It’s not easy to select the top 10 English films of all times as I have seen quite a few of them but nevertheless I have attempted to list my top 10 films…I am sure there are films better than the one ‘s mentioned below but then I may not have been able to appreciate them or see them …All you people out there are requested to share your views in this regard..
Ben Hur : This is an epic film based on the book on the book of the same name by Lee Wallace..The film stars Charlton Heston as Judah Ben Hur , a wealthy Jew whose life is thrown out of gear when he is falsely accused of crimes against Rome. The film was released in 1959 and was nominated for 11 Oscars !!It was also the costliest film of its time. It’s an epic film that you must see for its sheer size.
Raging Bull : This Martin Scorsese film has to be seen for Robert De Niro’s brilliant performance. This film is based on a based on the real life story of a stubborn middle-weight boxing champion , La Motta , as he struggles to be champion. You should see De Niro’s performance in this film – you won’t recognise him in the 2nd half from the first half !! Infact he got the Best actor Oscar for this film. The black and white cinematography of the film is also memorable.
The Bridge on the river Kwai : This world war 2 epic by David Lean is Considered to be the benchmark for war films. It is one of those classics that never gets old. It tells the story of prisoners of war forced to build a bridge for their Japanese captors. However the British commanding officer will have none of this and instantly puts up a fight. Later the movie follows the prisoner’s efforts at building the bridge as well as the story involving Allied commandoes who are attempting to destroy the bridge. Alec Guinness, who won an Academy Award for his role, plays Colonel Nicholson, the stubborn British officer.
The Godfather – 1 and 2nd part : One of the best Mafia films of all time , it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola . It’s based on the epic book of the same name by Mario Puzo who also happened to write the film’s screenplay with Coppola. The film is extremely well directed and there is some terrific performances from Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , Robert duvall and Robert De Niro ( He can be seen only in the 2nd part where he played the young role of Brando )
Avoid the 3rd part however .
Forrest Gump: An amazing story with an amazing performance from Tom Hanks . The character of Forrest Gump ( Tom Hanks ) leads the viewers through the American social history from Vietnam war to Watergate scandal in an accidental yet funny way. This film directed by Robert Zemeckis also stars the hugely talented yet underrated actor Gary Sinise. The film was nominated for an astounding 13 Oscars of which it won 6 including Best picture , best director and best Actor .
The Shawshank Redemption : This is an absolute classic from director Frank Darabont . The film is based on a story of Stephen King which, unlike most of his work, is actually a prison drama .The film basically tells the story of this young banker, played brilliantly by Tim Robbins, who is falsely accused of murdering his wife and sent to prison. The film tracks his life inside the prison as he gets on with his life with an absolutely stunning climax at the end. Morgan freeman also stars in the film and he was in fact nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.
In fact the film was nominated for 6 Oscars –the director excluding !!!- of which it won none ( Mainly because Forrest Gump , another classic , was released the same year ) !!
Saving Private Ryan : Steven Spielberg is a truly great filmmaker but this is the only film of his that I have decided to include in my list of top 10 .It is world war 2 film where a group of soldiers lead by Tom Hanks tries to save their comrade, paratrooper Private Ryan ( Matt Damon ) , who’s stationed behind enemy lines . The opening scene of D-Day invasion of Normandy is one of the most stunning scenes of this film . It’s also damn realistic. A must see film .
My Cousin Vinny : It’s one of the best comedies that I have ever seen in my life . It stars Joe Pesci as a first time lawyer ( made 6 attempts before he passed the Bar exam !! ) who is asked to defend his cousin and his friend , when they are mistakenly accused of murder . Marisa Tomei who played Pesci’s fiancée got the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her hilarious performance. The film is genuinely funny and the chemistry between Pesci and Tomei and between Pesci and the Judge is simply fabulous to watch..
The Beautiful mind : This is an emotional film based on the true life story of Nobel Prize winning Mathematician John Nash who suffers from schizophrenia . The film directed by Ron Howard stars Russel Crowe as Nash and Jennifer Connolly ( won the Best supporting actress Oscar ) as his wife. The reason why I have included this film in my list , among other thing , is because of Russel Crowe’s performance which I thought was his best till date .It’s a pity that he didn’t win the Oscar for this role – I think he deserved it more for this role than the one he won for in ‘ Gladiator ’ .
Shakespeare in love : This is the second comedy film in my list ! And boy , what an entertaining film ! The film revolves around Shakespeare’s quest to write another play in the midst of writer’s block ! Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow stars in this film along with seasoned actor Geoffrey Rush and Judi Dench. This John Madden directed flick is simply irrestible for it’s funny one-liners among other things . If you still need reason’s to watch this film , then how about this – the film got 7 Oscars including the best picture and best actress in 1998 !
Some of the other films that I really liked but couldn’t fit in this list are
The Man who knew too much – An Alfred Hitchcock thriller
The Untouchables ( Kevin costner , Sean connery )
Men of Honour ( Robert De Niro , Cuba Gooding , Jr )
Jerry McGuire ( Tom cruise and Renee Zellweger ) and lots and lots more !!