Film Soundtrack Sunday: Bridge on the River Kwai and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence

Film Soundtrack Sunday:

'Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4HfWay93ubjJ0a5exojJJR?si=pwYP2XJXRmuoYFLrrpmOPQ
Youtube (Soundtrack Suite) : https://youtu.be/QKk6OGje63s

 'Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence' (1983)
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5V7xyxNhiGe9KrOfTegME7?si=r3z0Tul-SpehwEykbcIoeQ
Youtube (Main Theme): https://youtu.be/LF9_9MZyQGo

The parallels between these two films is pretty evident on the surface. Both have Japanese WWII prison camps as the setting. Both depict the defiance of prisoners and the harsh disciplinary measures of the camp commandant, and both go beyond that surface to examine Western and Eastern cultural clashes and a strange sort of connection found between such differences. Yet their scores could not be more different - and that perhaps can be ascribed to 'River Kwai' being scored by a British composer, Malcolm Arnold, while 'Mr Lawrence' was scored by electronic musician Ryuichi Sakamoto who also co-stars in the film as the harsh yet in some ways oh so humane Captain Yonoi.

Arnold's score features the striking use of the traditional 'Colonel Bogey March', memorably whistled in the film's iconic opening, and Arnold's own rousing 'River Kwai March' to set the tone for the noble determination and defiance of the captured British soldiers, and as the rest of the score progresses variates itself through increasingly discordant passages to reflect the growing madness within the camp on all sides. You get such marvellous pieces such as 'Nicholson's Victory' which registers both the 'victory' of the British within the camp along with a sympathy for Sessue Hayakawa's Colonel Saito; Colonel Nicholson's (Sessue Hayakawa) breathtaking scene of interacting with Saito not as adversaries but as comrades of sorts is accompanied by the serene 'Sunset'; and of course the 'Finale' is a masterpiece in having all the complex emotions come together in quite the explosive fashion where 'cheery' refrains of previous pieces all converge.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto's work on 'Mr Lawrence' has quite a different method in its use of electronic music, most notably in the now rather famous and frequently sampled titular instrumental. It however also seems to going for a similar thematic idea of how despite the seemingly 'rigid' structures of the camp life there is an emotional messiness to it all. The film's score attains a fine balance of using, like Arnold, deliberately disorientating pieces like 'A Brief Encounter' and 'Assembly' to suggest such emotional balances that come from characters being repressed and unable to express how they feel, most notably Yonoi, a more calming yet perhaps equally unnerving ambience in pieces like 'Last Regrets' where characters are left alone with their thoughts, and a more harmonious through line in pieces such as 'Father Christmas' where characters in showing generosity and kindness get to act 'naturally' in the goodness of their inherent human nature. It's no surprise that both film's scores have been sampled so frequently - though frankly, I think both deserve to be talked about even more nowadays.

Artists/Musicians who could've done/should do a Bond theme (Week 1)

I'm going to stick to six today, one for each of the Bonds who did multiple films and one for the prospective next Bond. Leave any recommendations in the comments! 

Sean Connery era: 

The Animals. I find their cover of Screaming' Jay Hawkins' 'I Put a Spell on You' to have some Bond-esque vibes.

Roger Moore era:

Laura Branigan. Apparently she was highly sought after to do one for 'Octopussy'. She would have been a great choice for any Bond though to be fair - what a talent.

Timothy Dalton era: 

Blondie. Likewise, they'd sent in a theme for 'For Your Eyes Only' but frankly their style suits the style of Dalton's Bond films better.

Pierce Brosnan era:

Pulp - 'This is Hardcore' (a recommendation by my friend Josh Payne, and I have to say I heartily agree with him).

Daniel Craig era:  

Portishead - 'Glory Box' (likewise, Mr Payne's idea and one I thoroughly endorse as well).

Next Bond era: 

Alex Turner and Arctic Monkeys, or The Last Shadow Puppets, have been hugely popular among music fans and I have to say looking at Turner's recent work, in particular this one, I think he'd be a fantastic choice.

20 Dream Bond Film Pitches

Note: this is all just fun and games really, most of these aren't realistic at all. Also, in an ideal parallel universe we'd get Orlando Bloom as 007, Danny Dyer as a villain, and a Kermode review on that, but alas such nightmares were never to be. 

20. Henry Golding as 007, directed by Chad Stahelski (John Wick series) 

Plot: While on holiday in Los Angeles, James Bond (Henry Golding) gets a call from MI6 telling him to investigate a wealthy Hollywood producer (Bryan Cranston) for illicit arm trade dealings he's hiding under the cover of a WWII feature film. Aiding him on his venture is a movie star (Blake Lively) who has more than a few bones to pick with the producer and his entourage of stuntmen.

Style of Bond film: A bit cheesy, action-packed extravaganza. Seeing as after Snake Eyes Golding will definitely be in shape and in form for a lot of action, this seems like the ideal sort of venture, breezy, not too serious and just plain fun. 

Bond theme song by: Lenny Kravitz 

19. Aaron Taylor-Johnson as 007, directed by Justin Kurzel (Snowtown, Macbeth) 

Plot: James Bond (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is sent on a seemingly routine mission to provide security for a celebrity animal conservationist (Michael Fassbender) after an assassination attempt on him, only for it to turn into a deeply dangerous when it turns out the animal conservation is a front for some darkly troubling secrets, and its owner has more than a few screws loose. Rose Leslie co-stars as a reporter who begins helping out Bond with his investigation. 

Style of Bond film: A dark, stylish, moody atmospheric piece which places its focus mainly upon the intensity of the investigation as opposed to huge set pieces, and giving Fassbender an acting showcase as an unhinged secret agent whose found a unique pastime of his own. 

Bond theme song by: The Pretty Reckless 

18. Jack Huston as 007, directed by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones)

Plot: Post-WWII. Royal Navy Reserve veteran James Bond (Jack Huston) is recruited into the MI6 and is soon sent to Paris to kill a double agent. Bond's confidence at the apparent ease of  the  mission soon disappates as he is pursued across the city by the double agent's mysterious and vengeful partner (Gwendoline Christie), who is in turn being pursued by a young French immigrant (Pom Klementieff) whose family were killed by her.

