Favorite Movies

    (NOT UPDATED – OLD CONTENT!)
    la_confidential1. L.A. Confidential (1997): Had this gem come out any other year but 1997, it would have cleaned up just about every awards known to mankind. Unfortunately, L.A. Confidential was released the same year Titanic, the highest grossing movie of all-time, came out. What a breath of fresh air this film noir was! The movie could easily have been made 40 or 50 years ago and you would call it a classic because of how the story was told. L.A. Confidential was inspired by James Ellroy's book Bad White Men. Set in the 1950's, the movie tells the story of morally flawed and corrupted cops who put their desires and ambitions ahead of the need for justice. The cast was MIND-BOGGLINGLY PERFECT with Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Guy Pearce playing the three main characters. In supporting roles are all-stars David Strathaim, Kim Bassinger, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell. This movie is a masterpiece of movie making: the plot is extremely dense yet perfectly told without confusing the audience. Nearly a dozen (yes a dozen!) complex characters are developed with moral and psychology depth, giving them their own ambitions and motives. An omnipresent atmosphere of corruption hovers through the entire movie. The cinematography is first-rate with scenes taken in breathtaking settings while the musical score is superb.
    imgsaving20private20ryan12. Saving Private Ryan (1998): I have seen this movie countless times and I just never get tired of it. There is still little things that you can pick up even after dozens and dozens of views. Aside from reviving the stagnant war movie genre, Saving Private Ryan was fantastic in all aspect of film making: direction, writing, story-telling, casting, acting, cinematography. Everything came together to make the best war movies of all-time.. Enough said.
    shawshank_redemption_ver13. The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Every guy's top movie and IMDb #1 movie of all-time. Ask any guy you know and I would be surprised if Shawshank is not one of their top movies of all-time. A story of real friendship, persistence, inner courage, and hope. There is no real action in the movie and yet it is incredibly fulfilling and the viewer feels good at the end of the movie. Good decent guys beating the odds and freeing themselves from a corrupt system (literally). Perfectly cast movie from Tim Robbins and most importantly Morgan Freeman to the smallest part in the movie.

    Red (narrating): I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.
    die-hard-poster4. Die Hard (1988): The greatest action movie of all-time. Non-stop action from beginning to end, John McClane, Hans Gruber, JOHN MCLANE, HANS GRUBER, hilarious lines, great script, sweet gunfights, office chairs being thrown off a building, people being thrown off a building! Some actors are just born for a particular role, Bruce Willis was born to play John McClane. Watch it today like it was 1988 (ok I wasn't old enough back then), this movie has held the test of time as good as any other movie.
    gladiator5. Gladiator (2000): A conventional revenge movie set in a superbly depicted ancient Rome and elevated by great all-around performances. Gladiator's main appeal is Russell Crowe's intense interpretation of army general-turned-slave Maximus, giving him much more depth and complexity than most movie heroes. Maximus is a well-rounded hero: a highly respected leader of men, a fantastic warrior, an intelligent and honest man, just someone you really want to pull for! He is a family man who has lost everything and has nothing to lose. The scene where he finally reveals the identity to the stunned Commodus sends shivers down my spine every time. An exceptional supporting cast highlighted by Joaquin Phoenix performance also set this film apart. Add to that the stunning cinematography and a haunting Hans Zimmer musical score which is one of the very best ever made for a movie.
    last_of_the_mohicans_ver16. The Last of the Mohicans (1992): This Michael Mann movie is set in 1757 at a time when the French and English were still vying for control of North America . The story albeit violent and lead by three tough male characters revolves around epic romances. Starring Academy Award winner Daniel Day Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Eric Schweig, Johdi May and the awesome Wes Studi. Beautiful photography, violent battles at the most primal level, superior acting and a haunting soundtrack make this movie an overlooked masterpiece and one of the ultimate romance movie ever made. Read my review. Below, the musical score of the movie and one of my very favorite of all-time.
