Jonze first proved his talent for a quirky project with Being John Malkovich, where he had originally teamed with Kaufman for an ultra-witty concept. There, the director had withdrawn solid performances from all around while still telling a very different story pretty beautifully. In Adaptation, Jonze’s assignment was a lot more complicated and tougher to pull off yet the director mastered the seat even more than his debut feature, in my opinion. Any director who successfully places the same actor in two entirely different roles and has them sharing screen time so believably almost to me deserves an instant Best Director’s trophy depending on other circumstances (in 2002’s case, I believe Jonze deserves it).

The acting lineup in this film carried literally no flaws within their executions, bringing characters to vibrant life on the big-screen while in the process of telling a quirky and original tale. It’s pretty obvious that Jonze directed this feature, as he has a sort of extremely weird, almost unreal/fantasy-like way of presenting the story but it’s still pretty damn believable. Spike once said in an interview that he likes his films not to have a definite climax; for the viewer to leave not knowing all the answers. I concur with Jonze’s viewpoint, as I strongly believe that some of the best movie-going experiences result from stories where some of the answers are left up to one’s imagination or reasoning. In terms of Adaptation, Kaufman doesn’t write a report about how these characters really cope with the last issues that unfold. But in our minds, we can tell our own story, and in a filmmaking standpoint that’s really where one of the big landmarks takes place.

7. 25^th Hour

This, like many of the titles mentioned to date, pulls the viewer in from the first second we hear audio in the background as the Touchstone Pictures logo appears. We wonder what is happening, as it sounds brutal, and then we get to see it for ourselves. Already just a few seconds in, director Spike Lee has grabbed our attention and we want to see what’s up. I saw the drama in a theater auditorium equipped with pretty damn good sound, and I’m really grateful for having gone there because the movie gives off an additional powerful effect just with its sound/music alone. There’s a sensation that the music gives off, and like Rules of Attraction in particular, the music really hits dead even with the mood that Spike Lee is trying to convey with the visuals. Signs also had an incredibly eerie score that to this day still spooks the crap out of me, but that was more of a really wondrous, mysteriously unknown touch.

25^th Hour is really a small movie, as there aren’t many characters to get to know but it is that aspect that allows personal attention. We get to witness all the personalities fairly rapidly and get time to spend with them to see who they really are. What really intrigued me about the film, despite just the entire ensemble put together, was how much director Lee conveyed the idea of closed-in perimeters or the overall notion that Monty (Edward Norton) was going to prison the next day. And not only that, but via the nervous cinematography it felt like I too was going with our main character the very next day. Through the music, the acting, the character interaction, cinematography, and the direction, the story had me convinced that everything involved with the premise was in fact true.

25^th Hour could’ve just been a well told film lacking enough substance to call it special or unique, but it really sends off a big message and a powerful effect walking out. For a two hour and twenty minute drama, I did not look at my watch once; for it had drawn me in via its complex and well studied characters and again, the fact that the whole production was in gear. It’s an odd little film, because it really has no big goal to reach at the climax or no real plot for that matter, but it still executes itself marvelously. This is definitely good evidence of a film one doesn’t want to walk into for enjoyment purposes only, as it doesn’t really entertain.

It entertains real film fans because it serves them with a beautifully constructed movie with layers beneath the surface, and plenty of room to ponder what you yourself would do in the same circumstances. It’s filmmaking gone very right, and the movie has the guts to portray the emotions on the screen that few filmmakers ever even dare to attempt. Paul Thomas Anderson seems to be another fearless leader, who with Magnolia was able to tell a story that was extremely emotional and quite personal. Let’s just hope these types of films aren’t alone in the future.