Kiwi Film Review: Top 5 Spielberg Films

Top 5 Spielberg Films

I've decided to try and do a top 5 films from a specific director  or actor maybe once a week, not sure how long it will last but we'll see how it goes. Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential and easily one of the greatest directors of all time. His films span over 5 decades, and over every genre imaginable. He is one of the best fantasy/adventure directors out there, but is equally capable to perfect period piece films, especially biographies. I would watch any of his movies, and am happy to say I've seen at least most of his hits. So here they are, the top 5 Spielberg films. 

5.) Saving Private Ryan

     Really great movie, definitely one of the best war movies of all time. It follows a young Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon, who is in the middle of a warzone in France during World War II. After it is discovered that all three of his brothers have been killed in action, and that Mrs. Ryan will be receiving all 3 telegrams on the same day, a group of soldiers go into France to try and bring him home to his mother so she doesn't have to suffer the loss of her final son. The members of the troop include Captain Miller(Tom Hanks), Sergeant Horvath(Tom Sizemore), Private Reiben(Edward Burns), Private Jackson(Barry Pepper), Private Mellish(Adam Goldberg) and Private Caparzo(Vin Diesel). By the time they even begin to look for Private Ryan(Damon) he is already listed as MIA(missing in action) so it is a pretty difficult task ahead of them jumping into a warzone towards the end of the war.. Other cast members include Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davis, Ted Danson, and Paul Giamatti. The film is #37 on IMDB's Top 250 movies, and was nominated for 11 Oscars, winning 5 including Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Director.

4.) Raiders of the Lost Ark

     Indiana Jones has a very important place in my heart, my childhood was surrounded by these movies, and they inspired my love of history, and my brief stint in the Archaeology field.  I really feel like this film has everything, and therefore I think just about everyone can see it. Harrison Ford is a total dreamboat, which makes it perfect for both guys and gals.  Great action throughout the entire film. The opening sequence is one of the most iconic of all time; the giant rolling bolder, the golden statue/sandbag switch, the falling stone door, and the quick grab for the iconic hat. It has bit of romance with Marion Ravenwood(Karen Allen) who he has a past with, and who actually shows up again in the 4th Indiana Jones film, and actually is quite funny in some parts. Its really clear that this film is from the 80s when it gets closer to the end and you see the hilarious special effects, ie. someone's face melting. The villain in this one is Dr. René Balloq(Paul Freeman) who is quite terrifying and really does look evil. Indy and his team are on a quest to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi's. Raiders was the first of 3 Indiana Jones movies in the 80's including Temple of Doom which was mostly meh, but still alright, and The Last Crusade which is probably just as good as Raiders and has Sean Connery playing Indy's dad. Great franchise, definitely check it out! It is #27 on IMDB's Top 250 Movies and it was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 4 including Best Sound, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

3.) E.T the Extra-Terrestrial

     I think it's safe to say that ET is Spielberg's most famous film, and probably the most famous family-adventure movie as well. It is a truly beautiful movie that deals not only with aliens, but friendship and family above all else. It is beautiful both visually and equally so emotionally which makes it an extremely enjoyable experience. It has some of the most recognizable scenes and quotes in film including the image above and the line "ET phone home." It is an enjoyable movie for children and adults alike. The film takes you on an emotional roller coaster and is quite exciting from beginning to end.  All of the cast is fantastic and absolutely charming including Henry Thomas who plays Elliot, Robert MacNaughton who plays Michael, Dee Wallace who plays Mary, and of course Drew Barrymore who plays the adorable Gertie. The filme was nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4 including Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects and Best Visual Effects. Honestly, I'm pretty shocked it didn't win Best Picture since it is one of the most famous films of all time. If for some reason you haven't seen this yet, please do yourself a favor and watch it. It really is a fantastic film that people of all ages will enjoy.

2.) Jurassic Park

     I was never allowed to watch the entirety of these films when I was younger, but I had all of the books that came out with the movie and I adored them. I has seen bits and pieces of all of them over the years, but it wasn't until this year when it came out in IMAX 3D that I saw the full thing in one sitting. What an absolutely fantastic movie. Speilberg perfectly captures the suspense in the beginning. For the first 15-20 minutes there is no mention that there are living dinosaurs on the island and right before you actually see the dinosaurs for the first time there is a 3-5 minute scene where you see Ellie (Laura Dern)'s face when she sees them, and then Alan(Sam Neill)'s face when he sees them, and you still haven't seen them, and finally after seeing the awe and wonder on their faces for a solid few minutes you finally see this big gorgeous wide-frame landscape filled with  a dozen or so Brachiosaurus'. Probably one of my favourite scenes in the whole film, and I think that its a perfect example of the rest of the film. Its such a thriller and, in my opinion, actually a total masterpiece. I absolutely adored this movie, and it just expands my love of dinosaurs even more. Great cast including Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldlum, Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck. The film won 3 Oscars including Best Sound, Best Sound Effects, and Best Visual Effects. It is #226 on IMDB's Top 250.

