50 Films of 2011: Conclusion

Well, it's all over.

I first started this list to get myself to watch some of the great films I have neglected to see. With the list it forced me to sit down and watch these movies - I knew I would like, if not love, most of them, but for some reason I just never found the time - or never selected these particularly films to check out.

Well, it worked. I was able to watch 50 films that I have been wanting to see, and I did it in a pretty great time frame.

Most of the films were good if not great, but I did manage to have a few less than mediocre films or stinkers.

I liked doing this so much that I have decided this is the perfect way to catch up on many films I have not seen yet. So, I think I am going to make this my new common practice. After each conclusion of a 50 list - I will go back into my list (and get suggestions) for a new 50 list. Which will allow me to catch up on so many films I have missed over the years.

So, here are some of my favorites from the films that I have watched during this original 50 list.

Top 10 Characters

(10) Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford)

Ford stars as Richard Kimble in The Fugitive. He is wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, and accidentally is allowed to escape from custody. During his time on the run he must prove his innocence by finding the man with one arm.

(9) The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall)

On this 50 list I watched both Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. Thanks to characters like Anthony Michael Hall's The Geek, Sixteen Candles blew the other out of the water. He was such a great nerd, but came off with a lot of self-esteem (even if he really didn't have any). His inclusion (along with Long Duk Dong) is one of the many reasons Sixteen Candles is far superior to Pretty in Pink.

(8) Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard)

Again, I feel that The Village takes a lot of heat for being a horrible movie. But, I feel it is just the build up that M. Night Shyamalan's films seem to take ever since Sixth Sense. One of the great performances of the film came from Howard, who portrayed Ivy. She braved the treacherous jungle to go into town and find medication for her boyfriend, all while being blind.

(7) Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal)

As I said before, Gyllenhaal has never jumped off of the screen in anything that I have seen him in before. But, as the titular character in Donnie Darko he did just that. A great performance that I feel he really encompassed all around.

(6) The Bride (Uma Thurman)

Tons of great characters in the Kill Bill series, but the best character is probably the main one. Uma Thurman stars as The Bride who spends the entire length of the two films out for revenge for the murder of her fiance, her unborn baby and the attempted murder on herself.

(5) Teardrop (John Hawkes)

Hawkes stars as Teardrop, the uncle of Jennifer Lawrence's Ree in Winter's Bone. Teardrop is sort of the anti-hero's hero. He doesn't want to get involved in his niece's attempt to track down her father, but his paternal instincts end up getting the best of him.

(4) Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick)

Kendrick needs way more roles like this one as Natalie Keener in Up in the Air. For some reason since this film she has been in small roles in Twilight and Scot Pilgrim. She plays perfectly against a much more seasoned actor in George Clooney, but it was her performance that truly stood out to me.

(3) Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

Again, Pulp Fiction has a ton of great characters in it, but it was what Samuel L. Jackson did as Jules Winnfield in his little screen time that truly made the film and his character memorable. He is a hitman with a heart that wants out, and his dialogue (mostly with John Travolta's Vincent) that makes the character standout.

(2) Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer)

I liked Tombstone, but I didn't love it. However, Val Kilmer's portrayal as Doc Holliday made me enjoy the film even more than I would have without him. I watched a lot of Kilmer's films during this list, and he is definitely underused as an actor. He really knocked this character out of the park.

(1) Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt)/Col. Hans Landa (Cristoph Waltz)

I just watched Inglourious Basterds, but I don't think that is the reason for marking them the best. They were both so good in their roles that I couldn't really separate them. Waltz is new to me, but he was so evil and likable at the same time in this role. Where Pitt continues to impress as a Jewish-soldier from Tennessee.

Top 10 Films

(10) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

(9) The Fugitive

(8) Frozen River

(7) Walk the Line

(6) Winter's Bone

(5) Up in the Air

(4) The Social Network

(3) Inception

(2) Inglourious Basterds

(1) Pulp Fiction

11/50: Walk the Line

I got this movie a long time ago, probably when it first came out on DVD. But, for some reason I didn't get a chance to watch. My wife, however, did watch it and absolutely loved it. So, she has been telling me that I should watch it - and I finally did.

Walk the Line is the biographical story of Johnny Cash starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character. I must admit that I was not really a fan of Cash's music, so I really had no interest in his story. But, after watching the film, I do like a lot of his songs.

Anyway, the film starts out about 3/4 of the way through as Cash is sitting back stage about to head out and play his famous Folsom Prison concert. Then, the flashback occurs and we start out seeing how Cash's childhood was like and how he got his start.

The film has it all, and everything that you would expect from a music star's life. If you can think it, it most likely happened in Cash's life.

All-in-all Walk the Line is a love story. Most of the film is Cash pursuing his love for June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), most of the time with Cash is married already. So, despite the feelings that June may feel for Cash, there is always something in the way of them getting together.

Witherspoon took home the Oscar for Best Actress in a Lead Role for her portrayal of Carter while Phoenix was also nominated for Best Actor in a Lead Role for his performance as Cash.

I came away very pleased, more knowledgeable of Cash's life and actually far more interested in Cash and his music. In fact, I am now the owner of the Walk the Line soundtrack.

Terrific film and I have to give my wife some props for telling (read nagging) me to watch it.

Grade: