Watch 100 classic films in 2009

After a long break from updating this goal, I can look back at the last ten films I watched with pleasure.

I discovered not one, but two films I loved, that I haven’t seen before – The 400 Blows and 12 Angry Men. Both, and especially the latter, are timeless.

I also saw for the first time in a long time one of my all-time favorite movies, Glengarry Glen Ross. If you haven’t seen it, you must check it out.

There were a couple disappointments; Caddyshack is mediocre, and Akira – as good as it may be – just didn’t appeal to me.

All in all, though, I’m really happy with this last batch.

The fortieth classic film I watched was The 400 Blows, directed by François Truffaut and starring a young Jean-Pierre Léaud.

This is a great example of effective subtlety, of a film that doesn’t grab you so much as seek into your psyche. What seems at first to be a quiet drama about a rascally kid soon becomes much more a comment on the human condition and contemporary society.

There are some very beautiful and memorable shots and sequences – the carnival ride, the children at the puppet show, the psychologist’s interview, the two long running sequences – these are all examples of masterful filmmaking.

This is the first Truffaut film I’ve seen, and I look forward eagerly to watching more of them.

40 down, 60 to go.

The thirty-ninth classic film I watched was Caddyshack, directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, and others.

This movie has a lot of myth surrounding it – such as the myth that it’s really funny. Frankly this was a major disappointment, and other than a few decent one-liners and some quirky antics by Chase, I didn’t really laugh much.

Bill Murray’s character, for example – pretty famous. Not even remotely funny.

One of the most overrated sports comedies of all time.

39 down, 61 to go.

The thirty-eighth classic film I watched was Angels with Dirty Faces, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney.

An interesting flick which features Cagney in a very significant role. Morally ambiguous, it can be read several ways.

Is this simply a story about the evils of crime and the importance of morality? Or does it question the place of the church in society, and perhaps suggest that crime does in fact sometimes pay?

While at times it feels a bit clunky, there’s no doubting its relevance.

38 down, 62 to go.

The thirty-seventh classic film I watched was 12 Angry Men, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring an ensemble cast led by Henry Fonda.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. That is to say, it’s become one of them – this was the first time I saw the movie, and it instantly shot straight to the top of my favorite films list.

Pristine acting in the best sense of the word; a compelling plot entirely driven by dialogue and character (there are few films with twelve more distinctly memorable, and perfectly realized, characters).

This is a movie that everyone who claims to love movies should watch, and rewatch.

37 down, 63 to go.

The thirty-sixth classic film I watched was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, directed by Ken Hughes and starring Dick Van Dyke.

A classic family musical which has a couple very good songs (including the insanely catchy title number), but kind of loses its luster once the characters enter a fantasy and we pull away from what might potentially have been a more interesting plot.

Still, as family entertainment, this is a very solid effort.

It can be difficult for me to properly judge and fully appreciate “family” films, but I recognize plenty of quality in this one.

36 down, 64 to go.

The thirty-fifth classic film I watched was Akira, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo.

A famous, foundationally important, and much-loved classic of anime. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I have little appreciation for anime – it’s just not one of my favorite genres.

Visually interesting, and with some resonant themes, the movie nonetheless left me feeling empty, as anime inevitably does.

Perhaps someday I’ll develop a greater appreciation for the genre.

35 down, 65 to go.

The thirty-fourth classic film I watched was Lawrence of Arabia, directed by David Lean and starring Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, and Anthony Quinn.

A true epic, and one of the most revered films of all time, I found Lawrence of Arabia to be a fine movie indeed – yet I prefered Lean’s earlier, more personal The Bridge on the River Kwai.

At nearly four hours, this movie is one of the clssic examples of epic filmmaking. I never developed a personal connection with this movie in the way that I have with some other films, though.

34 down, 66 to go.

The thirty-third classic film I watched was Glengarry Glen Ross, directed by James Foley, based on a play by David Mamet, and starring Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Jonathan Pryce.

One of my favorite flicks of the 90s, this has some of the very finest acting ever put on film. Everyone from bottom to top is absolutely amazing, even if Lemmon steals the show as a salesman filled with jealousy and self-doubt.

This is the kind of movie that reawakens faith in – and appreciation for – cinema, and the art of acting (not to mention writing).

33 down, 67 to go.

The thirty-second classic film I watched was The Life of Emile Zola, directed by William Dieterle and starring Paul Muni.

This one won the Best Picture Oscar. It’s an essential early example of the biopic genre. Although it has aged somewhat, it’s still a pretty decent flick about the French writer and activist. It has its share of cliches, but some of them probably weren’t cliches back when the film was made.

All in all, not the greatest, but enjoyable.

32 down, 68 to go.