100 Favorite Films of 2000-2009 (90-81)
90
Bigger, Stronger, Faster (2008)
“But in America, it seems like cheaters always prosper.” It starts off as a critique on American society where most people are willing to do anything to be the best. And then suddenly, it becomes about family values, body images of both youth and adults, childhood dreams, politics, what we’re willing (or not willing) to give up in our lives just so our loved ones can sleep a little better at night. This documentary was able to fuse two things about the American society: how drug-dependent we are and how much our self-esteem is reliant upon others’ evaluation of us. “Bigger, Stronger, Faster,” written and directed by Chris Bell, was truly eye-opening.
89
Super Size Me (2004)
I always label “Super Size Me,” written and directed by Morgan Spurlock, as the one that got me to stop eating fast food for three months. There are more than a handful of jaw-dropping statistics presented here but they were presented with snarky humor; I think that strategy helped make this film all the more memorable. One of the scenes that was cut from the film (which I thought should have made it in) was the experiment that involved which food did not get mold after several weeks. Normal unrefrigerated food get moldy after a couple of days. Fast food, on the other hand, do not get moldy for months. Now this may sound like a positive thing for fast food. However, critical thinking suggests that molds do not grow on unhealthy food because they cannot digest such food efficienty. If microorganisms that have been around for millions and millions of years could not take care of unhealthy fast food how could we expect (as organisms that haven’t been around for very long) our metabolism to do the same? As a student interested in becoming a doctor, I thought it was outrageous that that experiment did not make it into the movie. Granted, the film was very strong by itself and it really should be seen by everyone.
88
Mean Girls (2004)
Tina Fey wrote the screenplay of Rosalind Wiseman’s book and the film marked Lindsay Lohan’s comeback as a new student in a school ruled by three mean girls led by Rachel McAdams. Despite the picture’s glossy material, I thought it was ultimately a satire of the high school hierarchy, not just focusing on the popular cheerleaders and jocks and the loners and “geeks” (I prefer the term “Future Millionaires of America,” thank you very much) separately, but what happens when the two worlds collide. The film had a number of quotatable lines and I thought the movie was quite “fetch” considering it’s the “Clueless” (when, really, it had the potential to be the “Heathers”) of the 2000s.
87
Away from Her (2006)
As a person who works with people who have Alzheimer’s, I thought “Away from Her,” written and directed by Sarah Polley, was poignant and sensitive without sacrificing its accuracy. A husband (Gordon Pinsent) unwillingly puts his wife (Julie Christie) in a home for people with varying levels of dementia. When she falls in love with someone else, he must deal with his own feelings and find acceptance that his wife was no longer his wife even though the body of the woman he loved was still there. The way the dementia of Christie’s character was rapid just like some of the people I see from week to week. I get really sad whenever I think about my first day and how some of the residents made me feel welcome compared to present time when some of them rarely talk anymore. This is another one of those movies that I believe everyone should see because one day we might be faced with the same decisions that the husband had to make. The lessons and insights that this film has to impart are indescribable. They have to be experienced.
86
Boy A (2007)
Andrew Garfield does an amazing job as Jack Burridge who was sentenced to jail as a child because of a murder he committed. With the help of Peter Mullan’s character who is like a father figure to Jack, Jack is given the chance to reintegrate into a society that he left (or of which that left him?). Garfield, within the first five minutes, proved to me that he truly regrets the past and wants to lead a normal life again. He has that childlike quality that is extremely charming, but at the same time there are moments in the film that shows the audience that the evil inside him–which most likely resides within us as well–is not fully expunged despite his best efforts. “Boy A,” directed by John Crowley, is a very good movie that gathers momentum as it goes on and doesn’t break its spell until after the exemplary last scene. This is a thinking person’s movie because it essentially comments on (and even questions) human psychology.
85
Shortbus (2006)
John Cameron Mitchell’s very sexual film involving a group of New Yorkers opened by eyes in so many ways the first time I saw it at the end of high school. What I loved about this film was it wasn’t just about the sexual escapades that the characters took part in. It was also about the emotional components from those escapades that made some of the characters question whether they were really happy with where they were in life. I also liked the fact that it didn’t paint sex in a negative way. In fact, the film argued that it was healthy and maybe even necessary so we could ultimately laugh at ourselves. One of the many qualities of America that I detest is its aversion to anything sexual and magnetism to anything violent. This may easily be labeled as a gay film because it spends most of its time focusing on gay relationships. But let me reassure you–whether you’re a top Democrat or a bottom Republican, or vice-versa, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this one.
