What is it about films that I love? There are so many things that go into making a movie; script, acting, direction, costume, sound, special effects, editing and much much more. Thousands of people put in thousands of hours to craft thousands of films each year; comedies, dramas, horror films, action flicks and everything in between. Such variety; every film is different – some suck, and some are masterpieces. And the question I’ve decided to ask myself today is how do I tell the difference. What distinguishes, for me, the best of the best? What can a director do to make me love their movie? I spent most of yesterday looking through some of my favourite films, and I’ve come up with eight little qualities that seem to recur. Obviously, these are nothing without a steady director, good actors and decent screenplay. But when you’ve got those nailed down, what follows is a list of ways to move a film (in my mind at least) to the next level.
1. A JAW DROPPING OPENING
Perhaps this sounds a tad shallow, but if you can convince me within a few minutes of your film beginning that I will enjoy it, I probably will. Start strong; I don’t care how. It can be a cool credit sequence, a lengthy monologue, a badass action scene or an ironic voiceover. Maybe show me the ending, and then jump backwards in time. It doesn’t need to be a long scene; just get me hooked as quickly as possible. DO NOT be boring. Off the top of my head, I can think of two critically acclaimed films that I want to love, but that lose me with their over-long and arduous opening sequences: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and PT Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. I know it’s blasphemy to badmouth either of those films (and for the record, I did really enjoy the latter after it got going), but I find it so much easier to enjoy a movie if it gets off on the right foot. Some of my favourite opening sequences include the first shark attack in Jaws, Tom Wilkinson’s monologue in Michael Clayton, Drew Barrymore’s scene in Scream and the zombie attack in 28 Weeks Later. And the reason is because they all grab you by the balls and don’t let go. But my all time favourite is Pulp Fiction: the conversation between Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, and especially the way the music kicks in a split second after the frame freezes. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I could watch that scene a hundred times.
2. A MEMORABLE VILLAIN
Personally, I like my baddies to be at either ends of the psychological spectrum. First off you’ve got your Tommy DeVito’s, your Mrs. Carmody’s, your Joker’s (both the Ledger and the Nicholson incarnation (and in fact, any villain played by Nicholson qualifies)) and your Patrick Bateman’s (okay, so technically he was the protagonist, but you could hardly call him the good guy!) People so insane that you literally have no idea what they’re going to do from one scene to the next. Then, perhaps even more frightening, you have the cold, the emotionless – those whose pulse never rises above 85. I’m talking about Hannibal Lector, Anton Chigurh, The HAL-9000 (yes I don’t like that movie, but he is still a creepy ass villain) and, my all time favourite bad guy, the T-1000 played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2 (I had recurring nightmares for over a year!) I don’t necessarily need a good hero; just give me someone to be terrified of. And if you need more proof about the effect of a good villain, just look at the recent Oscar winners for Best Supporting Actor – Javier Bardem in ’07, Ledger in ’08 and Christoph Waltz in ’09 (yes, I know he hasn’t won yet, but c’mon, does anyone have any doubt?)
3. QUOTABILITY
Oh that’s right! I’m that guy! You’ve all got that one friend; the one who’s constantly pulling a “Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat!” or a “Game over man, game over!” or, heaven forbid, a “Bueller…Bueller”. Yes we know it’s annoying, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. There a few things more satisfying in this world than being able to quote a film, and have people get it (and there a few things more frustrating than having people not get it). We’ve all got our favourites; I can recite the entire first hour of Full Metal Jacket almost verbatim (and aren’t there some gems in there – “you climb obstacles like old people fuck!”). Other goods ones include Team America – “Fuck you Hans Brix!”, Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure - “All we are is dust in the wind dude” and Speed – “Pop quiz asshole!” But, in my mind, the undisputed master is none other than Billy Madison. I’m fully aware that it’s an idiotic movie, but I cannot for the life of me stop reciting lines! That’s a film to get drunk to if ever there was one. Check out some of the highlights below
4. A FANTASTIC SOUNDTRACK
A good score is one thing; I could sit here and list 20 movie titles, and you would instantly be able to hear the main theme in your mind (and odds are, it was composed by John Williams). But when a director uses an unoriginal song well, it can change forever how the public listens to that piece of music. This is the third time already in this post I’ve mentioned Quentin Tarantino, but gives me break: that mans knows how to pick his tracks. “Stuck in the Middle With You?” “Little Green Bag?” “Battle Without Honour or Humanity?” Forget about John Williams; I could easily name 20 songs featured in Tarantino movies and any movie buff worth their salt would be able to recall what scene it was played in and would probably get that exact same feeling they felt when they first saw the scene. That is the power of the unoriginal song; it is impossible to hear Son of a Preacher Man, or any of the music featured in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix or Full Metal Jacket (to name just a few of my favourites) on the radio without thinking of the film. It now belongs to the movie.
