200. Big Fish

Big Fish (2003)

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Albert Finney

Ewan McGregor

Billy Crudup

Jessica Lange

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8.5

" There's a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny is lost... the ship has sailed and only a fool would continue. Truth is... I've always been a fool."

Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) has lived a long life full of amazing journeys, or as his son William (Billy Crudup) sees it, just tall tales. On the eve of William's wedding his father is telling the story of the day his son was born, but the focus as usual lies on himself and not on his son. After a lifetime of hearing the same stories, William has had enough of his father's selfishness. It is three years until the two speak again, but when Edward's battle with cancer seems to be coming to an end, William must return home. His reunion with his ailing father seems like they had just seen each other the day before. Before his father becomes too ill, William wants to know the truth of his father's life. Soon we find ourselves looking back at the life of Edward Bloom (now played by Ewan McGregor). His tale is an unbelievable one filled with the most eclectic cast of characters that your mind could imagine. Soon William starts to see that maybe not all of the stories behind his father's life are tall tales at all.

Big Fish is the perfect example how a film's visuals can completely take you away. The world and life of Edward Bloom is perfectly interpreted by director Tim Burton. Those who are used to Burton's usual darkness will find this film to be much brighter. The use of blues, yellows, and greens are extremely apparent. There are still a few of the typical dark scenes from the Gothic mindset of Burton that we are all used to. Also the use of time aging things is done wonderfully. Early in the film Edward visits the small town of Spector. It's main street is a gorgeous patch of grass with beautiful buildings on each side. Later in the film, Edward visits Spector again, and time has brought an actual road which has lead to the town's ruin. What once was a town with a beautiful green centerpiece, is now a muddy rundown version of it's former glory. Most people will site Edward Scissorhands as Burton's masterpiece, although I really feel that his finest work is found in Big Fish.

I'd like to point out the two excellent performances by Ewan McGregor as the younger Edward Bloom and Albert Finney as the older Edward Bloom. In many films, two actors playing the same character tends to come off as two different characters all together. Not the case in Big Fish. Both McGregor and Finney present the exact same amount of charm, passion, and sheer likability. It is virtually impossible to not grow fond of Bloom by the film's first flashback scene. McGregor and Finney team up to give us one of the most likable and solid characters of the last ten years.

People connect with films for many different reasons. I have spoken of my wonderful grandfather on this blog before, and Edward Bloom reminds me very much of him. His legend was almost bigger than the man himself. That might be a large part 0f why I am so fond of this film. What cannot be debated are the excellent performances by McGregor and Finney. As well as the amazing vision for the film from director Tim Burton. Big Fish is like a mixture of The Wizard of Oz and Forrest Gump which is not to be missed.

201. Crash

Crash (2004)

Director: Paul Haggis

Starring: Don Cheadle

Ryan Phillipe

Matt Dillion

Terrance Howard

Thadie Newton

Sandra Bullock

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss touch so much that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.

Crash is the story of several groups of intertwined characters dealing with racism and prejudices in present-day Los Angeles. Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) is an African-American detective torn between the job that he is addicted to, and the family which is constantly left on the back burner. Graham's troublesome brother Peter (Larenz Tate) has taken up a life of stealing expensive cars for money with the guidance of Anthony (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges). One evening, Anthony and Peter carjack an SUV belonging to Los Angeles' District Attorney Rick Cabot (Brenden Fraiser) and his wife Jean (Sandra Bullock). Once home, the Cabot's have all of their locks changed, but Jean is alarmed when the young man changing the locks appears to have gang related tattoos.

We follow Daniel Ruiz, the lock repairman home, and find that he has a wife and a daughter and is every bit your typical family man. He shares a tender story with his daughter before being called out to fix the lock of Persian general store owner Farhad (Shaun Toub). While Daniel is fixing the lock, he notices that the door is the real problem and attempts to tell Farhad the bad news. Farhad believes that Daniel is cheating him and sends him away. That night, Farhad's store is broken into and he instantly goes to find Daniel, with vengeance being the only thing on his mind.

