Meskada
Meskada (2010)
★★ / ★★★★
Eddie (Kellan Lutz) and Shane (Jonathan Tucker) broke into a house they thought was empty and murdered a child in the process. Detectives Noah Cordin (Nick Stahl) and Leslie Spencer (Rachel Nichols), equally determined, were assigned to catch the criminals. As they got deeper into the investigation, Noah started to realize that the persons involved in the murder might be from the small town he grew up in. “Meskada,” written and directed by Josh Sternfeld, was a realistic look on how cops might possibly solve a case. Despite the fact that a child being killed was no small matter, the director made a smart decision not to feature any grand overtures to convince us how important it was. Seeing an innocent and lifeless child on the ground was enough to get our attention and hope that Noah and Leslie were successful in their mission. We saw them unglamorously go through trash in search of evidence, feel frustration because they had no lead, and try to balance the peace when economics and politics came into play. The story was interesting because the cops weren’t just up against criminals. They were up against people who were willing to protect their family, friends, livelihoods, and community. They were also up against themselves as they struggled to weigh short-term and long-term rewards. Sometimes they didn’t always make the smartest and most ethical decisions. For that reason, I also admired that the picture didn’t always offer easy answers. After all, a case being closed isn’t always synonymous with a case being solved. However, what the film needed was more details about the characters, particularly the ones who committed the crime. Shane and Eddie coming from a poor background wasn’t enough to explain why they were desperate enough to steal. Others from their hometown were just as destitute but they didn’t commit robbery. In fact, most of them decided to work together so that a company would eventually decide to build a factory in their town. There had to be something different about Shane and Eddie that made them feel like they had no other choice. Perhaps it was in the way they processed and translated challenges that faced them. We couldn’t be sure exactly because they didn’t share enough scenes together. We weren’t given enough time, unlike with Noah and Leslie, to ascertain the dynamics of their ultimately toxic partnership. Nevertheless, I liked the ambition that “Meskada” proudly wore on its sleeve. It was absent of gimmicks in terms of storytelling but it managed to inject complexity by exploring real human emotions, psychology and error.
100 Girls
100 Girls (2000)
★★ / ★★★★
Matthew (Jonathan Tucker), along with a mystery girl, was using the elevator in an all-girls dormitory when the power went out. Stuck in the box all night, the two college students took advantage of the romantic (or potentially creepy) situation and made love. When Matthew woke up, the girl was long gone. He didn’t even catch her name. But he did manage to keep her underwear. Throughout the rest of the semester, his mission was to find the identity of the mystery girl so they could have a shot at a real relationship. Written and directed by Michael Davis, “100 Girls” was boldly sexual because the protagonist was a teen male who worshipped women’s bodies. The key to its charm was the fact that it didn’t become sleazy. The only part worth cringing over was Rod’s strange fixation, Matthew’s roommate (James DeBello), in making his penis longer by putting increasing amount of weights on it. The mystery girl could be any one of the five main women Matthew met in the estrogen-fueled all-girls dorm. There was Arlene (Katherine Heigl), the girl with big breasts who had a penchant for beating men in foosball. Her minions liked to watch Jane Austen movies every Friday. There was also Cynthia (Jaime Pressly), a girl who could easily pass as a supermodel but hated the fact that things only came easily to her because men would do anything to impress her. Another was Patty (Emmanuelle Chriqui), the artistic girl with a crazy, hyper-masculine, poseur of a boyfriend (Johnny Green). There was Wendy (Larisa Oleynik) who everyone saw as little Ms. Perfect, someone who could give Martha Stewart a run for her money. Lastly, there was Dora (Marissa Ribisi), the ugly-duckling who became a pariah, the one who nobody cared about even if she was about to jump off several stories to meet her death. I loved that the director spent ample time for Matthew to establish a genuine connection with the various women. By the end, it felt like any one of them could be a good match for our smart and sensitive main character, sexually secure enough to dress up as a girl, aptly named Franchesca, to catch up on the latest gossip, information that he wouldn’t have access to as Matthew. The film had a good-natured sense of humor but sometimes I wished it was brave enough to offend some audiences and to rebel against sex comedy conventions. Without doing so, despite its sensitivity and witticisms, it ultimately failed to stand out among more popular titles in the sub-genre. Nevertheless, “100 Girls” had its moments of brilliance and hilarity. I loved it when a character would say something funny but none of the other characters would laugh. Then after several beats, I would realize that the euphemisms cited were actually pretty twisted.
