My Favorite Movies

My most favourite film. Perfect in every way, shape, and form. Beautiful, powerful, mesmerizing, haunting, exceptional, enjoyable, wonderful, intelligent, uplifting, moving - there aren't enough words in the English language to describe how amazing this film really is. From top to bottom, Frank Darabont, the writer/director, achieved success. The performances are wonderful - has Morgan Freeman ever done a better voice over narration? The cinematography is perfectly suited for the story. The camera work is terrific, but never distracting. The music by Thomas Newman is one of the very best of musical scores. And of course, Darabont himself - debuted with this film, deserved the Oscar he never got, and wrote probably the most literate, thought-provoking, and awe inspiring screenplay film has ever seen. I read an email where 50 priests, pastors, and other religious figures listed their favourite films, and 38 out of those 50 all said Shawshank. It's well deserved. If ever there was a film to change someone's life (as this movie as for me - I attribute 90% of my success with Alycia, my lovely girlfriend, to this movie), than this would be the flick. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Heck, now I wanna go watch it again for the 1000th time.

My second favourite flick of all time. Alongside Raging Bull and above all, Shawshank Redemption, these movies are as perfect and wonderful as film can be. It's Hitchcock's best film; yes, no scene is as iconic or important to film history as Psycho's shower scene, but it's a more mature, focused, and personal film all around. Hitchcock wore it all on his sleeve for this picture - the obsessive, controlling love for a blonde, the unattainable dream that is more important in chasing than achieving, the hypnotic desire for murder and murderous notions...all these themes and more are addressed in the film, and all of them describe Hitch better than any autobiography has. The movie isn't just his normal suspense/thriller, although there are moments that are creepier than anything else he's done, excepting Psycho of course (like the nun's voice in the end, coupled with the scream - gives me terrifying goosebumps just thinking about it). It's also a romance/drama, with intensity not expected of Jimmy Stewart (the controlling madness he exudes in the last act is frightening). There are some scenes that stick with you and never let you go - the suicide, the nightmare, the Scene D' Amour, the climax. It's a haunting, mesmerizing, evocative, disturbing flick, no question. But it's also dramatically powerful, which isn't something I say often about movies before 1960ish. Oh, I almost forgot to mention Bernard Herrmann's wonderful score, that enhances every scene it plays under. Great, great, great film. A true masterpiece.

To anyone who doesn't like this movie - your loss. Raging Bull is quite simply the third of a top 3 echelon of movies that can be labelled as being "perfect", meaning without any flaws to my own eyes. There is not a frame I would change on Raging Bull (along with the other two perfect films, Shawshank Redemption and Vertigo). It's hard to describe to someone who hasn't seen it (or even some that have, Alycia :D) why this film is so haunting, so evocative, so powerful. Because when one asks you to describe the movie, it sounds as dull as dishwater. Narratively speaking, this is a straightforward movie - violent and mentally unstable boxer has huge ups and huge downs both in and out the ring. Essentially, yeah, that is the barebones plot of the film. But that's like saying the plot of The Wizard of Oz is a young girl gets lost and eventually comes back home. There is more to this film than meets the eye, and take repeat viewings to fully see the poetry being used. Some scenes have twisting dialogue - De Niro, in his best and most psychotic performance, always circles around people, suspicious, trying to bust them for sins they may not even have done. The boxing scenes are shattering in their brutal violence. The cinematography and music displays true, unendurable sadness, a tragedy which sometimes we don't see yet. He's just dancing around the ring - why the Shakespearan music? Because Scorsese, who makes the best film of his stellar career here, damn well knows what he's doing. If the film was made today, it would be softened for audience comprehension - La Motta would be a tragic figure who's fate was imposed upon him, with friends and family who loves him, who tries his best but fails, and maybe even some voice overs to explain what's going on in his head. None of that is in this picture. Scorsese doesn't let up - we barely sympathize with this monster, even when we wanna beat him as hard as he beats his wife. He desires redemption, but is too weak and unstable to ever try for it. And we never see what's ticking in his head - the closest reveal to his true emotions we see is when he's in prison, having just lost everything, and begins punching the walls screaming "Why? Why? Why?" It's the most powerful scene in an incredibly powerful film, which never ceases to haunt me and get under my skin. Brilliance from start to finish, and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise :)

What's left to say about The Godfather? What many consider to be the perfect movie (except maybe Peter Griffin...and my girlfriend), this is an exceptional piece of work that is just....sublime. As gay as that sounds, it really is. Strange, how a movie that's almost all talking manages to be the "ultimate guy movie". Great, great stuff.

