160. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” from Rocketman
It’s just an upbeat, lovely song. Part of the charm is that he wrote it for his own biopic and sings it with the actor who plays him in the movie. It is trading a bit off “I’m Still Standing,” since he’s basically trying to do the same thing in a different way, but hey — a fun song’s a fun song.
I make ‘favorite performance’ lists every year, and I get that these lists, more than the rest, are the most subjective one can make. Because it’s really about what you see in each performance and what you respond to; There’s no objective way to truly rate a performance as better than another. With whole films, it feels easier to make that distinction. So with these lists, I’m just gonna focus on some performances from the decade that I really, really enjoyed, and the goal here is just to shout them out and maybe get some people to watch the films if they hadn’t or reevaluate each of the performances the next time they watch the films.
These are my favorite female lead performances of the decade: Read the rest of this page »
161. “We Are Sex Bob-Omb,” from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
This is the opening credits song and is just perfect. This is exactly what it needed to be and really gets you amped for the rest of this movie. I can still remember seeing these opening credits in the theater for the first time, as the camera pulls all the way back up the living room and behind the couch. It just brings you all in on the movie in the best possibly way.
I make ‘favorite performance’ lists every year, and I get that these lists, more than the rest, are the most subjective one can make. Because it’s really about what you see in each performance and what you respond to; There’s no objective way to truly rate a performance as better than another. With whole films, it feels easier to make that distinction. So with these lists, I’m just gonna focus on some performances from the decade that I really, really enjoyed, and the goal here is just to shout them out and maybe get some people to watch the films if they hadn’t or reevaluate each of the performances the next time they watch the films.
These are my favorite female lead performances of the decade: Read the rest of this page »
162. “Ryan’s Song,” from Boyhood
Another song that’s hugely underrated from this decade. People forget that Ethan Hawke writes/sings two songs in this movie, and they’re both wonderful. They’re similar, but they’re definitely separate entities. This is the second song he sings in the movie, after he’s settled down and gotten remarried. And it’s a lovely song, bolstered by the fact that Hawke wrote it and sung it himself.
