Aaron's 100 - 2021 Edition: No. 100 - 76

I love lists. I also realize that, when it comes to ranking films, lists can be somewhat silly. I mean, how can you rank a comedy as compared to a heavy drama? But hey, I can't help that my brain works this way. I actually keep a running list on my phone of my 100 favorite films, and the list is constantly changing. I decided that, rather than keep it to myself, I should share it with you. So, over the next few weeks, I'll be posting my 100 favorite films of all time. I started this in 2018, and you can find past versions of the list by heading over to my Movie Journal. On this year’s edition, I’ll make a note of where each film showed up the previous year (HM stands for Honorable Mention and NR stands for Not Ranked).

They'll come in increments of 25, with this post featuring numbers 100-76. Keep in mind a few things: 1) these are my personal favorites, so I'm not saying these are the 100 objectively best films ever made and 2) I am not giving a blanket recommendation for every film on this list. You should certainly keep in mind age and content maturity when viewing some of these films (for more info on that, check out this post). Also, this series will only focus on feature films, so you won't see any documentaries. Finally, for any films that I have previously reviewed, there will be a button below each title for you to click through to the original review. My plan is to post this series every year to see how my rankings have changed. But enough intro, let's get to the list! Here are numbers 100-76...

100. Experiment in Terror

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100. Experiment in Terror - Blake Edwards (1962) I discovered this film while perusing the Criterion Channel. I knew Blake Edwards as the director of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Pink Panther films, so a gritty noir film from him was a pleasant surprise. Lee Remick is great here, and the storyline is absolutely riveting. It seems to have been a daring film for its time, and it definitely holds up when viewed now. If you enjoy crime thrillers and classic noir, you’ll like this one. Last year’s ranking - #89

99. Steve Jobs - Danny Boyle (2015) Here is a new entrant to the list. It comes from one of my favorite writers - Aaron Sorkin. Other than his acclaim as the creator and showrunner for The West Wing, Sorkin has become known for writing movies about the great men of our times. More accurately, his screenplays unearth how the greatness of their accomplishments belies deep flaws in their character. When writing a movie about Steve Jobs, it would be easy to follow the tried-and-true method of the “greatest hits” style biopic. Instead, Sorkin goes for a story that subverts the biopic template and glides over major points in Jobs’ career. What results is a fascinating film that creates space for one of Michael Fassbender’s greatest performances - and that’s saying a lot! Last year’s ranking - NR

98. Max Max: Fury Road - George Miller (2015) While I was blown away by the technical achievement of this film on my first watch, the totality of the story did not hit me until I watched it again. There’s a reason this has started showing up on lists of the greatest action movies ever. The stunts are absolutely incredible, and the cinematography is breathtaking. Add in a fantastic performance from Charlize Theron, and you have an unforgettable film that finally breaks into my top 100 after a couple years on the cusp. Last year’s ranking - HM #1

97. Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig (2017) I didn't quite appreciate the power of Lady Bird's screenplay the first time I saw it. But then I saw it again...and again...and again. First off, it's an incredibly-charming film, one that invites repeated viewing. And each time you watch it, you catch more of the subtlety in the relationship between Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) and her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf). I love Jon Brion's music in this film, but - above all - it is Greta Gerwig's laser-focused screenplay that drives this film. It's so wonderfully-written, and I can't think of a movie that more artfully explores the mother/daughter relationship. I also appreciate that this film chooses not to frame its coming-of-age story around a romantic relationship, but rather a familial one. There are so many wonderful directorial choices from Gerwig here, and that is why this was not only one of the best films from 2017 but also one of the best films from any year. Last year’s ranking - HM #14

96. Widows - Steve McQueen (2018) Here is a film that has a lot going on but is somehow able to keep it all together. The film’s main storyline centers around widows who must pay off the debts their husbands owed to nefarious criminals. But this film uses that story to touch on themes of race, class, gender, politics, and the overall nature of good and evil. This is a powerful film, one that I did not think was given its due by critics. And the continuous shot from outside the SUV as Colin Farrell’s character is being chauffeured around Chicago is an all-timer. Last year’s ranking - #91

