), but I think Dogma is not only his best screenplay but also a beautifully shot film. Also, the entire expansive cast is a joy to watch. It's hard for me to pick any standout performances, as I really like them all about equally, but I have a soft spot for George Carlin as Cardinal Glick and Alan Rickman as the voice of God, Metatron. If I had my way, a few of the sillier moments would be removed, but I understand that Smith didn't intend to make a dark comedy.

Well, there's part three of this ten part series. I hope to have inspired at least one person to check out one of these films and I hope to read some comments down below. Do you like any of these films? Hate any of them? Let me know, please!

Coming up next Friday: My Favorite Lead Actress Performances.