2000s: The Rest of the Best

11. Brokeback Mountain

I avoided this one for years because it just seemed like such a gimmick movie. Also, it had that dude from A Knight's Tale and that Donnie Darko kid who "supposedly" give amazing performances. Finally I broke down, after all the hype and lame jokes were over, and rented it. My wife was just going to watch the beginning to see how crappy it was, her being a huge fan of the Annie Proulx story, and I was going to try my best to give it a fair shake. Next thing we knew 2 hours had passed and both of us were astonished. Ang Lee has told one of the greatest love stories using something that hasn't been seen in a long time; good, old-fashioned storytelling. Beautiful cinematography, amazing performances (I was truly shocked), a fascinating and touching script and masterful direction make this one of the films that breaks my heart that I couldn't fit it into my top ten of the decade. A great character drama and a definite masterpiece.

12. In Bruges

The story of a gangster fighting for his very soul with the help of a Jesus figure from the New Testament (Brendan Gleeson) against the vengeful Old Testament God (Ray Finnes). A truly brilliant film whose religious symbolism is fascinating and powerful (Colin Farrell's sinner entering hell over the River Styx, Pennies from Heaven, the son of God's sacrifice, Mary and her unborn baby with no father at the Inn, Farrell not being satisfied by booze or drugs, the list goes on and on) but can keep the folks who aren't interested in such things entertained with a great story of friendship, guilt, honour and revenge. Purgatory has never been so entertaining.

13. Memento

I was lucky enough to see Following, Chris Nolan's first film, at the Toronto Film Festival when it came out to much acclaim. And then Nolan just seemed to disappear. Where could he be?

It turned out he was preparing to kick the world's ass with this masterful film of a man out to avenge his wife's death, told in reverse. An amazing piece of work that I can't imagine anyone disliking.

14. Survive Style 5+

You had to have known another wacky Japanese film would show up on my list somewhere. Survive Style 5+ unfortunately may never see the light of day in North America due to music copyright problems, but I would recommend to seek this one out however you can find it. Truly a delight for the eyes, never have I seen such amazing art direction. Plus, the interwoven stories are imaginative and well told. Also, it took a song I hated, Cake's version of I Will Survive, and used it so perfectly that I love it now. Don't you love it when movies do that? A delight.

15. Drag Me to Hell

The most fun I've had in the theater in a long, long time. Raimi shows that you can go back to what made you famous and still bring something new to the table. Not so easy to do when you think about fans' disappointments with Lucas, Romero and many other directors who've tried to recapture their pasts. There are setpieces in this that are easily the best work he's ever done. And on such a miniscule budget. There's a reason I think he's the greatest director of all time (wait until he's dead for 20 to 50 years. See how much of today's cinema he will have been said to influence. Mark my words).

16. Kung Fu Hustle

Mr. Awesome returns with this fantastic tale of a cad, who wants to be a cad.... who'd do anything to be a cad.... but is actually a good person (well maybe Mr. Awesome makes him out to be an amazing person, but I love the idea of a good man trying to be bad). Never in a million years would an American film take the dramatic twists and turns this film takes, and once again Mr. Awesome makes incredible use of CGI that even the most whiny of fanboys couldn't bitch about.

17. The Descent

I rented this on a PAL DVD well before it got it's North American debut (making me awesome). All I knew was that it was done by the guy who did Dog Soldiers. My good lady wife and I sat down to watch it and were immediately intrigued by the characters and the story. We were on the edge of our seats as they went down into the caves. Was someone going to snap? We're they going to be trapped? You could cut the tension with a knife. Then something happened that blew my fucking mind. If you're one of the 3 people out there who haven't seen it I would never spoil it, but see it fast before someone else does.

18. Watchmen

Ignore the naysayers, this is an instant classic. I like that they took out a lot with the psychiatrist (maybe when I was a kid I would believe that Rorschach's story was enough to drive him insane. Not today though, there are stories on Law and Order that are far more distressing) and the ending of the movie is just plain superior. I love the graphic novel, but what Snyder does with the film is nothing short of incredible. Brilliant.

