Favourite Films

We own hundreds of movies and have seen hundreds more… I honestly cannot guess how many movies I’ve watched over the years.  I’ve written dozens of reviews and sometimes this means people ask, “What’s your favourite movie?” It’s an impossible question for a movie fan like me. So instead of telling you what my top movie is, here’s 20 that I have watched (or will watch) over and over because they are just that entertaining. I’ve put these in alphabetical order because I refuse to rank them; ask me again in six months and two or three of these will have fallen off to be replaced or reshuffled into the greater list of favourites…

10 Things I Hate About You — Shakespeare updated and with a fine cast that includes Julia Stiles, Heath Leger and Gordon Joseph Levitt. One part teen comedy, one part timeless classic, never fails to make me smile.

Apartment, The — Billy Wilder at his best. Stuffed with dry wit and pitch perfect performances from the three stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine & Fred MacMurray. The plot is a dark look at adultery and even touches on suicide but the whole of it is wrapped inside a romantic comedy.

Aristocrats, The — very, very R-rated documentary about the one joke that comedians keep in their back pocket to tell other comedians. It’s fascinating to see how different comedians tell it and if you can handle some of the extremely filthy jokes, it is worth your time.

Cabin in the Woods — this movie is a love letter to the horror genre and so much more. If you haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil it, but trust me it is worth your time — assuming you’re OK with blood and guts.

Beetlejuice — pure Tim Burton. I debated other Burton films — so many are on my faves list — but Beetlejuice really resonates for some reason. It’s not his best work but it’s got all the hallmarks: the crazy sets, death & creepiness, pretty girls in strange situations…

Dark Knight, The — perfection in a comic book film and worth it for the extremely twisted performance by Heath Leger. Unlike many franchise films, it’s not critical to see the preceding film (or the following one) to enjoy this movie.

Day the Earth Stood Still, The — even if you don’t know this movie, you’ve probably seen the robot, Gort or know the phrase that is used to make Gort stand down, “Klaatu, barada nikto.” The film is much more cerebral than most modern sci-fi and advocates peace rather than blowing stuff up.

Departed, The — this film surprised me; mob vs. cops, gritty crime drama but kept me thinking, wondering, and on the edge of my seat. It has one of the most seared-in-my-mind death scenes (ties with In Bruges for the same reason) and gave me much more respect for Martin Scorsese as a director.

Fantastic Mr. Fox — animated adaptation of a Roald Dahl story with a title character voiced by George Clooney. Mix that with Wes Anderson’s sensibility and a liberal dash of The Great Escape and you get a quirky and very entertaining film that doesn’t cuss around.

Groundhog Day — I avoided this film when it came out because I was no fan of either Bill Murray or Andie McDowell but this has become one of my go-to movies when I need a smile. The thing about Groundhog Day is that after a couple of viewings, it’s less about the comedy and more about the very deep philosophical reflection on immortality.

Host, The — this movie genuinely surprised me; it’s a horror movie on the surface but it’s also a heartwarming tale of the way family comes together in a time of crisis. The creature in this movie is like nothing you’ve seen and the way it comes into being may well haunt you.

In Bruges — I never imagined that bad boy Colin Farrell would be in a film so raw and brutal and well-acted as In Bruges. But for all its brutality, In Bruges is infused with heart and ripples with some of the funniest exchanges ever uttered on screen.

Inception — brilliant ensemble piece that really makes you think — in a good way. Lots of people complain about the ending (no I won’t spoil it) but for me, it was one last perfect note. It’s the kind of movie that you want to watch again right away because you want to look for things you missed the first time.

Prestige, The — yet another film that makes you think. The Prestige is about magic and magicians and illusions. It’s about misdirection and unexplained phenomena. It even has David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. It’s a period piece that isn’t really a period piece and the payoff took my breath away. Truly masterful storytelling. (And, yes, I know it’s based on a book. I have it, but haven’t read it yet.)

Raiders of the Lost Ark — the perfect adventure film. Dashing hero, feisty heroine, sidekicks, Nazis, crazy situations, wisecracks, and special effects that made the outrageous believable.

Run Lola Run — this film has been lampooned in dozens of different ways but the original is an adrenaline rush of a film that bears watching over and over. The core of the film is that every second counts and it illustrates this by tweaking tiny details of the same sequence of events three times. Brilliant.

Shallow Grave — dark, dark comedy. Early roles for Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston, Shallow Grave is a peek into the way greed corrupts. From the bitter sarcasm of the opening room-mate interviews to the last scene, I think this may well be my favourite black comedy (and I like black comedies a lot).

Spirited Away — a masterpiece of animation but also a wonderful story of a girl who perseveres in order to save her parents. There is magic both dark and wonderful with spirits, dragons, witches and monsters. I could easily have included either My Neighbour Totoro or Kiki’s Delivery Service instead, but I think Spirited Away is a slightly better film just on a technical level alone.

Talented Mr. Ripley — another dark movie, and a period piece, but with some very fine performances — I’d argue Matt Damon’s best performance — beautiful Mediterranean setting, and a creepy, psychotic, brilliant anti-hero.

Watchmen — I read the graphic novel a few months before we saw the film and I loved both. Fans of the novel generally don’t like the film but I completely understood the plot adjustments and didn’t miss what was skipped. Visually astounding, philosophically challenging and ultimately, moving.