38 replies to this topic

[John Drew]

Worst. List. Ever.

Two Guy Ritchie films in the top ten??? I'm surprised Swept Away isn't somewhere on this list. I guess these folks don't watch Mike Leigh films.

Edited by Baal_T'shuvah, 19 May 2005 - 12:33 AM.

[MattPage]

Best thing to do is to quote from their site...

Perspective!" I scream before I show you the list. This is a list voted for by British customers of the shop HMV, and only 7,000 of them, so pinches of salt all round please.

.

Given that - the list is not particularly surprising or particularly bad

Matt

[Ron Reed]

Being no expert on Britflix, I must nonetheless opine. For my money, here are the keepers on the list;

2. Trainspotting (1995, Danny Boyle)
Not just a good film, a superb film. When we're talking Boyle, I'd also add Millions, but am willing to admit there's a high degree of personal enthusiasm in the mix.

11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
I'm more bland on this than its many fans, but am quite content to include it.

12. Withnail & I (1995, Bruce Robinson)
Liked it okay while watching, it started growing on me as soon as the credits were through. A quick rewatch and I was a fan.

13. Love Actually (2003, Richard Curtis)
Okay, okay, a Guilty Pleasure. But Emma Thompson's storyline is flawless, and I love the chaos of styles and stories.

14. Zulu (1964, Cy Endfield)
One of the most tense movie experiences in my life.

17. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975, Terry Gilliam/Terry Jones)
The best of the Pythons. I'd also list And Now For Something Completely Different

20. The Ladykillers (1955, Alexander Mackendrick)
Warm glow about this one.

22. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
Can't say I enjoyed it, but one of the most vivid films I've ever seen. Other Kubricks I'd also list (and higher) would be The Shining and Full Metal Jacket

23. The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)
Glad to see my wife make the list.

25. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
Love the atmosphere, the character complexity, the tension.

34. Chariots of Fire (1981, Hugh Hudson)
A huge favourite.

48. The Railway Children (1970, Lionel Jeffries)
Who knows what I'd think now? Saw it at 13, had the most terrible crush on one of the girls.

And I'd hasten to add (utterly subjective favourites, with absolutely no idea of which are REALLY British...)

Secrets & Lies
Gosford Park
Shakespeare In Love
The Mission
28 Up
Rivers & Tides
Dirty Pretty Things
My Fair Lady
Twelfth Night (Trevor Nunn)
Richard III (Locrane)
About A Boy
Remains of the Day
Shadowlands
Sexy Beast
Waking Ned Devine
The Commitments
The Crying Game
The Hit
My Left Foot
Howard's End
Whistle Down The Wind

...and more.

Edited by Ron, 25 May 2005 - 03:07 PM.

[MattPage]

Interesting pick of highlights, but really, Love Actually???? This is one film that makes me ashamed to be British.

Have you seen the Italian Job BTWRon. It's not the Marky Mark remake but the original with Michael Caine, which is a bit of a surprse at the top of the list, but not at all surprising that it's included.

If it were a critics style list it would of course have more Loach and Leigh on it, but it isn't , so were probably lucky there aren't worse ones included.

Matt

[Thom]

Cold Comfort Farm certainly belongs on his list before many of the others.

[DanBuck]

Yes, I'd gladly replace About a Boy for Love actually.

And is Of this World considered a brit flick?

[Darren H]

22. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
Can't say I enjoyed it, but one of the most vivid films I've ever seen. Other Kubricks I'd also list (and higher) would be The Shining and Full Metal Jacket

It appears that they only consider Kubrick British when he's adapting the work of a British writer.

[gigi]

*sigh* i dislike listing by nationality. I mean, does it depend on funding, talent, location? How about James Whale whose career was almost entirely in the US? There are so many anomalies... as the Kubrick example proves.

Anyway, I would say they're missing Hammer horror movies, documentaries, and Ealing comedies. 'British film' wouldn't be the same without them.

Good to see they got at least one Powell & Pressburger in there.

And by the way, the original and substantially better informed list from The Independent is HERE

[Russ]

Ain't it cool that only two of the Top 10 are pre-1994?

[Peter T Chattaway]

Ron wrote:
: 22. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
: Can't say I enjoyed it, but one of the most vivid films I've ever seen. Other Kubricks
: I'd also list (and higher) would be The Shining and Full Metal Jacket

Huh. I've said for some time now that those films represent Kubrick's decline -- his best work was in the period between 1964's Dr. Strangelove and 1975's Barry Lyndon (thus including A Clockwork Orange and 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey). Although his more streamlined, hardboiled late-'50s films like 1956's The Killing and 1957's Paths of Glory were pretty darn good too.

