Greetings, reader!
Well, I did it. After years of spending too much time sitting on the couch watching movies, followed by spending an even more shocking amount of time analyzing and ranking said movies in various contexts, I'm finally finished with the Big One. Well, finished for now; this list will never truly be finished, as there will always be great movies that I haven't yet seen, not to mention the future favorites that are yet to be made. But, based on all that I've seen at this point in my life, I have listed my 100 favorite movies of all time, and will be sharing this ranking from #100 to #1, ten movies at a time, across ten weeks.
Disclaimer: I admit that modern/new cinema, as well as American cinema, is deeply over-represented on this list. It is not because I prefer these types movies to others - I'm a huge fan of old classics as well as foreign films - but, for various reasons, I've simply seen so many more films from these categories than outside them. For every pre-1960's film I've seen, there are ten more from the 70's and 80's, and for every one of those, a bunch more from the 2000's and 2010's. Therefore, when making a list of my favorites, so many of the films I've seen are both a) modern and b) Hollywood-made, that these groups make it onto my list way more than others. Oh well.
Without further ado, let's dive into my favorite films of all time!
100. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
"I do wish we could chat longer, but...I'm having an old friend for dinner"
Kicking off my Top 100 and setting the tone for what's to come, this stone-cold thriller from the early 90's is one for the ages. The movie follows FBI cadet Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), as she tracks down a vicious serial killer and tries to pin down his motives and plans with the help of another, incarcerated serial killer - Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The conversations between the two are spine-chilling, as the film's psychology is even more intriguing than the classic crime thriller elements.
The Silence of the Lambs is one of the only three movies to win the Big Five Oscars (Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Directing, Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress), in the impressive company of It Happened One Night (1934) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). These Oscars were truly deserved, especially Anthony Hopkins' award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, which he won despite the fact that he only appears on screen for sixteen minutes. The short time he spends on screen is truly the essence of the film, with his captivating presence filling the atmosphere.
99. Insomnia (2002)
"A good cop can't sleep because he's missing a piece of the puzzle. A bad cop can't sleep because his conscience won't let him"
Spoiler alert of things to come: no other director has as many films in my Top 100 as Christopher Nolan, and this record amount includes the underrated gem Insomnia. Often overlooked when discussing Nolan's films, this movie is much more conventional and less convoluted than the filmmaker's typical works, but it makes for a breathtaking crime thriller.
With Oscar winner Al Pacino playing the main detective in one of his greatest performances, Oscar winner Robin Williams playing an untypical but brilliant villain role, and Oscar winner Hilary Swank perfecting the main trio, the acting is pure gold. The dynamic between Pacino's and Williams's characters is exciting, there are remarkable action set pieces, and the final act is thrilling as hell - not the mind-blowing set of plot twists you might expect from a Nolan flick, but an intense ending sequence that also has quite a profound life lesson to it.
98. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
"He's my friend"
"So was I"
Old-school cinema elitists, beware: there are going to be quite a few superhero movies on my list. No offense to the viewpoints of Scorsese and company, but I find the notion of comic book movies being inherently lesser cinema than serious dramas etc. to be a tad idiotic - cinema is a wonderful spectrum, with each genre having great movies and terrible movies and everything in between. Throughout the 2000's, superhero movies have started taking themselves more seriously and there is some fantastic cinema within in the genre. One of the best examples is undoubtedly Marvel's Captain America: Civil War.
By this movie's release, there had been two Avengers films, three Iron Man films and two Captain America films, so the heroes were familiar enough that it is truly gripping to see them turning against each other. The adversarial setting is built extremely well, as both Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) have understandable viewpoints and well-written motivations for their rift. The film's villain, Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) is one of Marvel's best, as his own motivations are quite heartbreaking and his carefully crafted plan to turn the Avengers against each other is genius. While the film is quite serious and emotional by Marvel's standards, it still has time to produce a lot of fun: the airport fight sequence, with twelve major Avengers fighting each other, is hands-down the most entertaining sequence in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
97. Get Out (2017)
"Believe me, the irony of being a blind art dealer isn't lost on me"
I can only imagine the skepticism that took place in the pitch meeting for Jordan Peele's debut film Get Out. A horror movie, with strong social commentary on race relations in America, and a comedy twist, sounds like something that couldn't possibly work well. Any half-cynical movie buff would expect at least one of these elements to fall flat: either the horror element wouldn't be all that scary at the expense of the social commentary and comedy aspects, or then the social commentary would feel forced and generic, or at the very least the comedy element would get in the way and feel out of place.
