Quoted By:
6. Mirror - Andrei Tarkovsky
Non-linear, poetic film-making has always interested me and this is the gold standard. Filled with emotion, natural beauty, subtext and gorgeous color cinematography. Don't overthink it, this isn't a film for academics. Just watch and feel.
7. Au Hasard Balthazar - Robert Bresson
I'm not exactly certain why but this film never fails to make me cry. The combination of loss of innocence and personal endurance as central themes, not to mention the subtle use of Schubert never ceases to distract from the wooden acting in any Bresson film. As always, much more is expressed in body and hand movement than face or voice.
8. The Master - Paul Thomas Anderson
Maybe it's because I feel like an outcast and an animal that should be ashamed of himself most of the time, but for whatever reason Anderson's tender portrayal of the ways people deal with their deficiencies spoke to me on a profound internal level. Some of the most beautiful cinematography of the new millennium for those interested.
9. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie - John Cassavetes
I really appreciate the method of shooting Cassavetes used to give his actors as much creative freedom as possible even though the results can be mixed. With Killing, I think he struck the perfect balance between directorial intent and actor freedom allowing for a simultaneously raw and measured film with plenty of subtext about the struggle of the artist to maintain his integrity.
10. Harakiri - Masaki Kobayashi
A damning look at the implications of the Japanese samurai genre. Kobayashi seamlessly integrates criticism of both the veneration of the sengoku warrior class as well as remaining true to his new left proletarian sympathies. Beautiful architectural cinematography and striking imagery all in black and white.
