1) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Starring :
This movie is a masterpiece in every aspect a film should be… Arnold Schwarzenegger’s role could not be enacted by anybody other than himself.
The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) was sent from the future to kill the unborn son of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in the original. Now, that Terminator has been sent back again but with a different assignment: Protect John Connor. John Connor (Edward Furlong) is now about 10 years of age and must evade a new Terminator sent to kill him;The T-1000 (Robert Patrick). Sarah, John, and The Terminator journey together on their quest to stop Judgment Day, with a trailing, shape-shifting Terminator trailing from behind.
Overall, Terminator II: Judgment Day is an absolute must see classic. If you have not seen it, buy it! Because once you have seen it, you will want to do so anyways. It is fast paced and highly enjoyable for just about every audience. Highly recommended!!!
2) The Dark Knight (2008)
Starring :
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) continues to eliminate crime in Gotham City with the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The Dark Knight wants to finally get rid of organized crime for good and be free of their corruption. Batman soon finds that a new psychopathic mastermind known as the Joker (Heath Ledger) has taken over organized crime. After the fall of Carmine Falcone, the remaining crime bosses try to pick up the pieces. However, the Joker is killing them off one by one. The Joker's plan is to terrify the citizens and throw the city into chaos, and then kill Batman. Batman takes the fight with the Joker personal, which makes him confront his own beliefs. The Joker is the most dangerous criminal that Batman has encountered, and he will need all his strength and vigilance to defeat him.
The Dark Knight is ultimately about Batman and The Joker. It's a much darker film than any of the previous Batman movies, and it goes into directions that few comic-book films have taken before. Much of that edginess comes from The Joker and his sinister plans. Not merely content at killing his enemies, The Joker chooses to psychologically torment his rivals by forcing them to question what they stand for.
Heath Ledger as The Joker is undoubtedly the finest, most menacing villain in any comic-book movie yet. He definitely deserves a posthumous Oscar for his performance. Allowing Ledger and The Joker to steal this film from under his nose, Christian Bale as Batman takes a backseat during this ride. But Nolan gives him that one magnificent scene which makes up for whatever complaints Batman might otherwise have. In this scene, we see Batman leaping off a Gotham skyscraper, swooping down into the night, his bat wings rustling in the air as he descends on the city he's here to protect. It's one of the most fantastic scenes you've seen in film for a long, long time.There are also some fantastic chase sequences, and there's one particularly jaw-dropping scene in which a massive truck flips in the air like an Olympic diver
If a movie is only as good as its villain, then "Dark Knight" is a winner, hands down.
Simply put, this is the greatest film of this century!
3) The Departed (2006)
Starring :
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
One of the greatest films of Martin Scorsese definitely.
The South Boston section of
4) V for Vendetta (2005)
Starring :
Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, John Hurt
This film is truly unique in many ways, and after you end up watching the whole movie , you’ll be amazed at the what the movie does…. It’s simply amazing to see a guy wearing a mask the whole movie produce some simply great acting..
The movie is set in
Another reason to watch this movie is the dialogues, you’ll simply be awed by the way V delivers his dialogue upon meeting Evey for the first time… and there are plenty more dialogues that make this movie a great watch… also this movie has one of the greatest fight scenes you’ll ever watch in a movie!!! A must-see movie…
5) The Usual Suspects (1995)
Starring :
Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak
When a truck loaded with stripped gun parts is hijacked outside of Queens, five notorious thieves become overnight guests of the NYPD, but that’s all they need to hatch a plan that brings them to Los Angeles for the ultimate take, $91 million in hard cash. Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), an apparent victim of cerebral palsy yet an accomplished con man, soon falls under the persuasive powers of U.S. Customs Special Agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), who’s hot on their trail. Kint weaves a tale that begins six weeks ago, back at the police shake-down in New York. Assembled among the professional felons are hardware specialist Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak), entry man Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), his partner Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro) and Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), an ex-cop whose hijacking and smuggling exploits have incurred Kujan’s wrath. Customs has been building a case on Keaton for three years, and despite Kint’s claim that Keaton is dead, Kujan looks to squeeze Kint until he gets his man.
