460 Drive (2011 / Nicolas Winding Refn)
Ryan Gosling gives a career best (so far) performance as the taciturn and cool getaway driver in this riveting thriller. The downbeat tone of the film is punctuated with moments of extreme violence and great driving scenes.
459 Rope (1948 / Alfred Hitchcock)
Rope is now remembered mostly for Hitchcock’s technique of filming this in ten takes whilst making it look as though it was shot in one. At the time it was made it was not physically possible to film a full length film in one take as the camera magazine could only hold approximately 10 minutes of film at a time. It wasn’t until 54 years later that was achieved with the film Russian Ark, and whilst that film is interesting only from a technical viewpoint, Rope is a much more compelling film, thanks to the suspense delivered by the director and good performances by Farley Granger as one of a pair of young killers and James Stewart who uncovers the foul play.
458 Escape from Alcatraz (1979 / Don Siegel)
Clint Eastwood was not in a particularly artistically fertile period of his career in the late 70s but this movie is an exception to that. It is closely based on the true story of the only possible successful escape from the notorious prison. Filming on the island and in the actual prison gives a sense of realism and the feeling of claustrophobia, that anyone who has visited it and gone into the cells will recognise, is well captured. By refraining from sensationalism or embellishing the drama with unlikely action scenes, Siegel presents a real and suspenseful film.
457 Fargo (1996 / Joel Coen)
Possibly the Coen brother’s best known film, this is a slight but enjoyable depiction of a bunch of inept criminals and the police who are on their trail. The quirky characters are brought to life by some sparkling dialogue and uniformly excellent performances. It is worth seeing for the wood chipper scene alone!
456 Do the Right Thing (1989 / Spike Lee)
Telling the story of one sweltering hot day in Brooklyn where rising racial tensions lead to violent scenes, this is my favourite Spike Lee film (or ‘joint’ as he usually refers to his films). The overuse of the, admittedly brilliant, song Fight the Power by Public Enemy might grate with some but this is a heartfelt and powerful film.
455 In the Mood For Love (2000 / Wong Kar Wai)
Most of the director’s work prior to this film was close to inclusion in this list, but just this one has made the top 500. This is a simple story of 2 people in the same tower block becoming close friends when they discover that both of their spouses are having affairs, but not being able to allow that friendship become something more because they don’t want to behave like them. Covering similar themes to the better known Remains of the Day, this is a poignant and beautiful film, largely thanks to the sumptuous cinematography by Kar – Wai’s frequent collaborator, Christopher Doyle.
454 Un Coeur en Hiver (1992 / Claude Sautet)
The 1990s were a golden period for French films and this is one of the best of the decade. The always great Daniel Auteil plays a violin maker unable to emotionally commit to a relationship with a beautiful young violinist despite the feeling they have for each other . Stylish, and wonderfully written , it would make a good double bill with In the Mood for Love because it explores similar themes.
453 And Justice For All (1979 / Norman Jewison)
A film not often mentioned in best of 1970s or best of Al Pacino’s work, this is an electrifying legal drama also features a great supporting turn from Jack Warden as a judge that Pacino is forced to defend.
452 Contagion (2011 / Steven Soderbergh)
Part of Sodebergh’s recent run of high quality films covered in my Side Effects review, this is a classy thriller about the spreading of a highly contagious and deadly disease. Jennifer Ehle excels as the scientist looking for a cure, among a cast of bigger names. The large number of plots and sub plots woven together resulted in me wishing that the film was an hour longer, which is very rare for me!
451 Following (1998 / Christopher Nolan)
Little did I suspect when seeing this low budget black and white curio in my local cinema 15 years ago that the director would become one of the biggest names in Hollywood, helming the massively successful Batman franchise. This is more satisfying, despite a meagre $6000 dollar budget, telling the story of a writer who follows strangers to gather material for his books and who becomes friends with a thief he has been following. Quirky and inventive stuff.
450 Brick (2005 / Rian Johnson)
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, best known for Looper, this also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt investigating the disappearance of his ex girlfriend. This is a terrific mixture of a high school movie and an old fashioned film noir with the students talking like they are in a Humphrey Bogart film, when they are not using modern slang. A unique film.
449 Sleuth (1972 / Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
The famous stage play about the twists and turns of an encounter between a man and his wife’s lover. This is brought to life by Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier at the top of their game. The 2007 remake is only of any interest because Michael Caine playing the other role.
448 Ring (1998 / Hideo Nakata)
The most purely scary movie I’ve seen, this one gave me real jitters walking home in the dark after I saw it! The effect of the imaginary has been diluted by sequels, remakes, and copycats, but the central idea of everyone who views a video tape dies soon after is still chilling and there is one scene, which I won’t spoil, that is truly terrifying. Avoid the American remake.
447 The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989 / Peter Greenaway)
Made during Greenaway’s peak period as a film maker, this was his most commercially successful movie and in many ways his most straightforward: a restaurant owners wife considers having an affair with a regular customer. Visually daring, with shots composed like portraits and the use of different colours in different rooms, this has substance as well as style, with great performances from Michael Gambon, Helen Mitten and Tim Roth.
446 Laura (1944 / Otto Preminger)
You couldn’t get more of a typical film noir plot than this: a cop investigating the murder of a woman starts to fall in love with her as he learns more about her. Atmospheric, with great set designs and a unpredictable plot.
445 Pimpernel Smith (1941 / Leslie Howard)
There have been numerous versions of the Scarlet Pimpernel story, but it is two very loose tellings of the story that make my list. The first of which is transported to World War 2, with Howard (who had also played the character in a much more traditional telling of the story) starring as a man rescuing victims of Nazi oppression. Remarkable for being shot so early in the war, the director / star was tragically killed just 2 years later when a German pilot shot down the plane he was travelling in.
444 Dirty Dozen (1967 / Robert Aldrich)
A much more frivolous second world war movie, this is the famous story of 12 expendable criminals being sent on a dangerous mission. Action packed, with great performances from Lee Marvin and George Kennedy.
443 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943 / Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
At nearly 3 hours long, this is a sprawling drama covering 40 years of a British army officer’s life, the women he loved and his long standing friendship with a German officer that comes to a head during the war. Makes you think whilst keeping you gripped at the same time.
442 Panic in the Streets (1950 / Elia Kazan)
With his submissions to the McCarthy hearings still rankling with much of the film world, Kazan is a controversial figure but was undeniably a great director. Here, he presents the story of a murderer who also has the plague being tracked down by a cop and a doctor who have about 2 days to catch him before the disease will start to spread. Excellent location camerawork in New Orleans adds to the believability of the race against time plot.
441 The Usual Suspects (1995 / Bryan Singer)
Most famous for its stunning twist ending, this intricate crime thriller stands up to repeated viewings although you know what the reveal is, thanks to an intelligent script from Chistopher McQuarrie and good performances from all of the cast, even Stephen Baldwin! The director has made some interesting films since this (Apt Pupil and Valkyrie) but has not come close to repeating the artistic success of this movie.
