1. Casablanca - 1943
A perfect film. I'll say it again but this time with emphasis: A Goddamn perfect film. One of the very few which can bear that distinction. Nearly nothing else from that year has mattered in the seventy years since Casablanca's release. Arguably the greatest movie of all time, Casablanca was perfect in every regard. A beautiful, oscar winning screenplay full of romance, intrigue and heroism. An exquisite score punctuated by the timeless, As Time Goes By. The set design, art direction and costume design all so impeccable that you feel and see warmth and color even through a black and white production. Amazing. And then, the performances. Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine is one of the all time great movie heroes -- Stoic and selfless to the end. Ingrid Bergman infused Ilsa with so many layers where in lesser hands she could have become a problematic character. Claud Rains as Captain Louis Renault. The yin to Rick's yang; Their chemistry was impeccable. And maybe the most underrated actor of all time, Peter Lorre as Signor Ugarte, the catalyst of the last two thirds of the film. I could gush forever about this movie (and I might) but I'll end with this: If you're in love, watch this movie. If you're reeling rejected, watch this movie. If you're interested in the history of film, watch this movie. The rest of the films that year didn't amount to a hill of beans when compared to Casablanca. So, if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and do so. If you've seen it already go ahead and play it...for old time's sake.