Cobpyth's Top 101 Favorite Feature Films

I was looking for a good Altman film to start my exploration of his filmography and I think you recommended this one, so I watched it. Thanks again!

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Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

Always happy to spread the goodness. No thanks needed.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

82. The Artist (2011)





Many people weren't really happy when this film won the Oscar for Best Picture, because they thought the film merely won, because it was silent. I strongly disagree. This film may have gotten a lot of attention, because it was pretty courageous to make a silent film in these ages, but next to that, The Artist is just a very VERY well made film. It's imbued with love for the classic era of cinema and playfully uses its genre in a whole bunch of very creative and extremely enjoyable scenes.

The film is not only brilliantly executed, but it also pulls the emotional strings in exactly the right way. The great acting performances (from everyone involved, including one of the best performances by an animal I've seen) are accompanied by a delightful musical score and it manages to work just as well as some of cinema's greatest classics.

Personally I'm a big fan of silent films. They are often way more relaxing to watch than films with a lot of dialogue, as they only focus on the eyes. A good silent movie doesn't make you wish for any audible dialogue and this movie did that just right. The images are so physically well done and are so clear that we don't need any explaining, apart from a few title cards.

The Artist is one of the loveliest and most refreshing films of our modern times. It entertains, it touches the heart and it's an amazing tribute to the origins of cinema. Every cinephile should watch it.



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I struggled with this one :S.

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I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages

I feel like such a pessimist commenting on this list, but I didn't care for The Artist, my favorite scene was his dream, but either than that I was not amused. And ya I'm one of those people who believes it only one the picture because of the silent movie aspect, maybe that's enough though

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I quite liked The Artist. Not to the degree you did, it was in my top ten of that year though.

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Letterboxd

I liked The Artist too. Thought it was one of those quirky films that comes along now and again, like a Amelie maybe, that just warms your heart

I've not seen The Artist. I've teetered on the brink of watching it a couple of times, but never quite felt like I'd enjoy it.

The Artist is pretty vapid when compared against some actual silent films, or Gene Kelly or Astaire/Rogers musical, which it draws from a good deal more than actual silent films. The only sincere and worthwhile silent film homages/imitations I've seen are from Guy Maddin.

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Mubi

I liked the Artist, almost to the point of putting it into my top 200.

How is it vapid? It's made for a larger audience and focuses a lot on entertainment, but that's not automatically a bad thing, in my opinion (I know you're not the biggest fan of most mainstream films), if done well. The Artist nailed it, in my opinion. The tiny clever gags and the overall atmosphere worked perfectly for me.

I agree that it uses many elements from the old Astaire/Rogers movies (which I'm a big fan of), but it focuses more on the characters and their struggles than those films. The plot also reminds me of Singin' in the Rain, but it's different enough to make it unique. You're right in the sense that it's not exactly a 'deep film' or anything, but not every film needs to be. This film achieved what it tried to achieve and I enjoyed it immensely.

I haven't watched any Maddin films yet. Which ones would you recommend?

Yeah, The Artist is an excellently crafted movie. I felt all good inside after watching it.

Because the entertainment in the film felt so inherently gimmicky to me and offered up nothing that hadn't been done before it in a much better way. Rather than someone like DePalma, who imitates but also attempts to expand upon and create a dialogue between his films and Hitch's, The Artist is mostly concerned with imitation. The film is not without its moments, but it feels more like half a film than a full work to me. I don't think Astaire and Rogers or Gene Kelly's movies are profound, but I think they're far more enjoyable and deft in their execution, and all of them are fantastic dancers!

As for Maddin, my favorite of his is My Winnipeg, I love the sleepy reconstruction of a city through personal memories and neighborhood legends. More than any of his films though, I'd recommend checking out his influences, namely: Letter from an Unknown Woman, Man's Castle, Jean Vigo's films (both Zero for Conduct and L'Atalante are great), Howard Hawks' films etc. He's also a big fan of The Long Goodbye if I remember correctly, which I'm pretty sure you like as well.

Well, that's valid criticism.
I watched The Artist for the first time in my beginning year as a "cinephile", which is probably another big reason why I still like it so much. I wasn't aware of everything that came before it. I'm probably so fond of it, because it was one of those magical film experiences to me that made me interested in exploring more (older) films of its genre. I still can't help enjoying every bit of it, though and I'm absolutely in love with its score. That's why it deserves its place among my personal favorites. A few of the films you're referring to will be higher on my list too.

A lot of those films seem very interesting! I added the ones that weren't already on it to my watchlist. I may even watch Letter from an Unknown Woman or L'Atalante tonight. They both seem like my kind of thing.
Thanks!

81. There Will Be Blood (2007)





The first Paul Thomas Anderson entry is officially a fact. Everyone here probably knows by know that I think he's one of the greatest directors of his generation. He's a filmmaking genius in my book.

There Will Be Blood is often considered as his best film and his ultimate masterpiece and while I think it is without a doubt one of the very best films of the last 20 years and the work of a brilliant mind, I happen to love some of his other films just a tiny bit more.

It's easy to see why this is considered as his best work, though. It's visually ingenious, the story is full of depth and tackles many interesting themes, the characters (and especially the main character of Daniel Plainview) are marvelously sketched, the dialogues are memorable, the acting performances are sublime and the story takes unexpected and daring turns, which is (almost) always a good thing.

Paul Thomas Anderson is a filmmaker in the purest meaning of the word. He makes everything look so real and yet so beautiful that the audience can't possibly feel engaged with what's happening on the screen. At the time when this film was made, he already mastered the craft of filmmaking so perfectly that one can only look at this piece of cinema full of amazement and admiration.

The only reason why it's not higher on my list, is because it's not really my kind of movie theme-wise, and therefore I revisit it less often than some of PTA's other films. The couple of times that I've seen it were all fantastic, though. There Will Be Blood truly is an unsettling, but magnificent experience and should be watched by every fan of pure cinema.



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Ooh, that's a snorey, snorey film.

Love it. 'nough said.

I ended up loving this movie; Daniel Plainview is a riveting character, great choice.

I never thought about watching Gosford Park, but I think I will now with you and HK recommending it.

I don't think I'd like The Artist tbh.

The Artist is very good and There Will Be Blood is great, top choices Cobpyth. Nice too see more PTA ahead, Boogie Nights hopefully

@HK: Wait until Kubrick joins the club.