    mulholland_drive_ver17. Mulholland Dr. (2001): Directed by the eccentric David Finch, Mulholland Dr. is a convoluted mystery movie which starred Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring. The entire movie has an eerie and surreal atmosphere and it feels like you are watching a bad dream unfold. The movie is highly open for interpretation and has become a cult movie since its release in 2001. A highly memorable and haunting movie. Read the review HERE.
    batman_begins8. Batman Begins (2005) / The Dark Knight (2008): For argument's sake, I say that Batman Begins was superior overall to the Dark Knight although they are pretty much equal in my mind. The biggest thing is that there is so many great lines in Batman Begins that really set the tone for the movie. Moments like when Batman says "It's not who I am underneath, but what I *do* that defines me" to Rachel Dawes toward the end of the movie or the "Nice coat" line to the homeless dude, those were defining moments that did not exist in the Dark Knight. Also, TDK was way too serious and slightly too long and the comical relief in Batman Begins was a big plus in keeping the viewer entertained. On a fundamental basis, Batman Begins was completely focused on Bruce Wayne/Batman while in the next movie, let's face it, the Joker and even Two-Face completely upstaged Batman. Finally, I enjoyed Batman Begins' visuals: Gotham City had a slight touch of fantasy. TDK's Gotham City was just any regular American city. Just to be clear, I rank both movies as one.
    the_prestige9. The Prestige (2006): Directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, and Scarlett Johansson. The Prestige is the story of two magicians engaged in an intense rivalry that literally consumes their lives and those of the people around them. A stunning movie with numerous twists and turns. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman give outstanding performances, the movie is masterfully crafted, and production values are superior. A highly memorable movie that will keep your wits engaged throughout and remain in your mind long after the movie is over.
    memento10. Memento (2000): Another movie from Christopher Nolan, Memento is a highly intricate psychological thriller with a complex non-linear timeline. The movie has scenes in colors which are unfolding in reverse chronological order, and scenes in black-and-white which are the "normal" timeline. Both converge at the end of the movie and give us the same point of view that the main character has, without letting us know more than he does himself. Guy Pearce gives the performance of a lifetime as Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers periodic bouts of short-term memory loss which he developed after an attack on himself and his wife who was raped and murdered. He is looking for the man who did that despite his memory problem. This movie is simply best approached without knowing too much about it so I will leave it there. Memento is a brilliant brain teaser and a riveting movie.
    butch_cassidy_and_the_sundance_kid11. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969): I love this western because it has one main difference with most other westerns. The tone is light-hearted and bordering on what you would find in a comedy. It also featured the great Paul Newman and launched Robert Redford's career into orbit. Butch Cassidy (Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Redford) are the leaders of a gang of robbers on-the-run after a train hold-up goes hilariously wrong. They find out that a posse has been paid to kill them. After a great pursuit in the desert, they decide to disappear and escape to Bolivia where their adventures continue up to a climactic gunfight. Great movie!
    enemy_at_the_gates_ver112. Enemy at the Gates (2001): Another highly underrated movie with an all-star cast featuring Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Ed Harris. Enemy at the Gates is the story of a Russian sniper and a German sniper dueling in the backdrop of the pivotal battle of Stalingrad. Despite historical inaccuracies, the movie is still up there as one of the very best WWII movies with awe-inspiring rendering of the devastated battlefield. Do not think this movie is just another movie trying to cash in on the Saving Private Ryan effect and see it!
    eternal_sunshine_of_the_spotless_mind_ver413. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004): Another underrated movie and one of the very best romance movie ever made in my opinion. The movie stars Jim Carrey as you have never seen him before, the talented Kate Winslet and features a solid supporting cast with Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, and Tom Wilkinson. This indie is the story of a couple who undergoes a medical procedure called "Targeted memory erasure" to erase the memories of each other because of a failed and painful relationship. However, during the procedure, the unconscious Joel (Jim Carrey) realizes he wants to hold on to the memories no matter how painful and struggles to keep some of his memories but they are slowly erased before his eyes. The ending is a bit ambiguous adding to the intrigue. This movie blew me away!