84
Brick (2005)
Rian Johnson’s modern noir story set in a high school is led by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s determination to find justice regarding his girlfriend’s death. With the help of Brain (Matt O’Leary), the lead character collides with many members of the school hierarchy, including a drug lord, only to realize that the mastermind of it all was closer than he believed. I love the dialogue of this picture because it really reminded me of the edginess that the noir films of the 1940s and 1950s had. It was very efficient with its time with each scene providing a clue on who the lead character should interrogate next. But as classic noir films prove, nothing is simple or quite as clear-cut when it comes to murder. “Brick” may require multiple viewings to be really appreciated but it’s more than worth the effort.
83
The Good Girl (2002)
Jennifer Aniston completely blew me away in this film because I thought she was just a comedic actress. But her turn here as Justine Last who wanted to break out from the suffocating small town she lives in (after meeting an appropriately named Holden played by Jake Gyllenhaal) was devastating. In every frame, I could feel the desperation in her eyes and how much she hated how her life ended up the way it did. I saw this back in high school during my phase when I felt like I hated everything so it was easy for me to relate. Years later, I can still relate with her but on an entirely new level. I can relate with her when it comes to that fear of entering a new level in her life. “The Good Girl,” directed by Miguel Arteta, is one of those first few films that made me fall in love with dark comedy.
82
Jesus Camp (2006)
This film’s content angered me in so many ways because I think converting kids into having an extremist “religion” is just plain wrong. The supposed Evangelical teachings are so twisted, it’s pretty much brain-washing. Getting to these kids before they even have a chance to think for themselves in morally repugnant to me. Those adults who are taking advantage of the kids should seriously be committed into an institution. As angered as I was, I was also very sad because I have an idea with how these kids will turn out. In a nutshell, they will most likely not be happy people because they will always look for something that isn’t there and therefore cannot be achieved. I urge you to see this film as soon as you can so you can see how horrifying the adults’ methods are of brainwashing these children. Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady made a really powerful documentary. Just recalling what I had seen really digusts me.
81
This Film is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Ever wondered about those movie ratings on the movie posters and prior to watching a trailer? Who really determines such ratings and why are such ratings so inconsistent? This magnificent film, directed by Kirby Dick, will give you answers, while at the same time give you more interesting questions. Several directors such as Kimberly Peirce, Kevin Smith, John Waters and movie critics like David Ansen offer their insights regarding the ratings system and also the sex and violence on screen. After watching this film, I learned to disregard the ratings system because those people in charge are full of bias and homophobia. If you’re a cinemaphile, this is a must-see. If you’re not a cinemaphile, still see it because you’ll be more informed of the information that’s being given to you.
The most important here, in my opinion, is that you have included ‘Shortbus’. You’re of course right about its sex-positivism being one of its mains strengths, and that it frees up the characters, so that we can see them as more than people with sexual problems. It’s a great movie.
Although its status seems to only grow in accordance with the (deserved) admiration for Tina Fey, I never quite got the brilliance of ‘Mean Girls’. I’m sure it gets things right about the social strata in high school, but I still prefer the stylized satire of ‘Saved!’ (although it’s not necessarily comparable), or another episode of ‘Glee’.
‘Supersize Me’ had almost exactly the same effect on me, but today I have grown so tired of this Michael Moore school of documentarism that it has faded from memory. I’m not sure if Morgan Spurlock should be blamed for that, however.
I have to admit I don’t have “Shortbus” on DVD. I rewatched it about… a year ago and some things are a bit fuzzy. I’m desperate to see it again.
“Saved!” is a good movie. However, I thought it was sort of limited in scope (and comedic moments) and I think that ultimately held it back from being great. “Mean Girls,” on the other hand, had something for everybody. Slapstick-funny, smart-funny, stupid-funny, dark comedy, you name it. “Mean Girls” was just more… shall we say “well-rounded”?
Speaking of “Super Size Me,” I’m really craving some fries (animal style!) right now… Do you guys have In N Out in Norway? That might be a stupid question but I really don’t know. lol
You should of course take every chance to get to rewatch ‘Shortbus’. I remember when I saw it a second time I was struck by how I had forgotten about the sad moments in the movie, but they just made it better. Generally, I’d say my ability to ‘memorize’ a movie is not very good, meaning that I tend to forgot scenes, quotes and plot lines after a while, until the main thing I remember is how it made me ‘feel’. That’s also why it often so useful to do some rewatching.
I get you mean saying ‘Saved!’ was ‘limited in scope’, but I don’t think of that as a drawback.. My appreciation for cynical humor may be somewhat arbitrary (I loved ‘Saved!’, but hated ‘Bad Santa’. I’m not saying they’re comparable, only that they both travel in dark comedy), but I enjoyed how ‘Saved!’ didn’t hold back on its more outrageous elements. I found the happy ending somewhat disturbing, though.
(No, we don’t have In N Out in Norway, hehe)