My Favorite Movies

You can tell from my choices of favorite movies I'm a Kaufman fan. Before Synecdoche, there was not a way you could tell the perfect Kaufman movie. They each had their own thing. But Synecdoche summarized everything we love about Kaufman. Each one of his movies have something of them in Synecdoche, but it still brings a lot. So basically, Synecdoche is the best of The Kauf, and then some more. It seems familiar with Being John Malkovich that both start with an unhappy marriage and unrequited love at work. You expect it to end in a way, but it screws with you and twists in uncountable ways. Both are similar to a dream. Also, in both you feel like a lot of time has gone by, things are not the same. it was really difficult for me to decide which one of those I liked the most, but Synecdoche won, because it also contains elements from the other movies and because the storyline is wider, in BJM it takes eight months the main plot, only with years in advance for the epilogue. In Synecdoche 40 years go by.

The common thing with Adaptation is primarily the metaphysical thing. In Adaptation, we watch as Charlie lives a scene and then writes it. In Synecdoche, those scenes are not simply written, they are represented by other actors. And these actors are represented by others. It's like the poster of Memento. It never ends.

The common things with ESOTSM are not much, but I find the music (not the main themes, the other one) using the same purpose, a monotony-like subject.

Well, yeah, the plot. It was described as something along the lines of "a playwright deals with women in his life and builds a life-size replica of New York City". But it's not enough. However, it's better for you to enjoy the movie just like Caden, not knowing what comes next.

Also, I love the title. In my country is was retitled as "Nueva York en Escena", which is spanish for "New York in Scene", which sounds good, but I prefer the original better. It's like "you don't know what does synecdoche mean? search a dictionary" Good pun, by the way.

Perfect. For me. No heroes and villains. Just flawed characters who are affected by the circumstances. Friedberg and Selttzer, pay attention. We are not lauging because Craig farted. We are not laughing becasue Lotte and Maxine suddenly break into a dance sequence. We are laughing because of the absurdity of the situation, and how is it handled. It should have totally been nominated for Best Picture. Roger f*cking Ebert supports my idea.
As not a lot of people have not seen this movie, they often ask me what it it about. But I realize, there's no real way to explain the movie in a few words. There's no: "Now Craig has to save the day". The film doesn't follow a specific story line, it just puts a setting and sees where it takes it. Maybe the best description is: "Young married man works at 7 1/2 floor, falls in love and discovers portal to John Malkovich's head. Hilarity ensues."

I have quite a story with Nolan. Most of his films were released when I was a kid, but Batman Begins was released at the perfect age: 10. When I first saw I didn't understand it quite well so I didn't like it (to be honest at that age I liked Batman and Robin). But it was my favorite superhero and I had to buy it. When I had a second view at it I loved it instantly and it became my favorite movie after Star Wars. When The Prestige came out, I had enjoyed The Illusionist and I was looking forward to more magic movies. Another favorite movie. By then my addiction to movies had started and I defined as a mission in my life to see all other Nolan movies. I saw Following and liked it, but obviously the one I was searching for was Memento: After I finally found it, it became my new favorite movie. I think that almost all movies in this Top 10 have been at one time my favorite movie. You can predict my reaction when The Dark Knight came out.
My only complaint when I was watching it was the repeated of statement of Batman not being a hero. If Batman is not a hero, who is? Then the ending came. He is a Dark Knight. OK, no complaints.

Because I spent all my review of BJM talking about the movie, I will use this one to tell my story with Kaufman. When I was really into movies I came across this strange poster with multiple John Malkovich heads and I decided to rent it. I loved it but it was not my favorite movie yet. My mother and my sister are fans of rom-coms and they thought ESotSM was another one of them. I just saw it for Jim Carrey. They hated it but I became fascinated with it. after seeing that both BJM and this ESotSM were both written by Kaufman I had to see Adaptation. It became, resembling Memento, a Holy Grail, these movies I wanted to watch desperately but couldn't find. I saw CoaDM, and I liked it, but later read the original script and favored it. When I finally saw Adaptation I loved it because of the meta-references, voiceover and acting. I haven't been able to see Synecdoche or Human Nature, but I continue my search.

