"And the Winner is": A Retrospective on my Favourite Films (PART ONE)

With a pungent air of inevitability it would seem I have come to the stage where it is time to reveal my top ten favourite films of all time. People have been inquiring somewhat feverishly over the past few months as to what it is I feel defines a classic film. Other probing questions have ranged from "why in God's name do you think Empire is better than A New Hope??!!!" and "why do you have a disturbing obsession with all things relating to Martin Scorcese?" Well, hopefully this list will shed some light on my cinematic tastes and put to rest where I feel Jurassic Park lands amongst my convulted myriad of cherished movies....if at all! So, without further ado lets start at the trailing tortoise that is number ten......

10. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)

Tom Sizemore and Tom Hanks in the famous opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan

The morning of June 6th 1944 is a date etched into the minds of many as a day when thousands lost their lives in order to preserve peace and expel tyranny. Many films have attempted to capture the perils, which those brave men faced off the Normandy coastline, but none have done it so vividly as Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Saving Private Ryan. The first twenty minutes, which depict the landing on Omaha beach are brutal, barbaric, moving and, to some extent, claustrophobic. It's this one sequence which defines this war drama and is arguably one of the greatest battle scenes ever portrayed in modern cinema. Following this up with a terrific story and some truly magnificent performances, Saving Private Ryan will always remain to be a story which constantly reminds us that peace was only achieved with the sacrifice those men made on that long stretch of French coastline.

9. MISERY (1990)

Kathy Bates and James Caan in Rob Reiner's Misery

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Misery tells the tale of writer Paul Sheldon. Deciding to finish his successful series of books on the escapades of 'Misery Chastain', Sheldon travels to New York to hand in his manuscript. Unfortunately for him, his car barrel rolls off the road during a snow storm and he sustains some nasty injuries. Fortunately though a nurse finds him near her lodge, deciding to bring Sheldon back and nurse him back to health............ Or so he thinks! It transpires that nurse Annie is his "no.1 fan" and demands that Sheldon writes a new book, which doesn't kill off his prized character.

Kathy Bates was awarded an Oscar for this performance and it is not very difficult to see why. Demonstrating the severe symptoms of a paranoid schizophrenic, Bates puts in a truly terrifying turn as Annie Wilkes. The sense of desperation and hopelessness that is prevalent throughout the film from Sheldon's POV is suffocating and we too live in Annie's prison for the two hour duration. Probably the best Stephen King adaptation to be committed to film (yes thats right, better than the much revered Shawshank Redemption). I implore you to watch this film by any means necessary as you will not be able to tear your eyes away from it.... Probably one of the most frightening films ever made.

8. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (2008)

Ari Folman in the animated feature Waltz with Bashir

Related to events surrounding the Sabra and Shatila massacres during the Lebanon war, Waltz with Bashir is a touching portrait of a man on a journey to find himself and determine his role in the genocide of thousands of Palestinians. Directed, written by and starring Ari Folman the film uses surreal animation to demonstrate the hallucinogenic effects of post traumatic stress disorder and delves into the hopelessness and contradictory nature of war. The film also seeks to educate those who are not familiar with the conflict in the Middle East and the importance of learning from such events. Backed up by a magnificent soundtrack Waltz is a touching and heartfelt personal journey into the heart of war and demonstrates that no matter how lightly the pebble hits the water, everyone can feel the waves.

7. JURASSIC PARK (1993)

Joseph Mazzello in "that scary kitchen scene with those velociraptors."

The second Spielberg film to make my list (Big sigh of relief from Stephen Cockerell): Jurassic Park, released long ago in 1993, redefined the modern-day blockbuster. Mixing shaky scientific principles, incredible animatronics, top-notch performances and a riveting soundtrack, JP is one of the reasons I fell in love with films. It was big, bold, brash and it scared the living crap out of me at the tender age of six. Based on the book by science fiction writer Michael Crichton, Spielberg's fully realised vision of a genetics experiment gone fatally wrong gripped you between it's jaws and tossed you about in a similar fashion to the fate experienced by the Ingen lackey after his infamous toilet stop.

It is testament to the work put in by Stan Winston (animatronics specialist on set) that this film still blows you away today. I remember watching it last year, for the one hundredth time, thinking to myself "why is it that no blockbuster film has come near this since?" The answer is simple: CGI..... Although the technology has its advantages, too many producers decide to put together a cheap package which manages to bring your disbelief crashing back down to Earth. I find it tragic that children born over the next few decades will never get to experience a film in cinemas of JP's magnitude and scope. To bring the point home I'll leave you with a quote from the blockbuster generator himself, George Lucas, commenting on the animatronics and small level of CG the film employed: "It was like one of those moments in history, like the invention of the light bulb or the first telephone call. A major gap had been crossed, and things were never going to be the same."Here, here Lucas!!

6. A SCANNER DARKLY (2006)

Keanu Reeves looking perplexed as to why this is the only film in which he acts proficiently.  

The first film on my list to be taken from a Philip. K. Dick short story, A Scanner Darkly is a rotoscoped film telling the tale of a group of friends hooked on a designer drug known as 'substance D'. Paranoid that they're being watched and believing the Government is intent on destroying their lives, their interpersonal relationships begin to unravel. Added to this atmosphere is the problem that Reeves' protagonist leads a double life and is addicted to the very drug he is attempting to eradicate. 

The small scale drama of this film is riveting and the animation is incredible. This is what makes the film so unique. Rather than adopting a full-scale animation approach, Richard Linklater decided to layer animation over the live footage he filmed. It gives the movie a very airy and surreal quality, leading you to almost question whether you're addicted to the drug yourself. Tie this in with some completely oddball personalities such as Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson and a reformed Winona Ryder and you have a film which faithfully recreates the world Dick envisaged. Fantastic filmmaking and one which should most definitely not be missed.

Okay guys, there is part one of my top ten film list.... Log on to the blog site next week to find out my top five favourite films since the birth of time.