Ten Great Movies // 2018

It's been a kinda crazy year and I didn't get around to watching as many movies as usual so I'm not gonna make a definitive "top ten". That being said I saw 10 great movies this year! Really special ones. In no particular order. Andiamo!

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU

I'll start off with a soda-can to the head. Sorry To Bother You is hilarious, bizarre, nasty, incendiary; way over the top and cocky as hell. For his first feature Boots Riley attempts maybe the hardest possible genre—the social/political satire—which is often a minefield of cliches. Although rough around the edges, it's got a killer script, super imaginative set pieces, and enough self-awareness to reach the other side okay.

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR

I remember I was having a bad day when I decided to see a matinee of the Mr. Rogers movie to cheer myself up. Not even 10 minutes in and I was crying. Like many of you, I grew up watching Mr. Rogers so it was hard to not get emotional. The doc cleverly blends archival footage with interviews and it sheds light on less public sides of Fred Rogers: his philosophy, his politics, his family, his ambition. The problematics of perfection. 

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

There is no shortage of revenge tales in the modern canon but YWNRH stands out as one of the most haunting to date. It's lean and relentless, clocking in at only 95 minutes. While she does riff on Taxi Driver and Psycho, Lynne Ramsey's fragmented impressionistic style makes the film a unique trip. I also have to mention the amazing score by Johnny Greenwood, who seems unstoppable these days. And of course, Joaquin Phoenix, who really carries this thing, on those thick sweaty shoulders.

ASH IS PUREST WHITE

As a frequent movie watcher, there's nothing like being in the hands of a really confident director. With Ash Is Purest White, veteran filmmaker Zhangke Jia guides us on meditative decade-spanning journey of a woman trying to rebuild her life after spending years in prison, played by the incredible Tao Zhao. Zhangke perfectly articulates what time does to love and pain, a country and it's people,    all with humor and grace.

EIGHTH GRADE

This was another super personal one for me. As someone who unfortunately tried to vlog in middle school, I related to 13 year old Kayla on a painful level. It was also amazing to watch Bo Burnham evolve from his raunchy bedroom ballads to directing A24's best offering of the year. Eighth Grade is heartbreaking and funny and will make your skin crawl. From the mall food court to the awkward pool party to the back seat of the mini van, above all, it will make you thank god you're not in Eight Grade anymore. 

HAPPY AS LAZZARO

I've been critical of Netflix's original stuff in the past, but this year they've really stepped it up with great films like this one by Alice Rohrwacher. I won't say much about this one but first time actor Adriano Tardiolo is a gem. Happy Lazzaro lets us access a world where magic and whimsy still exist, leaving us to wallow in our own depressing situation. 

HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING THIS EVENING

I was lucky enough to see a screening of this film with producer Danny Glover in attendance (yes that Danny Glover). I'm so grateful that he and others gave RaMell Ross a chance because Hale County is a stroke of genius. The film is the product of Ross spending years living in Hale County, Alabama. Getting to know the people. Becoming part of a community. It's an intimate poem of a specific time and place with images that will stay with you. It's gentle and mysterious and different. I really urge you to try and find it.

ROMA

Alfonso's Cuarón only makes a film every 5 or 6 years so it's always a treat. Roma is awash in memory, a Mexico City crafted with care and experience. It's physically expansive; whole worlds and stories exist outside of the frame. There is a shot where Cleo (the protagonist) is doing laundry on the rooftop and we see women on all the neighboring rooftops doing the same. We can imagine a multitude of complex lives, each with their own sorrows and joys. Roma has both the grandness of Fellini and a disarming calmness, a picture frame preserved in time. 

PHANTOM THREAD

Ok this actually came out in December 2017 but shhhhhh. I saw it at the Arclight in Hollywood. It was probably the most I've ever paid for a movie ticket, but it was worth it! Paul Thomas Anderson, in top form as writer/director/and now cinematographer, delivers another razor sharp period piece. We get an impeccable "final" performance by Daniel Day Lewis as Balenciaga-esque fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock (that name!). But Vicky Krieps truly steals the show as his lover Alma.  Also the second Johnny Greenwood score on my list!!! Gosh just so lovely. If you haven't already seen it, what are you doing?

