Watching The 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (all movies edition)

10/10

The subtle way in which the cinematographer changes lenses to increase claustrophobia is a perfect way to sum up this films ambition. Though told entirely within the confines of a small room, this movie never feels small.

9/10

Steve McQueen is a director that is creeping his way into the mainstream eye, and rightly so. Making a topic such as slavery artful is a difficult prospect, but it's the beauty in this film contrasting with the horrific acts that makes it so powerful. Also, Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantaaaaastic.

10/10

I loved it. I completely loved it. It's entertaining and the energy level is always high. It's full of light humour too. Really shows the mystic aura around Buddhist monks, and that middle hour is absolutely incredible. It's flawless, and I'll be watching this again and again.

9/10

Hitchcock's first big peak is right here, and it shows everything that is to come for the master of the thriller. Both exciting and charming, this film is a near-flawless masterclass in storytelling and character development. Two great lead performances, too.

10/10

The best film I have seen from the French New Wave. Truffaut's vast knowledge and invention at such a young age (Truffaut made this film when he was 26) cements this movie as an achievement on all fronts. It's a wonderful portrayal of adolescence, and it has now cemented itself as one of the greatest movies ever made, in both the public eyes and in mine. A classic.

7/10

A very standard but extremely entertaining musical with characters that don't just feel like caricatures. I found myself pretty let down by the amount of average to bad acting in this movie, especially considering its classic status. The final 15 minutes with the geometric dance sequence make this worth watching, but I wouldn't call it essential.

10/10

A brilliant study of creativity and the way it can drive one completely insane. The enormous size of this film alone is enough to give it props, but the perfection that this film strives for and ultimately achieves makes this a classic movie that everyone should be seeing. Fellini's best.

7/10

The score, cinematography and acting is fantastic. The director makes some very interesting choices in what to show and what not to show, with differing results, but the meet cute is wonderful. Sadly the ending doesn't hold up, and no character appears to come out a winner despite the script wanting us to believe differently. Still expertly crafted and definitely recommendable. Low 7.

7/10

Billy Wilder is completely scathing in his criticism of modern American culture in this film and human nature is frequently shown at its worst. It's also a great character study and works very well in that sense. The romance plot feels a little weak and unnecessary, but overall I really liked it.

8/10

The Act of Killing is one of the most brutal and challenging documentaries you will ever see. Oppenheimer's a maverick and with this film, he opens up the possibilities of documentary to a new generation beyond that of Kazuo Hara.

10/10

Possibly the greatest romantic comedy of all time. It's a flawless mix of entertainment and depressed, lonely themes, mixed in with typical Woody Allen psychobabble. Marked with some clever breaking of the 4th wall, it's a masterpiece.

5/10

a fun little movie with some decent laughs. While there was interesting commentary on society and labor, I found it pretty surface-level and I was never invested. It's alright but not really worth the time.

3/10

A disappointment and a horrible mess on all fronts. I don't think it's Spielberg's fault either, the integral elements of the story were screwed from the beginning, including the ending which 180's on the entire meaning of the film up to that point, with no real semblance of cleverness. Why do the robots sometimes rhyme their sentences and sometimes not? Was it programmed into them to be slightly creepy for NO REASON AT ALL? I liked how it was shot and I liked the environments. Other than that, it's pretty terrible.

10/10

Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. It's completely maniacal, and you never know what's going to happen next. It's full of dazzling and grotesque imagery, and it never wavers in its cynical but intelligent view of the future of humanity.

8/10

One of the better character studies and a highlight of Francis Ford Coppola's work. The best thing about this film is Gene Hackman's performance, and it is endlessly rewatchable.

9/10

An attack on the senses and the emotions. Mathieu Amalric is excellent in his voice performance and every scene hits home in devastating new ways. A masterpiece.

8/10

Kubrick's final film is also one of his loosest, drifting between scenes and set pieces, varying in quality but all committing to an atmosphere of paranoia. A great film, but coming from Kubrick it's strange to see a movie that seems to have trouble getting its themes across. Amazing cinematography as usual, but my favourite thing here is Nicole Kidman, who kills it despite disappearing for half the movie.

8/10

Julianne Moore totally knocks this one out. She's shaping up to be one of my favourite actresses and this film certainly helps that. Amazing cinematography too.

9/10

An arresting masterpiece from Kenji. The cinematography is the biggest takeaway here, showing man's relationship with nature by shooting through dense bush and branches, which makes for compositions that were much freer than what was being seen in Japanese cinema in those days.

8/10

A great little gem that, despite the subpar acting and seemingly inconsequential scenes, ends up being worth much more than the sum of its parts. The last 20 minutes are gold.

9/10

One of the most interesting ideas I've seen in a film, and Bunuel is so light on his feet, constructing a hilarious and very entertaining film despite the surreal, political subject matter. It's pure filmmaking joy and a blast to watch. Makes you think, too.

10/10

Michael Haneke is one of my favourite directors, and he's definitely one with an almost flawless career. The Piano Teacher is the latest trip down the path of Haneke's darkness and I have definitely not come out unscathed. Isabelle Huppert's performance is terrifying and amazingly perfect. The scene with the glass will stick with me, as will the grotesque expression before (SPOILER) Huppert jabs herself in the shoulder. Incredible filmmaking as usual.

9/10

The best of the trilogy. Binoche absolutely kills it, and the playful directing gives so much personality to the film. It's emotional and goes really deep into the mechanics of grief. One of the best movies of the 90s.

8/10

An aesthetically brilliant but small story that is easily the most human of the Three Colors trilogy. The ending wraps everything up neatly and the performances are all knockouts.