I saw this list of this group’s 100 favorite films, and I think it’s a pretty good list of films that everyone should see. One great thing about it is that it also includes foreign films as well as American films, because there are some fantastic foreign films out there and they sometimes don’t get as much attention in America as they deserve. Each film also has a short description of why the person who chose it decided to include it on the list. Some of the entries are kind of cheaty, like including The Fellowship of the Ring but really meaning the entire trilogy but it’s sill pretty good. I have personally seen 42 out of 100 of the films, so not bad but I still have a ways to go lol. Check out the list here http://movies.msn.com/100-favorite-films-intro/photo-gallery/feature/
I would also like to make a case for a few films that I personally feel deserve to be there as well, and that I would include if I had made the list. The main film in my opinion that should have been on there was Spirited Away. Although My Neighbor Totoro was on the list and it is indeed an excellent film and probably Miyazaki’s most famous film, I think that Spirited Away was his best work. The first time I saw this film, it blew my mind. I was so amazed by how beautiful and surreal it was and I absolutely adore it. Totoro is good though and I was glad that Miyazaki was still represented on the list.
The second film I would include would be The Dark Knight. This film is my favorite of the superhero films and, in my opinion, the best. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker was phenomenal and I liked how it was a little different from previous performances of the character, bringing more of a darker take on him than zany crazy kind of thing that he is usually portrayed with. Batman’s conflict with the Joker throughout the film was mostly what really made me enjoy it.
Another film I would have included was Finding Nemo. I saw this film 3 times in the theater if I remember correctly. When it came out, at school everyone was going around saying “just keep swimming!” and “P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney” and everyone loved it. The story was touching and you really felt bad for Marlin that he even after losing his wife, he now lost his son too and you really root for him as he goes through so much to get Nemo back. The colors and the underwater environment were gorgeous and the characters were charming and memorable.
I also feel that Disney’s classec 2D animated films should have been represented on the list, mainly because of how influential and beloved they are. The film that I would have chosen would be The Lion King (my favorite Disney film). The powerful opening sequence still sometimes brings a tear to my eye, and (spoilers although you’ve probably already seen it anyway) obviously so does Mufasa’s death. Three honorable mentions would be Shrek 2, Inception, and Slumdog Millionaire because those are also fantastic films. How many of the films on the list have you guys seen? Which films would you have included on the list if you had written it?