5 films I've been thinking about

I have retained a lot of knowledge about films and actors through imdb and its trivia section, but I haven't actually watched that many films, especially ones that are deemed greats. But I have seen films that have become my own personal classics and these are five I'd say are must watch.

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL

No cliches here like you might expect from a teenage cancer film. Lack of emphasis on the plot, but that's what I like, no unnecessary scenes just a multitude of important moments. Quiet and devastating and beautiful, I stumbled upon this film accidentally and I'm really glad I did. I had no preconceptions of this film before I watched it, I didn't know the cast really, if anything this was the first thing I saw a lot of them in. And I think that's why I enjoyed it so much, it was really unexpected. Out of these five films I'd recommend this one the most.

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND

We used to watch this more than three times a trip to Tenerife, I think it came as a DVD with a newspaper. I was addicted to their old fashioned Lancashire accents, and it felt like a film that tested the limits of what a child can understand. I watched a lot of old stuff in Tenerife as we didn't have that many channels, I got really into the channel Gold one summer, Last of the Summer Wine and Only Fools and Horses became my favourites.

ALMOST FAMOUS

The Tiny Dancer scene is possibly my favourite scene from any film. It filled the void that School of Rock left behind as I got older (although School of Rock is timeless). The cast are believable as 70s musicians, and it made me nostalgic for a time I didn't get to experience. I went through a bit of a deep dive into the 60s/70s around this time after an exhibition at the V&A, the music, the fashion and the ideals intrigues me. Dazed and Confused is similar but is a more shallow representation of that time.

FANTASTIC MR FOX

My gateway into reading a lot more into what makes up a film, and my love for Wes Anderson. I had read a lot of Roald Dahl and I appreciate that this adaptation was made with such effort and respect (I know it's not accurate to the book but I don't think it takes anything away from the book). The attention to detail is astounding, there must be thousands of people that come together to make up a film like this - it's nice to see something different in film too, stop motion artists are criminally under appreciated.

ROMEO + JULIET

The modern day adaptations of Shakespeare aren't something I enjoy, this might be the only exception to this rule, this and 10 Things I Hate About You. Along with a couple others, this was a film that made me like films. I've enjoyed a lot of what Baz Luhrmann has made since, his use of music puts him up there with one of the greats. Includes the best performance of Mercutio (Harrold Perrineau) I think they'll ever be, and somehow even though it's set in 90s USA, the language they use doesn't feel that strange.