My top ten films of all time

 In 2015, I embarked on the challenge of watching the top 1000 films of all time. Six years later, I am sadly only 307 films into my quest, but I've watched enough to films to form my top ten list.

Most of these films I've only watched because of this list, but one or two of my all-time favourites have also slipped in. Apart from my number one film, which I'll save until last, this list is in no particular order.

The top ten list

City of God (2002)

One thing that I've loved about this challenge is that I've been able to witness the best that World Cinema has to offer. And City of God is undoubtedly the best. It tells the unflinching story of two boys growing up in the drug-fuelled favelas of Rio De Janerio. It is a brutal and painfully realistic look of how drugs can destroy somebody's life. Expect a roller-coaster that doesn't slow up for a minute.

Old Boy (2003)

Another classic of World Cinema. This Korean film is a revenge thriller focussing on Dae-su Oh who seeks vengeance on the man who locked him up for fifteen years. Brimming with gorgeous Korean proverbs, this film will keep you guessing all the way to the shock ending which is one of the biggest twists in movie history.

Rang De Basanti (2006)

We've come to the realm of Indian cinema. 3 Idiots was a close second but Rang De Basanti edges it for the sheer power of its narrative. Following the story of a British film maker who is producing a documentary about early leaders of Indian independence, this film will have you laughing, crying and everything in between. Sure there are a lot of musical numbers, but what else can you expect from Indian cinema?

The Hunt (2002)

Onto an absolutely fantastic Danish film. Lukas (Mads Mikkleson) is a school teacher falsely accused of sexually abusing one of his students. A witch-hunt ensues and the whole town turns against him. In a film where truth and lies merge into one, you'll be on the edge of your seat. This outstanding film blew me away.

Full Metal Jacket (1987) 

Forget The Deer Hunter or Apocalypse Now, Stanley Kubrick blew every other war film out the water with his brutal portrayal of the Vietnam War. Full Metal Jacket left me in absolute awe. From Vincent D'Onofrio to Lee R Ermey to Adam Baldwin, this film is littered with acting talent. Some might say that the film is unbalanced and mismatched, but I think the two halves compliment each other beautifully. A must-see.

Her (2013)

Finally we're onto a film with slightly more happy subject matter. I say slightly as Her will still be tugging at your heart strings. Rom-coms aren't my thing which is why Her surprised me so much. Subverting the genre with a science-fiction twist, Her tells the story of lonely divorcee Theodore Thwombly (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with an operating system voiced by Scarlett Johanson. With much to say about the importance of human connection, Her  is a very underrated film.

Three and Out (2008)

Speaking of underrated, we come to the Indie British black comedy Three and Out. Panned by audiences and critics alike, I must be the only person in the world who would put Three and Out, on a top ten list, but I am. Paul Callow is a train driver/writer who wants nothing more than to leave the hustle-bustle of London and write on an island. When he runs two people over with his train, his colleagues tell him that if he runs over a third person, TFL will pay him off with ten years wages. Ensue hilarity and heartbreak as Paul tries to find his third victim. Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton and Gemma Arteton all turn in winning performances. But perhaps this film is an acquired taste.

The Full Monty (1997)

I have never officially reviewed this film as I watched it long before I started this challenge. However, it remains one of my favourite films ever. Having won the Bafta for the best film in 1997, this movie was adored by many. We follow a bunch of former steel workers and layabouts becoming strippers in the hopes of improving their lives. While the premise might sound spurious, the execution is anything but. The Full Monty tackles themes like masculinity, father-son relationships and suicide in powerful ways. Tom Wilkinson and Mark Addy are great in supporting roles, but can we all agree that Robert Carlyle is one of the best actors that Scotland has ever produced?

Snatch (2000)

Out of all these films, Snatch is the one film I could watch over and over again. A fantastic crime-caper, Snatch will have you laughing in the aisles. We see two interlinking narratives: one follows boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) as he navigates the criminal underworld, but we also see every gangster in London trying to get their hands on a rare diamond. Snatch is one of the most quotable films ever with brad Pitt offering his most unlike-Brad Pitt performance ever, as the Gypsy bareknuckle boxer Mickey O'Neil. Bloody hell, does he do that Irish accent well?

The Godfather (1970)

Finally, we have reached my number one film of all time. What can I say about this film which hasn't been said already? Everybody knows Nino Rota's magnificent score, they know Marlon Brando as mafia don Vito Corleone, his son Michael as his reluctant protege, played by Al Pacino. This film reignited Hollywood's fascination with the mafia. At three hours long it is paced brilliantly with every shot pushing forward the narrative. It is not just the best gangster movie of all time, but the best film of all time. After all, it was the subject of my ten-thousand word dissertation. Let's just not talk about the Godfather part three.

Honourable Mentions

I've watched too many great films to not include at least a few honourable mentions. These are all great films in their own right, but not quite good enough to scratch the top ten.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Originally RFAD was in my top ten but I demoted it because it's too upsetting to watch again. Amazing for sure, but too heartbreaking for repeat viewings. Charting the self-destruction of four drug addicts in New York, RFAD is the best anti-drug PSA you'll ever see with a killer theme tune and fast-paced editing. Watching this film gave me the best high but with an absolutely awful come down.

