Reviews

La La Land 

(London Film Festival)

Cast: Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling

Director: Damien Chazelle

Genre: Drama, Musical, Comedy

Run Time: 126 mins

Set in modern day Hollywood, where self-consciousness and snark are the currency du jour, La La Land is the glorious ode to thinking big and beautiful that the world desperately needed.

Emma Stone’s Mia is an aspiring and (inevitably) struggling actress. Between dispiriting auditions, she keeps running into Gosling’s Seb who is trying to make a living as a jazz pianist with equally mixed success. As they fall for one another, it’s clear that Seb is passionate about his craft, arguably to a fault, with Mia being a more archetypal dreamer of Hollywood stardom. This is where Stone proves to be the picture’s MVP, as her charisma lifts the character above the material. How their ambitions and affections interact, through countless spontaneuous sequences of graceful creativity, is where the film elucidates poignant moments of emotion and truth.

The genius of Damien Chazelle’s direction is how adept he is at staging the ups and downs of the story. He approaches familiar dance numbers with a verve and passion that’s as infectious as it is thrilling, before bringing you back down to reality in Seb’s crumby apartment. At 31, you would expect him to have only mastered a few cinematic instruments, but it’s astounding to see how effortlessly he conducts the whole orchestra. Sit back and he’ll put on one hell of a show.

Gosling and Stone are a wonderful on-screen couple. We’ve seen them before in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad, but they really soar under the warm Los Angeles skies. We go into the film knowing they will get together, and Chazelle has a lot of fun with those expectations. The director and producers have said that when they set off on the long road of this project, before the release of the acclaimed Whiplash, they had envisioned the two actors in the roles knowing that they would never be secured. “See,” one said in the Q&A. “Dreams do come true.”

The musical genre is not something I usually enjoy. It has been many, many years since an original Hollywood musical – they (literally) don’t make them like this anymore. Chazelle’s Cinemascope masterpiece feels like it was destined for the silver screen, not adapted or manufactured to fit it. The songs feel like a progression of the characters, not the other way around. Mia and Seb are grounded in reality just enough, until they’ve earned the right to float off into the stars.

In an early scene, Seb abandons the regular Christmas jingles for a wonderful jazz piece, prompting J.K. Simmons’ restaurant boss to ask if he’s from a different planet; no doubt Damien Chazelle has had that reaction before. This film is soaked in Golden Age Hollywood, but feels completely fresh in a sea of contemporary American cynicism. It seems fitting that Stone’s character provides the crescendo monologue fiercely explaining it’s ok to reach for the stars and lauding the ones who follow their dreams; an antidote to her soul-crushing tirade in Birdman. When February and the Dolby theatre comes around, I have a feeling these two films will have few things in common.

La La Land is released in the UK on 13 January.

Top Tens

My Top Ten of 2014

2014 was a year of ambition. Between Marvel's tightening grip on world dominance and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar adventures, there were some extraordinary passion projects that came to a deservedly wide appreciation. I could easily have made a top 20, because there were so many impressive films this year.

As with previous lists, this is based on UK release dates. Some films that I didn't get around to seeing include The Rover, Hayao Miyazaki's last animation The Wind Rises, Ida, Mr. Turner and David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars. But I saw 53 films this year, so I still cast a pretty wide net.

10 - Locke

I'm a bit of a sucker for single-space films, from the Ryan Reynolds' led Buried to the traditional television "bottle episode". When an artist is constrained so drastically, it's fascinating to see the creative manoeuvres that unearth an exciting and engaging story. Above all though, this is a masterclass in restraint from Tom Hardy - an actor truly at the top of his game.

9 - The Grand Budapest Hotel

King of calculated quirk, Wes Anderson has been on a roll in recent years. His latest follows Ralph Feinnes as the head concierge of the prestigious hotel - a role that he excels in - and is probably the funniest of the director's canon. A typically myriad star cast is held together by the sincere figure of Saiorse Ronan, who brings heart that has been sorely missed in other Anderson outings. Delightfully fun.

