100 Favorite Films - #100 - #91

I decided the time was right to sit down and come up with a list of my all time favorite films, and I feel great about it now that it is complete. These aren't merely films that I love, these are works that for one reason or another I truly feel a special connection with.

Some of these films I have seen literally over 100 times, and others only once. Hell, one film listed was only released roughly one month ago. No matter what the circumstances or the amount of time a movie has resonated with me, whether it was a childhood favorite or an unforgettable experience from the last few years, all of these belong.

I will post these in groups of ten, starting with the bottom of the list. Here are my #100 through #91 favorite films of all time.

100. Before Sunrise (1995)

My Review of Before Sunrise

Director Richard Linklater may very well be on the verge of winning an Oscar in a few months for his astonishing masterpiece Boyhood, and he is probably best known for his iconic coming of age comedy Dazed and Confused, but back in 1995 the film Before Sunrise was released, a film about romance unlike anything I have ever seen before. It's simplicity and chemistry between the two leads, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, resulted in something truly beautiful, and it turned out to be the start of an unbelievable unique and brilliant trilogy.

99. The Master (2012)

After witnessing the film There Will Be Blood (which will surprisingly not appear on this list, because it is a great achievement), I made a connection and I announced it to a few others familiar with the work of Paul Thomas Anderson: he is the modern day Stanley Kubrick. That isn't to say he is on a Kubrick level yet, he isn't, and the fact that I believe this will is pretty obvious since this is the only Anderson film in my top 100 where as Kubrick will be covered a whole lot, but PTA is quite possibly the only auteur out there today that has the audacity to be willing to work in basically any genre and always release something masterful. 

The Master is a bold, brilliantly crafted film featuring a couple of inspired performances from Joaquin Phoenix and the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Not everyone will connect with this one, as it has proved to be quite polarizing, but it absolutely worked wonders for me. 

98. District 9 (2009)

When science fiction is done right, it will find a way into my heart, plain and simple. The debut feature from director Neill Blomkamp, District 9 is extraordinary, on the surface a fascinating film about extraterrestrial refugees forced to live in squalor in South Africa, but bubbling beneath is a political subtext that carries with it a real message. It's confident, it's exciting, its brash, and it's a hell of a ride. 

97. Breathless (1960) 

My Review of Breathless

One of the earliest and most influential films of the French New Wave, Breathless is a film that I can search all day for the right adjective to describe it, but in the end the best fit is simply...cool. It is so damn cool. Directed by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard, the film tells the story of a criminal named Michel who is on the run from the law after shooting a police officer. He tracks down his girlfriend Patricia in hopes of acquiring money, a place to lay low for a bit and to see if she will leave Paris behind for Italy. Considered to be one of the greatest works of cinema and rightfully so, I can't get enough of Breathless.

96. Heat (1995)

Heist films don't get much better than this. In fact in my world, they don't get better than this. Written, produced and directed by Michael Mann, Heat features an all star cast of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer and Ashley Judd, and it is a film that perfectly balances scenes of intense action with all sorts of character development and smart writing. Watching these amazing performers work with material that is worthy of their talents is a thing to behold. 

95. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Directed by Michel Gondry working with a screenplay by the brilliant Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the perfect example of taking a fresh and interesting idea and executing it to perfection. The film focuses on a relationship gone wrong between a man named Joel (Jim Carrey) and a woman named Clementine (Kate Winslet), and it uses a science fiction twist involving new technology that allows people to undergo a procedure to have someone erased from their memories. As they lose those once treasured memories you can't help but wonder...are even the bad memories of someone you once loved worth losing? Would you really want to forget someone forever? A powerful and uniquely quirky film.

94. American Beauty (1999)

The Best Picture winner in 2000, director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball showcase a twisted and memorable look at suburbia with a focus on one specific family, the Burnhams. The lead role is played by Kevin Spacey as Lester, and my goodness what a brilliant performance it is. Great yet flawed characters, a smart script and all sorts of sequences that emotionally resonate with me, American Beauty is a film that I find impossible to shake no matter how long I go between revisits. 

