My Favourite Films
This will be short list. These films stretch across a variety of genres, but they have on thing in common; all of these films are films that have stuck in my head for weeks after viewing, and I've often watched them repeatedly within a short period of time.
I will describe a highlight of each film, usually the most haunting or memorable aspect for me. There will be spoilers.
There are some older films on this list, but most are from the 80's onwards, as those are the ones that I feel are more culturally relevant to me. There are many films I have not seen that most likely do belong on this list. This list is entirely subjective.
I will describe a highlight of each film, usually the most haunting or memorable aspect for me. There will be spoilers.
There are some older films on this list, but most are from the 80's onwards, as those are the ones that I feel are more culturally relevant to me. There are many films I have not seen that most likely do belong on this list. This list is entirely subjective.
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- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsGuy PearceCarrie-Anne MossJoe PantolianoA man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.Probably the most definitive non-linear narrative ever portrayed on screen, in that not only are events revealed in the most interesting manner, but it's also completely justified. What stood out to me in this film is that no matter how many walls and mechanisms you build, no matter how well you think you know how life works, it can all fall apart so easily, sometimes without you even knowing it.
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.It takes a lot to get so high on this list, and considering this film has only been out a matter of days, it is quite an achievement. I don't often use the word "beautiful" in a sincere sense, but it is the first word that comes to mind when describing this film. The shot composition was astounding, the soundtrack was challenging, yet absolutely perfect, and the cast was fantastic. Everything about this movie was perfectly considered and is a joy to watch. Credit goes to Carey Mulligan in what has to be one of the greatest, yet subtle "fish-out-of-water" roles I've ever seen.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHugh JackmanScarlett JohanssonAfter a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.A uniquely interesting plot about magicians, yet the greatest trick of all lies in the hands of director Christopher Nolan. This film makes you question concepts such as sacrifice, dedication, and passion. The great tragedy of all lies in the many role reversals, making you wonder was it really worth it in the end. If only Nikola Tesla could invent a machine to rewind time.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.A very refreshing change to the "serial killer" genre, in that for once, the killer seems as human as the main characters. What stood out for me was the fact that there was no "plan", no "big reveal", just cops doing their job, a killer doing his, culminating in one of the most spectacular train wrecks ever witnessed in cinema.
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsKeira KnightleyCarey MulliganAndrew GarfieldThe lives of three friends, from their early school days into young adulthood, when the reality of the world they live in comes knocking.This is a film with a premise we've all seen before, but it's released so gently, as opposed to the typical twist we are used to that you can not help but feel the pain the characters feel. This film makes you question the sanctity of life, and you won't be able to watch an onscreen death the same way again. Contains the most heart-wrenching mental breakdown I have seen in a film.
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithRosario DawsonWoody HarrelsonA man with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers.The most powerful chord struck in this film is the sheer power of the human heart. You are never sure if Will Smith is a sympathetic character, but eventually you realise that he only ever had one priority, everything else was secondary, even though he tried so hard for it to work while it could. This confliction is perhaps more pronounced than most that we would feel, but it will resonate with anyone who has ever benefitted from someone else's sacrifice.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.A wonderfully paced film, starring Jeff Bridges in a defining role. It's hard to look at any of his work since and not think of the Dude. The real star here is Steve Buscemi who manages to both embody every stereotype of his typecast and still surprise us. The integration between the characters here is something you won't forget, and is far more important than the plot.
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsEmilio EstevezJudd NelsonMolly RingwaldFive high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.Perhaps the defining coming-of-age drama for most young people of the era, and yet it is still relevant today. Sure, it's a bit flawed in places, blaming everything on authority figures (parents, princpal, et al), but overall, we can relate to all of the characters. Everything from the scene where they all get high to the one where they are brought back down to Earth by Brian's revelation that he considered suicide is fascinating and well paced. We were all idiots when we were kids.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator."I've seen things you people wouldn't believe..." Even that speech is enough to make this film stand out, and is still singly the most haunting part for me personally. But when you look at the bigger picture, this question asks so many questions, about identity and control.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsCasper Van DienDenise RichardsDina MeyerHumans, in a fascist militaristic future, wage war with giant alien bugs.I like to think of this film as more of a war/coming-of-age film than a sci-fi to be honest. There is something terribly exciting about seeing people unite to defeat their common enemy, and the patriotism expressed throughout is so tangible, so convincing that it gets under your skin, right down to the basic level. This feeling is something that few films achieve, but all the while, it is tinged by the tragic stories of the characters, their relationships torn apart by the roll of dice. Imagine seeing your friend being sent to the meat grinder while you're sitting on a cosy ship, one cannot help but feel guilty.
