A New Year, A New Letterboxd Top 4
...what really matters is what you like, not what you are like.
I’m sure this is the riveting content that many of you signed up for, but strangely enough, I find myself discussing (sometimes defending) the 4 movies I have chosen to display as my “favorites” on Letterboxd1 fairly often.
Like all social media, do these four movies actually mean anything? The answer is both yes and no. Yes — because the art we choose to represent ourselves indisputably represents some pillars of our personality. If I chose four Hayao Miyazaki movies, you could safely presume I have a penchant for animation and that I am (or should be) seeking therapy. But also, No— because ultimately this is a form of social media and the candor of any online persona is questionable, at best. Are they choosing this particular movie because they like it or because they know others will like it?
This an unanswerable question and possibly a question that doesn’t matter because at the end of the day, arguing about the integrity of social media is less exciting than discussing the actual art.
For reference, here is what my Top 4 consisted of for the majority of 2022.
The Warriors (1979) Dir: Walter Hill2
Whisper of the Heart (1995) Dir: Yoshifumi Kondo3
Shoplifters (2018) Dir: Hirokazu Kore-eda4
Tron: Legacy (2010) Dir: Joseph Kosinski5
For further clarity, the positioning of the films was not a barometer of preference. The Warriors in the first slot was not to imply I liked it more than the other films. Some users may choose to do this, but I do not. It is difficult enough choosing 4 films.
Michael Clayton (2007) Dir: Tony Gilroy
I’m not the guy you kill, I’m the guy you buy.
My love for Michael Clayton grows stronger by the hour, potentially by the minute. Admittedly it has a terrible and frankly boring title, but rest assured the movie is anything but terrible and boring. I have found that the older I become, the more I fancy the legal thriller sub-genre. But this makes sense— the older people get, the more entrenched they become in the fabric of their community. Not to assume young people do not care about things like corporate greed, but it’s obviously a less flashy genre compared to others.
Michael Clayton has it all. Class warfare. Legal espionage. Evil corporate shenanigans. A bulletproof script. Clooney at the apex of his sexy voice phase (it’s still sexy, but not Michael Clayton sexy). But I don’t want to spin Michael Clayton as this hidden 2007 gem. It was nominated for 7 academy awards, taking home the award for Best Supporting Actress for a killer Tilda Swinton performance. However, despite the accolades in 2007, Michael Clayton sadly lived in the gargantuan shadow cast by No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood, so maybe in some weird way, Michael Clayton is a hidden gem.
Where to Watch: Roku Channel (free w/ads)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) Dir: Gil Junger
I burn. I pine. I perish.
Is it a coincidence that after its release in 1999, there hasn’t been a rom-com as good as 10 Things I Hate About You? I say, no. Few have come exceptionally close (My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2000) is the first to come to mind) but most will always pale in comparison to the pure power that was the 1999 film based on the Billy Shakes classic. Now the argument for its ranking amongst rom-coms before it is much more intense because the caliber of rom-coms in the 80s and 90s is unparalleled— When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and almost any 90s movie starring Julia Roberts. But despite the fierce competition, I will continue to stand on the hill and proudly wave the 10 Things I Hate About You banner.
But what is it that separates 10 Things I Hate About You from its seemingly endless counterparts?
Was it the cast? Absolutely, but with one caveat. With a 2022 lens, it’s easy to assume the movie’s success was a result of the sheer star power, but this wasn’t the case in 1999. Arguably, 10 Things I Hate About You acted as a catalyst for a majority of the cast’s career, with the exception maybe for Joseph Gordon-Levitt who was a mainstay on the NBC sitcom, Third Rock From the Sun.
Was it the story? Possibly. The modernization of Shakespeare’s work had occurred before, notably with West Side Story, but it was hardly a trend until 10 Things I Hate About You. Boy meets girl, girl hates boy. The story was familiar enough that it would resonate with the audience while still being something new (because let’s be honest, not everyone read The Taming of the Shrew).
Was it the soundtrack that had banger track after banger track? Obviously.
The answer is all of these reasons. The right people at the right time. Lightning in a bottle.
Where to watch: Disney+ (subscription)
Children of Men (2006) Dir: Alfonso Cuarón
Pull my finger.
