City Lights (1931)

Audiences applaud the athletic antics of Buster Keaton, but I've always been more of a Chaplin man. He's been accused more than once of over-sentimentalism, so if that means associating me as a sentimentalist, so be it. This silent classic finds the Little Tramp attempting to raise money to pay for a blind flower girl's eye operation. Contains so many classic slapstick sequences, I struggle to contain myself. I cry like a bitch at that ending every time. Enough said.

5 boxing rounds out of 5

Modern Times (1936)

My favorite Chaplin film of all was also his last silent film (9 years after the first talkie, always the procrastinator). As usual, he writes, directs, composes and stars, in true auteur fashion. A harsh criticism on industrialization, Chaplin plays an overworked factory worker who decides he's much better off in prison. Paulette Goddard plays the quintessential orphan girl (who I am madly in love with). Contains the strongest, most beautiful, yet simplest ending images I've ever seen in a movie...the only true remedy against "modern times."

5 nonsense songs out of 5

The Great Dictator (1940)

Chaplin's first feature-length "talkie." I was always surprised to learn that he was British, because the Tramp is such a traditional American character. This one directly takes on the whole Chaplin/Hitler debate (a revenge for Adolf stealing his trademark mustache) and is hailed as the first mainstream movie brave enough to take on Naziism at the time (in a thinly veiled, tongue-in-cheek sort of way). Chaplin's inspiring speech at the end concerning freedom never fails to brings a tear to my eye. Bravo.

5 globe dances out of 5