10. 'Shrek 2' (2004)
I first saw this film the day after its release in the UK. I was with a friend and we barely managed to get in the cinema at all; the tickets nearly sold out, everywhere was packed, and we were squashed in the front seats of the auditorium. But it was all worth it for one of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences of my life. Day out with a friend to see a great movie - really sticks to you when you were a lonely kid like myself. 'Shrek 2' ranks right up there with 'Terminator 2' in being a sequel that, against all odds, manages to surpass its already great, revolutionary original. It is one of the funniest, most heartwarming films I've ever seen, animated or not. The celebrity voice cast is utilized to a fantastic effect, so much so that you can't imagine anyone else voicing these hilarious and endearing characters. The music is great, the animation is great, the comedy is all over the place - and I mean that in the most positive way. With multiple viewings you can pick up a load of jokes you didn't catch up on the first time. It cheered me up astronomically as a child, and it has helped me get through many bouts of depression to this day. Nothing about 'Shrek 2' feels rushed or poorly planned (unlike its other sequels, sadly) - like with 'Enchanted', everything about it just works, no explanation needed; it's a force of nature. It's amazing how Dreamworks made a near-perfect animated film in such a short amount of time after the success of the original 'Shrek'. It's got an important message for everyone of all ages, its riff and twists on traditional fairy tale conventions are spot-on solid, and overall it goes far beyond what the original started; making it more dramatic, dynamic, and of course funnier than ever before. 'Shrek 2' - my favourite Dreamworks movie.
9. 'Millennium Actress' (2001)
An anime film finally makes it on the list! I had never seen a film so strange and yet so simple and enjoyable at the same time. I'm not a fan of indie productions or postmodernist art in general, or anything considered avant-garde which is more concerned with shocking (or boring, as the case often is) audiences than it is telling a good story with interesting characters who act like real human beings. But 'Millennium Actress' clearly wants to tell a good story with good characters, only how it tells its story is less conventional and more challenging in its still-flowing narrative. The late director Satoshi Kon made a lot of works that delve into one's psychosis and explored the human condition - revealing a person's strengths as well as their fragility. Psychology, and looking into how the conscious and subconscious mind is layered, is a hobby of mine. And 'Millennium Actress' explores the memories of a retired Japanese movie actress from WWII, bringing in two documentary filmmakers along for the thrilling ride. Both the real world and the fabricated world of various movies are blurred, leaving the present day filmmakers and the audience to decide for themselves what really happened and what was merely a role the actress used to play. What role did she play for herself as well as for a film set? Who is she underneath the acting? Could she have gone senile, or was she always a little misguided, due to life circumstances? Her journey - her life mission that started her acting career in the first place - was all for a man, as she tries to find him (a plot which mirrors a lot of her films). Yey, feminism! However, as 'Millennium Actress' points out, the journey can be much more exciting than the end goal. The actress herself is a very real and complex character who's had a difficult life of a movie star, and the filmmakers act as both comic relief and audience avatars. One of them in particular is a big fan of the actress, and is in fact more involved in her life than he might realise - no illusions this time. The whole picture is so fascinating, like a mature fairy tale. I haven't even touched on the animation itself yet, which is classic, expertly-drawn 2D style - no CG - and some shots look as if they were filmed with a shaky camera, especially in fight scenes. What a feat! Helps that it is very short for an "art film" at under eighty minutes - nothing superfluous is added, since it's perfect the way it is. 'Millennium Actress' is an experience, shared by a woman who has had a marvelous life. It is a journey into the mind as well as into the world of movies, this labour of love is an anime masterpiece.
8. 'Thelma and Louise' (1991)
My favourite Ridley Scott film, by a female screenwriter. 'Thelma and Louise' is one of my mother's favourite films, and nearly a decade ago as we were looking at what classic DVDS to buy in a shop, she recommended this one to me. Now it is one of my favourite films. It's a story about two women who wanted nothing but a fun, harmless weekend away together, but are suddenly caught in a nightmare - running from the law for murdering a rapist, and running further and further into more danger on the road to Mexico. All for spontaneously wanting justice on their holiday. And Thelma and Louise become trapped in circumstances beyond their control - trapped in a circle which can only end in death, no matter what road they choose to take. The whole movie is a metaphor for women trying to survive in a man's world - a world that tries to control them, to break them, and bring them down at every step in their lives. Like women are unfairly punished drastically for being themselves. 'Thelma and Louise' is a mix of genres - it's a buddy movie (how many can you name with female leads?), a drama, a comedy, a tragedy. At its heart it's a story all about the friendship between the two women. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis have fantastic chemistry; it is their unshakable bond and performances that make their movie so unforgettable. I love the pace, the solid beat-by-beat three-act structure, the characters, and the music. I even enjoyed watching Brad Pitt, in his first major film role. Though 'Thelma and Louise' gets criticised for its portrayal of men as bad guys, there is an unmistakable exception: The State Police Investigator (Harvey Keitel) who genuinely wants to help Thelma and Louise as they are on the run. He's sympathetic towards them, and understands their plight, or at least he tries to understand. He's aware of how the women are dehumanized by the other men in his line of work, and he doesn't want to be like them, and tries to change this misogynistic attitude towards the end. That's a powerful message: Saying it's not up to women alone to change the patriarchal society for the better. Men need to do their part as well, and the first step is simply listening to women, and calling out other men's sexism towards the opposite sex. 'Thelma and Louise' - a phenomenon on many levels. A daring feminist movie ahead of its time, and to this day there isn't anything like it. Which in itself, is the real tragedy.