5. THE PUZZLE FACTOR
Don’t let me be satisfied with sitting there and letting your film wash over me. Make me work for it. Shake up the narrative structure. Bring on the unreliable narrator, the non-linear storytelling. Show me a scene from a different perspective; hell, shoot an entire scene backwards. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Christopher Nolan’s Memento is my favourite film of all time, and one of the many reason for this is because of the structure. I’m the first to admit, the movies story, while solid, is nothing remarkable. But it’s the way it’s told that makes it so great. That is not a movie you can show at a party (as I once learned). You have to be willing put in the effort; concentrate and you will be rewarded…otherwise you’ll just be very confused. A few other good examples that come to mind: The Prestige (also directed by Nolan), Run Lola Run and Lucky Number Slevin (a film that no one seems to talk about, but I really enjoyed, despite the three or four unnecessary twists in the last ten minutes). I should mention that the puzzle factor can be a negative; if you fuck with me for two hours and then leave me without a decent explanation, I am not going to be happy. Not that I’m thinking of anyone in particular *cough*Lynch*cough*
6. AN INTERESTING NARRATOR
I think this is a really good one because a lot of people will tell you something different. It’s generally considered poor screenwriting to use a narrator; it’s perceived as lazy, and most of the time I agree with this assessment. But, when you have a good narrator, it can be a hell of a lot of fun. The Usual Suspects, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, American Psycho and Fight Club. I love them all, but they would be nothing without the narrator, whether he be unreliable, unsure of himself or just utterly insane. Maybe one of the best uses of a narrator is in Adaptation, because the movie explicitly tells you more that you shouldn’t have one. Self awareness is always fun! And, as a matter of principal, any movie starring Morgan Freeman is instantly improved with voiceover – that dude should read audio books or something.
7. ENERGETIC FILM MAKING
Urghhhhh…mustn’t…mention…Kill Bill…too much…Tarantino…*brainaneurism*
Yes. Fine. I’m young. I’m over caffeinated. I like instant gratification. I’m part of the MTV generation, with my cell phones and my hip hop and my yellow pudding and so forth. And you know what? I like Bergman films. And Kurosawa. And Eastwood. I absolutely appreciate that there is place for long, slow, contemplative film-making made up of long, slow, contemplative takes. But when it comes down to it, I prefer Boyle. Or Meirelles. Or Fincher. Or Jonze. Or Ritchie...ok, maybe not Ritchie. His first two movies at least. The best thing a film can do for me is show me something electrifying. Amaze me. I want to follow the path of a bullet until it smashes into the side mirror of a car. I want to be inside someone’s memory as an entire house dissolves. I want the camera to swoop around Tyler Durden’s head as he explains the eighth and final rule of Fight Club – “if this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight”. Smash cuts. Split screens. Bullet time. It’s moments like these that I remember; things that I’ve never seen before. Some people don’t like it when the camera work draws attention to itself, but me? I want to see a camera move in a way that I didn’t even know was possible
And while I’m in the sharing mood, my favourite moment like this in any film is in The Matrix: the scene in which the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar “jack in” to take Neo to visit the Oracle. I cannot find the footage anywhere on the web, so if you can’t recall it offhand you’ll have to trust me when I tell you it is a sublime combination of editing, camera and music (“Prime Audio Soup” by Meat Beat Manifesto). As Tank delivers his fasten-your-seatbelts routine, the camera moves in a circle, cutting back and forth between a bird eye view of the crew in their chairs and a 360° rotation of a ringing phone. As the camera reaches the end of its revolution, the crew have appeared, posing in sunglasses and leather coats. It is badass, and is the realization of everything I love about movies, and that movie in particular.
