50 films that you should watch. Part 1

The order is random.




1) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman) [drama, 1975]- one of the best films of all the history of cinema; one of 3 which won all the five major Oscars - Director, Screenplay, Best Actor in Lead Role, Best Acrtess in Lead Role, Best Picture. The film is based on Ken Kizi's brilliant book which has the same name. The main role is played by Jack Nicholson, and I believe that it's one of his 2 best roles.

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe

 the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"

2) The Shawshank Resemption (Frank Darabont) [drama, 1994] - this film is the 1st in imdb top 250. I love it beacause of fantastic actors (Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, who turns any film to a masterpiece) and excellent storyline. Suprisely, it is based on Stephen King's novella which I didn't like at all. This fil has one of the best finals.

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you 

never know what you are going to get"

3) Forrest Gump (Robest Zemeckis) [comedy-drama romance film, 1994] - one of the most heartwarming and inspiring movies. The storyline is based on Winston Groom's novel; it tells us about 30 years of life of slow-witted, naive but very honest man which participated in all the important events which happenned in USA in 1950-1980.
Film is starred by Tom Hanks, and I think it's his best role.
6 Academy Awards.

4) Twelve Angry Men (Sidney Lumet) [drama, 1957] - little place, few actions, only 12 actors apart from some secundary roles, and one of the best films ever. After watching it, I realized that old films can be interesting just the same. I loved the selection of actors, especially Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb and Joseph Sweeney.
The film tells us a story of one sitting of the court. 12 men must seal the fate of a boy which is accused of killing his father.
This movie touchs some really important social and psycological problems; it is very interesting to guess thoughts and emotions of the characters.





5) Casablanca (Michael Curtiz) [romantic drama, 1942] - another wonderful old film. It became a symbol of anti-fascism during the II World War. However, it became most known not immediatly - first, very few people decided to watch it. Despite it, know it is considered one of the best Hollywood films.
Main actors: Humphrey Bogard, Ingrid Berman and Paul Henreid.gfdgd





6) 8½ (Federico Fellini) [art-house, 1963] - probably Fellini's best film, altough it is quite difficult to watch it and to understand it. Two Academy Awards.

If you did not watch Fellini's films before, you'd better start with Orchestra Rehearsal or even the famous La Dolce Vita, which are much easier to understand.

8½ tells us about a film director (film title reflects the quantity of films which Fellini had shot before this one), who has a creative crisis.

Starred by Marcello Mastroianni and Anouk Aimee.

"This list... is an absolute good. The list is life.

 All around its margins lies the gulf"

7) Shindler's List (Steven Spielberg) [drama, 1993] - film based on a book about Oscar Shindler, a real person who saved more then 1000 of Jews during the II World War. Most part of this movie is black-and-white exept some little details. Shindler's List is one of the most powerful films; it tells us about a man who could stay merciful when the world aroung him was plunging into darkness.
However, the story is not so realistic: Oscar Shindler wasn't an angel, and some details are omitted in the film, although it doesnt make this movie worse. During some years, I have considered this film the best.
7 Academy Awards.Starred by Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes (Oscar for secondary role) and Ben Kingsley.


8) City of God (Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund) [crime drama, 2002] - very original Braziliam movie. Just the same as Shindler's List, I've considered this film to be the best for some time, and, what is more, I watched it after Spielberg's movie. City of God doesn't have any famous actors, and I also never heard about its directors, but the film is brilliant.
It is filmed li8ke a realistic movie, and, suprisely, it is realistic, even if all the cruelty which is shown seems strange to us. Fernando Meirelles even said that if he had the possibility to go back in time for some years, he surely wouldn't have filmed City of God as it was very dangerous to work in that place (district City of God really exists).

 9) Godfather and Godfather Part II (F.F. Coppola) [crime film, 1972 and 1974] - I've decided to unify them as all that refers to one is correct for the other. Nice storyline (based on Mario Puzo's bestseller), really perfect actors (Al Pacino and Diane Kiaton in both, Marlon Brando in the 1st and DeNiro in 2nd), fantastic music. They take 2nd and 3rd place in imdb top250. If you still didnt watch this film, do not waste time and do it immediatly - they are both top-class for world cinema.




10) Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino) [crime, dark comedy, 1994] - best Tarantino's film. A list of world-famous actors: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, and Quentin Tarantino himself. Academy award for screen.
The film tells us three very different stories that have only some moments which can  show the link between them. The first story is about a gangster who has to care about his boss' daughter, the second - about a boxer who betrayed mafia's boss and tried to escape, and a story about 2 gangsters, one of which wants to give up. Different parts are shuffled. There are also some very little details that can help you understand the storyline.


11) American History X (Tony Kaye) [drama, 1998] - one of the most discussable films of last twenty years. It contains a lost of cruelty, and it is necessary to meditate on it to understand its main idea. Edward Norton plays a role of Derek, a former neo-nazi, who has recently released from prison. When Derek meets his younger brother, he finds out that he became a nazi. During the film, Derek tries to convince to Danny (his brother) of the fact that nazism has no sens and all the others have the same rights.
You can read more about this film in my other post.

"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working 

jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need"

12) Fight Club (David Fincher) [drama, 1996] - another discussable movie with Edward Northon. I believe that it is a great filming of Palahniuk's book, and it also formed the style and the philosophy of the time.
Fight Club consists a very strong critic of contemporary society, of things-mania. The film affirms that self-destruction is an only way for us, and self-perfection has no sens. This movie, just the same as the book on which it is based, includes several very interesting ideas, although I can't agree with all of them.
Starring: Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.



13) Leon: the Professional (Luc Besson) [thriller, drama, 1994] - a very original strory about a killer and 12-years-old Mathilda whose parents and familiars were killed by mafia. The girl wants to revenge and persuades to a professional killer to teach her. The movie tells us about their interrelations - they are not only of different age, but also very distinct in other fields: culture, general knowledge, phylosophy, etc.
Fine actors are involved in this film: Jean Reno as Leon, young Natalie Portman as 12-years-old girl, and Gary Oldman as corrupt DEA agent.

14) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry) [romantic science fiction film, 2004] - one of two serious films with Jim Carrey which I liked. Very original spot and interesting characters make it the best romantic film I've ever watched, although ome people can not agree with me.

the story is about the relationship between a shy ~30-years-old shy man and a woman with odd color of hair (I really can't give a normal characteristic of her psycological type). They try to forget about their terms by deleting all the recollections they have about the other. It is possible thanks to a strange company of deletion of memory. But while the reminiscences are being removed from Jim Carrey's hero brain, he realizes that he doesn't want to forget his love.

Starred by Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst and Mark Ruffalo.

"The day we stop lookin', Charlie, is the day we die"

15) Scent of a Woman (Martin Brest) [drama, 1992] - in my opinion, best film with Al Pacino (Academy Award for best lead role).
This movie's storyline is about a blind man who hires a young shy student and goes to New York. He wants to live like a normal man. Al Pacino's hero argues with Charlie Simms (student) about some very important points: how to live, what is the most important in our life, etc.
To my mind, the final scene of this film is a bit worse then the rest of the film, but nevertheless it is one of my favourite films.

"Happiness only real when shared"

16) Into the Wild (Sean Penn) [drama, biography, 1996] - based on non-fiction book of Jon Krakauer, this move tells us the lifestory of a young American graduating student Christofer McCandless, or Alexander Supertramp, as he calls himself. This man does not seek to become seek and successfull. After graduating, Christofer destroys all his credit cards, leaves his family, and starts a long trip in search of happiness and unity with nature. He meets different people, and surprisely, his easy and light attitude to life makes them all happier. At last, Chris arrives to Alaska, the destination of his trip, and tries to live there on his own, by hunting and gathering. Simultaneously, we get to know about his relationships with his family. All in all, it is one of the most beautiful films I've ever watched.


17) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (Jim Jarmusch) [action, philosophical film, 1999] - one of the most original American films. It's storyline is about a black man who follows the way of Japanese samurais. In reality, he's just a killer, and he serves to an Italian gangster who saved his life years ago. However, this film is a metaphor about life, death, freedom and human spirit. This move also includes some quotates from Book of Bushido, an invented philosofical volume.
This film isn't well-known, although main role is played by Forest Whitaker who is a very famous actor. The soundtrack for this film - Flying birds - is created by RZA. This group also written soundtracks for 1st and 2nd Tarantino's Kill Bill.



18) Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood) [drama, 2008] - one of the best films of last 10 years.
The film begins with Walt Kawalski's (Clint Eastwood) wife's burial. Walt sees all his family whose only ideal is money, and a very young Father Janovich, who deserves no credit, according to main hero's thoughts. His neighbors are Hmongs, and Walt was at war with people like them some years ago, and he can't trust them. However, once he saves their young son from bandits, which then will pursue all the Hmong family and even Walt. This move is mainly about the relationships between a young boy and an old soldier which does not believe in anything; and about how one's attitude to life can change thanks to other people.

19) The Separation of Nader from Simin (Asghar Farhadi) [drama, 2011] - shot in the genre of realism, this film achieved Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. No outstanding heros, but a perfect realistic drama.

We watch a usual story of relationships between mother (Simin), father (Nader) and their young daughter (Termeh). The story begins when Nader and Simin come to family court as they want to divorce as Simin would like to leave country and Nader prefers to stay with his father who has Alzheimer's desease. Then, after Nader hires a woman to care about his father, he pushes her and after some days gets to know that this woman had miscarriage, and she wants to bring an action against him.

20) Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata) [animated anti-war tragedy, 1988] - as I watched nearly all animated films directed by H. Miyazaki, I always liked Ghibi Studio's movies. However, I was very suprised after watching Grave as it is surely the best Ghibli's film, and it is directed by an other person - Isao takahata. This tragedy is very impressing and "grievous". Hachicko is a comedy film in comparison with Grave of the Fireflies.
The plot is based Akiyuki Nosaka's novel. We watch a story about young brother and sister's life during the II World War. The film includes several metaphors - for example, the fireflies. However, it's up to you to decide what does it matter.


21) Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni) [tragicomedy, drama, 1997] - beautiful film about love and strength of man's mind and soul. Sincerely, I can't call this move a tragicomedy, as it is devided in two parts: the first is a comedy, which tells us a story of a young, funny, and intelligent jude Guido(Benigni) who arrives in one Italin city and falls in love. the second part, which is a tragedy, is about other time, when fascists were in power in Italy. Main hero, his wife, and their young son were arrested and sent to a concentration camp. When they come there, they get to know that all the children are going to be killed, so they try to hid their son and survive. Academy Awards for Best Actor (Benigni), Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Original Dramatical Score.

"You’ve never been to the ocean? Then, you’d better run. You’re running 

out of time. In heaven that’s all they talk about. The ocean and the sunset.

 How fuckin’ wonderful it is, to watch that big ball of fire melt into 

the ocean – and the only light that is left like a candle it’s only inside…" 

22) Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Thomas Jahn) [drama, 1997] - Wikipedia calls this film "criminal comedy" - bullsh*t! It means only that the complier of this article didn't understand the idea of the film.
The storyline tells us about 2 men which find out that they have cancer and only ецщ or three days of life left. While speaking, it turns out that one of them has never seen the oceфn. Because of it, they decide to escape from hospital and start a trip to the ocean.


23) In Bruges (Martin McDonagh) [black comedy-drama, 2008] - the only film that has some stylistic similarities with Ghost Dog (№17). However, they do not have many things in common - they both are unusual at a similar way.
The story is about 2 killers which try to lie low in a small town Bruges. Then, it turns out that one of them has to kill the other.
This movie contains a lot of magnificent music and high-level architecture, so if you like these types of culture,  then you will like this film, although sometimes it is a bit absurd.
Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.


24) Memento (Christopher Nolan) [psycological thriller, 2000] - best Nolan's film; the most original film from the point of view of directing, and most unexpectable - from the point of view of its plot. It is presented as two different sequences of scenes - one goes in chronological order, and the other - in reverse order. What si more, main hero has a serious anr rare illness - he remembers only last 10 minutes of his life. Because of it, he has to tatoo on his body the essential information of his life - his name, his aims, his friends, his enemies, etc.
I think that it is the only film which final scene was a total surprise for me.
Starring Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie-Anne Moss.




25) Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan) [psycological horror, drama, 1999] - from my point of view, the only perfect film with Bruce Willis, which has nothing in common with all the other films with this actor.
This movie tells a story about a young boy who has a supernatural ability - he can see dead people. However, for him it is not a real ability, but a curse - he is afraid of dead people. Once, he meets a child psycologist who tries to help him.
The denouement was a total surprise for me when I watched it first, but now I understand that it was quite predictable - however, it doesn't make this film worse!
Starring Haley Joel Osment and Bruce Willis.