I can still tap my foot to the odd Britney or Christina single. I can’t however watch crap films any longer. Even if Penelope is in them. I blame it on www.rottentomatoes.com and The Video Spot in Craighall. Rotten Tomatoes prints an annual list of top rated movies and The Video Spot insists on having most of those titles readily available. Bastards!

If you work your way through the list, as I have decided to do, the advantages are endless though.

You end up seeing a) films that you never knew existed or b) films that you refused to see because you hate the genre (horror) or the actor (Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe) or the director (Spielberg, Cameron).

If you don’t read up on the films beforehand the stories unfold as the director intended it to. There are no expectations created by trailers, press and the familiarity of actors.

Sure, a lot of these films are serious and make you contemplate life (like that is a bad thing), but then you find titles like Hellboy I and II, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Host (which successfully combines horror and comedy) and Superbad on the same list.

The common thread is brilliant filmmaking.

I have seen the following ‘top rated’ films in the last three weeks and they are all brilliant and worth watching. I will not reveal the plots of any of the films, as it is best to discover them as they unfold.

‘The Counterfeiters’ This is a beautifully shot, quiet film that presents a moral dilemma without judging any of the characters and their different actions. Stand out scene: when the war is over the gates of their section of the concentration camp is opened. The less privileged ‘fellow’ prisoners are unsure whether to shoot or not.

‘The Band’s Visit’ ‘The Band’s Visit’ is an almost upbeat film about loneliness and how people deal with it in varying ways. As in ‘The Counterfeiter’s no one is judged for their choices. Be warned, the pace is incredibly slow. Stand out scene: the movie is filled with them.

‘Happy-go-Lucky’ A, hmmm, happy go lucky film that is so ‘happy’ it petrified me within the first few minutes. I kept thinking something serious was going to go seriously wrong. Whether it does you will have to see for yourselves. Stand out scene: the morning after, standing on the balcony.

 

‘Sicko’ Michael Moore should make one of his usual humorous, but effective documentaries about the health care system in this country. Then again, apart from Manto, there would be nothing to laugh at. Stand out scene: relatives of Moore who live in Canada buy additional health insurance for the couple of hours they are going to spend on the ‘other’ side – The United States of America.

‘There will be blood’ I kinda lived ‘My left foot’ with my brother being seriously disabled and therefore placed Daniel Day Lewis on the ‘no go’ list. (Despite his Oscar and ‘Last of the Mohicans’, costarring the exquisite Madeleine Stowe.) But alas ‘There will be blood’ was on the top rated list, it was old year’s eve and everything else was out. It was thoroughly worth it. It is beautifully filmed and the performances are so strong the actors would have to work hard to shed the personas they created in this film. Stand out scene: The standoff between him and his young son when he returns from boarding school.

‘3:10 to Yuma’ Christian Bale is simply incredible. His performance in this film overshadows his ‘Batman’ portrayal. Russell Crowe ain’t bad either. Stand out scene: it is hard to say with so many to choose from.

‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ Yeah! Penelope in a brilliant film! One where she paints, swears, shoots at people and still looks AMAZING. Life is grand. Scarlet is scarlet, which for me means bland and one dimensional. Javier is Javier, intense and charismatic. It doesn’t beat his performance in ‘No Country for Old Men’.

‘Mongol’ It spans the formative years of Genghis Khan. It is beautifully shot, with little dialogue and a good dose of the morals that Genghis thought his fellow Mongolians lacked.

‘In Bruges’ Yes, I will admit to the fact that Colin Farrell’s performance in this film is completely authentic and endearing. So is this sweet, incredibly sad and surprisingly beautiful film. Stand out scene: a) Ralph Fiennes and the telephone. b) Colin and the gun in the park.

‘The Lookout’ Joseph Gordon-Levitt first appeared on my radar as the youngest member of the ‘3rd Rock from The Sun’ family. He blew me away in the controversial ‘Mysterious Skin’. (Not for sensitive viewers.) ‘The Lookout’ was a big surprise. Even though he is a more than capable actor, I did not expect the fragile performance he delivers in this film. His ‘disability’ is never dramatic, never overplayed, but quiet and very effective. Stand out scene: the opening.

‘Control’ This black and white film about the tragic life of Joy Division front man, Ian Curtis, is not easy to watch. He was not a happy person and the film delves into his depression. Samantha Morton shines as usual as his estranged wife. Stand out scene: The ending. You don’t see what happens, but you imagine it.

‘Once’ This independent Irish film was shot on two handy cams, over a period of three weeks, cost a £100000.00 to make and walked away with a Golden Globe for best song. The most impressive thing about the movie is however the values it portrays; respect, seeing the importance of small things and taking care of life and one another. Stand out scene: the lead actor sitting in the kitchen playing his first recording for his dad on an 80’s ‘tape recorder’.

‘Persopolis’ A black and white animation is hard to get into. Once you do however, you are hooked on both the simplicity and complexity of this film dealing with the rise and fall of different regimes in Iran as seen through the eyes of a young, rebellious girl. Stand out scene: every few seconds?

‘Boy A’ Simply one of the most haunting films I have seen in years. It deals with the release of a child murderer who has come of age and is being reintegrated into society. It deals with questions such as the role of the parents in the murder, the role of society in the murder, who decides who gets a second chance and what criteria do they use? Stand out scene: a) the sneakers. b) taking pics in the bath.