My Favorite Movies

Quite simply the greatest film ever. It's perfect. Kurosawa uses all his skill to create an influential action masterpiece. Each of the characters gets their own amount of screen time and is developed upon. Kurosawa blurs the lines between good and evil, as we discover the farmers are not as pure and weak as they claim to be. The battle scenes have never really been matched, as most battles today lack real emotion. We feel there is something worth losing. Simply fantastic.

Simply and utterly gorgeous. A silent gem that shows how far cinema can go on simply visuals. Mainly told in close ups, the performances are just restrained enough to avoid the comical silent overacting. An artistic masterpiece.

Really manages to capture what it is that people love in films. Not only is it an emotional look at love, it inspires and creates a sense of warmth and achievement inside the viewer. Amazing performances and a splendid script, with great dialogue and fantastic scenes, especially the fire. Certainly a top five for myself.

Kurosawa proves he's anything but just a samurai film maker. A tender story told in two halves. Giving us a well rounded view of the protagonist. Never too sentimental either.

A french masterpiece. Under the circumstances it is amazing such a film was even made. The luxurious set pieces and the beautiful costume design bring this film to life. Humour, tears, and dramatics are all added. Like all the great French stories it tells us of love and loss.

A gorgeous little film detailing repressed love, in much the same way as Brief Encounter. Very quiet and subtle and should really be dull but manages to hold the viewers attention. Leung is brilliant and Wai's style can be seen in every shot. The lighting and music are also outstanding.

A simply gorgeous, stunning piece of cinema. Kim Ki Duk uses his simplistic and very quiet style of film making to lead us through life. This film may seem slow to most, but it is a reflective and very emotional ride.

One of Japans most underated yet classic gems. Wonderfully scripted and paced it is a fil with a lot of heart and low on sentimental rubbish. The relationships between the children and teacher grow in front of our eyes as we too connect with the characters. The film is a shy one, never attempting to shock or hammer home its themes, it's simply a gentle tale of youth and friendship.

Magic is a film I have been wanting to see for years. But every time I picked up the DVD I, for some reason, decided against it. Finally I watched it and it is one of the most incredible, terrifying and moving films ever made. When it comes to horror you need great talent like this. Not the cliche teens and 2D characters of today. A great actor, great director and great writer, combine their forces for a powerful and chilling tale. Hopkins plays a shy man who has dreams of being a successful magician. We are introduced via one of the best opening scenes ever shot. It has Hopkins lying about how well his first performance went. As his voice over contrasts with the on screen visuals, we immediately understand Hopkins' motivations. Once his puppet comes into picture everything changes. Hopkins is confident, he has success, but all is not well. As the film progresses the puppet begins to look and sound more like Hopkins (who does an excellent job as the voice of Fats) and it is Hopkins that becomes the puppet. The film may be light on kills and gore but it work because it spends time building upon those that will be killed. Each kill can be felt and has consequences emotionally for those in the story. It's also a love story. Perhaps the most tragic and horrific love story since King Kong. Hopkins (in easily his best role) creates someone who is scary and sympathetic. He captures the shyness of Corky, the malevolence of Fats but most of all he never lets us forget that they are one in the same. The human love story is also sweet, tragic and brutally honest. Ed Lauter plays the husband of the Ann-Margaret and even he is given his dues. He's not the alcoholic wife beater he could have been. He may be jealous but his actions are understandable. The film is a horror, psychological drama and heart shattering romance all at the same time. It also shows the cooperative nature of film. Take away or change one element and it probably would have failed. Whether that be the wonderfully designed dummy, the haunting score or the performances. The film relies on everyone and everyone has done their job damn well. Simply amazing.

A quiet masterpiece. Nice masterful film making at its most restrained. Nothing fancy, just a simple story beautifully told. Ozu is pure genius.

So beautiful. Should...have...sent...a...poet.

A brilliantly crafted drama from Gary Oldman. What starts off a recognizable British dark comedy descends into a hellish and brutal vision of drugs and domestic violence. Burke and Winstone give the performances of their career. It's dark and disturbing but also has a lot of underlying humour and warmth. Realistic to an unsettling effect this certainly isn't Hollywood and is more similar to a fly on the wall documentary than anything fictitious. The shot composition results in every shot being a composed photograph, and the voyeuristic nature lets us look past blurred features in the foreground to what is really happening behind closed doors. Fantastic.

