There were lots of people putting their lists of 100 favourite films on Bluesky, and I can't resist lists, of course, but I was a bit downhearted, because, honestly, I made a list of favourite films about 10 years ago, and it wouldn't have changed much in an interesting way and wouldn't have all that much true cinephile depth. Real film buffs like older films more than I do, and, although I periodically do try to catch up on classics, I'm not going to pretend I like Tokyo Story more than Role Models or The Searchers more than School of Rock.
But, later in the day, thankfully, things shifted to more people putting lists of their favourite films of this century, which appealed to me more, as I could cut out my obvious, boring perennials like Jaws, Die Hard and The Big Lebowski, and I can at least pretend to a bit of depth when it comes to the last 26 years.
Mainly, where i can't really say if I liked one film I quite liked more than another I quite liked, I've plumped for the slightly less obvious option. Not much point in including No Country for Old Men, The Departed or There Will be Blood, though I sure liked them well enough.
Talking of "no country for old men" and "there will, small mercies, not be blood", I've fuckin dislocated (and slightly fractured) my fuckin shoulder. Fuckin slipping, while hastening off a god damn water slide called the god damn Stick of Rock, at buggering Butlins, in buggering Bognor Regis. Pain, inconvenience and indignity. Got to 48 years without being too hasty in a busy swimming area, thus taking an almighty tumble and relocating my hitherto reliably adjacent right shoulder, but hey, you can't ride your common sense forever, and at least it wasn't the left, and at least a nice doctor put it back in place. But forgive if i resort to lower case at a certain point, as my right limb is mainly out of action.
Anyway, bit of time on my hand ...
At certain points in the 2000s, I've kept a running list of (sometimes even given a score to) the films i've been watching, which is helpful, though I've not done that all the time, so, as i'm trying to make this list, a pretty good film I'd forgotten i'd seen, like A Single Man, Win Win, or In a World, will pop into my head, and I'll think "how many others are there of those, that i watched, liked, got a bit of acclaim but have been mostly forgotten? Oh, Lawless Heart, there's another one."
And I'll try to be honest to "that film gave me a really strong feeling" even if, in retrospect, that response feels a bit embarrassing. Like, in 1997, Austin Powers was the funniest film i'd ever seen in my life. I've got to accept that. I found Peter Jackson's King Kong thrilling. But, actually, i've said that now, so I'm not going to include it ...
Ok, start from the top.
1. Adventureland
Just the most personally beloved, in terms of ticking all my boxes - a cast doing the best work of their career, perfect music, complex emotions, distinct era nostalgia, i love rides rides rides and games games games (at least i did!) ... a treasure.
2. Aftersun
Before I watched Aftersun, I saw that there were people who were absolutely floored by it and people who thought it was pretty good, but wondered what all the fuss was about, and I wasn't sure which one I'd be. Halfway through, I still wasn't sure, but I turned out to be the former, and remain so. It does seem to me a singular work of art, a channel direct from the director's (direct from the director!) inner being. Somehow, the fact I'd hardly seen Paul Mescal in anything apart from Normal People, where he plays a kid, and now, looking no different, he's playing a father of an 11-year-old, somehow made everything even more moving.
3. Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring
A lil fillum you might have heard of ... I just think it's to be treasured, the sense of anticipation fulfilled. Probably the last film I ever watched with a child's wonder, 23 at the time, but allowing myself to wholeheartedly embrace something I'd loved and thought about as a kid a lot (whilst simultaneously scorning the first Harry Potter film that came out at the same time). I could probably include The Two Towers further down the list as well, as I think that one holds up well, and i'll happily watch an hour of it when it's on TV. But I was giddy with joy watching the first one.
4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
And this isn't even the only Dylan film in the list, and if I counted Scorsese's No Direction Home as a film (i first watched it on TV in two parts, though), that would be Top 10, as that's one of the greatest things I've ever seen. I think pretty much all the Coen films, even Hail Caesar and whatnot, are deeper and greater than they first appear. Oscar Isaac here just emerges as a master. And to think his mourned lost singing partner is the Marquis de Mumford.
6. Pride
7. Brick
The modern-day Bugsy Malone!
8. Brokeback Mountain
9. I've Loved You So Long
Kristin Scott Thomas, for all she's had a great career, is maybe still a bit undervalued/underused? Not sure she's ever had a role in English-language cinema like this, one of the greatest performances I've ever seen.
10. Memento
11. Role Models
If you don't count Adventureland, which really is something a bit different, of all the 1000s of comedies these guys, loosely, made, your Wedding Crashers and your Knocked Up and your 40-Year-Old Virgin etc, this is the one I love.
