THE TWELVE FILMS OF CHRISTMAS
Orignally published in 2004.
In honour of the Holiday Season, this year, I decided to put together a selection of films that really celebrate the true meaning of Christmas: i.e. spiritual, life-affirming values. These are not the typical, sentimental, Holiday fluff we are bombarded with every year at this time. These are films of substance that really address the things Christmas really means (or at least the things Christmas is supposed to mean). These are NOT Christmas films or films about Christmas. These are films from the last 20 years or so that are excellent cinematic representations of the values the Christmas season really celebrates. Most of them are dark, heavy and intense. But all of them will shatter the superfluous, commercial elements that have come to dominate the season - bringing home with staggering power and conviction, the true meaning of Christmas.
01) FAITH
Contact 1997
This may seem like an odd choice for a film that celebrates faith. Especially since the story revolves around Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a scientist who doesn’t believe in a Supreme Being, and who believes that truth is only that which is empirically verifiable. But despite appearances, Dr. Arroway does have a lot of faith, for the sole reason that she’s willing to entertain the possibility that something outside herself, greater than herself exists (even if that something is extra-terrestrial intelligence as opposed to Divine Intelligence). Not only is she willing to entertain that possibility, she’s willing to embrace it; and this is what faith is really about – the openness to believe in something greater than yourself and the capacity to allow for awe, wonder and mystery in the universe. In fact, these qualities are at the heart of faith, which is really the theme of Contact, the most intelligent film on the topic of extra-terrestrial life since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Adapted from the novel by Carl Sagan and directed with great skill by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis, Contact is far more than a film about aliens – it’s a philosophical meditation on the nature of truth, which will leave you with the sense that all knowledge is faith.
02) HOPE/PERSEVERANCE
The Shawshank Redemption 1994
When Shawshank Redemption first premiered in 1994, it hardly made a dent in the box office. Now it’s one of the most popular and beloved films of the 90’s thanks to the magic of home video where a whole new audience discovered it. My love affair with the film began prior to its release on home video, as I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen when it was initially released. At that time, it was love at first sight, as Shawshank is simply the best Capra film, Capra never made – an inspirational prison epic that brilliantly manipulates your emotions and expectations from the very first frame 'til the last. I have no problem with emotional manipulation, as long as it’s successful. So even though the film is a little on the sentimental side, I didn’t mind because rarely has sentimentality been done this well and been this effective. In addition, many films lose steam during the third act, but Shawshank continues to build tension until it reaches an absolutely stunning and satisfying conclusion. With one of the most heart-warming friendships ever depicted on screen, and with some genuinely shocking moments, Shawshank demonstrates exceedingly well that with hope and perseverance, anything is possible.
03) LOVE/SACRIFICE
Life is Beautiful 1998
Italian filmmaker, Roberto Benigni took a huge risk attempting to mix comedy with the horror of the Holocaust, but the risk paid off beautifully (no pun intended) as Life is Beautiful is one of the most honoured Foreign Language films in recent memory. Starting off as light-hearted comedy, Benigni gradually weaves the Holocaust elements into the story until they all blend together seamlessly. Because I’m not one of those people who find Benigni particularly funny, the movie works better for me as a drama than a comedy. In addition, the film itself is not very cinematic as the emphasis is all on the content - i.e. Benigni’s comedic talents and the story. But what makes Life such a special experience is the story – a story with devastating emotional power. There are all types of love, but none more compelling than a parent's love for his or her child. It is Guido's love for his son that is unbelievably moving - a love so powerful that not only does he save his son’s life, he also saves his son’s mind and heart from the most traumatic and tragic event of the 20th century.
OR
My Left Foot 1989
I had to include two selections in this category because they are both such excellent cinematic representations of the power of love and sacrifice. Here, again, we are dealing with the love of a parent for their child, and in this case it is a mother’s love for her son - a love so strong that it transforms not only her son's life, but her son's perspective on life. Normally, I don't enjoy these types of films – films about individuals overcoming great physical and mental challenges, but this Academy Award nominated tale from Ireland is directed with such heart and artistry that it successfully avoids all the sentimental clichés that normally accompanies these kinds of stories. In addition, all the performances are absolutely first rate, especially Daniel Day Lewis who richly deserved the Oscar he received for this role. With astonishing mastery of the medium for a first time director, Jim Sheridan infuses the story with such a sense of authenticity, you feel like you've really experienced the actual people the film is based on.
