Guy Ritchie’s Best Films
With the release this week of the new Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla, what better time could there be to review his two best known (and generally best) works?
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels tells the story of a group of lads who end up, to steal a line from Snatch, “making stupid bets with dangerous people”. When things go wrong during a card game, 4 working-class lads from london’s East End have 1 week to come up with half a million pounds.Sharply written, with a great soundtrack and assured camera-work it featured the cream of undiscovered British talent at the time; this was the film that launched several careers into the big-time.
The film is anchored by a performance from Jason Statham who would go on from this film to star in 2 other Ritchie films (Snatch and Revolver) as well as a clutch of Hollwood blockbusters. Statham is now a bona-fide leading man, with his Transporter films destined for a 3rd installment, but he has rarely bettered his performance in LSATSB and Snatch.
Ritchie’s career took off from Lock,Stock… and this was a film made long before Madonna was anyone but a pop-star to him. A lot of people will say he has never done better than Lock,Stock…, opinion is generally 50/50 as to whether this or Snatch is his crowning glory and he has suffered from people perhaps expecting far too much from the work that followed. That doesn’t matter though. Forget Revolver, forget Swept Away and just concentrate on just how well made this piece of British cinema is; it’s the polar opposite to The Full Monty, yet no less successful by most measures.
One thing a lot of people will remember from this film is the acting debut of Vinnie Jones. In fact, at the time, Vinnie’s turn was probably more famous than the film itself; he’s the main man on the freakin’ DVD cover!, and I have to tell you, he isn’t bad! The surprise of the film is probably the fact that Mr Jones is equal parts nut-job and comedian.
Generally, Lock, Stock… does what it’s supposed to. It’s a British, East-end of London gangster film and unashamedly so. It works, and it works very well. It’s readily available at a knock-down price, so grab it in one of the 5 for £20 sales that Zavvi or HMV will have on soon!
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Film Information
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Year: 1998
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Jason Flemyng, Jason Statham, Dexter Fletcher, Vinnie Jones, Sting
Snatch is, in many ways, the spiritual successor to Lock, Stock…. Again dealing with East-end gangsters and people speaking in funny accents, this time we deal with the trials and tribulations of illegal boxing and the positively disastrous consequences of messing around with the local pig farmer-cum-mobster.
Ritchie retained the core of his cast from LSATSB and, wisely, gave the main speaking role in the film to Jason Statham. This man’s star was now truely on the rise. However, whereas Lock, Stock… had got by on it’s wit and become an undergorund success; Ritchie needed to bring in a big name to draw the crowds on both sides of the Atlantic.
So Brad Pitt joined the cast, put on an accent and somehow (accidentally maybe?) gave one of the finest performances of his career. No arguments here please. Yes, he was fantastic in both Fight Club and Seven. But in no other film has Brad Pitt played a tattooed, foult-mouthed, gypsy, bare-knuckle fighter. For his performance in this film i’m willing to forgive Pitt anything…even Troy.
My eyes! My eyeeeessss!!!!
….ok, maybe not all of Troy…..
Pitt is brilliant in Snatch. So are Statham, Mike Reid, Benicio Del Toro and Vinnie Jones (who once again is funny and intimidating. Maybe he doesn’t act…maybe he just plays ‘Vinnie’). It seems unfair to single out any performances really, the film as a whole is a masterclass in how an ensemble piece should work. Each of the interconnecting storylines end up meeting at a specific and rather humerous point involving milk.
Again, props have to go to Ritchie for keeping our attention and interest inall of these stories when they could so easily have become bigger than the central plot of the film. He does very well in developing all of the relationships between the characters, whilst never allowing the viewer to get confused with what’s happening.
Snatch is my favourite of the two films I’m reviewing here, but not by much. they’re both brilliant examples of British film-making and we should remember exactly how good British films can be. If ever you want reminding, watch either of these films.
