Sam Wood: A Night at the Opera (1935)

The Marx Brothers made several films before the 1935 'A Night at the Opera' -film. Some of those based on stage productions and some were written for screen. This film was the first film made for MGM and the producer had his demands...

And it was good. Groucho, Chico and Harpo were all great and the movie stayed in pieces. This was also the first picture with just three of five brothers. The two younger brothers (Zeppo and Gummo) were on stage in early years and Zeppo were in the first five films. They both build a career in talent agency.


In this film the brothers are not so anarchic. The producer thought that it made them a bit unsympathetic. Perhaps that was a wise move? Anyway this film is luckily as funny as the best of their early works are.

Bernardo Bertolucci: Last Tango in Paris (1973)

Bernardo Bertolucci is an interesting auteur who has done some fine movies and then... some not so great. But. He is a true Moviemaker!

'Last Tango in Paris'/'Ultimo tango a Parigi'. This film was huge succes in its time and it brought wonderful Marlon Brando once again in public. (At the same time with Coppola's 'Godfather' (1972).) And Brando is of course magnificent. The story goes that Brando refused to memorize his lines and instead of that made his own and hanged them in cards around the set.

For co-players playing with Brando is not a nice thing. Brando takes his room. No one remember Jean-Pierre Léaud, Truffaut's alter ego, from this movie. And then there was Maria Schneider. Everybody wrote about the plot and directing, filming, music or Brando for good reasons but not a word about Maria Schneider. And that was so wrong... I felt in love with Maria in those days and I thought that she was great in this movie. And so she was!

Elia Kazan: On the Waterfront (1954)

Yes, I must admit that Elia Kazan's 'On the Waterfront' (1954) is a dull choice. But then you must admit that it is a classic. It is a magnificent movie.

The story of mob violence and and corruption among longshoremen is not perhaps a film that could be done nowadays? No one would dare? The producers would not give the permission?

Anyway the film is done and it is perfect in it's own genre. It's very beautiful in it's black and white world (literally). The plot is very touching.

And the casting is -once again- very fine. Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger and Eva Marie Saint. Every on them is fantastic.

And yes, the one and only Marlon Brando shows what he really is. He is not the man in 'The Island of Dr Moreau' (1996), not at all. He is one of all times actor. It can be The Best? Brando's Terry Malloe is flesh and blood. There's nothing too much in it. That's not easy.

Sean Penn: The Pledge (2001)

When 'About Schmidt' (2002) came out everyone told that there is the new Jack Nicholson. Nicholson wihtout his old tricks. Perhaps so but otherwise that movie was quite boring. I didn't like it at all.

But 'The Pledge' (2001) is something else.

First of all the story is fine. It makes you think and wait what to come. Search of the criminal is one thing and the pledge is another. There's nothing too much in that plot.

And then there is Jack Nicholson indeed. He makes a great role cause he's a professional but now he doesn't do too much. He is wonderful.

Bob Fosse: Cabaret (1972)

Bob Fosse was sure a choreographer but he made also few films. Strangely one of them is fantastic but the others are a bit lame.

The One is naturally Cabaret (1972). The story is great, music is fine and the whole look wonderful. And then comes the touch of Fosse: choreography (and it's filming). It's impressive and it's funny.

The film itself makes you laugh and it makes you cry. So this must be a good film!

One reason is casting. Liza Minelli is so beautiful and skilful in this film that it makes you wonder where did she disappear? Why didn't she made more wonderful movies? There is 'The Sterile Cuckoo' (1969), 'New York, New York' (1977) and 'The Muppets Take Manhattan' (1984) but otherwise.

And then there is the one and only Master of Ceremonies Joel Grey. You couldn't think any better than him! Why is his filmography so short? I simply love his acting.

Ingmar Bergman: Det sjunde inseglet (1957)

Ingmar Bergman is a Moviemaker if someone is. And he has done many dull movies that you can't watch without rewinding.

But then he has many great films that you can just watch and wonder and admire. 'Det sjunde inseglet' ('The Seventh Seal') (1957) is one of those movies. And perhaps the best?

The story of searching the truth, the story of man's possibilities and the story of God. And playing chess. It's not possible to think this film without Max von Sydow and his wonderful acting. You suffer and you laugh. The film is very dark and it has sunshining. Can that really be true?

Jacques Tati: Mon Oncle (1958)

Jacques Tati is one of my absolute favourite among European moviemakers. Tati created a rare, rich and unique career although he finished only five feature films. Tati's favourite subjects were to study human and modern times with a bit of irony. He found humour in every day life, behaving of man and nowadays things: machines, fashion, architecture, furnitures, consumerism and cars.

