The Films I've Seen In 2012...From Best to Worst
This is not a list of 2012 films,as I've seen only a few but of all the films I've watched,with many classic films that I have finally had the pleasure to see, and some of which I must say disappointed me...I will give my rating for each film as well.
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- DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement.This film always brings a smile to my face...one of the most entertaining films ever made...the casting is perfect and it's absolutely beautiful to look at...one of my all time favorites.
10 - DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsEmil JanningsEvelyn BrentWilliam PowellA former Imperial Russian general and cousin of the Czar ends up in Hollywood as an extra in a movie directed by a former revolutionary.One of the best films I've seen in a very long time with an amazing performance from the great Emil Jannings.
10 - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.A film that has gotten better with age...when I first saw this film it was Clint Eastwood that stood out for me,there are very few actors if any that have his screen presence... but now it's clear the real star is Eli Wallach,he has the most screen time and the most lines and his character Tuco is one of the most unforgettable characters in movie history,and one mustn't forget Lee Van Cleef,his film career is not as memorable as the other two but he will always be remembered for Angel Eyes, I can not think of three other actors to play the leads...Ennio Morricone's music score is legendary and the showdown at the end may be the greatest of all times...Sergio Leone's direction is perfection, his use of close-ups and sound in particular standout...I used to think this film was to long and needed a bit of trimming but after seeing the extended version was surprised that the length didn't bother me at all...One of the best westerns ever made and until I see Unforgiven again Clint's best movie.
10 - DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsChishû RyûChieko HigashiyamaSô YamamuraAn old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.An elegant and beautifully told story about an aging couple going to visit their children who in turn have no time to spend with them,with the exception of their single daughter(Hmmm is Ozu making a statment about marriage and family).I have seen only 2 other Ozu films Floating Weeds which I saw about 20 years ago and I don't remember very well, except that I thought it was great and The Only Son which I watched recently and what is fascinating to me is that The Only Son is filmed about 20 years before Tokyo Story and yet it feels similar and there doesn't seem to be any difference in his style of directing,when you watch most great directors like Ford,Hitchcock or Kurosawa you can see how over time their skill has improved but not with Ozu...it's like he perfected his craft from the beginning.Ozu tells the simplest of stories but they linger within you.Kurosawa was always called the most western of Japanese directors but I'm not so sure about that.Ozu's films strike an emotional cord that everyone can relate to.
10 - DirectorAlbert MayslesDavid MayslesCharlotte ZwerinStarsMick JaggerKeith RichardsMick TaylorWhen three hundred thousand members of the Love Generation collided with a few dozen Hells Angels at San Francisco's Altamont Speedway, the bloody slash that transformed a decade's dreams into disillusionment was immortalized on this film.I think this film that deals with the Stones rock tour in 1969 that ended with a concert goer being killed by a hell's angel with a free concert in Altamont Speedway is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.The final shot is a freeze frame of Mick Jagger looking at the camera just as he's about to leave the studio where he just watched the footage of the guy getting killed ...it's priceless.
10 - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'I've always loved the first 20 minutes or so of this film,it just pulls me in and never lets me go,the performances are terrific( Orson Welles was a great actor as well) and as a film that is generally looked at as a critics picture more than a film for the masses,it's probably the most entertaining critics pic out there.
10 - DirectorBenh ZeitlinStarsQuvenzhané WallisDwight HenryLevy EasterlyFaced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.Director Benh Zeitlin's first feature length film about a child's life in the Bayou's is something truly special...Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy gives a performance that you will never forget and Dwight Henry as her father is also quite good...far and away the best film of 2012.
10 - DirectorJosé PadilhaStarsWagner MouraAndré RamiroCaio JunqueiraIn 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his position while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope visits.Hard hitting and at times brutal film that deals with an elite squad of policeman trying to get rid of the criminal element in the slums of Rio before the pope arrives...they do not believe in the rights of the criminal but in justice, it will probably turn people off with leanings to the left...this film does not glamorize the violence,the criminals or even the police,unlike many American films that deal with the same subject matter-It's an amazing film and I would also highly recommend the sequel Elite Squad:The Enemy Within,which may even be better.
