Category: Favorite Films

Times of great crisis are also times of great opportunity. What has been considered normal — the previously accepted — can no longer be viewed as acceptable. In front of all of us now, both in America and elsewhere, we can plainly see the gross injustices and prejudices that continue to plague the world; oppressions and privileges as related to race, sexual orientation and wealth distribution continue to drain society in ways both overt and hidden. Now as the world erupts with sickness, violence and mistrust, we seem to be commanded by the universe itself to finally to take responsibility to empty our minds of prejudice and open our hearts to kindness and understanding. We all need to take a strong hard look at ourselves individually and the reasons behind our fears and selfishness so we can move past the greed, blame and indifference. Can we do it?

Personally, I feel we can only make change when we can see truth. This, at least, has been my experience. Sometimes it takes suffering and tragedy viewed from a different perspective that is beyond the self to allow for truth to be seen and change to happen. Then new ways can replace the old as it should. If we can let go of our insecurities and comforts then respect and solidarity can in turn replace identification and distrust. So today my list of recommended films are ones that bring these issues to the forefront; they show us how to see again by inviting us into worlds we tend to avoid. Great art, through its vision and craft, can effect change from the inside out by showing us what it’s like to be on the other side.

“Someone has said that it requires less mental effort to condemn than to think.” ― Emma Goldman, Writer & Activist

Do The Right Thing (Directed by Spike Lee)

Spike’s Lee’s best movie, Do The Right Thing is funny, original and a distinctive piece of film art. But what makes it truly remarkable (despite being snubbed at the Oscars in 1989) is how important the film is culturally. With an entertaining cast, bold camera work, and perfectly-set art direction that captures a “very hot day” in Brooklyn, New York Lee’s film nails the build up of heat and tension between its participants. The main character Mookie (Spike Lee) is a delivery boy who’s caught between his loyalty to his black neighbors and the duties to his Italian boss, Sal (Danny Aiello) who owns the only pizzeria in town. Mookie also has a Puerto Rican partner (Rosie Perez) and a baby he’s responsible for. All is as usual till the heat really turns up because a friend “Buggin’ Out” (Giancarlo Esposito) starts causing trouble at Sal’s for not posting pictures of black Americans in his restaurant. Ultimately this leads to a final conflict and racial riots that destroy the colorful interracial neighborhood. The final scene is harrowing to witness as it parallels the recent police brutality. Do The Right Thing doesn’t preach about race nor hide from its dark reality. Here, race is handled without sentiment — it shows that bias lives in all of us and if we let our fears and tribal instincts get the best of us, we’re all vulnerable to losing our humanity.

The Wedding Banquet (Directed by Ang Lee)

Ang Lee’s beautiful low-key 1998 film The Wedding Banquet is a story of fate, even misjudged, poorly-designed fate. The film begins with a scheme: the set up of an arranged marriage between a handsome Taiwanese man Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) and a Chinese girl named WeiWei (May Chin) who lives upstairs from his New York loft. The catch is that Wai-Tung is gay and lives with his caucasian lover Simon. Their lives are seemingly perfect except that his parents in Taiwan are pressuring their son to marry and bear grandchildren. For WeiWei, who struggles to pay her rent in expensive New York City and fears the need to return to her country, this arrangement represents the opportunity to get her visa and continue her art and life in America. Of course, things get messy. Simon, who conjured the scheme in the first place, begins to regret the decision. The wedding banquet is a big deal in Chinese culture and the facade, deceptions and misunderstandings play out in both frustrating and comical ways leading to conflict between the gay couple. Of course it gets even more complicated when the parents arrive to stay with them and WeiWei actually begins to fall in love with her new husband. The Wedding Banquet is a simple and light comedy but one that is touching and somewhat magical. It parodies the silliness of tradition and the conformity that dominates our everyday concerns while at the same making us aware of their existence. And it is this newfound awareness that ultimately leads to greater acceptance, understanding and the ability to change the views of the characters and that of the audience.

American History X (Directed by Tony Kaye)

Tony Kaye’s powerful 1998 film made a strong statement about the birth of hate, how it grows and how it can spread into a gigantic snowball of blind prejudice that can engulf an individual and his family. Strengthened by a stirring performance from Edward Norton, American History X is a story about a young man whose life has been lost to fascist ideology. After executing a surrendered black criminal in the open street, Norton’s Derek Vineyard finds himself in jail. There, in the confines of a prison heavily populated by hard core criminals both black and white alike, events occur that lead him to begin questioning his philosophy. Unfortunately, his personal revelations are not enough for redemption because the Neo-Nazi life he had lived before his incarceration has already done its damage; his little brother Danny (Edward Furlong) has followed into his previous footsteps even joining the white supremacist group that he helped built. The story is direct and simple but American History X’s effect on the viewer is strong. And perhaps what’s most alarming, after re-watching this film again in 2020, is how much Neo-Nazi rhetoric expressed by the antagonists of the film have crept back into mainstream attitudes, both amongst the populace and within government.

Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s excellent black comedy is the first foreign film to win an Academy Award. But that achievement is not what makes Parasite worth watching (and watching again). Not only is the plot creative, the direction sharp and the acting perfect, but what makes it so subtly powerful is it’s underlying message about class. All throughout the film we’re so entertained that we almost forget how real these people are despite the almost cartoonish differences between the families involved, one devastatingly poor but not incompetent and the other exceedingly wealthy and yet naively privileged and arrogant. We are so used to the ridiculous in film that we have forgotten to look at same ridiculousness in reality and how far-fetched and surreal it has become. In fact, the circumstances depicted here actually pale in comparison to the extreme wealth disparity in Korea or most other places in the real world. We’ve just gotten so used to being so self-absorbed in our own lives and the world of virtual entertainment media that most of us not living near the extreme as these characters do can’t believe it. We might only see a creative and funny storytelling and not see truth. But often times fiction is where truth lies, and here in Parasite the attitudes and emotions felt by the characters are so convincing that it makes you think twice. Since the mystery and surprise of the film is so important, it would be inappropriate to breakdown the details of the film — I don’t want to give anything away. But after you’ve watched it, ask yourself: who is the parasite and who is the host? Often times, our presumptions about envy, greed and exploitation are challenged when we look much deeper.

To see more Favorite Films go here.

What defines cool? A lot of things I suppose. Sometimes it’s the story or sometimes it’s the atmosphere but most of the time when we think cool, we think characters. The following films contain characters, both heroes and villains alike, that epitomize the meaning of cool in movies.

Le Samourai (directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)

If there’s one film that displays what cool looks like in movies, Jean-Pierre Melville’s gorgeously shot and elegantly-paced Le Samourai is it. The way Alain Delon plays a professional killer for hire is as classy as killer’s can get. Slickly dressed in suit, tie and hat with a style and grace that defines French elegance, Delon’s Jef Costello magnetizes the audience on screen. Despite the stakes — murder, doubt, and betrayal — he never breaks a sweat. Instead Jeff Costello always remains calm and collected, detached and almost emotionless. He defines the Japanese way of the warrior — Bushido — and is loyal to his trade, his craft. This is where his honour lies and the price is loneliness which is made loud and clear by Melville’s direction which is tight yet relaxed, as compositions define moments more than plots points or physical action. Here silence speaks and the character’s coolness shines.

Enter The Dragon (directed by Robert Clouse)

There’s nothing special about the story, directing or acting in Robert Clouse’s Enter The Dragon. One can say the directing is ham or amateurish at best. Some of it even downright silly. The film was reluctantly made and financed by Warner Bros costing only US$850,000 but went on to gross over US$90 million, an over 10000% return. Of course, the only reason it excels is the only (and ultimate) reason to watch it: its star, the immortal Bruce Lee. Here, the Little Dragon is introduced to the world in glorious form. With much of the fight scenes storyboarded and choreographed by Lee himself, the action shines with power and authenticity. Supporting cast members Shik Kien (who plays the villain Han), Jim Kelly and Bolo Yeung do add to the cool flavor of the film but ultimately this is all about Bruce. Even to this day, almost 47 years after his death (which happened before the movie’s release, so Bruce himself never saw the film) there’s still nobody like him on screen (or off) despite the endless copycats and homages, some of which were respectful while others were downright offensive. In Enter The Dragon Lee is intelligent, charming, beautiful and absolutely explosive. The camera loves his lean, muscular body. He’s magnetic both in his stillness and sudden explosiveness. To this day, Bruce Lee defines cool for not just every asian on the planet but for almost every practicing marital artist/fighter.

