35mmReviews

Welcome to the new blog feature: Top Ten Tuesdays! In this new feature I'll be sharing with you guys (family, friends and visitors) a weekly list with the top ten films chosen from different criteria: Actors, Actresses, Genres, Directors, Film Studios, Decades, years, etc., the list is endless! It might also be a top ten list with the best or worst films on the criteria chosen for that week! So, I'm excited and glad to start the weekly post.

I've decided to start the new feature with such an extremely difficult selection: A top ten list with my favorite films of all times. Obviously, I might have had to leave some great films out that I would definitely include in this list, but at least, I can say that I feel good with the first list selected. So, shall we start?

Note: The films have been placed in NO particular order. Let's be honest... It has been extremely difficult for me to choose just ten films out of my large list of favorite films. Right?

10

Cool Runnings

Synopsis: The improbable but true story of Jamaica's first bobsled team--comprising a helicopter pilot, a reggae singer and a sprinter--which took part in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Personal Comments: One of my favorite comedies of all times. Directors Jon Turteltaub and Micky Moore were able to bring to life in the big screen one of the most unique sports events in Winter Olympics, a true and extremely inspiring event with a fresh and hilarious comedy touch. Great direction, amazing cast and a pretty funny plot and script. One of those films to keep in your personal collection!

9

The Matrix

Synopsis: Neo is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of 'the matrix'. The cops also seem to be after him, and he takes a chance on discovering what he has always suspected: that the world is not quite what it seems to be and a sinister conspiracy is at work.

Personal Comments: Brothers Lana and Andy Wachowski created one of the most amazing films of its time. Being a geek and tech lover, it was a pretty interesting concept and plot, mixed with a unique cast and produced with some of the most amazing CGI and visual effects we've seen in decades, and inspired so many other films after this release. It is definitely one of those films that will never get old!

8

Gone in 60 Seconds

Synopsis: Randall "Memphis" Raines long ago abandoned his life of crime, but after an ominous visit from an old friend, he finds he has no choice but to return to what he does best--stealing cars--in order to save his brother's life. It all comes down to one night, 50 cars and a mafia contract. A true automobile afficionado, Memphis has a burning passion for cars. He knows and loves every nut and bolt, every gleaming piece of chrome. Memphis is a car thief of legendary proportions. No fancy lock or alarm can stop him; your car will be there and gone in 60 seconds. Though he's always eluded the law while boosting every make and model imaginable, will his rusty skills be enough to rescue his brother from a particularly dangerous high stakes caper?

Personal Comments: One of the greatest (if not the greatest!) Nicolas Cage's films within the last decade. The film had it all: An impressive cast, action, speed, horse power, romance, suspense... And a great direction. A pretty good remake from the original film in 1974.

7

The Last Castle

Synopsis: The Castle is an unlikely last stop in the brilliant career of three-star General Irwin. Court-martialed and stripped of his rank, Irwin has been sentenced to the maximum security military prison, which is run with an iron fist by its warden, Colonel Winter. Winter can't help but respect the once-legendary general, but it isn't long before that respect turns to resentment and then open hostility as Irwin continually confronts the warden on his methods. Setting out to break Irwin by whatever means necessary, the colonel's tactics only fuel Irwin's defiance and cause the other prisoners to rally behind the general in his new mission: to seize control of the prison and remove Winter from his command. The men imprisoned in The Castle have been told that they are no longer soldiers... but they are about to prove that they can still fight a war.

Personal Comments: One of best films I've ever watched with Robert Redford. Robert Redford and James Gandolfini performed such amazing roles in this great action/drama film. The plot delivered a pretty interesting message. Definitely a great film to watch!

6

Any Given Sunday

Synopsis: The biggest battle for the NFL's Miami Sharks is not with the other teams, but within the Shark's own ranks as aging star quarterback, Jack "Cap" Rooney, and battle-weary coach, Tony D'Amato, go head to head with young players and new management who are more concerned with big money and the star-making potential of television than the ethics of the game or the health of its players.

Personal Comments: I'm a huge fan of sport films with a pretty strong and inspiring story. That's the case of Any Given Sunday. Performed by such an amazing cast led by one of my TOP favorite Hollywood actors, Al Pacino, it is definitely a great film to watch!

5

The Bourne Ultimatum

Synopsis: All he wanted was to disappear; instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is--legendary assassin. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne--all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.

Personal Comments: Even though I'm a huge fan of this trilogy, I must say that The Bourne Ultimatum is my top favorite one. The film was surprisingly entertaining and hugely captivating. Director Paul Greengrass delivered an exceptional action thriller and was able to bring the best acting performance from Matt Daemon, taking his fame to a higher level after this third Bourne Film.

4

The Dark Knight

Synopsis: With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

Personal Comments: Christopher Nolan is with absolute NO doubt, one of my top favorites of all times. This film was all about one particular person: The Joker! Heath Ledger performed one of the most disturbing and believable evil roles I've ever seen in a movie. His posthumous Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations and awards were more than meritory. Christian Bale has been the best Batman I've seen on the big screen also. There's no doubt about it. And I'm not saying that Val Kilmer or Michael Keaton didn't do a great job, is that Christopher Nolan took this Superhero to a different level with the help of this amazing cast. Definitely a great film to watch, especially as a preparation for the upcoming sequel: The Dark Knight Rises.

3

Remember the Titans

Synopsis: Based on the true story of the explosive events that took place in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971 when African-American football coach Herman Boone was hired to guide an integrated but racially polarized high school team--the T.C. Williams Titans. Angry, stubborn and a rigid taskmaster, Boone faces a cool reception from the team's players as well as an awkward relationship with assistant coach Bill Yoast, a local white man with seniority and a tradition of winning who was bypassed for the job. It's made clear that Bill has feelings of animosity for having to be an assistant under a black man. As the two men learn to overcome their ignorance and bigotry and realize that they have much in common--integrity, honor, and a strong work ethic--they work together to transfom a group of angry, unfocused players into a dynamic winning team of responsible young men. In the process, they also unite a divided community and ensure that Virginia will always "Remember the Titans."

Personal Comments: Obviously, I couldn't leave one of my top favorite actors out of the list: Denzel Washington. One of his BEST films ever was this amazing true story about how sports, politics and racially polarized events were brilliantly managed by a man who was able to tear those walls of racial differences and unite a community around their high school football team. Such an amazing and truly inspiring film worth to watch.

2

Inception

Synopsis: Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible -- inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Personal Comments: Christopher Nolan was the only director that was able to be in two of the ten films in this, my top ten favorite films. Does it say something? Yes, it is definitely one of my top favorite directors. It was interesting to see this film competing during the same year with another amazing production as Avatar. We know that both directors, James Cameron and Christopher Nolan spent years (if not decades) working on these films. The only difference? According with my personal opinion, Inception had a superb and strong plot. Performed by such an amazing cast, the film was one of the most exciting, intriguing and thought provoking films I've watched in a long, long time. Definitely one of my TOP favorite films of all time.

1

The Hangover

Synopsis: Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three friends drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. For some reason, they find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby in the closet of their suite at Caesars Palace. The one thing they can't find is Doug. With no clue as to what transpired and little time to spare, the trio must retrace their hazy steps and all their bad decisions in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time to walk down the aisle.

Personal Comments: There hasn't been a film that made me laugh as much as this film has made me laugh every single time I've watched it. It is definitely one of my top favorite films of all times! Worth to watch and have some great and crazy laughs, with one of the wildest plot and most hilarious cast I've seen in a single film in decades!