2. Rope (1948)
The first color film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and one of only two in which he served as producer, Rope is a flawlessly executed experiment in film-making. I’ve seen a lot of film “experiments”, and this stands out above all others in that it not only contains a narrative, but a spellbinding narrative at that.
But getting back to the experiment – the first thing I ever heard about this film was that it contained no cuts and, therefore, transpires in real time (i.e., during the 80 minutes it takes to watch the film, eighty minutes transpire in the lives of the characters). My initial reaction was: “Cool idea, but probably boring”. But I was wrong. Hitchcock experimented with long cuts (e.g., Under Capricorn) and confined sets (e.g., Lifeboat) on other occasions, but in Rope, he uses them both to perfection
For one thing, Rope does contain cuts, and part of the fun is spotting the cuts, especially before they happen (it’s fun to see how the furniture and characters have to line up for a cut to be “hidden”). For another thing, those 80 minutes take place during sunset, and the skyline out the apartment windows makes for a more interesting film in itself than some Oscar winners I’ve seen.
Then there’s the story. Only Hitchcock would have the bravado (back in ’48) to put such arrogance on film; wherein two college students kill a third just “to see what it feels like”. It’s the ultimate for-the-hell-of-it act, and these boys justify it by claiming their own superiority over the mass of humanity. That in itself isn’t very satisfying, but throughout the next 79 minutes, we are treated to all manner of rationalizations and arguments that supposedly led to that moment of homicide.
Jimmy Stewart stars in this film, and though he is only one-third of the unholy trinity here, he’s still just as great as always. Did he ever give a bad performance? I don’t think so. Even in so-so movies, he manages to shine above the mediocrity. Incidentally, he’s the only person to star in two films in my top ten. In Rope, he’s given the best roll and he gets many of the great lines, including the best one: “Did you think you were God, Brandon?” (It’s better in context.)
And what Hitchcock would be complete without dark humor? His cameo appearance, the double-entendre of snippets of conversations, the decision of where to serve dinner, even the binding used to fasten the stack of books – all keep a viewer raptly attentive.
In most motion pictures with suspense, the suspense tends to rise and fall in episodic fashion throughout the story, culminating in a grand bit of suspense called the “climax”. But Rope is, yet again, different in this regard; the suspense never falls. While this makes for an exhausting filmic experience, it is fun to feel the suspense mount higher and higher until at last a resolution (of which the viewer is never certain) occurs. With each viewing, I revel in the fun of watching the guests, like pawns, being manipulated by their hosts.
When it comes to well-made and enjoyable motion pictures, it is my opinion that Rope stands out as one of the best ever. Maybe even the best. Except for…

