C is for animated, infertile, love...

I love claymation and Nick Park and Peter Lord (the makers of Wallace & Gromit-another favorite) are the best. Back when Mel Gibson wasn't crazy (remember those days) he lent his voice to this wonderful take on World War II escape movies like 'The Great Escape' and 'Stalag 17'. These references help to endear the film to adults as well as their children. With lots of obvious laughs and even more fun poked at Mr. Gibson, this is a great movie for the whole family. I never get tired of watching it.

If you haven't seen this movie, you are missing out on one of the best sci-fi movies of the past decade. This is not because it's full of amazing cg shots, great alien worlds, or lots of make-up clad actors. This film has a fascinating plot-a probable future of infertility, a strong, mostly ignored performance by Clive Owen, and some of the most intense moments caught on film in recent movie history. Director Alfonso Cuaron proves why he's one of the best film-makers around with his use of long shots that build in intensity until you practically fall out of your seat. The best example is the scene where Theo and Kee try to escape to the boat. Using a hand-held camera, Cuaron gives you the feeling you're watching a news report as the scene is revealed in over six minutes with no cut to another camera. For those of us who are movie geeks, this is incredible. You can't help but hold your breath.

 

I could not decide which to review, so why not do both? Both are wonderful stories of love that teach us to live life to it's fullest. Chocolat is a fairytale story of Vianne, a free-spirit who uses her talents as a chocolatier to both please the sweet-tooth and heal the soul. The cast includes stand-out performances by Juliette Binoche, Judy Dench, Lena Olin, and Johnny Depp. I strongly suggest you watch this film with plenty of the named confectionary. Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't.

Cinema Paradiso is a film after my heart. A beautiful story of one man's life and love of movies that grew from his friendship with the projectionist of his small Italian village. Full of laughter, heart-break, and tears, this film never ceases to get me. Especially the wonderful montage of film kisses. I cannot recommend this movie more. 

Over all, this was a difficult letter to choose. I had to pick from not only the previous films, but other such greats as the multi-Oscar winning Chariots Of Fire, Cube (a great Canadian sci-fi film), and Crash, another Oscar winner with an amazing cast. It will be interesting to see if 'D' can produce as many excellent films.