TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_'s Top 100 [Archive]

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-06-10, 05:05 PM

Okay, here we go. This list'll be liable to be revised in a few months time- hoping to watch a lotta movies. Anyway:

100- The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (1961)

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"When the time comes when nobody desires me for myself I'd rather not be desired at all."

This is adapted from a Tennessee Williams novella- not a play, as you might think. It may be slow paced but that brand of Southern Gothic/Tennessee Williams aging nympho and fit young man is addictive. The ending is suitable creepy.

99- Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

http://www.vintageculture.net/images/suddenly-last-summer-monty1.jpg

"Is that what love is? Using people? And maybe that's what hate is - not being able to use people."

Probably Tennessee Williams' creepiest play. How they got it past the censors, I don't know. Basically a young woman called Catherine (Elizabeth Taylor) is about to be lobotomised because of her wild claims about her cousin. But could the horrific incident be true? Slowly evidence mounts and it becomes more and more disturbing. Katherine Hepburn does a very good job as the mother who's a bit too attached to her son. If you like a film that shocks you, this is a good bet.

98- East of Eden (1955)

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"But you must give him some sign, Mr. Trask, some sign that you love him... or he'll never be a man. All his life he'll feel guilty and alone unless you release him."

Adapted from the Steinbeck novel, this is based on the biblical story of Cane and Abel. Cal, played by James Dean, is the rebellious son; Aron is the good son. They fall in love with the same girl. Sounds pretty average but the film makes the conflict epic- and believable. I really like the presumed-dead mother, who's not a nice lady.

christine

08-06-10, 06:58 PM

Nice start. Look forward to seeing the rest :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-07-10, 11:53 AM

97- The Fugitive Kind (1960)

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"Wild things leave their skins behind them so the fugitive kind can follow their kind"

Based on a Tennessee Williams play called 'Orpheus Descending', this is a perfect example of the Southern Gothic style. Brando stars as the drifter Val who strikes up a relationship with his Italian boss, Lady, who's married to a nasty terminally ill husband, with a horrible secret. Filled with Greek mythological tones, tragedy, and surrealism, plus some hothouse Tennessee Williams melodrama...I love the play and Brando is particularly good as the sensitive stud.

96- Bride and Prejudice (2004)

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"You know what they say. No life without wife."

Released only about a year before the dreadful Hollywood adaptation, this is a cute funny twist on Pride and Prejudice. Setting it in modern day India works because you still have the arranged marriages, and Mr Kholi (the Indian version of Mr Collins) is very funny. The songs are quite fun- it's not really a musical but it wouldn't be Bollywood without songs- although yet again we have an evil Brit and a nice American Darcy.

95- The Quiet American (2002)

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"They say you come to Vietnam and understand a lot in a few minutes. The rest has got to be lived."

Set in Vietnam 1952, two men- one an older English journalist (Michael Caine), the second a young American (Brendan Fraser)- fall in love with a Vietnamese girl and become entangled in the country's political turmoil.
I'm generally not that interested in political films or war films but the film has a strong story, thanks to Graham Greene (it's based on his novel), and a brilliant script. It did inspire me to read the book but I got sidetracked.

genesis_pig

08-07-10, 12:12 PM

Nice.. Quiet American has been on my to-see list for quite sometime now..

Juno MacGuff

08-07-10, 02:06 PM

Bride & Prejudice was a great movie.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-08-10, 07:46 AM

94- Bonjour Tristesse (1958)

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"It's getting out of control. I just wish I were a lot older or a lot younger"

This is based on a novel by Francois Sagan, who was seventeen when she wrote it. Cecile is a spoilt seventeen year old, chilling and partying on the French Riviera with her widowed father, who's a bit of a ladies' man. When Anne, one of his old friends, comes into the mix, Cecile vows to get rid of her- with tragic results.
The scenes on the French Riviera are in colour, with occasional flashfowards to Paris, shot in black and white to show her tristesse (it translates as sadness).

Although no one is really French here (Jean Seberg is the daughter and David Niven is the father- funny how they have different accents but that's not a problem), this is a great film about a teenager who longs to be an adult and then suddenly wishes she wasn't.

93- Anne of The Thousand Days (1969)

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"I think nothing but you. Of you and me playing dog and bitch, of you and me playing horse and mare. Of you and me in every way. I want to fill you up night after night! I want to fill you up with sons!"

History film about Henry VII and his poor wife Anne Boleyn, nominated for 10 Oscars. The Oscar it won was for Costume Design and you can see why- everything is so lavish. Richard Burton is perfect as red-blooded Henry VII and Genevieve Bujold makes a feisty Anne, instead of the insipid portrayals of royal wives that seem to be favoured in dramas. And there are some funny lines.

92- Out of Africa (1985)

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"I had a farm in Africa..."

This film makes me so sad at the end. Back when Kenya was an English colony, Karen (Meryl Streep) is moved to South Africa by her husband who wants to run a coffee farm there. She falls in love with Denis, a hunter who I believe is supposed to be English but Robert Redford was told to play it without an English accent by the director. Their affair encounters problems when they start feeling bound to each other. Streep's accent isn't that bad- it's consistant, at least- and Africa looks stunning.

rauldc14

08-08-10, 01:54 PM

I've yet to see one of these films. Which only means one thing: you've got some very original taste in movies.

christine

08-08-10, 02:00 PM

The Quiet American is well worth seeing.

genesis_pig

08-08-10, 02:25 PM

Wasn't Graham Greene the one who wrote The Third Man?Then it must be really good.. I always thought Quiet American was a remake..

mark f

08-08-10, 02:47 PM

There was a 1950s version of The Quiet American starring Audie Murphy and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

genesis_pig

08-08-10, 02:49 PM

So, was it any good?

mark f

08-08-10, 02:59 PM

It was a little muddled but it was professionally-competent. Of course, it didn't have hindsight to be a "revisionist" version, but I suppose that's a plus because it is pretty accurate in its thoughts on what could happen in Vietnam. Until I see it again, I'd probably give it 2.5, but I'm a tough rater.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 08:19 AM

91- Ghostbusters (1984)

http://scifipulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Ghostbusters-team.jpg

"The purpose of science is to serve mankind. You seem to regard science as some kind of dodge... or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe, your methods are sloppy, and your conclusions are highly questionable!"

Fun comedy about er...ghostbusters. People who bust ghosts. Even if you haven't seen the film, you have certainly heard the theme tune. My favourite monster is Mr Stay-Puft :)

90- Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

http://www.sgnewwave.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/pan-2.jpg

"A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world. She dreamed of blue skies, soft breeze, and sunshine. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Once outside, the brightness blinded her and erased every trace of the past from her memory. She forgot who she was and where she came from. Her body suffered cold, sickness, and pain. Eventually, she died. However, her father, the King, always knew that the Princess' soul would return, perhaps in another body, in another place, at another time. And he would wait for her, until he drew his last breath, until the world stopped turning..."

I generally don't go for fantasy films but this one is stunning- much better than all those blockbusters about dragons and goblins and whatnot (Harry Potter being the exception). It's got a clear political slant- it's set in fascist Spain in the 1940's- which sets it apart from light entertainment. It may have a twelve year old protagonist but this is no kiddie film.
Gripping, creepy and inventive, it's well worth seeing- particularly for the creepy monster with eyes in his hands.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 09:11 AM

89- Les Miserables (1935)

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"Right or wrong, the law is the law and it must be obeyed to the letter."

I love Frederic March and he makes a great Jean Valjean- a criminal who redeems himself and becomes a hero but who is persued over years and years by a fanatical policeman who believes in the law above everything else. It may not be 100% faithful (the novel's a brick so it's kind of expected) but characters like Eponine are kept in (the 1998 film cut her, which is kind of silly) and March is the perfect hero.

88- Pretty in Pink (1986)

http://www.cinecultist.com/archives/PrettyInPinkBigPic.jpg

"If you give off signals that you don't want to belong, people will make sure that you don't."
My favourite of all the brat pack films because these characters are more sympathetic. Although the song that inspired the film sings of a girl called Caroline, the protagonist of the film is Andie, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who falls in love with Blaine, a rich boy. Their romance is fraught with problems created by the cliquey attitudes of high school. It perfectly captures teenage anxieties about not being good enough and whilst Breakfast Club and St Elmo's Fire are a little dated, this manages to be very eighties but also very now. Plus it has a great soundtrack.

rauldc14

08-09-10, 09:35 AM

I am starting to think that I won't have seen a single film on this list. I'm sure I've seen Ghostbusters, but not enough to remember it.

genesis_pig

08-09-10, 09:38 AM

Wow, the list just keeps getting better.

I believe you are a child from the 80's?..

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 09:44 AM

Wow, the list just keeps getting better.

I believe you are a child from the 80's?..

Unfortunately not :)

planet news

08-09-10, 11:50 AM

Released only about a year before the dreadful Hollywood adaptation
Are you talking about Joe Wright's version with Kiera Knightly? I don't see how it was dreadful at all. It was a very fine film with one of my favorite soundtracks. As a mild appreciator of the novel, I thought it followed the text quite well and cut out, combined and distorted scenes very cleverly. The cinematography was top notch and ultra-modern. The tracking shots are some of the best ways to get to the f'ing point in the plot and are perfectly done. Having just seen Rear Window last night, I quite appreciate this technique.

Actors... Darcy was perfect and Elizabeth too. The other girls quite aptly fit their novel personalities and suggested their novel characters with their appearances.

The most faithful version was the 6 hour BBC one. Now THAT was dreadful. The story is just not worth stretching out for that amount of time.

Dreadful... :shrug:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 12:32 PM

87- The Lost Weekend (1945)

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"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation. I can't take quiet desperation!"

This was the first Hollywood film to deal with alcoholism as a serious problem and not something funny or cool. The film follows Don, a hack with an alcohol problem, as he degrades himself more and more over a 4 day binge. Ray Milland does a brilliant job portraying Don's alcoholism and Billy Wilder as director makes sure that it doesn't fall into some moralistic preaching. Yes, there's a moral but Wilder doesn't let that get in the way of the story. The hospital scene where Don starts hallucinating is surreal and crazy but pretty scary too.

86- Tea and Sympathy (1956)

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"Manliness is not all swagger and mountain climbing. It's also tenderness..."

The play it's based on caused quite a scandal- partly for the homophobic bullying the teenage protagonist Tom faces (it's never clear whether he is gay or not, although one character is definitely outed) but mainly for the seduction.
Set in the early fifties, it stars John Kerr as a schoolboy whose lack of interest in sports and enjoyment of sewing and poetry makes the other boys accuse him of being gay (not openly- this is the fifties after all). Deborah Kerr (no relation to John apparantly) is frustrated by her husband's lack of interest in her and she is pleased by the affections of Tom. But then she offers him a lot more than tea and sympathy...
It's a fun melodrama which gives a good insight into fifties' masculinity and the idiocy of stereotyping. I do like my schoolboy films :)

85- Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

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"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue."