93. Pacific Rim (2013)

No, that isn't a typo. Pacific Rim finds its way into a list of my favorite films of all time, and it absolutely belongs here. In fact, I am a tad bothered it isn't a little higher up on the list the more I think about it, but I will leave it be for now. See, while some watch this film and see silly characters and nothing more than a giant robots fighting giant monsters movie, I had actual tears in my eyes while I marveled at this beast on the biggest IMAX screen. The tears weren't extracted due to story beats taking place on screen, no, they found their way to the surface because for those two hours, I was a kid again. I didn't care if the acting was perfect, I didn't care about thematic relevance, and I don't care now if it seems odd that a film of this nature would be lumped in with some of the classics also listed. While I watch Pacific Rim, I remember what it was like to just let my guard down, sit back and enjoy a thrilling ride with the biggest smile on my face.

Guillermo del Toro accomplished what he set out to do as he brought his dream kaiju project to the big screen, and I totally love it for exactly what it is.

92. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

My Review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I am certain that this is the winner of the longest title on the list award, this was my introduction to the vision of Andrew Dominik, although that isn't exactly surprising given the limited nature of his filmography. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a perfectly crafted western drama, and the stars of the film for me were not the obvious choices of Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. No, I fell head over heels for this film thanks to the strikingly beautiful photography by the amazing Roger Deakins and the haunting score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. Sounds silly for a film to make my all time favorites list when the reason I love it is the cinematography and the score, I know, but trust me. The work done here in these departments is remarkable.

91. Predator (1987)

My Review of Predator

Predator isn't just some cool action film from my childhood that can be lumped in with others. Predator is THE action film from my childhood, and I learned with my revisit recently that it is still just as great today. The pacing is electric, the tension is built perfectly and the silly over-the-top performances are necessary for the material. Some of the imagery in this film is unforgettable and the same goes for some of the hysterically quotable dialogue. Perhaps this wouldn't work quite as well for me if I had seen it for the first time as an adult, but I will never be able to prove that out because the fact is, I practically watched Predator on repeat when I was probably too young to do so and because of that I hold it in high regard.

In the near future I will continue on my list with numbers 90-81, and the image above is from a film that will appear. Any films listed you also love? Any choices you find to be ridiculous? Let me know, I will appreciate the feedback regardless.

Before Midnight Review

I feel weird referring to Before Midnight as the final film of the amazing love story because no one has actually ruled out the possibility of returning to do it again in 2022, when the characters will be 50 years old. If this does indeed conclude the wonderful romance of Jesse and Celine, at least they went out on top. All three films are beautiful, inspired works, but Before Midnight is just a step ahead of the others, the perfect conclusion to a trilogy of masterpieces.

The film falls into a bit darker territory than the first two, but that is to be expected. Before Sunrise and Before Sunset were about falling head over heels in love at a young age, and then reconnecting after years apart, both of which are scenarios that are typically associated with happy thoughts. Before Midnight is our first glimpse at these characters experiencing a true relationship, now nine years actually together and raising twin daughters while Jesse deals with the pain that comes from being away from his son from his previous marriage. These are real problems people face and the love shared between our two leads has never felt more believable because let's be honest, life isn't perfect. Sure, it may be easier to watch two people smile and kiss and say absolutely the greatest thing at the greatest time, but I prefer the realism of how raw and painful love can be.

The entire film has the similar sublime flow of the first two, except something about the setting of the outdoor sequences makes them feel even more vibrant and alive this time around. The real shining moment of Before Midnight is ironically when it is at its darkest and most heartbreaking, the sequence that takes place in their hotel room. There is an energy and a passion during that scene that is so believable that it literally makes me uncomfortable, like I am watching something I shouldn't. The dialogue is so on point and the emotion seeps out of every single second we sit there and continue to watch something that was once so beautiful slowly unravel.

The amazing thing Linklater achieves though is that from this ugly feeling of sadness that felt like a punch to the gut, he manages to charm us all over again with a final scene that is impossible not to extract a smile. While some of the film may be hard to watch, when the camera drifts back and we live that final frame, I know I am left wanting more. As long as this level of quality and care went into making these films, I never want to completely say goodbye.


