When you have a 100 movie bucket list eventually you get to Citizen Kane.

Directed, starring and co-written by a 26 year old Orson Welles and claimed to be based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. It’s 1941 and business man and newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane (Welles), has passed away, alone in his Florida monument he built to himself. As his staff at the New York Inquirer watch an obituary to him, it feels empty never getting under the skin of the man. How do they find out more? Is there more to know by understanding his last words “Rosebud”? Reporter Jerry Thompson (William Allard) is tasked with going to meet those who knew him and try to understand Kane better.

Seen by many as the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane is indeed a cinematic masterclass. It’s a film that even ayt 81 years old it has a story that is incredibly relevant, exploring the influence of the media and entitlement. We also have a personal story of a young man who feels abandoned by his parents and spends the rest of his life compensating via control and a refusal to let things go.

Welles towers over the film, not only directing and co-writing but the story revolves around his superb performance as Kane. There’s a wonderful support cast, with many making screen debuts, from Welles own theatre company, with Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore and Everett Sloane amongst the standouts.

The story itself is not only still relevant, but also beautifully layered, it’s dramatic, humorous and dark in equal measure.

Then of course there is the cinematic genius on show, because it’s reputation well earned. The way it’s shot, the way scenes are framed, the way we look up at some characters and look down on others and smart metaphors seamlessly worked in. All coming together to show how a story should be told on screen and many of them used time and again since.

Citizen Kane is a classic with good reason. Welles shows his genius as a writer, performer and director. Guidng us through a tale of obsession, power, regret and loneliness. Beautifully shot it is and remains a cinematic treat.

Next on the 100 movies bucket list is Frank Darabont’s 1999 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Green Mile.

Set in a Louisiana prison in 1935, Tom Hanks plays Paul Edgecomb who runs E wing, death row, also known as The Green Mile. Life on the wing is changed when a new prisoner is brought in, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) he’s large, towering above the warders, even Brutus (David Morse), black and charged with the horrific abduction, rape and murder of two young white girls. As a black man in 1935, there is little interest in whether he committed the crime his guilt is presumed (a chilling cameo by Gary Sinsie as Coffey’s lawyer tells us all we need to know) and he is sentenced to death by electric chair. But when we find there is much more to Coffey than anyone could imagine, it changes everything.

I wasn’t familiar with Kings book so this was not the film I expected at all. Starting as a standard prison drama it takes a turn into an adult fairy tale.

It’s an unusual tale and it’s perhaps no surprise that while popular with audiences it had mixed critical reception. Plenty of the dialogue is a bit on the nose and the story, even though it takes a surprising turn, is relatively predictable. It is long at just over 3 hours and tonally confusing as it flicks between comedy, fantasy and drama to often.

But much is well done. There are uncomfortable scenes depicting racist attitudes of the time. Questions about the barbaric nature of the death penalty as well as “man’s” unending ability to do bad things to each other. But ultimately it is good hearted and built around one person’s ability to do good, regardless of what it does to him.

There’s plenty of good performances, beyond the leads. Sam Rockwell, Graham Greene and Michael Jeter particularly create a rogues gallery of inmates.

The Green Mile is a surprising film, which goes from prison drama to adult fairytale and much inbetween. It can be predictable with some “on the nose” dialogue. But if you can go with this fantastical change of story, there is plenty to enjoy in what is a good hearted tale.

Next on the #100moviesbucketlist is Blake Edwards 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Audrey Hepburn plays Holly Golightly, a party girl who lives in her sparsely decorated apartment and lives the party life with friends from New York’s social scene. She also makes regular visits to Sing Sing prison to see Sally Tomato (Alan Reed) a New York mobster. However, a new relationship emerges when writer Paul Varjack (George Peppard) moves in upstairs. The two find each other fascinating and develop a friendship. As Varjacks feelings for Holly grows, so does the influence of her past that threatens to spoil her future.

There is a real charm to this film, with comedic moments alongside a darker sadness that permeates through Holly’s dazzling exterior. This film really is carried by Hepburn’s central performance, a lovely nuanced balance between comedy and sadness, a woman struggling to move on from her past and believe she can be happy.

She is well supported by Peppard, whose charismatic charm and ability to offer a slight distance to Holly allows us to watch her through his eyes. There is also a marvelous feline performance from Orangey the cat, seriously there is!