A truly inspiring and exceptional piece of work. Even more surprising since I only heard about it a couple of days ago. It is truly a forgotten classic and deserves to be mentioned alongside the greatest westerns and the greatest films. Similar in tone to 12 Angry Men, we see an angry group track down three men they believe murdered a friend. It's dark and infuriating but beautifully written. The brilliance of Fonda's role is that he is the main character, but not one of the main players in the "incident". He is neither the leader of the posse, nor the man most against it, nor the deputy etc. He is just a man and from his point of view we get a long look inside every character. It's amazing stuff with an ending that lives up to and in many ways surpasses all that came before it.

I had extremely high expectations for this film, and surprisingly they were met and surpassed. This film is pretty much incredible in every sense. Although every actor has their moment to shine it is Emmerich and Haley who steal the film with their supporting roles. Field's direction keeps us enthralled and the film intense, he plants the ingredients for what we think will happen. The script is tight and the narration slick and humorous. The film stands up and isn't scared to sacrifice it's protagonists happiness with their responsibility. One of the best films ever made, no simple characters, no simple actions and certainly no simple answers.

One of the most brilliantly paced and terrifying films ever made. Starting with a shock death, it is then up to Sutherland and Christies amazing chemistry to power the film along as we pick up the pieces. One of the greatest endings ever in film. A brilliant film that deals with death and acceptance as well as leaving red jacketed figures well alone.

In my opinion the greatest American film of all time. Mostly dialogue, but Mann handles the pace well, creating a very tense and beatifully shot film. A film that demonstrates the importance of real journalism, and those that will stand for truth. On a darker note it also displays the power of huge corporations and how money really does make the world go round.

The original is one of my all time favourite films. I love it so much. From the bizarre opening theme tune to Steven McQueen a) being called Steven and b) trying to play a teenager. It was pure genius. This remake is a surprisingly fantastic and brutal film. Sure it leaves behind the theme tune :'( but this is the 80's and that means Body-Shock horror. I'm surprised this isn't mentioned along with The Thing or The Fly, both excellent and twisted remakes. Here we see The Blob melting people away and it isn't nice. They scream, they beg and they melt and they bleed. The film doesn't care whom it kills or in what order. Having seen so many films, I was surprised, it clearly presents The Blob as a creature that will kill anyone. I loved the effects and the slight twists on the original, giving The Blob a slightly different origin. They'll make a fine double feature that I'll be happy to sit through. It creeps and leaps...

A stunning film in all respects. The best thing about this movie is the pacing. There is nothing in this film that could be described as "filler". Every shot has a purpose and every shot is used to full effect. It's similar to another forgotten classic, Magic, in it's tone. It isn't quite horror, nor exactly a thriller and some moments just don't fit in a drama category. All this adds to a chilling tale of adolescence. From the very first scene we are introduced to Foster's incredibly adult performance and Sheen's disturbingly outgoing and sinister character. The film hints strongly at the answers to the mystery but doesn't come straight out and tell us. It makes us wait. Sheen and Foster give arguably their greatest performances and it's a film where nobody tries to out act each other or steal the show. The score is beautifully crafted, being both classical and shoving in some 70's synth sounds. No doubt The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane will haunt you for some time. This is a film that more and more people need to see.

A real gangster epic. Overshadowing any other in its genre. Taking us through decades of a life of crime, Leone depicts the violence that built America. A harsh, relentless, but ultimately incredible story.

Great in every single sense of the word. An absolutely blood pumping fist thumping celebration of everything. Boo the Nazi's, cheer the allies. Steve McQueen is as cool as a dead tramp in winter. A splendid all star ensemble each picked perfectly for their role. Emotional when it needs to be but never sentimental. The humour is also spot on. Outstanding.

My 14th favourite film ever. Personally I believe it to be Kubrick's best. Beautiful editing, and the lack of dialogue only enhance this Sci-Fi epic. HAL is one of cinemas great villains.

One of the real classics. Terrific performances and beautiful music. Well paced and heartbreaking, but at the same time raises the spirits.

Lars and the Real Girl is one of the sweetest, most adorable, emotionally involving classics I've ever seen. I don't mean in that sickening, manipulative way. When Lars and the Real Girl is funny it is also painfully sad, some of the saddest moments are also the happiest as Lars comes to grips with reality once more. The script is gorgeous in every way. This simple idea could have gone down the route of some Hollywood penis/fart joke machine with crude humour where the doll has an affair with the best friend. The film has you sympathizing with everyone. Mainly Lars whom can't bare physical contact or emotional contact for that matter. His brother is also fantastically played by Paul Schneider, we see things from his perspective, he's confused, angry but never an asshole. Clarkson is an amazing Doctor in this film and sets into motion the whole town participation. In a world of grim and downbeat films (nothing wrong with that) it's great to see a whole community come together. The film has us laughing at the situation but never Lars himself. The film also avoids fantasy sequences which would have undermined the film completely. Instead Gosling creates all the realism with Bianca, the scene at the party where he clenches every muscle in his face to deal with a very difficult situation is just some perfect acting. Even the music is a delightful simplistic mixture of simple string arrangements and whistling. A true love story of warmth, it's amazing that films such as this and Wall-E can create such powerful romances with inanimate/unreal creations.

Fellini, the master filmmaker and lover makes a film for other film lovers. Surreal and moving. The film is a cinematic treat for anyone, and Fellini's directing is as superb as ever. A fanatstic film for all.

An incredibly moving picture. From the very first few seconds we are taken on a terrifying journey. The crisp black and white cinematogrophy is astounding. Neeson and Kingsley are brilliant but it is Fiennes as an emotionally disturbed and confused individual who steals the show. Brilliant editing and haunting music.

Kurosawa's final masterpiece (though he made brilliant films after this). The performances capture the madness of all that goes on, as a family is torn apart by greed and corruption. Kurosawa again adapts Shakespeare into something bigger and better. The colour and action are enough to declare it amazing but everything, including the exceptional score join together to make a God of a film.

Probably the greatest script ever written. Wonderful characters clearly detailed, and literary dialogue chewed on and spat out perfectly by each and every cast member. Literally everyone is perfect in their roles, even an early small role by Marilyn Monroe has her delivering two laugh out loud one liners with comic perfection. The film is wonderfully paced as well, each character is utilised and taken on a believable journey, no sudden changes or last minute revelations. Deception, trust, friendship, jealousy, loyalty this film honestly has it all from the opening narration to the final scene.

This is one of the most painfully beautiful movies ever made. Oasis is the story of a man that is responsible for the death of a man in a drink driving accident. Upon his release from prison he goes to the man's children to apologise. Oasis has no easy emotions or answers. Characters are complicated and real, with a young disabled girl gradually falling for a man that tried to rape her. It isn't an always pleasurable love story, it deals with difficulties and also acceptance. The performances are incredibly powerful. Each one captures their character and plays them out at a believable pace. This rare film manages to mix everything that is great and important about cinema.

Gob smackingly, amazingly stupendoues brilliance. The Dark Knight really is THE definitive Batman film. First of all it takes everything that was great about Begins and improves it. It's an exhausting piece of work, the drama the tension and the action all combining for a film that is far too good. Bale is once again amazing, he has developed a clear differnece between his three roles of Batman, Bruce Wayne and the public Bruce Wayne. The latter is most effective in this film, coming off as a self centered womanising arse and at the same time having contempt for how he must act. Ledger gives the most amazing performance imaginable, so amazing in fact it has nothing to do with his death as you soon forget it's Ledger. His Joker is a charasmatic form of evil. He's changed his posture, voice, mannerisms and eye movements to create something that in no way can be conected to his previous work. Even the tiniest details come through, his reactions to being called a freak make him almost human. The dialogue between Joker and Batman is spectacular, fearlessly echoing the famous coffee scene from Heat. Ledger doesn't deserve all the credit though, the costume is punkishly awesome as is the make up and of course the writing. Even other actors reactions to him are perfect, especially during his chat with the mob, each mob boss having a different reaction. Eric Roberts gives a slow finger rub as he is clearly skeptical though intrigued by this man. Richie Costar as The Chechen looks at the Joker with a certain amount of admiration. Eckhart has the toughest job, pulling off a huge emotional arc throughout the course of the film. He pulls it off, clearly expreing his loss and annoyance at the world. To say more would be to truly spoil this wonderful film. It's beautifully scripted, fantastically paced and never ever dull. Yes there are some contrivances but this is a superhero film. However it is the best comic book/superhero film there is for fans and non fans alike. It's a crime epic, an all action spectacular. It's ball achingly great.

A fantastic end (?) to a quite frankly brilliant series of films. Staying true to the previous efforts by sticking to tried and tested formula, with window smashing, fighting using everyday objects and an awesome car chase. It never seems repetitive and Damon brings a harder and grittier edge to Bourne. The entire supporting cast and so perfect it is clear they are cast on their acting abilities and not star power. Considine and Strathairn are the noticeable scene stealing new guys and the film rarely puts a step wrong. Perfect for any window hating, Bourne fan.

In my eyes this film would have been just as great if it was heterosexual. The gay elements though amplify the confusion between the two protagonists often feeling guilty. Ang Lee shoots the film at a slow and subtle pace, I like slow moving films if it suits the subject which here it does. The cinematography paints lush landscapes and highlights the isolation. Ledger is the real star in what may be the performance of his career (although Candy was amazing and The Dark Knight will no doubt be great). The film does tend to tiptoe around the whole cheating issue and how the wives feel, but with such convincing chemitry between Ledger and Gyllenhaal the film comes off as a real classic.Lee's best since The Ice Storm.

I haven't been this uplifted by a film since seeing Amelie for the first time. I was expecting something good but not this amazing. I've heard it described as a live action Studio Ghibli film and I think that captures the essence of this classic best. It is not only a fantastical journey of a film, but one with stunning visuals and expertly crafted scenes. The funny moments are absolutely hilarious and it mixes dark comedy with a much sweeter variety effortlessly. The scene with the boar is pure excitement and the sad scenes are tear jerking. Never failing to shift the mood with some consistency the film has a fantastic array of characters each played to perfection. Only the American cast let the film down as their acting styles seemed so forced. The political morals do not swamp the film and it is quite simply a delightful piece.

The Seven Samurai of all B movies. Not only that but a jump ahead in internet advertising. Allowing fans to participate and partially craft the film. Overall this is simply non stop action packed entertainment of the guilty variety. With Tongue in cheek humour that creates more laughs than most recent comedies. The performances are grade A for a B movie and the snakes look great. A film that kept me smiling constantly throughout, haven't had this much fun in a long time.

This film has no right to be as funny or entertaining as it is. What should be your run of the mill exercise in teen romance becomes something with a lot more humour thanks to the performances. Foster is a wonderful lead, being accessibly geeky with the perfect amount of dry wit. Martin Short handles most of the comical moments of improvisational rants which almost have his supporting cast in tears. Shane West also comes out on tops with a fantastically hammy role of an absolute arse with a fake English accent. Dunst is simply amazing as always and she gets plenty of singing which is nice because she has a great voice. The climatic school play is non stop laughs with some appropriately inappropriate songs for a Shakespeare play.

Simply read the title to decide if you are going to like this or not. Killer Klowns is pretty much a perfect film of it's genre. Funny, daft, inventive and most of all it has an enjoyable personality. This is a film that's so much fun to be around, you laugh with it not at it. Sometimes trying to create such a film just goes horribly wrong. Here, everything works out for the best. The Klowns look very impressive, as does the entire film. I honestly had no idea it was from the 80's. I would have guessed 1994. The performances are those of actors enjoying their craft. Vernon is particularly delightful as an exaggeration on pessimistic and non-trusting policemen. A lot of the humour is brilliant, in terms of ideas and execution. From a well animated shadow puppet show to a wonderful attempt at an escape "It's a door, there's another door, and another door...". The dialog is also very knowing and excellently delivered "Nobody's gonna put me in a balloon again!". Want some surprisingly well made dumb fun? Check this out, it surpasses camp and works on every level.