Meanwhile, Tom Hansen (Ryan Phillipe), a cop new to the Los Angeles Police Force, is riding along with his new partner John Ryan (Matt Dillion). They pull over an SUV matching the description of a recently stolen vehicle, although the license plates do not match. Ryan begins to question the driver of the vehicle Cameron Thayer (Terrance Howard) about his night's activities. Cameron's wife Christine (Thadie Newton) soon starts to speak out of line and Ryan loses his patience. He performs a body search on Christine after she exits the vehicle and verbally assaults him. His search proves to be much more than inappropriate, prompting Tom to request a new partner and leaving Cameron to question his abilities as a husband and a man. Soon all of the stories start to blend together to break down many racial barriers, but at times raising new walls as well.

From my synopsis of the film, you would think that Crash would be extremely hard to follow. Luckily, screenwriter Paul Haggis is a much more talented writer than I am. Bringing to mind a previous ensemble film like Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, Haggis takes several different stories and connects them not only with it's characters meeting, but with the common theme of racial equality. What I loved about the story is that not every character ends up "richer" in the end. Some characters that begin "colorblind", soon start to see the world in black and white. Crash gives us one of the best structured screenplays, with often unpredictable results.

Speaking about the racial subject matter, this film's focus lies much deeper than the differences between black and white. Crash was made in a post 9-11 America, so the common misconceptions about people from the Middle East are present. This marked the first main exposure on film of what had been an almost epidemic in the years following the terrorist activities of 2001. Also, the film is set in Los Angeles, so many of the racial Latin issues are addressed. The blending of all the cultures drives the film's characters and story to give an almost universal appeal. It's message is definitely one of tolerance and changing past generations perceptions of the world.

Crash is one of those films that I think everyone should see at some point. The combination of Haggis' excellent screenplay and solid on screen performances makes this a very well made film. At it's climax though, it goes beyond the point of great film, and becomes culturally significant. I don't think we will ever live in a world free of prejudice or racism. Although, with films like this, our world is bound to be much more colorblind.

202. A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Director: Elia Kazan

Starring: Vivien Leigh

Marlon Brando

Kim Hunter

Karl Malden

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8

"Hey Stella! Hey Stellaaa!"

While searching for a new place to call home, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) goes to visit her pregnant sister Stella (Kim Hunter) in New Orleans. While there, she meets Stella's often crude husband Stanley (Marlon Brando), who immediately takes a dislike to Blanche. Stanley often mistreats and abuses Stella, although she is often quick to forgive. This disappoints Blanche, as she feels that her sister deserves more. Stanley's dislike to Blanche begins to grow more harsh, and he soon starts to question the truth behind why Stella and his wife's family plantation has been taken away. He eventually finds that she had been exiled from her hometown for seducing a seventeen year old boy. This shocking revelation soon challenges the relationship between Stella and Stanley, as well as the sanity of Blanche.

Returning from A Streetcar Named Desire's original Broadway run is Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden, while Vivien Leigh starred in the play's first run on London's West End. The ensemble of these four actors proved to be one of the greatest in film at it's time. This accounts as the world's first exposure to the brilliant Brando, who is perfectly despicable as Stanley. The portrayal of a great villain makes it impossible not to love them and Brando gives us just that. Leigh gives easily the films greatest performance though. At first she often comes off rather annoying, but as the truth behind her past starts to unravel, Leigh proves to be nothing short of incredible. Her final scenes are easily some of the finest work of her career. It's not often that acting talent, as in the film, joins together to create such an undeniable overnight classic.

A Streetcar Named Desire is often referred to as one of the theater's greatest works, but I can see how some people would actually be turned off by this film. The first half of the film is filled with constant analogies and metaphors that can often become distracting from the overall story. I understand to some, that this is the appeal of a writer like Tennessee Williams. I actually found myself having to go back and watch a few scenes a second time. There is also the language barrier of 1940's New Orleans, which is riddled with accents and slang. Some might see this as a negative aspect of the film, and some could argue that it sets the tone. That being said, I encourage viewers to ignore the troubles (that is if you have any) like I encountered in the first part of the film. Luckily by the second half of the film, the writing becomes a little more straight forward and wraps up to be the classic it is billed to be.