Tati thought much movies sound and soundeffects. The dialogue was not so important. He was a perfect movieman. All of Tati's films are masterpieces in their own genre but you can start to study Tati for example with his Cannes and Oscar awarded movie 'Mon Oncle' (1958).

Jon Avnet: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

The year 1991 seemed to be really great year in American movie. Many fine films were released in that year. One of those was (little surprisingly) 'Fried Green Tomatoes' (1991) directed by Jon Avnet. Story of an unhappy middle-aged woman who becomes a friend of even older woman is not a film that you (= thirty something heterosexual man) could think to love.

The movie is a little mysterious story of two strong women who live in South, Alabama. It has flashbacks in a wonderful way to open the story more and more. There are the question of woman and abusive husband, young death, friendship and love. All that but the movie is not too sweet. It makes you think, it touches you and it makes you laugh.

Buster Keaton: Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

One of my greatest hero of last century movie makers is Buster Keaton, the Stoneface. Keaton is known from his never laughing face, amazing acrobaty, trains (and other technics), flat hat and standing in the wind.
It's quite difficult to choose one favourite film among so many fine ones. But perhaps the one today is 'Steamboat Bill, Jr' (1928). That movie is a bunch of gags and slapsstick and some kind of story of a steamboat, the war between two families and a storm. The most famous highlight is naturally the falling house. But there's plenty more where that came from...

Alan Parker: The Commitments (1991)

Sometimes everything succees... The plot is right, the director is right and the cast is perfect. This is a movie like that.
Alan Parker has made some great movies (like 'Birdie') and some that are not so great. But even if he hasn't done anything else than 'The Commitments' he would be in the Hall of Fame.
Roddy Doyle is a writer of his own kind and this is a fine adaption of his novel.
I don't know if Robert Arkins has done anything else than Jimmy Rabitte's role but this is a bull's eye. Colm Meaney is wonderful. Johnny Murphy is a treasure and then there is -of course- the irritating Andrew Strong.
And the music. What can you say!

Stephan Elliot: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

The journey from Sydney to Alice Springs is larger than life. The director, Stephan Elliot, has also done the script. So, he is the auteur now. And he has done a marvellous film.
This is not a big movie full of everything. This is a small diamond. Perfect in it's own genre. I love this film.
Actors, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and then Terence Stamp, do all great work. They have talent to be draq queens. They are lovely.
This kind of movie could easily fail. Everything in it could go wrong.
But Priscilla goes right.

Tim Burton: Big Fish (2003)

Tim Burton sure has his own handwriting. He is real auteur (in that meaning that Frenchmen gave to this word!). When you se a piece of his movie, you know it's his.
'Edward Scissorhands' (1990) I loved. 'Batman'(1989) I first hated (main reason is that I love Adam West's Batman so much...). 'Batman Returns'(1992) was fantastic and opened my mind for Burton's first 'Batman'. And so one.
Even 'Sweeney Todd' is a Tim Burton movie (of course it's Stephen Sondheim's work too, but who else could do it than Burton?). Though it's not one of the best Burton movies.
Anyway. 'Big Fish' is great. It's no barouque or dark. It's quite beautiful and one of the kind movie. Both Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney are great as Edward Bloom. The search for father is not a new idea but this film certainly is.

Ridley Scott: Alien (1979)

Well 'Alien' was something! You went to the movies without knowing what's to come. You sat down and it started. This movie was a big surprise when it came out. Once again: it's a pity that you can't see this movie for the very first time and not knowing the plot, the shocking story.
Ridley Scott's career is not a triumph. He has done very good movies like this and then he has done movies. But what the heck. If someone can do a movie like this, he has a place in the history of movies.
Sigourney Weaver as Ripley is also great (like the rest of the cast in this first one). Alien himself (oops herself) is great too but here the greatness is that you don't know it too good. It has got some mystery around itself. Thank to H.R. Giger.
But why the sequels? Yes, I know why...

Franklin J. Schaffner: Planet of the Apes (1968)

We all know that Charlton Heston is not an actor, he is a Moses. But anyway in 'Planet of the Apes' he is the man. Talking about this movie (and the sequels) we can't forget Roddy McDowall, the heart of this movie.
Special effects are OK and the story is marvellous. The idea of a world where slaves are masters and masters slaves. And naturally the riding in the end. Everyone should see it for the first time. This is a classical science fiction movie.