A riveting storytelling, a painstaking flash-back, a tight and first-class directing, a thoughtful twist, a topnotch cast, “The Usual Suspects” includes almost everything a director would sell his soul for. Everything contributes to make it a stalwart model in the suspenseful movie and the whole cinema. Watch this movie for its plot and a sensational story weaved together, the climax will just blow your head off!!!
6) Fight Club (1999)
Starring :
Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf
Another movie with a thriller twist… This movie is a total guy movie with lots of blood and gore, and some men beating each other senselessly.. But the great thing about this movie is the way it is handled, especially the climax is awesome..
The movie is narrated by a lonely, unfulfilled young man (Edward Norton) who finds his only comfort in feigning terminal illness and attending disease support groups. Hopping from group to group, he encounters another pretender, or “tourist,” the morose Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), who immediately gets under his skin. However, while returning from a business trip, he meets a more intriguing character–the subversive Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). They become fast friends, bonding over a mutual disgust for corporate consumer-culture hypocrisy. Eventually, the two start Fight Club, which convenes in a bar basement where angry men get to vent their frustrations in brutal, bare-knuckle bouts. Fight Club soon becomes the men’s only real priority; when the club starts a cross-country expansion, things start getting really crazy.
Excellent performances from both the leading actors supported by a razor-sharp script and some good visual-effects… One of the best movies the 90’s… Watch this..
7) Schindler's List (1993)
Starring :
Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall
The Holocaust is undoubtedly one of the most significant and horrifying events of the twentieth century. Between 1938 and 1945, the Jewish population was segregated and persecuted, culminating in the merciless slaughter of approximately six million. Amidst all this butchery, one man decided to make a difference, famously saving the lives of more than 1100 Jews- men, women and children who would otherwise have been killed.
The film begins with the relocation of Polish Jews from surrounding areas to Krakow in late 1939, shortly after the beginning of World War II. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a successful businessman, arrives from Czechoslovakia in hopes of using the abundant cheap labour force of Jews to manufacture goods for the German military. Schindler, an opportunistic member of the Nazi party, lavishes bribes upon the army and SS officials in charge of procurement. Not knowing much about how to properly run such an enterprise, he gains a contact in Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), a functionary in the local Judenrat (Jewish Council) who has contacts with the now underground Jewish business community in the Ghetto. They loan him the money for the factory in return for a small share of products produced (for trade on the black market). Opening the factory, Schindler pleases the Nazis and enjoys his new-found wealth and status as "Herr Direktor," while Stern handles all administration.
Amon Goth (Ralph Fiennes) arrives in Krakow to initiate construction of a labor camp nearby, Plaszow. The SS soon clears the Krakow ghetto, sending in hundreds of troops to empty the cramped rooms and shoot anyone who protests, is uncooperative, elderly or infirmed, or for no reason at all.
For such a long movie (195 minutes), this movie is totally worth every minute of your time… Steven Spielberg is definitely on of the greatest directors of this generation, accompanied with some radical acting…
After you watch this film, you feel all kinds of emotions welling up within you.. You feel angry of the Nazis, some will be stunned, but most of all you feel like crying because of one man Oskar Schindler…
8) Pulp Fiction (1993)
Starring :
John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Samuel L.Jackson, Uma Thurman
An inside look at a memorable community of criminals. Prizefighter Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) has decided to stop payment on a deal he's made with the devil. He promises to lose a boxing fight to his boss (Ving Rhames).
Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) and Pumpkin (Tim Roth) are a couple of young lovers and small time thieves who decide they need a change of venue. Meanwhile, two career criminals, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L.Jackson), go about their daily business of shooting up other crooks who are late on payments to their boss. While one is asked to babysit their boss' dangerously pretty young wife (Uma Thurman) , the other suddenly realizes that he must give up his life of crime.
