griggs's - Letterboxd Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films List

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'Aparajito' sees Apu (Smaran Ghosal / Pinaki Sengupta) move with his family to the busy city of Benares, where they hope to build a new life after suffering a devastating family tragedy.

But when Apu's father then dies, the young man decides to head out on his own and attend college in Calcutta, leading to a growing estrangement between himself and his widowed mother.

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Set in the harsh environment of post war Rome, Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece examines society's indifference toward the poor and downtrodden. An old age pensioner, receiving a totally inadequate pension, struggles to survive and is driven to desperation and the contemplation of suicide.

Set in real locations with a non professional cast, 'Umberto D.' conveys the harshness and wretchedness of old age in a simple but devastatingly realistic way, avoiding sentimentality but evoking great emotion.

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Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) a naive writer of pulp westerns, arrives in Vienna to meet his old friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) but finds that Lime has apparently been killed in a suspicious accident.

Martins, too, curious for his own good, hears contradictory stories about the circumstances of Limes' death and as witnesses disappear he finds himself chased by unknown assailants. Complicating matters are the sardonic Major Calloway (Trevor Howard), head of the British forces, and Limes' stage actress mistress, Anna (Alida Valli). Will Martin's curiosity lead him to discover things about his old friend that he'd rather not know?

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The second of Ingmar Bergman's trilogy on faith, 'Winter Light' springs from Bergman's desire to define man's relation to God - if He exists. A village pastor, unloved and empty of faith, reveals his bitter failure to offer spiritual consolation to his flock.

Sombre and poignant, the film sketches a world of half empty churches - but a world not entirely without hope in God's universe. The story brings together four personalities in a shared quest for spiritual reassurance. A susceptible and disillusioned fisherman (Max Von Sydow) is urged by his wife (Gunnel Lindblom) to seek solace from his local priest (Gunnar Bjornstrand). However, the priest is struggling to regain his own belief - a tragic and intimately depicted conflict, in which he is eventually supported by the cynical resilience of the local school mistress (Ingrid Thulin).

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Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, the story begins with World War II's historic D-Day invasion, then moves beyond the beach as the men embark on a dangerous special mission.

Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) must take his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Faced with impossible odds, the men question their orders. Why are eight men risking their lives to save just one? Surrounded by the brutal realities of war, each man searches for his own answer - and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honour, decency and courage.

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Shohoku's 'speedster' and point guard, Ryota Miyagi (voices of Shugo Nakamura / Miyuri Shimabukuro), always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure. Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older.

Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball. In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi (voice of Subaru Kimura), Rukawa (voice of Shinichiro Kamio), Akagi (voice of Kenta Miyake), and Mitsui (voice of Jun Kasama) as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship. Now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.

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Film recounts the adventures of Gustave H., a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars; and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; a desperate chase on motorcycles, trains, sleds, and skis; and the sweetest confection of a love affair - all against the backdrop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.

"Song of the Sea " tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse - the last Seal-child - who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea.

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A powerful film about a ruthless journalist and an unscrupulous press agent who'll do anything to achieve success, this fascinating, compelling story crackles with taut direction and whiplash dialogue.

Bristling with vivid performances by Curtis and Lancaster, this gutsy expose of big-city corruption is a timeless classic that cuts deep and sends a chilling message. It's late at night in the steamy, neon-lit streets of New York's Times Square, and everything's buzzing with nervous energy. But press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis) is oblivious to the whirlwind of street vendors, call girls and con men bustling around him as he nervously waits for the early edition of The Globe. Whose career did gossip columnist J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) launch today…and whose did he destroy?

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Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), to get the same treatment.

But as his memories of Clementine begin to fade, Joel suddenly realizes how much he still loves her.

Four musicians from another galaxy are kidnapped by an evil manager to ultimately become the biggest band on Earth. Daft Punk's music meets Leiji Matsumuto's designs for this animated musical.

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Marcel (voice of Jenny Slate) is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colourful existence with his grandmother Connie (voice of Isabella Rossellini). Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy.

But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unorecendented dangers and a new hone at finding his long-lost family.

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When British P.O.W.'s build a vital railway bridge in enemy-occupied Burma, Allied commandos are assigned to destroy it in David Lean's epic World War II adventure 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'.

Spectacularly produced, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' captured the imagination of the public and won seven 1957 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Alec Guinness), and Best Director. Even it's the theme song, an old WWI whistling tune, the 'Colonel Bogey March', became a massive worldwide hit. 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' continues today as one of the most memorable cinematic experiences of all time.

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A career highlight for director Dino Risi and his star Vittorio Gassman, 'II Sorpasso' isn't just one of the heights of commedia all'italiana but of all Italian cinema.

Jean-Louis Trintignant (The Conformist) plays Roberto, a shy law student who meets Bruno (Gassman), a larger-than-life Roman playboy who convinces Roberto to join him on a road trip from Rome to the Tuscan countryside. Their travels teach them about each other and themselves, oscillating between comedy and tragedy with powerful and affecting commentary on the easy life. Long admired in Italy, the film has influenced filmmakers including Alexander Payne (Sideways) and Aziz Ansari (Master of None).

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Once upon a time there were two children brought up by the same woman. Azur, a blond blue-eyed son of a nobleman and Asmar, the dark skinned and dark-eyed child of the nurse.

As they grow up the nurse tells them many enchanting stories but their favourite is about the Djinn fairy waiting to be released from captivity by a good and heroic prince. One dark day fate cruelly separates them. Some years later Azur sets out to rescue the fairy only to be reunited with Asmar. And so begins the Princes' quest- a fantastic adventure across magical, mythical lands and seas.