Top 5 of March 2018

Holy cow, what a month it has been. I finalized the offline edit for my short film La Esencia earlier this month, started working with a composer and sound design team, and to top it all off I unlocked all the mini-games and extras in Mario Party 7 for GameCube. Oh yeah, did I also mention I watched a TON of amazing films?

I know last month I said my list was going to be difficult, but that's nothing compared to my list this month. Making a "top five" list helps me remember my favorites from the past thirty days, but it also helps me remember the films I want to draw from in the future. Every filmmaker has their own influences and favorite films, and it all serves the artist to generate their own unique "style" of cinema. I'll always remember Led Zeppelin and how infamous they were for plagiarizing some of their best songs. Good artists borrow, but great artists steal.

It is not my intent to plagiarize any of these filmmakers or copy what they did in their work, but I believe it's an important source of inspiration. When you're on set struggling to find a way to get that one shot that you need, it might help to ask yourself "how did they do it?"

This is where it gets tricky. I watched so many good films this month that I want to draw from, but I've limited myself to immortalizing only five on my blog. My list has become more than just a celebration of cinema, and it's evolved into a reflection of my own style and what I plan to mimic in the future. Here's my top five films I watched for the first time in March of 2018:

#5: Frances Ha (2012)

Written and Directed by Noah Baumbach

Recently there's been a lot of hype and talk about Greta Gerwig and her recent directorial debut Lady Bird which was nominated for five oscars including best director. Saying that this film was an unexpected delight is an understatement. I couldn't give enough credit to Greta and Noah for this film; the writing and the acting here are out-of-this-world amazing. For a film that's in black and white, I was surprised how immersive it was. I felt every struggle that Frances went through and really identified with everything that she experienced in the film from start to finish. It makes me want to sell my possessions and chase my dreams living off a friend's couch in New York City.

#4: Atonement (2007)

Directed by Joe Wright

Wow...what a year 2007 was for film. No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Juno and Michael Clayton were all nominated for best picture alongside Atonement. This film is a masterpiece of storytelling and perspective, switching between the mind of Saoirse Ronan's character and what actually happens between James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. The end result is a tragic tale of a lie gone awry, and how one little girl must atone for her mistake for the rest of her life. Not only is the acting and cinematography beautiful, but the editing is seamless as well. Telling the same story twice from multiple perspectives is a great creative challenge, and Atonement sets a high standard for any film that tries to achieve this method of filmmaking.

#3: Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

I had known of this movie for several years and had been meaning to watch it, but I was hesitant. I knew it was about drugs and addiction and I also knew it had amazing editing behind it. What set me back from watching it when I did was a fear of something psychologically terrifying. And I was right. Requiem for a Dream is a psychological triller that tells the story of four drug addicts, and how their paths of addiction all lead them into turmoil. It's hard to appreciate the acting and cinematography when everything is so calculated, but at the end of the day it's a testament to Aronofsky's prowess. Nobody else alive could make this film like he did, and thank God he did. It's everything that a film of it's kind should be, and I'll never forget what this movie accomplished in stunning fashion.

#2: Up in the Air (2009)

Directed by Jason Reitman

This film surprised me at how good it actually was. George Clooney plays a insensitive corporate downsizing expert who's job becomes threatened by a streamlined online system as well as a potential lover. The plot is fairly simple, but what makes this movie fantastic is the relationships between the characters and how they deal with their situations. A fantastic combination of acting, direction and storytelling make this film so memorable. Having an understanding of the hero's journey made this movie that much more surprising too, watching Clooney's character jump through the hoops that are laid out in front of him. Sometimes a change in character doesn't come easy...or gracefully.

#1: Moonlight (2016)

Written and Directed by Barry Jenkins

Art-house meets the hood. A perfect description of what Moonlight is. At its core it's a beautiful coming-of-age story about a young, gay black man growing up in a rough neighborhood. It's a story of discovery, self-acceptance, change...just so many things. There's so many themes at play in this film, and to fully understand it would probably take multiple viewings. Nevertheless, this film is my #1 this month for one reason: motivation. Every action, every cut, every camera move, every line of dialogue is motivated to help serve the story. A movie at it's core is a story about something, and everything done in Moonlight is done in service to the story. It's beautiful, elegant, powerful and intense and I can't wait to re-watch it again and again.

That's my list for March! Like I said earlier, I watched a lot of good films this month and that made my list much harder to make. Honorable mentions include: Paterson, Room, Mudbound, Anomalisa, Spotlight, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Casino, Amélie, Midnight in Paris, Carol and What We Do in the Shadows. I hope that I get to revisit all of these films someday and remember why I fell in love with them this past month. Thank you so very much for reading! I'll see you next month!

-morgan