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Snatch
Year: 2000
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Stephen Graham, Vinnie Jones
Autumn Film Releases
It’s September and that means the start of Autumn (meteorologically speaking), which means the last of the Summer blockbusters should, theoretically at least, be behind us. This means we can start looking forward to Christmas and the traditional overload of plot-heavy Oscar contendors [anyone looking for Best Supporting Actor had better wait til next year, Ledger's got that one sewn up]. What happens in between the Summer and Winter movie collections is normally a series of films the picture studios deem to be neither of the above; not big enough to be a Summer hit, nor deep enough to be Oscar-worthy. Yet what this season often throws up are the films you end up watching and re-watching on DVD and I have to say there does look to be some gems coming out. Here’s my rundown of the films coming out in the next few months I’m going to be keeping a special eye out for.
007 Is Back
Where better to start than with Mr Bond? Quantum of Solace, for those of you living under rocks, is the follow up to the incredibly successful ‘reboot’ of the Bond franchise; Casino Royale. Slated for an October 31st release date, this will be the crown jewel of what is normally a ‘quiet’ season for the movie industry. Filmed on a rumoured £113million budget (double what Casino Royale was filmed on), this film is going to explore the darker side of Bond. The grit that Daniel Craig captured in CR will no doubt be laid on in such quantities we could clear Alaska with it; but it looks very, very interesting. It also follows the classic Bond formula; foreign bad-guy? [check], disposable henchmen? [check], Bond girls? [double check]. Heck, this film will be worth seeing just to see Gemma Arterton, who grew up just down the road from me in Gravesend, trying to pull off the role of an MI6 agent. Need to be convinced? Click Here
Max Payne and the artist formerly known as Marky Mark
Video game to movie transfers don’t often work well. You need only look at the woeful Super Mario Bros. to be convinced of this. You can replace SMB with any from a list of Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, etc. However, here’s a newsflash and a half; Max Payne, due out here on November 14th looks quite good! For those who have a social life and haven’t had the chance to play the original PlayStation2 game, the story (which won a BAFTA by the way) revolves around a DEA agent who gets sucked into a drugs conspiracy that reaches the top of a very large and powerful corporation. What was amazing about the game was that the plot was actually quite good and the game itself lived up to it. It put into place the “Bullet Time” effects used in The Matrix [it actually claimed to have thought of them before the Wachowskis] and provided a very psychological shoot-em-up. How this translates onto the big screen remains to be seen but the trailers have looked damn fine. How Mark Wahlberg fares as the good-cop having a bad-day remains to be seen, but with Shawn Ryan doing the writing [he created the simply excellent Shield tv series which has been criminally buried by Five] I have high hopes. This is probably the film I’m looking forward to the most this Autumn on a purely popcorn level. You can pick up the trailer right here.
De Niro - Pacino - Enough Said
Remember that guy DeNiro? Remember that other guy Pacino? Remember how good they were in Heat? Now imagine them on the same side of the law, working together… need I say more? Righteous Kill is released in the UK on 26th September. The pant-wettingly good trailer is here
Zack & Miri - coming to a theatre near you. I hope
At the complete opposite end of the spectrum in absolutely every single sense of the word, is Kevin Smith’s new film Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The currently lacks a UK release date (criminally so), but that hasn’t stopped me bouncing up and down like a rabbit on too much coffee at the news coming out of it. It stars Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and Elizabeth Banks (40 Year Old Virgin) as two life-long friends who are so short of cash they decide to make a porno movie. That is about as basic as a plot gets, but what should excite any film fan about this is that it marks Kevin Smith’s first attempt to do a proper non-Jersey comedy in his career. There will be no Jay and Silent Bob, nor will there be any of the Bennifer that allegedly hampered Jersey Girl (I liked it, but I may be alone in that). That’s not to say that Askewniverse (here’s where I lose casual film fans) regulars like Jeff Anderson and Jason Mewes won’t be in it, but they won’t be Randal and J. Hunt down the trailer if you can (it’s dirty and this is a family site) and if it doesn’t make you laugh, it won’t be for you.
