The Wrestler
Headlined by powerhouse performances by Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a difficult but incredibly poignant film about fame, dedication, and the world of professional wrestling that certainly deserves a mention with the greats.
Precious
Precious is a deeply moving film carried by its front and center performances that has plenty to say about poverty, literacy, and the ways that humanity can overcome in even the darkest of places with the right support systems in place, well-deserving of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Central Station
It is the performances that lend emotional weight to Central Station, and Fernanda Montenegro fully earns the film its spot among the greats with a truly inspired performance that makes the film as great as it is.
The Last Detail
The Last Detail is a fantastically acted film that exceeds its premise by presenting an honest portrayal of the social crises of the 1970s through the experiences and relationships of these three men, earning it a place among the greats.
Leaving Las Vegas
It’s a film carried by its performances, but they’re certainly strong enough to do so, earning it a place among the greats.
Talk to Her
It’s well-written, excellently acted, and contains plenty of meditations on the complexities of the human experience to earn its recognition as one of the greats.
The Lion in Winter
Across the board, the film is well acted and well-put-together, providing a weighty and deeply engaging treat for any who give it the time of day, fully deserving of recognition among the greats.
The Bad and the Beautiful
The Bad and the Beautiful succeeds at telling an excellent story with excellent characters that simultaneously rips and celebrates Hollywood without ever gilding anything with a sense of nostalgia or reverence, earning the film a place of greatness.
Pain and Glory
Pedro Almodóvar’s self-reflective auto-fiction film, Pain and Glory, earns a position among the greats thanks to excellence across the board; from story to themes to acting, it offers some of the best examples of filmmaking of the century so far.
Rebel Without a Cause
James Dean carries a strong trio of leads in this teen drama that transcends generation and genre to cement itself in the annals of cinema history, earning a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Quiet Girl
The Quiet Girl tells a beautifully crafted story about the impact of love and its importance in children as they develop within a deeply moving narrative that’s sure to stick with you, earning its spot among the film greats.
The Florida Project
The Florida Project benefits from strong performances and an original story as it highlights the realities of childhood and poverty alongside one another on its way to cementing a spot among the greats.
The Farewell
The Farewell is one of those films that requires its audience to cast aside all their preconceptions and approach a story with an open mind, resulting in one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time, and it certainly deserves its spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Killer of Sheep
In Killer of Sheep, Charles Burnett delivers a true indie darling, worthy of the name, in its raw portrayal of life and characters in Los Angeles’s inner city, the dehumanizing nature of poverty, and the undeniable drive of humanity to maintain their dignity in the midst of what society wants to consider humiliating circumstances.
Chimes at Midnight
Welles takes the lion’s share of the credit for the greatness of Chimes at Midnight in both his direction and acting, giving us a portrayal of the works of Shakespeare that stay true to the original content while highlighting their universal nature, earning the film a spot among the greats along the way.
Three Colors: Blue
The intentionality of Kieslowski combined with the emotionally engaging, well-acted attempt at listlessness from Binoche carry Three Colors: Blue to a place of cinematic greatness.
Son of Saul
While Son of Saul is not quite as ubiquitously digestible as Spielberg’s Schindler’s List or Benigni’s Life Is Beautiful, it still offers yet another unique and impactful take on the Holocaust that goes beyond showcasing its horrors or garnering sympathy for its victims to celebrate the will of those who lived through it, earning this film also a spot among the greats.