Best of the Letter "Q:" The Quiet Man (1952)

The Quiet Man is a pretty good movie.  At first blush it's about a retired American boxer (John Wayne) who returns to the Irish village where he was born and finds love in a fiery redhead (Maureen O'Hara) and an enemy in her brother (Victor McLaglen).  But really this is a movie about understanding (and misunderstandings).  It's about cultural differences that can make huge gaps between people, even those who look alike and speak the same language.

For an example, when a local finds out that Sean (Wayne's character) had relatives in the town in years past, he exclaims "Your grandfather died in Australia, in a penal colony!"  My first reaction was shock at hearing this, thinking that it was a rather tactless thing to point out.  However, upon further reflection I realized it was meant as a badge of honor -this is Ireland we're talking about after all, and it was the British who sent criminals to Australia.

So other misunderstandings abound -about propriety, honor, what a dowry means to the bride, and so on.  We have to learn along with Sean what is expected, and what is regarded as good.

Then there's the good old knock-down, drag-out, bare-knuckled brawl at the end, the one that finally deals with the bad blood and actually draws people together.

There are a few rough spots, mostly having to do with production values.  Director John Ford (one of the best Hollywood has ever seen) had to fight tooth and nail to make this film, one that meant a great deal to him personally.  However, I get the feeling he was constrained by budget and perhaps had his hands tied in a number of ways.  The result is inconsistent greatness.  The outdoor shots are especially great, but many of the sets were not as good, and some shots are so obviously done on a soundstage that they cause a distraction.

But on the whole the film is very good.  Decently written, fun to watch, with good acting and great on location scenery, this is a great one to see.  And in a very limited pool of contenders, it is certainly the best of the letter "Q."

Entertainment: 5/10
Artistic Value: 8/10
Technical Merit: 6/10

Overall: 7/10


Runner up for the letter "Q:"

• Quigley Down Under

Best of the Letter "P:" The Princess Bride (1987)

For my original review of this film, click here.

I struggled with the letter "P."  There are so many great films that start with this letter, it almost seems a shame to elevate one over the others.  But ultimately there can be only one, and that one must be The Princess Bride.

Ok, I'm about to give every reason The Princess Bride should NOT be the best of the letter "P."  There is good writing, but I've seen better.  There's passable acting, with the occasional brilliant bits, but I've seen better.  The special effects are terrible, the makeup and monster effects laughable, and the overall feeling of the film is total cornball.  There is not much that is artistic about it, and some of the production values are rather bargain bin, to put it mildly.

But in terms of everything coming together just right, it is perfect.  Sure it's corny, but the charm meter is off the chart.  And it has a great gift for rhyme.

The Princess Bride will forever be a reminder to me of one of the chief functions of film; it is peerless entertainment.  On that basis alone, and even though other films might get a higher score from me overall, I say that it is the best film you can watch that starts with the letter "P."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 3/10
Technical Merit: 5/10

Overall: 8/10
(P.S. This score represents some changes from my first review.  I have the hardest time thinking about the technical side -I really think most of the poor production value stuff is purposeful.  But even so, there is so much technically that could have been done so much better.)


Runners Up for the Letter "P:"

• The Philadelphia Story (1940)
• Psycho (1960)
• Planet of the Apes (1968)
• The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• The Prestige (2006)
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -Not really a great film, but since it was my parent's first date, it gets an honorable mention.  It at least leads to great things!

Best of the Letter "O:" On the Waterfront (1954)

"You don't understand!  I coulda had class.  I coulda been a contender.  I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.  It was you, Charlie."

Classic scene, perfectly acted.  But there's another scene that rises above as my favorite:

Father Barry stands up from performing last rites for Dugan, then looks up at the mob of workers and begins to preach: "Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary.  They'd better wise up!  Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion.  And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that's a crucifixion.  And every time the Mob puts the pressure on a good man, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead."
A call then rings out from above "Why don't you go back to your church?"
The priest's voice roars up with righteous anger as he points to the body at his feet, "Boys, THIS is my church!  And if you don't think Christ is down here on the waterfront you've got another guess coming!"

I LOVE this movie.  Perfectly written, beautifully filmed, flawlessly directed, with iconic performances from some of the 50's greatest actors -Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee Cobb, and Eva Marie Saint in her first feature role.

This is a movie our country needs today, the reminder that corruption, short money, and violence to protect power always tears everything and everyone down.  This is also the movie Hollywood needs to remind them how to make a good film with real heroes and believable villains.

