My Top 20 Favourite Endings

Although it's only 80 minutes, this movie has a lot more than some do in 3 hours! Stunning scenery also.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
director: Jonathan Demme
starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Kasi Lemmons

Horror films have forever been popular in movie-going society, but not until The Silence of the Lambs was released did the genre take a drastic turn. Not only does this film excel at frightening its viewers and giving them nightmares about cannibalistic serial killers, more importantly, it breaks the the old horror film stereotypes and introduces fresh and very brave new film conventions. Horror films have almost always portrayed women as weak and helpless characters. They're always either the damsel in distress, being rescued one way or another by a man or the promiscuous teenager who is naked for half of the film. The Silence of the Lambs takes the weak female character stereotype and completely reverses it. In this film, the main character, Clarice Starling, is a strong, independent woman who holds her own in a male-dominated workplace and solves the mystery without any help from men. This may sound like a feminist rant, but this is a groundbreaking film in terms of female liberation and deserves high recognition.

This film is hardly geared toward women, but it does directly deal with the role of a strong woman in a male-dominated society. This political statement propels the main character into the history books as one of the most important heroines of all-time. However, Clarice Starling isn't the first female heroine in a horror film (even though she may be the most popular). Ellen Ripley from the Alien films made her debut in 1979 in the horror franchise and not only kicked alien ass, but film stereotype's ass into the history books as a strong female heroine in a horror film. Starling is played flawlessly by Jodie Foster, a role she was born to play. Foster shines in all of the scenes, but most evidently in the scenes with Anthony Hopkins. She is brilliant and their eerie chemistry is almost pleasing to watch. Foster was lucky enough to take home the Oscar for her portrayal of Clarice Starling which is, undoubtedly, one of the most deserved Oscars in recent memory.

Aside from the feminism, this film has other groundbreaking elements to it as well. The film's main male character is Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Dr. Lecter was once a psychiatrist, but was arrested for murder and found to be a serial killing cannibal, hence the nickname he acquired. What's shocking about Lecter is his tone and diction. He's a very intelligent man, but uses his wisdom and serenity in a way that draws you in as he fools with your mind. What's groundbreaking about this character is that he is a villain, but he isn't the villain the protagonist is looking for. He actually aids the Clarice into finding the "bad guy" from behind his bars. Lecter is portrayed by the fantastic Anthony Hopkins, who also took home an Oscar for his 17-minute performance. Hopkins' performance is the shortest to win an Oscar for Best Actor, but it is far from small in power. Although given such a short amount of screen time, Hopkins steals the film as Hannibal Lecter and creates what has become one of the most popular and recognizable film characters of all time. He is frighteningly chilling and evokes such evil in his eyes that he becomes the character.

In the scene where Starling visits Lecter in prison for the first time and for most of the thrilling conclusion, the cinematography stood out as brilliant and I could not get it out of my mind. Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto has worked on many films (Badlands, Philadelphia and The Sixth Sense to name a few) and has been recognized by many critics and film institutions to be one of the best cinematographers out there. Fujimoto worked with director Jonathan Demme on The Silence of the Lambs so wonderfully and produced some of the most frightening scenes in film history. Fujimoto utilizes so many different camera angles in this film that intensify the scenes and generate such great suspense. He is a master of his craft and he proves this to us through his excellent work in this film.

Recognized as one of the greatest films of all-time by many sources, The Silence of the Lambs was a huge success when it was released in 1991 and has endured time and is still a huge success now. Creating two legendary film characters, one who is one of the most recognized villains of all time and the other who is one of the greatest heroines of all time, staying true to the novel which the film was based on and winning five Oscars in the major categories is only a few of this films' achievements. It's an iconic thriller and has gone down as one of the best. If you have been living under a rock and haven't seen this film, I cannot recommend it more. See it, you won't regret it.

