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My Recommended Films of 1988-2007

By Garth Franklin Thursday February 22nd 2007 02:28AM

Just as film critiquing is a compromise between generally agreed upon aspects of artistic merit and completely subjective levels of one's personal engagement, so are 'Top Ten' lists a marriage of personal taste and professional dissection.

To me a Top Ten list can't be simply what a critic thinks are the best films of the year (from an artistic standpoint) overall because they'd be relatively all the same and often unrevealing about the critic themselves.

Yet listing personal favorite pictures of the year, films that spoke to them like no other but never caught on with the a major audience, can be too revealing and show where professional judgement can become clouded by personal taste.

Rather, like film criticism itself, it should be a comfortable amalgamation of both - films that speak to one personally but are strong enough artistically to do so in other ways for different audience members.

Below is a list of the film's of the past twenty years that have meant something to me. Some I love for their sheer quality of craft, others are admittedly terrible films but I find them immensely entertaining. Some I rewatch regularly, others I haven't seen since the first time, but all are films I would recommend to others.

Admittedly tastes change with time and as I was born in 1978, a nostalgia factor comes into play for films of my youth in the 80's and 90's - leading to a few choices that may scratch heads. There's also some notable absences, mostly from my days before Dark Horizons (ie. pre-1996), because lets face it - not all of us have gotten around to checking out every film of the past twenty years.

The main aim here though is to give you not only a snapshot of my taste, but hopefully a look into your own. Some titles here will no doubt bring back good memories, others will make you curious, and in all cases I hope you get a chance to explore or retrace some of these for yourself.

My Top Ten of 2007

  1. Atonement
  2. No Country for Old Men
  3. There Will Be Blood
  4. The Bourne Ultimatum
  5. Into the Wild
  6. Zodiac
  7. Michael Clayton
  8. Sweeney Todd
  9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
  10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Other Personal Favourites in 2007: 3:10 to Yuma, 28 Weeks Later, American Gangster, Away from Her, Black Book, Blades of Glory, Breach, Charlie Wilson's War, Control, Eastern Promises, Enchanted, Gone Baby Gone, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Host, Hot Fuzz, I'm Not There, Juno, The King of Kong, La Vie En Rose, Live Free or Die Hard, The Lookout, Lust Caution, A Mighty Heart, The Mist, Once, Persepolis, Ratatouille, Rescue Dawn, The Savages, Severance, Sicko, The Simpsons Movie, Superbad, Transformers

My Top Ten of 2006

  1. The Queen
  2. Dreamgirls
  3. Pan's Labyrinth
  4. Casino Royale
  5. Children of Men
  6. The Departed
  7. Borat
  8. Little Miss Sunshine
  9. Inside Man
  10. V for Vendetta Other Personal Favourites in 2006:

My Top Ten of 2005

  1. Brokeback Mountain
  2. Batman Begins
  3. A History of Violence
  4. Good Night, and Good Luck
  5. Munich
  6. The Constant Gardener
  7. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
  8. Syriana
  9. The Interpreter
  10. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Other Personal Favourites in 2005: The 40 Year Old Virgin, Assault on Precinct 13, Capote, Crash, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Howl's Moving Castle, Jarhead, Kingdom of Heaven, The Matador, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Murderball, Mysterious Skin, Pride and Prejudice, Red Eye, Sahara, Sin City, Walk the Line, War of the Worlds, Wedding Crashers, Wolf Creek

My Top Ten of 2004

  1. Closer
  2. The Incredibles
  3. Kinsey
  4. Hotel Rwanda
  5. Collateral
  6. Kill Bill, Volume Two
  7. The Bourne Supremacy
  8. Shaun of the Dead
  9. Sideways
  10. The Aviator Other Personal Favourites in 2004: The Bad Education, Being Julia, The Butterfly Effect, Dawn of the Dead, Dodgeball, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fahrenheit 9/11, Finding Neverland, Garden State, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hidalgo, I Robot, Layer Cake, The Manchurian Candidate, Mean Girls, Meet the Fockers, Million Dollar Baby, The Motorcycle Diaries, Napoleon Dynamite, Saw, Spanglish, Spartan, Spider-Man 2, Super Size Me

My Top Ten of 2003

  1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  2. Finding Nemo
  3. Lost in Translation
  4. The Fog of War
  5. Shattered Glass
  6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  7. Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World
  8. X2: X-Men United
  9. Touching the Void
  10. Swimming Pool Other Personal Favourites in 2003: 21 Grams, American Splendor, Bad Santa, The Barbarian Invasions, Bright Young Things, Final Destination 2, Freaky Friday, Identity, The Italian Job, Kill Bill: Volume I, The Last Samurai, Love Actually, Monster, Mystic River, Oldboy, Old School, Open Water, Out of Time, Phone Booth, The Recruit, The Rundown, School of Rock, Seabiscuit, Thirteen

