Through the randomness of the universe I watched some films from a few of my favourite directors this week. It generally wasn’t planned, most of these films were picked in the moment. But it’s a very pleasant way to spend a week with some glorious stories.

The Town

Another recommendation from my dad, who loved this Ben Affleck-directed movie. I enjoyed it a lot, not quite as much as him, but the story was interesting and a little different from the norm. Rebecca Hall was superb – having seen and enjoyed her performance recently in Christine I feel like she’s someone whose other films I might seek out. There was perhaps a message or moral in here that was lost on me having never been to Boston or really being aware of the city’s personality, but it was a good drama all the same.

Barry Lyndon

One of the things I want to do this year is watch films I own on DVD but haven’t yet seen. This is one such film – part of the Kubrick box set but not one of the ‘flashier’ movies he made. I loved this though. It was beautifully produced and quietly came together to a very deep film, which during the first half didn’t seem to be coming. I was reminded of the story of Candide in some ways, but this is a much more grown up take on someone trying to get ahead in a class system.

Magnolia

This was on my list as a classic film that I should watch sometime. And yet watching it I really felt I knew what was coming. I had definitely seen the rain of frogs before, which is probably the most surprising moment, but Tom Cruise’s emotion at the interview and his father, William H. Macy in the bar, Julianne Moore in the pharmacy… I’d definitely seen these before. So perhaps in other shows or in references? Either way, it was good. A very interesting anthology, but I expected more of a sense of all the stories coming together at the end. The setup seemed like there was going to be some sort of connection between everything, but it never quite materialised.

Indie Game: The Movie

We’re going to be covering a couple of documentaries on Pop Culturally Deprived, and this is my choice. It’s a terrific insight into the creative process and passion, whether you care about video games or not. Some really strong personalities help the narrative of the film flow, and in the end it’s a very rewarding watch.

A Beautiful Mind

Another movie I felt I should watch, I did not know the story beforehand and that definitely helped. I did not expect a movie that saw him decoding Russian messages and helping the government, and when you get the revelation shortly after I was somewhat floored. It became the film I had expected, and told it in such a heartbreaking yet affirming way.

The Prestige

This had just started one evening and so we left it on. One of my favourite films of all time, I love the narrative techniques, the reveals, the hints as you go through, the visual elements, the performances… this movie does so much that appeals to what I love about cinema. Even now I’m still picking up on things that I hadn’t noticed and revelling in the intelligence of the story.

R.I.P.D.

Sometimes however you want a different experience. Feeling very tired on a Saturday morning meant I just wanted something mindless to watch, and this fantasy action film fit the bill entirely. To pair Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges together but give them roles normally given to the other – Reynolds as the more considered character and Bridges as the talkative energetic one – was actually quite interesting. Other than that this film was an entirely by-the-numbers film that ripped a lot off from Men In Black, stylistically and in the plot.

The Crow

And at the end of a long weekend something familiar was what we wanted, so we put on a classic from teenage years that hadn’t been seen in a while. It’s not held up as well as you might hope, however I do miss films that aren’t about putting every single thing in danger but deal with things in a more personal manner. Brandon Lee is still terrific in this, both funny and chilling when called upon.

Recommendation

A tough one to decide on the recommendation – one of my favourite films, one of my favourite documentaries, and a Kubrick classic. Looking at the ratings I think Indie Game: The Movie takes it since I reckon fewer people have seen that. It’s a truly wonderful film that has the perfect trio of stories to understand the passion of people who are producing art to be enjoyed.

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