My Favorite Movies: #20-11

Same routine. Nothing's changed.

20. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)

Hitchcock's best, Stewart's best, Kelly's best, and Ritter's best. This film keeps you hooked throughout the film and you basically become one of the characters/voyeurs, trying to crack the mystery. It is my last Hitchcock so far and hands down my favorite. You may consider that a spoiler. This is the end for Hitch on this list.

19. Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)

Another masterpiece from Lynch. While the lead characters don't really churn out performances to write home about, they still provide a necessary anchor for such a crazed film. It is Isabella Rossellini and most definitely Dennis Hopper who steal the show. Two of the most affecting, affected and powerful performances in the history of cinema. You will have noticed by now that I love seedy movies, and this one is a most perfect example of that.

18. Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch, 1984)

I didn't expect much from this one; I just wanted to see what all the fuss about. But this film is a real charmer.  It's one of the few films that I was not analyzing while watching it. I just relished in the experience and still obviously cherish it. A film for all moods.

17. Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

Yeah, I really do love me some Bergman. I did not know what to make of this movie after watching it. And I barely do now. I just know that I love it for everything that it is and may not be. Some truly glorious editing and performances.

16. No Country For Old Men (Coen Brothers, 2007)

I told you I loved a good, seedy thrill. And boy does this film keep your heart racing. You never feel safe. Especially not when motherfuckers like him are high tailing you. Anton Chigurh is somebody I would never want to run into in real life. This is the Coens' best and also a bit different from their usual style.

15. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Tarantino's best film thus far, and his most complex. There isn't anything that I dislike about the movie. Everything is gold, including the infamous watch. I love this movie to pieces and is the one I most often awkwardly quote amongst friends. I really do love thrillers and seediness. It never stops.

14. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938)

It does stop, afterall. Never a dull moment in this film. I also consider it to be Katharine Hepburn's and Cary Grant's best film, and best pairing. What a joyride. I just popped this in one day at lunch and ended up watching the whole thing; I had to make up the extra time after the one-hour lunch later that day, but I regret nothing. This film was worth it and is incessantly rewatchable.

13. Nights Of Cabiria (Federico Fellini, 1957)

Saw this was going to play on TCM one night and stayed up late to watch it. I loved it. It's such a heart-wrenching balance between a happy and sad film. Even the ending reflects that. Giuletta Masina at her best. Fellini was a genius.

12. Three Colors: Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994)

What a way for Kieslowski to finish his career. This film is gorgeous, on the eyes and based on its performances. The ending that wraps everything from the trilogy up so neatly and is a beautiful conclusion to a master's career. Because, it was no ending at all. It's a promise of things to come. That is what shines about this film. It's a promise of hope and beauty and redemption. The best from the Three Colors trilogy hands down.

11. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959)

The critics and I agree: this is the best comedy of all time. It's a mixture of so many different genres. Wilder manages to make them work seamlessly, while letting his three stars (Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe) shine and give flesh to the scintillant dialogue. This is my third favorite Monroe performance (behind  The Seven Year Itch and The Misfits), but there is no doubt that this is undoubtedly her best film and that she manages to go toe to toe with her costars. I go back and forth as to who gave the best performance in the film. Is it Curtis' three-dimensional Joe, adopting and embodying three different personas throughout the film? Is it Lemmon's hilarious Daphne, bouncing with energy and showcasing a master turn in comedy? Is it Monroe's sweet and sensual Sugar Kane, providing one of the strongest anchors known to cinema? At the end of the day, what matters is that the film is able to generate those questions. It's funny, insightful and a joyride.

Top ten next!