Movies: Neil LaBute

The director and playwright known for provocative social dramas ("In the Company of Men") tackles interracial marriage in his new film, "Lakeview Terrace." His picks:

My Five Most Important Movies

1. "La Dolce Vita." Every frame is a feast for the senses—profoundly sad and achingly gorgeous.

2. "Reds." A truly great American film, made by this country's best actor/ director/producer, Warren Beatty. Beautiful and brave.

3. "Scenes From a Marriage."Ingmar Bergman's film is an arrow to the heart. Liv Ullmann gives the best female performance. Ever.

4. "The Magnificent Ambersons." The greatest film never made. Orson Welles himself claimed it was only a shadow of what might have been. You'll weep with joy.

5. "Claire's Knee." Started my love affair with all things Eric Rohmer. It is an absolute feast of simplicity and control.

A film parents should show kids: Start with "The Wizard ofOz." An American studio picture that gets everything right. Sweet and funny and genuinely scary, there is really only one word for it: magic.

A movie you revisited with disappointment: Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Story conveniences bring it up short, and the fact that a grown man goes by "Scottie" doesn't help.

© 2008