Tuesday, February 15, 2022

RETROSPECT: "Greatest Films" or, User Picks from IMDb's "Top 250"


WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a companion piece to "Greatest Films of All-Time," focusing this time on picks from IMDb's "Top 250" list that don't currently have critical metascores. Instead, said films (as of this writing) are listed as they're ranked numerically, along with their respective star ratings by users, as well as review excerpts. 

The Great Dictator (1940, dir. Charlie Chaplin, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #57

IMDb Star Rating: 8.4

Review excerpt: 
Charlie Chaplin's first talkie, made over a decade after the introduction of sound, stands as a brave and controversial piece of filmmaking. . . . Chaplin plays a dual role: firstly as Adenoid Hynkel, the great dictator of the title and despotic ruler of Tomainia; and secondly - in a stroke of genius - as an amnesiac Jewish barber . . . Strangely, though, what remains so powerful about the film's satire is its outright silliness . . . [which] exposes the farcical base of fascism, bursting the swollen bubble of reactionary pomposity with deafening finality. The result is an incredibly effective satire.

Sunset Blvd. (1950, dir. Billy Wilder, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #61

IMDb Star Rating: 8.4

Review excerpts: 
Gloria Swanson deserves to be called iconic in Billy Wilder's priceless 1950 classic. She is Norma Desmond, the forgotten silent movie queen living in shabby, mouldering opulence. It is a delicious comedy with a psycho edge, as hard-up screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) has car trouble and pulls off Sunset Boulevard into a strange driveway, at the top of which lies a veritable Bates motel of sociopathy and rage: Norma's creepy mansion. He is sucked into the world of a kept man, with horrifying results. This is an unmissable commentary on Hollywood's rejection of its silent past: a kind of Sobbin' in the Rain.
~Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian 

Witness for the Prosecution (1957, dir. Billy Wilder, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #64

IMDb Star Rating: 8.4

Review excerpt: 
Agatha Christie’s popular blend of mysterious murders, eccentric characters, droll humor, and surprise endings have translated smoothly into many entertaining movies, including some all time-classics. In that glittering club . . . is Billy Wilder’s 1957 gem . . .
~Keith Humphreys, All Good Movies 

High and Low (1963, dir. Akira Kurosawa, Japan) 


IMDb "Top 250": #79

IMDb Star Rating: 8.4

Review excerpt(s): 
Here is one import—for suspense fans and students of moviecraft—that simply must be seen. Using, of all things, Ed McBain's strictly American novel, "King's Ransom," as a source, Mr. Kurosawa and two co-scenarists have transferred the kidnaping yarn from Manhattan to Yokohama, using a fine cast headed by the famous Toshiro Mifune. The result is a sizzling, artistic crackerjack and a model of its genre, pegged on a harassed man's moral decision, laced with firm characterizations and tingling detail and finally attaining an incredibly colorful crescendo of microscopic police sleuthing.

Come and See (1985, dir. Elem Klimov, Soviet Union) 


IMDb "Top 250": #88

IMDb Star Rating: 8.3

Review excerpt: 
Elem Klimov, the new head of the Soviet Filmmakers Association, explores the horrors of war in his classic coming-of-age drama Come and See. Directing with an angry eloquence, he taps into that hallucinatory nether world of blood and mud and escalating madness that Francis Coppola found in Apocalypse Now. And though he draws a surprisingly vivid performance from his inexperienced teen lead, Klimov's prowess is his visual poetry, muscular and animistic, like compatriot Andrei Konchalovsky's in his epic Siberiade.
~Rita Kempley, Washington Post 

Like Stars on Earth (2007, dir. Aamir Khan & Amole Gupte, India) 


IMDb "Top 250": #92

IMDb Star Rating: 8.4

Review excerpt: 
A far cry from the formulaic masala flicks churned out by the Bollywood machine, this sensitive drama centres on an eight-year-old dyslexic boy (Darsheel Safary) who struggles to be understood by the people and world around him, until a teacher reveals his hidden talent. An inspirational story that is as emotive as it is entertaining; this is a little twinkling star of a movie.

