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.
Pride & Prejudice
I could talk in circles about the brilliance of Pride & Prejudice for days, but suffice it to say that it’s one of the most complete romance movies ever made, excelling in every aspect, fully deserving of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Sweet Hereafter
Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter tells audiences a cohesive and compelling story of grief and the ways that humans seek to deal with it, showcased in every aspect of the film, which work together to make something worth a spot among the greats.
I Vitelloni
For me, the stories told in I Vitelloni present a universally relatable look at young adulthood and the changes that the world forces on us, offering the best and worst ways to handle those changes, which certainly earns it a spot among the all-time greats.
Inside Llewyn Davis
If the Coen Brothers, folk music, good acting, and/or great writing are your thing, Inside Llewyn Davis has them all in spades, and that amalgamation earns it a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Nun’s Story
Between Audrey Hepburn’s strong leading character study and the thematically appropriate cinematography, The Nun’s Story captures something about an era of film that deserves a place among the greats.
The Descendants
Thanks to the standout cast, led by George Clooney, and a rich script full of character, theme, and story, The Descendants manages to take its premise of a film about grief in paradise and turn it into a film worthy of a place among the greats.
Cold War
Pawel Pawlikowski has given us a truly enthralling romance in Cold War; bolstered by the performances of his two leads, it offers audiences a love worth rooting for in the face of the storms of life and the hardships of the Cold War in Europe, earning the film a much-deserved spot among the greats.
Sling Blade
Altogether, Sling Blade gives audiences a relatable, and generally positive, look at the ways we need each other to get through life’s hardships, highlighted by Thornton’s brilliant turn as writer, director, and actor, which earns the film its place among the greats.
The Seventh Seal
Altogether, The Seventh Seal offers a rich examination of death, mortality, human relationships, and religion without doing too much to answer any of its posed questions, instead offering partial answers and stunning visuals to engage the audience and earn a place of greatness along the way.
An Education
Between its artful, innovative, and unique coming-of-age story and the wonderful performance from Carey Mulligan, An Education more than earns its place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Maborosi
Maborosi is a beautifully made film that invites its audience to live with its characters, particularly its protagonist, in their lives and the grief and loneliness that they are processing in order to better appreciate such moments in our own lives, fully earning it a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Intolerance
Credit is owed where it’s due, and for D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance, credit is owed greatly to its filmmaking techniques that gave audiences a historical epic interwoven with a tale of the Christ, a French historic melodrama, and a modern parable of legalism and capitalism, earning it a place among the greats.
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York feels like the culmination and combination of the overwhelming majority of Scorsese’s filmography, capturing the filmmaker’s essence, vision, and passions all in a single film that certainly deserves a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
A Raisin in the Sun
With brilliant central performances that expand upon the themes of the film itself, A Raisin in the Sun elevates the content of the play upon which it’s based to earn a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
What Ever Happened TO Baby Jane?
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? could have easily fallen by the wayside as so many psychological horror films have throughout the history of cinema, but instead, the three actors at its heart gave some of the best horror performances of all time and elevated the film to a place of greatness.