SHOPLIFTERS

I left this one for last because it's probably my favorite of the year. I just can't think of anything wrong with this movie! From prolific Japenese director Hirokazu Koreeda, Shoplifters is a story about a chosen family, a group of misfits who look out for each other. Become mothers, fathers, sons, daughters to each other. Plus a great score by legend Haruomi Hosono. It's that perfect family drama. Every actor is brilliant, every shot is beautiful, every emotion is true. 

~ SEE YOU IN 2019 ~

Top 10 Films of 2017

Here we go again, you know the drill! 

The best movies I saw this year (imo).

I missed a bunch as usual.

Have a good new year! 

- Matt

HONORABLE MENTION

BAD BLACK
Dir. Nabwana I.G.G.

This year's honorable mention is a movie so unique in scale and style that it didn't make any sense to include it in the list proper. Bad Black is the most recent film from Wakaliwood, the flourishing film industry in Uganda. On a budget of only $65 USD (allegedly), Nabwana made one of the craziest exploitation films in recent memory. There's cheesy effects. There's kung fu. There's a kid named Wesley Snipes. Bad Black has an untrained naiveté that's really refreshing in a world of dull paint-by-numbers action films. 

***

10.

LADY BIRD

Dir. Greta Gerwig

/

THE BIG SICK

Dir. Michael Showalter

These movies kind of occupy the same space in my mind: dramedys based on the real life experience of 30-somethings (Greta Gerwig and Kumail Nanjiani). I couldn't decide which one to pick because they're both super heartfelt and well made. Great moms! Laurie Metcalf in Lady Bird and Holly Hunter in The Big Sick just kill it!! Super entertaining, no dead space, these flicks are good for ya soul! 

9.

RAW

Dir. Julia Ducournau

/

IT COMES AT NIGHT

Dir. Trey Edward Shults

Another two parter! I'm sorry, I couldn't decide!! Both of these films are great modern entries into the horror genre that represent two different approaches. Julia Ducournau's first feature Raw is nasty, icky, oozy. A tale of initiation and cannibalism that will make ur jaw drop. On the other hand It Comes At Night is a restrained slow burn that gets under your skin. Trey Edwards Shults, director of Krisha (my #1 film of 2016), truly understands suspense and mood, never fully revealing his hand or leaning on easy plot devices. A great movie to watch alone in the middle of the night with all the lights off. 

8.

GOOD TIME

Dir. The Safdie Brothers

Wanna see a bleach blonde Robert Pattinson break into an amusement park? Check out this Real New York crime movie by Real New Yorker directors Josh and Benny Safdie! A deliriously fun screwball of a film that flips from fraternal love to zany hijinks. A killer score by Oneohtrix Point Never and lovely song by Iggy Pop (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzZ6-OqjoIg).

7.

MY HAPPY FAMILY

Dir. Nana Ekvtimishvili & Simon Groß 

If not for other top ten lists I would have missed this Georgian gem. Netflix did a pretty pitiful job of promoting My Happy Family, the second film by directors Nana and Simon (Meanwhile I can't get away from Bright...). Too bad cus it's a really fascinating drama about a woman who decides to leave her large family (who all live in the same house) and move into her own apartment. What does it mean to separate yourself from your loved ones?

6.

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Dir. Guillermo Del Toro

This one snuck up on me. While I'm a big fan of his older stuff, Guillermo Del Toro's has kind of lost me recently. Happy to say he's back in full form with The Shape of Water, a magical realist love story between Sally Hawkins and a fish man! What's not to love? It's Pans Labyrinth meets Singin' In The Rain. Truly gorgeous production design and cinematography. Plus you can tell Del Toro really cares about his characters, even the minor ones.

