+14
Haven't seen the black and white version of The Mist. I suspect it would work, though.
I guess it's time to reveal the films that didn't show up from my list:
24. Lorenzo---This Disney short was literally a last minute choice. It came while watching the laundry. Strong animated short about an arrogant cat and a curse placed on him which leads to some interesting situations over 5 minutes or so. At one point, the newly dominant tail insists on dragging Lorenzo through a tango.
23. Priceless---Again with this film (it also made my foreign list which I'll get to soon). But it highlights the ethereal beauty of Audrey Tautou who plays a grifter who falls in love with older men. As the naive man who gets shown the ropes, Gad Elmaleh proves to be a quick study. A romcom for people who don't necessarily love romcoms, there's some good comedy and some things to pick up on even as the film goes to its conclusion.
18. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father---This documentary is at times infuriating and at other times touching as it reveals the life history of a good man using videos and interviews to bring depth to his character. Sounds like a lot of biopics, yes? Well, as the title reveals, it's meant for his son as we learn the truth about what happened to the father and who was behind it. This gives it a breathtaking immediacy. Feel free to check out The Legacy of Dear Zachary on YouTube afterwards which serves as a more uplifting postscript.
17. 500 Days of Summer---Speaking of relationship films that take unusual turns, here's one dealing with a hopeless romantic who tries to place why his longtime girlfriend recently dumped him. Much like Pulp Fiction and Memento, it doesn't tell its tale in a straight line. But it does have things to say about how we prioritize the good times in a relationship and sometimes miss the warning signs until it's too late. Well acted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel and directed sharply by Marc Webb.
12. March of the Penguins---Nature documentary from National Geographic Films focuses on emperor penguins and the challenges they face as they try to breed in Antarctica. The harsh conditions, hungry predators and the increasing distance to get food for the baby penguins and the parents prove to make the task difficult. Throw in the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman as the narrator and you got a fascinating science lesson with a gripping story.
10. The Visitor---A New York professor becomes aware of immigrants that have been tricked into living in his home. But he decides to let them live with him which proves to be life changing for the three of them at least until circumstances take a turn. Thanks to a great turn from Richard Jenkins and solid direction from Tom McCarty (Spotlight), it manages to follow the beat of its own drum.
7. Man on Wire---The true story of a French daredevil who risked his life and freedom to do a high-wire tightrope walk between the Twin Towers. It plays as one part heist movie as he gathers a motley crew of people to help him accomplish this and one part portrait of a fascinating man. It also serves as a reminder of what we lost in 2001, an innocence that appears to be gone with the American terrorist attacks.