My Favorite Films Part 6: #1-10

Finally, after all this time, we have made it to the final ten. It’s my ten favorite films of all time. As usual let’s refresh on the titles that got us to this point.

#100) His Girl Friday (1940)
#99) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
#98) Adaptation (2002)
#97) Being John Malkovich (1999)
#96) Groundhog Day (1993)
#95) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
#94) Boogie Nights (1997)
#93) Apocalypse Now (1979)
#92) Barton Fink (1991)
#91) The Big Lebowski (1998)
#90) Breathless (1960)
#89) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
#88) Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
#87) Apollo 13 (1995)
#86) Rashomon (1950)
#85) Pink Floyd’s the Wall (1982)
#84) Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
#83) Rope (1948)
#82) Good Night and Good Luck (2005)
#81) Wild Bunch (1969)
#80) Do the Right Thing (1989)
#79) Dr. Strangelove (1964)
#78) Unbreakable (2000)
#77) Miller’s Crossing (1990)
#76) Matrix (1999)
#75) There Will Be Blood (2007)
#74) Fargo (1996)
#73) This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
#72) Toy Story (1995)
#71) The Sixth Sense (1999)
#70) Dogma (1999)
#69) Die Hard (1988)
#68) Equilibrium (2002)
#67) Some Like it Hot (1959)
#66) Jurassic Park (1993)
#65) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003)
#64) The Fountain (2006)
#63) Young Frankenstein (1974)
#62) Children of Men (2006)
#61) North by Northwest (1959)
#60) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
#59) Braveheart (1996)
#58) Unforgiven (1992)
#57) Three Kings (1999)
#56) Rounders (1998)
#55) The Prestige (1996)
#54) South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)
#53) Garden State (2004)
#52) Office Space (1999)
#51) Once (2007)
#50) A Few Good Men (1992)
#49) Saving Private Ryan (1998)
#48) Galaxy Quest (1999)
#47) Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
#46) Rushmore (1998)
#45) Blazing Saddles (1974)
#44) The Thin Red Line (1998)
#43) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban (2004)
#42) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
#41) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
#40) Leon – The Professional (1994)
#39) Pulp Fiction (1994)
#38) Out of Sight (1998)
#37) 12 Monkeys (1995)
#36) Cinema Paradiso (1988)
#35) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
#34) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
#33) Almost Famous (2000)
#32) The Princess Bride (1987)
#31) Schindler’s List (1993)
#30) Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
#29) Memento (2000)
#28) Shawshank Redemption (1994)
#27) Silence of the Lambs (1991)
#26) Network (1976)
#25) Narc (2002)
#24) Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
#23) Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981)
#22) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
#21) Dark City (1998)
#20) Goodfellas (1990)
#19) All the President’s Men (1976)
#18) Star Wars – the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
#17) American Beauty (1999)
#16) Requiem for a Dream (2000)
#15) Clerks (1994)
#14) Swingers (1996)
#13) L.A. Confidential (1997)
#12) Heat (1995)
#11) Chinatown (1974)

And without further ado, the final ten films.

#10) Se7en (1995)

It’s dark, it’s original, and pretty damn spooky. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman play off each other with great chemistry as detectives with completely different methods trying to solve a twisted crime. Freeman is the detective on his way out, and Pitt is his incoming replacement. Together they have a short time to find a serial killer that is using the seven deadly sins as his muse. Director David Fincher creates a very dark and somber mood that enhances the theme of society gone to hell. The methods and inspiration for the killings are extremely clever and original. It keeps you guessing through the entire film. There comes a time when the film makers could have taken the predictable Hollywood way out to end it but instead they stick to their guns and keep it dark all the way through with no real happy ending. This story is a great testament to writer Andrew Kevin Walker, who showed great potential with this film and then just disappeared for a while, although he is making a come back with the upcoming Wolf Man film. Everyone involved in this film is at the top of their game. It is truly one of the best crime dramas of all time.

