The 100 Chapter 8: 86 & 85

Who doesn't love a list?

I devour the BFI Best Films of All Time list whenever they deem it necessary to revise and (invariably) disagree with most of the findings, but I still get a kick out of browsing. Same with Rolling Stone's inane Best 100 Albums (how does Sgt. Pepper drop from #1 to #24 in the latest incarnation?); the anger I feel subsides when I see they've put a couple of Aerosmith albums on the list! We all disagree with that number one but we keep right on scrolling through each choice.

This project, which has been percolating for quite a while, originated from the constant back and forth "good natured bickering" between John Scoleri and myself. John invariably loves everything and I hate it all (for more of the discourse, I advise one and all to pick up a copy of bare•bones print magazine and read our debates about streaming and movie theaters to get a taste). I began to think it would be fun to compose a Favorite (as opposed to Best) 100 and compare our selections. Making it even more tantalizing, I managed to talk the third head of Ghidorah, Jack Seabrook, into participating. This could be interesting, since John's never seen a movie the two Georges (Romero and Lucas) didn't have a hand in, and Jack usually favors the flicks that have words at the bottom of the screen (dis-moi que j'ai tort, Jack!). I, on the other hand, can't wait to educate these two gentlemen as to what constitutes good cinema.

Every Thursday, we'll count down our picks two at a time. We're hoping this will generate discourse outside of our trio. Let us know just how crazy we are. This is going to be fun!—Peter

Dunkirk (2017)

Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance

Directed by Christopher Nolan

    "What do you see?"

    "Home."

Like millions of other filmgoers on opening day, July 21, 2017, I knew nothing about the Dunkirk evacuation or how it inspired Churchill and England to fight even harder in World War II. What little we learned of World War II in school (the curriculum when I was a kid was devoted more to teaching us about the Roman Empire than any more recent events—more's the pity since I think I might have been able to stay awake during History otherwise) was the "highlights": Patton, Pearl Harbor, etc. Certainly nothing about a little village in France and the amazing rescue of over 300,000 troops, most of whom were doomed to be slaughtered by the Nazis.

By 2017, Christopher Nolan had established himself as the 21st Century's Steven Spielberg so it was a perfect choice for the director to take on a war movie. Rather than a straightforward battle film a la Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, Nolan dips back into his non-linear bag of tricks (a gimmick that would befuddle on a first watch and bedazzle on subsequent viewings) and gives us three "stories" and three "timelines": Land (the beach evacuation taking place over one week); Sea (the rescue boats--one day); and Air (the fighter planes--one hour). All three stories merge brilliantly at the climax but until that time, we jump back and forth, seeing characters in different timelines in consecutive scenes. Nolan always strives to short circuit the brain of his rapt viewer (see also Memento, The Prestige, Inception, and Interstellar) and once again he succeeds. 

Nolan's cast includes (at the time) newer faces such as pop star Harry Styles, Jack Lowden (who went on to Slow Horses and James Bond consideration), James D'Arcy (Homeland and Marvel's VisionQuest), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen on House of the Dragon), and Barry Keoghan (Ringo in the upcoming four-picture bio of The Beatles to be directed by Sam Mendes), but also shows respect to the elders with Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Kenneth Branagh. As mentioned, I saw Dunkirk on opening day (at Fat Cat's here in Gilbert, AZ) and the experience left me both dazzled and shook. Repeat viewings have not dulled those sensations. (For those wanting to know even more details about the Dunkirk evacuation should pick up Walter Lord's The Miracle of Dunkirk)—Peter

Remarks from the Gallery:

Jack: We've discussed the films of Christopher Nolan many times. I don't understand the appeal. I looked at the list of films he's directed and I think Dunkirk was the one I liked best. Oppenheimer was decent but an hour too long, and I didn't care for any of the rest. Darkest Hour is another very good film about Dunkirk from a different perspective.

