Listmania!
HUMAN LIVES - films that understand people warts and all
The Lives Of Others [DVD] [2007]The Lives Of Others [DVD] [2007]
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £4.75
you'd think a German film with subtitles about a bloke sitting in an attic listening to other people wouldn't amount to much; but it's simply 1 of the most perfect films; humane & profoundly affecting
The Good Shepherd [DVD] [2006]The Good Shepherd [DVD] [2006]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £0.94
searing, challenging, thought-provoking despite its length
Schindler's List [DVD] [1994]Schindler's List [DVD] [1994]
Buy used from: £3.59
for strong stomachs but necessary viewing - Schindler is no saint but even lowlifes do great things
Sideways [DVD] [2004]Sideways [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £0.01
It's not just about the wine - poignant, well-observed and real
The Constant Gardener [DVD] [2005]The Constant Gardener [DVD] [2005]
Buy new: £9.38 / Used from: £0.48
a thriller yes, but ultimately it is a love story between two people trying to come to terms with the dark side of Africa and the west's meddling
Crimes And Misdemeanors [DVD] [1990]Crimes And Misdemeanors [DVD] [1990]
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £4.20
Woody Allen's often overlooked sharp film about guilt and its repercussions
Cry Freedom [DVD] [1987]Cry Freedom [DVD] [1987]
Buy new: £5.48 / Used from: £5.00
powerful indictment of things that really did happen - terrifying
Downfall (1 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]Downfall (1 Disc Edition) [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £4.38 / Used from: £3.22
assiduously avoids caricature or demonisation - it reminds us that Hitler was a human being - and is all the more unsettling for that
Gathering Storm [DVD] [2002]Gathering Storm [DVD] [2002]
Buy new: £3.88 / Used from: £3.40
on the other side, Churchill, equally real and iniitally almost alone in realising the threat Hitler was - a film of the personal battles and sacrifices made by people to make this known
Lost In Translation [DVD] [2004]Lost In Translation [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £3.98 / Used from: £0.63
whimsical but all too familiar for anyone who has been struck down by culture shock, lostness and loneliness
Good Night and Good Luck [DVD] [2005]Good Night and Good Luck [DVD] [2005]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.98
David Strathairn is a revelation - very human and vulnerable - but dignified and resolute in his resistance to Macarthyism
Heat [DVD] [1995]Heat [DVD] [1995]
Buy new: £4.68 / Used from: £0.75
a thriller and cops and robbers film for sure - but there is something quite spectacular about the understated scene in the diner where Pacino and De Niro simply have a coffee
The Insider [DVD] [2000]The Insider [DVD] [2000]
Buy used from: £2.96
Crowe very credible as the ordinary scientist sacrificing everything for the sake of his moral integrity without while confronting massive fear - another classic Pacino mo: on the phone in the seaea
Insomnia [DVD] [2002]Insomnia [DVD] [2002]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.10
well, while we're with the awesome Pacino: fascinating but flawed film - Pacino makes it as the cop struggling with his own demons tracking down a creepy nutter, Williams, without his usual schmaltz
Reality Bites [DVD] [1994]Reality Bites [DVD] [1994]
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £2.50
90s pomo relationships - well it's where people have been at for a few years, stuck in their McJobs and wondering what on earth it's all about
Syriana [DVD] [2005]Syriana [DVD] [2005]
Buy new: £2.98 / Used from: £0.65
incredibly complex web of relationships and agendas - no easy answers, it leaves you reeling wondering how on earth this world's mess can be sorted left alone addressed
Traffic [DVD] [2001]Traffic [DVD] [2001]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £0.01
similar complexity but instead of the middle east, this has the morass of the drugs trade in its sights
Local Hero [DVD] [1983]Local Hero [DVD] [1983]
Buy used from: £5.97
The Scottish highlands at their most beautiful, gentle and comic - how can one not love it?! Burt Lancaster in classic form
Miracle Maker [DVD] [2000]Miracle Maker [DVD] [2000]
Buy used from: £8.74
a story that's 2000 years old, an army of marionettes, a film that is clearly not 'real' - but it is the most real and life-changing story of them all - for all humans, warts and all!
Kandahar [DVD] [2001]Kandahar [DVD] [2001]
Buy used from: £50.01
daring and brilliant - human beings in the most oppressive of circumstances - Taliban Afghanistan - but certainly don't buy it at this price!
The Killing Fields [DVD] [1984]The Killing Fields [DVD] [1984]
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £5.50
very powerful and moving - Ngor is a revelation as an actor, drawing on his own horrific experiences in Cambodia - was tragically killed in America in 1996 by a gang
Good Will Hunting [DVD] [1998]Good Will Hunting [DVD] [1998]
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £2.49
It's not your fault!
Casablanca - Special Edition [DVD] [1942]Casablanca - Special Edition [DVD] [1942]
Buy used from: £19.99
a classic - the start of a beautiful friendship
The Incredibles (2-disc Collector's Edition) [DVD] [2004]The Incredibles (2-disc Collector's Edition) [DVD] [2004]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.89
this is a film that is SO not just for kids - i love it - hilarious and stunning visually - but what i love most are the realities of family and married life despite it all - brilliantly observed
The Dish [DVD] [2001]The Dish [DVD] [2001]
Buy used from: £1.20
another whimsical favourite - gentle pace but very real - beautifully drawn characters. Will never forget the Parkes version of the US national anthem!