I felt the need to date this because more films will come out in the future that may bump some of these films off my list. Also my opinions do tend to change over time, so my favourite film does change from year to year. For example, a few years ago my favourite film was Holes and even earlier still, it was The Lion King.
I tried to keep this list balanced in terms of the time it was made, target age, and genre, but you will notice certain trends cropping up, and you'll get a good idea of certain genres and directing styles that I like. What is also worth noting is that any films that I thought were too similar to another on the list I had to tearfully push aside, although there are a couple of honorary mentions here and there. So, without further adieu, here are my top ten favourite films...
10. Howl's Moving Castle
Whenever I meet someone who likes anime, I can almost guarantee that they like this film. I am one of these people. Something I can say about all Studio Ghibli films is that they look gorgeous; the animation is fluid and attractive, and I can always count on breathtaking visuals and intricate, detailed and quirky character, building, and landscape designs. Christian Bale does an excellent job doing Howl's voice; the perfect combination of sexy arrogance and childish... arrogance, and Jean Simmons makes Grandma Sophie quite possibly the greatest granny in the world, ever. Honestly, I love the character of Sophie and how she embraces her curse and learns to live with it, rather than letting it dominate and ruin her, which is a nice change from the kind of 'curse storylines' I'd seen in the past. And let's not forget my favourite character: the wise-cracking fuss-pot fire demon Calcifer, voiced by Billy Crystal. It's a very enjoyable, funny and emotional film and I can see why so many people really enjoy it.
This only has the number 10 slot for one simple reason: the ending is pants. Don't try to deny it; I love this film a lot, but I can't pretend that the ending didn't spoil it just a little bit. It's rushed, contrived and riddled with clichés. In fact, this is a common problem in Studio Ghibli films in general, judging by the ones I've seen. However, the rest of the film more than makes up for its shortcomings at the finale, so I'm willing to forgive it.
9. Juno
Yeah, I'm not apologising for this one. I don't care. It's a great film, and I enjoy watching it every time. The characters are fleshed out and interesting, the acting is solid, and the dialogue is unlike anything I'd heard before. I find the relationship between Juno and Paulie very believable, and I'm able to forgive their admittedly idiotic behaviour regarding one another, considering the fact that they are both sixteen, and they have been dealt a pretty hefty hand at the beginning of the film. Really, what I can say about Juno is that what I originally thought would just be yet another teen drama turned out to be a genuinely funny comedy, with some seriously heart-warming and romantic moments. There's a scene near the end that never fails to bring me to tears, it's just so perfect and beautiful. Not my favourite film ever, but certainly deserving of my number 9 spot.
8. The Shawshank Redemption
Okay... wow, this one is tricky. What is there to say about this film, really? I suppose the reason I love it so much is that it provides such a sense of hope, but it's very much like It's a Wonderful Life in that you absolutely have to watch it until the end, or it will depress the hell out of you. I definitely wouldn't call it a 'feel-good film' because there is a lot of hardship to wade through before the pay-off, but that's exactly what makes it so gratifying in the end. So yes, it is a very heavy film, and definitely not suited so someone who just wants to watch something and have a jolly old time, but I will say that this film always leaves me with a smile on my face. And Morgan Freeman's soothing tones throughout are no bad thing either. Seriously, the man's basically America's answer to Stephen Fry. But, to get back on topic, The Shawshank Redemption is a great, if hard-hitting, film and it sits securely in my number 8 spot.
7. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
As someone who grew up watching Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Disney, along with many other cartoons, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a really enjoyable watch. Also speaking as someone who thrives on nostalgia, it felt really nice to combine the cartoons of my childhood with the more gritty and grown up plotline that this film had to offer. Murder, sex, blackmail; this thing was not for little kids, and I'm not the only person to comment on how utterly terrifying Judge Doom is. Yes, there are some pretty heavy scenes for a film with a cartoon rabbit on the cover.