John: I never caught this theatrically and first experienced it during one of our year-end wrap-ups in our home theater on a 120" screen. I thought the intertwined stories were an interesting gimmick that works well and an interesting way to present this history (of which I too was unfamiliar going in). It's not on my list, but a rewatch is definitely overdue. 

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman

Directed by Joel Cohen, Ethan Coen

"It's good knowin' he's out there—the Dude—takin' her easy for all us sinners."

After Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski falls victim to an attack at his home by two thugs, he gets caught up in a complex situation involving a rich man with the same name, the man's trophy wife, a producer of porn movies, and a group of nihilists—all while trying to focus on an upcoming bowling tournament.

The Big Lebowski is one of the most fun, memorable films I've seen in the last thirty years. Joel and Ethan Coen are to me what Christopher Nolan is to Peter. Despite what Netflix flags as "pervasive strong language," I enjoyed the heck out of this movie when it came out and on every rewatching since. Jeff Bridges is so good as the Dude that he doesn't seem like he's acting— he totally embodies the character. John Goodman is equally good as his friend and bowling companion, Walter, who flies off the handle at the slightest provocation but has a heart of gold. The rest of the cast is perfect, from John Turturro as the rival bowler named Jesus to Sam Elliott as the mysterious stranger who narrates and shows up at the bowling alley a couple of times. If you haven't seen this movie, I strongly suggest you give it a try.—Jack

Remarks from the Gallery:

Peter: I tried this one a couple times over the last twenty years or so and just could not get into it. It's one of those goofy "cult" flicks like Withnail and I that is held up high on the pedestal and leave me cold. I like some of the Coen Bros. flicks (No Country, the underrated Hail, Caesar!, Inside Llewyn Davis) but quite a few of them come off as pretentious and very Lynch-ian to me. My loss, Dude fans might say.

John: The Coen Brothers are like Christopher Nolan to me. I understand why they have devoted fan bases, but I find their films are hit or miss, and more often misses, as far as my appreciation. For what it's worth, Miller's Crossing is my favorite Coen Brothers film, and it didn't even make my top 100. The Big Lebowski has certainly grown on me over the years. The first time I watched it, I didn't appreciate it at all. But after several friends suggested that I give it another chance, I did and was pleasantly surprised. It's not perfect, but I do think it's their funniest and most quotable film. 

Gladiator (2000) 

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix

Directed by Ridley Scott

"At my signal, unleash hell."

I saw an early screening of Gladiator several weeks before its release and I was blown away. I was aware of Russell Crowe; he impressed me in Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead and made a name for himself in L.A. Confidential, but it was Gladiator where I realized that he was destined to be a major star.

Ridley Scott's Roman epic exceeded my expectations, from the opening battle with the Germanic tribes to the faceoff in the Colosseum. And it's got a great Hans Zimmer score. Like the greatest epics, it stands up on repeat viewings. It took me some time to warm up to Joaquin Phoenix, whose character I couldn't stand, because I didn't initially give his performance credit for my disliking the character.—John

 

Remarks from the Gallery:

Peter: I'll have more to say about this knockout (SPOILER ALERT!) next week but I'll just add that I remember you raving about your sneak preview experience to me and David J. Schow in L.A. that year and my not being impressed with the trailer. I was wrong for perhaps the first and last time.

Jack: Gladiator came close to making my list after we watched it a few months ago before a vacation in Rome. I agree that it's a terrific movie.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) 

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgard

Directed by David Fincher

"Let me ask you something. Why don't people trust their instincts? They sense something is wrong; someone is walking too close behind them... You knew something was wrong but you came back into the house. Did I force you, did I drag you in? No. All I had to do was offer you a drink. It's hard to believe that the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain."

Based on the phenomenal bestseller by Stieg Larsson, David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was actually a remake of a 2009 Swedish film starring Noomi Rapace. A disgraced journalist is asked to look into a missing girl and takes on a very unique partner in the troubled Lisbeth Salander.

