My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (75-71)

75. Midnight in Paris (2011)

This is the only movie in my list from the new decade. I absolutely loved it. It’s both funny and charming, and certainly intelligent.

It’s essentially a celebration of art in all its forms, and a nostalgic view of the past. Owen Wilson plays an engaged man on vacation in Paris who takes a walk and somehow ends up back in time to the 1920s. Characters such as Ernest Hemingway, Zelda and F Scott Fitzgerald, and Pablo Picasso are introduced.

You’re really drawn into the protagonist’s world and you feel the wonder and awe that he does. He falls in love not only with a time and a place, but also with Marion Cotillard, Picasso’s and Hemingway’s mistress.

The film idolizes the artists of the past but also is a movie that reminds you that film is an art form itself.

74. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

I’ve heard this described by someone—I think it may have been Alice Cooper—as the most enjoyable movie ever, and that might very well be accurate. Like The Sting, it uses the likable pairing of Newman and Redford for laughs, and does even better, if you ask me.

It’s essentially a buddy comedy in the guise of a western but somehow it works. The dialogue is some of the most interesting ever written, and there are some great moments of action. The final scene, for instance, is both iconic and beautifully shot.

73. The Godfather (1972)

Many have argued this as the greatest film of all time and in order to have it this low on my list, I must again draw attention to the fact that this list is of how much I enjoy these movies. It’s a great movie, just not my favorite.

It’s the story of a mafia family in New York, and it transitioning from one generation to another, making drastic changes that lead into the second film of the Coppola trilogy.

I don’t have much to say about this one because basically everything has been said. Every scene, line of dialogue, and character is memorable and classic.

72. Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Cool Hand Luke is the story of Luke Jackson, a man in a southern prison. If you ask me, this is Paul Newman’s best performance, and he plays such an interesting character. George Kennedy is also outstanding as a fellow prisoner, and he won an Oscar.

It is interesting to see how Luke gains respect amongst his prison community. Eventually he escapes, more than once, actually, and those scenes are exciting.

The dialogue and characters—in addition to the performances—are what makes this film so good. However, the directing is a little awkward and may turn some off.

71. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

What if someone you’ve known for years is all of a sudden someone unknown? That is the primary question Invasion of the Body Snatchers goes about answering in a story about aliens that come to earth and replicate the bodies of others. The build-up is great and you’re filled with this impending sense of dread but nothing huge happens until about halfway in.

Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter do a great job as the two leads caught in a nightmare. The concept itself is extremely interesting and like any great sci-fi film of old, it relies on suspense and story-telling rather than special effects.

My biggest complaints come with how quickly they figure out the plan of the aliens. It doesn’t happen until about halfway through the film but they just see the pods and then McCarthy all the sudden knows, which is a little weird. And the ending is a bit of a letdown but I guess I should have expected it.