This Is Your Film: Part Two 2002-2017

There’s recently been a Twitter hashtag called #Thisisyourfilm. It’s another list hashtag. For this list you have to name your favourite film for each year of your life. Of course, the older you are, the more films you have to consider. I threw my list into the vast Twitter ring. Here, I thought I’d elaborate on my choices in a blog of two parts.

Here’s Part Two, which covers 1985 to 2001…

2002: Spider-Man

Along with ‘Gladiator,’ this is one of my favourite films of all time. Repeated viewings have dulled my affection for it, but the first time I saw it I was blown away. To see my favourite superhero in live action was breathtaking. I remember holding my breath for a scene as simple as the one where Peter Parker experiences his “Spider sense” in high school. Yes, the Green Goblin costume may look silly, and it touches every base of a typical superhero origin film, but simply for the feeling I received on my first viewing of the film it stands high on my list of favourite films.

2003: X-Men 2

As far as superhero sequels go, X-Men 2 can stand proudly alongside ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Spider-Man 2.’ It doesn’t have to introduce as many characters as ‘X-Men’ did, so can plunge right into a gripping story. Heroes and villains combining to defeat a greater threat is something you rarely see in superhero films, and that’s exactly what we get here. It adds extra intrigue into a story that deviates from the typical superhero sequel. There was ‘Oldboy’ to consider, but ‘X-Men 2’ stands as an example to all superhero sequels, and sequels in general.

2004: Shaun of the Dead

Edgar Wright’s directoral cinematic debut is the greatest horror comedy ever. It’s a rival to ‘Trainspotting’ for the Best British film ever. ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ is brilliant, as is ‘Spider-Man 2,’ but ‘Shaun of the Dead’ stands tall as a masterpiece. The jokes never miss, the quick cuts are exemplary, and the gore is heavy duty stuff. The filmic peak of Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s collaboration.

2005: Sin City

‘Batman Begins’ and ‘A History Of Violence’ sprung to mind for 2005 (both based on comics/graphic novels), but it was ‘Sin City’ I couldn’t help but name as my film of 2005. Buckets of style and a film noir that fit perfectly with the black and white visuals, ‘Sin City’ was an R-Rated comic book film in a sea of PG-13 ones. It stood apart not just for that reason, but the fact that there was just enough substance behind the style to deliver a great film.

2006: Children of Men

‘The Departed’, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, ‘Apocalypto’, ‘Rocky Balboa’, ‘Borat,’ ‘Casino Royale’…all great films, all released in 2006. I almost chose ‘The Departed’ for 2006, even though it’s an inferior imitation of ‘Infernal Affairs,’ it’s still one of Scorsese’s best films of modern times. ‘Rocky Balboa’ was a return to form for the Rocky franchise, as was ‘Casino Royale’ for the Bond franchise. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ had imagination and creativity to spare. But it’s ‘Children of Men’ that sticks in my mind, and seems a more likely future than many science fiction scenarios out there. An unwaveringly bleak vision of a future broken Britain, it’s becoming more and more relevant every day. Fears about immigration and right wing governments run right through ‘Children of Men.’ A science fiction film that tells us more about our society than most other films.

2007: No Country For Old Men

The Coens’ greatest ever film? In my eyes, yes. It takes the essence of the novel it is based upon and pours it through the film, from the characters to the cinematography. It’s a modern Western with one of the most intimidating villains of cinema in the guise of Javier Bordem as Chigurh. It represents the Coens at the peak of their cinematic creativity and brilliance. It maybe too laconic for some, but for me the mood was just right. There was ‘Eastern Promises’ and ‘There Will Be Blood,’ but ‘No Country For Old Men’ outdoes them every time.

2008: Wall-E

‘Wall-E’ is Pixar’s greatest film. ‘The Dark Knight’ was more than deserving to be my choice for 2008, but I always find myself picking at little things with each repeated viewing. It’s Wall-E that never fails to impress, with an almost dialogue free first act that is refreshing, to say the least. It shows a level of mastery over story, characters and emotions that seemed to display Pixar’s last great film (until ‘Inside Out’ came along). I adored ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ It pains me greatly to miss out ‘The Wrestler.’ But ‘Wall-E’ cannot be missed out!

2009: Moon

Apart from ‘Watchmen,’ there wasn’t much else that piqued my interest in 2009. ‘A Serious Man’ was a decent Coen brothers’ film, but not much more than that. I never much liked ‘Avator’ or ‘District 9.’ So, Moon was a breath of fresh air. Sam Rockwell carries a film that is technically and visually outstanding. It mixes all kind of science fiction tropes, but the melting pot is delicious. Duncan Jones’ directoral debut is still his best film.

