Blade Runner, but not the theatrical version with the phoned-in narration. Director's Cut or Final Cut. It's a beautifully-shot noir film whose special effects hold up even today, and has a very interesting take on the nature of humanity.<p>Edit: Harrison Ford on his narration: "It was simply bad narration." <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080603083514/http://www.harrisonfordweb.com/Article/Miscellaneous/playboy_interview.php" rel="nofollow">http://web.archive.org/web/20080603083514/http://www.harriso...</a>
Always used to be Children of Men and/or La cite des enfants perdus. First is the most intense movie I have ever seen, some scenes literally blew my mind. Latter is very dark whilst beautiful and sweet, like Amélie but better - more techfriendlly.<p>-------------- Don't really like trailers, but still --------------<p>Children of Men: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VT2apoX90o" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VT2apoX90o</a><p>La cité des enfants perdus: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSPmtX5KzEw" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSPmtX5KzEw</a>
My favourite:<p>Let the right one in (the original version), beautiful atmospheric movie:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1139797" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1139797</a><p>Other recommendations:<p>City of God, harsh but realistic:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0317248" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0317248</a><p>Barefoot Gen, shock and awe, made me cry, IMHO better than Grave of the Fireflies:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0085218/" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0085218/</a><p>The Chaser, breathtaking thriller:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1190539/" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1190539/</a><p>The Andromeda Strain, now this is <i>real</i> SF:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0066769" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0066769</a><p>The Man from Earth, good low budget SF:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0756683" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0756683</a><p>Castaway on the Moon: funny movie about a man that 'bootstraps' his life on a 'stranded island' after a failed suicide attempt:
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499666/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1499666/</a><p>I saw the devil, violent but very good thriller:
<a href="http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1588170/?ref_=sr_1" rel="nofollow">http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt1588170/?ref_=sr_1</a>
Groundhog Day. It's a comedy with some dark elements in it. And it's also something that I would like to experience myself so long as I could resume normal time when I wanted to. A day with no consequences would be fun.
Enter The Void. A powerful parade of colors that takes you through the different stages of death. One does not simply watch this movie. One experiences it.
The Matrix, first movie, I love how everything has a parallel with our own world, also a lot of the movies ideas, messages have underlying concepts in Buddhism, which is just cool.
I think that for me it's "Spirited away" - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiEzl7SEtkI" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiEzl7SEtkI</a><p>The story of how the heroine matures in front of our eyes as the weight of the world is placed upon her shoulders was really moving to me. Coupled with beautiful hand-drawn animation and an overall sense of gentleness and wander, it's been an real favorite for me which I enjoy watching time over time.
The Kingdom (Lars von Trier, 1994) <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108906/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108906/</a> (The Kingdom II, Lars von Trier, 1997: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127392/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127392/</a> ),
do not confuse it with the remake Kingdom Hospital, 2004 <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324864/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0324864/</a>
Spy Game - starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.
Guess it's the only spy thriller out there, that talks about the dirtier side of espionage, yet how it's up to the inhabitants of that dark corner, to not sell their souls.
Koyaanisqatsi. It reminds me how big the world is and how everything is ultimately connected together in some way or another. Plus, good music and no dialogue which is a bonus.
I watch mostly Chinese movies. I think my favorite one is "You Are The Apple of My Eye". You can watch it on youtube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gZIolIrxw&list=FLSZdbc5A2anDzDE1MV64ZNw&index=41" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4gZIolIrxw&list=FLSZdbc5...</a><p>It is a love story about first love. This is one of those stories which everyone can relate to some extant. It is a very very cute story.<p>It has English subtitles!
Lawrence of Arabia - man comes to believe in his own myth<p>(plus the stunning cinematography and incredible nature of the true - though dramatized - story)
Saving Private Ryan. It's the first time I had any kind of idea as to the suffering these people went through to give us our freedom. I know it is a film, and it is dramatized, but you watch that and it will give you some sense as to what it must have been like that. After watching that, and then Band of Brothers, the famous phrase "For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today" made a lot more sense to me.
Many enjoyable films posted already. No one has mentioned 'Primer' (2004/Shane Carruth). Respectable as hard sci-fi, and inspiring as an independent project (Carruth did almost everything himself.) I suggest watching before you read anything about it.<p>For non sci-fi, 'Old boy' (2003/Chan-wook Park) was memorable - fun concept, well acted and a good ending too.
Drowning by Numbers - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092929/" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092929/</a><p>- It's gorgeous. Not like a movie, but like a collection of hundreds of beautiful pictures.
- It's geeky. I had to watch the movie dozens of times and read the script to understand all the allusions and references.
The Third Man: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_third_man" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_third_man</a><p>Orson Wells. Black and white. Noir. Photography. Impossible love story. The score: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oEsWi88Qv0" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oEsWi88Qv0</a>
Drive. Blown away by it. Thought it was another car racing film after seeing the trailer, but it was actually IMHO the best film in 2011.
Edit: Forgot the why: Minimalistic. Beathiful Story and propably the best music editing in a film.
Cannot say one favorite. But Children of Heaven impressed me a lot when I saw it first. Perhaps because I saw the innocence of children that we have long lost..
Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle are also very good.
I think my favourite is Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind. A beautiful love story talking about how hard it is to forget your true love, how regrets can consume you and that everyone deserves a second chance.
Vitus - A perfect combination of all story elements, simply genius.<p><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478829/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" rel="nofollow">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478829/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1</a>
Batman - The Dark Knight: Clever bad guy, goods characters, believable, fantastic, long movie.<p>(It is not original, it just take what Holliwood do for long know, and it do it very well.)