The 50 Greatest Movies of All Time, pt. 3 (#41-45)

To recap so far:

50. Total Recall
49. The Wrestler
48. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
47. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
46. The Game

And now, today's installment:

45. Saw - It's not always easy to be a fan of the horror genre. There's not a lot of new ground to cover at this point, and most modern efforts tend to confuse unique, escalating violence with actual innovation (see, for instance, the entire "torture porn" movement). Saw, on the other hand, was, and still is, a story unlike any other: without skimping on the gore, it also gives us unforeseeable plot turns, social commentary, and a serial-killing antihero whose raison d'etre is, frankly, kind of admirable. It almost seems like a disservice to the film to simply label it "horror," since it's so much smarter (and better) than most of the rest of the genre. In addition, the set design is flawless - every location is realistically dirty and Jigsaw's contraptions look like they could actually work. Saw is an ambitious film on every level and although none of its sequels have lived up to its promise (though several are quite good), there's no denying the greatness of the original.
The Moral of the Story: The unexamined life is not worth living.

44. Shrek - Why is Shrek such a great movie? Partly because it's made for children but aimed at adults, and somehow manages to never pander to either. Partly because it's full of clever and hip pop culture references without being like, "oh, wink wink, look at us and how clever and hip we're being with our pop culture references." Partly because it is, simultaneously, a fairy tale, a love story, a buddy movie, an adventure movie, and a comedy. Partly because it's one of the few movies of the last twenty years (along with Life and Bowfinger) that prove that Eddie Murphy, once the greatest stand-up comedian in the world, still has the potential to be funny. And partly because no matter how many times I see it - and with a four-year-old running around, believe me, I've seen it a lot - it never gets old and I still laugh every time.
The Moral of the Story: It isn't easy being green.

43. The Hills Have Eyes - The 2006 remake was surprisingly good, but it's the 1977 original that takes the prize here. Wes Craven's directorial resume is nothing if not a who's who list of outstanding horror films (the atrocious Vampire in Brooklyn being the exception) and this, his second film, is the best of the bunch. Made for less than a quarter million dollars and using relatively unknown actors, The Hills Have Eyes looks and feels like you're watching a real event unfold; the plausibility of the plot and solid writing and acting support that sense of realism handsomely. Perhaps that's why it is still so genuinely creepy and frightening 30+ years, and repeated viewings, later. Or maybe it's the mutated cannibal rape and infant snatching scene - a shocking sequence that modern horror films, in spite of their escalating gore and tendency towards the extreme, have yet to better. Also, this one has the best horror movie poster tag line ever: "They wanted to see something different ... but something different saw them first." Awesome.
The Moral of the Story: Never take a road trip without your AAA card. And an arsenal.

42. Fletch - Hard to believe now, but once upon a time, Chevy Chase was an unstoppable comedy god. Deadpan condescension has never been done better, and this film is his tour de force performance: Dr. Rosenrosen, John Cocktoastan, Mr. Poon, "the familiar red Oldsmobuick of one Arnold J. Pants, esquire", "you don't mean Communists, do you, Sam?" I guess I should admit that I tried really hard to master this kind of quick-witted, understated delivery as a kid (Fletch was released when I was 12). I don't know how successful I was, but after watching this one again, I'm struck by just how many of the lines from this movie have become part of my everyday vernacular. Having said that, though, it's important to note that Fletch is about more than just one-liners. The script, based on the novel by Gregory McDonald, is engaging and clever; aside from the jokes, it's actually a pretty decent little mystery movie. It's definitely worth adding to your movie collection even if you're strapped for cash these days - just charge it to the Underhill's bill!
The Moral of the Story: If you don't like who you are, just be someone else.

41. The Fifth Element - In a nutshell, this one is about a plot to eradicate humanity that can only be stopped by a superhuman perfect being who appears in the form of a beautiful girl; she is aided in her quest by an awkward, bungling priest and a bad-ass cabbie/former Army major. They are thwarted by a wealthy, corrupt arms dealer who makes deals with forces of pure evil, and everything comes to a climax on an interstellar cruise hosted by a flamboyant radio DJ who sings Lionel Richie songs. Oh, and did I mention that the latter three roles are played by Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker? And that it was written and directed by the peerless Frenchman Luc Besson? And that Jean-Paul Gaultier did all the costumes? I did the math twice here, and I have to tell you, I don't see any way that The Fifth Element could add up to anything other than completely brilliant and amazing. And that it is, indeed.
The Moral of the Story: Nothing good ever comes of a night at the opera.

Coming tomorrow, #36-40. [[justin]]