12. The Ballad of Wallis Island
Awards are silly, because obviously Tim Key should have had all the awards for his performance in this film.
13. Get Out
I don't watch many horror films, so when I get through one, I award both myself and the film an extra badge of honour. (i did not get through Get Out in one sitting)
14. Marriage Story
15. Donnie Darko
16. Y Tu Mama Tambien
17. Adaptation
This one really fried my brain. Also, Cage... hr's really been in a lot of great films.
18. High Fidelity
The Guardian film critic recently did a list of the top Cusack films, and this was quite low down. Not for everyone, and now seen as "problematic". It's funny, though, at the time, both when I read the book (97) and watched the film (early 2000s), I viewed Rob Gordon almost like David Brent, a type of guy I could recognise the worst of myself in but needed not to be like. Just because both get happy endings, it doesn't mean you're meant to admire them. Anyway, putting all that aside, the film is a musical and comic pleasure.
19.United 93
20. Sing
I've seen Sing more than any other film, I'm pretty certain, and I always liked it, or found it tolerable, as just the main thing that was on our telly for a year or two.
21. The Royal Tenenbaums
I like all the Wes Anderson films, really - i don't hold to the notion that there has been a notable drop in quality or imagination or that he needs to change anything. I still found the Phoenician Scheme a hoot. But, yes, if it comes to it, I think it is The Royal Tenenbaums that feels the most apart from the rest in being a great film in every conceivable sense.
22. School of Rock
23. In the Mood for Love
24. Dead Man's Shoes
25. Project Hail Mary
Look, I watched it last week, feeling sorry for myself, and it cheered me right up, so I'm going with this high position. Is Gosling now the world's Number 2 male film star, in terms of prestige/right to pick roles/box office/quality/pure star power and range? Or Number 1 even?
26. Mulholland Drive
27. Rust and Bone
From 2007 to 2014 or so, Marion Cotillard was on a hell of a run.
28. Marty Supreme
All three of the main Oscar-tipped films this year were just great, i thought. Marty Supreme's joyful stunt casting worked at every turn, and this is Chalamet at his best, in his way more spirit of Bob Dylan here than in A Complete Unknown.
29. The Quiet Girl
30. Almost Famous
Although it's actually, in its way, a really sad film, this falls into comfort viewing - a film that's grown on me as the years have passed, that I'd happily watch anytime.
31. Palm Springs
Can't quite remember why i liked this quite as much as i did, but i did.
32. Minari
I have a real fondness also for three films of the "lost" Oscar year of 2020/21 when everything was a bit more lowkey than usual, but Minari, Sound of Metal and Nomadland all shared a sensibility and struck a chord.
33. Before Sunset
Perhaps my favourite in the trilogy. I mean, Ethan Hawke is so annoying in it, but, like, it somehow manages to feel like a thriller, like, come on, the world's going to end in literally minutes unless you end up doing something ... which ends up being nothing.
34. Philomena
Beaut, and I'm going to say, Coogan does some great acting in this.
35. Paterson
36. 500 Days of Summer
Quite an interesting film, really. Left a sour taste when I watched it, and then you realise that's the point. Peak Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel era. Toxic indie boy, manic pixie somewhat indie girl. Quite like that JGL might have been a film star, but basically decided he had better things to do.
37. I'm Not There
38. The White Ribbon
39. Sinners
40. Definitely, Maybe
41. Carol
I noted that I really gave this a high mark whem I saw it. Todd Haynes makes these beautiful melodramatic films about forbidden love, or extremely unconventional films about music icons, or both at the same time.
42.Cloverfield
Again, i applaud myself for sitting through Cloverfield. If The Blair Witch Project had not been late 99, i'm sure i would be rewarding that for my sitting through it.
43. La La Land
I don't care, I think La La Land was great, so there.
44. A History of Violence
45. Two Days and One Night
46. Looking for Eric
Just been reading some American reviews of this ... ha, Americans. They never even try to think about other people.
47. Dunkirk
48. Team America: World Police
So this is what i was talking about earlier with Austin Powers ... just i'd be lying if i didn't say this was the funniest thing i ever saw at the time.
49. Sexy Beast
Yes!
50. Killers of the Flower Moon
51. The Power of the Dog
You know, it's funny, that year at the Oscars, Will Smith won and slapped, CODA won Best Picture, Dune won the technical awards, and Power of the Dog only won Best Director for Jane Campion. And, it's actually, clearly, against that competition, a film that should have cleaned up. Smith was really good as Richard Williams, but Cumberbatch really did something pretty transformative in that role, went so far beyond the cliche of what he's known for doing. I'd somewhat forgotten this film, but think it stands up.
