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Top 10 Movie Antiheroes
With the passing of each week, the more I enjoy concocting these top 10s, and this week’s entry is no different. As you may have guessed from the title or header image, this top 10 will feature, in my opinion, the best antiheroes in cinema history. As always, if you feel I’ve overlooked a contestant or listed one that shouldn’t have been considered, leave all comments and questions below. I’m always looking to improve the segment and love interacting with fellow film lovers.
Every now and then there comes along a protagonist who might go off the deep end. You know, beat someone half-to-death, take pleasure in humanities destruction, or have the occasional soul erased from the face of the earth. Now, however they chose to go about there business is irrelevant. We, as cinephiles love these colourful characters for their more shady characteristics and the nonchalant way they handle things that would send normal people into spiralling depression.
Let’s do it!
Honourable Mentions:
Severus Snape (Harry Potter series, Alan Rickman), Oh-dae Su (Oldboy, Min-sik Choi), Marv (Sin City, Mickey Rourke), Lisbeth Salander (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Rooney Mara), Patrick Bateman (American Psycho, Christian Bale), Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood, Daniel Day Lews), Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee, I Saw the Devil).
10: Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson)
Jules is someone who really radiates anti-heroism. Almost like a gun-slinger with a bible in one hand and a gun in the other.
9: Charles Bronson (Bronson, Tom Hardy)
Talk about taking pleasure in abhorrent behaviour. All Bronson wanted was to fight for the sake of fighting and to become Britain’s most violent prisoner.
8: The Driver (Drive, Ryan Gosling)
Torn between his only skill-set and doing right by his friends. The Driver may lull you in with his heartwarming nature, but make no mistake, he is ruthless and unforgiving.
7: Tyler Durden (Fight Club, Brad Pitt)
Driven by a desire to disrupt the world and destroy his opinion of oppression. Tyler may be trying to help out his bud, but he accomplishes it in true antihero fashion.
6: Alex (A Clockwork Orange, Malcolm McDowell)
Alex simply wants to see others suffer, whether it be through violence, mental degradation, or dominance.
5: Leon (Leon: The Professional, Jean Reno)
An assassin with a heart of gold.
4: Tony Montana (Scarface, Al Pacino)
Willing to do whatever is necessary to become his own interpretation of king. Tony Montana is as cold-blooded as they come.
3: Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro)
One can’t help but feel for Travis, attempting to free the unfortunate girl sucked into prostitution. However, his sociopathic mentality, obsessions with firearms, and desire to murder is too repulsive to overlook.
2: Henry Hill (Goodfellas, Ray Liotta)
From the beginning, we are led to believe that Hill and his fellow thugs are normal, everyday hard-working guys. However, the truth is much more sinister and ferocious.
1: Michael Corleone (The Godfather, Al Pacino)
Although we’ve been given a veritable gaze into the Corleone family and begin to care for them. There is no denying that this mafia family will do whatever it takes to remain atop, especially Michael.
Okay all, that’ll do it for this week’s edition of the top 10, hope you all enjoyed it. Have a great weekend!
Top 10 Films of 2012
We might be a bit late to this particular list’s party, but better now than never. This was a difficult list to compile, lots of great pictures to chose from. But myself (monster1711) and my bud (cinema2033) think we’ve created a diverse and respectable list. If you feel that we overlooked a certain film or have any suggestions for future top 10′s, please comment below. Without further anticipation, let’s get started.
10. Looper. Easily the best science fiction film of the year. Featuring terrific performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis, Looper is a brain scrambler that will leave you stunned.
9. The Cabin in the Woods. Speaking of brain scramblers. The Cabin in the Woods is definitely the most bizarre film of the year. Mixing the hilarious and terrifying elements of horror and poking fun at them, it is sure to be a cult favourite.
8. Skyfall. Quite possibly the best Bond film to ever grace the big screen. Skyfall is witty, charming, and one hell of a ride. With towering performances from Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem, Skyfall is not to be missed.
