My Top 10
by funave | created - 19 Oct 2012 | updated - 30 Dec 2014 | PublicIn order - my favourite films collected after much much research!
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1. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
R | 174 min | Drama, Romance
A filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema of his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema's projectionist.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili, Isa Danieli
Votes: 283,068 | Gross: $11.99M
Quite simply my utter favourite. Not one to get emotional from a film but Toto and Alfredo have the most intense onscreen bond of any pair I've come across. A sheer brilliant representation of the influence cinema can have on all aspects of a person's life.
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,890,284 | Gross: $28.34M
Although yes it's No.1 in the Top 250 and therefore very common in top 10's, there is a reason. I can re-visit it anytime but I'm devastated I can never reclaim the first viewing!
3. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
PG-13 | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.
Director: Roberto Benigni | Stars: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano
Votes: 743,521 | Gross: $57.60M
Roberto Benigni is fantastic! The first act of the film is a marvellous tale of love and the second manages to cross a hugely morbid subject matter with excellent humour. Loved it!
4. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 921,212 | Gross: $28.26M
The first film I watched where I realised the impact just a soundtrack and cinematography can have on a film. DeNiro impeccable.
5. Amélie (2001)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta
Votes: 794,460 | Gross: $33.23M
It was my first forage into foreign films and made so easy by this very amusing tale of the unusual life of Amelie. Another fantastic soundtrack.
6. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Votes: 1,211,356 | Gross: $130.10M
Spacey is excellent. Soundtrack is Excellent. Story + character development is excellent. Watched and re-watched and watched and...
7. Rope (1948)
Approved | 80 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Dick Hogan
Votes: 153,724
Hitchcock's finest piece in my eyes. Loved the singular location and the suspense that builds purely on that! John Dall should really grace the cover rather than Stewart - great performance!
8. The Apartment (1960)
Approved | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A 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.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston
Votes: 196,936 | Gross: $18.60M
Great view of the 60's in NY and combined with the jokes of Lemmon it is a win all round. Chemistry between Baxter and Fran is unparalleled.
9. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,846 | Gross: $52.29M
You just don't get films like this anymore. Epic tale of adventure, which truly captures the days of a group of close-knit childhood friends.
10. The Aviator (2004)
PG-13 | 170 min | Biography, Drama
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid 1940s.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Votes: 384,192 | Gross: $102.61M
A fantastic presentation of an inspiring true story, loved every minute of the film. DiCaprio gives a truly memorable performance as the extraordinary man Howard Hughes and his rollercoaster life.
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