Chilling to the core thanks to the potent combination of a relentlessly grim backdrop of dark, grime and rain; shocking, sudden, gory violence and Spacey's terrifying villain. It's also a fascinating concept delivered brilliantly - with emotionally charged performances and a deft directorial hand.

A vehicle for an astounding performance by one of my favorite actors, but that's not to say the rest of the film doesn't carry it's weight. Collins Jr. and the rest of the supporting cast are all perfect, the film is pitch-perfect emotionally and is wonderful to look at. I'm a sucker for a good biography and this is up there with the best - not a flat retelling but a group of careful, fascinating and honest snippets of one endlessly interesting, eccentric man's life.

Guilty pleasure? Perhaps. I've loved this ever since I first saw it back in 2003, and it still makes me laugh to this day. Jack Black is a polarizing actor but I think he's at his best here, and his most agreeable for non-fans. It's an energetic, affable performance, supported by a cast of great young actors (as well as an off-type Sarah Silverman) and a killer soundtrack. Above all, it's a hugely funny, massively entertaining film. One of those I have to finish if I catch it on TV.

I've talked about this recently but the reason I love this movie is not about its admittedly antiquated liberal message. In a modern context, it's a send-up of love, passion and following your heart, no matter what other's judgments may be. It's a beautifully acted film, which is particularly apparent in Tracy's monumental closing monologue.

Stunningly, vividly colourful cinematography give this most genuinely heart-warming of offbeat romances a wonderfully dreamlike quality. Audrey Tautou is brilliantly innocent and endlessly charming as the title character, surrounded by a shock of eccentric characters, each more fascinating as the last as she takes a quite magical journey. I've run out of superlatives. I love this movie.

While I’ve still a lot of Hitchcock to see, I feel I have experienced a good cross-section of his work and for me, Vertigo is his most artistically accomplished film and my personal favourite. With it, Hitch created a darkly foreboding and uniquely atmospheric mystery tale populated with magnetic characters and marked by a spectacular visual flair, with a vintage Bernard Hermann score to boot. It bears his unmistakable yet intangible mark; a conglomeration of visual style, performance and dialogue that runs through his entire body of work.

Perhaps the defining film of my childhood. Back then it was those timeless musical numbers and very funny characters that got me - and I still love it all, but now I can also appreciate the beautiful animation, a deeper, razor-sharp wit and genuine emotional core.

Perhaps this is more of a nostalgic inclusion, considering the amount I watched back in 2003 when I got my hands on a copy (after seeing and loving it at the cinema), but it still entertains me no end, mostly because I find Carrey so hilarious. It’s become something of a family favourite, too, many of the one-liners are heard from time to time around the house.

Subdued, tender slice-of-life tales make some of my favourite films and this is a perfect example. It avoids preachiness and manages to tell Finbar McBride's simple story with effortless humour and emotional honesty, creating many unexpectedly poignant moments. Cannavale, Clarkson and Michelle Williams are all great in support but Dinklage shines in a role that arguably kick-started his career. I also very much enjoy seeing John Slattery in a small cameo role.

A brilliant generational satire, hilarious farce and touching romance rolled into one, anchored by an inspired, career-launching performance by Dustin Hoffman. He's awkward and hilarious, and a fantastic foil for Anne Bancroft's seductive Mrs. Robinson.

I'm a great admirer of Aronofsky's visual style and this is him at his most technically accomplished. He creates a dark and bizarre world with superb cinematography and it's only helped by the writing. Brilliantly, creepily atmospheric and genuinely scary at times, and of course Natalie Portman really came into her own as an actress with an excellent performance.

A blast of bizarre violence, humour and romance in a dreamlike yet strangely real parallel universe. It's utter, sick mayhem - nothing much more I can think to say. Love it.

Another from my favourite director (still not finished ;)). Everything about his fifth feature is superb - it finds PTA at his technically most accomplished. The cinematography, the writing, and the performances are all wonderful, particularly of course the ridiculous Daniel Day-Lewis with just one of his many spectacular showings. It's also thematically complex and utterly riveting despite a fairly long running time.

Pixar created a character that you are invested in, feel for, a character that is essentially a brown, box-shaped robot, without him speaking a word, after no more than 30 minutes, and I think that's amazing. It sums up the aims of Pixar's mission and demonstrates their ability to create wonderfully endearing films populated with unique, magnetic characters whilst maintaining an air of ultimate creativity. What's more, Wall-E is fantastically funny and, as cliched as it now is, a blast for every member of the family.

I think it says a lot about Tarantino's style that this probably isn't even his most wildy indulgent film. Some people hate it, but for those that enjoy that sort of thing it's pure heaven. Over-the-top violence, cartoon sequences and whip-smart, deceptively constructed dialogue marked by generous helpings of profanity make for a hugely entertaining movie. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Might have dropped in my estimation over the past couple of years since it held a place in my top 10, but it's a film I still enjoy hugely and admire, too - it's quirky, for sure - something that I know gets under some people's skin, but also deceptively deep and unexpectedly poignant. Its razor-sharp writing make it funny and very entertaining, too. Every time I watch it the 90 minutes fly by.