8 - The One I Love

An inventive high-concept premise gives way to a fascinating exploration of long-term relationships. That's all I want to give away about Charlie McDowell's stunning debut feature. Layered performances from Mark Duplass and Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss lead to a climax that is rich and beguiling with meaning. Available on US Netflix.

7 - Blue Ruin

Another indie success, another directorial debut. Jeremy Saulnier, who gambled everything to make this Cannes triumph, pitched the film as "No Country For Old Men - perpetrated by morons". An eery thriller led by a fantastic central performance from Macon Blair, it also doubles as a meditation on the pernicious nature of revenge.

6 - Life Itself

One of my favourite writers, let alone film critic, Roger Ebert is a true legend. The pulitzer prize winner brought such humanism to film interpretation and film criticism to the masses in America. Master documentarian Steve James follows Ebert's career alongside his struggles with cancer towards the end of his life. A fittingly down-to-earth, moving tribute. 

5 - Under the Skin

Jonathan Glazer's sci-fi puzzler follows Scarlett Johansson's alien around Scotland as it preys on unsuspecting male hitchhikers. Possibly the most divisive film of the year, it had me absolutely absorbed, perplexed and obsessed at the cinema. Stunning Kubrikian imagery, alongside humanist encounters, leads to a sharp sense of sexual danger from both sides. A lyrical abstraction that demands repeat viewing.

4 - The Raid 2: Berandal

The martial arts sequel picks up a few hours after Redemption finished, but that's where the similarities end. The first was a contained, video-game like burst up a tower block, whereas Berandal is a sprawling two and a half hour adrenaline ride of epic physicality. The story is slight and inconsistent, but the thrills override all off this to leave pure awe. No wonder they've enlisted some of the actors for Star Wars VII. For my money, one of the best action films of all time. 

3 - The Lego Movie

Phil Lord and Chris Miller are miracle workers. First updating an average 80s TV show into the revered Jump Street franchise and now turning possibly the most sickeningly consumerist film premise into the most enjoyable and intelligent comedy of the year. The most fun I had at the cinema in 2014, with a final act of startling emotional weight that elevates the thrills and laughs to something special. 

2 - 12 Years a Slave

English artist Steve McQueen brings his potent style to the heartbreaking tale of Solomon Northup. Last year's best picture winner at the Oscars pushes the savagery of the slave trade to the forefront and doesn't shy away. Lingering shots bring a visceral appreciation to the viewer of the helplessness of the African American people. Stunning performances, especially from Michael Fassbender and Chiwetel Ejiofor, complete the picture to make a flat out masterpiece.

1 - Boyhood

A film called 'Boyhood'. But it may as well be called Motherhood, Fatherhood or Sisterhood. Richard Linklater, a master in naturalism and a real actors' director, devised an ambitious and downright incredible concept in 2003. What followed is an accomplishment that I would describe as maverick and incredible, but for the absolute humanism of Mason and the people that surround him. "Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth." This is what Linklater delivers.

2014 Releases (UK)

Ten films to look out for late this year

Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Imitation Game'

As we're in the middle of the summer blockbuster hoo-ha, dominated by studio produced monsters like Transformers: Age of Extinction, I thought best to look ahead to what the back end of 2014 will be offering us. 

As always, I'll be spotlighting films that won't benefit from huge promotion. Excluded then are the likes of David Fincher's Gone Girl, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, the Angelina Jolie-directed Unbroken, Trash, the latest Hobbit and Hunger Games instalments and The Imitation Game.

Life After Beth - 3 October

Has there ever been someone better suited to playing a zombie than Aubry Plaza? Probably not a compliment. Jeff Baena's off-beat humour hasn't impressed me much in the past (I Heart Huckabees), but the trailer to this low-budget comedy looks genuinely hysterical. Plaza, of Parks and Recreation and Safety Not Guaranteed fame, is the resurrected girlfriend of Dane DeHaan's Zach, who seems conflicted about the whole thing. Anna Kendrick, John C. Reilly and Matthew Gray Gubler complete the promising cast. 

