My favourite holiday is fast approaching. I usually receive a traditional chocolate cake with lots of frosting. I always light candles during the evening. And, of course, I wear a party dress. Yes, Oscar night is almost here. Okay, it might still be over a month away (cinephiles and devotees of Hollywood glamour, take note: the big night is scheduled to take place on March 7), but at least nomination night is only a few days away! Oscar nominations will be announced this Tuesday, February 2, and, in honour of the Academy’s forthcoming list of this year’s top American films, I am paying homage to Canada’s very own list of greats: Cinematheque Ontario’s Best of the Decade.
Cinematheque, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, was created in 1990 to offer year-round retrospective screenings of the finest international films in history. To top it off, Cinematheque is also curating a special film festival comprising the best films of the decade, which is based on a poll of over 60 leading film historians, programmers, curators and archivists who all live, breathe and eat international art cinema.
Polled participants were asked to provide a list of what they believe are the most important films of the past decade. The results were scored according to the number of votes as well as the strength of the support each film received. In the end, a list of the top 54 films was created. Finally, Cinematheque’s curators whittled that list down to 38 must-sees touted as The Best of the Decade: An Alternative View. The festival started last weekend, and it runs until February 23 at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Jackman Hall.
Some of my all-time favourite flicks made the cut, including David Lynch’s brilliant Mulholland Drive, with a break-out performance by Naomi Watts and its tribute to the darkest corners of the human mind; Gus Van Sant’s Elephant, which quietly captures the most disturbing traumas of high school life in its shockingly elegant portrayal of the Columbine shootings; and the Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which expertly examines the pervasive darkness of Communism in the context of illegal abortion.
But, more importantly, what’s playing this weekend? Tonight, a double feature of In the Mood for Love and Spirited Away, both of which have been on my rental list since they were released. Angès Varda, director of my favourite French film, 1985’s Vagabond, gets a nod on Saturday night with her film, Les Glaneurs et La Glaneuse. The weekend finishes off on Sunday with Taiwan’s Three Times, a tale of three intertwined three love stories spanning three different eras, set against the backdrop of Taiwan’s ever-changing political climate.
I know that this weekend, I’ll be taking in an alternative view of cinema. And, to go with it, I just might eat an alternative piece of cake — likely something gluten-free and vegan. But I’ll keep my sugary frosting, which is just as sweet as the Cinematheque’s upcoming screenings.
Leanne is an associate at Heenan Blaikie LLP. She spends her free time indulging in art, film, music and literature and swears that culture tastes better than chocolate. Her column appears every Friday here on lawandstyle.ca.