Without a doubt, the question I get asked the most is "what's your favorite movie?" When I inevitably cannot come up with an answer, I'm often offered a second option: "OK, what's your top 10?" This list changes from moment to moment, day to day, and year to year. It's entirely possible that I still haven't even seen my favorite movie or what I'd consider to be the best movie ever made yet.
In making this list, I notice a few things:
- I have left off any animated films, despite thoroughly enjoying many.
- Only one foreign film made the list, despite the fact that there are a great many excellent films from around the globe.
- 4 out of the 10 are in black & white.
- 2 are films of Steven Spielberg, whom I greatly admire. His canon of work never ceases to amaze me, and at least ten of his films could be in a favorites list of their own.
- Directors like Scorsese, Fincher, Soderbergh, Tarantino, and others are somehow left off. All are hugely talented.
At any rate, here's today's top 10 list.I've broken it down into my 5 favorite movies and what I consider to be 5 of the best films. Enjoy!
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| Annie Hall (1977) #5 Favorite Movie Woody Allen's masterpiece. A classic on all accounts, from start to finish. The opening & closing dialogue are particularly memorable, but Allen's comic wit and Keaton's irresistible charm do the leg work. |
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| Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) #4 Favorite Movie I often describe this film as being alive, as if it's a living, breathing thing. It certainly feels that way. What a stunning blend of naturalism and fantasy, all done using non-actors, location shooting, and practical effects. |
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| Fargo (1996) #3 Favorite Movie Fargo is one of the many Coen Bros great films. No Country For Old Men could easily compete for its spot on the list. What sets Fargo apart is its heart, humor, colorful cast, and endlessly quotable script. The performances are all spot on and the directing is typically top notch. |
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| Beginners (2011) #2 Favorite Movie Beginners is a hole-in-the-wall movie that gained attention after Christopher Plummer won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the film. The film deals with 3 main characters at turning points in their lives. What we get is a touching, poignant, and heartfelt depiction of modern relationships as well as a photo album of memories. It's clever and entirely unique. |
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| Jurassic Park (1993) #1 Favorite Movie This is hands down the movie I have seen the most but never get tired of. Seeing it in IMAX 3D recently for its 20th anniversary was one of the best times I've had at the movies, ever. The film is literally a theme park on screen. It delivers the thrills and was a breakthrough in the visual effects world, which is now littered throughout modern cinema. Jurassic Park has aged well and remains fun, quotable, and unforgettable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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| Psycho (1960) #5 Best Film My favorite Hitchcock film. The brilliant director opted for thrills and suspense over blood and gore. The film features several characters who could be considered "psychos" based on their respective psychology. Hitch's use of shadow, careful use of close-up, and sound/music all create the atmosphere of this classic thriller. Anthony Perkins turns in a pitch perfect performance as the infamous Norman Bates. |
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| Citizen Kane (1941) #4 Best Film Orson Welles is a true master. His skill behind the camera is undeniable in Citizen Kane. The film features a dizzying array of trick shots, deep focus, and innovative camera work that might be taken for granted to the untrained eye. Even if you're not watching for the camerawork, the story itself is enough to get you hooked as you try to decipher the meaning behind the mysterious "Rosebud." This one makes it onto countless Top 10 lists, and for good reason. |
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| Saving Private Ryan (1998) #3 Best Film This is the standard by which all modern war movies are judged. The film is harshly realistic, strikingly beautiful, and intimately personal. Each shot is composed with the level of technical skill that a painter would implore on a canvas. Spielberg paints his picture over nearly 3 hours, without a dull moment. With Tom Hanks leading a cast of talented actors, Saving Private Ryan is a modern classic. |
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| Breathless (1960) #2 Best Film Breathless is the only French New Wave film to make the list, but I love many of them. The film doesn't get old for me. Director Jean-Luc Godard is essentially redefining cinema through his radical techniques and various cinematic and editing styles. The interplay between the two leads is great to watch as Godard picks apart the Hollywood Gangster film and simultaneously creates a new genre entirely. |
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| Casablanca (1942) #1 Best Film Casablanca has one of the best screenplays of all time, phenomenal acting, a classic romance set in WWII, and numerous memorable scenes. It typifies what the term Classic Hollywood means. Even people that "don't like" black & white films still enjoy Casablanca. Roger Ebert himself said it might just be his favorite movie on his commentary for the film. Over 70 years after its initial release, I think it's safe to say that Casablanca has stood the test of time.
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