What movie, no matter if old or new, did leave an impression with you?
Which movie would you recommend to everyone?
What is your must-see movie?
And finally, which movie would you recommend to watch with kids?
My Answer:
I used to go to the cinema often, but since I have kids it is a lot harder to get around to. Thank goodness for Netflix! 🙂
So I didn’t watch any recent movies to my great chagrin, but for an all time must see movie I would recommend the following: Dead Poets’ Society, The Hours and Four Weddings And A Funeral for some light relief.
Yesterday we watched Back to the Future with the kids, who loved it of course. Michael J. Fox is always a great bet.
What is your favorite movie of all time or just of right now?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Love, love movies. Lots have made an impression, even though I am hard to please. I will just reel off a few that were game changers for me: Shadowlands (I love Anthony Hopkins and C S Lewis’s writing. This is just such a tender study of love), 21 Grams (Sean Penn – just amazing acting and compelling plot structure, or rather lack of), Mystic River, Amores Perros, The Assassination of Jesse James (cinematography – wow! – also has the incomparable Casey Affleck), Gone Baby Gone, Out of the Furnace, any Clint Eastwood directorial, House of Sand and Fog, MacBeth, film version with Antony Sher, Thirteen Days, Bobby, love the feelgood of Love Actually and The BodyGuard, adore musical theatre and the songs in this are a blast. The recent Les Miserables movie was pretty spectacular too. Ack, too many! Children’s movies? I enjoyed watching the Costner Robin Hood with my boys. We share a love of cinema. We also watched most of the above together. I remember once on holiday – we saw 21 Grams was showing at a movie theater in The Grove in LA and we walked past it a number of times and just assumed it was one of the current crop of drugs related movies that were circulating at the time. However, there was nothing else on and so we went in, but on the understanding that we would walk out if unsuitable. We were all blown away by the movie and watched it again the next day. That opened the door to Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga. We have also watched a lot from the house of Studio Ghibli.
Oh, I love 21 Grams, a fantastic movie!
Thanks for your list, Jane, I appreciate your recommendations.
The last movie I watched and really enjoyed (more than I expected) was Mad Max (the new one with Charlize Theron).
My go-to children’s movie is always The Goonies, I watch it each time it’s on TV. 😀
My go-to teenage movie is 10 things I hate about you and well, my relaxation thing is always either Harry Potter or LOTR (big surprise there). 😉
So as a HP and LOTR book fan, do you like the movie adaptations?
Good question. 🙂 I can live with them. 😉 Kidding. I only hated movie 6 of the HP series because they completely missed the book’s tone and idea.
LOTR’s richness on the other hand would never have been possible in a movie (although they didn’t have to change some parts so much). Still, as movies, I think they are great.
I agree, taken alone they are great movies.
Love to watch movies and I have to agree with Jane EP, 21 Grams and the Assassination of Jesse James are just fantastic. A few more I liked: the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Children of Men, The Tree of Life, Boyhood, and so many more. Yesterday we watched The Help, liked that one too. Guilty pleasure: Stephen King movies, especially Stand by Me and the Shawshank Redemption:). Have a nice Monday!
Those King movies are so great.
I need to see Boyhood soon!
I rarely go to the cinema these days. I blame the big TV screen, netflix, lots of interesting TV series and general fatigue with mainstream movies. The last film I watched was the latest Studio Ghibli, which I sadly found super boring. All the others are great to watch with or without kids though. The last 2 movies that really ment something to me were The Grand Budapest Hotel and Django Unchained.
I saw them both and they were really good. I was especially impressed with Django, since I didn’t expect much there, but it left a deep impression on me.
Oh yes marjo56, I agree, Boyhood and Tree of Life were amazing too.
As of the “very” past Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, or the Godfather Trilogy (I love Pacino). From the past The Hours (based on an excellent book by Cunningham), or Jane Campion’s The Piano. From the more/less new ones I’d name Pride, which manages to be funny in spite of the serious matter (the beginnings of the LGBT movement in the UK and HIV).