2010: Black Swan

It physically hurt me not to name ‘The Wrestler’ as my film of 2008, but Darren Aronofsky’s next film, ‘Black Swan,’ cannot be ignored. It’s his masterpiece, in all aspects of cinema. Natalie Portman gives the performance of a lifetime, and rightfully won Best Actress at the Acadamy Awards for her performance as ballet dancer Nina, who’s chosen to play as both the White Swan and the Black Swan in a production of Swan Lake. Part-horror, part psychological thriller, nothing came close to ‘Black Swan’ in 2010. ‘The Social Network’ is a distant second, and I’ll always have a soft spot for ‘Tron: Legacy,’ but ‘Black Swan’ takes the top spot without a doubt.

2011: Drive

‘The Artist’ was sublime. The first two acts of ‘Super 8’ were a delightful throwback to 80s science fiction films. ‘Source Code’ was another impressive film by Duncan Jones. But it’s ‘Drive’ that remains one of my all-time favourite films. It’s an exercise in pure cinema, where the visuals and the music tell the story as much as the dialogue does. Ryan Gosling’s laconic Driver is a superb anti-hero. The soundtrack is incredible. The car chase scenes feel and look real, rather than splurges of CGI. It’s one of the great films of the 21^st century.

Click here for my review!

2012: The Avengers

‘The Avengers’ represented the culmination of Marvel Studios’ ambitious task to build up the superheroes that they owned (in terms of film rights) and put them all in one film. They may not have had Spider-Man or the X-Men or the Fantastic Four, but their B-level superheroes gave us one of the most fun and memorable superhero films ever. Seeing the superheroes all in one frame still gives me chills up my spine! Joss Whedon keeps the action and the quips coming thick and fast, with a villain that is worthy of taking on a group of superheroes in Loki (surely the second best on-screen superhero villain behind Heath Ledger’s Joker?). A wonder to watch. ‘Life of Pi’ and ‘Django Unchained’ were contenders, but both suffered from a over-long running time.

Click here for my review!

2013: Prisoners

I almost chose ‘Gravity’ for my choice of 2013, but it seems ever so smaller each time I watch it. It’s a film that’s meant to be watched on the big screen in 3D. ‘Prisoners,’ however, is a harsh and uncompromising film. But it’s a film that demands to be watched. Hugh Jackman’s performance as Keller Dover is outstanding. He deserved an Academy Award for it. The story of a father who’s looking for his kidnapped daughter will always grab attention, but Denis Villeneuve makes it so much more than that. It may be a hard watch, but it’s a watch that stays with me.

2014: The Lego Movie

Everything is awesome…especially ‘The Lego Movie!’ I expected very little from this film, but received so much in return. From comedy to social satire, ‘The Lego Movie’ has most bases covered. It could have been a lazy take on the Lego toy, but it gave us a reflection of our own society, obsessed with reality TV shows like ‘Honey, Where Are My Pants?’ while conglomerates own almost everything around us. It’s clever dissection of “The Special One” character trope is also to be commended. ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ was a close second, a Shakespearian tragedy with apes instead of kings and queens. ‘Nightcrawler’ (showcasing Jake Gyllenhaal’s best performance), ‘Birdman,’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (a great, but overlooked, science fiction film) were a close third.

2015: Mad Max: Fury Road

‘Inside Out’ was a massive return to form for Pixar, examining our minds from a very mature perspective. ‘Straight Outta Compton’ had me gripped for the first two acts in a way most thrillers don’t. ‘Creed’ moved me to tears more than most tearjerkers. But the fourth entry in the Mad Max franchise blew everything else away. Fears that it would be a poor greatest hits of the franchise evaporated merely minutes into the film. It’s a two hour car chase, but the car chase is more exhilarating than probably anything else I’ve watched in the past decade. It’s insane, creative, and creatively insane.

Click here for my review!

2016: The Neon Demon

‘Zootropolis,’ ‘High-Rise,’ ‘Arrival,’ ‘I, Daniel Blake,’ ‘Captain America: Civil War’…all five films were worthy of this spot. But another Nicolas Winding Refn again takes another spot on this list. ‘The Neon Demon’ mesmerised me from start to finish when I watched it at the cinema, and it continues to do so every time I watch it. For a film about beauty, ‘The Neon Demon’ is jam-packed full of beautiful (if sometimes horrific) images. It represents a director at the peak of his visual storytelling abilities. I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen from the moment the BBFC screen came on, and I couldn’t say that about any other film in 2016. It’s style over substance, but the style is exemplary.

Click here for my review!

2017: Logan (so far)

It’s a little soon to choose my favourite film of 2017, but there will have to something mind-blowing to beat Logan. A bleak, mature superhero film that rescinds most superhero tropes until the third act, ‘Logan’ is the Wolverine film we’ve always wanted but were denied. If it’s Hugh Jackman’s swan song as the characters, it’s a brutal, bloody and brilliant way to end his tenure as The Wolverine.

Click here for my review!

Click here for This Is Your Film: Part One 1985-2001