It's hard to say anything negative about a film like A Streetcar Named Desire, which is so highly viewed as a classic. The acting is excellent from start to finish. The story and progression of the characters is also just as powerful. There is also the obvious metaphor of the cultural clash of two classes of people during a time of great transition in America. The only criticism I have is that the film can come across rather dated partly due to some of the language. Although, the film works just fine if viewed as a time piece of New Orleans during the 1940's. Overall, I would definitely recommend seeing this film.

203. Dial M For Murder

Dial M For Murder (1954)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Ray Milland

Grace Kelly

Robert Cummings

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8.5

"People don't commit murder on credit."

Former tennis pro Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) is plotting to murder his wife Margot (Grace Kelly) with both revenge and money as his motives. Tony has discovered that while he was on tour playing tennis, his wife had been having an affair with American mystery writer Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings). Tony calls on an old college classmate Charles Alexander Swann (Anthony Dawson), and blackmails him into murdering his wife. The murder is to take place while Tony is entertaining Mark during a gentleman's evening. Although, the murder goes horribly wrong when Margot escapes capture, grabs a pair of scissors, and stabs Mr. Swann in the back. Seeing that his plot has failed, Tony must now spin a new web of lies to deceive the police into thinking that there was no murder attempt on Margot at all. Rather she was intending to murder Mr. Swann.

Dial M For Murder isn't exactly one of director Alfred Hitchcock's most suspenseful films. Although, it is definitely one of his best structured. A lot of that can be attributed to the excellent screenplay from Frederick Knott, which was also based on his play of the same name. I've seen this film a few times, and have yet to see an error in it's writing. There are times when it gets a little intricate, but never once falters. Also Hitchcock's signature long takes are present here. Many scenes go on for ten minutes before a cut is made. I have always loved this technique, mainly because it does give the viewer a keen sense that their in the room. The combination of Knott's excellent story and Hitchcock's keen hand in directing, makes this film a true classic.

There is only one thing that is unbelievable about this film, and that is someone wanting to murder a woman as beautiful as Grace Kelly. You often hear about her elegance, but until you see it at work on screen, you have no idea. Kelly gives an excellent performance that instantly grabs your attention. Ray Milland is also good as Tony Wendice, who apart from wanting to murder his wife, seems to be an all right guy. He is almost charming enough to have you rooting for him, and not Margot. The rest of the cast turn in great performances as well, but they seem to pale in comparison to Milland and Kelly's wonderful work.

Dial M For Murder came around the middle of Hitchcock's career, but served as the beginning of a run of his most popular films that featured Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho. It might not live up to the pedigree of those films, but it is still quite excellent. All of Hitchcock's signature traits are here including his excellent choice in scores and beautiful blonds. It serves as a pretty straight forward film, with few twists and turns. That might seem foreign to Hitchcock's style, but rest assured, nothing is compromised with this film. Hitchcock's unique style and vision is indeed present in every frame of this truly incredible film.

204. Kill Bill Vol. 2

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Uma Thurman

David Carradine

Michael Madsen

Daryl Hannah

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"I've killed a hell of a lot of people to this point, but I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination, I am gonna kill Bill."

Before Kill Bill Vol. 2 continues from where the previous installment left off, we take a look back to the wedding rehearsal of The Bride (Uma Thurman). Here she and her entire wedding party were murdered by her former gang, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Prior to the attack, The Bride has a conversation with her former lover Bill (David Carradine) about her future plans. Bill wishes her the best, and agrees to pose as her father during the actual ceremony. Soon the Deadly Viper's, which Bill is the leader, show up to end the day. They kill everyone in the church, but fail to finish the job with The Bride leaving her in a coma. Since the massacre, The Bride has recovered and gone on her own journey of vengeance, killing two key members of her former gang (These stories were told in the first installment).

Upon hearing of The Bride's trail of revenge, Bill goes to warn his brother Budd (Michael Madsen) that he is next on her list. Late one night, The Bride sneaks up to Budd's trailer, but is caught with a shotgun blast of rock salt that hits her in the chest. He then takes her to a graveyard and throws her body inside a casket in a robbed grave. This seems to be the end of The Bride, but then she recalls her training in China and busts out of the grave. Once out of the grave she approaches Budd's trailer to see Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), another member of the Deadly Viper's, visiting him. Budd has agreed to sell his one of a kind sword to Elle for a suitcase filled with one million dollars. Although, Elle has booby trapped the suitcase with a black mamba snake that bites and kills Budd. Right as she is leaving, The Bride bursts into the front door and the two begin to fight, ending in Elle losing her other good eye. As the Bride walks out the door, only one stop remains, and she has every attention to KILL BILL.

