Movies On Repeat
Taking a page from Vern’s playbook, I wanted to put together a list of five movies that I could watch over and over and never get bored. Trust me, I know because I have. Some of them may not be the best films around, but they are ones that forever make me laugh, smile, and cry over and over again. They forever entertain me. Enjoy:
Momento: I have to start of with my favorite movie of all time. Give it up to Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, they have contributed greatly to independent film with this movie. Starring Guy Pierce as a man with a memory disorder that leaves him with only the ability to process new memories, the structure of the story reflects his conditions. We are given bits of the story in short increments that build the story backwards as well as thrilling black-and-white moments throughout that are moving forwards, culminating to the end of the movie that is really the middle of the story. Follow me? What could of have been gimmicky adequately reflects the confusion that clouds the life of this man, his difficulty in connecting with people, and his misguided quest to find his wife’s killer. This is a thinking man’s movie, and one of the best there is.
(500) Days of Summer: You only appreciate the sweetness, funny one-liners, little moments of romance, and innovation of this film the more you watch it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the quintessential good guy who gets with the girl of his dreams but is ultimately burned. Set to one of the best movie soundtracks, we root for him though in this brilliantly done, out-of-order romantic comedy and feel for him through instances of heartbreak, fallen expectation, learning and accepting that the girl he thought was “the one” isn’t.
Before Sunrise/Before Sunset: I contend that Before Sunset is one of the best contemporary independent films ever, even more so than the first film Before Sunrise (how many times is the sequel better than the original?) But I just can’t watch one without watching the other. These two films stand as some of the most romantic film experiences ever captured. We follow these two people as they wander through the streets of beautiful European cities (Vienna and Paris, respectively) and learn of their hopes, fears, desires, and love for each other that stands over time. In Before Sunrise they meet, and in Before Sunset, they meet again nine years later. Between these two films we get to see how they characters have changed, grown, evolved, and affect one another. It’s not for those who crave action but more so for those who craves beautiful moments of intense connection between two people.
Happythankyoumoreplease: It all starts with a lost little boy on a NYC subway train who is found. We are then brought into a world that writer/director Josh Radnor creates with three interacting stories of 20-somethings who are trying to build their lives and find their happiness - a struggling writer who has been jumping from one woman to another, an alopecia patient searching for someone to love her, and a couple who are hesitant to leave what they know. We care about these characters even when they go down the wrong paths. And just like these characters, we learn alittle bit about what truly makes us happy as we watch.
Bright Star: This has to be one of the most beautiful movies made in the last decade. It’s literally poetry in sight and sound. Based on the true story of the poet John Keats and the love of his life who inspired some of his famous work, we watch as love and tragedy befalls the last few years of his life. I’m drawn to watch this again and again to hear the words of Keats and that beautiful musical composition.
What are your five movies on repeat?
