100 Favourite, Part VI: 20-11

Brodie Fanns!

And so it is, we have approached the Top 20. After this, there's only 10 more films. The TOP 10. The most important 10. My 10 favourite films... OF ALL TIME! But that's next week. THIS week, however, we have the... second place of top 10 lists. The 11-20. If any of the main Top 10 got injured, one from this list would step in. It's my second string Top 10. It's my Aaron Rodgers to the Brett Farve of the Top 10.

So here it is... the Aaron Rodgers list....

20) Fight Club
I mentioned this film, if you remember, in conjunction with my number 45 film, Office Space. I said it was a socially relevant film. And I stand by that. It gave a voice to the problem of "You're a white, suburban male, what could you possibly have to be depressed about?" That's what we have. The lack of sympathy. The feeling that no one is there to listen to us when we do have a problem. And this movie exemplified that growing frustration among the white, middle-class. They're only outlet was purposeful and accepted violence amongst themselves. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt cemented themselves as two of the most fascinating actors going into the new millennium with Helena Bonham Carter coming along as a rising star, a fast one at that.

SPOILER ALERT! This clip contains hints and clues at the twist ending. If you are one of the three people in the world who has not seen this flick, and don't want the ending spoiled, don't play the clip.



19) Die Hard
If the 80's mainstream cinema is to be remembered for one thing... it's probably John Hughes. But if it's to be remembered for two things, that second one is the golden era of action films. And penultimate action hero/film of all time has to be Bruce Willis' John McClane in Die Hard. More than just your brainless actioner that we had previously seen with Robocop, They Live, First Blood and The Terminator (the second one is where that franchise is at), Willis brings a sense of urgency, heart and humanity to the action hero. He's not this muscle bound war hero, impervious to pain, like others. He's just a guy in a little over his head, trying to save his wife so they can have a good Christmas with the kids. It's gritty, stripped down, raw and visceral, everything that it's predecessors wanted to be, and everything it's followers tried to be. This was the peak of of classic action.

Again, no YouTube, but I'll repost the link to the other video... Click here for Die Hard video.

18) Ocean's Eleven
Despite being a huge Sinatra fan, I have to place the Clooney remake on the list. Why? It surpasses the original. It's its own movie. And goddamn is it cool. It is the most fun I've had watching a movie, because you can tell onscreen that the actors had fun making the movie. They're love for what they were doing elevated the overall feel of the film. And with the three leads (Clooney, Pitt and Damon) all really hitting their stride with this film, it's a glorious glimpse into what is to come for the next several years. What amazing films those three have done since. The whole cast is spot on perfect, even Julia Roberts, who I've never really been a fan of. It's cool, hip, funny, thrilling... I'm running out of adjectives. It's just... DAMN what a great film. And the music! Oh god the music!



17) Citizen Kane
The AFI named it the number 1 best American film ever made. And technically speaking, it most likely is. I think it's wonderfully directed, acted, written, all that. But this is a list of my 100 favourite, not best, so it can't take the number 1 slot. But like I said, everything about this is spot on. And when you consider that Orson Welles was only 25 when he wrote, directed and starred in the grand epic, scoring Oscar nominations for each endeavour. It's the film that overcame all the odds to become considered one of the finest films ever made, and it's just as compelling today as it was 67 years ago.



16) American History X
It's one of only two films that I consider a necessary viewing. To a more graphic and disturbing extent than Fight Club, it explores the white man's frustration, and the damage that can do if left unchecked. It's a striking look into the world of racism, but more importantly, it's a story of redemption. Superbly acted by all involved, including stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong, and supporting players Elliot Gould, Ethan Suplee and Avery Brooks. It's one of the more intense films I've ever seen, and one that certainly should be shown to kids, but must be shown to kids, as it does drive home the point that hate and racism and intolerance is a damaging force in our society.

SPOILER ALERT! This is the end scene from the film. It's the summation, so that's why I chose it, but again, if you have yet to see the film, and don't want it spoiled for you, don't watch the clip.



15) Requiem For A Dream
The second of my two "must view" films. What "Scared Straight" did for juvenile delinquents, this film will do for kids and drugs. Seriously, you want your kids to stay away from drugs, any kind, from the Tony Montana/cocaine snorting to the Jessie Spano/pill popping, show them this movie. And they will be terrified of drugs. Darren Aronofsky creates a beautifully disturbing take on the drug culture. Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayanes are all strikingly poignant in their portrayals of different kinds of addicts, and showing the lengths and depths at which they will go to score their next fix. See this movie. Show it to your kids.

SPOILER ALERT! Sorry for all the "end scenes", but: a) They're easier to find and b) they're better clips.



14) Clerks.
Kevin Smith, along with two other filmmakers who we will see later, are the three reasons that I like film. I credit them with my love film. Sure my parents had me watching old films as a kid, so it's kinda been something I've always been interested in. But after seeing the films of Kevin Smith, I decided that I wanted to make film, my life. In some way, shape or form, cinema was going to be my life. And Clerks started it all. I saw this movie when I was... 13 or 14, and I was blown away that there could be dialog this whip smart, vulgar and all around cool. And what makes it all the better, is that it's Kevin Smith's film. He made it. He got the funding together, cast it, wrote it, shot it, chopped it, what have you, he made it. It is his film. It was my first experience with indie-films. And even though as a kid I was accustomed to high budget, dazzling production value, what blew me away was the simplicity. It was simple, but profoundly amazing. A statement that Smith was here, and he's making films on his terms. I can't think of a better debut film, thank you Kevin Smith.



13) Casablanca
As stated earlier this week, it's the perfect love story. You can't get any better. It has all the elements. Handsome man, beautiful woman, heartbreak, alcohol, a piano, Nazis. It's got everything a love story needs. But above all that, it's just a damn fine film. Bogart was at the top of his game at this point and this is just one of many films that go in the pantheon of great Bogey performances. Bergman was as beautiful as ever. And the song. "As Time Goes By". What a great song. It's such a beautiful film. Curl up with your woman and watch this flick.



12) Beauty and the Beast
Yeah, I'm a guy, and I put the Disney Beauty and the Beast at number 12 of my top 100 list. Fuck you, it's a great film. This film represents the pinnacle of what can be done with animation. It trumps the 3D computer animation of Pixar and Dreamworks and what not. That's an advancement of technology. It was natural progression. Sure it can animate faster and a better quality, but essentially, last year's Ratatouille isn't a giant leap forward from 1995's Toy Story. But the traditional hand drawn style coupled with computer imaging for 1991's Beauty and the Beast is just beautiful. Couple that with a classic but lovable love story and hilarious secondary characters make for a classic film. This is the best Disney has to offer, and the best animation has to offer. I mean... just look at the grand sweeping camera shots in this sequence. What craftsmanship.



11) Dazed and Confused
If you've ever had a conversation with me, you know precisely how much I love this film. Fascinating characters, superb plotline. It is so much more than a teen movie (a genre in which this is the best), more than a coming of age film, it is a film about life. It just happens to center around teens in the late 70's. And was there a better time to grow up? No. I've always felt that I was born about 25 years too late, and this movie exemplifies that. It features a lot of future stars before they were big, and that's when they were good, before their egos outweighed their actual talent (sorry Matthew McConaughey and Ben Affleck). It is such a fantastic film. Watch it. You'll love it.



So there it is... 20-11... see you all next week.

-Brodie Mann