My favourite British movies

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Cast: Amanda Plummer

Plot: Eunice is walking along the highways of northern England from one filling station to another. She is searching for Judith, the woman, she says to be in love with. It's bad luck for the women at the cash desk not to be Judith, because Eunice is eccentric, angry and extreme dangerous. One day she meets Miriam, hard of hearing and a little ingenuous, who feels sympathy for Eunice and takes her home.

Note:
It is one of my favorite movies and definitely one of the most disturbing I have ever seen (and I have seen some weird sh*t...). It is really difficult to describe the plot but the main character was played by Amanda Plummer, in her best performance ever, and she was just electrifying to watch. So, the plot is not really important as the main focus on those women who wander through life like two lost souls.

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rade Serbedzija, Jason Statham, Ewen Bremner, Jason Flemyng

Plot: Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

Note:
In my opinion, this second directing effort by Guy Ritchie was just brilliant. Indeed, I thought it was just a hilarious movie, completely entertaining and it was also very well made. Indeed, the visuals and direction were just great, the story was just so damned entertaining from the beginning util the end with some awesome oneliners. Later on, Guy Ritchie tried to get the same vibe with 'RocknRolla' but even though it was enjoyable, it never reaches the level of that classic. I hope some day Ritchie will blow me away again like this....

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston, Ewan McGregor, Peter Mullan

Plot: Three friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash.

Note:
I saw this one when it was released in the theaters and I must have been about 15 years old back then. Even though it is nowadays pretty much forgotten, I think it is a shame and it really blew me away. Anyway, I think that, in this movie, they managed to perfectly mix very different genres with tremendous success. Since then, I have seen all the movies directed by Danny Boyle and even though I enjoyed every single one of those, even though some of those were very really amazing, it is still my favorite one after all these years.

Directed by: Terry Jones

Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin

Plot: Brian is born on the original Christmas, in the stable next door. He spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.

Note:
Even though I have watched all the movies made by the Monty Python, I must admit I wasn't really blown away by their work. However, this movie was the exception. Indeed, it is one of the funniest, one of the best comedies I have ever seen and it is completely hilarious. I thought they were more focused on this movie, whereas they were usually rather random and chaotic, and it made the whole thing more enjoyable. It is just really smart, brilliant and the whole thing is just a riot.

Directed by: Mike Newell

Cast: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Hannah

Plot: Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.

Note:
It is probably my favorite romantic comedy ever and I have seen many romantic comedies, trust me. Basically, it just has the perfect dosis of humor and romance and it never fails into vulgarity. Furthermore, most of characters are very well written which is a big difference compared to your standard romantic comedy. Indeed, in this genre, the characters are usually not really believable, their actions are realy plot-driven and, as a result, I usually don't care about them and what they are going through. Not here. Most of the characters are witty, funny and feels real and it makes it much more fun to watch.

Directed by: Peter Greenaway

Plot: Mr. Neville, a cocksure young artist is contracted by Mrs. Herbert, the wife of a wealthy landowner, to produce a set of twelve drawings of her husband's estate, a contract which extends much further than either the purse or the sketchpad.

Note:
I must have been 15 or 16 years old when I watched this movie and it totally blew my mind. I mean, I had probably heard of Peter Greenaway but I hadn't seen anything he had made so far but this movie hit me like a truck on a highway. Honestly, I probably didn't get the whole thing but I thought the directing was incredible, visually just amazing, and even though the plot was rather chaotic, it was just spellbinding. Definitely one of the best Costum dramas I have ever seen.

Directed by: Mike Leigh

Cast: Timothy Spall

Plot: Mike Leigh

Note:
Honestly, I'm not always crazy about Mike Leigh's work. Indeed, I thought that 'Secrets & Lies' and 'Topsy-Turvy' were fairly disappointing. However, this flick really blew me away. Indeed, it takes place in a very real grim social environment, the whole thing is rather heartbreaking and I was really fascinated by those characters.

Directed by: Shane Meadows

Plot: A story about a troubled boy growing up in England, set in 1983. He comes across a few skinheads on his way home from school, after a fight. They become his new best friends even like family.

Note:
Shane Meadows managed to set his movie in a specific historical time and place (England in the 80’s) but still creating some fascinating characters to watch. Basically, it shows how dreary the life was for some people in England during that time and how slowly some of them moved towards the National Front and their extreme right wing ideas. However, this flick is not just about history and it also deals with some very interesting 3 dimensional characters.

Directed by: Shane Meadows

Cast: Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell

Plot: A disaffected soldier (Considine) returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother (Kebbell) years ago.

Note:
How come it took me so long to discover Shane Meadows?!? I have just seen 2 of his movies and they were both really brilliant. This flick is one of the most original and heartbreaking thrillers I have seen in a very long time. The acting was really good and the directing was once again just flawless.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Cast: Peter Mullan

Plot: Two thirtysomethings, unemployed former alcoholic Joe and community health worker Sarah, start a romantic relationship in the one of the toughest Glasgow neighbourhoods.

Note:
I'm a huge fan of Ken Loach (You'll see him pop around quite frequently in this list...) and I really had a hard time picking my favorite movie of his. I chose this one because it is a realistic tale dealing with 3 dimensional characters and there is this terrific hearbreaking breakthrough performance by the always underrated Peter Mullan.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Plot: Determined to have a normal family life once his mother gets out of prison, a Scottish teenager from a tough background sets out to raise the money for a home.

Note:
Even though it is probably not one of the most famous movies directed by Ken Loach, it is definitely one of my favorites. Indeed, the (unknown, at least, to me) actors all gave some impressive performances in a spellbinding story rooted in a real social environment. The end-result is admitedly pretty depressing, like most of Ken Loach's work, but it deals with some real characters and not the usual stereotypes.

Directed by: Stephen Frears

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis

Plot: An ambitious Asian Briton and his white lover strive for success and hope, when they open up a glamorous laundromat.

Note:
Even though it is nowadays pretty much forgotten, it is actually pretty awesome and, in my opinion, the best movie directed by Stephen Frears, one of the most highly regarded British directors. It features also a breaktrough performance by someone called Daniel Day-Lewis. You might have heard of him ...

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Cast: Michael Fassbender

Plot: Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.

Note:
The war between the British government and the IRA was at the end of the 70's pretty ruthless and this movie shows how far both sides would go to reach their goals. It is indeed a merciless movie which doesn't take sides but neutrally displays all the facts. For a directing début, I thought it was pretty impressive. You can see that McQueen was originally an artist as, in the midst of the horror an filfth, he manages to shot some visually beautiful shots and scenes.

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly Macdonald, Peter Mullan, Shirley Henderson

Plot: Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

Note:
Either you like this movie or not, the fact remains that it is easily the most influential British movie released in the 90's. Even though I prefer 'Shallow grave', I must admit that I was really impressed by the second movie directed by Danny Boyle. Still, personally, I think it has an ambivalent attitude towards drugs. Of course, there are some horrible parts shouting "KEEP OFF THE DRUGS" but, in some over scenes, they rather seem to have a grand time. Eventually, I think it is a very well made and fun movie with some great characters but, at the end of the day, the whole thing is actually pretty shallow. so, even though I don't believe it is really a masterpiece, it still think it is a very good flick, a British classic, and it is definitely worth a look.

Directed by: Tim Roth

Cast: Ray Winstone, Tilda Swinton, Colin Farrell

Plot: An alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.

Note:
OOOOOhhhhh.... This movie is really heavy. You should be aware of this before watching it. The perfomances are very good and so is the directing but what an heartbreaking story! I have seen some pretty tough dramas but most of them are nothing compared to the agony displayed in this picture. I have always been a fan of Tim Roth, even though, I have to admit, he hasn't done anything really amazing lately, but I was really impressed by his directing debut.

Directed by: Gary Oldman

Cast: Ray Winstone

Plot: The family of Raymond, his wife Val and her brother Billy live in working-class London district. Also in their family is Val and Billy's mother Janet and grandmother Kath. Billy is a drug addict and Raymond kicks him out of the house, making him live on his own.

Note:
Many movie fans recognize Gary Oldman's talent as actor but only a few of them know that he has actually also directed a movie and a very good one on top of that. Apparently, it was a very personal project for Oldman as the film is loosely based upon his own life growing up in London and he even spent $1.4 million of his own money into the film. 15 years later Oldman hasn't directed anything else and it is a real shame since this directing debut was really good. Basically, it is one of those amazingly bleak and grim British dramas dealing with drugs, violence and dysfunctional people.

Directed by: Mike Leigh

Cast: David Thewlis, Katrin Cartlidge, Ewen Bremner

Plot: Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend, and spends some time homeless, spending much of his time ranting at strangers, and meeting characters in plights very much like his own.

Note:
Even though I tend to prefer 'All or nothing', it is yet another great flick directed by Mike Leigh. There is not much plot but it is mostly based on improvisations and it features a great performance by David Thewlis, probably the best of his career. It is another grim movie but it is a British classic and it completely deserves this status.

