I once asked one of my friends in film school his top three favorite films. He responded, rather smugly I must admit, with the following:
The Godfather,
Citizen Kane, and
Alien.
When he asked me mine, I responded with:
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,
The Fall, and
Network.
He laughed at me.
This brought up quite an interesting conversation with my other friends: Are the critically acclaimed and legendary movies really our favorites, or do we simply pull them into our "Top Ten" lists to give said lists some kind of credibility? When one of my friends brought up the question, "If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?" another pal of mine answered with
Lawrence of Arabia. Now, don't get me wrong, I think LoA is a damn good film and is easily one of the greatest ever made (starring my favorite actor of all time, Peter O'Toole), but if I could only watch LoA for the rest of my life, I'd probably go crazy. It's by no means a casual affair at the movies.
I feel we live in a day and age where one of two things happens:
A) We choose critically acclaimed films as our "favorites" because we want to have a respected and "acquired" taste for film.
B) We condone our "favorite" movies as the best ones ever made.
There's nothing wrong with your "Top Ten" list being filled with
any combination of movies. It could be all Japanese-Western-Steampunk-Musicals and you're entitled to your own opinion and tastes; but I'm always very wary of personal top ten lists of
Citizen Kane,
The Godfather,
The Shawshank Redemption,
2001: A Space Odessey,
Blade Runner etc. etc. Normally when I read lists like that, I feel the author is merely trying to impress someone.
But, of course, art is subjective. However, there are movies that can be seen in a technical aspect that makes them better than other films. I find
The Godfather to be an exceptional film, but every time Sonny misses the punch to his sister's husband's face during their confrontation on the street, I'm quickly taken out of that immersive world. Now, I can watch
The Godfather and walk away with extreme respect for the filmmakers and the movie's legacy; but it's probably not in my Top 50 Favorite Movies list just because it's got such a high standing. It never moved me, never gave me a real passion for cinema.
I've always defined a "perfect" movie as a movie that is not without flaws, but is a movie that has an irreplaceable cast and crew. That's why I love
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so much. I don't think any of the actors are interchangeable. They're so pitch-perfect, and Shane Black's direction and script is so tight and energized and appealing that I can't find a single element of it that I would want changed.
So, the question I pose to you is: Are your favorite films the critically and commercially masterpieces that appear on AFI's Top Lists? I'll go ahead and admit, as a lover of cinema, I've rarely been moved by pieces like
Psycho and
Fight Club. I don't doubt they're good; they just don't knock me the same was as my favorites do.
Is
The Dark Knight Rises really the worthwhile cinematic endeavor we were all hoping for? Is
The Avengers the answer to our movie prayers? Does
The Amazing Spider-Man deserve a spot against films like
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly? Who can say? I only hope that your favorite films aren't the ones people expect you to like; they're the ones that really move and inspire you, no matter how juvenile they may seem.
My Top Fifteen Movie List of All Time:
1. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
2. The Fall
3. Network
4. Munich
5. High Fidelity
6. Dog Day Afternoon
7. L.A. Confidential
8. In Bruges
9. 12 Angry Men
10. 13 Assassins
11. Strangers on a Train
12. Pan's Labyrinth
13. Let the Right One In
14. The Truman Show
15. Zodiac