Big Mike's Top Films of the Decade, Part 3

10. About A Boy (2002)

Hugh Grant gives his finest, his favorite and his most natural performance in About A Boy, a film that could have fallen into more than a dozen movie clichés, but instead becomes something very touching by belying it’s story with relatable characters in real situations. A strong British cast and a director who insisted on keeping it British-based like the novel by Nick Horby, combine to make a film would shun conventional wisdom and become a new type of film in the romantic comedy genre. Divorce, suicide and drug use may have been slightly more taboo in 2002, (no rhyme intended) but Will, Marcus, Fiona, Ellie, Rachel and Ali manage to come together and carve out a life for themselves amongst their unique island chain that more closely resembles the familial units of today that perhaps any other movie before or since it.

9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Very few romantic comedies actually get to be funny, touching and realistic all at once which makes Forgetting Sarah Marshall so unforgettable (pun intended.). With a great script and leading turn from Jason Segal made his Peter Brenner such a lovable character, you sympathized with him instantly. But, the performances of the other Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand made a much more profound story of people caught up in each other’s love lives, where nobody is the villain and even our hero needs to work on himself. It’s a very personal and moving film beneath the full frontal male nudity and puppet musicals, Forgetting Sarah Marshall stands as one of the best pure romantic comedies of all time.

8. Iron Man (2008)

The second best comic book movie on this list, for being able to do what The Dark Knight did better. By making Tony Stark a human character with very real flaws and setting the story in a world we recognize, director Jon Favreau blew the lid off of the summer last year for Marvel comics, die hard comic geeks, mainstream audiences, rival studios and oh yea, a little actor named Robert Downey Jr. Although he never really left, Iron Man was his overhand right knockout punch of a comeback that solidified him not only as one of our most talented actors, but a bonafide movie star.

7. Amelie (2001)

Exaggeration aside, it is extremely difficult NOT to fall in love with Audrey Tautou’s Amelie and her fabulous destiny. A romantic fantasy of a movie with a look that goes hand in hand with the main character, Amelie was a movie that made casual moviegoers take a second look at foreign films, but honestly, I just fall to pieces every time that I watch it. Even though the outcome is predictable enough after the first viewing, you fall in love with Amelie and hope for her to find love and find herself all over again.

6. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Combining zombies, British romantic comedies and a fast paced visual style that matched the tone of the picture; Shaun of the Dead was a bit of fried gold in a genre that had long gone stale.Action comedies had died off in the early Nineties, along with horror films, but here was a movie that never took itself too seriously, but was dead on (pun intended) as both a great film and a loving homage to it’s numerous influences. Scary, hilarious and touching, the movie and its creators managed to achieve what many movies fail to even aspire to become and that’s why you find it on most lists for this decade.

5. The Aviator (2004)

The second Scorsese movie on the list already, but it was probably a more personal film than even Gangs of New York. The story of Howard Hughes follows him from a young film director to aviation pioneer and shows us his relentless drive for perfection, the toll it takes on his personal life and what it means to struggle and fight for your vision. Sound familiar? Scorsese also seamlessly weaves in brilliant performances from everyone in the cast including DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin while shooting the film not only in period, but also in the cinematic style of the period from two-strip color film to dazzling Technicolor. One of his many underrated masterpieces, in the end, it might hold up better than a lot of his other films.

4. The Prestige (2006)

This might have been the movie I watched the most times in this decade, if for no other reason than I was determined to discover the secret of Borden’s trick. But, that’s not important in hindsight, because The Prestige is an amazing film that is not only a meditation on cinema itself, but plays with the very idea of entertainers, audiences and the relationship between the two of them. A lot of people talk about seeing something new every time they watch a movie, but The Prestige is a film in which it’s actually true. Chris Nolan made this movie in between both Batman films and matures so nicely as a director, it’s exciting to think about what he will bring in the 10’s with Inception and a third Batman film.

3. Children of Men (2006)

Though Children of Men certainly has its detractors, the movie has made several best of the 00’s lists and for good reason. Coming of the critical success of his installment of Harry Potter, director Alfonso Cuaron co-wrote and directed the science fiction story of a future where humankind is going extinct and made an amazing movie by focusing on the simple plotline of ‘get the girl to the boat.’ Clive Owen gives probably his best performance as Theo, a disillusioned former revolutionary, who becomes the reluctant hero that might just save mankind. But, the movie just pulls you into the story with a stark vision of the future that every day looks more and more likely and combines it with very simple characters trying to change the world and make a new future.

2. The Departed (2006)

The first of a few Scorsese movies on this list, The Departed is unique on the 2000’s because it is the one film that is really Scorsese in his comfort zone. A cop and robbers story set against the backdrop of Boston and Irish Americans (yes, it is important to note that.) he goes back to theGoodfellas style of directing and pulls out all the tricks, winning himself his Academy Award at long last. But, for me the film is all about the performances of the two leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. That both were ignored in the award season that year is more criminal that anything else in the movie. Even when you can start to sense every twist and turn in the story, Leo and Matty keep you on edge and manage to make you fearful for both of their lives, never knowing which one you really want to side with. And isn’t that a great theme for the film?