Yeah, Tarantino's a dick. But that dick's got some holyballing style, man. This movie's great fun from start to finish. Perfect dialogue, some distrubing and horrific violence to go with the laughs, and probably the most iconic storyline in modern cinema. My only complaint is that it's a little too long - Tarantino, like all his movies, could've cut it a bit more. But it's a minor quibble to a terrific film.

Not to be confused with Gus Van Sant's masturbatory remake. This is Hitchcock's second greatest film - surely his most popular and iconic, and probably the greatest thriller ever made. Yes, the shower scene, in the appropriate setting with chuckling friends and popcorn, can be laughably dated. But watch it with the lights off and no one in the house with the sound cranked, and trust me, it'll still get you.

No matter how great and nearly perfect this film is, it's almost impossible to say you "enjoy" it. Up there with Requeim for a Dream for being the most disturbing and saddest film ever made, this is definately Spielberg's finest achievement and not one that's ever completely forgotten. Great flick.

Is there any movie out there more emotionally exhausting and painful to watch than Requeim for a Dream? Even Schindler's List gave us a smidgeon of hope. Requiem for a Dream gives us no hope, no respite, no escape. It's one of the most brilliant, harrowing, powerful, forceful, haunting, and exceptionally depressing films I've ever seen. To my lovely girlfriend who I finally forced to watch this movie and is now probably traumatized and disturbed for life - think how I felt, the first time I watched it, being a mere 14 years old. It rocked my world. I remember sitting in my basement one fine Sunday morning, ready for a morning movie, having taped this the night before off IFC because of a couple good reviews I read. And when it was over, I was literally shaking. Hell, this was one of the first R rated movies I had ever seen, and what a way to start. I sat through the whole end credits, my mouth still agape, hardly even blinking. In fact, now that I think about it, I believe this is the first film that truly opened my eyes to the power of film, and how a movie can be so much more than just a movie. Indeed, Requiem isn't just a movie - it's an experience, a lesson, a message to all addicts of anything to wake the hell up. I showed this to a close friend a couple weeks after my first experience with the film, the same time he was experimenting with drugs. When it was over, he said "I'm not even gonna take Advil anymore". And he didn't, for quite a while. When was the last time a movie could literally change your life? As great as Pi was, and as wonderful as The Fountain is, this film is Darren Aronofsky's finest achievement, and many years later I still believe it deserves a place in my top 10 movies of all time. The experience of watching it is simply like no other. It moves you to tears while making you shake in disturbance. The flick follows the lives of 4 people - three drug addicts by choice, the fourth by accident. I do not know which story is the most painful, the most resonant, the most heartbreaking. I think it would have to be Ellen Burstyn's portrayal of the elderly mom in the movie who gives the film it's most potent power. In one of the best performances I've ever seen, she gives us a character who's alone, unhappy, dealing with a drug addicted son, then recieves a glimmer of hope that she'll be on television. But before she reaches the cameras, she wants to lose weight to make her son proud, and after dieting fails, she moves on to diet pills. Now, I don't know if the television aspect is a hoax or not. But what's important is that her blind hope in something better happening in her life results in her becoming addicted to pills that are a lot worse than normal diet pills, and her life spirals out of control. In fact, every character in this movie from the very first shot is on a constant downhill spiral. That's what makes this movie so difficult to watch and rewatch - as brilliantly made as it is, it's the most depressing and despairing thing you'll ever see. Unlike Shawshank Redemption, which told us that hope is what keeps us alive, Requiem tells us that hope is indeed good, but we fuck up to much to ever achieve it through various addictions and obsessions. The key to the movie is that it's not just about drug addiction. It's about how something as powerful as drug addiction can replace our natural addictions to everything else in life, such as hope, dreams, love, sex, what have you. Every character in the movie is brilliantly portrayed in this fashion. You see early on that they can all escape their inevitable decline into Hell, but they refuse. They need their fix, more than anything else. And when Jennifer Connelly's character begins to prostitute herself for heroin, your gut will be churning. And when Burstyn's character becomes completely batshit crazy, you suddenly understand all those dressed up wacko's on buses and park benches, screaming out and flailing their arms around. As grim, bleak, and unsettling as the film is, it is completely valuable to everyone who not only wants to learn a damn important lesson about life and it's addictions, but also to anyone willing to see filmmaking at the highest order possible. Aronofsky is a brilliant director, showcased here more than ever. Is there any other film out there that more accurately and astutely presents the world seen through the eyes of a drug addict? Aronofsky uses rapid fire cuts, hazy lighting, fantastic camera angles, fast motion and slow motion, and a hundred other tricks to show us how these people see the world. It's effectivity is astounding, and disturbing. Like I said, the story is about a downhill spiral. But what makes it so haunting and unforgettable is that it's a downhill spiral to FOUR individuals, some of whom deserve their comuppance, others who don't. Drugs and the addictions to it destroy the lives of every character in this film, and your heart literally will break while watching it. Technically speaking, the film is a marvel. The music by Clint Mansell is some of the best ever composed. The cinematography is effective, the editing is fantastic, the performances are all splendid, and the screenplay is perfect in giving us everything we need with absolutely no fat. There's not too many long monolouge's in the film, because it wouldn't be appropriate to these people (although Burstyn does have one, in the middle of the film, about becoming old and lonely that will make even the coldest person get misty). And if you think the first two acts of the film are disturbing, you ain't seen nothing yet - the finale of the movie, where Aronofsky cuts back and forth between every character as they reach their horrible destinations, will rock your socks off. Requiem for a Dream, in short, is a masterpiece, one of the greatest films of all time. It's also one of the most difficult viewing experiences you'll ever endure. If you're brave enough, or if you have an asshole boyfriend who doesn't care if he ruins your day (sorry again leasha :P), then watch this movie and be just as astounded as the rest of the world.

