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The Pianist movie poster from Focus Films
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Dead Poets Society movie poster from Walt Disney Studios
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Ocean’s Eleven poster from Warner Bros Studios.
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In my opinion, cinema truly hit its peak in the 90’s and 2000’s. The films being released were blockbuster after blockbuster and everyone knew it. As someone who was born in 2010, I appreciate both modern and older cinema, and applaud any and all filmmakers. In this article, I’ll give you three recommendations for must watch movies, most likely from before you were born.
The Pianist
The Pianist is a heartbreaking depiction of the life of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist who survived World War II and the Holocaust. Released in 2002, directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Adrien Brody, this film is one of the greatest of all time.
Living in Warsaw, Poland in 1940, Szpilman works as a pianist for a local Polish radio station. After war breaks out in Europe, his family is taken to a German concentration camp along with many others, and he is left alone with no home. Szpilam is caught and forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, but manages to escape barely with his life. After moving around and living his life in secret for a year, Wladyslaw finds a house in the abandoned Ghetto and stays there until a Nazi soldier finds him. Instead of immediately capturing him, the officer allows Wladyslaw to play a song on the piano to prove that he really is a pianist. He plays a beautiful, somber rendition of Frédéric Chopin’s Ballade in G Minor. The soldier, with mercy, spares Wladyslaw and helps him survive in the abandoned attic of the house.
The ending of the film is yours to see, but Polanski delivers beautiful closure, and secured a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars that year. The beauty of this film is seen in the simple gratitude we must have for life. Wladyslaw Szpilman goes through so much, and there were so many instances in which he probably should’ve died, but he had the will to keep going.
Dead Poets Society
Released in 1989, Dead Poets Society is a classic coming-of-age film directed by Peter Weir.
A group of teenagers are sent to an all-boys New England boarding school, Welton Academy, with the hopes that they will become exceptional young men. On the first day of class, a new English teacher, John Keating, is introduced to the school, and things soon begin to change. In a preparatory school with such high standards and serious policies, Keating’s unorthodox teaching methods grow highly popular with the young men. He introduces the boys to a secret club by the name of the Dead Poets Society. The men begin to gather in an undisclosed location and read poetry together, as well as discussing poetic topics. After his controversial teaching methods are discovered by the dean of the school, Keating is fired.
Starring Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and the incredible Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society explores themes of friendship and unity, with a chilling yet wholesome ending. This film can be relatable to many, especially middle and high school students that need to be reminded to not take life too seriously. As John Keating would often say: carpe diem, seize the day.
Ocean’s 11
Las Vegas. Three casinos. Eleven men. In this remake of the original 1960 film, main character and gangster Danny Ocean puts together a dream team of eleven men in order to score the biggest heist in history, securing 150 million dollars.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this criminal drama has not just a nail-biting plot, but also an incredible cast. Some of the notable stars include George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts.
After being released from federal prison for theft, Daniel Ocean cooks up a plan to rob three casinos, all owned by a man named Terry Benedict. Aside from being a millionaire, Benedict is also the man Ocean’s wife left him for.
The plan is to show up to the casinos on the night of a big boxing match, as all of the money bet on the fight will be stored in a singular vault. Decoys will be set, events staged, and targets acquired. It sounds like the perfect crime, but will everything really go according to plan?
Without giving away too much, this film has the perfect amount of ups and downs to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a 2000’s classic and a great crime/drama. While it might not be the most wholesome or realistically accurate movie, it’s a fun comfort movie that’ll make you laugh and keep you guessing.