John's Favorite Movies of All Time (Pt II)

Again a new year has come, and I frankly have seen so few new movies in 2020, I don't think I could even compile a "best of" list if I wanted to. What will even be nominated at the upcoming Oscars? I couldn't think of 5 movies to rub together in any category. The best movie I saw all year by a mile was "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," (also one of the last movies I saw in a physical theater), but does that even count as a 2020 release?

Instead, I have ventured further into film history, spending much of this year revisiting movies I haven't seen in a while. While my top 10 list from nearly a year ago (!!!) still feels very accurate in my mind, I can't help but think there are so many more movies that barely missed out. Consider this a continuation of the original 10, or possibly an extension... Who said a favorites list needs to be comprised of only 10 movies, anyways? In alphabetical order: 

ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)

Cameron Crowe's love story to rock music (and apparently many aspects of his own personal childhood) is one of the great "feel good" movies that I always go back to. A teen journalist named William Miller tags along on the road with one of his favorite bands, Stillwater, and along the way ultimately discovers a bit more about himself than he initially planned. The movie is full of iconic lines and performances (particularly Frances McDormand as Miller's mom and Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, a groupie who is as enigmatic as she is alluring). There are very few movies with such an amazing soundtrack, and even fewer that have a narrative to match. I can't think of a flaw. 

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

I don't think I gave ET enough credit when I first saw it as a kid. I was scared to death of ET in the field, and the sight of his water-logged body in the river will still make me turn away. I think I was just late to the party when I realized that Spielberg's film is in many ways his greatest achievement in a long list of memorable movies. There's something so beautiful to see the wonder of discovery through our protagonist's (Elliot) eyes, and the slow relationship that forms between him and the alien builds to one of the most beautiful crescendos and a finale that I don't think will ever leave my eyes anywhere close to dry. This is a lot more than just another kid's movie. 

GOODFELLAS (1990)

When I first saw "Goodfellas" I think I was put off by the amount of narration, the relentless pace, and the lack of empathy for almost any character. It seems, however, that the more I watch the more I find myself wrapped up in this air-tight story of the mob and the rise and fall of Henry Hill. We learn every aspect of the life of a gangster; from how they plan a robbery, to how their wives do their makeup and gossip over the dinner table. It's a remarkable accomplishment by director Martin Scorsese who manages to find such high art in the lowliest of criminals. I don't think he's yet made a better picture.

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986)

The uncomfortable feeling of separating the director from the art is not all too difficult in this case, and with "Hannah and Her Sisters" it's simply undeniably one of the most emotional and well-written scripts ever produced, even by Woody Allen standards. The story of three sisters with the bookend scenes of Thanksgiving dinner, we weave in and out of each of their lives as these women struggle with infidelity, unemployment, pregnancy, betrayal, and so much more. We still have the neurotic Woody Allen tropes that come to identify most of his pictures, but for one reason or another, "Hannah" rises above all the rest and lands firmly as a timeless portrait of family that I will never get tired of rewatching. 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

Another movie I really wouldn't have taken seriously in any other year, but rewatching it this last Christmas for the first time in many years changed my mind about the importance of Frank Capra's holiday classic. The hero journey of Jimmy Stewart's character George Bailey culminates in one of cinema's most iconic "deus ex machina" finales, but the story of Bailey in the setting of Bedford Falls feels so timely, even nearly 80 years later. One wouldn't presume that Capra approached this as a political story, but the wealth inequality that sneaks through the story helps all the more in establishing some of the most powerful moments in the movie. Here we are again with another tear jerker of a finale, and that incredibly powerful closing: no one is a failure who has friends. 

MARY POPPINS (1964)

Disney's crowning achievement of live-action movies (arguably even through to today) is simply one of the most wonderful and infectious movies I've ever seen. Julie Andrews' debut is practically perfect in every way as the magic nanny with two parts sass and perfect pitch to match. I'm sure everyone has seen it, and even felt awakened by re-examining the story through the lens of "Saving Mr Banks," but the film still triumphs as a technical marvel of visual effects, of some of the most catchy original music, and the ultimate triumph of the story of a man who comes to find there is more to life than just his fiduciary responsibilities.  

NETWORK (1976)

Paddy Chayefsky's screenplay is quite simply a wonder of writing, both in terms of the sharp characters drawn, and its uncanny glimpse into the future of news media and pop culture. The story of an unhinged news reporter who vows to commit suicide on air and ultimately blasts his way into the stratosphere of television ratings is at times funny, cruel, heartbreaking, and nauseating. Here is another movie with so few characters earning our sympathy (though Beatrice Straight's monologue certainly goes down as one of cinema's best), and yet the technical "wow" factors of director Sidney Lumet and the endlessly powerful cast makes this something you won't ever forget. 

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

I go back and forth in my mind as to what is Hitchcock's "best" movie, and I usually settle on a close race between this, "Vertigo," and "Rear Window." For sheer entertainment value, I can think of no movie more deserving than the vast scale and epic journey taken by Carey Grant across northeastern America. A case of mistaken identity as only Alfred Hitchcock could pull off, this story follows Roger Thornhill, aka George Kaplan, as he evades kidnapping and murder attempts all while sinking deeper into a story of espionage and mystery. It's also one of the director's funniest films, and Grant just charms our socks off like so few movie stars have ever done. 

PARIS, TEXAS (1984)

Wim Wenders' film is simply visual poetry. A man emerges from the desert after having been missing for some time. He rejoins his brother and family, and slowly the mystery surrounding his disappearance becomes all the more moving. Harry Dean Stanton's lead performance is subtle in ways that almost any other actor might have spoiled. It's a western with no villain. It's a love story with no kiss. It's a revenge movie but only within the character's own heart. The final scene of this movie, a peculiar setup in which two people are positioned on opposite sides of a one-way mirror, is possibly my all-time favorite scene setting and features some of the absolute best cinematography and writing you will ever see. 

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928)

At the end of the list is the oldest movie I have featured; a silent retelling of the trial of Joan of Arc. A French picture directed by Carl Dreyer, the movie is notable for having almost been lost in a fire only to have a preserved copy found years later. Full of grand sets and such unique camera angles, what is fascinating is the face of our heroine - Renee Jeanne Falconetti, an actress of such considerable talents that many still consider her performance the best of all time (in movies, that is). Told almost entirely in closeups, the story revolves around the utter torment of a woman who meets her fate despite many chances to save her own life. For a movie almost 100 years old, it still feels so fresh, inventive, and has lost none of its power over the years. That's remarkable filmmaking.