Yeah, people complained about miscasting but the two pairs of lovers aren't miscast and that's really what it all hinges on. Emma Thompson is brilliant as smart sharp-tongued Beatrice and Kenneth Branagh is very good as pouting Benedick. For those shy of Shakespeare, this film shows that Shakespeare really was the master of rom-coms.

84- Easy Virtue (2008)

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Marion: "I don't feel like smiling."
Mr Whittaker: "You're English dear- fake it."

Noel Coward's plays are pretty hard to get right on film. For a start, they're drawing-room comedies and so the action is confined to a small space, and secondly, you need very good actors who can deliver Coward's witty lines effectively.
Set in the thirties, Ben Barnes is the son of a posh English family bringing home his wife who is older and American- an amusing clash of cultures follows. Colin Firth is particularly good as Jim Whittaker, delivering the dialogue brilliantly and Kristen Scott Thomas is very good also. The soundtrack is fun- thirties' spin on modern songs- Coward hasn't sounded so good for years.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 12:38 PM

Are you talking about Joe Wright's version with Kiera Knightly? I don't see how it was dreadful at all.

It entirely missed the point of the novel. The novel's a satire on 19th century customs but instead they try and turn it into a mawkish love story that you could find in any chick lit. I doubt the director even read the book and the American ending...urgh, it was dreadful. It looked pretty enough though.
The BBC version was very faithful (apart from the infamous pond scene): you got the sense of the period- vital to appreciating the novel- plus Austen's humour and wit and all the nuances. Plus Colin Firth :) The guy playing Mr Collins got it spot on.

The Prestige

08-09-10, 12:44 PM

Ghostbusters, Pans Labyrinth..now we're talking baby.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 12:54 PM

I am starting to think that I won't have seen a single film on this list. I'm sure I've seen Ghostbusters, but not enough to remember it.

5 of the movies on your top 100 are also in mine :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 01:20 PM

83- Henry V (1989)

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"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother, Be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition, and gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves acursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks, that fought with us upon St. Crispin's day!"

I was never really keen on Shakespeare's histories, or war films, but Branagh's version of Henry V changed my mind about both. Instead of being a patriotic play, Branagh finds darkness in it and he gives us a 'grittier' version. Only in his late-twenties when he directed it, Branagh does a very good job, and his portrayal of Henry V is not as a regal Shakespearean but as a boy forced to become a man. You can see the sparks between him and Emma Thompson as the French princess.

82- Metropolis (1927)

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"There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator."

One of the best dystopic films- if not the best-ever, Metropolis proves that you can make a great sci-fi/dystopic film without CGI or even spoken dialogue. The bit where Maria turns into evil debauched robot Maria is effectively done with a camera trick...this is just a great dystopia. It wasn't all being tied to train tracks and clowning about in the silent movie days! Recently some footage has been rediscovered so I'm hoping for a re-release :D

81- Orphée (1950)

http://www.planetvideo.com.au/blog/2009/07/22/Orphee-Princess.jpg
"I am letting you into the secret of all secrets, mirrors are gates through which death comes and goes. Moreover if you see your whole life in a mirror you will see death at work as you see bees behind the glass in a hive."

Jean Cocteau was the master of French surrealism. This film's based on his play- a version of the legend of Orpheus, a musician who loses his wife in the underworld. Here, it's the modern day and Orpheus is a bohemian poet. Death is a glamorous woman he falls in love with and her minions are leather jacket-wearing motorbikers. A scene from the film, with Orpheus gazing longingly into the mirror that is the entrance to the underworld, on the cover of an album by The Smiths (an alternative eighties band for you youngsters).

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-09-10, 04:04 PM

80- A Star is Born (1954)

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"Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine."
Although it was intended as a vehicle for Judy Garland, you don't need to be a big Garland fan to enjoy it. It's more tragic than the '37 version (apart from Frederic March's brilliantly tragic performance) because you can see Judy Garland is actually a star and so her guilt at husband Norman Maine (James Mason)'s collapsing career and personal collapse is so poignant.
James Mason expertly portrays Norman's struggle to be happy for his wife when his own career and life has hit rock bottom. The story is inherently tragic because it's so true but these two stars really add something.

79- The Great Gatsby (1972)

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"They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together."

I'd read the novel before hand and visually this film is spot on. It's faithful to the novel and very tragic. Nobody can participate in a loving two-sided relationship- the mechanic loves his wife one-sidedly, Gatsby loves Daisy one-sidedly and Nick loves Gatsby (the nature of which has been debated) one sidedly. Mia Farrow gives a suitably shallow Daisy but also suggests a mental illness aspect. Scott Wilson is particularly good as Wilson, the honest but rather blind and slightly stupid mechanic. The novel is full of symbolic landscapes which the film recreates hauntingly. The Valley of Ashes is particularly disturbing.

planet news

08-09-10, 09:05 PM

It entirely missed the point of the novel. The novel's a satire on 19th century customs but instead they try and turn it into a mawkish love story that you could find in any chick lit. I doubt the director even read the book and the American ending...urgh, it was dreadful. It looked pretty enough though.
I agree that the ending was 'tarded; I think it should have cut off with Mr. Bennet laughing, but as for missing out on the satire, I don't understand what else they could have done but have Mrs. Bennet, Collins, and Mrs. Bingley act the way they act like, which Wright did. It is also a love story, and I never found P&P to be MORE of a satire than a love story.

---

Hmmm... I really disliked the film version of Gatsby. I felt it was really reductive to the book, not in the sense of missing plot points or cutting things out (it didn't really) but, for me at least, the atmosphere of the film was very unlike that of the book. It failed to "capture" the feeling of the book for me where P&P did, somehow.

---

Good choices by the way. I haven't seen a lot of these films like Easy Virtue, Tea and Sympathy, Orphee and the Shakespeare adaptations, but I'll appropriate them as recs! Thanks. :D

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-10-10, 08:54 AM

78- Blithe Spirit (1945)

http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Ghost%20trio.JPG

If you're trying to compile an inventory of my sex life, I feel it only fair to warn you that you've omitted several episodes. I shall consult my diary and give you a complete list after lunch.

The second Noel Coward play to make it into the list. Charles (Rex Harrison) is writing a novel involving a spiritual medium, so he and his second wife Ruth invite a medium to their house. Unfortunately the medium manages to conjure up the ghost of Charles' first wife, the spirited Elvira. Of course, Ruth thinks he's just playing a mean joke, but Charles rather enjoys having two women squabble over him. But the enjoyment won't last long...
Yet again, there's a darker edge to Coward's light-hearted comedy and we get a neat twist that adds to the humour. My TV broke and so the first time I watched it was in black and white but it is in fact a colour film so the ghost has a horrible green colour.

If you enjoy good English wit, this is a brilliant example.

77- A Taste of Honey (1961)

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"You don't look forty. You look a sort of well-preserved sixty."

Most people would cite 'Look Back in Anger' as being the best example of the kitchen sink/Angry Young Men genre. 'Look Back in Anger' was a good play and the film version wasn't bad, but A Taste of Honey is a good film in its own right. If you want 1960's kitchen sink realism, this is a brilliant example.
Rita Tushingham plays fifteen year old Jo, who is kicked out by her mother and her mother's slimy boyfriend because she gotten pregnant by a sailor (unbeknown to the mother, he is black). Jo goes to live with a young gay man she has befriended and they find happiness, until Jo's mother starts interfering.

Whilst America was still getting huffy about 'taboo' issues, Britain were making films that weren't afraid to tackle such things. Back when this film was made, racism was casual and to be gay was still a criminal offence. Shelagh Delaney was only 19 when she wrote the play yet it tackles the realities of working-class life head on.

76- Footloose (1984)

http://www.film4.com/images/footloose-1984-01.jpg

"If our Lord wasn't testing us, how would you account for the proliferation, these days, of this obscene rock and roll music, with its gospel of easy sexuality and relaxed morality?"

There's three dance films that really stood out in the eighties, all of which begin with 'F'. Two of them feature in my list.

So, to the first. Kevin Bacon stars as Ren, the new kid in a town where- brace yourselves for the most implausible plot ever- they have banned all public dancing and music. They seem to have banned some books too. Of course, Ren is going to have to get them boogying, whilst winning the heart of Ariel, the rebellious daughter of the local preacher.

This is a fun film about teenage rebellion- ignore the plot and enjoy the dancing. Ren dancing around his workplace (some sort of warehouse) is particularly funny.

75- Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)

http://goatdog.com/images/page-sweetbird.jpg

"I don't remember your face, but your hands are familiar."

Although Tennessee Williams' plays always had to be bowdlerised to an extent before they could make it on the big screen, they still produced films that dealt with interesting issues. Chance (Paul Newman) is a drifter who returns to his home town to get his girl Heavenly back. He returns with Alexandra Del Lago (Geraldine Page), an aging movie star to whom he is a rent boy, basically, and hopes that she'll be his ticket into Hollywood. However unbeknown to Chance, before he left he got Heavenly pregnant and her father's out to get him...

Paul Newman is fabulous- well, of course he is- as Chance, the good-looking player, and he and Geraldine Page have good chemistry.

In the actual play, Heavenly has an STD which forces her to have a hysterectomy. The other main thing they changed was what happens to Chance near the end...a line left in the film, "I'll sort you out like my dog when he went sniffing round the bitches"...that's a little hint.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-10-10, 09:28 AM

74- 12 Angry Men (1957)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0wRJjXvyZ1I/SHL0q-Q9imI/AAAAAAAABuY/BV3-eJv_D4c/s400/12-angry-men-1.jpg

"We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's SURE."

This may well be the best courtroom drama ever- probably the best I've seen. The vast majority of the action is contained in the room where the jury (the twelve angry men, all of whom are only referred to in the cast by numbers) in the title are deliberating the case of a Hispanic teenager who is accused of killing his father. It seems clear cut but Juror 8 (Henry Fonda) wants to look at the case a little more closely. My explanation doesn't really do justice- it's a great film about justice and prejudice. But what will be the verdict? Ah, you will have to watch...

73- Summer Interlude (1951)

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"There are five or six films in the history of the cinema which one wants to review simply by saying, 'It is the most beautiful of films.' Because there can be no higher praise... I love Summer Interlude." (Jean Luc Godard on 'Summer Interlude')

I've only seen two Ingmar Bergman films so far- this one and The Hour of The Wolf. The latter is worth YouTubing for some scenes but this one is brilliant as a whole.
The story's simple- a ballerina looks back on her teenage romance that ended badly- but it's beautifully shot, beautifully acted...deserves to be mentioned amongst Bergman's best. It reminds me a little bit of The Red Shoes actually.

72- Chicago (2002)

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/books/kander-2.jpg

"In this town, murder's a form of entertainment."

Most musical sceptics main problem with musicals is that the bursts into song are 'random' and 'unbelievable', which is sort of missing the point (I mean, children flying on broomsticks and hitting flying balls- that's not very realistic). Chicago solves that problem by having all the musical numbers, except those sung at the club, as fantasies of aspiring showgirl performer Roxie Hart (Renee Zellwegger).
It's the 1930's and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta Jones), star performer, has been arrested for killing her hubby. Roxie is also eventually arrested for murdering her lover, and what follows is the showbiz razzle dazzle of the media. Celebrity trumps all.