The Princess Bride (1987)

This subversion of the traditional fairy-tale still stands up even after thirty years. with so many quotable scenes and iconic characters, the Princess Bride will have you rolling in the aisles and reaching for the tissues. Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant...the amazing cast goes on and on. And who can forget one of the most quoted film lines ever: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Mary and Max (2009) 

This Australian stop-motion, claymation dramatic comedy absolutely blew me away. I've never heard of it before, but it was simply fantastic. I've never seen anything like it before or since. Following the unlikely relationship of the two titular characters, this film is pure arthouse. If you're looking for something completely different, a movie with offbeat humour, a unique visual style and the most haunting rendition of Que Sera Sera, Mary and Max is the film for you.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

I watched this film once many years ago and it was too upsetting to watch again, hence why there is no review. I've grown up on Studio Ghibli, so one of their films had to make an appearance on this list.  Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro were also in the mix, but Grave of the Fireflies is undoubtedly the best. Set in the twilight days of WW2 Japan, we watch a teenage boy and his little sister desperately try to survive the war. When you watch this, make sure you have the tissue box handy.

Untouchable (2011)

This French feel-good comedy drama rounds off my list nicely. I rewatched it the other day and it was still as magical as ever. Following the story of quadraplegic billionare Philippe and his unconventional carer Driss, this film holds a special place in my heart because of my own work as a carer. The anti-climactic ending is the only thing that stops it from going on my top ten.

So there we have it. My top ten films with a few HMs. But with 693 films left to watch, this list is far from being set in stone. Watch this space.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Review

 Number 173 on the top 1000 films of all time is George Roy-Hill's 1969 Western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and Harry 'Sundance' Longabaugh (Robert Redford) based upon the real-life outlaws of the same name, are your two most likable bank and train robbers ever. However, upon robbing one train too many, a bounty is set on their heads. To escape the hunters, the pair flee to Bolivia but their troubles are far from over.

In undertaking this challenge, I have watched a fair few Westerns and I admit that I've never been a big fan. Cowboy films just aren't my thing. Butch Cassidy and Sundance was an exception. And perhaps this is because the film doesn't take itself too seriously. Rather than watching two hours of Clint Eastwood scowling, I was treated to the brilliant on-screen chemistry of Newman and Redford.

Having already seen The Sting, I know how well these two can work together with Newman leading the action and Redford bouncing off of him as his sidekick. And the pair's relationship is obvious right from the start. Cassidy's crew have mutinied against him with Harvey Logan (Ted Cassidy) taking control. Logan challenges Cassidy to a duel but Cassidy fights dirty and quickly wins. All the while, Sundance never doubts his partner.

The two of them are so damn charming that their victims enjoy being robbed by them. Despite how the train guard on the Union Pacific Overland Flyer is so honoured to be robbed by the pair, but has to remain loyal to his company. For his loyalty, he is rewarded with a face full of dynamite. Later on, E.H Harriman, the owner of the Union Pacific, sends a posse of expert trackers and bounty hunters after our heroes. They are cornered to a cliff where Cassidy convinces Sundance to jump into the river below despite Sundance admitting he can't swim.

Having plunged into the waters below, Sundance desperately clings onto Cassidy to try and stay afloat. Their ensuing conversation was funny to hear, but this brings me onto my first issue witht he film. And it's how the E.H Harriman storyline doesn't go anywhere. At first, it's very intense to see our heroes be hunted across rock and sand by a ruthless posse and an expert Indian tracker, but this rising action doesn't culminate in any big climax.

Cassidy and Sundance escape and that's that. I thought that we would be in for a big dramatic gunfight between our heroes and the posse, but it wasn't to be. This tension culminated in a fizzle rather than a bang. Rather, we get our climax with the two hiding in Bolivia. Having tried and failed to go straight, Sundance and Cassidy return to robbing banks, despite their complete lack of Spanish, which leads to the film's funniest scene.

But they soon attract the attention of the Bolivian police and army who pin down our heroes with no means of escape. Again, I expected Harriman to appear, but again I was disappointed. Another thing I didn't like was the use of montage as a pure exposition device to showcase the hero's journey from America to Bolivia. It felt very rushed and I think this could have been explored more.

Lastly, I just want to praise Karathine Ross as Cassidy's love interest - Etta Place. Ross really helped to provide the film some heart. She begrudingly agrees to go to Bolivia with the pair on the one condition that she doesn't watch them die.

And this emotional subplot helped to balance out the comedy, drama and action. All of these elements blended together to make a vastly enjoyable film with great performances from its lead actors.

Persona review

 Number 172 on the top 1000 films of all time is Ingmar Bergman's psychological thriller Persona.

Alma (Bibi Andersson) is a nurse charged with looking after Elisabet Volgar (Liv Ullman) who has inexplicably become muter. Alma's matron believes Elisabet will better heal in a remote seaside cottage and send her and Alma there. Alma starts losing her minds as she finds it more and more difficult to distinguish between herself and Elisabet.

Film critic Thomas Elsaesser described Persona as "besides Citizen Kane, the most written about film in the canon," and it is easy to see why. Having watched The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries and Fanny and Alexander, I would characterise Bergman's films as classic arthouse that only diehard cinephiles would understand. Persona is no exception to this.

As the film begins, we are treated to an abstract collection of images including a tarantula, a crucifixion, all culminating with a young boy waking up in hospital. From there, we cut to Nurse Alma in the most minimalist hospital ever, being assigned her new charge of Elisabet. We then immediately see Alma's self-doubt about being able to care for her.

Things only get weirder when Alma and Elisabet move to the seaside cottage and Alma begins confiding in Elisabet about her own anxieties before eventually confessing to cheating on her husband by having an orgy with some teenage boys, one of them impregnating her which she later aborts. Elisabet then tells her that she should go to bed, but Alma dismisses this as a dream.

Upon delivering the mail, Alma reads a letter that Elisabet has written and find that her charge is silently studying and mocking her behaviour and a fight ensues. What was also interesting was Bergman's minimalist soundtrack. In pivotal scenes, such as the fight scene, where you might expect there to be music, Bergman solely employed silence. This did wonders for raising the suspense.

