Top Ten Brit films of all time, part 2

On: December 11, 2009,  By: Bill Young

Must have been spot on with #6-10. No one has questioned anything yet. Maybe you’re waiting for #1-5 before letting me have it. Here goes:

#5 – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – this London underground film revolves around a high stakes card that, not surprisingly, goes wrong leaving the boys with a week to come up with a half million pounds. Plus, with cast names like Soap, Bacon, Big Chris, Barry the Baptist, Hatchet Harry and Dog, how can it not be in the top five. Click here for a refresher trailer.

#4 – The Commitments – it’s Jimmy Rabbitte’s job to bring soul music to the people of Dublin. He forms the world’s hardest working band and the rest is history. Pay close attention to Andrew Strong as Deco Cuffe. He was either 16 or 17 during filming. What a voice. Great soundtrack, even if it does have Mustang Sally.

#3 – Shaun of the Dead – what better way to win back your ex-girlfriend and reconcile your relationship with your mother than to take on an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living. I’m just sayin. From Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, the minds behind Spaced. If you haven’t seen this Britcom, you need to.

#2 – Monty Python and the Holy Grail – no need for justification. This is sheer genius.

#1 – The Third Man – this is where I started this thread so how could it not be #1. Love the theme music, played on a zither, and the v/o. Joseph Cotton, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard, perfect. Cinematography is perfect. Carol Reed and Graham Greene at their finest. The poster child film for never colorizing a b/w film.

That’s it for my list. I know, I left off The Full Monty, Lavender Hill Mob, Man in the White Suit and 39 Steps. So, let the games begin.

In: Action/Drama,Actors/Actresses,Comedy,Odds & Sods

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  • Anglophilesouth

    Shaun of the Dead? Okay, so some major divergence. I do think top ten of all time was just too hard, so I cheated and came up with pre and post 1980 lists. There’s way more estrogen on my lists.

    PRE
    1. The Third Man
    2. Olivier’s Hamlet
    3. Lawrence of Arabia
    4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
    5. A Hard Day’s Night
    6. Dr. No
    7. 39 Steps
    8. Alfie
    9. A Man for All Seasons
    10.Far From the Madding Crowd

    POST
    1. Shakespeare in Love
    2. Gandhi
    3. Chariots of Fire
    4. Sense and Sensibility
    5. A Fish Called Wanda
    6. A Room With a View
    7. Branagh’s Henry V
    8. Four Weddings and a Funeral
    9. Educating Rita
    10.Gosford Park

    Anyway, thanks for getting me thinking about how much I love these films. I may skip Christmas shopping and stay in all weekend with the DVD player loaded. I’d love to hear what other’s think!

  • I second A Hard Day’s Night, Sense and Sensibility, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. And I lovelovelove The Commitments, but I think I’d cry foul on considering it a “Brit” film- based on a book by an Irish author, Irish cast, completely set in Ireland.

    • @ Jessica: Ok, I’ll give you A Hard Day’s Night if you give me The Commitments. I’m going to plead the Father Ted defense. Written, starring and based on an idea all out of Ireland, yet it’s a “British comedy”. It is produced by London-based Hat Trick Productions so that totally shoots down my defense, but I am trading you A Hard Day’s Night remember. Deal?

  • Deal Bill, although I think I come out ahead on this deal since I love both of the movies, ha.

    • Jessica, thanks for not attacking Shaun of the Dead. You get extra credit. I remember talk of a sequel to The Commitments, but never saw or don’t know that it was even produced. Do you know?

  • Anglophilesouth

    Oops. My question mark after Shaun of the Dead was just that, a query, not incredulity. Believe it or not, I had neither seen the movie, nor ever heard of it. Chalk that up to a lapse in my cinematic education. Based on your recommendation, I will take a look. Sorry that my response came off like a WWF Smackdown. Boy, I hate not getting extra credit. . .

    • The moderator has granted you extra credit by virtue of you owning up to the fact you haven’t seen Shaun of the Dead. You need to get a hold of Spaced also. Great Britcom series.