What would your five favorite Peter Weir films be?
The House Next Door offers Craig Simpson’s answer, and others get into the game.
Mine?
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Fearless
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Picnic at Hanging Rock
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Witness
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The Mosquito Coast, and probably…
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The Truman Show, or may be Master and Commander… or perhaps Gallipoli.
Ask me again in five minutes, and I might change my mind.
But I do know this for certain: The man should make more movies! I’d like to have ten more to choose from!
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Measure for Measure: New songwriter-blog treasure
Andrew Bird and Suzanne Vega are blogging about songwriting for The New York Times? Cool.
I haven’t seen enough Weir films to make a proper judgment call on this:
1. The Truman Show
2. Master and Commander: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
3. Witness
1. Gallipoli
2. Witness
3. Master and Commander
4. Truman Show
I’ve not seen Weir’s name on anything lately, and that’s a shame. He’s great.
The Truman Show
I think that Weir took an idea that could have been cheap and shallow – EDtv – and he turned it into a fascinating and challenging look at our cultures obsession with fame. At least that is what is on the surface. If you dig a little deeper this film has so much more to say about our view of God and authority. It speaks to our view of free will and predestination. Plus, Jim Carey gives an award worthy performance and the music by Philip Glass is a perfect companion to the visuals.
Master and Commander
Once again, he takes a film that could have been formulaic, and he crafts something that is so much more. Forget the action and the spectacle, this film is about friendship, honor, duty and a myriad of other weighty thematic elements. The conversations between Captain Aubrey and his best friend Dr. Maturin are the most exciting moments in the already stuffed with excitement film.
Fearless
What is the point of living? What compels us to keep going? Never before or since have I seen a film that tackles questions of mortality and responsibility the way the Fearless does. Jeff Bridges gives one of his most nuanced and honest performances in a career full of great work. And rarely has a piece of music moved me like “Where the Streets Have No Name” does in this film.
Witness
I’m sure plenty has been said about this one, so I won’t take the time to write much. Great acting, great story. Harrison Ford is so fun to watch in one of his least “fun” roles.
The Mosquito Coast
The best acting in Harrison Ford’s career. And the loss of River Phoenix becomes even more disheartening after watching the type of work he is capable of here. Ford starts unhinged and only gets worse as the film progresses. This film grapples with mental stability issues in relationship to the genius mind. It is also critical of modern culture and our materialistic society.
1. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2. Witness
3. Fearless
4. Dead Poet’s Society
5. Gallipoli
1. Year of Living Dangerously
2. Witness
3. Mosquito Coast
4. Truman Show
5. Dead Poet’s Society