These three stories are woven into a single action classic, probably one of the greatest movies of all time.. Quentin Tarantino is a master in his game who also makes a guest appearance in this movies.. Great Watch
9) The Matrix (1999)
Starring :
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss,
During the year 1999, a man named Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) lives an ordinary life. He makes a living illegally mostly by computer hacking under the alias Neo. Then one day he meets another man by the man of Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne). After their friendship develops Morpheus shows him that world Thomas is living is make-believe. At first Thomas does not believe him, but then is shown evidence and also meets with a like-minded woman named Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss). He is slowly updated from the time the world was disintegrated and wasted, devoid of all natural resources. Then in this wasteland, came android-like humans, machine-made, who enslaved the remainder of the humans. In order to create the perfect world, a fake world is created to fool the humans into believing that everything is alright in their world. Now Thomas, Trinity, and Morpheus must lead the humans to freedom, but will the android-like beings let them?
This movie redefined the use of special effects… The film is known for developing and popularizing the use of a visual effect known as "bullet-time", which allows the viewer to explore a moment progressing in slow motion as the camera appears to orbit around the scene at normal speed. One of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time..
10) The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Starring :
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a mild mannered New England banker, is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Despised at first by the other inmates because of his introverted manner, Andy slowly forges an unlikely friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman), a seasoned lifer and his gang. Soon, Andy also becomes popular with the prison guards, including the vicious Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) who offers him protection against the jail's rougher convicts in exchange for financial counseling. The prison warden (Bob Gunton) also takes advantage of Andy's banking knowledge by exchanging privileges for creative bookkeeping. Over a twenty year period, Andy is able to maintain his sanity and dignity in prison not by physical force but by mental force. His smarts and confidence keep him going and he is able to teach the other prisoners that hope is the ultimate means of survival.
This is probably the greatest movie to have ever produced, the proof of which can be found in almost all movie-review websites (IMDB & Yahoo to name some).. This movie tops the list in most of these websites.. Great performances by the lead actors.. One of the most inspirational movies of hope you’ll ever see..
11) Die Hard (1988)
Starring :
Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Reginal Veljohnson
John McClane(Bruce Willis) is a
As doing so, a group of armed terrorists take over the Nakatomi building, and take everyone hostage but John McClane manages to escape unnoticed! The Terrorists leader Hans Grouber (Alan Rickman), is intent on finding John, as he could destroy all their plans in taking over the Nakatomi building.
With only a hand revolver, McClane launches his own One-Man-Army to rescue the hostages and save his wife.. This is he first of the 4 Die Hard movies, one of the greatest action flicks and probably the best of 80’s… The performances by the lead actors are excellent... especially Alan Rickman.. This movie, along with its macho sequels is a must for any action movie buff’s library...
12) The Prestige (2006)
Starring:
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson
It all begins in rapidly changing, turn-of-the-century London. At a time when magicians are idols and celebrities of the highest order, two young magicians set out to carve their own paths to fame. The flashy, sophisticated Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) is a consummate entertainer, while the rough-edged purist Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is a creative genius who lacks the panache to showcase his magical ideas. They start out as admiring friends and partners. But when their biggest trick goes terribly awry, Angier’s wife Julia (Piper Perabo) accidentally dies during a performance, Robert blames Alfred for her death and they become enemies for life- each intent on outdoing and upending the other. Trick by trick, show by show, their ferocious competition builds until it knows no bounds, even utilizing the fantastical new powers of electricity and the scientific brilliance of radical inventor Nikola Tesla (David Bowie) --while the lives of everyone around them hang in the balance.
Cutter (Michael Caine) portrays the managerial role of Robert Angier, while Olivia Wenscombe (Scarlett Johansson) is a "magician's assistant" whose allegiance is questioned by the leads as well as the audience.
Director Christian Nolan allows the film to come alive in its constant twists and turns, double-crossings, and new developments which take the foundation of the original premise and flip it upside down. A job well-done…
13) The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Starring :
Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Albert Finney
The movie’s palpable sense of urgency and rapid-fire pace is bolstered by an intricately plotted story and a strong ensemble cast. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a former CIA operative trained as a killing machine, whose erased memories have come crashing down on him.
