Cinephilia is a double-edged sword — on one hand, it describes those with an enduring passion for the art of filmmaking; on the other, it can devolve into pretentious mud-slinging contests that have no place in artistic appreciation.
Cinephiles generally don't limit themselves to particular genres or styles of cinema, instead preferring to expand their palate by indulging in everything from animation to arthouse. Although several acclaimed films have failed to impress the lay viewer (and vice-versa), there are more than a few that deserve all the critical praise they get.
10 The Apple (1998) Highlights The Distinct But Uncrossable Line Between Traditionalism & Free Expression
Famed Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf has garnered innumerable commendations over the course of his illustrious career. His sense of storytelling can best be described as spartan: sharp, precise, unadorned perspectives that turn his films into works of art.
His daughter, Samira, proved herself to be a masterful director in her own right, starting her career with The Apple. This movie follows two small children trapped between their traditionalist parents and a society that allegedly wants to free them. The Apple is an extraordinary story — more so because Samira Makhmalbaf was only 17 years old while making the film.
9 Some Like It Hot (1959) Revolutionized Modern Comedy Into Its Current Form
Marilyn Monroe's claim to fame might be her pin-up girl status, but the actress deserves far more recognition for helping guide the genre of comedy from its slapstick origins to its motley, modern form. Monroe's unrelenting funny bone is evident in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot, also starring Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.
Monroe, Lemmon, and Curtis form a revolving plot triangle — the story switches between their hijinks with breakneck speed, bolstered by Wilder's sparkling screenplay. Some Like it Hot was one of the first movies to reject the draconian rules imposed by the Hays Code, an ambiguous document that punished liberal attitudes in early Hollywood with blacklisting.
8 Bombay (1995) Might Be Controversial, But Its Cinematic Impact Cannot Be Denied
Mani Ratnam is a world-renowned Indian director with various national and international awards to his name. He is best known for Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se.. (1998), also referred to as the "terrorism trilogy."
Ratnam's Bombay details the violence that erupted during the communal riots of late 1992-early 1993, drowning the city of Mumbai in blood and fire. Despite its controversial elements — particularly its depiction of an inter-religious family — Bombay is widely considered to be among the best Indian films ever made.
7 In The Mood For Love (2000) Is An Experience That Cannot Be Described In Words
Wong Kar-wai's directorial success owes a great deal to his cinematographer, Christopher Doyle — the pair have crafted a kaleidoscopic catalog of films, many of which earned their place in multiple "best of" lists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Plot tends to be sidelined in favor of visual expression in Kar-wai's work, a radical re-envisioning of cinema that may not work for all audiences. In the Mood for Love, however, is almost always on the menu for budding cinephiles. This movie feels like warm, summer rain, punctuated with chilling gusts of wind that threaten to demolish the delicate relationship between the unnamed protagonists.
6 Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Doesn't Mute Its Visceral Crux As Much As The Opposite
Before Alfonso Cuarón cemented his place in Hollywood with Gravity (2013) and Roma (2018), he directed Y tu mamá también, a moving film about two inseparable friends and their road-trip experiences with one of the boys' cousins.
Y tu mamá también doesn't mute its visceral crux as much as the opposite: pompous anecdotes about sexual exploits turn into secrets that cannot be unspilled, changing everyone's lives forever. Y tu mamá también, Spanish for "and your mother, too," refers to Julio's claim that he has slept with Tenoch's mother.
5 Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) Is An Early Studio Ghibli Product With Oodles Of Charm
Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001) is the only non-English movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, Kiki's Delivery Service, an early offering from Studio Ghibli, also merits a careful watch.
Kiki instantly endears herself to audiences with her trademark mixture of impish charm and career diligence. Kiki's Delivery Service was a box-office triumph when it was released with critics praising the "gorgeously-rendered tale of a young witch discovering her place in the world."
4 All About Eve (1950) Owes Most Of Its Brilliance To The Inimitable Margo Channing
All About Eve accumulated a whopping 14 Oscar nominations in a variety of categories, a record that's never been broken, but it's not very difficult to identify the source of power emanating from the film: Bette Davis' Margo Channing. The legendary actress portrays an equally legendary Broadway star in a story that juxtaposes real-life with witty banter.
Margo's status quo, or the illusion thereof, is shattered by when a "gorgeous, wide-eyed, young babe" pops into the picture. Margo's aging sensibilities are countered by Eve Harrington — a vicious villain, perhaps, but also unashamedly ambitious.
3 Todo Sobre Mi Madre (1999) Is A Masterclass In Filmmaking
Todo sobre mi madre pays homage to All About Eve in a few scattered scenes, but that's where the comparisons end. Director Pedro Almodóvar's magnum opus is a glittering cobweb of people and their lives — held together and torn apart, broken and healed, over and over, until closure is achieved (or not, because the adventure matters more than the destination).
Todo sobre mi madre is the cinematic equivalent of the eternal cycle of death and rebirth and is nothing less than a masterclass in filmmaking. It won the Oscar, the Golden Globe, and the BAFTA for Best Foreign Film.
2 Flee (2021) Is Bound To Pull Audiences Into Its Orbit With The Sheer Strength Of Its Narrative Gravity
Jonas Poher Rasmussen is a first-rate director, inevitably destined for greater things if he continues to develop his exquisite artistry. His Flee is a mixed-media presentation that sets its narrative tone with a range of animation styles as well as snippets of live-action.
Amin Nawabi's journey from Afghanistan to Russia to Denmark is filled with agonizing choices that no child should be forced to make, especially one who has yet to comprehend the meaning of being queer. Flee will no doubt pull audiences into its orbit with the sheer strength of its gravity.
1 La Belle Et La Bête (1946) Sparkles With A Magical Warmth That Effortlessly Shrugs Off The Ravages Of Cinematic Time
Jean Cocteau distilled his poetic genius into La Belle et la Bête, the first cinematic adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Every frame of this black-and-white movie sparkles with a quasi-magical warmth.
Unlike the more popular Disney version, the "villain" takes the Beast's place at the end of the story, allowing the newly resurrected Prince Ardent to fly away with Belle. La Belle et la Bête is a "priceless fabric of subtle images," a masterpiece that has stood the test of time.