A personal selection
What´s your favourite movie?
People often ask me this question when I meet them for the first time and tell them that I am into movies. A taste of a certain movie genre or style can tell quite a lot about someone’s personality.
The multiple times I have been asked about my favorite movies, the same amount my answers have differed.
For me, movies are transporting a mood that can change over the years. My love for Sci-Fi can change into a deep admiration for 70-90 Horror movies. It can be exchanged with the love for romances, dramas and thrillers, as my life evolves and I get more mature (At least I hope so).
Even though, there are movies that stuck with me for a long time and that I don´t get tired to watch and recommend.
I had to stop at a certain point, but here they are.
Disclaimer:
I don´t consider these movies to be the best movies of all time, I am just attached to them by my history, the friends I have rewatched them with and the power of emotion they triggered in me when I watched it the first, or second, or twentieth time.
1) Jurassic Park (1993)
Steven Spielberg, 1993
It is the movie I have seen at least twenty times or more. I watched documentaries about it, I bought the book about the making of, I read the screenplay and the novel, reenacted the movie with my friends. Since the age of 6, I am obsessed with dinosaurs, I still know all of the names and started to read scientific papers about Jaw tension and excavation methods.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, it opened in theatres in 1993, I was 3 years old at that time, so I never had the chance to watch it in the cinema until they released the 3D version. I cannot recommend it for the 3D addition, but the movie itself is definitely a must-see.
Even though this piece of cinema history is more than 20 years old, the visual effects are still great, which is thanks to a combination of CGI and real props.
It is no original Screenplay but is based on a book by Michael Crichton (*). They made a wonderful job transferring the book into a screenplay, with just slight changes that don´t alter the story too much. Overall they contained the main message and mood of the book.
For me, the combination of Science Fiction and adventure elements, goofy characters like Dennis Nedry, and a great cast are what makes it so loveable for me.
If I were about to pick a most favorite scene it would be the video sequence of Mr. DNA (which also gave name to this blog).
2) Titanic
James Cameron, 1997
“It´s not up to you to save me, Jack” Rose DeWitt Bukater
First of all, let´s not talk about the door. Yes, it is big enough for two people. Yes, it is strange how Jack dies, and it would have been easy to find a way to let him go without so much conflict potential to male-watchers who can not stand the romance parts. But aside from this clear flawful plot hole, the story of the true event that happened on the 14th of April 1912 has never before been pictured with so much love for the realistic details.
I am a fan of the whole titanic story and watched documentaries about the wreck, read multiple books about trying to conceal her. I am fascinated by the topics and mysteries that surround her, about the analogy of men thinking they can contain nature, about the many coincidences that lead to her hitting the iceberg.
What I would love to say about this ship and the dreams it carried is too much for this post here, I think I will write one in the future.
My favorite scene, which always makes me break into tears is when the engineer Mr. Andrews is resetting the clock, meanwhile, it is clear that the ship will sink. “I am sorry that I couldn´t build you a better boat, Rose.”
3) Commando
Mark L. Lester, 1985
How can we acknowledge bare action movies with brainless screenplays as true cinema lovers? Because they have cut the meaning of cinema down to its core – entertainment.
And this particular masculine body-dominated action slick with Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix who is trying (or succeeding) to rescue his captured daughter is containing the essence of what a good no-brain-action-movie has to offer.
Great stunts, explosions, bad puns, and more.
Simply breathtaking eighties action movie by Director Mark L. Lester.
The screenplay is also quite entertaining to read. The author Steven E. de Souza, wrote many iconic screenplays during the 80, like Die Hard, Running Man, and the comic book adaption Judge Dredd.
Download the screenplay by clicking the title below. (This redirects you to Awesome Movie Scripts and Screenplays (awesomefilm.com))
4) Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, 2012
Coming-of-age movies always touch me. Put some teenagers, or kids in a scenario where they are confronted with adult world problems and let them have their own child solution to it. Perfect, I´m in.
This particular one was my ever first Wes Anderson movie and the colors, his visual style, the music, and the actors just blew me away in tears,
To this day it is my favorite Wes Anderson movie because it touches the heart of old and young.
I also love the analogies to other movies like Shawshank Redemption.
5) Mad Max 4
George Miller, 2015
Another action movie. Or in my opinion the best action movies of the last decade.
What fascinates me, is how serious director George Miller took this simple plot. A convoy of tanks that contains gasoline drives from one point in the desert to another. Then they get robbed. I like it so much because this movie doesn´t want to be more than it is. No pointed fingers, no romance, no hidden topics. You get only what you see.
It is one of the oldest stories of movies, a train robbery. Only in perfect 4K, ultra yellow-tinted colors, a huge truck, and many many crazy stunt scenes.
The movie has become popular for its intelligent use of camerawork, a great combination of CGI and practical effects, but not for its story.
Once again a movie to be enjoyed on a big screen with no interruption and no neighbors who don´t like loud sound effects.
6) Raiders of the lost ark (Indiana Jones)
Steven Spielberg, 1981
He is a professor with a whip who hunts treasure out of the hands of Nazis.
It´s a mystery story, it is magical, it is wonderful, it is exotic.
There is so much to like about this movie, once again a topic for a whole post.
If you are german-speaking here is a wonderful podcast that talks about all the greatness of this movie.
For me, it contains one of the most intelligent and best-structured action scenes of movie history. Indiana Jones tries to get out of the desert with a guarded plane.
Indiana is likable, ironic, brave but still not immortal (that happens in the third part) which makes him a real person.
7) The Departed
Martin Scorcese, 2006
Shippin up to Boston! That song was stuck in my head for weeks!
Even though it was complicated for me to distinguish between Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg when I was younger, it led to me having to watch this movie again, right after I had seen it the first time.
Maybe this way I could appreciate this movie again, after having been overwhelmed by the complex story and the great actors.
8) Shutter Island
Martin Scorcese, 2010
The first time I saw this movie in the cinema was during my first date with my wife.
I had seen the trailer and was not interested at all, but she wanted to go and I wanted to go with her.
In the first half, I thought it is one of the dumbest movies I had ever seen. And then it turned around, it developed and when it was finished, I was baffled by one of the biggest plot twists I had seen so far.
It is based on a book by Dennis Lehane (*) (2010), which is adapted often word by word. This shows how dense the topic is and how slim the edge on which we can be led to think the one thing or the other.
9) Fifth Element
Luc Besson, 1997
I have seen this movie as often as Jurassic Park since my family loved it. With a big family, it is sometimes hard to find a movie that everybody likes, but this one combines action, comedy, sci-fi, and Bruce Willis. We love Mila Jovovich as much as Gary Oldman.
10) The Big Blue
Luc Besson, 1988
I am not sure if I should put it on here.
I LOVED this movie when I was younger. Its calm storytelling and moody atmosphere hooked me from the beginning and I have seen it quite often.
Until I was pointed at the miserable way in which women are portrayed in this movie. The hero is male, his female partner loves him from first sight and follows him even though he doesn´t show any real interest. By this, the dramatic ending loses its impact since we cannot take her seriously as a modern female character.
Still, Luc Besson did a great job catching a dreamy look and feel, and we have Jean Reneau in a great dramatic comedic role.
Conclusion:
That´s my totally personal top ten.
Can you relate? Do you have personal favorites?
Leave a comment below, I would be happy to talk movies!
Have a great day,
Benedikt