The first 10: http://dlpreviews.blogspot.com/2007/06/20-movies-i-like-better-than-anyone.html
Election (1999). Written and Directed by Alexander Payne, the starkness of the dialogue and frank treatment of Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick) are so strong that I love this movie. Reese Witherspoon is great as the insipid and driven Tracy Flick. 
The Castle (1997). This little seen film is a Waiting for Guffman-esque comedy with a heart. The struggle of a man to keep his 'castle' from an eminent domain action of the Australian government is chock full of quotes we still use at our house "This is going sssstraight to the pool room", "Ah the serenity". This is a must-see.
My Left Foot (1989). The first of Director Jim Sheridan's collaborations with Daniel Day-Lewis is a powerful story of family, adversity and inner-demons. Brenda Fricke (as Christy Brown's mother) and Hugh O'Connor (as the young Brown) both put in delicate and underrated performances. The scene when Christy writes Mother is one of my top 10 movie scenes of all time.
Hands on a Hardbody (1997). This documentary is set in the parking lot of a Longview, Texas auto dealer. The film tracks the contest (whoever keeps their hand on the truck the longest wins the truck) and the contestants. The Director, SR Bindler, stumbled onto a goldmine with this one. The Texas culture and bizarre and poignant people involved make for a classic. At the time of his death, Robert Altman was working on a fictional adaptation of this.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985). 
Tim Burton's directorial debut was a revelation to me at 9, and still holds up after all these years. Written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman, the film is goofy but biting and its sensibility is moral and admirable. This is the one film I can't wait to watch with my kids (I've already cheated a little and watched the opening breakfast sequence with them). Favorite line...Frances: "Pee Wee, Listen to reason." Pause. Pee Wee puts his hand to his ear. Frances: "Pee Wee!". Pee Wee: "Shhhh. I'm listening to reason." 
Love Actually (2003). For some reason, I cannot get enough of this. Hugh Grant is at his finest as the single and self-aware Prime Minister and Keira Knightley does a great job as the object of unrequited love. I can't stand the Liam Neeson storyline or the Colin Firth storyline, but the others make it all worth while. One of my absolute favorite Christmas movies.
Rushmore (1999). Wes Anderson's films all take place in the present day, but he creates his own reality. In Rushmore, a 15 year old competes with a brilliant Bill Murray for the affections of a teacher. The soundtrack and screenplay are impeccable, and this was shot when Wes hadn't made it yet and couldn't get lost in the details of the set wallpaper. Murray's performance and the unique but clever story combine to make this one of my favorite movies. Favorite lines: "Oh, are you?", "Q: Were you in the sht? A: Yeah, I was in the sht.", "Harvard's my safety."
The Breakup (2006). Panned by most critics, I thought this was the funniest movie of last year. The relationship and the fighting involved were very real and well done, and the interplay between Vince and everyone else in the film is classic. Favorite lines: "Elephant Hog", "jumping, dancing sprite", "Band of Brothers, you should watch it", "come Gary, on the kick drum, come come!"
In the Name of the Father (1993). Besides the fact that I saw this with Doctor in the theater along with 3 other future doctors at the time, this is the rare movie that can stir me up. The father/son relationship between Pete Posthelwaithe and Daniel Day-Lewis is the core of the film and shows that relationship in a raw and meaningful way. The feelings and performances in the last scene are intense.
UHF (1989). This Weird Al Yankovic movie still makes me laugh. Some of the gags are really stupid, but some are genius, like Conan the Librarian and Michael Richards' first film role as the Forrest Gump of Janitors, Stanley Spadowski. You can't beat the show "Wheel of Fish."
Saturday, July 14, 2007
20 Movies I like Better Than Anyone Else, Part 2
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3 comments:
The way Broderick discarded the two votes always bothered me. I thought he would have been more cautious. Otherwise, it's a perfectly fine film. Your other school-based selection is nearly perfect - from its British Invasion soundtrack to Bill Murray's priceless performance.
In the Name of the Father is the only Jim Sheridan film I really love. My Left Foot is very good, but it's cheap budget shows and the music is dated. And as great as Day-Lewis is, it's one of his least impressive performances since it's basically a one-trick pony. I prefer him singing Dylan on a barge with a pint in his hand.
The Castle was made video pick of the week on Ebert/Roeper just a few weeks ago by an Australian critic. I remember it being funny. I need to see it again. Have you seen The Dish? It's another good Australian comedy.
I could watch Weird Al dropping a small dog in a bowl of punch all day, but the rest of UHF is only interesting because of Michael Richards. Love the mop speech.
My favorite comedy of last year is Talladega Nights, but I liked The Breakup much more than most people. You have to respect Vince refusing to repeat his terrific screen persona in Swingers, Wedding Crashers, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
I hated Love Actually, actually. And I'm beginning to wonder about your adoration of UK pretty-boys. If the Brits announced a remake of Three Men and a Baby with Hugh Grant, Daniel Craig, and Daniel Day-Lewis, I bet you'd be camping out for weeks before it came out.
By the way, great picture of Vince and John Michael Higgins. That was a great camera pan and reaction by Vince while Higgins was singing. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is one of my favorite 80s songs.
i loved election because it manages to skewer high school and politics simultaneously. And i love the fact that they didn't sell out at the ending. broderick is still a loser and witherspoon is on her way to being successful.
i don't get all the love love actually gets. i like it pretty well, and i always love hugh, but several of the story lines don't resonate with me, especially the body double one. i do like the scene where liam neesom tries to blame the porn on his computer on his son, but the rest of that story line is REDICULOUS (as you note). but i love the alan rickman/emma thompson story line. my favorite. my heart breaks for emma, and you can't pardon alan, but you still see how it happens. still, this one's too sappy for me (i know...), but does have some real nice vignettes.
love rushmore
love the break-up, and i love the fact that vaughn is not afraid to examine the dark side of what appears to be his own personality. as noted, the fights are real couple fights that grow, naturally, out of the characters personalities. also, proves that aniston is that rare woman who both ages and keeps getting hotter.
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