If Black Swan finds Aronofsky at his most technical, this much earlier effort finds him at his most brutally effective. It's a film of immense power, carefully sidestepping preachiness and instead going straight for the jugular with a viciously stark portrayal of the "ups" and, of course, bottom-of-the-barrel downs of drug addiction. His visual style here is still developing but brings a certain grim authenticity to the film, supported by a sharp, desperate performance by Burstyn and an unusually agreeable Leto. It's an uncompromisingly depressing film but an immensely memorable one.

My thoughts on Lars from my review thread:

Perhaps the most amazing thing about it is that it manages this feat all on a premise that on first hearing, sounds 100% ridiculous. One reviewer before me remarked that, "it's nothing less than a miracle that [the filmmakers] have been able to make such an endearing, intelligent and tender comedy from a premise that, in other hands, might sustain a five-minute sketch on TV". To me, this is completely on the nose and indeed nothing short of a miracle.

In a role seemingly built for him, Ryan Gosling once again impresses as the cripplingly shy but incredibly kindly Lars, who develops a unique relationship with a doll, "Bianca", whom he orders off the internet. As his family and the inhabitants of his small town get to grips with his delusion, we see a story unfold that is a tribute to human kindness, tolerance and a willingness to sacrifice to help another - positive attributes seemingly lacking both in modern film and society at large. But I honestly felt as if I was watching something real here.

Such striking originality is also a rarity now and a concept such as this could quite easily have been derailed by a less talented directing/writing team. Nancy Oliver's script flows seamlessly and duly delivers with the obvious humor the idea provides, but never ruins it by taking it into the realms of cheesiness or mockery. More impressive is her ability to weave genuine heart-felt drama into a story that could have easily (but wrongly) taken a purely comedic route. That thoroughly touching drama is where the film is at its best and, I can't stress this enough, to make an audience really, deeply feel for a character and the events surrounding an inanimate object, indirectly through Lars' relationship and the people's reaction, is to me something absolutely incredible and a result of some genius writing. Oscar nod deserved.

In the director's chair, Craig Gillespie facilitates said script brilliantly, resulting in fantastic performances from Emily Mortimer and Paul Schneider, as Lars' worried but altogether supportive brother and sister-in-law, as well as the entire supporting cast. The cinematography of the small Canadian towns where the film was shot is fantastically intimate and serene, just as I would imagine them to be, and captures the mood of the film and the township's character perfectly.

Just an immensely touching, unexpected and enjoyable film, and also a sensitive study of social awkwardness and mental health.

A creepy, atmospheric film marked by moments of sharp horror. I'm either not a horror fan or haven't exposed myself to enough of them to be, but this is easily my favourite from what I've seen. I'd say it's Laurie's performance as much as Spacek's that makes this film tick, she's subtly terrifying as Carrie's maniacal mother. Maybe I scare easily, but something about this film truly terrified me in more ways than one.

Full disclosure: As of right now, this is my favourite PTA film. I could go on and on about the brilliant performances (not a single weak showing), the camerawork (including the trademark long takes), the complex script, the inspired, offbeat choices regarding a certain musical number and a certain amphibian, and the way Anderson masterfully, effortlessly weaves his multiple stories together (and how effective each of them are). I can't tell you how wonderful it is to find a film that is so long, yet so entertaining, so thematically complex, that you can truly let yourself be absorbed by the story and the characters.

There something intangibly magical about this movie. I don't know if it's the vulnerability of Mr. Hanks' performance, or the epic journey he takes, or the elements of fantasy, but I do know it's a movie you can get well and truly, 100% absorbed in. Pure escapism with wit, wonder and emotion to spare.

Who knew Sean Penn could direct? He created a beautiful film from the inspirational and bittersweet story of Christopher McCandless. It looks gorgeous, features lovely, heartfelt performances from its ensemble cast led by Emile Hirsch and takes us on a thought-provoking, haunting journey of life and death with a stark, shattering conclusion, and should provoke real self-reflection in all of us.

Certainly a departure from Fincher's usual style, this is a brightly, sublimely photographed bio of a fascinating, controversial figure. Without a searing Jesse Eisenberg performance, I think it takes a sharp dip in quality, though - he brings a ferocity to Zuckerberg. The music by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross is quite brilliant.

An unlikely wonder. I doubt anyone would have expected a guerilla, micro-budget musical set in Dublin, with amateur actors to be this brilliant and affecting. The songs are perfect, the performances deeply emotional, the story unexpectedly absorbing, nuanced and, eventually, heartbreaking. Sensational.

I only saw this for the first time recently but I was so taken aback with how great it was I had to throw it straight into my top 30. It could easily find a place in my top 10 with a few rewatches. It's terrifyingly atmospheric - a blend of suggestive cinematography, subdued performances with sudden jolts of emotion, and suffocating Victorian manners. And above all, a provocative and morbidly fascinating mystery that burrows into your skull and doesn't let go. Peter Weir is a favourite director of mine and, while this marks an early and therefore less accomplished effort, it's also one of his most sharply effective films.