MovieChat Forums > Sean Connery Discussion > Best Films of Connery's Career (Critics ...

Best Films of Connery's Career (Critics and Audiences Be Damned!)

posted 7 years ago by christomacin (4730)
15 replies | jump to latest

I did another post recently about unfortunate Connery misfires - not his worst films but ones that had the ingredients of greatness yet somehow let it slip through their fingers. Now, I will list the films of Connery I consider to be truly great films. Those Connery films that were not merely brilliantly entertaining pulp (such as Bond, The Great Train Robbery, The Untouchables, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, or The Hunt for the Red October), but works of cinematic art. I give not one jot about the "conventional wisdom" of critics or audiences, either. Connery isn't even the main star in several of them, but I don't care. These films I list do not necessarily contain his best performances in all cases, but in my opinion are his 10 his best films overall. Remember, I'm not talking about Connery's best acting jobs per se. Less well-known films such as The Presidio and Outland actually contain some of his best work as an actor, but the films overall were less than perfect, so they aren't on the present list, either. In any case, Connery was usually the best thing about whatever film he was in, as was Christopher Lee. Anyway, the list:

The Hill (1965) Sidney Lumet
The Red Tent (1969) Mikhail Kalatozov
The Molly Maguires (1970) Martin Ritt
The Offence (1973) Sidney Lumet
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) Sidney Lumet
The Man Who Would Be King (1975) John Huston
Robin and Marion (1976) Richard Lester
Time Bandits (1981) Terry Gilliam
The Name of the Rose (1986) Jean-Jacques Annaud
The Russia House (1990) Fred Schepisi

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

I believe Sir Sean sings in that one, too, doesn't he?

[–] MIchiganJFrogg (-35) 7 years ago

[deleted]

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Family Business (1989) Connery was excellent as Jessie. Underrated film in my opinion. ⤵️
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097328/?ref_=nv_sr_3

[–] PaladinNJ (21781) 7 years ago

I'd have to say The Untouchables and The Hunt for the Red October be on that list.

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

I have some reservations about The Untouchables, despite the best efforts of Connery, De Niro, Morricone and De Palma to make the most of the material. As I've grown older and have begun to have doubts about the "war on drugs", I find I like the manipulative and dishonest - and frankly propagandistic - nature of the narrative less and less. All they needed to do was have Nancy Reagan come out and say "Just Say No, Kids!" I also don't like how the film seems to say that justice can only be had if the rule of law is completely abandoned. I suspect the real Elliott Ness and his team of Untouchables would have highly resented the implication that all the hard work they did to bust Capone on tax evasion was only the result of "jury switching" (whatever the hell that means), not to mention the implication that they murdered people without trial. If you are willing to shut your brain off they The Untouchables is a fun ride, but that's hardly a ringing endorsement for this as a great film. I think The Hunt for the Red October is one of the best of his more commercial films, along with The Great Train Robbery. I still wouldn't claim either one was a cinematic masterpiece, though. They are excellent popcorn films.

[–] PaladinNJ (21781) 7 years ago

No wrong or right answers. Everybody's entitled to their opinion.

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

Of course, only my opinions. Maybe I'm just taking The Untouchables too seriously, or maybe I just prefer De Palma's edgier films like Blow Out. It's definitely a memorable and watchable film, though.

[–] Burk48917 (11533) 7 years ago

Time bandits is a stretch, just because he's only in it for a few minutes.

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

True, but it's still one of the best film's Connery's appeared in.

[–] Burk48917 (11533) 7 years ago

I love it too. Pretty dark for a kids movie based on today's standards.

[–] Burk48917 (11533) 7 years ago

I'm a big fan of Last crusade and finding Forrester.

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

I've never seen Finding Forrester or Playing By Heart. Those two see to be some of his more well-thought of film from his late career, from what I've read.

[–] Burk48917 (11533) 7 years ago

I had to Google playing by heart. That one slipped past me. Finding Forrester is excellent, definitely worth the watch.

[–] christomacin (4730) 7 years ago

I mainly know of it because John Barry did the music.