Other films you guys should really be looking out for over the coming weeks include the latest Coen Brothers (No Country For Old Men) effort Burn After Reading, which has received very positive reviews on the festival scene. It features longtime Coen collaborator George Clooney, alongside such nobodies as Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, JK Simmons and Tilda Swinton. So, yeah… you might want to check that one out. Eagle Eye is Shia LeBouf’s latest effort. You have to feel for the guy, he was the best thing about last year’s Transformers (y’know, aside from the fact it had Transformers in…) and has suddenly fallen horribly out of favour after Indy 4. Regardless, hopes are high that this tense thriller will pick him back up again and it looks like it has a good chance. Both of these films come out on 17th October and are worth your attention, even if only at an Orange Wednesday event. At teh end of the autumn period is also the intriguing Body of Lies, with Ridley Scott, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe (if he makes the rumoured Bill Hicks biography I’ll be pleasantly surprised) combining to produce what looks lack an action-packed thriller. And before those words turn you off, remember that Scott’s efforts at these films have resulted in the fine Black Hawk Down. Body Of Lies comes out on 21st November.
So, hopefully there’s enough there to entertain you over the ‘dry’ Autumnal months. As usual, all responses welcome.
West Wing - Season 1
The West Wing debuted on American television in 1999. With it’s blend of sharp writing, credible performances and Martin Sheen acting everyone else off the screen it quickly established itself as one of the cleverest and best things to hit the American networks in quite some time. It was really the first political drama on either side of the atlantic to take the focus off the so-called “glamorous” roles, and to focus on the people who make the most powerful country on earth tick. Wonderfully written by Aaron Sorkin (who is now making a Facebook movie), this is worth your attention.
The West Wing - Season 1
Season 1 of The West Wing, as you would expect, introduces you to the series’ main players and the performances are almost universally brilliant. It is difficult to review a television series of this intensity and wit without giving away serious plot details, but I’ll try.
Bradley Whitford, John Spencer, Allison Janey, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff make up the central players in this series and each brings something different to it. Whitford, Janey and Lowe bring energy and youthful enthusiasm, allowing for snappy comments and dialogue to be thrown back and forth. Richard Schiff’s more measured approach to his role tempers these two, as does John Spencer who is quite probably the stand-out member of the ensemble. Playing the Chief of Staff, his calming approach and the intimate way in which he deals with the various problems, both personal and professional, set him apart from a cast performing at the breakneck speed required to fully replicate life in the highest of high-pressure jobs.
The series isn’t afraid to tackle the tough issues, as you would expect from a political drama worth the hype this is given, on both personal and international levels (normally very hard for a series to keep both in perspective, this does it with ease). Prostitution, drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, gun crime, hate-crime, racism, sexism, homophobia, war, death, taxes, education….you get the idea. No stone is left unturned in just one series of this fascinating drama. it leaves you wodnering where they’ll go next.
Really the series is all about one man. By now most people will know that Martin Sheen (revealed at the end of the first episode as “The President” Jed Bartlett) is the stand-out performance from this and future seasons and it would be remiss of me not to give props where they’re due. He is awesome. Utterly outstanding; part orator, part leader, part husband and father. In a poll on the IMDB, Jed Bartlett topped the list of fictional presidents that Americans wanted to run the US. Recently Martin Sheen was even asked if he considered running for a local givernment office. His reaction was a very un-Arnie “you’re confusing fame with competence”. Martin Sheen is the reason to watch The West Wing if no other reason appeals.
The first 11 episodes of Season 1 are currently on-demand with Virgin Media, and if you want to check it out for free before splashing out money on the box-set then do so. I did, and after 11 episodes I went out and bought the complete Seasons 1-7. That’s just how good this series is, and that alone is worth a couple of hours of your time to try it out.
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Film Information
Year: 1999
Writer/Creator: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, John Spencer, Allison Janey, Rob Lowe and Richard Schiff
Lost - Season 4
I’d certainly recommend the previous 3 seasons of Lost. It’s a great show and very well produced. Some people don’t like the idea that you’re not quite sure what’s happening, or what’s going to happen but I love the unknown element of the show and I think that’s one of the keys to the series great success.
I tried watching season 3 on Television once it came out, but there where far too many adverts, which were quite lengthy too, so I resorted to waiting till the DVD release then watching it all in my own time, this is certainly the way forward. I’ve just started watching season 4 and I am 3 episodes into it… WOW 
so far it’s delivered the goods keeping me captivated right through to the end of each individual episode.
I’ll definitely write up a full review for the season once I’ve seen the whole of season 4 through to the end, but so far it’s got me won over
I love the way the DVD really utilises the full 5.1 surround sound through my computer, and I can certainly recommend getting a good set of surround sound set of speakers to watch the series, if not for your TV then on your computer.
Men In Black Blu Ray Review
In 1997 Will Smith was the new golden boy of cinema. With 1 reasonable action hit under his belt in 1995 (Bad Boys) and 1 utter blockbuster of an action hit in 1996 (a little film called Independance Day) he was becoming a bankable name in Hollywood cinema. With episode 146 of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air [still repeated on Virgin 1 and still funny] bringing to an end his TV career, we arrived in 1997 with that year’s Will Smith film being the first film in which he got to properly stretch his comedic legs in cinema. The result was a smash hit, just like Independance Day and just like countless other Will Smith films since then which followed the same formula (Wild Wild West, Bad Boys II, MiB II, Hancock) and even those which don’t (I Am legend, Pursuit of Happyness, Ali). In 2008, 11 years on, Will Smith is not just an A list actor in Hollwood, he is part of that mythical A* list of actors who you can stick in a film and guarantee a certain return along with names like Hanks and Cruise. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about, I’m here to talk about the first of Will Smith’s early work to finally get the Blu Ray treatment: Men In Black.
Men In Black - Blu Ray
Not too many people know this, but Men In Black was based on a comic book of the same name, originally published in 1990. Obviously, the success of the film far outweighs that of the comic book and it is, by all accounts, a very successful film. It’s always hard to review a film as if it’s new that has become so ingrained in one’s own conciousness. I used to play my VHS copy of the film over and over until most of the lines had been memorised, but it has been a solid 5 years since my last encounter with the film, which meant I was free to enjoy the experince over again. There’s always that fear that the film won’t be as good as you remember it; the laughs won’t be as many or the SFX will look a little (or a LOT) dated. For the most part, that isn’t the case with Men In Black. The writing is punchy, the humour still witty 10 years later and whilst some will say the effects look a little dated (this is true), we really do have to be forgiving. For the most part, they stand up to the test of time and really are in keeping with the tone and character of the film. Let’s face it, the Worm guys are going to be the Worm guys regardless of how dated the effects are, its the writing and voice-acting that sets them apart and gave them such an expanded role in the sequel.
I focussed earlier on Will Smith and how this, along with Independance Day, really pushed his career into the stratosphere and he is good in this film. He looks and sounds like he’s having a lot of fun with the script and I would happily hold this up as one of my favourite Smith performances, but it’s important to remember that there are 2 names above the title. Tommy Lee Jones just about steals the film and walks out of the room with it. His humour is dry and he is probably the best foil they could have found for Smith. He is really the body and soul of this film; a man who uses intergalactic technology but is growing acutely aware of his own age. As he so succinctly puts it: “i’ve just been down the gullet of an interstellar coackroach, that’s one of 100 memories I don’t want”. His performance is reason #1 to watch this film. Unbelievably, neither he nor Smith were first choice for their roles in MiB. David Schwimmer and Chris O’Donnell were both offered the role of J, whilst Clint Eastwood was offered K. (Actually, let’s take a second and imagine Clint Eastwood trying to cope with Chris O’Donnell….and we thought Batman & Robin was bad…damn!).
Bad MSPaint job aside...you get the idea
The transfer to Blu Ray simply works. I’d say Men In Black was always meant to be seen and heard this way. the lines are crisp and the quality really does stand out. What you sacrifice in special effects quality (ok…perhaps not ALL of it was meant to be seen this way), you make up for in the detail in Edgar’s gradual decomposition or the incredible opening sequence when K takes out an illegal boarder-hopper. Blue gloop has never looked so good. The bonus features are pretty much a copy of the old DVD (with the telestrater commentary from Jones and Sonnenfeld standing out) and the Blu Ray extras consist of a reasonable trivia game and, bizzarely, a subtitle track for the film presented in some sort of alien language. “Why?” i hear you ask. Answers on a postcard for that one.
All in all, Men In Black’s Blu Ray transfer is well worth looking into. The film itself is still as good as it ever was with the transfer to hi-def not likely to win any new viewers but it will certainly entertain those of us who have enjoyed the film for so long. The sound clarity alone, along with the relatively good price of £15-£18, is reason enough to pick it up. In my opinion (and as this is my review…it IS my opinion 
) this is a fun film, a more than pleasant way to pass a couple of hours and well worth placing into your home-cinema system to get that extra bang for your buck.
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Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Year: 1997
Cast: Tommy lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D’Onofrio
Get into the Olympic Spirt - Cool Runnings 1993
Cool Runnings 1993 wow this film is now 15 years old!! Still a great family film, and a great one to put you into that Olympic spirit, if you’ve not noticed the summer Olympic games in Beijing, China is almost over. Ok, ok this film is set in the winter Olympics but still, it’s a great film to get the Olympic emotions flowing. And although very tongue in cheek, a bit different to your classic “chariots of fire”.
John Candy played a great roll in this film and is still sadly missed within the film industry. Candy played “Irv Blitzer”, a shady bob slay coach who is cast out of his home country and sent to sulk and drink his life away all until he comes across a group of Jamaican men who have serious potential and will resort to anything to live out their Olympic dreams.
There are some really moving moments throughout this film and as an ex athlete myself it’s certainly packed with some dare I say, emotional moments for me! All in all a good Olympic / Sports film that’s not Chariots of Fire and that doesn’t actually involve Baseball!!
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Director: Jon Turteltaub
Year: 1993
Cast: Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, John Candy, Malik Yoba
Runtime: 98 min
Hellboy Blu-Ray Review
With the arrival of Hellboy 2 in our cinemas today, accompanied by generally very positive reviews, I thought I’d take this opportunity to review the original Hellboy film as we seem to be lacking one around the site (and I won’t get to see The Golden Army until at least the weekend!). First a note on how you should watch this piece of cinematic comic-book popcorn fodder: if you can then get the BluRay transfer of this film. Whilst not the greatest example of what BluRay can achieve, some of the set pieces are well worth the extra couple of ££ you’ll be spending and you can generally pick it up in a 2 for £30 offer at some of the major retailers.
Hellboy on BluRay
I won’t bother with the details of the plot, as I’m sure people would rather find those out for themselves and, to be quite honest, the plot isn’t really the main reason to watch this film. Ron Perlman, playing the titular stone-armed hero clearly has an absolute ball in the film despite being concealed under 30lb of prosthetics, and steals just about every single scene he is in. Perlman was Guillermo del Toro’s first choice for the role (they had previously worked together on Blade II, a review of which I’m sure I’ll get around to at some stage) and he really is the star of the picture. One of my major criticisms of Hellboy stems from this; Perlman is charismatic, he is funny and, at the end of the day, he is a badass. So why is he not given half as much screen-time as his character should have? Perlman does have a habit of out-acting (if indeed it is acting and not just Perlman being Perlman) everyone around him and was easily the best thing about Blade 2, in which I’m willing to bet he had a similar amount of screen time despite playing a secondary character.
The main reason for Perlman lacking screentime is the introduction of Rupert Evans as John Meyers, the initially timid FBI agent who acts as our guide through the world of Hellboy. It’s no fault of Evans hat he plays a character that could largely be interpreted as an utter distraction from the purpose of the movie, and he does add a human side to a story about a bunch of super (or sub) humans, but it is painfully obvious at times that he’s only there at the studio’s insistence. We spend far too much time with him as he fawns over the firey Liz Sherman (you’re up against a man who’s hand is bigger than your whole body…give it up!) and not enough time focussing on the film’s other, perhaps more important, characters. The good news is that he’s not in the sequel. Sorry Rupert, but I think it’ll be better without you.
The supporting roles in the film are played out well, but again you almost feel like you’re given a teaser of them. Doug Jones’ Abe Sapien (voiced by an uncredited David Hyde Pierce from Frasier) comes across as the most interesting of the group. The complete opposite to Perlman’s shoot-first anti-hero, Abe Sapien is calmer, more measured and wasted for the most part. It’s a real shame and I hope he gets far more screen time in the sequel. Selma Blair (she of Cruel Intentions fame) is fine as Liz Sherman and John Hurt (as he is prone to do) gives a measured performance as the elderly Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm.
But this film really isn’t about any of that, it’s about spectacular set-pieces and those it delivers in bucket-loads. This is where the Blu Ray transfer comes into its own as from the opening Nazi experiment through to a giant room of hammers, del Toro does his utmost to impress. However it all comes unstuck with the final set-piece in which it becomes painfully obvious that the computers were hard at work.
