Five movie picks that will tell all
Posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 7:00 AM by Paige Newman
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Movies
While sitting around having drinks Friday night, my friends and I started talking movies. Not a rare occurrence to be sure, but one friend suggested that if you named your favorite film by the following five directors: The Coen Brothers, Wes Anderson, Hal Ashby, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, it would tell a lot about the kind of person you were. We proceeded to do just that and had some pretty fun arguments in the process.
You need to say both the film and the reason why. And if you don’t like any films by the director, choose the least objectionable. Here are mine:
The Coen Brothers, “Blood Simple” (1984)
This story about a rich man who hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her lover is the Coen Brothers’ first feature film. The reason it’s my pick is that the first time I watched it, I just could not figure out what would happen next. And when a filmmaker is skillful enough to pull that off, he gets you involved as a participant.
My runner-up: “Miller’s Crossing.”
At our table: “Miller’s Crossing” and “Barton Fink” both got the love.
Wes Anderson, “Rushmore” (1998)
I have to admit, I’m not a huge Anderson fan, but I do love this film about a boy who is kicked out of the prep school he loves all while trying to win the love of a kindergarten teacher. The film has such great moments, as when Max Fisher (Jason Schwartzman) turns “Serpico” into the school play. And Bill Murray is in top form. But to be honest, sometimes Anderson can be a bit precious for my taste.
My runner-up: “Bottle Rocket.”
At our table: Unbelievably to me, ugh, “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.”
Hal Ashby, “The Last Detail” (1973)
Ashby’s tale about two men (Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) who are ordered to bring a man (Randy Quaid) to prison, and decide to show him a good time before he gets locked up, is maybe one of my favorite movies. Back in the day, Nicholson had a recklessness that wasn’t the cartoonish stuff of some of his later performances (his Joker, for example). He seems dangerous on screen.
My runner-up: “Harold and Maude.”
At the table: We basically agreed that Ashby was a genius, “Being There” and “Harold and Maude” tied.
Martin Scorsese, “Raging Bull” (1980)
Every time I curse the fact that there’s no such thing as a good biopic, I’m smacked in the face by Scorsese’s tale of boxer Jake LaMotta. It works because it’s merciless and because one event doesn’t make LaMotta who he is (for biopics that do this, see “Walk the Line” and “Ray”). And, to top it off, this film is gorgeous.
My runner-up: “Goodfellas.”
At the table: “Taxi Driver.”
Quentin Tarantino, “Jackie Brown” (1997)
This story of a woman (Pam Greer) who decides to rob an arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson) with the help of a bail bondsman (Robert Forster) has one of the most believable adult relationships I’ve ever seen on film. Forster and Greer don’t just create sparks, they create intimacy. And the film does what all good stories should -- it sets the characters back into life, so you don’t know where they end up.
My runner-up: “Death Proof.”
At the table: “Pulp Fiction.”
And there you have it. And the fun thing was we kept going with directors and actors: Almodovar (“All About My Mother”), Terrence Malick (“Days of Heaven”), and so on and so on. So share your favorites from the five directors.