As did Bergman's minimalist style. Everything was so plain from the costumes to the interior set designs to even the seaside location. There was nothing there to distract you from the action happening on screen. 

As Alma's mental health deteriorates, she finds it harder to distinguish herself from Elisabet. At the film's conclusion, Elisabet's husband arrives and confuses Alma for his wife. Despite Alma initially correcting him, she eventually accepts her new identity and makes love with Mr Vogler. The film climaxes with Alma narrating Elisabet's tragic backstory. She became pregnant with Mr Vogler, but believing she lacked motherliness, she started hating her unborn child and repeatedly tried to abort it without success. When the child was born, she continued to hate it and prayed for its death.

The monologue is then repeated, but with the focus on Alma before a split screen shows both women's faces side-by-side, symbolising the changes of identity. Both women are also dressed very similarly in black dresses with the same hairstyle and they are very difficult to distinguish, all further symbolising Alma's deteriorating mind. After the monologue, Elisabet becomes completely catatonic and Alma later leaves with the camera showing that she is being filmed by a cameraman and a director. I thought that the two would undertake a full role reversal with Alma becoming catatonic and Elisabet regaining the ability to speak - whether she actually lost it in the first place is still up for debate.

As are many different aspects of this film. Why the imagery of the crucifixion? Why the footage of Buddist Monks self-imolating or the infamous Stroop Report photograph? Why did Alma force Elisabet to drink her blood? And why was Alma being filmed at the end? All of these questions and more have been analysed with no conclusive answer given. And I cannot offer any more answers here. For I am not a cinophile or film critic. I guess I liked the film, but it was also very surreal and very confusing. Instead, I'll concur with Bergman who has refused to give any concrete interpretations in favour of viewers making their own opinions. 

Hotel Rwanda review

 Number 169 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 2004 drama Hotel Rwanda.

Hotel Rwanda tells the real-life story of Paul Rusesabagina (portrayed by Don Cheadle) and his wife Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo). Paul is the manager of the Hotel Des Milles Collines during the Rwandan genocide. He becomes a reluctant hero as he and his family begin sheltering Tutsi refugees against the Hutu militias who want to kill them all.

Claudia Puig of USA Today described this film as an African Schindler's List - a comparison that was running through my mind as well. Like Oskar Schindler, Paul Rusesabagina, despite being Hutu and in a position of respect and influence, does everything in his power to protect the oppressed Tutsis. However, unlike Schindler's List and The Pianist which detailed an unflinching portrayal of the Holocaust, Hotel Rwanda is far more understated. While sometimes it is better to depict a genocide in all its atrocious detail, at times it is also better to leave more to the imagination.

Throughout Hotel Rwanda, we hear a lot about the machetes that the Interahamwe militia use to kill the Tutsi, we don't witness any of these executions ourselves. Instead we hear the victim's screams or in a particular chilling scene, upon negotiating with Interahamwe leader Georges Rutaganda for supplies and refusing his offer to give up the Tutsi he is harbouring, on Paul's journey home, he finds that the road he and his traitorous receptionist (more on this later) Gregoire are driving on is uneven and bumpy. However, due to a fog, they are unable to see anything. Upon leaving the van, Paul is horrified to see that they have been driving on a road of bodies. I found this to be a far more subtle and sensitive way to depict the horrors of the genocide.

But, also importantly, the film focused on the plight of those left behind. While the UN is present with its peacekeeping force, their orders are to only evacuate foreign nationals i.e anybody who isn't Rwandan. The local church with its white missionaries arrive to be evacuated but their Rwandan congregation is refused entry. In a film, littered with heart-breaking scenes, this was the scene that told me that Hotel Rwanda is too upsetting for me to watch ever again.

Joaquin Phoenix and Nick Nolte also star in supporting roles, Joaquin Phoenix as photojournalist Jack Daglish and Nolte as UN Colonel Oliver respectively. And while both men were only in supporting roles, they were some of the best characterisations within the film. Daglish is disgusted by a massacre that he films and the fact that he cannot do anything to help these people. Paul reassures him that when Western audiences see his footage, they will be moved to take action. Daglish disagrees with him, proclaiming that "they'll say that's disgusting and carry on eating their dinners." 

Truer words have never been spoken. Speaking as one of these privileged Westerners in my proverbial , ivory tower, it's difficult for me to truly connect with the struggles of these people as I am so far removed from them. And I think the same goes for lots of Western audiences. How many times have you seen a charity advert for starving African children and gone "oh that's awful. I can't imagine what that's like" before continuing on with your day? My answer to that. More times than I can count.

Nolte also bought a great humanity to the character of Colonel Oliver. In what could have easily been a generic army grunt, I truly felt the inner conflict that Oliver was feeling. Having connected with Paul and seen the horrors first-hand, he desperately wants to help them but his hands are tied by bureaucracy. Overworked and understaffed, I truly felt his frustration at his superiors who could not care less about the plight of the Rwandans for the sole reason that they're black. And I don't mean to be provocative, but truthful. Although interestingly Senator Romeo Dallaire, whom Oliver was based on, has always been a vocal critic of the film's historical accuracy.

And of course we have to applaud Don Cheadle who received an Oscar nod for his portrayal of Paul Rusesabagina and deservingly so.  He was playing a man who had to survive in an impossible situation, and not just survive, but keep his Tutsi family alive, keep running his hotel, fend off the Interahamwe and look after the 1000 Tutsi refugees that he is harbouring. And that is exactly what he did. He managed to get every single one of those refugees to safety. I just wish that Sophie Okonedo had more to do. She is a great actress and I think she was short-changed in this film. Okonedo was great in the parts that she was in and was deserving of her Oscar nod, but her part could have been more interesting.