19. Inglourious Basterds

I don't like war movies. I can count the war movies I love on one hand. Catch 22. Full Metal Jacket. Paths of Glory. I'm sure there's a couple more there. My main problem is that I just don't find war that entertaining or interesting. I guess I'll never be that guy who's library consists of WWII Books. But Tarantino made what could possibly be my favourite war film of all time, because it focuses on characters and plot rather than battles and action scenes. Wars are incredibly interesting backdrops for story driven films to take place in. Think of the civil war scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Once the characters are within the army base, Leone uses it to show the audience the true natures of each character. Angel Eyes revels in it and The Man with No Name and Tuto are horrified by it. Tarantino also uses the war to help mold his characters, from the woman seeking justice to an opportunist played by Christopher Waltz, who easily should become a star from his role. For all those doubting Tartantino's future as a leading filmmaker, this film should easily alleviate any doubts.

20. The Host

I love monster movies. And I love intelligent films about families. Therefore I love The Host. Simple mathematics. See it and love it too.

Favourite Film of the Decade #1 - Battle Royale

Here it is. Number one with a bullet. And a knife. And a grenade. And a pot lid. Say it aloud with a strong Japanese accent, "Battle Royale!".

As I mentioned in a previous entry (Exiled I believe) by the beginning of the 2000s I had become increasingly bored with American films. So much so that I rarely watched them. I was way more interested in reading (comics and horror novels, nothing too highfalutin) than seeing anything that was coming out. But I started dipping my toe more and more into Asian cinema, though there wasn't a lot that was available. And speaking of "not available", I eventually saw the movie that would change my viewing habits forever, Battle Royale.

Already a fan of Takeshi Kitano, I rented BR from the wonderful Suspect Video here in Toronto, and was completely floored by it's dark sense of humour, action, melodrama, violence, style and intelligence. I'm pretty certain I watched it again either the same day or the next one with my good buddy Timbo. Then I needed to show it to someone else. And so on and so forth.

Though it is still only available as an import in North America (there was talks of remaking it, yet no one wanted to release the original) most people know the plot. A group of students wake up on an island and are forced to kill each other until there is only one survivor/winner. What the director, Kinji Fukasaku, does with the material is outstanding. It would be easy to get lost in the plot along with the many characters he needs to juggle, but Fukasaku never missteps and manages to get every reaction from the audience he intends to. One minute you may be shocked and the next you may be saddened, then shocked again. It all happens so fast, yet rarely does it seem that way. And despite all the violence and nastiness, I did find the film's final statement strong and touching enough to completely vindicate anything that anyone may have found offensive. I might be in the minority, but I really didn't find the film that offensive at all, the symbolism of what we force upon our children in this increasingly competitive world is made quite clear from the get go and none of the violence seems like empty shock cinema (though I have nothing against empty violence either).

I gotta admit, when that copycat Quentin Tarantino revealed that his favourite film since 1992 was Battle Royale I felt like I was in good company, but everyone was going to think, "Hey, that's Quentin Tarantino's favourite. You're like Tarantino Guitarbrother. You have no mind of your own shitheel. I knew there was a reason I hate you." But then I remembered, with a squeal of delight, that I had posted my "favourite films of the decade so far", on the Mondo Movie message board well over a year ago, and what is sitting at number one? Battle Royale sucka! Obviously, it was Tarantino who read my posting and changed his list, and not the other way around. He should've covered his tracks better.

Needless to say, if you haven't seen this masterpiece, Git 'er Done! God, it's hard not to quote Larry the Cable Guy when discussing excellence in cinema.

And there you have it, my top ten of the 2000s. I'm going to post shorter blurbs for 11-20 in one posting later (though you notice how much shorter my write-ups for the films got as it got closer to number one? I'm a lazy, lazy man) and then shortly after make a list of my favourite films of 2009.

Favourite Film of the Decade #2 - Happiness of the Katakuris

Almost there.

Very few films on my list, or that I have ever viewed for that matter, have been life changers. Heck, most of us non-censorship advocates maintain that it is impossible for a movie to change one's life. I guess I'm lucky that the film that changed my life wasn't August Underground (well, it kinda did. It made me reluctant to watch films with the words "August" and "Underground" in them), but the incredible Happiness of the Katakuris.

