To be honest I hate this question, there are so many different genres and styles of film so to pick one single film as my favourite is damn near impossible. But for an introduction it can be a very interesting topic and I do of course have several films that I favour above others. In no particular order they are:
Brick (2005)
Rian Johnsson brings the Film Noir 'genre' into the 21st Century with directorial debut Brick. It is a modern take on the Film Noir 'genre' (for those how don't know what Film Noir is then follow this link http://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.htm). Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Brendan Frye a student at a California High School who happens to be hardboiled, smart-mouthed and very quick witted. He investigates the whereabouts and ultimately the death of his missing ex-girlfriend Emily Kostich (Emile de Ravin) and becomes entangled in a world of drugs, revenge and murder.
Every character within the film is unconvincing and ambiguous, trying to reflect the great Humphrey Bogart while maintaining a sense of mystique in the murder mystery story of 'who dun it'. Though despite the fact this rendition of film noir shouldn't work Johnsson manages to create and direct a excellent film. The actors play their roles perfectly, the direction is almost flawless and the journey the audience follow is both intense and exciting, not least thanks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Levitt is a revelation, his performance is astounding, he is only out done by the fact this is Rian Johnsson' first film and that it was shot believe it or not in only twenty days.The whole film from its plot to its characters, its production to its directing is sublime. It echoes the 1940's film noir greats yet brings them up to date and adds a modern day twist.
(NB: Look out for Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50 (2011), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Lincoln (2012) )
Dead Poets Society (1989)
O Captain! My Captain! For me this is one of Robin Williams's best and most honest performances (Good Will Hunting (1997) being another). These are the roles that require an actor to make a connection with the character and the story and not merely act and hide behind the facade of the character. For someone who has such an extensive background in comedy I find Robin Williams to be an extremely skilled actor when it comes to these serious heartfelt roles.
Dead Poets Society is the story of a group of young men, burdened by the expectations of their family, friends and teachers alike. Until they meet John Keating, an English Professor who inspires his students to follow their hearts and seize the day or to put it more poetically to 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may'. He inspires change in each of the young men who learn to make decisions for themselves and learn not to be restrained by the expectations and ideologies of society, an outlook that many could benefit from, even today.
Dead Poets Society is one of those films that rarely come along but when they do it is near impossible to find a fault. It is the kind of film that touches the souls of its audience, gives them hope. In the end it is a film that makes the audience think, think about their lives and the choices they have made.