My Top Ten of 2002

  1. Chicago
  2. Bowling for Columbine
  3. The Quiet American
  4. Catch Me If You Can
  5. About a Boy
  6. Punch-Drunk Love
  7. The Bourne Identity
  8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  9. The Ring
  10. 28 Days Later Other Personal Favourites in 2002: Adaptation, Changing Lanes, City of God, Dark Blue, Far from Heaven, Gangs of New York, Hero, The Hours, Insomnia, The Kid Stays in the Picture, Minority Report, Panic Room, The Pianist, Rabbit Proof Fence, Red Dragon, Road to Perdition, The Rules of Attraction, Signs, Spider-Man, The Sum of All Fears, Super Troopers, Talk to Her, Unfaithful, Whale Rider

My Top Ten of 2001

  1. Spirited Away
  2. Donnie Darko
  3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  4. Mulholland Drive
  5. The Others
  6. Y Tu Mama Tambien
  7. Shrek
  8. The Deep End
  9. Amelie
  10. Training Day Other Personal Favourites in 2001: American Pie 2, A Beautiful Mind, The Believer, Black Hawk Down, Blow, Bridget Jones' Diary, Charlotte Gray, Enemy at the Gates, Enigma, Frailty, Gosford Park, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Heist, In the Bedroom, Joy Ride, Lantana, Legally Blonde, Life as a House, Monster's Ball, Monsters Inc., Moulin Rouge, Ocean's Eleven, The Princess Diaries, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Score, Zoolander

My Top Ten of 2000

  1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  2. Traffic
  3. Best in Show
  4. Memento
  5. Requiem for a Dream
  6. Almost Famous
  7. Gladiator
  8. Shadow of the Vampire
  9. Cast Away
  10. Erin Brockovich Other Personal Favourites in 2000: American Psycho, Before Night Falls, Billy Elliott, Chocolat, Chicken Run, The Contender, Final Destination, Girlfight, Meet the Parents, Miss Congeniality, The Patriot, The Perfect Storm, Quills, Shanghai Noon, Snatch, Thirteen Days, U-571, Unbreakable, What Lies Beneath, Wonder Boys, X-Men

My Top Ten of 1999

  1. The Insider
  2. The Talented Mr. Ripley
  3. American Beauty
  4. Toy Story 2
  5. The Matrix
  6. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
  7. Fight Club
  8. Notting Hill
  9. Three Kings
  10. Election Other Personal Favourites in 1999: 10 Things I Hate About You, All About My Mother, American Pie, Analyze This, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Being John Malkovich, The Blair Witch Project, The Boondock Saints, Bowfinger, Cruel Intentions, Deep Blue Sea, The End of the Affair, Entrapment, Galaxy Quest, Girl Interrupted, Go, Magnolia, Man on the Moon, The Mummy, The Ninth Gate, The Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, True Crime, The Virgin Suicides, The World is Not Enough

My Top Ten of 1998

  1. American History X
  2. Elizabeth
  3. The Truman Show
  4. The Big Lebowski
  5. Run, Lola, Run
  6. The Siege
  7. Gods and Monsters
  8. There's Something About Mary
  9. Dark City
  10. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Other Personal Favourites in 1998: A Bug's Life, Armageddon, Blade, Enemy of the State, Fallen, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Get Real, Happiness, The Mask of Zorro, The Negotiator, Out of Sight, Pi, Pleasantville, Primary Colors, Rushmore, Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love, The Thin Red Line, Velvet Goldmine, Very Bad Things, The Wedding Singer, Wild Things, The X-Files: Fight the Future

My Top Ten of 1997

  1. As Good as it Gets
  2. Wag the Dog
  3. Chasing Amy
  4. L.A. Confidential
  5. The Ice Storm
  6. The Game
  7. Contact
  8. Devil's Advocate
  9. Kiss the Girls
  10. Boogie Nights Other Personal Favourites in 1997: Air Force One, The Butcher Boy, Cube, Face/Off, The Full Monty, Gattaca, Life is Beautiful, Men in Black, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Peacemaker, Princess Mononoke, Private Parts, The Saint, Starship Troopers, Titanic, Tomorrow Never Dies, Waiting for Guffman

My Top Ten of 1996

  1. The English Patient
  2. Primal Fear
  3. Trainspotting
  4. Sense and Sensibility
  5. Star Trek: First Contact
  6. Mission: Impossible
  7. The Rock
  8. Scream
  9. The People vs. Larry Flynt
  10. The Birdcage Other Personal Favourites in 1996: The Arrival, Beautiful Thing, Daylight, Eraser, Executive Decision, Evita, Fargo, The First Wives Club, The Ghost and The Darkness, Happy Gilmore, Independence Day, Jerry Maguire, Mars Attacks, Ransom, Romeo + Juliet, Shine, A Time to Kill

