Since we're all aspiring screenwriters here I thought it might be interesting to name two films which represent the best, in our own personal opinion, of what great screenwriting should aspire to be.
When selecting and naming your films I want you to think about character development, dialogue, pacing, atmosphere, casting etc...of course all these "edifices" bolster the movie but without a great screenplay to build on,all of the above only matters to a limited degree.
It's also important to think about whether there may have been any part of the script which warranted being cut or trimmed a little. If the answer is yes then it's not a perfect script.
Here are my two for now. I concentrated on American movies. I think it should be a separate thread for foreign movies.
Dangerous Liaisons - Screenplay, Christopher Hampton
Director, Stephen Frears
This would probably be my desert island movie, the dialogue never loses its zing and the actors particularly the two leads were admirably cast. Yes even Keanu Reeves did a passable job. There's not one single frame I would cut. I loved the novel and this is a superlative adaptation.
L.A. Confidential - Screenplay, Brian Helgeland
Director, Curtis Hanson
Again a superior adaptation, very very lean, no extra fat whatsoever, nothing to cut or add.
I know it's weird that I've selected two adaptations rather than original works. It's not a natural bias, that's just the way it worked out.
When selecting and naming your films I want you to think about character development, dialogue, pacing, atmosphere, casting etc...of course all these "edifices" bolster the movie but without a great screenplay to build on,all of the above only matters to a limited degree.
It's also important to think about whether there may have been any part of the script which warranted being cut or trimmed a little. If the answer is yes then it's not a perfect script.
Here are my two for now. I concentrated on American movies. I think it should be a separate thread for foreign movies.
Dangerous Liaisons - Screenplay, Christopher Hampton
Director, Stephen Frears
This would probably be my desert island movie, the dialogue never loses its zing and the actors particularly the two leads were admirably cast. Yes even Keanu Reeves did a passable job. There's not one single frame I would cut. I loved the novel and this is a superlative adaptation.
L.A. Confidential - Screenplay, Brian Helgeland
Director, Curtis Hanson
Again a superior adaptation, very very lean, no extra fat whatsoever, nothing to cut or add.
I know it's weird that I've selected two adaptations rather than original works. It's not a natural bias, that's just the way it worked out.
Last edited:
To me it's a good flick.