A quick word on Guillermo del Toro, the man who will be directing Peter Jackson’s vision of The Hobbit. The worlds he creates, not just in this film, are as detailed and incredible as they are twisted. Any del Toro is worth picking up on bluray just in case you miss something on a standard print of the film. Hellboy is no exception. Its just a real shame about that last fight scene…
Hellboy is by no means a bad film. It does what you would expect from a summer comicbook film and its entertaining to boot. The film is worth watching for the titular wise-cracking character alone. Yet at the end of it all you just can’t help but feel like there could’ve been more. The sequel looks set to deliver that.
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Film Information
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Year: 2004
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Rupert Evans, Doug Jones
Runtime: 122min
Wanted (2008)
I watched this film in the cinema about 3 weeks ago and only just got to post my review. I’d only seen the one trailer and thought it looked pretty action packed and worth watching in the cinema (not to mention Angelina Jolie).
I was pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed this film, ok it’s a bit over the top, but hey why not? It is an action movie! Angelina Jolie had never really appealed to me until after this movie, she looks and acts with real confidence and displays real sexuality, she certainly plays the part well.
Wanted is great film to watch and chill out with, a no brainer with som good special affects. The action seemed very intense and the special effects were great. It followed the lines of other similar films:
A boy that’s wasting life and has hidden skills he never knew he had, he suddenly discovers himself…
… But still they managed to refresh this worn out story type with some nice special affects and some original ideas, such as curving bullets around objects.
The ideas thought out the film managed to keep this film pretty original and worked fairly well to make the film differ from other “assassin” style films.
I could see there was a small twist coming though out the film, although I won’t spoil it for you i’m sure you’ll guess it when it comes around. Due to the story not being very strong i’m sure they felt obliged to play on the idea of the twist, although it doesn’t draw away from the movie. I’d recommend watching this film as it’s a great action movie and gives you a few moments to want to cheer for the main (underdog) character, but it’s not the type of film you’ll be going to watch for the story. The main character Wesley Allan Gibson played by James McAvoy seemed a bit weak and not quite right for the main character in this movie they could have had a much stronger, more rugged actor and I think this would have raised the profile, quality and popularity of this film. The final words of the film are very cheesy and a bit strong as by this point I think the audience had got the point… but all in all a good action movie and worth a watch on DVD.
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Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Year: 2008
Cast: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann
Runtime: 110min
DVD-Reviewers Top Ten
Many of you may guess from reading my top ten films that I’m a guy writing these reviews, some of the films are a bit cheesy but they are the ones that have an impact in my life and are my all time top ten. That’s not to say I don’t like other films or older films, there are many more I could claim to be “favourites” but I stuck 10 or we’d be here forever!
So without further ado my top ten favourite films:
#1 - 300
300 Is an impressive film, I unfortunately never got to see this film at the cinema, most of my favourite films I’ve only got to see on DVD but I prefer to watch a film when I know nothing about the film apart from the title.
300 is a blood thirsty film about 300 Spartan warriors that fight an army of Persian warriors. The film’s cinematography is great (mainly done against the backdrop of a green screen) the colours, sounds and scenes are all perfectly fitting for the movie. Rather than a historic adaptation (as some people think) it’s just a great comic book style adaptation of an action film to watch and enjoy.
I think the movie appeals to me as the heroism and “courage against all odds” attitude shines through. Which really appeals to me! This film is worthy of the #1 spot, and is visually an amazing film.
#2 - American Psycho
A very clever film, and if you’ve read the book then you can respect that the film really has done the book justice. The particulars in Bret Easton Ellis’s character descriptions are beautifully replicated on screen. Christian Bale plays a fantastic roll as Patrick Bateman and along with the 80’s sound track and psycho like monologues before his “victims” meet their end. I also love the romanticising of the 80’s lifestyle in this film, with expensive restaurants, apartments and parties, beautifully depicted.
An amazing film all in all and my #2.
#3 - The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption is simply an amazing film! This is should be on everyone’s all time favourite list! It’s a fantastic film, the cinematography is beautiful, the “underdog prevailing” story can appeal to everyone, and the whole character casting throughout the film is just perfect, this film is said to have given many “hope” in times of need, and it does so beautifully.
