My Top 50 Films of all Time (As compiled in 2012) Part 1 (50 – 41)

50 – THE DARK KNIGHT

Kicking off the Hagfilms Top 50 Films, as compiled in 2012, is Christopher Nolan’s second film in his unique take on the Batman series. The Dark Knight. Christian Bale returns as the millionaire playboy with an identity crisis in this action packed sequel, which also see’s a historical performance from the late Heath Ledger and his excellent reinvention of the Joker. I love this series, its dark, its sinister, it’s relevant of the times and the threats and fears that our modern society faces, but also it takes Batman seriously for the first time on film. And for myself especially, I find it is more realistic than most shoddy action series that we are constantly bombarded with. The supporting cast also give astounding performances, the likes of Oldman, Freeman, and Caine, but it is the skill of Nolan’s direction and the risks of the writing that sets this film above par from the rest of the trilogy. You can try and second guess what will happen, but its constant twists and turns lead you astray all the way up until its cliff hanger resolution.

49 – ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a science fiction rom com, penned by the genius oddball writer Charlie Kaufman. This movie is typical of the writers out of the box thinking, and concentrates on two lovers who after a break up have each other removed from their memories. Directed by Frenchman Michel Gondry, it’s a sketchy, bizarre and trippy film that skilfully manipulates the romance genre. Carrey and Winslet give solid yet toned down performances but it is Kaufman’s intricately woven script and Gondry’s eye for the surreal that make Eternal Sunshine such a unique viewing experience.

48 – ROBOCOP

Paul Verhoven’s 2^nd American film, and his first outing into science fiction was with the ultraviolent Robocop. Starring Peter Weller as Alex Murphy, a cop killed in action and recreated as Robocop, this film is not only action packed, but it is also cool, hilariously satirical and contains some great special effects from Phil Tippet and his pre CGI stop motion animation. The film is shocking, grimy, and violent, and its themes of privatisation and corporate corruption and the inclusion of humorous adverts and news reports make it as relevant and fresh today as it was when it first released. Brace yourself for the remake coming soon, and fingers crossed that it’s been worth making. But I’m not going to get my hopes up.

47 –LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

This Swedish Romantic Horror film focus’s on a young boy, a loner, who befriends a strange girl who lives in the apartment beside him. I’m not a fan of the vampire genre, but this film is made with such compelling subtlety and with such beautiful cinematography that it instantly became a favourite of mine. The weight of the film hangs on the performances of its two child stars and they hold their own with sincerity and depth. I also love how the director chooses to avoid graphic violence and opts for some artful and elusive techniques to benefit the horror scenes.

46 – DONNIE DARKO

Although Richard Kelly’s debut feature has now garnered a cult status, upon its release it failed to break even at the box office, and is one of those films that people tend to either love or hate. Obviously, to enter into my top 50, I am one of the former. A cool and stylish high school sci fi fantasy film set in the 80’s, Donnie Darko helped to kick start the career of the siblings Gyllenhaal, as well as co-starring 80’s wild child Drew Barrymore and 80’s heart throb Patrick Swayze who is cleverly cast against type. I love the films soundtrack, and the musical interludes that Kelly treats us to throughout, as well as the great variety of characters and his keen satirical eye for social hypocrisy but it’s the sinister doomsday visions of Frank the talking rabbit that stay with you.

45 – THE LADYKILLERS

I’ve been a fan of this classic Ealing Comedy since I can remember, a family favourite, so you can imagine my excitement when learning that the Coen’s had chosen this to be their first ever remake, and I don’t think they did a bad job, but you can’t ever better this hilarious black comedy. A group of criminals disguised as a string quintet, including Alec Guiness and Peter Sellers, rent a room from an elderly lady as part of a sophisticated plot to rob a security van. All goes well until their plot is mistakenly unveiled in front of the old woman and they decide that she must be disposed of. The hilarity piles on thicker and faster in the movies final act, and as the criminals get deeper and deeper into turmoil you can see why the Coen’s chose this film to adapt. Some brilliant character acting from all involved, but it is the clever writing by American screenwriter William Rose that should take credit. Apparently, he dreamt the entire film. It has since been rereleased in colour, but I think the orriginal black and white version adds layers to the films dark and sinister undertones.