04) JUSTICE
In the Name of the Father 1993
Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day Lewis strike gold once again in this riveting masterpiece, In the Name of the Father - my personal choice for the second best film of 1993. Sheridan and Lewis are like an Irish version of Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, enjoying the same kind of fruitful relationship as their American counterparts. Following in the footsteps of their critical success My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father is also based on a true story - the story of the Guilford Four: a group of people wrongly convicted by the British Government for an IRA terrorist bombing at a pub near London in the mid seventies. An English attorney, played brilliantly by Emma Thompson, takes up their cause and helps them in their fight for justice. The story itself is intrinsically compelling, and Sheridan does a magnificent job accentuating the raw emotional force in every moment and every scene. With a powerful, bittersweet ending, In the Name of the Father will leave you with no doubt that ’justice delayed is justice denied.'
05) TOLERANCE
Philadelphia 1993
Oscar winning director Jonathan Demme follows up his 1991 classic, The Silence of the Lambs, with Philadelphia - a film that couldn’t be more different in content from his Academy Award winning thriller. This time, tackling the subject of AIDS, the director tells the story of a young gay man dying from the infectious disease. At a time when there was still far too little discussion on the subject, Demme crafts the film with enough taste and artistry to avoid disease movie of the week pitfalls and clichés. Tom Hanks has often been praised for giving a face to the disease, and rightly so, for Philadelphia is really the first main stream, Hollywood film to deal with the subject matter. But I think Hanks' real accomplishment was his subtle and tasteful depiction of a gay man that forced many of us, like the Denzel Washington character, to re-examine our own prejudices and to come to terms with them. This is Hanks' (and the film's) real accomplishment - they gave not only a face to the disease, but also a face to an invisible minority, challenging us to look beyond our biases. For a society that still has a long way to go in its treatment of all minorities, this was a much-needed shot in the arm for the movie going public.
06) UNDERSTANDING
The Joy Luck Club 1993
One of the five best films of 1993 is my choice for a movie that successfully celebrates the value of understanding. The Joy Luck Club tells the story of two generations of Chinese American mothers and daughters who struggle to understand each and forgive each other. Based on the novel of the same name by Amy Tan, Joy Luck Club is a true cinematic marvel as the director, Wayne Wang, successfully weaves together multiple story lines and numerous flashbacks into a powerful movie going experience. As he does so, we get a haunting sense of how difficult it is for one generation to understand another. Still, the effort to do so reaps huge rewards, as evidenced by this deeply moving and effective film.
07) COURAGE
Dead Poets Society 1989
One of my all time favourite films from the 80's, Dead Poets Society tells the story of a group of male students at a private school who fall under the spell of an English teacher, John Keating. Keating uses unconventional teaching methods, much to the dismay of the administration, to inspire his students to live life to the full. Sounds cliché? Yes. To some extent, Dead Poets is cliché and manipulative. But Australian director, Peter Weir, crafts the film with such beauty and power, that it's easly to forgive of the clichés. And again, I don't mind being manipulated, as long as the film is successful in its manipulation. For I go to the movies to be affected in some way and most of the tools available to the filmmaker for that end are fair game as far as I'm concerned - including clichés. Apart from that, Robin Williams gives a miraculous performance - crossing the divide that separates comedy and drama with astonishing success. And Ethan Hawke, an extremely underrated actor, is the cinematic epitome of the shy, nervous and socially awkward teenager. His emotional breakthrough at the end of the film is one of the most potent movie moments of the 80's - giving hope that every fear you've ever had could be conquered. Despite all this, what makes Dead Poets such a celebration of courage is the fact that it demonstrates how courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability and the willingness to act in spite of fear.
08) FRIENDSHIP
Stand by Me 1986
One of the best coming of age films of all time, this Rob Reiner classic starring Wil Weaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and the late River Phoenix, is at the very core, a powerful and moving story about friendship. Based on a novella by horror writer Stephen King, Stand by Me tells the tale of four young boys who embark on an odyssey to find a dead body. Along the way, they have numerous adventures as they're forced to face many things about themselves and the world around them. Overflowing with wonderful performances, enormuos wit and an irresistible sense of adventure, this odyssey to uncover a dead body is really a meditation on what a priceless gift friendship is.