1.) Schindler's List

     I don't think there is a single thing I dislike about this film, it really is absolutely perfect. I feel like most people on earth know what this film is about, but if you are one of the 3 people on that planet that don't know, its about the Holocaust, more specifically about what it's like to live in the famously, most brutal concentration camp,  Auschwitz. It follows the all true life-stories of several different people, mostly Jews imprisoned in the camps, but also Oskar Schindler who is a German businessman who owns a factory during WWII who was an unlikely hero when he turned his factory into a safe refuge for Jews by hiring over a thousand jews to work in his factory and therefor not be put to death by the Nazi's. Spielberg perfectly captures the cruelty of the Nazi Party and the Holocaust and makes the risky, but correct, decision to make the film in black and white with the acception of on little girl in a red coat. As I said before its based on the true stories of many Jews who had been interviewed for the book with the same title. The acting in this film was absolutley phenomenal  Liam Neeson played Oskar Schindler, the hero, Ben Kingsley played his right-hand man, Itzhak Stern and Ralph Fiennes plays the villain Amon Goeth, the man in charge of running  Auschwitz. Some of the best acting you will ever see, honestly. Definitely deserves to be in the Top 10 films of all-time, it should be nowhere else. I think this film is easily Spielberg's masterpiece and it should be seen by all. It is #8 on IMDB's Top 250 Movies and was Nominated for 12 Oscars winning 7 for Best Original Score, Best Art & Set Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Wiring, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Honourable Mentions: 6.) Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 7.) A.I. Artificial Intelligence, 8.)  Lincoln, 9.) Minority Report, 10.) Jaws, The Color Purple, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade,  Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Munich, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse.

Top 10 Films of 2012 Updated

Well, I did this while I was home for Christmas, but I hadn't seen a bunch of films that had come out while I was home, and I felt the definite need to update it because boy did things change. So, this week I have a bonus Top 10 list, I felt like it didn't really count as its own week since I've already done this list before. So here we go, the new and improved Top 10 Films of 2012.

10.) Zero Dark Thirty
Such a great film, so intense and although I have no idea how much of it actually happened, most of it seemed pretty realistic, and it seemed to have the general gist of what I knew to have happened. Even if 90% of it is BS its still a fantastic film, such a thriller and its definitely action-packed. Jessica Chastain was really great in this one, she's almost unrecognizable in every movie I've seen her in. Kathryn Bigelow directs the films who also directed The Hurt Locker, I think I might like this one more, but I don't really remember The Hurt Locker much despite the fact that it epically won the Oscar in 2010 against her ex-husband James Cameron who directed Avatar that year. The movie was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 1 for Best Sound Editing.
Check out my review for Zero Dark Thirty HERE

9.) Prometheus 
I absolutely loved this film. The special effects were phenomenal which luckily has been recognized by the Academy as it is nominated for Special Effects. I wish it had gotten a bit more as Michael Fassbender was amazing in it. The cinematography was also beautiful, the scenes when they're flying into the planet are stunning. The storyline was fantastic, the only thing I didn't like about it was that it didn't really answer the question that was the entire point of the film. I did however like that it left it pretty open for a sequel which I will definitely be watching the moment it is released. I watched this film early last year and watched it again when I got it for Christmas, and I realized again how fantastic it was. If you like action, thrillers or Sci-fi you'll enjoy this film. Ridley Scott really got it right in this one. Prometheus was nominated for 1 Oscar for Visual effects.
Check out my review for Prometheus HERE

8.) Skyfall
I've heard many people say that this is the best Bond film yet, I haven't seen them all, so I don't feel comfortable saying so, but its definitely the best of the ones I've seen. I actually watched it a couple of times in theaters and I think I may have enjoyed it even better the second time. Javier Bardem was insane in this movie, I think he should have been nominated for an Oscar for supporting actor actually. I thought he was much more memorable then say, Alan Arkin. I loved how vulnerable you see Bond(Daniel Craig) in this one, very unlike the early ones. It was M's(Judi Dench) shining moment for sure, she was in this one a lot more then she normally is. I also liked that this time it wasn't all about the gadgets, I really like how dialed down it was and how it really came down to man to man in a lot of instances. don't get me wrong there were some really great big action sequences, the scene with the subway train crashing through the floor was really great. Definitely watch this movie, no one could possibly regret it. Nominated for 5 Oscars and won 2 for Sound Editing and Best Original Song.
Check out my review for Skyfall HERE