Directed by: Jim Sheridan

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emma Thompson, Pete Postlethwaite, Tom Wilkinson

Plot: Man's coerced confession to an IRA bombing he didn't do imprisons his father as well; a British lawyer helps fight for their freedom.

Note:
As a matter of fact, out of the 3 movies Daniel Day-Lewis and Jim Sheridan made together, my favorite is actually 'My Left Foot' but since it is an Irish flick, it doesn't belong to this list. But this movie is also really good. Indeed, it is a fascinating and harrowing drama featuring another impressive performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the greatest actors ever.

Directed by: Joe Wright

Cast: Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn, James McAvoy, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Romola Garai, Jérémie Renier, Vanessa Redgrave

Plot: Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Based on the British romance novel by Ian McEwan.

Note:
In my opinion, it is one of the most ultimate romantic dramas ever made. First of all, there is a top cast and they all gave some tremendous performances. Basically, it is a beautiful and heartbreaking love story, beautifully shot and acted and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Cast: Robert Carlyle, James Nesbitt, Sophie Okonedo

Plot: Nick, is a young Scottish soccer player living in the big city. He meets Karen, and the two fall in love and move in together. Soon after, Nick exhibits signs of serious illness. As his body slowly succumbs to multiple sclerosis, he experiences a wide sweep of jagged emotions, and in the process gives himself and those who love him the strength to carry on.

Note:
Like 'Butterfly Kiss', it is another terrific movie directed Michael Winterbottom and it is once again unfortunately barely seen. It is the only film I know (and I have watched more than 4000 movies !) which deals with multiple sclerosis which is a terrible disease. It is pure and simply a really heartbreaking drama with some impressive acting.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Plot: After having suffered a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight the bureaucratic forces of the system in order to receive Employment and Support Allowance.

Note:
Ken Loach managed to deliver one of his best movies which was rather unexpected as many including myself thought that his best movies were already behind him. Anyway, once again, he gave us another socially relevant and really powerful tale and, in this case, it was even more heartbreaking as it all felt terribly familiar. Indeed, in this movie, Ken Loach completely captured this social nightmare, the realism was just uncanny and it is not hard to believe that some women would choose to get into prostitution as ruthless gangsters and pimps might seem to be eventually more helpful than the so-called social welfare system.

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston

Plot: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Note:
I remember, I went to see this flick just because I noticed that it was directed by Danny Boyle. I didn't expect to be one of the best Zombie flicks I have ever seen. Even though it is nothing really original, it remains a very entertaining horror movie with a breakthough performance by Cillian Murphy.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Cast: Robert Carlyle

Plot: The story of Stevie, a construction worker, and his girlfriend, an unemployed pop singer, serves to show the living conditions of the British poor class.

Note:
Yeah, another Ken Loach flick... I just love the way he mixes social realism with human comedy. It is just really entertaining and thoughtfull at the same time and, this time again, with a tremendous result. And it features a very good performance by Robert Carlyle in his 2nd acting gig.

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Cast: Hugh Laurie, Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton

Plot: Six former college friends, with two new friends, gather for a New Years Eve weekend reunion at a large English countryside manor after ten years to reminisce about the good times now long gone.

Note:
I remember, my sister came home with the VHS (yeah, we had VHS back then. I know, I'm very old...). I was only 13 or 14 years old and I fell in love with this movie. It was one of the first time I saw with such realistic characters and some genuine emotions. Of course, it helped that the whole thing was quite hilarious.

Directed by: Tom Hooper

Cast: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Geoffrey Rush, Jennifer Ehle, Michael Gambon, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall

Plot: The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

Note:
Honestly, I didn't have some very high expectations concerning this movie. The fact that it was chosen as the best movie of the year by the Academy didn't mean, for me, that it was actually really good. After all, the Academy voters have always been suckers for such historical true stories. Still, I have to admit that it was, indeed, a really impressive movie. The directing was pretty good but most of all, I was blown away by the perfomance provided by Colin Firth and he definitely deserved his oscar. Geoffrey Rush was amazing as well and they both fascinated me throughout the whole picture.

Directed by: David Lean

Plot: Meeting a stranger in a railway station, a woman is tempted to cheat on her husband.

Note:
It is a such a great classic and even thought it is almost 70 years old (!), the emotions displayed are still completely relevant today. It is also the proof that a good story and a good script is all you need to create a genuine masterpiece.