09) WISDOM
Forrest Gump 1994
It seems like a strange thing to do - making a film about an idiot to celebrate the virtue of wisdom. But therein lies the beauty and brilliance of Robert Zemeckis' 1994 Academy Award winning classic, Forrest Gump. For one of the main themes of Gump is wisdom versus intelligence - a worthy theme for a society that overvalues meaningless intelligence and undervalues wisdom, and for a society that often confuses the two. But intelligence and wisdom are not the same things. Forrest Gump may not have been intelligent, but he was certainly wise. He was wise enough to recognize his limitations and accept them - trusting in a Higher Power to help him through life. He was wise enough to look beyond the surface of people to see their inner beauty. He was wise enough to take each day for what it is and to know what was really important in life. These may sound like simple-minded platitudes, but they are among the most important and most difficult things to do in life - both for the intelligent and for the not so intelligent. The great thing about Gump is how it challenges our notions and biases by having the humility to present the character of Forrest Gump as the protagonist of the film - forcing us to re-examine the value we place on a high I.Q. After all, who could deny that the wisdom of Gump was so infectious, that it eventually transformed the life of all those around him, thoroughly seducing the North American audience in the process.
10) SELF-WORTH
The Color Purple 1985
The Color Purple will forever be known as Steven Spielberg's first real departure from the typical fantasy and action/adventure content that characterizes much of his work. But venturing into un-chartered waters didn't diminish his story telling abilities at all, for the mega successful director has transformed a Pulitzer Prize winning novel into one of the most powerful and touching films of the 80's. Using largely unknown talent at the time to comprise the majority of his cast, Spielberg proves he is equally adept at directing actors as he is at manipulating the camera. Holding the record (along with Gangs of New York) for the film with the most Oscar nominations and the least amount of wins (11 nominations - 0 wins), Purple is the gut wrenching story of a group of African American women struggling to live a life of dignity in a male dominated society where minorities are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy and minority women even more so. Whoopi Goldberg plays Celie, a woman who has been abused in every way imaginable by the men in her life. This constant, never ending abuse has effectively destroyed her self-esteem. It takes the love and respect of a fellowship of women to empower her enough to rise above other's perceptions of her and recognize her own self worth. With one of the most touching endings in movie history, The Color Purple is difficult to watch, but impossible not to be moved or affected by.
11) FAMILY
The Ice Storm 1997
This powerful and haunting film by super talented director Ang Lee is probably the best movie I've ever seen about dysfunctional families. Lee weaves this deeply emotional tale with great mastery of the medium, drawing us immediately into the hearts and minds of the characters - instantly making their pain our pain. With incredible subtext, the torment of each character screams for recognition, as each one of them struggles to assuage their suffering in their own way. Set in the mid 1970's, Ice Storm is the story of two families, each of them experiencing the same kind of disillusionment with the lives they have created for themselves. Beautifully acted by a cast any director would kill for, Ice Storm's great power is it's ability to create meaning out of that which is meaningless, to find hope in despair, and to affirm the importance of family in a way that stays with you forever.
OR
Parenthood 1990
My alternative choice in this category is Ron Howard's 1990 underrated gem, Parenthood. Although not in the same league as Ice Storm, Parenthood is a worthy cinematic celebration of family, affirming the importance of family with superb wit and insight. Making the best use of a talented cast and a smart script, Howard wisely allowed the prowess of each of these to speak for itself; making limited use of typical Hollywood tricks to accentuate the drama. With fine performances all around, Parenthood celebrates family by demonstrating some of the ways we have abused and devalued the institution.
12) COMPASSION
Three Kings 1999
Three Kings is the only film in this selection that actually has some reference to Christmas in the title. But don't be fooled. This is no Christmas movie. Rather, this is a superbly crafted dark, comic morality tale that is surprisingly moving and effective. My personal choice for the best film of 1999, Three Kings is the saga of three soldiers in post Desert Storm Kuwait, who attempt to exploit the war situation by finding and stealing a fortune in hidden gold. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, and the soldiers are confronted with choices they would rather not make. George Clooney is truly a revelation in this star making role and Mark Wahlberg shows us once again how completely successful his transition has been from underwear model to actor. Using some amusing and somewhat clever visual tricks, Kings’ true strengths are the brilliant way it blends comedy with drama, its fresh approach to a familiar genre, and the way it demonstrates that even in the most insane situations, there's room for compassion.