7.) Silver Linings Playbook
I actually loved everything about this movie. It has a lot of really great plot lines and talks a lot about mental illness. Bradley Cooper was really amazing in this one, I have to say I was fairly surprised since his biggest hit was The Hangover, and that doesn't really require the highest of acting abilities, but he showed  a lot of emotion in this one and I felt like we were able to look deep into Bradley Cooper's soul. Jennifer Lawrence was even more impressive, but her performance was less surprising since she'd already had one Oscar nomination for Winter's Bone which was an amazing performance as well. Robert De Niro was absolutely heartwarming in this film, he plays a very different character then I've ever seen him play before. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars, including all 4 of the acting categories. Jennifer Lawrence  won 1 of those Oscars for Best Actress. Really great inspiring movie that everyone should see.  
Check out my review for Silver Linings Playbook HERE

6.) Perks of Being A Wallflower
I think this movie actually changed my life, if not it moved me deeply at the very least. The book is one of my favorites, so I was a little worried about how it would translate  but the author of the novel was the writer and director of the film, so its probably the best novel to film transfer I've ever seen.  There were a couple of things, mostly just character traits that I would have added, as well as what I thought was a pivotal scene between Charlie(Logan Lerman) and his sister(Nina Dobrev) that I thought really showed the strength of their relationship. I thought Emma Watson was really great as Sam, basically the complete opposite of Hermione which was refreshing. Ezra Miller was perfect as Patrick, I've seen him before in "We Need To Talk About Kevin" and I really think he's going to be an upcoming shining star. Again, enjoyed this film to the fullest. Go see it immediately. 
Check out my review for Perks of Being a Wallflower HERE

5.) Cloud Atlas
I saw this movie twice while it was in theatres, it was beautiful, inspiring, funny, heartbreaking, and heart warming all at the same time. It's a science fiction, history, comedy, futuristic  and a period piece film all in one. It touches on all kinds of issues including racism, homophobia, loss, corruption, and morality and spans over thousands of years while all somehow being able to be linked together. You really need to see it more then once to catch all of the little nuggets in there that connect everything. Even to see which characters all of the actors are playing in each world, you really need more then one viewing. The cast includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, and Doona Bae. This film makes it clear that when you see an injustice, you cannot idly sit by, you must do something. I loved every second of this film and would recommend to anyone! 
Check out my review for Cloud Atlas HERE

4.) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
This film is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and part one of The Hobbit Trilogy. Martin Freeman was perfect as Bilbo in this film, absolutely loved him. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, and the film was surprisingly bright and colourful compared to the darker Lord of the Rings trilogy which was paralleled in the general feel of the film as well. It was quite up-beat and rather funny at times. Martin brings a really great wittiness to Bilbo and most of the Dwarf scenes are just goofy and hilarious. I think Peter Jackson took a bit of a risk with changing the general feeling of the film so drastically from the LOTR movies, but I think that it worked perfectly. Really interested in seeing what they do with the next two films. Some people might be worried that the film might be super dragged out because they're trying to stretch the small book into 3 films, but this one was jammed packed with action. I enjoyed it even more the second time. Can't wait to watch it a third. 
Check out my review for The Hobbit HERE

3.) Argo
Ben Affleck had a difficult feat to overcome when making this movie, which was trying to figure out how to make this film suspenseful despite the fact that everyone already knew how it was going to end, and I have to say that I really think that he did pulled it off. Pretty much from even the first few scenes when all of the people are in the American Embassy and you don't know if the protestors outside are going to be able to break in or not, all the way to the final scenes in the airport this film has you at the edge of your seat. I always forget just how great Affleck has been at directing. This his only his 3rd feature-length film (the first two being Gone Baby Gone and The Town) and it is totally clear that he has found his calling. The cast in this film was awesome. It included Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall and Scoot McNairy. It was nominated for 7 Oscars and won 3 of those including Best Film Editing, Best Writing, and Best Picture of the Year.
Check out my review for Argo HERE