8. A CLEVER ENDING
Well, seeing I started with a good beginning, it makes sense to finish with a good ending. And, similarly, it doesn’t have to be a long scene. In fact, it only has to be the last line, or last frame even, as long as it’s memorable. That way, I finish my experience with your film on a positive note. Now a clever ending isn’t necessarily a twist ending, but the two do often go hand in hand – my favourite ending to any film (and this is by no means an original notion) is the reveal sequence at the end of The Usual Suspects. By and large, I think there are three great ways to end your film; first the open ended sequel tease that leaves the audience wanting more; think Batman Begins, Back to the Future or The Matrix (of course, in retrospect, we’d have been much better off without that particular lot of sequels!) The second option is to just be gob-smacking; pull the rug out from under my feet and leave me stunned. Horror films are usually good at this, and I can look no further than what I think is one of the most underrated films of the last few years – Frank Darabont's The Mist. Or thirdly, just leave me with a little grin. Throw out that ironic final line; again, I think of The Usual Suspects, Run Lola Run, my beloved Memento, or, a film I just saw, (500) Days of Summer. Free feel to be self aware, and wink at the camera all you want. Just be witty.
Well, that about does it. If you look over some of the movies I’ve listed as examples, you’ll see a lot of double up: Memento, Lock Stock, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club, The Matrix, City of God, Full Metal Jacket and of course, every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. And there’s a reason for this; these are some of my favourite films. Of course there are exceptions to these rules; there are probably movies that follow every single one of these guidelines that I don’t like at all, and I can think of tons of movies that I love that don’t have any of these things. But at the end of the day, if a movie has a couple of the qualities that I’ve listed above, then there’s a pretty good chance I’ll enjoy it.
Please leave any thoughts you might have; I’m especially interested if you can think of any more good examples that fall under these headings. After all, I’m always looking for more movies to watch!
1. A JAW DROPPING OPENING
Perhaps this sounds a tad shallow, but if you can convince me within a few minutes of your film beginning that I will enjoy it, I probably will. Start strong; I don’t care how. It can be a cool credit sequence, a lengthy monologue, a badass action scene or an ironic voiceover. Maybe show me the ending, and then jump backwards in time. It doesn’t need to be a long scene; just get me hooked as quickly as possible. DO NOT be boring. Off the top of my head, I can think of two critically acclaimed films that I want to love, but that lose me with their over-long and arduous opening sequences: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and PT Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. I know it’s blasphemy to badmouth either of those films (and for the record, I did really enjoy the latter after it got going), but I find it so much easier to enjoy a movie if it gets off on the right foot. Some of my favourite opening sequences include the first shark attack in Jaws, Tom Wilkinson’s monologue in Michael Clayton, Drew Barrymore’s scene in Scream and the zombie attack in 28 Weeks Later. And the reason is because they all grab you by the balls and don’t let go. But my all time favourite is Pulp Fiction: the conversation between Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, and especially the way the music kicks in a split second after the frame freezes. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I could watch that scene a hundred times.
