6 Films that Define Me
I saw an Instagram post about 6 films that define who you are and instead of posting on the gram I figure I talk about the 6 films that me on my blog. DISCLAIMER! I am going to give four honorable mentions and these aren’t my six favorite films of all time because that wouldn’t make sense. For example, my first honorable mention is City of God.
Honorable Mentions:
City of God:
This movie is one of my favorites ever, I have always been obsessed with the crime genre but for the movie to take place over constant years and give us a glimpse of the gangs in a less fortunate area of Rio de Janeiro is a truly an experience that changed the ways I looked at movies. This movie was one of the first foreign language films besides Parasite that really opened me up to non-english movies and will forever have an influence on my need for grime and grit in movies.
Mean Girls:
I love high school movies (I have two on my list) but Mean Girls really set the standard for a lot of the sense of humor I have. Constant bits with all gas no brakes is one of the best ways to describe this movie. Regina George is one of my favorite villains in a movie because of the pure nastiness of high school girl cliques. This movie hasn’t aged super well but it will forever be iconic.
Willy Wonka:
The OG of course. Gene Wilder has a big part in creating the wonder I have for the world. When my grandma and mom showed me this movie as a kid I felt like it changed my life forever. Seeing the chocolate river and a whole room that was edible opened up a whole world of pure imagination. My favorite scene is when they are in the golden elevator and Wonka tells Charlie “Do you know what happened to the man that got everything he wanted…. He lived happily ever after.”
The Matrix:
One of the coolest movies I have ever seen period. Keanu has forever influenced my urge to wear black/leather/a trench coat/small oval glasses and the movie also brings up a disturbing idea that we live in a simulation. I think this movie is executed so well with all the action and the story. I haven’t been Neo for Halloween yet but expect it in my lifetime.
The 6 Films
6. Royal Tenenbaums
Shoutout to one of my favorites in the game, Wes Anderson. This is my favorite Wes Anderson film and the one that defines me. I love a family drama where all the family members are so interesting and easy to root for. I think Gene Hackman’s performance is my favorite Wes Anderson performance ever (George Clooney in Fantastic Mr. Fox is close) as he is a piece of shit trying to revive his life with his family. The movie looks gorgeous and really made me jump on the Wes Anderson train.
5. Spiderman 2
Consequently, I had to have a superhero movie on here. I love superhero movies with substance (not the new marvel movies) that take from the actual hero and build off it. Batman is my favorite superhero of all time but Spiderman was my first love. Spiderman was the first word I knew how to spell and these Tobey Maguire movies made me want to be a superhero when I got older. I love how Peter Parker doubts himself and has some real problems balancing his life. It only makes sense as with great power comes great responsibility. We see the push and pull of balancing between Peter’s personal and superhero life which is why he is one of my favorite heroes. Peter is like us in a lot of ways. He is struggling with a balancing act while being a broke college student, talk about relatable!!!
4. Vertigo
Ever since my grandma showed my brother and I Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, I have always been so specific and picky about the horror movies I watched. I always feel like I have a bone to pick with horror movies as I usually don’t care about the story/or the people in the story. Vertigo is very different. I am a sucker for James Stewart and Hitchcock and everything about this movie is perfect. From the way it looks to the absolute suspense and confusion building throughout the whole film. They don’t make them like Stewart anymore and I could watch him explore 1950’s San Fransisco for hours on end. The movie looks gorgeous with the green lighting shots and scenery around the bay. Hitchcock is the genius behind a good thriller and the ambiance of his movies is something I try to encapsulate in my artwork.
3. Nacho Libre
The first and only Jack Black movie on this list. Nacho Libre is my unhealthy obsession, I really love this movie for the jokes and the story. I think Jack Black works great as both a leading man and an absolute jokester and this movie’s alchemy makes it a great watch overall. This movie is one of the most quotable and funny movies I have ever seen and it is a great underdog story. My favorite rewatchable of a movie.
2. Lady Bird
My favorite high school movie ever. This was the movie that I knew that Gerwig, Chalamet, and Ronan were all gonna be stars. This movie just encapsulates a time and place where I was thinking about college and jsut being so nervous about everything. It is one of the most relatable movies I have ever seen and just makes me feel so nostalgic. This movie is special.
1. Lost in Translation
I’ve watched this movie a few times and have taken something different from it everytime. The way Sofia Coppola shoots this movie makes it feel like a play. Two strangers in Japan that really just hit it off. I love Bill Murray in this movie, I love Scarlett Johansson in this movie, and this movie really just makes me think of those special moments in life that barely happen but when you know you know.
These films aren’t meant to be ranked in any order but clearly I love films and these are 10 films that have had an impact on me!
