10) Rear Window
Easily Alfred Hitchcocks’s best film. Though the film is filled with great characters (played by Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr and Thelma Ritter) what really makes the film superior is the environment. The opening sequence in which Hitchcock introduces all the neighbors is one the best long shots in cinematic history. Both suspenseful and thrilling, Rear Window has held up fantastically over the past half-century.
9) Raiders of the Lost Ark
Better than all the other Indiana Jones installments (especially the 2nd and 4th films), Raiders of the Lost Ark is arguably the best adventure film of all-time. It’s hard to believe that it has been almost thirty years since this film was first released, yet it continues to entertain new generations.
Described as a fairy tale for adults, Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the imaginative films ever made. Supported by a fabulous score and cinematography, Pan’s Labyrinth is two hours of eye candy. Also, the film has one of the best villans ever captured on screen played by Sergei Lopez. The violence is brutal, yet it is impossible to turn away.
7) Heat
Nothing not to like here. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino face off in a Los Angeles crime epic. Not only does the film have one of the best shoot-out’s in cinematic history, but also one of the best scenes of dialog when Pacino and De Niro finally meet face to face. This is Michael Mann’s best film, which is saying something considering he made Last of the Mohicans and Collateral.
6) Schindler’s List
Out of all the films concerning World War II Germany, Schindler’s List is easily the most effective at demonstrating the horrors of war. Not only does the film give an accurate portrayal of the Holocaust but it also tells the incredible story a man who saved over 1,000 Jewish people.
5) City of God
One of the most shocking films I’ve ever seen, City of God is a realistic depiction of the criminal life in Rio de Janeiro. No film (not even Slumdog Millionaire) successfully shows the hardships of poverty better than this film. City of God delivers more than just a powerful message but an experience to the viewer that is unforgettable.
4) 12 Angry Men
If there is ever a time in my life that I am called to serve on a jury, this movie will come to mind and it will affect how I approach the situation. It tells the story of a juror who stands up for his belief that every person deserves a fair trail despite enormous pressure from the other jurors to just make an easy decision. Unlike many movies in Hollywood, this movie truly has the ability to make you think and perhaps even affect the lives of viewers.
3) Pulp Fiction
Though I’ve seen Pulp Fiction at least a dozen times, it is still as entertaining as the first time I saw it. Tarantino’s masterpiece proves that the most important aspect of a film is the writing. With so many classic lines and scenes, Pulp Fiction remains one of the most re-watchable films ever made.
2) Traffic
I’ve always been a fan of Steven Soderbergh, yet Traffic overshadows all his other films by a long shot. Before watching this film I knew little about America’s war on drugs, but after watching Traffic I felt both educated and fascinated by how much of an effect drugs have had on our culture. Soderbergh gives viewers several different perspectives of the narcotics business from the user to the cops to the drug lords themselves. This is a masterpiece that should be viewed by every American.
1) L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential perfectly blends the style of the 1950s, film noir, and modern violence to form my favorite film of all-time. With a story that keeps you guessing, yet is not so confusing to lose your attention like many of the film noir’s of the 1950s (The Big Sleep, Maltese Falcon), L.A. Confidential is always entertaining. This is Curtis Hanson’s masterpiece and easily should have won the Oscar for best picture in 1998.
Traffic? Yawn.
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