Style of Bond film: visually arresting cat-and-mouse chase across beautiful locations which builds  up to a grand finale with a lot of fisticuffs and body blows, with Sapochnik giving Christie  the well-deserved action showcase she's been deprived of by both Game of Thrones AND Star Wars. 

Bond theme song by: Lana del Rey 

17. Joe Alwyn as 007, directed by Thomas Vinterberg (The Hunt, Far From the Madding Crowd) 

Plot: Used as a scapegoat by both the CIA and MI6 in an undercover operation to capture a terrorist, a Russian business tycoon (Willem Dafoe) is left with his reputation in tatters, estranged from his family, and declared to be a traitor by his government. With neither organisation willing to admit their involvement, the tycoon reluctantly wages war against both organisations with his shady underworld contacts, resulting in them sending out a fairly inexperienced James Bond (Joe Alwyn) and his CIA counterpart (Angela Sarafyan), to dispatch him with extreme prejudice. 

Style of Bond film: A noir-esque journey into the muddying of waters between right and wrong as the two agents' sense of morality and loyalty to their respective organisations is put under question  as the 'villain' they are sent to kill reveals increasingly sympathetic aspects. 

Bond theme song by: Florence Welch  

16. Sam Claflin as 007,  directed by Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill, Rocketman)

Plot: James Bond (Sam Claflin) meets and falls for an aspiring singer (Tessa Thompson) while on a seemingly fairly routine mission regarding cartels in South America. Staying behind after the completion of the mission, he begins to unravel alongside her a series of nasty drug related murders blamed on the locals which have been engineered by a rogue disavowed DEA agent (Cillian Murphy) engineering a convoluted plan to get even with the MI6.

Style of Bond film: I'm aware that Murphy and Claflin played adversaries on the last season of Peaky Blinders, so this could be pretty cool recurring pair. I'd like to see this as essentially a more tonally balanced version of Licence to Kill (a film I do think is quite underrated), with maybe even a cameo by Benicio del Toro as the drug lord Murphy's rogue agent murders to take over the operation. 

Bond theme song by: Tessa Thompson

15. Dev Patel as 007, directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Life of Pi)

Plot: James Bond (Dev Patel) is sent to investigate an Indian businessman (Irrfan Khan) whom the  MI6 suspects of having ties to a series of virtual heists. Upon arrival in India however he is soon thrust into a dangerous game of wits with a computer prodigy-turned-hacker (Naomi Scott) who's playing countries against one another just for  the fun of it, and Bond and the original suspect have to team up to take her plans down. 

Style of Bond film: With just the right touch of cheesiness and camp to the proceedings without compromising the suspense, and visually sumptuous, audience pleasing fun against sweeping locales. 

Bond theme song by: Suresh Peters 

14.  Luke Evans as 007, directed by Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur,  Journeyman)

Plot: A British politician (Paddy Considine) has been working undercover for many years on a plan to eviscerate MI6 for good, and plans to involve his close friend James Bond (Luke Evans) on it as an unwitting pawn. Unbeknowst to the politician, Bond discovers the conspiracy when when tracking down and taking into custody a dangerous international assassin (Sylvia Hoeks), and the two decide to covertly take down the  operation as forces from all sides begin to close in on them. 

Style of Bond film: The blue Considine approach for the opening scenes  of  dealing with British bureaucracy before gradually escalating into conspiracy thriller thrills, chases and fights, which I feel like Considine as a director would probably have a knack at doing even though his usual genre is more low-key fare. 

Bond theme song by: Luke Evans  

13. Callum Turner as 007, directed by Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man)

Plot: James Bond (Callum Turner) receives a mysterious invitation to a highly coveted Swiss ski resort by his former prep school housemaster (Michael McElhatton), only to be trapped upon arrival to help him with some cheeky nasty villainous plans. Unable to contact MI6, Bond must rely on his wits, a limited assortment of gadgets, and a quirky fast-talking American expatriate (Emma Stone) who's the only other visitor at the resort he can trust.

Style of Bond film: A sort of homage to Stanley Donlen's Charade (1963) starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. A comedic screwball spy thriller with fun bits like Turner having to fight   some particularly well-trained rugby boys and Stone faking a British accent to ingratiate herself with McElhatton's villain. 

Bond theme song by: 

12. Dan Stevens as 007, directed by Werner Herzog (Nosferatu the Vampyre, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans) 

Plot: Cold War, 1960s. An East German Intelligence Service agent (Alexandra Maria Lara) defects to the MI6. James Bond (Dan Stevens) who shares a history with the defecting agent from a previous mission, is sent to ensure the process of  defection goes smoothly - which of course, it does not, as her father, a retired former high ranking intelligence officer (Werner Herzog) reluctantly accepts a mission to lead a team to take her out of commission.

Style of Bond film: A switcheroo of the John le Carre novel The Spy Who Came In From the Cold with a cynical yet also humanist view of Bond's vulnerabilities, while also having fun in depicting the tense battle of wits between British and East German intelligence against a Cold War backdrop.

Bond theme song by: Danny Elfman 

11. Matthias Schoenaerts as 007,  directed by Jennifer Kent (The Babadook, The Nightingale)

Plot: A disgruntled James Bond (Matthias Schoenaerts), placed under suspension by MI6 for excessive force in a failed mission to capture a psychotic playboy millionaire with terrorist connections (Shia Labeouf). Out of boredom and the moody British weather decides to pay a visit to a former flame (Samara Weaving) in sunny Australia. To his surprise: she's not too pleased to see him, and she's taken on a new profession: bounty hunting. When Labeouf's playboy millionaire unexpectedly arrives in Australia with a huge bounty on his  head, the two begin a race to track him down.

Style of Bond film: Gritty and violent with a strong streak of dark humour and playfulness in the interactions between British secret agent and Aussie bounty hunter. Also to note that this would have a very distinct vibe with a very atypical Bond (though Schoenaerts will of course do a perfect British accent), and a unique dynamic in a whole narrative centred around an extended chasedown. 

