The Lists: Top 10 films about the movie business
With 'The Artist,' 'Hugo' and 'My Week With Marilyn' all on screens, we round up the best films celebrating their own medium
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist."
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Vanity-based industry that it is, it’s hardly surprising that Hollywood should deem itself an endlessly fascinating subject for its own movies. Even from relatively early days, filmmakers have found great satisfaction, perhaps even release, in either documenting or representing the creative, financial and personal trials of their profession on screen – anticipating a movie-mad audience keen to know what goes on behind the camera, in the service of entertainment.
It’s a subject that has made for a number of landmark films both about Hollywood and other hubs of filmmaking, ranging from “Singin’ in the Rain” to “Adaptation” to Truffaut’s “Day for Night.” Clearly, it’s not an area of interest that appears to be dwindling, given its presence in a number of current high-profile releases. “Hugo” and “My Week With Marilyn” are over-the-shoulder valentines to auteur innovation and white-hot star power, respectively; meanwhile, major Oscar hopeful “The Artist,” yesterday named the year’s best film by the New York Film Critics Circle, celebrates an entire medium previously laid to rest.
The timing, then, could hardly be more ideal for a list gathering the best films about the film industry. Less easy was deciding on just 10 titles to fill it. It’s a generously stuffed subgenre, and as I whittled down my shortlist, I was surprised at what I forced myself to leave out – including some obvious canon classics that I’m sure some of you will kvetch about. As always, omission isn’t necessarily dismissal.
So, apologies, “The Player.” Pardon me, “Le Mépris.” I’ll make it up to you, “The Day of the Locust.” I still like you. I feel less guilty about there being no biopics at all in the list, though “Ed Wood” was a notable contender. (Meanwhile, I ruled out “The Purple Rose of Cairo” only because it’s more about spectatorship than filmmaking.) I could only go with the 10 films that most insistently nagged in my head when this theme came up – many of them obvious, some a little less so.
Against competition this fierce, could one of the new batch even hope to crack the list? See if it did in our new gallery, and please do share your thoughts and personal favorites in the comments section below.
For more views on movies, awards season and other pursuits, follow @GuyLodge on Twitter.
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Spearheaded by editor Kristopher Tapley, In Contention represents a collective of awards obsessives who comment and reflect upon, muse about and attempt to decipher the Oscar season on a daily basis throughout the year, and especially during the Oscar crunch of the fall. Regular contributors include Guy Lodge, Roth Cornet and Gerard Kennedy.
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2011-2012 OSCAR NOMINATIONS
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupdaveylo
November 30, 2011 at 1:52PM EST Reply to CommentI like the 10 best list but I do think Day for Night belongs there, especially since it's one of the few movies about filmmaking that has ever won an Oscar.
Erik
November 30, 2011 at 2:01PM EST Reply to CommentGreat list. Hard to disagree with No. 1. No love for Barton Fink?
Billyboy Good point. Barton Fink is a masterpiece.
November 30, 2011 at 2:42PM ESTGuy Lodge As much as I admire Barton Fink, I just don't love it all that much.
November 30, 2011 at 2:50PM ESTKristopher Tapley Barton Fink is my favorite Coen film.
November 30, 2011 at 3:23PM ESTDylanS Yeah, it seems to be a favorite film of theirs for a lot of people, but I have to side with Guy on that one. Though It's likely that I will like it more on repeat viewings, as is often the case with their films.
November 30, 2011 at 3:49PM ESTdaveylo I think out of all the Coen brothers movies I hate Barton Fink the most.
November 30, 2011 at 7:07PM ESTwisconsinkel Why John Goodman was snubbed come Oscar time despite a GG nomination is beyond me. Who the heck did Michael Lerner have to bang to get that deal?
December 1, 2011 at 2:41PM ESTLiz
November 30, 2011 at 2:08PM EST Reply to CommentAny list that includes two of my all-time top ten ("Sullivan's Travels" and "Sunset Boulevard") is A-OK in my eyes.
