My Ten Favourite Films
...just in case you are looking for a film to be blown
away by...
All the links point to the films IMBD pages
Come and See (Idi i smotri) 1985
Russia. Directed by Elem Klimov. WW2 in Belorussia: this
is far and away the best war movie ever made, except for
The Betrayed 1995 Directed by
Clive Gordon. This also is far and away the best war
movie ever made. However this one is a documentary. It
says more about war, the essential stupidity of humanity
and the nature of truth and lies that we call
civilisation than any other film I have ever seen, by
turns tragic, utterly funny and profound this is one of
the blackest films ever made and also one of the very,
very best.
Given what I have written above I would be remiss if I
didn't write
2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
Directed by Stanley Kubrick. The future, now the past,
by turns amazingly funny and profoundly deep Kubrick and
Clarke deliver a future where even the profoundly stupid
are polite and politic and where intelligence grows
beyond the confines of first the human skull that then
the fabric of space itself. Not quite science fiction
and somehow not quite as perfect as
Barry Lyndon 1975 Directed By
Stanley Kubrick. William Makepeace Thackeray's book
comes to life in the most sumptuously beautiful film
ever made. Kubrick takes the original text and somehow
blends the themes and sardonic wit that underscored his
two previous films (2001 and A Clockwork Orange) to make
perhaps the most incisively insightful film about human
nature ever made. If you aren't shocked into a sudden
understanding of human life and existence by the closing
title you haven't been paying attention. While slightly
marred by Ryan O'Neal being too old in some of the early
scenes this is still probably the best film ever made.
It is easily the one I have the most respect for.
The Big Lebowski1998 is probably
the funniest film I have ever seen. Every line has
humour. Every line is endlessly repeatable. The
characterisations, the acting, and the script and
direction are all flawless. Someone once said, "in a
perfect world, all movies would be made by the Coen
Brothers" and as far as I am concerned, they were just
about right. After all, the Coen brothers made the
perfect gangster film...
Miller's Crossing 1990 by making
a black comedy where, unfettered by that pretended
verisimilitude dogs other gangster films the real nature
of crime, loyalty and honour could be cleanly dissected
by anyone who cared to muse about the meaning of hats,
and exactly what it was that Tom saw in Leo and the true
meaning of ethics. On the subject of love there is
The Night Porter1974 Directed by
Liliana Cavani. Mozart's "Magic Flute" blends with
reality as Papageno meets Papagena again in Vienna and
their old love rekindles, flames brightly and gutters
out in the most perfect ending of any opera. A truly
beautiful film that says more about human love than so
very many others. And what would love be withoit art?
Topsy Turvy1999 Mike Leigh. Shows
the inspiration behind and the creation of Gilbert and
Sullivan's Mikado. This film is the best "creation of a
show" film ever made. Historically flawless, perfectly
acted and exact in every particular it bears watching
again and again. A literally astonishing film.
Roma 1972 Directed by Federico
Fellini. How can you film a city? Fellini makes the
greatest film of all, with greatest city of all as his
subject. Mad, impetuous and breathtaking Roma is by far
my favourite Fellini film and is, all things considered,
probably my favourite film of all. While I love
"Fellini: Satyricon" and
"Casanova" it is Roma which has
made a special place in my heart and Roma is the film I
keep coming back to.
Happy viewing
alex