My top fave are all pretty standard issue:
5. Glengarry Glen Ross
An adaptation with a cool cast and an even cooler scene added for the film.
"That watch costs more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see pal, that's who I am, and you're nothing. Nice guy, I don't give a sh**. Good father, f**k you! Go home and play with your kids! You wanna work here, close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you c*cksucker? You can't take this, how can you take the abuse you get on a sit?"
"A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing."
4. A Streetcar Named Desire
In this entry, it's the famous play by Tennesse Williams that is adapted for the big screen, featuring an in-his-prime Marlon Brando. Watching Streetcar, even today, it's easy to see how the character of Stanley Kowalski is the one that became famous for Brando, as his portrayal has the actor shuffling the landscape of method acting styles (specifically, the styles up to that time) & burns up the screen in a performance that can only be described as "stellah".
3. My Fair Lady
One of the few musicals of this genre that I actually like. And, for my tastes, is a production that is enhanced by
the presence of the Lady Hepburn, in a role that has her speaking funny, dubbly singing & wearing pygmalionly large hats.
2. Amadeus
I avoided this film for years, under the assumption that it's subject matter was just something that I really wouldn't have any interest in.
Then one day, as it aired on one of those "classic" movie channels on T.V., I decided to finally give it a chance, just to see what all that Oscar hype back in '84 was all about.
Turns out, this film isn't so much a historical retelling of classical-music pioneer, Mozart as it a homage to the creative process of a genius who's talent was masked by both his almost hippie like eccentricity & by the conservativeness of the times. The ease of Mozart's ability to conjure up music that would stand the test of time was only recognized & appreciated by his "best friend" & rivalous contemporary, the more forgotton Salieri.
For me, the true test of any film that centers on the art of artist is the ability for it to make me appreciate (and maybe even like) the art more than I did before I watched the film. Maybe, in my case it was more the result of ignorance than anything else, I wasn't into Mozart's stuff. After viewing this movie though, as far as his music, I walked away with my eyes a little more opened & my ears a little more enriched.
Rock me, Amadeus.*
* Don't any of you dare roll your eyes at that last sentence. You knew it was gonna come
sometime.
1. 12 Angry Men
An obvious choice, of course, but this film isn't just my favorite stage-to-screen adaptation. It's also one of my favorite movies ever.
12 Angry Men is such a good courtroom drama, that for me, it simply blows the majority of every other film in this genre out of the water (okay, technically this isn't really a "courtroom" drama because the entire film happens in the jury-room. But let's face it, the plot's purpose is one that leads into the most important part of the courtroom process, the verdict).
The combination of a tight script with a solid ensemble cast (oh, & lets not forget a big screen directoral debut for Sidney Lumet) make for a tense, compelling movie that even though it keeps 99% it's entire length within one room, a viewer can't help but to be spellbound.
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