5 Best Films I saw in March

I didn’t see as many films this past month as I had in February, and by extent, not as many great films as I would have liked having under my belt. But I did see a few films that left impressions on me, even huge impressions in some cases. Like before, this is not ranked in order of preference but in the order of how I saw them…

Toy Story 3

Directed by: Lee Unkrich

Year: 2010

I hadn’t seen the first two Toy Story films since I was a kid, I had planned rewatching the first two before seeing this, but things didn’t quite work out that way, despite that, did that affect my enjoyment of this highly nostalgic threequel/finale? Not one bit, I might have not fully bawled my eyes out as most did, but there were moments where I came pretty damn near tearing up hard. Standing right with WALL-E as Pixar’s greatest efforts since their first Toy Story films, I found myself more taken with some of the darker directions it took in its second act, and its very emotional third act where I was honestly taken back and had no expectations of  where it would go (something that I didn’t find in common with Up, where I was taken out of the experience of that film by its surprising lack of interesting directions and, well, unoriginality despite its concept). Some have expressed disdain at the redundant rebooted Buzz Lightyear sub-plot, I honestly hadn’t remembered that from the second film, so it didn’t bother me as much, despite its contrivance. Despite issues like that, which I honestly find minor overall to the film, Toy Story 3 was a deserved continuation, and finale of the story, it ends in a way that perhaps it could be continued further, but there’s honestly no point in it, so why bother? Hopefully with unnecessary sequels like Cars 2 on the horizon, Pixar will leave this series just at that, which I think they will despite a couple shorts here and there.

Young Mr. Lincoln

Directed by: John Ford

Year: 1939

If there was any film I saw this month that would likely make it as one of the best films I saw this year, it’d be this one. Sitting right along with Stagecoach as my favorite from Ford, this has already become one of my favorite films. Noticing that both films were released the same year, it’s for completely different reasons that each is a favorite of mine. Where Stagecoach is entertainment in its purest form and a quintessential western, despite it’s western setting, Young Mr. Lincoln isn’t the high octain entertainment that some of Ford’s other films are known to be. But it’s just as rousing of the spirit, its courtroom scenes sent my spirit soaring and often came to dramatic and surprising conclusions. But it shares in common with some of the other Ford’s I’ve seen and expressed before, its impressionistic simplicity in Ford’s approach to the film’s themes, many that are profound and find themselves relevant to this very day. A simple scene of Abe hanging from a tree limb reading a book of law that expresses the passion that Lincoln had discovered in Law and his relationship with a lover that inspired him to pursue it. I love that, of all the periods of Lincoln’s life that it chose to explore, it was his years as a lawyer that the film chose to cover, which is what lead to the great man he later became in the famed years as President and his eventual demise. I should also note that Fonda’s transforming performance as Lincoln is another quality that adds to the brilliance of this picture.

Winter Light

Directed by: Ingmar Bergman

Year: 1963

I’ve only seen a few Bergman’s, but something that I’ve found in common with all his films is his ability to emotionally, mentally, and spiritually affect you as the viewer. This is no exception, as it’s a meditation on the nature of existance, and the uncomfortable stabbing poke of doubt in moments of desperation within the soul. As a christian, I didn’t find my stance ever offended (I think film, as an art form, is open to challenge), but actually towards the end found myself rejuvenated despite its such bleak outlook. As a member of the church debates on what were the true ‘Passion’(s) that Christ endured, it’s in scenes like this that when even I fall into despair, I take faith in interprations like that. That Christ’s worst sufferring was doubt, doubt of his father, and doubt of everything he had done as his followers had forsaken him and most of the world around him passionatedly despised him. It’s portrayals like this that I’m more fond of, where I prefer films like Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ to Gibson’s The Passion of Christ, faithfulness to the gospels doesn’t matter to me, I’m more compelled when a filmmaker is willing to step outside of those boundaries and make (sometimes controversial) interpretations from it.

Hot Fuzz

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Year: 2007

Talk about thrills, chills and bang bang shoot ‘em up action here! Hot Fuzz is overall more of a crime film homage, but I often found myself enjoying its dips in horror, mystery/thriller, and slasher just as much. Tarantino is often more known as a director who relishes in paying homage’s to his favorite films and genres, but Wright is catching up, and has a style and taste of his own. References run wild from Scorsese-esque editing to the Man With No Name walking horseback alone into a town suspected of private devilry. I can only expect that enjoyment of the film, and stumbling upon many of its references that are deeply blooded in the film will come out in future rewatches. It’s a fun hybrid homage, fun to drink with, and I’m sure just as fun sober. Expected rewatches to come in the perhaps near future, may just very well become a favorite of mine upon repeats.

The Maltese Falcon

Directed by: John Huston

Year: 1941

A landmark the the film-noir genre, and the first of Huston/Bogart’s collaborations (Huston’s debut feature as well), I’m personally more of a fan of their latter effort The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (made my favorites of February list), but that holds nothing against this. As a quintessential film-noir, it contains many elements best familiarized with the genre, an intoxicating atmosphere next to a mysterious plot, but what also struck me about its intrigue is the mythology boiling under the surface of the film’s, shall I say, macguffin? Bogart is typically excellent here, playing the perfect asshole of a detective, as is the cast surrounding him with much less clever characters. Spade never sees the endgame, and only knows as much as the audience does, but despite the unpredictability that lays in his behaviour at times, he always has spare tricks up his sleave to pull when the time calls for it. Likely to benefit from rewatches, it contains a sharp script, piercing in its delivery of vital lines and the many turns the story takes.