Top 10: Best Movies I Watched for My 2016 Challenge

The great thing about the 100 Movie Challenge is that I sometimes watch films that I would normally not even pay attention to. It’s a time to rediscover classics or see the movies you missed in the 2000s or 2010s. I watched a bunch of fantastic films, I narrowed it down to this top 10 list. Here are my favorite films I watched for my 2016 challenge.

10. Lars and the Real Girl
This was such a weird story, but it was so heartfelt and honest. And we got Ryan Reynold’s amazing performance to thank for that. He proofs that he doesn’t always have to play the sexy charmer, he can play a lonely geek as well.

9. The Jungle Book
Disney’s uncanny adaptation of their own beloved animation from 1967. It was a blockbuster, it was a technical film. Besides Mowgli, all the sets and characters were computer generated. The visuals are stunning. “The Jungle Book” was one amazing movie experience.

8. The Nice Guys
I already loved Shane Black’s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. Teaming up Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe was probably one of the best ideas of 2016. They are an irresistible pair. Energized by a dry wry cynicism. It’s crime comedy at its best.

7. Arrival
“Arrival” is an unusually intimate science-fiction epic, that takes the story of humankind’s first contact with an alien race and turns it into a downright poetric meditation on fate, time, love and the limitations and essential universalities of communication. Amy Adams gives a fantastic performance, she carries this film. Director Denis Villeneuve has a flawless record so far.

6. Room
Brie Larson earned all the headlines for her role as Joy, her Oscar winning performance is so convincing and heartbreaking. But her movie son Jacob Tremblay very nearly steals the show. It’s through his eyes we experience the traumatic set of events.

5. Spotlight
“Spotlight” is driven purely by the simplicity of its story. A group of journalists exposing a scandal in the Catholic Church. The film had my attention from start to finish, it has great performances and I loved everything about this film. It deserved that Oscar.

4. The Apartment
I discovered Billy Wilder films this year and I came to the conclusion that I really love this director. “The Apartment” is such a fun film, great acting and it’s basically set in only one location.

3. Some Like It Hot
This is the other Billy Wilder film I watched this year, and loved! It was hilarious. It’s such a funny story, two men disguising as women so that they can play music in an all-women’s group. And although it’s clear that they are two men, nobody sees it. This is one fo the best comedies of all time!

2. La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s first film was “Whiplash”, an Academy Award winning film. He’s back with amusic movie of an entirely different variety. “La La Land” is a heart-eyed musical about two lost Los Angelinos who find each other. I’m seriously in love with this film. This one’s for the classic movie fans.

1. The Princess Bride
This movie has everything and know how to combine all those genres in the most perfect way. Adventure, action, romance, comedy, drama, it’s all there. It’s one of the best fairytales ever told, with humor, mockery and heartwarming moments. Definitely a new favorite on my all-time list.


Honorable Mentions: The General, City Lights, Beasts of No Nation, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Little Shop of Horrors, We Bought a Zoo, Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Soloist

Top 5 Thursday: Movies I Watched for My Challenge (September 2016)

I watched some great classic movies this month and not a lot of really bad ones, at least not for this challenge. Here is my top five of movies I watched for my challenge for the month of September.

5. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
I can’t believe I never saw this before. Okay, parts of it, but never from beginning ‘til end. It’s a great film, and this is a film that proves you don’t need jump scares or big special effects. Just sound effects, lights and stuff. Spielberg knows how to captivate you.

4. City Lights
Such an endearing and adorable film, very funny and touching at the same time. Charlie Chaplin is fantastic.

3. The General
Another silent movie that I really love. Buster Keaton is great and this movie is action packed and hilarious. I really enjoyed “The General”.

2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Sadly this is one of those movies that many people will never see, so I’m shouting out to the world that everyone should see it if you have the chance. “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” is a fantastic film.

1. The Apartment
Another great classic that I never saw before and now I’m glad I did. This is a perfect comedy, Jack Lemmon at his best. “The Apartment” even made it into my list of favorites of all time.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Evil Dead 2, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Cinderella

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 119: The Apartment

Director: Billy Wilder
Genre: Drama/ Comedy/ Romance
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 1960
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Jack Kruschen, Edie Adams, Ray Walston, David Lewis, Hope Holiday, Joan Shawlee, Naomi Stevens, Johnny Seven

Description: C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.

Review: Movies by director Billy Wilder stand the test of time. Wilder is a master in portaying people in the most comical, tragic, honest and human way. These ingredients are all present in “The Apartment”.
Jack Lemmon plays C.C. Baxter, a lonely office worker. He can’t even go to his own apartment, because he lets his co-worker with higher positions use it to have affaires. Baxter plays along, probably to be liked and also to get a promotion. Baxter also has a thing for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), one of the elevator girls in the office he works in. he is hurt when he finds out Fran is having a relationship with his married boss Sheldrake. And the two also used Baxter’s apartment. When Sheldrake tells Fran he won’t divorce his wife, Fran tries to commit suicide. In Baxter’s apartment.
The power of “The Apartment” lies in the honest and human characters. For both MacLaine and Lemmon this was a new beginning in their career. Jack Lemmon was mostly known as a comedy actor and he showed in “The Apartment” that he can easily switch from comedy to drama to everyday situations. Shirley MacLaine had been in lighter comedies, but “The Apartment” made her a more believable and serious actress.
“The Apartment” has some daring themes for the 1960s: suicide, adultery. But the film was a huge success and to date is still a favorite to many. I simply loved this comedy, over two hours long but I didn’t feel it at all.
For every comedy fan, “The Apartment” is a must see.

Rating: 5/ 5