But I admit, I will always have a touch of resentment toward "The Bad and the Beautiful" because Gloria Grahame won the Oscar that rightly belonged to Jean Hagen. Not reasonable, I know. But it's one of those things I can't get past.
HoustonRufus
November 30, 2011 at 2:18PM EST Reply to CommentWhat a list. I could watch these 10 on a loop and be forever happy.
ZacharyTF
November 30, 2011 at 2:19PM EST Reply to CommentI was surprised to see Singin' in the Rain not on the list.
As for Heart of Darkness, I've watched a few times just to see where Francis snapped. He hasn't been anywhere near as good since then as he was from 1972-1979.
Billyboy
November 30, 2011 at 2:27PM EST Reply to CommentGlad "The Player" didn't make your list. I find that it has aged horribly. Still dying to see "Father of My Children".
And finally, beg to differ on "The Purple Rose of Cairo." Is it really more about spectatorship? A character coming out of the screen and it's consequences on "reality" happens to be a wonderful satire and one of Woody's love letters to filmmaking. Love it when the Baxter character tries paying with movie money and expects a fade to black when kissing Cecilia. (Stardust Memories comes to mind as another one, terribly underrated too.)
Jonnybon "The Player" has indeed aged horribly. A film that I love more and more with each viewing is "Adaptation." Very surprised it's not here.
November 30, 2011 at 4:20PM ESTPaul Outlaw
November 30, 2011 at 2:40PM EST Reply to CommentGreat list, but Nick Ray's In a Lonely Place belongs on it. ;-) "I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me."
Guy Lodge One of the ones it hurt to leave out, I assure you. Sunset Boulevard will just have to carry the torch for screenwriter-focused noirs made in 1950.
November 30, 2011 at 2:48PM ESTPaul Outlaw Gloria Grahame x 2 on a Top 10 list would have been awesome, though.
November 30, 2011 at 2:56PM ESTrentrobuff
November 30, 2011 at 2:41PM EST Reply to CommentWonderful list! I want to discard all my pending term papers and watch every title.
For me, such a list requires "Adaptation" and "Singin' in the Rain".
Also, related: the best TV series ever about the TV industry is "The Comeback" starring Lisa Kudrow.
Guy Lodge Again, leaving out Adaptation was a tough call.
November 30, 2011 at 2:49PM ESTAnd YES to The Comeback. Lisa Kudrow is some kind of modality genius.
Paul Outlaw Guy, did you watch the Showtime version of Web Therapy? i ate up every installment of the online version, but could only get through three episodes of the "expanded" version.
November 30, 2011 at 2:58PM ESTGuy Lodge No, I haven't made time for it yet. I do think the online version is pretty unimprovable.
November 30, 2011 at 3:03PM ESTBrock Landers
November 30, 2011 at 2:56PM EST Reply to CommentGood call on Boogie Nights. It's in my top 10 of all-time.
Brock Landers As you can probably tell from my screen name.
November 30, 2011 at 3:25PM ESTDylanS Every name in that movie is a gem. My personal favorite is still Reed Rothchild, brilliant!
November 30, 2011 at 4:07PM ESTMatthew Starr I wonder if anyone realized how great that cast was as they were actually filming.
November 30, 2011 at 4:23PM ESTDylanS I'm sure PT did. Why else would he have brought them all back on "Magnolia", which pales in comparison to "Boogie Nights", if you ask me.
November 30, 2011 at 5:04PM ESTJonnybon Oof. Magnolia is a terrific film.
November 30, 2011 at 5:47PM ESTMatthew Starr
November 30, 2011 at 3:07PM EST Reply to CommentI don't think the Artist belongs in this top ten but can't argue with the rest of the list, from the movies that I saw.
Dennis
November 30, 2011 at 3:33PM EST Reply to CommentWhere is Day For Night?
