The Magnificent Ambersons
Orson Welles took what should be a depressing, bleak look at the outlook of America in a post-industrial world and made it into a gripping film that looks wonderful even as it beats you over the head with the inevitability of its conclusion, earning The Magnificent Ambersons a place among the greats.
Bloody Sunday
Told with such a gripping style, Bloody Sunday showcases its greatness and Greengrass’s skill as a filmmaker by refusing to let you look away from the atrocities that it seeks to depict, cementing a place beside the Greatest Films of All Time as it does so.
Perfect Days
With a pitch-perfect leading performance from Koji Yakusho and a message of appreciation for the everyday and taking joy in the very act of living, it’s easy to see how Perfect Days earns its spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Monster
By framing its story around the nature of relationships and perceptions, Monster invites its audience to better appreciate and accept the “others” in our lives and to seek to consider others’ circumstances before slapping them with labels or accusations, a sentiment more than deserving of a place of greatness.
Io Capitano
Thanks to the dynamic and enthralling performance of Seydou Sarr, Matteo Garrone’s vision for Io Capitano is brough to full fruition, earning the film a place among the all-time greats.
The Straight Story
The Straight Story features an excellent combination of execution from actor and director with Farnsworth’s grounding performance allowing Lynch’s surrealist sensibilities to shine and vice versa, giving audiences a tale that’s equal parts relatable and thought-provoking, earning a place of greatness.
The Age of Innocence
A trio of performances with immense depth and a director dedicated to crafting a gorgeously compelling picture of 19th-century high society in New York make The Age of Innocence work wonderfully as a film and earn it a spot among the greats.
Mrs. Miniver
Mrs. Miniver’s cast lends a much-needed sense of weight and emotion to this film about surviving the turmoil of the early days of World War II, earning it a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
My Life as a Dog
My Life as a Dog has some of the best characters, performances, and scenes of any coming-of-age film, winning over the audience in its universality despite the seeming uniqueness of its situations, which earns it a guaranteed spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Compelling performances from an ensemble cast help turn what could be a disjointed story of two different tones into a cohesive and engaging piece of film in Crimes and Misdemeanors, earning it a spot among the greats.
Journey to Italy
Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders are the ideal leads to bring Rossellini’s film about the more mundane side of marriage and holding it together or watching it fall apart to the big screen, and together the team makes a film that stands the test of time and earns a spot among the greats.
Young Mr. Lincoln
Between Henry Fonda’s excellent portrayal of the iconic president’s early years in law and the fascinating case study presented in the film’s legal drama, Young Mr. Lincoln cements an easily rewatchable spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem
Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem is carried by its lead actress/co-director/cowriter in the titular role, leaving a mark on international and feminist cinema that has to hold a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Shane
Shane stands out among classic westerns as a film that explores the direct impact of violence, never celebrating it as something great, even when it results in frontier justice being brought to the most villainous of characters, which makes it unquestionable as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Kids Are All Right
Lisa Cholodenko’s The Kids Are All Right hits the right notes in its examination of the complex nature of family thanks to the combination of her writing and the perfect trio of leading performers to make it sing, earning it a place among the greats.
Erin Brockovich
As a vehicle for Julia Roberts’s leading performance, Erin Brockovich shines, shaping every bit of itself toward cementing its leading lady’s place in history (both the real Brockovich and Roberts for her performance), more than earning itself a place among the Greatest Films of All Time in the process.
Local Hero
The blend of comedy, message, and optimism contained in Local Hero make it an easy and memorable film that deserves its place in the spotlight.