Laggies - 10 October

Breakout indie director Lynn Shelton's sixth film in five years, Laggies could be a return to form after relative misfire Touchy Feely. Keira Knightly's Megan, after buying alcohol for Chloe Grace Moretz's character, hides out at her new underage friend's house to avoid her fiancé. The film gained steady buzz at Sundance and, with the indomitable Sam Rockwell in tow, is shaping up to live up to the promise shown by Shelton's excellent Your Sister's Sister.

The Drop - 14 Nov

Based on a short story by crime writer Dennis Lehane, this drama follows Bob (Tom Hardy) to the dark corners of Boston's criminal culture after a botched heist. Helmed by promising Belgian director Michael Roskam (Bullhead) and scripted by Lehane himself, the trailer suggests a slow burn story with an explosive ending. An impressive cast list also includes Noomi Rapace, Matthias Shoenaerts, James Frecheville and James Gandolfini in his last role.

Kill the Messenger - 28 Nov

A passion project for star and producer Jeremy Renner, this real-life conspiracy thriller focusses on journalist Gary Webb (Renner) as he tries to unravel a political mystery involving imported cocaine and the CIA. The vicious smear campaign that ensued makes this a shocking story that Renner felt needed to be told. Directed by Homeland favourite Michael Cuesta, the film boasts a stellar cast including Michael Sheen, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Robert Patrick, Barry Pepper, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia and Michael K Williams.

A Most Violent Year - 26 Dec

After the underrated Margin Call and critically acclaimed one-man-show All is Lost, my money's on it being third time lucky for writer-director JC Chandor to pick up an Oscar Best Film nod. Jessica Chastain, for my money the best actress working today, and Oscar Isaac are a couple trying grow their oil business in crime-ridden 1981 New York. The thriller also features David Oyelowo and hopefully another sinister performance from Drive's Albert Brooks. 

Get a Job - No date

On the list more out of hope than expectation. It's been 12 largely stagnant years since director Dylan Kidd's brilliantly funny and melancholic debut Roger Dodger, which kickstarted Jesse Eisenberg's career. This new comedy centres on a group of graduates struggling to gain employment. The cast is to die for: Bryan Cranston, Anna Kendrick, Alison Bree, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Marcia Gay Harden, with Miles Teller in the lead. Kidd had this in the can last year, so he's certainly taking his sweet time.

Macbeth - No date
Before the much anticipated Assassin's Creed movie scheduled for 2015, Michael Fassbender and director Justin Kurzel join forces for an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The set photos so far have suggested a typically broody and atmospheric take on the ill-fated Scottish general, with Marion Cotillard perfectly cast as Lady Macbeth. Paddy Considine, David Thewlis and rising star Jack Reynor complete the line up.

Child 44 - No date

Tom Hardy, once again, takes the lead in this Stalin-era crime drama based on the best-selling novel. Hardy's character is tasked with investigating a series of child murders, initiating a densely plotted search for a serial killer. Adapted by legendary crime writer Richard Price and helmed by Safe House director Daniel Espinosa, this is a rare and promising Hollywood foray into Soviet Russia. The outstanding cast includes Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Jason Clarke, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent Cassell, Paddy Considine and Dev Patel.

Suite Française - No date

In Nazi-occupied France, a woman waiting for her prisoner-of-war husband falls for a German soldier. Based on the novel published 60 years after the writer's death at Auschwitz, this tragic story is likely to be a big awards player come the end of the year. Michelle Williams, gunning for a fourth Oscar nomination, stars alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, with Sam Riley, Kristin Scott Thomas and Margot Robbie in tow.

Birdman - 2 Jan

Firsly, what a trailer! Secondly, yes, this is a cheat as it's in January. But, my God, that trailer. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu has done some interesting films (Amores Perros, 21 Grams), but his last two movies, Babel and Buitiful, I didn't even make it through because they were so relentlessly serious and bleak. Birdman, however, looks like huge fun. Michael Keaton, riffing on his Batman past, plays a washed-up actor, famous for playing a superhero, who tries to mount a Broadway comeback. The killer cast also features Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough and Amy Ryan. 

