Part 2
Part 3
40: Irréversible
Drama Of: Marcus and Pierre, seeking vengeance for the rape of their beloved Alex.
The Film: This is not a movie I can easily recommend; it's a brutal and difficult thing to watch, given that it contains one of the most brutal murder scenes I've ever seen, and one of the most brutal rape scenes ever filmed. The first half of this film is a dizzying descent into an extremely dark and sick-looking place, and the sheer onslaught of visual filth is palpable and extreme. However, the film settles down after a while; going in reverse, the film methodically lays out the reasoning behind what happens, and it is an extremely tragic and compelling tale with themes of life and death at work. It's not a pretty or feel-good film by any means, but it is a heck of an experience.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: This is not a movie I can easily recommend; it's a brutal and difficult thing to watch, given that it contains one of the most brutal murder scenes I've ever seen, and one of the most brutal rape scenes ever filmed. The first half of this film is a dizzying descent into an extremely dark and sick-looking place, and the sheer onslaught of visual filth is palpable and extreme. However, the film settles down after a while; going in reverse, the film methodically lays out the reasoning behind what happens, and it is an extremely tragic and compelling tale with themes of life and death at work. It's not a pretty or feel-good film by any means, but it is a heck of an experience.
My current score: 4/5
39: Black Swan
Drama Of: Nina Sayers, ballet dancer.
The Film: A bit rough in its style, but not nearly as rough as the character and subject matter. The film treads a fine line between fantasy and reality, as pure obsession pushes the character into surreal, nightmarish levels of lust and self-destruction. The whole cast is really spot-on, and the film is one dark and invoking trip.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: A bit rough in its style, but not nearly as rough as the character and subject matter. The film treads a fine line between fantasy and reality, as pure obsession pushes the character into surreal, nightmarish levels of lust and self-destruction. The whole cast is really spot-on, and the film is one dark and invoking trip.
My current score: 4.5/5
38: The Goodfellas
Drama Of: Henry Hill, his family, his business.
The Film: This epic-length gangster film tracks the rise of a few good fellas. Their lives are laced with moments that are both good and bad, making it a complex and twisty series of events that strain their relationships. It is as stylish and classic of a mafia movie as they come.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: This epic-length gangster film tracks the rise of a few good fellas. Their lives are laced with moments that are both good and bad, making it a complex and twisty series of events that strain their relationships. It is as stylish and classic of a mafia movie as they come.
My current score: 4.5/5
37: Life is Beautiful (La Vita è Bella)
Drama Of: Guido Orefice.
The Film: Half of this is a pretty silly comedy, with an old-fashioned vaudeville vibe to it. In the last act, however, the film gets into some pretty grim territory as the characters are forced to suffer through the holocaust. Throughout the picture, Guido uses his comedy to shield everybody else from the horrors all around them, and I think it's an inherently compelling tale.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: Half of this is a pretty silly comedy, with an old-fashioned vaudeville vibe to it. In the last act, however, the film gets into some pretty grim territory as the characters are forced to suffer through the holocaust. Throughout the picture, Guido uses his comedy to shield everybody else from the horrors all around them, and I think it's an inherently compelling tale.
My current score: 4.5/5
36: Once Upon a Time in America
Drama Of: Noodles and the gang.
The Film: Despite its huge length and scope, this film is strangely addictive throughout. Sergio Leone didn't hold back on the impulses of the characters, leading them to some rather extreme lengths of violence and rape. Their overall experiences in a crime-ridden New York City underscore a mixed array of love, hate, friendship, treachery, and corruption. Overall, it's a mesmerizing gangster film that stands among the best of the genre.
My current score: 4.5/5
-------------------- The Film: Despite its huge length and scope, this film is strangely addictive throughout. Sergio Leone didn't hold back on the impulses of the characters, leading them to some rather extreme lengths of violence and rape. Their overall experiences in a crime-ridden New York City underscore a mixed array of love, hate, friendship, treachery, and corruption. Overall, it's a mesmerizing gangster film that stands among the best of the genre.
