It’s Friday, so as with last weekend (1, 2, 3), I’m thinking about lists of films. Once again my five favorites list excludes some well-known films that others consider to be within the genre, but I don’t. This time it’s mystery movies.
With my list below, in each case the style on display in the film is as important as any other consideration. So, the lighting, the editing, the music, the overall mood, mattered to me just as much as the plot and the acting. That said, here are my favorite five mystery movies of all-time in alphabetical order:
“Chinatown” (1974): Directed by Roman Polanski; Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
“The Conversation” (1974): Directed by Francis Ford Coppola; Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Cindy Williams
“The Maltese Falcon” (1941): Directed by John Huston; Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet
“The Third Man” (1949): Directed by Carol Reed; Cast: Joseph Cotten, Orson Welles, Alida Valli
“Z” (1969): Directed by Costa-Gavras; Cast: Yves Montand, Irene Pappas, Jean-Louis Trintignant
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2 comments:
I'm not sure if "Rear Window" counts as a mystery, but it's a favorite of mine.
J.C.,
"Rear Window" would surely be on my Top Ten Mystery Movies list. It holds up so well, too. The sarcasm still seems crisp.
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