My Favorite Movies

Original, creative comedy which develops dramatic momentum that never detracts from its comedic elements.

Exquisite hand-drawn fantasy, memorable images, charming expression and music. Thoroughly refreshing.

Terrific, spot-on period piece and heartfelt study in the shadings of courage, duty and friendship. Every detail falls into place, stellar cast and superb work.

Glorious if gory adaptation of Steven Sondheim's musical unfolding at a thriller's pace, gleaming shots drained of color, atmospheric, strange and spooky. Terrific chemistry between Johnny Depp's bitter Sweeney and Helena Bonham Carter's genial Mrs Lovett. Priceless cameos from Sacha Baron Cohen, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall.

Beautiful and cerebral, a film that juggles timelines with ease and dexterity. Emotive performances from Bale and Jackman. Nolan's imagemaking is precise and the screenplay is beautifully layered.

Impressive. Beautiful landscapes, camera-work and powerful acting. Colors, characters, costumes, backgrounds. Powerful translation to the screen. The details set to scene are stunning. Unique experience.

Adult fairy tale, superbly crafted, intoxicating, original, simultaneously enchanting and dark, melds historical fact with imaginative fantasy and delves headlong into the brutality of the Spanish Civil War aftermath from an imaginative child's perspective. Great beauty, piercing insight and exceptional cast.

Enchanting and inspiring animation fantasy adventure, fresh and complex, with beauty, magic, and a charming narrative remaining true to the underlying meaning: how the true self is defined through actions and relationships. Unmistakable Miyazaki vision and breathtaking scenery.

Amazingly textured, multi-dimensional epic, brooding yet eloquent and moving, intimate melodrama and meditation on the perils of absolute power, conveying a sequestered sense of courtly society, told with style, opulent costumes and dazzling art direction. Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li shine.

Masterful, absorbing crime thriller drama, a perfect storm of engrossing tension with a pervading sense of lingering dread, cinematographer Peter Suschitzky paints a vision of incredible evil, with virtuoso performances from each lead, an intense Naomi Watts, a fearless Viggo Mortensen fascinating, and Armin Mueller-Stahl riveting.

Period political thriller and involving character study full of difficult choices and suspenseful moments, playing out to an extremely satisfying conclusion. Ulrich Mühe's quiet, even performance takes the viewer on a profound arc toward enlightenment. Equally an aesthetic joy, shot expertly by Hagen Bogdanski and artfully designed by Silke Buhr.

Bracing, simple, original psychological thriller with brilliant, striking moments that catch the audience off guard, an eerie tone and a gradual, rich escalation of sustained tension. Daniel Auteuil conveys a great quiet fear and Juliette Binoche is equally strong. Consumate artistry.