A wonderful, wonderful film. People say it's neo-noir, but I can't imagine how it could be considered anything but the quintessential film noir. Mystery, murder, wide-brimmed hats, femme fatales...this movie's got it all. Very complicated and hard to follow at first, but after 4 or 5 viewings you'll be mesmerized.

If there was ever a movie that I would call "hypnotic", then this would be it. There's an endless fascination for me to watch The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman's greatest triumph), because I still have no idea why it is so powerful to me. Like another masterpiece, Gates of Heaven, this movie exists in it's own little world, touching down upon us lowly humans if we're only so lucky. The Seventh Seal is an undeniable masterpiece - a flick so evocative, involving, powerful, and really just bizarre that watching it almost becomes trance-like - you don't know why it's getting to you so much, but it is. The film's been getting flack lately, it seems, because it's so blunt, so un-subtle, and dare I say - so dated. Well, yeah. That's part of it's charm. Bergman made this before film's had to avoid mentioning the Jesus word, before Christianity could only be referenced as a controversial topic, and before God became a serial killer (Final Destination and The Reaping anyone?). His characters openly question God, religion, the Catholic Church - just about all the things that people dare not mention in films anymore, which is a shame. For me, what it does is emphasize how important and how strong this flick is - it wears it's heart on it's sleeve and it's balls in it's pockets, for everyone to see. Many scenes stand out in people's memories, like the huge crowd self-flagellating themselves, or the confession in the church to Death, or the witch burning, or the final and strangely both sad and uplifting Dance to Death. And, of course, the popular and rightly famous chess scene with Death on the beach (although the main character plays chess with Death on more than one occasion, and once even tries to cheat - see, we humans always try to cheat Death! Subtle, ain't it :D). The thing many people lambast or praise this movie for is that they consider it to be Bergman simply questioning God's existence yet again, but I think that's oversimplifying it. To me, Bergman would make a church not for the followers, but for the company. With this film, he's asking all of us to join him in questioning - he wants the reassurance of a wide audience that we understand his inner turmoils and torments. Well, at the very least, I sure do. And with this evocative, mysterious, beautiful, lyrical, poetic (yes I know I sound incredibly snotty), wonderful, epic, audacious, masterful film, I can't see how there will ever be a healthy and inquisitive world without it.

The best movie I've ever seen in theatres. Gorgeous, breath taking, wonderful, amazing, eye popping, mind boggling. To me, it was like listening to a great symphony orchestra - you can't nitpick the details (who ever says "they used B sharp twice in that one stanza"?), but you take it in as a cohesive, immersive whole. It spoke to me, it touched me. As well as my girlfiend - we were so stunned after seeing it (as was the whole audience, who said through almost the entire end credits without budging), that we went and saw it 2 more times. Hugely underrated, this is a true masterpiece and top 15 films I've ever seen.