I am not sure if I get Quentin Tarantino, or if he gets me. All I know is that there is no writer currently working in Hollywood that appeals to me more. He has this incredible ability to take the most normal settings, and bless them with some of the most brilliant dialogue you have ever heard. I understand that some people can just no sit through a film where all the people do is talk. Although if you listen to the pacing and words chosen by Tarantino, you cannot deny his unbelievable talent. I might be over-hyping his abilities here, but as a writer who desperately wants to make sense, I applaud Tarantino on his truly original style of writing.

One thing that I feel this film does well is that it omages, rather than copies. This film pulls and uses past films of the kung-fu and revenge genre's to make suitable film that belongs near the top in either catagory. Some of the same actors from these classic films are used to play new, but most of the time similar roles. Also, the music had a western appeal, which might make no sense for a film with so much martial arts, although it greatly works with thiw film. For true fans of the many genres that this film pulls from, Kill Bill Vol. 2 holds even more fun and significance for you.

Over the last five years or so, I have become a huge fan of the emerging "vengeance" genre. You could easily say that the Kill Bill films are what started that love in me. This film series lead me to find one of my favorite directors, Chan-wook Park and his own Vengeance Trilogy. If it were for that reason alone, I would always hold a special place for this film. Luckily, this film is much more than a stepping stone to other great films. Kill Bill Vol. 2 serves as beautifully written conclusion to an epic journey. The first installment of Kill Bill carried much of the action, where Volume 2 really focuses on the emotions of our heroine and her surroundings. This film paired with Volume 1, is a must see for all movie and film lovers.

*be sure to view my post for volume 1 coming this fall!

205. Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In (2008)

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Starring: Kare Hedebrant

Lina Leandersson

Per Ragnar

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 8.5

"Please Oskar... be me for a little while."

Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is your typical outcast. He is constantly bullied at school, and really has no friends. His parents are divorced, so he lives alone with his mother in a small apartment. One evening while sitting outside of his apartment complex, he meets a strange young girl named Eli (pronounced like Elle - E, and played by Lina Leandersson). Eli has recently moved into the apartment next to Oskar's with an older gentleman named Haken (Per Ragnar), who appears to be her father. Haken goes out at night and murders people, so that he main drain their blood to feed Eli. For you see, she is not actually a young girl, but an ancient vampire.

Oskar begins to confide in Eli as a friend, even though she has warned him about doing so. This is most likely to protect Oskar, although Eli never reveals why in the beginning. She encourages Oskar to fight back against the bullies at his school. As their relationship grows, so does Oskar's confidence and general attitude. During this time, Haken has failed at supplying blood for Eli on a few occasions, leaving her to do her own killing. One particular failed attempt proves to be ultimately fatal for Haken, and ends up leaving Eli with only Oskar in her life. With the community becoming suspicious of the random deaths and attacks, the two most both find a way to go on with their lives. This leaves Eli no choice, but to expose her true identity to him. But will Oskar let her into his life once he knows her secret?

I remember seeing Let the Right One In in theaters and being very impressed with it's exceptional attention to detail. For instance, when Eli doesn't feed, she always looks weak and frail. Almost appearing to be older at times. Although after she has just fed, she always appears to be youthful and eager. There are a few scenes where you actually do see Eli as an older woman. These scenes are met with flawless transition, giving the true appearance of something supernatural. It's the simple things that makes this film something truly extraordinary.

This film also has two of the better child performances I have seen. Lina Leandersson was only twelve during the filming, but turns in a performance well past her years. Her portrayal of Eli relies on realistic reactions to convey the trials of being a vampire. Usually the vampire is the enemy in the film, and Eli is really no different from any other vampire. Although, you cannot help but root for her. Kare Hedebrant is also great as the very reserved Oskar. You find yourself pitying him, but also identifying with him quite a bit. We've all feared running into that bully when we were in primary school. Hedebrant captures that perfectly. In the case of Let the Right One In, the kids are definitely where the acting talent lies.

