My top 20 of 2000-2018 so far
The films I really like based on re-watchability
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- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHarrison FordRyan GoslingAna de ArmasYoung Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.Dunkirk - simply brilliant ! Nolan does it again ! genius ! Heart pumping stuff from start to finish. What I like about Christopher Nolan is he doesn't insult the audience's intelligence , The timeline and focus of Dunkirk is split into 3 points of view ; LAND, AIR and SEA and although it needs your attention the non linear flashbacks and forwards to each POV are a complex intertwining way of showing the story from those 3 perspectives, some might prefer a chronological order but I think that would lose the 3 element POV. On LAND we follow a small band of soldiers for the longest time period and their attempts to get back to England amongst the hundreds of thousands of men waiting to be rescued from the Dunkirk beaches. On the SEA we focus on one day and one of the small boats that ventures out from a small harbour to get across the dangerous waters of the English channel. In the AIR we have the perspective of a couple of Spitfire pilots where their timeline lasting one hour or more accurately until their mission fuel lasts.
This really is an epic ‘event’ film, the way this historic event is portrayed is second to none, there’s a real sense of drama and desperation about the how the soldiers try to get back home to just survive on the beach and on the limited ships trying their best to evacuate them. The spitfire pilots are on the clock, they can only stay in the air for as long as their fuel allows and you feel that clock ticking away with every scene from the sky. Of the flotilla at sea we only see one out of the hundreds of boats involved in this momentous rescue mission, but again this isn’t about too much character development, it’s there to show us a snippet in the lives of ordinary people coming to the aid of a national disaster not ignoring the obvious danger but accepting it needs to be done.
The individual character / actor performances are never too big to overshadow the event as a whole. Tom Hardy is fantastic as one of the 2 spitfire pilots that we see and is very much on the job in hand in an almost routine way, he is not trying to be a hero he is just doing the best he can. Newcomers Fionn Whitehead and even Harry Stiles show they have plenty of acting talent and deserve to be alongside some great veteran actors like Kenneth Brannagh, Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy, who all put in great performances. Come Oscar / awards season I would expect a few best supporting actor nominations.
Another aspect of the film I really like is the lack of dialogue, especially at the start of the film , this really allows for the scene to be set and triggers our pulses racing.
Hans Zimmer as ever provides a truly atmospheric and great score that adds immensely to the mounting tension that we experience throughout the film.
Nolan never disappoints me with spectacular visuals and here again we see some large scale scenes that are of the best ever war film cinematography I can think of.
There is plenty of action mixed in with moments of tranquillity, the calm before the storm the harrowing fight for survival in the face of adversity.
As I left the theatre I couldn’t help but overhear peoples comments of ‘wow, what a great and powerful film’ I couldn’t agree more ! such a must see film, I will be going to see it again next week on the iMax screen, I already rank this as my top film of the year with another viewing I can easily imagine this becoming my favourite film of the 21st century so far. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.Brilliant ! Exhilarating, Emotional
I am not sure if I would like this more or less if I was as clever as Prof Brian Cox ??. If black holes, worm holes and the time continuum aren't enough to blow your mind the stunning visual effects will. (although on second viewing I don't think the picture was as sharp as in Gravity) Great performance from MMcC as we now expect as standard.
At 168mins this is the longest film I've seen for a while, but so good I will be going to see it again next week, maybe I'll swot up on Einstein's theory of relativity before hand.(tried that, it didn't help)Still A must see film and a defo for the bluRay list, hopefully there will be an extended edition because this is one of those films where you just want more. Fantastic ! Still great after a 3rd viewing in fact I have raised my rating up to 10 it is so good. 2017 update, now seen this 15 times, still makes my day. - DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.best trilogy ever !?
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.With a budget of nearly £100,000,000 (or should I say nearly £100,000,000 more than the original 1979 Mad Max) you would expect this to be pretty good ?! so just as well its absolutely fantastically brilliant (and barking mad) then. Tom Hardy is becoming one of my favourite actors, he is so versatile. Charlize Theron is brilliant as usual! Nicholas Hoult (yes you might say I recognise him from something) shows he has come a long way since About A Boy and there's a great bunch of baddies. The assortment of vehicles are the real stars though, they have taken the cut and shunt to a whole new level ! wacky racers look like normal cars in comparison !. I think the 3D effects were pretty good too, not overdone and well worth seeing in this format. Doesn't really compare to the first Mad Max which looks quite dated and cheap now but does resemble the better MM Road Warrior. So if you looking for nearly 2 hours of action packed fun set in a deserted dystopian future you must go see this. Defo one for the Blu Ray list this crimbo. My new favourite of the year so far.
Update - So good in fact that I have now seen it 3 times already and enjoyed it more the second time, 3rd time in 2D not so much so if you get a chance to see it in 3D go for it !!