So, if you're not really into musicals, try this one. Good songs and a little bite.

71- Clue (1985)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/76/Clue_screenshot_1.jpg/275px-Clue_screenshot_1.jpg (http://www.movieforums.com/wiki/File:Clue_screenshot_1.jpg)

"Communism was just a red herring"

The critics didn't like it much but this is actually a really fun film. It's a murder mystery spoof/farce based on the board game Clue. All the characters are there (Reverend Green has been changed to Mr Green but still) plus an appropriately named Mr Boddy and a butler called Wadsworth. Set in 1954 it makes many jokes about the government and the red scare. It's filled with one-liners (see IMdb for the proof)...if you want a cult camp classic and you've seen Rocky Horror, this'll do nicely.

70- Night of The Iguana (1964)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jPsUHRPlxFw/S9-2f1FQb2I/AAAAAAAABPY/E1Xny9Bs6Y0/s400/night_of_the_iguana-739301.jpg

"I thought you were sexless. But you've just become a woman. And do you know how I know that? Because *you* like *me* tied up! All women, whether they wish to admit it or not, would like to get men into a tied-up situation."

Another Tennessee Williams adaptation here, with all the steam and anguish you'd expect. Richard Burton plays Rev. T Lawrence Shannon, a defrocked priest who has got a new job as a tour guide in Mexico. Throughout the tour he has been distracted by a pretty young woman (Sue Lyon), whose female guardian is not impressed and is trying to get him fired. He goes a little crazy and takes his busload of female tourists to a hotel run by his friend Maxine (Ava Gardener). The third woman in his life is eccentric painter Hannah, who looks after her 91 year old grandfather, a poet. Shannon, with the help of Maxine and Hannah, struggles toward redemption.

It's another underrated play, and film (the film makers had the good sense to take out the singing Nazi family). If you like Under the Volcano or any of those 'going mad in a wild climate' style films, you'll love this.

rauldc14

08-10-10, 09:35 AM

Wow, I'm still sitting on zero.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-10-10, 11:08 AM

Wow, I'm still sitting on zero.

69- A Single Man (2009)

http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Assets/Imgs/14_cinema_venezia09/A_Single_Man2--400x300.jpg

"It takes time in the morning for me to become George, time to adjust to what is expected of George and how he is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect George I know fully what part I'm suppose to play."

The film follows one day in the life of George (Colin Firth), a British professor living in America who is mourning the death of his long-term partner Jim. He is isolated but slowly brought out of himself by his best friend Charlie and a curious schoolboy.

Why Hollywood are still surprised that straight men can play gay characters is beyond me. Yes, Firth is convincing as a gay man but he's played gay characters before, so let's put that to the side. This is a brilliant portrayal of what it feels to be isolated and the importance of breaking through that isolation. George is just an ordinary guy, and Firth is one of the few actors that can play ordinary guys without being flashy.

68- Maurice (1987)

http://winnymkinie.pl/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/maurice_02.jpg

"England has always been disinclined to accept human nature."

I am a sucker for all these Brideshead stylee movies they had in the 1980's. If you loved Brideshead Revisited (the 1981 TV version not the pointless remake), you'll love the college romance between Maurice and Clive. Hugh Grant is actually pretty good in this and gives Clive a layer of depth. And if you love Lady Chatterley's Lover, you'll love it when Scudder, the young Mellors-esque character (Rupert Graves with an adorable accent) enters into the mix. My heart flutters when he climbs the ladder :D

67- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

http://whisty.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/nightmare-before-christmas.jpg

"Kidnap the Sandy Claws, / beat him with a stick, / lock him up for ninety years, / see what makes him tick."

Quirky and macabre animated Christmas tale from Tim Burton- and it doesn't star Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter, much to everyone's surprise. Basically, a skeleton from Halloweentown discovers Christmas and decides to take it back to his own country- with darkly amusing results. It's a welcome break from all those horrible mawkish films or 'seasonal' comedies you normally get at Christmas. And it has singing!

voneil7

08-10-10, 11:44 AM

Nice mix of movies, impressive so far!

Classicqueen13

08-10-10, 07:51 PM

I love your choices with The Great Gatsby and Sweet Bird of Youth. I don't think The Great Gatsby gets nearly enough love.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-11-10, 07:35 AM

66- Music and Lyrics (2007)

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:myCakdttD7PUbM:http://filmicism.wordpress.com/files/2009/01/music-and-lyrics2.jpg&t=1

"Are you trying to tell me that you enjoyed that orgasm set to the "Gandhi" soundtrack?"

Yes, it's a bit cheesy but it didn't deserve the critical sneering it got. Hugh Grant stars as a washed up pop-star, the less successful member of an 80's duo called 'Pop!' (remind you of anyone?) So, the guy who is like-Andrew- Ridgely-but-not is asked to write a song for a pop star that's a bit like Shakira. He discovers that his housekeeper Drew Barrymore is pretty good at churning out lyrics- his lyrics are bad- and so they form a partnership which of course becomes romantic (you would've thought he's a bit too old for her but ah well). Then there's some misunderstandings.

The soundtrack is fun, although badly sung (I think Hugh Grant sings). A particular highlight is the music video for Pop!'s song 'Pop Goes My Heart'.

65- Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/site_28_rand_1041356696_bridget_jones_diary_maxed.jpg

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces."

Bridget Jones (Renee Zellwegger) is a thirty-something singleton, longing to lose weight and bag herself a man. But will it be bad boss Daniel Cleaver or stuffy Mark Darcy? As you probably guessed from the last surname, this is a modern day Pride and Prejudice varient, and if you watched the BBC version of P and P, you can have a good guess who plays Darcy in this one. Yep, it's Colin Firth, with Hugh Grant as the baddie for once and not a bumbling Brit.

64- Love Actually (2003)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYPQy1elAHsvkmcRfMp6kh8Kn6aQm6bEQ1FySNF5OiusPHVt8&t=1&usg=__sv5b4V-h4u-nfntKBEUXpVTbeT0=

"Now which doll shall we give Daisy's little friend Emily? The one that looks like a transvestite or the one that looks like a dominatrix?"

It's the run-up to Christmas and all over London, various love entanglements are happening, whether it's a young boy's crush or the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) starting to fancy his assistant. In all, there are about eight different story threads. Some threads are more interesting than others but the film quickly switches between threads. All your British stars are here- Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, etc. Basically this is just a nice film to watch when you're in a Christmassy mood- what other mood could you stand to hear 'Love is all Around' in? The Americans tried their own version with Valentine's Day, which I have yet to watch but it's apparantly not as good. And Bill Nighy is funny as aging rocker Billy Mack, hoping to do a Christmassy themed cover of 'Love is All Around.'

63- Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)

http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/030411/041103_images/iffla_3.jpg

"Have I chosen my name? My femininity? My appearance? Then why should I choose my husband? "

Its American alternative title is 'I have Found It'. Basically, this is an updating of Sense and Sensibility- the elder sister is cynical in romance, the younger sister is a hopeless romantic, both of which states have their downfall. Aishwarya Rai plays the younger romantic sister who is blind to the affections of the wounded Captain. The songs are wonderful...it's just a really nice film

62- Love's Labour's Lost (2000)

http://www.popmatters.com/images/film_art/l/loves-labour-lost.jpg

"Navarre shall be the wonder of the world; our court shall be a little Academe, still and contemplative in living art."

It got a lukewarm reception from the critics but it's actually a little gem. It's not the first time Shakespeare's been turned into a musical, but it's the first time anybody's taken an obscure Shakespeare comedy and turned it into a thirties musical. (Yes, Kenneth Branagh is behind it) It's set circa 1939 and so though the songs are from the thirties, the period style is more like fourties MGM.
The singing may not be accomplished but that adds to the charm- it is after all a comedy. One of my favourite scenes is a raunchy version of Let's Face The Music and Dance at a masquerade ball where the men hope to confuse the ladies by wearing masks and thus have fun with all of them, breaking their vow to abstain from women for three years. Distinctive and unique, this is well worth watching for Shakespeare and musical fans (or if you're like me, a combination of both). Another distinctive feature is the fact that it's very short (I think it's just under an hour and a half).

61- The Railway Children (1970)

http://a866.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/72/l_bdb240ae779d03a5a6fb06dad98ca399.jpg

"Apple pie for breakfast - we can't be poor after all!"

Totally charming film based on the children's novel. In Victorian England three children and their mother are forced to move from their London house to a cottage in the country when their father is taken away on a false charge. They become 'the railway children' when they save a train from crashing and make various friends along the way, including a helpful old gentleman. It's impossible not to cry with happiness at the final scene. Jenny Agutter, who plays the eldest daughter, played the mother in the 2000 TV adaptation of the book.

60- Mulan (1998)

http://www.freewebs.com/thedisneyclassics/mulan-4.jpg

"Who is that girl I see/ staring straight back at me?/ Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Somehow I cannot hide/ who I am, though I've tried. When will my reflection show/ who I am inside?"

First Disney film on the list. It's set in Ancient China- Mulan isn't cut out for being madeover into a doll by the matchmaker. When her injured father is called up to go to war, Mulan sneaks away and takes his place by dressing up as a 'son'. The insanely fit Captain provides distraction but Mulan must prove herself and make her family proud. The Huns are genuinely scary but this film is more comic and less tear-jerking then some Disney films. Eddie Murphy is great as Mulan's animal sidekick, a little dragon. The songs are pretty good- this film was the last film of the Disney Renaissance (a period between 1989 to 1999 when Disney started making films that got critical acclaim as well as box office success)

59- Grease (1978)

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/files/2010/07/grease1.jpg

"I got chills / They're multiplyin' / And I'm losing control / Cause the power you're supplying / It's electrifyin'."

Everybody's watched Grease, haven't they? If you haven't, all you need to know is that John Travolta plays a cool kid, Olivia Newton John plays a prim new kid, and it's set in a fifties high school. The songs are wonderfully catchy- this is the perfect film to watch as a group, maybe at a party, maybe after a few drinks.

58- Bugsy Malone (1976)

http://hammer.ucla.edu/image/3017/600/450.JPG

"And now my friends, listen to what I'm telling you and listen good. There's only room for one Mr. Big in this town and that's me, Dandy Dan. And fellas, the time has come for us to play our next card, and believe you's me, Fat Sam and his dumb bumbs ain't gonna stand in our way."

I auditioned for a stage version of this once. Didn't get in because I was dreadful but it brings the memories back...
For those who don't know it, this is a gangster musical set in the thirties, the entire cast of which is teenage and below. That may sound either incredibly annoying or a bit creepy but it's actually neither. The songs are very good and it's all fun-wouldn't you just love a splurge gun? Fourteen-year-old Jodie Foster is particularly good as Tallulah, head showgirl and heartbreaker.

57- Oliver! (1968)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_33spRw9Y_Bc/TB9MgkXOWvI/AAAAAAAAIC4/0541tzJa9o4/s1600/article-1120183-00AA8E9E00000578-698_468x315.jpg

"No, I won't tell ya! Whatever else I do I won't turn on him. You wouldn't understand, but I've got to go back. I want to go back."

