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Great films - 1-20
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Title |
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Rank |
Title |
Details |
20 |
Jaws |
Director - Steven Spielberg
Writers - Peter Benchley (screenplay) and Carl Gottlieb (screenplay)
Released - 1975
Genre - Thriller
Tagline - The Nation's No.1 Best-Selling Book now the Screen's Super-Thriller
Plot - When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island
community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman
set out to stop it.
Awards - Won 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins and 13 nominations
Cast
Roy Scheider ... Brody
Robert Shaw ... Sam Quint
Richard Dreyfuss ... Hooper
Lorraine Gary ... Ellen Brody
Murray Hamilton ... Vaughn
Carl Gottlieb ... Meadows
Jeffrey Kramer ... Hendricks
Susan Backlinie ... Chrissie
Jonathan Filley ... Cassidy
Ted Grossman ... Estuary Victim
Chris Rebello ... Michael Brody
Jay Mello ... Sean Brody
Lee Fierro ... Mrs. Kintner
Jeffrey Voorhees ... Alex Kintner
Craig Kingsbury ... Ben Gardner
Widely regarded as the film that began the "summer film blockbuster era", Jaws was also rightfully one of the year's most critically acclaimed films.
It was also the recipient of an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture and a
winner of Oscars for film editing (Verna Fields) and music score (John
Williams). One of the reasons the film received no acting awards is that everyone
involved is so good, how could one single out just one or two actors? (I personally
feel Robert Shaw should have gotten a Best Actor nomination, however). Roy Scheider is wonderful as New York cop Martin Brody, who has relocated to a small
coastal island town, only to have his bad case of "aquaphobia" put to the
ultimate test. Richard Dreyfuss is perfectly cast as a shark expert and provides
some truly funny comic bits along the way. Lorraine Gary (who director Steven
Spielberg says was the first person to be cast for the film) does an excellent
job of being the concerned wife and mother. Finally, there's Murray Hamilton,
who gives one of the best performances of his career as Mayor Vaughn, who seems
to be more concerned about the economy of the town than the safety of the
residents. In a way, Vaughn is really the film's villain. Solid cast indeed. The
screenplay (by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb) is tight and well-written, as
is Spielberg's direction. Whether it was the mechanical shark's failure to
operate correctly or Spielberg's decision to simply see less of the shark until
the end of the film, the "less is more" idea works perfectly, particularly in
the opening scene, which is chilling to this day.
One thing to add, if you choose to watch this film at home, do
yourself a favour and rent or buy the WIDESCREEN version. The full-screen pan and
scan version is a travesty that ruins the great camerawork that Spielberg and
cameraman Bill Butler made. The widescreen versions of films are always
recommended, but it is
especially important for JAWS.
No offense to fans of One flew over the cuckoos nest, but this is the film that
should have taken home the Oscar gold in that year!
Spielberg's first foray into the blockbuster he would end up defining, Jaws was
a production beset by problems. Weather, water, film stock, failing animatronics
and sinking sharks all contributed to the misery of the months-over long shoot.
Containing peerless performances from Scheider, Richard Dreyfus and Robert Shaw
especially, Jaws has some of the most quotable dialogue, the scariest jumps and
most thrilling sequences of all time. Not to mention terrifying several
generations of filmgoers. |
19 |
Snatch |
Director - Guy Ritchie
Writer - Guy Ritchie
Released - 2000
Genre - Comedy | Crime | Thriller
Tagline - Stealin' Stones and Breakin' Bones
Plot: - Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian
gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewellers fight to
track down a priceless stolen diamond
Awards - 4 wins and 5 nominations
Cast
Jason Statham ... Turkish
Benicio Del Toro ... Franky Four Fingers
Brad Pitt ... Mickey O'Neil
Alan Ford ... Brick Top
Stephen Graham ... Tommy
Dennis Farina ... 'Cousin' Avi Denovitz
Rade Serbedzija ... Boris 'The Blade' Yurinov
Mike Reid ... Doug 'The Head' Denovitz
Charles Cork ... MC
Robbie Gee ... Vinny
Lennie James ... Sol
Vinnie Jones ... Bullet Tooth Tony
Jason Flemyng ... Darren
Ade ... Tyrone
William Beck ... Neil
A film about boxing, diamonds, gangsters pretending to be Jews, a fat getaway
driver, a rather vicious dog and man eating pigs. Guy Richie has followed the
success of Lock, Stock with an equally stunning and ambitious return just as
Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction. The characters are so colourful they jump right
off the screen, the dialogue so snappy you want to learn it by heart and the
acting simply wonderful. Vinnie Jones reveals he can act and Brad Pitt shows
that he is far more than a pretty face and was excellent in his role as 'Irish Mickey'.
See this film!!!! Make no excuses, just see it!!!
Guy Richie's follow up to Lock Stock and Two Smoking barrels is every bit as
astonishing as its predecessor. The humour is better and I have never seen
people in a cinema laugh as loud and as frequently as they did here. Vinnie
Jones plays a similar role as Big Chris, here as Bullet Tooth Tony. His
appearance is limited but boy does he make an impact. Even when he is not on
screen there is much to savour from Dennis Farina as Avi and a trio of
pawnbrokers who are sent to rob a bookies. Brad Pitt sheds his film star
persona and performs impressively as an Irish gypsy. Unlike lock stock and two
smoking barrels, the
humour will appeal to all nationalities. However some other nationalities might
find some slang
expressions such as Pikey and blag hard to understand. Good performances,
fantastic characters, razor sharp dialogue, expert direction and camera work and
brilliant humour, Snatch will make you laugh more than any other film this year.
See it now!!
|
18 |
It's A Wonderful Life |
Director - Frank Capra
Writers - Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and Albert Hackett (screenplay)
Released - 1948
Genre - Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance
Tagline - They're making memories tonight!
Plot - An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by
showing what life would have been like if he never existed.
Awards - Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 4 wins
Cast
James Stewart ... George Bailey
Donna Reed ... Mary Hatch Bailey
Lionel Barrymore ... Henry F. Potter
Thomas Mitchell ... Uncle Billy
Henry Travers ... Clarence Oddbody
Beulah Bondi ... Mrs. Bailey
Frank Faylen ... Ernie Bishop
Ward Bond ... Bert the Cop
Gloria Grahame ... Violet Bick
H.B. Warner ... Mr. Gower
Frank Albertson ... Sam Wainwright
Todd Karns ... Harry Bailey
Samuel S. Hinds ... Peter 'Pa' Bailey
Mary Treen ... Cousin Tilly
Virginia Patton ... Ruth Dakin Bailey
Honestly, you will never see anything quite like It's A Wonderful
Life.
Does it take you back to that place in your heart, that makes you long for
everything that once was great and it could be again? Does it remind you of your
childhood, Christmas in your home? Maybe it's just simply a wonderful
philosophical tale, that everyone should see.
Everything about this film is well, for lack of better words, just perfect. No
question to it any longer, the best performance by an actor I have ever seen.
It's more than just beautiful, timeless or fair. All of Stewart is revealed.
Everything coming together for Capra. Lionel Barrymore at his best, which seems
to be his worst.
Sometimes, there is a reason why some things happen. This film is a life changing experience.