10 - DirectorRoberto RosselliniStarsAnna MagnaniAldo FabriziMarcello PaglieroDuring the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape.The story follows member's of the resistance movement against the Nazi's during their occupation of Rome...considered one of the first Neo-Realist films to come out of Italy(I would call it semi Neo-Realist since real actors were used in key roles) but it doesn't deter this film from being one of the best war films of all time.
10 - DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.The best film of 2011-I rarely give modern films a 10 but this one won me over,maybe because it really feels like a movie from a different era.
10 - DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsGeorge BancroftBetty CompsonOlga BaclanovaA blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.Beautifully told love story and one of Sternberg's best
9 - DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.One of the greatest directing debuts of all time but why Charles Laughton never directed again is beyond me...a film far darker than one would expect for that time,especially involving children with Robert Mitchum giving one of his best performances and Lillian Gish perfectly cast as well.
9 - DirectorMarcel CarnéStarsJean GabinJacqueline LaurentArlettyAfter committing a murder, a man locks himself in his apartment and recollects the events that led him to the killing.Jean Gabin gives one of his best performances in this terrific french film noir.
9 - DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsLino VenturaPaul MeurisseJean-Pierre CasselAn account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.Terrific film about French resistance during 1942 occupation.I find Melville's films very refreshing...you would think a film like this would have lots of action sequences but there aren't and I admit I was waiting for them at times but you begin to admire his simplistic approach,his focus is on the characters and he doesn't want anything to distract us from them.
9 - DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsJean-Paul BelmondoSerge ReggianiJean DesaillyA burglar betraying other criminals prepares for a big heist with a trusted friend who might be as untrustworthy as he.The first film I've seen from Melville but I can't wait to see more of his work after watching this terrific movie.
9 - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsAsa ButterfieldChloë Grace MoretzChristopher LeeIn 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.Funny how my 2 favorite films of last year deal with the cinema...as far as I'm concerned the best Scorsese film since Goodfella's.
9 - DirectorPeter YatesStarsDennis ChristopherDennis QuaidDaniel SternA working-class Indiana teen obsessed with the Italian cycling team vies for the affections of a college girl while searching for life goals with his friends.This is the definition of a crowd pleaser,the kind of film you watch and when it's over you feel good inside.
9 - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.The final chapter in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion and ranks right up there with the other two in being among the best comic book films ever made.
9 - DirectorMajid MajidiStarsHossein MahjoubMohsen RamezaniSalameh FeyziThe story of Mohammed, a blind Iranian boy and his father, Hashem, who is always oscillating between accepting his son as he is and abandoning him, as he represents a burden for him, after the loss of his wife.This may be the first Iranian film I've ever seen and it's amazing...the story of a blind Iranian boy who is loved by his grandmother but seen as a burden to his father who wants to send him away is acted in such a natural way that you don't see a performance and the way the sound is enhanced so that you hear everything crystal clear makes you feel that you are hearing it from the boy's perspective since his hearing would be enhanced due to his blindness.
9 - DirectorFlorian Henckel von DonnersmarckStarsUlrich MüheMartina GedeckSebastian KochIn 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.Great performances especially by Martina Gedeck and Ulrich Mühe and a compelling story make this a film to remember.
9 - DirectorW.S. Van DykeStarsJohnny WeissmullerNeil HamiltonC. Aubrey SmithA trader and his daughter set off in search of the fabled graveyard of the elephants in deepest Africa, only to encounter a wild man raised by apes.Exciting and entertaining adventure film that far exceeded my expectations and at times far sexier than a film from that period should be.
9 - DirectorCedric GibbonsJames C. McKayJack ConwayStarsJohnny WeissmullerMaureen O'SullivanNeil HamiltonThe idyllic life of Tarzan and Jane is challenged by men on safari who come seeking ivory, and come seeking Jane as well.I am so amazed at how entertaining these films are...I always thought these films at best would be mildly entertaining but they are terrific films.
9 - DirectorLeon GastStarsMuhammad AliGeorge ForemanDon KingBoxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.Very entertaining documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Ali and Foreman and everything that lead up to it.Ali is just amazing but I do wish there was a little more of Foreman.
9 - DirectorGillo PontecorvoStarsBrahim HadjadjJean MartinYacef SaadiIn the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.Undeniably powerful and yet it could of been better if one felt an emotional connection to the characters.