2.) The Dark Knight Rises
After seeing this movie I understand what a trilogy is supposed to be. Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were very different movies, with completely different villains so they were very separate identities, but The Dark Knight Rises manages to tie them all together so well, its almost as if it had just smashed them all together into one movie. Christopher Nolan is an absolute genius  and I think that its clear that these are the greatest super hero movies of all time. I find that in these films its hard to see it, but Christian Bale is an absolutely phenominal actor and I think he brings an incredible amount of strength to the character of Bruce Wayne. In this film Alfred(Michael Caine) makes some big descions and despite the fact that he isn't really in the last half of the movie, he really plays a pivotal role. Tom Hardy plays Bane in this film, and he is the definition of a villain, perfectly terrifying. Joseph Gordon Levitt is charming as always, but he plays a much more serious character in this film then he does in others. Marion Cotillard seems to be a favorite of Nolan's and I thought she was pretty good in the film, but I wouldn't say she necessarily stood out until closer to the end of the film. Anne Hathaway I thought was fantastic as Cat Woman, which I think pleasantly surprised many people. Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman play Fox and Gordon brilliantly once again. Really fantastic characters all around. Like I said, Nolan is a genius and if you have not seen this trilogy do it immediately. All three films are fantastic, but as a unit together they are a masterpiece  It is #52 on the IMDB Top 250 movies, but despite its fantastic response from the critics and audience, it wasn't nominate for a single Oscar. 
Check out my review for The Dark Knight Rises HERE

1.) Django Unchained 
I adored absolutely everything about this film.  Quentin Tarantino is the master of revenge films, and Django is no exception. I find with a lot of his films Tarantino makes it difficult for just anyone to enjoy, they can be quite confusing and violent for most people, ie. Kill Bill, but his last two films, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, have been revenge on the level that we can all automatically accept, whether about the Holocaust or Slavery. His cinematography has vastly improved over the years and I truly enjoy his films. Quentin has an incredibly unusual and mostly frightening mind, but when something like this comes out its all understandable and appreciated. Despite the level of violence in this film, it isn't senseless, and you are practically wanting to cheer him on at some points. Jamie Foxx plays Django who is a slave before the civil war who is freed by Dr. King Schultz(Christoph Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter, but is forced to hunt down his wife, Broomhilda(Kerry Washington), who was recently purchased by Calvin Candie(Leonardo DiCaprio). Thrust into a world of slavery and slave-on-slave fighting, Django is forced to pretend to be everything he hates to get the chance of getting his wife. Things don't necessarily go as planned and a few extra drops of blood are shed along the way. This film is not for the faint of heart, but if you can accept the level of bloodshed from white people, watch it. A very smart and witty film, but also, oh so satisfying. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, James Remar, and a couple of interesting cameos. It is #51 on the IMDB Top 250 films and was nominated for 5 Oscars winning 2 for Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, and Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino. Just do yourself a favor and watch this film.
Check out my review for Django Unchained HERE


Thanks for checking out my list! Hopefully you enjoyed it, feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree, or what films you would have on your list on the comments!

Honourable Mentions: My original list included Lincoln, Looper, and Killing Them Softly which were all amazing films, and I wish desperately that I could also include Les Misérables which was also a TRULY amazing film, but I didn't realize how amazing the films that I had missed over Christmas would be. Other Honourable mentions include Ted, The Avengers, The Master, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Pitch Perfect. I also adored seeing Titanic in 3D, but its not really a new movie at all so I didn't think I should include it.

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Tearjerkers

So, this is obviously not a Sunday, so I'm a few days late this week, but its been a busy week. I'm a girl so I really do enjoy a good tearjerker. However, most of these are not chick-flicks so I think its important that that is clear so that males will not be afraid to also look at this. All of these are fantastic movies, but I'm not raking them by how good the films are themselves, but by how the number of tears they managed to wrangle out of me. All but 2 of these films one Oscars, so I can assure you they really are all fantastic films. Here is this weeks (late) Top 10 list: Top 10 Tearjerkers.

10.) Finding Neverland
This is a film about the family who inspired J.M. Barrie to write the famous story of Peter Pan. A very sweet story with a lot of drama and tragedy surrounding it. The film is directed by the ever talented Marc Foster, and has a very impressive cast including Johnny Depp as JM Barrie, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman, and Freddie Highmore. I think that their casting was really perfect, and the acting was really fantastic, which can really come as no surprise from the names I just listed. A really interesting way to come up with the infamous story of children not wanting and choosing not to grow up. Sylvia Davies(Winslet) and her four young children change something inside of the playwright who at the time of meeting them has just had another one of his plays flop and is desperately searching for something new, and thats exactly what he finds. It was nominated 7 Oscars and won for best score. 