Makes you feel good to be alive.
|
17 |
Schindler's List |
Director - Steven Spielberg
Writers (WGA) - Thomas Keneally (book), Steven Zaillian (screenplay)
Released - 1994
Genre - Biography | Drama | History | War
Plot - Oskar Schindler uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He
witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them.
Cast
Liam Neeson ... Oskar Schindler
Ben Kingsley ... Itzhak Stern
Ralph Fiennes ... Amon Goeth
Caroline Goodall ... Emilie Schindler
Jonathan Sagall ... Poldek Pfefferberg
Embeth Davidtz ... Helen Hirsch
Malgoscha Gebel ... Wiktoria Klonowska
Shmuel Levy ... Wilek Chilowicz
Mark Ivanir ... Marcel Goldberg
Beatrice Macola ... Ingrid
Andrzej Seweryn ... Julian Scherner
Friedrich von Thun ... Rolf Czurda
Krzysztof Luft ... Herman Toffel
Harry Nehring ... Leo John
Norbert Weisser ... Albert Hujar
Rated R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence.
Many films come out each year and we applaud them for their screen play,
originality and whatever else we can say about a film. But only once in a long
while does one come out and you say all those nice things, but one you will also
never forget. This film is more than just something for us to watch for 3 hours
and 17 minutes, it is something for us to never forget, to teach us a lesson and
to remember those who died needlessly along with those who tried to help those
same people survive. |
16 |
Taxi Driver |
Director - Martin Scorsese
Writer - Paul Schrader
Released - 1977
Genre - Drama | Thriller
Plot - A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as a night time taxi driver in a city
whose perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out,
attempting to save a teenage prostitute in the process.
Awards - Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 18 wins and 9 nominations
Cast
Robert De Niro ... Travis Bickle
Jodie Foster ... Iris
Albert Brooks ... Tom
Harvey Keitel ... Sport
Leonard Harris ... Charles Palantine
Peter Boyle ... Wizard
Cybill Shepherd ... Betsy
Diahnne Abbott ... Concession Girl
Frank Adu ... Angry Black Man
Gino Ardito ... Policeman at Rally
Victor Argo ... Melio
Garth Avery ... Iris' Friend
Harry Cohn ... Cabbie in Bellmore
Copper Cunningham ... Hooker in Cab
Brenda Dickson ... Soap Opera Woman
Despite what some might see as limited by technical flaws and/or as an overly
simplistic plot, Taxi Driver deserves its critical reputation as a cinematic
masterpiece. Some 23 years later, the existential plight of Travis Bickle,
"God's lonely man," continues to pack a hard emotional punch. In fact, it's hard
to know where to begin when praising the elements of this film - such elements
as the dark location shots of a (now gone) seedy Times Square, the cinema verite
settings of the cabbies and campaign workers, the magnificent Bernard Hermann
score, Paul Schrader's fine script, the memorable performances of Jodie Foster,
Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle all must be mentioned. However, the brilliance of
this film is primarily a result of the brilliance of De Niro and Scorsese, one
of the greatest actor-director teams in film history. This is an unforgettable
film.
Scorsese's dark masterpiece of urban alienation. |
15 |
The Godfather: Part II |
Director - Francis Ford Coppola
Writers - Mario Puzo (novel), Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay)
Released - 1974
Genre - Crime | Drama | Thriller
Plot - The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York is portrayed while
his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate
stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-revolution 1958 Cuba.
Awards - Won 6 Oscars. Another 7 wins and 15 nominations
Cast
Al Pacino ... Don Michael Corleone
Robert Duvall ... Tom Hagen
Diane Keaton ... Kay Corleone
Robert De Niro ... Vito Corleone
John Cazale ... Fredo Corleone
Talia Shire ... Connie Corleone
Lee Strasberg ... Hyman Roth
Michael V. Gazzo ... Frankie Pentangeli
G.D. Spradlin ... Senator Pat Geary
Richard Bright ... Al Neri
Gastone Moschin ... Don Fanucci
Tom Rosqui ... Rocco Lampone
Bruno Kirby ... Young Peter Clemenza
Frank Sivero ... Genco Abbandando
Francesca De Sapio ... Young Mama Corleone
You can count on one hand the film sequels that measure up to the original;
GODFATHER II makes the cut. This film is just as fine as GODFATHER I. Here the
director goes back and forth between the early days of the young Vito Corleone,
played by Robert De Niro, and the family after the action in GODFATHER I in the
1950's just before Castro came to power. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) has moved
the family and most of his business to Nevada. Once again, the acting is
flawless. Diane Keaton as Michael's wife who quickly becomes disillusioned with
her life with him and the lies he continues to tell her, assuring her that he is
going legitimate soon; Robert Duvall as Michael's adopted brother and adviser;
and Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth all give outstanding performances; but the film
really is Al Pacino's. We see him become a ruthless, cold-blooded killer who
alienates himself from his family in ways his father would never have done. He
has come so far from the idealistic young man in "GODFATHER I, who joined the
Marines in World War I to serve his country and die for it if necessary, to a
lonely, paranoid tragic man. There are many poignant scenes concerning his wife
and children, the drawing his son leaves for him in his bedroom, the gift that
Tom buys the child because Michael is too busy, his wife Kay's being kept a
virtual prisoner at his orders in the family compound, etc.
Once again, many acts of violence are interwoven with religion: Michael's son's
first communion, the religious parade in New York, Fredo's repeating the Rosary
in order to catch a fish, for example.
The cinematography is stunning; the footage from Sicily and New York around the
turn of the century and the snow scenes from the American West are beautiful and
rich in detail. Mr. Coppola has directed yet another masterpiece.
One of the best film sequels ever.
|
14 |
Seven, (also known as Se7en) |
Director - David Fincher
Writer (WGA) - Andrew Kevin Walker
Released - 1996
Genre - Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller
Plot - Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, after a
serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO.
Awards - Nominated for Oscar. Another 19 wins and 17 nominations
Cast
Brad Pitt ... Detective David Mills
Morgan Freeman ... Detective Lt. William Somerset
Gwyneth Paltrow ... Tracy Mills
R. Lee Ermey ... Police Captain
Andrew Kevin Walker ... Dead Man
Daniel Zacapa ... Detective Taylor
John Cassini ... Officer Davis
Bob Mack ... Gluttony Victim
Peter Crombie ... Dr. O'Neill
Reg E. Cathey ... Coroner
George Christy ... Workman
Endre Hules ... Cab Driver
Hawthorne James ... George, Library Night Guard
William Davidson ... Library Guard
Bob Collins ... Library Guard
Rated R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong
language.
Gothic, shocking, suspenseful, disturbing and clever, 'Seven' marked a new
beginning for director David Fincher's career. This dark tale of murder and
crime revolves around two detectives in present New York city played by two
brilliant actors 'Brad Pitt' and 'Morgan Freeman' who are paired together to
solve a puzzle of murder that is at the hands of a man whose killings relates to
the seven deadly sins. Both actors displayed striking performances that are so
sharp and realistic, that sometimes you have to remind yourself that's its all acting.
David Fincher's masterpiece really gives us an opportunity of a lifetime, maybe
it's one that we don't all wish to share.
Brad Pitt successfully proves to us that he's not just a pretty face on screen,
and that he sinks into his character so well, that you can walk off after the
film finishes classifying him as a pretty darn good actor.
