Top 10 movies that made me cry like a baby...

Up until late 2008, I used to think I was such a fearless child and I would never cry in any movie. Never. Then I watched a certain movie and it would seem that I can cry in just about any movie I watch. If one thing even remotely looks cryable I will probably turn on the waterworks. This sounds like a very melancholy list, if I do say so myself.

10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The end is inevitable, but the outcome is still so sad. However, possibly the saddest part about this movie is Benjamin's voiceover which takes a look at the people he had met during his unusual life:

"Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance."

Then we see water rushing through the train station up to the backwards clock. I couldn't think of a more heartbreakingly beautiful way to end a film.

9. A Single Man

There is no doubting that A Single Man is a pretty sad movie right the way through, as it is pretty much a quest for suicide from start to almost finish. But the end is so sad in the way that when someone finally reaches happiness, the world has to go and screw it up again. As George says, though, "Everything is exactly the way it's meant to be."

8. Australia

I've never really talked about this film or my fascination with Baz Luhrmann's films on the blog. I'm a huge fan of Baz Luhrmann's body of work, and even though this is particularly my least favourite, this made me cry the most out of any of them (and hey, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! did make me cry a lot). In fact, when I saw it in cinemas about two years back, I think I cried on three separate occasions. It's such a soppy film, but amongst all that sop that I'm usually immune to, there's such raw emotion that I couldn't help to shed a tear for. The only thing was, I wasn't crying as much as the middle aged women three rows behind me. I suspect that had something to do with Hugh Jackman.

7. A Star is Born (1937)



Here is the movie that started it all. Back in late 2008, I settled in to watch A Star is Born, which I bought for $3.50 from a bargain bin at the Warehouse, not really knowing what to expect. Amidst all the really shonky technicolour which hadn't been enhanced for the DVD release, I found my eyes watering towards the end. That was pure shock for me, as I'd never felt that before. And considering this was the first version of this well-known story, I can't even begin to imagine what the Judy Garland version would be like.

6. Inception

Okay, I don't for the life of me know why I cry in this movie every bloody time I watch it. It isn't even that sad. Let's take a trip back to that Thursday night, July 22nd, 2010. I was pretty excited to see this movie. More than that, I just about had a heart attack every time I heard the word 'Inception' mentioned. So, I guess you could say I had high expectations for this movie. I think I cried on three separate occasions, but I can't remember exactly which ones. But by the end, I was bawling my eyes out, possibly from the fact that this movie exceeded my expectations. I actually walked out of the cinemas with tears streaming down my face and didn't stop shaking for like an hour. This may sound strange to all you sane people out there, but Inception hit me in such a weird way that it made me question my sanity.

5. Once Were Warriors

For those of you who aren't familiar with NZ cinema (i.e. all of you), Once Were Warriors is perhaps our most famous movie ever. And guess what? It is about domestic violence. It's pretty much the most disturbing piece of cinema I have ever had to put my innocent soul through, and I'm sure I came out of it damaged. While this is a fantastic film on so many levels, Once Were Warriors is probably one of the hardest films to watch. If you have seen it, I promise you that NZ isn't as violent as this movie makes it out to be, but unfortunately most of what it is saying is true in a lot of parts of this country. This disturbing truth is probably the reason why I found it so hard to keep my eyes dry.

4. Gone with the Wind

It's weird because it took me four watches of this movie to actually cry. I don't know why, but that fourth time this movie really hit me. And ever since, I have been bawling my eyes out during this. There's just something about Scarlett's struggles, Melanie's sweetness and Rhett's discontent that strikes a chord with me. I guess that's why they call Gone with the Wind such a feminine piece of film. And I also guess this film is the reason romantic dramas are so soppy these days.

3. Toy Story 3

I wouldn't say Toy Story 3 is a very sad film. It's just such a tearjerker. Watching the trilogy all together probably made the end of this one even more sad. You see these toys evolve, and soon they become your best friends. But when it all comes down to the end, it feels like a hole has been ripped out of your heart. Even though you know the toys are going to be safe at their new home, you can't help but feel sad because this is the end of an era. But it's a happy ending, all the same.

2. Revolutionary Road

This has to be one of my absolute favourite movies and favourite book, as well. I don't care if Titanic is supposed to be the saddest movie of all time or whatever, because I think this Leo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet outing made me cry the most. It's an ultra depressing film about the dreams of people stuck living a suburban life and a look at a couple on the brink of disaster. The way DiCaprio and Winslet play it out is simply beautiful, but the end is so devastating, and that all comes down to DiCaprio. When I see his face after he finds out what happens, I swear my heart shatters into a million pieces. Every single time.

