Following the final list of American University’s 100 Favorite Films, I’ve taken it upon myself as the Silver Screen Editor to sift through the results and find what was missing. There’s no doubt that we Eagles have great taste, but here are a few more films you might like.
Musical westerns, Spanish melodrama, convoluted 2000s political commentary — just as our favorites list had a little something for everyone, this one does too.
“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964) and “The Young Girls of Rochefort” (1967)
With “La La Land” confidently claiming the top spot on our list, it feels right to recommend its spiritual predecessor: “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”
Damien Chazelle has never tried to hide his love for this film, and once you see “Umbrellas,” his admiration only becomes more apparent. However, Chazelle and the countless others it inspired never quite managed to top the feat that is “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” a 92-minute musical sung from start to finish.
While you’re in ‘60s France, might as well head north and check out “The Young Girls of Rochefort.” Director Jacques Demy’s later work received two votes in the poll, but I can’t help but wonder how many more it would have garnered if its viewing figures were closer to those of a film like “La La Land.”
Whether you’re a fan of musicals or not, you’ll struggle not to fall in love with “The Young Girls of Rochefort” or burst into tears as “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’s” credits roll.
“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and “The Young Girls of Rochefort” are available to stream on HBO Max.
“Sholay” (1975)
What might seem like a daunting watch — a three-and-a-half-hour Bollywood Western — may end up as one of the most fun, thrilling and moving movies you’ve ever seen.
Free of the constraints of the typical Hollywood-style, “Sholay’s” theatrical flair lets color and dance run boundlessly across its beautiful landscapes. A slapstick comedy at one moment, and an action-packed adventure at others, “Sholay” is a story of heroes, villains, revenge, justice, love and loss. This is what movies are all about.
“Sholay” is fit for anyone willing to step outside of their comfort zone and into a whole new world of moviemaking.
“Sholay” is available to stream on Tubi.
“Cinema Paradiso” (1988)
Framed through a filmmaker’s return to and recounting of his childhood, “Cinema Paradisio” is a love letter to the movies who made him who he is and the man that showed them to him.
While I’m a huge fan of many of the heartfelt and coming-of-age films that did feature on our list, none of them have the magic that “Cinema Paradiso” does – few films do. A warm hug that wraps its arms around the audience.
Paradise as cinema; cinema as paradise.
“Cinema Paradiso” is available to rent or buy on YouTube.
“Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 60s in Brussels” (1994)
As appropriate a title as can be, “Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 60s in Brussels” is really just that: an hour of unadulterated cinema that lets life’s fleeting moments flourish, an hour of following, watching and listening.
Scarce in budget, stars and runtime, Chantal Akerman once again showed the strength and value of minimalism on screen; perfect for fans of the many feminist, queer and “slice-of-life” films on the list.
“Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 60s in Brussels” is available to watch on YouTube.
“Heat” (1995)
If you were one of the 45 people who listed a Christopher Nolan film, ignore the other nine films on this list. Temporality was never cooler than in “Heat.”
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro clash like cosmic forces as the cop and robber in Michael Mann’s L.A. crime thriller; maybe the most “sellable” movie ever made.
Some may call it style over substance, but “Heat” has an abundance of both. The style is the substance.
“Heat” is available to stream on Paramount+.
“All About My Mother” (1999)
Quality cinema is never as soapy, dramatic, racy or colorful as when Pedro Almodóvar steps behind the camera. Especially when he did so for “All About My Mother.”
“All About My Mother” is a tour de force of acting and storytelling. Every moment is given proper weight, and every character an abundance of life. But not always a life as beautiful as the film’s rich color palette.
“All About My Mother” is the kind of movie that makes you wish more movies were like it — thankfully the rest of Almodóvar’s filmography exists. And although it’ll likely ruffle a few of your feathers (and you’ll certainly understand why once you watch it), I cannot recommend “All About My Mother” enough.
“All About My Mother” is available to rent or buy on YouTube.
“Ginger Snaps” (2000)
American University’s love for 2000s cult classics only makes the absence of “Ginger Snaps” more disappointing. The princess that never became queen, “Ginger Snaps,” should be a benchmark of coming-of-age horror.
Its empathic portrayal of motherhood might even make it the perfect film to pair up with “All About My Mother” for one hell of a double feature.
“Ginger Snaps” is available to stream on Peacock, PLEX, Pluto and Tubi.
“Southland Tales” (2006)
I’m not sure how the School of Public Affairs’ wonks managed to flood the polls, but the evidence is clear. I, for one, am still reeling at “Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” breaking into the top 50 as well as beating out all of Stanley Kubrick’s other films – just as Richard Kelly was still reeling from the effects of 9/11 when he made “Southland Tales.”
Set in a frenzied and digitized America, “Southland Tales” is as off-the-wall-bonkers as film can get. While the initial hatred audiences and critics felt toward it cannot be overstated, with each passing year, it only becomes more relevant — a fine wine distilled from American chaos.
For those itching for another satirical political thriller — and who can handle a whole lot of eccentric characters and subplots, and Justin Timberlake’s southern drawl as our Iraqi War Veteran narrator — “Southland Tales” is the one.
“Southland Tales” is available to rent or buy on YouTube.
“Babylon” (2022)
Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” took the top spot. “Whiplash” tied for #9 with 12 votes. Yet “Babylon” didn’t get a single one.
It’s sad to see the film’s initial reception still shaping its perception today because this sprawling epic makes his previous films pale in comparison. Chazelle’s intense, intertwined love for music and movies has yet to shine brighter or bigger.
Ignore the box office and the critics, but do not ignore the masterpiece that is “Babylon.”
“Babylon” is available to stream on Paramount+.
For The Eagle’s 200th birthday, I expect all 10 of these to break into the list. Do not let me down.
Check out the final AU’s Favorite Films list on our Letterboxd.
This article was edited by Alia Messina, Jessica Ackerman and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Arin Burrell, Paige Caron and Andrew Kummeth.
