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I'm not so sure that just comparing a movie to others of that year to determine whether it merits 4 stars is the best way. Apparently that's how they decide the Oscars and some of those movies blow. But that's another subject.
For me, a 4 star movie has to be one in which I don't check my watch to see how long it's been on. One in which I can see characters, not actors, and stories, not hastily constructed plots.
A 4 star movie has to get me either thinking, talking, or reacting in some way afterward. It has to be one I'm willing to tell friends, "You have GOT to see this film." It can be social commentary, comedy, or any other genre.
It also has to be timeless. That is, it doesn't lose it's flavor as the years pass. It remains relevant, even if its predictions falter, like in 2001.To that end, some of my 4 star movies:
Magnolia
This is Spinal Tap
12 Angry Men
Vertigo
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Dances with Wolves
Life is Beautiful
Cinema Paradiso
The Right Stuff
and just about every other movie mentioned here as well.
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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses
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