Dickensian London- a maltreated orphan, Oliver Twist (Mark Lester), wonders 'where is love?' and falls in with a nice gang of thieves, led by Fagin (Ron Moody). But the scariest thief is Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), who beats his girlfriend, the tart with a heart Nancy (Shani Wallis) who's still hopelessly in love with him. The story doesn't seem to lend itself to being a family musical but it works. With classic songs 'Consider Yourself' and 'As Long As He Needs Me', this is a top musical. And Oliver Reed is terrifying as Bill Sikes.

Caitlyn

08-11-10, 09:58 AM

Love your list... it's very personal... which is what these lists should be... :up:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-11-10, 11:02 AM

I've slotted in two new ones. It's impossible to decide, considering how wildly different some of the films are.

Anyhow, the fact that they're in my top 100 is the main thing :)

journeyowns

08-11-10, 11:05 AM

Good to see movies like Mulan, Love Actually, Grease, Footloose. Some great choices.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-11-10, 11:32 AM

Okay, due to my complete lack of organisational skills, I've slotted in some new movies- well worth having a look at :)

98- Suddenly, Last Summer
70- Night of The Iguana

Yoda

08-11-10, 11:34 AM

Hehe. Retconning your own list. Nice.

planet news

08-11-10, 11:36 AM

This is a great list. Maybe the greatest. Who else would have two Bollywood Jane Austen adaptations already? I have no idea what some of these other films like The Railway Children and Oliver! are.

christine

08-11-10, 11:49 AM

aww nice Girly. I've got Oliver! and A Taste of Honey on my list too :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-11-10, 12:10 PM

Coming up, there's quite a mix. It's practically impossible to try and rate these so I've just put them in a nifty order in the rough place they belong:

56- Cleopatra (1963)

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2008/09/11/Everett_RexFeatures_cleopatra460.jpg

"Antony is dead? You say that as if it were a everyday occurrence. The soup is hot, the soup is cold. Antony is alive, Antony is dead."

The infamous flop. Mankiewicz wanted to make it into two 3-hour long movies- Caesar and Cleopatra and Antony and Cleopatra- but because Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were having an affair and the film was losing money, they pushed it out one film about four hours long.

However, it's a very enjoyable movie. Elizabeth Taylor has the right star power to convince as Cleopatra and Rex Harrison and Richard Burton make a noble Caesar and Antony. The lines are great even when they're bad. If you have four hours to spare, this is good entertainment.

55- Othello (1995)

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/81/1481-004-41612721.jpg

"Oh Beware, my lord, of jealousy. 'Tis the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

A film in which Kenneth Branagh stars but does not direct. No, he's not Othello, Lawrence Fishburne is- the first black Othello on screen, shockingly. Anyhow, he's brimming with sensuality. Kenneth Branagh is Iago- a notoriously hard part to get right (probably second to Hamlet in the amount of criticism a role can get). I think Branagh does a really good job- Iago clearly has some Freudian issues and no other Iago I've seen has brought that out.
For those who aren't versed in Shakespeare, this is one of the most accessible Shakespeare films out there. The play can seem weird, racist, or 'old-fashioned' to non-Shakey fans but Oliver Parker, the director, moulds the play into a romantic thriller. Lust, jealousy, lies, murder...it's all there.

54- A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/images/24/contents/matter_life_death.jpg

"Don't be upset about the parachute, I'll have my wings soon anyway, big white ones. I hope it hasn't gone all modern, I'd hate to have a prop instead of wings!"

The first Powell and Pressburger on the list, this is a fantasy/war/romance film and the combination is irresistable. A British aviator (David Niven) falls in love with an American girl (Kim Hunter) over the radio as he tells her the plane is crashing. However miraculously he remains alive when he ought to be dead. He is forced to go on trial in Heaven in a bid to save his life- but the American prosecuter has always had a thing against Brits. In a neat twist, Earth is shot in colour whilst Heaven is black and white. It's also pretty funny as well as wacky.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-11-10, 01:20 PM

53- The Parent Trap (1998)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d94sb_oDn2w/SvyPawfzLKI/AAAAAAAAAfk/xOE3nbuJdBA/s400/14210__twinlohan_l.jpg

"So if your Mom is my Mom and my Dad is your Dad... and we're both born on October 11th, then you and I are... like... sisters."

A remake of the 1961 film, this stars Lindsey Lohan as two twins; one is a posh Brit living with the mother, the other lives on a Californian vineyard with the father. They don't realise they are twins until they meet at camp and then they decide to switch lives, impersonating the other twin, so they can meet their other parent.

Yes, the story's not exactly plausible, but it has a nice charm. As well as Lohan being good, Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson play the separated parents nicely. A perfect film for when you just want to be a kid again.

52- Casablanca (1942)

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:8J9HfnpbLXHhyM:http://halfwaytoconcord.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/casablanca02.jpg&t=1

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

What top film list would be complete without Casablanca? Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, an American cafe owner in...you guessed it, Casablanca. Ingrid Bergman co-stars as his one-time love, and an iconic movie is born. I once rated it 3 and a half but it at least deserves a four, if not more. It's no surprise that this is probably the most quoted movie of all time and no doubt you'll recognise half of it as you watch.
Ignore the hype, ignore what you think Casablanca must be about- if you focus just on the romance, you miss out on a lot- and try to watch it with no preconceptions, if that is possible to do for a classic movie.

51- Les Enfants Terribles (1950)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l020noqKSK1qahz5do1_500.jpg

"You're filthy whores and Gerard is a pimp!"

Based on the novel by Jean Cocteau, this is a hothouse surreal sort of film. Elisabeth (Nicole Stephane) is posessive towards her brother Paul (Edouard Dermithe) and he is devoted to her. They are inseparable and live in their own fantasy world. He is bullied by a boy called Dargelos, whom he secretly loves. When Paul falls in love with Agathe, who bears a striking resemblence to the bully (both characters are played by the same actress), Elisabeth becomes insanely jealous.

I love a good hothouse movie and this is deliciously weird. The actors may be too old to play the parts but once you've got over that, this is a great film.

50- Freaky Friday (2003)

http://blogs.families.com/media/freaky2.jpg

"I don't believe in physical contact with the opposite sex. At all. Ever. Nothing." (the mother in the daughter's body)

A rock-loving teenager (Lindsey Lohan) accidentally swaps bodies with her conservative mother (Jamie Lee Curtis) and what follows is a hilarious comedy of misunderstandings. Curtis has to deal with Lohan's crush (Chad Michael Murray) getting a crush on her and Lohan has to fend off her soon-to-be stepfather (Mark Harmon).

What I find annoying about some teen films is that the parents are always portrayed as either 'boring' or 'kindly'. This film plays on those times when the child is sometimes more grown-up than the parent, and the parent-child relationship is timeless.

Classicqueen13

08-11-10, 01:37 PM

I really wanna see Blithe Spirit now.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-16-10, 03:43 PM

There are some more coming soon- I'm debating with myself about what to put on there!

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-16-10, 04:57 PM

Mean Girls makes an entry at 84- go back and have a look :)

We are now half-way through...

honeykid

08-16-10, 07:25 PM

I really wanna see Blithe Spirit now.

Have you seen this yet? I'd definately recommend it. :yup: Love that film.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-18-10, 12:13 PM

That was The Parent Trap at 52 in case you missed it.

49- Show Boat (1951)

http://www.videodetective.com/photos/005/000022_34.jpg

"Can't help lovin' dat man of mine..."

There aren't many revivals of this musical so you'd do well to watch this. Show Boat was one of the first 'serious' musicals- musicals that aren't based on 'putting on a show' or other such light fare. It deals with racism, abandonment, an unhappy marriage, and in one sense the ending is happy but for one character, it isn't at all.
It isn't all doom and gloom though. There are some cleverly choreographed stage numbers, as well as some lovely songs (Make Believe and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine are particularly nice). For those who sneer at musicals, watch this and think again.

48- Nanny McPhee (2005)

http://www.parentpreviews.com/legacy-pics/nanny-mcphee.jpg

"There is something you should understand about the way I work. When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go. It's rather sad, really, but there it is."

As I said, the list's a mix of classics and more commercial stuff- from adult films all the way down to children's films.

Emma Thompson is great as Nanny McPhee, who is a cross between a witch and Mary Poppins (yes, I know Mary Poppins did magic but not in a witchy way). Colin Firth is the widowed father with 7 badly behaved kiddies who reckon that getting rid of their new nanny will be easy. But then Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) forces their father is forced to marry the formidable Mrs Quickly (Celia Imrie). Lansbury is particularly funny.

This is a really great family film- Thompson wrote the screenplay and it's very funny. And on the blooper reel or something on the DVD, there's a really funny bit where Colin Firth dresses up as Nanny McPhee

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-18-10, 12:48 PM

I know people will kill me if I jig around with numbers any more so I'll just stick this here:

47- Titanic (1997)

http://josh-wyxl.itmblog.com/files/2010/05/titanic-movie.jpg

"You must do me this honor, Rose. Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise."

There's something enjoyably old-fashioned about this film. You can imagine it being made in the fifties (minus the brief nudity and some language) and having lots of over-the-top trailers. An epic romance on top of a big ship when disaster strikes! We all know what happens to the Titanic but still, it's all very moving and the advantage of the film not being made in the fifties is that the ship really does look like it's sinking. A melodramatic epic for the nineties.

Classicqueen13

08-18-10, 01:31 PM

On Blithe Spirit
Have you seen this yet? I'd definately recommend it. :yup: Love that film.

No, but I really like the plot. I'll have to try to dig it up.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-19-10, 11:34 AM

46- The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kw75psQZ0b1qa59p2o1_400.jpg

"I must know everything. I must penetrate the heart of his secret! I must become Caligari!"

Masterpiece of German Expressionism, this is the oldest film on the list and the shortest (about 70 mins). The plot- Cesare is a somnambulist (sleepwalker) and has been asleep for 25 years. He is the star of Dr Caligari's show. Then a murder is committed and they go on the run. Madness follows.

I used this film set as an inspiration for a set in my drama exam- the set in this film should be enough to inspire any artistically inclined people. If you like Tim Burton's films or weird films about insanity, watch this.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-20-10, 09:38 AM

45- Shrek (2001)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:eLssMKcnEfbjWM:http://wallpapers.free-review.net/wallpapers/16/Shrek_-_3.jpg&t=1

"Okay, let me get this straight: you gonna go fight a dragon and rescue a princess just so Farquaad'll give you back your swamp, which you only don't have 'cos he filled it full of freaks in the first place, is that about right?"

It's just funny. I don't have any clever critic reasons- it's just a great family film. I remember our primary school class going to see it at our teacher's house and everybody bought tons of junk food. The film's a parody of fairytales but it has fairytale charm.

44- Children of A Lesser God (1986)

http://www.hboasia.com/images/posters/378x195/children_of_a_lesser_god.jpg?1187869678

"I can't ever get close enough. Say my name, just once, say my name."

