3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001/2002/2003, Peter Jackson)
Peter Jackson’s modern epic raised the bar for fantasy filmmaking this decade with his trilogy adapted from JRR Tolkien’s widely praised novels. It’s certainly up there with the David Lean epics like Lawrence of Arabia in terms of scope and overall power on screen. The series of films took full potential of the cinematic medium and created a viewing experience par excellence in the cinema.
I am one of a very few who prefer the films to the novels, for the simple reason that Tolkien is a fairly dull writer. Jackson on the other hand manages to take that vast plot and provide a better structure and leaner story that makes sense for the cinema.
It’s a profoundly good adaptation of the material. Jackson changed the face of filmmaking by developing the motion capture technique as well as the world of visual effects at WETA, outgrowing the work done by ILM or Digital Domain.
The Lord of the Rings is a beautiful film that shines on the cinema screen and changed the face of modern filmmaking in ways Avatar wished it had done.
2. The Social Network (2010, David Fincher)
My top two films are ‘zeitgeisty’ films. They are films very much of their time, commenting fiercely on a modern society and tearing it to pieces with a harsh critical eye.
Fincher’s film is a very perceptive insight into the dark, lonely world of social networking and how the creation of Facebook was born out of jealousy and nothing but rotten intentions.
Filling itself with a cast of wholly repulsive characters, neither Sorkin nor Fincher care that their audience will find no point of emotional identification with these people. They expect us to be following the fascinating story of this rise to power from nothing, and to be as excited as possible in watching a film about a bunch of people arguing in rooms and occasionally writing code.
What is most surprising about that is they manage to pull it off. And the reason Fincher deserves to raise that golden gentleman above his head is down to his technical, directorial skill in making that cinematic and making it look effortless. It’s pure genius.
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