My Top 25 films of the last 25 years
Getting into the spirit of the top 25 in the last 25 years lists I thought I would make my own... going to be rather difficult considering a large number of my top films are pre-1990... so what I am going to do is pick one film from each year that was my favourite in that particular year.
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25 titles
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.Another good film in this year was Pump up the Volume
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsVal KilmerMeg RyanKyle MacLachlanThe story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.Not the best year for films... Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Silence of the Lambs, Delicatessen
- DirectorJohn WooStarsChow Yun-FatTony Leung Chiu-waiTeresa MoA tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.A lot of great films in this year... Malcolm X, Wayne's World, My Cousin Vinny, The Last of the Mohicans
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Another great year for films... Falling Down, In the Name of the Father, Dazed and Confused, The Nightmare Before Christmas
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsBrad PittTom CruiseAntonio BanderasA vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.A controversial choice considering this is the year of the Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Léon: The Professional... all of which are worthy of this spot... but when I came out of the cinema after watching Interview, I felt I had lived those centuries that were depicted on the screen and while I thought wow to the other great films of this year, none of them made me feel like I was somehow part of the film, which is why I feel Interview just edges it for me... the book is even more powerful for sucking you into the story as though you are a witness to this vampire's life.
- DirectorMichael Caton-JonesStarsLiam NeesonJessica LangeJohn HurtIn 1713 Scotland, Rob Roy MacGregor is wronged by a nobleman and his nephew, becomes an outlaw in search of revenge while fleeing the Redcoats, and faces charges of being a Jacobite.This was a very tough choice between Rob Roy and Braveheart. I could've flipped a coin on which to put as my first choice. Other great films that could challenge for this spot are The City of Lost Children and Land and Freedom. Other good films this year include Se7en, A Walk in the Clouds, The Prophecy, and The Young Poisoner's Handbook
- DirectorJon TurteltaubStarsJohn TravoltaKyra SedgwickForest WhitakerAn ordinary man sees a bright light descend from the sky, and discovers he now has super-intelligence and telekinesis.Another controversial choice... I picked this one because it is one of those feel good movies. 1996 was quite a poor year for films... other films worth mentioning are Michael Collins, Shine, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Fargo, and Sleepers.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.A few good contenders... Starship Troopers, The Devil's Advocate, Good Will Hunting, Seven Years in Tibet but some of the detail found in this animated film sets the bench mark so high that only one other animated film has beaten it since by the same director.
- DirectorTony KayeStarsEdward NortonEdward FurlongBeverly D'AngeloLiving a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.Not a great year for films... other films worth mentioning include, Shakespeare in Love, The Legend of 1900, Les Misérables, The Wisdom of Crocodiles, Ring...
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.No competition in this year although there were some very good films this year. Other films of worth include, The Green Mile, The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, The Boondock Saints, The Virgin Suicides, The Talented Mr Ripley, Notting Hill, The Ninth Gate, The 13th Warrior, 8MM, Audition...
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.Not the greatest of years. Other films to consider are... Chocolat, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, American Psycho, In the Mood for Love, Quills, The Skulls
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouMathieu KassovitzRufusDespite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.For me no competition this year... this is the most complete and perfect film of all time from script to acting to photography. My number 1 film of all time. However, there were some awesome films this year... Das Experiment, Spirited Away (the greatest animated film of all time), Donnie Darko, A Beautiful Mind, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Others, Ocean's Eleven, A Knight's Tale, Enemy at the Gates, From Hell, K-Pax, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, The Shipping News... this was one of the best years of film since the 1980s.
- DirectorLaetitia ColombaniStarsAudrey TautouSamuel Le BihanIsabelle CarréA young woman who is in love with a married doctor becomes dangerous when her attempts to persuade him to leave his wife are unsuccessful. However, when things are seen from his point of view, the real situation becomes clear.Not content with having my best film of 2001, Audrey Tautou did it again the following year with this film that has an awesome twist in it... Do NOT read reviews about the film before watching it. This films relies on the twist for its greatness. Other films worthy of mention... Catch Me if you Can, Equilibrium, Infernal Affairs, Insomnia, Lathe of Heaven, 28 Days Later, Phone Booth, Road to Perdition, and the second installment of Lord of the Rings
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppGeoffrey RushOrlando BloomBlacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.Other films worth a mention: Good Bye Lenin!, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Love Actually, Kill Bill: Vol.1, Matrix Reloaded, Lord of the Rings; Return of the King
- DirectorMamoru HoshiStarsKoji YakushoGorô InagakiMasaya TakahashiIn wartime Japan, a government censor tries to make the writer for a theater troupe alter his comedic script. As they work with and against each other, the script ends up developing in unexpected ways.A genius film... 2 men in a room with one desk and two chairs... it grabs your attention and you will laugh and become absorbed into the film from the start to the end. Brilliant film... my second greatest film of all time. Also if you can understand both Japanese and English... you get twice as many jokes from the subtitles and the dialogue... whoever wrote the subtitles for this film deserves a reward for the best adaption of subtitles to a foreign film ever.
