My Favorite Movies

Ever feel totally alone...except in your own head? So did Birdy (played by Matthew Modine). Stuck in a world where he feels he does not belong growing up tethered to the ground by gravity he seeks escape through flight. The flight is as spiritual as it is physical as Birdy makes every effort to run from this world he did not create. He finds one true friend (Played by Nicholas Cage), someone who accepts him unconditionally. This friend (though he has a name there is no use for them in this film) is Birdy's only grounding to a world which holds the horrors of bullies grown up to play with adult toys of war. Birdy's Psyche, wrenched in anger and anguish, trying to come to terms with the things that he cannot understand by seeing them through the eyes of a spirit he can understand...that of a bird...so caged. All of this is set masterfully against Peter Gabriel's soundtrack which is simply his album, "Security," revamped for the film without the lyrics. Interestingly enough though, for those Gabriel fans out there, if you listen to Security and truly read the lyrics it will help you to understand the film. The haunting melody of Wallflower, a song depicting a person who has been institutionalized and is asked to maintain his spirit and not break nor bend to the will of the "keepers" plays throughout this film (sans lyrics of course). "6 by 6 from wall to wall, shutters on the windows no light at all, there's damp on the floor and there is damp in the bed, they're trying to get you crazy get you out of your head...Hold on..." I found this film on cable about 19 years ago and found myself crying. It is truly that moving. Also, like so many good films, the book is excellent as well.

This is a love story...a dark and twisted love story by some accounts, but a love story nonetheless. If you are thinking when I say this that it is a "chick flick" or a "skin flick" look elsewhere because it is neither. This is the first movie I have seen that has hit the mainstream that has explored the true meaning behind an S&M relationship...that being one of 100% trust and honesty. Being allowed to let your guard down, open yourself wide, and feel no shame inside the safety of a relationship where someone really understands you and loves you for who you are. To say that this is a romantic comedy would be true, but also unjust because it is so much more than that. A woman who has been misunderstood her whole life meets a man who has also been misunderstood and the only way he has survived is by hiding that side of himself from all save a few...and they have abandoned him...until now. You decide...are they poison for one another or a panacea? I vote the latter. I won't go much further here so as not to be a spoiler, but watch, and squirm, and feel uncomfortable...and then ask yourself, "why does this make me uncomfortable?" If you want a delicious Noir Love Story you have found it in this magnificent film.

This is one of my all time favorites. One needs to digest it and really it must get more than one view. A true thinking person's comedy. Two side characters from Hamlet...who cares right? Wrong! This movie (first a play) follows the lives of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern after they have left the spotlight. The conversations, the wit, the Word Tennis...truly a magnificent movie and the magic starts right away...no waiting. Add this to Gary Oldman, Tim Roth starring and you get a glorious film. put this in your collection.

If Kurt Vonnegut were to write a love story it might look like this. Brilliant in its conception and just as brilliant in its execution you will be mesmerized as the mind is captured and let loose amidst a flurry of emotional backlash. Dare to be vulnerable in the eyes of someone you love. Have the strength to know that the you which has been created came through the full range of the human experience...this includes love lost and trauma, fear and humiliation, passion paired with pain. It is one thing to let those things go...it is another to lose them altogether. Jim Carrey gives his best performance to date and Kate Winslet is superlative as always. Be prepared to think, but go with the flow and you will come away with something unique and wonderful.

I cannot say enough about how amazing this movie is. Based on the true story of gang warfare in Rio de Janeiro this movie puts new meaning into the notion of, "Stranger Than Fiction." The action is fierce. The characters are incredibly well developed. The story is amazing. The cinematography is second to none. You will be awestruck and unable to move, transfixed by the images as well as the dialogue. The brutality is well depicted and done in a non-sensational fashion yet seems entirely fantastic...it is all too real...it is real. You will feel every heartbeat, you will experience every loss, you will remember every name. You will be so drawn in that you will forget that you are watching a film. People compare this to the movie "Goodfellas." I enjoyed "Goodfellas," but, for me, it was nowhere near as fine a film as "City of God." While there are some parallels that may be drawn there is really no comparison. They are very different in their style, feel, content and execution. It is frightening. It is terrible. It is beautiful to watch. Also, watch the extras. There is a real documentary on life in the Favela. It is quite an eye opener as well. You must watch this movie.

