Film - Mel Gibson Top 10 Films

Love him or loathe him, Mel Gibson has been involved with a lot of films and Steve Taylor-Bryant discusses his top 10 choices...

With the news that Lethal Weapon 5 is on the horizon, I thought it was time to put on the industrial gauntlets and discuss my love of the films of one of Hollywood's most divisive actors. Yes, Mel Gibson has shown himself to be a knobjockey of the highest order in recent years and is rightly lambasted for his strange and often sickening behaviour BUT before he became a worldwide pariah you all liked his films, you did! No point in denying it, his box office results tells me you did. I don't condone his remarks or his behaviour but I'm not going to forget how many years of enjoyment he gave me. You don't have to like someone to appreciate their work do you? Oh, I forgot, this is the Internet. Nevertheless I'm going to list my favourite Gibson films anyway...

The Beaver

Walter Black: This is a picture of Walter Black, who had to become The Beaver, who had to become a father, so that one day this might just become a picture of Walter Black.

I'm not sure why but this film is not loved by the masses as maybe it should be. Seriously folks, even after all Gibson has done across his many years of upsetting folk, here was a character that made me feel sympathetic towards him. Maybe Gibson the broken man plays InsertCharacterName the broken man really well and that's his role from now on? All I know is Gibson was astonishing and I liked Jodie Foster's nice balance of serious and humour that came from her director's role. Seriously under appreciated film.

Payback

Porter: [voiceover] Not many people know what their life's worth is. I do. Seventy grand. That's what they took from me. And that's what I was going to get back.

This was a great revenge film. Set amongst the scummy underworld of dealers, hookers and Mafiosi it should have been generic action fare, I mean who would root for a man like Porter? I found myself wanting him to succeed though. I wanted Val Resnick and Porter's horrible ex-Mrs to get taken down, I wanted Porter to get his money. What's wrong with me?

Ransom

Tom Mullen: [to Cubby] What is it? Come on, what is it? A name. I swear if you tell me, I'll make sure you get the best funeral there is.

Every parent's worst nightmare! Trust me, I'm a parent, I know these things. Would I have the guts to do what Gibson as Tom Mullen did and turn the tables on the kidnapper? Not a bloody chance! I'd have paid and hoped for the best but then that wouldn't be a great film would it?

The Man Without a Face

Justin McLeod: People spend too much time thinking of the past. Whatever else it is, it's gone.

What a beautiful face! I mean film! The face is horribly burned. This was just a stunning story. Disfigured recluse, Gibson, has an entire town making up stories and horrible rumours about him but puts all that to one side to help a kid get an education. Bravo. Brilliant portrayal by Gibson, excellent performance from Nick Stahl and Gibson behind the camera does a great job getting his story told. Again, bravo!

The Passion of the Christ

Jesus: Forgive them, Father. They know not what they do.

Such a divisive film. It's either an absolute epic piece of film-making or the work of Satan depending on your own religious point of view and I'm cool with the fact it upset people and can understand why. I however have no religion and so can come at it without preconceived ideals and just watch the film for the cinematic glory that it is. Each to their own.

Hamlet

Hamlet: Sir, to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.

I'm not a Shakespeare aficionado. I didn't study it in school and it holds absolutely no interest for me. I only watched this film for Mel Gibson and I personally love it. It's about the only Shakespeare film I can stomach and not get lost during.

Air America

Gene Ryack: Here at Air America, what's considered psychotic behaviour anywhere else is company policy.

Pre-sober Robert Downey Jr. was just as funny as sober RDJ as this almost 'buddy' movie shows. Still funny today. "We've been mainlining danger for so long nothing else gets us off" pretty much sums up the film. Action comedy late 80's early 90's style, what's not to love?

Mad Max

Max: I just can't get it clear in my head, Jess. He was so full of living, you know? He ran a franchise on it. Now there's nothing. And here I am trying to put sense to it, when I know there isn't any.

What a gloriously dark movie! When I first saw Mad Max in the 80's I'd never seen anything like it and, to be honest, it's still very much the best film of its type even though it's slightly dated now in its look. Low budget, no CGI, no boundaries. More films should made like this, no modern guff just brutality and stunts. Marvellous.

Lethal Weapon

Martin Riggs: I don't make things complicated. That's the way they get, all by themselves.

This is still to this day my favourite cop film. Gibson plays the insane clown like no one else can and Danny Glover is there to balance it out and bring along some realism which stops the movie drifting into the comedy area the sequels would get drawn towards. I'm not a fan of the franchise after 2 and haven't even seen that movie for a long time. Any time a Lethal Weapon watch is suggested I tend to flick between the original release and the director's cut of the original release. I suggest you do the same.

Conspiracy Theory

Jerry Fletcher: A good conspiracy is unprovable. I mean, if you can prove it, it means they screwed up somewhere along the line.

I'm a bit partial to conspiracy theories. I don't buy into them, many are just too illogical, but I can't help but investigate them for myself and marvel at the passion of those who buy into them wholeheartedly. Add in a great story, casting of the top order and some of Gibson's now famous wackyness and you have yourself a proper film!

Images & Quotes - IMDb