Damn, this is the kind of choice that's really hard for me to make because even though there can be "masterpiece"-like films, there can also be very good ones that also managed to reach deep into my core somehow, you know?
But I think I may be able to properly separate them, I think, let's see.
Unforgettable, favorites, likely to be in my "all-time" top if I were to have such a thing (
in no particular order):
-
Joker: you could argue that this one is kind of cheat because it's still relatively fresh (saw it 9 days ago), but in my mind there's really no argument here and it's all mostly in part due to Joaquin Phoenix's performance. I already knew he was an incredible actor (see "The Master" if you haven't) but what he does is simply on a whole other level.
-
Burning: it's very good, yet not my favorite by the director (recommend seeing all of them, especially
Peppermint Candy and
Oasis).
-
Son of Saul: realistically and deeply haunting, not just due to the subject matter, but also because of how it was shot.
-
Long Day's Journey Into Night: I already praised the film enough on the Movie thread, quite the experience from beginning to end (especially the end = last half of the film, around 1h, is done in one take for real, no trickery involved).
-
Mandy: I think I've already talked at great lengths why this one was very special to me, but yeah, visuals, OST, everything. Mostly an "experience" above all else.
-
An Elephant Sitting Still: also talked much about it (sorry).
-
The Great Buddha+: see above.
-
Hard to be a God: possibly my 2nd favorite film of all time, right behind
Stalker (by Tarkovsky).
-
Biutiful: I remember going to see it twice in theaters back in
2004 2010... really striking and emotional.
Curious thing is that 8 out of 9 of those films were seen last year... hmm...
According to my list, I've seen 361 films from this decade, but after looking at them these are really the ones that seem like they're the right/only choice for me.
Again, could be due to what I said, them still being relatively "fresh", but nothing about the rest seems to "pop out".
And now, some that also struck a chord with me, and are worthy of a mention:
-
Parasite: I hesitated in including this one in the above list. It's everything the people are making it out to be, it deserves all the praise and it's a masterpiece as well, I really loved it, but I don't think it's a film that I'll "carry" with me, if that makes any sense.
-
Jessica Forever: this is a very curious one because it currently sits at 4,6/10 on IMDb. I really didn't expect to like this one in fact, I was dreading going into the theater to see it, but I'm glad I did. It's obviously not a film for everyone, but if you are open and have a certain sensibility to things, you might enjoy it. It's very "artsy", for sure, but it's how the directors typically do things, they stick to their guns and they go all the way, and I think there's merit in that as well.
-
Mr. Long: the film isn't perfect, it has some flaws pacing-wise, but some moments are unforgettable and gut-wrenching. Really want to see more films from this director.
-
Suspiria: also mostly an "experience", but it's greatly elevated thanks to many elements namely the OST, visuals, etc.
-
Shoplifters: very good and surprising in so many aspects.
-
A Ghost Story: also a film that you can only truly enjoy, in my opinion, if you have a predisposition for this sort of sentimental/abstract/depressive thing.
-
Thelma: incredible film, perhaps even a masterpiece as well, it did so many little, barely noticeable things that carry tremendous weight if you consider the whole. In that aspect, the editing is simply mindblowing.
-
Blade Runner 2049: no need to go over why it's so great.
-
Good Time: really surprised me in a lot of ways.
-
Harmony Lessons: it's still my favorite film from the director, also the most gut-wrenching as well, I'd say. If you're looking for a foreign drama, it's worth giving this one a shot, I think.
5 of these were seen last year.
And that's about it, at least for now. I'll take another look at the list and see if I missed some and edit accordingly, but I think this should be it.
I think tomorrow they'll release the programming for the film festival where I saw so many great films last year. Who knows, there might be some on there that could end up on this list as well.
Can't wait :0
I'll follow your cheat and go with 15 then (no specific order)