My current score: 4.5/5
35: The Godfather
Drama Of: Michael Corleone, taking care of the family business.
The Film: It's a long one, but one of the most essential in American cinema. It's an epic-scale drama with intense emotions and outbursts, in addition to some pretty gruesome killings. With quality performances and quality filming, the film has cemented itself as a classic. It wasn't a film I liked at first, but even I have to admit that there's a classy charm to it that sunk in over the years.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: It's a long one, but one of the most essential in American cinema. It's an epic-scale drama with intense emotions and outbursts, in addition to some pretty gruesome killings. With quality performances and quality filming, the film has cemented itself as a classic. It wasn't a film I liked at first, but even I have to admit that there's a classy charm to it that sunk in over the years.
My current score: 4/5
34: Citizen Kane
Drama Of: Charles Foster Kane.
The Film: Once considered the best film ever made, Citizen Kane gets its props for its bold, inventive, groundbreaking cinematography and narrative structure. It is one crazily-mixed picture that jumps around the timeline a lot, to lay out the life and times of Kane and his rise to power. It is a story with timeless themes of greed, materialism, and happiness. Regardless of how over or underrated you may think this picture is, it's worth seeing at least once.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: Once considered the best film ever made, Citizen Kane gets its props for its bold, inventive, groundbreaking cinematography and narrative structure. It is one crazily-mixed picture that jumps around the timeline a lot, to lay out the life and times of Kane and his rise to power. It is a story with timeless themes of greed, materialism, and happiness. Regardless of how over or underrated you may think this picture is, it's worth seeing at least once.
My current score: 4.5/5
33: Apollo 13
Drama Of: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, Fred Haise, and everybody else involved with the historic space module disaster.
The Film: When the stuff hits the fan for the Apollo 13 flight, this film gets incredibly gripping and intense as the characters are forced to think and act critically to get the astronauts home. The film looks and feels authentic, with its focus on facts and figures, but the characters help make it a moving experience. We wind up rooting for everybody to overcome the challenges of space flight and make it back to Earth safely.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: When the stuff hits the fan for the Apollo 13 flight, this film gets incredibly gripping and intense as the characters are forced to think and act critically to get the astronauts home. The film looks and feels authentic, with its focus on facts and figures, but the characters help make it a moving experience. We wind up rooting for everybody to overcome the challenges of space flight and make it back to Earth safely.
My current score: 4/5
32: Rocky
Drama Of: Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion.
The Film: The first (and perhaps the best) Rocky film remains the most intimate and compelling drama of the lot; it is an inherently powerful story of how one man is given the rare chance to rise out of the gutter and become a champion, realizing his dream. There are a few slow and rough parts, but when Rocky starts training, the film becomes inspiring, and it carries a strong message to its end that anybody can be a champion if they go the distance.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: The first (and perhaps the best) Rocky film remains the most intimate and compelling drama of the lot; it is an inherently powerful story of how one man is given the rare chance to rise out of the gutter and become a champion, realizing his dream. There are a few slow and rough parts, but when Rocky starts training, the film becomes inspiring, and it carries a strong message to its end that anybody can be a champion if they go the distance.
My current score: 4/5
31: Babel
Drama Of: A whole bunch of seemingly-unrelated characters from all over the world who can't seem to communicate right.
The Film: Some would call this a mixed, messy, or pretentious piece of work, but I found it intriguing and moving. It is a gorgeously-crafted mosaic of different people suffering through their own unique trials and tribulations, many of which criss-cross. It all amounts to underscoring the language and cultural barriers that cause us all to clash and fight each other in unpredictable ways.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: Some would call this a mixed, messy, or pretentious piece of work, but I found it intriguing and moving. It is a gorgeously-crafted mosaic of different people suffering through their own unique trials and tribulations, many of which criss-cross. It all amounts to underscoring the language and cultural barriers that cause us all to clash and fight each other in unpredictable ways.
