unlike duga, i don`t often turn to the movies in search of comedy; i get much more pleasure out of a half-hour sitcom on tv than i do out of most comedy movies, tbh.
but i can agree with him and exo about
blue velvet, the first post-modern movie i saw. you two guys must be real movie buffs - so fascinated by lynch and hopper that you don`t have time to mention isabella rossellini.
still, if i only have five choices,
blue velvet has to be squeezed out in favour of the following:-
my taste in movies is pretty conventional, which is why ivory-merchant comes immediately to mind. perhaps
passage to india was their best; a long movie with lots of local colour so that you can lose yourself in some lush, picturesque past.
copying exo again,
12 angry men is an exemplary movie, with a lot of lessons that hollywood has yet to learn. the movie is rivetting because of the strength of the ideas, the dialogue and the acting, without a special effect in sight. at the other extreme, hollywood blockbusters, to my mind, are frequently made by throwing thousands of dollars at various lame and childish storylines, creating something that used to be known as a "snow job" - superficially dazzling, but lacking in substance.
i think spielberg is an over-rated director, so i almost resent having to choose a movie by him, but
schindler`s list is a beautifully-crafted telling of an extraordinary story. perhaps it`s so good because it`s so unlike any of his other efforts ...
the coen brothers deserve a mention, and by a narrow margin, i think i`d go for
fargo over
barton fink. although
oh brother where art thou had this big americana music element, i didn`t enjoy it much as a movie. i wonder what you guys think of their movies ?
can`t get much more conventional than choosing the movie that is often awarded the all-but-meaningless title of " the best movie of all time", i.e.
casablanca, but there are plenty of reasons why it`s always in the "best" lists. the chemistry between the romantic leads, the film noir effects balanced with the light relief of the subplots, the wonderful cast of character actors and the way the movie throws you uncompromisingly into a complex political situation means you can enjoy this movie again and again.