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

What can I say about this movie a year after its release that I haven’t said over and over again on this blog? Forget about the Academy Awards, the billion-dollar box office, the brilliant performances of Heath Ledger, Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart, and the amazing talent of Chris Nolan as director and writer, the IMAX images, the breathtaking action sequences and the horrifying realistic themes of the film. The Dark Knight is just pure entertainment, a crime story, a comic book movie, and a political and social commentary and hands down one of the most fantastic movies I’ve ever seen in my life. I said it that morning after I walked out of the theatre and I will stand by it for the next several decades.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is everything is has been hyped up to be. Any perceived flaws in the film were invisible to my eye, which may have been looking through rose colored lenses. But, I think it only speaks to the film’s story, characters and grip on my attention that I could not see past what was directly in front of me.

And I saw it in IMAX.

I know that I have helped in building this film up before even seeing it, but I can honestly say that it was the greatest movie going experience of my life. Better than seeing T2, Revenge of the Sith or The Departed. Never before have I wanted to see a film so badly and held such high expectations for it, only to have those shattered by the film giving me everything I hoped for and more. The Dark Knight delivers in ways that I have never seen in my life. It is The Godfather Part II and it is The Empire Strikes Back. It will be the film that turns the generation behind me into film makers.

I have to start with the sheer technical brilliance of the film and Christopher Nolan’s incredible job of directing. There is not a split second, not a single frame wasted in the movie’s entire run time. He directs the film brilliantly and effortlessly through the story, really making it much more of a crime drama with a few action sequences, rather than the other way around. The story informs the manner of storytelling and Nolan makes sure that we are given everything we need to understand our characters and their motivation. I used to say that Nolan is a master at what he didn’t show you. I still think its true, but he pulls the curtain away in this film and brings us even deeper into Gotham. It is true that the city becomes a character itself and for good reason. Like anyone else in the film that we are meant to care about, Gotham City is what Bruce, Harvey, Gordon and Rachel all love so much that they are fighting with their lives to protect it. The city is their home and by showing us so much of it, Nolan would have us identify with it and care about whether or not it would be burned to the ground by anarchy.

We will never be able to say enough good things about Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. Yes, it is brilliant, yes, he steals the movie and yes, he deserves every award he will and will not win. I still cannot say for sure if his death has affected my judgment in anyway, but I could not take my eyes off him and marveled at his talent. I never forgot that Heath was underneath that makeup, but I did forget that he was gone. I celebrated that man’s life tonight and I think he would have preferred that to the alternative.

Everyone in the cast is outstanding, but will be overshadowed by Ledger. I’m sure they’re fine with that, but kudos to Christian Bale for giving us real heart and pathos to Bruce Wayne that are usually only reserved for scenes of him as a child. Never before has Bruce been so tortured by his deeds and so willing to pull of the cowl and lay himself bare for the good of others concerned. He is the best Bruce Wayne. Likewise, though they are given much smaller roles than the first time around, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhaal are superb in their roles, supporting Batman. We know that they empathize with Bruce, but cannot even come to grips with the best way to help him or to show him that he is not alone. As for Aaron Eckhart, he comes across as a revelation. He plays Harvey Two-Face as he was always meant to be. A twisted man hell bent on his own sense of justice. He is perfect, making us truly empathize with Harvey and so regretful when he becomes Gotham’s fallen white knight.

I walked out of the film slightly unsure of it. I knew that I had seen one of the greatest films I had ever seen. I knew I would be back the next day to watch it again. And I knew that Heath’s Joker had become the new Jack Sparrow. I was delighted that a huge summer blockbuster ‘comic book movie’ had not only become a masterful example of the true capacities of the medium, but had really, truly had something to say about our own world. Gotham City was a mirror of our own society and everything that was said about its citizens, about us as a people rang true to me. Sadly, I think most of this will be lost on a younger audience who will not see the forest for the trees. Nolan has been amazingly subversive in using his huge Warner Bros. franchise to explore our morality, our darker side and ourselves as well. I hope as many people go to see it as I plan to, because maybe then, they can discover the real meaning behind the title. Perhaps when we can see what we make of our heroes and the people brave enough to defend us, we can begin to change our world into one where those people can take off their masks and live a life in which the risk they put themselves in is no longer necessary.

Big Mike's Lil' Update 7/4/08

It's the Fourth of July, Independence Day. So, which movie should be watched today, Independence Day or Born on the Fourth of July? Hmm...

- OK, I know not everybody loves Spaced as much as I do, but there are several events coming up this month if you do. In Los Angeles, there will be a signing at Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash followed by a screening at the Hollywood ArcLight with Edgar, Simon, Jessica and Kev Smith in attendance. Will you be as well?






- Yes, I saw Hancock, yes, a review will be forthcoming and yes, I have a man-crush on Jason Bateman. This is NOT a bromance, just a man-crush.






