It’s been a while. Recent movies have tended to be loud, formulaic, pre-advertised (trailers usually give away all of a film’s essentials), very commercial, flawed, dumb, crass, pointless, and geared toward What Faulkner called “the glands” and the lowest common denominator. That said, I enjoyed All Is Lost (reviewed in a recent blog entry), Branagh’s Macbeth (a filmed live performance), and movies from the past ten years like The Social Network, Barney’s Version, and The King’s Speech.
I taught film in my classes–works like Citizen Kane, Dr. Strangelove (which should have been included on the following list), and North by Northwest. Later, I did a three-year stint at Alberta Film Classification, happily leaving in 2005 because 90% min. of films I saw were crappy, flawed, and often very weak and limitedly commercial.
I used to be quite into film and have amassed a collection I am very happy with of favorites and classics. After long absence, I came back to my list of movies yesterday and went through it, picking out films I consider to be great or classics. It is fairly obvious which directors have impressed the most–Welles, Huston, Allen, Godard, Coppola, Kubrick, Lumet, Lean, and Hitchcock. Likewise, strong acting performances from the likes of Cary Grant, Welles, Bogart, Branagh, O’Toole, Newman, Kelly, Hopkins, to name a few. (For the record, favorite actresses have included Hepburn, Kerr, Binoche, Bergman, and Thompson.)
As I peruse the list before printing it, it is obvious that I enjoy good scripts and writing, great character acting, certain moods and atmospheres, irony and wit, romance, real comedy (not that crap that comedy has become today), mystery and intrigue, good lines, dialogue, and conversation, great scenes/moments of being, and a wide range of beauty and truth as conveyed by film.
(ps/I will add that The Last Picture Show and Dr. Strangelove should have been included in the list below.)
–All About Eve–incredibly witty ’50s comedy with numerous great performances, best of all by George Sanders & Bette Davis. Ironic, cynical views of relationships and theatre.
-a Hitchcock–Psycho, unquestionably. But Rear Window, Frenzy, Vertigo, and North by Northwest are all worth the viewing time, too.
-a Woody Allen–Love and Death (riotous take on 19th century Russia), Midnight in Paris or Annie Hall
–The Best Years of Our Lives— 3 post WWII relationships; “Love conquers all”
-a Godard–either Breathless (which takes apart the romance conventions) or Pierrot le Fou which breaks nearly every movie convention
–Jesus of Montreal: the ultimate Arcand movie about religion/spirituality vs. commercialism/secularism; top Canadian film of all-time
–Casablanca–a tad corny now, but great performances and lines; a romance classic
–Citizen Kane–light years ahead of its time in so many departments; Welles` best; multiple points of view being the composite, complex truth of an individual
–Don`t Look Now–Nicholas Roeg`s dark classic– a thriller with spooky atmosphere galore; incredible cinematography
–Godfather II–still the best of the 3–Pacino`s best and amazing cross-cutting between a family`s past and present
–A Hard Day`s Night–all the fun that the Beatles once were and represented; the 1st significant young person`s ‘musical’ on film–should have won an AA for the music
–Henry V (Branagh)–came from out of nowhere; still powerful, maybe the most powerful Shakespeare on film; a resonant atmospheric film
–In the Heat of the Night–for the performances of Steiger and Poitier–their relationship; film captures how it was in the mid-60s down south; a breakthru film on race and race relations, made by Canada’s top filmmaker Norman Jewison
–Lawrence of Arabia–best seen in a widescreen theatre–epic atmosphere bigtime; and 3 nutcases at play–Lean (the director), O`Toole (the lead) and Lawrence; stunning music and atmosphere
–The Maltese Falcon–very witty, sarcastic, cynical John Huston flick–Bogart`s best as Sam Spade; top film noir ever–numerous plot twists and mystery
–My Dinner with Andre–proof that 2 guys talking could be more interesting than 80% of the films that have been made. About ideas, consciousness, choices.
-an Altman–Nashville or Short Cuts–both with large casts and multiple intersecting plots. Ironic and funny social commentary. Strong use of music and improv scenes
-a Redford family film–Ordinary People (best film about dysfunctional family and a modern teen) or A River Runs Through It (a brother study–Brad Pitt`s best as Redford ringer appearance-wise)
–Remains of the Day–another 2 character/actor piece: Hopkins and Thompson`s best (a close Hopkins` 2nd best–Shadowlands)
–Singin’ in the Rain–best musical comedy
–2001: A Space Odyssey–huge when it came out–mostly for the cinematography and mood; man vs. machine`s top movie moment–see on widescreen; amazing end sequence; Kubrick 2nd best: Dr. Strangelove: wit and the insanity of war
–The Third Man–Welles` best, charismatic role–he makes evil attractive and very likable! Great cinematography & score. The sewer & ferris wheel scenes are bigtime classics.
–The Verdict–great performances–Newman, Rampling & others; great Boston atmosphere; directed by the great Sidney Lumet; study of alcoholic lawyer in the trial of his life against all odds (a close Lumet second–Dog Day Afternoon)
–Wings of Desire–very different; the black & white cinematography is a knockout; Falk steals the show unexpectedly in a movie convention breakdown; captures the pain, suffering and angst of humanity as well as the glorious possibilities of love
–All the President’s Men–top journalism film of all time; the pursuit of truth despite numerous obstacles
–Chariots of Fire: the best ‘little film’ of all-time; a UK classic and an AA winner
–Persona or another classic Bergman like Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers, Saraband, Scenes from a Marriage; one Bergman is a must for all serious filmgoers
–The Graduate: classic satire of materialism, romance, and the American Dream through a ’60s lens
–High Noon: the individual vs. society classic western
–Macbeth: the ultimate visceral Shakespeare
–Manchurian Candidate: best conspiracy film ever
–Murder on the Orient Express: best whodunit with a cast of stars
–The Haunting of Hill House (original): a genuinely scary haunted house movie
–Ran: the horrors of war King Lear-style; dazzling visuals; Kurosawa’s masterpiece
–Sleuth: best two-hander whodunit; strong Olivier and Caine performances; both were nominated for best actor
–To Kill a Mockingbird: best adaptation of a classic novel about discrimination and coming of age; great atmosphere
–War and Peace: Russian masterpiece adapted from Tolstoy epic; big, ambitious, and impressive
-a Christmas classic: either It’s a Wonderful Life or Alistair Sim’s A Christmas Carol