Reviews

Zero Dark Thirty: A tarnished masterpiece

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Run Time: 157 mins

On May 2, 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed by a US special forces group (if this is a spoiler, you've been seriously out of the loop). Kathryn Bigelow had been about to begin filming on her new project depicting the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora and the unsuccessful hunt for the world's most wanted man that followed. The significant news torpedoed any such plans. In less than 12 months, Bigelow and her writer (since The Hurt Locker) Mark Boal reshaped the film, basing it on a real female CIA officer who was recruited out of college and worked on finding Bin Laden for her whole career. Watching the final product, this is an extraordinary turnaround.

Maya, played by the exceptional Jessica Chastain, is the recruit brought into the operation with an endorsement: "Washington says she's a killer". She works with (or against in some cases) grizzled interrogator Jason Clarke, station chief Kyle Chandler and fellow analyst Jennifer Ehle to attain information and follow leads. This is a procedural on the grandest scale, with the highest stakes. The tension of the film is utterly gripping and Clarke is notably effective as he becomes disillusioned with the dark rooms and their prisoners. This is Maya's story though, and Chastain is utterly fierce – a tenacious force of perseverance that can only be admired. 

Accusations of the film condoning torture marred the picture's release and made it too controversial for Oscar voters. The film doesn't justify or glorify torture, especially when (SPOILERS) the piece of information that finally unlocks UBL's whereabouts was in the CIA files for years. The movie depicts torture of prisoners, which produces certain leads, but these are never directly used to prevent an attack or find Bin Laden. Not showing the torture would betray the film's razor-sharp recounting of events and the claims are totally absurd. Bigelow and Boal, as well as the characters, never take a stance on torture. The row ultimately opened the door for the comparatively lightweight Argo to win 'Best Picture' and, without the erroneous claims, I believe Zero Dark Thirty would have garnered the awards it deserved.

Mark Boal’s script brilliantly shows how messy the post-9/11 attempts to combat terrorism and the search for Bin Laden were. Graphic torture, bribery, dodgy tips and outright guesswork are all on show as America frantically tried to regain its balance. The use of ‘agency jargon’ has been criticised, but it's just another level of realism that rewards rewatching. In this way, Zero Dark Thirty doesn't hold the viewer's hand, instead challenging them to make their own deductions and judgements. That stance, as well as the story's veracity will, in my mind, make it an important social artefact when future generations look back at the "war on terror".

Maya [to Navy SEALs] - "Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries."

The film is a quiet tribute the people who give their lives to work in the shadows. At the time of release, none of the main players were A-list stars (Chastain, since her Oscar nomination, has become extremely sought after), giving these faceless intelligence workers further verisimilitude, in contrast to its showy Oscar counterpart Argo. In this context, the familiar faces of James Gandolfini and Mark Strong correspond to big names in the CIA and government, appearing at brief meetings to steer the operation.

There are never any missteps, no false notes. This is filmmaking of extraordinary precision. Every audience member knows the fate of OBL as they watch the movie, and yet Bigelow mounts such tension into the raid’s execution. It's a breathless twenty-minute sequence; the cloaked darkness only interrupted by ballistic flashes and controlled explosions. The overriding feeling of the operation and its Navy SEALs though, is of a clinical nature. There is zero emotion here, in stark contrast to the potential reaction of its audience – a juxtaposition that leaves a sharp sense of vacancy, shared by Maya, as relief is overshadowed by a loss of purpose and ten years of her life. The climax brings us no celebration, just a question: Was it all worth it?

Top Tens

My Top Ten of 2013

2013 was a wonderfully eclectic year in film, chock-full of tense thrillers, expansive epics and charming indie fares. The list reflects this variety and I hope it serves as some kind of pathway into unknown cinematic quarters for some. As with my earlier lists, the films considered are only ones that were released in the UK in 2013. A few films that I didn't catch up with are The Counsellor, Palme d'Or winning Blue is the Warmest Colour, All is Lost and Alexander Payne's Nebraska. I watched 63 films this year though, so plenty to choose from!

