Stephen Graham is a British icon and has starred in some TV and film classics such as Martin Scorsese’ The Irishman to iconic British classics Snatch and This Is England. In every role his brings the character to life and always gives a memorable performance. So, when he names his favourite films of all time your ears prick up and you listen.
Graham most recently featured in the popular Netflix series Bodies, which used certain Hull spots for filming locations including Old Town and Princes Quay. He also featured in a spin-off series from the hit film Boiling Point and of course as Mr Wormwood in the musical remake of the fantastic Roald Dahl classic Matilda the Musical.
In a recent interview with Letterboxd, whilst on the carpet where Graham was awarded the esteemed Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an actor to British Film by @BIFA_film, he was put on the spot to name his four top favourite films – and the Hollywood actor was quick to name a Yorkshire and British classic in his list, which contained five films (six if you seperate both Godfather films.
Answer the question the Boiling Point actor reluctant at first: “That takes time… That’s one of them games you play at the start of a job.” and goes on to say how it can cause huge debates. But, eventually the actor goes on to list his top films of all time.
Stephen Graham’s Four top movies:
5. Kes, Ken Loach (1969)
He says: “I can give you off the top of my head.” He goes on to name Ken Loach classic Kes, from the book A Kestrel For a Knave written by Barry Hines.
Ken Loach’s 1969 adaptation of Barry Hines’s novel is one of Yorkshire’s most iconic films. We recently placed it at number one in our article ‘15 of the greatest Yorkshire films of all time’. It is widely praised for giving a rare and authentic big-screen portrayal of underrepresented working-class communities and remains one of the finest pieces of British cinema to this day.
‘Kes’ tells the story of Billy Casper, a teenage boy who lives in a small terraced house in Barnsley with his mother and half-brother, Judd. Billy’s life is depicted as one of hopelessness and boredom. His world is turbulent and often abusive home life and boring and mischievous school life. An unlikely symbol of hope enters Billy’s life in the form of a kestrel, which he names Kes. Kes gives Billy a purpose, interest and some ambition in life. He learns how to train Kes and cares for the bird dearly. The film ends with Billy having lost the one hope in his life and left with nothing apart from a bleak future with little education and few job prospects and life ambitions.
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4. The Godfather I & II, Francis Ford Coppola (1972 & 1974)
Next on Stephen Grahams top favourite films of all time was the classic gangster films The Godfather Part I & II, saying you can leave out the third. The films are widely regarded as some of the greatest films of all time. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same name it follows the powerful Italian-American crime family Don Vito Corleone, played by Marlon Brando. His youngest son, Michael, played by Al Pacino, reluctantly joins the mafic, and becomes involved in the violence and betrayal that comes along with the line of work.
3. True Romance, Tony Scott (1993)
The Tony Scott direction of now iconic filmmaker Quentin Tarantino romantic crime script turned this film into a instant classic. The film tells the tale of how Christian Slater as comic-book nerd and Elvis fanatic Clarence and Patricia Arquette’s character Alabama fall in love. The pair are chased by the mob as Clarence ends up killing her pimp, they grab a suitcase of cocaine and head on an adventure to flog the lot.
There are some gems in there such as Gary Oldman’s villian character – and who can ever forget Brad Pitt’s role as a stoner?
2. Serpico, Sidney Lumet (1973)
Frank Serpico, portrayed by Al Pacino, embodies an idealistic New York City police officer who steadfastly rejects bribery—a stark contrast to his fellow members in the force. His principled stance leads to alienation from his colleagues, and he frequently finds himself in perilous situations due to the actions of his partners. Frustrated by the indifference of his superiors to his corruption accusations, Frank resolves to expose the misconduct publicly. While this prompts the Knapp Commission to scrutinize his claims, it also exposes him to heightened risks. The movie is inspired by actual events.
1. The Jungle Book, Wolfgang Reitherman (1967)
In this timeless Walt Disney animated adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s work, Mowgli, a forsaken child nurtured by wolves, sees his tranquil life imperiled with the menacing return of the man-eating tiger Shere Khan (George Sanders). Confronting imminent peril, Mowgli must surmount his hesitations about parting ways with his wolf kin and journey back to the “man village.” However, he is not navigating this path alone: Assisted by Bagheera the panther and later accompanied by the carefree bear Baloo (Phil Harris), Mowgli confronts the numerous hazards of the jungle.
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