#7
sex, lies and videotape
42nd Cannes Film Festival
DIRECTED BY: Steven Soderbergh
I had not seen Steven Soderbergh‘s sex, lies and videotape until including it in the now-defunct RopeofSilicon Movie Club back in October 2012 where I was blow away. Here is the film credited with the rise of the indie movement throughout the ’90s, something, one could argue, started losing momentum in the years following Pulp Fiction‘s mainstream success as the Weinsteins reigned over the indiesphere.
What I love most about this film is how explicit the title sounds and yet how tame the movie actually is, especially by today’s standards. The film implies conversation is just as, if not more, sexually stimulating than the acts themselves which might not titillate as much as a bathhouse in an episode of “Game of Thrones”, but certainly offers a far more interesting approach to sexuality. You can read more of my thoughts on this one right here.
#6
The Conversation*
27th Cannes Film Festival
DIRECTED BY: Francis Ford Coppola
Here’s another Movie Club selection, though when I watched and discussed Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Conversation, it was not my first time seeing it.
So often praised for his Godfather films and, his other Palme d’Or winner Apocalypse Now, Coppola’s Conversation, features some of his best directorial work, excellent sound design and a standout performance from Gene Hackman. Given today’s level of surveillance it makes what’s going on in this film look primitive, but it would also be interesting to see a remake of this film given today’s technology. Perhaps we’d already meet Harry Caul (Hackman) in the midst of all out paranoia rather than observe his descent into it.
For more of my thoughts on this one in the Movie Club discussion click here.
#5
The White Ribbon
62nd Cannes Film Festival
DIRECTED BY: Michael Haneke
This is probably the one film most people will argue against as there seems to be two sides of the fence on Micahel Haneke‘s The White Ribbon. I fall on the side that views it as a near masterpiece. I was absolutely floored the first time I watched this movie. It’s dark, haunting, wonderfully executed, bathed in stunning black-and-white cinematography and features performances that will leave you breathless.
Here’s a snippet from my review, describing my favorite scene in the film:
I found particular fascination in one specific scene where the injured doctor’s children, 14-year-old Anna (Roxane Duran) and her younger brother Rudolf (Miljan Chatelain), discuss death. “What’s that?” Rudolf asks. “What?” Anna replies before Rudolf clarifies, “Dead.” Anna’s explanation is just as you would expect for a child Rudolf’s age, but the wide-eyed gaze and angelic way in which Rudolf continues his questioning makes for one of the better scenes I have seen all year. As a viewer you look on with compassion, but at the same time you realize his questioning is not to be forgotten as the events of the film continue to unfold.
Now watch the scene for yourself…
#4
The Third Man*
3rd Cannes Film Festival
DIRECTED BY: Carol Reed
When it comes to iconic, black-and-white cinematography, Carol Reed‘s The Third Man and Robert Krasker‘s Oscar-winning cinematography will likely appear at or near the top of most any list. From the wet cobblestone pavement and sewers of Vienna to the shadowy angles, this is a visual marvel. Add to that the sounds of the zither making up Anton Karas’s score, the performances by Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard in his second appearance on this list and, of course, the cuckoo clock and the dots…
