top ten tuesday: movies

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The fact that I’m running so late with this post is pretty indicative of my day, but I really shouldn’t complain because I got half the day off yesterday — because of the storm (which ultimately dropped about 15 inches of snow), the College closed at 1:00 and sent everyone home, which is good because the roads were a freaking nightmare — I drove all the way home at 20-25 mph. Yikes. But after a bit of shoveling, I had the rest of the afternoon to relax, do a sink full of dishes, and make a big pot of soup — it felt so good to make productive use of some unexpected free time. Plus, soup!

This top ten tuesday topic has been lingering in my drafts folder for quite a while now…I figured it was about time to just haul it out and have done already.

So, here they are — my top ten eleven movies. Although, as always, I use that number loosely, since there are actually 17 movies listed here! Also, I’m fickle and I reserve the right to change my mind and amend this list at any time for any reason whatsoever.

11. The Myth of Fingerprints — This is NOT a feel-good movie, but it contains very raw portrayals of a family and the seemingly happy faces they wear and the sadnesses they keep hidden. Also, the scenery is devastatingly beautiful — it was shot entirely in Maine, of course.

10. Far From Heaven — I can’t really describe why I love this movie… It’s not a particularly happy film, but it is well-acted (Julianne Moore and Dennis Haysbert are both excellent) brilliantly lit (it’s meant to look like a 1950s melodrama) and beautifully filmed. And the costumes! The costumes are gorgeous — I want them all.

9. The Passion of the Christ — I don’t need to describe this one — you probably already know the story. If you don’t, your best bet is to read it from The Bible (conveniently, it’s detailed in each of the four gospels — Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23 or John 19) and then watch the movie. Needless to say, it’s not an easy movie to watch, but it’s not supposed to be, is it?

9. Godspell — The movie version of Godspell is quite dated (read more about the original stage musical here), but I love it anyway. It tells the story of Jesus’ ministry through his parables, taken mostly from the Gospel of Matthew beginning around chapter 5.

8. The Incredibles and Finding Nemo — To be completely honest, I’m not a huge fan of animation — there I said it. These two, however, are so much fun — how could you not love them?! Fortunately, Pixar keeps putting out such great stuff — they’ve really raised the bar for animated movies.

7. The Bourne Trilogy: Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum — Matt Damon, being all strong and manly, smart and multi-lingual, protective of his love-interest, skilled with a gun and yet principled enough not to use it unless absolutely necessary? Um, yes please. (I’m conveniently leaving out the part about him being a trained assassin…) Oh, and Franka Potente’s accent is also very cool.

6. Run Lola Run (or in the original German, Lola rennt) — Speaking of Franka Potente… The wikipedia entry does a much better job of explaining the plot than I could ever do. (It’s a very interesting concept for a film — I like Sliding Doors for the same reason.) And again, Franka Potente is pretty damn cool — I don’t know why exactly, but I want to be her when I grow up.

5. High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank — John Cusack is in both of these — that’s why I like them. Seriously though, they’re both just hip and fun and a little snarky and have fantastic soundtracks.

4. Northfork — All I can say about this movie is that it’s utterly inexplicable — you just have to watch it. Just see it, ok? Oh, and there’s a great review here, if you’re interested.

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — I love Kate Winslet’s character in this movie. And Jim Carey, who I usually find somewhat tedious, is sweet and oddly charming. Plus, the idea at the center of the plot is really thought-provoking.

2. Les Choristes (The Chorus) — Positively affecting the lives of others through music? Sounds good to me.

1. The Princess Bride — I don’t really need to explain, right? Everyone loves this movie. So many quotes from it have entered our vernacular: “Inconceivable!” “Mostly dead.” “Mahwiage.” “Twue Wove.” — I could go on. And could Robin Wright be any more beautiful in this role? I don’t think so. When I was a teenager, I wanted to look exactly like her.

1. Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (Amelie) — This is another film that is kind of hard to explain. (What’s up with me and the complicated movies?) Audrey Tatou is adorable and very compelling on-screen. It’s a great story with an equally great message. And the cinematography is like candy! If I could eat it off the screen with a spoon, I would — it’s that beautiful. Every single shot is just gorgeous.

Ok, so there are two number nines and two number ones… Eh, I can live with that.

Your turn! What are your favorites and why? Share?

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