My Top Ten Films of All Time

I can't really offer any fulfilling advice on what to do during a lockdown, as all I have been doing is sleeping, drinking and watching movies, so the best I can offer is yet another movie list. I've done a couple of these so if any one has already read one of my others apologies for some slight repetition. That said, however, I have omitted 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy and treated this list as one where three-films-as-one doesn't count, just because I have reviewed it in a recent list.

Casablanca (1942)

Maybe there was a time (before I saw it) when I liked the idea of this movie being in my Top Ten for pretentious reasons, but I actually include it today because I really like it. The Golden Age of Cinema produced some greats, and this one stands out the most for good reason. It features two incredible central performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as a cynical nightclub owner and the woman from the past that he loves. You really feel you know these characters, and it has an intriguing and not exactly predictable plot, which will surely make you cry if you have a heart, a great song in 'As time goes by' but most of all, it's endlessly quotable, and, oddly, very relatable at times. It also gets better with multiple viewings. Something that most of the films on this list have in common, but that may just be because I like them all enough to watch them so many times.

Rear Window (1954)

More seemingly pretentious fare perhaps, except that I actually grew up watching Hitchcock films and loving them very much. This was my favourite film for a long time. It had tough competition from 'North by Northwest,' 'Rope' and the oft-overlooked 'Dial M for Murder' (there are still some I haven't seen and my reason for not shortlisting 'Vertigo' is I've never understood the hype around it - might need to rewatch). But 'Rear Window' is the one I always remember being absolutely gripped by. It follows James Stewart as a reporter with a broken leg who is stuck inside and spies on his neighbours (to be honest, it's probably quite relatable now) but begins to suspect one of them of foul play. Nobody has ever bettered Hitchcock at the art of suspense. It is the exception that proves the rule in this list about multiple viewings, however. The first viewing of a film like this is always going to be the best.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Proof that I'm not being pretentious now by not picking the old French version that film critics always go on about. Which I haven't seen, to be fair. But I don't think anything can beat this pinnacle of the Disney renaissance. Belle is the first Disney princess who is actually presented as human, and the fairy tale itself is a story I liked as a child that examines true beauty. And it all comes with the best orginal Disney songs (the last Disney film lyricist Howard Ashman worked on before his untimely death), comic relief characters that are genuinely funny and memorable, and the most beautiful animation of all time in the ballroom scene. The remake was good but the orginal is best sorry.

Goodfellas (1990)

One of those movies that I watched as a teenager and immediately went home and wanted to watch again. And again. Telling the story of Henry Hill and the three decades of his life spent working for the Mafia, it really is the ultimate gangster movie. And that is because it shows the most ruthless and brutal side of organised crime alongside all the glamour. It uncovers these people for what they really are and it's thoroughly intriguing. And it does it in a very different way to 'The Godfather,' its antithesis in many ways. Because the characters in this film aren't 'members' so all that "respectable," family aspect of the culture is never there. We do see it in characters such as Paulie, who first takes Henry under his wing, and it is through this that the life becomes enticing. But the descent begins with characters like Robert de Niro's Jimmy and Joe Pesci's Tommy as two different shades of ruthless insanity (Pesci's performance is unforgettable). And thanks to Scorsese's gifted abilities as a film-maker, you're very much taken along for the whole ride.

Withnail and I (1987)

Two unemployed alcoholics go on holiday in 1960s Britain in this ultimate tragicomedy. It's hilarious, endlessly quotable and in the end very sad, and what it actually is most of all is a coming of age story. Withnail is a brilliant character, someone who hates the world when the real obstacle in his life is himself, and I (no name ever given) is his friend who must choose to break his way out of the life he's become so accustomed to and move on to make something of his life, hard as that may be. The setting of the end of the 1960s serves as a perfect metaphor for the struggle the characters face, and the ending is very emotional. I'm sure many people can relate to the characters in some way, but whatever you do, even in these times of lockdown, do not try the drinking game associated with it, you will likely die.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