95. Little Women - Greta Gerwig (2019) This is the first of multiple films released in 2019 that will be showing up on this list. I wasn’t sure if Greta Gerwig would be able to top Lady Bird, but any doubts I had were washed about by this incredible film. From the music, to the acting performances, to the script that deftly jumps around on a shifting timeline, this movie has it all. I think this film put on display just how spectacular an artist Gerwig is. After crafting an original film that was just about perfect, she went to a literary classic that has been adapted multiple times. Despite all that, she was able to put her own unique touch on it and bring a modern perspective to this story. Also, anyone who says that it’s impossible for the viewer to keep track of the timeline is not paying close enough attention. Gerwig gives enough visual cues for the audience to know where the story is. Last year’s ranking - #87

94. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

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94. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Marielle Heller (2019) Some of the most talented directors working today are women, and Marielle Heller is certainly near the top of the list. Here, she masterfully creates a story about sincerity, with one of the most sincere figures in pop culture history - Fred Rogers - as part of the story. But this is not really his story, and the way Heller brings that to life is fantastic. This film, unfortunately, went under the radar a bit when it came to awards. But I thought it was clearly one of the best films of its year and one of the best I’ve ever seen. Last year’s ranking - #86

93. 8 1/2 - Federico Fellini (1963) One of the best films about filmmaking to ever grace the screen, this classic from Italian master Federico Fellini is intoxicating from beginning to end. Fellini had such a wonderful eye for visuals, and creates some legendary ones here. Legendary Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni gives a wonderful performance as aging director Guido Anselmi. If you are a cinephile, this is a movie that must be on your list to watch. It has interesting things to say about the art of filmmaking itself, and it is one of the best examples of the type of art to which filmmaking can aspire. Last year’s ranking - #85

92. Red Beard - Akira Kurosawa (1965) We go from Fellini to Akira Kurosawa - another titanic director of cinema history. Given that it's a Kurosawa film, it goes without saying that Red Beard is visually interesting. There are many powerful shots, including the header image above from a scene with visuals that stuck in my head for days after watching the film. It is long, coming in at over three hours. But its profound storyline never lets it feel arduous. Here we watch as the young Dr. Noboru Yasumoto (Yuzo Kayama) comes to a local clinic to care for the sick there. As the film begins, he sees the patients as simply dirty and sickly. But as the film continues, he - along with we as the audience - begin to consider the humanity of everyone we see. I also reviewed this film for Filmotomy as part of their World Cinema Project. Last year’s ranking - #84

91. Wings of Desire - Wim Wenders (1987) What an emotional film this is. It won Wim Wenders the Best Director award at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. It centers around angels who help people in and around Berlin. Wenders uses the camera to pull us into the film’s unique perspective. It is that perspective that supports the emotional impact of the film’s story. The acting is incredible across the board, as well. For more on this film, you can check out my review for Filmotomy’s leadup series to the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Last year’s ranking - #83

90. Rashomon - Akira Kurosawa (1950) Here’s another masterpiece from Kurosawa - one of the masters of cinema. Here, he toyed with narrative structure in a way that would be copied for years to come. This influenced the use of nonlinear stories, unreliable narrators, and competing narratives that have become commonplace in modern cinema. In fact, Kurosawa didn't only influence movie making with his revolutionary techniques in this film. In legal circles, there is a specific name given to the phenomenon of two eyewitnesses giving contradictory statements. Know what it's called? The "Rashomon effect." (For more information on this film's impact, I'll direct you to this wonderful article from Criterion.) Here, multiple characters tell the story of the same crime but in different ways. We are allowed to "see" the crime from each perspective and come to our own conclusions about the truth. Kurosawa is a legend, and this is one of his finest films. Last year’s ranking - #82

89. The Farewell - Lulu Wang (2019) Here is another female-directed film from 2019. Lulu Wang created a masterpiece for this story of a Chinese family dealing with the news of the deteriorating health of their matriarch. It hit me in a special way, as I lost my own grandmother in 2019. The story is expertly crafted, and the acting is fantastic. This is a film I plan on revisiting many times. Last year’s ranking - #81