Without going into it too much, there was a time in my life that, I guess it could be said, I was mostly unhappy. I wasn't doing it on purpose, it's just how things worked out. I got enjoyment from films, comics, novels, etc, but not much from humanity. I had friends that I dug hanging around with, and I did love my family, but there was no real joy there. Only problem though is, I was content to be unhappy, I didn't even really recognize it as a big problem. In fact, wasn't seeking happiness kind of selfish anyway?

But then, one of my favourite filmmakers came swooping down with the hugely entertaining, joyful and endearing movie called Happiness of the Katakuris. I cannot tell a lie, what struck me upon first viewing was the creativity Takashi Miike had when telling this story, blending comedy, musical numbers, stop motion, zombies and pitch black humour into what was essentially, a very optimistic/tragic tale of a father striving for happiness despite whatever horrific thing life throws at him.

The film is a remake of the excellent Korean film The Quiet Family, and it involves Mr. Katakuri purchasing a guest house on a mountain where he hopes a major highway will be going by sometime in the future. He relocates his family: Mrs. Katakuri, Grandpa, Son, Daughter and Granddaughter, in hopes that they will live happily and comfortably ever after. The only problem is that their guests, as few as there are, keep dying, and when is that highway going to be coming through? What follows is an imaginative and hilarious film about the family's struggles to bury all unhappiness (or corpses) and try and maintain their ideal of what a good life is. Eventually it all comes to a head in a climax that's as bizarre as it is wonderful.

Miike, who's mostly known in North America for shocking the audience, does not hold back at all during the film (However, I disagree with a lot of critics who claim that Miike is just a shockmeister. He never just thoughtlessly throws horrific or crazy moments in his film, they really do make the film what it is; a Takashi Miike film). I found every scene wonderful, whether it be the wacky musical numbers or an outtake Miike kept in the film of the actor playing the son cracking up during a take. Also, I have a love of films that involve something I consider extremely important in life; family. Miike has handled family stories very well in other movies (I also find Visitor Q very touching) but I really love how he tells this story. It actually seems Japan is the country with the best movies about family, from early Ozu right on to Tokyo Sonata.

When I rewatched the film I was really struck by the father's struggles to make his and his family's lives happy. It seemed like such a noble struggle even when the odds were stacked against him. It made me think of my own life, and the many ways I sabotaged my own happiness. I, like a lot of people, was content with the hand that I assumed was dealt to me, and lived day to day that way. Shortly thereafter I became determined to be happy. One definite way was to find love, which I went in search of. To cut to the chase, it worked out well and my life has changed for the better. Thanks Miike.

I'm not guaranteeing that Happiness of the Katakuris will change your life, but I'd be surprised if anyone absolutely hated it. They'd really have to be a miserable bastard to hate this ode to joy.

Favourite Film of the Decade #3 - Frailty

Well, we're up to #3 on my list and I know you must be thinking, "Hey cockfucker! I thought you were the dude who just loooooveed horror films. Looks like you're a lying piece of human garbage. Fucking fuckface! I don't see one horror film on your stupid, horribly written, godawful list. Seriously, fuck you Guitarbrother, fuck you."

In my defense, I do love the horror films, and I'm not like many of my brethren who have turned on my beloved genre (I don't automatically hate remakes, Eli Roth isn't a hack and I'm not going to wait 20 years to consider the films coming out today to be good once I get nostalgic), but there have just been so many good films coming out this decade that weren't horror. Even though this is the only horror flick on the list, I think my next 2 definitely appeal to the horror fan (much like Jodorowsky, Lynch and others appeal to them as well) though you wouldn't find them located in the horror section. Without question though, the 2000's were definitely the decade for horror after the meager offerings we had in the nineties after folks were sick of the slasher filled eighties. In early 2000 saying you were a horror fan to any serious film fan was the equivalent of saying you only watched films with anal fisting in them.

The one horror film I thought towered above the others released this decade was Bill Paxton's directorial debut (not including the wonderful Fish Heads video) Frailty. I saw this movie at least 4 times when it came out in theaters, being completely hypnotized by the style, story and performances. Anyone who hadn't seen it I made certain that I drilled it into their heads that Frailty was a must see and it was one of the most exciting and thoughtful horror films to come out in a long while. Most agreed (when they weren't so friggin' caught up in whether they knew "the twist" or not. When did movies become about guessing the ending?) but sadly not many other people went to see it. Too bad, with the exception of The Greatest Game Ever Played, Paxton seems to have given up on directing, even though I think Frailty ranks along with Night of the Hunter as the greatest films ever directed by actors. And unlike many other actors who've tried their hands at directing, Paxton showed a confidence with the style and pacing of the movie, along with getting great performances (2 of the fantastic performances were from children no less). Frailty is so much more than just an acting piece.