Well, Peele proved us all wrong, as this film nails all three aspects with a majestic balance. The horror is truly creepy and frightening, the societal criticism comes across between the lines and in nuanced shades of gray instead of shoving messages down the viewer's throat, and the comedy bits are legitimately funny and a great backdrop to the more serious aspects of the film. As weird as this combination is, it makes for a fantastic modern horror flick that thoroughly deserved its Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (quite a feat for a political horror comedy!).
96. The Terminal (2004)
"You have two stamp. One red, one green"
"So?"
"So, I have chance to go New York, 50-50"
"Yes, that's a beautiful way to look at it. But America doesn't work that way"
Not Spielberg's greatest film, but undoubtedly his most underrated one. This rarely discussed gem is a heartfelt comedy with an intriguing premise, a killer lead performance by the ever-talented Tom Hanks, and just a wonderfully chill atmosphere that makes for perfect Friday night viewing. Feel-good films like this are often overlooked by movie critics, but are often just as good as (and arguably even more important than) the more serious and gripping films you might expect to see on a "Top 100 movies of all time" list.
In The Terminal, Hanks plays the role of Viktor Navorski, an Eastern European tourist who faces an unlikely predicament: during a flight to the United States, there is a military coup in his homeland as his government is overthrown. When he arrives at JFK airport, he finds out that he isn't permitted to enter the country as he is stateless, but he's equally unable to return home - therefore, he takes up residence at the airport as his situation is dealt with. The atmosphere of the film is wonderfully cozy, as the airport slowly becomes an unlikely home to Navorski as he finds routine, friends, and love from his new surroundings. All in all, an entertaining comedy made all the better by Spielberg's steady directing and Hanks's state-of-the-art acting.
95. Lost in Translation (2003)
"Let's never come here again because it would never be as much fun"
Sofia Coppola's masterful drama about human connection strikes a unique tone with its style: the film's Tokyo setting feels vibrant and buzzing, yet the film's story and directorial choices make it into one of the most subtle and low key -feeling movies I've seen. Lost in Translation is a piece of art that isn't exactly entertaining in the word's conventional meaning, but is one of those well-crafted slow-paced movies that suck you into its world when watched in the right frame of mind. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are brilliant in the lead roles as two people in unhappy marriages who come across one another and begin to bond. The film isn't a typical romance, yet it does tell a surprisingly sweet story of these two lost souls finding meaning and a sense of belonging through their interactions.
Even the film's dialogue is unconventional, as many of Murray and Johansson's conversations consist of individual philosophical sentences and phrases uttered by both in isolated turns, which makes for a strange but compelling form of conversation. It might not sound normal to the viewer, yet the two characters clearly understand each other, forming a deep and meaningful connection throughout the film. Rightfully winning an Oscar for Best Screenwriting, Lost in Translation is a quiet and mellow film quite unlike any other, thanks to Coppola's unique vision and the powerful leading performances.
94. Metropolis (1927)
"What if one day those in the depths rise up against you?"
One of the oldest movies I've laid my eyes on, Fritz Lang's Metropolis was insanely ahead of its time. It is one of cinematic history's great tragedies that Germany used to be the country for great, popular and respected movies, before Hitler and the Nazis happened and the following cultural regression allowed Hollywood to surpass German cinema, leaving behind a delicate 'golden age'. The most remarkable relic of this era simply has to be this classic from 1927 - based on its themes, storytelling, and ambition, it could've come out in 2021. Some films age poorly, others so well that you can't believe they were made so long ago.
