Richard E. Grant names his five favourite movies of all time
Multiple hats would be thrown into the ring when it comes to the argument of the greatest British actors of all time. Indeed, you could start a boutique hat shop once the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Tilda Swinton, Anthony Hopkins, Lesley Manville, and Richard E. Grant have been considered, with each one adding to the rich tapestry that is British filmmaking, pioneered by such filmmakers as Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Lynne Ramsay.
One of these stars, Richard E. Grant, is known for his comedy chops, impressing most significantly in the beloved 1987 drama Withnail and I, which tells the story of two out-of-work actors who travel to the English countryside for inspiration before quickly causing trouble. But, he is far from being a one-film wonder, having also shined in Robert Altman’s Gosford Park in 2001, as well as in Can You Ever Forgive Me? alongside Melissa McCarthy in 2018.
Nominated for an Oscar in 2019 following his performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Grant took the time to sit down with the Academy to discuss his five favourite movies of all time, providing some insight into the life of a British icon.
The first film on his list is Woody Allen’s ‘Best Picture’ winner Annie Hall. Although Allen is a troubled figure in the contemporary world of cinema, there’s no doubt he’s made a handful of classics, with Grant stating: “I don’t know whether I’ll get cancelled for saying this nowadays, but I just love Diane Keaton’s performance in Annie Hall. She’s not underage in it, either! Diane Keaton is a grown-up in Annie Hall, and her performance in the film is one of the great comedic performances in cinema.”
Elsewhere, Grant makes a complete 180-degree turn to talk about a pair of undisputed 1970s crime classics in the form of The Godfather series. Unable to choose between the first two instalments in the series, which chronicles the story of the Corleone family as they tussle for power whilst leading the mafia, Grant says of the original: “I’ve never seen any movies that have been better cast, better written, better designed, better acted, better… bettered than The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. I think they are absolute masterpieces.”
Continuing, he adds: “The Godfather Part II – that’s my favourite…The Godfather Part II feels like the story of 20th-century America to me. When it shows Don Corleone arriving at Ellis Island and he sees the Statue of Liberty after travelling from Sicily, it’s like every immigrant’s dream. You think you’re going to go to America, and you’re going to find your fortune, and then you see how that gets corrupted by the end of the story.”
From one genre to another, Grant chooses Bob Fosse’s Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli, as his favourite movie musical. “The movie musical that is my favourite is Cabaret,” he states, “Because the characters in it only sing in a place where it makes legitimate sense to sing. They don’t just suddenly break out into song! Obviously, this film came out in 1972, so I suppose a lot of my favourites were all released in that New Hollywood window of 1972-1977 or so.”
The final film that bookends Grant’s top five is the 1974 Jack Nicholson classic Chinatown, which tells the story of a private detective who gets caught up in a plot far bigger than himself. Speaking about the movie, the actor states: “I think Robert Towne’s script for Chinatown is extraordinary… It’s this nostalgically-lit costume drama, but the contrast between what the film looks like and what’s going on it is incredible.”
Richard E Grant’s favourite movies:
- Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
- Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972)
- Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)
- The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
- The Godfather: Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