Frailty is steeped in insanity from the beginning. Paxton plays a father who believes God has told him that it is his and his sons' duty to kill demons disguised as regular human beings. So along with his trusty blessed axe, he goes about doing God's work. The black comedy in some of these scenes; Paxton finding the axe, the angel's (Uriel?) appearance to him at work, are hilarious in a way seen in very, very few films. You laugh at the pure lunacy of the situations, while still remaining on edge at what is happening. There's axe murders, child abuse and children being forced to murder, but Paxton handles the material in such a masterful way that it's never offensive.

We've seen Paxton play crazy before; The Dark Backward, The Vagrant, Weird Science, Near Dark, etc, but he's never played it in such a subtle way, making it much more menacing. The sincerity he shows in his madness is some of his best work as an actor. And the boys playing his sons, Adam and Fenton are great. Adam, who follows his father blindly, has some of the funniest moments and is easy to like in his naivety. And Fenton, who is the character the audience identifies with, is easy to sympathize with as he tries to bring sanity back to his family.

I don' want to give too much away, but upon second viewing, once you know "the twist" the film plays a lot different. It's much more of a tragedy rather than just a straight up horror film. Though Paxton himself might disagree. I really liked an interview I read with him back in the horror hating 2001s when the interviewer said that Frailty was more of a psychological thriller rather than a horror film. Paxton stopped him and said that it definitely "is" a horror film and he couldn't be more proud about that. He continued to say that horror is a great genre and he's proud his film is now amongst so many other great horror films. What a wicked dude.

Oddly enough, I just bought Frailty for my father this Xmas, it being one of his favourite films of all time as well. The film has a lot to say and I think it should appeal to just about anyone who is looking for a quality horror film. Let's just hope Paxton decides to direct again one day, if this is what he can do his first time out I can only imagine what amazing work we can expect from him in the future.

Favourite Film of the Decade #4 - Funky Forest: The First Contact

Have you ever loved something so much you just assume that it is only logical that everyone else loves it? When you find out someone does not like it, it's tough for your brain to compute? Such is the case with this wonderful, funny and inventive film that is surprisingly (to me anyway) not a fan favourite.

Upon seeing this at the Toronto After Dark festival (my favourite film festival by the way. Thought you needed to know) I left so joyful and elated at seeing one of the best films I'd seen in a long, long time. Sure I had seen "crazy" Japanese films before, the DVD for Survive Style 5+ I bought in Japan is one of my prouder possessions and there is a chance another "wacky" Japanese film will show up further down this list, but Funky Forest really got to me. It seemed to be a celebration of love, music, dance, film, anime, comedy... you name it. And it didn't play by the rules. However, my good lady wife and good friend who left with me did enjoy it, but mostly found it weird. "Yeah" I said, "Weird is good!". But two and a half hours of weird with no real narrative? Ain't that pushing it?

In my opinion, the film is not about story, plot or characters, but about the feelings it elicits in the viewers. And to me at least, all of them were enjoyable. Kind of a positive version of Enter the Void. I've heard movies compared to drug trips, and to say that about Funky Forest wouldn't be too far off, but there is also such a positivity to the material that it would also seem unfair. It would seem like dumbing down the movie to compare it to an LSD trip. It's closer to a kid's film for weird adults, trying to bring out the genuine emotions we felt so non-chalantly when we were children.

As for the movie itself, it's essentially a series of vignettes held loosely together by stories of urequited love. There's the "unpopular with woman brothers" consisting of the incredible Susumu Terajima, Tadanobu Asano and a white kid. Then there's a teacher and his student/crush that share an afternoon together. Both stories start out a little strange, but by the end they're absolutely surreal. Just type in Funky Forest into YouTube and you'll get at least a dozen small samples of the film's strangeness.

After buying this for a good buddy on his birthday, and him disliking it quite a bit, I am a tad hesitant to recommend this film for just anyone. But if you enjoy off the wall films with loads of imagination and heart, I would definitely say.... look on YouTube and see if it's not too weird.... then rush out and buy this one of a kind film. Then check out Katsuhito Ishii's other masterpiece, A Taste of Tea, a more melancholy Funky Forest type of film.