Further update since getting the 3D blu ray for Christmas (thanks mum, couldn't wait opened it early) it is still brilliant on the small screen at home ! - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonJessica ChastainKristen WiigAn astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.It was good to see Matt Damon in a space suit again , he was so good in Interstellar ! and here again he delivers another stunning performance. It's also nice to see that Ridley Scott has is mojo back, maybe he should stick to Sci-Fi more often. The film is full of stunning scenery , Mars looks so believable and in 3D you feel as if you are there. Matt's character Watney is very likeable due to the fact that he has great humour in spite of the fact he has been abandoned alone on Mars. Being an astronaut / botanist turns out to be his good fortune and helps him to survive longer than expected millions of miles away from earth. The rescue mission team played out by some great supporting acts including Jeff Daniels , Kristen Wiig and Sean Bean even just adds to the overall strength of this movie. The special effects team did a brilliant job too, although I can't believe the budget was just over $100 000 000, surely this cost a lot more than that !? The story is of course the heart of this movie , human beings will always try to save / rescue their fellow man, (with my cynical head on I doubt this to be true when it costs billions of dollars.) but putting that to one side will make this movie experience all the more enjoyable. This is great sci-fi adventure with laughs, so the fact that it is 135 minutes long will go unnoticed. Another must see (again) and hopefully the BluRay release will give us lots of extras.OK I've pre-ordered the BluRay something I rarely do. Just for good measure I went to see this again in January 2016 and enjoyed it so much that I promoted it to my second favourite film of 2015.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.Bat man movies finally grew up !
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.you do need to be very awake for this one !
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.gets better every time i watch it
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsGuy PearceCarrie-Anne MossJoe PantolianoA man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHugh JackmanScarlett JohanssonAfter a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIvana BaqueroAriadna GilSergi LópezIn the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
- DirectorAndrew StantonStarsBen BurttElissa KnightJeff GarlinIn the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJonah HillMargot RobbieBased on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.This is why LDC is my favourite actor, he is brilliant!, and when he is teamed up with Scorsese he is sublime. This film has more T&A than a years supply of Nuts magazine, and enough white powder for a snow capped mountain, now I know what I missed out on in the 80s. Is this a statement on greed and decadence ? YES, but it is still funny in several places without saying that it is ok. Obviously a hot favourite for Oscars.
- 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.A must see !, i cried with laughter.
In fact it was so good, I went to see it for a second time, and I was amazed that I again didn't notice how long this film is @165 mins.
This will definitely be on my crimbo prezzy list ! - DirectorAlex GarlandStarsAlicia VikanderDomhnall GleesonOscar IsaacA young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.Nice to see a good Sci-fi again, makes a change from all the recent (good) biographies. Ava the AI robot is excellently played by Alicia Vikander who recently also did a good job in Testament of Youth, so a rising star to watch out for. The film has a good pace and subtle background music. The story plays out like a classic suspenseful and atmospheric thriller. Although some aspects are predictable , well it's about AI so you will expect / guess a few intelligent twists here and there, but the end was more unpredictable, which helped make this my favourite film of the year so far. I enjoyed this just as much on the second viewing too.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.It has been difficult not to know much about this movie , there has been so much publicity and hype with award nominations etc., Starring 2 of my favourite actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy it was always going to be a must see anyway, both put in fantastic performances. With director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu at the helm it was also odds on to be a winner. Inspired by true events this is an epic tale of survival and redemption that will have you glued to your seat for 2 and 1/2 hours. If Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't get the oscar for best actor it will be another serious error from the judges as far as DiCaprio is concerned, Tom Hardy also puts in another great performance and is worthy of another oscar. The cinematography is simply breathtakingly superb and it is clear that a lot of effort went into the making of this big screen epic. The makeup is really impressive, especially the scars on DiCaprio following the bear attack. Possibly/probably the best film of the year ?, who can tell this early in the movie calendar, it is sure going to take something special to beat it. I am looking forward to seeing it again next week. Just as good the second time and I noticed the music more which is brilliant too.
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.Considering this is a tragic and sobering tale of how your life can be turned upside down in a matter of seconds it is just so enthralling and beautifully played out. Casey Affleck just seems to be going from strength to strength with every film ever since playing Robert Ford in the Assassination of Jesse James, and of course starred in my favourite film "Interstellar" too. He is giving his brother some serious competition and I look forward to his next project. Here he returns to his home town of Manchester by the Sea but we don't know why he left until a series of flashbacks paint the picture of a truly broken man, if it were a book it would be one of those you just couldn't put down. At a bit over 2 hours you might think it would be too long but it is so well paced that I didn't notice the time flying by. Ok it is so sad in places you might need a tissue but I love films that can affect you so deeply. Michelle Williams gets a Golden Globe nomination for a relatively small but brilliant supporting role, Casey a most deserved GG win for best actor. A must see film, I might even go and see it again next week if hopefully it is still on.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostKate AshfieldThe uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.