It doesn’t hurt that these are interesting characters with interesting things to say. It also doesn’t hurt that if you’ve seen the first film you’re already pretty invested in them. In fact the film kind of hinges on that, and I’d be interested to talk to someone who hadn’t seen the first one to find out if this still grabs them. But regardless, Linklater puts you next to these people and lets you follow them around for an hour and a half and you never want to leave and when you finally have to, it’s at the most frustrating point possible and you’re shaking your fist at the screen yelling “Link-laterrrrrrrr!!!!!!” kind of like the Dean on Futurama yelling “Robot Houuuuusssse!!!!” Or at least I almost did.
What’s more is that this is a sequel. And sequels are supposed to suck. But that rule got broken many times this year (Spider-Man 2, The Bourne Supremacy, Shrek 2, etc.) but most of all by this one. It was hard enough to pull off a walking My Dinner with Andre the first time, but to have the balls to do it again?
Hats off to Linklater, Hawke, Delpy, and co-writer Kim Krizan for pulling off the most elegant cinematic feat of the year.
Now on to 2005. My money’s on The Wallace and Gromit Movie, but I’ll give the other ones a shot, too.
Article comments
1 - Bill Lamb
Good list and great commentaries. Thanks for including The Five Obstructions - it really is great and far too few will see it. The intensity of the relationship between these two filmmakers is fascinating.
2 - Eric Berlin
Well researched and presented list. I'm sad to say I've missed many of these (thank Gods for Netflix) and this is good reminder to get going. Eternal Sunshine is one of my favorite films of the '00s, and Before Sunrise one my favorites from the 90s. Can't wait to see the new one.
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com
3 - Nina
Great list, although I have to say my biggest gripe with "Five Obstructions" is aimed at the genius who decided to use white subtitles for a movie that has a white background for at least half of its scenes. Probably represents man's inhumanity to man or something, huh? I'll send my ophthalmologist bill to Lars Von Trier. :-)