Phil Turner

It's so hard to nominate just a few films, but my all-time favourites would include:

The Apartment;
Bringing Up Baby;
Casablanca;
Dark Victory;
Double Indemnity;
Gone With The Wind;
It Happened One Night;
The King and I;
My Fair Lady;
Vertigo; and
White Heat.

Death In Venice would be my favourite European movie. Just to balance things up, more recent movies I have admired include Dances With Wolves, LA Confidential, American Beauty and, from this year's crop, Brokeback Mountain.

Finally, I must just make a quick mention of the non-British actors/actresses (from all eras) that have provided such wonderful entertainment. My personal favourites include: Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Gene Kelly, Jane Fonda, Faye Dunaway, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Woody Allen and, more recently, Russell Crowe (despite his bad reputation!) and Gwyneth Paltrow.

theuofc

I'll mention some films far afield, specifically two superb Kurosawa films starring the great Toshiro Mifune: The Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961). I first saw them on a real screen, albeit a small one, on our Friday night film meetings at university. I have never forgotten the impact of those b/w films and their themes of greed, honor, and bravery and what they show us of human nature. The wonderful cinematography and daring choices on the part of Kurosawa remain breathtaking through today.

Best,

Barbara

thirdlady

My favourite non british film

for excitement it's got to be "Usual Suspects"

for Visual effects it's got to be "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy"

Any Stanly Kubrik film I would have to be "The Shining"

citizen Kane
Breakfast at tiffany's
Roman holiday
Sabrina
Funny face
Paris when it sizzles
Charade
my fair lady
Swiming with the sharks
american beauty
westside story
miss Congeneality
Miss Congeneality 2
wayne's world
Austin powers man of mystery
goldmember
Funny girl
funny lady
the way we were
Meet the fockers

I forgot to add Sunset boulevard and the king and I and also grease and dirty dancing animal house and blazing saddles.

A.S.Carroll
"Happiness isn't sold in bottles you have to achieve it in your own lifetime!"

theuofc

A wonderful synopsis, Terry. Zhang Yimou puts the fond past in vivid colour and the sad present in black and white. In A Matter of Life and Death, Michael Powell puts the earth in colour but heaven in black and white (supposedly because everyone would expect the reverse!) The infinite variation in creativity and execution in film always thrills me. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clapping.gif[/img]

Best,

Barbara

Steve Crook

I always prefer Emeric Pressburger's explanation.
"Look around you - we know that this world is in colour"
It's The Wizard of Oz and others that seem to have got it the wrong way around.

It was later implied that "the other place" (it's never called "Heaven" in the film, Dickie Attenborough just uses that word as an adjective) was in something that was as far beyond colour as colour is beyond B&W that isn't visible to our mortal eyes. Have a look at what's going on behind the Judge (Abraham Sofaer). That would look even better in colour (or something beyond colour) but they deliberately did it in B&W.

Steve

Steve Crook

PaPAS

bloodworm

If i was forced to select one non brit film it would have to be the 1994 classic :- The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and the brilliant Morgan Freeman....

The one that gets away is always the biggest but not always the best !!

Steve Crook

When that appeared on one of those Channel 4 "Top 100 something or other" programmes it was fairly near the top. Someone involved with the film (director or producer) said that looking back, if only they'd given it a more pronounceable name then it would probably have done much better as a mainstream film rather than having to wait for it to be discovered by film fans and given "cult status" (whatever that means).

Steve

bloodworm

Who knows what "cult status" is. If you like a film you like it, and if alot like it its popular. When the film was released it was nominated for 7 acadamy awards but won none, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and Speed taking the attention. Diretor Frank Darabont went on to direct another Stephen King writing this time with better results, "The Green Mile"

C/U The Worm.

The one that gets away is always the biggest but not always the best !!

theuofc

Fascinating, Steve. I'm always hoping when I insert some PnP comments that you will add the gold nuggets.

Best,

Barbara

Jim

Having an interest in the English Civil War and things happening abroad at that time, I've always like the French film 'Danton' even with subtitles. I can watch it again and again. It has always fascinated me that revolutions can sometimes consume those that were it's principlal originators. Gerard Depardue (if that's the way to spell his name) always amuses me.

Good morning boys.

theuofc

Films I'd watch over and over, probably others but these spring to mind:

Abel Gance's "Napoleon"
"Nikita"
"The Seven Samurai""
"His Gal Friday"
"Anatomy of a Murder"
"The Train"
"Viva Zapata"
"Gods and Monsters"
"Kill Bill" 1 and 2

Barbara

theuofc

Tonight I watched "The Road Home," (1999) one of Zhang Yimou's quiet little gems that one happens upon if one is fortunate. It features a very young Ziyi Zhang six years before her grownup success in "Memoirs of a Geisha" whose extraordinary talent and beauty were evident even then.

This is a film that speaks to the music of the heart. It reminds one of melodies deep in the soul, the lyrics of young love, of unwavering loyalty and friendship which can bind two people in a passionate union that spans decades and all hardships. It reminds one of songs of praise to beloved parents and honored teachers who dedicate their lives to young students in rural villages. It echoes in us the chords of traditions which unite us in communities and flow unending from past to present.. "The Road Home" is a lovely film whose characters are beautifully portrayed with a simplicity and truth that cross linguistic borders. See it if you can and be prepared to open your heart.
Best,

Barbara

Rob Compton

What a lyrical post, Barbara, and a wonderful advertisement for the film, which I will try to see as soon as I can.

rgds
Rob

theuofc

Thanks so much, Rob. Always kind. I saw the film and sat down immediately and wrote the review from the heart. Do see it. I promise you it's one film that will leave you inspired in the human condition.
Best,

Barbara

foha80

Yes it is a wonderful advertisement for a wonderful film,Apart from the heart lifting story it is paean to the values that our grandparents left to us.

Terry