thank film it's Friday

Hooray! It’s Friday. This doesn’t really make any difference to me as I’m unemployed and even when I did work I never got weekends off, but none-the-less there are people out there who do!

So, today I shall write you my list of favourite films. And oh, the sweet agony of choosing just 5! I wrote down a quick top five off the top of my head and have tried so hard to stick with that. But there are so many different types of films I enjoy I think I could do a top 5 for each of them and still be struggling.

And, as we did last week, reverse order it is :)

        5. Musical – West Side Story. I love a good musical and this, to me, is still one of the greatest out there. I know the story is totally stolen from Shakespeare but I’m quite happy to forgive Bernstein for that just for the Tonight medley alone. Some of the songs are just beautiful; I can never watch it without crying over Somewhere. The humour, the dialogue, the joie-de-vivre and incredible angst are just wonderful. If you’ve never seen it, give it a go.

        4. Weepy – Steel Magnolias. It’s totally 80s-tastic, the big hair and the dodgy clothes. But, oh, the heartbreak of M’Lynn and the depiction of anger and grief. The fabulous Sally Fields can never do wrong and the rest of the ensemble cast are pretty spectacular too. I love the relationships between the women and how realistically they’re portrayed. There is real humour and heart to this film. I love a good weepy when I’m down; it’s cathartic to have that release. Perfect for a girly night with some chocolate and wine!

        3. Comedy – Elf. Oh, this was such a hard choice. I went with this in the end as I can share it with my daughter. I know that I’m really immature for laughing at a man burping, but it’s more that my daughter laughs too. It lets you be a kid. There’s that wonderful sense of escape. And I <3 Zooey Deschanel as Buddy’s love interest. I also recommend 500 Days of Summer if you’re a fan of hers…

        2. Drama – Black Swan. I’ve only just discovered this film, but I love it. I’ve watched it repeatedly and I’m finding new things to love each time (so far!) I’ve got to admit that part of my attachment to this film is to do with the music as I’ve been a big fan of Swan Lake for years. But I think the creative use of special effects and the swirling confusion which mirrors the main characters is both intense and exhilarating. I think I like it for its darkness as much as anything. I like a good horror film and although I wouldn’t class this as one it does walk a fine line with some of its scenes.

And finally we come to (for the sake of list making) my favourite film. I had such trouble picking the individual films and then trying to put them into an order that I think their final positions on this list would change on a daily basis if I was allowed to keep tinkering with it!

1. Horror – The Devil's Backbone. I love all Guillermo Del Toro’s films he has a very powerful visual identity. The films he makes are beautifully shot with seamless effects. The reason I pick this as my favourite is it’s the first ghost film I’d ever seen where the ghost was truly creepy. There’s that sense of menace and tension missing from so many of these films. They seem to have become all about gore and thinking of gruesome ways to kill people. But a good horror film is one that leaves things to your imagination. There is nothing more frightening than being left to fill in the gaps. The effect is heightened as its set in a boy’s school come orphanage and the boys all make up their own stories about the ghost. I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes horror which, sadly, rules out most of my friends!

So, that’s this week’s top five. I’m quite sure lots of you will disagree with some or all of my choices, so tell me what I should have put! :)