Many actors in the past have cited their favorite films of all time as classics. As for Paul Giamatti, his taste in cinema is always evolving to inspire new generations. Recently nominated for Best Actor for his poignantly funny performance in 2023’s The Holdovers, he has once again established himself as one of the most passionate voices in cinema.
Whether portraying a hapless soul in Sideways or the scheming John Adams in the HBO miniseries, Giamatti brings authenticity and inspiration to each role through his apparent love for the art. He is dubbed as “America's best character actor” by celebrated critics and fans across the world for bringing nuance to the most mundane of roles.
Fans are now getting a glimpse of his personal favorites thanks to his appearance in several interviews and campaigns. To make his list more accessible, we have curated 10 movies that have made the biggest impression on Paul Giamatti over the years. From obscure gems to traditional classics, he allows us to see what truly inspires him.
10 Blue Velvet (1986)
Following the failure of his 1984 movie, Dune, director David Lynch turned to developing a more intimate drama. Blue Velvet is a neo-noir crime thriller infused with elements of psychological dread, a nod to his directorial debut, Eraserhead. The movie takes place in a small town of Lumberton, where a college student named Jeffrey has arrived to see his ailing father. He finds a severed human ear in a field and soon becomes involved in the investigation (and eventually a criminal conspiracy) with a nightclub slinger, Dorothy Vallens.
Exploration of Humanity’s Darkest Corners
Blue Velvet is a surreal mystery that burrows itself in the darkest shadows of your mind, a place beneath suburban ideals and tranquility. Between his dazzling direction, phenomenal performances from Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper, and the movie’s dreamlike visuals, Blue Velvet reestablished Lynch as a successful auteur. In a conversation with Criterion Closet, Paul Giamatti mentioned,
“This is the movie that I think, for better or worse, really pushed me over the edge and made me go ‘I wanna be an actor,’ If you held a gun to my head and said ‘What’s your favorite performance in any movie?’ I would say Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth in this movie. He achieves something just off the charts amazing.”
Stream on Hoopla
9 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
- Release Date
- August 30, 1944
- Director
- Michael Powell , Emeric Pressburger
- Cast
- Roger Livesey , Deborah Kerr , Anton Walbrook , James McKechnie , Neville Mapp
- Runtime
- 2hr 43min
A classic British war drama from the 40s, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp tells the story of Colonel Clive Candy. In present day, a scuffle ensues and then a series of flashbacks offer a glimpse at Candy’s military career, his life and his eternal friendship with German soldier Theo Kretschmar-Schuldorff from the Boer War era to World War II.
Portrays a Friendship That Spans Decades
This Powell and Pressburger film is a biographical masterpiece. Its gorgeous cinematography and an outstanding performance by Roger Livesey does wonders in portraying the decades-long friendship between Candy and Theo against the backdrop of shifting internal relations. At nearly four hours long, the movie explores the changes in British society over the early 20th century through the eyes of a man whose spirit remained undimmed by war.
It also strikes a balance between tragedy and satire, something Giamatti greatly admires. In his words, “It’s a very funny movie. It’s a very moving movie. It’s a big, expansive, epic movie, a sort of British history. And I love that dueling.” Rent on Apple TV.
8 Solaris (1972)
Solaris (1972)
- Release Date
- September 26, 1972
- Director
- Andrei Tarkovsky
- Cast
- Natalya Bondarchuk , Donatas Banionis , Jüri Järvet , Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
- Runtime
- 2hr 47min
A critically acclaimed Russian science fiction drama co-written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. Its seemingly ambiguous plot centers around a space station positioned over the fictional planet of Solaris, where a scientific research is being conducted. However, when the three-person crew begins to experience strange hallucinations, Kris Kelvin, a psychologist, is sent on the same interstellar journey to discover what’s wrong.
Spiritual Science Fiction Masterpiece
Tarkovsky, who adapted Solaris from Stanisław Lem’s 1961 novel of the same name, imbues the story with an emotional depth rarely seen in the science fiction genre. For a director who saw Hollywood classics as shallow, Tarkovsky truly does wonders with the narrative, focusing on the conscience of his characters, their nature in the universe, and the limitations posed by memories of those they love.
Particularly praising his direction, Paul Giamatti mentions, “I love all of [Tarkovsky's] movies, but I like this one in particular and [its] fantastic production design of the kind of crappy spaceship that they all live on.” Stream on Max.