I was learning sign language at the time of watching this, and it really connected with me. Marlee Matlin is amazing as the caretaker and ex-pupil of a deaf school who falls in love with Jim (William Hurt), a teacher there. The film never becomes preachy or shies away from the complications that struggles to communicate physically or emotionally can cause on a relationship. Matlin and Hurt had an off-screen romance too and it really translates to the screen.

43- Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002)

http://www.videodetective.com/photos/625/026290_33.jpg

"My father did say this; it's been fifty years since the chamber has been opened. He wouldn't tell me who opened it, only that they were expelled. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a mudblood died. So it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time. As for me, I hope it's Granger."

Now that the premise of the story was set up, we get down to a plot. This film creeped me out the most. In this early stage, Harry has no sign of lusting after Ginny when he tries to save her from the chamber of secrets- if only it had stayed that way... And Kenneth Branagh is funny as Gilderoy Lockheart, the new Defense of The Dark Arts teacher who's a bit in love with himself.

The Prestige

08-22-10, 03:10 PM

I have a love/hate relationship with your list, GirlLuck. On the one hand, i'm not a fan of at least half of the entries on there, but on the other, it's another distinctive and really unpredictable list, which is why I have been following it more than others. I haven't even seen a lot of the ones you've listed too, but Plus I really like the reviews you've done.

It would seem you like a lot of the more contemporary Brit rom coms and general light hearted cinema, which is pretty different. I must say though, having recently viewed a few Harry Potter films, I am often disappointed when I see it critically praised. I know it's opinions and the like, but I really think they are weak films. Each film has a different director, yet they all come across the same, stylistically. There is no personalisation, nothing distinctive about them, the whole series just stinks of studio infiltration, that's why I have little to no respect for them. At least with The Lord Of The Rings Jackson did his own thing and it has somewhat flair.

Again, hope I didn't seem like I was bashing your list because that's NOT what i'm doing it at all, I actually think it's great in the sense that it seems very personal to you and all, which I think makes it far more interesting than lists where every freakin' film has an Oscar or two and is critically acclaimed.

Keep up the good work. :)

mark f

08-22-10, 03:19 PM

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-22-10, 07:04 PM

It would seem you like a lot of the more contemporary Brit rom coms and general light hearted cinema, which is pretty different.

Stick around :) We've got some artier films coming up, some American films, a bit of Disney, and a few musicals :)

nebbit

08-22-10, 07:26 PM

Interesting list girly :yup: I have finally caught up :blush:

I love and hate some of your choices :yup: keep them coming :yup:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-23-10, 07:16 AM

42- Anna Karenina (1935)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zAoyoHwC5IQ/SxL8cXg7mUI/AAAAAAAAG-s/Bu0tslJYZKo/s1600/Anna+Karenina+(1935)+3.jpg

"I'm not inquiring into your feelings Anna. I've no right to ferret into your soul."

Tolstoy's novel is massive so no film can hope to explore every layer of it. This film is a very streamlined Anna Karenina but it's exciting and compelling...it inspires you to read a 900 page 19th century novel, which is some feat. Garbo is perfect as Anna Karenina- she has that look of doomed passion- and Basil Rathbone is a strong support as her husband. Although Karenin is cruel, there are moments where you see his defence break. The way he delivers the line I've quoted...it's like a man who realises that he can never be close to his wife.

nebbit

08-23-10, 07:23 AM

:love: it :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-23-10, 07:43 AM

41- La Belle et La Bete (1946)

http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~mshell/Image.%20Family%20Pet.%20Belle%20et%20Bete.%20Cocteau.plan207.jpg

"Give me back my Beast!" (Garbo on Jean marais's performance as the Beast)

Before Disney's version, there was this Cocteau version of the French fairytale (Beauty and The Beast, for those whose French skills are shaky). You can actually see possible influences on the Disney version in this magical surreal film. Jean Marais stars as the Beast but symbolically he also doubles as Belle's arrogant suitor.

40- This Property is Condemned (1966)

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/071004/thisproperty_l.jpg

"Just because some people think I'm beautiful that doesn't mean I'm everybody's property."

You may not have heard of this one. It's based on a Tennessee Williams one-act play which took place on a railroad track. This film starts on the track but in flashbacks Willie tells the story of her beautiful sister Alva (Natalie Wood), a dreamer who falls in love with a man who's sent to shut down the railroad (Robert Redford). The town hate him because this is Depression era and they'll be unemployed. Although the film isn't written by Tennessee Williams, it has that poetic longing for escape. It's very sad and Natalie Wood and Robert Redford both put in good performances. It's not a cheery film but do all films need to be cheery?

39- Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5cQwE0ENHYY/0.jpg

"If you only knew how I am tortured by the thought that beside me in this house is another life that is being lost forever--it is yours! What are you waiting for? What accursed philosophy stands in your way?"

Films like this are few and far between. It's not a Hollywood blockbuster concept- a bunch of actors who have been working on a stage production of 'Uncle Vanya' (a play by Anton Chekhov, respected 19th century playwright who innovated naturalism) meet in a dilapidated theatre for a dress rehearsal of the play. Metatheatre is very hard to do on screen but this film pulls it off. You can see a story about actors enjoying their craft, a documentary about acting, and a play about an overworked uncle and niece who get shaken up when the objects of their unrequited love turn up.

38- Some Like It Hot (1959)

http://www.fathom.com/course/21701762/21701762_hot_s4.jpg

"Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!"

The timeless story of men dressing up as women...Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are on the run from gangsters so they decide to dress up (unconvincingly) as women and join an all-girl band, led by the delectable Sugar (Marilyn Monroe). Witty screenplay and comic performances make this a classic- and dressing-up as women, which is just funny in itself :)

37- Fame (1980)

http://www.fashionrat.com/images/fame-the-movie1.jpg

"You've got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs.
And right here is where you start paying in sweat."

Watching the abominable remake reminded me how good the original is. As well as the title track you have the lovely song 'Out Here on My Own'. Teens at a performing arts school go through the highs and lows of life and fame- one is a talented dancer but fails on the education side; another is frumpy but becomes less frumpy as she grows in confidance; another (Irene Cara) is confidant and will do anything for fame... This is the most 'serious' of the 'F' dance films and the most credible.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-23-10, 10:57 AM

36- Kiss Me Kate (1953)

http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/dvdfile.com/upl_images/kiss_me_kate_3_D.jpg

"But I'm always true to you, darling in my fashion/ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling in my way"

One of the best musicals, this is based on 'Taming of The Shrew'. A group of musical actors are putting on a musical adaptation of the play and life starts imitating art. Howard Keel is brilliant as pompous Fred Graham, director and star, and the songs have the highest hit-rate. Even in some of the best musicals you get one dull song but there isn't really one here- and the lyrics are so witty! The choreography is superb (Ann Miller's tapping on 'Too Darn Hot' is fabulous) and you can see a young Bob Fosse as one of the dancers.
Highly recommended for Shakespeare fans and musical fans :)

The Prestige

08-23-10, 09:00 PM

Concerning the Harry Potter films, when all is said and done, the eight films will only have had four different directors. Besides that, seven of the scripts will have been written by the same man. Having not read the books, I agree that the films seem to blur together, at least for me, but I recall the visual imprint which Alfonso Cuarón left the most, but what else would you expect?

Four different directors. 2 films per director. More than enough for them to make their mark. I don't recall anything distinctive about any of them. I don't even think I will give them another chance because I can't imagine them getting any better. I know Potter is big and all but it would have been nice and bold to do something similar to how Tom Cruise got each of the Mission Impossible films made by a different director. I just think a series like Potter would have benefited from that.

nebbit

08-24-10, 04:14 AM

:love: Some Like it Hot :yup:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 08:58 AM

35- Moulin Rouge! (2001)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xuvuQz8SoQg/SeM7iRLtCnI/AAAAAAAAAH8/Pb6AY7tXVqk/s400/18+Moulin+Rouge!.jpg

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."

Ah, the gaudy splendour of fin-de-siecle Paris! I love film musicals (by that I don't mean 'street dance' films) but there weren't very many at the time Moulin Rouge! was released. A writer (Ewan McGregor) falls in love with a courtesan (Nicole Kidman). It's the sort of film that cast and crew need to embrace whole-heartedly; and they do. I always get teary at the song 'Come What May.'

34- Vanity Fair (2004)

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/040810/185719__vanity-fair_l.jpg

"Revenge may be wicked, but it's perfectly natural."

The satirical classic novel clocks in at around 900+ pages but it's one of my favourites. Naturally the film can't squeeze everything in but it gets quite a lot in. Basically the film follows anti-heroine Becky Sharp and her meek friend Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai) I love the Indian influence in there and Reese Witherspoon is very good as the anti-heroine Becky Sharp. Jonathan Rhys Meyers has the perfect pretty-boy look for George Osborne and everyone else performs nicely. If you don't have time to read the novel or if you've already read the novel, watch this film. It isn't Merchant-Ivory fare, although costume drama fans should enjoy it. Sparky entertainment.

33- Rebecca (1940)

http://www.womenonscreen.com/images/danvers-showing-rebeccas-negligee.jpg

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Hitchcock was a brilliant choice to direct this film, based on DuMaurier's novel of obsession, jealousy and murder, with a bit of incest thrown in near the end. Olivier is suitably dashing and mysterious as Max de Winter and Joan Fontaine is naive but not wimpy as his young bride. But perhaps the best actor in all this is Judith Anderson as Mrs Danvers, the creepy housekeeper. There are moments with her that make you shiver. And of course, Rebecca's undeniable presence throughout the film. Watch this if you like Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine actually played Jane in the Orson Welles version) or just a good old-fashioned thriller about how creepy the rich are.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 09:12 AM

32- Kiss of The Spiderwoman (1985)

http://www.worldfilmbkk.com/images/film_photo/film_img_136_1.jpg

"She's... well, she's something a little strange. That's what she noticed, that she's not a woman like all the others. She seems all wrapped up in herself. Lost in a world she carries deep inside her."

I only watched this because it came free with a newspaper but I'm glad I watched it. The action is confined mostly to a prison cell, with some flashbacks. There are two prisoners in the cell: gay fantasist Molina (William Hurt) and straight activist Valentin (Raul Julia). Molina tells Valentin about the films he has watched in order to distract them both. Hurt totally deserved his Oscar; he is both entrancing and ludicrous. It's all about the acting and luckily, it's very good. Apparantly Hurt was having problems with his character so in a rehearsal, they switched roles. That would have made an interesting extra, methinks. Bizarrely, there's a stage musical version of this film by Kander and Ebb- the guys behind Cabaret and Chicago. I'd recommend this to anyone (except kiddies) but particularly to anyone interested in theatre- this film shows how you can intrigue with a small space and just two main characters.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 12:15 PM

31- My Fair Lady (1964)

http://www.dollymix.tv/images/hepburn.jpg

"No, Eliza, you didn't "sy" that, you didn't even "say" that. Now every night before you get into bed, where you used to say your prayers, I want you to say "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain" fifty times. You'll get much further with the Lord if you learn not to offend His ears."