M (1931, dir. Fritz Lang, Germany) 


IMDb "Top 250": #94

IMDb Star Rating: 8.3

Review excerpt(s): 
It's an impeccable film -- a model of psychological suspense and a stunning display of Lang's power and skill. But it's [Peter] Lorre, in a seamless performance that seems to come from some horrifying source, whose image lingers long after the end of M.
~Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle

Bicycle Thieves (1948, dir. Vittorio De Sica, Italy) 


IMDb "Top 250": #102

IMDb Star Rating: 8.3

Review excerpt: 
Although not a comedy, The Bicycle Thief was inevitably compared to Chaplin in its content, its structure, its pathos, and its universality. (The mournful music and circular narrative predict the post–neorealist mannerism of Federico Fellini.) The Bicycle Thief looks back at the nickelodeon and forward to the European art film. De Sica’s masterpiece was not so much part of a new wave as the crest of an old one—the epitome of movies as a popular modernism.
~J. Hoberman, The Village Voice 

The Kid (1921, dir. Charlie Chaplin, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #104

IMDb Star Rating: 8.3

Review excerpt: 
The film's ability to combine genuine warmth, pathos and humor would later become a Chaplin trademark. No moment better illustrated that sublime combination than when the Tramp escapes the grim circumstances of his lot in the slums by imagining the place transformed into Heaven and its residents dressed in angel's wings.
~Felicia Feaster, Turner Classic Movies 

Dangal (2016, dir. Nitesh Tiwari, India) 

For a biopic to work well it should have a certain level of realism but there should be enough drama to keep the viewers engaged. Nitish Tiwari and team succeed in seamlessly blending realism and drama with a whiff of humor. 
~Murtaza Ali Khan, A Potpourri of Vestiges

Pather Ponchali (1955, dir. Satyajit Ray, India) 

It is about a time, place and culture far removed from our own, and yet it connects directly and deeply with our human feelings. It is like a prayer, affirming that this is what the cinema can be, no matter how far in our cynicism we may stray.
~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Jai Bhim (2021, dir. T.J. Gnanavel, India) 


IMDb "Top 250": #138

IMDb Star Rating: 9.3

Review excerpt: 
Jai Bhim, a powerful political salutation and slogan, is not verbalised in the film. But the phrase captures the film’s objective – to inform the viewers of the atrocities committed by the larger society on the impoverished minority communities, and more importantly, to instil the hope that truth and justice will eventually prevail, thanks to the work of good people.
~Aswathy Gopalakrishnan, Silver Screen India

The Gold Rush (1925, dir. Charlie Chaplin, USA) 

The Gold Rush is still Chaplin’s most perfectly realized comedy and one of those rare movies that enchant anew no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Viewing advice: Go with the restored silent version on the bonus disc instead of the 1942 rerelease for which Chaplin replaced intertitles with an annoyingly wordy narration.
~Tim Purtell, Entertainment Weekly 

Dersu Uzala (1975, dir. Akira Kurosawa, Japan/Soviet Union) 


IMDb "Top 250": #165

IMDb Star Rating: 8.3

Review excerpt: 
After a roughly ten-year decline in popularity and output (during which time Kurosawa attempted suicide), the master rose again in this stunning Russian-language film, co-produced by the Soviets. Based on a real-life adventurer's autobiographical journals and enhanced by the grizzled [Maksim] Munzak's poignant portrayal of the title character, this story of unlikely friendship and the passing of a way of life has a subtle beauty and near-mythic power. Kurosawa's versatile talents are on full display in this film, which won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 1975.

