“Best films of the decade” list raises more questions

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In a list obsessed world the New Yorker's Richard Brody is to be commended for his courage in releasing his list of the best films of the decade.

He immediately states that this is a list deserving of an asterisk as it was compiled in part while writing a book, "Everything is Cinema," a huge tome on Jean-Luc Goddard, which also explains how "Eloge de l'amour" Goddard's 2001 film tops his list.)

The comments following the posting are fun of course, as there are few things many cinephiles love to do more than hold up their own lists along with an explanation as to why theirs is better.

I also love this post, which actually touches on a larger problem: i like two other films, both french, both by the same director. I don't remember their titles. In one, based on a huge scandal by a large french multination, a female prosecutor is slowly demoralized as she investigates the corrupt corporation. In the other film, an old, famous French philosopher seduces a young, innocent girl. They are great films.

This comment, along with Brody's eclectic list, point to the huge challenge facing movie fans, which is the massive volume of film flooding through the theaters, TV, the internet, the mail and the few remaining video stores.

Of the 26 films on the Brody list, only a handful had more than a one-time screening here in the Twin Cities, and many have not been shown. Yes, we can add them to our Netflix queues, but there are only so many hours in the day when you can watch movies.

The bottom line is it is impossible to see everything, and so every "best of list" has to have an asterisk.

Of course from a movie-watcher perspective, it's better to have too much choice, than too little.

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