Guy Lodge On a list of films I like very much that nonetheless didn't quite make this list. Can we move past the "Where's _______ ?" line of questioning?
November 30, 2011 at 3:42PM ESTMatthew Starr Where is Last Action Hero?
November 30, 2011 at 4:21PM ESTAmir I guess a better question would be: was it close to making the top ten at all?
November 30, 2011 at 6:07PM ESTGuy Lodge Yes.
November 30, 2011 at 6:09PM ESTRodrigo de Oliveira
November 30, 2011 at 3:41PM EST Reply to CommentThe list won me right at the start. Hansen-Love's film is a masterpiece, period. It's also nice to see "Sullivan's Travel" up there. I just watched this afternoon Wim Wenders' "The State of Things", which goes along the line of the left out "Le Mépris", I guess. Still, there's Wenders at his best - and, hey, he did that wonderful Nicholas Ray goodbye-letter, "Lightning Over Water", which is the saddest celebration of cinema I remember watching, ever.
DylanS
November 30, 2011 at 4:04PM EST Reply to CommentI love seeing "Boogie Nights" on the list, not to mention how high up there you put it. I's glad we both agree what a masterpiece that film is. Love the choice of 8 1/2 at #2 as well. My list would probably include "Day for Night", "Adaptation", "Ed Wood", "Purple Rose of Cairo" and my favorite comedy of recent years, Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder".
Guy: I'm curious how you feel about Godard's "Contempt". I watched it a few weeks back, and I found it to be over-indulgent. Was it considered for this list or do you have similar take on the film?
Guy Lodge It was very strongly considered for this list -- if you look in the article above, you'll see I mention it by its French name, "Le Mépris." I wouldn't disagree that it's indulgent -- that's true of a lot of Godard's cinema, after all. But I don't always regard indulgence as a negative.
November 30, 2011 at 4:10PM ESTDylanS Neither do I, but I do think it's a quality that makes a film hit or miss, a love it or hate it kind of deal. It works for some, but It just didn't work for me, and I'm fine with that.
November 30, 2011 at 4:21PM ESTSJG
November 30, 2011 at 4:32PM EST Reply to CommentI have to say I'm a little disappointed that there's no Ed Wood but I'll give you credit for the shout-out in your article.
Also, how terrible is it that the first "movie about the movie industry" that crossed my mind was Notting Hill? Assuming that even really counts...
(Actually, A Star Is Born crossed my mind first, but it deserved to.)
GlenH
November 30, 2011 at 5:12PM EST Reply to CommentI would've had Irma Vep to the list (and not just because it stars Maggie Cheung). While it's specifically about the French Film industry much of it is still pertinant to any national cinema, paritcularly national cinemas with long histories. Also the craft on display is kind of amazing: In particular I love the opening shot which maps out the state of the production by elegantly tracking a prop pistol around the office.
CaptainCanada
November 30, 2011 at 5:56PM EST Reply to CommentI watched several of Preston Sturges' films last summer, including "Sullivan's Travels", and I found most of his films to be tonally all over the place. "The Palm Beach Story" was the only one I thought worked completely ("The Lady Eve" was also better than "Sullivan's Travels", which I would rank third).
caleb roth
November 30, 2011 at 6:02PM EST Reply to CommentTwo Iranian masterpieces, Through the Olive Trees and The Mirror. Make them four: Salaam Cinema and A Moment of Innocence.
Amir I just mentioned Close-up but yeah, how could i forget Olive trees and salam cinema?
November 30, 2011 at 6:10PM ESTGood calls.
caleb roth
November 30, 2011 at 6:08PM EST Reply to CommentOmg, peeping tom? Not Peeping Tom?
Guy Lodge I love Peeping Tom, and would totally have included it -- but wasn't sure if it really counted as an industry film. It probably does. Never mind.