Bond theme song by: Nick Cave 

10. Idris Elba as 007,  directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code)

Plot: An infamous fringe scientist (Sam Rockwell), upon discovering details about a virus coverup, blackmails the American government into getting assigned to a powerful position within the CIA science division, and proceeds to go apeshit crazy with all manner of lethal gadgets, superpowered agents, and crazy skyfighters. It's up to James Bond (Idris Elba) and a smooth-talking British scientist with a weakness for explosions (Michelle Dockery) to take down Rockwell's nutcase scientist and save the day. 

Style of Bond film: A combination of Roger Moore and Daniel Craig, so to speak, with ludicrous and outrageous sci-fi dumbness merged with Elba's beastly Bond taking care of business. A big issue with a lot of Jones' latest films is they bog themselves down with too much 'explanations' and attempts at intellectualism. I'd love to see him tackle something big and ridiculous and fun like this with the great Rockwell at the helm.

Bond theme song by: The Weeknd

9. Henry Cavill as 007, directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kingsman)

Plot: James Bond (Henry Cavill) investigates a recently murdered billionaire's daughter (Riley Keough) and her stepmother (Cate Blanchett) who's a descendant of an infamous Nazi scientist (also Cate Blanchett) who plans to usurp the billions into her plan for world domination. As you do, foiling the plan requires travelling worldwide.

Style of Bond film: Also more OTT Bond-ness but more of the Sean Connery style of ridiculousness. Beautiful locales, shirtless poolside scenes galore, over the top accents, explosive action sequences, basically Man from U.N.C.L.E except Cavill, who is certainly great at doing smarmy charm and being physically imposing, gets to use his normal accent. 

Bond theme song by: Queens of the Stone Age 

8. George MacKay as 007, directed by Jim Jarmusch (Ghost Dog, Paterson)

Plot: After getting suspended from duty after an ill-fated mission, instead of going rogue James Bond (George MacKay) decides to take a break and go back to his native Scotland mansion, Skyfall. There he finds one of MI6's most wanted, Blofeld (Tom Waits) living a secluded quiet life in the local village with his son (Jack White), and reconnects with his childhood sweetheart (Jessie Buckley). Bond spends his day mooching around in an empty mansion, taking strolls around the village, and having awkward conversations with Blofeld. 

Style of Bond film: If you've ever seen a Jarmusch film you'll know exactly the kind of Bond film I'm talking about here: one where nothing happens yet is compelling, and which will never be funded by any studio, but it's fun to dream about.

Bond theme song by: Tom Waits & Jessie Buckley (Jack White's already done a Bond song) 

7.  James Norton as 007, directed by Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale) 

Plot: A corrupt oil magnate's narcissistic and deadbeat son (Chris Pine) on a drug-fuelled binge hears about James Bond's (James Norton) exploits from a black market dealer and decides to put his funds to use as a 'worthy adversary' to Bond and discovers he has a penchant for villainy. Directly targeting Bond with his  increasingly epic and convoluted plans, Bond has to rely  on the help of an associate from his past with underworld connections (Eiza González) to combat this looming evil of unhinged madness. 

Style of Bond film: Drew Goddard is great at aping very specific styles and turning them into effective films. Here he'd take the cheesy knockoff even more over the top fringe Bond films and turn them into a Bond film in itself in pure, unadulterated, style over substance madness. 

Bond theme song by: Sia  

6. Aidan Turner as 007, directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave,  Widows) 

Plot: A notorious Harlem kingpin (Brian Tyree Henry) looking to make enough money to escape the lifestyle with his wife, expands his business exploits to his hometown of Jamaica, only for tragedy to ensue as a result of rival gangs. Heartbroken and devastated he wages war against the rival gangs that sound expands to a global scale, requiring James Bond (Aidan Turner) who also has a tragic past involving drugs, to step in to take action. Complicating matters is a manipulative con artist/fortune teller (Alicia Vikander) who take advantage of the kingpin's grieving state as she seeks to manipulate him to gain power and riches for herself. 

Style  of Bond film: Dark, revisionist take on the previous adaptation of Live and Let Die (a film which I do like but is very dated). Featuring a particularly cold and calculating Bond and a cruel yet sympathetic villain, and changing up the story to one with social commentary while also having great action sequences. 

Bond theme song by: Frank Ocean 

5. Jack Lowden as 007, directed by Steven Knight (Hummingbird,  Locke)

Plot: A retired MI6 agent suffering from PTSD runs a restaurant in Chinatown (Benedict Wong) loses his wayward son to the local Chinese gangs. When his son is killed in a shootout between the gang and MI6 agents, the grieving ex-agent decides to use his skills as a lethal gun for hire for the gang, in order to get back at the MI6.  It's up to James Bond (Jack Lowden) a former friend and protégée of the ex-agent to stop things before it escalates into full on internal warfare, assisted by a disillusioned chain-smoking fellow agent 006 (Ruth Negga) who frequently dealt with the impoverished gang scenes of London while Bond was off on fun exotic exciting missions abroad. 

Style of Bond film: Similar to the McQueen film but with social commentary on London specifically, another darker Bond film which deals with having to deal with a former  agent spiralling out of control, and the maturity of a Bond who starts the film as a breezy cocky agent and learns a few lessons along the way. 

Bond theme song by: Aimee Mann 

4. Tom Hiddleston as 007, directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow)

Plot: James Bond (Tom Hiddleston) is the top ranking secret agent in the field, in his spare time living a luxurious life in his bachelor's pad with his dogs. This is all torn apart when a talkative quirky billionaire American philanthropist (Jeff Goldblum) sets him up in an embarrassing failed mission as Bond investigates his source of funds. Disgraced and embarrassed, Bond is despondent until a fellow agent masquerading as the philanthropist's assistant (Sonoya Mizuno) comes to him with evidence of his seedy dealings with nuclear weapons organisations - and away they go...

Style of Bond film: lightly, breezily quirky and comedic and pulsating with such energy even through the action sequences. The Night Manager showed that Hiddleston could definitely handle a darker shade of Bond if required but I do still think he's best suited for a cheekier approach.