2. A MEMORABLE VILLAINPersonally, I like my baddies to be at either ends of the psychological spectrum. First off you’ve got your Tommy DeVito’s, your Mrs. Carmody’s, your Joker’s (both the Ledger and the Nicholson incarnation (and in fact, any villain played by Nicholson qualifies)) and your Patrick Bateman’s (okay, so technically he was the protagonist, but you could hardly call him the good guy!) People so insane that you literally have no idea what they’re going to do from one scene to the next. Then, perhaps even more frightening, you have the cold, the emotionless – those whose pulse never rises above 85. I’m talking about Hannibal Lector, Anton Chigurh, The HAL-9000 (yes I don’t like that movie, but he is still a creepy ass villain) and, my all time favourite bad guy, the T-1000 played by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2 (I had recurring nightmares for over a year!) I don’t necessarily need a good hero; just give me someone to be terrified of. And if you need more proof about the effect of a good villain, just look at the recent Oscar winners for Best Supporting Actor – Javier Bardem in ’07, Ledger in ’08 and Christoph Waltz in ’09 (yes, I know he hasn’t won yet, but c’mon, does anyone have any doubt?)
3. QUOTABILITY
Oh that’s right! I’m that guy! You’ve all got that one friend; the one who’s constantly pulling a “Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat!” or a “Game over man, game over!” or, heaven forbid, a “Bueller…Bueller”. Yes we know it’s annoying, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop. There a few things more satisfying in this world than being able to quote a film, and have people get it (and there a few things more frustrating than having people not get it). We’ve all got our favourites; I can recite the entire first hour of Full Metal Jacket almost verbatim (and aren’t there some gems in there – “you climb obstacles like old people fuck!”). Other goods ones include Team America – “Fuck you Hans Brix!”, Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure - “All we are is dust in the wind dude” and Speed – “Pop quiz asshole!” But, in my mind, the undisputed master is none other than Billy Madison. I’m fully aware that it’s an idiotic movie, but I cannot for the life of me stop reciting lines! That’s a film to get drunk to if ever there was one. Check out some of the highlights below
4. A FANTASTIC SOUNDTRACK
A good score is one thing; I could sit here and list 20 movie titles, and you would instantly be able to hear the main theme in your mind (and odds are, it was composed by John Williams). But when a director uses an unoriginal song well, it can change forever how the public listens to that piece of music. This is the third time already in this post I’ve mentioned Quentin Tarantino, but gives me break: that mans knows how to pick his tracks. “Stuck in the Middle With You?” “Little Green Bag?” “Battle Without Honour or Humanity?” Forget about John Williams; I could easily name 20 songs featured in Tarantino movies and any movie buff worth their salt would be able to recall what scene it was played in and would probably get that exact same feeling they felt when they first saw the scene. That is the power of the unoriginal song; it is impossible to hear Son of a Preacher Man, or any of the music featured in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix or Full Metal Jacket (to name just a few of my favourites) on the radio without thinking of the film. It now belongs to the movie.
5. THE PUZZLE FACTOR
Don’t let me be satisfied with sitting there and letting your film wash over me. Make me work for it. Shake up the narrative structure. Bring on the unreliable narrator, the non-linear storytelling. Show me a scene from a different perspective; hell, shoot an entire scene backwards. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Christopher Nolan’s Memento is my favourite film of all time, and one of the many reason for this is because of the structure. I’m the first to admit, the movies story, while solid, is nothing remarkable. But it’s the way it’s told that makes it so great. That is not a movie you can show at a party (as I once learned). You have to be willing put in the effort; concentrate and you will be rewarded…otherwise you’ll just be very confused. A few other good examples that come to mind: The Prestige (also directed by Nolan), Run Lola Run and Lucky Number Slevin (a film that no one seems to talk about, but I really enjoyed, despite the three or four unnecessary twists in the last ten minutes). I should mention that the puzzle factor can be a negative; if you fuck with me for two hours and then leave me without a decent explanation, I am not going to be happy. Not that I’m thinking of anyone in particular *cough*Lynch*cough*
6. AN INTERESTING NARRATORI think this is a really good one because a lot of people will tell you something different. It’s generally considered poor screenwriting to use a narrator; it’s perceived as lazy, and most of the time I agree with this assessment. But, when you have a good narrator, it can be a hell of a lot of fun. The Usual Suspects, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, American Psycho and Fight Club. I love them all, but they would be nothing without the narrator, whether he be unreliable, unsure of himself or just utterly insane. Maybe one of the best uses of a narrator is in Adaptation, because the movie explicitly tells you more that you shouldn’t have one. Self awareness is always fun! And, as a matter of principal, any movie starring Morgan Freeman is instantly improved with voiceover – that dude should read audio books or something.