Carol Reed: The Third Man (1949)

Some movies born under very lucky stars; 'The Third Man' is one of them. Story by Graham Greene, music by Anton Karas, photographed by Robert Krasker... And then the lucky stars have landed to act in this movie: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and then of course: the one and only Orson Welles! The director Carol Reed is a professional movie maker and can really his job.
Post World War 2 Vienna is beautilful on a black and white screen. One thing I hope, that I wouldn't know the secret of Harry Lime, that I could see this movie for first time!

Robert Stevenson: Mary Poppins (1964)

'Mary Poppins' changed my life! 'Mary Poppins' is unique. 'Mary Poppins' is fantastic. 'Mary Poppins' is funny. 'Mary Poppins' can do what ever she wants. And Mary Poppins is beautiful.
And, in the end: 'Mary Poppins' has feelings too.
The music is great. You must hum the songs when you have finished the movie. Walt Disney... sorry! Robert Stevenson has made a jewel.

To tell the truth: 'Mary Poppins' was one among the first movies that my father took me with to watch. It was sixties and the world was innocent.

Steven Spielberg: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

This is why Harrison Ford is born: he's the perfect Indiana Jones. And the first Indiana Jones ('Raiders of the Lost Ark') is perfect adventure movie. The roller-coaster plot works and Ford has lovely sidekicks in John Rhys-Davies and Denholm Elliot.
Steven Spielberg knows what he is doing and he gets perfect help from George Lucas and Philip Kaufman (story) and Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay). What a cast to write!
There's nothing too much or too little.

Roman Polanski: Cul-de-Sac (1966)

Two wounded gangsters terrorizing middle-aged man and his young wife. Not much for a plot. And yet it is! It's magnificent. It carries from beginning to the end.
The cast is great: Donald Pleasence, Francoise Dorleac, Jacqueline Bisset, Lionel Stander and -of course- Jack MacGowran.
Roman Polanski was starting his career but he directs like he had done this for ever. 'Cul-de-Sac' is no doubt a masterpiece!

Terry Gilliam: The Fisher King (1991)

A member of the Monty Python group is Terry Gilliam who has since that done few independent movies. The most beautiful, deepest and funniest is absolutely 'The Fisher King'.
'The Fisher King' is not just a comedy but a strange, magnificent movie that has many levels. In it's main role is Robin Williams who makes a great work as Parry, former history teacher who went mad when his wife was killed, a man who escapes from his demons. Williams has a great companion in Jeff Bridges who sinks from dj to a bum.
The restaurant scene makes you cry for sure!

Howard Hawks: Rio Bravo (1959)

Howard Hawks made this movie three times but I like this most. In Rio Bravo The cast is perfect, the plot works and the movie has got everything that a fine movie can have.
John Wayne can't act many roles but in this even he is great. Dean Martin has always some charisma and who could forget the wonderful Walter Brennan! Rick(y) Nelson was in my youth a rock(?)star so it was interesting to watch him act. That didn't go very well but perhaps it's just the part he is playing?
Suspense, action anh humour; everything is in control.

Woody Allen: Manhattan (1979)

Woody Allen is an artist. His career is so long and it has many aspects. He started his career as writer and stand up comedian in night clubs. In the middle of sixties he got into movies writing, acting and directing and then involving in post production too.
Woody Allen started as comedian but very soon he brought in his movies a bergmanian side making few movies without any comedy at all. Allen in nowadays is a mix of that: he can write wonderful oneliners but he has sharp observation about human nature.
Woody Allen has done many great movies and Manhattan is one of them. One of my personal favourites. (But among Woody Allen movies I have several favourites!)
Manhattan is wonderful: it's funny, beautiful and very touching. And jewish. And it loves New York. It's a movie that has everything. It's perfect in it's genre. Think that someone can write and direct.

Stanley Kubrick: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Nobody's perfect... Except Stanley Kubrick!
His whole career was a triumph and he made a single mistake. (Was I now neutral? Yes, I was.)
From beginning to the end he was an auteur (or I really can say anything of Fear And Desire (1953) but otherwise...) who had his own hand writing. You can tell when you see a Stanley Kubrick Movie.
I could take any of them but my choice now is 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was my first love. It really took me to its world and hold me. Every set, every scene! If this ain't art, what is? And this was not actor's art, it was Kubrick's art. He wrote, he directed. He had visions.
Now, over forty years later you can watch still that movie. Perhaps year 2001 went already but this movie is still kicking.