9 - DirectorCristian MungiuStarsAnamaria MarincaLaura VasiliuVlad IvanovA woman assists her friend in arranging an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania.Unforgettable film about a woman trying to get an illegal abortion in Romania and the friend that helps her...the emotional toll it takes on both these women is staggering...the scenes without dialogue say so much more than the scenes with.
9 - DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsBurt LancasterYvonne De CarloDan DuryeaAn armored truck driver and his ex-wife conspire with a gang to have his own truck robbed on the route.A must see film noir...Burt Lancaster at his best
9 - DirectorStuart WalkerMitchell LeisenStarsFredric MarchCary GrantJack OakieThe pilots of a Royal Air Force squadron in World War I face not only physical but mental dangers in their struggle to survive while fighting the enemy.A real surprise...A film that deals with the mental strain war can have on a person with dialogue that is surprisingly honest for it's time.
9 - DirectorRoger CormanStarsVincent PriceMark DamonMyrna FaheyUpon entering his fiancée's family mansion, a man discovers a savage family curse and fears that his future brother-in-law has entombed his bride-to-be prematurely.The best of the Corman/Price films based on Edgar Allen Poe's work
9 - DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsBarbara StanwyckVan HeflinLizabeth ScottA man is reunited with his childhood friend and her husband who believes he knows the truth about the death of her rich aunt years earlier.Another great film noir with all the stars in top form.
9 - DirectorKenji MizoguchiStarsKinuyo TanakaYoshiaki HanayagiKyôko KagawaIn medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.Haunting,sad and depressing but a film you won't forget.
9 - DirectorGabriele SalvatoresStarsAitana Sánchez-GijónDino AbbresciaGiorgio CarecciaA young boy accidentally discovers a deep hole in the ground, where another boy is kept prisoner.Not your typical crime film
9 - DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.Another great crime film...based on a true story
9 - DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsCatherine DeneuveJean SorelMichel PiccoliA frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute.Catherine Deneuve is perfectly cast as a sexually repressed housewife who decides to work at a brothel to spice up her life,this is the kind of film one expects from Bunuel,it blurs the lines between fantasy and reality that your not sure what's real and what's not...Bunuel is one of these directors who's films can be hard to interpret but I enjoy going along for the ride and trying to decipher them.
9 - DirectorWalter HillStarsRyan O'NealBruce DernIsabelle AdjaniA getaway driver becomes the latest assignment for a tenacious detective.Most people seem to prefer Drive the 2011 remake of this 1978 Walter Hill film but I think the original is just as good... Ryan O'Neal is terrific and the car chases are among the best ever done...this film gets better ever time I see it...One of Walter Hill's best films.
9 - DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsFredric MarchClaudette ColbertElissa LandiA Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.Cecil B. DeMille at his best or should I say most extravagant...Charles Laughton makes the most of his short time on screen and Colbert taking a milk bath is not to be missed and you just have to see what goes on in the arena....this may not be great cinema but it is great fun.
9 - DirectorNarciso Ibáñez SerradorStarsLewis FianderPrunella RansomeAntonio IranzoA couple of English tourists arrive on an island where all the children have gone crazy and are murdering the adults.A Horror Classic-This is a film I've been wanting to see for a very long time and after a slow start it more than delivers...I'm not sure this film could be made in the U.S....stay away if you don't like seeing children get hurt.
9 - DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsJeanne MoreauOskar WernerHenri SerreDecades of a love triangle concerning two friends and an impulsive woman.A love triangle spanning decades that ends in tragedy...perhaps Jeanne Moreau's best performance and one of Truffaut's best films.
9 - DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsAlain DelonFrançois PérierNathalie DelonAfter professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.Another great Melville film but I must confess I was a little disappointed...out of all the Melville film I've seen I thought this was going to be the best,that's what happens when you have high expectations for a film and they don't quite live up to them,a second viewing one of these days may change that.
9 - DirectorWilliam A. WellmanHarry d'Abbadie d'ArrastStarsClara BowCharles 'Buddy' RogersRichard ArlenTwo young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I.All I ever knew about this film was that it won the first oscar and the aerial footage was among the best ever filmed and it is but I think the story holds up quite well.
