2009 Advisor
ChrisJarmick
Seattle, WA

Great flicks to see that begin with the letter F

5 star rating

into movies that tell a great story, a Movie Guru, a lover of quirky unique films, a cult film connoisseur, a fan of movies that take chances, a movie connoisseur
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    Some great movies worth seeing


FEB
26
2009

Here are some great movies to rent, buy, enjoy, share.  These begin with the letter F and are part of my series of great movies by the letters.  I figure if you wander into a video store or look up movies in a movie guidebook....listing them alphabetically may help steer you to some movies worth experiencing. Pt. 1 of  2


F for Fake (1976) Directed by Orson Welles

The last complete film Orson Welles made was this brilliant, funny, thoughtful, innovative, fascinating free-form visual essay-documentary. It's style was revolutionary and immediately influenced everyone making non-fiction movies starting with Godard. Criminally, it is not very well known. Welles basically sets about to prove that magic and the creation of art is nearly identical. There is inspiration, trickery, deception, suspension of belief and chicanery involved in both. So we focus on a notorious art forger Elmyr de Hory and his biographer, Clifford Irving. Irving was about to get into hot water for writing the fraudulent Howard Hughes autobiography!!! The movie veers into looking at Howard Hughes and Welles examines his' own career (which began with a faked resume and got a huge push with his broadcast of a phony Martian invasion). He also considers the wonderful webs we weave in playing the mating/relationship game. Along the way Welles is constantly teasing us and playing little tricks, and showing us a little bit of how some movie magic is actually done. F is indeed for Fake. It's also one fabulous Film and ranks up there with Welles' best.  Wonderful Criterion edition DVD.


Faces (1968) Directed by John Cassavetes

Cassavetes directed several unique and compelling films that explored raw honest emotions like few films dared to show. It is said far too often that his films were largely improvised-they were not. They were born out of workshops, refined, rehearsed, scripted and meticulously shot to get the effect Cassavetes was after. Shadows was the first film he wrote and directed, but Faces was the first film he made that was seen by a mainstream audience. The acting is among the best you will ever witness. Even if you find the film overly-talky uncomfortable, strange, and tedious, it is still worth your time to watch this film. It will probably take an effort because it feels raw and full of strange quirks and odd moments. Keep watching. The film portrays the break-up of a 14 year old marriage between Richard (John Marley) and Maria (Lynn Carlin). Jeannie (Gena Rowlands) is a prostitute, Seymour Cassel is an aging hippie. There are enough great moments in the film to land it on this list.

FARGO 1996 directed by Joel Coen

Joel (director) and Ethan Coen layered their quirky story of a murder in small mid-western winter town with comic observations about American life. McDormand as the pregnant police chief, Bill Macy as the used car salesman and Steve Buscemi are superb. There are perfect touches (Muzak in the background for instance), throughout.


Fearless (1993) Directed by Peter Weir

Peter Weir has made many films about difficult subjects. Most make some narrative sacrifices to achieve audience approval. This one makes few compromises and is his least known film. It's about dealing with life after realizing what death is, and how death affects the living. Jeff Bridges and a very subdued Rosie Perez are standouts in a film which will touch you deep and personal if you dare let it. Bridges and Perez barely survive a horrible major airline crash. Perez loses her baby in the crash. Afterwards Bridges' finds his life unfulfilling and finds himself drifting away from his wife (Issabella Rossellina) and towards Perez. A gem.


Field of Dreams (1989) Directed by Phil Alden Robinson

Robinson delivers perhaps the best Frank Capra-esqu movie ever made by anyone except Capra. It's nostalgic, overly sentimental and puts baseball on a revered pedestal. It also works beautifully for most viewers. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster and many others hit all the right notes. Great corn!!!


Five Easy Pieces (1970) directed by Bob Rafelson

A brilliant performance by Nicholson highlights this character study of a dreamer, musician who has grown bitter and cynical trying to ignore his artistic ambitions. He tries to communicate with his dying father and face his own fears of failure and mortality. Uncompromising, unflinching, 70's era, makes few concessions to the audience to be better liked-although the wonderful toast/chicken salad scene is here.



I_thumb_up Best Movies Alphabetically "F" Great Movies that begin with F (part 1 of 2) is recommended by ChrisJarmick

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