In the two-and-a-half hour runtime, we follow the workers and masterminds in a deeply divided dystopian society. The production design is so impressive that the futuristic world feels immensely more real and large-scale that you'd expect from a 1920's movie. The notion that I used to have of old movies being more thematically simple than modern cinema is completely destroyed, as Metropolis dives into religious symbolism, a critical look at traditional hero narratives, and sharp political commentary in a revolutionary fashion. It's ironic that one of the film's main characters is a prophet, because this has got to be the most prophetic movie I've ever seen, in terms of what cinema would grow to be in the following decades.
93. Bombshell (2019)
"People don't stop watching when there's a conflict. They stop watching when there isn't one"
When asked about how realistically Bombshell depicted the culture of sexism and harassment within the Fox News organization, several women who have worked for Fox answered that the movie is otherwise extremely realistic but it might be a bit too soft on former CEO Roger Ailes, who was apparently even much worse in reality. If you've seen the movie, hearing that might make you feel like throwing up, because believe me - Bombshell does not paint a pretty picture of that monster of a man, whose story was bound to be told as a cautionary tale that is not fun to follow but immensely important for people to understand.
And therein lies the greatest strength of this Oscar-winning biopic: just how societally important of a film it is. Sexual harassment is an issue that a whole lot of people still don't take seriously, which is why a whole lot of people might benefit from watching this film that details a gripping true story of a toxic workplace culture that ruined careers, traumatized lives and let some despicable people off the hook. The movie also does a great job giving its story cultural context in a Spike Lee -esque fashion, not to mention the incredibly powerful acting performances from Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie (if you're going to produce a critically acclaimed drama about Fox News reporters, there is no trio of actresses more suitable for the lead roles). A gripping, must-watch future classic.
92. Psycho (1960)
"She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes"
I laugh out loud every time I remember the incredible fact that Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted the soundtrack of this legendary horror film to have a film-noir type smooth jazz vibe to it. Composer Bernard Herrmann respectfully suggested a different sort of score that might work better in his vision, and the world of cinema is better off for it. While there is a lot to love in this horror classic of the highest order, Herrmann's ear-piercing, spine-chilling score is often the first element to come to mind.
Apart from that, Psycho succeeds just as well as an overall cinematic production as it does as a truly creepy horror flick. The unconventional and thoroughly unexpected plot, the performances by original scream queen Janet Leigh and the delightfully uncomfortable Anthony Perkins, and obviously the meticulous directing by Mr. Hitchcock make for a viewing experience that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled. The iconic shower scene is iconic for good reason, as it is possibly cinema's best example of how one can build an effective and intense horror sequence with the help of camerawork and editing, with no need for graphic violence whatsoever.
91. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
"He better be worth it. He better go home and cure a disease, or invent a longer-lasting light bulb"
For the purpose of this gripping World War II film, Steven Spielberg decided to specifically cast a young and unknown actor with an all-American look for the title role of private Ryan, and so he did. Unfortunately, a year before the end product was released, Good Will Hunting (1997) came out and won a few Oscars, making this Matt Damon fellow significantly less unknown. Oh well.
There is hardly any period in history that has made for as many great movies as World War II, and among the top tier of WWII epics is Saving Private Ryan. Spielberg masterfully captures the brutal intensity of the Normandy landing, the frustration among soldiers and the heartbreak within their families, as well as the sacrifice and bravery of the young men thrust into war (the last-mentioned one is captured without unnecessarily romanticizing or glorifying war, which makes it even more impressive).
Spielberg's work is lifted to greatness with help from John Williams' heart-wrenching score, not to mention the realistic and powerful performances by an eclectic ensemble of actors. The cast ranges from masters of the trade like Tom Hanks and Matt Damon being as amazing as you'd expect, through the likes of Vin Diesel and Giovanni Ribisi being about a thousand times better than you'd expect, all the way to big names like Ted Danson and Bryan Cranston disappearing into their roles so thoroughly that you've forgotten they were in this film. All in all, Saving Private Ryan is a modern classic that has certainly earned its acclaim.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for the second instalment of this countdown, as I explore movies ranging from the ninetieth-best-film of all time all the way to the eighty-first-best-film of all time! Next week's selection of ten ranges from Kubrick to Lynch, from 1941 to 2019, and from feel-good comedy to fantasy epic. Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment