My Top 10 Favorite Movies Of All Time
10 Movies that made me love Cinema
Disclaimer
This is not an objective list of films that might be considered as greatest of all time. The parameters used in the choice of these films are related exclusively to my personal taste, including factors such as sensitivity, impact on my life, what those films meant to me in certain moments of my life, my personal tendency towards certain types of stories, etc. Elements such as historical importance, technical/scientific innovation, cultural relevance, etc., are not taken into consideration. During the following months, I’ll write a singular review for each of these films.
10) The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, 2013)
The movie that was supposed to be Hayao Miyazaki’s last one is a masterpiece. “The Wind Rises” is the absolute peak of Miyazakis’ philosophy: in this movie, the Japanese animation master talks to us about love, the importance of peace, respect, human mistakes, his love for aircraft, everything Miyazaki is explored fabulously in this 2 hours long animated feature. Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack is masterfully composed, and when you hear those melodies, it’s like listening to emotions captured into music. Perfect and impossibly well fitting to the movie. Studio Ghibli’s animation is top-notch (as always), the earthquake scene is pure genius, and the joyfulness and brightness of the colors, as opposed to the war context of the story, are delightful to see.
Fun fact: All the “non-music” sounds of the film were made by people with their own mouths, from the earthquake’s sound to the aircraft’s motors.
9) Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988)
I know many people might be wondering: wasn’t it just “Cinema Paradiso”, why did he add “Nuovo”? Well, as you can see from the poster, this is the movie’s original name in Italian, and as an Italian, it sounded really weird to me writing the film’s name as just “Cinema Paradiso”. I do agree, though, with the “translation” of the title because it makes sense to the English audience, and it didn’t take that much effort(lol). Oh, and by the way, “Nuovo” means “new” in Italian, and in my opinion, it just makes so much sense for it to be in the title, and if you’ve seen the movie, I think you would agree with me.
I don’t think this is Giuseppe Tornatore’s best movie. Without citing all his filmography, I think that his 2009 picture “Baaria” is far superior in terms of pure filmmaking. What really caught me about this movie was how relatable the story is and the fact that it can be applied to every type of passion. But if you really love cinema, you’ll probably end up crying. Just like I did. Ennio Morricone(r.i.p Maestro) composes a really touching soundtrack; maybe not one of his best, but still, those melodies can make a grown man cry. The acting is superb, and the locations are incredible. I’d like people to talk more about this because, in Italy, we don’t have the economic possibilities the U.S. have, so seeing such well-made sets and faithful reproductions of historical locations is incredible. Do yourself a favor and watch this film as soon as possible.
8) Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954 )
Even though a lot of people consider “Psycho” to be Alfred Hitchcock’s best movie, the one that most hit me was “Rear Window”. In this movie, Hitchcock shows us his cinematic genius with a sensational directorial stunt: The whole movie was filmed from the protagonist’s window. More than ever, Hitchcock’s intuition of camera movements being a part of the storytelling comes potently into play as we sit for 2 hours straight watching a man’s obsession with his neighbors. An incredible cast supports this Hitchcock classic with one of James Stewart’s best performances. The score is on point, nothing special, but it still helps you to live the thrill of the narration, and John Haye’s screenplay is impossibly well-written. A timeless classic.
7) Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
My first encounter with Tarantino was “Inglorious Basterds”. I really liked it, but I didn’t know how to feel about Tarantino’s narrative. It was the first time I saw a movie with so much recognizable stylistic imprint, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not; it almost felt too anarchic. Now I don’t mind that at all and to tell you the truth, I freaking love it and I can’t wait for QT’s last film, “The Movie Critic”. “Pulp Fiction” is an almost perfect movie. Really well directed from start to end and with a splendid screenplay (which, by the way, was co-written with Roger Avary). The actors are one better than the other, and they all fit with their characters. But filmmaking and acting aside, my favorite part of the movie is the soundtrack: the jazzy sound that constantly punches the audience’s ears is perfect for the picture’s mood.
Fun fact: Tarantino only used pre-existing songs for the movie because they didn’t have the money for an original soundtrack. Still amazes me that QT has worked with Ennio Morricone.
6) Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
While putting down this top 10, I was somehow pretty sure about which movies I would’ve included, but then a doubt came to me: which one should I include in this list, “Seven Samurai” or “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”? In the end, I chose Kurosawa’s masterpiece to add something non-American to the list, but honestly, it’s a tie for me. Forgive me, Quentin, I know you love it.
“Seven Samurai” is a hell of a ride. Kurosawa directs this epic colossal and demonstrates to everybody that art and entertainment can get along. Three hours and 30 minutes full of both intense dialogue and great action delivered by great acting performances enchant our eyes, and at the end of the movie, we just can’t resist the temptation to ask more of that. Fumio Hayasaka’s evocative soundtrack is always on point and helps us to merge even more into this splendid story. To those who still haven’t: please watch all of Kurosawa’s films, I assure you you won’t be wasting your time.
5) La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
Federico Fellini is my favorite Italian director. I don’t recall watching a single bad Fellini movie. Among the Maestro’s huge filmography, the one that captured me the most was undisputedly “La Dolce Vita”. The loneliness of the paparazzi that Fellini manages to depict is absolutely gorgeous, but what I appreciated the most about this film is that Fellini is capable to maintain his classic psychedelic and dream-like atmosphere despite the movie being so much grounded. Mastroianni delivers the performance of a lifetime in this 3 hours long Nino Rota-scored film, a childish and mature at the same time, Fellini madness. I really don’t have much more to say: “La Dolce Vita” is a masterpiece.
04) The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
The first time I watched “The Godfather,” I was completely shocked. It felt like going through a hurricane and surviving it. I just couldn’t believe a movie achieved what “The Godfather” did. Directing masterclass from Coppola, majestic actorial performances by the whole cast, an almost too-perfect soundtrack from Nino Rota, and a superb screenplay from Coppola and Mario Puzo. Astonishing. Incredible. Mesmerizing. “The Godfather”.
03) Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
I’ve already written about this film in a previous article, you should check it out. “Taxi Driver” is a film that really fascinates me. Scorsese depicts an awful character in a way that we can feel empathy toward him and considered how difficult such a thing is, it came out so well that most people are made to believe, due to the empathy they feel, that Travis’s character is actually good. The film’s directing is sublime, and Martin captures iconic shots of a rotten New York that maintains its charm dictated by soft lights and atmospheres with an aberrant American character. Also, shoutout to Paul Schrader for writing one of the best-written screenplays I’ve read in my life; if you haven’t, you should definitely consider watching films written or directed by him.
02) Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)
Casablanca amazed me when I first watched it and still amazes me to this day(watched it at the theater and couldn’t stop smiling). The screenplay is just perfection. One of the best ever, for sure. I’m not really sure about what to write because I don’t have many words other than Masterpiece to describe this work of art. I’ll surely explore the film more in detail when I’ll write a full review about this picture.
01) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
An absolute triumph, the greatest movie of all time. Will write a full review soon or later, but you can read some of my thoughts on “2001” here.
If you liked my top 10, make sure to follow me(if you don’t already), more articles will come, including part 2 of Travis Bickle: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, single reviews for each of the films I listed above and so much more.