Heat (directed by Michael Mann)

I love Heat. Not only was it a chance to see two rarely seen together superstars of Hollywood act in the same shots, it defines what’s so cool about cops and robbers. And there’s nobody that films Los Angeles like Michael Mann does. The tight editing, sharp pin-pointed camera work and excellent sound editing elevate the senses. Along with dynamite performances from a large and talented crew, Mann’s film is so cool it almost glorifies the violent action. But in truth, the film is about inevitabilities and characters — like De Niro’s elusive bank robber who seems to be buying time for something more and Pacino’s detective who can’t keep a marriage together because he spends all his time chasing bad guys like De Niro. Here, smart men — men whose lives are lost in the engrossing action of their work — continue to do things that make no sense but they’re so good at it that nothing else in life compares. With loyalties, friendships and love on the line, the characters — all of them — struggle with their own individual dilemmas. With an excellent supporting cast of Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Jonathan Pryce, Jon Voight, Natalie Portman and Dennis Haysbert, Heat is sizeably long but engrossing. The bank robbery finale might be the most viscerally awesome gun-fire sequence in film history.

The Professional (directed by Luc Besson)

Luc Besson’s masterful killer-for-hire story has become a modern-day classic. Brimming with strong acting, excellent direction and brilliant sound editing, the audience is carried briskly through continuous action while carrying with it a real heart and empathy for its characters. The Professional showcases three wonderful stars: the highly underrated Jean Reno, the dynamically gifted Gary Oldman and a very young Natalie Portman in a star-turning performance. Immediately the film grabs you in its world of tragic circumstances and endearing characters all set in NYC. There’s great contrast here; the hero and expert killer Leon, played by Reno is lethal yet simple-minded, Oldman’s villain is a drug-induced cop who loves Beethoven and the young 12 year-old Matilda who may be small but carries a strength and maturity that’s both charming and dangerous. Rounding out the cast in a supporting role is the always great Danny Aielo who plays Leon’s Little Italy employer. Released as Leon in Europe, The Professional is as cool as it is fun and is my favorite film from director Luc Besson.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (directed by Sergio Leone)

The most famous of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti westerns, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is far from perfect. The pace drags a bit in the early going and the detailed montages of its three main characters take a while to play out. The fact that the budget was low and the side characters being dubbed (as much of the supporting cast didn’t speak English) do date and take away from the film’s enjoyability. But when the moments sit with its stars Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach and especially when two or more of them are on screen together, the film raises itself to another level. Eastwood’s “man with no name” is absolutely the coolest cowboy ever. Eastwood’s gunslinger is the good guy but he’s no saint — after conning reward money from the Sheriff’s office by both catching and releasing his convicted criminal partner Eli Wallach, he abandons him in the scorching hot desert. Wallach’s Tucco is a character with wit, charm and humour but he’s no coward. The scenes “Blondie” and Tucco share together are shots to be savoured. To round out the cast, Lee Van Cleef plays the kind of villain you would never want to face; he’s cold, intelligent and efficiently ruthless. He’s so cool, you wish he was a good guy (like he is in a Leone’s other Western classic For A Few Dollars More which is also, arguably, the better film). I like that Leone grounds the film during the civil war as it gives it historical perspective and a kind of philosophical depth to the film as we question the meaning of all this violence. Which is worse? Men who lie, steal and kill because they are left with no options or the governments and merchants who kill in the thousands all for ideals no one truly understands? In the end, it’s only money that matters and the films conclusion summarizes as much. And what an ending! Shot with creativity, technical brilliance and beauty, the climatic three-way gun draw between the film’s stars might be one of the most original scenes in film history. Accompanied by Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, the film is a classic.

A Better Tomorrow (directed by John Woo)

I still remember seeing John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow for the first time at the theatre. It was an unforgettable experience. It was, at least for me, the first time Hong Kong cinema got serious about movies. Taking the age old cops and gangsters genre John Woo, working with a great script that he also wrote, created characters with so much charm, heart and authenticity that the world fell in love with them. 1970’s kung fu action star Ti Lung plays “Ho-guo,” the honorable big brother of Hong Kong’s most powerful mafia. Along with Chow Yun-Fat who plays his business partner Mark, the two make for the most likeable and coolest gangsters on the silver screen. All seems good until a deal goes wrong and betrayal reveals the inevitable. Ho winds up in jail and Mark takes revenge for his friend by going on a ruthless killing spree in Taiwan but ends up disabled. And just like that, their mafia reign is over. The late Leslie Cheung plays Ho’s little brother, a young burgeoning cop who once idolized him but now sees his sibling as his enemy. It’s a great story about ambition and the boundaries between brothers in blood and brotherhood forged in battle. The film is a classic in Asia and has inspired the likes of Quentin Tarantino to make/write films like Reservoir Dogs and True Romance. This is a film I never tire of watching despite the fact that so many filmmakers (on both sides of the Pacific) have copied its style and content. Chow Yun-fat’s electric performance alone makes it worth seeing over and over again.

Wanna see more excellent film recommendations? Check out my lists of other Favorite Films here.