Aidil Rusli is the singer-songwriter for Malaysian rock n roll band Couple, who also happens to think of himself as a bit of a cinephile, and sometimes indulges himself by writing about films in his blog. He also writes a column in the Malaysian Insider.
- Breaking the Waves (1996) .. Lars von Trier
Obviously a marvel of verite-style filmmaking, but what truly makes it stand out is the kind of questions you'll be asking yourself once you get to its unforgettably transcendental ending.
- City Lights (1931) .. Charles Chaplin
I love so much of Chaplin's films (even A Countess In Hong Kong), but the ending here makes it something else (ask Wall-E, he'll understand).
- Rushmore (1998) .. Wes Anderson
Hilarious, ridiculously fastidious, yet so wise and full of meaning (and quotable quotes).
- Husbands (1970) .. John Cassavetes
The ultimate Cassavetes film for me. Messy, infuriating and divinely profound.
- The World of Apu (1959) .. Satyajit Ray
The loveliest of films, in an already lovely trilogy.
- Tokyo Story (1953) .. Yasujiro Ozu
My dearest mom, who always falls asleep halfway through ANY movie, stayed glued and awake through this, with buckets of tears in her eyes afterwards, enough reason for me.
- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) .. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
Hugely polished and expert filmmaking, with a real beating heart at its center.
- Heaven Can Wait (1943) .. Ernst Lubitsch
Again, hugely polished and expert filmmaking, with a huge beating heart at its center.
- Sullivan's Travels (1941) .. Preston Sturges
Again, hugely polished and expert filmmaking, with a huge beating heart at its center.
- La Belle et la Bête (1946) .. Jean Cocteau
Still the dreamiest fairy tale ever filmed.
- The Four Hundred Blows (1959) .. Franτois Truffaut
Deeply felt evocation of childhood.
- Shock Corridor (1963) .. Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller at his outrageous, pulpy best.
- Bicycle Thieves (1948) .. Vittorio De Sica
Still angry and affecting after all these years.
- Pierrot le Fou (1965) .. Jean-Luc Godard
Godard's most fun to watch film.
- Shoot the Pianist (1960) .. François Truffaut
Truffaut can do playful new wave too.
- Tokyo Drifter (1966) .. Seijun Suzuki
The Japanese can do even crazier new wave
- Giants & Toys (1958) .. Yasuzo Masumura
Again, the Japanese can do even crazier new wave.
- Gun Crazy (1950) .. Joseph H. Lewis
People should've called this new wave back then.
- Mon Oncle (1958) .. Jacques Tati
The gentlest and funniest Tati for me
- All That Heaven Allows (1955) .. Douglas Sirk
Astonishing filmmaking posing as melodrama.
- Harold and Maude (1971) .. Hal Ashby
Still funny and affecting after all these years.
- Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) .. John Cassavetes
Screwball & Cassavetes can match!
- The Awful Truth (1937) .. Leo McCarey
The best screwball comedy ever.
- Strangers on a Train (1951) .. Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock's most enjoyable film, expertly done.
- Stranger Than Paradise (1984) .. Jim Jarmusch
No one does enjoyable empty talk as good as Jarmusch.
- Down by Law (1986) .. Jim Jarmusch
Apparently Jarmusch is also pretty good at hilarious empty talk!
- Love in the Afternoon (1957) .. Billy Wilder
The Lubitsch touch, Wilder style.
- The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) ..
Probably the funniest Sturges movie.
- Bad Boy Bubby (1993) .. Rolf de Heer
Rolf De Heer is a mad genius!
- A Hard Day's Night (1964) .. Richard Lester
Simply a joy to watch.
- Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) .. Frank Tashlin
I wish there's more Tashlin on DVD.
- Atlantic City (1980) .. Louis Malle
A soulful, mournful gem of a movie.
- The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) .. Orson Welles
My favourite Orson Welles, even in its butchered form.
- Scenes from a Marriage (1973) .. Ingmar Bergman
My favourite Bergman, and a recommended watch if you want to convince someone not to get married!
- American Movie (1999) .. Chris Smith
Supposedly my token documentary entry, but I seriously do love this one and I saw it twice in the cinemas and countless times on DVD.
- Throw Down (2004) .. Johnnie To
lovelier and more poetic than Wong Kar Wai's loveliest, Johnnie To deserves more respect out there in the West.
- Forbidden Games (1952) .. Rene Clement
"Michel!" - enough reason there...
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) .. Steven Spielberg
Spielberg's masterpiece.
- Animal Crackers (1930) .. Victor Heerman
Harpo's craziest movie and therefore my favourite Marx Brothers movie.
- The Host (2006) .. Bong Joon-ho
exemplary pop filmmaking from
- Femme Fatale (2002) .. Brian De Palma
Brian De
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) .. Jacques Demy
my token musical, but seriously, it's not often that you encounter a downer musical.
- Close-Up (1990) .. Abbas Kiarostami
The absolute best of the many meta-movies from
- Kung Fu Hustle (2004) .. Stephen Chow
One of those rare beasts called "pure movie" movies.
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) .. Charles Laughton
Still distressingly creepy and gorgeous to look at.
- Lilya 4-Ever (2002) .. Lukas Moodysson
A true heart-crusher. Bring loads of tissues.
- Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) .. Max Ophüls
Another hugely polished and expert piece of filmmaking, with a mournful heart at its center.
- The Heartbreak Kid (1972) .. Elaine May
Cruel, funny and deeply touching, life can be so unfair sometimes.
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932) .. Mervyn LeRoy
Sensational and compulsively watchable, even to this day.
- Dead Time (2007) .. Joko Anwar
Great movies and
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