#9) The Insider (1999)

There are so many great performances in this film, but none better than Russell Crowe. His role as a former tobacco executive turned informant is probably the best of his career and deserved an Oscar, more so than his performance in Gladiator. Many say that his win for Gladiator was really a delayed reward for this film. The film is an epic tale of greed and corruption told with great style from film maker Michael Mann. What makes the story even more upsetting is that it’s completely true, based on an article and interview from a 60 Minutes segment in the mid 90’s. Whether you believe in a coverup by the Tobacco industry or not, the investigative process that film focuses on to uncover the truth is truly captivating and entertaining. Just a fantastic film.

#8) The Usual Suspects (1995)

The sad thing about my first experience with this film is that I had the ending spoiled for me before I had a chance to see the movie. I went over to a friends house where a bunch of people had gotten together to watch a movie, and I just happened to arrive during the final ten minutes of the film. When the reveal happens, and I asked who was Keyser Soze and everyone realized I hadn’t seen the movie they all screamed at me to get out, but it was too late, I knew who Keyser Soze was. But you know what, it really doesn’t matter. Although that twist and revelation is one of the biggest surprises in film history, it’s the process of getting there that makes the film so exciting. It’s a brilliantly crafted script that keeps you guessing, and even at the very end, we have no idea if what we’ve seen and been told is really true. The entire story could just be that, a made up story to not only fool the cops, but to fool us, the audience. There are so many possibilities with this story, and that is what makes it so good.

#7) Fight Club (1999)

I love a good message film, and that is what Fight Club really is. Never mind the graphic senseless head bashing and adolescent debauchery that our characters thrive on, what the film is really commenting on is our society’s addiction to materialistic possessions. We are all defined by our stuff. It’s a damning trait that our culture has taken on to an alarming level. Behind the adrenaline fueled fights, what is really at the heart of Fight Club is destroying the institutions that fuel our materialistic addictions. It might be a theme that was lost on some but it is really what feeds the motivations of our heroes Tyler Durden and our initially nameless narrator played by Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Based on a book by Chuck Palahniuk and expertly and stylistically directed by David Fincher, Fight Club is a smart and entertaining film that gives a big middle finger towards the establishment.

#6) JFK (1991)

As much as I like a good message movie, I love a good conspiracy even more. And for me, there is no bigger conspiracy than the assassination of President Kennedy. I truly believe that there was more than one shooter, and Oliver Stone’s film presents enough evidence to make you think. Based on real events and a real trial, the film is effective as a great detective mystery story. Oliver Stone’s style of quick edits with random footage spliced in is at full effect, but unlike some of his later work it doesn’t overwhelm; it in fact enhances the story being told. There are many great performances throughout the film, but it is the story that fascinates me. I can’t say that the people accused of being involved in the film are the true criminals behind one of the most tragic moments in American history, but there is no denying more than Oswald being involved, whether he was involved at all. It’s a remarkable film and a mesmerizing look into one of the great conspiracies of all time.

#5) Magnolia (1999)

And as much as I like a good conspiracy, I love me a good character driven film as well. Do character driven films get any better than Magnolia? There are so many well developed characters that drive the heart of the story. At its core, the film is about a group of people, many have no connection, but some do, that are concurrently experiencing the worst day of their lives. And then it starts to rain frogs. The point is that these things happen, and it is how you handle the situation and come out the other side that defines who you are. Paul Thomas Anderson directs a great cast to several strong performances, but ultimately it’s his script that makes this a remarkable film. Each story is strong enough to warrant it’s own film, but put together as a collective story and you witness each character experiencing the same struggles it makes the theme even more powerful. From the writing, acting, direction, cinematography, and the score, it is a masterfully great film.

#4) The Godfather Part II (1974)

It’s not very often that a sequel is considered greater than the original, but in many circles The Godfather Part II is considered far superior to the original. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but it comes awfully damn close, but I’ll get into that later. As a stand alone film it really is a great movie. Part II delves more into the history of the Corleone family to explore deeper the themes of fathers and sons. We get to see both generations of father and son and the paths that lead them to the life they have lead. The father Vito is successful and happy with his power and family, while the son Michael is the conflicted one who tries to bring legitimacy to the family business but ends up doing more of the same and isolating himself from everyone he loves ending up alone. It is a work of mastery from Francis Ford Coppola and it should have just ended there instead of the horrible third film. The final shot is all we need to know what happens after the film ended. It is a fantastic work of art.

#3) Taxi Driver (1976)


To me, Travis Bickle is one of the great characters in film history, if not the greatest. The emotional and psychological journey he goes through during the course of the film is truly fascinating and haunting. The way that Robert De Niro plays him leaves the character open to interpretation. Is Bickle really sane or completely crazy? Is he trying to do good or bad? What does he say about the veterans returning from Vietnam? What effect does the decay of the big city and society in general have on him? There are a lot of layers to Travis Bickle that are open to interpretation and that is due not only to the great performance from De Niro but the brilliant direction of Martin Scorsese. It’s an iconic role and one of the best films of all time.

#2) Jaws (1975)


A few years back I had a chance to see a screening of Jaws at the Arclight Theater as part of their AFI screening series. I had seen the film so many times before, as I’m sure many in the audience had, but I had never seen it screened in a theater before with a large audience. Three fourths of the way into the film we get our first look at the shark. It’s the famous scene where Roy Scheider’s character Chief Brody is dumping fish guts into the ocean to lure the shark out so that they can capture it and kill it, and while yelling back at Quint and Hooper the shark pokes it’s head out of the water to take a giant gulp of the guts before dropping back under the water. At that one moment the entire audience let out a scream and simultaneously lifted their feet from the floor into the air for fear of being bitten themselves. Thirty years after the film first appeared and it still had the same effect of fear on its audience, even when most of them knew the scene was coming. I can’t think of a better way to describe the power this film has had, not only on audiences all over but on me as well. I had seen the film so many times, yet I was one of those that had that same reaction.

Waiting to show the shark so late, and so little in the film, was more fortunate luck for the film crew out of the technical issues that caused them to change their approach than it was planned out. It’s a lesson that has served Spielberg tremendously throughout his entire career, learning the lessons of Hitchcock that anything our imagination can conjure up is scarier than anything they could show. It is a truly frightening yet thoroughly entertaining film. It’s the film that created the summer blockbuster, put Spielberg on the map, and began the long successful collaboration between Spielberg and composer John Williams. Would Jaws have been so successful without the iconic music created by Williams? It’s an important film as far as the history of cinema goes, and it’s a well crafted film, but more importantly it’s a very entertaining and fun film. It continues to hold up to this day and I imagine it will for generations.

#1) The Godfather Part I (1972)


When I first set out to make this list I tried to take every aspect of film making when ranking my films. To me, The Godfather is the most perfect film. From writing, directing, acting, set design, costumes, cinematography, and musical score, every aspect of the film is perfect. Like I said earlier, some people think that the second film is better, but for me it’s close but I prefer the more linear storyline of the first film. It’s an epic tale of family, loyalty, and power. It’s the story of a father trying to make a life for his family. There is the son who yearns to be different, who doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps, but the more he tries the more he realizes he’s the same. No matter how hard Michael tries to do good, he can not resist his calling. It’s a deep complex story with lots of multidimensional characters that is extremely entertaining. It is probably one of the most quoted films of all time as well, with so many great lines that have many meanings to one’s life, as was humorously pointed out in the film You’ve Got Mail. I’ve seen it so many times, from VHS, DVD, on the big screen, and now on Bluray, and it never gets old. It is quite simply the greatest film ever made.

And there you have it. My list is finally complete. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and found some films you may have never heard of. It took a while to get through but I’m glad I did. Now it’s time to move on to some other lists. See ya next time.