A Lockdown List of Films
Here, I've ranked and reviewed all 24. I've not been as objective as a normal film reviewer, but I've tried my best to give you a flavour of what I liked about every film (and, with a single exception, I did enjoy every single one).
24. Coalition (2015)
It’s fun for the politics nerds, but despite some solid acting, the story of how the 2010 Conservative-Lib Dem coalition was formed doesn’t match much else on this list.
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| David Cameron and Nick Clegg in 'Coalition' |
23. Star Trek (2009)
I only really watched 'Star Trek' this
because we never finished it at a sleepover years ago. To a non-trekkie it’s entertaining enough, with sweet visuals, even if the characters are as
robust as tissue paper.
22. Mandela (2013)
Idris Elba is excellent as
‘Madiba’ in this biopic of Nelson Mandela, and it’s a harrowing introduction to
apartheid South Africa for younger viewers. However, the supporting cast falls short of Elba, with lumpy pacing to boot.
21. Gandhi (1982)
This is a controversial ranking. 'Gandhi' is, rightfully, seen as an epic; Ben Kingsley’s performance is among the greatest of all time and Richard Attenborough’s direction is undeniably excellent. But, having written an essay on Gandhi a few weeks prior, there was nothing new for me, and a three hour run time tested my patience badly.
20. Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019)
Benedict Cumberbatch is immersive as Dominic Cummings, the genius/madman/fool who shattered the ethical boundaries in the EU referendum in 2016. 'Brexit: The Uncivil War' is a smartly-written drama that does nothing to restore faith in politics.
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19. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
The classic heist film. Irreverent, funny, and that Don Cheadle accent; 'Ocean’s Eleven' is pure escapism, with some lovely twists and a simple good v. evil plot. However, I found the romance dull, and I do like a film that tugs deeply - which this does not.
18. Unbroken (2014)
US athlete Louis Zamperini is first adrift in the Pacific for weeks and is then imprisoned in Japanese PoW camps in a harrowing war-story adapted from true events. 'Unbroken' has a conventional script, but the skilled direction left me with some deeply memorable scenes.
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| Jack O'Connell as Zamperini in a PoW camp in 'Unbroken' |
17. Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
'Ocean's Elevens'' best successor, 'Ocean’s Thirteen' somehow ups the scale, the stakes and the reward as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and co. try once again to outwit the bad guy. Everything fizzes along wonderfully, with more twists and jazz music than anyone needs
16. Looper (2012)
Looper is provocative and engaging, delivering well on a complex topic (time travel), and with a superb ending. It's like Doctor Who, except with more assassination and zero companionship (ok, it's nothing like Doctor Who). I would have liked better world-building and less dodgy make-up, but that's me being picky.
15. All The President’s Men (1976)
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| ATPM: So. Many. Phone calls. |
A long-time 'want to watch' of mine, 'All the President’s Men' shows journalism's importance in holding power to account as the Watergate scandal unravels in the early 1970s. Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford are at the top of their game as rookie journalists, with a lively script making dull investigative journalism watchable, if occasionally very confusing.
14. The Theory of Everything (2014)
I didn’t love the ‘creative licence’ used in changing the story, but everything else about The Theory of Everything is excellent. Eddie Redmayne is sensational, as Stephen Hawking grapples with love, family and...actually most of it is love and family. Oh, he also reinvents physics.
13. Rush (2013)
‘Men. Love. Cars!’ A strong plot interwoven by a searing soundtrack, the story of F1’s 1970s Lauda v Hunt rivalry is fun even for the non-car lover. Top-quality production values and tense racing scenes make this a re-watchable film – as long as you can get past the sexism and iffy pacing.
12. Moneyball (2011)
Another film I had no intention of watching, the Netflix gods assured me I’d enjoy this, and I did. Like F1, I don't care for baseball, but that’s a minor obstruction here, because the story is essentially a classic underdogs' tale. I can get behind that. Brad Pitt puts in a great performance alongside a likeable Jonah Hill.
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| Brad Pitt stars as the Oakland A's General Manager in 'Moneyball' |
11. Vice (2018)
If half the allegations this film levels at Dick Cheney are true, then a torrent of blood is on the former Vice-President's hands. Christian Bale is
the sinister subordinate to George W. Bush and quickly fades into character, while Adam McKay directs a very fiery broadside at a very sinister
politician. There are a couple of fantastic gags too.