To make yourself you have to break yourself first. This incarnation of Chuck Palahniuk's debut novel is astounding. The brilliance starts in the novel itself and is masterfully transcribed to the screen. The casting is perfect as the acting will betray. Here find the quintessential mixture of Existentialism and Nihilism. Is there a purpose to life? If there is one then we must create it for ourselves. In Tyler Durden see yourself chinking away at the armor that you use to shield yourself from the everyday, but more importantly to shield yourself from yourself. Break it down. What is important? What is folly? What would you do if you found out that everything you have worked for your whole life was simply a facade that you built (with the aid of a very willing society) in an effort to hide you from the truth about you and what you are all about. After you watch this movie you will be changed. If you are so inclined read any of Palahniuk's books. Once you read one you will read them all.

I remember after reading this book I was so enrapt that I went looking for more books by Patrick Suskind. At the time they were very hard to find and most were still in German. The book was nothing short of a masterpiece...a true work of art. The movie, mostly true to the book, is as beautiful and disturbing a film as I have ever seen. Through sight and sound it takes you to the sense that brings this book to life...smell. You will be overwhelmed by the cruelty and mesmerized by the obsession to transcend. This is not your conventional film and it never pretends to be such. Feel it pulsate straight down into your soul and writhe as you were meant to in the presence of such. Burn in the carnage that bore this beast and greedily take the light, but feel no shame...we are only human.

The stage is set on a world ravaged by humans. Having depeleted their resources, remaining at war with nature, and having poisoned their homeworld they seek answers through more destruction. Various factions vie through violence to control the "ultimate weapon" while one persona seeks to unite. In this movie we witness the birth of a Bodhisattva, Nausicaa, becoming. Always looked to lead she puts ego aside and strives to bring peace to all creatures, both human and non-human. This is truly Miyazaki's finest moment and should not be looked upon as anything less than the artful tale of an enlightened soul. Nausicaa will leave you spellbound.

Let's see...I have quotes from this movie in my profile...do you think I liked it?
This movie is absolutely amazing. Shall we even put aside the superlative performances from Gary Oldman, Jean Reno, Danny Aiello, Luiz Guzman and a young Natalie Portman (though we shouldn't because they were all amazing. This Gary Oldman Performance being one of his three best-The other two being "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, "and "Romeo is Bleeding"). The story is utterly fantastic. Get drawn into two worlds united-one being that of a hitman looking for a heart and the other of a young girl trying to build herself a life from ashes. The relationship between Leon and Mathilda is incredibly well-formed and you root for a killer, our protagonist, Leon as he teaches a young Mathilda the tricks of the trade. Add this to the direction of Luc-Besson... Take this film in. It is amazing and is one of the true classics of our time.

I watched this when it was first released and felt that it needed a few spaced views in order to give it its due.
If I had to sum this movie up I would call it the most tragic, Buddhist love story I have ever had the privilege to watch. However, there is no way to "sum up" this film.
It is a true work of art.
Aronofsky brings us two lovers bound by the ages one of whom is on a quest for immortality (and not necessarily for himself) teaching us that only through letting go of life may we find life eternal.
Brought unto the tree of life we drink greedily. Beating in the breast of our lover find our own hearts. Knowing oneself is the mystery uncovered and in doing so find yourself in another.
Does this sound confusing?
It is painfully simple.
Live. Love. Nurture. Die. Be born again.
Through the centuries two lovers entwined.
Through astounding imagery we transcend. This film is not to be watched, but experienced. Jackman and Weisz are superlative in their roles, but they are only conduits to feelings to be conveyed.
Be at peace for you are where you are.
Be present or risk losing the now.
Simply be and live.
Namaste,

