Please refer to http://goo.gl/Oe7tO5, which explains the criteria for this series and don't forget to check out Kyle's blog for his lists, too!
46. Titanic
Year: 1997
Director: James Cameron
Titanic seems to be a polarizing film these days. Cited by some as one of the greatest movies ever made and by others as cliched and over hyped. I count myself firmly in the former camp and have loved Titanic since I first saw it in the theaters in 1997. As a 15 year old boy, I wasn't exactly the target demographic and I wasn't well versed in cinema, but that didn't stop me from appreciating the beautiful cinematography, wonderful score, and amazing set and costume design. The two lead performances from Leonardo DiCaprio (now one of my favorite actors) and Kate Winslet were nearly perfect for a film like this. The supporting cast had definite standouts (Bernard Hill, Victor Garber, Gloria Stuart, and Kathy Bates) and a couple (Billy Zane and Frances Fisher) who could have used less screen time. James Cameron is no stranger to making fantastic films (The Terminator, The Abyss, T2: Judgement Day) but I think Titanic is by far his greatest achievement. The epic scale of his production is almost hard to comprehend and the attention to detail in recreating the fabled ship is second to none. Of course, Titanic isn't perfect, and it's one considerable flaw is Cameron's screenplay. It's a bit weak in certain areas, most notably the dialogue. This type of flaw is usually a deal breaker for me (I generally gravitate to character/dialogue heavy films), but considering everything else that Titanic does so exceptionally well, it's a flaw I can forgive.
47. Toy Story 3
Year: 2010
Director: Lee Unkrich
I've written about Toy Story 3 once before, when it topped my list of Favorite Animated Films. It's a wonderful film and the perfect ending to my favorite film series.
48. True Romance
Year: 1993
Director: Tony Scott
One of the best action/crime/drama/dark comedies of the 1990's, True Romance is a late addition to this list. It originally didn't make the cut, but after a different film fell off I decided to replace it with this Tony Scott directed and Quentin Tarantino penned flick. True Romance is one of the rare films that succeeds despite featuring two bland lead performances (from generally poor actors Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) because of the fantastic screenplay, excellent direction, crackling soundtrack, and magnificent supporting performances. Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper shine (and share the best scene in the film) and show why they had such prolific careers - the two are absolutely magnetic. Gary Oldman chews up so much scenery and seems to be having such a blast as a white gangster who is extremely drawn to African American culture, that it's hard not to smile at his character even while he does and says terrible things. Samuel L. Jackson, Bronson Pinchot, Michael Rapaport, Saul Rubinek, James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt, and Val Kilmer add to the film's appeal. Each actor is nearly perfect in their role, whether it be substantial or tiny. Tony Scott certainly had a flair for directing action/drama hybrids (I also really love Crimson Tide and Man on Fire), but thanks to Tarantino's script and the great cast, True Romance is by far my favorite work of his.
49. Wag the Dog
Year: 1997
Director: Barry Levinson
I'm not generally into politics or political films, but there are a handful of exceptions. Wag the Dog is the best and most entertaining of those exceptions and it's probably due to the mixing of behind the scenes Hollywood and behind the scenes Washington politics with hilarious satire that draws me in so well. Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro are flawless as a film producer and political spin-doctor, respectively, who team up to create a fake war to divert attention during a presidential election scandal. The two have an amazing amount of chemistry, which shouldn't be surprising considering they're two of the finest American actors of the last 50 years. Hoffman's Stanley Motss has always struck me as a Robert Evans inspired character, which is just fine by me - Evans is one of the most interesting Hollywood figures that I know. The supporting cast is almost as good and features wonderful little performances from Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, William H. Macy, John Michael Higgins, Craig T. Nelson (in an uncredited role) and Woody Harrelson. Wag the Dog is the type of film that relies heavily on the writing and acting, and is not much to look at otherwise. This isn't to say the technical aspects like direction, editing, and cinematography are lacking, but they're just not the highlight like they are in some films. The only sub par aspect of the whole film is Anne Heche, who unfortunately has the third largest role and just doesn't offer much of anything noteworthy. With a better actress in her role, Wag the Dog could be even better, but it's a small quibble with an otherwise glorious film.
50. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Year: 1971
Director: Mel Stuart
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is one of my few childhood favorites that still endures to this day. In fact, I probably appreciate the film more now that I did when I first saw it because now I can see just how magnificent Gene Wilder truly was as the titular character, an eccentric and devious candy factory owner. Wilder's performance mixes deadpan sarcasm, physical humor, and nonverbal communication (his facial reactions are priceless) with an eerie undercurrent of malevolence to create one of the most interesting, funny, and memorable film characters I've seen. He narrowly missed a spot on my Favorite Lead Actor Performances list from last year and was a hard one for me to cut. The rest of the film doesn't match Wilder's performance, but it's still (mostly) a blast from start to finish. There are great songs (The Candy Man, I've Got a Golden Ticket, Pure Imagination, and all the Oompa Loompa tunes), fun supporting characters (most notably Grandpa Joe, Violet Beauregarde, Mr. Slugworth, and Mike Teevee), and an engaging and thoughtful main character in Charlie, played quite well by Peter Ostrum in his only film role. The one part that's a certifiable dud (and that I usually fast forward through now) is when Charlie's mom sings the dreadful ballad Cheer Up Charlie. This is a film that I'm sure I'll enjoy for the rest of my life and I'm really looking forward to watching with my son one day soon.
Well, that's it! All finished with the ten part series! I hope to have inspired at
least one person to check out a film or two and I hope to read some
comments down below. Do you like any of these films? Hate any of them?
Let me know, please!
Coming up next Friday: The Most Beautiful Films I've Seen!
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