36. The Bridge On The River Kwai

 

 

 

What it's about

Some men make a bridge.

What I thought
I really liked the theme tune and Alec Guinness.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "Great performances from Holden and Guinness, not forgetting Hayakawa. Beautifully filmed, its only flaw is to claim to be a portrayal of true events."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before. "This is another awesome film! I've loved this film since i watched it as a child. Guinness performance is exemplary as the stiff upper lipped officer who bargains with nothing and wins concessions from the Japanese officer in charge of the camp.
Guinness's characters pride in the bridge grows as it becomes a symbol for one of the few things that he can actually control.
Great film, great acting and an awesome ending. "

35. Annie Hall

What it's about

It's a love story, kind of.

What I thought
Boring.

What Mum thought
Mum can't remember whether she has seen this one before. "This film has a lot of strengths. A few A list cameos, some cartoon work, some breaking of the fourth wall, interesting subtitles... Allen used every gimmick available to make this film unique, and it won him some Oscars. Having said that, I giggled a bit at a few of the jokes, but then, as I am often found doing with Woody Allen films, I got bored. The film may be one of the shortest on the list yet it felt like it went on forever. Keaton was very good, I just find Allen annoying, and his films kind of end up being mashed together into one for me, that's why I can't remember whether I've seen it before or not."

What Dad thought
First time for Dad. "I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I was wary of Woody Allen films as he's usually portrayed as a character of himself. I didn't know how much of the neurotic I could take but at just over 90 minutes, Annie Hall was just the right length.
I enjoyed the breaks in the fourth wall and the insane bits such as Snow White animation or when he was standing in line at the cinema.
Overall I thought this is a good romantic comedy."

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

What it's about
Evil step-mum wants to kill Snow White. Snow White escapes to live with 7 dwarfs.

What I thought
I really liked this, especially the singing and the dwarfs.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "Snow White is my least favourite Disney princess. Although for its time, brilliant animation etc... I find it boring."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before. "Not a fan."

33. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

What it's about

It's about a man, who's a little strange and the people he's in hospital with.

What I thought
This one wasn't really for me. Time for my nap!

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "I've read the book and seen the film a fair few times. I love it, I love the performances and Chief is amazing. It alternates between being utterly uplifting to downright depressing. Superb story."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before. "Fantastic film! I've seen this one before and Nicholson's performance never fails to stun me. The energy he exudes as he plays McMurphy, like bottled lightening and can't help but have an effect on the other patients.

The scenes where he goes up against Nurse Ratched are some of the most powerful in cinematic history. I love this film and I'm very pleased it's on the list."

32. The Godfather Part II

What it's about

It's two stories, one about how the dad found the business and one about how the son ran the business.

What I thought
I liked when the band played Pop Goes The Weasel, but like the first one it's probably a film I'll like more when I'm older.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "It's better than the first part, I love this one. The use of flashbacks really works and Robert De Niro is superb, as is Pacino. Michael can never come to terms with the fact his father's empire was built on love and respect, his on fear and violent treachery. Instead of being a mafia film, this is one which depicts brilliantly a man's struggle with himself and those around him. Brilliant, atmospheric cinematography; this film shows just how good Coppola is."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before. "It is a great film. However, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to sit through it again. Why, oh why, are 90% of these films over 3 hours long!"

31. The Maltese Falcon

What it's about

Everybody wants a statue of a bird.

What I thought
I liked Peter Lorre.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "I'm not a big fan of Bogart, however, he is Sam Spade. Some witty writing and good performances. Not the best film of its genre on the list, still, it is pretty good."

What Dad thought
First time for Dad. "It's a cool film. The pace worked really well and a witty script. Bogart is uber-cool and great supporting cast."

30. Apocolypse Now

What it's about

A man goes on a boat trip.

What I thought
I loved the soundtrack and the helicopters.

What Mum thought
Mum had seen this one before. "It has some great scenes, memorable quotes, great cinematography and I'm always surprised this made it to being a film. 16 months filming, Brando turning up overweight and knowing little about what he was there to do, the helicopters used were fighting in a war at the same time as filming was taking place, certainly a lot of work went into the film making it what it is. Having said that, it's just far too long, especially the Redux version we watched with the extra scenes which quite frankly ruin the film. Worst one has to be the scene in the parked helicopter and the Playboy playmates. Ugh."

What Dad thought
Dad had seen this one before."Apocalypse now? More like Apocalypse wow! I last saw this film about a decade ago and while I liked it at the time I was more impressed with the action scenes then any characterisation or plot. This time I found myself greatly impressed with the story of descent into madness.

The characters were so vivid and bigger then life. The surfing Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore is one of my favourite characters, not just in this film, but ever. I would actually follow him to war. Probably wouldn’t last long but it would be an adventure.

Sheen’s performance as he heads to meet his target is deeply moving and the closing scene is almost haunting. Though I had to watch the film in two sittings (its bloody long) I loved it.

If I had to make a criticism it would be with the version I watched, Redux, there is an added scene on a French Plantation half way up the river. This return to civilisation just when he is on the road to damnation really jarred and didn’t add anything to the film. It should have been left on the cutting room floor.

Ultimately an excellent film and probably my favourite war movie."