TOP 150 MOVIES

There have been several significant chapters in the history of prominent visual effects cinema. In 2014 another was written with the arrival of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, taking things to a new level in attaining that ever elusive perfection of blending the digital with the real, with those wickedly marvellous wizards from WETA outdoing previous efforts.

Yet any blockbuster can have stellar FX work; it's the emotion - heart filled, powerful, profound - that pulsates throughout Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and makes it that much more special, with the continued evolution of genetically modified ape Ceaser (Andy Serkis, the Marlon Brando of stop motion acting) one that engrosses and thrills in his journey as the leader of an advanced species poised to rule the world.

Making it all work is director Matt Reeves who delivers a movie that large in scale and deep in feeling. 

Crime thrillers don’t get any more tightly wound than The Square.

The feature debut from stuntman Nash Edgerton (co-written with and starring his brother Joel), The Square stars David Roberts as Raymond, an ordinary construction supervisor who finds himself in way over his head. A secret affair with Carla (Claire van de Boom), the wife of a local criminal, sets everything in motion when the pair decide to steal a bag of cash from her husband, only for the plan to spiral into blackmail, murder, and relentless paranoia.

Often described as “the Coens down under,” The Squaredelivers the same kind of sharp, escalating tension and dark irony that turns a simple scheme into something far more deadly.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s 10th feature film is one of his best, with One Battle After Another a topical and provocative delve into an America at war with itself.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in One Battle After Another as “Ghetto” Pat, an explosives expert for left-wing terrorist group “The French ’75”, who along with his lover Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) wreaked havoc across the nation, drawing the ire and obsession of Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) who Perfidia has a sexual encounter with resulting in the birth of a daughter. 16 years later a teenage (Briana Taylor) is hunted by Lockjaw. It’s up to a perpetually stoned and paranoid Pat to save her from Lockjaw’s grasp.

There is a lot to take on in One Battle After Another, yet so mesmerising is Anderson’s filmmaking and engaging his writing that his 10th feature film proves to be a labor-less journey that is as funny as it is thrilling with many poignant moments in between.

One of Pixar’s greatest assets is their ability to assemble great voice talent to help bring their animated creations to life.

Cue Monsters Inc. where the dynamic duo of Billy Crystal and John Goodman provide an abundance of wit and sensitivity to their roles of Mike and Sully, monstrous best friends turned guardians of a human child who could bring an end to their humans-free world.

Excellent animation, thrilling action set pieces and a truly menacing villain in Steve Buscemi’s reptilian Randall round out this most touching and hair-raising of animated flicks.

The combined talents of director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kauffman resulted in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a brilliant mindbender of a film that never loses focus of its central love story.

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star as Joel and Clementine, a recently separated couple who undergo a groundbreaking procedure that can erase unpleasant memories from their brain (in other words, one another.)

Yet it’s only through this process of loss do the contentious couple realise their true feelings for one another, Kauffman and Gondry doing an excellent job in taking us into the mind and heart of a romance beautifully portrayed by Carey and Winslet.   

When it comes to the term “Hollywood romance”, the quintessential film that fits the bill is none other than Casablanca.

Directed by the legendary Michael Curtiz, this WWII set drama stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick, a cynical American expatriate whose steady life running a nightclub in Casablanca is turned on its head when his one true love (Ingrid Bergman) returns with many complications in tow.

Filled with memorable dialogue and legend making performances, Casablanca continues to stamp its authority as an iconic movie where its romance is genuinely felt, its thrills pitch perfect in its suspense, and its characters beautifully written and portrayed.  

Leave it to the masterminds at Pixar to have its two protagonists – a pair of robots who fall in love - to show the beauty, flaws, and potential for redemption in humanity.

As relevant as it is breathtaking, WALL-E slyly mixes social commentary in regard to issues of the environment with a touching love story between lonely lovelorn WALL-E and his EVE, who must battle many an obstacle in order to stay together. 

Sound effects wizard Ben Burtt has the title character brimming with life via an assortment of bells and whistles, melting many a heart with his tenacious and unflinching determination in the face of adversity.   

Frank Miller’s iconic comic series Sin City is so stylishly and narratively dense that it took two visionaries to bring it to life in Miller himself and genre director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado). The result is a spectacular piece of violent pop art, black and white with plenty of red crimson splatter for good measure.

Plot wise Sin City focuses on three different stories all set in the same rain soaked, neo-noir infused world of tortured anti-heroes, tough talking dames and sicko villains played by an ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba and a scene stealing Mickey Rourke as the tough as nails Marv.

With its release a new bar was raised in how a comic book movie should be made, especially one as violent, pulpy and dark as Sin City.  

A perfect mix of comedy, drama, and romance, The Apartment showcases writer and director Billy Wilder (Sunset Blvd.) at the peak of his creative talent.

A perfectly cast Jack Lemmon stars as insurance accountant C.C. Baxter, who in the hopes of landing a promotion loans out his apartment to his philandering boss (Fred MacMurray in an against type role) who needs a place to fool around with his mistress Fran Kubelick (played by Shirley MacLaine with infectious sass and naturalism).

Not your standard screwball romantic comedy, The Apartment contains a depth and humanity not found in any other films of its ilk.

A marvel of filmmaking wizardry and engrossing adventure storytelling, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey marks another triumph by director Peter Jackson who once again takes J.R. Tolkien’s words and brings them to life with skilful, passionate expertise.

Based on Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the film stars a perfectly cast Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, a bewildered hobbit coerced by grand wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) into joining a group of crusading dwarves in reclaiming their kingdom. 

Filled with the same atmospheric, emotive, sweeping magic that made The Lord of the Rings series such a success,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  is a criminally underrated marvel that combines engrossing characters with awe-inspiring spectacle a feat that would not be achieved in its two sequels.