Se7en (1995)
director: David Fincher
starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, Richard Roundtree

When I first watched this film four years ago, it was the most thrilling and exhilarating film I had ever seen. Nothing compared to it in terms of suspense and thrills. When I watched this film recently, I realized why this film had such an impact on me four years ago. This film is by far the most suspenseful film I've seen and it plays with your fears like they are toys. The direction is impeccable; David Fincher is highly aware of this film's genre and uses it to the best of his ability. He bides his time and keeps all of the thrills contained until the climax and definitely unleashes them in the conclusion. Comparing Se7en to thrillers released after 1995 is difficult because none of them hold a candle to this masterpiece. The only films of this genre who are anywhere near the quality of Se7en are The Descent, 28 Days Later and Zodiac (which was also directed by Fincher). Through examining the film's genre and visual style, it is easy for me to say that Se7en is one of the best films I have ever seen.

When thinking of the horror genre, the first thing that usually comes to mind is monsters, zombies, ghosts or some other fictitious creature that we normally see attacking people in films. When The Silence of the Lambs was released, it re-introduced the idea of realism in horror films. Realism had not been popular in the horror genre for decades; in the 1950s, most of the thrillers were in the film noir style where the villain was not a monster, but rather an insane human who was battling himself as well as others. The duality of the characters was what made them frightening. For example, Harry Powell (played to perfection by Robert Mitchum) from The Night of the Hunter was one of the most frightening antagonists from the '50s. But the idea of realism was lost until 1991, when it became more popular.

In 1995, Se7en introduced what would become one of the iconic villains of the 1990s: John Doe. He was a human. He was evil. He was real. He murdered people, but added a twist to his killings: he murdered them based on their sins, one death for every one of the seven deadly sins. The one difference between Se7en and other horror films incorporating realism is the fact that the villain doesn't have an inner battle with himself. Usually we know the villain's past and usually this past is what causes the villain to become villainous in the first place. With John Doe, we don't know his past, he doesn't have fingerprints and he is nameless. The fact that he has no identity is one of the most important bits of this film. Having the villain appear half way through the film and giving him no identity gives the evil deeds in the film much more ambiguity in terms of whose fault they were. The evilness ultimately lies in the victims. Yes, murder is a sin, and we see what becomes of John Doe in the conclusion, but his victims died because of the evil he saw in them. In terms of film history, Se7en is groundbreaking in the originality department. It establishes new takes on both the villain and on realist horror conventions. It's brilliance should be remembered for it brought around a totally new type of psychological thriller.

Se7en was not only revolutionary in what was aforementioned, it also exuded mastery in the editing department. The opening credits of this film are almost as intense as the film itself. They display graphic images of grisly murders, mutilated bodies and bloody jars. What we are watching is John Doe at work in his scrapbook where he keeps pictures of his killings. The sharp and jolting editing mixed with the also gruesome song "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails gives the opening credits an extremely eerie feeling. This is a perfect introduction for it establishes what we can expect from the film itself. Stylistically, this film is excellent. The editing, music, cinematography and art direction are used perfectly in accordance to the thematic elements. The dark look this film has diminishes hope and the dirty city gives the feeling of unease not only for the characters, but for the viewers, too.

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman both give deep performances. The two characters they play each have their gloomy, secretive sides, but are likable characters nonetheless. Kevin Spacey gives yet another astonishing performance as the villain in this film, John Doe. Unfortunately, he goes uncredited on the film's posters and opening credits, but for good reason: shock value. His monologue in the police car as Brad Pitt interrogates and mocks him is amazing and proves why he is such a fantastic actor.

Se7en is one of the essential films of the 1990s. It redefined the horror genre and established new techniques and conventions that shocked the viewing public. It's a disturbing film which has poignancy in its core, but I wouldn't recommend it to the faint of heart. It's grisly and graphic, but the gore is necessary for such a film. It instantly became one of my favourite films and I think it could easily pass as my favourite film of all-time. An excellent thriller that will be recognized as revolutionary for years to come.

