My Cinematic Alphabet: In Depth - A

I thought I'd take a closer look at My Cinematic Alphabet and pick out a few notably brilliant films for each letter. This is to highlight those films that I couldn't fit in the original post but that are certainly worthy of a mention.

Keep your eyes open for these posts as I'll be posting one a week for each letter. Enjoy!

A

American Gangster

I picked out American Gangster because it has got to be Dezel Washington's most bad-ass character ever. I am a huge fan of Denzel, who manages to remain one of the coolest men in Hollywood, due to his emotional performances and how he captures each role he plays perfectly. I'm surprised he never received much in the way of awards for his performance in this one. He captured the character effortlessly and brought us some downright scary moments of explosive anger that prove his worth as an actor. It contains probably my favourite Russell Crowe performance to boot. I simply cannot fault this one.

American History X

I've seen this one on many lists of this type recently, and for good reason. Again this film contains one of the most bad-ass performances ever by Edward Norton and that's one reason it stands out for me. There really is no comparing Norton's early career with the stuff he does now. The storyline in this one is so moving and the imagery is so shocking at times but it remains entirely captivating throughout. It deals with a gritty and taboo subject brilliantly. They couldn't have done it better.

Apollo 13

For me this is a film from my childhood. I remember being so gripped by what I saw and completely struck by how amazing Tom Hanks' performance was. You just cannot beat his early career which included classics such as The 'burbs and Big because they all seem to transport you to memories of being young. It may not be his greatest film ever but the story remains so moving due to the truth behind the story. This is a proper feel-good film.

American Beauty

 I don't know why it is that three out of four of the films so far begin with the word American. Anyway, here is another classic that does. I think I love films because of the great performances they contain. For me this is Kevin Spacey's best in a career that has not always left me in awe. The film contains some of the most famous scenes in the modern cinema and I can't imagine anyone not falling in love with this powerful story.

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My Cinematic Alphabet