British Invasion

Favorites

Here's an easy question just to get some activity going in this group for a change - and sorry about that, but I haven't seen much released lately in the States lately, and I haven't been able to watch many movies in general lately (hence my lack of activity) so we have to look back: what's your favorite British or Britain-inspired film?  It can be anything so long as the accent's included, hee hee.

I'd say my two favorites are two of my honestly favorite movies of all time: Bridget Jones' Diary (ok, so Renee Zellweger is from Texas, but you don't even notice, most of the time) and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  Are they cliche?  Maybe, but I watch and quote these repeatedly.  I've got loads of others, but these jump to mind.  Though I've kind of stopped identifying them as "British" only because I really have seen them so much and so often.  Plus, I identify with good ole Bridge, and while I don't identify with the crazy English k-nig-its of Holy Grail, I quote it in conversation quite a bit.  You'd be amazed at how many uses there are for lines from this movie.

Anyways, discuss your favorites here!

Re: Favorites

Here are 5, ok 6, not in any particular order that I find quite amazing:

The Servant

Gangster No.1

The Fallen Idol

The Quiet American ( I have not seen the original, although the director for this version, Philip Noyce is Australian, still imparts the  very Graham Greene/English/British sensibility )

and of course,

The Third Man

and

The Spy who came in from the Cold

Now please don't ask me to define the 'English/ British Sensibility'; I do not have a clue. I think that I have been so completely bamboozled by a huge diet of PBS and Master Piece Theater, that these films define it for me. I would love to hear someone from England say ' you have got to be kidding, this stuff is tripe, now this is the real deal...' and then go on and list the ones...

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Alright here's a few British gems that do good things for me.  I believe these are all British in some way.  Please correct me if otherwise:

Two Bruce Robinson classics:
Withnail & I
How to Get Ahead in Advertising

The Ruling Class

Sleuth

A Clockwork Orange

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Dirty Pretty Things

Secrets & Lies

Barry Lyndon

Time Bandits

The Ladykillers

Kind Hearts and Coronets

The Homecoming

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Snatch.

The Third Man

The Elephant Man

Following

A Zed & Two Noughts

Brazil

Oliver Twist

The Pink Panther

A Shot in the Dark

I hear that Kenneth Branaugh is supposedly directing a new film of Sleuth.  It looks as though Michael Caine will be taking the other role in this one.  What do people think about this?

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i wanna play! i agree with all the movies so far (especially the Bridgets) but have some i would add. it seems a lot of these star Gwyneth Paltrow for some reason :)

1. Lock, Stock, And 2 Smoking Barrels
2. Emma
3. Maybe Baby
4. Billy Elliott
5. Calendar Girls
6. Kinky Boots
7. Trainspotting
8. The History Boys
9. Starter For 10
10. Shakespeare In Love
11. Sliding Doors
12. Tristam Shandy: A *** And Bull Story
13. Backbeat
14. The Snapper
15. Impromptu
16. anything and everything having to do with Wallace & Gromit

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wonga:

1. Trainspotting

Very nice list.  Although I don't know if Trainspotting would apply.  That is pretty much strictly Scottish.

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Technically, Risselada, Scotland is part of Great Britian and falls under the Union Jack.  I would count Trainspotting as "British" so long as any Scotspeople don't mind. 

For reference, if I remember correctly, Great Britain is the island comprised of England, Scotland, and Wales.  The United Kingdom adds Northern Ireland.

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pippin06:

Technically, Risselada, Scotland is part of Great Britian and falls under the Union Jack.  I would count Trainspotting as "British" so long as any Scotspeople don't mind. 

For reference, if I remember correctly, Great Britain is the island comprised of England, Scotland, and Wales.  The United Kingdom adds Northern Ireland.

Sure enough, that sounds correct to me!  It get's so confusing though.  Oh bother.

Re: Favorites