All in all though this was a brilliant film that broke my heart and made me cry many tears. Just don't ask me to watch it again. My heart couldn't take that.

How to Train your Dragon review

 Number 168 on top 1000 films of all time is the animated film How to Train your Dragon.

  Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) is not your typical Viking. Scrawny and small, he is next to useless at defending his village from dragon attacks. His father Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) has all but given up hope. Determined to prove him and everybody else wrong, Hiccup erupts in dragon-slaying classes but when he meets a Night Fury dragon that he names Toothless, he soon discovers that everything he knew about dragons was wrong.

This film franchise has always passed me by and if it hadn't been for this challenge, I probably wouldn't have watched it. Having seen it, I can understand why. It was released in 2010, so perhaps if I had seen it when I was sixteen instead of twenty-six, I would have liked it more.

That's not to say the animation wasn't cute and the design of the dragons creative, but the film did leave a lot to be desired. For one, the storyline was very predictable. It was obvious that Hiccup would go from the scrawny runt to the unlikely hero who saves the day, which is exactly what happened. All because he has been the first character ever to have taken the time to understand the dragons.

It was also obvious that Stoick would go from the badass warrior dragon-slayer determined to wipe out every single dragon to the soft-hearted father who saves Toothless' life. Both were predictable character arcs.

Apart from Hiccup, the characters were all very vaguely drawn. Hiccup trains with a supporting cast who were all generic and blended into one another. Although voiced by famous comedy actors like Jonah Hill, T.J Miller, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kristen Wiig, this did not make the characters anymore distinctive.

Even Hiccup's supposed love interest Astrid (America Ferrera) was more of an archetype, dare I say, cliche of the strong, independent woman with a softer side, than an actual character. The humour was also very immature and juvenile with an over-reliance on fart jokes that did little to make me laugh. And I was very confused by the weird mixture of Scottish and American accents. All of the adults were Scottish and the teenagers American. Why not make them all Scottish or all American?

For kids, I can definitely see why this movie would appeal but to a grumpy old-fogey like me, it was nothing special. 

Mary and Max review

 Number 167 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 2009 Australian stop-motion drama - Mary and Max, directed by Adam Eliot.

Mary (Toni Colette) and Max (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tells the story of the blossoming relationship of the two titular characters. Both social outcasts, they soon find connection when they become pen pals.

I watched this film with my dad and he said he hadn't watched a film quite like that before. Neither have I. It was abstract and surreal. Dark and creepy at some points, hilarious and uplifting in others. It was a film that I had never heard off before and, apparently it never received a wider theatrical release, although it did premier at the Sundance Film Festival.

Although, I am puzzled as to why it didn't receive a wide theatrical release, as it was a brilliant film. Perhaps because it dealt with some problematic themes and it has some off-beat, dark humour. But the way, it engaged with its troubling themes was sensitive and evocative. Mary is a little girl in Australian with an alcoholic and kleptomaniac mother and a father who is more interested in taxidermy than his daughter. She has a prominent birthmark on her forehead which leads to her being bullied at school. Upon recounting this in a letter to Max, she breaks down in tears. Considering 'Mary' was only a claymation sculpture and not a real person, this was very upsetting to watch.  Bethany Whitmore who played the young Mary did well to bring real humanity to the character.

Conversely Max is a morbidly obese, autistic man living in New York. Because of his autism, he finds it difficult to befriend anybody and he too is a loner. Despite this, he was an uplifting character who far from feeling sorry for himself is proud of being a self-proclaimed "aspie." It is a fundamental part of his identity and, despite what his therapist might say, is not something that needs curing. He may not understand human behaviour or why people throw away food while children starve in India, which only makes his connection with mary all the sweeter. 

His lifelong goal of making a friend, a goal he realises with Mary is all too relatable and powerful. He was a pitiful character, but a likeable one. And that is down to Adam Eliot's good writing and Hoffman's good portrayal. With autistic characters, there is always the danger of making them into a cariacture of themselves, but that didn't happen here.

If I were to describe this film to anybody, it would be as a real arthouse film, mostly because of its claymation style allowed Adam Eliot to tackle themes he might not have been able to do with more traditional film. Mary and Max's environments contrast so drastically. In sunny Australia, the lighting is bright, the locations spacious, but in New York, everything is dark, gloomy and cramped. Max is alone in a crowd of people. Mary is isolated in a close-knit community.

Even the colour schemes are different. Australia is brighter with an off-colour, soft yellow. Whereas New York is a dark grey-scale, almost monochrome, representing Max's confused viewpoint of the world. But when he begins corresponding with Mary, spots of colour begin appearing, like the orange pom pom that she knits for him. He attaches this to this skullcap, which he wears, not because of how he is Jewish, but because it keeps his brain warm.

The growing relationship between the two central characters climaxes in the worse possible way. In a misguided attempt to help Max, Mary enrols in university, to study mental disorders like autism, in the hopes of curing him. Using Max as her case study, she writers a book detailing the findings of her research.  But Max, believing she has exploited him and his condition, rips out the "M" key of his typewriter and mails it to her. This raises interesting ideas around "disorders" like autism. Is it really a disorder? Is it an illness that needs to be cured? What if the person is happy the way they are?

