birdw0rds

A quick shuftie at some semi-drunken notes scrawled untidily on the back of a used and slightly-oily AMC ticket recently revealed a list of my top ten (or maybe eleven?) flicks that I first saw this year gone. ‘First saw’ since some (most?) were released earlier (well earlier?) than 07 and only reached the birdeyes this past 12 months either via the juicy menu that is Gotham arthouse cinema offings, or via the Plastic Disk. In no particular order:

Dead Man’s Shoes
Paddy Consiwhatsit and Shane Meadows serve up an excellent, if a-tad-too-graphically-violent-for-my-blood, revenge-on-the-thugs flick.

In The Mood For Love
Kar Wei Wong’s rather long, but superbly acted and crafted tale of love not acted upon is slightly more accomplished than the also-excellent sequel, 2046 (also recommended). Directorial slight of hand to be admired.

Kamikaze Girls
The first half hour or so of this somewhat dementoid Jap flick is genius. It’s all pretty much “pop”, but works a treat. Loses itself a bit towards the rear end (don’t we all?), but one of my no. 1 cinematic douffas this year – a tasty feast of visual and sonic chunks. (Chump quote: “one of the silliest unexpected good times I’ve had with a movie for a while”.)

Control
Not the brilliance hoped for, and some weakness re. plot and depiction, but visually just right overall in it’s low res b&w and a must see for us gits wot grew up (grey up) shuffling around miserably in adolescent gitness in the late 70s/early 80s listening to Unkown Pleasures with the gas on.

Secret Sunshine
Grim tale of loss and grief expertly acted by the amazing Do-yeon Jeon.

Forever
Gentle portrait of Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, it’s art, and the folk that visit it.

Michael Clayton
One of the few more mainstreem films to hold the attention. Intelligently put together and acted for the most part. Clooney is often a bit of a twat, but he pitches things about right here.

Last Life In The Universe
Something about this indicates brilliance all round and it’s one of those movies that will repay repeated watching. The beat of the film is spot on and it has a magical otherness that so many other films lack.

Kinamand
Nothing fantabulous, but an interesting focus on cross-culture life, lonliness, and love. Thanks to the Fleecione for seeking this out.

I Like Killing Flies
Shopsin and Shopsin’s, in all his and it’s glory.

Dark Days
Fascinating look into the life under Riverside Park etc. in the train tunnels of Manhattan.

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Winter ride down the western periphery of Gotham, over on the ferry, down to the Staten Island beach, back under the Verrazano, back on the ferry, and back up the eastern rim. “Under bridges, er, under bridges, to our destina shun…!”. You can get right under the Verrazano on the new bike path douffa and gasp and dribble at it’s suspended ness….

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