320 Mina Tannenbaum (1994 / Martine Dugowson)
One of the best films about friendship I’ve seen. Elsa Zylberstein and the wonderful Romane Bohringer play a pair of girls who are close friends as teenagers but drift apart as they grow up. Intelligent and extremely well acted.
319 Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989 / Steven Soderbergh)
The Palme D’or winner at Cannes that not only launched the career of Soderbergh but also my current favourite film music composer, Cliff Martinez, and the actress Laura San Giacomo, who was terrific here but has never reached these heights since. A film that manages to make my top 320 despite the presence of the always poor Andie MacDowell!
318 Ran (1985 / Akira Kurosawa)
Kurosawa’s epic take on King Lear featuring spectacular and brilliantly choreographed battle scenes that, in these CGI days, will not be repeated now. An amazing achievement for a 75 year old and his last great film.
317 The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985 / Woody Allen)
One of Woody Allen’s most purely fun films and the director’s own favourite. Jeff Daniels plays a 1930’s movie star who walks out the screen during a showing of the film ‘Purple Rose of Cairo’and falls in love with a waitress (Mia Farrow) who also attended the movie showing.
316 The Return of the Pink Panther (1975 / Blake Edwards)
This was Sellers 3rd outing as ther hapless French detective and whilst the film doesn’t have the style or class of the first 2, and Christopher Plummer has the thankless task of recreating the role of The Phantom played so brilliantly by David Niven in the original film, the laugh count is as high as ever.
315 Miller’s Crossing (1990 / Joel Coen)
The Coen brothers dark and complex prohibition era gangster film is often overlooked but it is one of their best. Albert Finney is the stand out from a uniformly excellent cast and Barry Sonnenfeld’s cinematography is stunning.
314 We Dive at Dawn (1943 / Anthony Asquith)
The compelling study of a British submarine crew, captained by John Mills inevitably, chasing a German battleship has a documenatary like feel. It must have been even mnore gripping to wartime audiences.
313 One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975 / Milos Forman)
Seen by many as the iconic movie of that great decade, the 70s, and you have to admire Nicholson’s great performance. One of only 3 films to win all of the 5 major awards at the Oscars, it is a film that I greatly admire but don’t love as much as many others do.
312 My Name is Joe (1998 / Ken Loach)
You could make a case for almost any Ken Loach directed film. This, the film that really launched Peter Mullan’s career, is a typical gritty, realistic and heartfelt portrayal of a love affair between 2 damaged people. Mullan is so good as the recovering alcoholic trying to put his life back together, it is easy to overlook Louise Goodall delivering a career best performance as his girlfriend.
311 Murder by Decree (1979 / Bob Clark)
Being interested in Jack the Ripper and a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this film was always likely to feature in my list. This underrated mystery starring Christopher Plummer as the great detective uncovering a conspiracy when investigating the grisly crimes is enhanced by marvellous period sets and a stellar cast, including James Mason (as Watson), David Hemmings, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay and Donald Sutherland.
310 Inception (2010 / Christopher Nolan)
Inception will either leave you cold or you will be enthralled throughout and thinking about it for weeks afterwards. A complicated tale about exploring people’s subconscious through their dreams with a great final shot, I was firmly in the latter camp!
309 Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1979 / Philip Kaufman)
An updating of the famous 1950’s sci fi movie with Donald Sutherland starring as man who notices that people he knows are behaving oddly, A rare appearance of a remake on this list, watch the original or this one but not the weak third attempt, The Invasion (2007).
308 Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948 / John Huston)
A rare instance of a son (John Huston) directing his father (Walter Huston) in a film, and the only time that a father and son have won Oscars for the same film. Humphrey Bogart co stars as a prospector searching for gold in Mexico. He is successful but will his greed cause his downfall?
307 L’appartement (1996 / Gilles Mimouni)
Another great performance from Romane Bohringer is one of the highlights of this mysterious and demanding romantic thriller that is somehow both very French and quite Hitchockian. Avoid the American remake ‘Wicker Park.’
306 Ride the High Country (1962 / Sam Peckinpah)
Randolph Scott spent most of his career as a solid presence in B Movie Westerns. His best performance comes in this, his best and final film, as he plots to steal a gold shipment he is transporting with a similarly aging ex Marshall (Joel McRea). This was just the second feature film for the talented but volatile director Sam Peckinpah, who had previously made a living writing and directing TV Western shows.
305 The Italian Job (1969 / Peter Collinson)
Beloved British heist movie with Michael Caine at his coolest, the famous mini cooper chase sequence, quotable dialogue and the (literally) cliff hanging ending. A film you watch with a big grin on your face!
304 Night Moves (1975 / Arthur Penn)
Another example from the second golden age of private eye movies. Gene Hackman brilliantly portrays an investigator who’s seemingly standard missing person case becomes more complicated the more he digs into it.
303 Petrified Forest (1936 / Archie Mayo)
Atmospheric and claustrophobic crime drama concerning a group of disparate people coming together in a diner in the desert. Humphrey Bogart stars, in an early role, as a notorious and desperate bank robber.
302 The Descendents (2012 / Alexander Payne)
At times amusing but ultimately a heartbreaking movie starring George Clooney who is trying to cope with his family and business life when his wife is involved in a serious accident. The performance from Clooney is beautifully nuanced and he is ably supported by Shailene Woodley playing his eldest daughter.
301 Little Caesar (1931 / Mervyn Le Roy)
The film that kick started the run of classic gangster movies made by Warner Brothers in the 1930s. It is probably best remembered now for its closing line, but there are numerous memorable scenes and a snarling lead performance from Edward G Robinson as the titular gangster. Douglas Fairbanks Jr snagged the role of his best friend after the studio head vetoed the casting of Clark Gable because his ears were too big!