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Sally Hawkins, Colm Meaney, Ben Whishaw, Sienna Miller, Jason Flemyng, Michael Gambon

Plot: successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement.

Note:
Back then, Matthew Vaughn was known as Guy Ritchie's producer. Since then, many would argue that he has become a more interesting director than Ritchie himself. Anyway, I thought his directing debut was pretty awesome with a breakhrough performance by Daniel Craig (and no, he wasn't James Bond yet).

Directed by: Ken Loach

Plot: Sparks fly in Glasgow's south side when a young Asian man enters into a relationship with a Caucasian woman.

Note:
It is a very simple story, basically, Loach's version of Romeo and Juliet but I still enjoyed it very much. Here, Loach takes a timeless tale and put it in our modern days and fill up the whole thing with social conciousness and it just worked for me. The sober directing style still worked like a charm and, in my opinion, made the whole thing really fascinating to watch. It may not be one of Loach's most heralded productions but it is actually one of my favorites.

Directed by: Ken Loach

Plot: A teenage girl suffers a nervous breakdown.

Note:
Yeah... I know, another movie directed by Ken Loach... What can I do? I just love his work! The whole thing was terribly bleak and really heartbreaking and I thought it was a very disturbing but also very good movie. I mean, if you think that 'Girl, interrupted' gives a realistic view of a psychiatric insitution, you'd better watch this flick. I have to admit that it was all really depressing and you'd probably feel like sh*t after watching this but it is always better than the sugarcoated garbage coming from Hollywood.

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost

Plot: A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living.

Note:
Of course, like anyone else, I enjoyed this flick with some star-making performances by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Still, even though I thought it was pretty good, I was missing something and it wasn't really that amazing for me. I'll probably rewatch it some day to make up my mind for good. It definitely has a very high entertaining value.

Directed by: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Plot: A young ballet dancer is torn between the man she loves and her pursuit to become a prima ballerina.

Note:
By now, I have seen 4 movies directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger ('Black Narcissus', 'I Know Where I'm Going!', 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'). This movie was the first one I saw and, so far, it is easily my favorite one. I was just gorgeous to see with some flawless directing and it was also very interesting to see how a ballet in general works. The story was also rather fascinating and they seamlessly combined a realistic approach to ballet with some fantasy scenes (which reminded me of 'Black Swan').

Directed by: Ken Loach

Plot: A young, English working-class boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet falcon.

Note:
Even though it is probably the most highly regarded movie directed by Ken Loach, as you can see, it is not my favorite one though. On other hand, I have seen it only once a long time ago so it probably needs a rewatch. Anyway, it is a very strong and heartbreaking drama and it is a huge British classic.

Directed by: Neil Marshall

Plot: A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.

Note:
I really liked this movie, especially when they get stuck in the caverns. Indeed, it was really well done, you totally felt this claustrophobic feeling lived by the characters and I was definitely captivated by the movie. But then, suddenly, the movie completely shifted of direction (don't worry, I won't spoil it) and I guess many viewers thought it was really awesome but, personally, I thought it was rather disappointing. Still, it remains a very well made flick, with some very good ideas and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you're into horror movies.

Directed by: Nick Park and Steve Box

Plot: Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.

Note:
To be honest, it is not my favorite W&G feature. As a matter of fact, I prefer 'The Wrong Trousers' but since it is the only full length feature they made with those 2 characters, it will do for now. Anyway, the animation is mind-blowing, the jokes are just hilarious and the whole thing is just completely entertaining.

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, Vinnie Jones, Sting

Plot: Four London working class stiffs pool their money to put one in a high stakes card game, but things go wrong and they end up owing half a million pounds and having one week to come up with the cash.

Note:
Even though I tend to think it is rather overrated (in my opinion, it is just a small warm-up before the awesomeness of 'Snatch'), it still remains a very good directing debut. Indeed, the whole thing is completely entertaining and quite hilarious and it is just too bad Ritchie never managed to get back to the same energy and inspiration he showed in his first 2 directing gigs.

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Cast: Sean Connery

Plot: Investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.

Note:
Honestly, I'm not really a fan of James Bond but I thought it was pretty neat to end up this list with the most iconic of all the British characters. Basically, it is the best James Bond actor showing up in the best James Bond flick ever made. It doesn't get better than that. Connery is just awesome and the story is, for once, really entertaining. Daniel Craig is a pretty good James Bond but neither 'Casino Royale' or 'Skyfall' reaches the level of this classic, in my opinion.