5.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

Dir. Luca Guadagnino

Y'all like furtive glances??? Italian director Luca Guadagnino explores the budding sexuality of teen Elio and his brief love affair with Oliver, his father's research assistant. Spanning one languid summer, the film lets you inhabit its space and soak in the lush Italian countryside. Trading away standard conflict and plot structures, CMBYN indulges in developing atmosphere and character. Leisure. Shirtlessness. Sexual Tension. Heartbreak. Definitely one of the most emotionally honest films of the year. 

4.

GET OUT

Dir. Jordan Peele

Everything intelligent has already been written about Jordan Peele's debut feature so I'll keep it short. Get Out is a concise "social thriller" that perfectly captures the zeitgeist. The record box office numbers are no surprise. Peele's confidence as a director is beyond his years: cleverly playing with genre tropes, commenting on commodification of black bodies, making us revaluate our race politics etc. Peele considers the film a documentary, a horrific reality lurking beneath a smiling facade (who voted for Obama...twice). 

3.

A GHOST STORY

Dir. David Lowery

Who knew Charlie Brown's Halloween costume could inspire one of the year's most touching films? When C (Casey Affleck) dies, widowing M (Rooney Mara), he returns as a "ghost" to "haunt" the house they lived in. Lowery explores loss, time, and identity without feeling heavy-handed or cliche. It says everything Interstellar tried to say for 1,650x less budget. I saw the movie twice; the first time I thought Rooney Mara eating pie for 4 minutes straight was tedious, the second time I cried. Having experienced loss myself this year, A Ghost Story hit me personally. It's one for the ages.

2.

THE SQUARE

Dir. Ruben Östlund

"The Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring. Within it we all share equal rights and obligations"

Based on a real art installation by the director, The Square is an absurd romp through the world of modern art and its classist implications. The Square is a series of moral dilemmas that asks: What is our responsibility to each other? Ostlund strips away artifice to reveal his characters humanity, however ugly it may be. 

Bonus: Score by Bobby McFerrin x Yo-Yo Ma!!! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1sSqIxY-k8) 

1.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT

Dir. Sean Baker

Two years ago, I was blown away by Tangerine, a film shot entirely on an iPhone by a director I had never heard of. In 2017, Sean Baker continues to prove why he's one of the great working American directors. Once again he turns his lens to a marginalized and unrepresented group: the residents of a defunct Disney lodge turned low-income housing in Orlando, FL. The Florida Project bursts with life from frame one. We experience this technicolor world through the childhood innocence of Moonee and her Little Rascals-esque pack of friends. Incredible central performances by Brooklyn Prince (7 Years Old!) and Willem Dafoe (the loyal hotel manager). Expert pacing, exquisite cinematography, and a fantastic ending. The world we live in is both terrifying and wonderful.            

My Two Cents: mother!

"Darren Aronofsky is a f**king genius. mother! is so goddamn subversive. The average moviegoer probably won't even get it, but I, an intellectual, can appreciate such a deep disturbing controversial piece of art. Honestly, I can't believe that a mainstream studio would release something so intense and uncompromising. But they must have just been like 'f**k it, I don't care if we lose money, this needs to exist'."

This seems to be one of the narratives circulating the internet re: mother! Darren Aronofsky's latest allegorical horror flick. Despite a poor opening weekend at the box office, many critics and moviegoers were really taken with it. Even Marina Abramovic seems to think mother! is a work ahead of its time.

Sorry Marina, there is nothing historic, groundbreaking, or even human about mother! I do concede that it's the most ambitious film to come out recently. After banging away at his keyboard for 6 straight days (apparently Aronofsky wrote the script in less than a week), he ended up with a psychological horror/thriller, relationship drama, absurdist comedy, religious allegory film. But mixed all together, the stew tastes like shit. All of the ingredients negate each other. Instead of the complex product Aronofsky was aiming for, he ended up with a hollow joyless assault on the senses with no moral other than maybe: God is a total dick.

