My Top 100 All Time Favorite Films
A list, in order of preference, displaying my favorite and most beloved films
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- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsBertil GuvePernilla AllwinKristina AdolphsonTwo young Swedish children in the 1900s experience the many comedies and tragedies of their lively and affectionate theatrical family, the Ekdahls.Bergman's masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful, touching, and thought-provoking films ever made. Both joyful and sad, funny and frightening, the film has been called life-affirming, and I couldn't agree more.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.Builds on the first installment by adding the father/son parallel - a brilliant choice by Coppola and Puzo that elevated this film to icon status. Certainly the greatest sequel of all time.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.What is there to say that hasn't already been said? A legendary film, and flawless in every way.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsAnatoliy SolonitsynIvan LapikovNikolay GrinkoThe life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev.Tarkovsky's meditative, mesmorizing, and visually arresting period epic is simply a spiritual experience, with moments so breathtaking I could hardly comprehend them.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.The song, the setting, the love triangle - The ultimate classic from the golden age of cinema with some of the most quotable dialogue of any film...wonderful from start to finish, always putting a smile on my face.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Speilberg, to me, proved with this masterpiece that he is not just all style and no substance, that he can create something so affective, so engrossing and impassionating to allow me to watch it dozens of times. This is a film to be analyzed, to be learned from; a film both important as a window into history and a milestone in one brilliant director's career.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.Kubrick, some would argue, has never made anything but masterpieces, and this one is no exception. Bold, philosophical, visually rich, and literally hypnotic, "2001" is a challenging, mind-bending journey that any film lover must take.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.If you're like me, you've seen this more times than you can remember. A perfect film featuring fantastic performances and direction - the #1 thriller of all time still resonates today. Who doesn't automatically associate John William's theme with impending danger?
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother.Hitchcock was a master, and this is his greatest achievement. The shots, cuts, iconic score, brilliant performances, and the infamous shocking twist make "Psycho" nothing less than superb.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.You either love it or hate it, and I love it. Tarantino demonstrated with this film that he was not a one-hit-wonder and was here to stay. Every moment in this film is memorable, and despite its wild, often tongue-and-cheek tone, it actually makes you think...a meditation on life really.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.Scorsese at his best. The film moves at break-kneck speed, never slowing down or having a dull moment. It's done so fantastically well, it seems like Scorsese did it with his eyes closed, as if it all came naturally. That is his genius.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinPaulette GoddardJack OakieDictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.The most brilliant politcal satire ever made. It left me in tears laughing (to the point where it hurt), and left me with tears of humanity with Chaplin's famous speech for peace in the final minutes. I've seen it multiple times and enjoy it more with each viewing.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.The most uplifting, wondeful film of all time...if this doesn't leave you smiling, crying, and singing "Auld Lang Syne" then you're not human.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.How can a movie that takes place in one conference room be any good? Watch "12 Angry Men." It had me laughing and screaming and on the edge of my seat. A simply incredible classic that cannot be missed.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.Kurosawa's finest hour. You quickly fall in love with all of the characters and find yourself laughing and shouting with them. The film features fantastic battles, brawls, and comedic moments that make all 200+ minutes of it a pleasure to watch.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.A small, deceptively simple film about two people struggling to keep their relationship afloat. With Allen's witty, insightful, and smart commentaries on life, death, and love and a charming performance from Diane Keaton, the film is a hilariously honest look at the craziness of life before, after, and during a relationship.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.In this entry, I also want to include "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King." Although they are all technically separate films, the trilogy is one story, told so masterfully and beautifully as to never be forgotten or likely surpassed. A monumental achievement in cinema history.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.A powerful, imaginative look at modern society and class differences. A profoundly moving and intelligent early science fiction masterpiece that still wows to this day. I had the pleasure of seeing the restored version on the big screen and it was nothing less than amazing.
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenAlida ValliPulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.With a memorable and unique score, gorgeous black and white cinematography, stellar performances, and a genuinely engrossing mystery, this is the best film noir ever made; a film lover's dream.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.Despite being a box office disappointment and winning zero Oscars, this stands as one of the most popular and beloved films in history. A truly inspiring experience.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.There is nothing ugly or bad about this Leone western epic. It's iconic score paired with moments of dead silence inspired a generation of filmmakers and set a new standard on the genre. Funny, exciting, and merciless in its depiction of violence and cruelty, it's as gritty as they come.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.This movie defines epic. Featuring gigantic sets, sprawling landscapes, and probably the best action sequence ever filmed, "Ben-Hur" is a passionate, engorssing drama that is a spectacle to behold.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroCathy MoriartyJoe PesciThe life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.De Niro's powerhouse performance is what ultimately brings one of Scorsese's greatest films together. Shot beautifully in black and white, this no holds-barred biopic delivers some hard punches (haha), but succeeds the most at depicting a tortured soul fighting to overcome himself.
- StarsLiv UllmannErland JosephsonBibi AnderssonTen years within the marriage of Marianne and Johan.I'm referring primarily to the televised version, as opposed to the threatrical release. The performances by the starring actors are so raw and so vicious that it carries all five hours of the film, which is essentially one big emotional confrontation. Rage-inducing, emotionally draining, and heartfelt, this is as real as movies get when it comes to marriage.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsMax von SydowBirgitta ValbergGunnel LindblomIn 14th-century Sweden, an innocent yet pampered teenage girl and her family's pregnant and jealous servant set out from their farm to deliver candles to church, but only one returns from events that transpire in the woods along the way.The first time I saw this Bergman classic I cried like a baby. It struck me so hard, that I've never forgotten it, and have yet to return to it. The loss of innocence and the pains of grieving parents are what really define this film.