A fanatstic addition to one of my favourite genres, the silly b-movie horror comedy. Similar to the likes of Arachnophobia and Tremors. SLither doesn't censor it's gore, creating foul looking monsters. The characters all have a fanastic enthusiasm and personality making them likeable, relatable beings. The quick wit and uncomfortable romance scenes are also well handled and make this one of the coolest films around.

A Japanese cross between Amelie and Ghost World. It's hyperactive and never gives you a chance to rest. Switching from sped up back story and cartoon stories etc. The visuals are fantastic with the colours really being brought out. Based on a cult novel you should also buy. Hilarious in parts and a tale of true friendship. The performances are OTT and fit the wacky characters perfectly. Despite the fast frenetic style, it isn't headache inducing. So sit back and it's over in a flash ready for another viewing. Whoopee.

If you don't like this film then you are gay. I don't mean that in an offensive way, but this film is filled with so much female empowerment the ladies should love it and the girls are Ninjas, Cheerleaders AND exotic dancers. So guys MUST love it. It's fast furious fun and is an example of pure cinematic entertainment as opposed to art. There are no pretensions with this film. It's gloriously sweet with Maitland McConnell being the cutest woman ever all smiles and big lovely eyes. The acting is also well above what you'd expect. No the action isn't on par with that of Kill Bill's choreography but the fights are still enjoyable are not so bad that it detracts from the film. Excellent fun.

Once in every blue moon comes a film that is an honest to God complete surprise. A surprise in a brilliant way. It usually occurs due to lack of expectations, poor advertisement and fantastic writing. In Bruges has them all. It really excels thanks to the incredibly witty writing. Not just in the pitch perfect dialogue but also in the dramatic symmetry that many comedies wouldn't bother with. Farrel gives a career high performance in one of the great comedy performances. His sweetness at revelling at a film shoot where midgets are being filmed sums up his character perfectly. The relationship he develops with Gleeson is wonderfully paced. They aren't the odd couple, they're just into different things. It questions the morals and ethics of hitmen not to mention principles vs. feelings. Most incredibly it handles the emotional arcs, especially of Farrel, with such humanity it's almost emotionally scarring. Deep? Sometimes. But it is always fucking hilarious.

Hanyo is a thriller crafted with the greatest expertise. You know where it's going, but you can't help but stared, open mouthed, at the journey it takes. Mr. Kim is the unluckiest lucky man in the world. He has women throwing themselves at him non-stop. Unfortunately, they are all a tad bonkers and also pretty dangerous. Leading the pack is his Housemaid, a little temptress with a good eye on how to eliminate a rat. The imagery is all very metaphorical, but hits such high levels of obviousness that it is also comically charming. It's rather tense, and also upsettingly painful to watch. In true thriller fashion, it builds to an over-the-top climax, but before you dismiss this as wild fantasy, you have to wait for one of the greatest cinematic punchlines of all time.

Some people may have taken Ben Affleck out back and put him down by now. He came in on a high with an academy award winning script but recently has gone from turkey to turkey. Luckily it seems he has found his true calling in directing. Whether he's learned it from those he's worked with or just has a natural flair doesn't matter. Fact is, he's awesome. Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (who also wrote Mystic River), Affleck handles the material as well as or perhaps even better than Eastwood did. The film hardly slows down, creating a hard hitting and confrontational challenge of morals. The films only hindrance is from having to focus on the case and not examine each character to a full extent, but if it's a classic cop thriller you are looking for Gone Baby Gone is one of the best of the year or even decade.

Knowing absolutely nothing about this film other than the director and it being based on a Stephen King novella everything came as a surprise. It starts off fantastically with a mystery created around the mist. It's tense and uncomfortable viewing. Jane is great as the family man looking out for his son and all the characters have moments to shine. The film is at its best while dealing with the complex emotions of each character. It has a rather bleak outlook on mankind and many different but subtle themes. Unfortunately the CGI just stood out too much for my liking and distracted from the atmosphere. Entertaining and certainly very affecting cinema even if the explanations are rather out-there.