1.  PULP FICTION

Quentin Tarantino’s mesmerising rapid-fire portrait of small time gangster life, is still for me, the single most faultless piece of film making I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.  Everything about this sometimes perversely violent yet at the same time, bitingly funny roller-coaster ride of sharp, quotable dialogue and superb characters, just seems to work on pretty much every level.  John Travolta for a start has never been better, and neither therefore has Samuel L. Jackson, perfect as the double act hit men who spark off each other just as well as their bullets spark off their hapless victims.  Add to this excellent turns from Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman and Harvey Keitel, to name but a few of the ensemble cast, and a modern movie masterpiece you have. 

See also:  Tarantino’s controversial debut, RESERVOIR DOGS.

2.  FIGHT CLUB

David Fincher’s eagerly anticipated fourth film, following the impressive likes of Seven and The Game; this unusual and often surprising portrait of male machismo gone haywire is probably one of the most effective and unquestionably dangerous films to ever grace a cinema screen.  Why?  Well beyond its amazing style, subtle use of visual effects and that heart-in-mouth twist, it’s also capable of making gorilla terrorism look like a good idea.  A big two finger salute to the constabulary done in a way that isn’t controversial just for the sake of it, but instead a shockingly brilliant example of just how good a movie can be when put in the right hands.  Edward Norton and Brad Pitt are perfect, supported brilliantly by a dead-pan Helena Bonham Carter, and Fincher’s startling style never misses a beat. 

See also:  David Fincher’s unsettling, dark and twisted SEVEN.

3.  LEON

French new-wave wonderkid Luc Besson’s American debut is an ultra cool and gripping take on the Hit Man myth that he first explored with the French thriller Nikita some years previous.  This time setting the action in New York, he brings in his favourite actor Jean Reno as the silent Hit Man, a killer with a heart of gold, who takes an orphaned 12 year old girl (a perfect Natalie Portman) under his wing after her family are murdered.  Both at times heart-breakingly emotional and adrenalin-pumping, this is just the kind of film only a foreign Director can achieve without resorting to cliché and over-sentimentality.

4.  GOODFELLAS

To some, the Godfather trilogy is the best Gangster saga put on film, but to anybody who really loves films, Goodfellas is ranked equally as high, with a cast to die for, a Director who was born to make these kind of movies, and a true story more gripping than anything involving Don Corleone.  Director Martin Scorsese tried and failed to recreate the magic of this, his classic and very violent gangster masterpiece, with the more recent Casino, to a more drawn out and ultimately less effective result.  Robert DeNiro as ever is excellent in one of his finest roles, Ray Liotta could almost be embarrassed at how good he is in comparison to the rest of his career (with ‘Narc’ being the exception), and Joe Pesci turns in one of cinema’s most memorable screen-psycho performances.  It is simple, if you have even the slightest interest in movies or cinema as a whole – you owe it to yourself to see this.

See also:  Martin Scorsese’s break-thru classic TAXI DRIVER.

5.  ANNIE HALL

Woody Allen’s seminal romantic comedy is at turns surreal in its to-the-camera, improvisation-like humour and enchanting in its still relevant look at relationships.  Dianne Keaton is wonderful as the kooky lead, and Woody at his navel-gazing, self critical best, delivers some of the best one liners of his lengthy career (“Don’t knock masturbation – it’s sex with someone you love!”) and proving to us all, that even an average Joe like Alvy can get the right girl, eventually.  Great cameos from Christopher Walken, Carol Kane and Jeff Goldblum round out one of cinema’s finest movies.  Won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Diane Keaton). 

6.  THE DEER HUNTER

Michael Cimino’s Oscar winning portrayal of a group of steel workers who sign up to fight in the Vietnam War is for me, probably the most honest and heart-breaking portrayal of the conflict and the effect it had on America yet to be made.  Robert DeNiro controls the film in a powerful, stunningly real performance of a man watching all he believes in and cares about, fall apart around him, and through the horrors of conflict comes to realise that friendship and the people he loves are all that matter.  The music alone brings a tear to the eye, and with star turns from a young (and beautiful) Meryl Streep, and especially a powerful Christopher Walken, this is difficult viewing that will leave you drained, but is worth every minute.

See also:  that other great Nam flick, Stanley Kubrick’s seminal FULL METAL JACKET.