I have heard there's going to be a remake of this. God knows why, because Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison are definitive in the roles of flower girl Eliza and her elocution teacher Professor Henry Higgins. It's the Pygmalion story based on George Bernard Shaw's play 'Pygmalion'. Good songs and a good story make this film a winner. Plus it has some great hats by Cecil Beaton.

Yoda

08-24-10, 12:19 PM

Love it. I don't go in for many musicals, but I love My Fair Lady.

Hadn't heard about the remake. Wonder if they'll be able to keep everything. Namely:

"Why can't a woman...be more like a man?"

Caitlyn

08-24-10, 12:51 PM

I also love Vanity Fair... and wish they had left in the deleted scenes... they made the film much more interesting by explaining a few things that were not made clear in the film for those of us who had never read the book...

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 01:09 PM

30- West Side Story (1961)

http://thefinanser.co.uk/.a/6a01053620481c970b0120a7b0dd4c970b-800wi

"Everywhere grime in America / Organised crime in America / Terrible time in America"

Fabulous score, fabulous songs (in particular, Maria and America). Based on Romeo and Juliet, the warring families this time are two street gangs- The Jets,who are white, and The Sharks, who are Puerto Rican. They leap around the city as if it belongs to them.
In amongst this are Tony (Richard Beymer), a Jet, who falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood), who is the leader of the Sharks' sister. Natalie Wood perfectly captures a naive adolescent and so the ending is even sadder (yes, the film didn't make the ending any cheerier). This is not just a love story; the message of racism, street violence, and the lack of understanding from authority is all too relevant. Forget Step Up and StreetDance- watch this.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 02:09 PM

I miscounted! Grr! I'm going back to remove some films.

I'm so badly organised :)

EDIT: Hopefully it works now. If not, I'll scream.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 03:40 PM

29- Brighton Rock (1947)

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01647/carol-marsh_1647265c.jpg

"You wanted a recording of my voice, well here it is. What you want me to say is, 'I love you'. Well I don't. I hate you, you little slut..."

I don't normally go for thrillers but this is great. Richard Attenborough is iconic as Pinky, the teenage gangster with no moral qualms. When a waitress falls in love with him, one might think that the film is going to turn into some wet love story, but luckily Britain didn't have a code like the Hays Code, so Pinky is just as brutal and unloving as ever. If I had the energy to do a list of favourite characters, he'd definitely be on there.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 04:55 PM

28- Lost in Translation (2003)

http://www.reelingreviews.com/lostintranslationpic.jpg

"Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?"

Wrongly referred to as a comedy by some, it's not a comedy at all. In Tokyo, Bob Harris, a faded action-hero actor (Bill Murray) and Charlotte, a recent college graduate (Scarlett Johansson) meet and form a relationship- whether you interpret it as a friendship or romance is really up to you. There's a hint of Brief Encounter about that. Perhaps it's 'lost in translation', hee hee. It's more about people who suddenly don't know what to do or where to go (see how that fits in with the title and the setting? Clever, hey?). Having encountered the feeling of being lost, literally and metaphorically, many times, this film really resonates- and it's well acted. It may be 'clever' or not but the acting makes it feel genuine. Plus Tokyo looks cool.

christine

08-24-10, 05:11 PM

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 05:42 PM

27- Sense and Sensibility (1995)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHI7D36IvaQ_U_YyZnoTdkwKPBSBNpsXLvyzi6aeJeeCNqi5Y&t=1&usg=__NxxaqwdyyeVgh0SXDta8cEgflpc=

"I am by no means assured of his regard and even were he to feel such a preference I think we should both be very foolish to assume that there would not be many obstacles to his marrying a woman of no rank who cannot afford to buy sugar."

A starry Brit cast is the surface attraction for this Jane Austen adaptation. Luckily they're good as well. The plot: Elinor Dashwood (Emma Thompson) has very different ideas about love than her younger sister Marianne (Kate Winslet). The elder sister is cautious and cynical ('sense') and the younger is driven by her heart and fancy ('sensibility'). When suitors follow, the sisters realise that both sense and sensibility have their advantages and drawbacks.

Kate Winslet is particularly good as whimsical Marianne but the actors are all good and the story is fun. Recommended for costume drama enthusiasts, Austen enthusiasts and anyone who likes light entertainment.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-24-10, 05:43 PM

Excellent! Did you read about the remake? Love the original but I'm quite interested to see the remake as the cast is very good.

i'm dubious about the remake. The film is so of its era that I don't see what another adaptation or remake will add.

nebbit

08-24-10, 08:14 PM

Nice to see http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/allposters/89/1800085789p.jpg an old favourite :yup:

Juno MacGuff

08-24-10, 08:34 PM

I am going to have to see the French version of Beauty and the Beast. Plus I think I may start watching Natalie Woods movies since I have been anamored by he acting ability, especially in West Side Story which is another film you have listed.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 06:56 AM

26- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1996)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51n9txhoK5L._SS500_.jpg

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind."

Although it got a cinema release, it's really a time capsule of Adrian Noble's acclaimed RSC 1994 production so think of it as a sort of theatre/film cross, emphasis on the theatre. It takes all the ideas you had about the play (cute forest, little fairies) and turns them on their head. This is a darker kinkier crazier version of Shakespeare's comedy, a world where one can 'experiment'. The doubling of Theseus and Hippolyta with Oberon and Titania- a common theatre practice for this show but bizarrely not used for the film versions- add to the dreamlike effect. That random little boy that wonders around really ought to go for therapy though. Highly recommended for theatre students, Shakespeare enthusiasts, and those who were disappointed with the 1999 version.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 07:14 AM

25- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_D1ZZyTOG7tQ/Samf0XrFYgI/AAAAAAAAEnA/OQeqMbPI24U/s400/Who%27s+Afraid+of+Virginia+Woolf+Richard+Burton+Elizabeth+Taylor.jpg

"I swear, if you existed I'd divorce you."

Edward Albee's play gets a screen adaptation. Just 10 years, or maybe even 5 years, previously, the Hays Code would have been chopping away so the two married coupled with their various problems would live happily ever after, but luckily there is no bowdlerisation here (the odd profanity is switched with another, more 'suitable' profanity, but it's all pretty gutsy for that time). Billed as 'adult entertainment' when 'adult entertainment' was not simply a euphemism for porn films, this is a claustrophobic unsettling look at the unhappy marriage of alcoholic Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and frustrated George (Richard Burton). Enter Honey (Sandy Dennis) and Nick (George Segal), a young attractive couple. The party/exorcism begins. Instead of Twister or Monopoly, we get party games like 'Get The Guests'.

This could possibly be Taylor's best screen performance and Burton is suitably quiet, but increasingly menacing, as George. Although there are only four characters, each actor gives a strong performance. It's an ensemble piece, even if Taylor and Burton are the 'stars'. This is a black comedy/dramatic tragedy. For those who like great screenplays, drama with a bite and film buffs (this was the film that prompted film classification, amongst other things). And people who go to weird creepy parties.

nebbit

08-25-10, 07:41 AM

:love: Lizzie as Virginia :yup:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 07:44 AM

24- Black Narcissus (1947)

http://www.nisimazine.eu/local/cache-vignettes/L600xH439/EX_BLACK_NARCISSUS_1web-7f898.jpg

"Sister, the schoolroom is overflowing with children. We've nothing unpacked yet. No one understands the language. There are too many of them anyway, and they all smell!"

Who doesn't love a scary nun film? A bunch of English nuns go off to the Himalyas to run a school in an ex-brothel (bodes well, hey?). Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), despite being young, is left in charge, and the presence of manly English guide Mr Dean (David Farrar) doesn't help. It's all getting a bit too much for Sister Ruth (Kathleen Byron)- a life of English nunnery clashes with the hot steamy climate of the Himalayas...

This is the second Powell and Pressburger film on the list. There are some epic moments and the use of colour by Jack Cardiff is masterful. If you thought that the British never made any classic films, think again...

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 07:53 AM

23- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

http://dvdmedia.ign.com/dvd/image/article/677/677757/the-muppet-christmas-carol-50th-anniversary-edition-20051220045446879-000.jpg

"You may be a bit of undigested beef, a blob of mustard, a crumb of cheese. Yes. There's more gravy than of grave about you."

Dickens' Christmas classic gets the Muppet touch. This is a perfect Chistmas film- heartwarming and funny. Michael Caine is brilliant as Scrooge and he plays well alongside the Muppets. Statler and Waldorf become the Marley brothers, Kermit is Bob Cratchit, etc. Narrated by Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat, this is a seasonal must-watch for kiddies and adults alike. Plus there's some great songs- yes, better songs than Scrooge! Remember that musical?

nebbit

08-25-10, 08:32 AM

:up:

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 09:02 AM

22- The Little Mermaid (1989)

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_03/mermaidDM1608_468x474.jpg

"Contact between the human world and the mer world is strictly forbidden. Ariel, you know that! Everyone knows that."

The second Disney film on the list- and not the last. This film marked the start of the Disney Renaissance. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story (but less creepy), Ariel is the youngest daughter of the sea king Triton. She longs for something more, and when she rescues fit prince Eric from a shipwreck, she decides she wants to be a human. So she must make a deal with evil sea creature Ursula...

The songs are wonderful, the animal sidekicks are fun (especially Sebastian the Jamaican? lobster)...is it really weird to fancy an animated character? Ah well. This is a childhood favourite that still holds up today.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 09:26 AM

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 09:40 AM

Only 20 left!

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 09:56 AM

Righty-o, here we go:

20- The Sound of Music (1965)

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:KIRxRYmJlLZF_M:http://data.panoramatours.com/media/101.jpg&t=1

"Maria, these walls were not meant to shut out problems. You have to face them. You have to live the life you were born to live."

Nazis and singing in the Alps- what more could you want? This is a genuine family film and a wonderful musical. It may not be edgy (although it gets a little darker when the Nazis come in) but it shows that family conquers all. Based on a true story as well- and the nuns are nice for a change :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 10:08 AM

19- Educating Rita (1983)

http://www.smethwick-heritage.co.uk/educatingrita-6472.jpg

"Did you know that Macbeth was a maggoty apple? Not many people know that!"

Most people run a mile from anything they had to study at school but the play's brilliant and so is the film so I was more than happy to do it for my English exam (even though I messed it up a little). The play's a two-hander (hence why it's so often revived) so the film opens it out a little but the central relationship remains the film's charge.

It's that classic Pygmalion plot- Frank Bryant, an alcoholic middle-aged lecturer at the Open University (Michael Caine), is surprised by his latest student, 26-year-old Rita (Julie Walters). It's a complete culture clash between the two but they form a friendship. Frank begins to turn Rita into a top English student, a 'cultured' person, and Rita starts to think about what she wants from life. Bookworms are bound to love this but anyone who loves a Pygmalion plot or films about education will enjoy it too. A knowledge of English literature isn't a requirement.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 12:25 PM

18- The Wings of The Dove (1997)

http://i.realone.com/assets/cs/705/01154705.jpg

"I don't believe in any of the things I write about. I fake passion. I fake conviction."

