My Top 10 Movies & Books List (Part 3 of 3)
If you're stumbling upon the last of this trilogy, welcome!
Feel free to have a squiz at Part 1 & Part 2 of my Top Ten Books & Films of allll tiiiiiiime.*
*Disclaimer: If I were to compile this list next week, let alone next year, the entries would no doubt be quite or even wholly different.
A recent favourite is "Goodbye Christopher Robin" and reminded me how much I enjoyed the cinematic adaptations of "The Secret Garden" (1993) and "A Little Princess" (1995).
Now "The Secret of Roan Innish" leaps to mind...oh dear, this list might never end! John Sayles weaves a magical Irish yarn that is often in my thoughts.
Rule Three Thousand and Ten
And that's all folks.
For now.
Thanks for indulging me, it's been the best fun.
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And please verify your email address (remember to check your junkmail)
Feel free to have a squiz at Part 1 & Part 2 of my Top Ten Books & Films of allll tiiiiiiime.*
*Disclaimer: If I were to compile this list next week, let alone next year, the entries would no doubt be quite or even wholly different.
Film 8. Orlando
All but one of my book choices thus far have been penned by women. Not one of the films has had a female director until this one. How so?
If you're not familiar with the appalling statistics of how underrepresented women are in front of and behind the camera -- please have a look at this.
"Orlando" is the somewhat bizarre marriage of Virginia Woolf and director Sally Potter's iconoclastic visions, not forgetting the bewitching Tilda Swinton's portrayal, it is also a feminist manifesto par excellence.
Tied for this spot is anything by Jane Campion -- "The Piano," "An Angel at my Table," "Portrait of a Lady," etc.
I can't believe that this beauty is 25 years old, that means I've been thinking about it just about every day for a quarter of a century!
Agnes Varda is another favourite:
Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" & "Lost in Translation" are remarkable:
Agnes Varda is another favourite:
Sofia Coppola's "The Virgin Suicides" & "Lost in Translation" are remarkable:
Book 8. On Beauty
I'll never forget that moment after reading Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" when I realised I was no longer "too young" to write a great novel. What a remarkable voice coming from one so young. This book is possibly my favourite of hers.
It's an homage to EM Forster's "Howard's End." I love all of Forster as well as the incredible Merchant Ivory cinematic adaptations. "A Room with a View" could easily be on this list of favourite films, as well as "Where Angels Fear to Tread" and "A Passage to India."
(spoiler alert: they kiss!)
"On Beauty" deals with matters that are close to my heart -- race, identity, academia, religion.
I really enjoyed this interview with Zadie on Lena Dunham's podcast "Women of the Hour":
“And so it happened again, the daily miracle whereby interiority opens
out and brings to bloom the million-petalled flower of being here, in
the world, with other people. Neither as hard as she had thought it
might be nor as easy as it appeared.”
― On Beauty
― On Beauty
Film 9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Warning: this movie might break your heart
There are SO many extraordinary movies about children, though these are often not for children. Here are just some that have left an indelible mark upon my own understanding of that long-ago, far-away, semi-dream state that is the foundation of us all. As it so happens, this is also a little gander at some of the gems of World Cinema.
"The Florida Project" -- I was so deeply moved by this doccie-feel story of life on the margins in the shadow of the Happiest Place on Earth. It feels completely honest and it might have been my favourite film of last year.
"The Night of the Hunter" -- This classic is simultaneously chilling and utterly beautiful. It stars some of the greats, including my Silent Screen love Lilian Gish!
"The Babadook" -- I don't do horror, I'm far too much of a ninny, but this might be one of the most effective metaphors for living with grief that I have ever seen. And lets face it, Grief, or its effects, are pretty horrifying.
"A.I." -- This heartbreaking exploration of what it is to be human is a retelling of Pinnochio by our great American cinematic storyteller Spielberg. Lead actor Haley Joel Osment is of course brilliant in "The Sixth Sense" too.
