Which film(s) do you think have the best/most satisfying stories?

axisus

I just thought of this question as my daughter is watching one such film. Stardust, adapted from the Neil Gaiman book. It's a fairy tale, and it's such a superb plot, with so many parts to make up it's whole. An all star cast, and so many twists and turns. Quite brilliant.

The other one that really stick in my mind is the original Back to the future. Such a wonderfully thought out time travel venture. Without wanting to give anything away (I'm sure everyone has seen it!), the scene with Biff towards the end gives me a lump in the throat/slightly teary eye every time I see it. It's a great story, and Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Crispin Glover all excel.

In my mind two perfect and totally satisfying stories.

Got any faves?

munckee

LA Confidential is a great story and an all time great film. Shawshank redemption also springs to mind. 

Dominic

The Notebook
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Love Actually 

my 3 favourite films

BillDL

Whenever I'm feeling really down and need a good laugh to perk me up I put on The Green Mile 

My all time favourite for "best/most satisfying stories" is Forrest Gump.  The way the movie weaves his character into real life events that some of us remember and most of us recall seeing in newsreels is absolutely brilliant story writing.  Tom Hanks is a fantastic actor.  One minute he has you gulping and shedding tears and the next minute he has you smiling and laughing.  The way the movie goes full circle and ends on a happy (perhaps a better word would be contented) note, gives it a feeling of completeness.  I don't like movies that leave you hanging.

Philly_Q

It's difficult to avoid simply listing favourite films, or what we think are the "best" films, and we've done all that before.

But the question made me think of films which are really well-paced, and just tell their story very well without wasting a lot of time on irrelevant sub-plots or arty photography.  Here's a few of mine.  A bit of a random selection:

The Untouchables
The Frighteners
Hot Fuzz
Black Book
The Magnificent Seven
The Boys From Brazil
The Day of the Jackal
Munich
Lawrence of Arabia
Zodiac
Galaxy Quest

Rocker

Out of Africa 

The Muppet Christmas Carol

skunkwerx

Theres a film called ‘Nick & Norah’s infinite playlist’. 

My sister left it here when she moved out and one night I just put it on. 

It’s not gonna win awards but I liked the story. 

Two people (Michael Cera and Kat Dennings) who both have/had shitty partners meet through music/ search for a band that plays secret gigs who is playing somewhere in the city that night. 

It makes me feel good lol.

sev112

+1 Forrest Gump
Catch Me if You Can
Little Miss Sunshine
Silver Linings Playbook

DesVegas

I've never seen Forrest Gump..

Bungle1

The Departed

Sassafras

Amelie.
Mic-Macs.
Night of the Hunter.
Fifth Element.

equalsql

Angel -A
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
A Matter Of Life And Death
Lost In Translation
Before Sunrise
A Canterbury Tale
Amelie

viz

Fargo and Inception

Kalimna

Two films stand out for me. Tombstone for its rugged acting, storyline that rarely veers from the plot and immense quotability.
The other being Stand By Me for sheer immersiveness in that bygone era of the American mid-West, whether it existed or not. Stories of chilhood friends and growing up. And a song that I cant quite place....

HAL9000

Peanut Butter Falcon
The Lives of Others
The Man Who Would be King

Offset

Shawshank

No Country For Old Men

A Matter Of Life And Death

Dominic

BillDL said:

Whenever I'm feeling really down and need a good laugh to perk me up I put on The Green Mile 

My all time favourite for "best/most satisfying stories" is Forrest Gump.  The way the movie weaves his character into real life events that some of us remember and most of us recall seeing in newsreels is absolutely brilliant story writing.  Tom Hanks is a fantastic actor.  One minute he has you gulping and shedding tears and the next minute he has you smiling and laughing.  The way the movie goes full circle and ends on a happy (perhaps a better word would be contented) note, gives it a feeling of completeness.  I don't like movies that leave you hanging.

I must agree
Forrest Gump is a wonderful film .I forgot to add that as an all time favourite.

Teyeplayer

What Dreams May Come. Loved Robin Williams even more than ever when he took the serious/non-comedic roles. Just a beautiful, but sad story. 

axisus

Good call on Forrest Gump, a fascinating film. I get a tear in my eye every time I watch it and he saves all those guys in the vietnam war. Tom Hanks is an amazing actor, and one of the nicest guys ever.

HerbieTheRadDorklift

The Prestige

Fishboy7

Human centipede