My Favorite Films (Part 2)

Please refer to http://goo.gl/Oe7tO5, which explains the criteria for this series and don't forget to check out Kyle's blog at www.enterthemovies.blogspot.com for his lists, too!

6.  As Good As It Gets

Year: 1997
Director: James L. Brooks

Very few movies are as funny and heartwarming, in equal measure, as As Good As It Gets. It strikes the perfect balance between acerbic, sarcastic wit and emotional moments that tug on your heartstrings. Director/writer/producer James L. Brooks has a history of creating these kinds of films, like Academy Award winner Terms of Endearment or Broadcast News, and all three are very good examples of what great writing and great acting can do. Brooks is not a very talented visual director - his films, and As Good As It Gets is no exception, are not especially interesting to look at and he doesn't employ any tricks to enhance his shots. If the characters aren't interesting or if the performances fall flat, a film from Brooks will not be worth much. Luckily, that's not the case here. All of the characters, including the tiniest supporting parts, in As Good As It Gets are well written and fully developed. The cast, headlined by my all-time favorite actor Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, are superb. Nicholson and Hunt each deservedly won Academy Awards and Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Shirley Knight have never been better. Nicholson's Melvin Udall is one of my absolute favorite characters and he has some of the best quotes I've had the joy to hear.

7. Bad Santa

Year: 2003
Director: Terry Zwigoff

Bad Santa is a hilarious, crude, vile, mean spirited, and politically incorrect film. And I love it! Billy Bob Thornton has proven time and time again how very talented he is, but this may be his most impressive performance. He embodies his mall Santa/con man with such an edge and dry wit that he's impossible to forget. I saw Bad Santa for the first time in the theater in 2003 and have watched it nearly every year since - it's become a December tradition for my wife and I. It's a testament to the film's great writing, direction, and performances that it never fails to entertain me, even after a dozen or so viewings. Very few films have that magic. In addition to Thornton, the rest of the cast is wonderful, as well. Lauren Graham is funny and sexy. Tony Cox is great. John Ritter (in his final film role) and Bernie Mac are perfect. The real standout of the supporting cast, however, is young Brett Kelly. He turned in quite possibly the funniest performance I've ever seen from a child actor. His deadpan delivery and persona were the perfect compliment to Thornton's over the top performance. Bad Santa is the kind of comedy where I still laugh so hard that I cry, even after all this time. I can't think of a better compliment for a film.

8. Cast Away

Year: 2000
Director: Robert Zemeckis

One of my favorite movie going experiences was watching Cast Away in the theater - I can still remember which theater and which auditorium, plus the general seating location. I had wanted to see it, but didn't really expect much from the film. I was completely blown away by the story, by the lead performance, by the direction, by the score, by the visuals, by everything. To this day, I think that Tom Hanks' work in Cast Away is the single greatest performance I've ever seen. It takes a certain kind of actor to carry a film like this, a film where a large chunk (nearly an hour) of screen time is spent alone and with very little dialogue. Hanks does the job marvelously, showcasing not only a drastic physical transformation but an emotional one, as well. Robert Zemeckis is a hit or miss director for me, but there's no doubt about it - Cast Away is a hit. It's funny, sad, tense, scary, and inspiring. The 140 minute run time flies by and, at the end, I wanted even more. Cast Away has earned a place in not only my Top 50 favorite films, but in my Top 5.

9. Chicago

Year: 2002
Director: Rob Marshall

Musicals generally aren't my "thing". I can only think of two that I love, Hairspray (2007) and Chicago. The latter is an absolute powerhouse of a film. It features great performances, wonderful musical numbers and choreography, and a fun story. The main cast (Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere) have never been better and the supporting cast (notably John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, and Christine Baranski) are exemplary, creating fully realized characters in a small amount of time. Reilly, especially, is fantastic. His "Mr. Cellophane" song and dance is so entertaining, but also kind of heartbreaking.  All the musical numbers are exceptionally well done and catchy, to the point that I'm often humming or singing them for days after watching the film. Rob Marshall hasn't made anything I've wanted to see since Chicago, but that's alright by me. Very few people could direct a film like this and have it turn out to be such a amazing piece of work, a musical that I love and consider one of my favorite films ever.

10. Chinatown

Year: 1974
Director: Roman Polanski

Chinatown is often heralded as having one of the best written screenplays of all-time. I can't argue against that claim. The plot, characters, and dialogue are practically flawless. It builds tension and suspense, but also manages to be funny and thought provoking. I also think it should be held up as one of the greatest films, period. There's not an aspect of the film that doesn't work. Roman Polanski is one of my favorite filmmakers and this is his best film. The acting, especially from Jack Nicholson, making his second of five appearances on this list, and Faye Dunaway is top notch. John Huston, the legendary film director, turns in a menacing and nuanced performance as Nicholson's foil and Dunaway's father. The cinematography, score, editing, and production design are all award worthy. The film is set in Los Angeles in the 1930's and it seems as if it were actually filmed then, too. Everything from the set dressing to the wardrobe to the period specific vehicles are just perfect. Every time I watch Chinatown I love it a little bit more and it sits comfortably in my all-time Top 10 now.

Well, there's part two of this ten part series. Have you seen all of them? If not, get watching! Do you like any of these films? Hate any of them? Let me know, please!

Coming up next week: My Top 10 Lead Actor Performances.