88. Dr. Strangelove

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

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88. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - Stanley Kubrick (1964) "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the War Room!" This has to be one of the funniest films ever made. Just the scene of President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) on the phone with the Russian president is enough to have me rolling on the floor in laughter. A farce about an accidental nuclear crisis may sound iffy at first, but Kubrick and company handle the material perfectly. Sellers plays three roles in the film, but there is another story about its production that has always fascinated me. Kubrick and George C. Scott had competing ideas regarding Scott's portrayal of Gen. "Buck" Turgidson. Kubrick asked Scott to do some zany, over-the-top takes that he assured the actor he wouldn't use. However, unbeknownst to Scott, Kubrick left the cameras rolling. These takes were the ones that ended up in the film, and Scott vowed never to work with Kubrick again. While the film is obviously a farce, it may have gotten a little closer to the truth than anyone in the U.S. defense command would have like to admit. I also wrote a capsule review of this film for Filmotomy's British cinema series. Last year’s ranking - #77

87. Requiem for a Dream - Darren Aronofsky (2000) I watched this film alone at my house. By the end, I had tears in my eyes. You can’t help but feel for these characters who are absolutely broken. Darren Aronofsky has made a career out of striking yet difficult filmmaking. I find that I have appreciated his style repeatedly, and there will be another of his films later on this list. This one remains one of the most memorable first watches I’ve ever had, and that puts it on the list for the very first time this year. Last year’s ranking - NR

86. Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock (1954) Here is a film that considers the uses of the camera and the visual medium of film itself in telling a story. Hitchcock is often considered the greatest director who ever lived precisely because he had this mastery of visual storytelling. Jimmy Stewart plays a bedridden character who can only look out his back window through binoculars. The remainder of this murder mystery plays out mainly through visuals alone - we see the evidence in front of us. It is an audacious vision, and Hitchcock realizes it completely. In a career full of great films, this is one of Hitch’s best. Last year’s ranking - #71

85. Pan’s Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro (2006) Director Guillermo del Toro weaves a beautiful story full of wonder and childlike innocence in the face of war and brutality in this modern classic. It has religious undertones that I found to be quite interesting, and the visuals are astounding. I would not necessarily say this is a film for children due to some of its scenes of violence and even some elements of horror. However, I think this is a great film for families who want to start discussions together. There’s a lot to unpack here, and del Toro is an absolute master storyteller. Last year’s ranking - #73

84. The Social Network - David Fincher (2010) As I said before, Aaron Sorkin is one of my favorite writers. This is the film for which he won his Oscar. The script is incredible, and it seems even more timely today. This film is endlessly rewatchable, and it has a bevy of acting talent. Many look back and say this film should have won Best Picture in 2010. While I’m not sure I agree (you’ll see some other films from that year later on in this list), there’s no doubt that this film is an all-timer in its own right. And beyond Sorkin’s writing, the direction from Fincher plus the incredible score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross make this a fascinating cinematic experience. Last year’s ranking - #88

83. It's a Wonderful Life - Frank Capra (1946) Classic. What other word is there for this film? It was entered into the public domain in 1974 due to a clerical error which kept the film's original copyright owner from filing a renewal. Because of this, from the mid-70s on, it was routinely shown on network television around Christmastime. This gave it a second life after it was critically-acclaimed but not well-received by the public upon its initial release. In the years since, it has become an absolute classic. George Bailey (James Stewart) is simply one of the all-time great movie characters. And Capra's direction is, for lack of a better word, wonderful. Once you see this film, it is nearly impossible to keep from being enchanted by it. My father-in-law and I share a love for this movie, and we usually re-watch it together at Christmas. Last year’s ranking - #80

82. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Peter Jackson (2002) Here it is, the first of the LOTR trilogy to appear on my list - but certainly not the last. Surely arguments will continue for decades as to how to rank the films in this trilogy. The bottom line - each film is fantastic, and they all helped change the way visual effects would be used over the next decade of filmmaking. The Two Towers has one of the best sequences in the entire trilogy (Helm's Deep), and its opening scene is incredible. The sheer undertaking upon which Jackson and his team of creators embarked is utterly astounding. While I prefer the other two films in the trilogy, this remains one of my favorite films ever made. I will always have a soft spot for this trilogy. Last year’s ranking - #79

