A DECADE IN MOVING PICTURES (2000 - 2009) Chapter I : The Essentials

Yes, yet another boring top movies list on the internet. And not only that, but is is a year late! Well, if you don't feel like reading this post, I am going to have to introduce you to my friend James and let him speak for me. So, there are two important reasons as to why I just bothered to make this list. One of them, and the most important, is that I just felt like it, and another one is that I really believe in letting art sink in before you totally judge it. That's the way I deal with music, movies and anything else that has to do with creation or creativity. Thus, I will probably not be a really good father in the first couple months of my kids' life, if that ever happens.

Enough with the blabbering. At first I did not know how to approach this topic, as I don't really believe in a specific amount of movies that you can like or love in a decade. This decade it might be only 12, the next decade it could be 287, who knows? That's why I decided to include all the movies that had a significant influence on my thoughts, feelings and points of view in life. Most of them had an impact on some people all over the world too, while others may have passed unnoticed by the majority of movie lovers. 

Now, to make this a little interesting, since a simple name-dropping list is worthless and utterly boring, I have classified my favourite films of the decade in categories. First and foremost, I will mention the movies which every person on this earth should treat as a little pet dog, thus watch frequently, love and respect.  These movies combined, provide a modern look on society, its principles and ethics and help you develop an inquiring mind about the future of everything in my opinion. Well, at least the future of some things, let's not be dramatic.

Learning to deal with the loss of the beloved in The Fountain (2006), Darren Aronofsky creates a delirium of images and sounds, causing one of the most intense movies I have ever seen to happen, using a modern biologist, a middle-ages explorer and a far future astrotraveller to unwrap a story of three people that are connected in the most peculiar way. V for Vendetta (2005) depicts the comic book of the same name, and along with that, screams towards mankind to follow and value its instincts and more specifically the ones that make us want to question authority and fight for our freedom, our presence, our existence in this society. An existence that is incomplete without love, and Jeux D'Enfantes (2003) shows us how the sick, perverted, obsessive, yet wonderful, strong and fulfilling love of the protagonists can be a game, following the rules of which one can live a wholesome life. And what a life did Ewan McGregor have in Big Fish (2003)! How can one appreciate life without having beautiful stories and memories to share? And why do we have to remember everything exactly the way it happened? Where's the fun in that? Well, a little science fiction amalgamated with more crazy stories about love and self sacrifice, set in a romantic and nostalgic 80's californian environment or by the easternmost Atlantic shore of the state of New York in a modern era, can definitely also make our lives more interesting while watching Donnie Darko (2001) or the Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) respectively. A unique strange romantic story takes place in Wuppertal, Germany, when Bodo, who has never gotten over his wife's death, rescues Sissi from certain death when he helps her breathe through a straw, lying on the ground under a huge truck, in on of the best scenes of this decade in Tom Tykwer's Der Krieger Und Die Kaiserin (2000).

Unfortunately, besides happiness, love, good memories, some cheese and a bottle of wine, the society in which we live in, and consequently our lives, also contain injustice, illness, poverty, abuse and war. Lars Von Trier reproduces a modern Odyssey in Dogville (2003), including almost everything from the homeric epic, from the total devastation of Grace and her disgrace in the hands of other people, to the final catharsis and redemption. The only thing that's missing is vivid and complex environment full of colorful places and beings, as in Dogville all we see is a minimalistic theatrical set. On the other hand, David Cronenberg deals not only with the History Of Violence (2005) in the film of the same name, but also with issues like justification, forgiveness and acceptance. While In America (2002) by Jim Sheridan, the heartbreaking story about the difficulties of starting a new life and the battle with a terminal illness is as realistic as it can get, that's not the case with the South Korean masterpiece that shocked people a few years and goes by the name Oldboy (2003), a movie that follows the story of a guy who was locked for 15 years without having knowledge of the reasons behind that and experiences conspiracy, hate, violence and vengeance at their fullest. And to take it to the full extent, we also have a film about war that made an impression and it's no other than Black Hawk Down (2003), directed by Ridley Scott.

