- 26 Feb 2003
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Looks like another restless night for me (natural insomniac), so I thought I would list some of my favorite films of all time. Feel free to add your own if so inclined.
Holiday Inn: Classic film with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. This film symbolizes the "Golden Age" of film for me when a good story, great music, and lots of Holiday cheer still meant something...
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: This was THE film for me growing up as a child. Captured my imagination like no other (save for maybe the original Star Wars which was the first film I ever saw in a theater). To this day it still ranks as one of my all-time favs.
Shawshank Redemption: The ultimate story of personal redemption and imho has one of the most uplifiting and best endings ever.
Dances With Wolves: Great period piece, epic in its storytelling. A true homage to the Lakota Sioux and Native Americans in general.
Glory: Another great period film. Inspirational account of the first African Americans to fight for the Union during the Civil War. Ensemble piece with some truly great performances all-around (Broderick, Freeman, Washington).
Saving Private Ryan: A gritty and somber WWII film that captured both the brutality and courage of that time.
Leon ("The Professional"): A masterpiece by Luc Besson imho. The Director's cut is the definitive version of this film. The moving story of a young girl and the older man (who happens to be a Hitman) she turns to for help when her family is gunned down.
Le Grande Bleu ("The Big Blue"): Another film by Luc Besson and one of my absolute favorites (also starring Jean Reno from Leon) although it is relatively obscure. My first exposure to Besson's work and incredible in its cinematography and score. A powerful story of friendship and rivalry between two world-class divers with a bittersweet ending.
As Good As It Gets: Contemporary masterpiece. Witty story about the lives of an obsessive compulsive writer, his gay neighbor, and an overbearing single mother working as a waitress. Great perfomances all-around but especially by Jack Nicholson.
The Cider House Rules: Great film with rock solid performances by both Michael Caine and Tobey Maguire.
October Sky: Gripping story about a father and son and the emotional divide between them set in a coal mining town during the 50's. Based on a true story.
Antwone Fisher: Denzel Washington's directorial debut and an instant classic imho. Powerful and gripping drama inspired by a true story about a yong man coming to grips with who he is. Like Shawshank, this film has an incredibly moving ending.
And a few more worth mentioning (Big Wednesday, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Commitments, The Natural, Swingers, Legends of the Fall, A River Runs Through It, Almost Famous, etc. among others...)
I have deliberately left off many of the more newer and contemporary films i've seen over the years having (and I see a LOT of films) because frankly they just didn't move me or made an impact like the ones I have listed above did. Movies that can do that will surely stand the test of time and thusly deserve to be listed as an "all-time favorite."
Holiday Inn: Classic film with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. This film symbolizes the "Golden Age" of film for me when a good story, great music, and lots of Holiday cheer still meant something...
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: This was THE film for me growing up as a child. Captured my imagination like no other (save for maybe the original Star Wars which was the first film I ever saw in a theater). To this day it still ranks as one of my all-time favs.
Shawshank Redemption: The ultimate story of personal redemption and imho has one of the most uplifiting and best endings ever.
Dances With Wolves: Great period piece, epic in its storytelling. A true homage to the Lakota Sioux and Native Americans in general.
Glory: Another great period film. Inspirational account of the first African Americans to fight for the Union during the Civil War. Ensemble piece with some truly great performances all-around (Broderick, Freeman, Washington).
Saving Private Ryan: A gritty and somber WWII film that captured both the brutality and courage of that time.
Leon ("The Professional"): A masterpiece by Luc Besson imho. The Director's cut is the definitive version of this film. The moving story of a young girl and the older man (who happens to be a Hitman) she turns to for help when her family is gunned down.
Le Grande Bleu ("The Big Blue"): Another film by Luc Besson and one of my absolute favorites (also starring Jean Reno from Leon) although it is relatively obscure. My first exposure to Besson's work and incredible in its cinematography and score. A powerful story of friendship and rivalry between two world-class divers with a bittersweet ending.
As Good As It Gets: Contemporary masterpiece. Witty story about the lives of an obsessive compulsive writer, his gay neighbor, and an overbearing single mother working as a waitress. Great perfomances all-around but especially by Jack Nicholson.
The Cider House Rules: Great film with rock solid performances by both Michael Caine and Tobey Maguire.
October Sky: Gripping story about a father and son and the emotional divide between them set in a coal mining town during the 50's. Based on a true story.
Antwone Fisher: Denzel Washington's directorial debut and an instant classic imho. Powerful and gripping drama inspired by a true story about a yong man coming to grips with who he is. Like Shawshank, this film has an incredibly moving ending.
And a few more worth mentioning (Big Wednesday, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Commitments, The Natural, Swingers, Legends of the Fall, A River Runs Through It, Almost Famous, etc. among others...)
I have deliberately left off many of the more newer and contemporary films i've seen over the years having (and I see a LOT of films) because frankly they just didn't move me or made an impact like the ones I have listed above did. Movies that can do that will surely stand the test of time and thusly deserve to be listed as an "all-time favorite."
*starts to get all dreamy and loose the plot for a second*
