Topic: Favourite 5 British films ever

[Draex]

The Italian Job

[Ray K]

The Italian Job

The Italian Job is an entertaining caper. But it's definitely not a great movie.

I looked at the Wiki entry for BAFTA Best British Film awards. In just 1948 and 1949, 5 of the nominated films were: Hamlet, The Red Shoes, Kind Hearts & Coronets, The Third Man, Whisky Galore. That might do for your list. Well maybe chuck in your favourite David Lean instead of Whisky Galore and you probably have a rock solid 5 that would be hard to argue against.

[mattD]

No love for Local Hero or Shirley Valentine?

My top rated British film a few pages back.

I highly recommend Bill Forsyth's adaptation of Marilynne Robinson's novel Housekeeping. He wrote the script too. It's set in America and American financed so doesn't really count as British but is probably one of the saddest, understated and most melancholy films you'll ever see. A faithful and perfect adaptation. Very much a hidden masterpiece.

[TepidT2O]

I can't believe I haven't mentioned the Paddington films. 😀

Paddington 2 is a ‘perfect’ film. There aren’t many.  Films that could not have been made better.

[Baby Huey]

My top rated British film a few pages back.

I highly recommend Bill Forsyth's adaptation of Marilynne Robinson's novel Housekeeping. He wrote the script too. It's set in America and American financed so doesn't really count as British but is probably one of the saddest, understated and most melancholy films you'll ever see. A faithful and perfect adaptation. Very much a hidden masterpiece.

So you're that other person that saw this gem of a film. I don't know many outside of those I recommended Housekeeping to that have seen this. It's Lahti's finest work, along with Running On Empty, imo. A must see film.

[Elmo!]

Due to this thread I actually watched Local Hero for the first time in something like 20 years last night. I'd forgotten how good it is.

That's another one for my list, one more to go to make 5. 

[kavah]

^ looking at the Bafta's reminded I like the Le Carre movies
James Mason as Smiley in The Deadly Affair
Gary Oldman plays Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
And Richard Burton as Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

I'd happily rewatch all of those

[Ray K]

Paddington 2 is a ‘perfect’ film. There aren’t many.  Films that could not have been made better.

I am 100% serious when I say that Hugh Grant was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that film.

Same with Jason Isaacs in the Death of Stalin (Hello to Jason).

[smutchin]

And Richard Burton as Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

That one has passed me by but I love the book and can imagine Burton being perfect as Leamas. Must check it out.

[9 kemlyn road]

The Italian Job

It’s a good piece of entertainment with the classic mini car chase scenes and the odd ending .
Michael Caine by this point felt he was just being offered these sort roles and was worried that he was getting type cast playing the cheeky chappy cockney that he’d played in the ipcress file series and Alfie .
This led him to take the part of Jack carter in get carter ,although a Londoner he was the complete opposite in being a violent cold ruthless killer .
A great film ,shot entirely on location in Newcastle and other north  east locations which helped bring a raw ,bleak ,cold realism to the film.Caine was excellent in the lead role and supported by a great cast and a classic soundtrack ,showed he was more than a corblimey cheeky cockney ,played the ruthless gangster to perfection.
One of the best British films ever made ,a classic .

[RedDeadRejection]

Paddington 2 is a masterpiece agreed.

[So… Howard Philips]

It’s a good piece of entertainment with the classic mini car chase scenes and the odd ending .
Michael Caine by this point felt he was just being offered these sort roles and was worried that he was getting type cast playing the cheeky chappy cockney that he’d played in the ipcress file series and Alfie .
This led him to take the part of Jack carter in get carter ,although a Londoner he was the complete opposite in being a violent cold ruthless killer .
A great film ,shot entirely on location in Newcastle and other north  east locations which helped bring a raw ,bleak ,cold realism to the film.Caine was excellent in the lead role and supported by a great cast and a classic soundtrack ,showed he was more than a corblimey cheeky cockney ,played the ruthless gangster to perfection.
One of the best British films ever made ,a classic .

And the pseudo electronic backing track to the closing scene on that bleak seascape fits perfectly.

[Hazell]

I am 100% serious when I say that Hugh Grant was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for that film.

Same with Jason Isaacs in the Death of Stalin (Hello to Jason).

Need to watch Death of Stalin again. Been a while.

[John_P]

Might be of interest as so many people have mentioned their films in this thread but I've just been the cinema to see Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.

Absolutely wonderful overview of their career and partnership told through their films, archive footage, and Marty Scorsese waxing lyrical about them for two hours.