Tokyo Story (1953, dir. Yasujirō Ozu, Japan) 


IMDb "Top 250": #181

IMDb Star Rating: 8.2

Review excerpt(s): 
Tokyo Story . . . lacks sentimental triggers and contrived emotion; it looks away from moments a lesser movie would have exploited. It doesn't want to force our emotions, but to share its understanding. It does this so well that I am near tears in the last 30 minutes. It ennobles the cinema. It says, yes, a movie can help us make small steps against our imperfections.
~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

My Father and My Son (2005, dir. Çağan Irmak, Turkey) 


IMDb "Top 250": #183

IMDb Star Rating: 8.2

Review excerpt: 
A father wants his son to earn a degree in agriculture and takeover the family farm. The son instead goes off to the city to become a journalist. The military coup of 1980 is not kind to many, especially this family. Years later, he returns to the village with his own son. The way the family deals with the events, results in a wonderful movie. 
~Arun Krishnan, Asian Movie Pulse 

Stalker (1979, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet Union) 


IMDb "Top 250": #187

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt: 
Switching between grainy monochrome for the scenes in the industrially-ravaged police state and faded colour for those in the contaminated landscape of the Zone, Tarkovsky leads the viewer on an undeniably arduous journey. The shaven-haired and raggedly dressed appearance of Stalker himself suggests a political allegory, whilst there are numerous biblical and ecological references - from the crown of thorns donned by one of the pilgrims to the way the camera pans over rusting man-made detritus in a muddied river.

The General (1927, dir. Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #189

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt: 
The majority of the film is a long train chase and, as such, doesn’t demand much in the way of dialogue. The intertitles are therefore sparse, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the images. Keaton was interested in presenting a film of epic scope. 
~James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Sherlock Jr. (1924, dir. Buster Keaton, USA) 

The technical skill is faultless and, even if you’re not wowed by how they pulled it off, the sequences are immensely entertaining in their own right. Maybe it’s just personal taste, but this is why I have a preference for Keaton: his skits are more ingenious, better paced, and backed up with impressive stunt work. When you mix those daredevil antics with genuine movie magic, as he does here, you get a majestic, unforgettable farce.
~Richard Nelson, 100 Films

Mary and Max (2009, dir. Adam Elliot, Australia) 

The film labels itself as being based on a true story, but writer-director Adam Elliot has said . . . that Max was inspired by “a pen-friend in New York who I’ve been writing to for over twenty years.” So, less “based on a true story” and more “very loosely inspired by a true story” . . . While the film presents a gloomy, issue-heavy take on life, it also has a whimsical side, and that “true story” claim feels like it’s trying to justify both how grim things get and how fantastical they sometimes are, too.
~Richard Nelson, 100 Films in a Year 

Andhadhun (2018, dir. Sriram Raghavan, India) 

Raghavan’s script . . . rewards fans of crime thrillers with familiar genre nods like femmes fatales and characters who aren’t what they seem. Yet the story veers in unexpected ways, forcing the audience into a giddy series of emotional pivots, from shock to uneasy chuckles to horror to hysterical laughter, all in a matter of seconds. It’s astonishing how well Andhadhun pulls this off.
~Kathy Gibson, Access Bollywood

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer, France) 

You cannot know the history of silent film unless you know the face of Renee Maria Falconetti. In a medium without words, where the filmmakers believed that the camera captured the essence of characters through their faces, to see Falconetti in Dreyer's [film] is to look into eyes that will never leave you.
~Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Autumn Sonata (1978, dir. Ingmar Bergman, West Germany) 

Writer/director Ingmar Bergman’s . . . troubling family drama is almost entirely contained within [married couple] Viktor and Eva’s house over the thrifty 93-minute runtime.  Ingmar’s picture is minimalist, but he infuses so much backstory into the here and now that both Ingrid [Bergman] and Liv [Ullmann] relive their characters’ past strife and command it to the surface in subtle and brutally frank ways.
~Jeff Mitchell, Art House Film Wire

La Haine (1995, dir. Mathieu Kassovitz, France) 