Favourite Film of the Decade #5 - The Spider-Man Series

You read that right holmes. I'm counting the Spider-Man trilogy as one movie and there is absolutely sweet dick all you can do about it.

Now for a little history about me and this Spider-Man fellow. My first Spider-Man memory harkens back to when I was 3 or 4 and my parents bought me one of those black velvet posters with Spider-Man seemingly coming right out of the picture at you. Unfortunately, once it go dark out, the poster terrified the fuck out of me. Spider-Man looked like a masked creature intent on killing me in my sleep. Only one problem though, I loved Spidey so much that I couldn't bear to ask my parents to take it down. I decided to live with the fear since it was so awesome having a Spider-Man poster.

Throughout my childhood Spidey remained my favourite comic. Peter Parker was a great guy, though it could be argued that he is a tad nerdy, and once he put on that costume he transforms into the wise cracking, heroic webhead that is virtually impossible not to love.

During my high school years I stopped buying comic books (and my little brother who go into comics was only buying Punisher, Wolverine and Groo), but still watched The Amazing Spider-Man every lunch hour whether I've seen it or not. I could be a nerd without any of my friends finding out. Ha!

Extreme poverty kept me away from comics for the most part until my late twenties when I got a decent job and some disposable income. I must have bought more comics that year than most people do in their lives. Picked up Kraven's Last Hunt and various other Spidey titles, but the single issues weren't all that hot, Byrne was rebooting the series with Spider-Man Chapter One which was a little interesting but I found more than enough Vertigo titles to keep me occupied. But once Straczynski took the reigns I think I've pretty much bought every Spider-Man title since (and after the rocky One More Day and Brand New Day Spider-Man's better than it's been in ages).

Now let's move on to my love for Sam Raimi. I saw Evil Dead when I was around 13 and getting a little bored with horror. I had seen so many horror flicks and at around this time I no longer had to hold a pillow over my face at the scary scenes, in fact, I hadn't been that scared by a film in a long time. Evil Dead kicked my mind's ass. Not only that, it got me interested in the filmmaking behind it as well. Sure I'd read Fangoria for a while, so I knew the basics of film, but I became obsessed with the "style" of Evil Dead. From that point onward, Sam Raimi became my favourite director. And since he's kept evolving and can usually be counted on to bring "the goods" he's never even been close to being knocked off his throne (The Gift and For Love of the Game did have me scared).

So when my friend visited me at work with the news that Mr. Raimi would be directing the new Spider-Man movie I immediately thought how cruel this "friend" was being. How dare someone play games with my heart that way. It turns out they had also brought an article from the paper to back up their claim, so until May 3rd 2002 I lived my life highly anticipating this film that should only exist in legend. And I wasn't disappointed.

SPIDER-MAN

Ecstasy. After months of anticipation the morning of May 3rd came along and I finally got to see the most perfect combination since chocolate and peanut butter, Sam Raimi and Spider-Man. Unlike many of the gloomy superhero movies that came before it, this film was filled with colour, spectacle and a pure sense of joy. Sure, I missed the constant wisecracking I got from ole Webhead in the comics, but that was nitpicking when considering everything that worked in the film. Dafoe as Norman Osbourne/The Green Goblin was amazing and Tobey Maguire did a fantastic job as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I've heard some complain about Maguire being too nerdy, and not being the "Spider-Man they know". I'm from the school that there are different variations on this great character, and that's the way I like it. The Spider-Man in the comics now is much different than the one created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. And the Ultimate Spider-Man is different from that. Raimi's Spider-Man is just another variation of the awesomeness that is Spidey. My favourite film in the series.

SPIDER-MAN 2

Here's the Spidey that even the critics got behind. Where some complained about the first one for being too "comic booky" and that they were disappointed with the characters wearing masks too much (much like my complaint that the sky is "always" blue in The Unforgiven. C'mon Eastwood, use some creativity!). Raimi once again casts the film perfectly, having Alfred Molina playing Otto Octavius/Doc Ock. He brings a lot of humanity to the villain as opposed to a lot of the stunt casting we had gotten so used to from the Batman series. Imagine that, actually casting great actors as villains rather than whoever's hot at the moment. No one has really commented on Raimi's casting when it comes to the villains in the series, but he really is to be commended. The film is just as exciting and dramatic as the first, with the perfect amount of melodrama. Just fantastic.

