31 to 21
=31 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Thomas Harris (novel) and Ted Tally
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Arguably the finest thriller of all time, and certainly one of the most critically acclaimed, Thomas' Harris Hannibal Lector was immortalised in this pyschologically taut piece of cinema. Moreso than its predecessor (Manhunter) and its sequel (Hannibal), Silence showed that violence and intelligence could blend into a piece of terrifying cinema.
=31 - Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Robert Rodat
Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Giovanni Ribisi
Memorable for its opening scene more than anything else, Spielberg's 'Ryan' provided an unflinching look at war which would be revisited when Hanks and Spielberg joined forces again for the highly successful Band of Brothers. Arguably the finest war movie of the past fifteen years, beating out the likes of Tigerland, Thin Red Line, and We Were Soldiers.
=31 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Thomas Harris (novel) and Ted Tally
Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Arguably the finest thriller of all time, and certainly one of the most critically acclaimed, Thomas' Harris Hannibal Lector was immortalised in this pyschologically taut piece of cinema. Moreso than its predecessor (Manhunter) and its sequel (Hannibal), Silence showed that violence and intelligence could blend into a piece of terrifying cinema.
=31 - Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writer: Hubert Selby Jr.
Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, and Marlon Wayans
A confronting and revolutionary look at the differing effects of drug abuse in society, Aronofsky's defining picture certainly exposed previously ignored and unrepresented factions of society and transcended its arthouse origins to become a piece of pop culture.
=31 - Clerks (1994)
Director: Kevin Smith
Writer: Kevin Smith
Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes
The film that gave birth to the irrepresable duo of Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks was the kind of intelligent comedy that defied a Hollywood in the process of spitting out cookie-cutter 'hilarity' like The Mask and Ace Ventura. The most beloved of Smith's extensive C.V, Clerks has recently spawned a sequel.
=29 - Kill Bill (2003/2004)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman
Stars: Uma Thurman, David Carridine, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen
While it may have lacked the brilliant dialogue that had made Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs such huge hits - Kill Bill's exotic setting still played host to Tarantino's brilliant ability to place music in a film. Full of artistic and violent moments, Kill Bill brought the martial arts epic back to the mainstream in a way that no overblown Jet Li movie or limp-wresited Jackie Chan comedy could.
=29 - Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie) (1991)
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Writer: Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Stars: Audrey Tatou
Every now and then a piece of foreign cinema transcends the limitations of its borders and becomes an internationally renowned film. Such was the case of Amelia, a delightfully cute and aesthetically beautiful film that brought Jeunet back from the dead after a four year hiatus following the slightly less uplifting Alien Resurrection.
28 - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Director: Irvin Kershner
Writer: George Lucas, Leigh Brackett
Stars: Harrison Ford, Mark Hammil, Carrie Fisher
Proof positive that Lucas' talents don't lie in direction, the Empire Strikes Back has long been recognised as not only the best in the Star Wars series, but also a damn fine movie in its own right. Overcame 'second movie syndrome' to go down as arguably the greatest science fiction film of all time.
=25 - Snatch (2000)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writer: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt
Ritchie's second foray into the world of British crime followed the immensely popular 'Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels' and continued in that trend with sarcasm, violence, and a story full of converging storylines. Stylish and funny, Snatch is perhaps enough to make up for Ritchie's next project 'Swept Away'.
=25 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(1991)
Director: Milos Foreman
Writer: Ken Kesey (Novel) and Bo Goldman
Stars: Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher
Seen by many as the defining role in Jack Nicholason's distinguished career, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cast Nicholson as a criminal looking to escape punishment by posing as a mentally unstable man. The irrepressable Randle burns as a bright light of defiance against surpressive authority, and the film produces an ending that goes unmatched in cinema history.
=25 - American History X (1998)
Director: Tony Kaye
Writer: David McKenna
Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Samuel L Jackson
A few years after Romper Stomper provided an unflinching look at skin head culture in Australia, Norton's significantly more well known film did the same for the movement in the US. Norton's reformed neo-Nazi against a backdrop of irrational violence and his own struggle to reform his brother makes the film a personal drama as well as an expose.
=22 - The Crow (1994)
Director: Alex Proyas
Writer: James O'Barr (Comics) and David J. Schow
Stars: Brandon Lee
To American cinema what Macbeth is to theatre, Brandon Lee's tragic death during the filming of The Crow may well have made the film more succesful than it had ever hoped to be. Lee's avenging angel was stylishly cool and dark in a way that Marel superheroes could never hope to be. The Crow as a character is one of the most iconic anti-heroes in American cinema.
=22 - La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful) (1997)
Director: Roberto Benigni
Writer: Vincenzo Cerami and Roberto Benigni
Stars: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi
Beningni's opus, Life is Beautiful is perhaps one of the most achingly beautiful, sad, and uplifting films ever produced. While western films about the Holocaust tend to be overly forceful in attempting to impart emotion to the audience, Beningni's portrayal of a father tortured by his Nazi captors but never showing it to his young sun. Performed entirely in Italian, but well worth a look.
=22 - Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)
Director: Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund
Writer: Paulo Lins (Novel) and Braulio Mantovanni
Stars: Alexander Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino
A film from humble origins manned by people who had never acted before, the Brazilian 'City of God' swept the world by storm in 2002 with its look at the lives of people in the title city. One of two films in the countdown I've yet to see, so forgive the brevity of this blurb.
21 - Trainspotting (1996)
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Irvine Welsh (Novel) and John Hodge
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner
Like so many of the films in this count-down, Trainspotting's 'pull no punches' look at its subject matter endeared it to the world. Following McGregor's scrawny, drug addicted Renton through addiction and into recovery, Trainspotting spawned quotable quotes and unforgettable scenes as the audience followed Renton's own personal struggle.