November 30, 2011 at 6:13PM ESTAmir
November 30, 2011 at 6:09PM EST Reply to CommentI have yet to see 4 of these, but my list would include day for night, barton fink and kiarostami's close-up.
MisterFurious
November 30, 2011 at 6:15PM EST Reply to CommentNice list Guy. Can't argue much with so many terrific inclusions. I am curious if you considered Inglorious Basterds for the list. I'm guessing there's plenty of folks that don't think that should be included as even being in contention for this list but I wholeheartedly disagree - that film is wonderfully metacinematic. Each time I watch it I enjoy it more and more chiefly because of that.
Guy Lodge Inglourious Basterds isn't really about the film industry, so no. In any case, I'm not a fan.
November 30, 2011 at 6:33PM ESTMelody Fuller I would agree with MF - you may not be a fan of the film and that's cool, but it definitely is about the film industry in enough measure. Perhaps it is foremost a commentary on cinema or on the surface a war film, but it is also specifically about the Nazi era film industry who wrecked havoc on Weimar Cinema as well as other European filmmakers. They may be an ugly side (or better said, the ugliest) of it, but they are still a part of the industry.
November 30, 2011 at 7:33PM ESTWe go through the process of watching a film be made by Shoshanna within Basterds, we come to know the main actor of a Nazi propaganda film, we come to know the Minister of Film Propeganda himself, we see the famed actress Bridget von Hammersmark acting for her life in her role in Operation Kino. Sure, it’s not blatantly about the film industry, but there’s enough in it, be it obvious or subtle, that supports it being at least considered a movie about the industry.
Hate to disagree with you after you posted a very well thought out and praise-worthy list, but figured I’d thrown in my two cents.
Guy Lodge Thanks -- all fair points, well stated. Either way, the film still wouldn't be near my list.
November 30, 2011 at 10:41PM ESTDylanS thats funny, I was thinking about "Basterd's" as a possibility earlier, and I had the same questions. It'd certainly be on my list, hands down.
December 1, 2011 at 12:18AM ESTdaveylo
November 30, 2011 at 7:12PM EST Reply to CommentLoved Father of My Children. For an offbeat choice I might list Living in Oblivion.
msd I heartily second Living In Oblivion. I can't think of another movie that captures low budget, indie filmmaking so well.
November 30, 2011 at 10:39PM ESTAl
November 30, 2011 at 7:59PM EST Reply to CommentBarton Fink?
Guy Lodge See the second comment.
November 30, 2011 at 10:42PM ESTJLPatt
November 30, 2011 at 9:31PM EST Reply to CommentI guess "Cinema Paradiso" doesn't really apply here, but if we're just going by a vague "movies about movies" them then I would certainly include it!
Shawn
December 1, 2011 at 12:39AM EST Reply to CommentAnother voice here for Irma Vep and Living in Oblivion.
I just watched Sullivan's Travels and I was struck by its flaws (which I could talk about at great length). Why is it that some failures, say, The Notorious Betty Page, seem destined to be forgotten while others become canonical? The place of film in a system of references is surely part of its story. Is the Coen Brothers' reading of Sullivan's Travels more influential than Spike Lee's because they're better filmmakers? Or because they better appreciate the context of the film? You could make a strong case for why Barton Fink is objectively a better movie than Bamboozled, but it's much harder to justify excluding Bamboozled from consideration as a contribution to the genre of films about filmmaking. Even the failures have something to say, and if you put Sullivan's Travels in the canon, you've already made that admission.
alftuba
December 1, 2011 at 10:59AM EST Reply to CommentWhere's The Player?!?!?
Guy Lodge On your list.
December 1, 2011 at 2:51PM ESTAnita
December 1, 2011 at 11:32AM EST Reply to CommentFor me, the first thing that came to mind was 'The Big Picture.' It was my introduction to Christopher Guest and one of the first things I saw when I started going through Kevin Bacon's filmography, and I enjoyed it immensely. I would also second Tropic Thunder, already mentioned.