Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, has always had a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. From his childhood days spent watching movies in Honolulu to his years as president, he has always been drawn to the art of cinema. In a recent interview, Obama revealed his list of the 30 most stylish films of all time, which he said have shaped his thinking and influenced his worldview. The list is a mix of classics and contemporary gems, reflecting Obama’s broad and eclectic taste in cinema.
Sometimes when you’re watching a film, you get a feeling that there’s something much greater at work than just characters and a plot line, and there’s a reason why some films persist in history, and others are lost to the past.
Films are about telling a visual story, and the script only comprises the bare bones of it. The cinematography, costumes, set design, and mode of storytelling, however, are what shapes and accessorizes a film—they make up the style. From the old classics to the new favorites, check out 30 of the best-dressed films you have to watch.
Blade Runner’ (1982)©BrunoPress
Ridley Scott told the story of a bleak, rain-soaked futuristic film noir, which was somehow intensely appealing. The transparent coats, neon lights, and fictitious inventions went on to influence everything from architecture to fashion, advertising, and design.
Game of Thrones 2011,
Game of Thrones an American series by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first of which is A Game of Thrones. The show premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019, with 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons.
‘Trainspotting’ (1996)©NL Beeld
Who would have thought you’d want to take style tips from grimy drug addicts? This film is a cult favorite for the music, the one-liners, and most definitely the style, which was almost the antithesis of fashion, but which also represented the non-conformist style and spirit of a large part of Britain’s youth.
‘Romeo + Juliet’ (1996)©NL Beeld
Baz Luhrmann imbued Shakespeare with bright hues, Hawaiian shirts, neon hair, and a kind of hyper, spasmodic editing that somehow really worked.
‘La Dolce Vita’ (1960)©BrunoPress
Fellini’s masterpiece perfectly portrayed the beauty, glamour, and hedonism that bloomed in post-war Italy, from oversize cuff links to that stunning strapless black dress dipped in the Trevi fountain.
House of cards 2013
Political thriller television series created by Beau Willimon. It is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Michael Dobbs and an adaptation of the 1990 British series of the same name by Andrew Davies, also from the novel. The first 13-episode season was released on February 1, 2013, on the streaming service Netflix. House of Cards is the first TV series to have been produced by a studio for Netflix.
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)©BrunoPress
Beginning with ‘Rushmore’ in 1998, Wes Anderson proved that he could make even a school uniform look exciting. More recently with this film, sharp and vibrant as ever, Anderson pulls you into a whole new world of coordinated uniforms, pastel pink boxes, and sweeping camera shots that feel good to watch even without a story line.
‘Boyz N the Hood’ (1991)©BrunoPress
This coming-of-age tale borrowed from and strengthened the South Central LA street style, whose baggy jeans, snap-backs, and bright colors helped mark a new wave of both black cinema and fashion. Additionally, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s basketball jersey over a white T-shirt became a quick classic, and John Singleton became the youngest black director to be nominated for Best Director.
‘Pierrot le Fou’ (1965)©BrunoPress
Jean-Luc Godard’s colorful French New Wave film follows Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo as they embark on a crime spree through the French countryside all the way to the Mediterranean. Besides the stunning scenery and the way the characters play with the audience, their outfits almost act as extensions of their personalities, from his grey wool suit and vibrant collared shirts to her various A-line dresses and casual tomboyish outfits.
‘American Gigolo’ (1980)©BrunoPress
The style in this film preceded nearly every trend in men’s suiting in the two decades that followed, and it’s the film that kicked off Armani’s legacy. Richard Gere’s luxurious take on business casual has continued to be a mainstay of business professionals.
‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971)©BrunoPress
The signature derby hat, suspenders, and eyeliner has permeated through pop culture in the 40 years since this film’s controversial release. It proved that even the most grotesque violence can be told with style.
‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992)©BrunoPress
The two-piece suit had never looked so killer until Quentin Tarantino made it synonymous with rogue ex cons. What’s more, most of the suits were vintage finds!
‘Dr. No’ (1962)©Getty Images
The most stylish of Connery’s Bond films, and the first of Bond’s kind, featured the signature turnback cuffs, as well as the classic suiting and sportswear in palettes of pale blues, navy, and, of course, black and white. The film’s style of humor, sleek action, and sexy thrills also set off what the entire series would become known for.
‘Annie Hall’ (1977)©Getty Images
The time-travelling mode of storytelling is stylistically impressive enough, but Diane Keaton’s boyish wardrobe made of waistcoats, trousers, and patterned ties (which was supposedly based on Keaton’s actual style) went on to inspire generations of androgynous fashion.
‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000)©BrunoPress.
Wong Kar-wai’s highly stylized romantic masterpiece put costume changes at the center of scenes, and actress Maggie Cheung’s hair alone famously took four hours, while most of her best looks were handmade. But even more impressive is the acute representation of 1960’s urban Hong Kong put together with attention to thousands of details.
