Friday, February 15, 2008

45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon


44. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
I love Kung Fu. Sometimes, actors are passed off as martial arts experts in movies, but it just doesn't work. It takes years of training and a certain grace and flexibility most people do not possess to really pass. Then there are these people. I know that half the stuff they do is physically impossible and requires wires and effects but they do it with such precision and grace, I believe its real. Of course, amazing kung fu does not make a great movie any more than beautiful costumes and awesome sceanery. Ang Lee does a superb job of mixing action with a sad and sweet story. You don't get the super happy ending but somehow you knew at the beginning it wasn't going to work out well and that's OK. Did I mention the acting? Well, its great too. And Chow Yun-Fat is pretty foxy which doesn't hurt one little bit.

46. The 40 Year Old Virgin


46. The 40 Year Old Virgin
How can a movie be so charming and so raunchy at the same time? Its brilliant. Steve Carell makes you want to talk to the weird guy at work (until you realize he has a massive hentai addiction). I just really love how sweet the whole story was. They made the stereotypes into people. How every time you thought they were going to cop out and feed you some stupid cliche, they twisted it into something funny but not mean. Also, the dance sequence in the end was the absolute perfect metaphor for really awesome sex.

47. Sense and Sensibility


47. Sense and Sensibility
OK. I am a sucker for English accents. I'll admit that I like pretty dresses too. Those 2 things do not make a great movie. Its the story people. There's nothing more romantic than two people who should be together but just keep missing each other. Its the anticipation that gets you, the tension. Jane Austin knew this 100 years ago. I'll admit that I'm a little more keen on the story in Pride and Prejudice but this movie version is my favorite of any of her books. The actors are perfect, the settings are amazing, and the costumes are beautiful. Everything mixes together in that perfect way to make you feel transported. Emma Thompson plays Elinor as a wonderful mix of grace, strength, and pride that made me love her character. She's the kind of female character that doesn't kill aliens or zombies but I admire her anyway. The only thing I didn't get in this movie is how anyone would not want to marry Alan Rickman. Wealthy and hot. I'll take him!

48. The Breakfast Club


48. The Breakfast Club
I choose this movie for my list because of the special place it holds in my heart. I think the lines are truely quotable and the story completely original (for its time). This was indie before there was an indie. The message is a little heavy-handed but I think that is perfectly acceptable for the teen audience. This may be the first movie I ever enjoyed that was mostly people sitting around and talking. Also, this film is totally eighties. If anybody ever wants to know what it was like to be a high school kid in the eighties, watch this film. My experience was never as extreme as any of the characters but I knew kids like them. I usually shy away from stories who's plot lines could be taken from my life but I'll make an exception for this one little movie.