My 10 favourite Films ever
Submitted by chrisjm on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 09:22
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- 1) Drowning by Numbers - Peter Greenaway directs a thrilling spectacle as three women, all capable swimmers decide to dispose of the unsatisfactory men in their lives.
- 2) The Hairdresser's Husband (Le Mari de la coiffeuse) - Fabulous french film about a man obsessed with arab music and hairdressers; visually stunning and intense throughout.
- 3) Aliens - Was there ever a better action movie? Its got everything love, hate, jealousy, despair, courage - you name it. It's also the best paced movie I've seen; James Cameron at his best.
- 4) Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann 1996). An updating of WIlliam Shakespeare's classic play, now set in Verona Beach - Perfect casting and a consistent treatment of the original text make this a memorable film.
- 5) Groundhog Day - A real feelgood movie, Bill Murray has to live a single day over and over until he gets it right. Murray's versatility is fully exploited as he experiences the whole range of emotions. The profile shot of Andie MacDowell in the final scene is just beautiful
- 6) Tampopo - the pursuit of the perfect noodle. A Japanese film - a favourite with foodies like me as it draws a powerful analogy between food and life.
- 7) The Matrix - People either love it, or they hate it, and I love it! This movie is justification in itself to get a DVD player, just so you can watch the Lobby Scene over and over and over again.
- 8) Frantic - A beautifully crafted thriller which gives Harrison Ford every chance to show what a great actor he is. Its a real end-to-end film, which involves the viewer from opening frame to closing credits.
- 9) Pulp Fiction - Breathtaking film which sees Tarantino use every device in the Film-makers book to compliment a strong storyline and a great cast. The performances of John Travolta and Bruce Willis were quite outstanding, allowing both men to do something completely different from their previous career roles.
- 10) The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover - another one from the foodies hall of fame. Really a story about evil, and how sometimes evil is eclipsed by even greater evil! Greenaway's direction, Nyman's score and brilliant acting, particularly from Helen Mirren all combine to make this a true feast of a movie.
Author Comments:
What?, ten films, and no Minnie Driver - she might be my favourite actress, but she didn't make it into the top 10. Maybe next time.
Really, any Greenaway could have been here, Prospero's books would make the 20, so would Marnie, and 'Paris, Texas'. A few other French films came close too - Les Diaboliques (the recent one) and Le Quatre-Cent Coups (ancient), maybe even Monsieur Hires. Roxanne with Steve Martin just missed out, so did Moonstruck.
Yay! Another Greenaway fan on the Listology. Does my heart good.The only Greenaway film I haven't been fond of is Belly of an Architect. How about you?
No, I wasn't too keen on Belly of an architect - its got a promising start, and then it falls to pieces. The only Greenaway I've actually disliked though is "The Baby of Macon", I really couldn't get into that one at all!
I came here via Bertie's "unfairly neglected" list and I'm glad I did! I enjoyed most of the movies on your list, so I'm going to add the ones I haven't seen to my "to see" list (Drowning by Numbers and The Hairdresser's Husband). Since you use the expression "foodie" twice in this list, let me ask you this: have you see Eat Drink Man Woman or Like Water for Chocolate?
I'm watching Frantic when I get back on the 16th, now I'm even more excited since it's one of your favorite movies!