Monday, August 24, 2015

Top 10 Matthew Libatique Films

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique knows how to make a movie move. The films he shoots are energetic, vibrant, alive – they move. Whether opting for a modern and handheld approach, or traditional and elegant compositions, Libatique’s films have a vigor that is undeniable. Perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with Darren Aronofsky (all of which are listed below), Libatique is a stylish cinematographer with a great command of his craft. Certainly one of the finest American DPs in the game.

10. Phone Booth (2002)
Anyone who can make a compelling movie set almost entirely in and around a phone booth deserves proper credit. Despite its purposeful physical limitations, Phone Booth is full of energy. Many can be thanked for this, but Libatique’s revolving, active, ice cold photography certainly favors the film plenty.

9. She Hate Me (2004)
She Hate Me is one of Spike Lee’s most critically derided films, but I’ve always found plenty to enjoy about it, chiefly Libatique’s photography. Most all of She Hate Me was captured with a highly saturated, grainy aesthetic. It’s a damn bold choice in a film full of them, but one I’ll always appreciate.

8. Inside Man (2006)
Libatique has worked with Spike Lee several times, having shot four of Lee’s features and two of his documentaries. Their most classically composed work together is Inside Man. The centered compositions, lavish crane shots and Steadicam one-take masters are all a sight to behold. And those grainy, harshly overexposed flashforwards are tops.

7. Tigerland (2000)
There are really two sides to Libatique’s shooting style: strictly classic and harshly modern. For Joel Schumacher’s little-seen war flick, Tigerland, Libatique chose the latter, which is interesting, given that the film takes place in the early ‘70s. But the grainy, almost combative look of the film suits the material perfectly. We feel like we’re right in the middle of the shit.

6. Pi (1998)
Darren Aronofsky’s Pi is a film synonymous with its look. When the movie gets brought up in conversation, the way it looks is almost always one of the first topics discussed. The stark monochrome, the harsh contrast (the blacks, so dark; the whites, so hot), the gritty Super 16mm stock – it’s all an essential part of what makes Pi, Pi.

5. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
During the first, explosive scene of Straight Outta Compton, I sat in complete awe of what I was watching. The scene, about a drug deal gone wrong involving a pre-N.W.A. Eazy-E, is alive with energy and tension, the camera whirling furiously, capturing unexpected but gorgeous lens flares with every turn. The film geek in me couldn’t wait until the final credits rolled, so I could know who shot the flick. And there it was: Director of Photography, Matthew Libatique. Certainly no surprise.

4. Noah (2014)
The lush time lapses, the beautiful magic hour silhouettes – Noah is Darren Aronofsky’s most traditional-looking film. He and Libatique made a very wise decision to let the Icelandic locations speak for themselves. They set the shot up and let the actors inhabit the setting; just look how that mountain swallows Russell Crowe in the above screenshot. And the colors constantly present such a stunning, natural dichotomy.

3. The Fountain (2006)
The Fountain juggles three different storylines, each separated by centuries of space and time. The photographical beauty of the film is that each storyline has its own unique look, while all clearly belonging to the same film. They’re part of a family in which every member has differences, but they all spawn from the same place.  

2. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Much like Pi, it’s impossible to talk about Requiem for a Dream without mentioning the way it looks. The insanely tight close-ups, the stop-motion time lapses, the inverse POV camera rigs – this is one of the most innovative looking films I’ve ever seen. Look at it this way, Requiem was made for just $4.5 million and released 15 years ago and it is still a huge part of the American film conversation.

1. Black Swan (2010)
To watch Black Swan is to be overcome by its visual power. There isn’t a frame of this movie that isn’t meticulously thought out. The dance sequences are alive (there’s that word again) with fluid movement, tracking its subjects for extended takes, not letting anything disrupt the shot, mirrors included. The street scenes, where Nina’s fear and paranoia quickly consume her, are captured with a handheld anxiety that makes the film increasingly compelling. Libatique earned his only Oscar nomination for shooting Black Swan, and though he and the other nominees didn’t stand a chance against Wally Pfister’s work for Inception, I expect Libatique will earn plenty more Oscar seats in years to come.

Other Notable Films
Ruby Sparks
Abandon (2002)
Never Die Alone (2004)
Everything Is Illuminated (2005)
The Number 23 (2007)
Iron Man (2008)
Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
Kobe Doin’ Work (2009)
Passing Strange (2009)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Ruby Sparks (2012)


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34 comments:

  1. That is a great list though I did have a few qualms with The Fountain over its visuals as it's been a while since I've seen it. Other than, I don't have problems with any of the films you mentioned as they all look great except for Iron Man 2 which didn't do much on a visual scale for me.

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    1. I didn't fully appreciate The Fountain until I watched the flick with Aronofsky's commentary (which itself was very hard to find). Basically, all the visual effects were organic... something about shooting different minerals and cells and shit with microscopes, then dissolving the footage over the scene. I'm not doing a good job of explaining the process, because it is WAY over my head. But it is insanely impressive.

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    2. Let's hope he will include that commentary for a future DVD/Blu-Ray release, hopefully from Criterion.

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    3. I'd love that. I remember he released it independently online when the DVD came out, because the studio didn't think people would care enough to include it on the DVD. And now he hasn't done one since. Sucks.

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  2. Noah is, in a word, absolutely STUNNING to look at. It is, in my eyes, his finest work...but all of his work is just remarkable.

