What is your favorite movie?

At first, I thought it would be hard to pick a film among the thousands I’ve seen, but then it seemed too easy. It was too obvious. Even if one says that it hasn’t passed the test of time, I’m sure BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN will always be remembered as one of the most breathtaking love stories of all time, along with Gone With The Wind and Casablanca, because of its mood, theme, structure, timing and craft.

The direction, the adaptation, the acting, the cinematography, the soundtrack… everything is impeccable and flawless. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN won many, many awards. Too many to write them down now. The movie had a consensual critical acclaim around the world and not winning the Oscar for Best Film was just an Academy bad joke. The cult will grow and that will help.

But the importance of this piece of art was beyond the movie scene. Like American Beauty, it made the “mainstream” talk and think about uncomfortable matters like conscience, desire, homosexuality and family values.

This daring story of two cowboys in love had a major impact on societies around the world. Its cultural significance was huge and we can read the threads in the forums in many internet movie sites to see the real impact of this film everywhere.

Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Last Tango in Paris, Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Citizen Kane, Godfather(s)… Yes, I’ve seen them all. And yes… I believe they were ahead of their times. But what do they say about my life? How long were they in my mind and in my heart since the first time I saw them? Did they shake my soul? Did they make me discuss important matters with my friends?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Taxi Driver… Fantastic movies that make us think about the society vs the individual. My follow-ups!

Universal themes: movies about love - Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life; movies about justice: Mr Smith Goes to Washington, 12 Angry Men; movies about despair: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Suddenly Last Summer, Rebel Without a Cause, A Streetcar Named Desire; movies about paranoia and conspiration theories: Hitchcock; movies about war: Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Black Hawk Down…We see the real thing everyday live on television. (Of course these subjects are important to dissecate and develop, to help the audience understand and question them. But, so are Michael Moore documentaries and…)

All About Eve, Sullivan’s Travels, Terms of Endearment, Sophie’s Choice, Moonstruck… I just love these ironic, deep and powerful movies. And - more recently - Requiem for a Dream, Donnie Darko, The House of Sand and Fog and The Lives of Others. But with all these choices I still think that BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is the most complete and balanced movie of them all. And it’s about love!

The dialogs

It has some of the funniest lines in the movies. It has great performances. It is a bit of a time capsule. It has one of the most realistic endings ever.

Ed Norton is superb.

The plot has a twisted morality to it.

The effects are great.

Sepia tones give period authenticity.

Filmed where the stroy takes place?

Wonderful supporting actors.

My favorites change from day to day and hour to hour. Star Wars was my favorite growing up, but The Godfather (I and II) really took over that top spot as I got older. The Lord of the Rings movies are fantastic. Pulp Fiction and The Exorcist would be in the conversation as well. The dark horses, and maybe my favorite under-the-radar movies, would have to be True Romance and Leon (The Professional).

Anyway, this is what’s great about great movies. There is no shortage of films to choose from. You can never get bored.

It took me forever to track this movie down when I was studying pre-code film, but it was definitely worth the search. It’s a beautiful pre-code romance set during the Depression with brilliant performances from Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young. It’s about complex people in a complicated relationship, and director Frank Borzage masterfully makes a fairytale world out of Depression-era New York.

They did everything right when they made this movie - good writing, good casting, good directing and good acting. When my husband and I saw it, we loved it because watching Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey fall in love reminded us of our own romance. We were married in 1963.

The music and dancing involving several generations is wonderful. The stories of love and caring between families, friends and lovers were great. This is a movie that will live forever.

Forrest Gump is a great movie which I think a lot of people miss the point of. Generally, people who view the film see it as story of a slow-witted man who manages to stumble his way through various historical events of the later half of the last century. While this is a big part of the movie, it’s not the main point. The main point of the film is represented by the analogy of the of the feather at the beginning and end of the movie. Did the feather accidentally land at Forrest’s feet or was it meant to land there? Does Forrest accidentally land in the situations in the film or was he meant to be there? Do we, in real life, land in situations and meet the people who become important parts of our lives accidentally or do these things occur because they are destined to be? As Forrest says in the movie, perhaps it’s a both happening at the same time. Like Forrest, we drift in an out of each other’s lives, seemingly without purpose. Yet, in the larger scheme of things, we all have purpose and what we do in our lives affects others in ways we cannot fathom. Perhaps, if we could sit back and view our lives like a movie, we would see how important each of us truly is and how important we are to others and they to us. We may all not become famous for our actions but they are by no means any less important.
In terms of filmmaking, all aspects of the movie are first-rate, resulting in a film that won six Oscars including Best Picture and Director. The effects are superb with the integration of Tom Hanks into the historical footage a particular standout. The musical score by Alan Silvestri is also excellent, punctuated throughout the film by pop hits spanning the timeline depicted in the movie. The film is well-acted with humor and charm by the cast, headed by Tom Hanks, who won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor for his performance. He portrays the title character with warmth and gentleness and never plays the character for a fool, because Forrest is not a fool. While Forrest is slow-witted, he possesses all of the traits we should strive for in our lives: selflessness, loyalty and lovingness. As Forrest says, “I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.”