Magical, magical, magical. No other word that better describes it. Saw it in an almost empty theatre and spent literally the whole movie smiling and giggling and laughing with joy, like a 5 year old does at bright colours. Didn't care. One of the most beautiful and wonderful movies I've ever seen, it's also a perennial Christmas classic that i've seen about 20 times and is still just as joyous to watch as the first.

Watching this movie again, I was reminded of how important it is. Not just in terms of it's highly influential movie-making style (this was the first widely seen Scorsese movie, and he hit it right out of the park), but as a scathing social commentary on how we as a people view and treat violence. Yes, leasha - it IS clever in that regard. In terms of an actual film, it's Marty's second best and one of the top 15 films I've ever seen. The first time I saw it, admittedly, I was disappointed - I expected Punisher-style revenge ultra-violence, when really that doesn't come until the final 10 minutes. The movie is mostly the preperation for that massacre as you watch a racist, slow-thinking, horribly motivated psycho gradually slip into madness and violence. When the massacre finally does arrive, it doesn't disappoint and results in one of the most horrifically violent scenes ever filmed. Now onto the social commentary. First time I saw it, I didn't get it. I took the last couple scenes at face value - could've been a dream, could've not, but at either rate, I thought the morals of the film were questionable. Now I understand that they were taking a satirical jab at how we see violence in that the violence itself doesn't bother us - it's the context it's in. If Travis Bickle had pulled out his gun a second sooner at Palantine, he would've killed a "good guy" and been labelled a terrorist. But he missed him, then went to kill "bad guys", and therefore was labelled a hero. It's still killing, but we don't care - I mean, when people go to war they still kill people. Why is that Ok but shooting a man on the street is not? These are questions most revenge pics don't make us ask, but this one does. A brilliant, disturbing masterpiece.

What's there to say about Clockwork Orange, except that my girlfriend refuses to see it cause we won't be able to fool around for a week afterward? Yes, it's disturbing, but it's not really the content that makes it disturbing - I mean, we've all seen murders and rapes in films before. It's how it does these things, and how Kubrick wonderfully films, edits, and scores it, that makes the movie not only great, but terrifying.

A modern masterpiece that is just as dazzling the 5th or 10th or 20th time you see it as it was the first. Roger Ebert makes a dubious claim on the front of the cover - "One of the best films you'll ever see" - but it's actually true. This flick really is amazing and eye-popping in every sense of the word. It's compared to Goodfellas a lot, but in fact - it's better than Goodfellas. The story is tighter, there's much more of an actual plot, and I would even dare to say that it's even more visually inventive than Scorsese's masterpiece. At any rate, this is a great film that would be even more popular if the majority of filmgoers weren't so scared off by subtitles. City of God is an exuberant dance of a film, celebrating the making of movies as much as the story itself. It opens with a fury of cuts and bizarre camera tricks, and by the time the camera pans around the main character as he quickly morphs into a little kid a decade ago, you realize that this movie won't be like most, and it only keeps getting better from there. Like Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction, the film feels more violent than it actually is - these three filmmakers all understood that the context in which violence is placed is much more powerful and disturbing than simply copious amounts of blood and gore (there really isn't much blood in this movie, considering). What's disturbing here is that little children, prepubescent boys, partake and are involved in the violence just as much as the adults - they kill and are killed and no one gives a shit. That's the powerful message this movie is making about the slums in Rio de Janerio - if you don't know how to operate a gun by the time you're old enough to walk, you'll probably wind up dead. The film also isn't told in a linear manner - the narrator constantly makes detours and explains background stories about the characters, but it always aids the story and is always entertaining. That's the strangest and best thing about this great film - as disturbing, violent, and tragic as it is, it's always fun to watch because of the brilliant camera work, cinematography, and screenplay. City of God (and what an ironic title, eh?) has a likeable hero, believeable supporting characters, a tragic underdog, and a despicable but realistic villian who's end always reminds me of Scar in The Lion King. This is a masterpiece - and it really is one of the best movies you'll ever see.