Although it's a very streamlined version of Henry James' novel, this is still a heart-wrenching film. Kate Croy (Helena Bonham Carter) is in the care of her aunt who wants her to marry Lord Mark (Alex Jennings). But Kate wants to marry Merton (Linus Roache)- a journalist on a low income. If they want to marry, they need money. In comes Millie (Alison Elliot), a beautiful American heiress with a terminal illness. Kate wants Merton to seduce Millie and thus get the money- but affairs of the heart are not as clear-cut as they seem...

Helena Bonham Carter was Oscar-nominated for her role as Kate; the film is told through Kate and her character is both repellent and sympathetic. In fact, all three players in the love triangle are well-acted. If you like films that challenge your judgement and portray love as a complicated inconsistant thing, this one's for you. But beware- the ending is dreadfully poignant.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 03:17 PM

17- Beauty and The Beast (1991)

http://www.fanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/beauty-and-the-beast.jpg

"If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"

The third Disney animated feature to make the list. This was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture- it really marked Disney's switch from enjoyable children's films to films that warrented critical acclaim.

The prologue is incredibly dramatic (the beast really used to scare me) and the romance between Belle and the Beast is an old-fashioned romance. Plus we get some singing candlesticks, a singing clock, and Angela Lansbury provides the voice of Mrs Potts (a teapot,in case you hadn't guessed). 'Tale As Old As Time' has to be one of the best Disney songs. Recommended for the romantics.

christine

08-25-10, 03:22 PM

Love the Muppets Christmas Carol. Reminds me so much of happy times when my sons were little.
Can't stand the Sound of Music !

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 03:36 PM

16- The Secret Garden (1993)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7g7EbPboHrw/SyPLkhrKaEI/AAAAAAAABSo/YWIH0HjexNs/s400/the+secret+garden.png

"My name is Mary Lennox. I was born in India. It was hot, and strange, and lonely in India. I didn't like it. Nobody by my servant, my ayah, looked after me. My parents didn't want me. My mother cared only to go to parties. And my father was busy with his military duties. I was never allowed to go to the parties. I watched them from my mother's bedroom window. I was angry, but I never cried. I didn't know how to cry."

Few films make me get teary because of happiness/heart warmth. This film is an exception. Spoilt but unloved Mary Lennox (Kate Maberly) goes to stay with her uncle in Yorkshire when she becomes orphaned. Her uncle has become hard-hearted since the death of his wife ten years ago but when Mary befriends Dickon (Andrew Knott) and finds a similarly spoilt soul in her invalid cousin Colin (Heydon Prowse), she begins to recover. Upon finding the secret garden, they transform themselves. Now they just have to transform her uncle.

Beautifully made and well-acted by the young leads, this is a perfect family film. Recommended in particular if you like The Railway Children.

genesis_pig

08-25-10, 03:40 PM

I saw Secret Garden as a kid... I have a hard time remembering the second half..

This list is full of surprises.. seems very well thought..

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 03:54 PM

15- Dead Poets Society (1989)

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Dead-Poets-Society-04.jpg

"Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

I'm a sucker for anything about the power of literature/education. Robin Williams plays the inspirational teacher John Keating, who arrives at a 1950's boarding school for boys and stirs everything and everyone up. Personally I prefer his role in this to the one in Good Will Hunting. The boys all have their own individual problems- in particular Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), who is forced by his family to be a doctor, even though he really wants to be an actor. The dangers of oppressive teaching can have a profound effect and in this film they do. It's easy to be dismissive about 'inspirational teacher' films but education- what you learn and how you are educated- can shape your life, for good or bad. Even Keating realises that he has limitations.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 04:09 PM

14- American Beauty (1999)

http://www.glogster.com/media/3/7/48/20/7482068.jpg

"My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the ******** in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell."

Another divisive film- perhaps understandable given some of the loony critical responses (Lester has repressed incestuous desire for his daughter? Seriously). But the film does merit critical acclaim. I suggest that you skip the critics' views (except mine ;) ) and just watch it.

Basically it's a dissection of American Suburbia. Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is having a mid-life crisis. His wife (Annette Bening) is the 'perfect' wife- creepily so- and he has a job and a big house. A crush he developes on his teenage daughter's friend (Mena Suvari) reverts him back into a teenager and helps 'awaken' him. Spacey is so good in the role that you forget or almost) that Lester is basically a pervert.

The beginning of the film focuses mainly on the black comedy and then slowly the truths behind the suburban freaks are revealed. Strong acting, good script and a strong director give the film its power and 'iconic' status. Makes me glad I'm a Brit ;)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-25-10, 04:22 PM

13- Mamma Mia! (2008)

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/05_04/MammaMia_468x349.jpg

"We danced on the beach, kissed on the beach and dot, dot, dot."

From one film which was critically acclaimed to one which was critically slaughtered. The film is basically a pantomime, except instead of your local postman dressed as a woman, you have British stars making a fool of themselves whilst singing Abba songs. And yet it's wonderfully entertaining

The plot is entirely implausible- Amanda Seyfried contacts three men who might possibly be her dad, hoping to discover which one it is so they can walk her down the aisle. Is it Piers Brosnan? Is it Stellan Skarsgaard? Or is it Colin Firth? The answer to that is suitably cheesy but it's very funny. Also funny is the kareoke-esque versions of the Abba songs (Brosnan looks pained, as will you when you hear him, whereas Firth sounds like a nervous auditionee for Oliver) and the random island inhabitants that pop up and sing along!

Wonderfully camp- particularly good to watch if you've drunk a lot- there is much fun to be had at watching respected actors make a fool of themselves. Anyhow, according to statistics, one in four households own this film on DVD. Perhaps you're hiding your copy guiltily under your bed...

nebbit

08-25-10, 06:24 PM

Can't stand the Sound of Music !
http://bestsmileys.com/signs1/17.gif

The Prestige

08-25-10, 07:20 PM

21- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

http://www.premiere.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/galleries/WhoFramedRogerRabbitOkaysoJessicaRabb/44811-1-eng-US/WhoFramedRogerRabbitOkaysoJessicaRabb_imagelarge.jpg

"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

Third Disney film, although it's not really 'Disney' Disney, you get what I'm saying? Anyhow, although it masquerades as a children's film, it's more like a cult classic for adults. Set in the fourties, in a place where toons are segregated from humans, Eddie Valient (Bob Hoskins) is a PI who takes on the case of a toon, Roger Rabbit, who believes his wife Jessica has been unfaithful. And he's up for a murder charge.

The mix of live action with animation works well...this is just a very funny film. Witty screenplay and clever mocking (plus some good old-fashioned lowbrow comedy) Adults will appreciate it just as much as kids, if not more so (take Jessica Rabbit, for example). Classic.

Forgot how much I loved this film. A very worthy edition. I remember being wonderfully perplexed at live performance combined with animation. It was the first time I had seen anything like it, and it WORKED beautifully.

There is this bit that, for whatever reason, always stayed with me. The bit where Bob catches a ride on the back of the bus. It's a bit that looked really fun and made me wish we had buses that had the design to allow us to get away with such things.

I'm glad you say it's like a cult classic for adults as I really felt there were some strong adult themes in play, too. It's pretty dark, specially when Christopher Lloyd is onscreen. The end bit where he turns haunted me big time.

Again, awesome pick and i'm really jealous that I didn't include this on my list :(

Any other live action mixed with animation films out there that are as good as Who Framed?

Juno MacGuff

08-25-10, 07:34 PM

plenty of reps going out for these movies. :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 09:06 AM

12- Sunset Boulevard (1950)

http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sunset-boulevard.jpg

"No-one ever leaves a star. That's what makes one a star."

A classic film noir/black comedy- emphasis on the 'black' because this film is so dark it will unsettle you. Joe Gillin (William Holden) is a writer with no money trying to hit the big time. Looking for somewhere to stash his car, he parks it in the creepy mansion of creepy Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a faded movie star of the silent screen. Acerbic, satiric, disturbing (particularly the ending) and almost tragic, the nature of Hollywood has never been scrutinised so deeply or so gruesomly entertaining.

NOTE: It may be classified a PG in the UK but it's not really suitable for anyone under the age of 12, considering its dark nature.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 09:07 AM

I'm glad you say it's like a cult classic for adults as I really felt there were some strong adult themes in play, too. It's pretty dark, specially when Christopher Lloyd is onscreen. The end bit where he turns haunted me big time.

When I was a kid, I actually thought it was an adult film, or at least classified as a 12.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 09:25 AM

11- The History Boys (2006)

http://www.filmeducation.org/images/events/screenings/the_history_boys.jpg

"I'm a Jew... I'm small... I'm homosexual... and I live in Sheffield...I'm f***ed."

Adapted by Alan Bennett from his successful stage play, this is a wonderful film. Think Dead Poets Society updated to the eighties with a British twist and a comic/tragicomic edge.

It's 1984- a bunch of teenage boys have excelled in their A-levels and are now trying out for Oxford and Cambridge. There are three teachers: Mrs Lintott (Frances de La Tour), a feminist history teacher; Hector (Richard Griffiths), a poetic but sexually frustrated teacher who gives the boys culture; and exciting new teacher Irwin (Stephen Campbell Moore), who believes that education is a game and one has to play that game.

Everybody in this film is reprising their stage role, including the boys. My favourites are the stud Daykin (Dominic Cooper) and the boy who has a crush on him, Posner (Samuel Barnett), but all the roles are well-acted. The film prompts some interesting provocative questions on the various styles of education plus it's just funny (Daykin's sexual experimentation in particular). Recommended in particular for those who liked Dead Poets Society and those who found it too 'sentimental'. Plus it's the eighties so you get a fun soundtrack.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 10:02 AM

And what will be in the Top 10? To be continued...

christine

08-26-10, 11:10 AM

Love anything Alan Bennett :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 03:11 PM

The top 10...

10- St Trinian's (2007)

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01182/arts-graphics-2007_1182788a.jpg

"Daddy, you can't expect me to stay here. It's like Hogwarts for Pikeys!"

Whatever critical merit it may have is irrelevant; I've been to an all-girls school and this is a pretty funny look at one. The best thing about it is the amount of in-jokes- when Rupert Everett (as the headmistress and the minister's ex) meets Colin Firth again (as a Government Education minister) and he asks Firth where they met, Firth replies "That was in another country." (For those of you who don't get the reference, Another Country was the first film they co-starred in and had 'undertones') Lighten up- even if you don't get all the references (I'm sure you'll get quite a few though), you'll still find it funny. If you get the references, it's a blast. And don't Everett and Firth make a lovely couple?

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 03:20 PM

9- All About Eve (1950)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vZGsHiJ_KwU/Sz08DIXnH6I/AAAAAAAAAPA/1x-5Q-Incpo/s400/medium_all_about_eve_-_bette_davis.JPG

"I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, like a salted peanut."