9.) Atonement
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement is a film about forbidden love from the point of view of Briony Tallis(Saoirse Ronan), a 13 year old girl from a well-off family who's older sister, Cecilia(Keira Knightly) falls in love with a friend, Robbie Turner(James McAvoy) from a lower class who they've grown up with all of their lives. The films takes place during World War I and things become complicated and spiral downwards for the pair after Briony accuses Robbie(McAvoy) of something he did not do. She spends the rest of her life trying to make up for the mistake. The story takes a surprising turn of events which ends with Briony making another surprising confession. Absolutely fantastic acting all around, Saoirse Ronan was nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress, and the film was nominated for 6 other Oscars as well, winning Best Original Score in the end. 

8.) I Am Sam
Despite the fact that I only watched this film sometime last year, if  you haven't heard about this film, or somehow don't know what this film is about, you should probably crawl out from whatever rock you've been living under. I Am Sam is the heartbreaking story of a man who has some type of mental illness who is fighting to keep custody of his 7 year old daughter. Sam Dawson is played by Sean Penn in a truly mind-blowing performance on his part, his daughter is played by the talented Dakota Fanning. The story is also focused around Rita Williams(Michelle Pfeiffer) who plays a cold-hearted lawyer, who's life is changed by this custody case. Sean Penn was nominated for an Oscar for his performance, but somehow this film wasn't nominated for anything? Definite fail by the Academy. Great film all around, and pretty much the whole film is filled with tears. Enjoy. 

7.) Ghost
This movie was always sad but since Patrick Swayze (aka the love of my life) is actually dead in real life now, it adds about 50 extra pounds of sadness to it. Again, if for some reason you've been living somewhere without  electricity for the last 23 years, Ghost is a story about a couple, Sam Wheat(Patrick Swayze) and Molly Jensen(Demi Moore) who are living life happily together with their best friend Carl(Tony Goldwyn) when Sam(Swayze) is suddenly murdered. Sam discovers that his ghost is stuck in our world and soon finds that Molly might be in trouble. He recruits the help of Oda Mae Brown(Whoopie Goldberg), a medium to help warn her. Fantastic movie, it was nominated  for 5 Oscars and won 2, Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg, and best writing. The last scene is absolutely heartbreaking. I cannot listen to the song Unchained Melody without bawling. "Its amazing Molly, the love inside, you take it with you." 

6.) Forrest Gump
I really think that Forrest Gump is one of the greatest films of all time. Its such an epic film that covers so much time. Its a comedy, a drama, and a tragedy and every moment of it is filled with memorable moments.  This is a film about a man named Forrest Gump(Tom Hanks) starting in childhood and going all the way into adulthood. Somehow he has the most interesting man on earth and despite his mental challenges, he manages to accomplish 10 times more then any other person on earth. Ping-Pong champion, war hero, shrimp king, etc. There are few things in life that Forrest Gump is not capable of, but the thing that really keeps him going throughout his entire life is his love for his childhood friend Jenny(Robin Wright). The films was nominated for a mind-blowing 13 Oscars of which it won 6 including Best Picture, Best Actor for Tom Hanks and Best Director. Other cast members include Sally Field, and Gary Sinise. This film had so many epic quotes including "Run Forrest Run!", "I love you Jennay", "Hello Mr. GUMP", and, of course, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."

5.) Terms of Endearment
This is actually the movie that made me want to make this list, I watched it last week and adored it. I really like how it not only showed such a time frame, but showed so much of the time in between. They never really spent more then 5 minutes in a specific place in time and normally there were a year or so between them. Debra Winger really did a great job playing Emma Horton not only as a fully grown women, wife, and mother, but also as a young teen, and was believable as both, very impressive. I loved Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels, Danny DeVito and John Lithgow as well, so weird to see them all so young, but I think we can all agree that it was Huckleberry Fox who stole the show as Teddy Horton. I don't want to give anything away, but lets just say that I was totally fine with everything that was happening until little Teddy gave the most heart-wrenching performance from a child, or possibly anyone in the history of cinema. He absolutely destroyed me and in just those few moments in that devastating scene I fell in love with this movie. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won 5 of those including Best Picture, Best Director for James L. Brooks, Best Writing, Best Supporting Actor for Jack Nicholson, and Best Supporting Actress for Shirley MacLaine.

4.) Seven Pounds
There really isn't much I can say about this film. I can't explain to you why its so good, or why Will Smith is so amazing in this film. I can't tell you why the performances by amazing actors such as Rosario Dawson and Woody Harleson were just so fantastic. I really can't tell you anything else about this film without the fear of giving something away, so I will show you the IMDB description because I think that its safe. "An aerospace engineer with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers." 
I really wish I could tell you more, but I think its really important that if you do see this film, that you go into it knowing as little about it as you can. I will say that its an amazing story about trying to redeem yourself, and the struggles that come with that. Please watch and enjoy this film. 