It was hard to pick between Fincher’s and the original version as both are near-flawless mysteries, with multiple twists and no shortage of suspects. In the end, I chose this one because of Daniel Craig’s Michael Blomkvist, a role vastly different than the one he became famous for, and Skarsgard's creepy cool serial killer. It’s a toss-up as far as Mara and Rapace (who would reprise her role in two excellent sequels) as both give stunning performances.

As far as the flick goes, it’s like Let’s Make a Deal: open door one and it’s a drama about a reporter trying to reclaim his credibility; opt for door number two and you’ll get a harrowing tale of sexual abuse and a young girl trying to make her way through the world on her own terms; door three is the most tantalizing, though, as you learn about the filthy rich family who hide their dirty secrets (Dad was a Nazi and a serial killer!) like they hide their offshore accounts. This is the very definition of a rollercoaster ride.—Peter

Remarks from the Gallery:

Jack: I've not read the book nor seen the movie.

John: If Peter weren't so averse to reading subtitles, he'd surely have put the Noomi Rapace original on his list instead of this lesser version. I've seen it, and while it's not bad, like many a US-remake of a foreign film, it's unnecessary. 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

TV Western star Rick Dalton's career is fading as 1969 dawns. He and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, try to figure out where Rick goes from here as they cross paths with some sinister hippies at a nearby ranch. Will Rick make the transition to spaghetti Westerns? Are his neighbors, Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, in danger from the hippies?

I loved this movie when it first came out and I loved it just as much when I watched it again recently. The way Tarantino evokes late '60s Hollywood is perfect. I don't care if it wasn't really like this, it should have been!

DiCaprio is perfect as Dalton and the re-creation of his TV show is great. Pitt is just as good as Booth. His fight with Bruce Lee is classic. The twists and turns of the plot are wonderful and the ending, where Tarantino's penchant for violence finally bears fruit, is grotesquely satisfying. If only real life had worked out this way.—Jack

Remarks from the Gallery:

Peter: What John doesn't say below is that he sees every movie ten times theatrically. Without completely spoiling my opinion of this one, I'll just say that I have nothing to say for several months.

John: I saw the film 10 times theatrically during its original run. I too will have more to say months down the road. At least we now have confirmation that there's at least one film that landed on all three of our lists—our first hat trick!

Payback (1999) 

Starring: Mel Gibson, Maria Bello

Directed by Brian Helgeland

"Not many people know what their life's worth is. I do. Seventy grand. That's what they took from me. And that's what I was going to get back."

This is the film that inspired me to start reading Donald Westlake's 'Richard Stark' Parker novels. Like The Last Man on Earth, the change of the main character's name is annoying, particularly in that it's spoken so often throughout the film. But that aside, I really like Gibson's portrayal of the character. He's my favorite Parker (in this case, Porter), and I would have loved to see him appear in additional installments. I love the film's balance of intensity and black humor.

Maria Bello is fantastic, as always, and the rogues gallery of the (other) bad guys is a classic lineup including William Devane, James Coburn, and Kris Kristofferson!—John

Remarks from the Gallery:

Peter: This was a near miss for me (let's put it at #103). I also love Mel in this but he wins "Best Parker" by default when you think about who the competition is (yeah, Lee Marvin is a great actor but he ain't Parker, boys and girls, so bring on your disdain for my diss). I'm surprised you didn't mention the alternate cut, which I think is the preferred cut of Payback, released years after the initial DVD. Much darker, more violent, and no happy ending. In fact, the studio version (taken away from Helgeland by Mel himself) wouldn't dent my 200. I've read every single Parker novel Westlake wrote (I'm still waiting trepidatiously for some ghost to pick up the reins a la Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne) and Helgeland's vision (not the one John is raving about, mind you) is the best adaptation. 

Jack: This seems like something I would've seen but I don't remember it at all!