My Favourite Films
I like watching films, but having said so, i am very selective of what i chose to watch. My trips to the cinema are generally infrequent, about once every few months; sometimes i just borrow DVDs to watch at home (about once or twice every month).
Listed below however are some of the films that i have had the privilege of watching, and having watched them, these films receive my highest accolades, from an aesthetic and dramatic point of view. The narratives contained in these films reverberate long after leaving the cinema and the speak to the recesses of the human heart (at least for me). In no particular chronological order, here it goes:
1. Lord of the Rings (the entire trilogy - extended versions): I listed this work as among one of the life-changing books, and the film - which kindled my love for the book - is no exception. In bringing Middle Earth to earth, Peter Jackson, and his entire LOTR team - have already etched their names in the folklore of cinematic excellence. The Return of the King - the crowning jewel of this exceptional trilogy - deserves every of the 11 Oscar awards, including Best Picture. Ten, twenty years down the road, LOTR will continue to be the ultimate testimony of fantasy film-making at its very best.
2. Schindler's List - Done in black and white, i did not know what to expect when i first watched this film - except that was perched in the top 10 of the IMDB and that it was being directed by Steven Spielberg. My first viewing throughly shocked me to the core - after witnessing the excruciating atrocities committed against the Jews during the Holocaust. Subsequent viewings later, I slowly grew to appreciate the deeper, more profound theme in this film, which is "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire" - incidentally also the movie tagline. I can only imagine the moral perplexities Oskar Schindler had to go through and the price he had to pay for his dedication and conviction to his beliefs. This film was thoroughly moving and in it, one sees both the human potential for goodness and the capacity of extreme evil. What makes us so different? The movie does not give us the answers, but the question will echo in our hearts and minds long after the screen credits have rolled.
3. Shawshank Redemption - I read somewhere on the Internet where someone wrote that if one is feeling down and devoid of hope, watching the Shawshank Redemption is one antidote that brings hope to the human heart. I cannot agree more. The film - adapted from Stephen King's work - is breathtakingly inspiring and warms the heart to no end. For those who have not watched, I shall not give away the plot; but only to say that any movie-lover who has not watching Shawshank is just a classical-music lover who has not heard Beethoven's 9th Symphony. The dialogue in this film is top-rate, and both its leading actors, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give Oscar-worthy performances. No other tagline in film history rings truer than this: "Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free".
4. The Matrix - Any film that can generate the amount of philosophizing and discussion is worthy of its salt, and the Matrix does not disappoint especially with a supremely original screenplay that propelled the Wachowski brothers into cinematic fame. I've watched this film more than five times, at least, and it still continues to provoke me to think. The special effects are, of course, first-class...go watch this film with the full audio accessories and you'll know what i mean.
5. The Dark Knight - Last i checked, Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins was at the top of the IMDB charts - and rightfully so, at least for now. While i suspect Heath Ledger's chilling performance as the Joker and his untimely real-life demise contributed much to the excitement and the accolades, it was the deeper exploration towards human identity and morality that makes this film my favourite film of 2008. I hope The Dark Knight will win Best Picture next year, not because of any sentimental feelings towards Ledger (again i would give Ledger a posthumous Best Actor award), but because in the production of Dark Knight, and its prequel, Batman Begins, Chris Nolan has demonstrated an insight into human nature that far surpasses many works of psychologists, moralists, politicians and religious leaders. The vacillating tension between good and evil, right and wrong is marvelously articulated through the dialogues among the protagonist in the film. The capacity to connect with the heart - and the deep seated notions of morality - sets Nolan as a first-class film maker and story-teller. Nolan knows what he is talking about and this film is testament to his wisdom.
Listed below however are some of the films that i have had the privilege of watching, and having watched them, these films receive my highest accolades, from an aesthetic and dramatic point of view. The narratives contained in these films reverberate long after leaving the cinema and the speak to the recesses of the human heart (at least for me). In no particular chronological order, here it goes:
1. Lord of the Rings (the entire trilogy - extended versions): I listed this work as among one of the life-changing books, and the film - which kindled my love for the book - is no exception. In bringing Middle Earth to earth, Peter Jackson, and his entire LOTR team - have already etched their names in the folklore of cinematic excellence. The Return of the King - the crowning jewel of this exceptional trilogy - deserves every of the 11 Oscar awards, including Best Picture. Ten, twenty years down the road, LOTR will continue to be the ultimate testimony of fantasy film-making at its very best.
2. Schindler's List - Done in black and white, i did not know what to expect when i first watched this film - except that was perched in the top 10 of the IMDB and that it was being directed by Steven Spielberg. My first viewing throughly shocked me to the core - after witnessing the excruciating atrocities committed against the Jews during the Holocaust. Subsequent viewings later, I slowly grew to appreciate the deeper, more profound theme in this film, which is "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire" - incidentally also the movie tagline. I can only imagine the moral perplexities Oskar Schindler had to go through and the price he had to pay for his dedication and conviction to his beliefs. This film was thoroughly moving and in it, one sees both the human potential for goodness and the capacity of extreme evil. What makes us so different? The movie does not give us the answers, but the question will echo in our hearts and minds long after the screen credits have rolled.
3. Shawshank Redemption - I read somewhere on the Internet where someone wrote that if one is feeling down and devoid of hope, watching the Shawshank Redemption is one antidote that brings hope to the human heart. I cannot agree more. The film - adapted from Stephen King's work - is breathtakingly inspiring and warms the heart to no end. For those who have not watched, I shall not give away the plot; but only to say that any movie-lover who has not watching Shawshank is just a classical-music lover who has not heard Beethoven's 9th Symphony. The dialogue in this film is top-rate, and both its leading actors, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give Oscar-worthy performances. No other tagline in film history rings truer than this: "Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free".
4. The Matrix - Any film that can generate the amount of philosophizing and discussion is worthy of its salt, and the Matrix does not disappoint especially with a supremely original screenplay that propelled the Wachowski brothers into cinematic fame. I've watched this film more than five times, at least, and it still continues to provoke me to think. The special effects are, of course, first-class...go watch this film with the full audio accessories and you'll know what i mean.
5. The Dark Knight - Last i checked, Christopher Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins was at the top of the IMDB charts - and rightfully so, at least for now. While i suspect Heath Ledger's chilling performance as the Joker and his untimely real-life demise contributed much to the excitement and the accolades, it was the deeper exploration towards human identity and morality that makes this film my favourite film of 2008. I hope The Dark Knight will win Best Picture next year, not because of any sentimental feelings towards Ledger (again i would give Ledger a posthumous Best Actor award), but because in the production of Dark Knight, and its prequel, Batman Begins, Chris Nolan has demonstrated an insight into human nature that far surpasses many works of psychologists, moralists, politicians and religious leaders. The vacillating tension between good and evil, right and wrong is marvelously articulated through the dialogues among the protagonist in the film. The capacity to connect with the heart - and the deep seated notions of morality - sets Nolan as a first-class film maker and story-teller. Nolan knows what he is talking about and this film is testament to his wisdom.
posted by Benjamin Ho at
12:12 AM
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