This decade was a decade of great film makers, both in script writing and directing. David Lynch proved why he is one of the best, if not the best, when he made people get out of the film theater and talk about what they had just seen for hours with the dreamy, surreal, psychological thriller that took part in Mulholland Drive (2001). Loss, sadness and vengeance are commonly used topics and usually a recipe for success if we have someone who knows what they're doing when they are making a movie. Clint Eastwood is certainly one of those guys and he showed us artfully how to wash sins in the Mystic River (2003). Alejandro González Iñárritu is another master of appealing to the human psyche as he makes it reveal the compassion, sympathy and pain that it contains in 21 Grams (2003). David Cronenberg has reserved two spots in my list, as he managed to exceed expectations again with Eastern Promises (2007), a movie about sex trafficking and how some people take advantage of other people in need, making us think if we would all act like animals under (extreme, I have to admit) circumstances.  Darren Aronofsky is being represented with three movies in total in this list, as besides The Fountain, I was also impressed (and I was not the only one) by The Wrestler (2008), a movie that focuses on making the right choices in life, on fatherhood and on how is happiness connected to all of the above. Before creating those movies though, Aronofsky had received a great deal of attention for Requiem For A Dream (2000), in which he explored human misery, dealing with substance abuse, obsession, addiction and nihilism.

But enough pain and misery for now. Optimism is greatly appreciated and always welcome, even if it comes a little late. Alexander Payne contributed to positive thinking with two movies in the previous decade, About Scmidt (2002) and Sideways (2004). The first one presents a story about a lonely old guy who has seemingly lost interest in everything and believes that his whole life was futile when just before he dies he realises that it wasn't so. The latter film describes the story of two friends who go on a wine tasting road trip and after they meet two women, they discover a lot about themselves, the relationship between them and the midlife crisis that dominates their lives. The first part of this list will end with the favourite movie of people who love making lists. Or at least a movie that's in the top 5 of all time movies with lists. Well, maybe top 10? It doesn't matter, because I am talking about High Fidelity (2000), a movie about relationships, music, love, music, human emotions and some more music, featuring John Cusack as Rob Gordon, a character all teenagers should fall in love with.

1. The Fountain (2006)
2. V for Vendetta (2005)
3. Jeux D'Enfants (2003)
4. Big Fish (2003)
5. Donnie Darko (2001)
6. Eternal Sunshine (2004)
7. Der Krieger Und Die Kaiserin (2000)
8. Dogville (2003)
9. A History Of Violence (2005)
10. In America (2002)
11. Oldboy (2003)
12. Black Hawk Down (2003)
13. Mulholland Drive (2001)
14. Mystic River (2003)
15. 21 Grams (2003)
16. Eastern Promises (2007)
17. The Wrestler (2008)
18. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
19. About Schmidt (2002)
20. Sideways (2004)
21. High Fidelity (2000)

188000 Things I Love About Finland

Finland is a country in Northern Europe and contrary to popular belief, is not a part of Scandinavia, for reasons that I do not understand, and even if I do, I do not have to agree. People generally do not have strong feelings about countries like Finland, unlike countries like the USA, England, France or China, and that is a good reason for me to take my time and write a few things about this lovely country.

One of the reasons that the country of a thousand lakes is famous for, is, well, it's lakes of course. And it's much more than a thousand, it's actually 187,888 (at least the most important ones). I cannot tell you if I love all of them, as I have not been to all of them and probably never will. In fact, I still haven't been to any of the lakes in Finland, or any other place there, which seems a little weird, since I am writing a blog about a country that I've never been to. But I guess that's the most awesome thing about freedom on the internet. So, back to the lakes. I love lakes. They are not the best liquid formation that one could swim in, but everyone would love to have a house by the lake, let's face it. Quiet and relaxing, healthy and simplistic, beautiful scenery and totally suitable for scary horror movie stories, waiting to happen at the next house by the road, or even in your own house, what's not to like? A fireplace, a few good friends, a nice hot dinner and a hot Finnish girl (or guy) when everyone leaves could definitely desribe the perfect night.

Besides the lakes, Finland has many other amazing locations to offer. Being divided in 20 major regions like Lapland, Ostrobotnia, Savonia, Tavastia and Karelia, Finland offers sceneries from vast forests and huge icy areas, to graphic widely populated cities and islands. One of those is Rovaniemi, the capital of the northernmost region of the country, Lapland. Rovaniemi is very close to the Arctic Circle and includes the village of Santa Claus. Who is of course another reason to love this country! When we were all young, most of us did not believe in the existence of a red-dressed fat bearded guy who goes down the chimney and delivers gifts to everyone, but we definitely enjoyed the gifts, so we never complained about how much sense it all makes.