SPIDER-MAN 3

Alright, alright, alright. This film is definitely flawed, but it's not the abomination so many claim it to be. Let's get the flaws out of the way first: Venom is not used well, Harry Osbourne's story is wrapped up in an extremely disappointing way and the end fight is more confusing than exciting. The pros: everything else. Thomas Hayden Church plays an awesome Flint Marko/Sandman and the story was very involving. I know I'm part of the minority, but I loved when Peter Parker was infected with evil, and since he's the nicest guy in the world, the worst he could become is a douchebag. The scenes when Maguire plays Parker for comedy are hilarious and I was pleasantly surprised that Raimi managed to put a musical number in a superhero film. Great stuff. Unfortunately whereas part one and two seem like something as fantastic as Kraven's Last Hunt part three does resemble the Venom saga, that is just a good story with characters coming in and out of the story at random. It's a fine comic book film and a nice addition to the series, even if it's not the best (not the best!? The nerve!!).

These films made a nerd very, very happy*.

*and me too

Favourite Film of the Decade #6 - Oldboy

Oldboy. Really, what else is there to say? I write that Oldboy is one of my favourite films of the decade and your correct response should be, "Of course it is". A no brainer really. But I feel like drawing some pictures, so let's continue.

Chan-wook Park has created a whole new breed of revenge films with his Vengeance trilogy, starting with Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance then Oldboy and ending with Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. I love all 3 films but Oldboy was the obvious standout.

Loosely adapted from the manga Oldboy, Park actually improves on the source material making a stylish, smart and exciting morality tale. But be forewarned, it does get really nasty (it seems a lot of the films on my list have a tendency to be that way. What's wrong with me?). Imagine if Death Wish ended like it did in the novel (Bronson's Kersey character goes bonkers and has to be gunned down by police) and Oldboy's climax is about 20 times more depressing. There is no wish fulfillment here. Park even admits on the commentary track of the excellent Tartan tin edition, that he really doesn't respect much of what the main character does. He's selfish and petty until he finally learns the error of his ways... horrifically.

If you have not seen Oldboy (an error you should correct immediately) it does have a lot going for it despite it's nastiness. My lovely wife usually does not enjoy overly violent or mean spirited films, yet even she came away from the film calling it a masterpiece (I rented it very early in our dating period. I got lucky, it could have gone terribly wrong by the ending. Warning, this is not a date movie!).

The film is stylish, well acted and unpredictable, so if you're put off by the many critics who mention how violent or disturbing it is, there are enough amazing aspects of the film to risk viewing anything that you might consider distressing (and it is only a movie, it's not like going to the dentist or even getting a paper cut. Be a man!).

And no review of Oldboy would be complete without mentioning Min-sik Choi's masterful performance as Dae-su Oh. Dae starts off as a pathetic drunk in a scene that is shot differently than anything in the film. Dae is an overweight, sad and drunk businessman who is waiting at a police kiosk for a friend to come and get him. He gets obnoxiously loud and belligerent as he waits. Park uses mostly jump cuts as Dae becomes more and more agitated, as opposed to when he later becomes "the monster" when the film changes to apparently make him look "bad ass".

So the story goes, after he leaves the police kiosk and calls his daughter, Dae is kidnapped and held prisoner for 15 years in a hotel room. He is never told the reason why and has no human contact. Once he has almost escaped he is knocked out and set free to discover the reason he was imprisoned. Dae is now the embodiment of vengeance. Where it goes from there I'll let you discover for yourself, I really hate giving away too much from a movie that is so plot oriented.

I wouldn't be shocked if Oldboy wound up on a lot of critics "best of the decade" lists. It's been highly praised since it's original release and the fanbase seems to be growing all the time. We narrowly missed an American remake directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Will Smith (and not the cool Will Smith who stars in Grave of the Vampire) but I'm sure there will be one eventually. If you want to be the cool kid watch the film now so you can tell all those phonies and losers what a winner you are since you've "seen the original" when the remake inevitably comes out. Then who'll be laughing? You, that's who!