81. Zodiac - David Fincher (2007) I recently re-watched this film, and it reinvigorated my love for it. It is a long film, yes, but the pacing doesn’t make it feel like one. There are few examples of obsession in the movies that are as good as Jake Gyllenhaal's portrayal of author and cartoonist, Robert Graysmith. It was Graysmith who was part of the original team at the San Francisco Chronicle who tracked the Zodiac killer in the late 1960s. For the next 20 years, he was obsessed with the case, and he wrote the book on which this film's storyline is based. The film's opening scene is one of my favorite uses of music to set the mood for a sequence, and it lays the foundation for the feel of the film as a whole. Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. are both solid in supporting roles, but this is Gyllenhaal's film. And director David Fincher's flair and style have rarely been better suited for a film than they are here. Last year’s ranking - #78

80. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Adam McKay (2004) You should feel free to tweet at me with any feedback you have on this list. However, let me stop you before you start berating me for ranking this 2004 comedy over whatever film you deem to have been snubbed. First of all, this is a bona fide great film with one of the best comedic performances (Will Ferrell) ever. The Ron Burgundy character is now, well, a legend. Second, there are few films that have implanted themselves into my memory like this one. All my friends knew the quotes. I've seen it countless times. I even dressed up as Brick Tamland (Steve Carell) for a college costume contest (which my friends and I won, by the way). So you can tell me I'm wrong all you want. I'll simply sit back and remark - "Well, that escalated quickly." Last year’s ranking - #76

79. Marty - Delbert Mann (1955) Paddy Chayefsky may just be the best screenwriter that the movies have ever seen. He remains the only person to win three Academy Awards for screenwriting, having been the only credited writer for each. His first such win came for this film, an Oscar underdog if there ever was one. It doesn't tell an epic story. It had a small budget, and its acting lead (Ernest Borgnine as the title character) was known more for his supporting roles to that point. Not after his performance here. Borgnine would go on to beat the likes of Spencer Tracy, James Dean, Frank Sinatra, and James Cagney for Best Actor. This is a film that is executed perfectly by the cast and crew alike. We feel Marty's loneliness in a palpable way. This is mainly a testament to Chayefsky's wonderful screenplay, but that material is elevated by the acting and the technical prowess displayed. Last year’s ranking - #75

78. The Insider - Michael Mann (1999) Here is another new entrant onto the list, and it comes from a director who has quickly become one of my favorites. Michael Mann injects style into each of his films. For this one, however, he takes a more workmanlike approach to tell the story of a journalist on the story of a lifetime - the corruption of one of the largest tobacco companies in the world. This is the true story of the 60 Minutes special that brought down Brown & Williamson for their immoral business practices. Al Pacino and Russell Crowe are fantastic together, and this film just keeps pulling you in. Last year’s ranking - NR

77. Home Alone - Chris Columbus (1990) Talk about nostalgic! My brother and I watched the Home Alone films so much growing up. This is basically a kid's dream - to run the house on your own. I appreciate the perspective of the younger sibling, though my family was not nearly as large as Kevin McCallister's (Macaulay Culkin). Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are hilarious as the classic crime duo - the Wet Bandits. This film is funny and charming at times, but it is at its best when it looks at themes of family and friendship through the eyes of its young lead. And hopefully this was a cautionary tale that kept parents from leaving their kids at home. Last year’s ranking - #74

76. Cold War - Pawel Pawlikowski (2018) This film has become infamous in our household. I showed it to Sarah one evening, and she hated it. That happens from time to time; my wife and I have different movie tastes. I think this film is intoxicating. It sweeps through the Cold War era by focusing on two lovers in postwar Poland. The story moves in and out of their lives with gaps and rapturous moments of losing each other and finding each other once again. Joanna Kulig is absolutely incredible, and I would have given her the Best Actress Oscar in 2019. Foreign films don’t often get much love from the Academy outside of the Best Foreign Language category, but this film is so good that it garnered Pawlikowski a Best Director nomination. The film is available on Amazon Prime, and you will not regret watching it. Last year’s ranking - #72

So, there you have it. We are well into the main list! Check back next week for numbers 75-51. For now, leave me a comment below or tweet at me to let me know what films you think I missed. Thanks, friends!