Best film you ever seen, and why?

How do you go about picking ONE film?! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. So here's a run down in no particular order complete with why the films are great and so on.

Leon: The Professional.

Guy rescues a wee Beautiful Girls era Natalie Portman from corrupt DEA agents. He also happens to be a hit man! If you can, pick up the director's cut, there's some great scenes in it showing the progression of Leon and Mathilda. This film has Man Heart!

Ghost World.

A film that comes as close as you ever could without being by John Hughes about teenage alienation in modern society. Loosely based on a comic by Daniel Clowes. It's hysterical, heartbreaking and best of all has Steve Buscemi in it who is awesome. It may centre around two girls, but I feel the content applies to both genders.

Girl Scout.

A Korean comedy about a group of women who get ripped off and go to get their money back. It had me in fits of laughter at some points, and the brawl scenes in it are pretty no-holds-barred. I suppose you could fit it into the road movie category. Well worth hunting down.

Metropolis.

Possibly the worlds first science fiction as it's known today. Sexy robot ladies, amazing scenery, the fact that it's a silent film doesn't matter when there's amazing brutalist architecture to look at. Also the story is great.

Billy The Kid.

A documentary about a young boy called Billy with Asperger's. It's heartbreaking at times, the kid has so much heart and soul it tears you apart. From Billy talking about his potential future, rocking out in his bedroom, his first love and trying to make friends. Without a doubt my favourite documentary.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.

Another documentary, which is a video letter to a child named Zachary. I don't want to give anything away, but if you desperately want to cry, this is for you. I wept.

Love Liza.

Trust me, this is a comedy. It's got Seymour-Hoffman in it, so that might give you an idea of what brand of humour you're gonna be seeing. A guy loses his wife and goes into a downward spiral, huffing gas fumes. Got a soul-destroying ending too.

Sad Movie.

What makes this movie special is that it's a romantic comedy. You know how every single romantic comedy has everyone super-duper happy at the end? This movie is about all the other relationships. Another Korean one, pretty sappy but I love it.

I'll post more as I think of them.

Star Wars Holiday Special

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

How do you go about picking ONE film?! THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE. So here's a run down in no particular order complete with why the films are great and so on.

Leon: The Professional.

Guy rescues a wee Beautiful Girls era Natalie Portman from corrupt DEA agents. He also happens to be a hit man! If you can, pick up the director's cut, there's some great scenes in it showing the progression of Leon and Mathilda. This film has Man Heart!

Ghost World.

A film that comes as close as you ever could without being by John Hughes about teenage alienation in modern society. Loosely based on a comic by Daniel Clowes. It's hysterical, heartbreaking and best of all has Steve Buscemi in it who is awesome. It may centre around two girls, but I feel the content applies to both genders.

Girl Scout.

A Korean comedy about a group of women who get ripped off and go to get their money back. It had me in fits of laughter at some points, and the brawl scenes in it are pretty no-holds-barred. I suppose you could fit it into the road movie category. Well worth hunting down.

Metropolis.

Possibly the worlds first science fiction as it's known today. Sexy robot ladies, amazing scenery, the fact that it's a silent film doesn't matter when there's amazing brutalist architecture to look at. Also the story is great.

Billy The Kid.

A documentary about a young boy called Billy with Asperger's. It's heartbreaking at times, the kid has so much heart and soul it tears you apart. From Billy talking about his potential future, rocking out in his bedroom, his first love and trying to make friends. Without a doubt my favourite documentary.

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.

Another documentary, which is a video letter to a child named Zachary. I don't want to give anything away, but if you desperately want to cry, this is for you. I wept.

Love Liza.

Trust me, this is a comedy. It's got Seymour-Hoffman in it, so that might give you an idea of what brand of humour you're gonna be seeing. A guy loses his wife and goes into a downward spiral, huffing gas fumes. Got a soul-destroying ending too.

Sad Movie.

What makes this movie special is that it's a romantic comedy. You know how every single romantic comedy has everyone super-duper happy at the end? This movie is about all the other relationships. Another Korean one, pretty sappy but I love it.

I'll post more as I think of them.

I'd like to sign up for your weekly news letter :P

Didn't even realise they made a second Leon, will watch it later this evening.

Apocalypse Now, watch it over and over, love it.

Commando also deserves special mention.

Die Hard obviously.

kraggy wrote: »

That's in the top 5....



...most overated films of all time.

I enjoyed Scarface the first time I saw it, but now the bombast of it and the eejit types who look up to Tony Montana as some kind of hero really put me off it.

I saw the original from 1932 for the first time recently and it's much better. It's got a tremendous energy, with some fantastic camerawork that was very innovative for its time (eg. long tracking shots) that I think was a big influence on Martin Scorsese (the motif in The Departed of an "X" appearing before characters are killed is an homage to the same practice in this film).
And it has a great performance from Paul Muni that's charismatic without being OTT like Pacino.

Just taking this opportunity to recommend it to anyone into their oldies

FTGFOP wrote: »

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It was going well till E.

Anyway, Alien for the lean, efficient horror story and the atmosphere.

Plus it has a cat called Jonesy in it.

I think it'd also make a good double bill with Aliens. They're both completely different: the first is a slow-burning, suspensful horror, the second an all-out action (still scary in parts though) but I love both.

"They mostly come at night...mostly..."

Whale Rider-beautiful, deeply moving film.

Another New Zealand film that's excellent-Once Were Warriors.

Has Heat been mentioned? De Nero and Pacino together-superb.

Also Amelie, The Big Lebowski-but pretty much any Coen Bros. film

Sophie Scholl-the final days.

*World shatters*

I suppost there's no point mentioning the major classics because you've probably seen alot of them but some other greats are:

The World's Fastest Indian
True story feat Anthony Hopkins attempting to break the land speed record on an old Indian motorbike he customised. Best performance of his career imo.

LA Confidential
Slick film noir. Tabloids and murder in the 50s. Might watch it tonight myself!

Infernal Affairs
Chinese film remade as The Departed. Better than the remake, which itself was supreme.

Oldboy
Korean thriller. Wicked twist in the end.

A few more I've thought of, some lesser-known:

The King of Kong

Fantastic, entertaining documentary about the battle between two guys to beat the Donkey Kong world record. Sounds dull but it's absolutely fascinating and introduced much of the world to the sheer insanity of Billy Mitchell.

Being There and Harold and Maude

Two beautiful little films by Hal Ashby, both are sweet,funny and sad in equal measure. Being There has Peter Sellers as a simple gardner whose banal statements are mistaken for genius. The final shot is one of my favourites in cinema. Harold and Maude is about a teenage boy obsessed with death who befriends a vivacious elderly woman. Sounds a bit corny but it's perfectly judged.


Five Easy Pieces

Great early Jack Nicholson performance, not too well-known, as a man working on oil rigs who's torn between his life and his upper-crust family.