Christopher Jensen

The Godfather is the best movie EVER. The way that Michael Corleone never intends to help the “family business” but ends up realizing after he has an opportunity to help out, that he is involved for good, and from then on becomes as involved as his father (The Godfather). The family is not bad, as long as people respect them and don’t stand in their way. The setting of the Godfather films: from Sicily, Italy, to New York, to Las Vegas, pre-Revolution Cuba, Hollywood, and more, really make the viewer feel they are in that time and place. I continue to seek gangster films better that the Godfather…but NOTHING compares!!! This is the best movie in American Film History.

YES PRISONBREAK ITS MY CHOICE,BECAUSE ALL ACTORES ARE VERY SERIOUS IN ACTION, NO ANY MISTAKE IN EVERY STEP, ALSO ACTRESS IS DOING WELL ON HER POSITION LIKE SARA AND SOFIA.

This movie was intense as it was funny. Atotal movie experience. I’ve seen it 25 plus times and never tire of it .

Seeing this movie at 9 years old back in 1977 just blew me away and changed my movie going experiences from then on. I became a life long fan of the movie and it’s sequels and to this day it remains the benchmark for just about every movie I’ve seen since.

I thought STAR WARS is a great movie because…it was amazingly technolgly advanced for its time. It was a great story with an amazing plot. The acting is way good. I thought this movie was a well thought up movie with great things going for it.

I’ve watched this movie 20+ times, and it just never gets old or tired for me. Annette Bening’s performance is incredible in all of it’s truth, subtlety, humor and pain. The score is one of my favorite of all time. Mena Suvari is perfect in this movie, as well. Her best performance to date. Chris Cooper, Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley and Allison Janney give incredible performances.
The story is well-written and perfectly executed. I haven’t been moved by a movie as much as I was by American Beauty. And still am.

If you seen it, then you know why. About 20 big time stars all have a part, the classic Tarrantine mixed timeline, the colors, the music (Oh yes, what a killer soundtrack!), the diagolugue,…..

This movie has found its way on top of my list. Why? Because it was the movie that really wowed me. Every time I watch it, and I’ve watched it over 50 times, it brings that nostalgic feeling. It reminds me of the the feeling I got, watching it with my dad in the old school theaters of the 80’s. It is the ultimate hero, adventure, action movie. The other 2 ain’t bad either, but this is my number one movie of all time.

Brilljant acting, and everytime i look at the movie, i learn something new,
best story ever with the best actor ever. the movie has everything;
happinness, crime, comedy, joy, drama, … the perfect movie

I think this movie is a masterpiece even now I have never see some movie as good as THE GODFATHER

When I think back on my first viewing of Superman in January 1979, I’m reminded of what a joyful and exhilarating experience that it was. To me, Superman was the first superhero film to actually take its main character seriously and not to exploit him or her for comic relief. The filmmakers created a universe where a man in blue tights and a red cape actually fits in and never once seems silly. And much of the credit for that can be attributed to the excellent portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman by the late Christopher Reeve. He brought this character to life and gave him a sense of feeling, depth and sincerity. And Margot Kidder is also true to the Lois Lane character, playing her as a strong-willed woman instead of the standard damsel-in-distress. A lot of the fun of the film is the interplay between these two characters. You just have to accept the fact that an top-notch reporter like Lois isn’t able to figure out that Clark is Superman. The special effects are great for the pre-CGI era in which they were produced and still hold up today. And as always, John Williams provides an excellent film score to accompany the movie. I still remember how cool it was in the darkened theater when the Superman march began to play and built up to the familiar theme just as the large Superman “S” blazed onto the screen. Simply an enjoyable film from end-to-end with a character who is imbued with all of the qualities we wish we could all have: a sense of goodness, fair play and, as always, the keeper of truth, justice and the American way!

Christopher Jensen

Roman Holiday is my favorite movie because it has a bit of everything, love, loss, action, comedy, drama. Everything…it makes you think, what if? what if you could love someone enough that you could let them go because that is the right thing to do. also it puts you in the position of both parties, the prince(ss) and the pauper (writer). to see both sides and want at the end for her to just turn around and run into his arms and them to kiss and them to live happily ever after. but the more you think about it, it is happily ever after because they had a real love and even though it was only a couple of days they can hold that forever and know that whatever my come they will always be loved!

