Top 5 of August 2018

It's good to be back here again writing about my last month in the world of movies. Aside from watching several great films for the first time this month, I started the next chapter of my life in Vancouver, British Columbia.

For the next twelve months, I'm undergoing an intensive program at Vancouver Film School here in Canada. The school year is broken up into six-two month segments, with the first three terms dedicated to understanding film and covering all the basics. The last three terms cover specializations from areas like Directing, Editing, Production Design, Cinematography and Producing. It's a long road ahead and the next year of my life will be hectic, but I'm all for it!

Aside from moving to a new country, celebrating my 23rd birthday, meeting dozens of new classmates and forging a new routine I've also had the chance to watch several fantastic films for the first time! I even surprised myself, being able to find time in my new and improved schedule to sit down and watch a new movie every so-often. Unlike in past months, this August list will actually be difficult to narrow down and create a list from.

Here's the top five films I watched for the first time in August of 2018:

#5: Looper (2012)

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson

Never try and explain time travel. Looper is a fantastic, gritty science fiction story about assassins paid to kill mob enemies sent from the future. However when our protagonist "Looper", played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, encounters a future version of himself, played by Bruce Willis, morality and best-interests collide in thrilling fashion. Writer/director Rian Johnson does a fantastic setting up such a complex and unique world in the screen time given to him, while also telling a compelling story about family and sacrifice. Aside from the odd-looking prosthetic JGL wears throughout the film, he manages to deliver a stunning performance alongside Willis and the wonderfully talented Emily Blunt.

#4: Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Spielberg has a knack for telling truly unique and interesting stories. His historical biographies like Lincoln, Munich and Schindler's List are all truly captivating films in their own right, but this one stands out among the others. It's the story of a young man named Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, managed to forge millions of dollars worth of checks posing as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer all across the world. Frank, played by the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio, is pursued by an FBI agent named Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks. Their performances make for one of the most entertaining and heartwarming stories ever, leading me to root for the criminal and cross my fingers that he gets away. And just when you thought the film would end exactly as you would expect, it takes a turn for the better and leaves you with a warm love for both the protagonist and the antagonist together.

#3: Do The Right Thing (1989)

Written and Directed by Spike Lee

And starring Spike Lee! Talk about a true Auteur of his time! Set in the streets Brooklyn, New York, several characters struggle to navigate and make it through the hottest day of the year. Alongside his all-star cast of Danny Aiello, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro and Richard Edson, Lee delivers a powerful film about race, coexistence and just getting along! When the heat gets to your head and everyone is down and out, it's easy to lose track of your senses and forget to do the right thing. Undoubtedly one of the most important works of cinema in the latter-half of the 20th century and a true showcase of the talent and prowess of Spike Lee.

#2: The Thin Red Line (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick

What happens when you take an all-star director and give him an all-star cast? He might go and make a war film, as is the case for Terrence Malick and this masterpiece of cinema. The Thin Red Line follows a platoon of soldiers stationed at Guadalcanal during the second world war. I could write an entire essay on the symbolism and commentary that this film touches on. In some of his past films, Malick's style has gotten slightly in the way of telling the story effectively and looked more like an art-house statement rather than a narrative story. In this movie, his style and story go perfectly hand in hand and the result is one of the most powerful and moving war films I have ever seen. Coupled with incredibly strong performances from the entire cast, The Thin Red Line is a film to be reckoned with and is among some of the best war-dramas ever made.

#1: Steve Jobs (2015)

Directed by Danny Boyle

I'm a huge sucker of Aaron Sorkin and I admire everything he's done, but holy shit did this film blow me away. Never before has his writing played off so wittingly and beautifully as it does here, coupled with the direction of the masterful Danny Boyle and the powerful performances from the lead cast. Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen rally together to bring you into the world of the late and purpose-driven mind of Steve Jobs. I only learned today, nearly two weeks after watching, that it was shot in three different ways to coincide with the three different time periods of Jobs' life featured in the movie (16mm, 35mm and digital). But what moved me the most about this film wasn't the dialogue, the acting or the different formats it was filmed in; what touched me was at the end of the day, after all the chaos and turmoil throughout its run time, it ended with being a story about a father and his daughter finally bonding together. That was what truly stood out to me about this film and that's why it claimed my number one spot on my list.

Among these films, I also had the pleasure of watching (for the first time this month) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Ivan's Childhood, Bowling for Columbine, Jim and Andy: the Great Beyond and A Beautiful Mind. There's no telling how much time I'll have this coming month to watch movies, but I've always had a knack for making time and figuring out a way to watch what I want to watch. Thank you so much as always for reading my blog and until next time!

-morgan