You wouldn't expect anything else from Morgan Freeman because it's perfectly
obvious that this guy was born to play the roles of the smart detective.
David Fincher's timeless directing and memorable filming captures all the goods
that this film has to offer and will undoubtedly leave you shocked and begging
for more films like this. Seven is a step into the harsh realities of life, a
realistic portrayal of two detectives investigation into the un-describable
horrific world murder, and the darkest realms of the human soul.
We can only pray for more classic memorable work from Mr. Fincher and for those
future directors who are intent on making a gothic, psychological thriller, make
sure you sit down and watch Seven with a pen and paper ready to take notes.
Modern Masterpiece!!
|
13 |
Once Upon A Time In The West |
Director - Sergio Leone
Writers - Dario Argento (story) and Bernardo Bertolucci (story)
Released - 1968
Genre - Western
Tagline - There were three men in her life. One to take her... one to love her... and one
to kill her.
Plot - Epic story of a mysterious stranger with a harmonica who joins forces
with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin
working for the railroad.
Awards - 4 wins and 1 nomination
Cast
Henry Fonda ... Frank
Claudia Cardinale ... Jill McBain
Jason Robards ... Cheyenne
Charles Bronson ... Harmonica
Gabriele Ferzetti ... Morton (railroad baron)
Paolo Stoppa ... Sam
Woody Strode ... Stony - Member of Frank's Gang
Jack Elam ... Snaky - Member of Frank's Gang
Keenan Wynn ... Sheriff (auctioneer)
Frank Wolff ... Brett McBain
Lionel Stander ... Barman
Rated PG-13 for western violence and brief sensuality.
Sergio Leone goes to Hollywood for this big-name, big-budget Spaghetti Western. Henry Fonda,
Charles Bronson, Jason Robards and Claudia Cardinale queue up and take Leone's choreographic direction
in an epic tale of blood and revenge.
Frank is a bad guy who has killed a lot of people. He now works for a railroad
entrepreneur whose ruthless sterile tracks are spreading ever westward. The time
has come for the real Americans to confront both the railroad and Frank.
Leone sat down with film intellectuals Bernardo Bertolucci and Dario Argento and
watched dozens of Hollywood westerns. From this saturation-viewing emerged a
300-page treatment which was eventually distilled into the script, penned by
Leone and Sergio Donati. There are conscious echoes of "Shane" and "High Noon"
in the meticulously-plotted screenplay. Ennio Morricone apparently sat in on the
planning stage and had composed the film music, before shooting began, the
reverse of the usual process of fitting music to existing footage. The result
is a tight matching of soundtrack and visuals. Robards, Bronson and Cardinale
each have musical 'signatures' which play whenever their characters are
onscreen. Bronson's is an eerily-wailing harmonica, Robards has the plonking
banjo and Cardinale the lush strings. So intricately was everything structured
that the themes were available to be played on set, so that the actors could
co-ordinate every nuance of gesture to fit with the score.
The film is a grandiose lament to the death of the Wild West. Decay is
everywhere to be seen. Streets, bars, buildings and people all have a beat-up,
grungy look. When Cheyenne (Robards) pauses beside a rough-hewn wooden post,
there is little difference in texture between his face and the post. Morton the
cripple is killing the romantic West of open spaces with his "snail trail" of
railroad tracks, leaving the fine adventurous men (Cheyenne and Harmonica)
nowhere to go.
There can be few opening scenes with the visual and aural brilliance of this
one. Three bad guys stake out Flagstone's railroad depot in a High Noon
pastiche. Jack Elam (who was actually in "High Noon") leads the villains. The
only spoken words throughout this long (but totally gripping) scene are uttered
by the old station clerk. Haunting rhythms raise the tension to an unbearable
pitch ... the squeaking windmill, the chattering tickertape, the creaking bench.
This wonderful crescendo climaxes with the appearance of Bronson, a sequence as
stylised and choreographed as a Shinto ceremony, all the more effective for the
absence of spontaneity.
Equal to and counterbalancing this scene, is the very next one, the introduction
of Frank. This time it is "Shane" that gets the treatment as the McBain boy
spots five men in yellow duster topcoats. A growing sense of unease on the
McBain homestead is beautifully conveyed (was the stopping of a cicada chirp
ever so effective?) A cinematic multiple orgasm ensues, with the musical theme
crashing in as the boy sees the devastation, and the camera swoops round to
reveal the baddie to be none other than Henry Fonda as Morricone's trademark
solitary tubular bell peals out.
Cheyenne's entrance is also a piece of impressive cinema. Inside Lionel
Stander's strange labyrinthine tavern, quite unlike any saloon ever filmed
before, the violence which hovers around Cheyenne like a dustcloud is heard but
not seen, preparing us for his appearance in person. The sliding of the lamp
towards Bronson works brilliantly, the film's two good men sharing the light of
humour, the symbolic forging of a meaningful friendship.
By a slow accretion, the plot reveals itself. The leviathan of the railroad must
be stopped, and there must be a reckoning with Frank. Gradually the fates of the
main characters converge, and swim into sharp focus for the shoot-out.
It is not the story, excellent though that is, which lingers in the memory, but
rather a hundred individual flashes of brilliance: Claudia Cardinale (are those
eyes for real?) filmed on the bed, viewed vertically downward, through a lace
canopy: Cheyenne's surprise method of concealing himself on the train: Morton
("when you're not on that train, you're like a turtle out of its shell")
imprisoned by the armature that helps him walk: the 'heartbeat' of the train's
engine during the card game: the tension of the ambush preparations against
Frank: the eruption of guitar music as Bronson enters the frame: Bronson's
stillness and self-possession, the emblem of his righteousness: Fonda's eyes
flickering rapidly in his motionless head, denoting the waning of his
self-confidence, the amazing super-close-ups of Bronson: and the weird brick
arch, the only man-made intrusion into the entire terrain, and the focus of
human depravity.
|
12 |
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring |
Director - Peter Jackson
Writers (WGA) - J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay)
Released - 2001
Genre - Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Tagline - The Legend Comes to Life
Plot - In a small village in the Shire, a young Hobbit named Frodo has been
entrusted with an ancient Ring. Now he must embark on an Epic quest to the
Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it.
Awards - Won 4 Oscars. Another 75 wins and 84 nominations
Cast
Alan Howard ... The Ring (voice)
Noel Appleby ... Everard Proudfoot
Sean Astin ... Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee
Sala Baker ... Sauron
Sean Bean ... Boromir
Cate Blanchett ... Galadriel
Orlando Bloom ... Legolas Greenleaf
Billy Boyd ... Peregrin 'Pippin' Took
Marton Csokas ... Celeborn
Megan Edwards ... Mrs. Proudfoot
Michael Elsworth ... Gondorian Archivist
Mark Ferguson ... Gil-Galad
Ian Holm ... Bilbo Baggins
Christopher Lee ... Saruman
Lawrence Makoare ... Lurtz
Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images.
"The Fellowship of the Ring," is an excellent film of it's kind. The
entire film is full of beautiful sets and landscapes. Hobbiton is cute and very whimsical. Mordor was
frighteningly well done, extremely real. Rivendell had a little bit of a
European-tourist-trap look, but was beautiful all the same. The entire backdrop
of the film (the mountains, Moria, Isengard) was perfect; it's amazing that
"Fellowship" was filmed in one country.
