The term “Top 5 Evergreen Movies evergreen movie” is often used to describe a film that transcends time and remains enjoyable for audiences of all generations. These movies are not simply popular when they are released; they continue to resonate with viewers decades, even centuries, later.
1. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
The second collaboration between director John Cassavetes and actor Ben Gazzara, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is a typical example of the 1970s Noir genre, following the dramatic story of a shady bar owner, Cosmo Vittellis – played by Ben Gazzara.
In the exposition, we see Cosmo paying off the final installment of a debt to the mafia. “I’ve got the world by the balls!” – he declares in a not-so-subtle note of enthusiasm for his newfound freedom. However, after only a day, his gambling addiction puts him back in a position of debt, but this time, he is forced to pay off the debt immediately. With no money, he is offered the alternative of assassinating a Chinese gangster.
Despite the appearance of a simple gangster film, Cassavetes places the existential crisis that Cosmo is going through at the center of the action, sometimes demonstratively. The decadent world of San Francisco is presented in parallel with his experiences. The bleak atmosphere and the kitschy spectacle at the club together form a complete character, meant to provide a counterpoint to Gazzara. Scenes revisiting the protagonist’s expressions abound, creating contrasts between what is happening around the character and what is happening inside him.
2. Requiem for A Dream (2000) – Top 5 Evergreen Movies
How do drugs change your perception of reality, and how does addiction change your life? How do you even reach self-destruction? You’ll see all of this in a crazy psychological film directed by Darren Aronofsky, known for his passion for exploring the human psyche in his films.
On Coney Island, four characters build their own paradise of hallucinations. Once addicted to drugs, Sarah, Harry, Marion, and Tyrone become captives of worlds where dreams can instantly turn into nightmares.
Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel of the same name is undoubtedly an honest, harsh, realistic, and well-executed film. The director manages to find balance in dealing with an extremely challenging subject: addiction. Requiem For A Dream is more than just a film about drug addiction and the path to destruction that culminates in the hell of drugs. The film speaks about addiction in various forms: from television series to cocaine and heroin.
Throughout its entire duration, the film is truly brutal, and the ending cannot be otherwise: addiction wins. Nevertheless, Requiem For A Dream is more of a manifesto against addictions, and Aronofsky manages to depict characters whose dramas will captivate you through the sacrifices they are willing to make to satisfy a need.
3. Memento – super psychological thriller about memory
It is one of the most innovative psychological thrillers ever made, recognized as such by critics and the Writers Guild of America. The story is told through a very original structure, but we won’t tell you more to avoid spoiling your viewing pleasure. The main character has lost the ability to form new memories but is determined to find his wife’s killer. So, he uses all sorts of tricks, facing the impossibility of remembering what is happening to him, including tattooing important information.
Memento (2000) remains relevant and is one of Christopher Nolan’s best films, whose other films you probably know: Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight.
It’s not just a superb thriller; Memento is also a film about memory. There are scientists specialized in this subject and in anterograde amnesia who say that it is one of the most accurate films in depicting on the big screen how memory works and this type of amnesia. Watch the Memento trailer. It seems that Nolan is preparing a remake of the first Memento, just 15 years after its release, which is quite rare for films produced so recently.
4. Taxi Driver – Top 5 Evergreen Movies
In Taxi Driver, we view Times Square or The Village through the eyes of a psychotic taxi driver played by Robert De Niro. Pimps, prostitutes, all kinds of perverts, corrupt police officers, and other nocturnal creatures emerge in the light of Travis Bickle’s headlights.
Travis (De Niro) is a Vietnam veteran who becomes a taxi driver to somehow use the nights when he can’t sleep due to insomnia. The film follows Travis’s transformation from a taxi driver into a vigilante. As the young man loses touch with reality, becoming convinced that his mission is to clean up New York.
Travis starts following a strict exercise routine and buys guns as easily as he would buy a hot dog. He practices his lines for future victims, giving rise to the most famous scene with young De Niro: “Are you talkin’ to me?”
The film is not just a critique of a government that failed to respect its old soldiers but also throws ironic arrows toward a society that is quick to glorify a vigilante who could have become the future Lee Oswald…
De Niro and Scorsese were The Dream Team for several decades. However, Taxi Driver is perhaps the best film resulting from the collaboration between the two.
5. Borgman
Certainly, if you’re reading this article, you want a different and intelligent cinematic experience. One that plays with your expectations and surprises you. In this case, you must see Borgman.
You don’t know if it’s a comedy or drama; you don’t understand the characters’ motivations, and the pretense of a logical cause-and-effect relationship is absurd. Precisely because it’s so unexpected and mysterious, Borgman is both a revelation and a frustration. Because it takes you out of the familiar dance step with movies and leaves you without reference points. You’ll find yourself chuckling when you realize that any attempt to anticipate the plot will be foiled.
If you want to venture into this experience, don’t read anything else about the film. Because you will inevitably encounter spoilers. Just seek it out.” I hope this translation is helpful! If you have any more requests or questions, feel free to ask.
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