Number 5 - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" (2018)
I can't remember a film that encapsulates so many of the wonders and horrors of the old west quite as well as "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." There is a love for the old west that is unparalleled, showcasing why so many people braved the harsh and unforgiving landscape and the joys and tragedies that came with it, like going out for buried treasure. Every vignette is crafted so meticulously with that classic Coen style that I can't help but love every part of this movie.
Number 4 - "The Big Lebowski" (1998)
More than anything, I think I love the philosophy of "The Big Lebowski." One could argue that the film is about nothing and yet is about everything at the same time. It has no meaning, and yet that gives it a purpose. It is both genius and idiotic. All of this is accomplished through the character of the Dude, who encapsulates a generation of people trying to find meaning in a harsh and unforgiving world by making peace with themselves before anything else. The Dude might be one of the most likable characters in cinema history and his lifestyle is certainly the most memorable thing about this movie.
Number 3 - "O Brother, Where Art Thou" (2000)
There's such a simple charm to "O Brother, Where Art Thou" that I can't help but love. There's something about taking the tale of the Odyssey and setting in the deep south while filling the air with catchy blue grass music that feel so heartwarming. It feels familiar and oh-so simple, and yet just fantastical enough to get engrossed in these hyper-active characters. The film is so vibrant and lovable that I can't help but say it's one of the Coens best films.
Number 2 - "No Country For Old Men" (2007)
For most people, it's always a toss-up for the best Coen brothers film between two choices. And while those two are my top two, it is always a difficult choice for me as to which is better. But if I had to pick, I'd put "No Country for Old Men" in the second spot. This is probably the best modern thriller, playing up the silence and loneliness of its three main characters as it delves into the unpredictable mind of a psychopath. Javier Bardem plays one of the greatest villains of all time, while Tommy Lee Jones brings it all back down to Earth by showing just how much people have changed and whether or not we can reason with this new breed of criminal. One of the most well-shot, suspenseful and terrifying movies I have ever seen.
Number 1 - "Fargo" (1996)
But after a lot of thinking, I can safely say that I prefer "Fargo" over "No Country for Old Men" for one very simple reason - Marge Gunderson. Not only one of my favorite film characters ever, but one of the most greatest characters in cinema history. Without her, "Fargo" is about a bunch of losers and morons desperately seeking something that they hope will bring them happiness. And yet, Marge reminds the audience what true happiness looks like. The film is a cautionary tale, while reminding the audience what really matters in life. It is uplifting, comforting and very funny in how pathetic some of its characters can be. Throw in some spectacular cinematography and feeling right at home with its Minnesotian charm, and you get one of the greatest black comedies of all time.
Number 5 - "Kill Bill: Volume Two" (2004)
One thing I've always loved about Tarantino is his love for classic yet obscure cinema and how well that comes across in most of his movies, especially in his "Kill Bill" saga. "Volume Two" is certainly the worse of the two films, but it's still just as captivating and intense as "Volume One." The film exchanges excellent sword fights for word play, speeches and suspense, which makes "Volume Two" feel more like a Shakespeare piece but with Tarantino's unique dialogue. And that is glorious.
Number 4 - "Kill Bill: Volume One" (2003)
But like I said, "Volume One" is the superior movie and one I can watch at any time. The action is just so energize and stylish that I can't take my eyes off of it. It's like if Tarantino took his dialogue and turned into a vibrant action sequence reminiscent of samurai films. I was tempted to include both films as one entry and put it much higher on the list, but since both films feel unique enough, I think it would be doing each film a disservice to count it as one movie.
Number 3 - "Pulp Fiction" (1994)
A true classic of 90s cinema. Such a smart, stylish movie with some of the greatest dialogue ever written. At times, it never actually feels like a movie, but just a slice of extravagent life with nothing cut out. While other times, the screenplay is so perfectly layered and crafted that rivals some of the greatest works of writing. There's no denying that "Pulp Fiction" is one of the greatest films in the last thirty years...but it's not Tarantino's best film.
Number 2 - "Django Unchained" (2012)
If you ask me, "Django Unchained" is where everything came together for Tarantino. With "Pulp Fiction," the screenplay was the star to the movie. With "Kill Bill: Volume One," it was the action and acting. But "Django" finds the perfect middle ground, where the dialogue always feels crisp powerful and real, but the acting compliments that every step of the way. In the end, we get a film that sounds and acts like a Tarantino film, but moves and feels like a truly great western. It's divorced just enough from Tarantino's normal style that becomes a timeless classic.
Number 1 - "Reservoir Dogs" (1992)
Sometimes the best ones are the most simple. As Tarantino's films became more and more elaborate and complex, I think started to move further away from the personal touch that made him so unique in the first place. "Reservoir Dogs" is Tarantino at his most human - his most compassionate, his most frightening, his most confused and his most heartfelt. All of these characters go through these raw emotions as their lives are threatened and it is some of the best confined yet simple cinema I've ever seen. Tarantino's passion and anger is still on full display, but it never comes across as over-the-top or in-your-face given the situation. It is one of the most simple yet effective movies ever made.
