if i were orson...

Weeks ago, I thumbed through the top ten best films ever made, according to tens of directors and critics from around the world. Repetitive, to be sure. But it got me thinking: maybe I should compile my own list. Although, I don't think there are ten films that I would rank so highly. (Perhaps it's stupid to rank them anyway.) And the thought of any one of these directors or critics seeing my list made me feel embarrassed. Sorry, there's nothing really old.

And so I've compromised. Here is a list of five films that would influence me if I were a film director:

24 Hour Party People (2002): My favorite film, yes. But I like it for the same reasons that would influence me as a director. The subject matter itself is terrific: a social history of Manchester through music. That our guide through the times, Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan), is aware that the film is just a reconstruction of past events and feels the need to constantly remind us of this, is ingeniously postmodern. As if the mix of archive footage with reenactments wasn't enough.

Elsker dig for evigt aka Open Hearts (2002): As is characteristic of all Dogme95 films, the emphasis is on the interaction between or among people, their dynamic and complicated relationships with each other. To come up with a story as simple as this but weighs so heavily on your heart (as corny as this sounds) would be quite an achievement. I would want to make a film that expresses how heartwrenching it is to really, really want someone.

Marie Antoinette (2006): Even though I think Sofia Coppola is an idiot (the things she says! aloud! to other people! to the press!), I can appreciate her brave interpretation of history. Her unmatched ability to compile a soundtrack and set it to stunning visuals is what influences me as a would-be director. I kind of hate her for using my Adam and the Ants.

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003): I know. You certainly weren't expecting this. It's one of the very best romantic comedies because the romance is not between a man and a woman who must go through all the trials and tribulations before seeing they can stick together for all time. It's about a woman realizing that she shouldn't give up. The best line in the film comes when she tells her pregnant lesbian gal-pal Patti, "You are my love life." She finds the love you're expecting her to find, but it is the relationships she has with others (specifically Patti) that really express the love. Plus, I just really want to re-invent the romantic comedy genre. Breathe some new life into it.

Stealing Beauty (1996): Not everything is spelled out for you. Characters you never see or hear loom over everyone. They have a sort of presence and mystery that the characters you see in most films can only ever wish of having. The obsessive writing down of thoughts and collecting odds and ends--I can relate to that, too. Introspective and sensitive individuals make the best leads, and if I were a director, they'd head the cast.