3. Quiz Show
It's Ralph Fiennes vs. John Turturro in Robert Redford's 1994 masterpiece. It's a movie that battles between underdogs and causes the audience great discomfort in siding for either one. Both Charles Van Doren and Herbie Stemple have their good qualities, but they also aren't arm's length form being that picture-perfect protagonist that movies so often fall on to appease audience uneasiness. Because Quiz Show isn't dark or completely tonally serious. There's a vibrancy and humor that lies just beneath the surface that keeps it from never missing a beat, thanks to Paul Attanasio's Oscar-nominated script (Pulp Fiction took home the prize). But the movie is an absolute delight to revisit and still holds up incredibly well by today's standards. Between Fiennes' charm, Turturro's manic outbursts, Redford's masterful direction, and that whip-smart screenplay, Quiz Show is movie-making at its finest, and a period piece at that. http://youtu.be/3S7LHB1kWd0
Cameron Carpenter
Contributor
Cameron Carpenter is an aspiring screenwriter, current film and journalism student, and self-diagnosed cinephile, which only sounds bad in certain circles. Devoted fan of comics, movies, theater, Jesus Christ, Sidney Lumet, and Peter O'Toole, he sometimes spends too much time on his Scribd and comicbookmovie.com, but doesn't think you're one to judge, devoted reader. You can follow him on Twitter to watch him talk to people you didn't know exist. Oh, and Daredevil is quite the big deal around here (my head).
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