Read Adaptation for my history with Kaufman. I loved ESotSM because of the originality, mixing genres, and especially the acting. Jim Carrey is comedy gold, but as Truman and this have shown us, he is best at dramedy. Kate Winslet is awesome at her wonderful performance of Clementine. Wood, Ruffalo, Dunst and Wilkinson are also great.

There are some movies that upon watching them too many times, you feel tired of it and predict the ending. Annie Hall is not like this. When you see it too many times you greet the scenes as old friends and watch them with nostalgia in your heart as you still laugh the same way you laughed the first time. There are quotes for all occasions.

Some see westerns as action movies. TAoJJbtCRF could have easily been an action movie about the adventures of the James Brothers and the exciting death of James against Ford. Instead, it brings us a real look to that time, and with Robert Ford we feel the pain to discover that many of our favorite cowboys may be as psychotic and paranoid as Brad Pitt's James is. He receives top billing, but the real star of the film is Casey Affleck, delivering an excellent performance. Brad Pitt is excelent, as always, but he is more like the character who allows Robert Ford to change, like Marlon Brando to Al Pacino in the Godfather. Beautiful scenes, music and the best part that gives the movie its unique aspect, the narrator.

At the start of the film we see an image that confuses us, a bunch of identical hats on a garden. Then we hear Christian Bale say: "Are you watching closely?". It is later revealed to be one of his phrases repeated through the movie, but at that moment he is asking us, not a question, but a request to watch closely. Then, Michael Caine explains the three steps of a magic trick: The Pledge, in which we are shown an apparently ordinary object, knowing it will soon become magical. That's the Turn, where the object becomes extraordinary. Finally, there's the titular Prestige, where the object becomes ordinary again. A quote that caught my attention here was that you may look, "watch closely", for the trick behind that spectacle, but you're not really looking, because you want to be amazed. And really, when you see a movie you know it's gonna have a twist ending, do you search for it? Or are you just taken away by the suspense and wait for the final moment to finally be surprised?

Read TDK for my history with Nolan. I loved Memento because of it's non-linear structure and because instead of writing it straight and then mixing the scenes, it is written in an order that takes care of what is it letting the viewer know, so that the surprise at the end comes big.
Amazing acting, Guy Pearce brings humanity to the role so he isn't just the "dumb character", giving him passions and goals. Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Ann Moss fit into their roles that are given to them at the beginning of the story: the deceitful villain and the unfortunate friend, however when their real personalities are revealed and you watch Memento all over again, now knowing which character is which you, in a way, realize that although they now look like the real Teddy or Natalie, the character's the same as the first time, making their acting valid for both personalities.

The Godfather films are considered some of the best films ever, so when you see it, you really are expecting something. Basically, overhype. If you watch one film having heard nothing of it, then your expectations are equal, you rate the film on your own experience. However, if you watch said film reading it is one of the best films ever, you really raise the bar without realizing that the people who said it was really good thought it this way because they saw it with their own opinion. Almost no film can pass that bar so highly raised, which led to the creation of the word: "overrated". However, the Godfather doesn't only pass the bar, it jumps over it and being on the other side, destroys it, leading to the creation of your own bar.
Although Robert DeNiro and Marlon Brando are hailed as the stars of the film, the real protagonist is Al Pacino, and the trilogy, more than the show of the power of the Corleone family, is about the rise and fall, the process from that brave, honored soldier in love to that old man that tried to seek redemption a long time ago and failed, losing friends, family and love. The universal question related to this films is: "Which one's better: Part I or Part II?" And I don't know the answer, both are equally good. My complaint to that question, however, is the exclusion of Part III. It is universally accepted that Part III is the weaker of the trilogy, and while I don't say that its better than Part I or Part II, it is a damn good film. The complaints normally go to Sofia Coppola's acting and Michael's death scene. Defending each, Sofia Coppola isn't good, but it isn't bad either, it doesn't really bring or take anything from the picture. And Michael's death scene, in my opinion, is one of the best scenes in the movie, going from dances with Michael, with people and music symbolizing the company that Michael had to Michael sitting alone, no music, no dialogue, representing how far have his sins taken him.