Other films worth considering for this year include, Downfall (would've been my favourite movie for this year had it not been for the genius of Warai no Daigaku), Night Watch, The Incredibles, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Lemony Snicker's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Life Aquatic, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, A Very Long Engagement, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, The Passion of the Christ - DirectorCharles BinaméStarsRoy DupuisStephen McHattieJulie LeBretonA story about Quebec's most famous hockey player, Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, focusing on the struggles of a French Canadian in the National Hockey League dominated by Anglophones.This was a year where there were a lot of good films but only a handful of great films.
The great films of this year include, Syriana, Green Street Hooligans, Cinderella Man, and Angel-A
But there are a lot of good films too... Pierrepoint, V for Vendetta, Sin City, Mr & Mrs Smith, King Kong, War of the Worlds, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Lord of War, Walk the Line, Corpse Bride, Munich, Mirrormask, Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello... - DirectorKen LoachStarsCillian MurphyPádraic DelaneyLiam CunninghamAgainst the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, two brothers fight a guerrilla war against British forces.A very difficult choice... The Last King of Scotland, Pan's Labyrinth, The Lives of Others, and This Is England are all contenders for this year.
Some other good films from this year are, Blood Diamond, Children of Men, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Illusionist, Babel, The Good Shepherd, Miss Potter, Day Watch, A Good Year... - DirectorSean PennStarsEmile HirschVince VaughnCatherine KeenerAfter graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.Another one of those years where there is no real competition for best film of the year. Into the Wild wins it hands down despite there being some good films and some good remakes of classics in this year.
Disturbia, The Man from Earth, No Country for Old Men, Zodiac, I Am Legend, 30 Days and 30 Nights, and The Darjeeling Limited are probably the best of the rest but there are quite a few good films this year. - DirectorKari SkoglandStarsBen KingsleyJim SturgessKevin ZegersMartin McGartland joins the I.R.A. and feeds information to Britain's Special Branch Agent Fergus.A poor year for films. A few good films of which Fifty Dead Men Walking is probably the best, and a lot of average films.
The best of the rest... The Baader Meinhof Complex, The Bank Job, Body of Lies, Control Alt Delete, Dante 01, The Dark Knight, Flash of Genius, Ip Man, Iron Man, Mes Stars et Moi, Milk, The Oxford Murders, Red Cliff, Stone of Destiny, Slumdog Millionaire, Kung Fu Panda - DirectorNeil JordanStarsColin FarrellAlicja BachledaDervla KirwanAn Irish fisherman discovers a woman in his fishing net whom his precocious daughter believes to be a selkie.Another year with plenty of good films but lacking a wow film... I went with Ondine because it is a very nice feel good film.
Other films to consider are Avatar (which is wow in cgi but let down by a lame plot), Exam, Jennifer's Body (hilarious), The Invention of Lying, Daybreakers (a great concept but doesn't quite deliver), 9, Inglorious Basterds, District 9, Sherlock Holmes, Watchmen, Zombieland, Moon, Public Enemies, Law Abiding Citizen, Drag Me to Hell, Coraline, Adventureland, MicMacs, Dorian Gray, The Damned United, Agora... - DirectorChristopher MorrisStarsWill AdamsdaleRiz AhmedAdeel AkhtarFour incompetent British terrorists set out to train for and commit an act of terror.From two years of lacking wow films to a year where there are many contenders. 2010 was a good year for films.
Other contenders include, Trollhunter, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, Kick-Ass, Inception, Shutter Island, Iron Man 2, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, The Social Network, Despicable Me, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, The King's Speech, How to Train Your Dragon, The Way Back, The Way, The Tourist, The Runaways, From Paris with Love... - 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.There is only really one choice for this year and that was the brilliance of The Artist. Fantastic film.
The next best two films were Goon and Fright Night... Yes, I know Fright Night - a film that was a remake of a film that was a remake of a film... Hitchcock's Rear Window aka vampire style. But I had such fun watching the film and considering the poor show of other films in this year...
So other films to consider... Water for Elephants, The Rum Diary, Drive Angry, A Dangerous Method, J. Edgar, We Bought a Zoo, Shame, Limitless, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Hugo, The Lincoln Lawyer... - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJamie FoxxChristoph WaltzLeonardo DiCaprioWith the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.Another year where there was only one clear winner but a few good other films...
The Angels' Share, Iron Sky, The Raven, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Silver Linings Playbook, The Hobbit, The Cabin in the Woods, 21 Jump Street, Life of Pi, Wreck-It Ralph, Rise of the Guardians, Killing Them Softly, Hitchcock, The Odd Life of Timothy Green - DirectorRon HowardStarsDaniel BrühlChris HemsworthOlivia WildeThe merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.A lot of fun films this year but not so many great films... Rush stood out as one of the great ones... others films to consider...
Gravity, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, World War Z, 12 Years a Slave, Oblivion, Her, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Warm Bodies, The Internship, Saving Mr Banks, The Book Thief, The Butler... - DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.Nightcrawler should've won best film, best actor, and best original script in all the film award ceremonies of last year.
Other films to consider for this year are: Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Edge of Tomorrow, The Hobbit, Divergent, Lucy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Fury