1992: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)
Such a stupid thing to say, but when I think about this one, I just think about an extremely well-made film. Everything is top shelf -- the acting, the writing, the directing.
I know there is a critique of violence in this one and a certain moral position taken, but that doesn't really connect with me all that much. What really gets me here is its theme of friendship, the incredibly moving bond between Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.
Eastwood is so adult, so patient, so restrained that he stands out by not standing out. He's carrying on a certain tradition of classical filmmaking, and the further we get away from the source, it's a wonder that a non post-modern work was able to gain this much attention. A UFO, perhaps, but also craftsmanship of the highest order. Quiet perfection, without all the bells and whistles.
Other contenders for 1992: I still have some titles to see from this year. These include: Alex Cox's Highway Patrolman, Eric Rohmer's A Tale of Winter, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, Christopher Munch's The Hours and Times, Terrence Davies' The Long Day Closes, and James Ivory's Howards End. At some point, I'll need to revisit Robert Altman's The Player and Agnieszka Holland's Olivier Olivier as it's been too long since I've seen either of them to know where they'd place on this list. From this year though, I really like Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives, Arnaud Desplechin's La Sentinelle, and Carl Franklin's One False Move. I love Abel Ferrara's Bad Lieutenant. And my closest runner-up is David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
I know there is a critique of violence in this one and a certain moral position taken, but that doesn't really connect with me all that much. What really gets me here is its theme of friendship, the incredibly moving bond between Eastwood and Morgan Freeman.
Eastwood is so adult, so patient, so restrained that he stands out by not standing out. He's carrying on a certain tradition of classical filmmaking, and the further we get away from the source, it's a wonder that a non post-modern work was able to gain this much attention. A UFO, perhaps, but also craftsmanship of the highest order. Quiet perfection, without all the bells and whistles.
3/21/11 I watched Robert Altman's The Player. Messy, in typical Altman fashion, and as incisive as it might be on Hollywood, at times it suffers from feeling so insular and claustrophobic. Still it's one of our best ever exposes on the movie business, and much of the casting is spot-on.
8/29/11 I watched James Ivory's Howards End. Victorian tragedy lively rendered. Full of deception and compromise, Ivory does extremely well with actors, music, and locations. I'm just a bit wary of his world view, a sort of chic bleakness, if you will.
6/20/16 I watched Eric Rohmer's A Tale of Winter. Rohmer again proves himself a master of his specific approach and style. Like Bresson or Ozu, Rohmer is a director of transcendence. Since his primary tools are reduction and refinement, when he decides in those rare moments to unleash it hits the viewer with a real force. Like someone who whispers 95% of the time, when words are spoken at regular or louder volumes, the ear perks up and becomes unusually attentive. Perhaps not Rohmer's finest but certainly another testament of his mastery and greatness.
8/29/11 I watched James Ivory's Howards End. Victorian tragedy lively rendered. Full of deception and compromise, Ivory does extremely well with actors, music, and locations. I'm just a bit wary of his world view, a sort of chic bleakness, if you will.
6/20/16 I watched Eric Rohmer's A Tale of Winter. Rohmer again proves himself a master of his specific approach and style. Like Bresson or Ozu, Rohmer is a director of transcendence. Since his primary tools are reduction and refinement, when he decides in those rare moments to unleash it hits the viewer with a real force. Like someone who whispers 95% of the time, when words are spoken at regular or louder volumes, the ear perks up and becomes unusually attentive. Perhaps not Rohmer's finest but certainly another testament of his mastery and greatness.
12/29/21 I watched Bill Duke's Deep Cover. Interesting as a noir told more from the African-American perspective. It is entertaining enough but for me it dwarfs in comparison to other films from the period like King of New York and Heat.
