Oh dear...

I think it's fair to say that I'm a bit behind on this project. 96 films and only 211 days to go. Plus the 'reviews' I've written so far are... well... not my best. I don't even know why I'm reviewing them. What knowledge or expertise do I have? None. That's what. So soon, very soon, I will return to the project, and instead of attempting to do some sort of serious review, I'll just write random thoughts about each film. A more informal style. Yeah.

Will this ever happen, or am I just being overly optimistic as usual?

You never know, I might surprise you!

Casablanca

Director: Michael Curtiz
Released: 1942
Genre: Romantic drama
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
Watch if you're: Looking for something vaguely romantic
Don't watch if you're: Looking for excitement
In one word: Overrated
UK Certificate: U
Warning: Blog post contains spoilers



I suddenly realised when I sat down to watch this film that I have never seen an entire black and white film before. I was surprised that I wasn't distracted by this. Living in this modern world where everything is full colour and high definition, I thought that I would find it difficult to get used to the monotony of grey. But actually, I barely noticed the absence of colour, and instead found my brain filling in the colours for me. This was my first experience of the glamour and beauty of classic Hollywood, and I didn't dislike it.

However, I didn't particularly enjoy the film either. I'm not a romantic, so the storyline didn't really appeal anyway, and there was little to redeem it. There was nothing about the film that confirmed to me that it deserved its place on the lists of the greatest films of all time. Yes, the acting was decent, and yes, the sets and costumes sparkled with the glamour of a classic Hollywood movie, but I don't know why this stood out from all of the other wartime movies. But then again, I haven't seen the other wartime movies, so maybe one day it will become clear.

The one thing I did find interesting about the film was that it showed me a different perspective of the second world war than I am used to. I have always seen it from the British side, and although I know it was a world war, I have never particularly considered the other countries involved before. So in that respect, it opened my eyes, which is something I am grateful for.

My rating: 6.5/10

Favourite moment: The end. A nice classic ending.

Number of movies still to watch: 96
Days to go: 362

I've now watched four films in as many days! Hooray! But this won't go on for much longer. I have to go back to school next week, so I'm just trying to fit in as many films as I can whilst I have nothing to do. I think the next film will be something more Sci Fi or fantasy. Or maybe a comedy. Something that doesn't have too much romance. I'm getting a little sick of it already...

The Graduate

Director: Mike Nichols
Released: 1967
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Katherine Ross
Watch if you're: Looking for some very strong performances
Don't watch if you're: Looking for a likeable character
In one word: Hmm.
UK Certificate: 15
Warning: Blog post contains spoilers

Hmm. That is pretty much the best way I can describe my feelings towards this film. Undeniably, the performances from the actors are all very strong, and the direction is also fantastic. I particularly liked the way the camera followed Ben so closely in the opening scenes at the party- it so perfectly reflected the character's feeling of being trapped.

The film was apparently 'culturally significant', and who am I to argue with that? I wasn't alive when the film was released, and I'm no expert. But I stll don't really understand why people like it so much. Yes, it is very well made, and I certainly didn't dislike it, but that's pretty much it.

What I think really put me off the film was the plot and the characters. I often found myself wanting to punch Ben in the mouth. Seriously, if a guy like him followed me around my college campus, I'd do more than just scream once. And maybe it's just the cynic in me, but why do they want to get married anyway? They've been on one date, which ended badly- especially from Elaine's point of view, who has been lead to believe that Ben raped her Mother. I know they say that love can be found in the strangest places, but come on...

I would also dispute this being labelled a comedy-drama. After watching two very deep films, I was hoping for something more light-hearted, even if just a little bit. I'm not sure where the comedy was meant to be in this, but apparently some people actually do find it funny, so who am I to judge?

In all, a technically good film, but in my personal opinion, a much over-rated one.

My rating: 6.5/10

Favourite moment: When Elaine screamed at Ben. Somebody had to.

Number of films still to watch: 97

Days to go: 363

Titanic

Director: James Cameron
Released: 1997
Genre: Romanctic epic
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Watch if you're: Looking for fantastic special effects and a tragic story
Don't watch if you're: Looking for a laugh and a happy ending
In one word: Blimey!
UK Certificate: 12
Warning: Blog post contains spoilers

I first became fascinated with the story of the RMS Titanic when I was about eight years old. I had heard the basic story- an 'unsinkable' ship sinks, killing lots of people. What I didn't know was that it was based on a true story. I had thought it was just a film. When I discovered the truth, on a visit to the Sea Life Centre, eight year old me was filled with a sudden sense of dread and sadness for the lives lost.

