The Wind That Shakes the Barley
The poem and namesake for the film is about a young man leaving his love behind to face the tumult of rebellion and dirt and death. Fitting, then, that Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winning film faces the harsh reality and struggles of Ireland and England in the early 20th century with dirty realism. Cillian Murphy practically introduces himself to the world as a premier acting talent, and Loach’s vision was so startling that it earned him a comparison to Leni Riefenstahl. Hard to watch, yes, but even harder to miss out on it. -CA
Children of Men
Oh, you thought you understood what went into making a great tracking shot? Sorry to hear that. I imagine that since your jaw was probably already on the ground by the transcendent story and technical craft, it was digging its way to China by the time Alfonso Cuaron decided to let the camera run for four minutes straight. It took a special-made rig, a speeding car, and a ping pong ball, and Cuaron decided to outdo himself later on in the same movie. The exhaling sound you just made remembering that scene is proof enough that this film is the epitome of brilliance. -CA