7. ENERGETIC FILM MAKING
Urghhhhh…mustn’t…mention…Kill Bill…too much…Tarantino…*brainaneurism*
Yes. Fine. I’m young. I’m over caffeinated. I like instant gratification. I’m part of the MTV generation, with my cell phones and my hip hop and my yellow pudding and so forth. And you know what? I like Bergman films. And Kurosawa. And Eastwood. I absolutely appreciate that there is place for long, slow, contemplative film-making made up of long, slow, contemplative takes. But when it comes down to it, I prefer Boyle. Or Meirelles. Or Fincher. Or Jonze. Or Ritchie...ok, maybe not Ritchie. His first two movies at least. The best thing a film can do for me is show me something electrifying. Amaze me. I want to follow the path of a bullet until it smashes into the side mirror of a car. I want to be inside someone’s memory as an entire house dissolves. I want the camera to swoop around Tyler Durden’s head as he explains the eighth and final rule of Fight Club – “if this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight”. Smash cuts. Split screens. Bullet time. It’s moments like these that I remember; things that I’ve never seen before. Some people don’t like it when the camera work draws attention to itself, but me? I want to see a camera move in a way that I didn’t even know was possible
And while I’m in the sharing mood, my favourite moment like this in any film is in The Matrix: the scene in which the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar “jack in” to take Neo to visit the Oracle. I cannot find the footage anywhere on the web, so if you can’t recall it offhand you’ll have to trust me when I tell you it is a sublime combination of editing, camera and music (“Prime Audio Soup” by Meat Beat Manifesto). As Tank delivers his fasten-your-seatbelts routine, the camera moves in a circle, cutting back and forth between a bird eye view of the crew in their chairs and a 360° rotation of a ringing phone. As the camera reaches the end of its revolution, the crew have appeared, posing in sunglasses and leather coats. It is badass, and is the realization of everything I love about movies, and that movie in particular.
8. A CLEVER ENDING
Well, seeing I started with a good beginning, it makes sense to finish with a good ending. And, similarly, it doesn’t have to be a long scene. In fact, it only has to be the last line, or last frame even, as long as it’s memorable. That way, I finish my experience with your film on a positive note. Now a clever ending isn’t necessarily a twist ending, but the two do often go hand in hand – my favourite ending to any film (and this is by no means an original notion) is the reveal sequence at the end of The Usual Suspects. By and large, I think there are three great ways to end your film; first the open ended sequel tease that leaves the audience wanting more; think Batman Begins, Back to the Future or The Matrix (of course, in retrospect, we’d have been much better off without that particular lot of sequels!) The second option is to just be gob-smacking; pull the rug out from under my feet and leave me stunned. Horror films are usually good at this, and I can look no further than what I think is one of the most underrated films of the last few years – Frank Darabont's The Mist. Or thirdly, just leave me with a little grin. Throw out that ironic final line; again, I think of The Usual Suspects, Run Lola Run, my beloved Memento, or, a film I just saw, (500) Days of Summer. Free feel to be self aware, and wink at the camera all you want. Just be witty.
Well, that about does it. If you look over some of the movies I’ve listed as examples, you’ll see a lot of double up: Memento, Lock Stock, The Usual Suspects, Fight Club, The Matrix, City of God, Full Metal Jacket and of course, every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. And there’s a reason for this; these are some of my favourite films. Of course there are exceptions to these rules; there are probably movies that follow every single one of these guidelines that I don’t like at all, and I can think of tons of movies that I love that don’t have any of these things. But at the end of the day, if a movie has a couple of the qualities that I’ve listed above, then there’s a pretty good chance I’ll enjoy it.
Please leave any thoughts you might have; I’m especially interested if you can think of any more good examples that fall under these headings. After all, I’m always looking for more movies to watch!