My Top Ten of 1995

  1. The Usual Suspects
  2. Se7en
  3. Goldeneye
  4. Heat
  5. Braveheart
  6. Copycat
  7. The Quick and the Dead
  8. 12 Monkeys
  9. Rob Roy
  10. The City of Lost Children Other Personal Favourites in 1995: The American President, Apollo 13, Bad Boys, The Basketball Diaries, Casino, Clueless, Empire Records, Higher Learning, Just Cause, Kids, Species, To Die For, Toy Story

My Top Ten of 1994

  1. Pulp Fiction
  2. Quiz Show
  3. The Lion King
  4. Four Weddings and a Funeral
  5. Leon: The Professional
  6. The Adventures of Priscilla
  7. Serial Mom
  8. Muriel's Wedding
  9. The Shawshank Redemption
  10. Forrest Gump Other Personal Favourites in 1994: Clear and Present Danger, The Client, Disclosure, Ed Wood, Heavenly Creatures, Interview with the Vampire, The Last Seduction, Legends of the Fall, Maverick, New Nightmare, Once Were Warriors, Reality Bites, Shallow Grave, Speed, Swimming with Sharks, True Lies

My Top Ten of 1993

  1. Schindler's List
  2. The Fugitive
  3. Groundhog Day
  4. Tombstone
  5. Philadelphia
  6. In the Name of the Father
  7. Jurassic Park
  8. Short Cuts
  9. In the Line of Fire
  10. Falling Down Other Personal Favourites in 1993: Addams Family Values, Cliffhanger, Cool Runnings, Dave, Demolition Man, Falling Down, The Firm, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Pelican Brief, The Piano, The Remains of the Day, Rising Sun, Six Degrees of Separation, Sleepless in Seattle

My Top Ten of 1992

  1. Unforgiven
  2. Sneakers
  3. A Few Good Men
  4. Batman Returns
  5. Scent of a Woman
  6. Reservoir Dogs
  7. Glengarry Glen Ross
  8. Basic Instinct
  9. Howards End
  10. Hard Boiled Other Personal Favourites in 1992: Alien³, Aladdin, Belle Époque, Boomerang, Candyman, Chaplin, The Crying Game, The Cutting Edge, Damage, Death Becomes Her, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Indochine, The Last of the Mohicans, A League of Their Own, Like Water For Chocolate, My Cousin Vinny, Patriot Games, Single White Female, Sister Act, Under Siege

My Top Ten of 1991

  1. The Silence of the Lambs
  2. JFK
  3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  4. Cape Fear
  5. L.A. Story
  6. Thelma and Louise
  7. Beauty and the Beast
  8. The Prince of Tides
  9. Boyz N the Hood
  10. Hudson Hawk Other Personal Favourites in 1991: The Addams Family, Backdraft, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, The Commitments, The Doors, The Fisher King, Hook, Hot Shots!, Point Break, Regarding Henry, The Rocketeer, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Toy Soldiers

My Top Ten of 1990

  1. Goodfellas
  2. The Hunt for Red October
  3. Total Recall
  4. Edward Scissorhands
  5. Misery
  6. La Femme Nikita
  7. Ghost
  8. Pretty Woman
  9. Wild at Heart
  10. Reversal of Fortune Other Personal Favourites in 1990: Awakenings, Back to the Future Part III, Bad Influence, Boiling Point, Cry Baby, Cyrano de Bergerac, Dances with Wolves, Darkman, Europa Europa, Flatliners, Gremlins 2, The Grifters, Hard to Kill, Home Alone, Jacob's Ladder, Lord of the Flies, Memphis Belle, Miller's Crossing, Nuns on the Run, Postcards from the Edge, Presumed Innocent, RoboCop 2, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, The Witches

My Top Ten of 1989

  1. Dead Poets Society
  2. The Abyss
  3. Dead Calm
  4. Glory
  5. When Harry Met Sally
  6. My Left Foot
  7. Field of Dreams
  8. Heathers
  9. Uncle Buck
  10. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Other Personal Favourites in 1989: Back to the Future Part II, Batman, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Born on the Fourth of July, The 'Burbs, Casualties of War, Cinema Paradiso, Do the Right Thing, Driving Miss Daisy, Drugstore Cowboy, Fletch Lives, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Kiki's Delivery Service, Lethal Weapon 2, The Little Mermaid, Parenthood, Sex Lies and Videotape, Skin Deep, The War of the Roses, Weekend at Bernie's

My Top Ten of 1988

  1. Die Hard
  2. Beetlejuice
  3. A Fish Called Wanda
  4. The Accused
  5. Working Girl
  6. The Accidental Tourist
  7. Coming to America
  8. Dead Ringers
  9. The Naked Gun
  10. Rain Man Other Personal Favourites in 1988: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Akira, Alien Nation, Beaches, Big, The Big Blue, Big Business, Bull Durham, Crocodile Dundee II, Dangerous Liaisons, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Gorillas in the Mist, Hairspray, The Last Temptation of Christ, Married to the Mob, Midnight Run, Mississippi Burning, My Stepmother Is an Alien, They Live, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

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