Spoiler alert!!! The reviews below may contain spoilers.
5.- Full Metal Jacket. Stanley Kubrick (1.987) The best war movie ever. At least in my view. Extraordinary script and actually two movies for the price of one. The first part is about the Marine's training camp at Ellis Island depicting how a bunch of youngsters become fearless fighters and some of them are even brainwashed. This first part of the movie ends with a memorable scene, beautifully shot, with the suicide-homicide by Private Pyle. The insults by Sargent Hartman are extraordinary. The second half of the movie is in the actual Vietnam front, where the fresh recruits are put to test. The film reaches its second climax with the sniper scene at the end. By having a teenage girl as the sniper, who kills and sometimes deliberately keeps her targets alive for more suffering, Kubrick wants to show the world the absurdity of war. This concept is enhanced when the Marines walk out of the battle singing the Mickey Mouse Club song.
6.- Goodfellas. Martin Scorsese (1.990) This is Scorsese at his best. Great characters and superb casting. Lots of violence. Based on a true story, Scorsese tells us about mafia in New Jersey not long ago. It's like the Godfather 30 years after. Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci team up once again in a Scorsese movie. They had done it previously on "The Raging Bull" and would do it again on "Casino" a few years after this movie. It's the story of Henry Hill, a young boy who ends up working for Paulie, a New Jersey mafia boss. It contains the same elements you expect top find in this genre: violent assassinations; codes of honour; double crossing; drug trafficking. Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) ends up as the star witness against Paulie and his other band members in exchange for his freedom and anonymity.
7.- Cinema Paradiso. Giuseppe Tornatore (1.988) A movie about friendship, nostalgia and coming of age which is almost perfect in every way. The story of a boy named Toto growing up in a small town in Sicily who develops a love for movies and works at the only cinema in town. He befriends the projectionist, Alfredo, and eventually becomes a famous director. Many years later he returns from Rome for the funeral of Alfredo and we're told the story of his younger years as Toto remembers it. Like every other kid, Toto gets in trouble, finds love and loses the love of his life. Tornatore develops his characters in a way the audience are drawn to them. You just can't help but loving the young boy and the friendship he develops with Alfredo. The town's priest, who is the highest moral authority and who decides which movies the people can watch and even edits the love scenes off the final cuts. The end of the movie, when Toto receives a gift Alfredo had left for him and which is a movie made up of all the scenes cut off by the priest, is memorable to say the least. Cinematography and music are also important elements that help make this movie one of my true favourites of all time.
8.- The Shawshank Redemption. Frank Darabont (1.994) A movie that contains one of the best story lines I've ever seen in film history. This fictional tale of friendship, hope and survival has many sub plots, twists and great characters, all of them masterfully portrayed by an extraordinary cast. It's funny that there are two movies based on Stephen King's novels in this list and none refer to a horror story or have anything related to the supernatural. Like I've always said, if the story itself is great, the movie is 75% complete. Just add up the casting, direction, music and cinematography. Another one of the great movie endings.
5.- Full Metal Jacket. Stanley Kubrick (1.987) The best war movie ever. At least in my view. Extraordinary script and actually two movies for the price of one. The first part is about the Marine's training camp at Ellis Island depicting how a bunch of youngsters become fearless fighters and some of them are even brainwashed. This first part of the movie ends with a memorable scene, beautifully shot, with the suicide-homicide by Private Pyle. The insults by Sargent Hartman are extraordinary. The second half of the movie is in the actual Vietnam front, where the fresh recruits are put to test. The film reaches its second climax with the sniper scene at the end. By having a teenage girl as the sniper, who kills and sometimes deliberately keeps her targets alive for more suffering, Kubrick wants to show the world the absurdity of war. This concept is enhanced when the Marines walk out of the battle singing the Mickey Mouse Club song. 
6.- Goodfellas. Martin Scorsese (1.990) This is Scorsese at his best. Great characters and superb casting. Lots of violence. Based on a true story, Scorsese tells us about mafia in New Jersey not long ago. It's like the Godfather 30 years after. Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci team up once again in a Scorsese movie. They had done it previously on "The Raging Bull" and would do it again on "Casino" a few years after this movie. It's the story of Henry Hill, a young boy who ends up working for Paulie, a New Jersey mafia boss. It contains the same elements you expect top find in this genre: violent assassinations; codes of honour; double crossing; drug trafficking. Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) ends up as the star witness against Paulie and his other band members in exchange for his freedom and anonymity.
7.- Cinema Paradiso. Giuseppe Tornatore (1.988) A movie about friendship, nostalgia and coming of age which is almost perfect in every way. The story of a boy named Toto growing up in a small town in Sicily who develops a love for movies and works at the only cinema in town. He befriends the projectionist, Alfredo, and eventually becomes a famous director. Many years later he returns from Rome for the funeral of Alfredo and we're told the story of his younger years as Toto remembers it. Like every other kid, Toto gets in trouble, finds love and loses the love of his life. Tornatore develops his characters in a way the audience are drawn to them. You just can't help but loving the young boy and the friendship he develops with Alfredo. The town's priest, who is the highest moral authority and who decides which movies the people can watch and even edits the love scenes off the final cuts. The end of the movie, when Toto receives a gift Alfredo had left for him and which is a movie made up of all the scenes cut off by the priest, is memorable to say the least. Cinematography and music are also important elements that help make this movie one of my true favourites of all time.
8.- The Shawshank Redemption. Frank Darabont (1.994) A movie that contains one of the best story lines I've ever seen in film history. This fictional tale of friendship, hope and survival has many sub plots, twists and great characters, all of them masterfully portrayed by an extraordinary cast. It's funny that there are two movies based on Stephen King's novels in this list and none refer to a horror story or have anything related to the supernatural. Like I've always said, if the story itself is great, the movie is 75% complete. Just add up the casting, direction, music and cinematography. Another one of the great movie endings. 
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