Aronofsky has always traded in the difficult, disturbing, and edgy (See: Requiem For A Dream). For this reason his films don't have great rewatch value. So it's not a surprise that he pushes even further in this direction with mother! That's not my real issue with it. However, it’s a major problem when compounded with my next grievance: there are no characters in the film.

Let me clarify. Aronofsky casts a bunch of famous actors to portray symbolic characters in a Genesis allegory like God, Adam, Eve etc. We experience the narrative exclusively from the POV of the titular protagonist “Mother” (Jennifer Lawrence). And although she is center of attention for over 100 minutes, I could not tell you one thing about her character other than the fact that she loves “Him” (Javier Bardem) and wants their house to be perfect. Slowly a mob descends uninvited on their home, starting with “Man” and “Woman” (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfieiffer), and Mother’s idyllic life plunges into chaos and eventually annihilation. 

BUT there is something very off about these characters. At first I thought the acting was wooden but it really falls on Aronofsky’s writing/directing approach. Like his actor notes were “I like what you're doing, but maybe be more mysterious and have less personality?”. Sure they express anger, fear, anxiety, but they’re all missing a vital humanity. They feel like mannequins. I guess this achieves a general spookiness but it ends up alienating the audience. I felt totally detached the whole time and unable to empathize with anyone. By not giving his characters relatable qualities or even names, Aronofsky dehumanizes them. 

This is really problematic in a movie where we are forced to watch a woman get her space violated, get emotionally/physically abused, etc. Just because Jennifer Lawrence represents an idea, doesn’t mean its any less gruesome to watch her tortured brutally. I was actually shocked that at the end of the film, Mother is not given a voice or redeemed but reduced to an object. I know displaying something fucked up doesn’t necessarily mean you endorse it, but Aronofsky shows his hand at the end. The last scene is often a litmus test for a film’s ethics and Aronofsky doubles down on Mother's abusive treatment, all for a bookended finale that felt very film school (“It’s like a big loop, man!”).

Well then, if the movie is a masochistic experience with no real characters or plot to speak of, whats the point? We've covered “What is it?” but “Why is it?” 

Aronofsky’s justifies everything under the convenient umbrella of allegory. “It’s ok! Don’t worry it’s actually about the Bible like God and stuff!” Allegory is defined as a text that "can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one”. I think much of what makes a film great is its richness, its ability to contain multiple layers of meaning and interpretation. Unfortunately mother! is a vapid 1-to-1 allegory, devoid of any greater meaning or commentary. The whole movie becomes a paint by numbers picture where you just fill in the answers and end up with a pretty sailboat or something. Except instead of a pretty sailboat it's just pain. 

I could talk about the film’s weak entry into the horror genre—Aronofsky blatantly lifting elements from past horror films: the invasiveness and sadism of Haneke's Funny Games, the fear of maternity and conspiracy of Polanski's Rosemary's Baby—but I don’t have enough energy.  Horror movies speak to some primal fear in all of us. At best they immerse you in a feeling, they shake you to your core, they get you screaming "Don't go in there!!!” mother! didn't scare me it just depressed the hell out of me. It's "artistic abuse" masquerading as "artistic horror”. 

Last thought: 

Why make this film now? mother! seems to be completely unconcerned with the zeitgeist. In opposition, I can't help thinking of a film like Get Out that, in a similar/adjacent genre, that also came out this year and struck a chord with a wide audience. Get Out is A) culturally relevant B) has internal and external motivation C) is ABOUT SOMETHING. 

Ultimately, mother! is an exercise in ego. Like the exclamation point on the end of its title: very extra.  

1 star 

Top Ten Films of 2016 ;)

2016 sucked blah blah blah

So here's some movies that I liked! The ranking is arbitrary (sort-of). Missed a bunch this year like #SULLY. Sue me!