In the same year that Sunset Boulevard attacked Hollywood, All About Eve took a swipe at the dog-eat-dog world of theatre. Anne Baxter is very good as ruthless two-faced Eve, but the two epic performances are Bette Davis as Margo Channing- the classic theatre star- and George Sanders as a caustic theatre critic. The dialogue is witty and sharp...this is All About Bette Davis- in a good way. And Marilyn Monroe makes a cameo as a dippy young actress.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 04:05 PM

8- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

http://www.nicksflickpicks.com/f100strcar.jpg

"I don't want realism. I want magic! Yes, yes, magic. I try to give that to people. I do misrepresent things. I don't tell truths. I tell what ought to be truth."

Sixth Tennessee Williams adaptation on the list. Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), a nymphomaniac and dreamer, visits her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and her brutal husband Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) who live in a poorish part of New Orleans. There's a little bit of cleaning up for the censors (one part they are ambiguous about, and the reference to Blanche walking in on her husband with another man is cut) but it still packs a punch. Leigh is suitably dreamy but unhinged as Blanche but Brando dominates the film with the animal quality he gives Stanley. You can certainly see why women would be attracted to such a brutish man- pure desire (watch the scene where Stanley's calling for his wife and she comes down the stairs. Classic). All four main actors were nominated but bizarrely Brando lost out. And what a score by Alex North!

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-26-10, 04:28 PM

7- Cabaret (1972)
http://citizenchris.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/24/cabaret.jpg

"Leave your troubles outside! Life is disappointing? Forget it! In here, life is beautiful. The girls are beautiful. Even the orchestra is beautiful!"

Although it's a musical, the musical numbers are all performed either in the Kit Kat club, or in one chilling scene, in a pub garden. This is 1930's Berlin and the Kit Kat Club is the underground bar to be at. Ran by Emcee (Joel Grey), the star of the show is Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), an eccentric American girl. English writer Brian Roberts (Michael York) becomes fascinated by her and they conduct a love affair amongst the background of seedy nightlife and the rise of Nazism. Juxtaposing the rise of the Nazis with the songs and dance at the Kit Kat Club and watching Nazism seep into the club and the lives of everyone adds to the sinister feeling. Great songs- Maybe This Time was written for the film but has now become part of the stage musical- great acting...just great. A musical for those who don't like musicals- and for those who do. If you like Chicago, you'll love Cabaret (both are Kander and Ebb musicals).

nebbit

08-26-10, 11:14 PM

Great choices :yup:

Juno MacGuff

08-26-10, 11:20 PM

I think I might have to see that St. Tirian's movie.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 08:39 AM

6- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

http://proofrok.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/01.jpg

"What makes a monster and what makes a man?"

The fourth Disney animation to make the list- and possibly Disney's most underrated film. Based on the massive Victor Hugo novel, although elements are Disneyfied, it's done in an amusing way (the gargoyle sidekicks are called Victor, Hugo, and Laverne). Lust, hell, racism, disfigurement, prejudice and hypocrisy, plus a bit of pole dancing and black comedy- not your standard Disney themes (unless you count people beign mean to Dumbo as prejudice and disfigurement) and yet they're all present in this film.

Quick intro to the story: Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce) is a hunchback fostered by Judge Frollo (voiced by Tony Jay), who keeps him locked in the bell tower of Notre Dame. Frollo wants to rid the town of gypsies but becomes tortured when he falls in love with one- Esmerelda (voiced by Demi Moore), also the object of Quasimodo's affections.

The score is epic- not exactly one you want to play to your children before bedtime, such is the frightening and powerful atmosphere it creates. Highlights of the soundtrack include the song Heaven's Light/Hellfire- the first bit is about love and sung by Quasi; the second part is about lust and torment and sung by Frollo. The star of the novel is of course the architecture and this film gets that spot on. Quite possibly the darkest Disney film, it's one of the few children's films that you can watch as an adult and realise how much went over your head back then. As a child I was terrified on this- and now it's in my top 10 :D

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 08:58 AM

And now for the top 5, which are pretty predictable if you've been following the list. Still...

5- The Lion King (1994)

http://www.imagesdisney.com/images/coloring-pictures-lion-king-g.jpg

"You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life."

The fifth and final Disney animation to make the list. For this Disney created their own story...almost. The plot is basically like Hamlet, but with lions and minus the incest. Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick) longs to explore beyond the Pridelands but is forbidden by his father, Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones). He also wants to meet his uncle Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons). But after a tragic 'accident', Simba is forced to grow from cub to king and complete the Circle of Life, meeting various characters along the way. A starry cast (One Tree Hill fans will note that the actress who does Nala's voice plays Karen in One Tree Hill) gives this 'Hamlet on Safari' a power far greater than you'd expect to get from a 'children's' film.

It's an emotional tour de force with a brilliant villain (I'm sure this is Irons' best film role :) ) and brilliant songs, courtesy of Tim Rice (that dude who worked with Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber) and Elton John. 'Disney' may have been an insult for the critics at one point but throughout the nineties, Disney showed them just how good they could be. Take that, critics!

nebbit

08-27-10, 09:00 AM

Haven't the Hunchback :nope: is it that good? :)

You have a lot of animation in your list :)

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 11:45 AM

Haven't the Hunchback :nope: is it that good? :)

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj1v5tXs9Jo

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 11:56 AM

4- Another Country (1984)

http://www.gayline.gen.nz/images/Another_Country_1.jpg

"Fame or infamy, what does it matter? I shan't be forgotten"

I love this film, although it's not very well-known- and I'm a sucker for schoolboy stories- maybe because I went to an all-girls school. Anyhow, a young Rupert Everett stars as Guy Bennett (both Guy as an old man and Guy as a 17 year old). Guy is a Russian spy being interviewed in the 80's and asked about his schooldays, the experiences of which left him disillusioned with his country. Flashback to the 1930's and a private school a bit like Eton but not Eton...

A young Colin Firth plays Tommy Judd, Guy's best friend who is in love with Communism and who appears to be the only straight boy in the school (bar the first-years. It's rather a stretch to believe the tiny little first-years are just six years younger than Firth or Everett, who were both in their early to mid twenties). Firth and Everett have great chemistry (you can see why they were put together in St Trinians ;) ) and I loved all their scenes together.
The school is really run by the student prefects, in particular a fascist one called Fowler, who create an oppressive atmosphere where being openly gay gets you kicked out.

Guy is openly gay but some of his conquests, who are prefects, are less willing to be openly gay, valuing their career futures above honesty. His romance with a fellow pupil is touchingly innocent but the prefects, in particular Fowler, will do anything to keep the blame of themselves.

On one level, the film is a coming-of-age story about a gay boy who realises that honesty is not always the best policy. It beautifully evokes the harshness of a public school environment and the cruelty that those who refuse to fit in face. On another level, the school is a microcosm of English society- Guy would face that condemnation everywhere in England, a fate he slowly comes to realise. In the hymn they sing, 'Another Country' relates to the promise of Russia and Communism and the disillusionment with their own country, as well as being reminiscent of the first line of The Go-Between: 'The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.' Just as the title has many different meanings, so does the film. If you liked Maurice, you're bound to like this.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 12:24 PM

3- Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (1958)

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:KteYo7CJB_gEBM:http://www.afilmcanon.com/storage/tumblr_kourhjn06Y1qzdvhio1_r2_500.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1256099467943&t=1

"I'm not living with you! We occupy the same cage, that's all."

The seventh and final film on the list based on a Tennessee Williams play. Although it's bowdlerised, this steamy adaptation perfectly shows Williams' brand of Southern Discomfort, and is probably the most accessible of his plays.

It's Big Daddy's (Burl Ives) birthday and all his family are there to celebrate. Unknown to him but known to them, Big Daddy's dying. Screechy Mae (Madeline Sherwood) and henpecked Gooper, the eldest son (Jack Carson) want his money; Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) needs his money and her husband, the youngest son Brick (Paul Newman) just wants his love. Unfortunately Brick's an alcoholic who refuses to grow up and Maggie's childless. Taylor's sexual frustration goes through the roof as her poor tortured husband refuses to go near her (it's Paul Newman, so that's understandable). In contrast to Brick's frigidity, his father is a horny old goat who enjoys leching at Maggie. Ives is brilliant as Big Daddy, full of commanding power and honest values. The standout however is Paul Newman as Brick. In the original play the dead friend Brick grieves over made advances towards him and the plantation was one time ran by a gay couple- of course the film cuts that out but there are still signs that Brick's relationship with Skipper might have been unusually close. A lesser actor would have simply ignored all that and pretend that Brick was straight as a post but Newman perfectly captures Brick's torment and love for his best friend. It's impossible to keep your eyes off him. Maggie may be the 'cat' of the title but everyone revolves around Big Daddy and Brick- luckily the actors live up to the roles.

The heat's on, the storm's brewing, and the claws are out...even if they're slightly blunted, they can still lash out with force.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 12:45 PM

Almost there!

2- The Red Shoes (1948)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WfNXLqpFPqM/SWn7TBtvZ9I/AAAAAAAAANc/nxY-qHzqwME/S410/TheRedShoes.jpg

"Don't forget, a great impression of simplicity can only be achieved by great agony of body and spirit."

Powell and Pressburger were masters and Jack Cardiff's use of colour here is as amazing as it is in Black Narcissus and A Matter of Life and Death. The story: a young ballerina called Vicky Page (Moira Shearer, who was actually a dancer and not an actor) joins the dance company of impressario Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook) and falls in love with young composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring). If you know the story of The Red Shoes, you'll know that it ends unhappily. Walbrook as Lermontov is almost inhuman in his rejection of anything except dancing; he is both cruel and charming, cold and passionate. And getting an actual dancer in to play Vicky was a smart move. That 17 minute ballet sequence is a vivid display of surreal fantasy- gotta love the dancing and the Oscar-winning score. I'm sure many a director can see themselves as a Lermontov-like figure. It's hard to believe that this was made over 60 years ago.

TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_

08-27-10, 04:30 PM

And top of the chart is...

1- Brief Encounter (1945)

http://www.wymondham-station.com/users/www.wymondham-station.com/upload/brief_encounter_film_still.jpg

"You see, we're a happily married couple and let's never forget that. This is my home. You're my husband. And my children are upstairs in bed. I'm a happily married woman - or I was, rather, until a few weeks ago. This is my whole world, and it's enough, or rather, it was until a few weeks ago. But, oh, Fred, I've been so foolish. I've fallen in love. I'm an ordinary woman. I didn't think such violent things could happen to ordinary people."

This really is a classic film, from a time when characters didn't have to be permenantly on top of each other for it to be considered a romance. And more than any other film, this film is a romance (I told you I was a romantic :) ).

Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson) is a housewife living a mundane routine life, until she meets Dr Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard) at the train station and a whirlwind romance follows. What's so great about this film is how un-Hollywood the setting is- these characters live in a normal English town, take the train into town and go to Boots. Their lives are just the everyday sort of stuff we do and they long to break out of a routine just like I (maybe we) do. Brilliantly directed, you see how a chance meeting slowly escalates and becomes a love affair.

It's the sort of film you could just quote forever and when you hear that Rachmaninov tune...wonderful. It makes me long to throw grit in my eye and wait for a man to come up to me and and take it out for me. Don't try that at home, people...I'm not that crazy.

PS- There's a brilliant scene in The History Boys when Posner re-enacts the last scene from this film.