3.)Dear Zachary
I probably could have put this film at #1 and been okay with it, but I think #3 is a worthy position. I watched this documentary the first time because I saw that part of it took place here in St. John's, but I really could never know how fantastic of a movie it really was. Its basically story about a really great guy and medical student, Andrew Bagby, who is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend, Shirley Turner. His life story is then told through the eyes of all of his friends and family spread out all over the globe from across America, to Newfoundland  where he went to Medical School, to the UK where his mother is originally from. His family soon finds out that his ex-girlfriend and suspected murderer is pregnant with his child and is now living back to Newfoundland where she has escaped to. Andrews parents Kathleen and David, find new reason to live and spend their days fighting to spend time with their new grandson while having to face their sons ex-girlfriend who they strongly suspect is their sons murderer. Absolutely fantastic film, but there are a few turns in the movie that are just too much for most people to handle without hardcore sobbing. I urge you to bring a full box of kleenex with you while watching this film. Even men will have a difficult time keeping it in while watching this one. Its very clear how much Andrew Bagby was loved by his friends, family and colleagues  and how painful it is to have to go on without him. I hope that when I die I leave a quarter of the impact on my friends and family's lives as this man clearly had. I really urge everyone out there to watch this film. Its on Netflix, even the Canadian one! Don't hesitate!

2.) Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Somehow its probably not super surprising that the top two films are about the holocaust. However, I feel like most people near my age have definitely not seen my #1, and for some reason many people have not seen this film either. The best part of this movie is how much a different perspective this is when it comes to Holocaust movies/books. This is definitely the first I've heard of from a child of a high ranking Nazi commander. There are definitely a few from a child of the holocaust's point of view, but not from the other side. Asa Butterfield plays Bruno, an eight year old boy who doesn't understand why he is forbidden from playing with the people next door in the funny looking, striped pajamas. Its really quite difficult to see him slowly try and put together whats happening, and the fact that his father is really the bad-guy in this scenario  and not the hero soldier he once believed in. I'd like to say this film has a happy ending, but its clearly a holocaust movie so its pretty much impossible but this film left me in puddles of tears by the end. Great movie that really shows that putting yourself in someone else's shoes just might make you change your mind, hopefully before its too late.

1.) Sophie's Choice
I watched this film for the first time last month, and oh my god I wish I had been warned. The film is pretty heart breaking even from the beginning, but its not until the end that the true tearjerkerness is revealed. The main premise of the film is that Meryl Streep plays a survivor of the Holocaust and is currently living in New York City with her boyfriend played by Kevin Kline. The two have a pretty tumultuous relationship which is documented from the point of view of Stingo(Peter MacNicol), a country boy in the big city. Meryl Streep's performance is absolutely breathtaking, and the academy recognized this by giving her an Oscar for Best Actress, the film was also nominated in 4 other categories. The performances from Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol were also fantastic. This is an amazing movie that everyone should see at least once in their lives, I'm sorry I waited as long as I did. Although Sophie's(Streep) devastating life story brought tears for me throughout the movie, its not until the very end that you realize how truly horrifying her life really has been, and the awful choices she's had to make, hence the title. Bring a box of tissues, don't say I didn't warn you.


Honourable Mentions:  Million Dollar Baby, The Notebook,  Philadelphia, Pay It Forward, Bicentennial Man, Schindler's List, Perks of being a w A.I: Artificial Intelligence  Steel Magnolias, Brokeback Mountain, Titanic, Ordinary People, Dead Poets Society, The Green Mile, Nights in Rodanthe, Saving Private Ryan, PS I Love You, The Last Song, Step Mom. Bonus: Old Yeller (for Joshy Josh)

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 Directors

This weeks list topic is Top 10 Directors. I found this list very difficult because most of these directors who have created different worlds that have changed our lives, or taught us something about ourselves that we didn't know beforehand. 

10.) Sam Mendes
I think most people have actually not heard of Sam Mendes, although his name is getting a lot of coverage lately for the amazing job he did on the most recent Bond film Skyfall. He's actually only Directed 9 films so far, but all of them have been pretty well-known and extremely well recieved. American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road, etc. Since American Beauty is one of my very favorite films of all time, I had to allow him to make it onto this list. Like I said, he's only done a few films but thats incredibly exciting because he definitely got some serious potential, and after seeing his most recent film, Skyfall, I can only assume its going to keep getting better.

