A List of My Favorite Films (Part 1)

I think it's about high time that I post a list of my all-time favorite films, and I'll present them by not saying too much about the film so you discover on you own why I find these films worthy of my list. Plot summaries were mostly taken from Rotten Tomatoes, with a short side note after each summary.

Films are not ranked because I found it absolutely hard ranking one over the other, but my all-time favorite is without a doubt "the one." There are forty films so far, and I'm pretty sure the list will continue to grow. I have barely gone through the pages of my 1001 Films to See Before You Die!

Argo (2012)

Plot summary: Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis-the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA "exfiltration" specialist named Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movie.

You Should Watch This Because Of: Ben Affleck and him leading the nail-biting and mattress-gripping escape of the six Americans out of Tehran.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Plot summary: "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

You Should Watch This Because Of: (Mainly because of) Kevin Spacey's brilliant performance, and the ending. It doesn't get started at around 1h35 minutes (running time is 1h45, mind you), but the ending will totally make up for it. Hey, we all watch a movie to see the ending.

Se7en (1995)

Plot Summary:  A diabolical serial killer is staging grisly murders, choosing victims representing the seven deadly sins. First, an obese man is forced to eat until his stomach ruptures to represent gluttony, then a wealthy defense lawyer is made to cut off a pound of his own flesh as penance for greed. Somerset (Morgan Freeman) initially refuses to take the case, realizing that there will be five more murders, ghastly sermons about lust, sloth, pride, wrath, and envy presented by a madman to a sinful world. Somerset is correct, and something within him cannot let the case go, forcing the weary detective to team with Mills (Brad Pitt) and see the case to its almost unspeakably horrible conclusion. 

You Shouldn't Watch This If: Anything related to the seven deadly sins easily makes you sick.

You Should Watch This Because Of: The vividly-depicted seven deadly sins. And Kevin Spacey (again).

Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)

Plot Summary: Fernando Meirelles' City of God is a sweeping tale of how crime affects the poor population of Rio de Janeiro. Though the narrative skips around in time, the main focus is on Cabeleira who formed a gang called the Tender Trio. He and his best friend, Bené (Phelipe Haagensen), become crime lords over the course of a decade. When Bené is killed before he can retire, Lil' Zé attempts to take out his arch enemy, Sandro Cenoura (Matheus Nachtergaele). But Sandro and a young gangster named Mane form an alliance and begin a gang war with Lil' Zé. Amateur photographer Buscape (Alexandre Rodrigues) takes pictures of the brutal crime war, making their story famous.

You Should Watch This Because Of: The compelling narrative nature of the film as it based on real-life events. The violence and brutality was magnificently depicted without skipping the emotions that wrap the poverty-stricken Rio de Janeiro.