And I loved Inarritu’s Birdman !
Thanks for offering favorites from three timeperiods. Pacino is one of my favorites too.
I’ve heard many good things about Pride.
Must see movie, also good with kids if not too young, Himalaya, by Eric Valli (1999) Beautiful music, stunning landscape, moving and timeless story.
I must google that. Thank you!
BTW, the scene on the gorgeous carre (not in my possession, alas) La Femme aux Semelles de Vent, could have been taken straight out of this wonderful movie…another movie which came to mind, is the Straight Story (David Lynch), on the ads it said “the sweetest and most compassionate movie Lynch ever made”. Sweet and compassionate is absolutely is, slow pace, no blood, not depressing.
And…then came to mind L’intouchables…a movie that uplifts, grants tears and a good laugh.
I will definitely look these up. La Femme aux Semelles de Vent is on my permanent hopeful list of scarves. 🙂
Evil under the Sun, my alltime fav……..and the original birkin is in…..
Love all Agatha Christie Poirot movies, especially the ones with Peter Ustinov.
Yeahhh, but evil under the sun ist particularly funny because of these witty and edgy dialogues
When she walks down the stairs in that black and white outfit I am stunned, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Amazing beauty. (And I’ve always adored James Mason and Roddy McDowell, though in very different ways.)
I’m a bit of a sop when it comes to movies. At the moment, I’m into the Before Sunrise, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight series with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. They are so well acted and beautifully filmed, the characters are colourful and complicated, yet identifiable and relatable also. Other favourites include Love Actually, Somethings Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, The Holiday, Room with a View, these kind of movies have my heart. I do enjoy stylish thrillers such as The Talented Mr Ripley, Ben Affleck (drool!) films, the Bonds, Hitchcocks, but I’m not really into anything too dark or heavy. Evil Under The Sun is so watchable, also The Mirror Cracks with my fav Elizabeth Taylor (whose favourite perfume was Bal a Versailles!)
Thanks for sharing your top movies.
I especially love Before Sunrise as the third star in the movie is Vienna. 🙂
Birgit, I love the three films you mentioned (and the novel version of The Hours is beyond poignant).
My favorite movie of all times is “Il Postino” with other favorites being “Cold Mountain,” “Venus” (with Peter O’Toole), “The English Patient,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Wonder Boys” … and under the category of light entertainment/guilty pleasures, I could watch “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “The Holiday” (with Jude Law) over and over again. 😀
Gosh yes, Cold Mountain, first time I saw the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Wonderful movie (and book).
Jane, speaking of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, he was one of my favorite actors; I particularly loved his role in “Almost Famous,” another favorite film.
I’m with you in the PSH fan club. I recently saw Capote again, he was truly amazing.
Oh your favorite movie is Il Postino!! That was one of the first few movies my husband and I watched together ( borrowed from Schlow). I remember loving it though I haven’t thought about it in a while. I owe you an email..:)
Yay!!! Another thing we have in common. 🙂
The English Patient! Sigh. I adore this movie so much.
We have very similar taste in films, Suz.
I’m a bit lazy and often seek sheer entertainment rather than challenging or harrowing films, but it’s those challenging ones that really stay with you.
Of the old classics I adore the Hitchock films, especially Vertigo, such atmosphere and style!
American Beauty is probably one of my most watched fims, brilliant in every way. I love adventure movies too and the Bourne Trilogy is probably my favourite in that category
Unusual films that stayed with me were ‘Snowpiercer’ from 2013, and ‘Walkabout’ from the 70s.
‘The Lives of Others’ was I think one of the best films I’ve ever seen, also more recently ‘Philomena’ – both harrowing, yet full of humanity and humour. Brilliantly written too.
If I was going to the movies with kids an all time favourite would probably be ‘Toy Story’ – very funny and inventive but with enough subtlety for adults to enjoy it too.
