I just finished a second viewing of the three part film series “A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies.” It’s a history of American cinema as seen through the eyes of one of its greatest artists and it impressed me even more the second time. When you hear Scorsese talk about his love for movies and the inspirations that made him what he is today, you can’t help but be riveted by what he is saying. To me he is America’s greatest living film director and one of the main reasons movies are so loved America. As a result, I was inspired to list my 10 greatest movies of all time. I’ve probably seen over 1500 movies so the choices were not easy. Now, maybe no one will care but hey, it’s my blog so why not? What follows is the name of each film in order of preference followed by year of release, director and a brief comment on why I think it is one of my 10 best.
1) Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese) Far and away the best. An epic of life in the American mob that captures all the layers of the life, not just the glitz and glamour. Should have won the best picture oscar as it was miles better than “Dances With Wolves.” A coming out party for Ray Liotta as a star as the gangsters come to life.
2) The Shawshank Redemption (1994, Frank Darabont) Powerful look at the true meaning of perseverance and friendship. Morgan Freeman’s narration adds just the right touch. If you’re honest, it has to leave you sobbing at the end.
3) Network (1976, Sidney Lumet) Decades ahead of its time in foreshadowing the current age of tabloid TV and news that was only supposed to be a parody.
4) Out Of The Past (1947, Jacques Tourneur) THE Classic film noir story about lust, greed and murder that was the definitive piece of its time. Electric performances from Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. The basis for 1984’s “Against All Odds.”
5) Planet of the Apes (1968, Franklin J. Schaffner) My favorite movie as a kid and the best sci-fi film ever due to its heavy mix of social commentary, satire and tragedy. It never gets old for me no matter how many times I see it.
6) The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola) One of a kind masterpiece that presents the more romantic side of mob life. Showed us the importance of the code of honor among family and thieves alike before Goodfellas gave us the brutality of the street.
7) Sunset Boulevard (1950, Billy Wilder) A biting satire of old Hollywood that showcases the has-beens and wanna-bes running around the old studio system. Great comeback role for Gloria Swanson and William Holden is brilliant as usual.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, Stanley Kramer) The great Spencer Tracy’s final film. He died shortly after completing it. The best moment is the final scene with Tracy’s heartfelt speech. Katharine Hepburn later admitted that the tears she shed in the scene were real due to her real-life love for Tracy and knowing he was near the end.
9) Singin’ In the Rain (1952 Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly) Generally speaking, I am not a fan of musicals but I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole movie. A truly joyous film with two of the greatest musical pieces ever in the title song and “Good Mornin.’
10) When A Man Loves A Woman (1994, Luis Mandoki) I am fascinated by this portrait of alcoholism because it is the woman and not the man with the disease, which is rare in movies. Meg Ryan is fantastic playing against type and Andy Garcia is also tremendous in this story of the battle between deep love and disease. A very underrated film.
Stay tuned for a continuation of the list in a future blog with films 11-20. There’s so many I left out that I have to keep going!
