CAST
CHARLTON HESTON, ANNE BAXTER, YUL BRENNER, YVONNE DE CARLO, JOHN DEREK, DEBRA PAGET, EDWARD G. ROBINSON

DIRECTED BY
CECIL B. DEMILLE

As directed by the king of Biblical epics Cecil B. DeMille, The Ten Commandments is a suitably grandiose (in every manner of the word) retelling of the Exodus story as told with all of the might and craft of   1950s golden age Hollywood.

Charlton Heston stars as Moses, a prince of Egypt banished after he learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew. In exile he is charged by God to free his people from the tyranny of the Pharaoh Ramses (Yul Brenner) and lead them to the promised land.   

Both Heston and Brenner deliver muscular performances perfectly suited to the films tone, where large sets, bombastic score and untouchable costume design displayed the best of its filmmaking kind.

CAST
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, JAMES McAVOY, BRENDA BLETHYN, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ROMALA GARAI, SAOIRSE RONAN, JUNO TEMPLE

DIRECTED BY
JOE WRIGHT

An extremely well-crafted and emotionally rich story of love, tragedy and war, Atonement is also a calling card of sorts for a cast of (then) young talent (James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Benedict Cumberbatch) who would go on to make their mark.

Its story of two impassioned characters (Keira Knightley and James McAvoy) who are forever torn apart by the selfish jealousy of another (Saoirse Ronan in her first Oscar nominated role), is one filled with raw emotion and is flawlessly performed as such.

Yet above all Atonement established Joe Wright as a director of impeccable visuals who is also able to draw out emotionally strong performances from his actors.  A mesmerizing tracking shot set on Dunkirk (France) beach, which contains thousands of extras and small touches of CGI (no doubt) to enhance the effect, is not only one of the best scenes of that year, but one of the best of the decade.

CAST
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, JON VOIGHT, BARDNARD HUGHES, JOHN McGIVER, SYLVIA MILES, BRENDA VACCARO, RUTH WHITE

DIRECTED BY
JOHN SCHLESINGER

While many point to Easy Rider as the film that put the end to the classic Hollywood studio structure, Midnight Cowboy was the immensely better film of the two that snagged the Oscar for Best Picture and ushered in a new age.

Starring Jon Voight in his breakout role as Texas hustler Joe Buck and Dustin Hoffman as the decrepit conman Enrico ‘Ratso’ Rizzo, this John Schlesigner directed film follows the unlikely pair as they try to survive the seedy underbelly of late 1960s New York City.

Schlesigner suitably made as gritty and grimy a film as possible, yet from such darkness comes a story of true friendship as portrayed by two gifted actors, Hoffman particularly memorable as the shuffling, grubby, yet all too endearing Ratso.

CAST
CHARLES BRONSON, CLAUDIA CARDINALE, HENRY FONDA, JASON ROBARDS, GABRIELE FERZETTI

DIRECTED BY
SERGIO LEONE

Iconic director Sergio Leone’s best film (yeah, I said it!), Once Upon a Time in the West is a landmark operatic western that builds upon his work on the Man with No Name trilogy, and then elevates it to another level.  

An epic tale of revenge (and some really cool leather jackets), the film centres on new bride Jill (Claudia Cardinale) who is targeted by sadistic outlaw Frank (Henry Fonda taking on a rare villainous role) for refusing to sign over her land to a railway company. Notorious bandit Cheyene (Jason Robards) and a mysterious harmonica playing gunslinger (Charles Bronson) come to her protection.

Needless to say “there will be blood” as short bursts of violence are peppered throughout a film that while low on dialogue is high on imagery, excellent set and costume design, and a score by Ennio Morricone that gives credence to his legendary reputation.

CAST
FAYE DUNAWAY, PETER FINCH, HENRY FONDA, ROBERT DUVALL, NED BEATTY

DIRECTED BY
SIDNEY LUMET

Directed by the late, great Sidney Lumet and written by the legendary Paddy Chayefsky, Network is a prophetic examination into the ethical principles of television that is made all too real for today’s times.  

Headlined by an all-star ensemble, the film looked at the how the on screen breakdown of a celebrated TV reporter (Peter Finch in his Oscar winning role) transformed a struggling TV station into an overnight sensation, and would go on to turn television into an exploitative and manipulative device of low moral standard.

Faye Dunaway, William Holden and Robert Duvall are all aces here, yet it is Finch as the evangelical booming voice of maddening reason demanding his viewers to cry out “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” that will best be remembered from a film that deserves to be seen again and again.    