1. Psycho (1960)
At last I get to discuss what has been my favorite motion picture for the past 16 years. At the time I first viewed it, I realized that no film more fully enraptured, thrilled, excited and intriqued me quite like Psycho. Ever since, I have weighed all subsequent films against this one, and, though some have come close, I just can’t honestly rank any film higher. No other motion picture excels in absolutely every aspect. Psycho, in my opinion, is the most perfect film ever created, or, if you prefer: Psycho contains the least amount of stuff I did not like. Even the opening titles are brilliant!
This film stands in contrast to all others for not one, but several reasons. Allow me to delineate the outstanding features of Hitchcock’s pièce de résistance…
1. The entire story itself is totally changed from what it appears to be at the outset. I love when I can’t guess what’s gonna happen next, but this takes it to a whole new level. I’ve never seen a movie devote so much time to throwing a person off the main trail (except maybe The Sound of Music).
2. Symbolism! I love symbolism in motion pictures, and Psycho has it in full measure. From the opening credits chopping from name to name, to the hanging sickles in the hardware store, to the positioning of the hotel in relation to the house, to the changing color of Crane’s clothing, to the pictures on the wall, to the record on the record player, to the license plate number, to the avian references, to the names of the main characters…symbolism is everywhere here. Heck, Bates’ name alone carries two pieces of symbolism.
3. Dialogue. The often strange, stilted dialogue brings these characters to life. There are so many great lines that, after multiple viewings, serve as hilarious bits of foreshadowing: “We all go a little mad sometimes, haven’t you?”, “A son is a poor substitute for a lover”, “12 rooms, 12 vacancies”, “We’re always quickest to doubt people who have a reputation for being honest”, “Mother’s not quite herself today”, and so on…
4. The music. There are only a handful of movies in which I even notice the music (I’m excluding musicals here, obviously). Star Wars, Jaws, Vertigo, The Godfather and The Third Man are all examples of non-musicals in which the music is first rate. Psycho, with its screeching violins sans percussion, easily makes this list.
5. The acting. No one here does a bad job, and a few actors do so well, I wonder if they were born to play the part. Anthony Perkins is primary in this regard, but, to a lesser extent, so are Vera Miles, Martin Balsam and Mort Mills.
6. The camera work. I know I’ve droned on about the camera work in other films here, so let’s just say that Psycho’s is pretty darn good, too. My favorite pieces are probably the opening shot where the camera goes through the blinds, allowing us to peek in on the lovers, and the sweeping track up the stairs to the Bates’ house.
7. The calendar. It’s weird, I know, but I tend to get preoccupied with the flow of time in movies. Just the other day, I was commenting on the appearant time inconsistency in Mary Poppins. Not only is time given it’s due in this movie, it’s scrupulously attended to; the date at the outset cues us in to the appearance of Xmas decorations in the summer, and the wall calendar at the end shows us a passage of nine days – all logically accounted for.
8. The climax. While other movies have more sweeping climaxes, Psycho’s was totally unexpected. Other movies on this list, such as Return of the Jedi, Back to the Future, Rear Window, Ingen Numsil and The Princess Bride all have very satisfying climaxes, but in those cases, I probably could have guessed how it was going finish. The fun of those movies was just watching how the climax would play out. With Psycho, I had not idea what the climax would be, much less how it would play out. This was largely due to…
9. The twist. I love a film with a secret. Again, other movies reveal great secrets: The Usual Suspects, The Empire Strikes Back, Citizen Kane, Fight Club (to name a few) but in every one of those examples, the story is not fundamentally altered by the revelation, it’s more of a clever trick, leaving the viewer saying: “Oh, that’s so cool!” …and then rolling the credits. In Psycho, the twist’s revelation forces one to go back and rethink the entire film (okay, I guess Fight Club is sort of like that, but that movie didn’t have near as great a story).
10. The Denouement. Critics often lambaste Psycho’s denouement as unnecessary at best, stupid at worst. I find the therapist’s breakdown of his conversation with Bates to be most fascinating, particularly in how he so causally dismisses the money (that we had cared about so much!) and insists that it was Bates’ mother who told him the truth. But it gets even better: the film then cuts to Bates’ mother thanking the guard for the blanket, and then we hear her disdain for her dutiful son, and her assurance that she would not even hurt a fly (and, indeed, she doesn’t). Finally, in a triple-exposure, Bates wryly grins for the camera, as if he is coming for us next, which ever-so-briefly fades to a skull and then a chain pulling out his heart. Finally, the car in the swamp, which we realize was only there to dupe us.
Allow me, too, to mention one other thing. Although this does not affect the quality of the movie at all, I find it funny that Psycho originally was not rated, then was rated Approved, then M, then PG, and currently resides at R. I grew up in a religion where people believed all movies rated R were violent, immoral, foul piles of crap…and I had lots of fun asking them about this movie. Many who saw it in the sixties and seventies felt ashamed that they saw (what became) a rated-R movie. I would usually explain this to them following a conversation wherein we extolled the virtues of this wonderful bit of celluloid.
…Whew! All that I never even mentioned the infamous shower scene.
My list is constantly changing (in fact, I’ve altered it since I began posting here). This is just a snapshot of my motion picture preferences on this day. But Psycho? Psycho has withstood the test of time in my books. Though I am always on the lookout, I would be very surprised to find a film I consider superior. Surprised, but also delighted!

5. The Sting (1973)
Don’t blink! You just might miss something! George Roy Hill’s story of two small time con artists trying to hit the big time is thoroughly entertaining. Several shifts in the plot keep you guessing until the climax, and even that has a surprise ending.
Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, The Sting, is an intricate comedy caper deals with an ambitious small-time crook (Robert Redford) and veteran con-man (Paul Newman) who seek revenge on the vicious crime lord who murdered one of their gang. How this of charlatans puts “the sting” on their enemy makes for the greatest double-cross in movie history.
The first time I viewed this film, I enjoyed it, but I was thoroughly confused. I even said to my friend, “The bad guys won?” And he said: “No, don’t you get it?” And I said: “I guess not.” So we watched it again. After that, I loved the film and enjoyed it more with each subsequent viewing.
Right from the start, the movie let’s us know we’re in for a treat. The title cards, that start out by giving us a brief glimpse of the tale, and then proceed to divide the movie up into chapters (much like Babe), which is very much in keeping with the 1920s “feel” that The Sting is going for. Then there’s Scott Joplin’s ragtime accompaniment – one of my absolute most-favorite soundtracks.

