Four Star Films

This is to me, the best of the best on my list (The Film Sage list that lists everything I've watched since 2006), the four start films. What does it take to be a four start film in my book? Well, of course you have acting, directing, cinematography, and so on, but it's also is in some cases if the film personally moves or fascinates me. But most importantly beyond these factors but, including these factors, as film critic Roger Ebert said, "It's not what a film is about, but how it is about, what it is about." Do all the mechanisms of the film the film effectively, consistently and compellingly? They are perfect at what they aim to be. If a film fires on all of these cylinders then it is a great film, and of course I recommend that you watch. Enjoy.

Capote ****
Murderball ****
Hustle & Flow ****
Grizzly Man ****
Serenity ****
King Kong ****
Vertigo ****
Crash****
The Squid and the Whale****
Touch of Evil****
The Third Man****
The Seventh Seal****
Blade Runner****
Unbreakable****
The Last Picture Show****
United 93****
Mash****
In Cold Blood****
The Source****
What Happened to Jack Kerouac****
The Fisher King****
Unforgiven****
The Croupier****
My Left Foot****
The Godfather****
The Player****
Nights of Cabiria****
Sympathy for Lady Vengence****
The Thin Red Line****
Barry Lyndon****
Days of Heaven****
The Rules of Attraction****
High Noon****
Clerks 2****
Army of Shadows****
Inherit the Wind****
Paths of Glory****
Amores Perros****
The Exorcist****
Basquiat****
The Proposition****
New World****
The Science of Sleep****
Bloody Sunday****
The Departed****
Hard Candy****
Frida****
Babel****
Casion Royale****
The Fountain****
The Straight Story****
Rumble Fish****
Children of Men****
Brick****
The Descent****
Little Miss Sunshine****
Half Nelson****
Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man****
Thank You For Smoking****
Zodiac****
Dark Days****
300****
Stranger Than Fiction****
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints****
Grindhouse****
The Battle of Algiers****
Paris, Texas****
Le Samourai****
El Topo****
Rebel Without a Cause****
Marie Antoinette****
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring****
Breach****
Chocolat****
Once****
Before Sunset****
George Washington****
Apocalypse Now****
Tape****
Across the Universe****
The Assasination of Jesse James****
Frailty****
The Virgin Spring****
Perfume: The Story of Murderer****
No Country For Old Men****
The Incredibles****
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover****
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street****
Ramones: The End of the Century****
There Will Be Blood****
Fire Walk With Me****
Inland Empire****
Juno****
Hype****
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix****
Superbad****
Iron Man****
Into the Wild****
A Decade Under the Influence****
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead****
The Fall****
Double Indemnity****
The Dark Knight****
Cure****
Akeelah and the Bee****
Black Book****
The Grifters****
The Fountainhead****
Young At Heart****
Picnic at Hanging Rock****
The Lives of Others****
The Nightmare Before Christmas****
Slumdog Millionaire****
Gran Torino****
Forgetting Sarah Marshall****
The Queen****
Cinema Paradiso****
Let the Right One In****
God Grew Tired of Us****

The Wrestler****

Star Trek****

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button****

Hot Fuzz****
The Hangover****
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life****
Inglorious Basterds****

The Brothers Bloom****

Where the Wild Things Are****

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days****

The Road****

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly****
500 Days of Summer****
The Hurt Locker****
Moon****
The Escapist****
Public Enemies****
Bronson****

Crazy Heart****
Requiem for a Heavyweight****
An Education****
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans****
Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture****
Shutter Island****