#191. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

The Woman from the City tries to convince her lover, the Man, to drown his wife so they can be together, but being close to committing such a drastic act causes the Man to realize how much he truly loves his wife.

Wow, I didn't expect another silent movie to come up on the Top 250 so soon! The actors in Sunrise are not as expressive as those in The Kid, another silent Top 250 movie that I recently watched, but they still do a great job. The music also aids the movie in portraying emotions of characters as well as adding the appropriate ambiance to particular scenes.

After seeing the first thirty minutes of the film, I was confused as to why romance was even one of its listed genres, but I understood after watching it a little bit longer. There are several twists throughout the movie, refreshing the plot whenever it is becoming dull. Despite this, I checked the time far too much to be able to call this movie entertaining. That can likely be attributed to the black and white screen and no dialogue, something that I just can't seem to get used to. Nevertheless, the storyline ends up being incredibly touching, and I found myself smiling on multiple occasions. The film demonstrates how true love is safe and unfading, rather than what the media often portrays as love, which is something reckless and unpredictable. My immediate rating is 6.8/10.

Characters: 6.5/10

Acting: 7.2/10

Storyline: 6.9/10

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Immediate Rating: 6.8/10

Total Score: 33.4/50

#192. The Best Years of Our Lives

"You know, I had a dream. I dreamt I was home. I've had that same dream hundreds of times before. This time, I wanted to find out if it's really true. Am I really home?"

Three World War II veterans return home to Boone City after three years in war. Fred, an airman, has hard luck finding a job to suit his skills and faces marital discord. Soldier Al must restore his relationship with his wife, along with accept the fact that his children have grown older without him. Meanwhile, Homer, a sailor who had lost both hands during the war, finds out if his fiancee still wants to marry him despite his severe disability.

This movie is incredibly interesting! I have never seen a film that depicts the readjustment challenges that veterans face after a war, and I found this one quite eye-opening. All of the stories are so touching, and made me think about how I would cope if any of the instances were to happen in my life. The three main characters are compelling, and all of them give a contrasting yet poignant account of their return. The film also beautifully depicts how underwhelming finally coming back home can feel. Each veteran had an idealized vision of their homecoming, something to look forward to while they were away, but none of these expectations were ultimately met. Their families had changed drastically while they were gone, reiterating the fact that after something as impacting as war, things are never quite the same again. The veterans avoided this new reality by clinging to each other, and holding on to what they had left of war. Fortunately, though I won't spoil anything, each vet finds that there is a way to be happy again, though not in any conventional sense.

I was quite impressed by this film. The acting is excellent and the storyline is both touching and dark, as it makes a bold statement about war and its everlasting effects. I give the movie a rating of 7.6/10.

Characters: 7.7/10

Acting: 7.9/10

Storyline: 7.8/10

Entertainment Value: 7.5/10

Immediate Rating: 7.6/10

Total Score: 38.5/50

#193. The Kid

An unmarried mother leaves behind her newborn baby in hopes someone else could take care of him. When "The Tramp", played by Charlie Chaplin, finds the abandoned child on the side of the street, he takes him in and raises him as his own.

This was the first silent movie I've ever seen. I never thought I would be able to follow the storyline of a silent movie because hand gestures and facial expressions are virtually the movie viewer's only cues, but I didn't have trouble following this film at all. The actors were fantastic, especially Chaplin, who was evidently born to do silent films. I also didn't expect the film to be as entertaining as it was. There were several scenes were I laughed out loud; particularly when the Tramp wears his blanket as clothing (the original Snuggie!) and the "fight" scene. Chaplin's mannerisms are just naturally hilarious. The film also had its sad parts too, making it a well-rounded piece. It was touching to see the great lengths that the Tramp went to for a child that wasn't biologically his, demonstrating the power of unconditional love.

All in all, this movie is really great. Though I would not expect old silent films to be my favorite to watch, this particular one had top-notch acting and an equally enticing storyline with its comedic as well as melancholic undertones. My immediate rating is a 7.4/10.

Characters: 7.4/10

Acting: 8/10

Storyline: 7.4/10

Entertainment Value: 7.3/10

Immediate Rating: 7.4/10

Total Score: 37.5/50

#194. Nights of Cabiria

"Guess there's some justice in the world. You suffer, you go through hell. Then happiness comes along for everyone."

Prostitute Cabiria's only goal is to experience true love and contentment, but her rootless journey does not unfold as conventionally as she had hoped.

This is the second movie I've seen on the Top 250 directed by Federico Fellini and whose main star is  Giulietta Masina. Though this style of film is not nearly my favorite, I still enjoyed it in some ways. For one, Masina is a fantastic actress! Every scene with her in it is poignantly executed, and her emotion seems palpable. The film also holds a variety of interesting characters who give great performances, from curious though naive Cabiria, to the promisingly warm movie star Alberto, to the seemingly too-good-to-be-true Oscar. The nature of these characters all contribute to the movie's objective, and ultimately tie everything together.