4. Memento (2001)
Here we have the epitome of “original screenplay”. Most notably, this entire neo-noirish film plays out in reverse order; that is, the very first scene you see is the last one to happen chronologically. In fact, the very first scene is entirely played backwards – so the very first frame you see on the screen shows the last thing to happen to the characters in the story. Like Citizen Kane, Memento is brilliant not just for its great plot, but for the way the story is told.
This would be good enough for my top fifty, but Memento really outdoes itself in that the main character, Leonard Shelby, (sorry if I’m spoiling something here) has amnesia, and is unable to create new memories. In that way, we experience the disorientation and vulnerability Leonard feels. We are not sure who to trust, or what will come next, and with each scene we must take a few seconds to reorient ourselves as to where things are in the stream of time.
Memento also features stellar cinematography – chromatic changes during flashbacks, great camera work and a gritty feeling for the haunts Leonard finds himself in.
Isn’t it weird that I had no trouble following this film, and yet couldn’t figure out the Sting? The biggest complaint I hear about Memento is how tough it is to follow…but I had no difficulty. In fact, I even enjoyed given it the extra thought and attention it demands. Backwards seems to suit me, I guess.

3. La Vita é Bella (Life is Beautiful) (1998)
“An unforgettable fable that proves love, family and imagination conquer all.”(tagline)
When my wife and I first went to see the film at the theater, there were twenty people in the audience. Once everyone realized it was a non-English film, and that they would have to read subtitles, exactly half the people in the audience got up and left. I was glad for myself, because I like a theater as empty as possible. But I gotta think those people who left made the dumbest decision ever in their history of film watching.
This is one of those movies that have a lasting effect on you. While watching it, I found that it has less to do with the war and more to do with the human feelings and the beautiful relationship between loved ones. The holocaust provides the ultimate context, that brings and highlights the story and adds yet another deep dimension to the movie. No such piece of art has ever before combined laughter and tears of sadness in me before and that is the miracle of the movie.

In the first half of the film, we can and delight at the immense comedy talent of Benigni, who plays Guido. Unlike so many modern movies there is nothing crude or course, his is simple innocent humor, making it all the more effective. The way he ties together little strands in the film to create comedy elements shows a great writing ability, and a mastery of timing when it comes to their execution on screen. Various incidents related to the rise of anti-semitism and fascism in Italy show that there are sinister forces at work which come to the fore in the second segment. Even the two segments themselves are melded together perfectly, and I have never seen a more clever way of showing the passing of time.
During the second half, the emphasis shifts. The comic moments are still present – Guido’s translation of the rules of the camp is particularly notable – but it becomes somewhat more difficult to laugh when we consider the gravity of what is going on. We see that this is a film about human spirit above all else. Guido not only appeals to the audience due to his comedy and sheer pleasantness, but also in the way that he loves his family and the measures that he will go to to protect them.
Some have decried the addition of humorous elements to something as grave as World War II and the Holocaust. Those people are idiots. Benigni is not here making fun of the plight of those who suffered in the camps, he is showing what it means to be human, and how we can find happiness(and beauty, I guess) in life no matter what may happen to us. Life is really beautiful as you watch Guido’s relentless efforts to make a lovely exciting experience of the concentration camp to his son. You get exhausted just watching him going through his painful day and yet you smile as he speaks to his son and makes him laugh. One can go on forever describing the creativity of this movie, but one will not be able to capture all its beauty in writing.
From the moment the credits rolled, I proclaimed this to be the best non-English film and the best motion picture ever created during my lifetime. I laughed, I cried, I loved this film. If you only ever see one subtitled film in your life, this is the one to see.

8. Rear Window (1954)
The best motion picture of the 1950s (argued by some as the decade to produce the greatest films), Rear Window is a deep and entertaining classic with many strengths. A fine suspense story is combined with romantic tension. There are numerous sub-plots, some funny; some moving, all with many psychological overtones. The characterizations are flawless and three-dimensional. Jimmy Stewart (though perhaps a tad too old) is completely believable and Grace Kelly does what she does best…looks and acts perfect. The simple setting of a Greenwich Village apartment complex is developed into a world filled with intriguing and sometimes unsettling possibilities. This confined world comes to life with a wealth of lavish visual detail and interesting minor characters. Unlike far too many movies these days, the director assumes his audience will pay close enough attention to appreciate the many subtleties with which he has filled the movie. It rewards both careful attention and repeated viewings, since there is much more here than merely a suspenseful plot (as good as that story is in itself).