This movie has emotion, you can feel, even if you could not see this film with your eyes. It’s a great story told in a way that you remember forever. The acting was just about perfect. If you have not seen this remarkable movie, or you have only seen bits and pieces, its time you sit down and watch it from start to finish. I promise you will not be disappointed.

It tells us, reminds us of what we lost in our childhood and which will never be recovered back. It represents to me the innocence in our young lives.

Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio make this movie great because they all have to play double lives. For instance Nicholson, who plays Frank Costello, an Irish mob boss in Boston, has to also be an FBI informant. Matt Damon, who plays Colin Sullivan, has to be a cop and Costello’s informant at the same time. DiCaprio’s character, Billy Costigan, grew up in a life of crime, and worked for Costello, but in secret he is a real undercover cop. Costigan and Sullivan are also sleeping with the same woman, which makes the subplots so intriguing.

There are so many movies that I love, but this one stands out for me. It brings out the childhood innocence that we all had and reminds of the loneliness that we all face in life, particulary with Elliot. Even if we all do not have the same situation that he is in, we still face some kind of loneliness and the need of a friend to help us with difficult times. Steven Spielberg is a national treasure and it reminds us why he is one of the greatest filmmakers.

Every year there is a new movie that came out some better than others, but Jurassic Park is the movie that stands out in my eyes why because of the impact it made on me when i was a kid i was like 4 or even 3 years old when i first saw that movie and wow did it ever capture my imagination. This was the first movie to ever show the full potential of CGI and it did a wonderful job, it was also the first time where it gave dinosaurs a animal personality than that of a monster. I was sourly dissapointed that Jurassic Park did not make it on the AFI’s list. This movie is like a Brothers Grim fairy tale told for the people of the scientific age. Becareful of what you can do for genetics is one of those things that man was never made to tamper with.

The Station Agent is one of those films about something so simple, it’s encouraging; it’s so taciturn that you’d never expect it to be as moving as it is. The pitfalls that the main characters go through are so seemingly commonplace that you can’t help but be inspired by the fortitude put forth by Fin, Joe and Olivia. Put simply, these characters are normal, even by real-world standards, and they surpass every obstacle thrown their way, while continually looking toward the future. Rather than making you feel inept, as most movies of this sort do, The Station Agent gives you hope for your own future.

Well, no, but I do consider Citizen Kane to be the greatest film ever made. As for the rest of the top 100, we have room to disagree. I think another Welles movie should be on that list: The Magnificent Ambersons. Incredible work!

A very advanced film for its time, especially in technical terms, THE WIZARD OF OZ embodies all of the elements of the hero’s journey in a story that celebrates the power of imagination and the quest for knowledge while reminding us that the values that support us in our quest begin at home.

Before I saw Brian De Palma’s “Scarface”, my two favoutite actors were Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. I didn’t watch every of their films yet, but after I saw one with one of them was acting in, I was thinking then who is better in all (let’s call it as my personal ranking) and sometimes it was Robert De Niro, sometimes it was Al Pacino. But one month ago I saw “Scarface” and my number one not only of the best actor but also of the best film of my entire life was born for sure. Al Pacino as Tony Montana is definiteley the best actor role I ever saw. Every scene with Pacino is still in my memory. And will be. He created something so realistic and unique, that I watched him with opened mouth. Pacino is incredible. But “Scarface” isn’t the best film I saw only because of Pacino/Montana. I love the unusual atmosphere of this film. It’s very, very… weird. This isn’t just a normal film about gangsters. It’s a drama, a tragic tale, I can easily say it’s a hard version of “Godfather” - but of course the three chapters of Coppola’s film are like in one in “Scarface”. The whole atmosphere of “Scarface” is intriguing also because of its fashion. Disco music and style is a solid ground for the story. I think that “Scarface” is one of not so many films ever did that is coherent in 100%. I can say about this film many other warm words. But I say for the end only: I love it.

Influential? definately. Stark? sure. Reflective, Poetic, and brilliant? without a doubt. This is one of those films, like the music of Tom Waits, for the truly obsessed and informed, there lies a passionate following. This film is the gold standard of how a film should work without sound. You can mute this one and still get it in full force. Youthful rage and alienation, naive love, and misguided wandering philosophies. This film incapsulates everything that Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’ does, without breaking a sweat or running it’s mouth. Terrence Malick is the most underappreciated reclusive genius in film. Check out all of his offerings ‘Thin Red Line’, ‘Days of Heaven’, and ‘The New World’.