SiftPop

With Greta coming out this weekend, we decide to issue a Best Ever Challenge to our SiftPop Gurus. What are the best ever movies with a female name in the title? Sound really specific? Well, that’s what the BEC is all about! Even so, there is a long list of movies to pick from, so let us know what we missed! Every week the Best Ever Challenge will center around the SiftPop movie of the week. What do you think of our picks below? Tweet your picks and thoughts at us! Here from 10 to 1 are the 10 best movies that just so happen to have a woman’s name in the title!

Nestled in between a disappointing drama about a homeless music prodigy and a big screen adaption of one of histories most celebrated written works sits Joe Wright’s first and, so far, only foray into the action genre. Hanna reunites the director with the immensely versatile Saoirse Ronan for a coming-of-age tale about a girl born and raised by her assassin father (Eric Bana). His big life lesson; adapt or die. Literally. The results are a surreal road trip thriller where the action is punchy, the music pulsates and its performances feel frequently offbeat. That includes supreme work from Tom Hollander as a sadistic, track suit wearing assassin on the prowl. Despite the hodgepodge mix, it’s clear Wright is having fun and the movie works. Hanna may have slipped through the cracks for most moviegoers but for me, it remains his hidden gem. (Drew Douglas)

Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah are a sensational pairing in the 1987 hit rom-com, Roxanne. The film features numerous witty gags, involving leads Martin and Hannah. Its irresistibly charming, innocent and often endearing. Daryl Hannah’s persona was alluring and was always blissful on-screen. Comic genius Steve Martin, effortlessly amuses the audience, with his eccentric portrayal. He plays C.D. Bales, a firefighter with an enormous nose, who fantasies about Roxanne (Daryl Hannah). I was moved by the pictures sweet, genuine narrative and the quirky performances. Steve Martin is a comedic legend, no questions asked! (Zach Stephens)

The title matriarch of this movie may be deceased (not a spoiler, the movie starts with the 4 sons uniting for their mom’s funeral), but the movie manages to maintain her as a fully evolving 3 dimensional character. Through the course of the movie her son’s are uncovering who she really was, and what she meant to those around her, while the sons themselves, took her for granted. I love classic ensemble westerns. This is one of the evolving films that manages to add an effective psychological element to the typical archetypal offerings of the westerns before it. (Joshua Childs)

Step up and strap in for an animated adventure with more grit and darkness than the beautiful animation suggests. What starts as a charming, animated flick turns down the street onto a dark and mysterious drive. The concept works well as it seeps into your mind and makes you question every shot, character, and line. If you need a feel-good animation, this isn’t your movie. However, there will come a time when you are ready for something new. When that day arrives, this is the rabbit hole you want to go down. (Blake Hodges)

Sure Dick Van Dyke’s accent may be the worst attempt at affectation in the history of cinema, but maybe it’s a testament to how charming he and this movie are that it somehow just works. Or maybe it’s a newcomer named Julie Andrews absolutely owning audiences with her vocals and presence. Or maybe it’s the songs that get stuck in your head and it’s somehow not even annoying. Or maybe it’s that the thought that embracing the joy and imagination of childhood, might actually be a way to help heal us through our trials and cynicism. Nah, it’s probably the dancing  penguins. (Aaron Dicer)

From its iconic opening break up scene, to introducing us to the ridiculous Aldous Snow brilliantly portrayed by Russell Brand, this was not only one of the best comedies of 2008 but certainly the best romantic comedy of the early 2000’s. What makes this film so incredibly special is its abundant amount of heart and the way that it accurately portrays the break up process. It doesn’t fall down the cliché road of X person is bad and X person is good. What it does instead so perfectly is show the intricacies of relationships and how it can be a little bit more complicated than just surface level things. My biggest take away—other than Aldous Snow—is Mila Kunis. I absolutely fell in love with her in this film as this incredibly sweet and insanely charming rebound for our main protagonist. (Ben Davis)

Hitchcock knew he would eventually need to cross the pond and make movies in America, and when he did in 1940 he made one of his most overlooked masterpieces with Rebecca. Hitchcock working with Laurence Olivier may seem like the biggest draw, but it’s Joan Fontaine that is putting in the best work here. The movie is haunting, tense, and downright gorgeous. It remains the only Hitchcock movie to win “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards (as well as Best Cinematography), even though the award went to the production company and not him. Don’t be scared by the fact that it is almost 80 years old, great storytelling stands the test of time. (Aaron Dicer)

One of my favorite movies of all time. This made me interested in French films, made me seek out all films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, but on a universal scale it made the entire world fall in love with Audrey Tautou. She was perfectly charming in a perfectly charming film. Her character is on a mission to simply help others around her and this feels like it should be required viewing for the world these days. (Joshua Childs)

500 Days of Summeris a special film because of the way it deconstructs the genre it is technically a part of. It shows how people can idealize others in their mind and make them something they’re not, the way that most characters do in romantic comedies. This film shows that life can often be difficult and unpredictable, so be patient and don’t try to force anything that isn’t meant to be. Tom, the main character, learns this the hard way. But learning this lesson turns out to be important for him and for the viewers of the film. It’s a breath of fresh air amidst all of the movies where two people fall in love and are together in the end. Sometimes it’s great to see real life portrayed the way it actually is on film. (Robert Bouffard)

Franka Potente had a career before this, but this movie put her on the map Internationally (meaning the U.S. finally heard about her). This movie changed the way I thought about traditional narrative. A hodgepodge of styles; including animation sequences, Hitchcock homages, and sequences shot on a camcorder are all woven together to create a unique style. And if you ever forget that you’re watching an independent German film from 1998, the soundtrack will immediately remind you. (Joshua Childs)

Honorable Mentions

Thelma

Thelma was one of the most pleasant surprises for me at the cinema in 2017. A foreign language film from Norway, the films tells the story of a young woman from a religious family who must deal with her dark past and her psychokinetic powers. Joachim Trier brings a mysterious atmosphere and intensity to the film that creates a unique viewing experience. Thelma balances a touching love story, a unique look at “superpowers”, horrifying imagery, and a tough look at religion. A unique and unforgettable cinematic experience. (Shane Conto)

Frances Ha  

There’s something special about indie films of the ’90s. This movie is not from the ’90s, and the filmmakers themselves were more interested in throwing back to the French new wave films of the late ’50s and ’60s, but it feels ’90s to me. I suppose that’s understandable, since the director, Noah Baumbach, launched his career in the ’90s. Greta Gerwig fits perfectly in the title character that was customized for her by Baumbach and herself. Among other things, it’s a movie about growing up, by two filmmakers who have proven themselves masters of the theme.  (Joshua Childs)

Also See:

Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally, Erin Brockovich, Annie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Romeo + Juliet (1996), A Fish Called Wanda, Philomena, Heathers, Carol, Lilo & Stitch, Moana, Jackie Brown.