Upon realising how badly she has hurt her friend, Mary sinks into a deep depression, becoming a mirror image of her alcoholic mother. In the process, she loses her childhood sweetheart, Damian Popodopulous (Eric Bana) who leaves her for a sheep farmer in New Zealand. Her depression culminates in a suicide attempt which is set to a slowed-down version of "Que Sera Sera." This combined with the background scenery fading to black was the darkest, most haunting, but most powerful moment of the film. Mary is only saved by her neighbour who delivers a package from Max who has finally forgiven her.

Over a year later with Damien's child, Mary finally travels to New York to meet Max. Sadly, he had died earlier that morning, staring up at all of Mary's letters which he has stuck on his ceiling. One of many heart-warming moments in what is a very twisted, Grim Brothers-esque fairy tale. Amid all the surrealism and horror, there are valuable lessons to be gained about human connection. 

Mary and Max was definitely a film that took me by surprise. I don't know what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting a poignant, surreal, arthouse film about the importance of friendship and loving yourself.

Casino review

 Number 166 on the top 1000 films of all time is Martin Scorsesee's 1996 epic crime drama Casino

Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro) is an expert sports handicapper, so much so, that the mob recruit him to oversee their casino Tangiers on the Las Vegas strip. They also send Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) to watch over him. While things initially go well, Rothstein's contentious relationship with Santoro and Rothstein's wife Ginger (Sharon Stone) soon start showing the cracks in the empire.

Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci? Check. The mob? Check. Gratuitous violence? Check. Lots of swearing? Check. All the hallmarks of a great Scorsesee film? I'm not do sure about that. This isn't to say that isn't a good film, but I didn't think it was great either.

Having watched Goodfellas, Raging Bull and the Irishman, I have seen De Niro and Pesci excel together on many occasions and Casino was no exception. Pesci, as always, was brilliant as the little man with the big temper - particularly in the infamous 'head in vice' scene. And De Niro functions as a calming influence on his friend until their relationship takes a turn for the worse.

Sharon Stone was also great as Rothstein's duplicitous wife Ginger who is still in love with her pimp Lester Diamond. (James Woods) She starts two-timing and robbing Rothstein until her own self-destruction. Undoubtedly, this was one of the most tragic character arcs of the film, not just for Ginger, but Rothstein who was unreservedly in Love with Ginger.

The cinematography was also great with the sweeping master shots of the Las Vegas and interiors of the casino, conveying the true majesty and grandeur of the time period. The music was great as well with Martin Scorsesee always picking the right song for the right scene. I don't care how many times the Rolling Stones' Give Me Shelter is played in films and TV, I will always sing along. And lastly, I have to pay homage to the great Frank Vincent who played Santoro's number two. Although he only had a supporting role, it's always great to see him on screen. RIP.

So why don't I think this was one of Scorsesee's best? I was reading a listicle ranking Scorsesee's films from worst to best with Casino ranking number 16 because of how it didn't bring anything new to Scorsese's work. And I would be tempted to agree. I know I shouldn't compare, but Casino only came out five years after Goodfellas and it is difficult not to draw comparisons. Both films are about the mob, they share similar casts and they were both jnspired by books penned by Nicholas Pileggi. 

But by virtue of Goodfellas being released first, it did feel that Scorsese was retreading familiar ground - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, except when that ground was already broken by an objectively better film. Plus Casino was a touch longer than it needed to be. As a film in its own right, Casino was a good film, but when compared to Scorsese's other work, it pales in comparison.

The Deer Hunter review

 Number 165 on the top 1000 films of all time is Michael Cimino's 1978 epic Vietnam war film 'the Deer Hunter.'

Michael (Robert De Niro), Nicky (Christopher Walken) and  Steven (John Savage) are three steel workers and happy go-lucky young men who enlist to fight in Vietnam. They are caught by the Viet Cong and are subjected to such brutal torture that each man's life changes forever. Meryl Streep and John Cazale co-star in what very easily could have been just another film about Vietnam.

This film takes a while to get going but when it does, you're in for a hell of a ride. At three hours long, I would argue the film is a little bloated with the first hour seeming to last forever. I found myself constantly wondering when we're going to get to Vietnam. Instead, I was subjected to the three leads and their friends drinking in a bar, an extended marriage scene and, of course, the eponymous deer-hunting scene. Although having said that, the bar scene where the group of friends belt out Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take my Eyes off you,' was a sight to behold. The absolute perfect song for that scene. Reportedly, Michael Cimino had the actors sing along to the actual song rather than a backing track, which is standard film practice. Cimino argued this would increase the realism of the scene which it absolutely did.

The first hour is, of course, the film's set-up: showcasing the normal life of our heroes before they embark on their journey. For us to understand how Vietnam has changed them, we have to understand how they were before, especially Nicky who suffers the worse trauma of the three, but more on that later. Out of all the men, he is one of the first to start dancing and singing to Franki Valli, demonstrating how he is the most jovial and outgoing of the three. Steven is a little shy whereas Michael is already a little hardened. Out of the three he goes through the most profound transformation.

Where this film really kicks into gear is in the controversial Russian Roulette scene, which was a masterpiece of dramatic tension. Prisoner to the Viet Cong, our three heroes are forced to play Russian Roulette, first against the other prisoners and then each other. Steven quickly falls to pieces and is consigned to a watery pit full of rats, leaving behind Michael and Nick as last men standing. De Niro and Walken are both brilliant here - Walken won Best Supporting Actor for his role, which was well-deserved. His fear was palpable.

Michael ups the stakes by adding three bullets into the revolver instead of just one, but this is all part of his plan to escape. And this is when all hell breaks loose. In the film's most thrilling scene, Michael turns the gun on his captors, kills the leader, Nicky grabs another gun and the pair shoot their way to safety. They rescue Steven, despite Michael initially wanting to leave him behind, believing him to only be a liability, and eventually reach safety. But what made this scene so brilliant was how there was no background music. The silence brought the tension to the forefront.

