I have not seen either the original
Purple Noon or the remake
The Talented Mr. Ripley and truly need to rectify that, though I hold the original as the more demanding of the two.
95. Shallow Grave
Is one I love and utterly forgot about when making my list. It would have easily hit in the higher middle of my list.
It kicks off with a montage of not-so-likely new flatmates for the three starring characters and how they dismiss them all. But soon, the possible fourth flatmate is found and moves in—only to die a day later. While rifling through his things, they find a suitcase of money.
And so begins the spiraling premise of this movie. While we learn of the original three's relationships, we are introduced to their disposition to greed and what they, as individuals and as a group, are willing to do. And then, what happens with that decision and following through with the consequences, including the bad men that the money belongs to.
While the premise and probable end game aren't all that new, they are delivered with a dark wit that I rather enjoy. The characters are displayed for us to know, and we begin to root for our favorite as things get more and more severe and as their relationships fray and fall apart. The satisfying ending includes what happens to them all.
93. The Hustler
Growing up with a pool table in the house and the joy of playing on that table in my old age, this movie was and remained very high in my favorite heavily rewatched films throughout my life. Showcasing the dark, gritty underbelly of pool halls and one particular cocky side hustler played brilliantly by Paul Newman against the legendary and actual pool player extraordinaire, Minnesota Fats, done with equal brilliance by Jackie Gleason. The final aspect of the parasitic financial backers that prey on every game's outcome is led by George C. Scott.
I'm not entirely sure why I did not include this one and have no real argument for it except a more ingrained perception as a Shakespearean drama of pool hustling and not specifically a neo-noir. It is another that would have been very high on my list, definitely in the top ten easily.
92. Fireworks aka Hana-bi
Did not make my list, but one I thoroughly enjoyed due in part to the insight I gained when I saw this in an HoF. I discovered the more retrospective side of Kitano. Researching, I discovered even more beneath the stilled waters of this gentleman.
Such as much like the crippled detective who learns to paint, so did Kitano after a very serious motorcycle accident. In fact, all of the artwork in this film was done by Kitano himself.
Another intriguing aspect that pleasantly surprised me was that, in Japan, he is far more known as a comedian than as the stoic and violent character he plays in many of his yakuza-related movies.
91. Infernal Affairs
An excellent crime drama that I've held over its American version,
The Departed was one of my reluctant final cuts.
Seen 5 out of 10 (50%)
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25. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) One-Pointer
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