There are many things that amaze me about the work of Philip Kaufman. First off, it amazes me that he gets a seemingly small piece of film fan's recognition. Second, that he made Twisted which was a huge hunk of crap. And most notably that Philip Kaufman has made not only some very significant examples of cinema, but that those separate films are so different from each other. Kaufman directed the Invasion of the Body Snatchers remake, which is not only superior to the first film, but also one of the most stylistically dark movies ever made. A wonderful comedic snapshot of the early sixties, The Wanderers, for which Kaufman also wrote the screenplay. He directed The Right Stuff which was a significant, Academy Award winning docudrama about real life space exploration. Then he directed movies like The Unbearable Likeness of Being and Henry and June which are some of film's finest examples of erotic storytelling.

Then, he basically disappeared for the nineties, and resurfaced again with his remarkable Quills. Where he went, I have no idea, but with such an impressive resume of films, I would be surprised if it wasn't his choice to hide for a while. Quills was material easily worthy of his comeback, and with a great script, fantastic acting, and a director with a vision as unique as Kaufman's, it turned into one of the best films of 2000.

The reason I liked Quills so much is difficult for me to pinpoint. It's funny, to be sure. Geoffrey Rush is a joy to watch, as is Michael Caine, Kate Winslet, and Joaquin Phoenix. It is feverishly unafraid of its subject matter, and celebrates freedom of speech with reckless abandon. It has a minimalist style, as it basically all takes place within one set piece, and this style compliments its over-the-top performances. It is sexy, and intelligent, and makes the transition from stage to screen absolutely flawlessly. While all good reasons to enjoy a flick, it doesn't all add up to the feeling of adoration I have for it.

I think the main reason for my enjoyment of Quills is that it fights for the some of the same purpose that I would like to. Marquis DeSade was a great artist not because of his expression or prose, but because he dared to be extreme. I respect this ambition above all in my favorite modern artists, whether they be authors, filmmakers, musicians, or painters. To see a picture so joyously celebrate extreme nature, even though almost every character in the film fights it, is something that I wholly appreciate. If Philip Kaufman had not directed Quills, or had not done so well in his direction of it, I would find it necessary sometime in my life to make a picture of similar ambition. Quills is a staple of great importance in contemporary cinema.