Although all three men escape, they don't all make it home. Michael and Steven return to America where we see how badly the war has changed them. In his escape from Vietnam, Steven is badly hurt and we next see him in rehabilitation after having lost his legs and one arm.  Steven refuses to come home as he no longer feels that he fits in. As for Michael, he is a completely broken man. He spurns his welcome home celebrations and has difficulty reconnecting to his old friends.

He goes deer-hunting again, but is unable to shoot a deer he had been tracking. Stan (John Cazale) snaps after being mocked once too often by Axle (Chuck Aspergen) and threatens to shoot him, but Michael snatches the revolver, removes all but one bullet, holds it to Stan's head and pulls the trigger on an empty chamber. The camaraderie and brotherhood that was present in the first film is now firmly in the past.

And where is Nicky? Steven reveals that somebody has been sending him money. Michael suspects this is Nicky who went AWOL and never returned home from Vietnam. He returns there to find him which is when we see the film's most heartbreaking scene. Nicky, now addicted to heroin, spends his days in a gambling den, playing Russian Roulette and sending his winnings home to Steven. He is now an empty shell of a man - no longer, the young man singing along to Frankie Valli. His eyes are dead and his skin is like chalk. 

Having made him a promise to not leave him behind, Michael desperately tries to convince Nicky to come home, but quickly realises that he is too far gone. Nicky is a dead a man walking and Walken is magnificent. His transformation is the most tragic as he is the only character who has truly transformed, whereas even before Vietnam, Michael is already a bit of a hard nut and Steven is already sensitive which is only exacerbated by their trauma, Nicky has pulled a full 180 from a happy, go-lucky, jovial steel-worker to a hollow man. 

Just when it seems that Michael has reached Nicky, he holds the gun to his head and sends the bullet into his skull. Once again the lack of background music highlights Michael's breaking heart, as well as the audience's. 

The Deer Hunter was Michael Cimino's breakthrough as a director and deservedly so, although it takes a while to get going, but when it does it is well worth the watch with some Oscar-worthy performances especially from De Niro and Walken. It's just a shame that Cimino was never able to repeat his early success. 

Natural Born Killers review

 Surprisingly this film isn't on the top 1000 films of all time although considering how controversial it is, perhaps this isn't so surprising. However, it is one of my girlfriend's favourite films so I thought I would give it a watch.

Mickey and Mallory Knox (Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis) are a couple deeply in love. Both having abusive childhoods, they become mass murderers who go on a lethal rampage killing anybody who stands in their way. All the while their actions are glorified by the media, most notably by journalist Wayne Gale (Robert Downey JR) Their rampage culminates in them being arrested and sent to a prison controlled by the maniacal warden Dwight Mckluskey ( Tommy Lee Jones)

Penned by Quentin Tarantino, although he has since disowned the film, and directed by Oliver Stone, NBK is what I lovingly refer to as 'True Romance' on acid.  It is a surreal, abstract and bizarre two-hour rollercoaster with more cuts than you can shake a fist at. And enough filters and visual effects to keep film majors analysing for years. But the film's unique visual style is its greatest strength with every colour scheme and visual composition peeling away another layer of Mickey and Mallory's psychotic mindset. For example, my girlfriend argues that the use of black and white at the beginning signifies how Mickey and Mallory see the world and everybody in it. Some people are good. Some are bad. There is no in-between.

Later, Mickey and Mallory become lost on in the desert while tripping on mushrooms. They encounter a Navajo chief Red Cloud who feeds and shelters them.  As their trip takes a bad turn and Mickey's dark past surfaces, he shoots Red Cloud. Upon fleeing, the couple find themselves surrounded in a field of rattlesnakes, unsure of which are real, and which are hallucinations. An apt metaphor for the paranoia they're feeling.

As I've said earlier, this film is highly controversial due to how its portrayal of ultra-violence has been blamed for numerous copycat killings, most notably, the Columbine High School Massacre which Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris code-named as NBK. But Oliver Stone has argued that those who say this have completely misunderstood the point of the film. Rather he argues the film is a satire of how the mass media glorify serial killers and mass murderers. And this is a theme that Stone absolutely nails.

NBK regularly references cult leader Charles Manson and serial killer Richard Ramirez who both received huge followings upon their incarcerations, even going so far as to marry their fans. Over the decades, Hollywood has displayed a perverse fascination with serial killers, making many films about Jack the Ripper and the Zodiac killer just to name a few. The TV series Criminal Minds draws inspiration from many real-life crime stories. More recently, Tarantino himself depicted Charles Manson and his murderous cult in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Netflix also produced a series about Ted Bundy starring Zach Effron. And let's not forget my favourite film, The Godfather which utterly and totally romanticises and glorifies the Mafia.

But as a society, we have always had this twisted interest in serial killers and mass murderers - seeing how they ick and how they become the way they are.  Nowhere is this more present than in the film's arguably greatest scene which explores Mallory's backstory and how she and Mickey meet. Framed as a campy, 70s sitcom complete with laugh track, we bear witness to Mallory's horrific homelife. Her father (Rodney Dangerfield) who wrote most of his own dialogue, sexually abuses her and is also physically abusive to his wife who allows him to abuse their daughter. Mickey delivers meat to Mallory's family and helps her to kill them. But the sit-com's laugh track is quite obviously a proxy for the audience-cum-armchair therapists who obsess over analysing every single detail of a serial killer's/mass murderer's childhood.