100 Favorite Films of 2000-2009 (20-11)
20
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Those who believe that Quentin Tarantino is slowly losing his touch when it comes to filmmaking and storytelling should watch this film. “Inglourious Basterds” essentially covers three groups of characters: Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his men’s quest to hunt, scalp, and kill Nazis; the intimidating Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, a Nazi hunter who prefers to be categorized as a detective more than a weapon of genocide; and Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, who survived Waltz’ massacre three years ago and had plans of her own to avenge her family. Divided into five sublime chapters, although this was a World War II picture to begin with, it became so much more than that. In the second half, it became about a project about the love for the cinema and using that as a template to put these very intense characters under one roof.
19
Kill Bill (2003-2004)
Uma Thurman should’ve been nominated for an Oscar because she was extremely engaging and convincing as a bride who was hell-bent on getting revenge from her former collegues (Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine). The dialogue, the props, the characters, the story, the soundtrack–all were perfectly handled (not to mention memorable) throughout. I know that the studios decided to divide this movie into two because they deemed it “too long.” But I will always consider it as a one giant film just as Quentin Tarantino originally intended it to be. I’ve seen this picture about ten times and I never get tired of it. Since Tarantino packed it with a plethora of cultural references, I always find something new in it. For that reason alone, I consider “Kill Bill” a treasure.
18
Keane (2004)
Written and directed by Lodge Kerrigan, “Keane” was about a man (Damian Lewis) who wandered the streets of New York City claiming that he lost his daughter. This film impressed me because it dealt with mental illness with such sensitivity but it never takes the Lifetime route. Unlike most movies about people with mental illness, this picture did not showcase them as violent just because they were struggling psychologically. I saw “Keane” when I was in high school while taking my first Psychology course. It absolutely fascinated me and I began to crave for more information beyond what was presented in the classroom. That passion is still with me today and I will always give this movie credit for really pushing me to not just learn the disease but to also understand the people who have to go through such struggles. This is a small independent feature film so not a lot of people have seen it which is unfortunate. The performances here, especially by Lewis, are just top-notch.
17
Imaginary Heroes (2004)
“Imaginary Heroes,” written and directed by Dan Harris, told the story of the Travis family after one of the members of the family committed suicide. I saw this movie when I was on my first or second year of high school and I remember considering it as a good film. But after watching it for the second time at the end of my high school career, I considered it a great film. The movie reminds me of my family: the loving yet flawed parents, the lack of communication between siblings, the quest for identities, the feeling of being the black sheep of the family… all of which I could relate to. The one scene that resonated to me the most was when the father (Jeff Daniels) gave his son (Emile Hirsch) a forced embrace when they couldn’t bear the darkness in their lives anymore. Something exactly like that happened to me and my dad. This is still a deeply personal film for me even though I’m no longer at that stage in my life when all I could think about was the hatred I had for everything including myself.
16
Elephant (2003)
This social issue movie, written and directed by Gus Van Sant, stayed with me for a long time after watching it because it made me really sad and scared. Watching a film like this, especially hearing about school shootings in the news, really changes one’s outlook on high school. One must wonder what must go through the shooters’ minds so that they could do something really horrible. But this movie took it to the next level: it was not about asking why they did it–it merely observes instead of making judgment, which is all the more painful. I wish there was a way I can tell unhappy high school kids that things do get better and that they don’t have to be miserable for the rest of their lives–that there is an escape, an alternative; that there’s no need to result to violence because, in the end, if they do choose the path of violence, they’ll only be ruining their lives and those who care about them. This film was hard to swallow, not only because it was more of an experimental film, but also in regards with its subject matter. This is not the kind of picture that one enjoys but experiences.
15
Kinsey (2004)
Written and directed by Bill Condon, “Kinsey” is a great film about the scientific acquisition of information about sex. I saw this movie when it first came out on DVD and it remains one of my favorites because of its unflinching look at a man’s life and his utter devotion to his work. Even though everything around him started to fall apart, Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson) remained focused and objective. His study on human’s sexual behavior paved a way for the American society to become more aware about sex, to be able to talk about it more freely, to defy the norm and to realize that sex was a natural thing. I especially liked the bit about Kinsey’s “relationship” with one of his co-workers (Peter Sarsgaard), his conflict with one of his family members, and his interaction with his ever-loving wife, played beautifully and elegantly by Laura Linney. This film is one of my favorite biopics because it felt very personal without being too sentimental. By the end of this picture, I wish I had met Kinsey so I could ask him questions about his work (and possibly to work under his wing).
