Which movies take you to a higher level? Which movies do really do it for you and why?

I find all movies carry messages, and I find it to fun to untangle them. Some of the greatest movies made and that have stuck out for me, from every perspective have been:

Some like it hot (1959) - Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Marliyn Monroe. A great cast what can i say plus it was hillarious!! I think you'll have to watch it, to understand it's humour.

*batteries not included (1987) Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Jane Hoffman. If you have seen the 'Cocoon' film then you will recognise some of the characters in this film. This film is fun, and full of life. It is about a group of residents who are about to get kicked out of their apartment, by developers as they want to knock down their apartement and build new developments. Another reflective human spirited film, with the hope that is the extraterrestrials coming down, and giving them strength.

Awakenings(1990) - Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. A very beautiful script reflecting the human nature, I fell in love with it when I saw it for the first time and bought the dvd and watched it a couple of times over and over again, and it's still a film that I very much enjoy even if I haven't watched it for years.

Sixth Sense (1999) Bruce Willis, Toni Collette and Haley Joel Osment. This movie was about the only movie with a 'supernatural' feel that didn't make me laugh. (Horror films tend to make me laugh, if they are not well thought out, and produced) It was just bang on for me. The script and characters were excellent.

K-Pax (2001) Kevin Spacey starrs in this film. I have only watched this film once, and yet again I understood it's simplicity in its message. It is about human nature at it's finest, as it concentrates on one specfic character and he's life as an advanced alien. Beautiful script, very adaptable characters.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. I absolutely loved the way the movie captured each scene, as it reflected in a sense the way our mind works. For me, the movie is like a senseless vortex that enables the viewer to tap into their minds as well, as tapping into the hidden messages in the film. It's a great film for self discovery as it whizzes you in to one scene pretty rapidly and, then whizzes you into something completetly different. Nice film web.

What about yours?

Wow. I'm going to pitifully attempt to say the ones that effect me the most. But there are so many....

Requiem for a Dream (Unrated Documentary Style, Warning: Strong Sexual Content) - The most depressing movie you will ever see. I'm a strange one who likes movies to make me feel human, make me feel emotion, make me feel sad. If a movie makes me cry, it's a good movie. Period. After watching this movie, I felt like a bastard for having a home to live in. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who isn't put off by sad movies or artistic filmography. The plot is entrancing.

The Fountain (PG-13)- Surprisingly, the same director as Requiem for a Dream and he comes back to make another mind-blowing visual escapade. Truly touching. If you haven't seen this one, get on it! Don't worry, this one is more user-friendly than RfaD. But still leaves you with that sense of "wow".

Donnie Darko (R) - A director and writer's perspective on how time travel can unravel the things that connect every human being together and an intriguing story of self-sacrifice. Amazing in it's portrayal of innocence gone wrong and the grip of the past on the present, this movie will lead you to the website (which is an intense flash puzzle that takes you through level after level of problem solving) and to the time travel book mentioned in the film.

Memento (R) - A movie about a man with no short term memory who constantly has to trust the people around him and learns to readily accept his own handwriting. The movie is directed so that it shows the ending first and proceeds to show scene by scene to unfold the story backwards so that the real revelation comes at the very end of the movie (which is actually the beginning of the story). Great acting and an amazing contribution to the feeling of control and acceptance.

*So many movies...*

How about those for now and we can elaborate later. Word!

And i'm going to toss out the ever controversial Brokeback Mountain.
I don't care who you are, or what your background is. That movie is powerful.
Simply powerful.

Hmm good thread! This is a tough one that I had to think about for a while. If we are going all time best ... I would argue (In no particular order):

Kill Bill Vol's 1 & 2 (2003/2004) - Kill Bill is an epic-length revenge drama, with homages to earlier film genres, such as Hong Kong martial arts movies, Japanese samurai movies and Italian spaghetti westerns; an extensive use of popular music and pop culture references; and deliberately over-the-top violence.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - The Nazis are searching for the lost Ark of the Covenant to make their army invincible, as it did for the Israelites of the Old Testament, and it is up to archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to find it first.

Thank You for Smoking (2006) - Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the Vice President of and the chief spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, a tobacco lobby whose stated purpose is to research the links between smoking cigarettes and health. The group, funded by cigarette companies, never finds any links. Nick's job requires him to inform the public of these results, as well as defend the rights of smokers.

Seven Samurai (1954) - Seven Samurai takes place in warring states period Japan (the late 16th century, around 1587/1588). It follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai (rōnin) warriors to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops.

Swingers (1996) - a film released in 1996 about the lives of single, unemployed actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood, California during the 1990's swing revival. Written by Jon Favreau and directed by Doug Liman, the movie starred Favreau and Vince Vaughn, and also featured performances by Ron Livingston and Heather Graham.

Taxi Driver (1976) - Taxi driver is a film starring Robert De Niro. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in early post-Vietnam Era New York City, De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a lonely, isolated taxi driver and Jodie Foster the teenage prostitute he attempts to save.

Wow I can keep going and going but I will leave it here.

Survive Style 5+ is hands down the greatest movie ever made for me. A lush and beautiful Japanese film that combines all kinds of elements (dark comedy and drama, mostly), and it's so incredibly enjoyable everytime. Hard to find in the U.S. by physically means, but one can easily find it online, if you're into that. :p

Hmm never heard of that one Izanagi. I'll have to seek it out! Sounds right up my ally ... I've been a fan of japanese flicks recently.

I've got another one to add ..

Lost in Translation (2003 ) - The film centers on Bob Harris (Murray), an American action movie star on the downward slope of his career, who has come to Tokyo, Japan to film a Suntory whisky commercial. He meets Charlotte (Johansson), a recent Yale philosophy graduate who is married to a self-centered celebrity photographer, played by Giovanni Ribisi, and as yet unfocussed in terms of her future.

Great flick ... thinking about it I would put it at a all time all time favorite. Great theme, great story, Scarlett is to die for, and Bill is just awesome . I read somewhere that LIT was his favorite film hes done so far.

That Memento (R) film is the first one I was drawn to, out of the ones that have been mentioned, great description on it. I may have to watch it someday, out of genuine curiousity.

Nice. If you're a member of KG, it's there, I guess.

I guess I'll add to my list. I think my top 5 movies ever is probably something like...

1) Survive Style 5+
2) Metropolis (1927)
3) Rushmore
4) Amelie
5) George Washington

omgggzz so indie!

Seen 2, 3 , and 4 on that list Izan and can say I agree all good films. Haven't seen George Washington ... yet another one to add lol.

This is turning into a good thread

2001: A space odyssey. an epic drama of researching the unknown. Kubrick made a not-yet-surpaseed masterpiece, with excellent music and special effects. a must see for everyone.