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    1. Noah is definitely a classically stunning piece of film. I love to stare at that movie.

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  3. Libatique is so singular in his work. He has such a distinct and unique lens, I adore it. I mean, everything he's done with Aronofsky alone, it's simply beautiful. I also love that he's not afraid to really make you notice the visuals in a way that complements and also intensifies the experience of watching whichever film he's working on.

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    1. Love this comment. I agree, I love that he isn't afraid to make you notice the visuals of the shot. And hell yeah, his work always intensifies the movies he works on.

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  4. The collaborative work between Darren Aronofsky and Matthew Libatique is one of my absolute favourites. Aronofsky's dark material is so beautifully complemented by Libatique's vibrant, urgent style. Requiem for a Dream is truly unforgettable and a real eye-opener for any cinephile.

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    1. Absolutely! Couldn't agree more. Those two do such amazing work together. And, interestingly, they really don't get along. They've spoken about their relationship publicly before, likening it to a marriage. Aronofsky said they once got divorced, which is why Libatique didn't shoot The Wrestler. Hilarious.

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  5. Great list! Requiem for a Dream is one of my blind spot choices this year, I'm looking forward to watch his work there. Noah is stunning to look at but I think it killed my eyesight for a part of it, it kind of makes it hard to appreciate his work there on my end.

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    1. Really excited to hear your thoughts on Requiem. There's nothing like it at all. A singular and important film.

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  6. I think I say this about every one of these posts, but I had no idea all these movies were shot by the same person. Certainly some magnificent looking films. I'm especially glad you mentioned She Hate Me. It's an underrated movie with lots of stunning shots. My jaw literally dropped when I saw some of them for the first time. Great call with your number one, also. That's a beautiful looking movie. The one movie I find fault with him on is Pi. Just watched it for the first time a few days ago. It definitely deserves to be shot in a gritty style, but I thought the black and white on top of that was too much. I just had a hard time seeing things. I'm sure Aronofsky is as much to blame since he likely chose b&w, but it just didn't work for me on a visual level. Still, everything else here that I've seen works marvelously on that level. I'm looking forward to seeing Straight Outta Compton even more now that I have read this. Great post.

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    1. Awesome man, so happy you appreciate these posts! Love that you dig She Hate Me. I like a lot of that movie. And fair point about Pi, though the way it looks wasn't so much a choice as it was a necessity. They made that flick for $68k, so they could only afford cheap black and white film stock. I really dig the way it looks, but it's polarizing for sure.

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  7. Labatique is outstanding. I love what you said about Phone Booth in particular. You have to give him massive props for shooting that film. It could've been so dull without his touch.

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    1. Hell yeah! I love your praise for Phone Booth. I actually really enjoy that film.

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  8. This was a good post til I got to the end and saw The Wrestler wasn't listed. How the hell could you make this list and not have that movie?

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    1. Are you A.) trolling, B.) dense, C.) unable to conduct an internet search?

      Can’t be C, because you’re commenting here, so you know how to use the internet. Your comment seems genuine, which removes A. So we’re left with B. Congratulations! Thanks for playing!

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    2. so I'm dumb because I'm criticizing your opinion?

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    3. This thread is everything. Not to mention:
      https://vimeo.com/3383624

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  9. Oh I love his work. Particularly in BSwan - I know everyone always talks about Inception but that movie is easily my win for editing and cinematography - the amount of cleverly edited pieces, doctored shots and the camera showing as just enough but not too much was brilliant. Inception was a technical marvel but BSwan was just beautiful film making in every way.

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    1. Definitely a tough call for me. Black Swan uses all practical effects, which I really appreciate. I mean, even something as seemingly simple as removing the camera operator's reflection from a mirror... that shit is really hard. Love the way Black Swan looks and feels.

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  10. You make me want to see Noah and Straight Outta Compton with this post, I wasn't aware was the same cinematographer as The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, which are visually so memorable.

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    1. Both of those movies look perfect, but for very different reasons, which is why I love Libatique so much.

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  11. Great work, as always. Love your top 5, and Tigerland's inclusion is most welcome. He's really one of the most underrated cinematographers around. I MUST rewatch The Fountain at some point!

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    1. Thanks man. LOVE the look of Tigerland. So, so raw.

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  12. Great list. Matthew Libatique is one of my personal favorite cinematographers so this was a joy to read. Definitely agree with all of your choices. It really is a shame that he has only been nominated for an Academy Award once, but he definitely deserved it for Black Swan. That movie was stunning. And i love that Phone Booth made your list. That is a movie that gets overlooked way too often just because people don't like Joel Schumacher. It's definitely one of his best movies (next to Lost Boys) and that is largely thanks to Matthew Libatique's great cinematography.

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    1. Really happy you're a fan of his. Schumacher... I know the guy gets a bad rap, but I do like a lot of his movies. The Lost Boys, Flatliners, Falling Down, A Time to Kill, Flawless, Tigerland, Phone Booth, Veronica Guerin... I stand behind all those films. Hell, even 8MM is fairly decent. And not for nothing, but I'd rather watch Batman Forever twice than sit through most any of these new superhero movies another time.

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    2. Yeah, i also think Schumacher can be very good director when given the right project. Forgot he made Falling Down. I love that movie as well. And his Batman movies are fun when watching them with a few friends and some beer at least.

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    3. Exactly! And man, Falling Down is just too good, right?

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  13. Wow, this guy has crafted some striking images.

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