"The 400 Blows" -- The French New Wave just never gets old. Their fresh take on things still feels as revolutionary as it must have when they splashed onto the scene. Truffaut's debut film is magnificent.
"Pather Panchali" -- The first of Satyajit Ray's trilogy. Just watch it. You'll feel that you've spent a lifetime in India and it's been richly rewarding.
"Bicycle Thieves" -- This Italian Neorealist masterpiece offers a glimpse into the hardships of post-war Italy and a father-son story that will never be forgotten.
"The Spirit of the Beehive" -- Franco's Spain through the eyes of children. This meditative and melancholy film is powerful cinematic alchemy.
"Children of Heaven" -- #sibling goals in this Iranian tear-jerker.
"Let the Right One In" -- Be warned, this Swedish vampire film is hectic. It's about loneliness, dysfunctional families, puberty, bullying...and friendship. Vampire films happen to be a guilty pleasure of mine.
I saw "Interview with a Vampire" more than once on the big screen, adored Francis Ford Coppola's take on "Bram Stoker's Dracula," the South Korean "Thirst" is radically disturbing, as is Abel Ferrara's "The Addiction." I'm rather bashful to admit that I even loved "Twilight" more than is proper, but I am not so far gone as to have lost all sense of propriety. I can recommend Jim Jarmusch's "Only Lovers Left Alive" without reservation.
"Let the Right One In" is not for the faint of heart.
"City of God" -- I remember this as being a brutal depiction of life on the streets in Rio. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch it again, but I know it's often justly included on all the best Best Film lists. In this case the truth aint pretty.
"Forbidden Games" -- War. Coming to terms with death. Somehow this film transmutes such heavy material into something almost whimsical.
Let's not forget all the Studio Ghibli gems -- the Japanese manage to tell stories that are for both adults and children alike in a meaningful way -- from Totoro to Kiki to "Spirited Away." Love them all.
And if you don't know this African gem, you're welcome -- "Kirikou and the Sorceress"
A recent favourite is "Goodbye Christopher Robin" and reminded me how much I enjoyed the cinematic adaptations of "The Secret Garden" (1993) and "A Little Princess" (1995).
Now "The Secret of Roan Innish" leaps to mind...oh dear, this list might never end! John Sayles weaves a magical Irish yarn that is often in my thoughts.
Book 9. A Visit from the Goon Squad
It's been a while but I remember being mesmerised by Jennifer Egan's prose and story telling prowess. I might want to reread it, but only after I read her latest, "Manhattan Beach."
Another favourite wordsmith of this ilk is Ali Smith. Her "There But For The" blew me away.
Film 10. Days of Heaven
One slot to go and at least a thousand movies I could fill it with.
It's an agony.
But damn I love Terrence Malick. He understands what it is that cinema does as an artform. Then he does that. He weaves magic. This one about itinerant labourers during the Great Depression is perfection.
I really loved his "Knight of Cups" too, about LA, the industry, life...
and his reimagining of the Pocahontas story in "The New World."
Favourite directors that I haven't even mentioned, but really must:
Fellini
Here a fan created a montage of moments from "8 1/2," possibly one of the most perfect films ever made, but I absolutely adore "La Strada," "La Dolce Vita," and "The Nights of Cabiria" too.
The Coen Brothers
I'm not crazy about these Mojo lists but this is what you resort to when you love too many moments to choose just one. My personal favourites are "Barton Fink," "The Hudsucker Proxy," and "O Brother."
Quentin Tarantino
Here's just one of his great moments that changed popular culture forever
Milos Forman
So famous for so many great films -- "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Hair," "Amadeus" -- but do yourself a favour and watch his early Polish work, like "The Firemen's Ball":
Woody Allen
Perhaps too prolific for his own good, but wow, when he nails it he certainly nails it.
Here is some of the gold from just one of his masterpieces -- "Annie Hall."
Martin Scorsese
I love the man's work and his appreciation of the history of film.