9 - DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansScarlett JohanssonEarth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.The humor in this film makes this one of the best comic book movies ever made,all the characters work well together and we finally have The Hulk I've been waiting for...he even gets the best line " Puny God" haha
9 - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.If there was ever a film by Hitchcock that was more Hitchcockian than the rest it's Vertigo and that's probably why it is regarded as his best film and is now considered the greatest film of all time. I've always felt that the actors were like puppets in the puppet masters hands and maybe that's my problem with it, I admire it more than I enjoy it,unlike Rear Window,North By Northwest and others which I enjoy just as much as I admire. Don't get me wrong it's a great film worth seeing but for me it's far from his best.
9 - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.I avoided this film for the longest time because someone had told me what the twist was but it really didn't matter...this is a terrific ghost story, it grabs your attention right from the beginning and holds it til the very end... one of the best horror films of all time.
9 - DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsGary OldmanColin FirthTom HardyIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.Gary Oldman gives one of his best performances in this deliberately paced spy thriller...definitely not a film for those who need some action in their movies to make the time go by but I loved the slow pace and was thoroughly involved in the story.
9 - DirectorLeos CaraxStarsDenis LavantEdith ScobEva MendesA man boards a limousine to be driven to his day's work: nine mysterious "appointments."Original and bizarre and a movie that I'm not really sure what it's about but it's absolutely fascinating and never boring...I don't know if that makes it a great film but it was certainly a great viewing experience and Denis Lavant is marvelous in the lead playing various roles from a beggar to a killer and my favorite a creepy crazed pscho who kidnaps Eva Mendes.
9 - DirectorSam WoodSidney FranklinStarsRobert DonatGreer GarsonTerry KilburnAn aged teacher and former headmaster of a boarding school recalls his career and his personal life over the decades.Even though this film about a teacher looking back at his career is overly sentimental,it worked for me and Robert Donat is terrific in the lead.
9 - DirectorKenji MizoguchiStarsKinuyo TanakaTsukie MatsuuraIchirô SugaiFollows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of society.Sad and depressing story about the price a woman paid for falling in love with someone she was not allowed to be with.
9 - DirectorErnst LubitschStarsCarole LombardJack BennyRobert StackDuring the German occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.It may not be as great as I once thought it was but this is still a wonderful screwball comedy...probably the best thing Jack Benny ever did.
9 - DirectorNicholas JareckiStarsRichard GereSusan SarandonBrit MarlingA troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help.A role perfectly suited for Gere and a reminder of just how good an actor he can be...without question one of his best films.
9 - DirectorThorold DickinsonStarsAnton WalbrookDiana WynyardFrank PettingellTwenty years after the murder of Alice Barlow, her house is finally occupied again. However, the husband from the couple who have moved in has a secret which he will do anything to keep hidden.Most consider this version better than the Bergman-Boyer one...I would have to agree but not by much.
9 - DirectorGeorge MarshallStarsMarlene DietrichJames StewartMischa AuerDeputy sheriff Destry tames the town of Bottle Neck, including saloon singer Frenchy.Stewart And Dietrich work well together in this highly enjoyable Western/Comedy.
9 - DirectorErnst LubitschStarsMarlene DietrichHerbert MarshallMelvyn DouglasA woman and her husband take separate vacations, and she falls in love with another man.I'm at a loss to understand why this film is considered a disappointment for all involved...I think it's a terrific sophisticated comedy/romance.
9 - DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneRhys IfansAfter Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.I was one of those who thought it was to soon to do a reboot of Spiderman and for about the first half hour I felt that way but than the relationship of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy took over and like the relationship in Spiderman 2 between Parker and Mary Jane Watson(The best in the franchise) I was hooked.The chemistry between the two turned what started out as an O.K. film into a great film.
9 - DirectorLeni RiefenstahlStarsAdolf HitlerHermann GöringMax AmannThe infamous propaganda film of the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany.I'm not sure this piece of propaganda has the power that it once did but I still feel this is an important film to see.