Now to the characters. Elijah Wood, was
very believable. You can tell from the first glimpse that Frodo was special; Wood's
pale, sharp features contrast sharply with the more ruddy, robust look of the
rest of the hobbits. He also cries like a little girl. But his weaknesses and
strengths make his Frodo an apt choice for the starring character. The rest of
the Hobbiton gang was well-chosen, too. Sean Astin was
loyal and a bit bumbling, just like the Gamgee of Tolkien's telling. Pippin and
Merry were congenial, slow-witted lads, but very brave nonetheless. Viggo
Mortensen is outstanding. He has the ability to make Aragorn both menacing and
kind. He physically represents Strider to the nines with his strength and
virility; the action sequences of his are very passionate and exciting. Some may
have complained about Arwen's character being slightly expanded; I thought it a
good change.
In the books, you have to read the whole trilogy and then rifle
through the appendix in "The Return of the King" to learn the history between
Aragorn and Arwen. Liv Tyler is ethereal and breathtaking, but at the same time,
displays the courage and magic that make the Elves the beings they are. Speaking
of Elves, you can't help but gush over the handsome and ever-so-talented Orlando
Bloom as noble Legolas. Bloom captured the archer's very movements; he treads
lightly and fights fearlessly. Legolas's bowmanship was amazing; he looked so
natural loosing his arrows machine-gun style, his essence transcends the film. Gimli was pompous and brave, as
well. He is well-represented in the film. Boromir was hopelessly lost, but at
the same time valiant and strong. Sean Bean gave an emotionally-charged
performance as the tortured warrior. Hugo Weaving was very good as Elrond. He
was noble and cold at the same time. And Gandalf. What more can be said of Ian
McKellan's showcase portrayal of the wizard? He was magnificent. He could be
Gandalf, the kind old conjuror who set off pyrotechnics for hobbit-children.
Then he could turn around and stun the life out of you with Gandalf the powerful
wizard, facing the balrog with defiance and an iron will. His Oscar nomination
is well-deserved.
Peter Jackson is a brave soul to take on a project that could have backfired in
so many places. Instead of bringing us uninspired kitsch, he serves up raw
emotion, graphic battles of good and evil, chilling and wonderful characters,
and enough special effects (realistic, mind you) to make John Cameron's mouth
water.
The film that reignited the fantasy genre, launched the careers of several
A-List stars and kick-started an obsession that has had an unfathomable effect
on pop-culture, Fellowship is a massively important film in terms of 21st
century cinema.
Middle Earth comes alive...in breathtaking detail.
|
11 |
War Of The Worlds |
Director - Steven Spielberg
Writers - Josh Friedman (screenplay), David Koepp (screenplay)
Released - 2005
Genre - Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
Tagline - They're already here...
Plot - Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a divorced union container crane operator
with few skills as a father. Ray's ex-wife (Miranda Otto) drops off their
rebellious but coming of age teenage son Robbie (Justin Chatwin).
Awards - Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Cast
Tom Cruise ... Ray Ferrier
Dakota Fanning ... Rachel Ferrier
Miranda Otto ... Mary Ann
Justin Chatwin ... Robbie
Tim Robbins ... Harlan Ogilvy
Rick Gonzalez ... Vincent
Yul Vazquez ... Julio (as Yul Vázquez)
Lenny Venito ... Manny the Mechanic
Lisa Ann Walter ... Bartender
Ann Robinson ... Grandmother
Gene Barry ... Grandfather
David Alan Basche ... Tim
Roz Abrams ... Herself
Michael Brownlee ... TV Reporter, Osaka
Camillia Monet ... News Producer (as Camillia Sanes)
Rated PG for sci-fi action violence
A narrator explains how humans were unaware that a race of extraterrestrials was
making plans to occupy Earth. Ray Ferrier is a divorced crane operator
longshoreman who works at a dock in Brooklyn, New York and lives in Bayonne, New
Jersey. Ray is estranged from his children. His former wife, Mary Ann, later
drops off the children, 10-year-old daughter Rachel and teenage son Robbie, at
Ray's house on her way to visit her parents in Boston. Unexplained changes in
the weather occur, including lightning that strikes multiple times in the middle
of an intersection and disrupts all electricity.
Ray joins the crowd at the scene of the lightning strikes, and witnesses a
massive "Tripod" war machine emerge from the ground and use alien weaponry to
incinerate most of the witnesses, zapping them out of existence, turning them to
a grey dust and the remains of their clothes fluttering down. Ray collects his
children, steals a car and drives to Mary Ann's home in suburban New Jersey to
take refuge. The next morning, he discovers that a Boeing 747 has crashed in the
street. A news team scavenging for food explain that there are multiple Tripods
that have attacked major cities including New York City, Paris, Washington,
D.C., and London, and have force shields to protect them from human weapons.
They also explain that the lightning was how the aliens were able to enter the
Tripods. Ray decides to take the kids to Boston to be with their mother. The
three are forced to abandon the stolen car after a mob takes it by force. They
later survive a Tripod attack which causes a Hudson River ferry to sink. During
a desperate battle between U.S. Marines and the aliens, Ray is forced to choose
between being separated from Rachel and preventing Robbie from joining the
fight; he lets Robbie go with the Marines, who are overwhelmed. While escaping,
Ray and Rachel are offered shelter by Harlan Ogilvy, who presumes that the
aliens had buried their technology on Earth millions of years ago and has
delusions that they can fight against the aliens themselves by observing their
operations, as they are right next to their camp.
The three remain undetected for two days, even as a probe and a group of the
aliens themselves explore the basement. The next morning, Ogilvy suffers a
mental breakdown while witnessing a Tripod harvesting human blood and tissue to
fertilize an alien vegetation. The tripod's inject a tube into the humans and
drain out their blood, in a very vicious manner. Convinced that Ogilvy's mad
shouting jeopardizes his daughter's life, Ray reluctantly kills him. The
basement hideout is exposed when a second probe catches them sleeping. Rachel is
soon abducted by a nearby Tripod; Ray immediately allows himself to be abducted,
being placed in the same cage with Rachel and other prisoners. As the aliens
select him for harvesting, Ray takes a belt of grenades into the machine, having
pulled out the pins. The Tripod is destroyed and releases the cage, with Ray and
Rachel, and a number of other prisoners, making it out alive.
Ray and Rachel arrive in a devastated Boston, where the vegetation is dying and
most of the Tripods have collapsed. Ray notices birds landing on an active
Tripod, indicating that its shields are off. Ray alerts the soldiers escorting
his refugee group and they shoot it down. As the soldiers advance on the downed
Tripod, a hatch opens releasing a liquid; a sickly alien struggles halfway out,
and then dies immediately. Ray and Rachel reach Mary Ann's parents' house, where
they are reunited with Mary Ann and, to their surprise, Robbie. The closing
narration reveals that the aliens were immune to man's machines but they and
their vegetation were not immune to the microbes present on Earth and that "from
the moment the invaders arrived, breathed our air, ate and drank, they were
doomed," finally quoting Wells himself, that given mankind's birthright "neither
do men live nor die in vain". |
10 |
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King |
Director - Peter Jackson
Writers (WGA) - J.R.R. Tolkien (novel), Fran Walsh (screenplay)
Released - 2003
Genre - Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Tagline - The eye of the enemy is moving.
