TOP 150 MOVIES

An epic movie which is large in scope and personnel, The Bridge on the River Kwai is a highly acclaimed and influential WWII film that speaks of the code of honour amongst men during war, the respect shared by enemies of war, and the madness which war evokes. 

Set in a Japanese POW camp, Alec Guinness stars as the exceedingly principled British Colonel Nicholson, who is ordered by sadistic Japanese Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) to build a bridge and complete the construction of a railroad which will allow passage through Burma.

Masterfully directed by David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia), The Bridge on the River Kwai features exotic locations, excellent score by Malcolm Arnold, and an engrossing performance by Guinness who perfectly portrays his character’s virtues of authority, pride, and strong principals.

The film which started it all way bay in 1995, Toy Story still holds as a family animation classic in which the combination of visual excellence, intelligent wit, and pitch perfect sentiment has not withered, like a fine animated wine its pixels have become richer with time.

Its story of a beloved group of toys undertaking an adventure to save one of their own is one filled with a heartfelt magic and never-ending wonder.

The pairing of lanky cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks) and adventuring spaceman Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), meanwhile, brought with it one of the best duos in modern cinema, and set the bench mark for voice acting in animated films.   

Sometimes a movie can transcend its medium and become something almost other worldly. The Act of Killing does just that.

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, this documentary on the former Indonesian death squad leaders (and their thugs) who re-enact their murderous rampages from the ‘60s, brings forth emotions of anger, sadness and frustration at the injustice displayed.

That injustice is particularly soul crushing, for not only have all these men escaped punishment but they also gloat about their crimes with a prideful ease that’s almost unbearable to witness. Yet so sturdy is Oppenheimer’s vision and determination to expose these devils and their proud, sickening boastfulness, that extraordinary results are captured on camera for the world to see and justifiably judge these men for the monsters they are.

An engrossing and haunting experience that successfully melds superbly crafted period drama with an unsettling outback mystery, Picnic at Hanging Rock was the film that introduced Peter Weir to the world stage and ushered in the Australian New Wave of cinema.

Adapted from the classic Australian novel by Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a disturbing mystery about the (fictional) disappearance of three students and one teacher from a prestigious all girl college, who vanished into thin air while on a field trip at Hanging Rock, Victoria, on Valentine’s Day, 1900.

The tranquil and mysterious scenery of Picnic at Hanging Rock brings forth an ambience that is quite startling, and Weir’s strong ability in establishing mood creates a sense of dread that is palpable. This is heightened by Russell Boyd’s illuminating photography and the successful combination of Bruce Smeaton’s gothic compositions and Gheorghe Zamfir’s pan flute melodies to create a striking score.

Polarising upon its release, Fight Club stands its ground as a visually arresting, brilliantly acted and innovatively directed classic.

Fight Club stars Edward Norton as a (nameless) man stuck in an insomnia fuelled loop of materialism and self-loathing. When he meets soap salesman and anarchist Tyler Durder (Brad Pitt), their mutual rage against a world which has devoured the notion of masculinity results in a revolutionary idea...beat the crap out of fellow man.

Both Norton and Pitt are excellent as the ying to one another’s yang. Yet the true star of Fight Club is director David Fincher, who delivers a (some say “dangerous”) film of cutting-edge visuals and even sharper social commentary.  

Novelty can be a dangerous thing, yet The Artist avoids any such trappings. While it is in fact a silent movie, the legacy of The Artist will not rest upon its concept but rather the details found within.

It’s story of a silent movie star (Jean Dujardin) whose career is destroyed after the introduction of the talkies is one filled with laughter, bitterness, romance and a crippling sadness, where tap dance numbers sit comfortably alongside tear jerking scenes.

It is the writing and direction of Michel Hazanavicius which makes it all work so well, not to mention the stellar performances from Juan Dujardin and the enchanting Berenice Bejo. The Artist once again proves that silence is indeed golden.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread is a tightly controlled study of obsession and the strange power plays that exist between two people who refuse to give ground.

Daniel Day-Lewis is typically strong as Reynolds Woodcock, a high-end dressmaker whose ordered life is disrupted by a young waitress named Alma. She becomes both his muse and his lover, only for the relationship to turn into a battle of wills. It is Vicky Krieps, however, who leaves the strongest impression. Her performance is quiet yet precise, moving from reserved and watchful to something far more deliberate, and she matches Day-Lewis beat for beat.

Anderson handles the material with a delicate touch, favouring small gestures and measured pacing over big dramatic swings. The result is one of his more restrained and carefully observed films.

An espionage thriller that does away with action choreography and exotic seductresses, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy builds its foundations on complex mystery, thick tension and stirring drama, not to mention the best ensemble cast of that year delivering high level performances.

Gary Oldman leads the charge as George Smiley, a semi-retired spy brought back into the fold to smoke out a Soviet agent hidden deep in MI6. Complementing Oldman’s wonderfully introverted performance are strong supporting turns by Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy and Mark Strong.

Weaving it all together is director Tomas Alfredson, who followed Let the Right One In with his best film to date.

With only his second film J.C. Chandor delivered an exceptional film in All is Lost, an immersive triumph that draws it viewers into one man’s spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical journey as he attempts survival amongst the high seas.

Despite no dialogue or paltry attempts at exposition, Chandor has created a film that is rich in theme and stirring in feeling, made especially potent by Robert Redford who delivers a soulful, thoughtful and engrossing performance that ranks amongst his best in a storied 60 plus year career.

It is only a shame that the overrated and similarly structured Gravity won the awards that All is Lost should have collected. Give it time and history will show that to be the case as well.

This Iranian movie from writer/director Asghar Farhadi works on several facets: family drama, perplexing mystery, court room thriller and exploration into the social fabric of Iranian society.

The result is an absorbing and (at times) frustrating movie that surprises with each carefully planned reveal. What arises in A Separation is one of the most gripping films to come from any country.

Equally impressive are the performances from its cast, especially by Sareh Bayat whose debut performance as a lower-class caretaker evokes much sadness and anger. If A Separation is an example of what Iranian cinema can create under such strong censorship, who knows what could be without such restrictions?