Check out my Skyfall review HERE

9.) Clint Eastwood
Mr. Eastwood has surprised me in recent years, as its only been that long since I've begun watching his films. Sometimes I sort of forget about him really, but when you really think about it and see the list you just think, "Wow." All of his films have been very powerful and have shown very different sides of life. The first of his films that I watched was Mystic River which I had actually never heard of before watching it, but had actually won 2 Oscars. I then saw Grand Torino, Million Dollar Baby, and Unforgiven, and he was solidified onto this list. If you haven't seen any of these films, you are definitely missing out. So far he has won 3 Best Director and 3 Best Picture Academy Awards and I imagine many more coming in the future. 

Check out my Mystic River review HERE

8.) Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is a truly unique person and a very unique filmmaking style. Every time I watch one of his films or see him in an interview I just think about what it would be like to be friends with him, it would be incredible. He has many films that are extremely popular and he really has quite a cult following. Some of his more famous films include Pulp Fiction, Resevior Dogs, Kill Bill(Vol. I & II), but it wasn't until I saw Inglorious Basterds that I felt like I finally understood him. When he realsed Django Unchained in December, I have to say I think it was his greatest film yet.

7.) Ron Howard
Ron Howard actually has a rather diverse directing career, but I love everything I've seen so far. The films that stick out most for me would have to be Apolo 13, Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon but most of all A Beautiful Mind which made #3 on my Top 10 Films of all time list, but even more impressively managed to win 4 Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture. I find that his career has been super random but I think there will be many more interesting films coming out of Mr. Howard. 

6.) Ridley Scott

Few directors have as many classic films under their belts like Ridley Scott. His films are always huge productions that are often ahead of their time. He seems to have a thing with the future, but is equally as capable at capturing the past. His films include Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster, and most recently, Prometheus, which I absolutely adored. He and Russell Crowe have had a very productive relationship which works out for all of us as their films are always interesting. Ridley Scott has been making groundbreaking films for decades, and I sure hope he doesn't slowdown anytime soon. 

Check out my review for Prometheus HERE

5.) Woody Allen
I think a lot of people will be surprised that I have Woody Allen so high, but I think that he has an incredible way of capturing people and regular life, like no one else. All of his films I have seen have been incredibly honest and have captured exactly what everyone thinks about when their sitting at home, or trying to get to sleep. Your neighbour mysteriously dies and you think "her husband is suspicious looking, I wonder if he did it." Your listening to your favorite song, or looking at your favorite painting and you think "man, I wish I was born in that decade, those were the golden years." He takes those thoughts and bring them to light. Some of his great films include Midnight In Paris(which made my top 10 flims of all time list), Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and probably most famously, Annie Hall. I have many more of his films to see before I'm done, but the ones I have seen have all been enjoyable. 
Check out my Midnight In Paris review HERE 
Check out my Manhattan Murder Mystery review HERE

4.) David Fincher
I had honestly never heard of David Fincher until The Social Network. I was looking up who the director was of some movie and his name came up, and I noticed the unreal list of films with his name on them. Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc. I mean, give me a break, I just listed off some of my very favorite films, and some unbelievably ground-breaking ones. He is the master of thrillers, especially psychological ones. 

3.) Christopher Nolan
Chris Nolan only has 10 films under his directors belt, but so far he has made some amazing, mind-bending films that leave us wondering how his mind works. Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. Just take a moment to remember how amazing these films are and you will then understand why Mr. Nolan has made it to #3. What he did for Super Hero movies will never be forgotten. 
Check out my review for The Dark Knight Rises HERE

2.) Steven Spielberg
There simply cannot be a best directors list without Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is definitely the most famous director of all time, and I think that makes sense. The films that he has created are always big productions, and you know that you won't be bored or let down when you go into the theater to see them. Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, A.I (Artificial Intelligence), Indiana Jones Trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, War of the Worlds, Catch Me If You Can, Jurassic Park, and most famously ET. While writing this list I've realized how much his films have actually impacted my life. I'm so glad that my Dad showed me so many of these in my childhood. Indiana Jones shaped my love of history and adventure, A.I opened my eyes to amazing film and morality, and Schindler's List showed me how horrible the world can be, and how we need good people to survive. Bravo Mr. Spielberg. Bravo.

1.) Martin Scorcese
Scorcese is an absolute master at what he does. He has mastered crime films, and just thrillers in general. I want to live in his mind for a day to see where he gets the ideas for his films. We can thank him for films such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Departed, Shutter Island, Raging Bull, Cape Fear, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and so many more. He creates films and characters that give the actors the incredible opportunity to showcase their amazing acting abilities. His films have entertained us for 4 decades, and I can't see him slowing down anytime soon. I think he impressed me the most when he showed that he could even conquer the genre of feel good family films when he released Hugo in 2011. That film fully solidified himself as my favorite director  and proved that he could really do anything. 


