Picks and Pans

While watching 365 movies in 2016, Matt Austin '05 saw a lot of great flicks. (In fact, he gave 79 of them his top rating of a five, from Gone With the Wind and The Deer Hunter to Carrie and Zootopia.) But here are the ones that made his top five list:

1. Dances With Wolves (1990)

"It's hard for me to articulate exactly what about this film I find so magical. It was some kind of beautiful intersection of captivating cinematography that portrayed a feeling of the vast, untouched American frontier, combined with earnest performances, a stellar soundtrack and well-drawn characters that made this historical reimagining by Kevin Costner so captivating to me.

"It's long—if you watch the extended version get ready to set aside nearly four hours—but you won't regret it."

Trailer: https://youtu.be/uc8NMbrW7mI

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2. Do The Right Thing (1989)

"This film by director Spike Lee was a fun, rip-roaring good time—until it wasn't. Set in a vibrant Brooklyn neighborhood on the hottest day of summer, it introduces us to an eclectic cast of characters on the day leading up to a race riot. It's edgy and stylized and brilliant—and completely devastating.

"Do the Right Thing doesn't provide any easy answers, but its topic is as urgent today as it was nearly 30 years ago."

Trailer: https://youtu.be/5Ny631yQ-DM

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3. Apocalypse Now (1979)

"What can I say about such a classic that hasn't already been said? Francis Ford Coppola's brooding, stylized elegy held me transfixed. Not only does it boast one of the most iconic cinematic opening sequences of all time, but I'll never again be able to listen to The Doors' The End without recalling the exploding palms."

Trailer: https://youtu.be/FTjG-Aux_yQ

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4. Delicatessen (1991)

"In this surreal black comedy set in a fictional dystopian Paris sometime after World War II, director Jean Pierre Jeunet creates a world like no other. The city is a bombed-out shell of its former self, and crops and food are scarce commodities—especially fresh meat. A butcher who owns an apartment complex comes up with a creative solution that causes his tenants to begin disappearing one by one. How can any of this be funny? I have no idea, but it sure is! The writing, directing, cast and cinematography are all quite simply stunning. I don't think I've ever seen anything so unique."

Trailer: Sorry, you'll have to search for it yourself—if you dare.

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5. 3 Idiots (2009)

"One of my international student technicians at the help desk introduced me to this film, and it's a treat. It was also one of the biggest and most rewarding cinematic surprises of the year for me. I had low expectations (I mean … just look at the movie poster), but far from being a silly film about young adults behaving badly, it is an affecting look at three college friends trying to find their way in a culture where their futures are often so rigidly predetermined. It deals with some heavy issues in a very thoughtful manner, all interspersed with eclectic, choreographed musical song and dance routines (it is a Bollywood film, after all.)

"I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty: This is the best film you have never seen."

Trailer: https://youtu.be/K0eDlFX9GMc

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Get the Tissues

Only about 2% of the 365 films Matt Austin watched this year (seven in total) brought tears to his eyes. If you're in the mood for a good ugly-cry, here are a few that just might do the trick:

Big Fish (2003)

"I didn't expect a film this deep from Tim Burton. It's about an estranged son returning to his father, who is ill and not long for this world. The son tries to sift through his father's fantastical stories to find the truth of the man, and in doing so, we're taken on a beautiful journey. I held it together through the entire film, but the final sequences broke me, and I cried like a baby. After losing my grandfather (himself known for some tall stories!) last summer, this film holds a special place in my heart."

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Dances With Wolves (1990)

"I've already commented on this film, but what got to my tear ducts was the farewell scene when Lt. Dunbar and Stands with a Fist are leaving the Lakota tribe. Wind in His Hair, the aloof warrior who once charged Dunbar shouting, "Don't you know I'm not afraid of you?" now cannot bring himself to say a personal goodbye. Instead, he shouts from a cliff, for all to hear, "Do you see that I am your friend? Can you see that you will always be my friend?" After four hours with these people whom I'd grown to love, I was reduced to a blubbering pile of mush!"

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Fruitvale Station (2013)

"Ryan Coogler's first feature film is a heart-wrenching story depicting what the last day in the life of Oscar Grant might have been like. This 22-year old was shot in the back on New Year's Day 2009 by transit police while lying face down and handcuffed on the Fruitvale Station train platform in Oakland, Calif. Since it opens with real cellphone footage of the actual shooting, there is a mounting sense of dread that grows palpably as the film moves along because you know the clock is winding down. It's not a perfect film, but, boy, did it wreck me. It was on my mind for days after."

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Dead Man Walking (1995)

"Based on the book of the same name, this film tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan Sarandon), who establishes a special relationship with Matthew Poncelet (played by Sean Penn), a prisoner on death row. Their pre-execution talks cut through to the humanity of a man everybody else regards as a monster (and perhaps rightly so—he's guilty of a horrible rape and murder), and the final execution sequence was difficult to watch."

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Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine (2014)

"In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was brutally beaten, tied to a fencepost and left for dead in Laramie, Wyo. When he was found 18 hours later, his face was caked and crusted in blood except for two clean streaks where his tears had washed the blood away. This film gives voice to Matt through his friends; their stories enable us to know the young man in a new way. I was struck by the unimaginable cruelty of the situation and left with a heavy heart long after the credits rolled in this small indie documentary."

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The Railway Man (2013)

"This is the story of Eric Lomax, a British officer in World War II who was captured by the Japanese and forced into labor on the Thai-Burma Railway. When he's caught with a self-built radio, the Kempeitai accuse him of being a spy. He's subsequently beaten and tortured mercilessly. In the moving final act, Lomax returns decades later to meet—and ultimately forgive—his former captor and tormentor. It's a beautiful tale of forgiveness, rendered all the more poignant by being a true story."

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The Station Agent (2003)

"In this super indie film, Peter Dinklage plays a misanthropic nerd, a train spotter who decides to turn into a full recluse when his only friend dies and wills him an abandoned train depot in New Jersey. His new neighbors insert themselves into his life against his great protestations, and the ensuing film is beautiful. It's about love, loss, loneliness and outcasts making new friends, and it resonated with me on a deeply personal level."

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The Bad and the Ugly

Matt Austin gave only two movies his lowest rating, but these five films are the ones he most disliked in 2016, in no particular order:

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

"This one surprised me for the mere fact that it is so universally praised, with a 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes! I found this careless and boring retelling of the Ramayana almost offensive."

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The Cable Guy (1996)

"Some of you are judging me so hard right now, I know it. Jim Carrey's performance in this movie was like nails on a chalkboard to me."

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The Room (2003)

"This is a film you love to hate. It's been called 'The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies' and it lives up to every bit of that hype."

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The Call Up (2016)

"This was an entirely forgettable sci-fi flick about a group of elite online gamers who get stuck inside a video game. Hijinks ensue. Wake me up when it's over."

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A Walk to Remember (2002)

"During my sophomore year at NWC, everybody seemed to be talking about this film, and I stubbornly refused to watch it. Nearly 15 years later, I decided to give it a chance and was sorry I did. I'm sure it has its fans—and I'm sorry if I've offended any of you—but yuck. It's maudlin and poorly acted, to boot."

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