Let's Talk About Movies

I’m mad at sports - mostly because I’m sick of hearing about steroids. So with the Oscars coming up I've decided to run a list of my "top ten movies." Yes, I realize this type of thing is one of the ultimate cliché blog moves, but screw off I'm doing it anyway.

My criteria were the same as any "best movie" list: plot, acting, how the movie resonated, etc. One thing I also took into consideration is what I call, for lack of a better (or real) word, "rewatchability." You'll notice there aren't really any comedies on this list because comedies are overrated. They make you laugh and then you move on, but they rarely stick with you. They don't belong on a list of best movies.

Also, before I start, I just want to say that people need to calm down on the whole Dark Knight thing. It is a very good movie, yes, but everybody overrates it. Heath Ledger’s performance was amazing, one of the best ever, but lets give the movie itself a little more time to simmer before we anoint it “greatest ever.”

Anyway without further ado...

10. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Excellent acting from Matt Damon and Robin Williams are the highlights of this movie. Williams also gets credit for being the non annoying form of himself. Robin Williams the person = annoying. Robin Williams the serious actor = surprisingly good. I also love this script and story.

9. Gone Baby Gone (2007)

I don't think this movie gets enough credit. I'm also a sucker for good crime drams. There are plenty of cookie cutter crime thrillers with cliché storylines, but Gone Baby Gone is both interesting and less formulaic than others of its genre. Also, props to the Affleck brothers on this one – who knew Casey Affleck would be good in a leading role? And who knew Ben Affleck was good at anything? (He was the director).

8. The Departed (2006)

Say what you will about the ending, but I loved every second of this movie. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon were excellent, and I always enjoy Jack Nicholson (even when his slurred Boston accent makes him sound like an idiot). And while the ending is...interesting, to say the least, that really didn't bother me. Plus this movie is two and a half hours long, but I've seen it several times and it never feels drawn out. There are no dull scenes. This is one of those movies that every time I see it on HBO, I watch at least part of it.

7. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

I like dark movies. This is, without a doubt, the darkest, most grisly movie I have ever seen. It is also the only movie on this list that fails miserably for "rewatchability" as I've only seen it once. But I loved it. I defy anyone to watch Requiem for a Dream and not be completely awestruck. I would also like to note that I hate everything about Marlon Wayans – and all the Wayans for that matter. They are absolutely awful in every way. Except in this movie Marlon Wayans is excellent. Who knew? I just don't know how you go from that to White Chicks and Little Man. Unbelievable.

6. A Few Good Men (1992)

I’ve never seen Unforgiven so I can’t definitively say A Few Good Men got robbed for best picture, but I don’t like westerns so I’m going to say it anyway: A Few Good Men got robbed for best picture. The courtroom scene between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson is iconic. There have been at least three occasions where I saw this movie on TV, watched the edited version for a few minutes, realized I owned the movie, tossed that baby in the DVD player and watched the whole thing from the beginning. If that isn’t the sign of a good movie, I don’t know what is.

5. Bull Durham (1988)/Field of Dreams (1989)

I realize this is cheating, but I didn’t want Kevin Costner taking up two full spots on this list. Plus, I can’t decide which of these movies I enjoy more. Besides this is my list so I can do what I want. As far as the movies go, the top “rewatchabilty” award is definitely a tie between Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Every time I see either of these on TV I jump right in and watch the rest of the movie, and I enjoy it every time. And, if you are wondering, Bull Durham is a dramedy not a comedy, so I didn’t technically break my comedy rule.

4. Fargo (1996)

My homer pick. I love the Coens. I love their dark sense of humor. I love their characters. I love their storytelling. I love everything about them. And yes, the Minnesota accents are over the top in Fargo, but that is part of what makes this movie so funny. Especially to Minnesotans. This movie is vastly superior to No Country for Old Men by the way – and I thoroughly enjoyed No Country for Old Men.

3. Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Do I even need to say anything here? I mean if you don’t like Shawshank Redemption you are a bad person. Seriously, there is a direct correlation between disliking this movie and becoming a child molester. You can’t argue with statistics.

2. Mystic River (2003)

For being so dark and depressing I always enjoy watching this movie. Sean Penn is excellent, even if he is a complete tool in real life. Mystic River is fairly similar to Gone Baby Gone – they were both based on novels by Dennis Lehane – but Mystic River has a slightly more compelling story and features more powerhouse acting performances. Not a happy movie by any means, but those often bore me.

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Greatest. Acting. Performance. Ever. Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely fantastic in this movie. It is hands down the best performance I have ever seen (yes, including Heath Ledger’s Joker). The movie is a complete character study of Daniel Plainview, and he is, without a doubt, the most compelling character I have ever seen on the big screen. He is dark, complex, conniving – basically everything you want from a main character. This movie is the definition of something you either love or hate. And I absolutely loved it.

Honorable Mention:
The Sandlot (1993)
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Wag the Dog (1989)

Well that is my list. And, if you are wondering, this is exceedingly difficult to do and I struggled immensely with some of my choices. I may have forgotten some movies (although if I forgot them they can’t be that good right?) and, if I really sat down and took a lot of time to analyze everything, this list would probably change, but I am pleased with how it turned out.

I would love to see some comments though on A. Why I’m an idiot (within in the confines of this list preferably), and B. Some of your favorite movies.

Of course if you say The Dark Knight that makes you a tool.

-Juice