10 - Side Effects

Hollywood has lost one of its brightest directors this year. Steven Soderbergh announced that he was set to retire due to a disillusionment at the state of cinema, with this psychological thriller to be his last released movie (excluding the excellent Behind the Candelabra, which was deemed "too gay" for American audiences). Side Effects unfolds like a standard thriller, before taking a huge twist at the halfway mark, which would have seemed totally absurd in less capable hands.  A perfectly calibrated performance by Rooney Mara brings humanity to a role that is a tricky balancing act. As you'd expect from Soderbergh, it's meticulously shot and edited, but the film's wicked edge what makes it so fresh. 

9 - Drinking Buddies

Mumblecore and SXSW darling Joe Swanberg's first foray into the mainstream is a rich blend of rambling dialogue, star names and many, many pints. Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde, micro-brewers and best friends, struggle to keep their distance as their respective love lives hit the rocks. Swanberg's editing blossoms here, stripping the extraneous awkwardness that mumblecore has been criticised for, helping the characters and actors flourish - Johnson hits it out of the park again as Olivia Wilde revels in a role that doesn't ask her just to look pretty. A wonderful final scene shows that this pair are flawed and genuine, embracing the anti-Romanticism with all its heart. 

8 - Gravity

Alfonso Cuaron has always been a gambler. With this huge project that involved inventing new filming technology and relying almost completely on a CGI set, the Mexican-born director bet big and has reaped the rewards. The narrative is totally stripped down, as the spectacle takes centre stage - and what a ride it is. The set-pieces are positively jaw-dropping as Sandra Bullock is tossed and turned around the Thermosphere (yes, I looked that up.) The film fully deserved all of the technical Oscars wins and this year, as a visceral cinema experience, Gravity was hard to beat.

7 - Philomena

The Philomena Lee story is extraordinary. Steve Coogan, who co-wrote and starred as journalist Martin Sixsmith, keeps the adaptation and his performance uncharacteristically grounded. This allows Judi Dench to shine through, giving the story of the elderly Irish woman's search for her son real heart. Unlike a hypothetical Hollywood equivalent, director Frears and Coogan shun theatricality for warm laughs and an interesting exploration of religious ethics. The ultra-sinical Sixsmith is the perfect foil for Dench's fervently devout Philomena and the final scene where this comes to a head is executed to perfection. 

6 - Prisoners

The best thriller of 2013 (and this was a good year for the genre). Hugh Jackman plays the father of an abducted child, an everyman who descends into moral darkness to rescue his daughter. The script is patchy at times and the plot may subside under further scrutiny, but, as an affective slice of cinema, Prisoners is a powerhouse of brewing tension and emotional battery. French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve exhibits a consummate control of tone and, aided by 11-time Oscar nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins, produces some stunning scenes of pure suspense and horror. It is rare to find an ambitious commercial film with such challenging themes. Villeneuve is certainly one to watch. 

5 - The Act of Killing

A thoroughly disturbing and eye-opening documentary, Joshua Oppenheimer's picture centres around the Indonesian gangsters who were endorsed by the government to mass-murder suspected Communists in the 1960s. These atrocities are celebrated, especially by the perpetrators; their enthusiasm in re-enacting the murders is extremely shocking. As with many great documentaries, you have to keep reminding yourself that this is the same world that we inhabit - the recreations become more surreal and eccentric. A story this troubling, as well as the collective cultural reaction, is hard for the viewer to shake off. 

4 - Much Ado About Nothing

At this point, Joss Whedon is pretty much untouchable. After the runaway success of The Avengers (with the sequel, Age of Ultron, filming), the writer-director decided to spend some downtime in his new house - adapting Shakespeare. The celebrated play is put to screen with vivacious wit and a great sense of fun, as Whedon alumni join forces for a frolic around his grounds. Alexis Denisof is wonderful as the mercurial Benedick, assisted by Amy Acker, Clark Gregg and the wonderful Nathan Fillion. With the original dialogue undiminished, Whedon elevates the action in a modern and cinematic rendition. It's an endlessly re-watchable, merry little caper.

