Skepsis' 100

→ in
Tools    





Well, I can answer it because I meant LOTR. I don't know whether it'll all be horrid or not. However, considering it's Skepsis, I doubt it'll all be horrid.





9. Singin' in the Rain
Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1952
Story & Screenplay by Adolph Green & Betty Comden
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds & Donald O’Connor
Music & Lyrics by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed


"She can't act, she can't sing, she can't dance. A triple threat."

Singin' in the Rain might be the only film that is more purely fun than Back to the Future. Easily one of the best musicals to come out of the Hollywood studio system, my favourite film of the 1950s and one of the most entertaining, heart-warming films ever made.

Gene Kelly was a great actor and a phenomenal dancer and his performance as Don Lockwood is probably his most sensational turn. He's brilliantly charming as the silent movie star in flux. The supporting players, too bring something unique and magnetic to each of their characters. The goofy charm of Donald O'Connor, whose Make 'em Laugh is a relic but no doubt an interesting one, showcasing his physical talents, and the cute-as-a-button Debbie Reynolds as the innocent but ambitiously strong-willed Kathy. The three of them have fantastic chemistry, perhaps never more apparent than in the wonderful Good Morning.



"You have to show a movie at a party. It's a Hollywood law."

The majority of the praise rightfully goes to the music, of course. It's a perfect musical, mixing the romantic, the upbeat, and the downright insane, conveying it all through beautifully written and, for a couple, now rightly-iconic songs. I'm certainly no expert or even, usually, an enthusiast when it comes to dance, but here, for some reason, I'm a sucker for it. The choreography is endlessly pleasing, and each actor brings something different to the table. Kelly's expertise, Reynolds' enthusiasm, and O'Connor's wild energy make for a fantastic combination. To that end not much is ever said about the narrative, but it's a lovely, simple one, a self-referential, somewhat meta one, a film about film, that allows for a lot of humour, as well as pathos, and sets up each musical number with a deft hand.

Maybe I'll try to add a video of a favourite scene or moment in every entry of my top ten, like I did with Back to the Future, if I can find something. Singin' in the Rain's titular number has burrowed itself deep into pop culture's subconscious, but my personal highlight is the wonderfully catchy, upbeat and energetic Good Morning.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Well you've certainly started your top 10 very strongly. As you know I adore Back to the Future so that was a great way to kick it off and Singin' in the Rain is a fine follow-up. Two of the most purely fun, escapist films you're likely to come across.



Well you've certainly started your top 10 very strongly. As you know I adore Back to the Future so that was a great way to kick it off and Singin' in the Rain is a fine follow-up. Two of the most purely fun, escapist films you're likely to come across.
Thanks. If there's a word to sum these two movies up, it's escapism.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I can think of a few films from your old top 50 that I don't believe have shown up yet, but think there must be quite a few new entries to your top 10. Curious to see what you've got for us





8. Lawrence of Arabia
David Lean, 1962
Screenplay by Robert Bolt & Michael Wilson based on the writings of T. E. Lawrence
Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif & Alec Guinness


"I pray that I may never see the desert again. Hear me, God."

Knowing where to start with this one is difficult because it's extremely hard to find a single aspect of Lawrence of Arabia that is anything less than brilliant, let alone sub-par. I guess the most obvious place is with the titular character. As extraordinarily unlikely as the film is, it may have crossed the line into downright impossible to make work without a scintillating character at the heart of it all. T. E. Lawrence might just be the most well-developed yet mysterious, most brilliantly conceived, perfectly written, and crucially, of course, most brilliantly-portrayed character in the history of film. Peter O'Toole is perfectly cast, and he brings an exciting rebelliousness and large helpings, but just enough, eccentricity and flamboyancy to him. In a long running time, we're treated to a perfectly arced rise and fall of the man, an epic emotional descent into egomania.

Visually, I don't think I've seen anything else so stunningly vibrant and technically accomplished. The images of the desert are awe-inspiring, capturing the vastness of the desert with remarkable skill, perhaps never more evident that in the famous "Mirage at the Well" scene. I can't find the source, but I think I'm paraphrasing Tarantino when I say that one of the great pleasures of film is experiencing the perfect match of image and music, and Lawrence of Arabia is the epitome of that idea. The match between the beautiful cinematography and Maurice Jarre's sensational score could not be better and evokes wonderful swells of emotion.



"Truly, for some men nothing is written unless they write it."

"Epic" is a word that's thrown about a lot these days but I think this and Gone with the Wind are among the few films that really deserve the title. As I mentioned, the look and feel of the film, the length and scale of the narrative provokes the use of the word but it's the complexity of its story, themes and characters that truly makes this an epic. It just deals with so much. So many characters come and go, each more riveting than the last. Bolt, Wilson and Lean pack an immense amount of material into the 216 minutes, but it never once feels poorly paced or loses my interest. It deals with themes as wide ranging as existential struggle, political conflict, the morality of war and national and personal identity.

A clip on YouTube will not do it justice but hopefully for those who haven't seen it, it'll give you a taste and maybe encourage you to see this miracle of a film for yourself. Please do.




Well thanks for the suggestion I wanted to watch it for a long time, but never take 4 hours of my time to do so. Your description is motivating me to watch it



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Lawrence of the Arabia is one I still haven't attempted as of yet, mostly as a result of its length. However it is one I plan on getting to quite soon.



Well thanks for the suggestion I wanted to watch it for a long time, but never take 4 hours of my time to do so. Your description is motivating me to watch it
Thanks, that's the aim!

Lawrence Of Arabia is one of those films I'd love to see on the big screen.
Absolutely. I've heard seeing Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen called the holy grail for film fans. I really hope I get the chance to one day.

I need to give Lawrence of Arabia another chance. I just couldn't get into it when I watched it for whatever reason.
Lawrence of the Arabia is one I still haven't attempted as of yet, mostly as a result of its length. However it is one I plan on getting to quite soon.
Yeah, you have to be pretty invested to really enjoy it. Not something you can just throw on, especially for the first time you see it.