One of the things I love the most about this film is the special effects, and by that I mean the cartoon characters interacting with the live-action characters. Honestly, I watched the DVD extra which explains how they pulled it off, and it is just amazing. Not only were all the cartoons hand drawn onto the film stills, but in order for the 'toons to lift, move and touch 'real' things, they had to use puppets and robotic arms and have the live actors often speak their lines to robots or just to thin air. I would say that of the films that have tried to combine cartoon with live action, none have done it quite as well as Who Framed Roger Rabbit. While watching it, you forget the technical aspects altogether and you can believe that the cartoons are really there, it looks that good; to quote Bobby Pedesta of Pixar: 'A good animated film looks like one person animated everything. And a great animated film looks like no-one animated it at all.' While I don't believe that's really possible in a literal sense, I think he meant it in the sense that the film will immerse and engage you and you will forget about how it was animated and instead concentrate on the plot and characters, which I think this film does very well. Even when it is constantly referenced that there are 'toons running around everywhere, you begin to take for granted the fact that they were drawn there; watching it, it feels like they are just there. And that, to me, means they did a great job.
6. Terminator
Hell yeah, Terminator. How can anyone not like this film? It's got action, it's got time travel, it's got an indestructible killer robot, it's got high-speed chases, it's got sex; what more could you want? Seriously though, I do enjoy action films (despite what some ill-informed preconceptions about my sex might suggest), with Die Hard and Die Hard 2: Die Harder being two other films I love. Yes, I know that time travel would be extremely problematic if it were actually possible, I know that not everything blows up on impact, and I know that in real life people can't think of cool things to say before shooting someone in the head, but shut up, it doesn't need to be logical because it's freaking Terminator! While I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really a fan of Schwarzenegger (in fact this is the only film of his that I really like) you can't deny how convincing a job does playing a giant robot. Could they have cast anyone better than the Govenator himself? I think not.
Now, because everyone asks me when I say that Terminator is one of my favourite films, I'll say this now: no, I have not seen Terminator 2, but I do plan to. Would I pass up the chance to see a film often described as 'like Terminator but better'? Hell no! But for now, Terminator is secure in the number 6 slot.
5. Donny Darko
"Why are you wearing that stupid man costume?"
I watched this around Christmas of 2010, having no idea what it was about, what genre it was, and generally what sort of film it would be. I had no idea it would end up blowing my mind.
As I may or may not have made clear, I'm getting tired of overused and predictable storylines, so imagine my delight when I watched this film that literally kept me guessing from beginning to end. I honestly had no idea what might happen next; the erratic nature of Donny and the strange, abstract nature of the film itself meant that I could never predict what would happen in the next scene, how it would be shown and how much immediate sense it would make, if any. Filmmakers trying to make horrors and thrillers could take a few notes from Donny Darko on suspense; I was on the edge of my seat, my heart thudding all the way through, even in the seemingly sedate, funny, or more naturalistic scenes, because I couldn't tell when it would all change and something else odd and frightening would happen. Tense, thought-provoking and subject to a lot of debate as to what the hell it actually means, this film earns its number 5 spot on my top 10 list.
4. WALL-E
I would describe WALL-E as an English student's dream: the imagery, the symbolism, the use of visual metaphor and non-verbal expression, the recurring themes and motifs, the portrayal of a dystopian future; this film had me wearing my analysis hat all the way through. And yet it still managed to tug at my heartstrings at the same time, without simply being schmaltzy. This film is a fine example of saying a lot with few words; the two main characters barely exchange any verbal dialogue, but a wealth of information and feelings is expressed between them and we can see their relationship grow and develop throughout the film. Pixar have always been very good at bringing non-human characters to life, and while admittedly their attempts have been somewhat hit and miss (for example, Toy Story works very well, but Cars not so much, in my opinion), WALL-E has shown that by merely giving characters the simple human characteristics of eyes and arms, as well as very human emotions, an audience can relate to, sympathise with, and even love a pair of fictional robots. And really, it's Pixar, do I need to mention the animation? Stellar stuff, as is to be expected, and particularly impressive considering the sheer scale of the film. WALL-E is an excellent example of character building, visual storytelling and true heart; something a lot of writers can really learn from.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I saw the trailer for this film and thought it would be a fun film; nothing spectacular, just something enjoyable. I should have known when I saw that it was directed by Edgar Wright, but wow. This film surprised me so much, and in the best way. I just love the way it presents itself; the visual style, the written sounds, and the impressive special effects were just ingredients in this recipe for awesome. The dialogue is quirky, shamelessly clichéd at times and almost always fall-off-your-chair hilarious. I especially enjoyed the way they provided no explanation as to why people had the ability to fly, summon demon hipster chicks, and turn 'super-vegan', it just got on with it and you would just shut up and watch, damn it! It's one of the most interesting, entertaining and quirky films that I've seen in a long time, and you should go and watch it right now; I don't care what you're doing, just go and watch Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
2. Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino seems to be the marmite of directors; either you love him or you hate him. Fittingly enough, I enjoy toast with about a centimetre of marmite spread on it. But, I personally like marmite when it hasn't gone past its sell-by date... this analogy is getting a bit strained. Basically, I like Tarantino's earlier work.
