The Top 10 Best Films So Far

Partial Education Presents

The Top 10 Best Films So Far

It appears people like me when I'm being mean, as looking back over the past year, it's apparent that my reviews get far more hits when there's a guaranteed kicking headed towards the films in question. As a result, I'm fully expecting that very few of you will bother to read this, but here are the top 10 films of Partial Education so far.

To clarify for those who didn't read last week, only films that I have reviewed are eligible for entry.

Number 10

In truth, there were a number of films that were considered for this spot and I didn't want to take it lightly. Some of the films coming up for review in the next few weeks guarantee this won't be in the list next time around. Though special mention should go to The Borderlands for coming very close, I went for Guardians. While the flaws may be there, it's been a long time since I left a cinema with quite as much of a beaming grin as I did after this. Crafting what is, for my money, the most enjoyable group of (anti)heroes yet seen in comic book films, this is the film that defied all expectations and stands as the second best blockbuster released this year. The reason the other one's not in here is because I haven't reviewed it yet. It's NOT Interstellar.

Number 9

Thank God I gave this film a third attempt because though I've always admired and greatly enjoyed it, it took that third attempt to make me see it's real brilliance. Though Shallow Grave made the names Boyle and McGregor known, Trainspotting made them forces and this is down to the exceptional handling of an always controversial subject matter. There are other films which have managed to take a look at a subject as divisive as drug addiction without falling into over-celebration or blinded condemnation (and one of them will most likely enter this list when it's reviewed). Trainspotting still stands as one of the best though.. If you're someone who doesn't like this film, watch it again and then come back to me.

Number 8

The Avengers proved bigger, but Batman stayed better. Still, for me, the best of Nolan's Batman trilogy, it's a film that's now much easier to take for granted. The easiest thing to remember is that this undid the wrongs of Batman & Robin, but it also came at a time when Nolan wasn't quite as celebrated as he is today. It also gave us Christian Bale as a true star, after a career which had failed to capitalise on the greatness of American Psycho. Batman Begins works in a much simpler way than the two films that followed it and proves itself by doing this without any of the truly huge villains from the Batman canon. X-Men made comic book films viable again, but Batman Begins changed them in a way that we haven't really looked back from since.

Number 7

At a time when the vampire film was about to be neutered, Let The Right One In was there to keep the horror alive in the genre, despite the fact that vampirism is rarely dwelled on in it. It perfectly visualises one of the greatest paradoxical characters in the sweet, yet terrifying Eli, as well as an intelligent look at schoolyard bullying through the misfit eyes of Oskar. Director Tomas Alfredson is the greatest asset though, skilfully creating his horrors from the nasty side of humanity; a far more fearful prospect than the supernatural happenings surrounding it. There's a reason that Let The Right One In is already spoken about as a classic merely 6 years after it's release. It's because it's fairly hard to deny it's right to that title.

Number 6

It's a one-two punch for Robin Williams now, as my current frontrunner for the title 'Best Horror Film of the 21st Century' also provides us with perhaps the greatest casting that the late Williams was ever given. The gem to his performance lies in the manipulation of some of his well-known mannerisms. There's still some recognisable traits there which makes it easy to see why some would warm to him, but accentuates his darker edge when it shows. It's not just Williams that makes One Hour Photo a success though, as director Mark Romanek manages to restrain his music video aesthetics to just the scenes taking place within Parrish's mind. Elsewhere, he provides a natural view, meaning that while One Hour Photo won't terrify you into a sleepless night, it will probably unsettle you through it's plausibility.

Number 5

On the flip-side, this is the Williams everyone fell in love with, as his iconic turn as the Genie immediately etched itself into Disney history. Everything about Aladdin is Disney presented at it's finest, with the film standing for everything that they can do flawlessly (and don't always succeed at). The story is exceptional, the humour expert and the songs serve to lodge themselves into your mind, even if you wish they'd stay the hell out of there. While other great cinema experiences will come and go, Aladdin will forever remain one of my greatest.

Number 4

Of last year's Best Picture nominees for the Oscars, three of them have been reviewed by myself and none of them feature here. Yet, Inside Llewyn Davis does. That's not me trying to be prove my artistic integrity as a critic (I just put Aladdin in here after all), it's because the snubbing of this film was one of the unfairest there's been. Niftily blending a fairly miserable story with music that sucks you in, Inside Llewyn Davis may not leave you buzzing with joy and merriment, but it does provide you with an exceptional look into the single-minded soul of it's title character. This is a film with depth, meaning that the more you watch it, the more you take from it. That's why it's in here over all of American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Number 3

Nosferatu is not a film that I would recommend everyone watch. It is a relic from a less-developed age of film that will likely go unappreciated by those who hold little to no interest in the history of film. It is a fantastic indication of just how far film has progressed in the last century, but also proof that without Nosferatu, many of the films loved all around probably wouldn't exist. With Max Schreck stealing the whole film as the still-frightening Count Orlock, Nosferatu is theatrical melodrama brought into the embrace of film and it's legacy is undeniable.

Number 2

You're damn right that says The Muppet Christmas Carol. The first ever film that I would have given a FIVE out of five to and still do today. It's also the only film that you can guarantee I'm going to watch at least once every year. Is it subtle? Nope. Is it deeply commercial? Probably. Is it bloody amazing? I won't hear anyone say otherwise.

Number 1

Sneaking in right at the last moment is (I say it again) Danny Boyle's masterpiece. This is a film that will conjure up statements of "Really?" from a sizeable proportion of people that have seen it. That's absolutely fine, as I can accept that it's a hugely polarising film. For me though, it packs huge ambition into a tight, focussed package, presenting one of the biggest and most relatable quests that has ever been made in the name of science fiction. The fate of humanity is usually assaulted by aliens, but this time it's something that could realistically happen and that makes it a lot more impactful. In truth, Sunshine isn't even in my Top 5 films of all time (it may not even be in my Top 10), but I am perfectly fine giving it that position until such a time as I review anything better.

What next? A small break for a few weeks, but after that I keep going with a bigger focus on getting to some Full Educations. To do this, I'm having to cede some control of what I review, to the point where I will have one mandatory review for every article. It's up to me to try and find a way to integrate that into an article. That's going to be harder for some films than others, but let's see how it goes.

Next Time: December 18th

The Mandatory Review is