Bond theme song by: Lindsey Buckingham 

3. Nicholas Hoult as 007, directed by Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, You Were Never Really Here)

Plot: Two MI6 collaborators masquerading as a pair of erudite art collectors in Vienna (Diane Kruger and Richard Ayoade) are suspected of being collaborators with the enemy after a mission gone wrong with agents who had sought their help in a defection mission. James Bond (Nicholas Hoult) is assigned as a trap to determine their guilt or not, working his way through a fake cover story about a fake mission which requires their 'help' while trying to turn the pair against one another, although complications soon ensue when a very real government conspiracy begins to involve which may or may not involve the pair...

Style of Bond film: slow-burning mystery of sorts with no one trusting anyone,  mostly a very 'thinking man's' Bond flick with double-entendres, probing questions, and clues dotted around the place. Fittingly for Ramsay, all about creating an unnerving  atmosphere with well-earned outbursts of violence.

Bond theme song by: Thom Yorke 

2. Chiwetel Ejiofor as 007, directed by Nicolas Widing Refn (Bronson, Drive) 

Plot: at an annual function celebrating the achievements of agents and staff across intelligence services worldwide at the Royal Albert Hall, the newly appointed M (Steve Coogan) reveals himself to be a covert terrorist who's planted moles across all intelligence services. Massacring almost all the top agents and holding the rest of the staff and agents hostage, only James Bond (Chiwetel Ejiofor) evades it a la John McClane style. It's up to Bond and a neurotic but surprisingly resourceful PR manager (Aisling Bea) to rescue everyone from a ticking bomb underneath that will wipe out all intelligence services.

Style of Bond film: Refn does have a cheeky side to him I don't think has been explored in his films post-Bronson, and I feel a Bond film could give him the chance to let loose in this regard. In a part-serious, part-satirical take on Bond, with Bond taking down rogue agents left and right with a mixture of witty dark comedy and brutal violence. And with Coogan and Bea being hilarious but also quietly menacing, and with believable dramatic weight, respectively. 

Bond theme song by: Alex Turner 

1. Richard Madden as 007, directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, The Hurt Locker)

Plot: brilliant but overconfident James Bond (Richard Madden) has his confidence and faith in  his abilities shaken after a seemingly simple routine assignment to protect a government official results in tragedy from an assassin who also takes out his fellow agents, but for some reason leaves him alive to wallow in his pain. A year passes and the government official's daughter (Elizabeth Debicki) approaches Bond to propose a collaboration to take out the assassin who killed her father - soon revealed to be an intelligent, cunning agent with  no clear motives (Lee Byung-hun) who through conversations between the two is revealed to be not so different to Bond himself. A tense, high-octane cat-and-mouse chase between the trio ensues...

Style  of Bond film: A merging of both Bigelow's sensibilities as a fantastic director of dramatic, serious matter and her take on the campy pulpy brilliance of stuff like Point Break. Delivering in the action stakes, as well as the quiet scenes of conversation between agent to agent as Bond tries to decipher the enigmatic past of the man he is pursuing, while also delivering an arc for late government official's daughter who also gets in on the action fun while revealing more about her own backstory. 

Bond theme song by: Alexandra Burke

5 Reasons to Watch 'Z' (1969)

Costa-Gavras' terrific political thriller is one which doesn't get talked enough about; an Algerian-French collaboration focusing on an allegorical account of the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis, it presents it in a fictional narrative that shows the veiled assassination of a pacifist leftist government official (Yves Montand) and the subsequent investigation by an examining magistrate  (Jean Louis Trintignant). 

1. As a film buff, be an Oscar completist 

It was only the second film ever to get a Best Picture nomination, and won Best Foreign Language Film and Best Editing at the ceremony; especially at the time, this was a true rarity! 

2. As a film connoisseur, its technical excellence

Few films are edited as well as Z. It moves along so well and unlike many other similar political procedurals never gets bogged down in the details. It tells its story so well and concisely with such  flavour and even humour at certain points, and is honestly some of the quickest two hours you could spend with a film.  It's a film with a message to tell and delivers it so efficiently yet never in a workmanlike fashion. Plus, the score by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis is so unconventional yet so catchy as well. 

3. As a citizen, its political themes and relevance

Z like any good political film has a message  and the director Costa-Gavras is clearly getting a point across of his anger and distaste for the political system of Greece at the time. What's great about the film is that even though it is largely a thinly fictional narrative you feel the weight of his opinions without it being stifling. The message comes across well as you feel the outrage not of the director, but of his characters at how the system tries to cover up the assassination as an 'accident'. Culminating in a downbeat yet brilliant ending that beautifully sums up what the director has to say on the topic. 

4. As a part of the present, a remembrance of the past

Sometimes films can feel dated. Not this one. It's timely as ever and its feelings and what it  depicts transfers brilliantly well to the modern day. 

5. It's just a great movie, period. 

For Your Binge Consideration: 20 Documentaries You Must See

'Disqualifying' O.J. Made in America and The Jinx which I will cover at some point. But I just consider them more miniseries/mutliple episode documentaries which is a very different format to an individual documentary. 

HM: Pumping Iron

So I've technically disqualified this in that it is technically partially 'scripted' (though rare is a documentary without a little bit of storytelling planning implemented) in the conflict it creates between Lou Ferringo and pre-Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger at the height of his powers as a professional bodybuilder. It's doesn't really disguise this fact and is very obvious about how it uses this for dramatic effect, but as an exploration into the unique world of bodybuilding and its many fascinating personalities it's rather compelling, with Arnie in particular showing that charisma and screen presence that would soon light up the silver screen.

20. They Shall Not Grow Old

One of the great technical achievements of the past decade of film, Peter Jackson's artful reconstruction of WWI footage through colourisation, sound effects work, snippets of anecdotes about trench warfare, into a rather detailed and varied account  of what it was like to be in the war. The appropriateness of such screen treatment for the soldiers is of course another discussion altogether, but as a cinematic achievement it is astonishing, and for me it is a moving insight into the predicament of the valiant British men Jackson wants us to remember.

19. Blackfish

Now documentaries with agendas can be a mixed bag, but the reason Blackfish works so well is because it doesn't try to disguise that agenda, and is very clearly pushing its own message across rather than subtly trying to trick you into. The issues of keeping killer whales in captivity, focusing on Seaworld, is detailed incredibly well with powerful imagery, anecdotes from former employees, and though it doesn't offer insight into the 'other side of the coin', as sort of a documentary for the prosecution it is extremely effective and I would say is probably one of the best of its kind.

