A list of films

Another random thing here!

I like lists, sometimes. It makes me feel organised. I have made lists of my favourite bands/artists, songs and albums in the past, but I never used my .numbers list of films to set in writing my favourite films.

According to this spreadsheet (I know, I’m a little mad to have made this monster), we have 548 films, a massive amount of them recorded when they showed on TV in the past 15 years, for a total of 252 videos and 273 DVDs, not counting the two DVDs I burnt recently but have not yet added to the list nor the films still on our HD recorder…

Our film directory is not complete, however, because one of my favourite films of all time is not in there, and the same goes for a number of other very good movies. Still, we have 19 out of the 20 films in the following “best of” list, so I’m very glad about that.

Now, to the list, which might be an interesting read for some. I’m not very good with “genres”, in films and in music, so they are very broad. The order is chronological.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) is the musical that, in my opinion, ruled over all others. It has some of the best tunes I’ve heard in movies, and makes you want to dance & sing along.
La Grande Vadrouille (1966) is my favourite WWII movie (better than The Great Escape and The Battle of Britain), telling the tale of British pilots stranded in France, and is in my opinion the Second Greatest Comedy Ever, with Louis de Funès at his best performance, Bourvil showing his genius too, along with Terry Thomas.
The Brain – Le Cerveau and The Italian Job (1969): these two 1969 films are my favourite “Robbery” ones (better than First Great Train Robbery, Foolproof and Inside Man), and they are both so good I can’t decide which one is better. Oh, and the new Italian Job wasn’t half as good.
The Godfather (1972) is without any doubt one of the greatest films ever produced, and definitely the best mob (mafia for the uninitiated) film. Some say the sequels were better, but I prefer this first episode.
My Name is Nobody (1973) seems to be a relatively unknown western with Henry Fonda and Terrence Hill, especially compared to the many John Wayne films, but I consider it to be better than all the others, even my other favourite western, Destry Rides Again. It’s great fun, it’s gripping, and there’s some seriously good shooting going on.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): this is one of my two “Truly Greatest Comedy Ever” movies. It’s Monty Python, it’s outrageous, it’s hilarious, and it has King Arthur. Need I say more?
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) is another film that often appears on “best of” film lists. For a time, I preferred the Return of the Jedi movie, but I can return to this “Episode IV” anytime and enjoy it just as much.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979): you’ve guessed it, this is the other “Truly Greatest Comedy Ever”. Only this time, instead of King Arthur, it’s Brian, the one mistaken for Jesus Christ. Always look on the bright side of life.
Le Bossu (1997) is simply the greatest historical action film I have seen in my life, most especially for the period going from 1500 to 1900 (this one is set in 1699 and onwards). Great story, plot twists and amazing sword fights by men and women alike.
Taxi (1998) marks the return of great comedy, and in this case, French comedy. It’s the best cop/action comedy since the days of Louis de Funès, and it took the English-speaking world nearly a decade to match it (as you’ll see).
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999): rude, outrageous and with toilet humour, South Park is both controversial and my favourite series, and their 1999 film is truly a work of art.
The 51st State (2001, a.k.a. “Formula 51″ in the USA) has Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt and Robert Carlyle as a Liverpool football fan. Okay, a few more details. It’s a brilliant story about drug dealers, placebos and crime. More fun than Layer Cake, which would otherwise qualify as the best “drug dealer movie”.
The Bourne Identity (2002) is a brilliant action movie, and it would qualify as the best in that field were it not for another movie which appeared four years later. Intense, intriguing, fast-paced. Better than the sequels, though they were also great.
Love Actually (2003): certainly my favourite British film in years, Love Actually is also my favourite romantic comedy, though Sliding Doors also qualifies as a great romance film. From Hugh Grant’s dancing to Bill Nighy’s crazy ideas via Emma Thompson’s struggles, it’s simply brilliant and powerful.
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) was the return of bad guy Riddick to the big screen. However, instead of near-horror like in Pitch Black, this is a sci-fi action movie, the best I’ve seen since Star Wars. Superb, and Judi Dench brings the film to another level.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (2005) is the one film I haven’t yet got that I know I’ll have to buy at some point, being the greatest epic film I have ever seen. I know, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was amazing, but not quite as good. Perhaps it’s because I read the Chronicles of Narnia before the Lord of the Rings, but this first Narnia film touched me a lot more.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005) has to be the most absurd movie since Monty Python left the scene of film-making, a very, very good “adaptation” of the already completely loopy novels. Hilarious, mind-blowing, as powerful as a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster. Comedy at its very best in ages.
Casino Royale (2006): the moment I saw this movie, I knew that it qualified as best Bond movie and best action movie. I’ve watched it many times over, and I can’t believe how good it is compared to previous Bond movies (we have all of them, by the way). It brings the action of the Bourne Identity to the mix and adds in excellent dialogue. I’ll have to re-read the original novel, because it certainly didn’t blow my mind away like the film did.
Hot Fuzz (2007) finally allowed the English-speaking world to answer to the French Taxi, with a finely crafted cop/action comedy. Many previous attempts amounted to good movies (Bad Boys among others), but I felt they always lacked something. Hot Fuzz adds that something. Perhaps it’s the British ingredient, but it sure works wonders.
Ratatouille (2007): my all-time favourite animated film, better than all the Pixar, Dreamworks and Disney films, and even more fun than the South Park film. How could Shrek, however great the film may be, hope to compete with a French rat cook?

There we go. If you’ve read part of the list, you might find something you’ll like.
That said, suggestions are always welcome.

A list of films

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