Why is it good?This is the complete opposite of "Riot on an Empty Street" by Kings of Convenience: the whole is certainly not greater than the sum of its parts. Why? Because while some parts are duds, its outstanding parts are absolutely fucking amazing. If "Riot..." was the San Antonio Spurs, then The Magic Numbers' eponymous album would be the '96 Bulls; you have your occasional Luc Longley, Dicky Simpkins, and Judd Buechler, but everything's cool since you have your Rodman, Pippen, and Jordan. Although it can be argued that The Magic Numbers' starting five is actually better: "Love Me Like You", "Love's a Game", "Forever Lost", "Hymn For Her", and "I See You, You See Me" are some of the best songs I've heard all decade.
What memories (real or fake) does it inspire?
A lot. But I'll just let this small tidbit from my journal dated April 2, 2006 sum everything up:
We’re at the NLEX on our way home at around 1:30 PM this afternoon and I’m seated next to (name withdrawn) at the back. She leans towards me for a while then sits upright again. I ask her if she wants to lean her head against my shoulder as she takes a nap. She said she will when she gets a little sleepier. After a few minutes, her head is resting on my shoulder. I put my hand over hers, waiting for her to pull it away. She doesn’t. I close my eyes from time to time and lean my head on top of hers. When I’m not doing that, I stare at the serene countryside rushing past us, fully aware of her head resting peacefully on the foreground. “Forever Lost” by The Magic Numbers is playing on the car radio.
# 4 Movie: “In The Mood For Love” (2000)
Why is it good?Almost ten years later, Wong Kar Wai's tour de force seems a bit tired and semi-cliche. But this isn't the movie's fault. Throughout the decade, "In The Mood For Love" has become the unofficial arthouse editing and cinematography template: the slow, pensive tracking shots; the poetic imagery; lingering close-ups; semi-creepy classical music, etc.
At the time of its release, however, "In The Mood For Love" was unlike anything I've ever seen before. Its deliberate pace and obsessive attention to still-life detail were absolutely arresting without ever seeming gratuitous for one minute. This is because the movie centered around a singular focus: a self-denying love affair. So Wong Kar-Wai's camera was there the whole time to tell us things that the characters would never allow themselves to say. We had to be there for every subtle stare, every hesitation, every breath that a cigarette smoke makes apparent.
It also became my all time favorite Unrequited Love Story, overtaking "The End of the Affair" and narrowly edging "The Remains of the Day".
What memories (real or fake) does it inspire?
This movie left such a strong impression in me that every time I was in love with someone under impossible circumstances (which happened a little too much this decade), a haunting waltz score would always play in my head as I walked in what I imagined to be slow-motion strides.
What does this list say so far?
Uhhhmmm...that it's getting increasingly touchy as we near the top of the lists? Just wait.
album cover from pitchfork.com; movie poster from nettekeyif.net
0 comments :
Post a Comment