Films I would like my parents to watch.

I am, admittedly, a big Lars von Trier fan. My parents are not. Note that I am not recommending ANTICHRIST, though *I* liked it. The only reason RIGET (aka KINGDOM HOSPITAL) is not on this list is because Lars couldn't complete the series and I think my parents might be as forgiving as Aage Krüger if I left them hanging like that.

MELANCHOLIA is a strongly character-driven film where people who are thought to be weak and foolish and those who are thought to be knowledgeable and brave are confused with one another. The performances are wonderful, and if I gave a damn about self-congratulatory awards shows, I would be chiding the people behind the little gold man right now.

This is a Swedish film I happened upon while looking through my streaming videos (I am an insomniac), and while it wasn't highly rated, the description caught my attention. You'd expect (these days) a film simply called EVIL to be some kind of horror film, but it isn't. It's about how evil humans can be to one another, and the differences you can make when you decide to neither be evil nor a coward. I enjoyed it very much, and intend to have my husband watch it (he keeps normal hours).

This is my favorite Jim Jarmusch film, and that's saying something. I've always loved his quirkiness, both in writing, directing and cast. Those are all present here, along with an actor I respect for his project choices as much as I do his private ones--Johnny Depp. There are a good-sized handful of wonderful actors in absolutely bizarre roles--even casual movie-watchers will recognize some, and addicts like me will adore them all. If you're looking for a rock'em sock'em action film, skip it--in fact, skip ALL of Jarmusch's films. This is a fairly quiet, wandering story that ends exactly where it tells you it's going to end. And I've got to add--B&W is beautiful when it's used properly.

Yeah, this is fairly well-known, but getting my dad to watch an animated feature is about as fun as getting him to go to the doctor. The storyline, revealed bit by bit, the animation, that gets you to care for each little doll and terrified by each monster, and the voice-acting, which is outstanding and VERY well-cast, all add up to an absolutely beautiful work of art. This is not a children's movie. Unless your kid is exceptionally bright, I don't think they'll "get" it. So come on, mom, make dad watch this on one of YOUR "movie nights." It's worth it.

Oh my god, a romantic comedy that I actually LIKED? Yeah, it's kinda dopey, as most of them are, and I am NO fan of Ashton Kucher, but I do like Natalie Portman and was in the mood for something light. I'd give this one about a 7 (which is the bare minimum for me ever watching it again), but this is a list for my PARENTS. It's cute. It's sweet. It's a lot of things romantic comedies try to be and fail miserably, but this film does not. You won't find many films of this genre on this list, so you've got to understand how charming I found it to even put it on here. It's forgettable, not something I'd buy, but it's worth watching on streaming or as a library rental.

Oookay, since I promised sort of upbeat endings, I'm not quite sure I should put this on here. But Christian Bale is incredible in this film (and I'm not just talking about his record-breaking weight loss), and watching a man who is falling apart is sort of hypnotic. I might include CB's other freaky weight-loss film on this list later on. His performance, along with trying to figure out where the hell the story is going, is just enthralling. I would like to know how he plays Americans better than Americans. :)

What? What?! It's not a GRIM ending or anything! It's a weird sort of love story where one of the parties happens to be psychotic. Yes, it's Japanese, so get ready for subtitles again (and you're lucky I'm not giving you a Korean or German horror film). A lonely man who has lost his wife (rough estimate) ten years earlier is encouraged by his teenaged son to get out there and find some company, because he's sick of him being so miserable all the time. He is rather shy and awkward, and enlists the help of his friend, who sets up a false "audition" for a part so the lonely man (who has rather high standards) can choose someone to court without going through the torture of dating, dating and rejection, etc. Things start out great, and then start getting weird. There are probably a few scenes in this where my mom should cover her eyes. Overall, though, a cool story, a different take on the predatory aspect of the dating scene, and worth watching. I DO own this one.

Okay, they tried this one, but only gave it the first episode to gain their interest! This is an extremely complex story, with multiple timelines and worlds, and yeah, musicals thrown in. It's one of the strangest (good) things I've ever seen. But it's a fabulous miniseries! Don't settle for the Reader's Digest version of "The Singing Detective" starring Robert Downey, Jr. (though I like him); watch THIS one, with Dumbledore! It requires all your attention and a great deal of suspension of disbelief, but it is well worth it. Come on, try again, and don't get put off by the introductory episode--things really pick up from there.

