Sometimes it's more interesting to know why somebody likes a thing rather than what the thing actually is. With that in mind, here's my top 5 best ever films (or sets of films)....... In descending order of course.
5: Titus - directed by Julie Taymore. Probably the most underrated film of 1999/2000.An adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragic (and honourable) Roman General. Anthony Hopkins is immense in this visual amalgamation of past/present and fantasy. Should have won at least 2 Oscars (best picture, best original soundtrack)
4: Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources. The vibrancy of the scenery, the sharpness of the dialogue, the simplistic beauty of the plot. French filming at its finest.
3: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy. Not only did it come close to the epic scale of the Star Wars Trilogy but actually managed to surpass it. No mean feat. A wonderful choice of location, of scenery, of fine photography, new technology and a sense of grandeur few other works can compare to. Oh, and the acting wasn’t bad either.
2: Casablanca. The finest tragi-romance since Romeo and Juliet. The setting,
that song! And the wonderful one-liners. Hollywood at its best!
1: Cinema Paradiso. What else? If you have a love of cinema then this is the one and only choice. That moment when Alfredo’s gift is revealed is probably one of the most touching in World Cinema. For me, a film I can watch over and over again and tell myself that the magic of cinema is still there.
There are so many fine films and I'm sure that by this time next year my fickle mind will have a new top 5. So there you have it. Want to add your own? The floor is yours peeps.
