Now I love the Criteron collection and it’s website that has ten favourite films by various actors directors , writers and celebs (so far no one famous for being famous thank god ) . So I decide to do a weekend rundown post of my ten favourite films after a few days thinking about it I came up with my list .
1. Wings of desire dir Wim Wenders –
Well I mention Wender a lot in my post this film was my first intro to him seeing it when it first came out in the UK mainly due to the Nick Cave connection at the time , this hymn to Berlin shot in sepia Black and White capture west berlin just before the wall fell .It is the story of two angels observing the city from an old man reflect on the cities past glory , a little girl and a woman left behind by the circus that one of the angels falls in love with .
2. Alphaville Dir – Jean- Luc Goddard
French sci-fi classic a detective is sent out to a city to find a missing person , along side that the city is run by a tyrant that that he needs to find and free the city from , This movie also in black and white is a touchstone for some great films to follow and my favourite Goddard film .Its a mix of french chic meets american noir the main character could have walk off a classic american crime novel .
3.The English patient dir Anthony Minghella
An injured Airman ? well is he English , we see a story of a love affair in the days before world war two and the injured man true story is seen as we see what is hiddden in his book the picture paintings of the better days before he was injured in a terrible plane crash . Beautifully shot from one of my all time favourite books . So sad Minghella died a few years ago he made some great films and before that some great tv shows. This is one best film adaptations .
4.Stand by me dir Rob Reiner
Four boys of to see a dead body , along the way they learn more about each other and the world around them . Rob Reiner has a retro take on a fifties america small town and when a boy disappearing was still news .This was one of the first dvd I brought and has been the most watched over that time .All from the master of horror Stephen King
5.Amelie dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Kooky french girl , looks for a mysterious man that she has found photos of whilst connect a man with his youth saving her father by gnomenapping his garden gnome . quirky , funny and most of all uplifting on a gloomy day this film makes you look at the world a fresh .
6.The life aquatic with Steve Zissou dir Wes Anderson
well any film by Anderson , but this is my favourite , father and son bonding as he completes a moby dick like hunt for a mythical shark for the latest in his aquatic film series . Add to that Bill Murray in brilliant form , hip addidas trainers (I want some Zissou’s ,when I can afford them ) and Bowie sung in Brazilian .
7.Control dir Anton Corbjin
This film ticks so many boxes for me , its set in a big part in the part of the world I grew up in Cheshire and Manchester . It is about one of my favourite bands Joy division and lastly it is direct by the great pop photographer of the new wave era .This film also introduced a great new star in Sam Riley
8. Anne Hall dir Woody Allen
What can I say , man remember failed love affair .Allen in his best years as a director and actor . I love most of his films and he recently has returned to form after a number of weaker films early in the 2000’s .
9 .The third man dir Carol Reed
Orson Welles as a charismatic con man in post war Vienna selling items on the black market bu has he gone to far this time ? Is he even alive as he has supposedly died but who saw the body . Great tension from the novel by Graham Greene .
10. Citzen kane dir Orson welles
A news man tries to find out the story behind the citizen Khan , the dead owner of a huge fortune from his humble beginnings to running a paper . Wonderful clever shots made this film an instant classic and heralded a new star that maybe never matched the brilliance of this film . Orson Welles a larger than life man who once touched brilliance directing this film .
Please what are your top ten films ?
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