9 - DirectorJee-woon KimStarsSong Kang-hoLee Byung-hunJung Woo-sungThe story of two outlaws and a bounty hunter in 1940s Manchuria and their rivalry to possess a treasure map while being pursued by the Japanese army and Chinese bandits.Sit back,relax and enjoy the ride...one of the most entertaining films to come out in the last few years and a great homage to the Leone classic.
9 - DirectorHark TsuiStarsTony Ka Fai LeungChao DengCarina LauAn exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.Great action/mystery film
9 - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsErrol FlynnBrenda MarshallClaude RainsGeoffrey Thorpe, a buccaneer, is hired by Queen Elizabeth I to nag the Spanish Armada. The Armada is waiting for the attack on England and Thorpe surprises them with attacks on their galleons where he shows his skills on the sword.Rousing adventure film and one of Errol Flynn's best
9 - DirectorMax OphülsStarsCharles BoyerDanielle DarrieuxVittorio De SicaWhen an aristocratic woman known only as "Madame de . . ." sells a pair of earrings given to her by her husband in order to pay some debts, she sets off a chain reaction of financial and carnal consequences that can end only in despair.Maybe Charles Boyer's best performance
9 - DirectorClaude SautetStarsEmmanuelle BéartMichel SerraultJean-Hugues AngladeWhen Nelly, a woman being just divorced, meets by chance M. Arnaud, a mature salesman just retired, begins a strange and special relationship between the two personalities.Emmanuelle Béart and Michel Serrault are wonderful in this film about 2 lonely people who find something in each other that they need.
9 - DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsChôko IidaShin'ichi HimoriMasao HayamaA widow sends her only son away to receive a better education. Years later, she visits him, finding him a poor school teacher with a wife and son.A story of a woman who makes sacrifices in her life so that her son can go to Tokyo and get a better education and a better life only to visit him years later and be somewhat disappointed by what he has become.Wonderful early Ozu film.
9 - DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsEmil JanningsMaly DelschaftMax HillerAn aging doorman is forced to face the scorn of his friends, neighbors and society after being fired from his prestigious job at a luxurious hotel.This film should be much higher on my list but the ending to this film changed everything-it seemed so out of place from everything that transpired before...still a great film with another terrific performance from Emil Jannings.
9 - DirectorRouben MamoulianStarsTyrone PowerLinda DarnellBasil RathboneA young Spanish aristocrat must masquerade as a fop in order to maintain his secret identity of Zorro as he restores justice to early California.Tyrone Power is perfectly cast as Zorro in this exciting swashbuckler.
9 - DirectorBong Joon HoStarsKim Hye-jaWon BinJin GooA mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.Sometimes you know where a film is heading but this film truly surprised me... Hye-ja Kim as the mother is unforgettable.-Another great crime film from S. Korea
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsJean-Louis TrintignantEmmanuelle RivaIsabelle HuppertGeorges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are terrific as a married couple in their 80's who's love is tested like it's never been tested before.
9 - DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsFredric MarchEvelyn VenableGuy StandingThe Grim Reaper takes the form of a Prince in an attempt to relate to humans and, along the way, also learns what it is to love.Death finds love-The ending was quite a surprise.
9 - DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsClaudette ColbertDon AmecheJohn BarrymoreA chorus girl stranded in Paris is set up by a millionaire to break up his wife's affair with another man, while being romantically pursued by a cab driver.Wonderful romantic comedy.
9 - DirectorGeorge CukorStarsRonald ColmanEdmond O'BrienSigne HassoA celebrated actor struggles to distinguish his own life from that of his most recent stage role, Othello.Ronald Colman like you've never seen him before...the performance that won him an oscar.
9 - DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.Films from South Korea are becoming a favorite of mine...Terrific crime film that is surprisingly touching at times.
9 - DirectorPatrice LeconteStarsVanessa ParadisDaniel AuteuilFrédéric PflugerOne night, a fading entertainer intervenes when a woman contemplates suicide, beginning a strange, unpredictable relationship.Not your typical love story...hard to make an original love story these days but Patrice Leconte succeeded.The 2 leads are perfectly cast.
9 - DirectorDaniel NettheimStarsWillem DafoeSam NeillMorgan DaviesMartin, a mercenary, is sent from Europe by a mysterious biotech company to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for the last Tasmanian tiger.Willem Dafoe is one of these actors that I just like to watch and he's terrific in this film that was better than I expected about a man being hired to hunt for the supposedly extinct Tasmanian Devil.
