My favorite films

New Year's Even discussion last night led to the provocative and seldom-asked question: What is your favorite movie of all time? Such a difficult question, really, because the scope of movies is so broad, comparisons across genres are so quirky, and favorite is a surprisingly elusive concept. Favorite doesn't necessarily mean "best." There are probably movies we recognize as great that we don't necessarily love, and movies we love that we recognize as deeply flawed. I think, thought, that "favorite" movies of all time have to be ones we've enjoyed repeatedly on re-viewings and that we expect to and anticipate enjoying again in the future. Off the top of my head, a few films came to mind last night. First, Rules of the Game, which I consider perhaps the best film ever made and one that I've enjoyed re-viewing numerous times. I can join the legions and say that I have watched Citizen Kane numerous times and enjoyed it repeatedly; ditto for Some Like It Hot. For pure schmalz and sentiment, how can you not like It's a Wonderful Life? And what would our world be w/out Duck Soup? I've also enjoyed several viewings of Annie Hall - it holds up so well over time. Another one that I was just blown away by on re-viewing was The Godfather - when I came back to it for a second viewing I expected to be entertained by the overall story line and found instead that every single scene was stunning in composition and presentation - many great parts that combined to make an even greater whole. Others in the gathering offered their personal favorites, including, from EP, Wild Strawberries (which should more accurately be called The Wild Strawberry Patch) and , from JP, The Lives of Others, which she said was her favorite in recent years. I haven't re-viewed too many recent pictures, but I believe two, both of them (like Lives of Others) very dark, will hold up to the test of time: Pan's Labyrinth and The Secret in Their Eyes. And can there be a more smartly plotted film than The Sixth Sense? Two of us agreed on their worst film of all time (this doesn't mean trashy films that are obviously meant for the garbage bin but films that aspire to greatness): FK and I would put Kurosawa's The Lower Depths at the top (or bottom) of that list (with Daughters of the Dust in the running, too.) To show the oddity of film-making, though, The Seven Samurai could be another one of my all-time favorites.