I remember watching ‘Black Beauty’, an adaptation of the book by Anna Sewell, with my three year old neice and that really stayed with her, horses! Oh and the 2011 Tintin movie was excellent, not sure why it was panned by critics, a wonderful animation, great for boys and girls alike I think
I like American beauty because of Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects is another of his most brilliant performances).
Thanks for sharing all your favorites, Rose.
The Enigma machine one, I am forgetting the name. About Touring and breaking the German codes in WW 2 was very good and recent.
The Cumberbatch film, yes, I need to see that too eventually.
Another spectacular question Birgit.
My all time favourite movie is The Colour Purple.
Lately I really enjoyed Frozen, Kingsman, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Hundred-Foot Journey.
Can’t wait to see Woman In Gold.
Kids? Show them everything.
Portia x
What an interesting list of movies, thanks Portia.
Well, everything might be a bit much for the boys… 😉
Portia, I am a fan of Indian Palace!!! the story, the characters, the colors, so moving, funny, and moving again.
Hey Florence,
Where did they call it Indian palace? I love that title.
How great are the movies?
My last partner is a hotelier in India, the reality is remarkably like the films. India is so awesome.
Portia xx
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is wonderful!
Val, I can just imagine going through India with you.
Portia xx
Hello, dear B. Dead Poets Society and The Hours are very good movies. Dead Poets Society is one of my favourites.
I’ve seen two movies so far that have come out this year: Cinderella, and Tomorrowland. I’m also a big fan of the James Bond series, and the Daniel Craig movies are some of the best, in my opinion. I’m looking forward to the new movie in November.
I also love Westerns, with Clint Eastwood being one of my favourite actors.
Glad to hear you like the Dead Poets too. Bond is not so much my thing, but the Husband loves him. 🙂
I am used to go to cinema, twice a week. I agree 21 grammes and The Grand Hospital Budapest are great movies. My favorite ones are The English Patient, Le Parrain, Love Actually, movies by Claude Sautet with Romy Schneider, King Arthur, Les Uns et les Autres by Claude Lelouch, Marie-Antoinette, Bonds with Daniel Craig, the Schindler’s list Steven Spielberg, Anna Karénine with Kiera Knigtley, The Holiday…
Are you still going to the cinema these days, Florence?
Thanks for sharing your favorites list.
Yes Birgit, I am still going to the cinema but less than before. I didn’t see great movies those last weeks. Some american blockbusters just to relax: “a la poursuite de demain” with George Clooney, and “San Andreas” pfff. I have seen a very smart movie “un homme idéal” very clever story, and good french actors from La Comédie Française.
That’s such a nice hobby, Florence.
Me and Joel recently re-watched Star Wars (the original trilogy, 4,5, and 6). It had been years since I had seen them. They were some of my favorite movies as a child and they are still fantastic. When I was a teen, I used to think the Ewoks were really annoying, but watching them now? They are so darn cute! I just want to cuddle one! But I think it would smell pretty bad.
Ha! True! 🙂
I had to watch the movies too (with M) and to my surprise they weren’t half bad. 🙂 Still not my thing though, although the boys are crazy about the whole thing, so it is hard to escape the story when someone yells “I’m your father!” in your ear at every opportunity.
I love movies and in my youth our local theater changed films every two days, and I saw them all. As an adult the ones that I love the most are French and Japanese. In Key West where I spent most of my life, there was a video shop that carried foreign movies, and exploring the ones from those two countries was a deep pleasure. The first one that comes to mind is Kurosawa’s “Dreams”. There are many more.
Kurosawa moves me deeply, and not always in a good way, so I have to be in the right mood for him. But a genius, no question about that.
My top two favorite films are The Bicycle Thief directed by DeSica and Nostalghia by Tarkovsky. But I love a good summer blockbuster as much as the other guy – Mad Max: Fury Road was wonderful!
I haven’t watched kids movies in a long time, but one of my favorites is Pollyanna. (My son loved the Back to the Future movies, too, when he was young!)