    raiders_of_the_lost_ark_ver214. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): This Steven Spielberg masterpiece is one of the best adventure movie of all-time. The movie was thoroughly entertaining and relied on great story-telling, a witty screenplay and a charismatic lead performance by Harrison Ford. Funny with a little splash of romance, a big dose of exotic adventure, memorable characters and lines, and action scenes that are part of the story (not the other way around Mr. Bay!), Raiders of the Lost Ark is an entertaining blockbuster movie the only way they SHOULD be!
    blackhawk_teaser15. Blackhawk Down (2001): Directed by Ridley Scott, Blackhawk Down is the most realistic movie about modern warfare in a urban environment. The movie tells the story of what happened in the street of Mogadishu on that infamous day in 1993 and doesn't burden itself with needless character building scenes. It's a war movie through and through. The movie is beautifully shot, the cast is terrific, and the musical score by Hans Zimmer is first rate as you would expect. One of the best war movies of all-time.
    Alien_movie_poster16. Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986): It's been 30 years and this horror series has aged very well. Alien and Aliens work so well because of the claustrophobic atmosphere which makes the viewer uneasy throughout both movie. In my opinion, Alien did a slightly better job of getting to the audience's most primal fear: a fear without face. The plot of the movie is one of the best executed ever. The masterful use of lighting and shadows as well as camera placement really contributed to an added feeling of hysterical paranoia. Sigourney Weaver and the rest of the cast gave a realistic performance of average people caught in an extraordinary event and Alien is a near-masterpiece by Ridley Scott. This is not to say that James Cameron's Aliens is not memorable on its own merit. Aliens has more actions and is overall more entertaining but at the end of the day, I still think Alien is the best!
    godfather_part_ii17. The Godfather: Part II (1974): Widely beloved as one of the top movies of all-time, The Godfather: Part II is the continuation of the first movie as well as a look back at the rise of young Vito Corleone. Arguably better than The Godfather but the way I see it, both form one seamless epic saga with characters developing over a lifetime. A Hall of Fame ensemble cast including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino round up this masterpiece by Francis Ford Coppola.
    seven_ver318. Se7en (1995): Se7en, directed by David Fincher, is one of the best crime thriller of the last 20 years. The movie stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin Spacey. Se7en is a disturbing crime noir movie with dark undertones and an omnipresent feeling that something morbid is going to hit the screen imminently. Great storytelling, superior performances and a fantastic atmosphere make this movie unforgettable. Cookie points for the awesome design of one version of the movie poster.
    collateral19. Collateral (2004): This Michael Mann thriller is as underrated as it gets. Starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett Smith, the movie tells the story of a LA taxi-driver taken hostage by a hitman and having to unwillingly help him as he is making his round and killing several targets that night. He must save himself and the last target. Suspenseful action, great performances, crafty direction, beautiful cinematography (the city itself is a character of the movie), great soundtrack. A near-masterpiece.
    terminator_two_judgement_day20. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): One of those big budget James Cameron movies that deliver the goods, Terminator 2 is the greatest movie of the series (by far). Fast-paced action sequences, memorable dialogues, impressive CGI to boot (even to this day) and a perfect role for Arnold Schwarzenegger who is, let's face it, a pretty horrible actor. A classic sci-fi movie!
    the-lives-of-others21. The Lives of Others (2006): A fantastic German movie following a stern secret police officer in East Germany a few years before the fall of the Berlin wall. Conducting surveillance on a playwright and his girlfriend, he becomes increasingly absorbed with their lives and will end up having to make decisions that could change their lives forever. Highly recommended, you can read my review here.
    once22. Once (2006): A bittersweet Irish indie that came out of nowhere, Once is a refreshing romance movie mixed into a musical which feels genuine and you don't get your usual "they lived happily thereafter" Hollywood treatment. The real treat are the original songs which are fantastic and literally tell the story, magical movie! Read my review here.