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsMatthew BroderickAlan RuckMia SaraA popular high school student, admired by his peers, decides to take a day off from school and goes to extreme lengths to pull it off, to the chagrin of his Dean, who'll do anything to stop him.What can I say? Ferris Bueller accomplished more in one day than most of us did in our entire teenage years. Stylistically, this film is supreme, with a healthy confusion between reality and fantasy, without ever taking that too seriously. Even over the course of day, the character development is very noticeable. What stands out to me here is how the film shows you that there are so many opportunities every single day, and yet we miss out on them all.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsHugh GrantMartine McCutcheonLiam NeesonFollows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.An ensemble cast like no other; this film has many of my favourite actors. But probably it's greatest feat is all the stories it tells. Everyone has been in almost all of those situations, all those different flavours of unrequited love. Being able to simply relate to a story isn't enough though, you need that extra something, and Love Actually delivers.
- DirectorMike NewellStarsHugh GrantAndie MacDowellJames FleetOver the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.I watch this film at least five times whenever Christmas comes around. The interaction of the characters amongst the mundanity of finding "true love" is so believable it is outstanding. A film that simultaneously questions everything you know about fairytale love while unashamedly conforming to all typical romcom tropes. Andie MacDowell is the only thing that lets this film down.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonJoanne SamuelHugh Keays-ByrneIn a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsBruce WillisMadeleine StoweBrad PittIn a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonCiarán HindsAfter a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsJake GyllenhaalMichelle MonaghanVera FarmigaA soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
- DirectorShane CarruthStarsShane CarruthDavid SullivanCasey GoodenFour friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsDenzel WashingtonPaula PattonJim CaviezelAfter a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Val KilmerMichelle MonaghanAfter being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.
- DirectorJonathan DaytonValerie FarisStarsSteve CarellToni ColletteGreg KinnearA family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
- DirectorBen StillerStarsJim CarreyMatthew BroderickLeslie MannA designer makes a grievious mistake when he rejects the friendship of a borderline cable guy.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsEmily BrowningVanessa HudgensAbbie CornishA young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIvana BaqueroAriadna GilSergi LópezIn the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
- DirectorHarold RamisStarsBill MurrayAndie MacDowellChris ElliottA narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.
- DirectorBobby FarrellyPeter FarrellyStarsCameron DiazMatt DillonBen StillerA man gets a chance to meet up with his dream girl from high school, even though his date with her back then was a complete disaster.
- DirectorAndrew NiccolStarsAl PacinoCatherine KeenerRachel RobertsA producer's film is endangered when his star walks off, so he decides to digitally create an actress to substitute for the star, becoming an overnight sensation that everyone thinks is a real person.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsKirsten DunstJosh HartnettJames WoodsA group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid 1970s.
- DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsBruno LawrenceAlison RoutledgePete SmithA scientist awakens to find himself alone in the world. In a desperate attempt to search for others, he finds only two who have their own agenda.
- DirectorRichard SchenkmanStarsDavid Lee SmithTony ToddJohn BillingsleyAn impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsGeorge ClooneyMark WahlbergIce CubeIn the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, four soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksCatherine Zeta-JonesChi McBrideAn Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJesse EisenbergAndrew GarfieldJustin TimberlakeAs Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.This movie is on this list for two reasons. The more obvious one is that it chillingly portrays the point at which an entire generation changed irreparably, but more interestingly is the character journeys. On one hand you have Jesse Eisenberg's character becoming more and more lonely as time goes on, and he only ever spots it too late. On the other, you have Andrew Garfield's character whose despair consistently emanates throughout. Anyone who has ever watched a friendship fall apart will appreciate the tragedy of this film.