Plot - The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle
Earth, while Frodo and Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.
Awards - Won 11 Oscars. Another 106 wins and 68 nominations
Cast
Noel Appleby ... Everard Proudfoot
Alexandra Astin ... Elanor Gamgee
Sean Astin ... Sam
David Aston ... Gondorian Soldier 3
John Bach ... Madril
Sean Bean ... Boromir
Kate Blanchett ... Galadriel
Orlando Bloom ... Legolas
Billy Boyd ... Pippin
Sadwyn Brophy ... Eldarion
Alistair Browning ... Damrod
Marton Csokas ... Celeborn
Richard Edge ... Gondorian Soldier 1
Jason Fitch ... Uruk 2
Bernard Hill ... Theoden
Rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images.
The Lord of the Rings is an amazingly
powerful visual experience. Not even just a visual experience. Peter Jackson has
crafted one of the finest written pieces of our era into THE quintessential
epic. He supplements the brilliant storytelling of JRR Tolkien with one of the
most awe-inspiring collection of films ever created.
The 7 hours of film that leads up to the Return of the King is only precursor
though, when you sit and watch this film. It's just plain brilliance. Everything
about the film is wonderful. The manner in which Jackson has arranged the
scenes, detracting slightly from the original flow of the novel really helps to
keep the suspense strong in all three story branches. The Tolkien humour is
intact perfectly and the gallantry and just plain coolness of these heroes is
plain amazing. (Check out Legolas in the BIG battle).
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King - fantastic film in every respect.
|
9 |
Gladiator |
Director - Ridley Scott
Writers (WGA) - David Franzoni (story), David Franzoni (screenplay)
Released - 2000
Genre - Action | Adventure | Drama | History
Tagline - Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have
my vengeance in this life or the next
Plot - When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt
prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
Awards - Won 5 Oscars. Another 45 wins and 79 nominations
Cast
Russell Crowe ... Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix ... Commodus
Connie Nielsen ... Lucilla
Oliver Reed ... Proximo
Richard Harris ... Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi ... Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou ... Juba
David Schofield ... Falco
John Shrapnel ... Gaius
Tomas Arana ... Quintus
Ralf Moeller ... Hagen
Spencer Treat Clark ... Lucius
David Hemmings ... Cassius
Tommy Flanagan ... Cicero
Sven-Ole Thorsen ... Tiger
Rated R for intense, graphic combat.
Once again, Director Ridley Scott proves to be as professional as one can be.
The recreation of ancient Rome is splendid, with all its magnificent buildings
and atmosphere and he is able to show with all brightness, the greatness of the
Roman Empire, with its political problems and military discipline, and love and
treason, of hate and jealousy, that still have a place in our world today. But
the story has a glow of its own, to which all the beautiful scenery (which is
utterly awesome!!!) and great cinematography are just balancing factors.
The plot
is a rich one, that is as dynamic as it is present. He once again, after Blade
Runner, 1492, and others helps us visit the depths of the human soul, which
remains the same over all our historical and social experience. Even the fights,
are displayed in such a way that all the blood is quite discrete, but still,
making us feel like screaming and jumping out of our seats. I would also like to
point out the performances of the cast, that is surprisingly good. We have some
actors and actresses, who are not Hollywood icons, but are greatly able to
move the audience among screams and tears.
In Gladiator, there's brilliant actors like Russell Crowe, Oliver Reed, Richard
Harris and Joaquin Phoenix. If you haven't seen the film Gladiator, then you
should see it as soon as possible, a truly great film.
|
8 |
The Usual Suspects |
Director - Bryan Singer
Writer - Christopher McQuarrie
Released - 1995
Genre - Crime | Mystery | Thriller
Tagline - Five Criminals . One Line Up . No Coincidence
Plot - A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies
with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with five
career crooks in a seemingly random police lineup.
Awards - Won 2 Oscars. Another 22 wins and 7 nominations
Cast
Kevin Spacey ... Roger 'Verbal' Kint
Stephen Baldwin ... Michael McManus
Gabriel Byrne ... Dean Keaton
Benicio Del Toro ... Fred Fenster
Kevin Pollak ... Todd Hockney
Chazz Palminteri ... Dave Kujan, US Customs
Pete Postlethwaite ... Kobayashi
Giancarlo Esposito ... Jack Baer, FBI
Suzy Amis ... Edie Finneran
Dan Hedaya ... Sgt. Jeffrey 'Jeff' Rabin
Paul Bartel ... Smuggler
Carl Bressler ... Saul Berg
Phillipe Simon ... Fortier
Jack Shearer ... Renault
Christine Estabrook ... Dr. Plummer
Rated R for violence and a substantial amount of strong language.
Any film buff, any cinema critic must
have considered the nineties a fruitful era for the American thriller. According
to one's tastes, some will say that the best thriller of the nineties is
"Silence of the Lambs" (1991). For others it will be "Pulp Fiction" (1994) while
others will praise to the skies "Se7en" (1995). For many, the pinnacle is this
present film, "the Usual Suspects" (1995) with its staggering story (to put it
mildly). It's a sensational debut for Bryan Singer which enabled to put him on
the map. With a little help from his accomplice Christopher McQuarrie, he signed
an unparalleled gem in the landscape of the American thriller, even the whole
cinema.
The average viewer who watches "the Usual Suspects" for the first time might
think that the whole crew concocted him a meandering story as a leading
thread, Kevin Spacey's convoluted story. At the end of the projection, he may feel
puzzled and will probably wish to watch the film a second time. He won't regret
it and Singer and McQuarrie will rejoice at it. Their masterwork gains by
several repeated viewings to appreciate the subtleties of a rich film with a
convoluted construction which will take its seemingly definitive form in the
five last minutes.
To watch "the Usual Suspects" is like gathering the pieces of
an intriguing puzzle, a little like any other suspenseful film but in the case
of Singer's flick, one will never really be able to completely end it. So many
things happen in less than two hours that we are never really sure of what we
watch and this is reinforced by a breathtaking unexpected twist at the end which
makes our assumptions falter. Singer and McQuarrie take a mischievous delight in
taking the viewer in their nebulous scenario and to follow it according to
Spacey's declarations and it's obvious that they raise more questions than
answers. It's up to the viewer to make their imagination work and to bring
their
thoughts on the film. This is what inspires its pernicious charm.
From Spacey's story, the authors developed a top quality script, set with
clockwork precision. Singer's directorial style virtually evolutes on the
razor's edge and conveys an increasing tension. It is filled with ingenious
visual ideas and served by fluid camera movements. Singer was in his early
thirties when he shot his film but it presents the signs of a seasoned author.
There's also a tight editing and a unsettling score which cement the film in
its place of winner. More remarkable, the authors pull off with gusto to
increase the audience's curiosity throughout the film in spite of a somewhat
deliberate confusion and the interest won't weaken until the end which
constitute the apex: an unexpected twist which will leave the audience
speechless once they understood it. In Singer's flick, it doesn't disappoint
because there are little but noticeable visual and verbal clues which justify
it. However, it has something unsettling. We believe that we are at the end of
the maze but there's more to the picture than meets the eye. Maybe this "coup de
theatre" veils one more truth. Maybe also the shrewdest ones will have guessed
it but the result is the same for any viewer: Singer puts a baffled spectator in
his pocket.
