My Kind of Movie
I enjoy almost all of the movies I see. And I generally find about half of those to be good movies - films I recommend to people. But only once or twice a year do I see a movie that I like so much that I am re-inspired and firmly reminded why I choose to be a feature filmmaker.
The films in this category are not necessarily the ones that I think are the best movies ever made. Instead, they have some magical combination of writing and execution that strikes a personal chord with me (e.g. The Princess Bride, Groundhog Day, The Shawshank Redemption).
I am unusually fond of the "Gilded Age" and have been for as long as I can remember. Films set in Europe between 1880 and 1915 hold particular appeal for me. I love the aesthetic of that period - the technology, the costumes, the etiquette, etc. Add to that superb acting from Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti, two of my favorites, and a script that is clever and elegant and suspenseful and light, all at the same time, and it's easy to see why The Illusionist is one of my favorite films of the year.