18. Senna

You don't really get to 'know' Brazilian F1 driver Ayrton Senna through this documentary. The man's public image was that of a fascinating enigma and film maintains that certain distance and mystery to the man himself. What the film succeeds brilliantly at is showing the phenomenon that made him into the legend he was: how he enraptured thousands worldwide, had his fair share of rivalries and struggles, and the tragedies that would and ultimately befell him. It presents it all in a very engaging fashion through rapid-fire editing and an aptitude at telling his story just through footage of the man and his racing alone. I'm always a sucker for racing films anyway, and this is a fantastic entry into the 'genre' via real life, and even though it is heightened dramatically rather than an in-depth exploration it fits the larger than life figure its story is telling.

17. Bowling for Columbine

In line with Blackfish this is another documentary with a blatant bone to pick. What Michael Moore does here is ask some tough questions and attempt to not necessarily provide answers, but at the very least address them, in examining specifically the Columbine massacre and its social backdrop. It works best as an examination of all the possible reasons and Moore's methods of extracting anecdotes, opinions and conveying the general atmosphere around the guns' rights issues and school shootings is both fascinating and quite hard-hitting in its combination of montage, animation, talking heads and more.  Some interviewees offer some moving statements (Marilyn Manson), others are more blatantly used by Moore as a means for him to convey his own message (Charlton Heston), but overall I'd say this is a very successful documentary as a microcosm of its particular time while also presenting a powerful message.

16. Paris is Burning

Brisk, short, but very effective immersion into the 80s New York drag scene - a scene  I am not that familiar with, but which drew me in and fascinated me to no end in Jennie Livingston's incredibly well shot and energetic presentation of the African American and Latin Harlem drag-ball scene. It treats its subjects with compassion and honesty, never using them just as 'symbols' for the message of the marginalised within the marginalised, but has fun in examining the drama-filled, fiercely competitive escape from a troubled world the drag scene offers. It gets quite dark and upsetting at certain points in the scenes where we go with the interviewees into the 'real world', making it something of a mix of tones - and it could be a lot to take in within its short runtime. Nevertheless it is an often joyous, piercing and very intimate snapshot of a scene Livingston clearly had great deal of passion for filming. Available on Youtube.

15. Crumb

Pretty fascinating look at the controversial mind of cartoonist Robert Crumb, artist of Fritz the Cat and other adult comic characters. The man is undoubtedly a divisive figure and myself I definitely lean more to the negative side with many of his comments, but the 'no filter' look into his mindset through interviews with him, his family (including a particularly troubled brother who was the stimulus for a lot of his work), his wife and ex-girlfriends, and while I never warmed up to the man himself it is incredibly effective in showing how and what his little exact niche is, and how he carved his way into it. It is an extraordinarily off-kilter documentary fitting for an off-kilter man and feels rather honest in its intentions to give us a piece of his mind, though whether one likes it or not is an entirely different matter altogether. Available on Youtube.

14. Little Dieter Needs to Fly

Have you seen Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn, about US Fighter pilot Dieter Dengler's horrifying struggle to survive in Laos during the Vietnam war after being shot down? Whether or not you have, this can be either a fascinating companion piece or a standalone feature, a documentary made by Herzog a decade before Rescue Dawn focusing on the man's coming-of-age story, how he came to be a pilot and how he's dealt with the fallout of tragedy. Herzog handles tricky subject matter very well in giving a portrait of Dengler in a fairly casual manner where we get to feel like we're getting to know him first, and then learning about the trauma that so heavily affects his life. We see this troubled state of mind lingering over the whole documentary which makes it all the more heartbreaking when we get to most striking scenes of Dengler 'reenacting' his treatment at the hands of his captors. Available on Youtube.

13. Three Identical Strangers

Well here's one truly fascinating real-life story made into a fascinating documentary without losing a beat. Three - well, yeah, identical strangers - discover they are twins separated at birth, but the initial elation at this soon descends into some dark, disturbing revelations about the circumstances surrounding their separation. It's a fascinating exploration into the ideas of nature vs nurture, the almost paradoxical blend of joy and fear created by such revelations, and the gradual unravelling of a conspiracy that concerned this separation. It deals with the hard-hitting consequences of such a situation very well, and even though it does feel that there's more to be told from this story, at this stage it provides a compelling insight into how all families concerned were affected.

12. Stop Making Sense

So here's a documentary which isn't about thought or messages or anything. A concert film is a unique medium to excel in, and Jonathan Demme, of Silence of the Lambs fame, set out to make a sensory experience of all facets of a Talking Heads concert, and while it is indeed a stylistic experiment in many ways of audio and visuals, it is a spectacular example of it. As someone who likes but is not a huge fan/know much about Talking Heads, it's an invigorating experience nevertheless of almost putting you in the perspective of not just the audience, but also band itself. It's energetic, it's relentless, it's thrilling, and it's free on Youtube.

11. Amy

As is to be expected, a documentary on R&B singer Amy Winehouse was never going to be an easy watch, but Asif Kapadia does a great job of offering variation in approach. It is not just the depiction of a downwards spiral of the doomed singer, but also offers so much in the way of looking at her successes, her inspiring side to her life, her overcoming of hurdles, and her creative ballast, which makes her ultimate tragedy hit all the harder. The film eases you into yet never sugercoats the abuse and excesses  that caused Winehouse to spiral out of control, and the film does a great job at not exploiting a damaged soul, but rather act as a piercing but respectful tribute to an individual gone far too soon.

10. Tower

In compiling the perspectives of several survivors from the 1966 University of Texas at Austin mass shooting through archival footage, in-depth interviews and rotoscopic animation, Keith Maitland achieved something quite remarkable here. The editing in particular is a highlight here in crafting a one-of-a-kind juxtaposition between events of the past, and the reminisces of the present, and avoids emotional manipulation by granting a very honesty approach to the material at hand. It's a great documentary which far beyond being just a technically immaculate and innovative recreation of tragedy, offers a very humane exploration of not just its  tragic implications but also in offering a touching tribute to bravery and humanity in the midst of a horrible event. 