Singer and Quarrie show a perfect master in the domain of the film noir: an
ominous atmosphere, nocturnal scenes which stay rooted in the mind and a deep
psychology of certain characters which give more substance to the film.
Considering the last point, the character of Gabriel Byrne is the most
interesting one: a former crooked cop who seemingly redeemed himself in catering
but caught up by his past and forced to come back to work. I personally think
that Byrne is the stand-out of the topflight cast the film boasts. But don't
neglect the other members. Kevin Spacey pocketed a deservedly Oscar in 1996 and
the rest of the cast doesn't stay on the bench. Maybe Singer grants a little
shallow attention to the three other baddies in the gang but in a way, it's
necessary to underscore the fact that they're lousy gangsters embroiled in a
infernal spiral and unable to perceive what lies beneath all this. Pete Postlewhaite and Chazz Palminteri make their scenes count too.
A riveting storytelling, a painstaking flash-back, a tight and first-class
directing, a thoughtful twist, a topnotch cast, "the Usual Suspects" includes
almost everything a director would sell his soul for. Everything contributes to
make it a stalwart model in the suspenseful film and the whole cinema. After
the first vision, be prepared for mental gymnastics and for a second screening..
One of the best thriller films of all time. |
7 |
Fight Club |
Director - David Fincher
Writers (WGA) - Chuck Palahniuk (novel), Jim Uhls (screenplay)
Released - 1999
Genre - Crime | Drama | Thriller
Tagline - How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?
Plot - An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to
help vent male aggression.
Awards - Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins and 14 nominations
Cast
Edward Norton ... The Narrator
Brad Pitt ... Tyler Durden
Helena Bonham Carter ... Marla Singer
Meat Loaf ... Robert 'Bob' Paulson
Zach Grenier ... Richard Chesler
Richmond Arquette ... Intern
David Andrews ... Thomas
George Maguire ... Group Leader
Eugenie Bondurant ... Weeping Woman
Christina Cabot ... Group Leader
Sydney 'Big Dawg' Colston ... Speaker
Rachel Singer ... Chloe
Christie Cronenweth ... Airline Attendant
Tim De Zarn ... Inspector Bird
Ezra Buzzington ... Inspector Dent
Rated R for disturbing and graphic depiction of violent anti-social behaviour,
sexuality and language.
After the copyright warning, there is another warning on the DVD. This warning
is from Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), and is only there for a second. "If you are reading this,
then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print
is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life
so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments?
Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all
who claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think
everything you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told you should want? Get
out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive
shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If
you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been
warned... Tyler"
"Fight Club" an aggressive, confrontational, often brutal satire that is quite
possibly a brilliant masterpiece. Taking the "Choose life," anti-consumerism
rant at the beginning of "Trainspotting", and carrying it to its logical,
albeit extreme conclusion. This is a big budget, mainstream film that takes a
lot of risks by biting the hand that feeds it. The film's narrator (Edward
Norton) is an insignificant cog in the drab, corporate machine, dutifully doing
his job and what he's told without question. He's an insomniac slave to his IKEA
possessions and only finds joy in going to as many self-help groups, dealing with
terminal diseases sessions as he can. It provides him with an escape from his
sleepless nights. That is, until Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), a trashy
chain-smoking poser, enters his life and upsets his routine. The narrator also
meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a charismatic soap salesman whose
straightforward honesty, candour and sleazy lounge-lizard outfits are a breath of
fresh air.
One night, after the two men have bonded over beers, Tyler asks the
narrator to hit him. At first, it seems like an absurd request but after they
pound on each other for a bit, a strange feeling overcomes them. They feel a
kind of release and satisfaction at inflicting pain on one another. In a world
where people are desensitized to everything around them, the physical contact of
fighting wakes them up and makes them feel truly alive. Others soon join in and
pretty soon the Fight Club becomes an underground sensation. However, it becomes
readily apparent that Tyler has more elaborate plans than just organizing brawls
at the local bar.
David Fincher has taken the dark, pessimistic worldview of
"Seven" and married it with the clever plot twists and turns of "The Game" and
assembled his strongest effort to date. "Fight Club" is a $50+ million studio
film that remains true to its anti-consumer, anti-society, anti-everything
message, right up to the last, sneaky subliminal frame. What makes "Fight
Club" a subversive delight is not only its refreshing anti-corporate message but
how it delivers that message.
The structure of the Fight Club is extremely playful
as it messes around with linear time to an incredible degree. The narrative
bounces back and forth all over the place like a novel, or surfing on the
Internet, even making a hilarious dead stop to draw attention to itself in a
funny, interesting way that completely works. Yet Norton's deadpanned narration
holds everything together and allows the viewer to get a handle on what's
happening. This is the way films should be made. Why must we always have to go
through the A+B+C formula? "Fight Club" openly rejects this tired, clearly
outdated structure in favour of a stylized frenzy of jump cuts, freeze frames,
slow motion and every other film technique in the book that only reinforces its
anarchistic message.
A film like The Fight Club would have never been greenlighted by a
major studio if Brad Pitt had not been attached to the project. Once you see the
film, it becomes obvious that he was the only choice for Tyler Durden. Like he
did with "Kalifornia" and "Twelve Monkeys", Pitt grunges himself down and
disappears completely into his role to a frighteningly convincing degree. During
many of the brutal fight scenes, he is transformed into a bloody, pulpy mess
that'll surely have the "Legends of the Fall" fans running for the exits. It is
an incredible performance, probably his best, for the simple fact that he
becomes the character so completely. If Pitt has the flashy, gonzo role, Edward
Norton is his perfect foil as the seemingly meek yet sardonic narrator. It's a
deceptively understated performance as the last third of the film reveals but
Norton nails it perfectly. He is clearly our surrogate, our introduction into
this strange world and his wry observations on our consumer-obsessed culture are
right on the money. They are the perfect setup for Tyler's introduction and his
view on the world which is clearly a call to arms of sorts, a manifesto that
rejects the notion that we are what we own. And ultimately, that is what "Fight
Club" tries to do. The film is a cinematic punch to the head as it challenges
the status quo and offers a wakeup call to people immersed in a materialistic
world where those who have the most stuff, "win." I think that Fincher's film
wants us to tear all that down, reject corporate monsters like Starbucks and
Blockbuster, and try to figure out what we really want out of life. It's almost
as if the film is suggesting salvation through self-destruction. And it is these
thought-provoking ideas that makes "Fight Club" a dangerously brilliant film
that entertains as well as enlightens.
A brilliant film that entertains as well as enlightens.
|
6 |
Magnificent Seven |
Director - John Sturges
Writer - William Roberts
Tagline - They were seven - And they fought like seven hundred!
Plot - An oppressed Mexican peasant village assembles seven gunfighters to help
defend their homes.