: 48. The Railway Children (1970, Lionel Jeffries)
: Who knows what I'd think now? Saw it at 13, had the most terrible crush on one of the
: girls.

Especially when they take off their petticoats to flag down the train. Ah, any old excuse...

Was it the same girl who later did all the nude swimming in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout, BTW, or was it the other girl that you had the crush on?

[Ron Reed]

Ron wrote:
: 22. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
: Can't say I enjoyed it, but one of the most vivid films I've ever seen. Other Kubricks
: I'd also list (and higher) would be The Shining and Full Metal Jacket

Huh.  I've said for some time now that those films represent Kubrick's decline --

Well, you can't be right all the time.

: 48. The Railway Children (1970, Lionel Jeffries)
: Who knows what I'd think now? Saw it at 13, had the most terrible crush on one of the
: girls.

Was it the same girl who later did all the nude swimming in Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout, BTW, or was it the other girl that you had the crush on?

The older actress who played the younger sister. Sally Thomsett. Her IMDb bio doesn't list the Roeg pic. Looks like Jenny Agutter was the Swimabout girl...

Edited by Ron, 26 May 2005 - 02:50 AM.

[MattPage]

Ain't it cool that only two of the Top 10 are pre-1994?

NO. Sadly it's more indicative of the decline of the Bristiah Film industry even with the post 1994 lottery funding that was meant to solve the problem. (Funny that you pick that particular year).

Matt

[The Invisible Man]

This is a much better list (my own lol):

1. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1943)

2. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)

3. Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973)

4. A Matter of Life and Death (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1946)

5. The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock, 1935)

6. The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, 1969)

7. Gregory's Girl (Bill Forsyth, 1980)

8. The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973)

9. Kes (Ken Loach, 1969)

10. Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971)


Jenny Agutter was in both Walkabout and The Railway Children (and about a million other films, including An American Werewolf in London and Logan's Run).

Sally Thomsett from The Railway Children appeared in only a handful of movies, but was very famous in Britain during the 1970s for starring in the popular TV sitcom Man About the House. A film version was released in 1974. Man About the House was remade in America as Three's Company.

As for watching Mike Leigh films, I would rather stick needles in my eyes lol.

Edited by The Invisible Man, 28 June 2005 - 06:08 AM.

[M. Dale Prins]

There is no joking about the greatness that is Mike Leigh in this discussion group. Thank you for your future consideration in this matter.

Dale

[The Invisible Man]

I guess, being English, I have a different perspective lol. I grew up watching Mike Leigh's stuff on TV, and I always found it extremely patronizing and extremely smug. His characters are nothing but caricatures and freaks, and his dreary plots (such as they are) are the stuff of British soap opera. There is no substance to his work, no depth, and if you've seen one of his films, you've seen them all. The fact that the last high profile (well, ish) movie to come out of Britain was about backstreet abortions speaks volumes. This is why the film industry here is in serious trouble.

[Sara]

I am so glad to see in this thread that someone mentions "Whistle Down the Wind." That film is so filled with theology and childlike faith my heart is warmed whenever I think of it.

Several years ago I was lucky to have taped it off of TV. Why there is no DVD available for this film is beyond me.

The three children, Haley Mills - and especially the little brother - are so natural. And the music in the background is perfect. And what a beautiful title.

Haley Mills mother wrote the script, and her father, John Mills directed it, I believe.

It definately belongs on my list for heartwarming spiritual films.

I am wondering, why do you think they named it "Whistle Down the Wind?"

Sara

[MattPage]

I hadn't made the Hayley Mills - John Mills link. I've got it on video and enjoyed it very much. I'm not sure though what its saying about faith. I can' make my mind up whether it's pro - childlike faith or against it. Either way the balance of the three children is a good mix as each sort of personifies acceptance, ambivalence and questionning.

Matt

[Sara]

I hadn't made the Hayley Mills - John Mills link. I've got it on video and enjoyed it very much. I'm not sure though what its saying about faith. I can' make my mind up whether it's pro - childlike faith or against it. Either way the balance of the three children is a good mix as each sort of personifies acceptance, ambivalence and questionning.

Matt

Matt, I think it is pro childlike faith even though they think the robber is Christ. And who knows, maybe is some way he is!

The little boy asks the priest a simple question, and the stupid, arrogant priest rattles off some theology, and the little boy comes back to Haley Mills at the table and says quietly "He doesn't know."

There is a purity in their faith and an insight that is not blinded by dogma or theological ramblings.

Sara

[The Invisible Man]

I think the director is actually Bryan Forbes.