CD-Charts Position 1
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American Beauty [2000]

starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari
directed by: Sam Mendes

Release Date November 27, 2000
Lester Burnham's (Spacey) life is reawaken when he meets Angela Hayes (Suvari).

This 1999 Oscar winning picture is regarded as Mendes' finest and with a fine realistic styled direction it is easy to see why.

Dramas can often be ruined when a can of clichés is opened but Mendes keeps a grounded direction all the way through and uses a variety of techniques to achieve the ultimate shocking effect. From a simple but effective sweeping shot of the suburban residency to the artistic and now infamous fantasy sequences, Mendes maintains the realism in the film's context.

Alan Ball's Oscar winning script is superb. The conciseness of the character's lives is easy and relaxing to watch which, given the complexity ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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The American President [1995]

starring: Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, Anna Deavere Smith
directed by: Rob Reiner

Release Date September 02, 2002
This film should have been awful but is nearer to a classic.
Michael Douglas gives another top notch performance startillingly similar to all his other performances. Rather than a critisism, an acknowledgement that Michael Douglas knows what he's good at and does it very well.
Douglas and co-star Annette Benning create the irresistable on screen chemistry and illuminate an enchanting tale.
In reality The American President is more of a modern fairytale than realistic drama.
Leaves you a little sad that that is the case.

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

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Great Outdoors

starring: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, Chris Young
directed by: Howard Deutch

Release Date November 10, 2003
You pretty much know that any film featuring both John Candy and Dan Aykroyd is going to generate some laughs, making The Great Outdoors a pretty safe bet for anyone in the mood for a little comedy - and comedy is basically all you should expect here (any film that supplies subtitles for raccoon conversations isn't really trying to express anything meaningful), despite the fact that John Hughes wrote the script. For once, Hughes' involvement does more harm than good. While The Great Outdoors is certainly a good movie, it's not a very good John Hughes movie. Of course, it's hard to follow 80s classics like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink, but Hughes' heart just didn't seem to be in this one. This is best demonstrated by the teenaged romance part of the story, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

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Mars Attacks! [1997]

starring: Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Annette Bening, Glenn Close
directed by: Tim Burton

Release Date May 11, 1998
this is really fun to watch and really funny as well especially SJP when she has the body of a dog and Brosnan's head danglen on sum wires!!

also i would seriously recomend this to people who either like Burtons films or if they like spoofs and sci-fi's

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

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Open Range [2004]

starring: Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter
directed by: Kevin Costner

Release Date May 31, 2004
Finally! The first Costner film that you can sit and watch with real pleasure for far too long.

Boss Freeman (Duvall) and Charley Waite (Costner) are Freegrazers (a kind of gypsy cowboy with no ranch) travelling with their herd and companions through the majestic scenery of the Wild West.

What follows has been seen many times before but rarely carried off with such aplomb. Duvall is, as usual, superb and Costner plays the taciturn cowpoke with a violent past much better than Eastwood managed in 'Unforgiven'. Gambon invests the evil town `guvnor' with just the right amount of ham and menace and Bening is in fine fettle as the love interest.

The film builds up the tension slowly, helped by a haunting score, before probably the best ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

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Regarding Henry [1991]

starring: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, Michael Haley, Stanley Swerdlow, Julie Follansbhee
directed by: Mike Nichols

Release Date October 06, 2003
Harrison Ford plays a high powered lawyer, ruthless and power hungry in his career and home life.

His family, wife and daughter, are distractions and very much second place to his career.

One night as he buys cigarettes he is shot in the head by an armed robber and although he survives, he receives damage to his brain which leaves him with the mind of a young boy. In this touching film, his family bring teach him to live as normal a life as possible.

CD-Charts Position 7
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The Siege [1999]

starring: Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila
directed by: Edward Zwick

Release Date June 07, 2004
What we have here is an average attempt at manifesting one of the possible and likely threats of our time; Terrorism. To much of an extent, the film captures this perfectly, and we learn how such people operate, they're motives etc etc... However, the film fails in its layout - the way it keeps switching from Denzel and co's personal issue's and feelings to the job in hand leaves you feeling out-of-place.

It should also be noted that Bruce Willis and a helicopter with missile cannons don't mix, when it comes to realism. The result is borderline laughable as he struts about in his army uniform.

Though its been directed and presented well, a little more thought into making the plot real would have benefited the film. Taking the American public and segregating ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

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Running With Scissors [2007]

starring: Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alec Baldwin
directed by: Ryan Murphy

Release Date June 18, 2007
this has to be the worst film i have ever seen, it has no real story line and is more a mix of wierd characters who accomplish nothing. Do not rent this film you are wasting your life !!!

CD-Charts Position 9
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Valmont [1990]

starring: Meg Tilly; Fairuza Balk; Colin Firth; Sian Phillips; Henry Thomas; Jeffrey Jones; Annette Bening
directed by: Milos Forman

Release Date April 02, 2007
Both "Valmont" and "Dangerous Liasons" are fabulous films. I personally prefer "Valmont". The casting for this film is fantastic. Colin Firth makes a much more charming and handsome `Valmont' who knows how to use the 'art of seduction' to his advantage. Annette Benning is a scheming and beautiful `de Merteuil'. The mood of this film is more feel-good than 'Dangerous Liasons'; it contains more playful humour and the imagery (especially in the outdoors) is amazing. With `Dangerous Liasons'; the characters (played by Glenn Close and John Malkovich) were more sinister and less likeable (I guess it depends what mood you're in). Overall: Highly recommended.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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The Grifters - Special Edition [1990]

starring: Annette Bening, John Cusack, Anjelica Huston
directed by: Stephen Frears

Release Date February 26, 2007
Brilliant film and looks even better on DVD. Excellant docs. One of the best films Ive ever seen and it just sticks in your head forever.