For a film released in 1961 it does have some issues when watched through modern eyes, none more than Mickey Rooney’s, Mr. Yunioshi, Holly’s Asian neighbour. Watched today it is cringe inducing from the beginning. There is also some problematic elements to Holly’s back story. But it’s important to remember this film is 60 years old and the attitudes on show are from that period.

For the things you do get from it, the one thing you don’t, is much breakfast or Tiffany’s!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a cultural classic and has a lot going for it with its wonderful charm and sadness. It is lit up by a beautiful nuanced performance from Audrey Hepburn and Peppard’s charm and charisma. While the age of the film makes some it problematic, for me its charm wins out.

Next on the 100 film bucket list is the first of the “Cornetto” trilogy film, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s zombie comedy, Shaun of the Dead.

Pegg plays Shaun, a man in his late 20’s, living an average life who rents a flat with school friends Ed (Nick Frost) and Pete (Peter Serafinowicz). He also has a frustrated girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) who has had enough of his lack of attention and care to their relationship and the thought of one more night in the local pub, the Winchester, becomes too much. Shaun doesn’t have time to process this, because in the background something is sweeping the people of the city turning the population into Zombies. This is Shaun’s and Ed’s chance to do something, as they head out into the city to rescue Liz, her friends, Shaun’s mum (Penelope Wilton) and stepdad (Bill Nighy) and take them to the safe haven of the Winchester.

Shaun of the Dead is a funny and smart “horror” comedy, light on the horror, but with plenty of laughs. There’s some lovely subtlety in the opening act as we see people going about their lives, looking like the undead, would we even notice a zombie apocalypse!? This is coupled with the foreboding background news with stories in papers and on TV of strange behaviour sweeping the city.

When the Zombies finally and literally turn up on Shaun and Ed’s lawn then we commence with a classic zombie style adventure which retains its humour with a selection of comedic ways of stopping the Zombie hoards.

Performances are solid, the script humorous and lean, with pacing that zips along. Of course in true Wright style we also get a fabulous soundtrack to accompany the Zombie based fun.

Shaun of the Dead is a entertaining romp, there is plenty of smart subtle humour alongside the more obvious comedy violence. A cult classic and still remains a fresh and funny watch.

Next on the 100 movie bucket list is 1999’s Office Space.

Written and directed by Mike Judge it is a story of three colleagues at a software company, who when they find out the company are going to make redundancies they decide to take their revenge. Based loosely on Judge’s “Milton” comic sketches, Ron Livingston is Peter, disillusioned with his job, alongside his friends the unfortunately named Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir (Ajay Naidu). When Peter goes with his girlfriend for occupational hypnotism an incident during the session changes his outlook on love, life and work. The changed Peter finds himself a bizarrely indispensable employee and uses his position to help him and his friends take their revenge on their unpleasant employer.

Office Space was never a particular cinema hit but found its cult status on video. The thing with cult films is those that love them, love them and find them memorable and quotable. But for others they wonder what the fuss is about.

I’m in that second group with Office Space. The disgruntled employee is hardly a new idea(even in 1999), neither is the slacker who stumbles into some success. Office Space placed it into a contemporary setting with some 90’s workplace specific gags, but much of it had been seen before.

It’s in no way terrible, and as someone who worked in a late 90’s office, I did recognise plenty of the humorous moments. The cast is solid enough with the three leads well supported by Diedrich Bader, Gary Cole and Stephen Root amongst others. But it’s nothing special either. But that’s the thing with cult comedies, if you love it, you love it, while it will just pass others by.

Office Space may he a bit of a cult classic, but for me it is just a passable workplace comedy. It does have its humorous moments and laughs. But it’s nothing spectacular and not quite sure how it has ended up on a movie bucket list. Comedy more than most genres is about personal taste and this wasn’t quite to mine.

Film number three on our 100 movies bucket list is Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic Alien. A film that spawned a series of sequels of varying quality and endless parodies.

The crew of the Nostromo are in hibernation as their ship pilots them back toward earth. However, when they wake they find the ship has re-directed them after picking up a signal from a nearby planet. Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) heads the team down to the surface to investigate. While exploring a ship they discover, Kane (John Hurt) finds a “cave” full of “eggs” which, when he gets too close to one, triggers the creature inside to attack him. On return to the ship, science officer Ash (Ian Holm) ignores Ripley’s (Signourney Weaver) command to quarintine the ground crew and instead brings them onboard to treat the injured Kane, but with them he also brings the Alien, which puts the entire crew at risk.