The dialogue is filled with clever, subtle, humorous meanings. And what the main characters see in the lives of others is an interesting reflection of the tensions and possibilities in their own present and future.

But this is also a film about films. We are sucked into this story much as Jimmy Stewart (who may as well be sitting next to us as we watch the events) acts out our voyeuristic predilections. When, finally, Mr. Thorwald looks up and discovers he is being watched, it is chilling not just because our hero is now in danger, but because he actually looks at us – and we feel guilty for having peeped in on his life too.

7. Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) (1998)
This post-modern film presents the same story three times at rapid-fire pace. From the opening titles, we are swept into the life of Lola – a young woman who has a very important task to accomplish very very quickly. There is so much happening every split-second, it’s impossible to catch it all during the first one or two viewings.
Every trick of film-making employed here: jump-cuts, fast-motion, slow-motion, animation, overlapping dialogue, oblique angles, non-linear story-telling and split-screen, among others.

The plot itself is based upon a simple concept: how do tiny actions affect eventual outcomes. As we see the story unfold repeated times, we become aware of the minute changes in the outsets that result in big finales. It is, essentially, a study in chaos theory – the Butterfly effect. But unlike so many other movies that explore this effect, Lola Rennt doesn’t just extrapolate on how tiny changes alter the course of the main plot; it continually takes us off on fast-paced tangents that show how Lola’s course changes in turn alter the entire life courses of those with whom she comes into contact.

Try not to blink if you watch this flick, especially those scenes that show three things happening at once. If you do, rewind it to catch what you missed.

6. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking” (a line from the film, and one of the truest statements ever captured on celluloid).

Here, by a small margin, is the oldest motion picture on my list. Like Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and Babe, I realize it’s not a “guy movie”. But I hate to use gender-bias in ranking a movie. Like those other three, I have to rank The Wizard of Oz in my top fifty because, well, there’s nothing wrong with it.

For one thing, it’s the best musical ever, hands down. The story is actually enhanced by the often silly, but always clever, songs. That’s a rarity in itself. But add to that a believable performance by all & you’ve got a very good movie. The story is compelling, and the “bookends” at the outset and conclusion of the film only serve to enhance the story, characterizations and emotions of the main story (quite the opposite of The Princess Bride, in which the “bookends” bog down and detract from the main story). And on the subject of cinematography, hardly any movie has ever made such good use of color. And that’s saying something for a movie that is so old.

The Wizard of Oz is enjoyable on many levels. As a kid, my family and I watched it during its traditional yearly televised showing. Later, I watched it after being told about its gay undertones (“Of course, some people do go both ways”). Then I read about the numerous gaffes and continuity errors (e.g., Dorothy’s ever-changing hair lengths) and watched it in an attempt to spot the flaws. Like the storm trooper that hits his head on the doorway in Star Wars, and the blind guy wearing a wristwatch in The Ten Commandments, the many tiny mistakes in Oz just make the flick that much more enduring, and fun. And then there’s the Pink Floyd connection. My wife and I went to a friend’s home one evening with the sole purpose of queuing up Dark Side of the Moon with Oz. And, for like the tenth time, I rediscovered the wonder of that movie (and the album). There are certainly movies that I’ve seen more often, but there are none that I’ve viewed from so many different perspectives.

I suppose I enjoy this fairy tale as much as I enjoy The Princess Bride. Only this movie doesn’t have Fred Savage, so I have to rank it higher.

11. Balance (1989)
So here’s not only the best animated film I’ve ever seen, but also the shortest film on this list. It’s only a quarter of the length of the second-shortest film on this list (see la Riviére du Hibou, #28, below). In fact, it’s so short, you can watch it during your lunch break by visiting here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJWT3p7uM6Y
This short film immediately captures attention by virtue of its unusual setting and obscure circumstances. As we try to figure out how things will end for the “fishermen”, we are strung along with mystery, suspense and one of the best endings to any film I’ve ever seen, regardless of length.

10. Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelié Poulain (Amelié) (2001)
Le Fablah bla bla bla, otherwise known as Amelié, was an unexpected find for me. My wife and I went to the theaters to see this film at the insistence of some friends. And we were not disappointed. The many simple stories, woven together, form an intriguing look at Paris, romance, and one shy girl’s search for happiness. The cinematography is wonderful – the sets look cartoonish and perfectly enhance the mood and storylines of the film. There are unexpected twists, unique special effects and great asides that momentarily take the viewer from the story briefly and show them a larger world. This film makes us wish that our little actions could have so great an impact on the world around us, and at the same time, it reminds us to just sit back and enjoy the little things.
Oh – and it also makes a great jab at the media coverage of Princess Di’s death, which, in my opinion, was one of the most overblown, over-rated news stories of the 20th Century. Good call.

9. The Princess Bride (1987)
“Heroes. Giants. Villains. Wizards. True Love. – Not just your basic, average, everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum fairy tale.” (tag line)
This romantic tale of adventure, revenge and redemption succeeds by adding just the right amount of humor, and just the right amount of pathos. There are many characters to care about here, and the movie plays with the audience by keeping the true heroes of the film secret for as long as possible. This is one of those movies, like Mary Poppins, that has entire scenes that are memorable: Pirate vs. swordsman, Pirate vs. giant, Pirate vs. Vizzini comes to mind as the most fun series of challenges a hero has ever faced to win what he wants. My favorite subplot is Inigo Montoya’s – he gets the most memorable line of the whole film (which takes place in a very exciting and satisfying scene of revenging family honor).
The theme of The Princess Bride is that true love can conquer all. Throughout the movie, there are hardships and trials that true love must endure. The movie keeps the viewer guessing until the very end whether or not there will be the classic fairy tale ending.
It is both a classic fairy tale style and a modern comedy with well choreographed action sequences, and intense instances of suspense.
When I first saw this movie, I went right home and placed it at #3 on my all-time favorites list. But then I watched it again, and I realized just how annoying Fred Savage’s character is. I can’t stand the whole modern-day portion of the movie. I mean, the Peter Falk narration is okay, but everything else about it seems to interrupt to story rather than help it along. And what’s with the Rodents of Unusual Size? Really cheesy stuff. It’s like the Jar-jar Binks of The Princess Bride. I cringe whenever that scene comes up.

14. Serenity (2005)
From start to finish there are no wasted moments. The first ten minutes present such a wealth of information and excitement that, if you blink, you’ll have to rewatch what you just missed. All your emotions will be engaged. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp in shock. What you won’t be is bored. There’s plenty here for everybody: Good writing, witty dialogue, memorable lines, excellent acting, plot, action (not just gratuitous – I’m talking about action that actually makes sense in terms of the plot) and excellent effects.
Note to future sci-fi film-makers: Hero kicking ass while rescuing a heroine from disaster = cute. Having that heroine kick ass right along side the hero = awesome.
Why not rate this one higher? Like the Star Trek series, this motion picture is no where near as exciting if you haven’t first seen the television series on which it was based (Firefly).

13. Amadeus (1984)
Here is a stunning, captivating tale of a competent, talented, first-class musician who had the misfortune of being a contemporary of the greatest musician who ever lived. Loved the story, loved the acting, loved the set decoration and costume design. It’s an emotionally charged story of jealousy with quite possibly the greatest soundtrack of any motion picture ever. And anyone who declares war on the heavens is okay in my book.
Why not rate this one higher? Okay, here’s the deal – from here on out, these movies have no serious flaws. I can’t think of one thing I disliked about Amadeus. Sure it’s a long movie, but since it’s so engaging, it’s not toooo long. I think Tim Hulce is a bit over the top at times, but that’s how Mozart was (I guess), so his acting is appropriate for the part. From here on out, the only reason why I’m not rating a movie any higher is because the movies higher on the list were ever so slightly more thrilling for me. (One exception = the Princess Bride. I can tell you in a heartbeat why I don’t rank it higher. But I’ll get to that one soon.)

12. Airplane! (1980)
If the idea of a comedy is to laugh, than surely (shirley) this is one has the right idea. In fact, it has the best idea: dead-panned dialogue delivered in humourous situations with clever antics happening rapid-fire in the back ground. So many jokes (both visual & in dialogue) are packed into Airplane! that it takes several viewing to catch them all. Unlike so many comedies since then, the actors here don’t need to act over-the-top or divulge in gross-out humor to get easy laughs. I have watched this movie at least twenty times, and everytime I find myself laughing until I am crying. This movie has consistently been on my “All time favorites” list for twenty years now. Of movies that are purely comedic, there is none finer than Airplane!