Two years later, and I was lucky enough to go to a Titanic exhibition at the Science Museum in London. There, I read tales of the people on board, read the names of those who died, and looked at artefacts. The next day, I went to the IMAX cinema and saw Ghosts of the Abyss, a 3D documentary film which visited the remains of the Titanic (and was also directed by James Cameron). It had a really big effect on me. The whole story does. But I can't really explain why. I don't know if it comes from my fascination with big ships (how does something so big and heavy stay afloat at all?), or if it is just a case of my sadness for those on board. But even with my intrigue, I have never watched the film before.

I think that part of the reason I have avoided it so far is because I thought that it was primarily a love story. I am the complete opposite of a romantic- I get all cynical when it comes to love-and my idea of a good film is not one that gets all soppy and lovey-dovey. I could be forgiven for thinking this was just some romance- I have heard the 'My Heart Will Go On' song plenty of times, and the most iconic scene of the film ("Close your eyes." "Do you trust me?" "I'm flying!") is pretty sappy (if you're someone like me). But of course, Titanic isn't just about love, and seen as it was directed by James Cameron, I should have known better.

The opening scenes immediately brought forward the memories of ten year old me watching Ghosts of the Abyss (which I definitely recommend if you are interested). I was so glad it started in the present, looking back on the events, because I was immediately reassured that this wasn't just about love. This was a story about everybody on the ship that day.

We get to see all aspects of the people aboard, from the snooty upper-classes to the sweaty coal burners and everybody inbetween. We are given a real sense of what the atmosphere aboard the RMS Titanic was like. This is helped no end by the amazing sets and dazzling costumes, which really bring it all to life. Of course, the other iconic scene of the film is the ship sinking. The special effects in this scene are simply fantastic, there's no other way to describe it. The whole beauty of the film fills you with a sense of awe, and I was constantly asking myself "how did they film that?"

Yes, the main story is a love story, but Cameron doesn't just focus on that- he also tells us about the ship's demise, and the class war. DiCaprio and Winslet are fantastic in the main roles, creating completely relatable characters. The cynic in me normally scoffs at characters who fall in love so fast, but even I believed their romance. And it takes a lot to do that.

So, in all, a good re-telling of a tragic story, that is so well made that you almost believe you are actually there. Not really my normal type of film, but I was pleasantly surprised, and it is definitely a film to see before you die.

My rating: 7.5/10

Favourite moment: The sinking ship. Spectacular.

Number of films still to watch: 98
Days to go: 364

2001: A Space Odyssey

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Released: 1968

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

Watch if you're: A fan of Sci Fi

Don't watch if you're: Looking for a laugh

In one word: Stunning

UK Certificate: 12

WARNING: Blog post contains spoilers.

Ok, so first of all I would like to take a minute to celebrate that this is the first film of the project, because I expect that this time next year I will be cursing the fact that I ever started as I try to cram in the last few films before midnight strikes. So,

YAY!!!

Moving on.

The reason I chose to watch '2001: A Space Odyssey' first is mainly because the postman happened to deliver the DVD just as I was set to begin the project. But on a more meaningful level, being a big fan of Sci Fi, I thought it would be a good way to start off. So hooray for coincidence.

The main reason I like Sci Fi is quite simply because I like getting away from this planet and into Space. So you can imagine my slight bewilderment as the first fifteen minutes or so appeared to be straight out of a David Attenborough wildlife documentary. While I was watching it, I was desperate for the Space part to start. Looking back, it made a nice, contrasting opening that reminded us of where we originated, but I would have been quite happy without it.

I'm not really sure how to describe my feelings towards the rest of the film. I certainly liked it, but that sounds so vague and empty (which actually how it left me feeling). It was actually quite scary at times, and made me really think about our dependence on technology. Hal the computer was so creepy- the voice, and the red eye (which I think Friends of the Earth should use to scare people into not leaving appliances on standby)- but I actually felt for it when it had to be shut down.

The last twenty minutes had me completely confused. First of all, it looked like Dave had taken a few too many stress pills. Then it just got totally weird. But of course that's the good thing about it. It's meant to be weird. That's what makes good Sci Fi after all.

The problem is, normally weird stuff that doesn't seem to make sense actually has a point to it, whether it's a metaphor, or if it's just designed to make the audience think.

But I'm not entirely sure what I'm meant to be thinking about or reflecting on. Yes, there's the whole issue about dependence on technology, but that doesn't really seem to relate to the end of the film. Of course, not every film has a message like this, but it seemed like this film needed one, especially since everything else about it was so clever.