CAST
MICHAEL J. FOX, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, LEA THOMPSON, CRISPIN GLOVER, THOMAS F. WILSON

DIRECTED BY
ROBERT ZEMECKIS

The brainchild of producer Steven Spielberg and director Robert Zemeckis, Back to the Future endures not only as a pop culture icon but a great sci-fi adventure.

Its engrossing and entertaining story centres on prideful teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) who travels back to 1955 in a time travelling DeLorean created by wacky scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and inadvertently prevents his parents from getting together, thus placing his own existence in jeopardy.    

High stakes are placed on McFly’s time travelling escapades with every action on his part garnering a reaction (as seen in its two sequels), yet Zemeckis fills the drama with infectious fun and spirit. Then there are the performances by Fox, Crispin Glover at his eccentric best and Christopher Lloyd as everyone’s favourite mad scientist. ‘80s sci-fi adventure at its best.

CAST
DAN AKROYD, BILL MURRAY, HAROLD RAMIS, ERNIE HUDSON, RICK MORANIS, SIGOURNEY WEAVER

DIRECTED BY
IVAN REITMAN

The best combination of spooks and laughs that you will ever find, Ghostbusters successfully juggles supernatural thrills with witty comedy to make for always watchable movie that many have tried to emulate yet none can match.

Starring a career defining Bill Murray, the film follows a group of unemployed parapsychologists (Murray, Dan Akroyd and Harold Rammis) in their new business venture as ghost removalists during a time of heavy supernatural activity in New York City.

Conceived by Akroyd (whose initial over the top first draft was taken down a few notches by co-writer Ramis and director Ivan Reitman), Ghostbustersfeatures excellent special effects (the sight of a giant Marshmallow Man still does wonders), and brilliant performances from Harold Ramis, Dan Akroyd, Sigourney Weaver and especially Bill Murray whose dry, improvisational style, made his scientist turned ghosbuster Dr. Peter Venkman a joke cracking hero unlike no other.

CAST
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, KATE WINSLET, KATHY BATES, KATHRYN HAHN, DAVID HARBOUR, ZOE KAZAN, MICHAEL SHANNON

DIRECTED BY
SAM MENDES

The reunion of Titanic pair Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet brought with it a different kind of tragedy in Revolutionary Road.  

Directed by Sam Mendes, this 1950s set drama centres on depressed suburban couple Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) and their revolutionary idea: a change of scenery with a move to Paris, with April playing the breadwinner, while Frank uses his time to find his goal in life.

Excellent costume, art direction, and a haunting score from Thomas Newman enriches the films setting and themes. Yet it is DiCaprio and Winslet, two of the best in their generation, that elevates Revolutionary Road as they strip away mind, body, and soul to deliver exceptionally powerful and raw performances.

CAST
AUDREY TAUTOU, LORELLA CRAVOTTA, MATHIEU KASSOVITZ, SERGE MERLIN, CLOTILDE MOLLET, RUFUS

DIRECTED BY
JOHN-PIERRE JUENET

An immensely entertaining, visually extravagant, heartfelt story about a dreamer with a wild imagination and a heart of gold, Amelie saw director John-Pierre Juenet return to French cinema after a brief liaison with Hollywood and deliver his best work to date.

Starring the sublime Audrey Tautou as the title character, the film follows Amelie as she finds her calling to help others through good deeds. However, when she falls in love Amelie finds it hard to follow her own lead and fill her life with happiness.

An extremely pleasurable film to watch, Amelie succeeds in being a quirky, surreal and cheeky comedy, filled with lush colours and rich landscapes that create a bubbly atmosphere. Above all Tautou brings a warmth that is simply infectious, resulting in a sweet feel-good movie without any sickly side effects.

CAST
JOHN BOYEGA, DAISY RIDLEY, ADAM DRIVER, CARRIE FISHER, HARRISON FORD, DOMNHALL GLEESON, OSCAR ISAAC, LUPITA, NYONG’O

DIRECTED BY
J.J. ABRAMS

A highly successful throwback to the tone and quality of the original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens saw director J.J. Abrams bring that midas touch that relaunched the Star Trek series, to a galaxy far, far away.

Set 30 years after the events in Return of the Jedi, this latest and most excellent chapter in the Star Wars saga once again pits a rebel alliance against an evil empire, with series veterans (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher) effectively passing the torch to a new generation of galactic heroes and villains (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver).

Impeccably crafted with great cinematography, production design, visual effects and especially editing, even more impressive is Abrams understanding that a great Star Wars movie is not only about the whiz-bang external stuff, but also about the soul in its classic riff on the eternal struggle between the sides of light and dark (good vs evil) and the jubilant, infectious spirit of its adventure.