The problem writing about as great, influential, and popular a film as Goodfellas is that it's almost impossible for me to say anything about it that hasn't already been said. But watching this film again last night for probably the 15th time, I was reminded of just how stellar, how wonderful, how powerful and how joyous the film is. It's not Scorsese's best, but it's damn close, and the style of it's direction is more the now "typical" Scorsese style than any other of his films. In fact, I realized that my own style of filmmaking is more influenced and inspired by this film than any other, which is strange since it's only barely in my top 20 (considering what a masterpiece it is, I think it's pretty clear how hard it is for any movie to make that top 20). Scorsese imbues this film with so much energy, so much exuberance, so much passion both for the story and the sheer act of making movies, that it's impossible to turn this movie off once started. I've become notorious to myself the past couple of years for rarely ever being able to sit through a movie on DVD all at once, without any breaks, but last night I sat and watched Goodfellas almost straight through. It proves how amazing this film is to watch, and how it sucks you into the violent and exciting world of these gangsters. The storytelling is masterful in a sneaky sort of way, because Goodfellas really doesn't have much of a plot. It's about characters and the world they inhabit, and Marty-boy shows us this with all the highs and lows accompanied. The camerawork, editing, and pacing of the film is pure Scorsese - this film showed us how a soundtrack and careful song selection can increase the greatness of any scene, and the frenetic pace of the final scenes get us right into the mind of the drugged out Ray Liotta. The acting, from top to bottom, is superlative. De Niro is as great as always, Ray Liotta is grounded and lets us empathize with the least bad of the bad guys, Lorraine Bracco is always believeable as a woman who should really get her shit together. Even the background performers who are only in a couple scenes are fresh and always real. Then, there's Joe Pesci, who gives one of the best performances I've ever seen, and is frightening as the psychotic villian of the flick. Then there's the violence. Paying close attention to it last night, it's actually not as violent a film as it's reputation would have you believe. It always gives the feel of violence, the sense of impending violence, but when the wrath actually takes place, it seems almost quaint by today's Saw-like standards. When someone is shot with a gun, for instance, rarely does blood spray out everywhere, covering the camera (I know, obviosuly, there are some exceptions, but just hear me out). But often, like when Spider is shot, we don't see the impact. Scorsese cuts too much - we see brief shots of violence occuring, but it's obscured, and the aftermath is just some red patches of blood on Spider's shirt. Scorsese understands, unlike most directors these days, that the aftermath of violence is what makes it disturbing, not the actual event. Having said that, the film's gore is indeed brutal, swift, and unexpected. The Layla sequence, where several bodies are discovered and eventually ending in Pesci's payoff, is such a wonderful sequence, so well timed, with an ending that is both just and horrifyingly unexpected. It's a perfect scene in a movie littered with them. There's the classic "What's so funny about me?" scene, where the camera never shows off or tries to bring more intimidation and fear into the scene - what's happening is damn well both freaky and funny enough. There's the scene where Ray Liotta's world unravels before his eyes and culminates with his arrest. There's the intriguing scene where the amount of onions in a homemade sauce is given more time and attention by the characters than any of the murders and mayhem surrounding them. There's the ending, which on first viewing seems anti-climactic (being a gangster film, we're kinda expecting a bloodbath of some kind), but is actually ingenious in it's development and realism (plus, Scorsese really shows off by having the voice over become an out-over, for lack of a better term). And throughout the film, we always have the sense of Scorsese's love of the cinema, always in the mood to interest and entertain us. This flick is a masterpiece - audacious, influential, shocking, and terrific fun. If you're one of the 10 people on this planet who haven't seen it yet, what're you waiting for?

The little film that could. I don't think anyone was really expecting this movie to be as dark, disturbing, brilliant, dramatic, and wickedly funny as it is. I'm not a big Coen brothers fan, but it would be hard for this movie to ever leave my top 20. Great performances from McDormand, Macy, and especially Buscemi, who never gets enough credit for crafting such a wonderfully real villian.

One of my most favourite action flicks. Best film of '05, and without a doubt the best superhero movie ever made. Great fun from start to finish, it just keeps getting better everytime i watch it. Great costumes, lighting, editing, writing, music - plus, lets be honest...no matter how hetero I am, I would totally do Batman. Not Christian Bale, mind you - BATMAN.

