From boxing clever to Brando: Brian Viner’s top 100 films (part 6)
WE’RE now heading into the top 50 of my 100 favourite Englishlanguage films, so I’m bracing myself for criticism, but you’ve been very kind to me so far. Do send me your thoughts (filmclassics@dailymail.co. uk). In the meantime, remember that all these great films are available to stream, download or order on DVD. Happy viewing!
50 Schindler’s List (1993)
STEVEN Spielberg’s masterful monochrome telling of one of the most compelling true stories to emerge from the tragedy of the Holocaust. It deservedly won seven Oscars, although Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, who are both absolutely brilliant, missed out.
49 Sideways (2004)
CLEVER, funny, moving, original … this road-trip movie through California’s wine country is a huge treat. Look out for Sandra Oh (best-known now for Killing Eve), at the time married to the film’s writer-director Alexander Payne.
48 Top Hat (1935)
NO LIST of great films could possibly be complete, at least not in my book, without Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Here they are at their spellbinding best, with the help of some classic Irving Berlin songs.
47 The French Connection (1971)
GENE HACKMAN is one of my favourite actors and this is his role of roles: NYPD detective ‘Popeye’ Doyle on the trail of a French heroin trafficker, marvellously played by Fernando Rey, leading inexorably to one of the best cinematic car chases of all time.
46 Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
BETTE DAVIS and Joan Crawford, who hated each other, play ageing sisters, both showbiz veterans, who hate each other. It’s creepy, at times crazily melodramatic, and still one of the most gripping psychological thrillers I’ve ever seen.
45 The Deer Hunter (1978)
YOU could argue that at more than three hours, it’s too long and too gruelling. But Michael Cimino’s epic tale of Pennsylvania steelworkers pitched into the Vietnam War is a tour de force of storytelling, with some amazing scenes.
44 To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
GREGORY PECK won an Oscar for his pitch-perfect performance as upright small-town lawyer Atticus Finch in this wonderful adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel. I was horrified to learn that my three children have never seen it, so now I’m on the case.
43 City Lights (1931)
THE boxing scene, even 89 years on, might still be the greatest piece of choreographed slapstick ever. It’s worth watching for that alone, but there’s so much else to cherish, in an immortal exhibition of Charlie Chaplin’s genius.
42 On The Waterfront (1954)
EIGHT Oscars, one of the most quoted movie lines of all time (‘I coulda been a contender’), plus Marlon Brando (right), Eva Marie Saint and a Budd Schulberg script. Enough said.
41 The Incredibles (2004)
MY WIFE and I are in confinement with our three adult children, which yields some lively discussions about important topics such as: what is the greatest Pixar film? For my daughter, it’s this superhero spoof (featuring Edna Mode, pictured left). Unbeatable family viewing.