9. March of the Penguins

This is an easy one to pitch to people. Do you like penguins? Yes? Do you like Morgan Freeman narration? Yes? Would you like both as we follow emperor penguins on a journey to breed, guard their eggs, make treacherous journeys, fend off predators, in heartwarming fashion that  nevertheless also shows the very real dangers and losses incurred in such a journey? Well, I think you'll like this one quite a bit then.

8. The Thin Blue Line

A true crime procedural thriller that really sucks you into the whole investigation process while also exploring the corruption of the system through a police investigation into an officer's murder. As we are introduced to one man who was imprisoned for the crime under rather iffy circumstances, and another who it becomes increasingly obvious was guilty of it, the enormity of the situation begins to unravel and become  quite chilling. It's an excruciating haunting method of telling a narrative director Errol Morris employs here, in revealing how all aspects of media, the court system, the police system and more combined into the terrible situation at hand.

7. Man on Wire

Above all this is an extraordinary retelling of Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. It is a great underdog story to begin with, directed and infused with such energy both in terms of the use of footage, re-enactments and special effects to create such a wonderfully vibrant experience in following Petit to and fro as well as following his life story and what made him the man he is. It has such positivity of spirit to every sequence and the man whose story it tells is such a captivating figure, and even if  it does end like a bit  of an anticlimactic note it's  still a resounding success both as a documentation of an unbelievable real-life event, but also a captivating tale of a dream realised.

6. Searching for Sugar Man

The ultimate feel-good story of success in such an unconventional manner as two Cape Town music afficionados of American musician Sixto Rodriguez, an unknown in the US but a sensation in South Africa, go on a search for the mysterious man. The story of a man who couldn't find success for his passion in his home country yet whose songs gave inspiration in Apartheid times to a conflicted nation and encouraged change is a remarkable one, and even the iciest heart will be warmed to this incredible story that delivers both as an intriguing thrilling investigation into a legend who doesn't know he's a legend, and as a wonderfully moving tale of artistic devotion and passion.

5. Grizzly Man

Grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell is the focus of Werner Herzog's fantastic film, in my opinion his best work in any medium, which provides the tricky balance of providing a personal touch and insight into the matter while staying true to the spirit of the titular nicknamed man, who spent thirteen summers in the wilderness with beats in Alaska and sought to connect and converse with the bears, tragically ending in him and his girlfriend being killed by one. Herzog gives us a troubling look at a man sought to help out animals he saw as in need of help while having many issues of his own, feeling out of place within society and finding comfort in the company of the bears. It shows how such an endeavour was dangerous, foolish and ultimately caused great tragedy but also has such a sensitive touch to it. Herzog's narration, and compilation of interviews is remarkable in granting a full-bodied portrait of a man who paid the ultimate price for his passion and demons. Available on Youtube.

4. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

In the all-time great year of 2007, any film that makes my top 10 is a classic. This is a particular oddity, a documentary about competitive gaming. What transpires here is essentially an anime-esque showdown between the egotistical heel Billy Mitchell and the underdog everyman Steve Wiebe in their vying claims to the record for top score in the game Donkey Kong. It's ridiculous stuff with a huge cast of colourful characters, whether it's the kindly Walter Day, the deadpan Walter Mruzeck, or Billy Mitchell's sidekick Brian Kuh, as we get a buildup to a huge showdown worthy of WWE fanfare. The thing is though it's all very entertaining and hilarious, it's also very sincere and genuinely interested in exploring Wiebe's determination to get that high score. It makes something that could feel alienating or just plain weird strangely accessible and even moving, and beyond that is just a brilliantly edited and crafted film. Obviously editing and the way that stuff is presented can feel a bit staged, and most likely was at certain points, but you can’t deny the overall impact. Available on Youtube.

3. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

It really is amazing how this documentary about the infamous behind the scenes of Apocalypse Now came about, and after watching it you'll gain perhaps even more appreciation for the film as the masterpiece (I myself have finally come around to this). It's remarkable how much footage, a large portion of it compiled by Francis Ford Coppola's wife Eleanor, they got of the madness that transpired onset. Her journals, recordings, insights, everything - her side of the story is just as fascinating as her husband's, whose struggle to make the grandest passion project of all, a Vietnamese war epic based loosely on Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and it's interesting to see not so much a portrait of a madman, as I thought it might be stylised as, as it is a portrait of well-intentioned ambition spiralling out of control. As Francis struggles from one obstacle to the next, the film moves along almost as a psychedelic mad trip down a road of no return as he deals with helicopters being called away for military service, abysmal weather conditions, writer's block,  Martin Sheen's own mini-narrative of dealing with a heart attack, and the frustrations of dealing with both a completely out of his mind Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando at egotistical worst. 

2. The Act of Killing

This is one of those essential films I will say everyone should watch at some point, but I can understand how it might be hard to find incentive to do so. Joshua Oppenheimer, alongside Christine Cynn and another unnamed Indoneian director, document the Indonesian mass killings of 1965 - 1966 through looking at the 'heroes' of the death squads, led by gangsters such as Anwar Congo, the film's narrative focus. Far from being a straightforward documentary, Anwar and his friends are invited to re-enact his role in the genocides and his recollections of it through various genres of films: as a collective group of film buffs go about recreating the incidents of 1965 - 1966, a chilling, cold portrait is shown of such terrible events and the lengths people go to deal with them, whether by suppression, negligence or outright denial. The film shifts between broader displays of how such crimes have continued to have an influence on the modern day Indonesia, and how on a more personal level those involved have to deal directly with their role in the atrocities. A brilliant, but tough watch. Available on Youtube (NOTE: I still need to watch the director's companion piece, The Look of Silence).

