_The 100 Best Films of All Time (10-6): GETTING CLOSE

10. Some Like It Hot

Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe
Genre: Comedy
Academy Awards: 1
Year: 1959
Imdb-Rating: 8.4
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): Close your eyes and imagine Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in drag. If this image is instantly hilarious to you, you will be among the 95% or more who consider Billy Wilder's "Some Like it Hot" to be one of the greatest American comedies. But there are always some people, such as myself, who are sufficiently humor-impaired, non-conformist, and/or overly critical so as not to get the joke. Cartoonish mobsters, empty-headed blondes, unlikely romances and Lemmon camping it up under a wig and false breasts may provide the elements of a great comedy, but only if the script allows and the pieces fit together.

09. Singin' in the Rain

Director: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen
Genre: Musical
Academy Awards: 0
Year: 1952
Imdb-Rating: 8.5
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): "Singin' in the Rain" is generally considered to be the best Hollywood musical ever. It may well be, as I have seen no other musical that comes close. Perhaps the difference between this film and others is that it is not only a musical. If you remove all the musical and dance numbers, you are still left with an outstanding comedy. In fact, it may be the best comedy ever, unless "Dr. Strangelove" qualifies.

08. Vertigo

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Tom Helmore
Genre: Thriller
Academy Awards: 0
Year: 1958
Imdb-Rating: 8.5
Critic's opinion (James Berardinelli): Hitchcock films in general, and VERTIGO in particular (which many critics view as the Master of Suspense's greatest achievement), have influenced an entire generation of film makers, from Martin Scorsese to Brian DePalma and David Lynch. Hitchcock's innovative use of back- screen projection and camera tricks (such as simultaneously zooming in and tracking out) to enhance suspense and draw the audience deeper into the narrative have frequently been emulated, but rarely equaled. From a craft standpoint, VERTIGO represents the director in peak form.

07. Raging Bull

Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
Genre: Drama
Academy Awards: 2
Year: 1980
Imdb-Rating: 8.3
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): Considered by many to be the best film of the 1980s, "Raging Bull" falls short of that extremely high standard. However, it is still a great film, with excellent performances from Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and glorious black and white cinematography.

06. The Godfather, Part II

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton
Genre: Crime
Academy Awards: 6
Year: 1974
Imdb-Rating: 8.9
Critic's opinion (James Berardinelli): Combined, THE GODFATHER and THE GODFATHER PART II represent the apex of American movie-making and the ultimate gangster story. Few sequels have expanded upon the original with the faithfulness and detail of this one. Beneath the surface veneer of an ethnic period piece, THE GODFATHER is not so much about crime lords as it is about prices paid in the currency of the soul for decisions made and avoided. It is that quality which establishes this saga as timeless.