Movies are my biggest passion, alongside music of course. I watch dozens of movies every month, right now I’m trying to watch all of the film classics. And the month of January was chock-full of film classics. Movies that everyone has to watch at least once in their life.
We’ll start off with “I, Tonya.” One of my favorite basic concepts in film is the idea of the obsessed artist. This, of course, being a very real case of obsessive artistry. The (mostly) true story of Olympic figure skating legend Tonya Harding and “the incident” of the assault of Nancy Kerrigan, and how it destroyed her career as an athlete. It stars “Barbie” icon Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding, Sebastian Stan as her on and off ex-husband, and Allison Janney as Harding’s abusive mother. After watching, I gave it an honest 5 stars on Letterboxd. Probably one of the most amazing films I’ve seen in a while.
Next on my favorites of the month was the classic, “Chicago.” As much as I already adored the soundtrack, I somehow hadn’t seen the movie yet. But it definitely lived up to its show-stopping soundtrack. A movie set in the roaring 1920s, starring Renee Zellweger as our main character, Roxie Hart. A young woman who dreams of becoming a showgirl and making it big, who, in self defense, shoots and kills the man she was having an affair with. Landing her in The Cook County Jail, an all women’s jail where she meets Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a fellow murderess, and her quick-talking defense lawyer, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere). Who aims to free her against all odds so she can live the life she dreams. Another honest five stars on Letterboxd, and one of my personal favorite musicals of all time. The entire soundtrack is jazz-based of course and it’s so well produced.
Third, we have “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Another movie I’m unsure how I hadn’t seen yet, and a movie that stuck with me so well it earned a spot in my top five favorite movies hands down. It’s the bittersweet story of Charlie (Logan Lerman), an anxiety ridden freshman struggling with the death of his best friend, as he starts high school. Originally thinking he won’t make any friends, he is proven wrong when he meets Seniors Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), an eccentric brother and sister duo. Through them he is introduced to the real world, joining their friend group and making unforgettable memories, good and bad. All while learning to cope with his repressed childhood trauma. It’s truly probably the most touching film I’ve ever seen. And it touches so well on issues like growing up queer, and bullying, and trauma. Yet another five stars from me. And one that will stay with me forever.
Next is the classic feel-good film, “The Wedding Singer.” A movie I was introduced to by my parents and loved every second of. It follows Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler), a struggling wedding singer in the 80s, who gets stood up at his own wedding. He then meets Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore), and the two start to fall in love. It’s a simple story but one of the funniest and simultaneously sweetest movies ever made. Just a movie that always makes you feel great every time you watch it and one of those that never gets old. I gave it a rating of 3 and ½ stars on letterboxd, moreso because I do enjoy a deeper movie but this is a great one for when you just need to feel good.
And lastly, we have a film bro essential, “Whiplash.” This movie is definitely not for someone who has a tendency to cry or get emotional during a movie. This follows a young man named Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) who endures grueling, nightmarish teaching methods from Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons). A cool thing about this movie is the soundtrack, it’s only really the jazz that is played by Andrew/the band during the film. There’s no Non-Diegetic sounds throughout the movie, no conventional soundtrack music. Which makes it feel all the more real, all the more awkward to sit through. I have never physically cringed, or gasped so much during a movie. And not in the bad way, just because of how realistic Andrew and Fletcher’s interactions are. And how well JK Simmons portrays the abusive teacher.
If you’re looking for a new movie to watch, or to break out of genres, I would heavily recommend these. They’re classics, and are all incredible in their own regards. As always, film is a very very divisive and really depends on the person you’re asking. There’s a genre for everyone, and everyone has a different definition of what a “good movie” is, but these are films, in my opinion at least, that are highly rated and could be enjoyed by everyone. Some do contain possibly triggering content, so it’s a good idea to do your research beforehand, but they are truly amazing and classic films.