This is one of the most talked about movies of the 90s. It shouldn't be popular for it's action/sex scenes, but for its groundbreaking screenplay that took two women and placed them in male roles. The stereotypical housewife would not rob a bank or kill people. These two women have been placed in the roles of males which was something new to cinema. No longer were women portrayed as housewives or vulnerable sex slaves after this film came out because women understood that they have to be strong independent individuals. Although these women look happy and stable, under their core they are hurt. Hurt by the disrespectful men in the film and have had enough of it. Even though they are fleeing after murdering a man, they are still strong women and all they want is their freedom back and a chance to live a life where no one, especially a man, can tell them how to live. Another reason this film was groundbreaking was because the director was a man. Ridley Scott, the director of such films like [i]Alien[/i] and [i]Gladiator[/i]. Such a masculine man came along and made a film about two female buddies who go on an anti-male adventure to escape their decrepit lives. Sarandon and Davis are perfect in this film and both are deserving of their Best Actress nominations. Perfect acting and a perfect screenplay are two major components that lead to this perfect film.

When I heard that the Coen brothers were making another film for the first time since the not-so-impressive The Ladykillers, I almost jumped through the ceiling. The Coen brothers have been two of my favourite people in the cinematic world since their American masterpiece Fargo. Ever since then, I've been mesmerized by most of their films and they have had great influence on me.

Getting to the film now, No Country for Old Men is easily the greatest film of the year. No film yet this year has even come close to this one's greatness. I would even go as far as to say that this is the second best Coen brothers film. They have matured their style since the ever so dull Intolerable Cruelty and the disappointing The Ladykillers to come out with this masterful work. Adapted for the screen by (who else) the Coen brothers from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name, this film is dark, violent and quite often funny at the same time. The one thing that I have to talk about is the debut of one of the most evil and genuinely scary villains in modern-day film: Anton Chigurh (Bardem). Not since Hannibal Lecter has such an evil character been so calm that it's creepy. His image is deceiving because it wouldn't appear that such a man would be a psychopathic murderer. His pageboy haircut tops it all off as if he was Burton's Willy Wonka. Equipped with a cattle gun, his dark appearance and eerie voice make for memorable scenes. "What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"

The technical side of this film is nothing less than perfect. Three people need to be acknowledged for their work on this film (besides the obvious): Carter Burwell, Roger Deakins and the alias Roderick Jaynes (which is actually Ethan and Joel Coen). The original score is absolutely mesmerizing in the film. When listened to by itself, it's nothing compared to when it's put infront of this visual wonder. Roger Deakins' cinematography is beautiful and the editing combined with the cinematography and score just makes this whole movie terrific eye candy.

The film revolves around three different men all pursuing the same thing, a suitcase filled with $2 million. Each character is shown in separate storylines, almost never sharing the screen together. This takes me back to my review of American Gangster where I spoke of Ridley Scott's directorial talents. I was impressed with how he was able to maintain two different storylines and show them both with equal importance, but I am even more impressed with the Coen brothers' way of splitting this film in three, not necessarily showing all three equally, but making each character as important as the next. Not until a little before three quarters of the way through the film do any of the characters actually meet, but when they do meet, this film's thrill factor triples. When Moss (Brolin) and Chigurh face-off, it's a showdown that the audience has been built up for.

The performances in this film are superb. Josh Brolin is terrific and that surprises me. I never saw him as an actor really, but now he proved me wrong. He did a great job. Tommy Lee Jones was fantastic in providing insight and explanation in the film, and also was the person who summed up the film in the end in that wonderful speech of his dreams. The only person who I think gave a brilliant performance in this film was Javier Bardem. His psychopathic character Anton Chigurh will not only be remembered as one of the best performances of the year, but will go down in history as a one of the greatest villains of the screen. Bardem did a terrific job of portraying evil personified from his actions (or lack there of) to his tone. Fantastic performance.