Starting with 2002's The Bourne Identity and followed two years later by The Bourne Supremacy, the series has consistently blended intelligence with explosive thrills. Suspense is accomplished without the aid of wizards, robots or comic-book superheroes. This is a thriller for adults. With Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) reprising her role as a principled CIA official and Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) as a corrupt government honcho, it clearly is aimed at sophisticated audiences.
Damon is at his best, having grown further into the role. He is just as convincing as a nimble spy who guides a journalist past a labyrinthine set of stumbling blocks as he is at fending off a rival assassin.
His past may be muddled, but Bourne is always two steps ahead of his pursuers. With an appealing blend of toughness and vulnerability, Damon is ideal for the role, also perfectly fitting her role is Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles). Though trained to terminate lives, Bourne has an underlying decency. In the last film, he was shattered by the murder of his girlfriend, and now he seeks to escape the terrible business he went into as a young man blinded by a sense of duty. Most of all, he is driven to learn his real identity and at whose behest he was taught to kill.
There are some really awesome action scenes in this movie, especially the one which involves a motorbike chase through the streets of Tangier, Morocco, is relentless and riveting. Paul Greengrass can pat himself on the back after coming up with such a technically brilliant action movie…
Along with the this movie, the previous prequels are a must watch for any action fan.. One of the best movies of 2007… The one thing that you’ll get to believe after watching this movie is that no James Bond can ever compare to Jason Bourne…
14) One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Starring :
Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tells the tale of a penny ante convict looking to who ends up in a psych ward instead of a prison. Whether Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) in actually needs psychiatric help is left for the viewer to divine. Not that it really matters; McMurphy is the kind of impulsive yet strong-willed character who will always clash with institutional authority.
What can go wrong in a mental ward? Everything if you're Randle McMurphy, even if you're not purposely trying to make things go wrong. The source of the conflict is Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). Whether the name is supposed to remind us of wretched or her mechanical nature is up for debate, but Louise Fletcher plays the role both ways. Nurse Ratched may be a cold, mechanical automaton intent on sucking the joy and individuality from all the people that surround her but still the viewer pities Nurse Ratched, we can tell that things don't get any better for her when she clocks out of work.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest avoids the expected by introducing a myriad of subplots centered on the other patients. There are seemingly too many subplots going to keep up with. How can we be expected to care about a silent giant Indian, a stuttering sex starved teen (among others), plus Randall and Nurse Ratched all at the same time?
With a great script and great direction by Milos Forman, it turns out you can care about more than two characters. You'll find yourself as emotionally invested in Chief (Will Sampson) as you are in Randall, and you'll empathize with Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif) in an amount equal to your loathing of Nurse Ratched.
No wonder Jack Nicholson & Louise Fletcher won Oscar for their roles in this movie… Certified brilliance…
15) Se7en(1995)
Starring :
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow
In an anonymous US city in which it always rains and nobody seems to have bothered to pay their electricity bill, a serial killer is busy slaying his victims according to the seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride, leaving a sick procession of corpses, each one murdered in a way related to their own particular sin: a wealthy defence lawyer is forced to cut off a pound of his own flesh (greed); an obese man is forced fed until his stomach explodes (gluttony); a prostitute (lust) is... well, best see for yourself. Assigned to the case are veteran cop William Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a methodical, world-weary thinker and a week away from retirement after 34 years on the force, and his hot-headed young new partner David Mills (Brad Pitt), recently relocated, along with his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow), to this hellhole of a city, eager to make a name for himself. Try as they might they are always one step behind the murderer, but all too late his true motives are revealed to them.
As the cops move closer to their foe (whose identity is revealed late and by then it doesn't really matter anyway since it's fundamentally irrelevant) the movie shifts from thriller territory into the realms of horror, and it's here that director David Fincher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker pull off their greatest coup, a piece of cinematic genius - the most downbeat ending imaginable. You come away reeling, emotionally and mentally, shaken and most definitely stirred, muttering to yourself that they couldn't possibly have done that. But they did. Oh boy, did they. For the ending alone, this is simply unmissable.
A dark, gripping thriller which saves it's most shocking revelations for the final scenes.
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