My current score: 4/5
30: Scarface (1983)
Drama Of: Tony Montana.
The Film: Perhaps a bit dated and cheesy now, but it had never held back on showing rampant bloodshed and material excess that would underscore the perversion of the American Dream. Through it all, the film chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Montana from the street level on up; he is an intriguing and nuanced character who is wicked to the core, but has a few redeemable qualities that make his last stand rather powerful.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: Perhaps a bit dated and cheesy now, but it had never held back on showing rampant bloodshed and material excess that would underscore the perversion of the American Dream. Through it all, the film chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Montana from the street level on up; he is an intriguing and nuanced character who is wicked to the core, but has a few redeemable qualities that make his last stand rather powerful.
My current score: 4.5/5
29: Amadeus
Drama Of: Antonio Salieri, and his most hated rival: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Film: This film could come off as just another dry and stiff period drama. At its core though, the rivalry between the main characters takes the front stage, and it is a conflict that's often funny, thrilling, and compelling. The characterizations are great, the movie flows really well, and it is an intriguing plot well worth seeing.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: This film could come off as just another dry and stiff period drama. At its core though, the rivalry between the main characters takes the front stage, and it is a conflict that's often funny, thrilling, and compelling. The characterizations are great, the movie flows really well, and it is an intriguing plot well worth seeing.
My current score: 4.5/5
28: Gandhi
Drama Of: Mahatma Gandhi.
The Film: An epic-length film for an epic fellow. Gandhi stands as one of the biggest and most influential spiritual leaders, and the film tracks his journey from one major struggle to another. It is inspiring to see how Gandhi's non-violent approach caused such huge waves. With great performances and cinematography, the film does the man great justice.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: An epic-length film for an epic fellow. Gandhi stands as one of the biggest and most influential spiritual leaders, and the film tracks his journey from one major struggle to another. It is inspiring to see how Gandhi's non-violent approach caused such huge waves. With great performances and cinematography, the film does the man great justice.
My current score: 4.5/5
27: The Wolf of Wall Street
Drama Of: Jordan Belfort, stock broker.
The Film: Based on the memoirs of the real-life stock broker, this film revels in dirty filthy wealth and excess (much to the chagrin of some audiences). It is a darkly funny and hard-hitting account of the rise and fall of a man who exploits common people for his own gain. As a character study, it is well-composed and well-made, with a strong emphasis on the twisted notions of the American Dream and materialism.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: Based on the memoirs of the real-life stock broker, this film revels in dirty filthy wealth and excess (much to the chagrin of some audiences). It is a darkly funny and hard-hitting account of the rise and fall of a man who exploits common people for his own gain. As a character study, it is well-composed and well-made, with a strong emphasis on the twisted notions of the American Dream and materialism.
My current score: 4.5/5
26: Dances With Wolves
Drama Of: John J. Dunbar, later dubbed "Dances With Wolves."
The Film: A simple story, but a profound one that could apply to any setting (as evidenced by The Last Samurai and Avatar). The tale of Lt. Dunbar is inherently intriguing and invoking as he crosses over cultural and language barriers to assimilate with a Native American tribe, and inevitably fights on their behalf. The movie is most moving thanks to its focus on the character and his transformation.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: A simple story, but a profound one that could apply to any setting (as evidenced by The Last Samurai and Avatar). The tale of Lt. Dunbar is inherently intriguing and invoking as he crosses over cultural and language barriers to assimilate with a Native American tribe, and inevitably fights on their behalf. The movie is most moving thanks to its focus on the character and his transformation.
My current score: 4.5/5
25: 12 Years a Slave
Drama Of: Solomon Northrup.
The Film: Based on the memoirs of the real-life free man who was taken by slave traders and forced to hard labor. That in itself is a pretty tragic tale, but the film exudes nothing but despair as it chronicles this man's journey in and out of bondage, stuck in a system that purposefully stripped him of his civil rights and ability to fight back. The film has its share of stark moments, but it's the character and performances that allow us to relate to the events, and it all drives home the horror of slavery on a physical and pathological level.
My current score: 4.5/5
--------------------The Film: Based on the memoirs of the real-life free man who was taken by slave traders and forced to hard labor. That in itself is a pretty tragic tale, but the film exudes nothing but despair as it chronicles this man's journey in and out of bondage, stuck in a system that purposefully stripped him of his civil rights and ability to fight back. The film has its share of stark moments, but it's the character and performances that allow us to relate to the events, and it all drives home the horror of slavery on a physical and pathological level.
My current score: 4.5/5
24: City of Life and Death (Nanjing! Nanjing!)
Drama Of: The soldiers and victims of the Nanking Massacre.
The Film: Easily comparable in both style and content to Schindler's List, for both are well-composed and hard-hitting accounts on real-life atrocities. Based on eye witness accounts, this film outlines the Battle of Nanking, followed by the oppression and enslavement of everybody trapped in the city. It is a harrowing event, and through the eyes of several characters, we are granted a pretty wide view of what happened during this bleak and tragic event.
My current score: 5/5
--------------------The Film: Easily comparable in both style and content to Schindler's List, for both are well-composed and hard-hitting accounts on real-life atrocities. Based on eye witness accounts, this film outlines the Battle of Nanking, followed by the oppression and enslavement of everybody trapped in the city. It is a harrowing event, and through the eyes of several characters, we are granted a pretty wide view of what happened during this bleak and tragic event.
My current score: 5/5
23: The Terminal
Drama Of: Viktor Navorski, the man living in the airport.
The Film: It's an inherently crazy situation to think about, but it has happened for a number of people already (the film itself is inspired by the guy who lived at the Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years). In The Terminal, Tom Hanks delivers a decent performance that will make us laugh and make us care often. His ordeal at the terminal is filled with charming comedy, a brief but lovely romance, some intense drama, and a whole world of wonderful people.
My current score: 4/5
--------------------The Film: It's an inherently crazy situation to think about, but it has happened for a number of people already (the film itself is inspired by the guy who lived at the Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years). In The Terminal, Tom Hanks delivers a decent performance that will make us laugh and make us care often. His ordeal at the terminal is filled with charming comedy, a brief but lovely romance, some intense drama, and a whole world of wonderful people.
My current score: 4/5
22: Lord of War
Drama Of: Yuri Orlov, arms dealer.
The Film: Style has never been so good! Just look at the film's opening scenes, which show the entire lifetime of a single bullet as a POV shot, and it is an awesome thing to behold. But it's the characters that matter, and Nicholas Cage delivers the performance of a lifetime playing a Russian arms dealer who's forced to sink to some pretty low depths to make ends meet. It's every bit as intense and harrowing as Tony Montana's tale in Scarface, but with guns instead of drugs.
My current score: 5/5
--------------------The Film: Style has never been so good! Just look at the film's opening scenes, which show the entire lifetime of a single bullet as a POV shot, and it is an awesome thing to behold. But it's the characters that matter, and Nicholas Cage delivers the performance of a lifetime playing a Russian arms dealer who's forced to sink to some pretty low depths to make ends meet. It's every bit as intense and harrowing as Tony Montana's tale in Scarface, but with guns instead of drugs.
My current score: 5/5
21: Life of Pi
Drama Of: Piscine Molitor Patel, survivor.
The Film: It's a fantastic story, but the film makes no pretense concerning realism. Pi Patel's journey is a wondrous and treacherous affair, which brings him face-to-face with death itself, and helps him understand the various truths of life. The film's ending reveals more to the events, but in the end, it's a phenomenal testament to the power of fantastic storytelling.
My current score: 5/5
--------------------The Film: It's a fantastic story, but the film makes no pretense concerning realism. Pi Patel's journey is a wondrous and treacherous affair, which brings him face-to-face with death itself, and helps him understand the various truths of life. The film's ending reveals more to the events, but in the end, it's a phenomenal testament to the power of fantastic storytelling.
My current score: 5/5
To be concluded...
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