Why film critic Leigh Paatsch gave Mad Max Fury: Road and these other films five stars
ONLY a small handful of movies have ever got film critic Leigh Paatsch’s five star rating. The new Mad Max is the latest to receive the honour. Find out why.
Leigh Paatsch
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THERE is nothing quite like a 5-star review to throw a cinematic cat among the picture-house pigeons.
Such was the case once again earlier this week, when I allocated the maximum rating possible to the spectacular new action blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road.
A full-on, full-marks result invariably provokes a wide gamut of responses.
From the how-dare-you?, all the way up to the how-can-I-see-this-ASAP?, the Fury Road experience has been no different.
Going back over my records — which are going to form the bulk of this article — it is clear I only let rip with a 100% endorsement once or twice per year.
As I move from title to title each week in the course of a film-going year, my philosophy remains essentially the same: go with what the gut says, and let the head worry about coming up with an explanation later.
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You can sit on the fence sometimes. You can plant a flag either side of the fence at other times.
However, when it comes to what you think are the truly great (and by extension, the truly grating) films, you’ve got to go ahead and blindly polevault that fence, and then live with where your opinions land.
Whether you stick the dismount perfectly, or ingloriously plant your face in the dirt, it really doesn’t matter.
None of us see any one movie the exact same way.
So allow me to hit you with my ‘bunch of fives’ from the past decade.
And by all means, feel free to hit me back with yours.
2014
12 YEARS A SLAVE
At The Time of Writing: “ ... tackled a type of subject matter that Hollywood has conspicuously avoided exploring in too much detail for far too long. A film as complex, compelling and confronting as 12 Years a Slave not only reignites a familiar sense of outrage about a shameful past. It also promotes a fresh understanding of a terrible era in US history.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Remains an uncharacteristically aggressive work for a historical/period drama. Already beginning to appear on educational curriculums around the world, which adds confidence it will stand the test of time.
IDA
At The Time of Writing: “The best foreign-language film of 2014 by a clear space. A minimal plot concerning a young Polish woman visiting her only known relative is magnified by mesmerising direction and astonishing B&W cinematography. Not a single frame, line or gesture is out of place. Find and cherish this film.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Went on to deservedly take out the Best Foreign Language Film category at most recent Oscars. A film once seen that is not only never forgotten, but often pondered. Stands up to the repeat viewing test, too.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2014?
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gone Girl, The Lego Movie, Whiplash, Force Majeure.
2013
GRAVITY
At The Time of Writing: “ ... a supremely sublime combination of the you-are-there and the how-did-they-do-that?, completely immersing the audience in both the wonder of space, and the wonder of cinema. Not just a stunning work of science fiction, but a truly heartfelt work of human drama. Hey Hollywood, got any more of these kind of movies? We’d all love to see ‘em.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Hollywood yet to cough up anything remotely of the same unique calibre. Behind-the-camera team moved on to one of the most innovative films of this year, Birdman. Gravity’s unsung strength is its brevity. All over inside 90 minutes.
MUD
At The Time of Writing: “It starts with someone’s boat lodged high in the trees. It ends with someone’s body floating down a river. And in between? A classic tale of innocence lost and wisdom gained, one that comfortably holds its own against the likes of To Kill a Mockingbird and the best works of Mark Twain.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Barely seen at the time of release, but has since slowly won a legion of fans thanks to the ever-rising career stocks of its lead actor Matthew McConaughey. His flawless performance here is easily the equal of the work that soon after won him a Best Actor Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2013?
Django Unchained, Captain Phillips, Blue Jasmine, Zero Dark Thirty.
2012
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
At The Time of Writing: “Christopher Nolan ended his consistently brilliant, forever game-changing Batman trilogy on sustained notes of elation, exhaustion and deep contemplation. If every blockbuster event picture was a third as good as this, our faith in mainstream filmmaking would be unshakable. Here’s hoping these excellent works were not just an exception to the rule, but an example others will follow.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Can’t be budged from the very top shelf, no matter how hard you try. Nolan’s body of work as a filmmaker is beginning to shape as one of this (still relatively young) century’s most important and influential.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
At The Time of Writing: “Not often a film will have you repeatedly thinking “I have never seen anything like this before.” Sure, this lyrical, yet cryptic crawl through a community devastated by a hurricane was an acquired taste for many. However, no-one could deny the raw power coursing through every frame.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Was a tough sell at time of release, and remains a too-hard-basket commodity for many. Nevertheless, its enigmatic structure and unworldly atmosphere cannot and will not be denied. A hidden treasure awaiting your discovery.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2012?
Argo, The Sessions, Looper, Moonrise Kingdom.