Your favorites sound very interesting, they went on my list, thanks Carol.
You’re welcome!
🙂
I love: Some Like It Hot. I find something new to love in it every time. And so smart about gender.
Les Miserables. Sentimental, but so am I – I nearly always cry, but at different moments each time.
LOTR. My daughter is a fangirl, so I’ve watched them many times with her. Surprisingly good.
And for children: Miyazaki (almost any), Beauty and the Beast (I was a bookish girl in a small town, but not, alas, surpassingly beautiful. Still, I can appreciate a heroine who loves to read.)
I was going to say Beauty in the Beast too, for the bookworm heroine!
Will watch that with the boys this weekend! 🙂
Some like it hot is wonderful!
Thank you for your tips!
Moonstruck. It’s like watching an opera without the singing. Can’t believe I had never seen it before. GET IN MY BED!
“This is the most tormented man I’ve ever seen!”
LOVE that movie (and Nicolas Cage!!!)
I haven’t watched many movies lately, but I LOVE Back to the Future 🙂 I loved it as a kid, and I was happy to discover recently that it is still very funny to me now. Ghostbusters also falls into that category of old classics, as well as Airplane. I guess my tastes lean toward “cheesy yet entertaining.” 🙂
Back to the Future is still great after all these years. Michael J. Fox is fabulous whatever he does.
Of the last five years? Sorrentino’s This Must Be The Place.
Film greats for me – Taxi Driver. The Graduate. Easy Rider. Night of the Living Dead. Hugs. xxxxx
These movies fit you so well (apart from Night of the Living Dead 😉 ).
On the contrary. Night of the Living Dead is one of my favourite films. It is brilliant. It contains a number of very uncomfortable political messages, in keeping with the day. Produced when the Vietnam War was at its peak, and not that long after the assassinations of Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Casting a black man as a hero, ultimately killed by a redneck zombie. Full of critiques of the late 1960s American society. It is an excellent and utterly terrifying film.
“It was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registery as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” (Wikipedia)
I have it if you want to borrow it. 🙂
Saint Vincent with Bill Murray, Grave of the Fireflies, Little Boy
Have not heard of these (must live under a rock, sorry). 🙂
The last film I saw that really moved me was Good Vibrations, a bio pic set in Belfast during the punk era, and starring the owner of a record shop where I used buy my vinyl back in the day! It was a hilarious and heartwarming story about how music crossed the political divide, plus my friend’s son played four separate parts in it as an extra, so I had a fun time trying to spot him popping up!
That must have made the movie really special for you.
Two that I can watch over and over: the 1985 version of The Trip To Bountiful, starring Geraldine
Page, for which she won the Best Actress Oscar – moves me to tears every time and The Darjeeling Limited – funny and heartwarming with fantastic scenery.
Will definitely keep those two in mind!
I’m a bit late to the party, but I’m having a bit of insomnia and am inspired by everyone’s picks. My all time favorite suspense movie is Blood Simple by the Cohen brothers. The Long Kiss Goodnight for action; Bridesmaids for laugh out loud til I’ve tears rolling done my cheeks comedy; I stayed away from The Notebook forever because I just don’t love Nicholas Sparks, but I adore Gena Rowlands and James Garner and it is a beautiful love story; A Woman Under The Influence for Gena and Peter Faulk; Wings of Desire; and I love to watch The Sound of Music with my kids and Billy Ellliot. I hope to sleep now.
Hope you had a good night’s sleep! 🙂
Thanks for your tips, Pam.
I read The Notebook (I’m sappy, what can I say?), but never watched the movie. Will put it on my list.
Harry Potter , LOTR, Stargate, Star Wars, Star Trek are the normal go to movies. I live within. an all male household, so Chick Flicks are a rare treat for me. I am not complaining because each of these movies have also been the books they read, so anything that I could get them to read if made into a movie I’ll watch with them.
A good idea, thank you!