7 Cat People (1942)
Cat People
- Release Date
- December 25, 1942
- Director
- Jacques Tourneur
- Cast
- Kent Smith , Simone Simon , Tom Conway
- Runtime
- 1hr 13min
Directed by Jacques Tourneur, Cat People tells the story of Irena Dubrovna, a Serbian fashion designer living in New York. She strongly believes that she is a descendant from a tribe of ancient people who can transform themselves into large predatory cats like a panther – especially when aroused or angered. When her American husband starts having an affair, Irene grows increasingly obsessed with the woman and stalks her.
Hauntingly Beautiful
Another icon in the psychological horror domain, Cat People uses a suggestive tone of suspense to haunt the viewers. At its core, the movie is about duality and unchecked primal urges, but under Tourneur’s direction, it transforms into a powerful and symbolic movie that is way ahead of its time. While expressing his love for the movie on Criterion Collection's closet edition, Giamatti notes,
“I’m a big fan of these Val Lewton horror movies. I love these movies because they’re very low budget, and they’re this amazing example of doing all this extraordinary stuff with absolutely nothing [...] They all have these gripping, great, almost kind of iconic moments [...] It all feels very unreal and dreamlike.”
Rent on Apple TV.
6 Seconds (1966)
Seconds is about Arthur Hamilton, a middle-aged New York banker who is extremely dissatisfied with his routine and his aimless existence. His childhood friend leads him to sign up for a mysterious rehabilitation clinic called “The Company,” which promises him a new identity and a new life via plastic surgery. Soon, Arthur begins to question his reality and his being.
An Unforgettable and Unsettling Classic
Helmed by John Frankenheimer and inspired from a 1963 novel of the same name written by David Ely, Seconds is a twisted movie that sends viewers in a constant state of unease and distorts their reality to mirror that of the protagonist. It uses innovating visuals and editing techniques to convey the fractured state of Rock Hudson’s leading man. For Giamatti, the film offers a thought-provoking allegory, which he describes as “One of the things I really love about this movie is its one of the most terrific examples of what an actor can do in a small, tiny supporting part. There’s an actor named Murray Hamilton [who] appears at the end of this movie for two minutes, maybe, not even, and he barely speaks, and it’s one of my favorite performances in any movie.”
Stream on Kanopy
5 Wings (1966)
Wings
- Release Date
- 196600-00
- Director
- Larisa Shepitko
- Cast
- Mayya Bulgakova , Sergey Nikonenko , Zhanna Bolotova , Leonid Dyachkov
- Runtime
- 1hr 25min
Ukrainian filmmaker Larisa Shepitko’s feature directorial debut, Wings is a black-and-white drama about a forty-something Nadezhda Petrukhina. She was once a World War II Soviet fighter pilot, revered for her skill and courage. Now, Nadezhda lives a quiet life and works as a principal at a trade school. Adjusting to the real world, however, is a chore because of her internalized values of obedience, which do not align with the values of those around her.
Shepitko’s Awe-Inspiring Directorial Debut
Remarkable considering the fact that it is Shepitko’s first venture as a director, Wings is a character study through and through. Not only does it dive deep into the protagonist’s subconscious and the shadows of their past, but it also fabricates a sensitive portrait of humanity and a lingering past. While the cinematography is spectacular, Giamatti, in particular, is in awe of Shepitko’s direction. He said in the Criterion Closet interview,
“I don’t even understand how Shepitko got this made in the Soviet Union because it seems sort of critical in some ways. But there’s this incredible poetry, the great way she uses the flying in it and stuff to talk about this woman’s interior life, and it’s really a beautiful movie.”
Rent on Apple TV.
4 Barry Lyndon (1975)
Barry Lyndon
- Release Date
- December 18, 1975
- Runtime
- 3h 5m
Based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon written by William Makepeace Thackeray, Barry Lyndon is a historical drama that centers around a young man named Barry, who uses his ambition and wits to get into a relationship with a widow and establish himself as a respectable name in the 18th-century British society. From enlisting as a private in the British Army to borrowing an identity of wealth and nobility, Barry does everything in his power, but eventually has to pay a price.