In honour of the Holiday Season, this year, I decided to put together a selection of films that really celebrate the true meaning of Christmas: i.e. spiritual, life-affirming values. These are not the typical, sentimental, Holiday fluff we are bombarded with every year at this time. These are films of substance that really address the things Christmas really means (or at least the things Christmas is supposed to mean). These are NOT Christmas films or films about Christmas. These are films from the last 20 years or so that are excellent cinematic representations of the values the Christmas season really celebrates. Most of them are dark, heavy and intense. But all of them will shatter the superfluous, commercial elements that have come to dominate the season - bringing home with staggering power and conviction, the true meaning of Christmas.
01) FAITH
Contact 1997
This may seem like an odd choice for a film that celebrates faith. Especially since the story revolves around Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a scientist who doesn’t believe in a Supreme Being, and who believes that truth is only that which is empirically verifiable. But despite appearances, Dr. Arroway does have a lot of faith, for the sole reason that she’s willing to entertain the possibility that something outside herself, greater than herself exists (even if that something is extra-terrestrial intelligence as opposed to Divine Intelligence). Not only is she willing to entertain that possibility, she’s willing to embrace it; and this is what faith is really about – the openness to believe in something greater than yourself and the capacity to allow for awe, wonder and mystery in the universe. In fact, these qualities are at the heart of faith, which is really the theme of Contact, the most intelligent film on the topic of extra-terrestrial life since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Adapted from the novel by Carl Sagan and directed with great skill by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis, Contact is far more than a film about aliens – it’s a philosophical meditation on the nature of truth, which will leave you with the sense that all knowledge is faith.
02) HOPE/PERSEVERANCE
The Shawshank Redemption 1994
When Shawshank Redemption first premiered in 1994, it hardly made a dent in the box office. Now it’s one of the most popular and beloved films of the 90’s thanks to the magic of home video where a whole new audience discovered it. My love affair with the film began prior to its release on home video, as I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen when it was initially released. At that time, it was love at first sight, as Shawshank is simply the best Capra film, Capra never made – an inspirational prison epic that brilliantly manipulates your emotions and expectations from the very first frame 'til the last. I have no problem with emotional manipulation, as long as it’s successful. So even though the film is a little on the sentimental side, I didn’t mind because rarely has sentimentality been done this well and been this effective. In addition, many films lose steam during the third act, but Shawshank continues to build tension until it reaches an absolutely stunning and satisfying conclusion. With one of the most heart-warming friendships ever depicted on screen, and with some genuinely shocking moments, Shawshank demonstrates exceedingly well that with hope and perseverance, anything is possible.
03) LOVE/SACRIFICE
Life is Beautiful 1998
Italian filmmaker, Roberto Benigni took a huge risk attempting to mix comedy with the horror of the Holocaust, but the risk paid off beautifully (no pun intended) as Life is Beautiful is one of the most honoured Foreign Language films in recent memory. Starting off as light-hearted comedy, Benigni gradually weaves the Holocaust elements into the story until they all blend together seamlessly. Because I’m not one of those people who find Benigni particularly funny, the movie works better for me as a drama than a comedy. In addition, the film itself is not very cinematic as the emphasis is all on the content - i.e. Benigni’s comedic talents and the story. But what makes Life such a special experience is the story – a story with devastating emotional power. There are all types of love, but none more compelling than a parent's love for his or her child. It is Guido's love for his son that is unbelievably moving - a love so powerful that not only does he save his son’s life, he also saves his son’s mind and heart from the most traumatic and tragic event of the 20th century.
OR
My Left Foot 1989
I had to include two selections in this category because they are both such excellent cinematic representations of the power of love and sacrifice. Here, again, we are dealing with the love of a parent for their child, and in this case it is a mother’s love for her son - a love so strong that it transforms not only her son's life, but her son's perspective on life. Normally, I don't enjoy these types of films – films about individuals overcoming great physical and mental challenges, but this Academy Award nominated tale from Ireland is directed with such heart and artistry that it successfully avoids all the sentimental clichés that normally accompanies these kinds of stories. In addition, all the performances are absolutely first rate, especially Daniel Day Lewis who richly deserved the Oscar he received for this role. With astonishing mastery of the medium for a first time director, Jim Sheridan infuses the story with such a sense of authenticity, you feel like you've really experienced the actual people the film is based on.