Check out my Top 10 Films of All Time list HERE to see where I rank the products of some of these amazing directors.

Honourable Mentions: Peter Jackson, Stanley Kubirck, Alfred Hitchcock, Kevin Smith, James Cameron, Oliver Stone, Darren Aronofsky, JJ Abrams, John Hughes, Frances Ford 
Coppola, 

Kiwi Film Review: Top 10 80's Teen/Brat Pack Movies

Like I said, I've decided I want to try and do a new post every Sunday. I've decided that what I'm actually going to do is to have a Top 10 list every Sunday. The last few I've done have been a lot of fun so I figure, why not make it a new thing. Hopefully some people out there will enjoy them! So here they are: my list of Top 10 80's Teen/Brat Pack movies.

10.) Dirty Dancing

I put this last, only because I was iffy on even putting it on the list because its not really a "Brat Pack" film, or the kind of "high school" movie I had intended, but she is a teen so I think it counts. Great coming of age/ discovering love movie.

 9.) Footloose

Really great "fight the man"story. I enjoy any movie that proves that adults aren't always right, and kids/teens aren't always wrong. Great soundtrack and a great movie about fitting in as an outsider.

8.) The Outsiders

Who doesn't love a good gang movie. Greasers vs preps? Talk about excitement! Almost everyone in this movie became huge stars so it makes it pretty interesting to watch. Tom Cruise looks super different, but he's still crazy, so its all good. Great book and story, something everyone should check out at least once in their lives.

7.) Pretty In Pink

A sweet movie about not being afraid to be yourself in a world that doesn't appreciate people who are unique. Andie has to choose between giving her best friend Duckie a chance, or stepping out of her comfort zone and giving Blane, a rich popular boy at her school, a chance. Great movie that tackles class segregation as well.

6.) Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Have you ever wanted to see Sean Penn play a stoner, "Surfer-dude" character? Well this is your chance. This movie is seriously hilarious and a great movie about life as a teen, discovering love and lust, and the hardships that come with high school, and heartbreak. Really great movie.

5.) St. Elmo's Fire

Who doesn't love Rob Lowe as a badboy who plays the saxophone? Great film for the next chapter of life. A group of friends have just graduated college and are learning about how life really works. Love, moving in together, marriage, cheating, alcohol, drugs,  being a stalker; just a few of the many themes covered in this movie. Half the characters are just awful, and the other half are too sweet to even be friends with the bad ones.

4.) Sixteen Candles

This movie starts off with every teen's worst nightmare; your entire family forgetting your sixteenth birthday. This is a classic "regular girl has huge crush on most popular boy in school who happens to be dating the bitchy most popular girl in school" scenario, but it really stands on its own. You can't help but adore all of the characters, and it really makes you feel like your life is not so bad. Will Samantha's nightmare turn into a dream come true? Check it out!

 

3.) Say Anything

A genuinely nice guy finally gets the guts to ask out the beautiful and smart valedictorian of his class the day of graduation. So begins the ups and downs of a summer romance before she goes to college. I had no idea where the classic "boombox overhead outside of your window" scene came from until I watched this movie. Such a classic romantic scene that every girl dreams of. Or at least every girl who's a fan of these 80's teen movies.

2.) Ferris Bueller's Day Off

It doesn't get more classic then this. John Hughes is a genius. I love the style of filming in this movie where the main character talks directly into the film and at the audience. It really adds to the charm of the film. Plus, who doesn't love a random musical number in a random parade in the middle of a movie? Its really how any teen wants a day to go when they skip off school to go to the city with their friends.  The whole movie you're just hoping and wondering if Ferris will pull it off. 

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

1.) The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is undoubtably the greatest teen film of all time. It pretty much hits almost every teen issue besides pregnancy. Drugs, sex, love, suicide, pressure in school, pressure in sports, pressure to be popular, pressure to fit in, loneliness, divorce, trouble at home, bullying. People who are normally the bad guys in movies, you can't help but feel bad for (ie the Jock or popular girl). You can't help but  connect, at least on some level, with every character, and thats the pure genius that was John Hughes. I don't know anyone who has ever seen this movie who hasn't enjoyed it. I mean, it was made over 25 years ago and it still speaks to so many kids today. 

"Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain ...and an athlete ...and a basket case... a princess... and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."