Some personal favorite films (2015 update)

Greetings,

I was asked if I can recommend movies to watch. Other than Amélie , that is ...  :)

1. ... AKA "The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain" in French 2001, Director ('D'): Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Director of Photography ('DP'): Bruno Delbonnel.

• Well... there are many I like, and my list of "need-to-see" is ever growing and I will never catch up with the many produced, and so well.
• I do have some personal favorites that I think are fantastic and I could share with you. Who doesn't have such a list, right ?   In no specific order, and thanks for asking:

2. Shawshank Redemption [USA 1994. Nominated for 7 Oscars. Director: Frank Darabont (based on a Stephen King story) DP: Roger Deakins ]

3. O Brother Where Art Thou (USA 2000. Nominated for screenplay & cinematography Oscars. Directors & writers: Joel & Ethan Coen - the Coen Brothers , DP: Roger Deakins (again!) ). It has a great soundtrack too.

4. Fight Club (US/Germany 1999 D: David Fincher, based on a novel by: Chuck Palahniuk, DP: Jeff Cronenweth)

5. The Life of Others (Germany 2006, Best foreign film Academy Award, Director & Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, DP: Hagen Bogdanski 

6. The Shining [USA 1980, D: Stanley Kubrick, (based on a Stephen King novel, again) DP: John Alcott. Kubrick & Alcott also collaborated on: A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975) & 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) ]

7. Moonrise Kingdom (USA 2012, D: Wes Anderson DP: Robert D. Yeoman)

8. City of Lost Children (France/Germany/Spain 1995, D: Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet , DP: Darius Khondji )

9. City of God (Brazil/France 2002, many awards, 4 Oscar nominations, D: Fernando Meirelles, DP: César Charlone )

10. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Taiwan | Hong Kong | USA | China 2000.  Won 4 out of 10 nominated Oscars including best foreign language film, D: Ang Lee, and best cinematography by DP: Peter Pau )

11. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [US 2004, D: Michel Gondry, Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman (won an Oscar for it), DP: Ellen Kuras (a woman!)]

12. Casablanca (USA Film Noir 1942, won 3 Academy awards) D: Michael Curtiz ,DP: Arthur Edeson )

13. Manhattan (USA Film Noir 1978, nominated for two. Won many awards in Europe and some the US... D: Woody Allen, DP: Gordon Willis )

14. Whale Rider ( New Zealand/Germany 2002, D: Niki Caro )

15. Slumdog Millionaire [India/UK 2008, nominated for 10, won 8 including best Film & Directors: Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan.  Best Writing: Simon Beaufoy (screenplay), Vikas Swarup (novel) & Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle.  Also Best Music, Original Song and Sound Mixing - yes a great soundtrack.]

16. American Beauty (US 1999, 6 Oscars including: Best Film/ Director - Sam Mendes and Best Cinematography - Conrad L. Hall )

17. North by NorthWest (USA 1959, Alfred Hitchcock, DP: Robert Burks. I have yet to watch Hitchcock's Psycho but Rear Window is as good)

18. Some well produced TV series are as excellent. To name a few: Six Feet Under, Big Love, Mad Men (sans last season), House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and The Americans (by FX)

19. [2015, this just in:]  "Birdman: (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"  [USA 2014, nominated for 9, won 4 Oscars including best Film, Director & original Screenplay - Alejandro González Iñárritu  &  Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (second DP Oscar in a row, 2013 for Gravity, 5 previous DP nominations, including for 'Children of Men', and many additional photography awards.) 

Birdman was awarded another 166 wins & 152 nominations. 

Cheers,

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▓▒░Ðani S.
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