04) JUSTICE
In the Name of the Father 1993
Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day Lewis strike gold once again in this riveting masterpiece, In the Name of the Father - my personal choice for the second best film of 1993. Sheridan and Lewis are like an Irish version of Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, enjoying the same kind of fruitful relationship as their American counterparts. Following in the footsteps of their critical success My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father is also based on a true story - the story of the Guilford Four: a group of people wrongly convicted by the British Government for an IRA terrorist bombing at a pub near London in the mid seventies. An English attorney, played brilliantly by Emma Thompson, takes up their cause and helps them in their fight for justice. The story itself is intrinsically compelling, and Sheridan does a magnificent job accentuating the raw emotional force in every moment and every scene. With a powerful, bittersweet ending, In the Name of the Father will leave you with no doubt that ’justice delayed is justice denied.'
05) TOLERANCE
Philadelphia 1993
Oscar winning director Jonathan Demme follows up his 1991 classic, The Silence of the Lambs, with Philadelphia - a film that couldn’t be more different in content from his Academy Award winning thriller. This time, tackling the subject of AIDS, the director tells the story of a young gay man dying from the infectious disease. At a time when there was still far too little discussion on the subject, Demme crafts the film with enough taste and artistry to avoid disease movie of the week pitfalls and clichés. Tom Hanks has often been praised for giving a face to the disease, and rightly so, for Philadelphia is really the first main stream, Hollywood film to deal with the subject matter. But I think Hanks' real accomplishment was his subtle and tasteful depiction of a gay man that forced many of us, like the Denzel Washington character, to re-examine our own prejudices and to come to terms with them. This is Hanks' (and the film's) real accomplishment - they gave not only a face to the disease, but also a face to an invisible minority, challenging us to look beyond our biases. For a society that still has a long way to go in its treatment of all minorities, this was a much-needed shot in the arm for the movie going public.
06) UNDERSTANDING
The Joy Luck Club 1993
One of the five best films of 1993 is my choice for a movie that successfully celebrates the value of understanding. The Joy Luck Club tells the story of two generations of Chinese American mothers and daughters who struggle to understand each and forgive each other. Based on the novel of the same name by Amy Tan, Joy Luck Club is a true cinematic marvel as the director, Wayne Wang, successfully weaves together multiple story lines and numerous flashbacks into a powerful movie going experience. As he does so, we get a haunting sense of how difficult it is for one generation to understand another. Still, the effort to do so reaps huge rewards, as evidenced by this deeply moving and effective film.
07) COURAGE
Dead Poets Society 1989
One of my all time favourite films from the 80's, Dead Poets Society tells the story of a group of male students at a private school who fall under the spell of an English teacher, John Keating. Keating uses unconventional teaching methods, much to the dismay of the administration, to inspire his students to live life to the full. Sounds cliché? Yes. To some extent, Dead Poets is cliché and manipulative. But Australian director, Peter Weir, crafts the film with such beauty and power, that it's easly to forgive of the clichés. And again, I don't mind being manipulated, as long as the film is successful in its manipulation. For I go to the movies to be affected in some way and most of the tools available to the filmmaker for that end are fair game as far as I'm concerned - including clichés. Apart from that, Robin Williams gives a miraculous performance - crossing the divide that separates comedy and drama with astonishing success. And Ethan Hawke, an extremely underrated actor, is the cinematic epitome of the shy, nervous and socially awkward teenager. His emotional breakthrough at the end of the film is one of the most potent movie moments of the 80's - giving hope that every fear you've ever had could be conquered. Despite all this, what makes Dead Poets such a celebration of courage is the fact that it demonstrates how courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability and the willingness to act in spite of fear.
08) FRIENDSHIP
Stand by Me 1986
One of the best coming of age films of all time, this Rob Reiner classic starring Wil Weaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and the late River Phoenix, is at the very core, a powerful and moving story about friendship. Based on a novella by horror writer Stephen King, Stand by Me tells the tale of four young boys who embark on an odyssey to find a dead body. Along the way, they have numerous adventures as they're forced to face many things about themselves and the world around them. Overflowing with wonderful performances, enormuos wit and an irresistible sense of adventure, this odyssey to uncover a dead body is really a meditation on what a priceless gift friendship is.