Released - 1960
Cast
Yul Brynner ... Chris Adams
Eli Wallach ... Calvera
Steve McQueen ... Vin
Charles Bronson ... Bernardo O'Reilly
Robert Vaughn ... Lee
Brad Dexter ... Harry Luck
James Coburn ... Britt
Horst Buchholz ... Chico
Jorge Martinez de Hoyos ... Hilario
Vladimir Sokoloff ... Old man
Rosenda Monteros ... Petra
Rico Alaniz ... Sotero
Natividad Vacio ... Miguel
Mario Navarro ... Boy with O'Reilly
Based somewhat faithfully on the Akira Kurosawa classic Shichinin no samurai,
The Magnificent Seven could be mistaken for just another of the many Westerns
that were turned out in Hollywood during this era. But there is a certain
something that keeps The Magnificent Seven unique. Part of it is the concept
borrowed from the earlier Japanese film, but some of it lies in the attitude of
the seven mercenaries referred to in the title.
Much is made here of the difference between fighting for money, fighting for
justice, or fighting for a future. While this version of Kurosawa's epic
contains all the philosophical leanings of the original, it isn't nearly as
long-winded or languid. In fact, one can easily see the difference between American and
foreign cinema simply by comparing Shichinin no samurai with The Magnificent
Seven. One is incredibly dark and downbeat most of the time. The other mostly
has a score that is so major it wouldn't sound out of place in Seven Brides For
Seven Brothers.
Differences in feelings aside, the ultimate question is whether this version of
the story manages to entertain. The hardest challenge any film faces is keeping
the audience amused while all the exposition is laid out. Here, the exposition
is kept to a minimum while carefully inserted between some fast-paced action sequences.
Sometimes, the dialogue ("We deal in lead, friend.") gets incredibly stilted.
Sometimes, it seems incredibly wise. Well, since we have examples of films where
it's all stilted, all the time, we can forgive this one. The film also includes
several textbook examples of how to include a sudden plot element without
seeming contrived. When we learn why Calvera's men just won't go away, it needs
no setup simply because it is consistent with their behaviour throughout the
rest of the film.
In the end, The Magnificent Seven comes off as one of the best western films of
all time. |
5 |
GoodFellas |
Director - Martin Scorsese
Writers (WGA) - Nicholas Pileggi (book), Nicholas Pileggi (screenplay)
Released - 1990
Genre - Biography | Crime | Drama
Plot - Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.
Awards - Won Oscar. Another 34 wins and 18 nominations
Cast
Robert De Niro ... James 'Jimmy' Conway
Ray Liotta ... Henry Hill
Joe Pesci ... Tommy DeVito
Lorraine Bracco ... Karen Hill
Paul Sorvino ... Paul Cicero
Frank Sivero ... Frankie Carbone
Tony Darrow ... Sonny Bunz
Mike Starr ... Frenchy
Frank Vincent ... Billy Batts
Chuck Low ... Morris 'Morrie' Kessler
Frank DiLeo ... Tuddy Cicero
Henny Youngman ... Himself
Gina Mastrogiacomo ... Janice Rossi
Catherine Scorsese ... Tommy's Mother
Charles Scorsese ... Vinnie
"GoodFellas" may be the most important film of the 1990s in the fact that its
incredible success led to some of the other great films of the decade. Films
like "The Silence of the Lambs", "The Crying Game", "Pulp Fiction", "The Usual
Suspects", "Fargo", and "L.A. Confidential" would have likely never been made as
well as they were without the influence of Scorsese's "GoodFellas". The film is
an intense study of a Mafia family over a 30-year stretch. Ray Liotta plays the
half-Irish, half-Sicilian kid from Brooklyn whose only dream is to be a
gangster. Although Liotta's story is at the heart of "GoodFellas", it is the
supporting cast that is the film's calling card. Robert DeNiro gives one of his
greatest performances, Paul Sorvino is quietly effective, and Lorraine Bracco
(in an Oscar-nominated role) does the best work of her career. However, it is
Joe Pesci (in his well-deserved Oscar-winning turn) who steals every scene as
the one who does the "dirty work". This is probably the definitive film in a
decade that produced many film-noir styled classics.
The Definitive Film of the 1990s.
|
4 |
The Godfather Part One |
Director - Francis Ford Coppola
Writers - Mario Puzo (novel), Mario Puzo (screenplay)
Released - 1972
Genre - Crime | Drama | Thriller
Tagline - An offer you can't refuse.
Plot - The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of
his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Awards - Won 3 Oscars. Another 19 wins and 17 nominations
Cast
Marlon Brando ... Don Vito Corleone
Al Pacino ... Michael Corleone
James Caan ... Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
Richard S. Castellano ... Peter Clemenza
Robert Duvall ... Tom Hagen
Sterling Hayden ... Capt. McCluskey
John Marley ... Jack Woltz
Richard Conte ... Don Emilio Barzini
Al Lettieri ... Virgil 'The Turk' Sollozzo
Diane Keaton ... Kay Adams
Abe Vigoda ... Sal Tessio
Talia Shire ... Connie Corleone Rizzi
Gianni Russo ... Carlo Rizzi
John Cazale ... Fredo Corleone
Rudy Bond ... Don Carmine Cuneo
Quotes :
Bonasera: I believe in America. America has helped me to make my fortune. And I raised my
daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to
dishonour her family. She found a "boyfriend," not an Italian!! She went to the
films with him. She stayed out late. I didn't protest. Two months ago he took
her for a drive, with another boyfriend. They made her drink whiskey and then
they tried to take advantage of her. She resisted. She kept her honour. So they
beat her. Like an animal. When I went to the hospital her nose was broken. Her
jaw was shattered, held together by wire. She couldn't even weep because of the
pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. A beautiful
girl. Now she will never be beautiful again.
[He breaks down at this point, and the Don gestures to his son to get him a
drink]
Bonasera: Sorry...
[He regains his composure and carries on]
Bonasera: I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were
brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison, and
suspended the sentence. Suspended sentence! They went free that very day! I
stood in the courtroom like a fool, and those two bastards, they smiled at me.
Then I said to my wife, "For justice, we must go to Don Corleone."
Don Corleone: Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?
Bonasera: What do you want of me? Tell me anything. But do what I beg you to do.
Don Corleone: What is that?
[Bonasera gets up from his seat and whispers into the Don's ear; for a long
moment the Don is silent].......
Marlon Brando is Don Vito Corleone, head of perhaps the most powerful New
York-area mafia family in the 1940s, in this well-respected film by
director/writer Francis Ford Coppola. As the film begins, Vito is receiving
"business" guests in his office at his home while his daughter Connie's (Talia
Shire) wedding and reception are taking place. The epic plot takes place over
many years, telling the story of Vito, his family, including Michael (Al Pacino),
Santino (James Caan) and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), his associates, and their
interactions with other mob syndicates.
The Godfather is commonly considered to be one of the "greatest films of all
time".
Shorn of its gangster trappings, The Godfather is sprawling and soap-operatic in
tone. The sprawl is appropriate to its origins as a novel by Mario Puzo, who
also co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. At root, The Godfather is concerned
with realistic depictions of a very dysfunctional family as they try to make it
through life, including marriages, births, adultery, spats between family
members, tiffs with others in their community, and so on.
Even though the
gangster stuff has been far surpassed in graphic brutality in the intervening
years, the dramatic context of the violence gives it tremendous impact.
