The Best Films of the 2000s and more.
Posts tagged Wonder
An In-Depth Look: King Kong (2005)
Apr 7th
At the turn of the century, Peter Jackson revolutionized blockbuster cinema. His Lord of the Rings trilogy was undeniably influential. The scope alone of such an epic collection of films is awe-inspiring, but in time what might be considered the most radical facet is the use of CGI, not only for monumental battle sequences, but also in creating an entirely digital central character.
After the long and arduous post-production process on Lord of the Rings, Jackson quickly began work on his next mythological project: King Kong. It was released only two years after the final chapter of the LoTR movies, and to an unfortunate lackluster response. But why?
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Mar 15th
Starring: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Giovani Ribisi
Director: Kerry Conran
Country: USA
Genre: Adventure
Sky Captain and the World of Awesomenessville.
It’s a shame that this film hasn’t found its audience. Or perhaps it has, but it’s just a really small one. Whatever the case, Sky Captain is certainly made for those who love old school adventure films from the 30s and 40s. It almost pulls directly from films and fiction like King Kong, Flash Gordon, anything written by H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, and don’t think that there isn’t a bit of Indiana Jones and Star Wars thrown in for good measure. The story is a simple one, but it flourishes in the true adventure spirit, its characters never knowing what’s around the next corner or where their journey will end up taking them. What makes the film so incredibly fun to watch is that it’s simply made out of love of the genre. It’s a shame it didn’t catch on, as I would’ve loved to have seen more Sky Captain films.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Mar 8th
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupart Grint, Emma Watson
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Country: UK, USA
Genre: Fantasy
Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.
After two films that followed the same formula, a new director stepped in to helm the third installment of the series. Alfonso Curaón, probably best known for Children of Men, turns the frothiness of the previous two films and shrouds it in the dark of night. Where the first two films left audiences with a resonating feeling of sitting by the firelight, Azkaban leaves the audience with the feeling of being lost in the woods at midnight. Gary Oldman steps in, in the perfect way that only Oldman can to any role he’s given, to the notorious role of Sirius Black. The mystique of the Harry Potter series takes a turn for the better here, foreshadowing the long journey to come.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Oct 16th
Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini
Director: Spike Jonze
Country: USA
Genre: Fantasy, Family
The children & family genre is overstuffed with bubblegum movies that it makes a film like Where The Wild Things Are almost impossible to determine how it will play with its [supposed] target audience. This is probably the most personal children’s film I’ve ever seen. While it is told, brilliantly I might add, through the eyes of a child, it seems like it goes one step further and is told through the eyes of an adult looking through the eyes of a child, (Being John Malkovich?) It’s smart, it’s scary, it’s heartwarming, its tearjerking. The entire movie had me feeling like I had the heart of The Grinch when it swells up too big for my chest. It’s truly a spectacle. By the time the credits were rolling I was already thinking fondly back on it. Oh, and the score by Karen O and the Kids = amazement.
The Fall (2008)
Sep 29th
Starring: Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru, Justine Waddell
Director: Tarsem
Country: Various
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
The tale of the making-of The Fall is one out of books of fiction. It was shot in around 20 different countries over several years of blood, sweat, and tears. The result is one very rarely seen on screen: that of such a visually arresting surreal fairy tale brought to life. I have never seen anything quite like it. Director Tarsem, known for his visual style (The Cell), uses his craft in such a brilliant way; the use of slow motion to draw out over-theatrically dramatic moments, his ability to show the world from a child’s imagination, and the use of the second movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 is absolutely unforgettable. Not to mention this film has probably the best performance by a child actor (Catinca Untaru) I have ever seen. The parallel lines drawn between reality and fantasy in this film are majestic and sometimes tragic. It’s such an imaginative emotional journey that I cannot recommend more.
Wall-E (2008)
Sep 28th
Starring: The cutest robot ever.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Country: USA
Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi, Romance
I’m not even going to preface this film. I don’t like ranking films, but without a doubt, this is the best of the decade. You want a perfect animated film? Done. Here it is. You want a heart-melting romance? Perfect. Wall-E is it. Do you love science fiction? Easy. This film is the best the decade has to offer. Comedy? As good as any Chaplin film. Family friendly? Bingo. Action? It’s here. Drama? Yes. Tear-jerking moments? Many. A moral message? It’s got that too. And at no point does having all of these things interfere with one another. It’s perfectly balanced. On top of everything else, it is the ballsiest film I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Wall-E is the reason that cinema exists.
Up (2009)
Sep 21st
Starring: Edward Asner (voice), Christopher Plummer (voice)
Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Country: USA
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
2008′s Wall-E was one hell of a film to have to follow in Pixar’s roster. And while Wall-E was incredibly ballsy, not only in its content, but in its storytelling (the first twenty minutes don’t even have any dialogue!,) Up is an equal risk-taker. In no logical world would I have predicted Edward Asner (or an eighty-year-old man like him,) to be an adventure hero, nor in a logical world should he be or should it work, but he is and it does. But it’s this unlikely hero that partly makes Up so damn compelling. This film deals with heavy issues not found in most of Pixar’s other films (or in family films in general!,) particularly with loss and regaining compassion. These are themes you’re not even likely to find in the more mature melodramas, but here it provides such a study structure for an adventure tale that built up an excitement in me that I hadn’t experienced since seeing Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in theaters twenty years ago. Oh, yeah, and it’s hilarious. Did I mention that?
