19. The Turin Horse
Bela Tarr's last film - or so he says - is composed of 30 long takes, all shot in black and white, features a minimal amount of dialogue, and deals with the daily lives of farmers in the 1880's. It's also completely haunting. "The Turin Horse" is exemplary of what cinema can do. If a picture is worth a thousand words then how many words can be expressed through a series of pictures? It is long and minimalistic but, the daily lives of these farmers take on the weight of the world. The film is an experience of endurance, struggle and compassion for what used to be and what is no more. Though the length and the reiterations of ideas may prove too much for some viewers, this is absolutely a movie worth checking out.
18. Dark Horse
On the surface, "Dark Horse" does not feel like a a Todd Slondz film, the filmmaker who made "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness." But he finds sadness and depression in this pop music sensibility. In essence, this is Solondz's parody of the Apatow comedies about the immature man-child that somehow becomes successful in getting the girl and winning in life. Solid actors such as Christopher Walken and (the seldom seen nowadays) Mia Farrow populates the supporting cast but it is the relatively unknown Jordan Gelber that provides the empathy that is desperately needed and creates a source of empathy for the audience to emotionally connect with. Most importantly, it is a dark comedy that is quite funny as well as horribly sad.