Which brings us to the next topic about Finland, Aurora Borealis. The collission of charged particles in the ionosphere, due to the Earth's magnetic field, produce images of unbelievable beauty in the sky and I am pretty sure that any effort of describing this phenomenon, would not give it justice, and that it should be  directly observed by anyone who wants to experience its beauty to the maximum. Oxygen will give you green or reddish color, while Nitrogen will give you blue or red. 

Moving away from anything related to nature or natural beauty, at this point I want to stress out how much I love the Finnish language, and its names in particular. A nation that has a long history of storytelling and various legends and myths, their language has evolved to a constant singing-like language, while their names are very distinctive and strange to people not used to northern european culture. Characteristic last names are names like Koskinen, Laine, Korhonen, Heikinnen and Virtanen. Special reference is deserved here by some of my most favourite Finnish people, the people that are, or once were, members of the band with the ancient Greek name Amorphis. These are:

• Esa Holopainen (lead guitar 1990-)
• Tomi Koivusaari (rhythm guitar 1990- )
• Olli Pekka-Laine (bass 1990-2000)
• Niclas Etelavuori (bass 2000- )
• Jan Rechberger (drums 1990-1995, 2003-)
• Pekka Kasari  (drums 1996-2002)
• Pasi Koskinen (vocals 1996-2004)
• Tomi Joutsen (vocals 2005-)
• Kasper Martenson (keyboards 1993-1994)
• Kim Rantala (keyboards 1996-1998)
• Santeri Kallio (keyboards 1999-) 

Amorphis have made many of my nights and days much better with their magnificent mind-escaping music, and more specifically with their Tuonela and Am Universum albums, released in 1999 and 2001 respectively. If you add a couple of old ones to those, and their Joutsen trilogy, which is comprised by Eclipse (2006), Silent Waters (2007) and Skyforger (2009), you have a pretty decent discography. Following, an acoustic reprise of one of their most representative songs, called My Kantele.

Amorphis almost always use lyrics that come from Kalevala, one of the most significant literature works. The Kalevala is an epic compilation of poetry, comprised in the 19th century from numerous oral folklore and mythology. The most widely known version of it contains a little less than 23,000 verses and is divided into 50 songs.

Finnish traditional music can be heard a lot in songs by Amorphis, but it is not the only kind of music that comes from this wonderful country. In fact, Finland has a very influential rock/metal scene with dozens of interesting, if not more than that, bands. Another very beloved Finnish band is Sentenced. These guys have disbanded since a few years ago, but in the years they were active, they provided a lot of intense angry and miserable in times music, without ever losing their sarcasm and irony.  Their third album, Amok (1995), gave them recognition, but I have to admit I am a fan of the next albums, mostly Frozen (1998) and Crimson (2000). That does not mean I do not also love Down (1996), The Cold White Album (2002) and The Funeral Album (2005). Many thanks to Sentenced who are responsible about a great deal of songs speaking about death, suicide, loss, misery and coldness, nevertheless being so addictive and emotional. 

 

And just so that we are not unfair to Sentenced, I should really also mention their awesome Finnish names here:

• Miika Tenkula (guitar 1989-2005)
• Sammi Lopakka (guitar 1989-2005)
• Vesa Ranta (drums 1989-2005)
• Ville Laihiala (vocals 1996-2005)
• Sami Kukkohovi (bass 1996-2005)
• Taneli Jarva (vocals, bass 1991-1995)

Let's see, how many things I love about Finland do I have so far? 187,888 lakes, 16 guys in my two favourite bands, 20 regions that comprise the country, the Aura Borealis, Santa Claus, the Kalevala, if I sum all that, it gives me 187,927. I need another 73. Oh wait. Did I mention what's my favourite season of the year? Reading this post about Finland, you might think it should be winter, but you guessed wrong. I absolutely love summer. And during summer, in the northernmost point of Finland the sun does not set for 73 consecutive days. How is that awesome? Well, I am not sure exactly, but it gives me the magic number I need to make the title of this post more catchy and prone to be read by people, so I will just go with that, I hope you do not mind.

PS. I was also going to mention Apocalyptica, and maybe I should have, because "188,000 and one" might have sounded better, but I can't say I really love them. I do like them though.