By Adrian Nathaniel Groves
In no particular order, 100 films I’ve enjoyed over and over again!
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Ocean’s Eleven (2001) Fresh out of prison, Danny Ocean sets up a dream robbery, roping in ten other experts to help. His object: the vaults of the three biggest Las Vegas casinos. Along with a cool $150 million, he hopes to win back ex-wife Tess, who just happens to be dating a big casino owner… With neither a badly-pressed suit nor a redundant scene in sight, Ocean’s Eleven is as slick as they come – and that’s a compliment rather than a criticism. Joyfully entertaining and effortlessly re-watchable.
After receiving a panic-stricken phone call from his terrified ex-girlfriend Emily (de Ravin), high-school loner Brendan (Gordon-Levitt) sets out to infiltrate the illicit cliques she left him for, aided by sidekick Brain (O’Leary) and the mysterious Laura With a superb lead turn by rising star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rian Johnson’s debut is a smart, original neo-noir that works as an ingenious mindgame as well as a slick Hollywood calling card.
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) A ruthless boss sets his sales office a challenge with no rules and strange rewards A searing indictment of all sorts of American dreams, Glengarry Glen Ross is a welcome if foul-mouthed reminder of just what it takes for a lot of folk to make it through the working day.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) On a hot day in New York, three men set out to rob a bank. It’s supposed to take ten minutes, but things start going wrong from the beginning when one of them bails at the last minute. Four hours later, the bank is surrounded by police, a media circus, and crowds of well wishers. Pacino simmers in this daring and brilliantly constructed treatise on the many facets of a crime.
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (2007) As his gang and legend begin to fragment, train-robber and outlaw Jesse James (Pitt) is a haunted man. He can feel his death approaching, but can he foresee that fringe gang-member Robert Ford (Affleck) will be the man to pull the trigger? An extraordinary and visionary study of a legendary murderer’s famous fate, within touching distance of Oscars.
Caché (2005) A TV book show host (Auteuil) seems to have the perfect marriage. But cracks appear when he decides to act alone after he and his publisher wife (Binoche) begin receiving videotapes from a stalker who seems to know a great deal about their lives… Whether viewed as a political allegory or a domestic drama, this is the most accessible film yet from one of Europe’s very finest filmmakers.
Le Cercle Rouge (1970) Noir-ish urban Western which sees Jean-Pierre Melville bond three desperate men in crime. A classic cornerstone of the heist genre from a master of the nouvelle vague.
Crimes And Misdemeanors(1989) In two seperate stories of adultery; a New York doctor resorts to desperate measures to cover up his long-term adulterous affair. An unhappily married documentary filmmaker fights an adulterous temptation while making his latest movie on a TV producer. The little man again proves to be an absolute master at the craft of injecting sufficient wit, intelligence and compassion to make the end product a marvellously entertaining and provocative piece of work.
Dazed And Confused (1993) t’s the last day of the school year in 1976, and everyone’s ready for a party. First, however, the incoming freshmen students must go through bizarre initiation rituals organised by the soon-to-be-seniors, while everyone does their best to get stoned or get laid. Despite some gags which use the benefit of hindsight too much for their own good, this is a smart piece of filmmaking which suggests Linklater is already one of the more formidable talents of the 90s.
Shaun Of The Dead (2004) Shaun, a North London loser, is a disappointment to his girlfriend, family, friends and flatmate. Only his mate Ed, an even bigger loser, looks up to him. Then flesh-eating zombies overrun the city and Shaun is forced to take responsibility for the survival of his corner of humanity… A surprisingly good TV transfer for the Spaced crew. It may not exactly be Ealing, but it’s funny for long stretches. Even when in danger of self-destructing, it cadges laughs with smart lines, silly observations or blokish inside jokes about zombie movies, video games and pub nibbles. |