Robert Downey JR also shines as brash, vulgar and sleazy journalist Wayne Gale. This despicable man will do anything to get an interview with Mickey and Mallory as he knows the ratings will go through the roof - even if that means helping them escape from prison during a riot. The violence even excites him as he starts to gain a vicarious thrill through the violence he witnesses. Not to mention, the violence also fuels his massive ego. He starts getting off on all the monstrosities that he sees and even begins participating in it. He is very much a proxy of how the media can manipulate the actions of these depraved killers to turn them into some type of twisted symbol or god. 

I must admit, I'm a little puzzled as to why this film was omitted from the top 1000 films of all-time list as it is well-deserving of a place. Its memorable visual style and nuanced exploration of complicated themes makes it very compelling and entertaining to watch. But then again, equally controversial films such as a Clockwork Orange have made the list, so who knows why one film is okay and the other one isn't. Perhaps it's not the ultra-violence that bothered audiences but more how Stone argues that through our own glorification and fascination of real-life ultra-violence, we are indirectly responsible for its creation and continuation.

Into the Wild review

 Number 144 on the top 1000 films of all time is Sean Penn's 2007 biopic Into the Wild.

Into the Wild tells the real-life story of Christopher Mccandless (Emile Hirsch), a recent college graduate. Disillusioned with city and capitalist life, he donates his life savings, cuts up his credits cards, adopts the moniker 'Alexander Supertramp' and backpacks around the US before finally going to Alaska to live off the land. Along the way, he meets a number of people who change how he thinks about life.

One reason why I think Into the Wild made this list was because of the universability of its themes. Christopher is one of many confused and jaded young people who go backpacking in attempts to 'find themselves. In 2019, I volunteered on a French farm and my host told me that he had deliberately moved to the countryside because he was sick of the cut-throat nature of the city.

While backpacking, Christopher finds himself in LA and staying at a homeless shelter. Already fearing he's becoming corrupted by city life, he hits the road without even staying the night. But these are themes and ideas I've seen in my everyday life. I've heard many people say they would like to pull a Henry David Thoreau and live in a hand-built log cabin in the woods.

And while Christopher idolises Thoreau and is regularly quoting him, he is far cry from being an ace survivalist/woodsman or a relatable protagonist ... at least for me anyway. I have head some people criticise him as being arrogant or naive for believing he could live off the land especially in a land as unforgiving as Alaska. And it was his arrogance that did make him a little unlikable. Sure it's all well and good having books on Alaska's flora and fauna and receiving crash courses on how to hunt and prepare game, but book knowledge can only take you so far. At some point, you need practice and experience before throwing yourself into the deep end. Although I definitely wouldn't fare much better.

But this arrogance also obscures Chris' motivations for leaving his home in the first place. It is revealed that he and sister were the product of an illegitimate relationship making them bastard children and the object of resentment for his father who is also abusive. However, I don't think this was portrayed clearly enough and I think more could have been done to demonstrate their fractious relationship. Not to mention, Chris comes from quite a privileged background and arguably he has little to be unhappy about. Having said that, just because some people have it worse doesn't therefore then invalidate Chris' experience.

This was a tragic film, but because of Chris' cloudy motivations, I was feeling less sad sympathy for him and more for the people he met and left behind along his way. There's the ageing hippie couple Rainey (Brian H. Dierker) and Jan (Catherine Keener) who has a fractious relationship with her estranged son from another marriage. This turmoil has ate away with her relationship with Rainey. But Chris helps to rekindle their love for each other and learns about family along the way.

Next you have teenage singer Tracy (Kristen Stewart) who forms an unrequited attraction for Chris. Finally, we come to the always wonderful Hal Holbrook as Ron Franz. He is an ageing veteran who lost his wife and son to a drunk driver. Now he spends his days pottering in his leather workshop as he is too afraid to face the real world. In perhaps the most heart-breaking film of the film, fearing his family name will die with him, he asks whether he can adopt Christ as his grandson. Christ replies that they'll discuss this upon his return.

While this was a powerful film with relatable themes, which sometimes broke my heart, I think this was more down to Sean Penn's writing of the suppoting characters, rather than of Christopher Mccandless himself.

Kill Bill Volume 2 Review

 Number 324 on the top 1000 films of all time is Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Volume 2.

This is another film I'm watching out of order as it happens to be one of my girlfriend's favourite films. Beside I watched the first part out of order, so it only made sense that I do the same here.

The Bride (Uma Thurman) is still seeking revenge on her former boss Bill (David Carradine) and the last surviving member of her elite unit Elle ( Daryl Hannah)

As some of you may remember, I wasn't a fan of the Kill volume 1. I declared it was more of a homage to martial arts films as opposed to a film in its own right. I understand that was the point, but I do think That Tarantino took it too far. Thankfully Volume Two was far more straight forward. Brilliantly choregraphed, but arguably extraneous fight scenes gave way to more conventional storytelling. And a hell of a lot dialogue. As far as Tarantino films go, there was an an awful lot of talking which slowed the pace down to a crawl.

   I understand that this is another hallmark of Tarantino and while it was entertaining to see Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield talk about what they call cheese burgers in France or why Mr Pink doesn't tip, but the dialogue in kill Bill felt stilted and very on the nose. This was especially the case near the film's climax which should have been but most dramatic part, but I was struggling to stay awake. I fell asleep and my girlfriend had to tell me how it ended.

   That being said there were some great, albeit ridiculous sequences of the Bride being trained by martial art master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu) This was a wonderfully choregraphed sequence that was very entertaining to watch. The fight brutal fight scene between the Bride and Elle was also thrilling to watch.

