Continuing on from my last post, I proudly present my top ten favourite films. Some are classics that I imagine would appear in other people's lists. But whether well regarded or not, these are the films that mean the most to me:
10. The Godfather (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
One of the all time classics of American cinema, The Godfather is universally considered one of the greatest films ever made. There are so many things to admire, but for me it's the performances that are the most compelling aspect. From Marlon Brando's Oscar winning role as Don Vito Corleone to his son Michael's (Pacino) slow rise to power, everyone involved is captivating in bringing this story of family, crime and betrayal to life. Nino Rota's beautiful musical score and Gordon Willis' cinematography are the perfect combination, and Francis Ford Coppola masterfully presents every moment for maximum emotional and dramatic impact. It's one of those films where you notice something new with each viewing, and so The Godfather was never in doubt to be in my top ten.
9. Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Michael Gough, Billy Dee Williams
Quite simply, the greatest adaptation of the Caped Crusader on film, and my favourite superhero film. Everything I could ever ask for in a Batman film is present. Michael Keaton is amazing as both the shy billionaire Bruce Wayne and fearsome alter-ego Batman, and sassy reporter Vicki Vale (Basinger) makes for a great companion for him. Their scenes include some genuinely moving moments, such as the scene when Bruce talks about how he feels he has to live this dangerous life "because nobody else can". But of course, the star of the show is Jack Nicholson's Joker, the ultimate adversary to the Dark Knight. Not only is Nicholson funny as the Joker, but he's also very unsettling and you can never tell what he'll do next. Tim Burton's vision of Gotham City is murky and threatening, a perfect setting for the twisted hero-villain confrontation to take place. Finally, there is Danny Elfman's iconic soundtrack, which in my opinion is still yet to be topped by any other superhero score. To conclude: the best Batman. the best Joker, and the best outing for any comic book hero.8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel
Tarantino's masterpiece. I'm a huge fan of all his films, but he's never made a better one than Pulp Fiction. Arguably the most quotable film of the 90's, Pulp Fiction is a whirlwind of memorable characters and crazy scenarios wrapped up in a killer soundtrack, and all directed with flawless precision by Tarantino. The non-linear structure of Tarantino's films is at it's best here, with hit-men Vincent (Travolta) and Jules (Jackson) on a seemingly routine mission for their boss Marsellous (Rhames). We get to witness the aftermath of the mission at different points in time, allowing the characters to get their own particular spotlight. My personal favourite story is "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife", as Travolta and Uma Thurman have great chemistry and their dance number at the diner is brilliantly crafted. But of course, Samuel L. Jackson's performance remains the most iconic part of the film, and one which he will forever be remembered for. "Say 'what' again!".7. Aliens (1986)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Carrie Henn
This time it's war. Having survived a nightmare encounter with an extra-terrestrial that killed her entire crew, Ellen Ripley (Weaver) is rescued by her employers, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Against Ripley's concerns and warnings, the company set out to investigate the planet where her crew made contact with the alien. Accompanying Ripley is a bad-ass team of marines, who are unaware of the horror that awaits them. After the first encounter with the aliens the team is left stranded, and from there the tension continues to grow, as not everyone in the party can be trusted. After Ridley Scott's original masterpiece, James Cameron had an enormous task to create a film equally as scary and unique. He achieves all of that and then some with Aliens, making it one of the best sequels of all time, as well as an incredible stand-alone film. Sigourney Weaver is so compelling as Ripley, which is aided by her mother-daughter relationship with lone survivor Newt (Henn). Not wanting to impress the audience by simply introducing more aliens than before, the film introduces the alien queen for its final act, which leads to an exciting final encounter to round-off the best entry in this cherished franchise.6. King Kong (1933)
Director: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Cast: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher
Towering above all other giant monster genre films, the original King Kong is an enormous achievement in blockbuster entertainment. No other film at the time can claim to be as bold as this production, featuring a full orchestral soundtrack when sound was still relatively new to cinema, and of course the ground-breaking special effects. Through hours of precision and patience, the stop-motion effects bring Kong and the other creatures to life, and what they achieved still looks incredible to this day. Whilst not entirely realistic looking, the effects are done with such care and ingenuity that it would be cynical for any audience to dismiss the filmmaker's hard work. But King Kong isn't just a spectacle of creature action and set-pieces. At the heart of it all is the tale of beauty and beast, when actress Ann Darrow (Wray) is captured by the natives of an island, and offered as a sacrifice to their god, Kong. Against his animal instincts, the thirty-foot gorilla becomes attached to Ann, defending her from many dangers, whilst filmmaker Carl Denham (Armstrong) and first mate Jack (Cabot) set off with a crew to rescue her. All the characters are very likeable and memorable, my favourite being the confident, but rather foolish, Denham. Although remade several times, the original King Kong cannot be beaten for its story, pacing, characters, music and phenomenal use of special effects.5. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
Director: Don Chaffey
Cast: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Honor Blackman, Niall MacGinnis, Gary Raymond
We've reached the top five, and yet another film to feature stop-motion creature effects. If King Kong laid the foundations for stop-motion, Ray Harryhausen perfected it in Jason and the Argonauts. Featuring many creatures of Greek mythology, the film tells the story of brave adventurer Jason (Armstrong) on his quest to retrieve the legendary golden fleece. Taking a crew of equally brave men on his voyage, the journey of the Argonauts is observed by the gods, who treat them as pawns in a game of chess. After battling the bronze titan Talos and terrifying harpies, the real drama unfolds when the crew finally reach their destination. With his new found love of Medea (Kovack) and betrayal by Argonaut Acastus (Raymond), Jason must summon all his courage and do battle with the seven-headed hydra and army of the dead who guard the fleece. The stop-motion effects are the real attraction here, my particular favourite being the giant Talos. But the characters also get their chance to shine, with all the Argonauts being likeable and having strong interactions with one another. Despite being woodenly dubbed, Todd Armstrong makes Jason and engaging hero, and Gary Raymond is also great as the slippery Acastus. Even after an infinite number of viewings, I never tire of watching it, and for me it is the perfect adventure film.