3 - The Spectacular Now

From the writers of the beloved (500) Days of Summer, you would expect this high school romance not to follow the trends of that fated genre. They bring a large dose of reality to the age-group, as Miles Teller's boozy idol falls for his unremarkable classmate, Shailene Woodley. It seems like a familiar tale, but this film finds the momentous in its small moments of intimacy. Teller, especially, is phenomenal in a role that could easily fall into convention. The late Roger Ebert said it best: "What an affecting film this is. It respects its characters and doesn't use them for its own shabby purposes. How deeply we care about them." It's a huge shame that it hasn't yet received a proper UK release.

2 - Before Midnight

At this point, three films and 27 years in, the 'Before series' is one of the best romance stories ever made. Each time, director Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke build on and supersede the last. Dispelling the 'will they, won't they' undercurrent of the first two, Jesse and Celine have to face realities of relationships when the Romanticism has been and passed. 'Midnight' comprises simply of four or five long dialogue-orientated scenes - but every moment is intelligent, real, earned and beautiful (in one way or another). These characters are so dear to me and this is a near-perfect film that they populate. 

1 - Zero Dark Thirty
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW

The 50 Best Films of the Noughties

Just to clarify, this is between the start of the year 2000 to the end of 2009. I believe that this was a fantastic decade for film and the diversity of this list reflects that. Interestingly, the actor/director that showed up the most on the list was Mark Ruffalo with an impressive four films - an underrated actor I think. Let me know what you agree with, think is a travesty or films that I may have missed. 

Breakdown by year: 2000 - 6, 2001 - 4, 2002 - 6, 2003 - 5, 2004 - 7, 2005 - 3, 2006 - 6, 2007 - 7, 2008 - 5, 2009 - 3

Just a quick note: I've realised that the formatting of some of these posts is a bit dodgy on phones for some reason, so I apologise for Google's shitness on that.

  

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in 'Waking Life'

     50) Brokeback Mountain (2005)

     49) You Can Count on Me (2000)

     48) Waking Life (2001)

     47) Garden State (2004)

     46) Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The minimalist set of Lars Von Trier's 'Dogville'

45) Dogville (2003)

44) In the Loop (2009)

43) Pusher II (2004)

42) The King of Kong (2007)

41) Almost Famous (2000)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Rian Johnson's 'Brick'

   40) Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

   39) Atonement (2007)

   38) City of God (2002)

   37) Borat (2006)

   36) Brick (2005)

Swedish vampire chiller 'Let the Right One In'

35) The Hurt Locker (2008)

34) American Psycho (2000)

Ryan Gosling's substitute teacher in 'Half Nelson'

33) Hidden (Caché) (2005)

32) Let the Right One In (2008)

31) The Dark Knight (2008)

  
   30) Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

   29) Shaun of the Dead (2004)

   28) Oldboy (2003)

   27) Elephant (2003)

The visual mastery of Guillermo Del Toro's 'Pan's Labyrinth'

   26) Half Nelson (2006)

25) Sideways (2004)

24) The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

23) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

22) The Departed (2006)

21) The Incredibles (2004)

Jim Sheridan's heart-warming family drama 'In America'

20) Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

19) In America (2002)

18) The Pianist (2002)

17) Zodiac (2007)

16) 25th Hour (2002)

Paddy Considine in Shane Meadows' 'Dead Man's Shoes'

15) Dead Man’s Shoes (2004)

14) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

13) Children of Men (2006)

12) Requiem for a Dream (2000)

11) Man on Wire (2008)

Quentin Tarantino's 'Inglorious Basterds'

Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss in 'Memento'

   10) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-03) (bit of a cheat, I know)

   9) Traffic (2000)

   8) Inglourious Basterds (2009)

   7) In Bruges (2008)

   6) Donnie Darko (2001)


5) There Will be Blood (2007)

4) No Country for Old Men (2007)

3) Into the Wild (2007)

2) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

1) Memento (2000)