10. Steve Jobs (2015)
Michael Fassbender delivers a superlative performance as Apple’s mercurial, complex boss. The film strips away lots of potential baggage, condensing Jobs’ life into three stages and, with a robust supporting cast and excellent production, leaves the audience with their own impressions of a flawed man. One of the best biopics I've ever watched.
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| Fassbender in 'Steve Jobs' |
9. The Truman Show (1998)
Maybe this is a thought-provoking film critiquing the sins of our age, or maybe it’s just Jim Carrey at his comedic peak. Perhaps it’s even both. The original idea, with sweet interplay between Truman and big bad Christof (Ed Harris), makes a deeply compelling film that frequently unnerves.
8. Gladiator (2000)
Perhaps the most recognisable films of all-time, Gladiator stars Russell Crowe as Maximus, the general/slave/gladiator/emperor/legend. It’s entertaining, it’s powerful, it’s superbly directed and well-produced, with insane combat scenes and a haunting melody. This is a top tier film.
7. Inception (2010)
Inception is the best pure action film I’ve ever watched. Every scene is perfectly placed in Christopher Nolan’s epic, with the ensemble cast a delight to watch, and backed by a sharp soundtrack. The story swings from Bond to Birdman, hitting its own niche along the way and marking it as a film to be re-watched again and again.
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| One of the most iconic scenes of the decade: 'Inception's' spinning corridor |
~ These are now my top films, the ones I agonised over placing, and I strongly recommend every single one. Inglorious Basterds, Boyhood and Blackkklansman are all available on Netflix, but you may have to search further for the others. ~
6. Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Christopher Waltz upstages everyone else as one of the greatest villains in film, and the story flicks into a constant state of tension as German soldiers try to hunt down a Jewish-American special forces unit. The script is as tight as a sea-knot with second-to-none direction, so everything is mayhem, yet it all it makes complete sense.
5. Forrest Gump (1994)
The last film I watched,
Forrest Gump is one of cinema’s hallmarks. Tom Hanks – one of the most
recognisable actors in the world – still disappears into Forrest, who achieves
hilarious fame despite his disability. Yet the film sticks because it’s in
suffering that we pull closest to him. I would like to make it
clear that I did not cry.
4. Boyhood (2014)
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| Boyhood: every teen and every parent knows awkward, terse conversations in the car |
Boyhood is both an ordinary coming-of-age story and something utterly different. The same cast was shot over twelve years, with the script written year-by-year. The character growth is of course sublime, and the film's slow burn sucked me in.
There are particularly compelling performances from Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette, but every character is completely pitiful and wonderful at the same time. It’s the most human film you’ll ever watch.
3. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis features in a terrifying tale of madness as an independent oilman clashes with a radical preacher out in the badlands. The cinematography is beautiful, the story equally unsettling. Out west, oil isn’t just gold - it’s blood.
2. Blackkklansman (2018)
This 2018 film seems ever more prescient after George Floyd’s death, but director Spike Lee here points out that black people have been enduring the story of police brutality and racial fear for decades. 'Blackkklansman' highlights both the great divides and subtle nuances of racial inequality, without ever turning the issue blunt or simplistic, and John David Washington carries the role beautifully.
It's credit to director Lee that, more than any other film on thus list, 'Blackkklansman' will remain long in my memory. Among dozens of haunting scenes, one stands out: the realisation that, for shooting targets, the Ku Klux Klan use cut-outs of distorted black children.
1. Lincoln (2012)
'I can't accomplish a goddamn thing of any human meaning or worth until we cure ourselves of slavery and end this pestilential war!' Daniel Day-Lewis again underpins an electric tale of intrigue as President Abraham Lincoln tries to manoeuvre Congress into passing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and outlaw slavery. Each twitch and sigh is loaded with significance as Lincoln drags himself through the war's bloody end, desperate to secure peace.
Steven Spielberg delivers on a syllable-perfect script, with his direction of masterful set-pieces and a superb supporting cast creating one of the defining chronicles of American history. Particularly memorable is Lincoln's furious avocation of the amendment just as his allies begin to waver. All of the films I watched in lockdown were, in their way, entertaining and evocative, but 'Lincoln' is the undisputed champion.
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