IMDb "Top 250": #223

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt(s): 
Unlike the spate of American " 'hood movies" we've seen in the past five years, which romanticize their gangsta protagonists at the same time that they deplore them, [La Haine] has a plaintive, sympathetic chord that runs beneath the anger. It cuts deeper and shows us the foolishness of its characters as it mourns their inevitable tragedy.
~Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle (1996) 

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009, dir. Lasse Hallström, USA) 


IMDb "Top 250": #226

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt: 
Parents need to know that Hachi: A Dog's Tale is the story of great love and respect between a college professor and the puppy he rescues on a snowy night. It's a very gentle film that quickly engages the audience as it introduces a heroic dog, a man with a loving heart, and an idyllic setting. That engagement intensifies emotions, which later carry the story through the years to its bittersweet conclusion. 
~Joly Herman, Common Sense Media 

The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut, France) 


IMDb "Top 250": #227

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt: 
The 400 Blows is more than semi-autobiographical. Both [main protagonist] Antoine [Doinel] and the young Truffaut were social outcasts - failures at school, who turned to delinquency, ran away from home, and ended up in custody. But most significantly, as would become apparent throughout Truffaut's career, the one thing that made their lives worth living was their passion for cinema.

The Bandit (1996, dir. Yavuz Turgul, Turkey) 


IMDb "Top 250": #233

IMDb Star Rating: 8.2

Review excerpt: 
Most reviews of 'Bandit' have been highly positive. Several critics suggested that the film owed some of its popularity to the coincidence that it was released just as the scandal broke. One reviewer wrote that the film touched a nerve in Turkey because it reflected ''scandals which have touched the highest levels of the state."

Drishyam (2013, dir. Jeethu Joseph, India) 

Although it starts simply enough by drawing a picture of a fairly conventional family, [Drishyam] develops into a fascinating thriller where it’s difficult to predict exactly what will happen next.  The very ordinariness of the family makes their reactions and those of the other characters unexpected, while the developments in the plot are surprising at every turn.  There are a few moments where the story falters a little, but overall it’s intelligently written to show the effects of a sudden crisis and how important it is for a family to stick together when faced with adversity.
~Heather Wilson, Cinema Chaat

Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2019, dir. Lee Hwan-kyung, Turkey) 

One of the most satisfying aspects of Miracle of Cell No. 7 is the theme of redemption, the reminder that people who have committed crimes, as well as prison authorities, can change and see their own actions and the actions of others in ways that are the opposite of their own first impressions. Is Miracle of Cell No. 7 corny and manipulative? Sure. But if you like tearjerkers, you can’t go wrong with this one.
~David Wallechinsky, World Film Reviews

Hera Pheri (2000, dir. Priyadarshan, India) 

A milestone in BOLLYWOOD comedy.
~"familiar s" (Rotten Tomatoes, Audience Review) 

Andrei Rublev (1966, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet Union) 


IMDb "Top 250": #248

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt: 
Andrei Rublev is arguably the most accessible of Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky’s films. It is also his longest. Unlike his better-known movies, Solaris and Stalker, Andrei Rublev is historical (not science fiction). Nevertheless, it shares the same essential qualities as those later films in that it relies more on mood and atmosphere than narrative and character. Tarkovsky’s goal with Andrei Rublev was to recreate Medieval Russia (early 15th century) and drop the viewer into it, allowing him or her to explore the landscape along with the characters.
~James Berardinelli, ReelViews 

Nights of Cabiria (1957, dir. Federico Fellini, France/Italy) 


IMDb "Top 250": #249

IMDb Star Rating: 8.1

Review excerpt(s): 
Cabiria is a Roman prostitute whose hope for a better life is doomed because of her naivete. As the film opens, she is humiliated when her "boyfriend" grabs her purse and pushes her into the river. This shouldn't be funny, but Cabiria's innocent and romantic nature, combined with her bantam's anger at being duped, makes it a superb comic sequence, summing up Cabiria's nature: She's a bit ridiculous, maybe, but still a suffering human being.
~Walter Addiego, San Francisco Examiner
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