Aside from the technical aspects, the violence and the acting, this film is important for a whole other reason. This film's meaning lies in its title. The film is not about the three men who are looking for stolen money... that's why we never see a conclusion that lets us know where the money is or if Chigurh gets away. The film is not about that (although that builds up the suspense of the film). The whole idea of the film is summed up in Tommy Lee Jones' speech in the last scene of the film.

He explains two dreams he had the night before where he and his father were riding horses in the wilderness. It was cold and snowing and his father was carrying a horn full of fire which he used to light one in 'all that dark and all that cold'. His dream represents the way we see our heroes in our dreams. His father must have been his. We dream of these people who are above all evil, but in reality, there are no such people. In this film there are no such people. This film shows how the country (and most countries) are nowadays. It shows that no matter how good some people can be, they cannot stop all of the evil going on in the world. He says that in his dream, his father carried a horn full of fire. This fire represents the hope that he dreams of, but doesn't exist in his country. The last line of the film goes like this "...he was fixin' to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold, and I knew that whenever I got there he would be there. Out there up ahead. And then I woke up." It's such a sad way to end the film, but it's so true. His hope diminishes when he wakes up.

This film comments on modern-day violence in American culture and it really does a fantastic job. Today is about the youth and the old men are helpless and saddened by the fact that they have lived through so much misery to only live through more in their later years. The title says it all, this is No Country for Old Men.

There is nothing wrong with this movie. I find it to be perfect. The Coen brothers have made another masterpiece that is an instant classic. It's one of my new favourite films and I think that everyone should go out and see this film. I hope to see it nominated for many Oscars come next year. It really deserves the recognition.

This is a remarkable film. Alfonso Cuarón's first amazing film is also the most amazing film of the year. 2006 is slowly turning into one of my all-time favourite years for cinema. It has already released six of my all-time favourite films. Incredible.

This futuristic thriller is set in 2027, where no child has been born for 18 years and science is at loss to explain the reason. In a climate of nationalistic violence, Theo Faron, joins forces with his revolutionary ex-wife Julian in order to save mankind by protecting a woman who has mysteriously became pregnant.

That is the plot for this brilliant movie. Clive Owen is spectacular and so is Claire-Hope Ashitey. Julianne Moore has a very limited role, but it still shines. Pam Ferris was great in a surprisingly well done supporting role. Kudos to Michael Caine, also. I recommend this film to everyone. It's one that shouldn't be missed. Although it's fictional, it's important and informative.

The Oscars need to watch out for this one, Claire-Hope Ashitey is the real standout and she should be taken into consideration. This should also be nominated for Best Picture, Director and for its brilliant cinematography.

An instant masterpiece.

One of the greatest endings ever written. This film is highlighted by raw performances and a truly amazing original screenplay. This movie wouldn't work if there weren't such vulnerable characters which we could empathize with during the film. They all make some horrible decisions and they all have something terrible happen to them and for that there will be a great deal of pathos created.

Monster's Ball is also the epitome of character development; it has such strong themes and very important characters that change drastically throughout the film. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't say exactly why, but the two main characters, Leticia (Berry) and Hank (Thornton), collide at the perfect moment. They both experience a loss and are both dealing with a great amount of suffering when they meet up in what seems to be a chance encounter. However, it's through one person that these two characters meet each other and through the death of that character that a relationship forms.

The difference in Thornton's character from the beginning and the end of the film is quite a change. We first see him showing his brutal racist side that he clearly gets from his father, but it's through a loss (that affects him more than he thought it would) where he begins to discover his true identity and feelings. Thornton gives a terrific performance and holds his own against the sensational Halle Berry.

Berry's character Leticia Musgrove is not the stereotypical African-American woman that we see portrayed in many films today. Instead, the screenwriters conquer that cliché by creating the character of Leticia. Berry's performance was so believable and raw that I now slap myself for ever doubting her talents. She's a revelation and it is now justified why she won the Oscar that year.