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton
The other "best sequel ever made". James Cameron does it again in making a superior sequel, this time to his own film, 1984's The Terminator. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his famous role, but this time, the Terminator is a hero, charged with protecting young John Connor (Furlong), the future leader of the human race in a war against the machines. Fighting on the side of the machines is the highly advanced T-1000 (Patrick), one of the greatest villains in cinema history. Though smaller than Schwarzenegger's Terminator, T-1000 can morph his body to form weapons and imitate others. The CGI is used perfectly to portray this character trait, and still looks fantastic now. But it isn't just the incredible effects and action sequences that make T2 one of the best, it's the portrayal of the characters. All the primary characters change throughout the film, with the Terminator starting off as a mindless killing machine, to becoming a father figure for John, which greatly impacts him. John's mother, Sarah (Hamilton), is initially prejudiced towards the Terminator after her experience with them in the first film, but learns to accept him as an ally after he helps save John. On first viewing, I was instantly hooked by the characters, and of course the incredible tension and stakes. T-1000 is the perfect villain to go against the heroes, as he feels no pain and can even re-form his body after it's shattered into pieces. When I first saw this happen, I couldn't work out how he could possibly be defeated, and that's the sign of a great action film: keeping you gripped without you knowing what's going to happen next. Phenomenal special effects, well-developed characters and edge-of-your-seat thrills from beginning to end, T2 is James Cameron's greatest triumph.3. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Warren Clarke, Shelia Raynor, Philip Stone
Here's a film that I really can't do justice, you simply have to see it to understand its genius. Stanley Kubrick's controversial film tells the story of Alex (McDowell), a young gang leader who loves nothing more than indulging in sex and, even better, "ultra violence". With no concerns as to what people think of him or who he hurts, Alex leads his gang to cause as much trouble as possible. Why? Because it's fun. That is until he's caught, and becomes the test subject for a new technique to "cure" the thrill of violence and indulgence. From there, Alex's world is flipped upside down, with his power and influence gone and his place in society disturbed. Malcolm McDowell carries all of the emotional weight of the story really well. With Alex in practically every scene, we experience everything alongside him, from his days as a feared "droog" to his new "cured" lifestyle. Every single shot in the film is a work of art, and Kubrick frames all the action in a way that makes you feel unsettled and thoroughly engaged at the same time. The use of classical music also plays a large part in telling the story, with Alex's fondness of Beethoven used in various ways: first, as a pleasurable experience and later, as a means of torture. The supporting cast are all excellent, particularly Patrick Magee as Mr. Alexander, one of Alex's many victims. Whilst some may find the violence off-putting, A Clockwork Orange explores the repercussions of such acts in a totally unique way, making the film truly one-of-a-kind, and a film of immense power and timelessness.2. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Director: Sean Durkin
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Hugh Dancy
The penultimate entry on my list is one of the first films I reviewed when I started this blog. Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene left such an impression on me that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterwards. The film tells the story of Martha (Olsen), who escapes from a cult lead by the manipulative Patrick (Hawkes). Now living with her sister Lucy (Paulson) and her husband Ted (Dancy), Martha begins to suffer a nervous breakdown as a result of her time spent with the cult. We see these two parts of Martha's life play out opposite one another throughout, with smooth transitions of time between the two locations. Seeing Martha go through so much emotionally really invested me in her character, which was further aided by the non-linear narrative and Elisabeth Olsen's magnetic performance. The supporting cast are also fantastic, with Sarah Paulson and Hugh Dancy brilliantly portraying the struggles of loving Martha but also trying to protect themselves from her unusual behaviour. John Hawkes brings a menacing persona to Patrick, and there is a palpable sense of dread whenever he appears. The cinematography throughout is simply stunning, presenting cult as idealistic in some moments, but as a hellish prison in others. All of these components combine to create a truly disturbing and unforgettable portrayal of love, loyalty and belonging which, in my opinion, no other film can match.1. Jaws (1975)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
"You're going to need a bigger boat". My number one favourite film has been Jaws for so long now, that I doubt anything could ever overtake it. I first saw it at a young age, and have seen it countless times since, never ceasing to be the same thrilling and gripping experience that it was for me the first time. Like any great film though, it isn't just the incredible set-pieces that make Jaws the masterpiece that it is, it's the characters and their plight, particularly the three men who set out to kill the great white shark that plagues Amity Island. Chief Martin Brody (Scheider), oceanographer Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss) and shark hunter Quint (Shaw) have incredible chemistry with one another, whether it's working together to catch the shark or arguing over exactly how to get the job done. The moments of bickering bring some needed light-comedy moments to the film, as the rest of the time the sense of danger brings you right back into the tense atmosphere, especially when John William's musical score signals the impending arrival of the shark. But my favourite moment of all has to be the haunting monologue delivered by Quint about his time on board the USS Indianapolis. Robert Shaw's performance is so engrossing and chilling, that it's enough to make your skin crawl. The barley audible soundtrack perfectly supports the harrowing story, and the silence that follows the conclusion of Quint's tale allows the audience to reflect on how scared the characters must be feeling. It says a lot that in a film that features a terrifying animal that eats people with gory results, the scariest moment is a tough character talking about how afraid he is. Jaws resonated with audiences so much upon its release, that it's now seen by some as the film that kick-started the notion of the "summer blockbuster". But whilst many have tried since, not one film can match Jaws' atmosphere, music, characters and pacing. It is, quite simply, a perfect film.
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