We are all inextricably bound to one another. This goes beyond the mere similarities of the mortal coil. We are one with each other and the world. The universe and everything in it is composed of energy, "never ending, ever transforming." There is a light inside you...just as there is in everyone and everything. What stops us from seeing this "oneness" with the world? What stops us from receiving this energy and giving it as well? Fear. Doubt. Shame. We are stopped at the source and bound to our inhibitions...our fear of being vulnerable and held wide open for all to see. Powder opens you and lets you into his world. It may be scary, but the truth is often scary. A highly enlightened being (to be likened to Buddha or Christ if you please), he has no social experience save what he has learned in books. We watch as he navigates the waters of humanity (or inhumanity) in the shell of an albino boy shunned by most, feared by many, and very alone. This movie will leave you in awe. It is as perfect for family viewing as it is for viewing alone or with a friend. This is a movie that has the potential to change you...for the better. Perhaps one day we will witness Powder. I, for one, truly hope so

I just adored this movie. It was the first movie in a long time that took that "Pulp Fiction" route without ripping it off. Incredible dialogue and an amazing chemistry between Kilmer and Downey. I do believe that Robert Downey Jr. will eventually be noted as one of the best actors of our time. Michelle Monaghan was stunning in this as well. Fantastic film. You could watch it over and over again just for the snappy reparte as well as the great storyline. Watch this.

Brilliant...absolutely, amazingly, stunningly brilliant. I could have sworn I was watching a Michael Gondry movie. This is the best film in the genre that I have seen since "Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind." The heart of an artist broken on the rocks of a love lost we dream his life into being as the stopwatch allows us to focus on the details that make life beautiful. Characters that are beautifully, lovingly drawn by another artist's hand. You will be mesmerized. It is romantic. It is artistic. It is funny. It is sexy. It is moving. This film took me totally by surprise. It is superlative in every sense of the word. I will be adding this to my collection.

Plumb the depths and feel the darkness pulsating within you. It's there...check it.
Now use it and choose a side.
Two sides of the same coin-Batman and The Joker...now let Harvey flip that coin and let's see where it lands.
Heads or tails?
Live or die.
So here is the thing, this is the Batman movie I have been waiting for since first reading "The Dark Knight" series by Frank Miller so very long ago.
Brooding and haunting we are faced with the mortality of being human and the moral and ethical choices we make in the face of life. Masterful brushstrokes that remain in the real with minimal use of CGI.
We are meant to feel it all and we do.
This movie finally brings to light the fact that comics had morphed so very long ago into more than mere "super-hero" stories...they are part of today's literature.
We see good versus evil.
We see existential angst.
We see the pain of loss and the fears that dwell within.
We all have so many faces and this film explores so many sides.
Peeling back the layers with an excellent screenplay, superlative performances and gritty film noir we are forced to look deep inside...do you like what you see?
I could name each actor in this film and point out how they were so amazing and effective in each role, but as most have I must look to the late Mr. Heath Ledger as he will ultimately define this film.
Sir, you have brought us deep into that place where insanity and genius collide to create the perfect anarchist. You have made us smell the acrid smoke and breathe deep from the well of fearlessness as well as fear. You created something amazing within something amazing.
Will you receive the first posthumous Oscar since 1976? I hope so.
Where will the franchise go without the true Yin to Batman's Yang? I don't know, but I am very hopeful if this story can stay in the incredibly capable hands of Mr. Nolan.
Applause to all involved.

Absolutely mesmerizing.
How this movie was not in contention for an Academy Award for best screenplay I will never know.
So caught up in the motion of the "real world" we often forget what it is to be human.
The plight to connect with the self in order to connect to others and the world around you is personified in the character of Lars played masterfully by Ryan Gosling. Somewhere along the way Lars lost his ability to reach out to touch and finds that he himself is touched far too deeply. Are we looking at someone living with Autism and sensory issues? Agoraphobia? Schizophrenia? Certainly we see delusions, but what is the message to be gleaned here (as there is most certainly one to be had)?
We have an innocent thrust into a world that he cannot understand, but eventually finds a microcosm of the world itself understanding and nurturing him in many forms. See the womb envelop to build the child anew.
For those of you who speak to how unrealistic this film is...you missed the boat. Tell me...who defines what is real for you?
This movie will blow you away. Watch this to remember what it was like to be human through the eyes of an innocent in a world that broke long before that world broke you.

