Anytime Movies week #5

An Anytime Movie is a movie you can put on at anytime and be perfectly content. They are movies that do not depend on mood. You do not worry about how long they are, or anything else. They suit you at anytime. They are rainy day movies, or I-am-not-doing-anything-else movies. They are go to standards. This collection does not represent my all time favorite movies, but the movies I can put on and be immediately happy I did. Yes, two are featured in my all time favorites, but that is not the point. These are the movies that do something to me every time. Movies I never tire of. I have 25 of these movies and for the next five Sundays I will be rolling out 5 of them. They will be semi-grouped into genre or have a connection in some way.

Well the final week of Anytime Movies is here. I hope my faithful readers (all three of you) enjoyed the series. For the final installment we have what I call Hyper-literate cool movies. This could also be known as Tarantino Syndrome. Granted one of the movies doe snot exactly fit it, but it has elements, so it works.

Again, in no particular order:

1. Reservoir Dogs- Inglorious Basterds may end up being Tarantino's true masterpiece, but Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino at his least "knowing." The movie is not really winking to the audience, it is just awesome. The story is jumbled, the dialog is crisp, the music perfect and the violence is in quick bursts of bloody awesomeness. Each performance adds a nice element to the movie, but Tim Roth steals the show. However, as it is Tarantino, nothing in a Tarantino movie is bigger than the man himself. His sense of cinematic vision is unsurpassed. His ability to get a shot that looks so effortlessly cool started right here in this movie. There is a reason it is one of my all time favorite movies. I can never imagine a time when I will ever be bored of watching this movie.

2. The Usual Suspects- This is my all time favorite movie. It would make sense then, that this is an Anytime Movie. Bryan Singer's direction, Chris McQuarry's script and each and every performance in tandem make this a cannot miss film. Kevin Spacey, in a star making role, crafts one of the most unforgettable characters in cinema and the twist, oh the twist. The twist was so good, that the first time I saw it, I paid to go watch it again, just to see if I could catch it. However, the movie is more than just a clever twist. The story being weaved from different perspectives, involving a cast of criminals is always interesting and the framing device is a nice touch. Bookending does not always work for a movie, but in this case it is perfect. In fact, everything in this movie is perfect. yes, even Steven Baldwin.

3. In Bruges- Funny, sadistic, racist, violent, and charming are not always words that go together, but they all describe this wonderful little movie I wish more people would see. It comes straight out of Tarantino 101, but it gets an A in Tarantino. There is no big surprise twist, just a lot of snappy one-liners, brutal violence and super cool shots. Colin Ferrell reminded me that he is a very good actor in the movie and Lord Voldemort(Ralph Fiennes) swoops in and steals the movie with a crackling energy and very foul mouth. Throw in a midget, a town that becomes a character and discussions of a racial war, mix them all up, and then sit back and enjoy the show. Do yourself a favor and see it!

4. Lucky # Slevin- Yes, the twist is telegraphed about 15 minutes in, but the movie is not about the twist. The twist is secondary. The fun is watching it all unfold. Josh Hartnett has never been better as a guy who is just too cool for school. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Lucy Lui and Ben Kingsley all make nice appearances, but Josh Hartnett is this movie. it kind of lives and dies with his ability to shoot out quippy and punny one-liners with the gusto to really sell them. The movie is another film out of Tarantino 101, and while it does not succeed as well as In Bruges, it does enough things right to warrant me watching it repeatedly. It never takes itself too seriously, which is essentially for movies that are blending the comic and the overly violent comic.

5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang- if you have ever asked me to recommend a movie to you, chances are I have offered up this movie as a suggestion. That is how crazy I am about it. It has a perfect script. Yes, perfect. It is so full of wonderfully META moments that pop off the screen when given with perfect dead pan by Robert Downey Jr. The dialog is so smart and hilarious that I am still catching things with every viewing. It is a movie for people who love movies and understand how movies perceive to work. It has some fun with the concept of a narrator, and an unreliable one at that. It is a funny story, mixed with a semi serious murder mystery and it has Val Kilmer as a gay private eye whose ringtone is I Will Survive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the movie and I seriously implore to seek it out if you have not seen it. Or to go see it again if you have seen it.

Well there you have it, my Anytime Movies. I had a lot of fun with this series, mostly because I recently rewatched all 25 of these movies.