Honorable Mentions: She’s Allergic to Cats, I Am Not A Serial Killer, Love and Friendship, Don’t Think Twice, Sing Street, Certain Women 

(No Spoilers I Think)

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10 (Tie). Swiss Army Man / The Fits

I love watching first features because A) they motivate me as a filmmaker and B) they often represent the director's purest vision, unadulterated by money or studio influence. #10 is a 2-parter—Swiss Army Man by Daniels (yes its two guys both named Daniel) and The Fits by Anna Rose Holmer—both first features.

Swiss Army Man is a movie about a farting corpse named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) who saves Hank (Paul Dano) from a desert island. And damn if it isn't an emotional trip! The Daniels have created this new genre I'd call "Body Humor" (as opposed to Cronenberg's Body Horror) which explores the strangeness of the human body. But Swiss Army Man is ultimately a movie about body positivity and self acceptance. Hank is very repressed and needs Manny, who's free from society's judgmental eye, to rescue him physically and emotionally. The film sort of undoes itself in the last act, but Daniels have created something silly and heartwarming and unique (If you want to see a short film by these guys watch "Interesting Ball", you won't be dissapointed). 

The Fits is an ethereal coming of age drama about Toni, a young tomboy. Toni decides to quit the boxing team (of which she is the lone female) and join the other girls on the dance team, embracing her womanhood. It reminds me a lot of Celine Sciamma's work but far more sinister. The Fits turns quasi-thriller when one by one the girls on Toni's dance team start to have convulsions. Not only is this a first film for Anna Rose Holmer, but a first performance for the lead Royalty Hightower. Killer stuff.

9. La La Land

Time to take a ride on the hype train! Damien Chazelle of Whiplash fame is back with a musical about...Hollywood!!! Before you roll your eyes, let me sell it a little better. Aside from its lush cinematography and excessive Hollywood nostalgia, La La Land is an ode to the star system of the 1940s. That's where it shines. When I saw Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the underrated rom-com Crazy Stupid Love, I noticed their chemistry. Here we are 5 years later. It's a pleasure to watch them interact, fall in and out of love. What the film lacks in conflict and character development, it makes up for in pure charm. 

8. Tower

I would be remiss if I didn't include a doc on my list this year. And boy did Keith Maitland deliver with Tower. The film documents the 1966 University of Texas Clock Tower shooting in a stunning animation style. Interviews with survivors of the shooting were re-enacted and rotoscoped to create a historical account that seems modern and alive. Tower is unfortunately all too relevant in the current climate of school shootings. I got to see the screening at Fantasia Film Festival introduced by a survivor of the 2006 Dawson College shooting. Very moving.  

7. The Handmaiden

Park Chan Wook has revived a genre that many though had died a painful death in the late 90s: The Erotic Thriller. Well...The Handmaiden is erotic. And it's thrilling. Sook-hee is hired to pose as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress. Little does she know she is caught in a complicated web of deception. The set and costume design of the film is almost as intricate as its plot. Gorgeous cinematography captures the opulence of Japanese-occupied Korea. What's so refreshing about The Handmaiden it's is whimsical nature, it's ability to jump from genre to genre without losing sight of itself. It's sexy and gripping, somehow both really disturbing and comical. 

6. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

New Zealand's Taika Waititi caught my attention in 2009, when he was raising money on Kickstarter for a film called Boy (which turned out to be an absolute blast). Next year he's directing the new Thor movie. I'm genuinely happy his career has flourished so much. He proved me right again this year with Hunt For The Wilderpeople, a wild buddy adventure film between a boy and his foster uncle through the New Zealand bush. This is maybe the funnest film I saw in theaters last year. The bond that Waititi develops between Ricky and Hector is truly touching. Wilderpeople fuckin rocks.