Eighteen years of infertility. On the surface, the central plot of Children of Men doesn’t scream dystopia. No meteors colliding with the planet. No planet-killing extraterrestrials. No deadly illness that wipes out the population. But the banality of the conflict is what makes Children of Men feel intensely real. Few movies have really captured, with frightening accuracy, the vanishing of hope — not only in our legislatures and authority but in people.
It’s even more interesting to watch Children of Men in a world that has been ravaged by COVID-19. While the response of the people and government within the world of Children of Men may have been more theatrical, there exists an air of apprehension. Not because what is happening on screen is impossible or improbable, but because of the exact opposite. From the depiction of immigrants to the autocratic control of human bodies— would it be so shocking to open a newspaper (or Twitter) and witness something similar happening in our current world? This is why Children of Men continues to be an incredibly powerful picture.
Where to watch: Rent
Paddington 2 (2017) Dir: Paul King
If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right.
There’s a section of the internet that thinks that I’m being facetious when I praise Paddington 2. That I’m trying to be different or that my adoration for this bear is a long-running gag to generate clicks and views. This was amplified when Pedro Pascal’s character in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent proclaimed Paddington 2 as one of the best movies of all time. While a hilarious moment, it did make things harder for us Paddington fans. This is not a joke. The love for Paddington and Paddington 2 is not a joke. I would not joke about such serious matters.
For those who were unaware, there was a time when Paddington 2 was the best-reviewed movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Not one of the best, the best-reviewed movie. Higher than anything directed by Spielberg, Coppola, Kurosawa, or Scorsese — all of those amateurs. In fact, the only film that truly gave Paddington any competition was Citizen Kane, but not even Orson Welles could defeat the marmalade-loving bear as it was dethroned from the top spot by Paddington 2
This was a beautiful time in the film world. A time of peace. A time when the world could come together and bask in the light created by Paddington 2. The future was bright, dare I say even optimistic?6 This all changed when the fire nation attacked7. One heartless reviewer published a negative review and the house of cards came toppling down.8 But I still stand with Paddington. Many of us do.
The most common question I receive is, Do I have to watch Paddington 1? The short answer is no. The right answer is yes. While not as good as Paddington 2, it does help better appreciate the characters in the Paddington-verse and makes the ending of Paddington 2 much more emotional.
Why one loves Paddington 2 is a nearly unanswerable question. Why do we love puppies? Or the smell of freshly baked bread? Or the sound of a crackling fire? Impossible to articulate, but the warmth it ignites within our souls is irrefutable.
Where to Watch: Rent
It would be wrong for me to assume everyone reading is a Letterboxd aficionado or even aware of its existence. Letterboxd is a social media app dedicated to movies. I would say movie lovers but like any social media platform, there exists a fair share of toxicity and vitriol. However, unlike other social media apps, Letterboxd can be used without any attempt to network with others. Log your movies, give them a rating, write a review- or don’t do any of those things and you still can explore the hundreds of profiles and discover an overwhelming amount of films in the process. To circle back to the title of this entry, you can choose 4 films as your “favorites”, these films stay pinned to your profile and are the first thing people see when visiting your profile.
Can you dig it? One of my favorite movies since I was a teen and one of my favorite movies to take place in the span of a single night. Beyond the fact that it’s a movie about one gang’s odyssey back home, it surprisingly has a lot to say about masculinity and class which makes subsequent watches a lot more interesting.
I watched Whisper of the Heart for the first time this year and it immediately consumed me. Comforting, yes. But more importantly, cathartic. Life is complicated, but we’ll all figure it out. Eventually.
I like to cry. If you like to cry, then boot this up as soon as you can.
This is just the coolest movie to ever exist. Inject that Daft Punk soundtrack directly into my veins.
Optimism doesn’t really exist in film circles. Most people prefer to complain. I am most people.
A reference to the masterpiece television show, Avatar: The Last Airbender. In a world of harmony between the 4 Nations— Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, it was the Fire Nation that disrupted the balance by attempting to conquer the other nations and establish themselves as ruler of the lands. In this metaphor, Paddington is the Avatar, the being that upholds the balance. The lone critic is the Fire Nation. If this explanation was required, I am silently judging you for not watching the television show, which again, is a masterpiece.
No shade to the reviewer, but I hope when you try to plug in your USB cords, it’s always upside down. https://www.indiewire.com/2021/05/paddington-2-rotten-tomatoes-score-bad-review-1234641162/
I need to watch the Trons...I'm a fake cinephile.