2011
THE TREE OF LIFE
At The Time of Writing: “This ambitious attempt to explain the unexplainable nature of life itself is one of the most singular films of the past decade. People who experienced its dreamy, trippy meditations on how our memories shape us either loved it or hated it with a passion. There was no in-between. Like Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, if you fall under its spell, a masterpiece appears before you.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Without doubt, the most controversial and divisive five-star choice I’ve ever made. Years later, I’m still taking flak from unhappy campers who just didn’t get it. Which I totally get. This film continues to moves me in ways other films have never come near. I just couldn’t dismiss that emotional connection, hence the emotional call with the high rating!
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2011?
Drive, Source Code, Senna, Moneyball, Snowtown.
2010
THE HURT LOCKER
At The Time of Writing: “ ... not only delivered a master class in mapping out the ever-changing battleground of modern warfare. A powerfully incisive screenplay, by former war journalist Mark Boal, dissected the mindset of the contemporary soldier with a clinical precision that is almost unbearably true to life.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Won awards left, right and centre from the moment it was unleashed, culminating in that year’s Best Picture Oscar. Still exceedingly rare for a film to keep tension levels so deep in the red as this throughout.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2010?
Inception, Toy Story 3, Animal Kingdom, The Social Network, Winter’s Bone.
2009
UP
At The Time of Writing: “If you never thought a mere cartoon could convey the very essence of our existence — the peaks, the troughs, the major disappointments, the little triumphs — then Up will change your mind forever. Moving, funny, visually spellbinding. It does not get any better than this.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: The completion of a diverse hat-trick of instantly timeless classics from Pixar Animation (see years below). Will that studio ever hit these heights again? Cross all fingers and toes until further notice.
WAKE IN FRIGHT
At The Time of Writing: “Filmed in 1970 and thought to be lost forever, this extraordinary outback psychodrama is impeccably restored to its full former glory in 2009. Not to be taken lightly. Never to be forgotten. An undisputed Australian masterpiece.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: The miraculous restoration of Wake in Fright (a clean negative was found in a US storage vault) triggered a worldwide evaluation of the little-known film. Now enjoying its rightful renown as a cinematic classic.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2009?
Avatar, District 9, Samson & Delilah
2008
WALL-E
At The Time of Writing: “The first 40 minutes alone hits rarefied air for animated cinema. There is no dialogue spoken. The story unfolds in relative silence. And yet, every little thing that happens speaks volumes to the senses.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: See entry for Up.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
At The Time of Writing: “It shouldn’t work at all. An epic, yet curiously unclassifiable tale about a lowly Mumbai call-centre operator’s run at the big prize on India’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. It works an absolute treat. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. And you’ll want to phone a friend too.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: The most unlikely feel-good hit movie of all-time. Scottish director Danny Boyle has never been the type of filmmaker who will die wondering, and all the risks he took here (particularly when events take a darker turn) still pay highly rewarding dividends.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2008?
There Will Be Blood, The Dark Knight, The Counterfeiters, The Visitor, Juno.
2007
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
At The Time of Writing: “A supercharged psychological thriller ... Mind-bending twists and subtle shifts in tone are effortlessly deployed throughout a gripping portrait of life on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall in the 1980s. Hollywood is already labouring hard on a remake, but they won’t get anywhere near the punishing perfection on display here.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: And Hollywood never did crack the code on how to do an English-language remake. Thank heavens for that. In terms of vividly charting the complete ideological suppression of an entire nation, only one film (the recent Russian drama Leviathan) has gone anywhere near close since.
RATATOUILLE
At The Time of Writing: “Only Pixar could have pulled this off. Though this comedy starred a gourmet sewer rat violating every by-law of hygienic food preparation known to man, the experience remained absolutely appetising throughout. An instant classic.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: See entry for Up.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2007?
No Country for Old Men, The Bourne Ultimatum, Atonement, Sunshine, Pan’s Labyrinth.
2006
THE DEPARTED
At The Time of Writing: “Like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting, master director Martin Scorsese makes an explosive return to the big-time with a superior remake of a little-seen Hong Kong crime thriller called Infernal Affairs. By the time the final act arrives, there is so much pent-up energy on the screen you feel like moving to the very back row purely to ensure your personal safety.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Best remake of a movie ever? Has to go mighty close. Triggered an all-important career renaissance for the legendary Scorsese that continues to this day (his recent Wolf of Wall Street was charged with a raw energy that put many of his younger, hungrier peers to shame).
UNITED 93
At The Time of Writing: “A haunting re-creation of the frightening final moments aboard one of the airliners during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. There were no stars, no flamboyant heroics and no manipulative sub-plots. Just the facts, which speak for themselves to this very day.”
With Benefit of Hindsight: Wrote a whole new textbook on how to convey a factual story to audiences with both maximum truth and power. Rarely mentioned in dispatches these days, but remains a landmark work of its era.
WHAT ELSE WENT CLOSE IN 2006?
Brokeback Mountain, Hustle & Flow, Jindabyne, Babel, Inside Man, Ten Canoes, Borat.
Originally published as Why film critic Leigh Paatsch gave Mad Max Fury: Road and these other films five stars
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