Top Ten Films

Writing about these films will be coming soon. These are the films that have stood the test of time in my life. That made an impact and continue to make an impact. I've seen all multiple times and put them in the DVD player over and over again. They are not necessarily the "best" films in an objective sense but they are the best for me.

One

"Requiem For a Dream" has been my favorite film since I saw it. It was one of the first films I saw at the Castleton Arts theatre in Indianapolis. About six months after I saw "Requiem" I started working there. (The place has since been closed down and demolished. A storage facility now stands where it once was.) I ended up seeing "Requiem" four times in theatres, each time vowing I'd never watch it again. It's simply the most brutal, depressing film ever made, depicting four characters descent into drug addiction. While there are many reasons I love the film the biggest is the effect the climax has on me. When I first saw it I thought I was going to have a heart attack. The effect has been replicated every time I've watched the movie. The intensity of the music, images, and emotions is just overwhelming.

Two

Oh do I love this film. It's really the greatest documentary ever made. It's a portrait of '60s alternative comics artist Robert Crumb, made by his friend Terry Zwigoff. What I love so much about it is the manner in which it juxtaposes all kinds of ideas about politics, sexuality, art, human relationships, our culture, and psychology. It's just endlessly entertaining and fascinating and I love to watch it over and over again to make new connections between ideas. Perhaps the most fascinating and triumphant aspect of the film is how when we first meet Crumb he seems to be the most bizarre man alive. Then we meet his family and all of a sudden he seems normal. It's then that we see that his art has saved him from lives as tragic as theirs.

Three

One of the effects of "El Topo," Alejandro Jodorowsky's "Citizen Kane" of underground movies, is similar to "Crumb." Jodorowsky just throws at you a seemingly endless combination of philosophical, religious, mythological, and cultural references set against the backdrop of an entertaining psychedelic western. It's really quite extraordinary.

Four

"If...." is the quintessential film of youth rebellion. It depicts Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) as a senior at a conservative English prep school in the late '60s who leads a revolt. It's the essential film for every teenage male to see and cherish.

Five

Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" arrived at just the right point in my religious development. I'm of the opinion that it's the most important spiritual film ever made and presents a vital interpretation of Jesus Christ.

Six

I've written before in my reviews about Marge Gunderson characters -- cinematic creations that are just so wonderful to behold that you return to the film again and again just to spend time with the character. In "Fargo" we have the confrontation between police Chief Marge, the representation of light and goodness, with the selfish nihilism of the kidnappers and murderers. It's a rich film just loaded with wonderful, subtle touches.

Seven

The Malcolm of Lee's film is a character and performance like that of Marge Gunderson in "Fargo." In the film Denzel Washington creates a character so compelling that you watch the film just to spend time with him.

Eight

The writer in me holds a special place for Reinaldo Arenas, the oppressed Cuban novelist whose memoir this film is based. After seeing it I read the book and several of his novels. It's an incredible tragedy that a talent such as his was so crushed by the totalitarianism of the Castro regime. The visual beauty of the film is the perfect adaptation to Arenas's stunning prose.

Nine

Many people celebrate "Pulp Fiction" for its innovations but I think "Jackie Brown" is the far superior film for one reason alone: its characters. The theme you can probably see emerging in my favorite films is either a film filled with dozens of ideas that complement one another or a film with a character or multiple characters that I can befriend. Either trait makes a film that I'll want to watch multiple times.

Ten

"Trainspotting" epitomizes the cinema of cool. There are few, if any, films cooler than it.