Films You Must Watch 

Some of my favourite films. It's very hard to pick the best one, so they are in random order. All excellent films. I'd say you must watch, if you haven't already.


The Matrix
Directed by: Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

It is like a metaphor for the human condition today living in a constructed reality. In the "real world" - you get a job, get married, and have kids, and that's supposed to be your purpose here on Earth. But that is in fact not the real world. It's simply a programmed world to keep humans in control and turn them into batteries for the machines. The film has good bits that are relevant to the issue of control of the people by groups of the powerful. Great movie.

My Fave Quotes from the film:
Morpheus: "I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it".

Morpheus: "The Matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth".

Morpheus: "You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes".



Fight Club
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter

All I've got to say is....GREAT! This film really makes you think. A film about men who are pissed off with this materialistic world. Superb acting, thrilling, clever, and technically brilliant.

My Fave Quote:
Tyler Durden: "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world".



Pulp Fiction
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis

This is one of my favourite films. Samuel L. Jackson is too cool and a fantastic actor. Deserved the Oscar but got robbed. The screenplay is the best ever. Too many twists and turns with unexpected scenes. Three stories all combining together. My favourite is, "The Bonnie Situation" which is a great story on its own.

My Fave Quote:
Jules: "Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass".



Batman Begins
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine

This is my favourite superhero movie. This one is very gritty and dark and showing that FEAR is the greatest weapon.

My Fave Quote:
Batman: "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me".



V for Vendetta
Directed by: James McTeigue
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving

A film about a guy who is "fighting the system" and revealing to the people of Britain that they are living in a country full of lies. There is a lot of truth in this film. Things about the government creating disasters - so that the public "realise how much they need them". The news blatantly lying, the power of the people, the idea of freedom, democracy, terrorism, etc.

My Fave Quote:
V: "The people should not be afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of the people".



Snatch
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Vinnie Jones, Benicio Del Toro

The best British gangster movie, in my opinion. Very fast, stylish and entertaining.

My Fave Quote:
Bullet Tooth Tony: "It's not a fucking tin of baked beans! What do you mean "open him up"?



The Green Mile
Directed by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Michael Clarke Duncan, Bonnie Hunt

A wonderfully entertaining story about a gentle giant with special powers.

My Fave Quote:
John Coffey: "I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time".
 

The Lord of the Rings
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler

Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel. Great fantasy entertainment. I like the fantastic landscape shots that can be seen in parts of the movie, really showing some of the best locations in New Zealand. Totally beautiful.
 
My Fave Quote:
Galadriel: "The one ring to rule them all".

 

Seven
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey

Very dark, gritty and gory. About a serial killer, killing each of his victims based on the seven deadly sins (gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, pride, envy, wrath). Do not watch this film if you have a weak stomach.

My Fave Quote:
William Somerset: "People don't want a hero, they want to eat cheeseburgers, play the lotto and watch television".



Gandhi
Directed by: Richard Attenborough
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Martin Sheen, Saeed Jaffrey

I enjoyed the film, it was pretty uplifting and inspirational. Gandhi's message and later life’s work - he holds no self importance and encourages others to do the same, to forget religious differences and to achieve freedom.

My Fave Quotes:
Gandhi: "100,000 Englishmen cannot control 300 million Indians if those Indians will not cooperate".

Gandhi: "Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail".



Page posted in 2006. Copyright-2006 www.south24.net