We’re one more down in our incredible Top 10 Movies of All Time list with our superstar cast! This list may not be full of the most critically acclaimed movies, but it’s definitely full of loved movies. We all have different takes on what we like and that’s what keeps it interesting. Check out #9 and #10 if you missed them the previous weeks. Sit down and watch what we have in store for you this week!
Kai – “The Social Network”
“The Social Network” is, first of all, a masterfully-made movie. It has an Oscar-winning script from Aaron Sorkin, directed superbly by David Fincher, with an amazing score by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, not to mention a great cast led by a very believable Jesse Eisenberg. The movie‘s tone perfectly captured the biting irony of lonely tech nerds as well as the manic enthusiasm of Silicon Valley.
The Social Network catapulted the tech world into its current “cool” status. My biggest problem with this movie is that after it came out, I was asked once a week by an acquaintance about some new startup idea they had. Other than that, it was really fun to see my dreams (at the time) played out as an onscreen epic. The movie‘s reality and empathy toward the tech world really made it resonate with me.
Andrew – “Saving Private Ryan”
It’s just one of those movies where if it’s on I have to watch it.
Sophie – “Apollo 13” (1995)
What an amazing movie, with a cast of heavy hitters. Based on a true story, it will have you at the edge of your seat the whole time. Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and the great Bill Paxton, plus the whole crew at NASA, work to bring Apollo 13 home safely at a time when space travel captured the public and united a nation.
Po – “Hero”
Come in expecting a big dumb action movie. Leave with sweeping set pieces, gorgeous colors, and thought-provoking quotes swirling in your mind. It’s more ballet than battle, and I assure you, it’s the best of both.
Randy – “The Godfather”
The Godfather is a lush, well acted Mafia movie. Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his Don Corleone and during the movie he changes from being the tough head of mob family to being a loving old grandfather. The cinematography is rich with deep brown golden hues – watch this movie on the biggest screen possible to enjoy the visual work here. The only thing I don’t like about The Godfather is that it’s violent (!) though nothing like the viscera-spilling violence of movies today. But I can’t resist watching it again and again because of the terrific script by the director Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo (who wrote the novel), Nino Rota’s haunting music, the crisp sound and the direction that are all superb.
It has some of the most detailed and beautiful 40’s & 50’s art direction I’ve seen. And I always enjoy The Godfather’s acting — all the roles, large and small, are so believable. You think, what would I change about Robert Castellano – Clemenza – the mob lieutenant? Or Sterling Hayden’s crooked police captain? Or Robert Duvall – Tom Hagen – the family’s consigliere? Or Diane Keaton – Kay Adams / Michael Corleone’s girl friend? (It was Keaton’s first film role) Or James Caan – Sonny Corleone – the hothead son? Nothing. Godfather II is good, too, maybe even better than The Godfather, but the original movie made a stronger impression on me.
Scott – “Captain America: Winter Soldier” [SPOILERS]
“What would you do for your best friend?” A simple premise told many times before but this time with superheroes that can punch through walls and run as fast as cars. The first Captain America was terrible, complete with blue Nazi lasers. Winter Soldier starts down the path of generic superhero movie, but takes a right turn. The ploy at the start is someone has infiltrated SHIELD but when Nick Fury dies and the main antagonist is revealed to be Cap’s best friend the plot takes on a different tone. A story of trust and betrayal takes the place of the generic super hero plot of who can punch harder.
There are still the massive bombastic scenes that make superhero movies the draw they are today; Cap’s fight in the elevator is one of the best hand-to-hand fight scenes in a Western movie. The great action is accented very well by awesome fish-out-of-water acting from Chris Evans and a sly, subtle Robert Redford takes on a surreptitious role that had me guessing until the end. This movie is a 10 for comic and action fans and carries enough weight to appeal to even more “old-school” movie watchers.
Hungry – “The Last Samurai”
I’m not a huge fan of Tom Cruise by any means, and while I do enjoy Ken Watanabe’s work, the draw of this film has nothing really to do with an A-list cast. While the soundtrack is fitting and adds to the setting, I don’t have any of it on my phone or other listening devices, so that’s not a major contributing factor either. So what makes this movie so special for me? As a young kid, I loved knights of Medieval Europe, and one could say that the Samurai are Japan’s version of knights. I loved their look and grew up reading stories such as The Boy and the Samurai, and Tales of the Otori. I watched Samurai X and Inuyasha. I was drawn into Feudal Era Japan more than any other period in world history.
Fast forward to my days in college and I end up as an Asian Studies major, concentrating on Eastern Asia… Japan and Korea. There’s just a special connection here and this movie creates a tragic hero that represents what the developing world did to a country that embraced tradition. It sucks, but it’s a story that needs to be told and lessons need to be learned. For me, a must watch for anyone that wonders what happened to the samurai of Japan and what their disappearance means for the world.
Fit – “The Fifth Element”
A bizarre futuristic world created by Luc Besson and given life by actors, Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker, and Gary Oldman. If you’re a sci-fi nerd, this movie’s gotta be in your wheelhouse. It’s a wonderful comedy adventure where Bruce Willis’ character, a struggling ex-military, must save Earth. There are aliens, incredible opera performances, fun action sequences with a kick-butt female, and a fun 90s sci-fi soundtrack. Besson wasn’t afraid to make things weird and went full-force with this wacky world he created. It’s believable in every sense and you’ll be laughing and holding your breath along the way. There are so many good quotes from this movie that I use on a weekly basis. Bzzzt!
So that wraps up #8 on our Top 10 Movies of All Time countdown! Do you count any of these as your favorites? Please share if you like them! You can expect to see #7 next Sunday. Are you starting to see a theme throughout each person’s movies? We’ll see! As always, stay hungry and fit!