I like this film so much that I barely ever watch it. I know it sounds daft, but let me explain: I try not to watch it too often in case I eventually get bored of it, which I never want to happen. I like to leave it for months, up to a year, so that I nearly forget all about it, then when I watch it again, I feel more like I'm watching it for the first time. The characters are fascinating, entertaining and deliciously detestable, and with Tarantino's now signature technique of showing scenes non-chronologically we are able to slowly build up an image of a number of those characters, and which of them is the rat who blew their heist. Not to mention the dialogue is classic Tarantino (it is his first film, after all); untrimmed, vulgar and intriguing, and the long scenes which are done all in one shot are not only cool and interesting to look at, but make you feel like you're actually in the scene with them.
And yes, I do own the limited special edition DVD in the metal case shaped like a petrol can because I think it's really cool.
1. Shaun of the Dead
"Why not?"
"Because it's ridiculous!"
Yeah, another Edgar Wright film. In fact, the only reason Hot Fuzz isn't on this list is that I thought it would be redundant; I like Shaun of the Dead just that little bit more than Hot Fuzz so it only just missed its place on my list.
Everyone has that one film that they can watch over and over again without ever getting sick of it, and this is mine. I can recite most of the script (it can get annoying to watch this film with me, I'll admit that), I've seen it that many times. It's also one of those films where I notice something new each time I watch it, so I feel somewhat justified in having seen it so many times.
What struck me about the film is that it's oddly realistic for a zombie flick. What I mean by that is the characters react to the threat of a zombie apocalypse in a way that I find very believable and natural, and their use of assorted blunt objects to ward off the hordes was both funny and interesting; what if a zombie virus did break out in an area where not everyone owns a gun? Another thing I love about this film is that it's not a parody of zombie films, despite the name, but an homage to the genre, balancing comedy and satire with genuinely poignant, disturbing, violent, and tear-jerking moments. Where the film does poke fun at horror films however, it does so with love, in my opinion the best way to satirise something. So I'd definitely recommend you give this film a watch, provided you aren't particularly faint-hearted.
So now you know to what I hold other films against when reviewing them. As you probably already know, these kinds of lists are highly personal, so my number one favourite film could be someone else's number one least favourite film. So why not think about your own favourite films and why it is that you like them? Is it a guilty pleasure? Does it hold sentimental or nostalgic value? Do you just think that it's an extremely well written film that you wish more people knew about? You'd be surprised what you find out about yourself when you stop to think about just what it is that you enjoy about the films you like. If you're a grumpy bear like me, it might be hard, but it can also be very rewarding, and I recommend you give it a shot.
And yes, I really did put WALL-E ahead of Donny Darko and Terminator.
What struck me about the film is that it's oddly realistic for a zombie flick. What I mean by that is the characters react to the threat of a zombie apocalypse in a way that I find very believable and natural, and their use of assorted blunt objects to ward off the hordes was both funny and interesting; what if a zombie virus did break out in an area where not everyone owns a gun? Another thing I love about this film is that it's not a parody of zombie films, despite the name, but an homage to the genre, balancing comedy and satire with genuinely poignant, disturbing, violent, and tear-jerking moments. Where the film does poke fun at horror films however, it does so with love, in my opinion the best way to satirise something. So I'd definitely recommend you give this film a watch, provided you aren't particularly faint-hearted.
So now you know to what I hold other films against when reviewing them. As you probably already know, these kinds of lists are highly personal, so my number one favourite film could be someone else's number one least favourite film. So why not think about your own favourite films and why it is that you like them? Is it a guilty pleasure? Does it hold sentimental or nostalgic value? Do you just think that it's an extremely well written film that you wish more people knew about? You'd be surprised what you find out about yourself when you stop to think about just what it is that you enjoy about the films you like. If you're a grumpy bear like me, it might be hard, but it can also be very rewarding, and I recommend you give it a shot.
And yes, I really did put WALL-E ahead of Donny Darko and Terminator.
