Pay Ton

Let me start this thread with the obvious...SPOILERS.

The Lives of Others

Nobody who's seen the The Lives of Others could have initially thought that the cold, systematic, and ruthless Wiesler could ever develop into anything more than a hardcore Stasi loyalist. Wiesler is portrayed early on as such a forceful antagonist to Western Germany ideals that you couldn't seeing him straying from that. So begins one of the most brilliant transitions in film history, when near the end of the film Wiesler does everything he can to help Dreyman, a playwright under Stasi suspicion, out of his predicament. He receives the ultimate vindication when Dreyman dedicates his novel to Wiesler. The last lines of dialogue are priceless...

"Shall I gift wrap it?"

"No, it is for me."



Election

After the film's two hours of gang retaliation, counter-action, and all out war, peace is finally formed between bitter rivals Big D and Lam Lok. The two finally put aside their differences and begin a valued partnership, or so we think. Can peace ever really exist in the business of crime? Johnnie To gives his take on such an idea, with an end so shocking and brilliant that it elevates the entire film. What's more, is that the cold blooded, merciless deed doesn't come at the hands of ruthless Big D, as we all might expect, but at the hands of Lam Lok, the soft-spoken, pragmatic and even pacifistic (at least in the Triad businees) leader. While Lam Lok is obviously influenced from Puzo's Michael Corleone, it's a derivation that works, and doesn't just come off as "biting".



Talk to Her

Almodovar takes his audience on a journey with Marcos and Benigno, two men who love their respective women equally, just in very different ways. Then, at the end of the film, when all seems lost, and loved ones have died (as well as lovers), Almodovar gives us a blossoming new beginning. A potentially beautiful love grown from the cracks of deceit, perversity, and heartache. The final shot between Marcos and Alicia is wonderful.



Nights of Cabiria

Hopeful prostitute Cabiria spends most of Fellini's film being mistreated by men. She's left for dead, neglected, shoved around, and decieved. So in the end, when she seems to have finally found true love, we're thrilled for her. But somehow, we know better. Sure enough, Cabiria is once again left devastated after her "fiance" leaves her broke, both financially and spiritually. Still, Cabiria maintains her hopeful nature, her inherent radiance, and her willful defiance in the face of post-war Italy as she walks amongst a group of young lover musicians in the final shot of the film. Broke, battered, and without a home, Cabiria gives a glance directly into the camera and smiles enthusiastically through her tears, her spirit never crushed.



Go ahead and post yours, I'll add some more later.

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Six ****ing devils stepped up playing brave God, had the ****ing nerve to try and enter my graveyard.

BenDengGo

usual suspects

UKfan4Life

The ending to The Prestige was awesome.

PartisanRanger

Fight Club is a requisite mention.

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On Social Justice and General Welfare

Aussie Baller

Gallipoli has a poignant ending.

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roux2dope

American Beauty

Deke

Never seen any of these movies but fight club.

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Your welcome fellow bulls fans.

E.H. Munro

The greatest last line in the history of cinema...

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If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong.

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

The Power of 99 Press

"He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.

Hibachi!

I have never seen any of these sans Fight Club

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Jerome James on Nate McMillan's accusation that he is too selfish-

Pay Ton

That's Hitchcock's Frenzy isn't it?

Underrated Hitchcock flick.

Anyways...

Sideways

It's hard to keep count, but there aren't many characters in Hollywood as depressing and pathetic as Miles in Sideways. Taking a journey with his best friend Jack to "Wine Country" should be a getaway for him, but unfortunately, it just brings up old issues and dark emotions for a man so helplessly broken that he can't seem to find even a glimmer of hope in a potential relationship with Maya, a woman so seemingly perfect for him. So in the end, when Miles learns of his ex-wife's pregnancy, and his book deal fails, he's left deeper in the gutter than when he started, and we're left hoping for some vindication for him. Thankfully, Maya leaves a sincere message on his answering maching, prompting Miles to, for once, take some progressive action to better his life...all with a simple knock on a door. It's not a lot, but that knock somehow tells us that Miles is going to turn out okay.

Couldn't find a clip for this one.

As Good as It Gets

He stepped on the crack! It's an action that, out of context, seems so minute. But those of us who know Melvin Udall know how redemptive that action truly is.



Unforgiven

Throughout the entire film, audiences are told of the legend of Bill Munny. How he was a ruthless killer of women and children, and a downright cold-hearted *******. The build up gets to ridiculous levels, so when Bill finally confronts Little Bill Daggett in Skinny's Saloon, we're left disappointed as Little Bill kicks the **** out of Mr. Munny and leaves him near death. Taken to a distant cabin and cared for, Mr. Munny recovers only to find out that they've killed his friend Ned Logan. Then, after two hours, audiences finally get to see the William Munny they've been clamoring for, and he doesn't disappoint, showing us that he's one of the all time badasses in Western cinema.



Heat

Two career men. One a criminal, the other a cop. The absolute best at what they do, but entirely dependent upon one another. Between them, an understanding so deep that they could have been allies in another life. Two imposing forces of technique, professionalism, and craft (notice how I'm speaking about the characters as well as the actors) that come together so brilliantly in Heat that deep down we wish that they could just drop their differences, join forces, hold hands and sing Kumbaya. But we know it can't be. Still, even after their confrontation, that bond still exists, in a final act of understanding, with the grabbing of a hand. The predator has won, but he knows there'll never be a better prey.

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Six ****ing devils stepped up playing brave God, had the ****ing nerve to try and enter my graveyard.

NewAgeBaller

+1 on Heat, but moreso the entire movie.

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- Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat

Lynx

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E.H. Munro

In a lot of ways it's my favourite. It was a very daring film at a point in life when most artists are in a groove that they don't break. There's a lot of experimentation in his technique that you would normally expect with young directors rather than an aging legend like Hitchcock.



That's probably my second favourite film ending.

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If everyone loves you you're doing it wrong.

"Opium is the religion of the masses." Fred Reed

The Power of 99 Press

"He thinks it's going to be fun being governor. It's only fun being governor of New York if you have money to spend, and I spent it all." Nelson Rockefeller on his successor, Hugh Carey.

Protein Data Bank

Unforgiven is just a perfect movie

Paris TX is prob my favorite

Futurama_Fanatic

good call on the Felini flick and The lives of others. both fantastic films.

My favorite endings: Snatch, 2001, and Venture Brothers episodes Powerless in the Face of Death and Dr Quymn Medicine Woman

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