1. Hoop Dreams

As brilliant as The Act of Killing is, and though I've only watched this particular Steve James documentary fairly recently, I didn't really have any hesitation in putting this right at the top of my list. We are introduced to two African American kids in Chicago - Arthur Agee and William Gates - as they get recruited as basketball prospects, the documentary follows the ups, downs and everything in between. It's so much more than just a film about basketball, although the game sequences are terrifically edited and very entertaining. It's about these two lives as Arthur and William go from teenagers to young men, and the transformations they undergo through the system. There's some hardships and tough moments to watch as they struggle to assimilate, and  face hurdles of different types - as William puts it, 'as soon as you don't tighten one screw, everything falls apart'. The additional focus on their families too is great as we watch the struggles of living in the inner city, but also the joys at successes. So often athletes are seen as little more than a series of numbers on a statistics sheet, but Steve James' work as a director here is terrific as we get such insight into these young men and their situations - marginalised, pressurised with such burdens on their shoulders and too young to cope with them all. This film puts a face to the social, racial and emotional barriers that face many a young man trying to get himself, his family, into improved situations by way of a hoop dream. These are two tales that do not try to deliberately be inspirational, or uninspiring. It carries with it life's truths and allows you to partake in it with Arthur and William: enjoy it, frustrated by it, thrilled by it, saddened by it, but always, always deeply connected to it.

The 20 Best Film Debut Performances

Note: this refers specifically to film debuts. 

20. Saoirse Ronan, Atonement 

As 13-year old Briony Tallis, Ronan just about steals the first act of Atonement away from the central leads, giving a quiet, enigmatic portrayal of a naive girl getting into a situation that renders her far out of her depths. She got the first of 4 Oscar nominations (so far) for her sterling work here, and though it was just a small early indication of her present talent it's terrific work from perhaps the best actress working today.

19. Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit 

It's fine that Steinfeld's more well known as a singer nowadays since she's very good at that, but she's an amazing actress too. In her debut she refuses to be overshadowed by Jeff Bridges giving one of his career highlights as Rooster Cogburn, bringing life into the character of the vengeful young Mattie Ross looking to avenge her father and handling the Western dialogue beautifully as one of the highlights of a great film. Also nominated for an Oscar for her work here.

18. Gabourey Sidibe, Precious (warning: very tough watch) 

Another Oscar-nominated debut performance, and I do think it's a bit of a shame that sometimes people let praise for Mo'Nique's magnificent portrayal of an abusive mother overshadow her. Sidibe is great too as the titular character, not just portraying the heartbreaking victimhood of the character but also the complicated state of mind and her tough living situation has led her into. It's strong, honest leading lady work that is tough to watch but remarkable. 

17. Jason Miller, The Exorcist 

Well look here, Miller too got himself an Oscar nod for this debut performance, and we've got to give the Academy sometimes for doing a great job in recognising unknowns. Miller's work is essential to the horror masterpiece that is The Exorcist as he brings a human element to the priest Father Karras struggling to reconcile his faith with a grim world. His work is what helps the finale of the film not just as horrifying but as deeply affecting as it is.

16. Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins 

So Emily Blunt did a lovely job for the role but really, Julie Andrews just IS Mary Poppins (and she should've been Eliza Dolittle as well, but I digress). In the role she was born to play, Andrews' wonderful voice and screen presence was introduced to the world via the titular magical nanny. Rarely have songs come as trippingly off the tongue as Andrews performs the Poppins numbers here, and there should be no surprise at how the film became such a smashing success and how Andrews won an Oscar for her work here (and she did Sound of Music just a year after! What a start to a career).

15. Edward Norton, Primal Fear 

Norton's had quite the interesting career trajectory, starting with his very first onscreen acting role in playing one of the

SPOILER ALERT 

most defining twists to any film. In that the film is mostly pretty standard outside of this twist, and Norton sells it to the max as shy stuttering choir boy Aaron Stampler who reveals an alternate personality, 'Roy'. It's daring, electrifying work that when you rewatch the film you appreciate all the more.

SPOILER ALERT ENDS 

14. Natalie Portman, Leon the Professional 

Portman's work here is unquestionably a star turn, and remains her best performance, all the more impressive considering that she shares so many with veteran actors such as Jean Reno and especially Gary Oldman. Portman avoids so many child actor pitfalls by giving such a powerful depiction of grief and anger at the tragic events that befall her Matilda, and I have to give all the credit in the world for her and Reno sidestepping Luc Besson's questionable intents, to create a more moving father-daughter-esque relationship between her character and Leon.

13. Harold Russell, The Best Years of Our Lives 

WWII veteran Russell played Homer Parrish, an officer readjusting to civilian life postwar and who like Russell, lost both his hands in the war. Russell is the acting highlight of a terrific film, giving a particularly honest depiction of his character's challenges and problems and never once shows a hint of amateurism or mawkishness in a role that could've gone very wrong. It's terrific work that is another element of the film that's just brilliant, and (I feel like I'm repeating myself at this point) won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

12. Marlee Maltin, Children of a Lesser God 

The first and only deaf performer to win an Oscar today, Maltin delivers strong work here as a former pupil at a school for the deaf who's continued on working as a custodian and meets a speech teacher (William Hurt) who takes an interest in her. The film is one which manages the challenge of sidestepping problems to create a thoughtful, if slight, romantic drama and Maltin's poignant work as a very complex character is great: you can see each and every change in her eyes and face and makes her character's emotional journey a very rewarding experience.

11. Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People 

Though he was really more of a Lead than Supporting Actor, Hutton deservedly won an Oscar for this terrific directorial debut from Robert Redford. His devastating portrayal of Conrad, dealing with the PTSD fallout from his older brother's death and his own suicidal attempt, it is one of the great performances of its kind. It's an incredibly convincing portrayal of depression and recovery of this young man, and moreover Hutton's chemistry (or anti-chemistry) with his onscreen parents (the equally spectacular Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore) helps create some classic, unflinchingly realistic scenes of a family in utter emotional collapse.

10. Eva Marie Saint, On the Waterfront 

I mean, On the Waterfront is magnificent showcase for Marlon Brando, but one should never sleep on that amazing supporting cast that amplifies the impact of his work. Saint's work as Edie, sister to one of the victims of corruption and burgeoning love interest to Brando's Terry Malloy, is a phenomenal turn that stands out as not just simple angel of conscience to Terry to do the right hing but a real, well-rounded character. Saint's performance adds greatness to an already great film and she won a Best Supporting Actress for her efforts here.

