I know I have posted my personal TOP 10 list in that Directors TOP 10 thread already, but I might as well post it again here and now say something about each film, explaining why it is on my list.
I have actually done a very long write up for each of my favourite movies. I really hope you read it.
I really think everyone should try to do this, at least 3 or 4 sentences for each film, giving a statement why you like it. It is so boring to always read just bare lists and count-ups. Please write something.
Please take note, I had to split my Post into THREE Posts, because it was too long. Please dont delete it @ MODS. I really did my best to make a good write up, I had no other choice than splitting ut into 3 posts.
Here we go again, my All-Time TOP 10:
(I really dont think this list will ever change, I just cant imagine that in the future any better films will come out. These times are over.)
And YES, this IS a Ranking. No. 1 is my absolute favourite.
01. The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994)
Well, "The Shawshank Redemption", what can I say? This is that kind of movie about which I would say that EVERYONE who sees it HAS to like it. And if that person doesent like it...then what the hell is wrong with that person? The story is so simple, yet so brilliantly executed. Frank Darabont adapted Stephen Kings novella about undeserved pain and never dying hope so deeply grounded in reality that the viewer can relate to literally EVERYTHING that happens on screen, even though he probably never was in prison. What makes this movie so outstanding is not only the heartwarming, yet exciting way in which the story is told, it is even more because of the performaces: Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are beyond flawless. I think they both gave the best performances of their careers here. What makes the friendship between Andy and Red so special is that it is a real mens-friendship, a friendship of two men who share the same fate, one deserving it, the other one dont deserving it. And together they find out what "Hope" really means. And in the end Andy gets his well deserved "Redemption". Frank Darabont made his first feature film for the big screen here, and he made an instant masterpiece, an modern classic. It really doesnet get much better than that when it comes to filmmaking. He created a relatable and realistic scenario, made us feel with the characters, used beautiful sets, NO CGI at all, and gave us a stunning film driven by a genius screenplay and strong performances. And Frank Darabont achieved something what does not happen very often. His film is better than the novella it is based on. "The Shawshank Redemption" is, at least to me, a century achievement.
02. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Brutally dismissed and panned by both audiences and critics when it first came out, over the years "Blade Runner" grew itself a pretty neat fanbase and a cult-following. And even critics started to like it more over the time. I am not gonna talk about the awful studio interference that happened in 1982, forcing Ridley Scott to glue an happy end on the film and adding a dumb and unnessacary Voice-Over which is explaining things a intelligent viewer would figure out just by watching the movie anyway. This is a prime example of how a studio can water down and ruin a movie. Therefore, of course, I am talking about the FINAL CUT here. But this cut is brilliant. Why did people not see this back in 1982? Well, I guess one can definatley say that "Blade Runner" was released in the wrong year. In the very same year that good old guy known as Spielberg earned all the hearts and likes of the world with a warmhearted SciFi story about an cute little Alien. Audiences back in 1982 were just not ready for such a deep, dark and brooding vision of the future as Ridley Scott has created. What makes Blade Runner so special is that it is mesmerizing as no other movie. If the viewer gives himself totally into the film he gets hypnosed by it. The film is almost like a painting, the sounds Vangelis has created do a wonderful and breathtaking symbiosis with the images shown. The story about Rick Deckard hunting down the rebbelling Replicants might be very straight forward, yet it deals with the most important questions of humanity. More Human than Human. What does this mean? From which point on do you have to respect an existance? Is it okay to give a robot feelings and then just shut it off? And if you are living in a world in which you cant tell the difference between Humans and Replicants anymore, and if it is possible to implant fake memorys into these Replicants - when comes the point on which you have to question your own existence? All these questions never get exactly answered in the film. The viewer has to think about it and come up with his own answers. Another utterly genius achievement of Ridley Scott in this film is of course the world he created. The visuals are scary yet beautiful. The Urban cityscape looks depressing, people dream of an better life OFF-WORLD. They sky is brightned by fire, the sun never really shines. Is this a post nuclear world? Maybe. I can understand why not everyone gets access to Blade Runner. But it is really a film that ages like wine. It gets better with each viewing, and it demands multiple viewings. "Blade Runner" is a masterpiece. You cant deny it.
03. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
Yeah, I hear your uproar. This might surprise many people. But let me explain. I know that it is the common opinion that the best films David Fincher has ever made are "Seven" and "Fight Club". Well, whilst I think those two are pretty good, I beg to differ. I think "Zodiac" is the best thing David Fincher has done so far. David Fincher had a nice long run since the year 1992. He has yet to make a bad movie. Sure, some werent exactly as good as the others, but I cant think of a bad David Fincher film. So, why do I think Zodiac is his best work? Mainly because there is NO OTHER movie out there which is quite like Zodiac. It is a thriller, but it is not your common average Hollywood thriller, about cops chasing bad guys with guns in their hands. "Zodiac" is what I would call a "RESEARCH THRILLER". This film probably portrays the most accurate police investigation ever banned on film. The hunt for the Zodiac killer is not portrayed as a chilling adventure, it is damn hard investigative work. Its not fun at all. Its frustrating. And it brings the lives of Detective Toshi and Journalist Avory almost to shelter. Cartoonist Robert Graysmith on the other hand wont give up so easily. He goes on with his private investigation. And he eventually finds a trace. Yet even he has to face the fact that some crimes just remain unsolved. There comes a time people just dont care anymore. Time is an important factor here. People forget. People get old. People stop to care. But how to achieve justice then? And is it really justice Graysmith is looking for? Isent it more like an obsession, an obsession that he, only he wants to find out who that Zodiac killer was? David Fincher challenges the audience constantly in this long movie. In almost every minute you get at least 5 different names thrown at you, and let me tell you, the sheer amount of names, the sheer amout of characters that play an important role here is just stunning. You have to keep your brain working and focused throughout the whole movie, otherwise you will get lost in that mountain of names,you wont know anymore who is who. David Fincher has created the most intelligent Thriller film I have ever seen. And yet, it is also very rewarding and entertaining. If you stay focused, and if you get the story, you see a puzzle in front of you which completes more and more with every minute. This is a rewarding film experience. And it is David Finchers best film so far.
04. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
Ah, yeah, of course. You all knew that was gonna come. "Jaws" is a staple in like 75% of all TOP Movie lists. And it is well deserved. Not only that "Jaws" invented what we know today as the modern summer blockbuster, it also kicked of the cinematic career of Hollywoods greatest (note: Greatest, NOT best) living director these days. And Steven Spielberg really showed in this early film already what he is able to achieve, that he is not like any other director. "Jaws" is considered to be the defintive "shark movie". The special thing here is that this movie is NOT about a shark eating people. Audiences have seen that before. Sharks eating people might be thrilling, but it really doesnet make for a cinematic masterpiece. No, "Jaws" is not really about the Shark at all. It is about the characters dealing with the situation of having that shark. Three very different men and there views on how to handle that shark problem. All three of them get outlined and introduced amazingly well. When they finally get on that boat to chase the shark, you know who they are. They have profile. You care for them. Amazing character development right there. Yet in the end, they all have to work together if they want to defeat that enourmus beast. A notable thing about "Jaws" is that it is basically split into two different films. The first half takes place at land, showing how the people learn about the shark, how differently they react, and what they plan to do. In this first half the shark is shown and portrayed as an almost supernatural and untouchable force, you never see him, you just have these shots from the sharks perspective combined with the classic John Williams music letting you know the shark is there. The second half of the movie takes place at the open sea, and it is about the actual fight against the shark. This time the shark gets materialized, it gets touchable, but also it gets all the more dangerous. How can three man that are so utterly different possibly work together to defeat that monster? Who of the man is right in their methods? The conservative Quint who lives after the motto "old man at the sea", the almost neutral Brody who just wants to survive or the experimental scientiest guy Hooper? What many people do not know: "Jaws" also works as a metapher about the conflict between the "Old Hollywood" and the "New Hollywood". Ironically enough "Jaws" became the movie that meant the final breakthrough into the "New Hollywood" era. Two years later there followed a little film known as Star Wars. Quint represents the Old Hollywood, while Hooper represents New Hollywood. Well, Quint gets eaten by the shark, so I guess we can figure out what Spielbergs statement was. But all that multi-layered stuff aside, Jaws also works as a thrilling and exciting action ride, and adventurous movie like no other. Steven Spielbergs "Jaws" is the first real blockbuster, and still one of the very best.
05. The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
Yay, its David Fincher again. Wait, already? Yes, already. Obviously I am a big fan of this mans work. He made for TWO movies in my TOP 5. So I guess you could say this man is my favourite director. And again I am not talking about the often praised movies "Seven" or "Fight Club". This time it is a very recent movie of him, "The Social Network" A biopic film about the founder of Facebook. A film about the uprising of one of the most famous websites of today. When this project was announced I was like...eh, really? How can this thematic make for a good movie? I mean, I really could not imagine how to approach it, how to put it in an exciting and engaging cinematic story. But I had hope. David Fincher was directing. But to be fair, I have to give credit to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin as well, he really is the one who made this film so brilliant. David Fincher did just excute it perfectly. As always. I had not watched the trailer to this movie. I went to the theater totally unprepared. I was ready to get dissapointed. But it did not happen. David Fincher had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole film. I always wanted to see what happens next. What is it what makes this film work? It is the fact that it is not a film about FACEBOOK at all, you can watch this movie just fine if you have never used Facebook or even if you dont know a thing about it. Facebook is just the MacGuffin here. It really could have been Youtube as well. It is a story about an excentric genius who happens to have a good idea. A great idea. Of course there are always others who want to profit from that idea too. Maybe they will even say it was their idea. And when it comes down to an idea potentially worth 1 Billion Dollars, even the best friendships can get smashed because of this. The writing of "The Social Network" is top notch, the pacing is fast and engaging, the dialouge is snappy and clever, yet often ironic. The acting by the young actors is incredible. This movie is the greatest surprise I have ever experienced when it comes to movies. David Fincher has made a brilliant film about the founding of Facebook, a film that is actually more exciting than many many thrillers which are supposed to thrill. That is an respectable achievement right there. David Fincher is a good one. A very good one. Whoever disagrees has no idea.