52. A Real Pain
53. The Worst Person in the World
54. Billy Elliot
55. Oldboy
56. Boyhood
57. Sideways
Giamatti, of course, being the Number 1 film star.
58. Queen & Slim
A beautiful film - a classic American tale with a twist, and two Londoners as the title characters.
59. One Battle After Another
60. Foxcatcher
Feels quite prophetic - weird rich guy tries to be popular and in on the joke, and when it turns sour, he kills. Well, indeed. Great performances all round.
... well now I've got a list of about 110 more films I could choose from, and though, of course, that includes Parasite, The Social Network etc I'll try to make the last 40 some of the less widely acclaimed of that 100.
61. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Ha! does this count?
62. Sightseers
63. Talk to Her
64. The Martian
Of the major directors, I'm really not much of a fan of Ridley Scott, and nothing told me I would like The Martian, but I did like it a lot. I liked it a lot more than Interstellar.
65. Fire in Babylon
Oh well, of course there's a documentary about West Indies fast bowlers.
66. O Brother Where Art Thou
67. Sicario
This is another one I found I'd given a very high score to on first viewing. A tight, gripping film.
68. Caché
69. Me and You and Everyone We Know
70. Gosford Park
I think Emily Watson is one of my favourite actresses, but there are a few films she's in just missing out on the list. But anyway, Gosford Park is for the Bob Balaban stans. I remember someone i knew saying they didn't get why everyone liked it, it was boring and they'd fallen asleep, and then revealing they'd had three pints before watching it. Important lesson there.
71.Scott Pilgrim Vs the World
Ultimately, just too cool 4 school. At the time I was so sure Cera films would be good I also watched Youth in Revolt, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Paper Heart. Just for the poster, there should be a film with Peter Kay, Michael Cera and Peter Serafinowicz.
72. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
73. Slumdog Millionaire
Quizzes, cricket, excrement, Paper Planes, what's not to love? I saw a US list of the least deserving best pic winners this century and it was quite high up and I hmpphed quite strongly.
74. Lovers Rock
I'm a big fan of Little Ealing's Steve McQueen and was actually close to including Widows, but thought I'd cheat with one of the Small Axe films - the first two, this and Mangrove, are both magnificent, so I'll go with this.
75. Pan's Labyrinth
76. Slow West
Well, good to have a film directed by a member of the Beta Band.
77. We Need to Talk about Kevin
Obviously, a lot of bad vibes connected with this now. Like, i generally remember thinking "i wonder if the kid actor will be damaged by this" and "i wonder what the writer's like". So there we go. A good film.
78. The Lives of Others
79. Lady Bird
80. Dolemite is My Name
81. Catherine, Called Birdy
Not even the sudden and unwelcome appearance of Russell Brand could ruin this.
82. Spider-Man
The thing about MCU, right, is I watched Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther - that's about £50 and about 12 hours on the world, and, without watching more, I remain entirely outside it, I'd have had to watch so much more to have any sense of fulfilment or inclusion. They were all perfectly enjoyable, but I'll go with the 2002 Tobey Maguire, which was great and fun, and (though i did watch the sequel) enouigh in itself.
83. Summer of Soul
I've actually watched so many music documentaries, and i can't say for sure it's my favourite, but I remember it well, and it's got quality Mavis Staples, so it's good enough for me.
84. Enchanted
I even enjoyed this before parenthood, so it must be good. Watched a lot in the end, All round good fun. Amy Adams another great actor who had a great run, which just ... stopped.
85. The Guard
A lot of great Gleeson films, could easily have gone for In Bruges or Banshees.
86. Girlhood
87. 17 Again
88. Synecdoche, New York
"The comedy hit of the summer" as I saw it advertised once. It is not that. It's one of the all time saddest films.
89. Edge of Tomorrow
90. Collateral
Cruise, he does good work.
91. The Way Way Back
For lovers of Adventureland.
92.Young Adam
In the 90s, i thought Ewan McGregor was great, and then I suddenly decided he was borderline unwatchable, and, somehow, in that period, i watched Young Adam, where he's excellent, but somehow in such a way where I thought he could never be that good again. Also, this film has the mighty Peter Mullan, who, like almost no other, plays characters of unutterable evil and profound kindly gentleness only a tiny bit different.
93. Bowling for Columbine
Sure this ages horribly, and would look crass and loose as hell, but, still, really made the necessary point.
94. All of Us Strangers
95. Garden State
96. Sin City
97. American Splendor
Pina colada.
98. Challengers
99. The Order
A very good film with Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult playing extremely American men.
100. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Because, ultimately, the 2000s were all about watching Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Ethan Hawke, or both.
The main obvious thing in my list is how central music is to many of the films I love.
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