13 Films To Get To Know Me

A baker's dozen of cinematic treats to give you a window into just what kind of movie lover I might be.

Here is a rundown of thirteen films that give you a window into what kind of movie-lover I am. I’d love to see your list. Here we go.

Bicycle Thieves (1949)

Vittoria De Sica’s neorealist masterpiece is a simple tale of a man, his son and their desperate search for a stolen bicycle across the crowded streets of Rome in the aftermath of World War Two. The humanism of this film is palpable in each and every frame.

Breaker Morant (1980)

Bruce Beresford’s true-life tale of Australian soldier and horse breaker Harry Morant is one of the greatest anti-war films ever made and also one of the finest courtroom drams you will ever see. Edward Woodward is brilliant as the titular Morant, and sterling supporting performances from Bryan Brown and Jack Thompson round out the brilliant ensemble cast.

Breaking Away (1979)

A coming of age story centered around identity, purpose and becoming your own person on your own terms. This film had me cycling miles upon miles each day throughout much of my youth.

Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

The best film ever made about the concepts of duty and loyalty, David Lean’s epic features perhaps the greatest battle of wills ever captured on celluloid. Alec Guiness’ Col. Nicholson clashes intensely with Col. Saito played by the brilliant Japanese character actor, Sessu Hayakawa.

Casablanca (1942)

What else is there to say that hasn't already been said? Play it again, Sam.

The Godfather (1972)

Another slam dunk entry that is no less brilliant because you knew it would be here. My official entry here would be the Complete Epic cut of the first two Godfather films. I know it’s sacrilege to suggest a bastardized cut, but I think it provides incredible context to the film, and offers a fresh opportunity for a newish viewing of an old classic.

In The Mood For Love (2000)

This Wong Kar Wai masterpiece is the most beautifully photographed film I have ever seen. Wong, working with cinematographer Christopher Doyle melds color, texture and costumes to create a lurid, ethereal tone. Although no one removes a piece of clothing, this is one of the most erotic and romantic films in cinema.

Jaws (1975)

The original blockbuster and one of the best times you’ll ever find in a movie theater. A while back I wrote an article about how Quint’s speech about the USS Indianapolis is a bit like how I have to talk about my mental illness.

Out Of The Past (1947)

My list of get to know me films would be incomplete without at least one noir on here. It would be impossible to encapsulate my love for film noir with a single title, but Out of the Past is as close as it gets. Jane Greer is the ultimate femme fatale. A young Kirk Douglas plays the smarmy villain turning the screws on our hero Robert Mitchum. The dames are gorgeous, the setting picturesque and the men hard and hardened.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

For my money, Indiana Jones is the greatest comic book hero of all time. His swashbuckling exploits in the first film of this vaunted franchise are the ultimate exercise in adventure and amusement-ride action. John Williams’ theme is so perfect you are humming it just by reading this sentence.

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

The greatest film about show business collides with the greatest female performance in Hollywood history. Gloria Swanson is simply transcendent as faded star Norma Desmond. William Holden plays the young writer tossed into her orbit, and becomes the focal point of the ensuing tragedy as she tries to reclaim past glories. A marvelous depiction of how we toss away the things we claim to love.

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

A documentary so powerful and moving that it eventually helped to free the convicted man at the center of its story, and helped to unveil the actual killer. As if that weren't enough, director Errol Morris essentially reinvented the lexicon of non-fiction filmmaking with this 1988 masterpiece.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks channels his love of film, comedy and literature for the zenith of his remarkable catalog. Gene Wilder is wound tighter than a top as the grandson of famed scientist Victor Frankenstein. Sight gags, word play, and physical comedy are interwoven with Brooks’ brilliant parody of the original Frankenstein story; an hilarious ode to the first great era of sound cinema and vintage horror.

What does your 13 films to get to know you look like? Share your list below.

Cheers,
Matty C