101 Great Movies: 101-91

Posted on June 1st, 2010

Not a terribly original idea, I’ll grant you, but after a great deal of deliberation I’ve come up with my 101 great movies list. Like all lists, it is purely subjective. I wouldn't dare to say that these films are better than ones I've left out, because that simply wouldn't be true. I like a discussion as much as the next guy, but even I'd have a hard time persuading anyone that Let it Ride was better than The Godfather or The Shawshank Redemption. There are no sci-fi films included. There are, however, 101 movies that I treasure.

So, without further ado, allow me to present movies 101-91. In true Eric Morley fashion I will announce the results in reverse order.

101. Pickup on South Street (1953)

Pickpocket Richard Widmark snaffles the contents of a purse. Nothing unusual there, but the purse contains microfilm being passed to the Soviets, unbeknownst to the courier, Jean Peters. A standout, Oscar-nominated performance from Thelma Ritter just adds to this movie, a study in immorality. Widmark, as he continually reminds us, has no allegiance to anyone other than himself.

100. Notorious (1946)

Cary Grant plays cold, against type, as he manipulates a seductive, often drunk Ingrid Bergman – who goes as far as sleeping with a man she hates in order to impress the man she loves. Hitchcock must have got a kick out of demeaning her in this way.

99. The Set-Up (1949)

A boxer on his way down the bill refuses to tank a fight, with cruel consequences. The movie played out in real-time, and had a sense of doom from practically the first scene.

98. Biggie & Tupac (2002)

Nick Broomfield’s brave documentary investigating the murders of the two famous rappers – so brave, in fact, that his regular cameraman refused to follow him when he interviewed Suge Knight of Death Row Records in prison. Eye-opening stuff.

97. Pulp Fiction (1994)

The groundbreaker. Whilst Reservoir Dogs may have preceded it, Pulp Fiction was the one that brought Quentin Tarantino international (and, crucially, public) acclaim. Whilst it would be fair to say that it lags in places – Bruce Willis’s section goes on for far too long – this movie was the epitome of cool.

96. Talk Radio (1988)

A gripping play set to camera by Oliver Stone, Talk Radio tells the story of a late-night shock-jock (the film’s writer, Eric Bogosian) who should be happy – his show’s about to be syndicated nationally. Instead, he’s much more concerned about right-wingers targeting him, both verbally and physically. A terrific, tense nail-biter.

95. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

John Garfield, a man who fell very foul of the HUAC, smoulders with sex appeal. Lana Turner tests him out by dropping her lighter. He picks it up all right, but if she thinks he’s going to bring it to her she’s got another think coming. There’s sexual tension a-plenty; too bad she’s got a husband, but that’s easily fixed. Lust and murder, and the repercussions of them, are the subjects of this superior noir, with Hollywood’s forgotten heart-throb the focal point.

94. Swingers (1996)

With quotable dialogue galore, Doug Liman’s Swingers brought the world Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau as a pair of wildly different friends. Favreau’s girlfriend dumped him and he’s been moping ever since. Vaughn is cool, confident, and ‘money’, as he describes it. Flash he may be, but Vaughn’s character always looks out for his friend, which makes his braggadocio far more tolerable. Admit it; didn’t you wince at the answering-machine scene?

93. New York Doll (2005)

Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane was the bass player for the New York Dolls. They were loved in their native New York, but only really received critical acclaim long after their demise. Kane always hankered about getting back in the band, but circumstances resulted in him moving to Utah, becoming a Mormon and working as a librarian. He kept his rock star background a secret from everyone. Morrissey came calling, though, wanting to put the New York Dolls back on stage just one more time. Kane is thrilled; he dusts down his old bass, meets up again with his old pals, and triumphantly returns to the stage. This documentary is poignant, joyous, and heart-breaking.

92. Let It Ride (1989)

Lovable loser Richard Dreyfuss heads to the racetrack, as he does most days. His wife is fed up of his constant losing and lack of attention he pays her, and gives him a choice: the track or her. BUT, Dreyfuss's friend David Johansen has heard a whisper about a cert running that day. Before long, Dreyfuss is having 'a really good day'. I have no idea why I like this occasionally-slapstick but often funny comedy so much; maybe it's the gambler in me that dreams of that one magical day. Dreyfuss knows that dream, and when the opportunity arises nothing is going to stop him living it for the one and only time in his life.

91. Secretary (2002)

A charming love story about two people who were, quite simply, made for each other. Maggie Gyllenhaal, a self-harmer, applies for a job with lawyer James Spader. Spader demands perfection, and is in the habit of punishing women who make mistakes. It comes as no surprise that he’s hired and lost a lot of secretaries in his time but in Gyllenhaal he’s finally met the submissive he’s been looking for. This could have been merely a titillating, shallow movie about S&M; instead it’s moving and informative.