1. Requiem for a Dream

Okay, so you know how most people watch this movie once and they're like "I'm never watching that movie again!" I was one of those people. Once this movie ended, I started crying uncontrollably. If there's any movie that changed my life, it was this one. However, I got forced to watch it again not so long ago. I warn you, this is not a good idea. Even though I knew what was going to happen, this film hit me like a million bricks. I literally cried for an hour, and then couldn't get to sleep for quite a while (it was 3am, mind you). Seriously, Requiem for a Dream is the most depressing film I have ever seen in my life. I literally feel like my innocence is gone now I have watched this. Some Christmas present this movie turned out to be. (Note: I actually do rank this as one of the best films I have ever seen)

Which movies make you bring out the tissues?

DVD--Tomorrow, When the War Began

or: World War III

One word to sum it up: Scary

I admit, I'll try to avoid Australian movies as much as I possibly can. While I side with their directors, who like producing thought provoking artistic features, what we've seen come out of the country in the past years has been nothing short of depressing. This year, I broke that by firstly watching Animal Kingdom, quite possibly one of the best movies of the year; then, like a lot of other teenagers, watched Tomorrow, When the War Began, the adaption of the first of John Marsden's hit series. I am part of the minority who haven't read the books (new years resolution #7), so don't expect some of that 'book to movie' comparison from me. I just want to say to all those sceptics who said 'it's only cool if you've read the books', I really enjoyed this movie.

Ellie Linton (Caitlin Stasey) and six of her friends decide to go camping in a remote place far away from their homes for a while. When they come back, they discover that their town isn't how they had left it. Their parents are gone, and there is no one to be seen. That is until they find everyone has been captured and sent to the showgrounds, sparking the beginnings of a war. The seven young adults must try to stay away from the enemy that has come upon them, but most of all, try and save their world and restore it to what it used to be, before it is too late.

The one negative thing I have to get out of the way first is the truly shocking acting. The cast is very inexperienced, as most of them have come from Aussie soaps like Neighbours or other Aussie TV programs. I read a review that claimed this movie was 'better when the cast stopped talking'. Well, that's a little harsh, but all the best moments do happen when the film is focussed on the action rather than the characters. If you can get past the acting, then you will be in for a treat. The first fifteen minutes are dedicated to being your average teen drama/comedy, and then from there on it turns into something you wouldn't expect from an Australian movie. Through the years, we have seen many films depicting concentration camps and the like from World War II, which have been quite scary. However, in one of the first scenes of war in this film, we see a concentration camp-like setup at the showgrounds, which is particularly scary because all of this could happen. Hopefully some people don't read to much into it.

This is the directorial debut from Stuart Beattie, who has written such films as Australia, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and The Pirates of Carribean series. This is a large scale project for someone with no directing experience to undertake, but he, like fellow Australian debut director David Michod (Animal Kingdom), manages to handle the film with the right kind of intensity and doesn't let things blow out of proportion. Could this mean the beginning of Australians taking on Hollywood? I hope so. Given the fact that it's not only action packed and dramatic but it is delightfully funny, too, with one liners like 'that's the biggest joint I've ever lit'. The end of this movie was a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving us with the promise of a few more films coming our way. Come 2012 and 2013, you'll be seeing a couple of sequels on your screen. Which is just as well, because Australia has shown us how great they are at making action films...and I want more of them.


THE VERDICT: Awful acting can't stop this movie from being as entertaining or as thought-provoking as it is, and it serves as a good adaption as one of the most popular books of all time.

8/10

DVD--Animal Kingdom

or: Kids and crime.

One word to sum it up: Gritty.

Imagine my delight when I found a copy of Animal Kingdom in the preview drawer. Here is a movie which I hadn't heard of until seeing a glowing five star review in an issue of Empire, and had wanted to see ever since. It had a small release here in NZ, mainly circulating through the New Zealand Film Festival, but I'm pretty sure it's still playing at many independent cinemas across the country (I'm not sure when it's out on DVD here, but I'll just say that this is a DVD review anyway). Again, Australia proves why it is the best at making compelling family dramas, adding a fantastic crime vibe which David Michod should be proud of.