‘Heathers’ (1988)©BrunoPress
Style was at the forefront of this unforgettably ’80s high-school flick, and it used wardrobe to tell a story: each member of the Heathers owns a color according to her social standing, and the entire school’s hierarchy is represented through the appropriate uniforms of jocks, nerds, and so forth.
‘Do the Right Thing’ (1989)©BrunoPress
Spike Lee perfectly captured the essence of summer on the streets of New York, mixing bright colors, loose fits, and tight fades under a thin layer of sweat. It’s no wonder the film is now in the Library of Congress for being “culturally significant.”
‘Drive’ (2011)©BrunoPress
The seriously stylish ’80s noir atmosphere of the film, helped by white satin bomber jackets and beautiful cinematography, ranks this visual tale high, despite Gosling’s character hardly saying a word.
‘Clueless’ (1995)©BrunoPress
This Jane Austen adaptation, and cult comedy, ensured that plaid would never go out of style.
‘Fight Club’ (1999)©BrunoPress
The David Fincher-directed film has become a defining ’90s moment for its grimy, jabbing cuts and for Brad Pitt’s anti-fashion outfits. The red leather jacket, printed shirts, and tinted shades helped make him one of cinema’s greatest antiheroes.
‘La Haine’ (1995)©BrunoPress
This film is where Paris style stereotypes imploded among youth gangs, whose uniforms instead consisted of loose fits, slim chains, bright windbreakers, and a deep love for the classic leather jacket. Inspired by American hip-hop, the style of this cult-favorite film transformed streetwear forever.
‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)©BrunoPress
The late ’60s style amplified the film’s central theme of childlike innocence, with Mia Farrow’s baby doll dresses, Peter Pan collars, and famous hair by Vidal Sassoon.
‘Marie Antoinette’ (2006)©BrunoPress
‘The Virgin Suicides’ marked Sofia Coppola as a seriously stylish filmmaker, but her re-imagining of France’s ill-fated queen was a stylistic masterpiece. Her success was helped by Academy Award-winning costumer Milena Canonero, who reportedly used a palette drawn from a box of pastel-colored Ladurée macarons. The opulence and elegance of the costumes, set, and props, paired with a modern-day soundtrack, was a phenomenal blend of eras.
‘Kids’ (1995)©BrunoPress
This film’s style was so popular that for its 20th anniversary, the elite streetwear brand Supreme launched a capsule collection of T-shirts, hoodies, and skater wear. The boldly controversial film concentrated on both urban youth life and the brazen New York skateboarding culture, creating an ineffably cool style.
‘Amélie’ (2001)©BrunoPress
Cinema is wrought with harrowing tales filled with violent tragedies, but this film proves that positivity, of an ephemeral yet profound brand, can be just as visually astounding. Audrey Tautou plays the sweet Parisian girl with the short bob and colorful world of imagination that can’t help but look attractive against a banal reality.
‘Withnail & I’ (1987)©BrunoPress
At the end of the ’60s, two alcoholic actors take a restorative holiday in a country cottage, swathed all the while in rustic hand-knit jumpers, lived-in tweeds, and dressy white shirts, creating the term “rural chic.”
‘The Great Gatsby’ (1974)©BrunoPress
Set at the height of inter-war excess and frivolity, Robert Redford became the epitome of a ’20s playboy with his sharp tailoring, effortless glide, and glossy hair. A dream-like parade of pastel here, a perfect coif of curls there, and this film set a scene we’d like to live in.
‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990)©BrunoPress
This well-loved film is regarded as Tim Burton’s creative peak, and it’s celebrated for giving Goth its big on-screen moment.
‘A Single Man’ (2009)©Getty Images
Tom Ford (middle left) wasn’t satisfied with being one of the world’s greatest fashion designers, so he took to film and proved that style is not limited to the clothes on your back.
‘Her’ (2013)©BrunoPress
Spike Jonze’s stylishness is channeled through a deep anguish and in a realm just apart from our own, but the colors, the ambient music, and the simplistic visuals make the atmosphere swell between you and the screen. Instead of going stereotypically futuristic, the characters wear high-waist pleated trousers, grandfather-collar shirts, round-rimmed glasses, mustaches, and plenty of other throwback styles that have since resurfaced in men’s fashion again.
‘The Tree of Life’ (2011)©Shutterstock
Terrence Malick has seemingly crafted his own brand of filmmaking, crowning this visual poem as his magnum opus. Aside from the glorious cosmic imagery (with the help of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki) and existential rumination, the world that the characters occupy is somehow even more beautiful than the celestial, pieced together with the fallibility of human memory. The specificity of each shot also reminds us that existence is always bigger than ourselves.