5. Moonlight

Wow this movie is gonna win a lot of Oscars...and it actually deserves it!!! Barry Jenkins' Moonlight is maybe the most powerful character study this year. In 3 parts, we float through the life of Chiron as he deals with a turbulent home life, loss, and incarceration. Moonlight is a contemplation on masculinity in the black community. Coming to terms with your identity while having to contend with your own survival. You can tell Jenkins is so confident with the material as the story takes place in his home town of Miami. The ensemble cast is also top notch. The scenes between Trevante Rhodes and Andre Holland in the last act hit me especially hard. It's a tender movie and I think we need more like it these days.

4. Little Sister

The Many Faces of Tom Cruise

On the recommendation of a friend, I recently started listening to podcasts at work. If you didn’t know, I’m a dishwasher at a busy-ish restaurant so the podcasts have really helped distract from the tedium of the endless dish cycle. I was listening to Marc Maron’s interview with actor (and former clown) John C. Reilly, in which he talks to Reilly about the separation of his private life from his acting career. Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the dichotomy of public/private. When Maron asks him how old his kids are, Reilly replies: “they’re private citizens until they’re old enough to tell you how old they are”. Reilly like many actors prefers to keep his identity out of the public sphere to fully embody his roles. When you see Dr. Steve Brule you don’t necessarily think, “Oh there’s John C. Reilly doing a silly voice.” This is because John C. Reilly is a self proclaimed “character actor”. You see this term being thrown around a lot and everyone has a different definition. William H. Macy said semi-facetiously that character actors are just people who aren’t attractive enough to be cast in lead roles. Reilly sees a causal link between “character acting” and privacy. Character actors are actors who don’t let their private persona influence or dilute their roles. But I think with acting, the self inevitably finds its way into a performance. Despite his aversion to the public, John C. Reilly is a famous actor. There is a John C. Reilly-ness to all of his roles, however intangible that might be. Film as a medium revolves around the close-up. We develop a relationship with faces. As a film student I’ve been told to focus on the eyes because they’re what the audience connects to most. I swear this is all going to connect to Tom Cruise. Give me a second. Jeez.

So Character Actors, Celebrity, Privacy, Faces, Eyes. All of this had me thinking about stars. What does it mean to be a star? What separates a star from a “character actor”? I think I agree with John C. Reilly. It’s this intimate knowledge of an actor’s life, a lack of privacy. The world of celebrity that we live in. It’s why the Dalai Lama is famous, but Kanye West is a Celebrity. And when I think of celebrity actors I think of Tom Cruise. 

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Tom cruise is the star of stars. And that means we know him intimately, not only the Tom who starred in countless films but the Tom who jumped up and down on Oprah’s couch professing his love for Katie Holmes. The Tom who is the veritable face of Scientology. The conflict over his daughter. The gay rumors. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. There's drama on and off the screen. However, it’s hard to argue against his insane filmography. He’s worked with the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Brian De Palma, Paul Thomas Anderson, etc. I mean he’s been an A-List actor for over 30 years. Who else can you say that for? He barely even looks different!  

He might be an alien. But he’s an alien who’s managed to stay relevant for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s done that by developing a cult of personality around himself, almost like brand recognition in marketing. The ethos behind stardom is exactly the inverse of character acting. You don’t want to blend in and become the character. You want the character to become you. So when we see Tom Cruise on screen we are watching Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible (1996), Tom Cruise as Charlie Babbitt in Rain Man (1988), Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire in…you get the picture. It's always him up there. While that might usually distract the audience, Cruise makes it work and in fact I would say it's his bread and butter. The Cruise Factor®. Tom Cruise’s face is his livelihood, his brand. There’s even a rumor that TC has a clause in his film contracts that promises a certain percentage of screen time for his face. Now I can’t substantiate that rumor but it would not surprise me at all. Take TC's first hit, Risky Business (1983). The film opens with a slow track out of Cruise's face wearing those trademark sunglasses. And since then, no one has ever forgotten that face. The movie itself is a little dated. Pretty much your standard white male fantasy. But there are some genuinely weird and funny moments that still hold up. There's this scene where Cruise is basically running a brothel out of his parents house and an admissions officer from Princeton shows up (awkward!!!!). The guy tells Cruise he's not exactly ivy league material and Cruise makes this ridiculous face and says, "Guess it's University of Illinois!" 