I don't usually do this, but I would like to explain to you my interpretation of the end of the film. So if you have not seen it yet, please do not read any furthur into the paragraph. I do not think that Eli really loves Oskar. I believe that she is using him, as she did Haken. Oskar and Haken both seem to have similar personalities. They are very reserved, trustworthy, and will do anything for the ones they love. I like to think that Haken was once misunderstood, and Eli took him away from that. Much like Eli does when she runs away with Oskar. I am a sucker for romance in film, but I just don't buy it with Eli. If you have seen the film, go back and watch it again with this in mind. I think you will definitely see where I am coming from.

Let the Right One In is a top film in the horror and vampire genre. I feel with the release of a certain teen vampire film and this film's only two weeks apart, it was not really given a chance. So I strongly urge you though to see this film. Especially before the unneeded American remake from Cloverfield director Matt Reeves comes out later this year. Some might feel that this film moves at a slow pace, but that is one of the things that makes the action scenes that much more effective. Overall, It's attention to detail and superb acting should satisfy horror loves and film lovers alike.

206. Duck Soup

Duck Soup (1933)

Director: Leo McCarey

Starring: Groucho Marx

Harpo Marx

Chico Marx

Margaret Dumont

Louis Calhern

IMDb Rating: 8

My Rating: 9

"This is Rufus T. Firefly coming to you through the courtesy of the enemy. We're in a mess folks, we're in a mess. Rush to Freedonia! Three men and one woman are trapped in a building! Send help at once! If you can't send help, send two more women."

The fictional country of Freedonia is in financial ruin. Wealthy widow Mrs. Tisdale (Margaret Dumont) agrees to give the hefty sum of two-million dollars to Freedonia, but on the condition they name Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) as it's leader. This is much to the dismay of the leader of Slyvania Ambassador Trentino (Louis Calhern), who secretly wants to take over Freedonia. Firefly turns out to be an unpredictable dictator who goes about his job in a very unpolitical and unorthadox manner. If Firefly has one goal, it is to win the favor of Mrs. Tisdale, but only for her fortune. Ambassador Trentino also plans on wooing her, but with his mind set on taking control of Freedonia. The two men's plans clash and war is declared between the two countries leaving both men and their countries in total jeopardy.

So my description of Duck Soup might sounds pretty straight forward, but don't be fooled, it is hilarious! This film is the epitome of a comedy classic. The jokes come at bullet speed, and the gags are non-stop. Groucho Marx gives one of his most memorable performances with more one-liners than one could even count. Harpo and Chico Marx are also excellent as the spies Pinky and Chicolini, who are hired by Ambassador Trentino to get dirt on Firefly. Their gags are some of my favorite moments in the film. The most memorable scene in the film is the classic mirrored movement scene between Harpo and Groucho Marx. There has never been physical comedy scene timed better. Duck Soup is the best in a long standing set of films from the Marx Brothers, as well as one of the finest comedic films of all time.

What is also great about this comedy is that it is boldly political without an agenda or party affiliation. I have seen two presidential administrations come and go since my first viewing of this film over ten years ago. Anytime any slip up was made by one of our leaders, my mind instantly went back to Duck Soup and the ideals and antics of Rufus T. Firefly. George W. Bush's occasional mind slips came to mind when Firefly often forgot simply what room he was in. Bill Clinton's stereotypical charm with the ladies is also present in the relationship of Firefly and Mrs. Tisdale. Great comedies stand the test of time, I am not even sure the Marx Brothers knew that we would be satirically comparing them to our past and current world leaders almost eighty years later.

Arguably the greatest comedy team off all-time is on full display in this film. The comedic timing and abilities of the Marx Brothers will most likely never be matched. Their gift to the world was laughter, and that is exactly what Duck Soup delivers. The chuckles might come at a premium, but the political satire is also to be noted. A film like this comes along once in a great while. Duck Soup is easily the funniest film from it's generation and one of the greatest in cinematic history. This film is an essential view from the list thus far. Highly recommended indeed.