Alien in reaity is a B-Movie horror, wrapped inside a 1970’s sci-fi. It borrows hugely from Star Wars in the look of the Nostromo and from any number of B-Movies where the merciless monster hunts down its prey. But that’s not to say it doesn’t do it well, using the isolation of space and claustrophobia of the ship to good effect. You can imagine the impact on a cinema audience in 1979 who would not have seen anything like it.

For me though, Alien has not aged particuarly well, especially compared to some of its contempories. While the ships practical effects look great, some others are a little comical, as is some of the script. With it once or twice “jumping the shark”, which is unneccsary as the central premise is good enough. That alongside the Alien itself, shown only in flashes to maintain its mystery, which helps build the tension and keeps the audience on edge.

You can see why Alien maintains its cult status and is fondly remembered and would have been a huge thrill to audiences at the time. However fourty years later some of the story and effects do creak at the seams. But as a sci-fi horror it still stands up and shows that in space nobody can hear you scream!

Next on our 100 Movies Bucket list is Michael Cimino’s 1978 Oscar winning epic.

Michael (Robert De Nero), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage) are friends from a steel town in Pennsylvania who are called up to serve in Vietnam. We meet them on Steven’s wedding day as they prepare and celebrate his marriage two days before heading to Vietnam. While Steven spends time with his wife Angela (Rutanya Alfa) Michael and Nick along with Stan (John Cazale), John (George Dzundza) and Axel (Chuck Aspergen) head to the mountains to hunt deer. From here life will never be the same.

It is certainly an epic, coming in at just under 3 hours. While it is long it generally uses its time well to give the main characters real depth, establishing relationships with each other and those close, including the complicated relationship between Linda (Meryl Streep), Nick and Michael.

Its second act in Vietnam is the films best, potraying the horror of conflict and its physical and mental impact. It manages all this without feeling overly voyeuristic. However, Its final act didn’t fully work for me at times feeling melodramatic. Although at others it did show real sensitivity with the way it handles its difficult topic.

It certainly look a film of its time, shot with that grainy realism of 1970’s blue collar America so popular at the time and works perfectly here.

It’s not perfect, it is long and predictable, although that should be put in the context of films since that have trodden similar ground.

It is an epic and feels epic, but it isn’t so big it forgets to take time to build characters we get to know and care about and allow excellent performances throughout to breathe. And while the Vietnam war is at its heart it’s not really a war film or even one about Vietnam. It’s much more about how war changes people and how friends handle change.

I wasn’t sure I would enjoy The Deer Hunter and while it is long, it is also thoughtful and uses much of its time brilliantly to develop characters and tell an often touching story. A film that, in my opinion, deserves its reputation.

100 Movies Bucket list.

From 2004 is Nick Cassavetes’s adaptation of Nick Sparks’s The Notebook. James Garner’s Duke is a cheerful care home resident, who reads from his Notebook to help another resident, Ms. Calhoun, who is suffering from dementia. He tells the story of Noah (Ryan Gosling) a country boy who falls for Allie (Rachel McAdams) a wealthy girl holidaying with her parents in his small town of Seabrook. As the summer draws to a close Noah shares his dream of rebuilding the dilapidated plantation mansion for them. Allie’s parents have different ideas and when they leave Seabrook, Allie doesn’t get to say goodbye. As time passes life moves on Noah goes to war, Allie meets Lon (James Marsden) who she is to marry. But when Allie returns to Seabrook before her wedding old feelings are rekindled. All the while Duke hopes that this story of love and loss can help bring Ms. Calhoun back from the clutches of dementia.

Let’s get to it, this is an old fashioned love story engineered to rinse the emotion from its audience. You know exactly what is to come as it borrows heavily from films before it.

But as engineered and obvious as it is I’d be lying to say I didn’t enjoy it. It has a real sweetness and charm. In Gosling and McAdams are two hugely engaging leads. While this is early work from both it’s no surprise they develop the careers they do. With Goslings performance one that he leans on so brilliantly in La La Land. Alongside them there is great support, Garner and Rowlands in their supporting story and Joan Allen as Allie’s scheming mother.

And it would be wrong not to mention a wonderfully done final act in Duke’s and Ms.Calhouns story, which powerfully shows the devastating impact of dementia on those with the illness and those close to them.

The Notebook is a paint by numbers love story, there are no real surprises with the story signposted throughout. But that is not to say there isn’t lots to enjoy, it’s full of charm with two hugely engaging sets of leads. You know your emotions are been manipulated from start to finish, but you really don’t mind.