Jag: Top Ten Films

In commemoration of the next decennial poll of the Greatest Movies of All Time from Sight & Sound magazine, I’m posting Top Ten lists on my blog from friends and readers. Feel free to send me yours.

Here’s the list I received from my friend Jag. His eclectic choices highlighted some movies unfamiliar to me, and his persuasive commendations make me want to sit down and watch each of them one by one, even the ones I already know. Cléo from 5 to 7 is aptly described as the masterpiece it is, and I heartily join his praise here. I particularly appreciate lists with a broad geographic base (this one stretches from Los Angeles to Tokyo), and enjoy finding any feature or idea that links the selections; here, I notice the interesting predominance of movies from very early in their directors’ careers.

1. 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957) A film in its simplest form, this story is the experience of the human bias as set in a single room where time and consequence paint the much larger context of these characters. It’s a monumental achievement in how gripping great dialogue can be, presented in a film where almost nothing else happens.

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019) The definition of “every frame a painting” when it comes to gorgeous cinematography and the perfect setting. The intense slow-burn of this sapphic romance comes alive like something from the very paintings we see in the film. Céline Sciamma handles her characters with such care and respect.

3. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979) The quintessential sci-fi horror experience comes with this fully-realised and moody horror. H. R. Giger’s detailed set design and the film’s use of practical effects and moody lighting marry perfectly with the foreboding score and sound design to create a memorable alien ride.

4. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Alain Resnais, 1959) Alain Resnais presents one of the most visceral takes on love, lust, and loss with this romantic film noir part documentary history drama. This film has one of the most relentlessly intense openings to setting and character that I have ever seen.

5. Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) Spike Lee’s masterpiece is canon to the experience of black lives in America. An auteur piece of work, it shapes authentic images of life, culture, and consequence in the black community while also being a work that is aflush with vibrant colours and memorable expressions of what it is to be black in the US.

6. Cléo from 5 to 7 (Agnès Varda, 1962) Agnès Varda’s portrait of the two hours in the life of this singer is an essential view into the barebones beauty of the French New Wave. Beautiful, creative cinematography, fast-paced editing, and sharp-witted dialogue transform this brief visit into one that sticks with the viewer forever.

7. Come and See (Elem Klimov, 1985) Elem Klimov’s war film might just be the one war film that everyone should see. It paints the most agonisingly open and honest reflection on the ravages of war, rendered only more visceral and biting by it being framed through the experience of the child protagonist. It is trauma abound and features some of the most horrific images set to screen.

8. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) A deeply complex narrative experience that demands attention from the viewer, Charlie Kaufman’s achievement here is one that understands every element of what makes a film. Its text is layered through every line of dialogue, every piece of music, and every shot on screen. A commentary on the human condition and art and cinema itself, it is a film that continues to transform over time.

9. Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon, 1997) Satoshi Kon is a master of mature animated film and his 1997 masterpiece is a cerebral look into fame, infatuation, and psychosis. A film that could only exist in an animated space and makes every frame count when it comes to its gorgeous (and horrifying) animated images and thrilling, introspective narrative.

10. The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965) The perfect musical. The absolute marriage of merriment, melody, character, and breath-taking cinematography. Julie Andrews helped establish the canon when it comes to leading ladies in a musical, and the film’s setting, scope, and runtime allow for the realisation of a fleshed-out world and characters who all manage to leave a memorable impact and a soundtrack with no skips.

You can see my own Top Ten list here.