Kubrick Materializes a Sprawling Epic
From an independently-minded and tremendous director is this beautiful and witty epic that is also controlled when it needs to be. Kubrick adapting a sprawling 18th century novel was an enormous feat, but it also became one of his crowning achievements. Because with Barry Lyndon, he transports his audience into a marriage story of visual grandeur in a way that had never been done before.
During a promotional campaign for The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti reflected on Kubrick’s work by saying, “I think it’s the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever seen. Every time I see it, I’m more amazed by every aspect of it. Everything about it is incredible. It disproves the whole idea that Kubrick is ‘too cold’ too. There’s so much suppressed passion and feeling in that movie that bursts out in the most incredible ways.” Rent on Apple TV.
3 The Third Man (1949)
The Third Man
- Release Date
- February 1, 1950
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Cast
- Orson Welles , Joseph Cotten , Alida Valli , Trevor Howard , Paul Hörbiger
- Main Genre
- Noir
- Runtime
- 93 Minutes
In The Third Man, we follow Holly Martins, an American author who arrives in post-war Vienna to reunite with his old friend, Harry Lime. However, Martin soon discovers that Lime has died in a mysterious, unsolved accident. After speaking with the police, who tells Martin that Lime was actually a criminal and racketeer who had been stealing penicillin, he dives deeper into the investigation and tries to find the truth.
Thriller Layered with Mysteries
Featuring legendary performances from Orson Wells and Joseph Cotten, The Third Man set new standards for atmospheric storytelling. Imbued with tiny noir elements and set against a post-WWI European setting, the movie spun a web of intrigue to keep viewers guessing from start to end. Carol Reed’s direction was also rich and layered.
For Giamatti, the movie is a true genre masterpiece. To A-Frame, he mentioned, “The Third Man is a movie that I’ve seen so many times that, at this point, I don’t even need to watch it because I’ve seen it so repeatedly that I can almost recreate the film myself. It’s kind of a perfect movie.” Rent on Apple TV.
2 Local Hero (1983)
Local Hero
- Release Date
- April 29, 1983
- Director
- Bill Forsyth
- Cast
- burt lancaster , Peter Riegert , Fulton Mackay , Denis Lawson
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
Local Hero is a small-town fish-out-of-water comedy directed by Bill Forsyth. It centers around Mac, an American oil company executive who is sent to a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands. His job is to purchase the entire town to build an oil refinery. The close-knit community of Ferness and their laid-back lives throw him off at first, but Mac soon finds himself drawn to the colorful routines and eccentric characters of the village, which leads to a change of heart.
Genuinely Charming and Moving
Charming and wholesome, Local Hero is one of the best dramas to come out of the 80s. Peter Riegert is the ideal wide-eyed protagonist, who finds humor, friendship and connection at an unlikely pace.
Treasured by fans and critics alike, this whimsy little movie is clearly Paul Giamatti’s favorite, one he watched on television over and over as a kid. He praised it as a movie that is “not sentimental, but it’s whimsical, and it’s sweet, and it achieves both those things without ever overstepping a line and becoming too much of one thing. It walks this perfect line, and it’s such a sweet movie and such a heartbreaking movie.” Rent on Apple TV.
1 Rashomon (1950)
Rashomon
- Release Date
- August 25, 1950
- Runtime
- 88 min
Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus, Rashomon is set in 12th-century Japan. Its story, which is considered by many as a metaphor for Japan’s defeat in WWII, centers around a heinous crime – the murder of a samurai and the assault of his wife. It is observed and described by four perspectives, with a priest, a woodcutter, a bandit, and the deceased spirit of the samurai itself providing conflicted narrations. The more their sides differ from one another, the more blurry truth becomes.
A Revolutionary Deconstruction of Truth
Laced with as much simplicity as with ambiguity, Kurosawa renders a hauntingly beautiful movie. Not only does it challenge the fixed notions of truth, but Rashomonpioneers a new realm of storytelling where the unreliable human narrative and biased perception provides cues as to where the narrative goes. While all of Giamatti’s selections are landmarks in their own right, he finds himself incredibly moved by Rashomon. The actor revealed to A-Frame,
“I love
Rashomon
. It makes me cry, which most movies don’t. I know it’s like, ‘Who doesn’t think
Rashomon
is a great film?’ But I just love everything about it. I love Toshirô Mifune and I’m a big fan of Japanese cinema, and that movie goes to so many amazing places. There’s a medium that channels the spirit of a dead guy at one point!”
Stream on Max.
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