[So… Howard Philips]

Might be of interest as so many people have mentioned their films in this thread but I've just been the cinema to see Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.

Absolutely wonderful overview of their career and partnership told through their films, archive footage, and Marty Scorsese waxing lyrical about them for two hours.

Just noticed that today at our local cinema.

May give it a go.

[Draex]

It’s a good piece of entertainment with the classic mini car chase scenes and the odd ending .
Michael Caine by this point felt he was just being offered these sort roles and was worried that he was getting type cast playing the cheeky chappy cockney that he’d played in the ipcress file series and Alfie .
This led him to take the part of Jack carter in get carter ,although a Londoner he was the complete opposite in being a violent cold ruthless killer .
A great film ,shot entirely on location in Newcastle and other north  east locations which helped bring a raw ,bleak ,cold realism to the film.Caine was excellent in the lead role and supported by a great cast and a classic soundtrack ,showed he was more than a corblimey cheeky cockney ,played the ruthless gangster to perfection.
One of the best British films ever made ,a classic .

I probably remember it fondly because I watched it as a kid, some great bits in it for sure.

Does James Bond count as British?

[9 kemlyn road]

And the pseudo electronic backing track to the closing scene on that bleak seascape fits perfectly.

Yes, how it just ends with those few bars of that soundtrack bookends the film with the bleakness perfectly and it starts with same few bars of the music when he’s preparing to leave London at the start after being warned not to go up there.very stylish in the way it’s used in the opening credits during the train journey and then peters out as he arrives in Newcastle.

[So… Howard Philips]

Yes, how it just ends with those few bars of that soundtrack bookends the film with the bleakness perfectly and it starts with same few bars of the music when he’s preparing to leave London at the start after being warned not to go up there.very stylish in the way it’s used in the opening credits during the train journey and then peters out as he arrives in Newcastle.

Right. I forgot it starts with the train journey up to the Heart of Bleakness.

It’s a very gritty film with little or no redemptive features for any of the characters.

[Hazell]

Four Lions
Alien (based on Andy's post above)
Brazil
In The Loop
Children of Men

[9 kemlyn road]

Right. I forgot it starts with the train journey up to the Heart of Bleakness.

It’s a very gritty film with little or no redemptive features for any of the characters.

But some memorable scenes and lines
“ you’re a big man but you’re in bad shape ,I do this for a living “

[smutchin]

A lot of these films that have been mentioned I haven’t seen for years and it’s giving me a hankering to watch them again. I shall see if Get Carter is on streaming anywhere. And the Ipcress File is a great film too.

[Musketeer Gripweed]

I prefer Tommy to Quadrophenia. Still thinking about my top 5 though

[mattD]

So you're that other person that saw this gem of a film. I don't know many outside of those I recommended Housekeeping to that have seen this. It's Lahti's finest work, along with Running On Empty, imo. A must see film.

I agree, I cannot for the life of me understand how it is so obscure. It is the most underrated film I've ever seen. So I had a look why.

The only thing going for it is that it did get great reviews from the critics who saw it, massively lauded by the famous Vincent Canby along with Roger Ebert. But it was never promoted by the film company, and the trailer and poster makes it look like a goofy comedy when its anything but. So that was misleading and targeting an audience who, well, were not the target audience. Forsyth's career petered out after this, he never made another great film and becoming disillusioned, abandoned the film industry so there's also that. You'd think word of mouth over the years would generate some interest and give it the acclaim it deserves. But still nothing.

It definitely deserves a proper rerelease and reappraisal.

[So… Howard Philips]

But some memorable scenes and lines
“ you’re a big man but you’re in bad shape ,I do this for a living “

At which Brumby ran away from Newcastle and opened up a corner shop in Wetherfield and became the Town Mayor.

[TepidT2O]

5. Wallace and Gromit the curse of the were rabbit
4. Paddington 2
3. Bridge over the river Kwai
2. Dam busters
1, Alien

[9 kemlyn road]

At which Brumby ran away from Newcastle and opened up a corner shop in Wetherfield and became the Town Mayor.

 
He should’ve stopped in Newcastle ,he ended up facing far more danger by marrying Audrey roberts and being related to Gail 

[So… Howard Philips]

 
He should’ve stopped in Newcastle ,he ended up facing far more danger by marrying Audrey roberts and being related to Gail 

 

[rafathegaffa83]

This is difficult

First five that come to mind

1. Black Narcissus
2. Kind Hearts and Coronets
3. Get Carter
4. Lawrence of Arabia
5. Withnail and I