Top 10 Movies

Somebody asked me the other day what my top 10 movies were. I wasn't really sure how to answer that question. Do I base it on blowing me away or by the number of views? In the end, I went with movies that I've watched over and over again to the point where I can rehearse the script. So I guess this makes this list more along the lines of my favourite movies. While they may not be Academy Award winning or particularly profound, they must hold a special place for me to keep going to them over and over again.

So here it goes in no particular order:

10: The Matrix
The movie that blew everybody away in high school and spawned a cultural phenomenon. My generation's Star Wars, it raised questions of reality, humanity, technology, progression and evolution. Wrapped in a slick, comic noir, action movie, soon everybody was "dodging bullets" in the cafeteria, while wearing their sunglasses and trench coats.

Though my viewings have waned over time, Keanu gets annoying. While the 2nd part, Matrix Reloaded, I think was the best of the trilogy, the finale in Matrix Revolutions was enough to make the entire series unsatisfying.

9: Oceans 11 and Oceans 12 (The remakes)
Sorry Rat Pack, I find your version too campy. Plus this was the first movie that spawned the star studded ensemble genre (followed later by Crash, Love Actually and so on).

8: Batman Begins
Yes The Dark Knight is a better movie with Heath Ledger gives his finest and last performance, and the storyline is darker and more complex. But for me, Batman Begins is more watchable in terms of repeat watches. The time elapsed is more manageable at 2 hours instead of 3.

7: Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
I can't think of any other movie that is so jam packed full of jokes. Every time I re-watch the movie, I find something new that's funny. Though Anchorman and Elf may have been better performances from Will Ferrell, Ricky Bobby had a much better supporting cast humour wise than the other two.

6. The Bourne Trilogy
Matt Damon as an action star?!?! That's what I originally thought upon the first movies' release. But with it's mysterious storyline, complex action sequences and innovative cinematography, it changed the action movie genre completely. Without it, I doubt Casino Royale would have ever happened.

5: Star Wars (The Original Trilogy)
Specifically Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. While the effects now look dated, the script campy some of the acting mediocre (specifically Mark Hamill), the story is just as great as the first time I watched it as a kid, and the ideologies are even more relevant now.

On a side note, I remember watching the trilogy almost twice in a row (approx 12 hours) when studying for my grade 10 business exam. It was background to almost my entire high school exam studying career.

4: 10 Things I Hate About You
While American Pie 1 and 2 were arguably the teen movies of my generation, 10 Things I Hate About You is my teen movie of choice. A modern re-telling of Taming of the Shrew, the characters while exaggerated, were much more real, the jokes were smarter and sharper and the actors much better (Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, etc...).

3: Before Sunrise/Before Sunset
This indie romantic comedy features dialogue primarily between the two main characters. When I say primarily, I mean 95% plus. The character development and witty dialogue carry these films. Shot with only one camera, these movies stand out for me during a time when whoever has the biggest special effects budget, no matter how much it sucks, usually wins the day, that's right Avatar, I'm looking squarely at your crappy 3-D ass.

2: Transformers (The original animated movie)
I never cry during movies, but I ALMOST cry every time Optimus Prime dies.

1: The Princess Bride
There are way too many memorable quotes, but the dialogue I still remember hearing for the first time watching it as a child was during the sword battle between Wesley (The Man in Black) and Inigo.

Inigo Montoya: You are wonderful.
Man in Black: Thank you; I've worked hard to become so.
Inigo Montoya: I admit it, you are better than I am.
Man in Black: Then why are you smiling?
Inigo Montoya: Because I know something you don't know.
Man in Black: And what is that?
Inigo Montoya: I... am not left-handed.
[Moves his sword to his right hand and gains an advantage]
Man in Black: You are amazing.
Inigo Montoya: I ought to be, after 20 years.
Man in Black: Oh, there's something I ought to tell you.
Inigo Montoya: Tell me.
Man in Black: I'm not left-handed either.