Number 5 - "The King of Comedy" (1982)
I can honestly say that "The King of Comedy" was the first Scorsese film that I fell in love with. The characters are charming yet gloriously over the top, the story makes great work about celebrity worship and what the culture of media does to entertainers without ever taking itself too seriously, and the chemistry between Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis is like a bad married couple where one of them doesn't see anything wrong. While Scorsese is wonderful at comedy, this is certainly his best black comedy.
Number 4 - "Raging Bull" (1980)
Certainly Scorsese's best looking movie. I've never seen boxing sequences that feel as authentic and visceral as "Raging Bull," to the point that it feels like I'm the one getting punched. While I've only seen this film once years ago, everything in the ring has left a massive impression on how I look at cinematography.
Number 3 - "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013)
Never had I ever seen a bigger collection of charming scumbags than in "The Wolf of Wall Street." The way Leonardo DiCaprio sells this little greedy world he lives in is so uproariously loving that its hard not to like all of these despicable pleasure seekers. And that's the true strength of this film - the love-hate relationship between Leonardo and the audience. We don't want to root for this self-absorbed creep but his belief in himself and his company is so strong that you kinda want to. Like another film later on this countdown, the film makes a doomed life almost worth living.
Link to original review of "The Wolf of Wall Street" - http://gotengoxgodzilla.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-hopper-7.html
Number 2 - "Taxi Driver" (1976)
Scorsese's strength has always been taking these loathsome characters that want to be bigger than themselves and make them into strong, relatable people, and it has never been done better than with Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver." This is a man seeking redemption and purpose without a clue to lead his lonely path, complimented by Robert De Niro's greatest performance. It is a disturbingly intimate look at a life that most people would want to look away from, yet we can't turn away from it.
Number 1 - "Goodfellas" (1990)
Not only my favorite Scorsese film, but my pick for the greatest gangster film of all time. The film proudly proclaims the power and attraction of being a gangster, saying that it's better than being the President, all while showing the greed that comes with that same power as we watch that beautiful attraction turn ugly. There is a love for the gangster in this film, stronger than any other I've seen, but never quite to the point of making them into heroes, but more like modern cowboys. "Goodfellas" is Scorsese at his most passionate, and I love it for that.
Link to my original review of "Goodfellas" - http://gotengoxgodzilla.blogspot.com/2015/06/pauls-favorite-films-number-21.html
Number 5 - "Fight Club" (1999)
"Fight Club" has grown on me in recent years, starting out as a film that put me to sleep into one that I admire from both a narrative and visual perspective. But the best thing about this is that both of these are all its own. I can't think of another film that moves and looks like "Fight Club," and even though others may try, none can quite replicate its confused punk rock aesthetic.
Number 4 - "The Social Network" (2010)
Another film that has an unbelievable narrative. This film came out when I was studying film in college, and I glanced over it, thinking that it was just another bland-looking biography of a man whose story isn't finished yet. But like "Fight Club," that time has allowed me to truly appreciate the turmoil and struggle for power that these characters embody. It certainly helps that the screenplay was written by Aaron Sorkin, whose dialogue is just as crisp and still hits as hard as freight train as ever, but the directing and cinematography are all Fincher, and that elevates this film to even greater heights.
Number 3 - "Zodiac" (2007)
Like the previous two entires, "Zodiac" didn't leave a big impression on me after my initial viewing. It isn't until I thought about some of the quieter moments and what every character was thinking about that I realized "Zodiac" was one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. It is unnerving in its mystery, heartbreaking in its struggle for the truth, and stunning in its unpredictability, leading to some of the most horrific scenes about a serial killer. The film puts you in the middle of this crazy time where facts, suspicions and myths are wound up over years of development, only made even scarier that all of this actually happened.
Link to original "Zodiac" review: http://gotengoxgodzilla.blogspot.com/2015/02/mini-reviews-4.html
Number 2 - "Gone Girl" (2014)
Typically, when I think of David Fincher, "Gone Girl" is the first film that come to mind. A mindbender of a thriller that has you not just second guessing the characters, but also yourself. Fincher's use of unreliable narrators is put to full use in "Gone Girl" and it has never been better, each scene building off of the last like a roller coaster that can't slow down as we watch a marriage get murdered. This is one of the most exciting, intense and thought-provoking thrillers since Hitchcock and one of Fincher's best.
Link to original "Gone Girl" review: http://gotengoxgodzilla.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-rise-of-hopper.html
Number 1 - "Seven" (1995)
As much as I wanted to give this spot to "Gone Girl," I just can't think of another film where Fincher outdid his first original production, one of the best police thrillers of all time. Strangely enough, out of all his film, "Seven" is both his darkest and brightest movie, giving us a serial killer that simply holds up a mirror to the audience, while offering a fascinating struggle between that darkness and the our own morality. Even though many of Fincher's films have stunning acting, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey are at their best here, making this whole disturbing thiller worthwhile.
Link to original "Seven" review: http://gotengoxgodzilla.blogspot.com/2015/06/pauls-favorite-films-number-23.html