One of my favorite aspects of the film is its overall message, which is to persevere despite life's challenges. Cabiria acts as a excellent example for this concept, and her character development is truly inspirational. The last few minutes of the movie, though it took some sinking in for me to come to this conclusion, is a beautiful scene that can strike a chord with anyone who sees it, regardless of one's background or lifestyle. My immediate rating is 6.5/10.

Characters: 7/10

Acting: 7.5/10

Storyline: 6.8/10

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Immediate Rating: 6.5/10

Total Score: 31.8/50

#195. The Hustler

"The pool game is over when Fats says it's over...I came after him and I'm gonna get him. I'm going with him all the way."

Young pool player Eddie Felson will stop at nothing to beat national champion Minnesota Fats. Interestingly, despite his talents, Eddie's destructive behavior toward himself and the people he loves show why he's a natural-born loser.

I have to admit that I wasn't wildly entertained while watching this movie like I felt like I should have been. The plot moved a bit too slow for my taste, and I found myself continuously losing interest. That's not to say I thought this was a bad movie. On paper, it has a lot of things going for it, and and my mission as a critic is to deconstruct it objectively.

In one of the reviews I read of this film, someone referred it as "a movie about pool that isn't a movie about pool". I'd say that's an accurate way to describe it. This film went deeper than I expected regarding the personal issues among its characters and how these issues manifested themselves. As the plot progresses, more and more of Eddie's psychological problems begin to surface. He's a fantastic pool player, but no amount of wins can fill the emptiness within him. He has a lot in common with the character that he gravitates to the most, his girlfriend Sarah. They both self-medicate with alcohol to hide from the past as well as suppress feelings of failure. This is not just the story of a pool player in over his head, but an account of the depression that affects so many people in any time period.

I think I would enjoy The Hustler a lot more if I watched it again. I mentally clocked out after the first thirty minutes of it because I really expected it to be just a movie about pool playing. Even though I wish I enjoyed the movie more while watching it, I appreciate its character development, the great acting, and most of all, the depth of its plot. Paul Newman is also ridiculously good looking. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Characters: 7.2/10

Acting: 7.4/10

Storyline: 7.5/10

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Immediate Rating: 7/10

Total Score: 33.1/50

#196. Dial M for Murder

"Mind you, even I didn't guess that at once...extraordinary."

After the discovery of his wife's infidelity, an ex-pro tennis player carries out a well-thought out, "perfect" plan to murder her.

The first time I tried to watch this, I got through about 25 minutes, and decided to quit because I just couldn't get into it. The second time around, I was determined to give the movie my undivided attention, and was able to concentrate the whole time, though I found it difficult in some scenes. That's probably my biggest complaint about this film: having to give deliberate concentration. My favorite movies are the ones that I don't even have to try to pay attention to; they demand it. This is not one of those for me. Thankfully, the film got much more interesting and suspenseful after its slow beginning.

I found this movie quite similar to another that I've watched from the Top 250, Rope. They were both directed by Alfred Hitchock, and both plots were essentially centered around the idea of a "perfect murder". I enjoyed the theme of mystery that Dial M for Murder brought; it kept me thinking, and I never expected the ending. I also enjoyed the personalities of the characters. Ray Milland portrays a confident, intelligent criminal, and Grace Kelly the beautiful, doe-eyed damsel. The inspector is also quite interesting, with his perceptive observations ultimately tying the entire plot together.

Though this film had some great aspects that I can appreciate, I was expecting to be more entertained. My immediate rating is a 6.9/10.

Characters: 7/10

Acting: 6.6/10

Storyline: 6.8/10

Entertainment Value: 6.8/10

Immediate Rating: 6.9/10

Total Score: 34.1/50

#197. Good Will Hunting

"Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself."

When a janitor from South Boston displays his uncanny mathematical ability on a school chalkboard, an MIT professor pairs him up with a psychologist in hopes of unlocking his motivation to succeed.

I've always wanted to see this movie, and I'm so glad that I finally got the chance to. There are some great actors involved in this, and the fact that Ben Affleck and Robin Williams both wrote, directed, and acted in this movie is really cool. Robin Williams and Matt Damon are also beyond fantastic together in their roles, and their therapy sessions tactfully touch on some of the most important issues in any person's life.

It doesn't even matter that there's not some deep, hard-to-grasp message behind this film; its plot held my interest throughout and its lessons stand the test of time. There's also just something so heart-warming about 90's movies. It may be the uplifting instrumental music, or that they remind me of my childhood, or maybe even the cliche but endearing storylines. Nonetheless, they never fail to make me feel good about life again, and this one was no exception. My immediate rating is a 7.8/10.

Characters: 7.7/10

Acting: 7.9/10

Storyline: 7.8/10

Entertainment Value: 8.2/10

Immediate Rating: 7.8/10

Total Score: 39.4/50