5/5

Before Sunset Review

Watching the Linklater trilogy in any fashion is incredible, but as a person who showed up late to the party and only screened these films for the first time last year, I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to actually follow Jesse and Celine through the years. Comparing it to other films with large gaps in time between releases doesn't quite work because rarely do the actual characters age on screen at the same rate as you do, and rarely do they feel as authentic and human. I would imagine if you started this journey with them in 1995, waiting nine years to see where their story would go next, these beautiful films would feel almost like documentaries about love and life. What was probably even more exciting is the fact that I doubt anyone knew for certain the story would even continue. I can't imagine waiting nearly a decade wondering if Jesse and Celine ever did meet up again six months in the future, and not having the answers sounds like agony.

I am jealous of this agony though. I am jealous of anyone who felt the euphoria of learning that a sequel would be made and the quintessential love story would continue. I am jealous of walking into the cinema with eager excitement, waiting for the passionate chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy to reignite before their eyes. I saw the trailer for Before Midnight before I ever even got to witness the way their love blossomed in Vienna over the course of one night, so I entered this wondrous cinematic trip already knowing that 18 years later they would be together in some regard. Regardless these are magical works, one of my all time favorite trilogies, but I have to wonder how much deeper my love for them could have been.

Perhaps that isn't the correct way to think about it though. Perhaps I saw these films at exactly the right time in my life, a time when I was married but still remember what it was like to first fall in love. A time when I still recall what it was like to fight for that relationship through the tougher times because I knew for a fact it was exactly what I wanted. A time when I already have a beautiful daughter and have had a chance to both accept and embrace the fact that everything changes after you experience the gift of bringing life into the world. A perfect balance of every possible emotion portrayed throughout these films, and their connection easily found a way to penetrate my soul.

Before Sunset has a flow to it that is intoxicating, as if I am soaking up every word they way seem to bask in the glow of the setting sun. The pacing is perfect to deliver absolutely everything you could ask for to understand the progression of these characters and their relationship. The dialogue is fresh and vibrant with a realistic tone to it, like they have actually be separated for so long and yet share a special bond that allows them to seemingly pick up right where they left off. Such intelligent, warm filmmaking, and Linklater knows exactly the right note to end the film, a moment that is sure to put a smile on your face yet also answer nothing about where Jesse and Celine will be in their lives if and when we were to ever see them again.

Pure magic.

5/5

Before Sunrise Review

My second journey through the Richard Linklater "Before" trilogy, and it was even more magical this time around. The story of Jesse and Celine as they first meet is the beginning of my favorite cinematic romance of all time, one that over the course of three films and 18 years is often times far from perfect, far from a fairy tale, but that is why I can't take my eyes off of them and the very authentic chemistry they share on screen. Romance portrayed in film is typically dripping in bullshit, the same story used year after year after year starring people like Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl and none of it works, none of it is believable. I cringe each time a new film is released that shows absolutely nothing resembling the real world and what a real relationship is like and yet people eat that shit up like it's a fine meal, while most people I meet have never even heard of Before Sunrise.

On paper the plot of Before Sunrise is just as guilty of being a horseshit story book romance, two young beautiful people meeting on a train and immediately connecting just screams of absurd sap, but my god this rather uneventful journey of two souls finding each other is on a whole new level of enchanting cinema. The first time I saw this film I will admit to being a bit taken aback by how heavy in dialogue and light on anything else it was, because I kept expecting some sort of typical Hollywood obstacles to test their fresh, profound feelings, but during this revisit I realized the entire situation is an obstacle. Time is their obstacle. Every word, every step, every passing minute is one step closer to a moment they both deeply dread yet don't want to think about until they have to: the idea that they will have to say goodbye and potentially never see each other again. 

The film brought me back to when I first met my wife and we had nothing to do one night so we just drove around and talked for hours, and these memories made me realize how absurd it is to say that nothing happens in Before Sunrise. The power of conversation, the tension between two people who are trying to determine the intensity of their feelings for each other, the fear of the unknown of what's to come. Sure, it would be easy to say we did nothing that night, just talked, drove around, but in reality everything happened that night. Every word set our future in motion and nine years later we have a daughter entering first grade. Was the night technically uneventful? Absolutely. 

Two human beings truly connecting though...it doesn't get much more exciting than that.

5/5