9 - DirectorJean RenoirStarsMichel SimonJanie MarèseGeorges FlamantMaurice Legrand, a meek cashier married to a nagging wife, has a secret passion: he's a Sunday painter. He falls in love with Lulu, a young woman dominated by Dédé, the pimp who she works for. Dédé pushes Lulu into a relationship with him.Great french crime/drama that is also an attack on bourgeois society,was remade in the U.S. as Scarlet Street.The french version is much better.
9 - DirectorColin EgglestonStarsJohn HargreavesBriony BehetsMike McEwenWhen a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood.Hadn't seen this film in about 20 years but I still think this is a terrific horror film about nature taking revenge on a couple that seems to have no respect for it, even if the 2 main characters are quite annoying at times.This film is very much pro-environment,pro-nature and it may very well be making a pro-life statement as well but it doesn't hit you over the head with it.
9 - DirectorIm Sang-sooStarsJeon Do-yeonLee Jung-jaeYoun Yuh-jungA man's affair with his family's housemaid leads to dark consequences.Not really a horror film but some of the things that happen are absolutely horrifying.
8 - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGina CaranoEwan McGregorMichael FassbenderA black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.Well made Action/Thriller with a terrific cast...the fight scenes are amazing.
8 - DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsKim Yoon-seokHa Jung-wooSeo Yeong-hieA disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.Another good crime film from South Korea.
8 - DirectorBilly WilderStarsJean ArthurMarlene DietrichJohn LundIn occupied Berlin, an army captain is torn between an ex-Nazi café singer and the U.S. congresswoman investigating her.Another enjoyable Billy Wilder film but as much as I like Jean Arthur it's Marlene Dietrich that stands out...I would of liked to have seen their roles reversed,don't know if it would of worked but it would of been interesting to see.
8 - DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsArturo de CórdovaDelia GarcésAurora WalkerA husband's suave exterior unravels after his marriage, and he unleashes his paranoid and volatile temper on his wife, which escalates to more dangerous and unpredictable tantrums.More of a traditional film from Bunuel than one is used to about a husband who's jealousy towards his wife starts driving him crazy...well worth watching.
8 - DirectorBrad BirdStarsTom CruiseJeremy RennerSimon PeggThe IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.The best one yet.
8 - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsEwan McGregorEwen BremnerJonny Lee MillerRenton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.Can you make a film with characters that are all unlikable pathetic losers that would be worth watching...Danny Boyle did.
At times hilarious and sickening but always watchable.
8 - DirectorBilly WilderStarsGinger RogersRay MillandRita JohnsonA frustrated city girl disguises herself as a youngster in order to get a cheaper train ticket home. But little "Sue Sue" finds herself in a whole heap of grown-up trouble when she hides out in a compartment with a handsome Major.It may not be among Billy Wilder's best but it's still a lot of fun.
8 - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJamie BellAndy SerkisDaniel CraigIntrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.Exciting animated film from Spielberg that should of won the oscar.
8 - DirectorBanjong PisanthanakunParkpoom WongpoomStarsAnanda EveringhamNatthaweeranuch ThongmeeAchita SikamanaA young photographer and his girlfriend discover mysterious shadows in their photographs after a tragic accident. They soon learn that you can not escape your past.Scary horror film and far,far superior to the awful American remake.
8 - DirectorHiroshi TeshigaharaStarsTatsuya NakadaiMikijirô HiraKyôko KishidaA businessman with a disfigured face obtains a lifelike mask from his doctor, but the mask starts altering his personality.A film that says a lot about how ones appearance matters both in societal terms and how we view ourselves based on it...a film I've never heard of and a nice surprise.
8 - DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsMatthew McConaugheyEmile HirschJuno TempleWhen a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.The best film William Friedkin has made since The Exorcist and perhaps Matthew McConaughey best performance.
8 - DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsAubrey PlazaMark DuplassJake JohnsonThree magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.Quirky fun film that your never quite sure where it's headed but satisfies all the way to the end.
8 - DirectorSteve McQueenStarsMichael FassbenderCarey MulliganJames Badge DaleA sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.Michael Fassbender is excellent as a sexually addicted man in this surprisingly honest look at a subject we rarely see put on screen.