Visually stunning, this movie defines a new form of cinematography and the result is nothing short of astounding.
Fierce Spartan warriors pit themselves against the throngs of the Persian army. The odds are impossible.
This is not a complicated movie and, from what I understand, it is not historically accurate, but this is not why you watch this film. It is based on a Frank Miller graphic novel not a textbook.
You watch this film to bask in a warrior's blood, heart and passion set against a backdrop that has never been achieved until now, but will most likely redefine a genre and how it is presented.
The dialogue is sparse, but well met. The relationships of import feel organic and never contrived. The action is fierce and well-choreographed. All of this is set to a truly superb soundtrack.
I wondered what all of the ado was about around this movie and now I know.
Truly a cinematic marvel.

This movie had a lot of hype surrounding it so it had to be truly excellent in order to match that hype because the press set my expectations so very high.
It shoots...it scores.
The plot of the movie has pretty much been done before in various ways-teen pregnancy, moral dilemmas, etc. The way that Diablo deals with these issues is magnificent. What a fantastic screenplay.
I fell in love with Ellen Page as an actress in the amazing movie "Hard Candy." Her performace in "Juno" has me utterly convinced that she will be one of the defining actresses of her generation. The dialogue was very well written. Very smart. Very sharp. It may have gone over well in the hands of another actress, but Page turns it into pure gold genius. Her timing. Her delivery. She was absolutely incredible.
Jason Bateman and Michael Cera reunite. Cera is another show stealer. He has the market cornered on the quiet, nerdy sensitive young guy. He too will be around for a long time.
Jennifer Garner plays her part as the anal, controlling anxious...well-you'll see. I don't want to give it all away as there are a couple of surprises.
The dialogue is very real while at the same time too perfect. I know this seems to be a contradiction. What I mean to say is that you will feel every word because you could hear yourself saying them exactly as they are said. They are the words that we wish we would have used given the same situation. The characters (especially Juno and her Step-Mother) speak and respond like we only wish we would or maybe even wish we could. The dialogue hits home and is incredibly effective.
I have not felt characters as strongly as these in a film of this nature in some time and I cannot think of a better cast to bring this to the fore. Some people have likened the dialogue to Judd Apatow's fims. I see that in the fact that it feels so "real," but honestly, as funny as Apatow is, he does not put out 'smart' movies like this.
This is a keeper for sure and I look forward to seeing both what Ms. Cody and Ms. Page have in store for us next.

If you are a Kevin Smith fan then you MUST see this DVD. It is a series of lectures that he gives at various campuses, but it stands as two of the funniest DVDs I have ever rented. They parallel and sometimes even surpass some of the humor and heart in many of his movies. He discusses more than just Clerks, Chasing Amy, Mallrats, Dogma, etc...(very interesting portion though re: the church's reaction to "Dogma" and how Clerks got made), he talks about the world he lives in and how he sees it. Ever true to his Jersey roots and own sensibilities there are times this brilliant man will have you in tears of laughter. Wait until you hear about his encounter with Prince. OY! There is even a cameo with Jason Mewes for all you ?Can?t get enough of Jay and Silent Bob people out there.? Enjoy Kevin Smith fans, Enjoy...this one's for you.

In the 21st century corporate America will own everything. everything will be branded and sponsored...even War. With ads taken out on the backs of tanks, battles being billed as corporate extravaganzas, the restructuring of the world falls to technology and corporate structure. Layoffs will be real terminations if you get my drift.
Originally I thought this film was an updated version of Grosse Pointe Blank (another favorite), but it is so much more.
This film is being spoken of as political satire, but it is, in fact, the first attempt I have seen to put onto the screen some of my favorite genres of literature: Cyberpunk and Anti-consumerism. This movie is a shout out to some great authors like Neal Stephenson, Max Barry and William Gibson to name a few.
Taking shots at everything that our capitalist nation holds dear this farcical look through the eyes of big business running the world is absolutely brilliant.
The frenetic pacing, the fantastic characters, the shots fired at the media, politics, business, and sheer stupidity ring so true and strong...this movie is fantastic.
I understand why it didn't get raves. Quite frankly I don't know a lot of people that watch films of this nature much less read the books (or read period). Do you know what I mean when I say "dystopia?" Watch and learn...and laugh.
Brilliant performances by Cusack and Cusack, Kingsley, Aykroyd, Tomei, and even Duff to name a few.
Watch this movie with an open mind and realize how and who tries to keep it closed. Laugh, because this movie is hysterical.
While you are at it...check the scoville units because this one is on fire.