The Heiress (1949)

The Heiress (1949)

[7]

Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James, The Heiress centers around Catherine (Olivia de Havilland), a shy, socially inept young woman who gets swept off her feet by a dashing young destitute (Montgomery Clift). When her father (Ralph Richardson) accuses the man of preying on his daughter’s inheritance, he threatens to cut her off. Putting all her faith in her first love, Catherine ends up brutally betrayed by both men — and begins to trade her naivete and timidity for spite and cruelty.

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

[8] SPOILER REVIEW: Natalie Portman is incredible in Black Swan, the story of a ballerina who must tap into her 'dark side' to play the Swan Queen in a New York City performance of Swan Lake. Portman's performance is a variation on…
The Hours (2002)

The Hours (2002)

[9] The Hours is a fascinating exploration of three women living in different times and different places, each of them struggling to find their personal bliss against the pressures and expectations of marriage and motherhood. The film is a meditation on death…
Monster’s Ball (2001)

Monster’s Ball (2001)

[9]

A racist, alcoholic prison guard finds himself falling in love with an African-American woman who just happens to be the widow of a man he helped to execute in this film from Marc Forster (Stranger than Fiction, Finding Neverland). Halle Berry is stunning in her Oscar-winning performance, but so is the rest of the cast, including Billy Bob Thornton as the prison guard, Heath Ledger as his disenfranchised son, Sean Combs as Berry’s husband on death row, and Peter Boyle as Thornton’s monstrous father.

The Piano (1993)

The Piano (1993)

[10] Holly Hunter picked up an Academy Award for her performance as Ada, a rebellious mute who finds solace and a means of expression only with her beloved piano in Jane Campion's gorgeously crafted and erotically charged The Piano. Ada is married…
Network (1976)

Network (1976)

[10] A suicidal TV news anchorman strikes a nerve with the public, prompting his network to bastardize their news hour with his crackpot proselytizing. Before long, the network embraces pure tabloid sensationalism -- live assassinations and all. Network is now famous for…
The Lion in Winter (1968)

The Lion in Winter (1968)

[10] Which of King Henry II's sons will succeed him on the throne? This question is rife with political intrigue, personal vendettas, and intense family drama in The Lion in Winter. The relationships are fascinating to watch unfold. The three sons will…
Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

[10] William Wyler's portrait of an English family weathering the darkest hours of World War II is a moving drama about hope and persistence. There's a quiet strength and noble resolve about the characters in this movie that I find utterly disarming.…
It Happened One Night (1934)

It Happened One Night (1934)

[9] Somewhere along the way, Hollywood forgot how to make good romantic comedies. Because there are plenty of them to be found in the '30s and '40s, with Frank Capra's It Happened One Night being chief among them. Claudette Colbert plays a…