Movies worth checking out

I have decided to compile a list of movies I think, for one reason or another, should be watched by everyone. This is not necessarily a list of the best movies of all time, but they are movies that have made an impact on me for one reason or another. Enjoy!

Eagle vs. Shark

Naturally, I was drawn to this film because Jemaine Clement is in it. He’s just wonderful in Flight of the Conchords and his presence in this movie definitely peaked my curiosity. The best line of the film: “Tell him Justice is waiting for him” “OK Justin, I will tell him you called”…. brilliant. What makes this film so amazing is two fold. First, the visuals are incredible. There are scenes involving an apple that are metaphorical and symbolic through excellent use of animation. Secondly, the soundtrack is just phenomenal. Who doesn’t love M. Ward singing soft love ballads. I know I do.

Once

Hands down what makes this film so great is the music. And the acting. The film is about two musicians in Ireland. who have a chance encounter that leads to a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. I get chills whenever I hear “Falling Slowly” and I appreciate the Academy Award win for that song so much more after watching the film. What is remarkable is that this movie was shot over just a 17 day period in Dublin. The storyline is so adorable, but guys can appreciate it too. It is emotional, but never overly sappy or cutesy. I think what I love most about the film is the interaction between the two main characters, and it doesn’t follow the typical Hollywood paradigm. The film is shot in a documentary like way, so the mise en scene is really something. You just have to watch it to appreciate all the subtleties I can never do justice in writing. At the very least, listen to this song.

Donnie Darko

This is a throwback to my days at Brock in Film class. We had to watch this movie as part of our course requirement and I am so glad that we did because I probably would not have watched it otherwise. Jake Gyllenhaall makes his major film debut in this semi-thriller. The soundtrack is awesome, as it is compiled with super 80’s tracks. What hit home for me with Donnie Darko is that it depicts the power of one’s own mind. The ending just leaves you in awe, and all you can do is say “wow”. After coming out of that initial daze, you will most likely find yourself trying to analyze it for weeks to come.

Little Miss Sunshine

I loved this movie for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because at the end I was laughing and crying at the same time. As confusing as this emotional state was, I thoroughly enjoyed the feeling and I fell in love with each of the characters in the film. The plot juxtaposes humor and intense emotion and it’s the kind of movie you can lose yourself in. The soundtrack also plays a big role in why I love this film. Sufjan Stevens and Devotchka have a priority spot in my iPod and each time I hear their songs in the film I can’t help but smile. Also, there’s Superfreak, so you really gotta love a movie that features a dysfunctional family dancing to Superfreak on a “little miss” pageant stage.

Paris, Je T’aime

This movie, or series of short films rather, is a hidden gem. The tag line is “Stories of Love from the city of Love” but don’t let this fool you, it is NOT sappy and romantic. Rather, all of the films are unique representations of the forms that love takes in everyday life. These films cover an abundance of relationship scenarios from romance, to friendship, to lust, to love in its elusive form. It is in French, but subtitles are available. Personally, I found it fun to watch without the subtitles first, guess what the short story was about, and watch it again with subtitles to see how close I was, since my French language skills have escaped me in recent years and need some serious fine tuning. The film is comprised of 18 short stories directed by 21 different directors including Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet, Joel and Ethan Coen, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuarón, Nobuhiro Suwa, Alexander Payne, Tom Tykwer, Walter Salles and Gus Van Sant.The actors in these films also include Steve Buscemi, Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood, Nick Nolte and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The collection of films also features the music of Feist. A must see- I promise, you will LOVE it.

The Darjeeling Limited.

Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman how could you go wrong? The film is about three brothers traveling through India just after their father passes away and is about the quirks that create a family bond. I appreciated this film because I don’t have siblings and I think its kind of funny to watch sibling rivalry. I also wonder if all siblings are like these three, with set “roles” when among one another’s company. For those of you who do have siblings, I am sure you can relate to many of the situations these three go through. Maybe not with complete accuracy, because a lot of what they go through is… unique. The soundtrack is killer, it features music from the Kinks, the Rolling Stones and Beethoven. Just as eclectic as the plot itself.

And lastly, I couldn’t leave out my childhood favourite film

The Little Mermaid

There is something so soothing and comforting about a singing Jamaican crab and a chubby little fish, not to mention the quirks of a scatterbrained seagull. Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle were my buddies growing up. I spent hours when I was younger wishing I was Ariel. I would be in swimming lessons pretending to be a mermaid and singing all the songs from that movie in my head. Hey, I was an only child. I had to amuse myself somehow. I eventually grew out of this “I want to be a mermaid” stage, but honestly, I still love this movie. I discovered this last year while watching it with my little cousin. it brought me back to when I was six years old again, and what’s better, I still enjoyed singing along to all the songs! We all know how important I think it is to never lose touch with our inner child, and I can’t think of a better way to bring that kid inside of us out than to watch a favourite childhood movie. (I also just learned that “Under the Sea” also won the Oscar for Original Music Score in 1990).

So that’s my list. I know this does not cover all of the movies that I love, but these are the ones that most quickly come to mind. Hope that you enjoy them too!