This is one of the sweetest films I've ever seen. It takes place (for the most part) in an old-style Chinese bathhouse in Beijing. It's about a family of three men: a father and his two sons. The older son is what I can only call a "yuppie" (since I was a teenager in the 80s)who lives in Shenzhen, and the younger brother (who is a bit slow, but very happy), who lives and works with his father in the bathhouse. The ONLY reason the older brother comes to see them is because he is misinformed that his father has died, and when he finds out about the error, he really doesn't want to stay. However, he can see how his father is frail, the business is slowly decaying, and that his brother would be helpless without care. To his (slightly dismayed) surprise, he learns that he loves this family and this place he ran away from long ago. The story opens like a flower, revealing more and more beauty that was hidden to the closed mind of the older brother. Touching and wonderful, the real story here is about what is actually important in life, and how you shouldn't discard your family because you think they're in your way. Oh, and yeah--more subtitles. Tough.

I'm not sure if they've seen this one, given the year and the stars, but it is wonderful! It's *shock* ANOTHER romantic comedy, though I do tend to like romantic comedies of the 30s-40s. A good-hearted cabbie swoons a bit for one of his fares, who happens to be more interested in hustling whoever she can and climbing the social ladder as quickly as possible. The cabbie, played with charm by Don Ameche, drives her around for free all night as she tries vainly to get ANY sort of quick-paying job, then allows her to sleep in his apartment while he continues his shift. She does grow to like him quite a bit during their whirlwind time together, but money matters more to her than ANYTHING, and a cab driver is not suitable dating material. She runs out on him, and he doggedly pursues her. She starts to have some success getting her way into high society, but her smitten (and rather intelligent) cabbie makes things ever more difficult. This is a screwball comedy, so you can count on everything working out in the end, but being completely bizarre in-between.

If I'd seen this movie when I was a very young child, it would've scared the hell out of me. My mom might have seen this one, because my two younger cousins own and love it. Dad probably skipped it (he's weird about animation, as I said). The style alone is reason enough to watch this film--it is BEAUTIFULLY filmed stop-animation. The fact that it is animated is used to create surreal and enchanting sequences that would be enough to lure any kid in...since that is, after all, the point...and when everything turns from dream to nightmare, it is both terrifying and perfect. Yes, this is a children's story, but it is hardly a yawner for adults. I wish they'd seen this in 3D, which I normally disdain, but in this film was simply exquisite. There's a home 3D version, but it doesn't come anywhere near the experience the theater gave. Ultimately, this is a story about how families might not be perfect, but Coraline, her mother and father DO all love each other very much; they just show their appreciation for each other in different ways.

First off, my parents do not understand F1 racing at ALL. They prefer the traditional American sports of baseball, football and basketball. It takes serious balls to be an F1 driver, but they don't show on the screen. They show in how the driver performs. I think a lot of people tend to lump all motorsports together, when in fact, there is a huge divide between F1 and, say...NASCAR.

But this isn't just a story about Formula One. This is about one man's love, life, career and tragic demise, all captured on film. Even the average person (who has heard of F1), when asked "who was the best driver?" would likely answer, "Michael Schumacher," or, if they're a bit older, "Jackie Stewart." The REAL answer (no prejudice here, of course) is Ayrton Senna. He was the type of man who knew no limits, and saved any fear until after he'd already accomplished the things he'd set out to do. This is a very intimate look into his home and work life, thanks to the contributions of home movies from his family and footage from the FIA. You even get a peek at Bruno Senna, his nephew (Ayrton died quite young, and never had children of his own), who is now a 2012 F1 driver with the team where his uncle Ayrton's career abruptly and tragically ended--Williams. Ayrton was a very quiet philanthropist, donating around $400 million (a large chunk out of his own personal funds) to help provide a better life for the underprivileged children of Brazil. Shortly before his demise, he, his family and some of his well-known F1 connections began to form a foundation to continue helping Brazilians in need. The foundation continues to this day. If anyone else reading this would like to know more about Senna immediately, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna , but DO watch this film. It is heartbreaking, but when such an amazing person is lost so young, how could it be anything but?

