some favorite movies

Lost in Translation The soundtrack alone is so stunning, i would enjoy sitting through this movie with my eyes closed - but then i would miss the amazing visuals.  Excellent writing, subtle performances, surprising humor.  Words truly do fail to describe some of the sublime inexpressible moments this film captures.

Before Sunrise "perhaps God is in the space between people as they try to connect" A conversation movie from the director of Slackers, consisting completely of two characters walking around and talking. The dialog is brilliant, touching, witty, realistic and profound. Vienna, which i got to visit when i was 15, serves as an attractive background. Critics liked it too and called it "the most romantic movie of the year"

Real Genius A classic 80's fantasy with smart kids subverting a big evil conspiracy. This one has special meaning for me since i went to the college on which the movie was based. This film had a great deal of influence on me before, during and after my Caltech experience. Too bad characters like the beautiful hyperactive lead female are purely imaginary.

Hackers A 90's version of the same fantasy. This time the kids are an overblown Hollywood version of phone phreak/hacker types. The screen images (photogenic viruses) are also quite bizarrely unrealistic. Why do i love this movie so much? It's funny, fast-paced, the soundtrack is great, the female lead is a geek dream, and when they get the computer cultural references right, it's REALLY good. Who doesn't love to cheer for bright, idealistic young heroes who are freaks wielding PowerBooks?

Down By Law "It's a sad and beautiful world" Jim Jarmusch's films seem to capture a special tone and a sense of being which is driven by the stunning cinematography, rich storytelling, and s-l-o-w-l-y paced narrative.

Dead Man My favorite of Jarmusch's films. Saw it 5 times in the theatre. Again, very slow, with dark humor, amazing visuals, and elusive and complicated meaning. Reviews of Dead Man tend to use words like "fascinating", "deconstruction", and "mystical."

Kafka This film somehow manages to capture the deep, suffocating and paranoid feeling of Kafka's writing in cinemagraphic form - an amazing feat. Shot in Prague on stark black-and-white film, with superb acting and well-crafted suspense.

Akira Kurosawa's Dreams A collection of magnificent short films, rich in magical realism, each wonderful in its own right, yet connected in to give a stunning depth of meaning. A very slow, extremely artful film which is not for the impatient.