14
Closer (2004)
I will always consider this a great anti-romantic comedy. I liked the idea of characters lying, cheating, and deceiving each other throughout the entire film. It’s hard to imagine anyone else filling the shoes of Clive Owen, Natalie Portman, Jude Law, and Julia Roberts because each of them contributes something special that makes this picture extremely memorable. I think the title fits the movie because no matter how close the characters get emotionally, they are never successful when it comes to acquiring genuine and complete connection. Each character is strong in their own way, yet weak also. That rings very true to life because we are all damaged creatures, striving to be loved regardless of how we see the world and the people that live in it. This film provides fascinating characters that are highly suitable to in-depth character studies. I think this is one of Mike Nichols’ strongest films because the level of intelligence and emotional resonance are on the same platform.
13
The Deep End (2001)
The thing I love most about this film is its audacity to be atypical. Tilda Swinton is absolutely terrific as the mother who is constantly tested to see how far she will go to protect her son (Jonathan Tucker) and his secrets. Throughout the picture, I felt like I was watching a poker game as I peer over her shoulder, both of us knowing that she has a bad hand, but she keeps calling her opponents’ bets because she invested too much in the round, desperately hoping that the others are simply bluffing. The bleak atmosphere elevated the constantly increasing drama to the point where it almost works as a thriller. I tried not to look Swinton in the eye too much because once I do, I feel like I’m in as much trouble as she is. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, “The Deep End” was an exemplary exercise in blending the drama and thriller genres.
12
WALL-E (2008)
I’m impressed with WALL-E in so many levels. I think out of all the Pixar films released to date, this is the most atmospheric: from the post-apocalyptic Earth where WALL-E is sent to deal with waste to outer space where WALL-E discovers what he was meant for. The environs reminded me of the ravaged London from “28 Days Later” to the deserted New York City in “I Am Legend.” Despite the eye-candy visuals for children, there were many layers to this film for adults. For instance, there were comments about the way we push our environment to its limits, our neglect for our physical bodies due to recent developments in technology, our eating habits, and our proclivity (whether we are aware or not) toward hiding behind anything that’s available so we wouldn’t have to deal with reality. Although this works as a modern silent film, this also works as a fusion between animation and live-action. Those techniques are uncommon in modern cinema but they are so masterfully sewn into the story to the point where it is genius. “WALL-E,” written and directed by Andrew Stanton, is timeless.
11
Control (2007)
Directed by Anton Corbijn, this film absolutely blew me away. Sam Riley got my attention the moment he appeared on screen and never let go. He played Ian Curtis with such passion and charisma but also highlighted the character flaws and decisions Curtis made in his life. Samantha Morton breaks my heart as Curtis’ wife who really did everything she could to show her love for Curtis. When she finds out that her husband is less than loyal, the way she responded was unpredictable. Like the actors’ performances, this film is very lowkey yet it has an undeniable quiet power that moved me. I thought the decision to show in this film in black and white is absolutely brilliant because it underlines the depression under the beauty that Curtis was going through. Sam Riley really impressed me with his acting: I thought he was the definition of cool when he was walking down the street while wearing a grey coat without a care for the world. Subtle moments like listlessly sitting on a bed really hones in on the apathy of that generation and also the mental breakdown of Curtis.
The Deep End
Deep End, The (2001)
★★★★ / ★★★★
The thing I love most about this film is its audacity to be atypical. Tilda Swinton is absolutely terrific as the mother who is constantly tested to see how far she will go to protect her son (Jonathan Tucker) and his secrets. Throughout the picture, I felt like I was watching a poker game as I peer over her shoulder, both of us knowing that she has a bad hand, but she keeps calling her opponents’ bets because she invested too much in the round, desperately hoping that the others are simply bluffing. The bleak atmosphere elevated the constantly increasing drama to the point where it almost works as a thriller. I tried not to look Swinton in the eye too much because once I do, I feel like I’m in as much trouble as she is. Her Oscar win from “Michael Clayton” was a long time coming. Another great performance comes from Goran Visnjic who plays one of the men that blackmails Swinton. I thought I knew which direction his character was going to take so that specific twist was a nice surprise. As for Jonathan Tucker, I’ve seen him in movies like “Pulse,” “Hostage” and the 2003 version of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” but it was “In the Valley of Elah” and “The Ruins” that made me want to know more about his capabilities. Even though he’s not in as many scenes I as I would have liked here (considering he’s a crucial part of the story), he was spot-on in each of them. Overall, I was invested in each character because the situations they are put in can happen to just about anybody. There’s a certain sense of realism and that’s what makes it so engaging. This is the kind of movie that not everybody can appreciate because it’s far from the norm. Instead of focusing on what was said, the film focuses on the characters’ silent moments and decisions, thereby creating a plethora of implications. Suffice to say, I think this film is exemplary in every way.