7. Seven Psychopaths. Another entry into Martin McDonagh’s violent comedies. Seven Psychopaths is full of violence, hilarity, and outstanding performances from Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken.
6. Argo. Winner of the 2012 Oscar for best picture, need we say more? Directed and starring Ben Affleck, Argo is history come alive.
5. Silver Linings Playbook. Thought by many to be the best picture of 2012. Silver Linings Playbook is another solid outing from David O. Russell and features a return to form for Robert De Niro. Not to mention the emergence of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as real acting heavyweights.
4. On The Road. Possibly the most controversial film on the list, On The Road left audiences divided. Based on Jack Kerouac’s generation defining novel. On The Road features entrancing performances from Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, and especially the lovely Kristen Stewart.
3. Django Unchained. The second chapter in Tarantino’s yet to be finished history trilogy. Django Unchained landed Christoph Waltz another supporting actor Oscar. Also starring Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, and a deliciously evil performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained is violently hilarious.
2. Zero Dark Thirty. Best picture nominee Zero Dark Thirty is brought to you by the creators of The Hurt Locker. There really isn’t anything else that needs to be said. Incredibly tense, monumental performances, and impeccably scripted. Zero Dark Thirty is an unstoppable force.
1. The Dark Knight Rises. The conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy, directed by the brilliant Christopher Nolan. With Tom Hardy as Bane, The Dark Knight Rises has the best villain performance of the year. Including an unmatchable cast and an epic finale no one saw coming, The Dark Knight Rises might be the greatest comic book adapted film in the history of cinema.
Honourable Mentions. Lincoln, Sightseers, Prometheus, The Avengers, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, End of Watch.
Django Unchained (2012)
It goes to darker and more controversial places than Inglorious Basterds. Something that, by most was thought to be impossible. Django Unchained is another monumental entry in Quentin Tarantino’s remarkable repertoire and once again displays his confidence and comfort level handling questionable subject matter. One thing Tarantino deserves mammoth respect for is his ability to connect with his target audience and more importantly, never undermining their intelligence. Whether it is the use of several languages or rewriting historical events, Tarantino gives the viewers credit and is rewarded for his investments. Django Unchained’s cast is led by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, and Kerry Washington. Profane, violent, and incredibly entertaining, Django Unchained is a showcase of Tarantino’s unique brain and style as well as impeccably acted.
Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a former dentist, manages to track down and obtain the freedom of a slave named Django (Foxx). Upon learning that Schultz is a bounty hunter, Django is trained to become his apprentice. Schultz needs Django to help him hunt down a group of brothers to collect a bounty. After finishing business with the brothers, Django and Schultz shift their gaze to a ruthless plantation owner named Calvin Candie (DiCaprio), who owns Django’s wife Broomhilda (Washington). Concocting a plan to free Broomhilda from Candie and his conniving slave and friend Stephen (Jackson), Django and Schultz get more than they bargained for.
With his last two outings, Tarantino has managed to turn even his harshest critics into fans. The reason being that no matter how his previous films struck you, Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained are ingenious and too well crafted to ignore. I know numerous people who absolutely appalled Tarantino movies up until 2009. The comedy, action, and pure, creative brilliance in Django and Basterds is impossible to dismiss. Earning several Oscar Nominations for Django Unchained both on and off screen. Tarantino, cast, and crew put their talents to work and don’t disappoint. Waltz is the MVP for the second straight Tarantino outing, winning his second Oscar in as many nominations. DiCaprio and Jackson battle one another in hilarious fashion and manage to outshine Foxx. Foxx who performs admirably is simply outgunned by his surrounding cast. It isn’t his fault entirely, it’s just that with these acting heavyweights, someone has to be the weak link,even if it is by comparison. Django Unchained is as brutal as it is fun making it a must see whether you’re a Tarantino enthusiasts or not.
Django Unchained: 9 out of 10.