Yes, 5 stars. There's no denying it - this is a great movie. Screw everyone who says differently! Ok, not really. Cause they would have a point. My dad thought this movie was dumb as bricks, and it's a fair enough statement to make. But if "guilty pleasure" is defined as you just loving a movie to death when many people don't, then this would be one of my highest guilty pleasures. Along with Batman Begins, it's the best pure action flick I've ever seen. Pundits be damned - just try and watch this movie and not laugh out loud at the fun of it all. But maybe that's why I like it so much - it's not just excessive action from start to finish (although it has some of the best and most entertaining action setpieces of any film). It has a brain in it's head, a twisty-turny plot, some well defined characters, a deliciously evil villian, and some scenes that are more dramatic than they have any right to be. A great, great movie (also, if anyone out there like me is thrashed for loving this film, remind them that it came out the same year as Titanic and was MORE critically acclaimed. It's true).

Ah, I love this flick. Haters be damned - this warms the cockles of my heart. Crowe gives the Oscar worthy performance he should've had in Gladiator, Connelly is as great and hot as always, and of course Ed Harris blows everyone out of the water. A magical drama that'll definately stand the test of time.

Spielberg's most underrated film is actually my second favourite of all his works. It's got everything - mystery, science fiction, suspense, drama, and superb action. Special effects and music are terrific too. It all boils down to a movie where time travel actually is done realistically and few plot holes abound. Plus, it's got a great Tom Cruise performance. Yes, those exist.

As much as everyone believes, this is not a "gay" movie. It's a beautiful and haunting and tragically sad story about two people in love - isn't that more important than what kind of genitals they have? Yes, the gay aspect gives is a dangerous resonance that wouldn't exist without it, and if the characters weren't gay, then the moving and poignant last act wouldn't have occured. Still, this movie should be seen by everyone, pro-gay or anti-gay, who want to see a great story told brilliantly.

What an enjoyable film this is. I wish more people I know have seen it, because it's just so darn fun to watch. Orson Welles gives my favourite performance in this strange sort of pseudo-thriller, and of course, there's Anton Karas score performed on the zither. If you don't know what a zither is, you haven't heard the score, and if you haven't heard the score, you haven't seen the film.

As fun as movies get. One of the quintessential action/adventure flicks, this movie's the reason why people go see fun action/adventure movies. Whenever I just plain wanna have a good time in front of the television, this is one of the flicks most likely to get popped in. Ghosts, spikes, planes, fights, arks, whips, tombs, snakes, and Nazi's - what more could you want?

One of Hitch's seminal classics. Enjoyable from start to finish, this is just the kind of movie that's impossible not to like. It's got laughs, and it's got some terrific suspense - and, above all, it's got Jimmy Stewart in one of his best performances.

Why? Why does a documentary about pet cemetaries haunt me so? I've never been closer to bawling in a movie than in thie film - and I still have no idea why. Most people have never heard of this brilliant, heartbreaking, wonderful little film. Hell, I can't even find it in stores - had to download it. But when Roger Ebert put it in his top 10 movies of all time, he wasn't kidding. It's so moving, it's kinda scary, and when they show the various headstones of buried pets...I'm sorry, but I just couldn't hold in the tears.

A great little film that's an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers everywhere. Aronofsky created this wonderful little sci-fi suspense flick with a budget of like 60 thousand and a black and white camera. The shots, editing, lighting, all of it combine to make one helluva ride. Plus, it gave my dad a headache, so I guess it must be great.

Rarely does a movie meet every one of my greatest expectations. Sometimes the film exceeds them (The Fountain). Sometimes it disappoints, but not enough to make me unhappy (Snakes on a Plane). More often than not, my expectations are greeted with a big pile of disappointing shit (Superman Returns). 300, however, was exactly the action masterpiece I was hoping for. I had been pumped about this movie for so long, I was a little scared that it wouldn't be as good as I knew it could. No need to worry. 300 is a visual feast - the most testosterone filled film I've ever witnessed. The action/battle scenes are the best I've ever seen - Snyder's use of fast and slow motion made me jealous, for it's exactly the kind of filming style I always dreamed of adopting. Move over Lord of the Rings - this flick has your war scenes beat. Story/character wise, the film does exactly what it needs to do - move everything along quickly to get to the bloodbath. Anyone looking for more than that is, quite frankly, a bit of a tart. Honestly, people are being idiotic about this movie - if I hear one more person trash it for being "historically inaccurate" or "homoerotic", I'll probably shit a brick. I'd much rather see a film with no pretentions of "importance" and just wants to blow your mind, like 300, than a movie so fueled by being "serious and accurate" like, say, Gladiator, that it becomes a chore to watch. This movie is pure adrenaline filled fun from beginning to end, and will most likely be the best film of the year. A masterpiece. See it as soon as possible.