1. Last Night (1998)
How would you want to spend your last moments if you knew with absolute certainty that the world was going to end at midnight? Last Night shows us how a select few characters would choose to do so, while showing us the chaos that might ensue in the moments leading up to it.
Directed by Don McKeller and starring Sandra Oh, David Cronenberg, Don McKeller.
What I Loved: The ending. Without spoiling, it's exactly how I want more movies to end. (I had to stop writing my take on Miracle Mile because this fixed my major gripe with that movie.)
*On Amazon Instant.
2. I Know That Voice (2013)
Voice acting might be one of the most under appreciated jobs in the entertainment business. The school of thought from a lot of people is that if you can act on film, you can voice act. But as an anime/cartoon/video game fan, you can trust me that that most certainly isn't the case. Voice actors like Troy Baker, Steve Blum, and Jennifer Hale are sometimes one of the biggest reasons we grow attached to these animated characters. This documentary follows several of the big names, including John DiMaggio, who is almost literally everywhere. (Bender from Futurama is the big one.)
Directed by Lawrence Shapiro and starring John DiMaggio, Kevin Conroy, James Arnold Taylor, Tara Strong, Billy West, Seth Green
What I Loved: The insight into an industry that I'm aware of that many others aren't. Always nice to see these people get some attention.
*On Netflix Instant.
3. Mood Indigo (2013)
A visually creative and stunning film from the mind of Michel Gondry, the film follows young Colin as he decides to shed his loneliness and becomes infatuated with Chloe. But what starts as a happily-ever-after type affair ends up suffering from a series of terrible occurrences. Colin must use all of his money to try and cure Chloe of a flower growing in her lungs.
Directed by Michel Gondry (Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind and starring Roman Duris, Omar Sy, Audrey Tautou.
What I Loved: I loved the entire final act, which was not at all where I was expecting it to go based on the trailer.
* in select theaters
4. Sleepwalk With Me (2012)
Comedian Mike Birbiglia turned his real life experiences with a doomed relationship and REM Behavior Disorder into a stand up routine, turned it into a better one-man show, then turned it into a book, and finally - with help from the folks of This American Life - adapted it into a film. Birbiglia (who also directs) actually shows a bit of nuance in the way he directs, using himself narrating the events in the same way as he presents his one-man show while showing humorous dream sequences. The film feels just as personal as his original stories that pushed him into public view when he was on several episodes of This American Life.
Directed by Mike Birbiglia and starring Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, and Carol Kane.
What I Loved: I mean, it's a great humorous and heartbreaking story. Admittedly, it loses a little of its comedic power if you're familiar with the story, but it's a surprisingly well crafted and unique film adaptation.
* on Netflix Instant
5. Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
I admit to having a taste for documentaries, hence this being the second on the list. The Vietnam War was a dark spot on America's history, but every side in the debate had a knack for removing human lives from the equation, especially Vietnamese lives. Last Days of Vietnam focuses exclusively on the final month or so of the American existence in Saigon, up to the very last helicopter. In particular, it shows how desperate people were to get out of South Vietnam as the communists encroached on the nation, confidently marching toward Saigon. It's a film that simultaneously makes you feel completely ashamed of the United States for going in, messing things up more, then completely abandoning the people and leaving them behind to get slaughtered, while also making you feel extremely proud of our actual troops who were there. The documentary tells a number of stories about US soldiers, seamen, and airmen who disobeyed orders and ran black op missions to help endangered Vietnamese citizens and their families escape the country.
Directed by Rory Kennedy
What I Loved: Vietnam is filled with ugliness, and this story is no exception, but it was somewhat helpful to hear stories about people who stepped up and shined when it got extraordinarily dark and bleak. Vietnam is one of the most complex and misunderstood wars in American history, so it was nice to see examples of the worst of our politicians with the best of our troops.
*in theaters
A visually creative and stunning film from the mind of Michel Gondry, the film follows young Colin as he decides to shed his loneliness and becomes infatuated with Chloe. But what starts as a happily-ever-after type affair ends up suffering from a series of terrible occurrences. Colin must use all of his money to try and cure Chloe of a flower growing in her lungs.
Directed by Michel Gondry (Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind and starring Roman Duris, Omar Sy, Audrey Tautou.
What I Loved: I loved the entire final act, which was not at all where I was expecting it to go based on the trailer.
* in select theaters
4. Sleepwalk With Me (2012)
Comedian Mike Birbiglia turned his real life experiences with a doomed relationship and REM Behavior Disorder into a stand up routine, turned it into a better one-man show, then turned it into a book, and finally - with help from the folks of This American Life - adapted it into a film. Birbiglia (who also directs) actually shows a bit of nuance in the way he directs, using himself narrating the events in the same way as he presents his one-man show while showing humorous dream sequences. The film feels just as personal as his original stories that pushed him into public view when he was on several episodes of This American Life.
Directed by Mike Birbiglia and starring Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, and Carol Kane.
What I Loved: I mean, it's a great humorous and heartbreaking story. Admittedly, it loses a little of its comedic power if you're familiar with the story, but it's a surprisingly well crafted and unique film adaptation.
* on Netflix Instant
5. Last Days in Vietnam (2014)
I admit to having a taste for documentaries, hence this being the second on the list. The Vietnam War was a dark spot on America's history, but every side in the debate had a knack for removing human lives from the equation, especially Vietnamese lives. Last Days of Vietnam focuses exclusively on the final month or so of the American existence in Saigon, up to the very last helicopter. In particular, it shows how desperate people were to get out of South Vietnam as the communists encroached on the nation, confidently marching toward Saigon. It's a film that simultaneously makes you feel completely ashamed of the United States for going in, messing things up more, then completely abandoning the people and leaving them behind to get slaughtered, while also making you feel extremely proud of our actual troops who were there. The documentary tells a number of stories about US soldiers, seamen, and airmen who disobeyed orders and ran black op missions to help endangered Vietnamese citizens and their families escape the country.
Directed by Rory Kennedy
What I Loved: Vietnam is filled with ugliness, and this story is no exception, but it was somewhat helpful to hear stories about people who stepped up and shined when it got extraordinarily dark and bleak. Vietnam is one of the most complex and misunderstood wars in American history, so it was nice to see examples of the worst of our politicians with the best of our troops.
*in theaters
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