09) WISDOM
Forrest Gump 1994
It seems like a strange thing to do - making a film about an idiot to celebrate the virtue of wisdom. But therein lies the beauty and brilliance of Robert Zemeckis' 1994 Academy Award winning classic, Forrest Gump. For one of the main themes of Gump is wisdom versus intelligence - a worthy theme for a society that overvalues meaningless intelligence and undervalues wisdom, and for a society that often confuses the two. But intelligence and wisdom are not the same things. Forrest Gump may not have been intelligent, but he was certainly wise. He was wise enough to recognize his limitations and accept them - trusting in a Higher Power to help him through life. He was wise enough to look beyond the surface of people to see their inner beauty. He was wise enough to take each day for what it is and to know what was really important in life. These may sound like simple-minded platitudes, but they are among the most important and most difficult things to do in life - both for the intelligent and for the not so intelligent. The great thing about Gump is how it challenges our notions and biases by having the humility to present the character of Forrest Gump as the protagonist of the film - forcing us to re-examine the value we place on a high I.Q. After all, who could deny that the wisdom of Gump was so infectious, that it eventually transformed the life of all those around him, thoroughly seducing the North American audience in the process.
10) SELF-WORTH
The Color Purple 1985
The Color Purple will forever be known as Steven Spielberg's first real departure from the typical fantasy and action/adventure content that characterizes much of his work. But venturing into un-chartered waters didn't diminish his story telling abilities at all, for the mega successful director has transformed a Pulitzer Prize winning novel into one of the most powerful and touching films of the 80's. Using largely unknown talent at the time to comprise the majority of his cast, Spielberg proves he is equally adept at directing actors as he is at manipulating the camera. Holding the record (along with Gangs of New York) for the film with the most Oscar nominations and the least amount of wins (11 nominations - 0 wins), Purple is the gut wrenching story of a group of African American women struggling to live a life of dignity in a male dominated society where minorities are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy and minority women even more so. Whoopi Goldberg plays Celie, a woman who has been abused in every way imaginable by the men in her life. This constant, never ending abuse has effectively destroyed her self-esteem. It takes the love and respect of a fellowship of women to empower her enough to rise above other's perceptions of her and recognize her own self worth. With one of the most touching endings in movie history, The Color Purple is difficult to watch, but impossible not to be moved or affected by.
11) FAMILY
The Ice Storm 1997
This powerful and haunting film by super talented director Ang Lee is probably the best movie I've ever seen about dysfunctional families. Lee weaves this deeply emotional tale with great mastery of the medium, drawing us immediately into the hearts and minds of the characters - instantly making their pain our pain. With incredible subtext, the torment of each character screams for recognition, as each one of them struggles to assuage their suffering in their own way. Set in the mid 1970's, Ice Storm is the story of two families, each of them experiencing the same kind of disillusionment with the lives they have created for themselves. Beautifully acted by a cast any director would kill for, Ice Storm's great power is it's ability to create meaning out of that which is meaningless, to find hope in despair, and to affirm the importance of family in a way that stays with you forever.
OR
Parenthood 1990
My alternative choice in this category is Ron Howard's 1990 underrated gem, Parenthood. Although not in the same league as Ice Storm, Parenthood is a worthy cinematic celebration of family, affirming the importance of family with superb wit and insight. Making the best use of a talented cast and a smart script, Howard wisely allowed the prowess of each of these to speak for itself; making limited use of typical Hollywood tricks to accentuate the drama. With fine performances all around, Parenthood celebrates family by demonstrating some of the ways we have abused and devalued the institution.
12) COMPASSION
Three Kings 1999
Three Kings is the only film in this selection that actually has some reference to Christmas in the title. But don't be fooled. This is no Christmas movie. Rather, this is a superbly crafted dark, comic morality tale that is surprisingly moving and effective. My personal choice for the best film of 1999, Three Kings is the saga of three soldiers in post Desert Storm Kuwait, who attempt to exploit the war situation by finding and stealing a fortune in hidden gold. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, and the soldiers are confronted with choices they would rather not make. George Clooney is truly a revelation in this star making role and Mark Wahlberg shows us once again how completely successful his transition has been from underwear model to actor. Using some amusing and somewhat clever visual tricks, Kings’ true strengths are the brilliant way it blends comedy with drama, its fresh approach to a familiar genre, and the way it demonstrates that even in the most insane situations, there's room for compassion.
posted by Rix Flix at 8:53 PM
1 Comments:
Uhhhh...Dead Poets Society...Nuh.
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