“Hold on!” you say. “He’s so blehhhh though. I can’t stand Tom Cruise films”. That’s fair. I’m not trying to win you over on Cruise, just understand him a little better. I think TC is such a polarizing figure because he puts so much of himself into everything. His acting, his public persona. It’s so uniquely him. He can definitely get a little tiring, especially when he’s on some press junket spouting Scientologist nonsense about how much he can help people. But I think he’s an important actor because of the bravado, the swagger, and the magnetism that he brings to his roles. I watched Top Gun (1986) for the first time recently and GOD is it bad. In the film he plays a fighter pilot named Maverick who (wait for it!) always goes by his gut and never listens to the higher ups! Honestly some of the least subtle writing I’ve ever heard. BUT I kept watching for some reason and I think that has to do with the Cruise Factor. Despite the ham-fisted plot and characters, I was able to hold onto Cruise’s sheer presence to get me through the film. 

When I was researching Cruise I found that he had aspirations to become a priest before his acting career. And that totally makes sense to me. He has all of the charisma of a preacher and a sort of religion around him. I want to imagine some kind of superhuman being that got bored with its life in another dimension so decided to spend its time on Earth becoming a movie star. But Cruise is just a guy. And like any of us, he’s influenced by his upbringing. It's why he's so natural in front of the camera. Maybe his role that's closest to priest is Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia (1999). Creator of “Seduce and Destroy”, Mackey is a pickup artist and motivational speaker who coaches sad, lonely men on how to get "pussy". It's a disturbing, visceral performance that I'd say is some of TC's best work.  I think this kind of character is so natural for him to access because it encompasses so much of his true personality. The magnetism, the bravado, the passion. 

Another facet of TC's personality that I want to explore is his daredevil streak. Yes, he really does do his own stunts. TC is the Richard Branson of the entertainment industry. An eccentric insanely rich person who's addicted to adrenaline. Here's a picture of Cruise on top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (tallest building in the world) for Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011).

I know it looks photoshopped but it isn't. Cruise is anything but subtle, in his performances and personality. This calls back to public vs. private. The two seem to merge in Cruise's life and I would argue in the lives of most superstars. On screen Cruise becomes off screen Cruise. This is the caveat of stardom; you lose the option to keep your private life private. When you think about it there's an entire industry devoted to cultivating celebrity worship. And this idolization is so dangerous because it leads to paparazzi and tabloid harassment. The same industry that promotes superstardom turns a blind eye when the shit hits the fan. Mental health is often neglected in the pressure cooker that is Hollywood. It's fine to idolize, all I'm saying is we need to remember that stars are the same as us.

I want to end this post by discussing Jerry Maguire (1996), a movie that I only saw for the first time recently. Jerry Maguire was the initial reason why I wanted to write about Cruise. I love this movie. Before all of the sappy Rom-Coms of the early and Mid 2000s, there was Jerry Maguire. But what sets this movie apart is it's actually fucking SINCERE. Cameron Crowe's filmography is spotty but he struck gold with this one. Sure it's corny. It has all of the tropes you've seen a million times. But I think it invented a lot of them. It's not just a romance though, there's so many angles to this film. There's the romance between TC and Renee Zellweger, the comedy, the sports drama, the underdog story. A lot of movies try to juggle genres like this, but I would argue none keeps all the pins in the air like ol' Jerry Maguire. If no other Tom Cruise movie proves his range and actual raw ability, it's this one.

You had me at hello.

Thanks for reading, I love you. 

P.S.

In no way do I endorse the Church of Scientology or TC's involvement in it. For a private organization, they are very powerful and downright shady. Besides taking money from rich people, they have been known to abuse their own members and harass their critics. This is a strange world we live in folks. Think for yourselves and don't buy into bullshit. Hope I don't get put on a list!