Apparently during the release of this film it flopped at the box office. Which makes this one of those “undiscovered gems” that you’ll one day come across (which makes it better in many ways), if you’ve never seen this film, I hope I’ve enlightened you. Go buy it and watch it and enjoy it. You’ll not be disappointed and I’ve yet to meet anyone that doesn’t love this film!
#4 - Fight Club
Fight club is a film that you’ll be able to watch time and time again, you’ll continually see and find many different parts to the film. The film is also laced with subliminal messages which is interesting this tries to introduce you to the “Tyler Durden” character subliminally during key points within the start of the film. A very clever movie with some beautiful colouring and cinematography. Again this is a film I watched with no idea of the plot so if you’ve not seen it, without spoiling the plot for you then without doubt, I’m sure you’ll be captivated… go watch it!
#5 - Cocktail
Ok, not a great film from many perspectives really but I’ve met so many characters throughout my life in the bar trade that have the same hopes, dreams and ideas of the main character in the “Brian Flannigan”. This film epitomises most of the peoples attitudes involved in the bar trade! I think unless you’ve been involved with bar work then this may not appeal to you. To those of you that can relate to this film then I’m sure you’ll think this is a great film you can reflect on. The mentor character “Doug Coughlin” played by Bryan Brown is actually a fantastic character throughout the film and cross analysing his words of wisdom, “Coughlin’s law” is never too far from the truth! Some nice advice
All in all a great film and makes it into my top 5! Much to (I’m sure) many peoples dismay.
#6 - Gladiator
An Epic movie with a superb story line and a great cast. Gladiator is that tale of a Roman general that is betrayed while his family is murdered by a corrupt prince. He then comes to Rome as a slave/gladiator to seek revenge. The film won 5 Oscars and was still finished even though Oliver Stone died before making the end of the film, they used off cuts from earlier out-takes to complete the film. This film is simply awesome with a good story and amazing scenes. Defiantly one you’ll want to watch time and time again.
#7 - Thank You For Smoking
This film didn’t get too much press and I think in the UK and it went straight to DVD release due to the content of the film. That’s not to say that the film is rude, or obscene in any nature, it’s simply the subject of “smoking” that makes it very taboo with the government.
The film is simply about a lobyest for the tobacco industry,
“You see that’s the beauty of argument, because if you argue correctly, you’re never wrong.”
The lines and used by Nick Naylor (played by Aaron Eckhart) in the film are truly excellent. I think it’s a very clever, funny and witty film that, will certainly give you a different angle when looking at things.
#8 - Saving Private Ryan
When watched on a good quality home cinema surround system this film is simply breath taking. The film is about a troop of WWII soldiers that have to go and bring a soldier home from the war as he is the last of 3 brothers 2 of which have been lost in combat, therefore “private Ryan” is to be taken home. The story follows the American troops that go to “save private Ryan” across the European WWII battlefield. The sub plots within the film are captivating and once you start watching this film you’ll be hooked all the way to the end, from any point!
#9 - Top Gun
Top gun a classic boys film, when I was younger I wanted to be a pilot, which explains why this film makes my top 10, not because of the actual story, just simply because of the planes, and some cool mid flight macho scenes, very 80’s and very Tom Cruise. Cool!
#10 - Black Hawk Down
Finally Black Hawk Down, I love this film, a great action war film. I really didn’t think I was into “war movies” that much, but as i’ve compiled my top 10 films I think i’ve found out that I quite like this genre!
This is a fantastic film when watched on a good home cinema system with the volume cranked right up, hear the bullets whistle past your head!
The film contains some edge of the seat action moments and is totally packed with nail biting scenes right from the start, unfortunately for me this is another film I never got to see in the cinema, but now I own on DVD. It’s well worth having the DVD, with some great bonuses included on a sepcial edition second disc! So go and buy it!
This caps off my Top 10, and as I write this I’m already thinking of many, many more films I could put in that I didn’t think of at the time, but I’m happy with this ten
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maybe I’ll do my top 5 films by genre to include some more next time! As I’ve included so more up to day films in this list, either way please comment on this selection of films can compare your own.
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