'Pan's Labyrinth' is nothing like anything I've ever seen before. First of all, it's subtitled yet doesn't feel like it at all, which is something I can't even begin to understand, and second of all, it's a historical drama about the Spanish Civil War alongside a fantasy adventure, both happening simultaneously and focusing on Ofelia, a young girl who is caught up in both worlds. When I first watched it I just enjoyed it so much to not even think about what on earth it is all about, and this is (as well as whether or not the fantasy world is supposed to be real) is something del Toro has said is open to interpretation. But I think what is is about is the importance of storytelling and its relation to actual historical events. Never has this importance been so uniquely demonstrated.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

A fan favourite, and for good reason. I love this film for the same reasons so many do. The story of an innocent man condemned to a lifetime in prison and his refusal to lose hope is one for the ages, even if nobody noticed it when it was originally released. The thing that makes this film is the performances of Robbins and Freeman as two men who just become really great friends, despite having opposing opinions as to whether their respective glasses are half full or half empty. The running time really does manage to reflect the length of time spent waiting, and although when you actually think back on it the story is ludicrous, you don't notice it when you watch it, because the performances are just so convincing. It is a story at the end of the day, and its message, hope can set you free, is important. Oh, I suppose this relates to the lockdown as well. Wasn't intentional.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Ain't war hell? It certainly is and never has it been demonstrated better than in Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam epic. The film shows the horror of war from two different angles, and is split into two parts, the training and the conflict itself, both depicted as being equally brutal in different ways. Many people seem to prefer the first half of the film but I think both parts work together well. In fact, duality is a key theme in the film. Look at the poster with the peace sign next to 'Born to Kill' on Private Joker's helmet. And, besides being a brilliant exploration of the psychology of war and human nature, it features a very entertaining and largely improvised performance by R. Lee Ermey as the drill sergeant (who was one on real life). A must see.

High Noon (1952)

I love Westerns, but this one was actually shunned by many fans of the genre, including, famously, John Wayne, who starred in 'Rio Bravo' as an answer to everything he thought was wrong with it. That's because many saw it as a parable to the actions of the HUAC and its deeming of things to be Un-American and sympathetic to communism. Many writers, directors and actors were abandoned by their friends when faced with accusations by this commitee, among them screenwriter Carl Foreman. And so, the story, in real time, follows marshal Will Kane waiting for the noon train, on which rides Frank Miller, who seeks revenge against Kane for sending him to jail. The film then follows Kane going round town trying to find support only to be shunned by everyone in a tense countdown to the final meeting. And yet he won't back down. It's the ultimate story of standing up for your beliefs in the face of all adversity, and this has resonated. Despite the context of its production and release it has since been a favourite of Conservatives and Liberals, and it was first recommended to me by a Catholic Priest. Now I'm recommending it to you.

There Will Be Blood (2007 - my favourite film)

As my favourite film of all time, this is testament to the impact a performance can have on how good a film is. Because it's Daniel Day-Lewis who makes this movie with his outstanding portrayal of Daniel Plainview, a ruthless, greed-consumed oil man in the Old West. It wouldn't be the best film I've ever seen of course, without Paul Thomas Anderson's perfect story and direction, and an excellent supporting cast (Paul Dano especially - who only found out he was playing his character shortly before filming). But it is without a doubt Day-Lewis who carries the film. There's lots going on; it's obviously an exploration of capitalism, and with Dano's preacher who opposes Daniel, religion. But I think more than ever this is a character study of a man. You never learn much about Daniel - when asked about his past all he says is "I don't want to talk about those things," but his descent into greed and madness reveals so much about him. There are plenty of films, especially these days, where characters' stories and intentions are not black and white, and where good and evil is not clear. I love these films, and I think they're important in this day and age, but never have these themes been explored so perfectly than in Day-Lewis's performance in this film.