After Joshua 'J' Cody's (Jame Frecheville) mother dies in front of his eyes from a self-inflicted heroin overdose, J, who is slightly detached from life, feels he has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), the family matriarch, for a place to live. Smurf rules the family with a borderline incestuous love over her three sons, the quietly menacing Andrew "Pope" Cody (Ben Mendelsohn), the hyperactive Craig Cody (Sullivan Stapleton), and the barely of age Darren Cody (Luke Ford). Pope and his best friend, Barry "Baz" Brown (Joel Edgerton), are armed robbers, with Darren their up and coming apprentice, while Craig is a mid level drug dealer. Melbourne's Armed Robbery Squad is after specifically Pope, who is hiding out. But when the standoff between the Codys and the Armed Robbery Squad is brought up a notch, an all out war ensues, with some casualties and J caught in the middle. The only grounding in J's life is his girlfriend, Nicky Henry (Laura Wheelwright). With those casualties comes an investigation by Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce), who knows the Codys are involved in some of those deaths. As Leckie tries to get J on his side, J has to figure out how best to get himself out from the middle, where he trusts neither side. J also wants to figure out how to exact what he considers justice in an all around bad situation.

The Cody's have just become the most interesting crime family to grace our screens in a long time. This family is blessed by fantastic actors who give powerhouse performances filled with aggression and barely any emotional stability. It doesn't feel like a film when you are watching it, as you are instantly drawn into to it's frighteningly realistic world. Animal Kingdom is not the kind of coming-of-age film you'd expect; however, James Frecheville's great debut performance as J pretty much epitomizes how hard it can be growing up, especially when you are surrounded by crims.

While it may look like an average crime genre violent frenzy riot, it's not. Animal Kingdom chooses not to be glorifyingly violent and packs a punch in ways we can all relate to. It asks the viewer how they would feel if they were J: having to choose between right or wrong and having to live with crims who are unpredictable at the best of times. Jacki Weaver, perhaps, has the best part of the movie, playing the strange matriarch who I couldn't quite wrap my head around, but I think that's what her point was. She deserves as many accolades as possible, she really is the pearl of the film. Animal Kingdom is a film which isn't to be missed, and is to be seen twice. David Michod is onto something big here.


THE VERDICT: David Michod crafts a superbly written and directed film, made even better by it's fearless performances that should be seen to be believed.

8/10

Rewind--The Black Balloon

or: The Australian version of What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

One word to sum it up: Heart-breaking.

Usually, I tend not to watch Australian films. Maybe it's because of this love/hate relationship we have with the country here in New Zealand, or maybe it's because their films have always been meddling in the over-dramatic stuff. The Black Balloon, on a whole, didn't surprise me, as it was very Australian. That aside, this is a film which anyone could have made, but the Australian's seemed to have done it right.

Thomas (Rhys Wakefield) is a normal kid. His mother (Toni Collette) is pregnant, and his family has just moved to a new town. His brother, Charlie (Luke Ford), is severely autistic. When Thomas is put in charge of Charlie, he has to live with the embarrassments Charlie makes of him in public, and also the fact that Charlie makes trouble when Thomas is out with the girl he is in love with, Jackie (Gemma Ward). Thomas just wants to be normal, but is that possible with Charlie around?

While watching The Black Balloon, I found so many similarities to What's Eating Gilbert Grape that I was beginning to wonder if it was just an Australian rehash of that film. It's not, really, because The Black Balloon seems to be more of a family drama. One thing the Australian's are good at it making believable family portraits which we can all relate to, instead of succumbing to the wildly outrageous American stereotypes. Beneath the family drama, this film is a naive romance and conjures up the theme of friendship, too. It never becomes schmaltzy and never asks the viewer to feel for the characters, because you just do. Never once would you feel like the script is trying too hard to get emotional, or trying too hard to get you to cry. It's natural fragility and thought-provoking material makes this a film which is hard to slam down.

Luke Ford impresses the most, using the Method to perfectly create Charlie in a performance as worthy as Leonardo DiCaprio's in WEGG. Rhys Wakefield and Gemma Ward both ooze out the innocence of youth and do some pretty sweet performing. Toni Collette, as always, shines. The Black Balloon will dive you into sadness and loneliness, but ultimately you will come out of the film smiling. It doesn't ask for much, just an open-minded watch. Do that and this little indie should take you places the average American family drama can't.


THE VERDICT: A geniunely sweet yet harrowing coming-of-age story, which is tender but never too schmaltzy. Excels as a family based drama.

8/10