And I would be remiss not to compliment Uma Thurman as the Bridge. She gave the role a depth and humanity that otherwise might have been lost. Even when she was squishing Elle's plucked-out eye underneath her foot. Seriously, Tarantino, did we really need a close-up of that?

True Romance review

 Number 344 on the top 1000 films of all time is Tony Scott's romantic crime drama True Romance.

I am watching this film out of order as I recently saw it in the roof-top cinema in Peckham, South London.

Penned by Quentin Tarantino, True Romance tells the romance of Clarence and Alabama. Clarence (Christian Slater,) a comic book store worker is unknowingly set up with call girl Alabama (Patricia Arquette.) A whirlwind romance and shotgun marriage later. Clarence confronts Alabama's pimp, Drexel (Gary Oldman) and unwittingly steals 500k of Drexel's coke. However, the coke actually belong to the mob. And they want it back. Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson and James Gandolfini round out the supporting cast.

    Released in 1993, this was one of Tarantino's earliest ventures and, arguably, one of his most original. I've been critical of Tarantino's latest film - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for being more of a homage than an actual movie - a similar criticism I also reserved for Kill Bill Volume 1. Yet that wasn't the case here. A quick pace and plenty of plot twists keep this film hurtling toward its thrilling conclusion.

    One such plot twist is Samuel L' Jackson's quick demise. Upon meeting Drexel, he mocks him relentlessly before Drexel blows him away. Plus a pre-Soprano James Gandolfini was utterly menacing as mobster Virgil. Sure you could argue that the fight scene with Alabama burdened on the ridiculous, but it was also great to see such a brilliant performance from Gandolfini.

Tarantino and Tony Scott also paced this film well. There aren't any too many dialogue scenes and there are plenty of comedic scenes the keep the content light. most of these were due to Brad Pitt's character of stoner Floyd. Reportedly, he improvised most of his dialogue which worked to great effect. Especially when he is interrogated by the ominous Gandolfini.

   This film climaxes in classic Tarantino fashion. Clarence meets a hot-shot movie exec to offload the coke in the hopes of fleeing the country with Alabama. However, the dead broker has flipped and is wearing a wire. On top of that, the mobsters have tracked down Clarence. Cue a massive shootout between the cops, the mobsters and the exec's security guards. Cue blood, bullets and everybody dying except for our heroes Clarence and Alabama. Although Clarence does dance with death for a second.

Reportedly Tarantino originally wanted to kill Clarence but Tony Scott convinced him otherwise. I think that's the better decision. The film is called True Romance and in a very twisted way it is a romance - the two loves Clarence and Alabama will do anything for each other - even kill. Seeing them walk into the sunset was more effective than seeing Alabama cry over Clarence's gravestone.

Again you can argue that the violent conclusion is gratuitous which is is. But by the same admission, it's also classic Tarantino. if you're not into that then you shouldn't be watching a Tarantino film. Especially this one. But if you want to watch Tarantino at his best, True Romance is the film for you.

Touch of Evil review

 Number 163 on the top 1000 films of all time is Orson Welles' 1958 noir classic Touch of Evil.

Miguel Vargas, of the Pan-American Narcotics commission, (Charlton Heston) is honeymooning in a Mexican town with his wife Susan (Janet Leigh.) When a carbomb kills a construction magnate and his wife, Vargas takes it upon himself to investigate.  However, this sends him hurtling to a collison with the Los Roblos detective assigned to the case: the obtuse Captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles.) Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff and Marlene Dietrich star in supporting roles.

If Double Indemnity kicked off the noir genre, it was Touch of Evil that solidified the genre in American cinema.  Strong lighting mixed with quirky camera angles and morally-grey characters made for a compelling watch.  This was in no short part to Orson Welles' performance as Quinlan.  Although he was the villain of the piece, he was a villain with a tragic backstory.  

Granted he was grumpy, ruthless and racist, notably with how he wanted to falsely arrest the young Sanchez, without a shred of evidence, he also had a great deal of depth.  I wouldn't necessarily say he was sympathetic, but he was empathetic.

This isn't to disparage Charlton Heston as Miguel Vargas.  He was great as well, but he was more of your cut-and-dry hero who lacked the same depth that Quinlan had.  Although at times, Touch of Evil was a little dialogue/exposition heavy, out of the three Orson Welles films I've seen, including this one: Citizen Kane, The Third Man, this one was definitely my favourite.

My Sassy Girl review

 Number 162 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Korean romantic-comedy My Sassy Girl.

Gyeon-Woo (Cha Tae-Hyun) is a college student who is very unlucky in love.  When he has a chance encounter with an unnamed woman, (Jun Ji-hyun) he soon becomes deeply enamoured with her.  But will she prove to be his break in love?

My Sassy Girl has pedigree.  Upon its release it became the highest-grossing romantic comedy in Korea and one of the highest-grossing films of all time especially within Far East Asia as a whole.  However, I do freely admit that it wasn't for me.  Personally, I didn't think the humour was very funny.  It seemed too lean heavily into gross-out humour.  When Gyeon-Woo first meets the unnamed woman, it's when she is drunk on the train.  Shortly after she throws up.  I didn't find this funny, but more disgusting.  Maybe that's just me.

I think the film works better as a romance rather than a comedy.  I was far more invested in the romantic elements than I was the comedic ones.  I was far more interested in seeing Gyeon-Woo falling deeper in love with the unnamed woman who initially treats him very cruelly.  This is soon revealed to be the girl's way of expressing her affection for him.  Although the two part ways, they reunite in what was a very sweet ending.  

So ultimately, I wasn't the keenest on this film.  It worked far better as a romance than a comedy, although the ending was quite delightful to watch.