Swimming With Sharks (1997) “The story of a woman who fell prey to sexual predators when she decided to go looking for a job after fleeing the scene of a violent crime. A good cast and solid direction make this an entertaining thriller, but some rough patches threaten to destroy the flow.” 3. Crash (1996) “A love story about a car crash in Los Angeles. This is a good and absorbing story, although some of the effects of the crash — such as the disfigured people and the odd, dreamlike sequences with the car crashing into things — get repetitive. However, it is mostly a beautifully-filmed story of the nature of love and how it can bind people together.” “The story follows an old man who spends his last days and hours in a care home. When he dies, his last words are said to have been ‘Is this all there is?’ That phrase is the title of this documentary, which explores human life from the point of view of a man’s last year in life. The title comes from a line in Hamlet, and the film does give a new twist to what is possibly Shakespeare’s most famous work. This film has been seen at a number of international film festivals and received some great reviews. It is a beautiful and very moving work.” 4. Fearless (1993) “In this movie, a bullfighter is injured in the ring. The doctor takes him home to nurse him back to health. There is an enigmatic figure in the house: the injured bullfighter’s father, who seems to have a mental illness that can’t be cured by doctors. The film is not a conventional documentary, but it does have a strong moral quality, telling the story from the point of view of the bullfighter as he convalesces. The characters are strong, and the use of lighting is used to great effect. The film is beautifully shot.” 5. Jaws 3-D (1983) “This was the only time Steven Spielberg put his name in front of a movie and it wasn’t his. A good 3-D movie, but not as good as the first two parts. It has not aged well and might be disappointing for today’s generation, who are used to seeing more sophisticated and complex 3-D films.” 6. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) “It follows a family that is visited by a spaceship and its crew, which tells the story of humankind’s place in the universe. There are beautiful, colorful scenes of outer space, and the film does have a very interesting point to make about human evolution and the fate of the world. However, it has a very downbeat ending that could be too gloomy to be truly effective.” 7. The Exorcist (1973) “This film tells a story of man possessed by a demon, who wants to have sex with a nun, who is being protected by a priest. The film is shot in both black-and-white and color and has striking moments of colour when the demon is in full possession of the victim. It’s an effective, often very disturbing story of how one man tries to fight against the inevitable.” 8. Taxi Driver (1976) “A man becomes obsessed with an idealistic young prostitute and, partly in revenge, kills her. It’s a very powerful film about the theme of a man driven to violence because of his feelings for a woman. It’s a good and memorable film, very well told. In particular, it includes some amazing shots of Travis as he gets into a car and heads off to his confrontation with Jodie Foster.” 9. The Graduate (1967) “The story of a love triangle between two young lovers and the wife of the man who is their teacher. It’s a well-acted and good-looking film with a good story and some great lines, and if you go back to see it, you can note that Richard Dreyfuss’s character has an unusual way of saying ‘Pandora’s Box.’ A memorable film.” 10. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) “A mother gives birth to the devil’s child in a New York apartment, and this child is born with red eyes. This is a black-and-white film that becomes more and more disturbing as it goes on. It’s very popular, and it has great twists and turns. It’s a very memorable story.” 11. Chinatown (1974) “This is a fascinating and very complex story of one man’s pursuit of the truth about the murder of a beautiful young woman, played by Faye Dunaway, while in the process uncovering a conspiracy that is far more sinister than he realizes. The film is a well-made thriller, with good editing and an interesting mix of plot points. It has no villains, and it ends on a downbeat note. It’s an interesting story and a good film.” 12. Psycho (1960) “A classic tale of horror in a small Southern town. This film opens with the murder of a woman in the shower, and the killer turns out to be the mother of a man who once had been in love with the victim. The film is famous for a scene that takes place in the house, where a man throws a knife at a lamp and hits it and, in the reaction, cuts his own throat. However, it’s also an interesting and well-told story about how men can be driven insane by anger and passion. It’s very well acted.” 13. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) “The story of a brutal serial killer, Hannibal Lector, who takes the FBI officer, Clarice Starling, to a psychopathic mind. She tries to understand the motivations of this man who likes to play chess with the human victims he kills.” 14. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) “Alfred Hitchcock’s first big hit. This film stars Leslie Banks, Edna Best and Peter Lorre and has some outstanding set pieces. Although it’s an old film, it’s still a very good story with many clever twists. A good film that would have deserved a better fate.” 15. Jour de Fete (1949) “This is a film with Jean Gabin as a policeman. A murder investigation takes him to Paris, where he meets a girl with a love story of her own. It was Gabin’s film debut, and it contains some excellent shots of Paris at night. It’s a story about a man’s quest to find his lost love.” 16. Spartacus (1960) “One of the great epics of the 1960s. This story tells of a man who leads a slave uprising in the Roman Empire, and is ultimately betrayed and captured. It’s one of the best films about social conflict in history. This is about as classic a story of slavery as you’re ever going to see. It’s also a very well-acted and well-written film.” 17. The Searchers (1956) “This is an epic tale of a man who has given up his wife to be with his love, and he travels across the countryside to find his family again. It’s a good and solid story. It uses the time of the Civil War as a backdrop and tells a story about a man who’s looking for his own happiness.” 18. L’Avventura (1960) “A film with Italian star Monica Vitti, who falls in love with an older man. This is a very sad film about love and relationships, and how often you can be wrong in love. It’s a haunting story.” 19. Gattaca (1997) “A story of life, death and cloning. An Oscar winner that is about a world where society has discovered the cloning process and there is a moral debate about whether cloned people are worth treating like humans. It’s an intriguing film, especially if you think about how it could happen in the future, and why cloning might be an appealing alternative to having babies.” 20. Fight Club (1999) “Ted (Edward Norton), who has recently been fired from his job, meets with another man who tells him how to channel his anger into a war between the rich and the poor. Edward Norton is an unusual hero, because he doesn’t like the idea of being a hero. However, he’s very good at this part. The film is about a man fighting for what he believes, and it’s a strong story that has some strong twists and turns.” 21. Taxi Driver (1976) “A man becomes obsessed with an idealistic young prostitute and, partly in revenge, kills her. It’s a very powerful film about the theme of a man driven to violence because of his feelings for a woman. It’s a good and memorable film, very well told. In particular, it includes some amazing shots of Travis as he gets into a car and heads off to his confrontation with Jodie Foster. ” 22. The 400 Blow