44 – SCHINDLERS LIST

This harrowing, documentary styled account of the events of the holocaust is arguably Spielberg’s finest work, and a far reach from his usual sugar coated audience friendly popcorn fodder. Based on the book Schindler’s Arc by Thomas Keneally, it tells the true story of Oscar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, a German businessman and war profiteer who through his own entrepreneurial exploitation of the Jews in his factories inadvertently became a beacon of hope and protection for over a thousand Jews from the tyranny of the Nazi’s. Some chilling black and white photography, and ultra-realistic violence hammer home the grotesque horrors of the concentration camps. Ralph Fiennes is powerfully repellent as the cold hearted SS officer Amon Goth, and Ben Kingsley as Schindler’s Jewish accountant also adds a wealth of heart to the movie. It’s as much a story of one man’s spiritual growth as it is of the atrocities of the war. A film that has done a lot for the awareness of the events of the holocaust and one that demonstrates that when put to the test, Spielberg is one of the greatest directors Hollywood has seen.

43 – CASINO

Some may ague that Casino is simply Goodfellas duplicated, and perhaps it is, but its still one of my favourite films. Starring DeNiro as mob funded Casino manager Ace Rothstein who is sent to protect the gangs involvement in the Casino’s, the film again is based on true events and written by Goodfellas writer Nicolas Pileggi and Scorsese. The film does echo Goodfellas in many ways, especially where the casting of Joe Pesci is concerned, but with a great cast including Sharon Stone and James Woods fleshing out some brilliant colourful characters, Scorsese’s flick book pacing and editor Thelma Schoonmaker’s skill full and kinetic editing, it’s a great standalone film, which even at three hours in duration, is one that grips me from start to finish again and again.

42 – MULLHOLLAND DRIVE

Mullholland Drive is David Lynch’s eerie and mysterious thriller of a woman who after an accident has developed amnesia, and together with a sweet Hollywood newbie tries to piece together her life and the events leading up to the accident. It’s extremely dark, extremely sexy and extremely funny. Typical of Lynch’s surrealistic style, the film is an artistic mix of dreamlike visions, off the wall performances and sinister characters. I must admit that as a teen I was put off by Lynch’s work, only having rediscovered him recently thanks to fellow youtuber Mike79p who included this film in his own top 25 movies. Perhaps in four or five years time if I revise my top 50 list it will contain more from this director, but to date this is the only film of his I have watched, as I’m currently working my way through Twin Peaks. I never realised what a brilliant and twisted sense of humour the director had. Mullholland Drive struck me as an excellent example of using cinema to play with the audiences perception, its intriguing and enigmatic style held my attention throughout and its weird and abstract resolution kept me thinking for days after viewing, and prompted a revised viewing to help make sense of what I had seen.

41 – *BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED

This film is a guilty pleasure of mine, hardly a work of art, but I love it none the less. Its basically an extended episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, and a modern day sci-fi version of the Elves and the Shoemaker, but it has enough heart and just the right amount sentimentality, nostalgia and magic to propel it into my top 50. A decrepit tenement building and the tenants living within it are at the centre of a forceful campaign by a large corporation that wants to tear the building down to make way for a new property development. And just as it looks like their number is up, tiny extra-terrestrial visitors arrive and help to restore the broken possessions and lives of the main characters. It’s a great family film, and with heart rendering characters, most notable being Jessica Tandy as Faye, an elderly woman crippled with dementia, and Hume Cronyn as her struggling husband Frank. The film is a touch of class, a gem of a film from an era that was tirelessly churning out sequels and money spinning special effects films. Here, the effects play a small but significant role in a deep and emotional tale that explores the happiness and wealth found within the human soul and without the requirement of material needs.