To the extent that Coppola and Puzo just focus on the extended Corleone family,
they create tremendous depth in their relationships. The whole film can be
looked at as a fascinating depiction of "oscillating" dynamics in the family,
with the pole pairs being interacting/distancing, control/lack of control,
benevolence/malevolence. Most character stances and actions are some combination
of those ranges of characteristics, and everyone dances around the poles, so to
speak, throughout the film. From this angle, even the attractive surface
violence (well, attractive to fans of that stuff in artworks) is mainly there
for the purpose of pushing characters more to one pole or the other. There is an
implication that underlying these mechanisms is some natural tendency towards
achieving (a dynamic) equilibrium.
It's tough to go wrong when you have a cast
including Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and
so on. Another commonly mentioned element, which is fantastic and superbly
integrated to create atmosphere, is Nino Rota's score.
Less often mentioned is the consistently intriguing cinematography by Gordon
Willis. Most of Willis' unusual shots in the film are so subtle as to be barely
noticeable unless you're looking for them. The opening, for example, consists of
a long (it lasts a few minutes) "zoom out" from Amerigo Bonasera (Salvatore
Corsitto). The shot is beautifully lit, most of the frame is extremely dark,
giving Bonasera a chiaroscuro effect (the opening is also unusual in that it's a
long monologue from a minor character).
Willis and Coppola have a knack for placing their actors in the frame to create
depth and interesting visual patterns. This is done so slyly that at first blush
you wouldn't believe it's something they thought about, but if you keep this in
mind while watching, you can see delightful visual paths that zigzag, wind to a
focal point, and so on, all created by the confluence of actors and scenery in
the frame.
If you haven't seen The Godfather before, the most important thing you can do
before watching is to forget about all of the "greatest film of all time" hype.
That's only likely to set up expectations that could never be met; more than
likely you'll be disappointed. Just think of it as one of the better films from
one of Hollywood's more admirable but relatively odder directors, featuring
earlier performances from a very well known cast, and keep in mind that it's as
much a "historical family saga" as a crime or gangster film. |
3 |
LA Confidential |
Director - Curtis Hanson
Writers (WGA) - James Ellroy (novel), Brian Helgeland (screenplay)
Released - 1997
Awards - Won 2 Oscars. Another 69 wins and 43 nominations
Cast
Kevin Spacey ... Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe ... Bud White
Guy Pearce ... Ed Exley
James Cromwell ... Dudley Smith
Kim Basinger ... Lynn Bracken
Danny DeVito ... Sid Hudgens
David Strathairn ... Pierce Patchett
Ron Rifkin ... D.A. Ellis Loew
Matt McCoy ... 'Badge of Honour' Star Brett Chase
Paul Guilfoyle ... Mickey Cohen
Paolo Seganti ... Johnny Stompanato
Elisabeth Granli ... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Sandra Taylor ... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin ... Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Graham Beckel ... Dick Stensland
Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality.
Tagline - Off the record, on the QT, and very
hush-hush
Plot - A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA
policemen in their own unique ways.
L.A. Confidential really has something for
everyone. The best aspect of L.A. Confidential is the way that not everything is
as it seems, and then, in an instant, all of the plots are sprung like a trap
and come together for a grand finale. Overall L.A. Confidential is an
exceptional film that contains something for everyone
A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their
own unique ways. Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police
force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the
shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner in this lush tribute to
tough film noir crime films.
Director of LA Confidential, Curtis Hanson, captures the duality of 1950s Los Angeles in this
striking film noir adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. The city of angels might
be sunny, inviting, and glamorous to the rest of the world, but it's also filled
with corrupt cops, elegant hookers, murder cover-ups, and manipulative
paparazzi, all of which are just the tip of the iceberg. It's impossible to know
exactly who's trustworthy and who's not as three detectives (Kevin Spacey,
Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce) each use their own tactics to investigate a
coffee-shop massacre.
1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this
intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very
different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the
golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead,
except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely
able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always
looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join
Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of
L.A. crime.
LA Confidential is one of the best films to have ever been
produced |
2 |
Heat |
Director - Michael Mann
Writer (WGA) - Michael Mann
Released - 1996
Genre - Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller
Tagline - A Los Angeles crime saga.
Plot - A Los Angeles crime saga, "Heat" focuses on the lives of two men on
opposite sides of the law - one a detective; the other a thief.
Awards - 6 nominations
Cast
Al Pacino ... Lt. Vincent Hanna
Robert De Niro ... Neil McCauley
Val Kilmer ... Chris Shiherlis
Jon Voight ... Nate
Tom Sizemore ... Michael Cheritto
Diane Venora ... Justine Hanna
Amy Brenneman ... Eady
Ashley Judd ... Charlene Shiherlis
Mykelti Williamson ... Sergeant Drucker
Wes Studi ... Detective Casals
Ted Levine ... Bosko
Dennis Haysbert ... Donald Breedan
William Fichtner ... Roger Van Zant
Natalie Portman ... Lauren Gustafson
Tom Noonan ... Kelso
Rated R for violence and language.
One of the most amazing things about Heat is the scale of the film; it is nearly
three hours long and packed to bursting with mind-blowing visuals. It seems one
of Michael Mann's main priorities was to make a film with a dreamlike feel to
it, to portray LA as a dusty oil-painting on which complex characters could play
out their lives. One of the main themes is the similarity of the career criminal
and the street-wise cop. It's fascinating to find yourself really feeling for DeNiro's tragic bank-robber, a man of philosophical merit who realises he's
stuck in a life of crime he doesn't want to lead. Pacino's cop is less easy to
sympathise with, but he too leads an inescapable life of guns and crime. What
really stands out is the climax. On the whole, Heat has to be the best cops and
robbers film ever made, indeed, one of the best films. An epic, wonderful, sad,
adrenaline-fuelled exercise in scale and grandeur.
'Heat' is a film of epic proportions on a common placed scale, provides all
the essentials of a great crime drama and then some. With a fascinating
storyline, involving characters, and Mann's sometimes poetic, sometimes gritty
directing, 'Heat' is one of the best crime films of all time. |
1 |
Shawshank Redemption |
Director - Frank Darabont
Writers (WGA) - Stephen King (short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption), Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Released - 1994
Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 11 wins and 13 nominations
Cast
Tim Robbins ... Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman ... Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
Bob Gunton ... Warden Norton
William Sadler ... Heywood
Clancy Brown ... Captain Hadley
Gil Bellows ... Tommy
Rated R for language and prison violence.
Tagline - Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically
when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his
wife and her lover. Set in the 1940's, the film shows how Andy, with the help of
his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional
prisoner. Written by Martin Lewison
After the murder of his wife, hotshot banker Andrew Dufresne is sent to
Shawshank Prison, where the usual unpleasantness occurs. Over the years, he
retains hope and eventually gains the respect of his fellow inmates, especially
longtime convict "Red" Redding, a black marketeer, and becomes
influential within the prison. Eventually, Andrew achieves his ends on his own
terms.
Andy Dufresne, is sent to Shawshank Prison for the murder of his wife and secret
lover. He is very isolated and lonely at first, but realises there is something
deep inside your body, that people can't touch and get to....'HOPE'. Andy
becomes friends with prison 'fixer' Red (Morgan Freeman), and Andy epitomises
why it is crucial to have dreams. His spirit and determination, leads us into a
world full of imagination, filled with courage and desire. Will Andy ever
realise his dreams..?
Becoming friends with Red, Andy tries to adapt to
prison life, and goes on an unforgettable journey with Red inside the prison walls.
Excellent twist in the story at the end.
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