Films That Stood Out (released before 2007)

Films I saw this year, released before 2007, I had not seen before; they were thought provoking, classics, entertaining or just piqued my interest.

Out of the older films I saw, these are the five that stood out (in order of viewing):

The Battle of Algiers (1966) Dir: Gillo Pontecorvo, Str: Brahim Hadjadj. There are no “bad” or “good” people – only awful circumstances – in this terrifying war film. I was glued to the screen and teared up at the end because I was moved by the performances, story, and hopelessness of the entire situation.

In the Mood for Love (2001) Dir: Wong Kar Wai, Str: Tony Leung. This is one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen (and I’ve seen too many films). The visuals created by Wong Kar-Wai combined with the heart-wrenching performances by Leung and Cheung are mesmerizing.

Brief Encounter (1945) Dir: David Lean. Str: Celia Johnson. Simplicity of setting juxtaposed to the complexity of romantic relationships. The two leads, Johnson and Howard are magnetic in their performances as the forbidden lovers. Not many love stories on screen are compelling – this is one of the few exceptions.

The Most Dangerous Game (1932) Dir; Irving Pichel, Str: Joel McCrea. I saved seeing this movie for my birthday. Wow, I was impressed with the visuals, story, and creepiness of the movie, mainly thanks to the brilliance of Leslie Banks as Zaroff. Shout out to the set production and cinematography teams for their talents and dedication to film!

Life (1999) Dir: Ted Demme, Str: Eddie Murphy. This was a surprise for me because I know Eddie Murphy is a talented actor, but the depth, humor, and vulnerability he brought to this film was magical. It’s a shame Murphy doesn’t showcase his range more. (Still from the movie below).

List of stand-out films (released before 2007) I saw in 2021:

Beauty and the Beast (1946) Jean Cocteau. (See blog for about this masterpiece).

Limelight (1952) Charlie Chaplin

Coherence (2014) Emily Baldoni

Yojimbo (1962) Dir: Akira Kurasawa, Str: Toshiro Mifune

Saw (2004) Dir: James Wan, Str: Cary Elwes

Dick Tracy (1990) Dir: Warren Beatty, Str: Warren Beatty

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) Dir: Steven Zaillian, Str: Max Pomeranc

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) Dir: Lasse Hallstrom, Str: Johnny Depp

The 400 Blows (1959) Dir: Francois Truffant, Str: Jean-Pierre Leaud

Lady Snowblood (1973) Dir: Toshiya Fujita, Str: Meiko Kaji

The Battle of Algiers (1966) Dir: Gillo Pontecorvo, Str: Brahim Hadjadj.

Ikiru (1952) Dir: Akira Kurosawa, Str: Takashi Shimura

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) Dir: Jacques Demy, Str: Catherine Deneuve

Pinocchio (1940) Dir: Norman Ferguson, Str: Dickie Jones

Eyes Without A Face (1960) Dir: Georges Franju, Str: Pierre Brasseur

Pootie Tang (2001) Dir: Louis C.K. Str: Chris Rock

Straw Dogs (1971) Dir: Sam Peckinpah, Str: Dustin Hoffman

Marty (1955) Dir: Delbert Mann, Str: Ernest Borgnine

The Lost Weekend (1945) Dir: Billy Wilder, Str: Ray Milland

Around the World in 80 Days (1956) Dir: Michael Anderson, Str: David Niven

All the King's Men (1949) Dir: Robert Rossen, Str: Broderick Crawford

A Man for all Seasons (1966) Dir: Fred Zinnemann, Str: Paul Scofield

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Dir: William Wyler, Str: Dana Andrews

Akira (1988) Dir: Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Str: Mitsuo Iwata

In the Mood for Love (2001) Dir: Wong Kar Wai, Str: Tony Leung.

A Man for all Seasons (1966) Dir: Fred Zinnemann, Str: Paul Scofield

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) Dir: F.W. Murnau, Str: Janet Gaynor

Throne of Blood (1957) Dir: Akira Kurosawa, Str: Toshiro Mifune

Brief Encounter (1945) Dir: David Lean. Str: Celia Johnson.

Midnight Run (1988) Dir: Martin Brest, Str: Robert DeNiro

The Most Dangerous Game (1932) Dir; Irving Pichel, Str: Joel McCrea.

The Player (1992) Dir: Robert Altman, Str: Tim Robbins

Tokyo Story (1953) Dir: Yasujiro Ozu, Str: Chishu Ryu

Bambi (1942) Dir: James Algar, Str: Hardie Albright

Life (1999) Dir: Ted Demme, Str: Eddie Murphy.

In Cold Blood (1967) Dir: Richard Brooks, Str: Robert Blake

Blow-Up (1966) Dir: Michelangelo Antonioni, Str: Michael Hemmings

Snow White and the Seven Drawfs (1937) Dir: William Cottrell, Str: Adriana Caselotti

Betrayal at Attica (2021) Dir: Michael J. Hull

Solaris (1972) Dir: Andrey Tarkovsky, Str: Natalya Bondarchuk