I can highly recommend his "A Personal Journey through American Movies" -- I've watched it several times and used it to lecture on film history.
Here are some highlights from his illustrious career:
Jean Renoir
"La Grande Illusion" is a humanist view of World War I and "The Rules of the Game" is a satirical dissection of class. They're both exceptional.
And of course there's David Fincher, Steven Soderberg, Cassavetes, Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Peter Greenaway, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guilermo del Toro, Bernardo Bertolucci, Zhang Yimou and so on....
Fellini
Here a fan created a montage of moments from "8 1/2," possibly one of the most perfect films ever made, but I absolutely adore "La Strada," "La Dolce Vita," and "The Nights of Cabiria" too.
The Coen Brothers
I'm not crazy about these Mojo lists but this is what you resort to when you love too many moments to choose just one. My personal favourites are "Barton Fink," "The Hudsucker Proxy," and "O Brother."
Quentin Tarantino
Here's just one of his great moments that changed popular culture forever
Milos Forman
So famous for so many great films -- "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Hair," "Amadeus" -- but do yourself a favour and watch his early Polish work, like "The Firemen's Ball":
Woody Allen
Perhaps too prolific for his own good, but wow, when he nails it he certainly nails it.
Here is some of the gold from just one of his masterpieces -- "Annie Hall."
Martin Scorsese
I love the man's work and his appreciation of the history of film.
I can highly recommend his "A Personal Journey through American Movies" -- I've watched it several times and used it to lecture on film history.
Here are some highlights from his illustrious career:
Jean Renoir
"La Grande Illusion" is a humanist view of World War I and "The Rules of the Game" is a satirical dissection of class. They're both exceptional.
And of course there's David Fincher, Steven Soderberg, Cassavetes, Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Peter Greenaway, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Guilermo del Toro, Bernardo Bertolucci, Zhang Yimou and so on....
Book 10. What Poets Need
I have this ritual of reading books set in the place that I'm visiting, or moving to. So when we first moved to the Southern Peninsula of Cape Town, I found this appealing novel by local writer Finuala Dowling.
I went on to read everything she wrote, as well as teach her nephew for five years. It's my claim to fame and I'm flaunting it. I enjoyed "Homemaking for the Down-at-Heart" very much.
She's a well-respected poet too:
I've forgotten a lot of the rules,
like how you get to the square on the hypotenuse
(and what you do once you're there)
and how to do long division
and getting percentages on a calculator.
Netball draws a blank.
Don't even know the right way to lace shoes,
Or the bowl to use when whipping chocolate mousse.
Why one is not supposed to clink glasses
or say pleased to meet you.
What to say when someone dies
or to do if they do.
And when to say "owing" and when to say "due"
(not that I ever have good reason to). What has gone away?
The whole thing about the past tense in French novels.
The meaning of zigzag yellow road markings.
The rite of contrition after confession
Whether Mrs Ramsay said it was doors or windows should be left open.
But I'll always remember rule three thousand and ten:
never sleep with married men.
But I'll never forget rule three thousand and two:
roses are red and mistresses are blue.
like how you get to the square on the hypotenuse
(and what you do once you're there)
and how to do long division
and getting percentages on a calculator.
Netball draws a blank.
Don't even know the right way to lace shoes,
Or the bowl to use when whipping chocolate mousse.
Why one is not supposed to clink glasses
or say pleased to meet you.
What to say when someone dies
or to do if they do.
And when to say "owing" and when to say "due"
(not that I ever have good reason to). What has gone away?
The whole thing about the past tense in French novels.
The meaning of zigzag yellow road markings.
The rite of contrition after confession
Whether Mrs Ramsay said it was doors or windows should be left open.
But I'll always remember rule three thousand and ten:
never sleep with married men.
But I'll never forget rule three thousand and two:
roses are red and mistresses are blue.
And that's all folks.
For now.
Thanks for indulging me, it's been the best fun.
Subscribe to Foot Sore & Fancy Free by Email
And please verify your email address (remember to check your junkmail)
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