7. 'Princess Mononoke' (1997)
Now I talk about my favourite Studio Ghibli film. The Japanese animation company makes about as many masterpieces as Pixar, and 'Princess Mononoke'... seriously, just look at it! It's incredible - the animation and its attention to detail on the tiniest element, the scope of the wooded and industrial Muromachi period in Japan - I've never felt like I was stepping into another world, not since seeing the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy and reading the 'Harry Potter' novels. 'Princess Mononoke' is about the merging of two eras - the old one of spirits, animals and everything else Mother Nature gives us, and the newer, technologically-advanced and more weaponised era. This "progression" of mankind is taking over the ancient spiritual times by force, and so a war is brewing. All that lies between these two worlds for a chance at peace are a cursed and banished young prince, and a girl raised by wolves. This is an environmental film, as are nearly all of Hayao Miyazaki's films, but by some miracle this message works in the story's favour, not to its detriment. It manages a balance - the pros and cons of human progression in nature - without being preachy; something practically every other environmental animated picture fails spectacularly at. Nobody thinks of themselves as a bad guy in 'Princess Mononoke' - the characters are doing what they think is right for everyone, even the main villain Lady Eboshi, who boarders on being a power-hungry, violent extremist, but she is sympathetic towards her people and their needs, and she does learn and change near the end. Everyone has their own inner demons to fight, as they struggle not to give in to the hatred that is destroying their world. For the prince Ashitaka, this is literal. The titular Princess Mononoke, San, isn't really a main character - amid a myriad of interconnecting subplots and themes, this is strictly Ashitaka's story - but she is strong and fierce in a way a lot of female characters are seemingly not allowed to be in Hollywood. To call the wild girl the male hero's love interest is an insult, and she would kill you if you insinuated that that is all she is. San still fights for what she believes in, for her wolf family, and she develops beyond her hatred of humans, not just through Ashitaka, but through other humans as well, even those from the loathed industrial dwelling of Irontown. 'Princess Mononoke' is a very long animated film at well over two hours, but the melancholic, dangerous and beautiful world and characters keep the audience's attention long after the film is finished. It is also not for children, despite it being rated PG in its UK DVD release - shockingly violent and bloody, it pulls no punches. Honestly, no review or analysis can do the masterpiece 'Princess Mononoke' justice. I feel privileged having seen it at all. So much to talk about, yet impossible to talk about. A hard yet soaring animated experience.
6. 'Finding Nemo' (2003)
I didn't see 'Finding Nemo' in theaters, which is a shame. I first saw it in class at school towards the holidays - and again on that holiday with my distant family - and I love it more and more every time I watch it. It is a testament to how great a movie is when it is about fish - fish who make you feel so much for them, and make you want desperately for them to succeed, so everything will be alright. Another testament to how Pixar is run by geniuses - they can make you cry for toys and monsters under the bed, and fish. Fish! Whenever someone would ask me what I think is THE rewatchable movie, without hesitation I'd say, 'Finding Nemo'. It mixes together comedy and drama as well as 'Shrek 2' does, although 'Finding Nemo' leans towards the sadder, makes-you-cry-bucket-loads side of storytelling. Normally I hate father-and-son type stories, because they're so overdone and so male-centered and often ignore the female presence in a boy's life, like a mother, who would conveniently be dead. It's ridiculous. But I don't mind it at all in 'Finding Nemo', probably because the relationship between the father and son is given establishing time beyond the blood relation, and from the beginning the audience understands why the father is so overprotective of his only family. He isn't a nasty person, either, and his son never has to prove himself worthy of being his seed. Nemo only needs to be braver, without any thought of his dad's approval. What a £%$F&ing relief! The comedy is excellent, too. I LOVE Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, and I'm not embarrassed to admit that I was introduced to her through 'Finding Nemo'. What an influential and complex creation: Dory - another one-of-a-kind female character - may be a comic relief on the surface, but deep down in the sea of development there is also a tragedy to her. It is Dory who brings out the most tears near the end of the film. Remarkable for a family picture. Lovely animation, characters (there isn't really a villain, another huge plus for a tale (tail?) for children) and storytelling, 'Finding Nemo' flows as naturally as the entire ocean, with plenty of bumps and tides throughout the travels. The sea itself is mesmerizing. No romance, either! It could not have been better. As for what I think of the sequel, 'Finding Dory' - it's another great, rewatchable movie which develops Dory even more. 'Nemo' will always hold a bigger place in my ocean heart, however. To me and me alone, it is the perfect family film.
To be continued in Part 4.
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