8 - DirectorJack SmightStarsRod SteigerLee RemickGeorge SegalA crafty serial killer plays a game of cat-and-mouse with a harried police detective trying to track him down.Rod Steiger has a field day as a serial killer in this comic/thriller
8 - DirectorLasse HallströmStarsTobey MaguireCharlize TheronMichael CaineA compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, decides to leave to see the world.Even though there is a part of this film that bothered me in the way a certain subject matter was handled I still think this is a well made drama with some wonderful performances.
8 - DirectorVictor SjöströmStarsVictor SjöströmHilda BorgströmTore SvennbergOn New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.Creepy silent horror/fantasy film.
8 - DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsIngrid BergmanLiv UllmannLena NymanA devoted wife is visited by her mother, a successful concert pianist who had little time for her when she was young.Ingmar Bergman film about mother and daughter confronting the demons in their past.One of Ingrid Bergman's best performances.
8 - DirectorKing VidorStarsSylvia SidneyWilliam Collier Jr.Estelle TaylorTwenty-four hours elapse on the stoop of a Hell's Kitchen tenement as a microcosm of the American melting pot interconnects during a summer heatwave.Nicely made slice of life film about 24 hours in the lives of people living in a tenement.
8 - DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsRoger DuchesneIsabelle CoreyDaniel CauchyAfter losing big, an aging gambler decides to assemble a team to rob a casino.Roger Duchesne is terrific as Bob an aging gangster wanting to do one last job.
8 - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJune TrippIvor NovelloMarie AultA landlady suspects that her new lodger is the madman killing women in London.Early Hitchcock but you can already see the greatness that was to come.
8 - DirectorFrédéric JardinStarsTomer SisleySerge RiaboukineJulien BoisselierA cop with a connection to the criminal underworld finds his secret life exposed when he and his partner are caught stealing cocaine from a powerful drug dealer, a move that puts his son's life in jeopardy.Non-stop French action/thriller
8 - DirectorAndrei TarkovskyEduard AbalovStarsNikolay BurlyaevValentin ZubkovEvgeniy ZharikovDuring WWII, Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev strikes up a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers while working as a scout behind the German lines.Tarkovskiy's first feature length film and I think one of his best.Most of his films are a cerebral experience,this is more of an emotional one.
8 - DirectorSidney LanfieldStarsBasil RathboneNigel BruceRichard GreeneSherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigate the legend of a supernatural hound, a beast that may be stalking a young heir on the fog-shrouded moorland that makes up his estate.One of the best of the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films
8 - DirectorGeorge ClooneyStarsPaul GiamattiGeorge ClooneyPhilip Seymour HoffmanAn idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.Well made political drama.
8 - DirectorAlexander PayneStarsGeorge ClooneyShailene WoodleyAmara MillerA land baron tries to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident.A family in crisis film that is at times both touching and very funny.
8 - DirectorStephen RobertsStarsMiriam HopkinsWilliam GarganJack La RueA wealthy but neurotic Southern belle finds herself trapped in the hideout of a gang of vicious bootleggers. The gang's leader lusts after her, and is determined not to let anything stand in the way of his having her.Pre-Code film that packs a wallop...Jack La Rue is terrific playing one of the slimiest characters ever put on film.
8 - DirectorHoward HughesEdmund GouldingJames WhaleStarsBen LyonJames HallJean HarlowBrothers Monte and Ray leave Oxford to join the Royal Flying Corps. Ray loves Helen; Helen enjoys an affair with Monte; before they leave on their mission over Germany they find her in still another man's arms.Like Wings the aerial footage is amazing but the story doesn't hold up as well.
8 - DirectorRobert BressonStarsMartin LaSalleMarika GreenJean PélégriMichel passes the time by picking pockets, careful to never be caught despite being watched by the police. His friend Jacques may suspect, while both men may have their eyes on Jeanne, the pretty neighbor of Michel's ailing mother.The first film I've seen from Bresson and I must confess that even though I liked the film it was a bit of a disappointment,considering this is one of his masterpieces...I'm just not a fan of his style of film making...there is another film of his further down the list that just annoyed the hell out of me.
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