When the movie is taken as a whole and examined, it seems that it would be about racial discrimination. It's only when you watch the film closely that you realize that it's not about the prejudices as much as it's about the ways that the characters as humans connect. In the end, it's about people in general. It's not about white people or black people, it's about all people and how they connect with each other. It also has themes of redemption and right judgment that come into play.

Personally, my favourite scene is the final scene. Hank goes to the store to buy ice cream after Leticia moves in and she stumbles upon the drawings her ex-husband drew for him. She realizes how they are both connected now, but when Hank comes back she doesn't confront the situation. It goes against all predictabilities; completely steering away from the subject is what occurs. What I would give to know what was going through Leticia's mind at that moment. It's something that I have concluded to be unexplainable (even by Leticia). The suspense and mystery of the final scene is brilliant, really, and makes for the perfect ending.

As for the director Marc Forster, I was completely satisfied. He has a great vision (that was completely evident in this film) and especially in the scenes of romance and intimacy between Hank and Leticia does his work really shine. He doesn't exploit Halle Berry's sex appeal, but instead he focuses on the pair as a couple and their need for each other. If during the sex scenes was it taken that the two were making love as a product of desire then you misinterpreted the whole scene. They are there for each other and it isn't a matter of desire or compulsion, but a matter of need. The love scene is a beautiful one if you ask me.

Overall, the film works wonderfully thanks to a terrific screenplay. The characters are some of the most interesting I've ever seen, the direction was terrific and the acting was sensational. Halle Berry gives the performance of her career.
I highly recommend this to people who are looking for a strong drama.

My personal favourite of Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpieces. This is one of the best films of the French New Wave of the 50s/60s incorporating not only existentialistic themes, but themes and culture of the Japanese samurai films of the early 50s.

Le Samouraï's lead character Jef Costello, a hitman, lives his profession and never displays emotion. His ever so bland stare is part of the honor he has to his rituals and lifestyle. He lives by the samurai code and stays faithful to it until the very end.

We don't know much about Costello for it isn't shown in the film, but we don't need to know a lot to understand his character. Unlike many other film characters of this genre, there is no transcendence in Melville's main character, but instead through existentialism this character thrives. I would like to call Jef Costello an existential hero, but unfortunately there is nothing heroic about him in this film. He is an existential human who lives by his own rules; he is his own boss.

When interpreting the ending, many different views come up. The only logical one is that Jef, who lives by the way of the samurai, maintains the honor and loyalty to his lifestyle and commits a hara-kiri (or seppuku)-like ritual. If this is correct (what Melville intended us to believe), then Costello is added to the list of noir's incredible antiheroes and this film becomes even more intriguing to analyse.

So many different interpretations can be taken from this film. Everything in this film is important to the character and conclusion. The stunning cinematography by Henri Decaë highlights the opening scene (and most other scenes following it). Costello lies on his bed, barely visible, smoking a cigarette while the smoke forms a cloud above him. The cloud of smoke looks somewhat striking though, because the faint sunlight through the rain hits the windows of his apartment and is piercing it in an odd way. The way the camera captures the scene is beautiful, yet gloomy, and represents Costello's life very well. This scene is terrific for setting up the character and situations to follow by displaying such gloom through pathetic fallacy and through the lighting/production design.

Jef's character is one of the most interesting characters to study and observe in any film I've ever seen. His genteel appearance and striking look make for terrific casting and the fedora and trenchcoat he wears make his character that much more mysterious.

Through the cinematography especially, suspense and mystery is created not only around the situation, but more so around the character of Jef Costello. A perfect film if I ever saw one. Jean-Pierre Melville is a genius and I intend on seeing all of his films now.

I highly recommend this masterpiece to everyone for it is one of the greatest films of the French New Wave/60s and one of the greatest films of all-time, also.