61. Dirty Harry
Year: 1971
IMDB rating: 7.8
Awards: –
The Story: Harry Callahan – called by his colleagues Dirty Harry – is a fearless San Francisco Police Officer who is set on a manhunt on the trails of a psychopath killer who threatens the safety of the entire population.
Why is it on the list: Because Dirty Harry is the prototype of maverick cop we got used to see in cinema. The man who has no fear, knows no obstacle, fights against crime and is morally righteous, looking badass every step of the way. Because Clint Eastwood is a great actor and a great director and some of his older movies certainly deserve a spot in the archives and top tens, but Dirty Harry is a model, a paradigm for cop / thriller movies, the developmental framework which was used to create similar characters and similar stories. Because it is still a great source of inspiration whenever you want to impress somebody with witty lines and perky action hero attitude.
Quintessential quote: “Well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard. That’s my policy.” (Harry Callahan)
62. A Beautiful Mind
Year: 2001
IMDB rating: 8.1
Awards: 4 Oscar Awards
The Story: John Nash is a mathematics genius who rises and falls and spends his life in an alternative reality to reach every scientist’s dream: the Nobel Prize.
Why is it on the list: Because we had the Gladiator here and now you can forget everything you know about Crowe, as he turns into a completely different creature. His powerful interpretation of Nash made history, as well as the masterful way the movie was directed, to keep you guessing, to keep you hoping, to keep you on the verge of not knowing. Because it’s the story of pure genius wanting to raise above, wanting to make a difference, wanting to perfectly mix a personal life with a professional one, only to taste the bitterness of delusion and the sweetness of victory. Because you can’t leave the cinema without having deep, disturbing emotions and because by the end of it, you forget you saw a movie, but spend real time blended in Nash’s drama and personal confusion. Because it shows schizophrenia in one of its most monstrous of forms and because the message is true to itself beyond words. And because it has a love story that is unforgettable.
Quintessential quote: “What truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me to the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional, and back. I have made the most important discovery of my career – the most important discovery of my life. It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found. I am only here tonight because of you” (John Nash)
63. Natural Born Killers
Year: 1994
IMDB rating: 7.2
Awards: –
The Story: Mickey and Mallory are two very disturbed young people, with a history of family abuse, who choose an outlaw life and bound to each other in love and crime, only to become media superstars, with their actions becoming glorified by an ever sensation-consuming press.
Why is it on the list: Because this may be the only movie that emphasizes on the serial killers as victims of society and idols for the press, as Mickey and Mallory don’t kill for money or any other type of benefits, but for the pleasure of being unique and mostly because they can. Because this movie bares a severe criticism towards the press, who transformed the two sociopaths into heroes. Because it is a severe criticism to society in its full, as it breeds monsters and doesn’t save the ones who can still can make it. Because you can either love it or hate it, pick sides with the outraged or with the fascinated, or just scream in awe, as the level of violence is indeed disturbing. Because it has both Tarantino and Stone hands on the script and because Mickey and Mallory’s love oath is immortal in its purity and insanity.
Quintessential quote: “Their subsequent trial turned into a sick, pathetic circus. The trial of Mickey and Mallory Knox was SUCH an event, that it made the crime spree that preceded it pale by comparison. The nation caught Mickey and Mallory fire!” (Wayne Gale)
64. Black Cat, White Cat
Year: 1994
IMDB rating: 7.2
Awards: –
The Story: We’re in Yugoslavia at the river Danube and Matko and his son Zare make a living on petty smuggling and cons. But Matko manages to hustle the local mobster, Dadan, who asks in compensation for his failed business to marry his sister Afrodita to young Zare. But the two have other plans, as Zare is in love with Ida and Afrodita still waits for her Prince Charming. A series of events turn the wedding into a circus.
Why is it on the list: Because you haven’t seen comedies until you’ve seen this Kusturica masterpiece, a blend of comedy, drama and absurd humor that won’t let you breathe for a second. Because the acting is brilliant, the scenery takes you into a completely different world and the butterfly effect the situations are subdued to makes everyone wonder if these things can really happen or we are witnessing surrealism at its best. Because the movie represent the quintessence of the famous Balkan humor, atmosphere and characters and because the music is addictive. You get to see a culture rarely portrayed in movies and get to taste a special type of contextual humor that is certainly unique.
Quintessential quote: ” This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship ” (Uncle Grga)
65. The Talented Mr. Ripley
Year: 1999
IMDB rating: 7.3
Awards: 5 Oscar Nominations
The Story: We’re in the fifties and poor young Tom Ripley borrows a Princeton jacket in order to play piano at a select party, pretending he knows the rich and rebellious Dickie Greenleaf who just doesn’t want to come back from Italy. Ripley is sent to recover and bring back the spoiled Dickie, a task he willingly embraces, but when all fails and he has to return home, he puts his mind into things to turn the situation in his favor.
Why is it on the list: Because you’ve seen movies about various types of talented people, but being a crime and misleading genius is rare and Matt Damon does an outstanding job playing this character with a double – face and a hidden personal agenda it would shame even the major criminal masterminds. Because it is dark, alert and confusing at times, because the movie and the atmosphere gives you the chills and you can either empathize with Ripley’s choices, or hate him for what he’s doing, but never you can ignore it. Because it is still a reference for “smart” thriller and it gives you something to think about regarding true human nature.
Quintessential quote: “I always thought it would be better, to be a fake somebody… than a real nobody.” (Tom Ripley)