IF they haven't seen this, they MUST. I know my mom is interested in William Randolph Hearst (I loaned her my paperback "Citizen Hearst" after I'd read the spine into a circle--thick book), and even *I* like Kirsten Dunst in this (whoa, she's got two films in my list), playing Marion Davies. While I absolutely adore my transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard, he plays Charlie Chaplin to absolute PERFECTION in this film. Hey, even Cary Elwes isn't bad as the very unlucky screenwriter Tom Ince. The film is about one of Hearst's famous parties, this one aboard his yacht. Having Marion and Charlie together at the same party isn't the best idea in the world, since the chemistry between them is clear, and Hearst is a very jealous man. While all the other guests have their own fun and games of intrigue, not everyone gets out unscathed. The casual opulence of moneyed people and their hangers-on can be a little irritating to watch at times. The foolishness of it all is addressed at the end of the film in a voice-over by Joanna Lumley (playing the writer Elinor Glyn), but is quickly dismissed, as she prefers to continue being a part of that decadent lifestyle.

There's about as much chance of my parents watching this film as there is of me becoming a Scientologist.

NONETHELESS, it is an excellent anime feature--no tentacle-rape scenes, no giant robots or spaceships, no demons or bobble-headed figures or vomitously cutesy animals at ALL. This is a very disorientating film, however, deliberately difficult to tell the difference between reality and fantasy/delusion at times. This only adds to the tension. The basic story is this: a young woman who is part of a wildly popular girl pop band decides that she's had enough of that life. She (Mima) leaves the band and moves toward acting, including taking roles that ditch her "good-girl" image PRONTO. Mima's former fans go nuts, as fans are wont to do when you do something other than what they want, and one person takes it seriously enough to want to kill her for what she's done. To make matters worse, Mima starts believing she's having hallucinations, blackouts, and doing things there is no possible way she could have done. She begins to feel like there's no one she can trust--including herself. It's a nice, tight 90-minute thriller that I enjoyed enough to buy. As a matter of fact, I bought it on VHS, but I'm going to have to upgrade to some sort of disc, because this thing is worn out!

As I said, M&D will never watch this--Dad would if it wasn't animated, but it might be a bit too violent for Mom. I do wish they would, though, so that's why it's on this list.

I loooove Takeshi "Beat" Kitano. As with most of his films, there's violence a'plenty, but on the flip side, this is also the story of a man who loves his terminally ill wife and is still in mourning of the loss of his child to the same disease. The versatility Kitano shows in this film is amazing. He can go from a loving, nurturing man to a killing machine before you can blink. So, if you like action movies, there's plenty here for you. If you like tragedies, you're covered, too.

Please note that I've heard some complaints about the transfer to DVD. I saw it on VHS, so I can't say if this is true of all DVDs or just a few.

Okay, I'll get one more Takeshi Kitano film on this list (though I could go on and on), but my reason for including these two is a good one: the characters he plays are as different as they could possibly be. Kitano is mainly known here in the U.S. for his action films; he is a badass (as he is in a large portion of FIREWORKS) who doesn't waste a lot of words when a bullet in the head will do. As Kikujiro, he's tasked with taking a little boy (a friend's' grandson) to meet the mother who ran out on him years ago. Kikujiro is pretty much a lowlife gambler whose moral compass is missing a pointer. After blowing just about all their travel money at the track, this becomes a very bizarre journey, with all sorts of odd characters, some kind, some of the dangerous sort. The bond between Masao (the boy) and Kikujiro develops slowly, but believably. Overall, this is a sweet and funny film that might make you tear up once in a while, but will leave you smiling.

Obviously, if you're looking for a legit biography of Ed Wood, Jr., you're not going to find it here. Yes, it touches on the facts here and there, but a whole lot of this is FICTION. So what? It's really entertaining.

You don't have to like Ed Wood films to enjoy this film. Martin Landau's performance as Bela Lugosi is unforgettable--actually, his performance as Lugosi makes you forget he's Martin Landau. Johnny Depp is appealing, as (almost) always, playing the ultra-hack writer/director who is, at times, literally bouncing with energy and excitement about being a part of HOLLYWOOD! Depp's version of Wood's unbridled self-confidence makes him very appealing; you WANT this guy to succeed, even though everyone involved with him is just plain crap and the films he makes are really unwatchable (GLEN OR GLENDA? is my particular least-favorite of his films).

Though Ed Wood's story was far more tragic and ugly than what Tim Burton et al. have made of it, this film is far more fun to watch than any of Wood's actual films. They give Ed a happy marriage (which he certainly did NOT have) and a happy ending (ditto to that). So, ignore reality for a while, kick back, grab some popcorn and enjoy a bunch of actors who really CAN act playing a bunch of over-actors.