Inspiring.  Exceptional.  A work of genius and beauty.  Do not miss it; On the Waterfront is the best film you can see that starts with the letter "O."

Entertainment: 8/10
Artistic Value: 10/10
Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 10/10


Runners up for the letter "O:"

• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Best of the Letter "N:" North By Northwest (1959)

I am a huge Alfred Hitchcock fan.  I've loved his ability to do things no one else had done before, invent new techniques, and tease out action and drama into true suspense that continues to build.

North By Northwest is Hitchcock's most fun and entertaining film, full of twists and turns and great action.  It also captures perfectly the style of the great director toward the end of his career, when he was able to bring a world of experience into full effect and create some of his most timeless masterpieces.  It also happens to be my favorite Cary Grant movie, and I LOVE Cary Grant.

Not everything works out in terms of "making sense."  However, if you are willing to suspend a bit of disbelief everything will work out just fine in terms of being monstrously enjoyable.  Just sit back and watch one of the great credit sequences of all time, a great score, fantastically great writing, and some iconic moments -such as the murder at the U.N., the crop duster attack, and the frantic climb on the face of Mount Rushmore.  And don't forget to bid at the auction like a crazy man -it just might save your life!

North By Northwest.  A movie about a case of mistaken identity, murder, international spy rings, and romance on trains.  Definitely classic Hitchcock.  And also the best movie you can watch that starts with "N."

Entertainment: 10/10
Artistic Value: 5/10
Technical Merit: 8/10

Overall: 8/10


Runners up for the Letter "N:"

• No Country for Old Men (2007)
• Network (1976)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• Night Train to Munich (1940)

Best of the Letter "M:" My Fair Lady (1964)

Start with some of the best writing ever done for a musical.  Add in some of the best songs ever written.  Spice it up with great themes and amazing costumes.  Then finish it all with Rex Harrison at his best.

The result?  My Fair Lady, the finest musical Hollywood has ever produced and also one of the best movies of all time.  Equal parts witty and grand, with a utterly spellbinding leading actor, My Fair Lady will remain a classic that never fails to entertain. And (in a very competitive group) it is the best film you can watch that begins with the letter "M."

Entertainment: 9/10
Artistic Value: 7/10
Technical Merit: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Runners up for the Letter "M:"

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)
• The Music Man (1962)
• M (1931)
• The Matrix (1999)

Best of the Letter "L:" Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

For my full, original review of this magnificent film, click here.

Lawrence of Arabia is everything a movie should be.  Epic.  Spectacular in scope.  Phenomenal acting.  Marvelous writing and directing.  And above all, Lawrence sets a standard for cinematography that has never been equaled.  This is an outlandishly beautiful film and outstanding in every respect.  

Buy it.  Rent it.  Just watch it.  It's the best movie that begins with the letter "L."

Entertainment: 8/10

Artistic Value: 8/10

Technical Merit: 10/10

Overall: 9/10

Runners Up for the Letter "L:"

• The Lion King
• L.A. Confidential
• The Lady Vanishes
• Life is Beautiful
• The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)

Best of the Letter "K:" The King's Speech (2010)

Every once and a while a drama comes along that really is as good as they used to be.  The King's Speech is a tour de force of acting and phenomenal storytelling, one that comes together in all the right ways.

Colin Firth simply dazzles as King George VI, a monarch with a rather large problem -he stutters.  He is terrified of speaking in public, an undesirable quality for a guy who's very life involves speaking in public.  Geoffrey Rush is the speech therapist who finally is able to help him past the rather massive impediment and able lead his people with clarity and competence.  This movie belongs to Colin Firth.  His performance is hands down the best acting job of the past 5 years.  The opening scene, in which the prince (and future king) waits to deliver a speech, contains some of the best and most subtle acting of perhaps any single movie scene in my memory.  Firth simply looks sick with anxiety.  It immediately gets the audience on his side and makes him a sympathetic character.

It's all about the journey, and by the end we can sympathize with the rather remarkable progress that he has made to overcome his problem and deliver a brilliant and inspiring oration that became a lighthouse signal to guide Britain through the fog of world war 2.

This is an amazing film, and the best film that begins with the letter "K."  Highly recommended, though viewers should be aware of two scenes that contain strong language.

Entertainment: 6/10
Artistic Value: 9/10
Technical Merit: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

Runners up for the letter "K:"

• King Kong (1933)
• The Killing (1956)
• The Karate Kid (1984)
• Kagemusha (1980)