- Helena Bonham Carter in Terminator 4? This week has no lack of good news for me.


- I was getting ready to get into my fall/winter preview, but most of those films still don't even have one-sheets out yet, like Harry Potter. Oh well, I guess I will put if off for a few weeks.


- I'm not sure which is odder, David Gordon Green directing Pineapple Express or Huey Lewis doing the theme song? Yea, it's David Gordon Green.


- So, if it is generally held that Batman Begins is basically Batman:Year One and The Dark Knight is The Long Halloween, then would it be all bad if the next movie were based on Dark Victory? Could Bale's insistence on not bringing in Robin merely be an attempt to throw us off the trail, akin to Raimi expressing disinterest in Venom? Would a young Robin actually work for Nolan's Batman? Do you think he will shoot the third movie entirely in IMAX? What's your favorite Batman comic? Who writes him better, Kane, Miller or Loeb? Will Nolan bring in Scarlett Johansson to play Selina Kyle or fulfill my wishes/internet rumors and cast Eva Mendes instead? Or does she just play Renee Montoya? Is it possible for Dark Knight to NOT live up to the hype? Does Heath get the Oscar or just a nomination? If everybody is comparing it to Godfather II and Empire Strikes Back, can I be the first to compare it to Aliens? Have you told all your friends about the Batman Blog-A-Thon? If I got a Batman tattoo, would I get the new logo or the classic 1989? If I were Chandler Bing, could I ask anymore questions?














-Oh, and for the first question, I'm going with neither. I just got Control. Hooray for British black and white musical bio docudrama!

The End of the Most Prestigious Debate

This blog was chosen as a LAMB Chop for the week of May 31 - June 6.

I used to have the greatest job in the world. I worked at a store called DVD Planet and for mere slave wages I got to mock customers with inferior film knowledge than my own, get rare and out of print DVD before they went out on the floor and debate/discuss movies all shift long with my friends. You can find heaven on Earth, in Huntington Beach or Rancho Cucamonga. The best part, of course, were the arguments over films and none of them raged harder or longer than that of The Prestige.

When The Prestige premiered, everybody at work saw in within a week. Later, when it went to the dollar theatre, I am pretty sure everyone saw it again. And thus began our great argument over the movie; did Borden have a twin or a clone? We went back and forth for weeks on the subject and when we finally let it die down and agreed to disagree, the DVD was released. We watched it in the store on a loop and the whole discussion came back with a vengeance.

Before I go on, a brief summary for those who are unfamiliar with the film, and yes, there will be spoilers. The film focuses on two magicians, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, respectively. They begin as young apprentices, working together and quickly develop a rivalry that escalates beyond either of their expectations. It is a character study more than a movie about magic, but director Christopher Nolan makes a truly fascinating film, requiring more than one view. Without giving too much away (and I advise anyone who has not seen the movie to stop reading here) in regards to the plot, there ends up being multiple incarnations of more than one character, which led directly to the debate in our store.

I maintained the position that Fallon was a clone of Borden, achieved through a similar method to that of Angier’s. I read the novel by Christopher Priest, in which it is implied that Borden had a twin, but I believed that Nolan took creative license and changed certain story elements. I backed up my side with points about the dual nature of Borden/Fallon, the very Jungian qualities of the character, Sarah telling Borden that she ‘knew what he really was’ and the fact that Borden reveals Tesla as the secret to his trick. And the thing that really sold me on the idea was the scene after Borden watches Angier’s “New Transported Man” and yells at Fallon, “Why can’t you out think him?!” To me, that was so clearly him challenging himself to be better than Angier, I couldn’t honestly read it another way.

My friends would argue back that in fact, Tesla is NOT really Borden’s secret. But, I would say that Tesla admits as much that he built the machine once before for another magician. They would talk and talk, but I couldn't care less. All the points they came up with fell on deaf ears and I would never give in an inch to them. But today, as I caught the last ten minutes on cable, it finally hit me. They were right.

Borden never had a clone.

When Lord Caldlow comes to visit Borden/Fallon in jail, Borden is truly astonished to see him. Christian Bale plays the scene perfectly and looking at his face, it hit me like a ton of bricks. He has no flipping idea how he did it. He doesn’t know about the true nature of Tesla’s machine or the clones. And I realize now why for so long I chose to believe otherwise. It’s because Christopher Nolan is a great magician. He kept me looking and thinking and guessing even though the answer was right in front of me. I was looking for the secret, but I couldn’t find it, because I wanted to be fooled. And like Angier/Caldlow says at the end of the film, if you can fool them for just a second then you got to see something really special. It only took me two times to see the movie to realize it was all about movies, but it took me nearly two years before I realized the true prestige.

Thanks for reading and I want to give special thanks to my friends at DVD Planet who helped make this blog happen, in alphabetical order, Alex, Graham, Logan and Phil.

The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale is available on DVD from Warner Home Video.