9. Sharlto Copley, District 9 

Copley's performance here is interesting to examine as it really is not an indication of where he'd go as an actor. Nowadays he's known best for his flamboyant performances that make use of his colourful South African accent. But his debut performance was an incredibly underrated turn in this terrific sci-fi social commentary on xenophobia and segregation through the allegory of aliens 'settling' in Johannesburg slums. Copley's portrayal of an ignorant office bureaucrat who gets stuck into a terrifying situation is an underrated but essential element to the film, and singlehandedly elevates it from a solid sci-fi action thriller into a moving portrait of a man's desperation to survive and overcoming his own prejudices (the scene above is legitimately one of the best acting scenes of recent years).

8. Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips 

A performance that defines 'ageing like fine wine' for me. It's incredible how in a Tom Hanks acting showcase (he is undeniably great) the standout came in a complete unknown Somalian limo driver cast as the titular Phillips' main 'adversary', Abduwali Muse. Abdi is intimidating and menacing as the ringleader of the ship hijacking but what I love about the performance is that there's so much more to this character. He makes you understand and allows you to make your own judgements about the character's poor decisions, his impoverished life back home, and his longing for a dream which rapidly decreases away. It's a hard task to make a character like this have the capacity for sympathy but Abdi does an amazing job in doing so.

7. Tatum O'Neal, Paper Moon 

Though it's unfortunate to read about how their real-life relationship was strained and deteriorated throughout the years, Paper Moon remains a classic comedy and Tatum's chemistry with her real-life father Ryan O'Neal is the highlight of it. As street-smart newly orphaned 9 year old Addie, who teams up the older O'Neal playing sly talking conman Moses Pray, the two actors have incredible comedic chemistry with each of their bickering scenes. She sells every punchline so naturally with fantastic timing, lights up the screen every time she's on, and what takes it a step further is she is genuinely quite moving in showing her affection for her offscreen (and possibly onscreen) father.

6. Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild 

How much one loves this performance is entirely dependant on how much one buys into the film. As I have stated many times before this is one of my favourite films of all-time, and fittingly this is a performance I adore. The film is one that embraces a communal affinity with nature, and Wallis' performance, who Roger Ebert described as one with 'miraculous' reserves of defiance, bravery and a 'force of nature', is beautifully attuned to every surreal yet realistic touch of the film. She is onscreen practically the entire narrative at the tender age of 7, and though the term is often used in exaggeration this is a performance that lives and breathes through the film, much in the same way the film's exemplary qualities all live and breathe through her performance.

5. Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves 

A film I need to re-evaluate at some point, as after watching Dancer in the Dark and loving it I wonder whether I'd be more attuned to Lars von Trier's style. As for the performance itself though, the quality of it is undeniable that even Mark Kermode who despises the film had to acknowledge its brilliance. Her Bess is a heartbreaking portrayal of a young Scottish woman who defines herself almost entirely by love for her husband (Stellan Skarsgard), and is so steadfast in that, and captures the right balance between her mental downwards spiral as tragedy occurs. Though I had problems with the nature of the film's violence and its portrayal of misery, Watson's harrowing yet strangely inspirational work is phenomenal and with a rewatch could easily move up the list.

4. Alan Rickman, Die Hard 

This is one which mindfucked me when I discovered it. Rickman had obviously acted extensively in theatre before this, but this was his cinematic debut. And what an explosive beginning to his career, acting in perhaps the greatest pure action film of all-time, opposite the greatest action hero of all-time John McClane, as the greatest action villain of all-time Hans Gruber.  Rickman sinks his teeth into delicious role of Gruber with a performance that has everything. Menace? He delivers that in spades and is genuinely terrifying. Humour? His deadpan reactions to the antics going on around him caused by McClane are priceless. He switches on a dial from fun to serious on a dime - and even combines the two in scenes like him pretending to be a meek American hostage - and gives an outstanding performance in every regard.

3. Emmanuelle Riva, Hiroshima Mon Amour 

An example of French New Wave cinema experimentation working to perfection, this non-linear, stream of consciousness narrative about two lovers in post-WWII Hiroshima is a great directorial achievement by Alain Resnais, a strong showcase for actor Eiji Okada (particularly as he's acting in a language he learned phonetically) as a married Japanes businessman, but above all features one of the all-time great performances by Emmanuelle Riva as his French actress lover. Her performance stands as both attuned and powerfully contrasted to the dreamy quality of the film's approach in realising her character's predicament. The passion and lust of the affair suggested so well by both actors but also reflecting the horrible nature of the times they live in that draw them apart. Whether she's narrating, or silently emoting, you feel the weight of the film's increasingly poignant tone rest upon her and her character's shoulders, and despite being nameless you really get to know her. It's simply one of the best performances in any medium.

2. Haing S. Ngor, The Killing Fields 

1984 is one of those interesting years for film where there were so many masterpieces, yet of the sort that seem like they could've only happened then and there. This harrowing depiction of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge is a horrifying, troubling cinematic experience, to say the least, and brought to life by some excellent direction, writing, and Ngor who was himself a survivor of Cambodian prison camps playing refugee Dith Pran. Pran's life story, and Ngor's, were marked by tragedy after tragedy, and which undeniably lends a layer of authenticity to the performance as we follow Pran through the vicious totalitarian regime. Beyond that though, this is just a sensational performance as we get to know Pran before he is a victim - kindly, generous doctor determined to help American reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterson) with his task in covering the regime, and in the second half a terrified yet resilient survivalist who guides us through the titular horrors.

1. Elizabeth Hartman, A Patch of Blue 

Sadly, both of my top 2 led troubled lives which ended in tragedy. The underrated and incredibly talented Hartman gave my favourite debut performance of all-time is for a character that could be seen as deceptively simple. Hartman's Selina is a blind girl living in an impoverished environment with an abusive mother, but the brilliance of this performance and the film is this is all unfolded slowly and coaxed gently through the performance. It is perhaps the most sensitively drawn portrayal of suffering as we are presented with this luminous, kind, almost angelic being and through her being introduced to Sidney Poitier's Gordon Ralfe, get more and more insight into her unfortunate plight. Though Hartman rarely raises her voice she conveys so much through how expressive and unassumingly powerful her performance is as Selina. It's a performance that along with the excellent and unfortunately very underrated film makes an unfortunate plight so resonant and the figure who deals with it inspirational in her own way.