Some may ask: "Why Michael Bay?". And although i sort of admire the director for giving the finger to Hollywood, I have to admit that most of his movies have been a disappointment. But The Rock isn't. Ed Harris is the perfect understandable villain, and if the movie had gone deep in his motives and inner demons instead of the action with Connery and Cage, this could have easily been nominated to Best Picture.

At least someone shows the truth. It took 3 hours to understand.

I'd pay for Eastwood sleeping.
Or reading the periodic table. Do you feel lucky, hydrogen?

Yipee Ki Yay, Motherf*cker! Best action movie ever.

With its beautiful depiction of poetry, tragic ending and a story of companionship, this is easily the best movie of 1989. Take that, Miss Daisy.

Great music. Great story. Great acting. Noah Wyle brings the guts required to do Steve Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall comes ready from his roles as a geek to play Emperor Nerd. And with CCR, Police and Iron Butterfly in their soundtrack, who can complain?

People like to say this is the best film ever, but the truth is that it is. The favorite genre of critics and Oscars is biographical tragedies and this is the best of them all, so it is officially the best film ever.

Audiences normally prefer leadings men with attitude and confidence. Take Chilli Palmer, Clint Eastwood or John McClane. They see and idolize them because that's the person they would like to be. They watch the movie as a mean of escaping their world, maybe pretending to be Dirty Harry for a while. Sometimes these characters are presented are heroes, where they are comfortable to watch, but when they are really frightening are when they are villains. There is a character like that in Following, Cobb, a criminal who breaks into people's houses to shatter their privacy. And he is the only character who wins anything in the story with an evil plan that makes up the end of the movie. But it is not him that we have come to see. Because there is another character that people like in a movie. The ordinary guy. And they feel at home with him on the screen because they can identify with him. And while not everyone is a burglar or a poor writer, we all have tried to be the cool guy, the funny guy, the clever guy, the womanizer guy. And while some may succeed and some may fail, its is always nice to see someone, maybe someone that looks like us, in another dimension, because that role will exist forever, probably longer than the confident cop.

The movie takes you through decades with a feeling similar to Forrest Gump, however it doesn't look like a copy, bringing its own style.

I had my doubts about putting this. I mean, I am a Dylan fan and possibly it could be seen that I love this movie for the music. And, although the music adds a beauty to the story I admire this film because of the filming style, or better said, styles. Cate Blanchett is wonderful, clearly resembles Dylan and although she stands above the rest, they all give very convincing performances.

How can you make a best movies list and exclude the Star Wars saga? Although the majority of people put TESB as the best of the bunch, I prefer this one because of the tragedy striking and the feeling of nostalgia knowing that this is the last movie (I like to pretend Clone Wars doesn't exist).

The Coen Brother's best movie in my opinion. Full of allegories and metaphors that make you think: "genius!"

Similiar to Get Shorty or The Bank Job, after it has finished, you ask yourself: "What the f*ck just happened?" In a good sense. The story is humorously good and Brad Pitt is wonderful as always.

Pacino. DeNiro. Kilmer. Pacino. Have I mentioned DeNiro? I don't know how they prevented the caffeteria from exploding when both DeNiro and Pacino came inside.

The Beatles woke up and shitted gold. Except for the day when they shitted Magical Mystery Tour. Really fun.

if this movie had been today, it would have been nothing like this. It would have been about some teenagers that have sex and get killed by birds because of teenagers shooting them. Instead, Hitchcock makes us feel like we are watching a romantic comedy making the bird attacks less subtle each time, with us feeling like we are in the movie, making us really afraid.