Plot issues aside, this is truly a remarkable film. If I had to describe it in one word, I would say 'stunning'. A modern day audience would be impressed with the special effects, so I imagine that audiences at the time of its release in 1968 would have had their minds utterly blown. The sets are phenomenal too, and the directing and acting are also superb.

There is no denying that this is an excellent film, and completely deserves its place on the '100 Films to See Before You Die' list, but I think that, personally, I need something that either has a really interesting plot or leaves me with something to think about. Although this film left me with a sense of awe, I was still just asking myself 'what?'.

My rating: 8/10

Favourite moment: Any moment which involved people walking or running up walls. I have no idea how they filmed that. I need to watch the DVD extras.

Number of films still to watch: 99

Days to go: 365

Your Mission, If You Choose To Accept It...

So here we go, my first blog post for my new project. The 'mission' is relatively simple: watch 100 films in a year. That means watching one film every 3.65 days. Hardly the most taxing of missions, but a very interesting one nonetheless.

To try to justify my project, so that it isn't just a case of me spending 250 hours of my life sat on the sofa, I am also going to blog about each film (which will probably entail a further 50 hours sat at my desk, but hey, at least that way I'm flexing my oft neglected (probably with good reason) writing muscles). And if anybody finds this blog and wants to say what they think about the films, then that's awesome too.

I am mainly doing this as a crash course in the history of cinema. The films I am going to watch are not just a random bunch- the list is the '100 Films to See Before You Die', which was compiled by the staff at Yahoo! Movies. It includes silent films, foreign films, big budget films, comedies, tradegies, animation - a huge variety of features which highlight the very best of cinema.

It's a really good list, but I'm ashamed to say that whilst I have heard of most of the films, I have only actually seen nine of them before. Which is why this is such a good project: it helps me catch up. And of course I'll be watching those nine again, because otherwise it wouldn't be the 100 Film Project.

The project starts today, the 9th of June 2010, and will end on the 9th of June 2011. I won't be watching them in any particular order, just as long as I have watched all 100 by the end of 9th June 2011, the project will be complete.

I'm off to go and watch the first film, but in the mean time, here is The List:

1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. The 400 Blows (1959)
4. 8 1/2 (1963)
5. The African Queen (1952)
6. Alien (1979)
7. All About Eve (1950)
8. Annie Hall (1977)
9. Apocalypse Now (1979)
10. The Battle of Algiers (1967)
11. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
12. Blade Runner (1982)
13. Blazing Saddles (1974)
14. Blow Up (1966)
15. Blue Velvet (1986)
16. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
17. Breathless (1960)
18. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
19. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
20. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
21. Casablanca (1942)
22. Chinatown (1974)
23. Citizen Kane (1941)
24. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
25. Die Hard (1988)
26. Do the Right Thing (1989)
27. Double Indemnity (1944)
28. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
29. Duck Soup (1933)
30. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
31. Enter the Dragon (1973)
32. The Exorcist (1973)
33. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
34. The French Connection (1971)
35. The Godfather (1972)
36. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
37. Goldfinger (1964)
38. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
39. Goodfellas (1990)
40. The Graduate (1967)
41. Grand Illusion (1938)
42. Groundhog Day (1993)
43. A Hard Day's Night (1964)
44. In the Mood For Love (2001)
45. It Happened One Night (1934)
46. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
47. Jaws (1975)
48. King Kong (1933)
49. The Lady Eve (1941)
50. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
51. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)
52. M (1931)
53. M*A*S*H (1970)
54. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
55. The Matrix (1999)
56. Modern Times (1936)
57. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
58. National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
59. Network (1976)
60. Nosferatu (1922)
61. On the Waterfront (1954)
62. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
63. Paths of Glory (1958)
64. Princess Mononoke (1999)
65. Psycho (1960)
66. Pulp Fiction (1994)
67. Raging Bull (1980)
68. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
69. Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
70. Rashomon (1951)
71. Rear Window (1954)
72. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
73. Rocky (1976)
74. Roman Holiday (1953)
75. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
76. Schindler's List (1993)
77. The Searchers (1956)
78. Seven Samurai (1954)
79. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
80. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
81. Singin' In The Rain (1952)
82. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. The Sound of Music (1965)
85. Star Wars (1977)
86. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
87. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
88. The Third Man (1949)
89. This is Spinal Tap (1984)
90. Titanic (1997)
91. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
92. Toy Story (1995)
93. The Usual Suspects (1995)
94. Vertigo (1958)
95. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
96. Wild Strawberries (1957)
97. Wings of Desire (1988)
98. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
99. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
100. The World of Apu (1959)