The Film Buff's Bucket List. Chris Stuckmann
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events to the point where few films actually surprise us anymore. Memento flipped that upside down… or should I say, reversed it?
As someone who personally knows how difficult selling an original screenplay is, I can’t imagine the conversations Christopher Nolan had as he pitched his chronologically reversed story, but somehow, it actually got made. Memento is a gigantic celebration of risk-taking, and man, did it ever pay off!
The always underrated Guy Pearce deftly inhabits the nerve-racked character of Leonard, a man hunting for his wife’s murderer while using a complex system of tattoos and notes to help him remember important details. He has no short term memory you see, he forgets everything that just occurred to him within minutes.
The narrative runs backward, from end to beginning. That’s right, you heard correctly. Someone made a backward-running film with a lead character who forgets what he’s doing every few minutes, and somehow it’s one of the best films ever made. Did I mention there are black and white scenes inter-spliced throughout, and that those are sequential? Wait, where was I?
Nolan’s incredible understanding of storytelling—in reverse, no less—is endlessly inspiring. Amongst all the psychological thrills, the film somehow manages to be deeply touching. Leonard often pauses to reminisce on the intact memories of his wife, and these scenes are brimming with tragic melancholy. We know that, within minutes, he won’t recall his brief second of happiness, and instead will look from side to side, wondering how he got there. Memento is a stunning achievement in original filmmaking, with an affecting story that has yet to be paralleled. I doubt it ever will.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Guy Pearce,Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantolino
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Unbreakable (2000)
Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller
When M. Night Shyamalan hit it big with The Sixth Sense (1999), many thought he could go nowhere but down. In fact, many think that’s exactly what he did. When you write and direct a film that audiences, critics, and even the Academy love, I can’t imagine how one might approach a follow up. These are just a few of the reasons I think Unbreakable is not only a superior film when compared (unjustly) to The Sixth Sense, but put simply, one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Unbreakable is so vastly different from other films in its genre. It was a particular departure for Shyamalan, who feared being put into what he calls “The Box.” He wanted to do something original rather than get pigeonholed. “Original” can be a dirty word in Hollywood, a dangerous word. Yet Shyamalan pulled it off.
In Unbreakable, everyman David Dunn (Bruce Willis, in his best performance to date) survives a train wreck without a scratch. Comic book art gallery owner Elijah Prince (Samuel L. Jackson and his hair) tries to convince David that he’s a superhero placed on Earth to protect the human race. David doesn’t pay him much mind, but as the impossibilities mount—imperviousness to illness, heretofore-unknown strength—David begins to wonder.
What follows is one of the most unique and deeply moving films I’ve ever seen. Shyamalan took a major chance with Unbreakable, and while it was initially dismissed as an inferior film, one not worthy of the man who made The Sixth Sense, its reputation has grown over the years. Today, it’s often lauded as being ahead of its time, predating the comic book movie boom. Even the great Quentin Tarantino referred to it as “one of the masterpieces of our time.” The film is worth seeing for James Newton Howard’s brilliant compositions alone, which are haunting, powerful, and even inspiring.
My advice? Don’t compare Unbreakable to Shyamalan’s other works. Appreciate it instead for what it is: a fascinating tale of a superhero in hiding.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright
Studio: Touchtone Pictures
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Action | Drama | Romance
As a youth, I had an unhealthy fascination with Bruce Lee’s animalistic battle cries. He didn’t just knock someone out, he let everyone in the building know he was coming. Growing up, his signature shrieks and howls were parodied so often, it seemed that martial arts films were losing their impact. Perhaps Jackie Chan observed this rift, leading to his successful inclusion of physical comedy amongst his epic butt-kicking. My enchantment with this filmmaking style continued with such films as The Matrix, but as time passed, it slowly became clear that the martial arts film was dead.
A thrilling resurgence occurred when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon broke international records, became the highest grossing foreign film in U.S. history, and walked away with four Oscars. Films spoken entirely in Mandarin Chinese simply didn’t gross over $100 million in America. Ever. Ang Lee’s beautiful tale of masters, apprentices, martial arts and love had broken down cultural barriers, paving the way for gorgeous films like Hero and House of Flying Daggers.
Yuen Wo Ping—renowned for his breathless fighting choreography in films like Drunken Master—achieved heart-stopping results with actors Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, and particularly the luminous Zhang Ziyi. Her role as a rebellious governor’s daughter facing an arranged marriage garnered much acclaim, and her striking command of swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat made an undeniable impression.
Amongst all the breathtaking action are two touching stories of love and the circumstances which make grasping it impossible. These stirring, tender hardships give Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon its soul. Despite being set in a fantastical version of the past, its appeal is universal. It remains one of the few martial arts films that successfully combined marvelous action with a poignant story.
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-fat
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Spirited Away (2001)
Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy
Hayao Miyazaki has created more masterpieces than your average filmmaker has created films. The sheer force of his talent has been felt since The Castle of Cagliostro, and he’s remained relevant as an artist, while also being a vastly inspirational individual. (Watch the documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness and share my awe at his seemingly tireless work ethic.) He’s won countless awards in his field and has been lauded as one of animation’s greatest visionaries.
Why am I telling you all this? Because it’s astounding to me that Spirited Away, perhaps his greatest work, is so fiercely humble in mentality, free of all disdain, cynicism, and pessimism that could stain its childlike beauty.
The story encompasses a naive girl who stumbles off the beaten path and finds herself at a bathhouse run by witches, spirits and godlike creatures. She must learn to work for a living while she’s surrounded by entities that are vastly superior to her in strength and intellect, all while seeking a way to rescue her parents from the clutches of an evil spell.
Spirited Away is endlessly imaginative, filled with more wonder than any film of its kind. Studio Ghibli is renowned for its gorgeous and lifelike animation, but they truly outdid themselves. The scenic backgrounds are photorealistic, with lush valleys and plains blending into the horizon. Miyazaki also has a keen sense for sweeping, epic action, and Spirited Away is chockfull of jaw-dropping