Babies - #
John McTiernan's follow up to Die Hard spectacularly juggles dozens of characters and many subplots as a CIA agent (a perfectly cast Alec Baldwin) tries to make contact with a Russian submarine commander (Sean Connery) during the Cold War. The characters on the US submarine (Scott Glenn, Courtney Vance) are more interesting than the Russian ones (Sam Neill, Tim Curry) but every scene with Baldwin (in his star-making role) works due to his energy and intelligence. The film actually speeds up the pacing as it approaches the climactic battle. Truly amazing how they condensed this from the complex novel.
This charming fable about a pig who thinks it's a sheep dog has all kinds of things to say about pride and prejudice. There's plenty of laughs and director George Miller places and moves the camera with consistent confidence. James Cromwell plays the reticent farmer perfectly. Throw in themes about friends, expectations, courage, & endurance and you've got a classic family film.
Make no mistake, Mel Gibson is certifiably crazy - but he's also a genius. No one else has envisioned and created such an epic film since (though Ridley Scott gave a valiant effort with Gladiator). There's no question that the political talk drags and seems ridiculously simple, especially for any scholar of modern politics. But the set-piece action scenes get my blood boiling like no other. I'm ready to jump on the screen and follow Mel into battle. The homophobic and racist accusations seem misplaced - Mad Mel goes after everyone without impunity.
A boy discovers "speed" chess during a family trip to Central Park and his natural talent becomes apparent as those around him (parents, teachers, friends) struggle to make sense of it. His competitive father (Joe Mantegna) pushes him to the level of exploitation while his mother (Joan Allen) protects his sensitivity and thoughtfulness. The last third is the best, beginning with the prodigy's reconciliation with Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne). The film champions education, hard work, and good sportsmanship.
Owen Wilson's "Dignan" persona has all but evaporated these days (now that he co-stars with canines) but his debut here is still as impossibly original as it was on day one. He interacts perfectly with his brother Luke and Robert Musgrave as 3 inept thieves trying to make the big-time. Their sincerity strengthens the uniqueness of that special Wes Anderson feeling. The climactic heist is hilarious, especially because of Kumar who, when he's not lost in the freezer, has trouble remembering friends or how to crack a safe. "Did you ever have a touch to lose, man!?"
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
Ridley Scott's tale of 2 Arkansas woman on the lam has a perfectly structured screenplay (by Oscar winner Callie Khouri) and terrific cinematography. But the film is owned by the characters. Rare for Hollywood, there are not 1 but 2 incredibly strong female characters that go through changes. As Thelma, Geena Davis is perfect in her innocence, but Susan Sarandon shows uncommon depth with Louise. Her entire life is right there with one look in her eyes. Brad Pitt became an instant star as Thelma's seducer. Michael Madsen and Harvey Keitel are equally impressive.
Director Steve James had unbelievable patience documenting the young lives of basketball prodigies Arthur Agee and William Gates over the transformative 5 year period of late junior high to high school. Their lives take unexpected turns and their fortunes (or misfortunes) change at a moment's notice. The games capture the excitement of high school sports. But the social commentary gives the film its resonance. The more important things in life (like a middle aged woman finally graduating from high school) are shamefully ignored while young sports stars are inexplicably over-celebrated. Transient physical ability over lasting education? Nice choice, America.
Not exactly the film to watch with a group since a bunch of elites talk and talk in every scene but I find writer Paul Attanasio's exquisitely worded screenplay supremely intelligent as he deconstructs celebrity, academia, and closet anti-Semitism. Rob Morrow carries the film pretty well but he's just the backbone for the talented supporting cast to bounce off. Director Robert Redford does the film justice by staying out of the way and pacing it well. My favorite moments include the cameos of fellow directors Barry Levinson and Martin Scorsese.
Quentin Tarantino changed cinema immediately with his first film. Talkative characters over-referencing pop culture are now common place but it hasn't been done any better or funnier than here or in QT's subsequent film. The film is too bloody by half and is obviously too casual with its cop-killing. But the Mr. Orange sequence toward the end is as exciting as filmmaking gets, especially the heist set-up scene with the priceless Lawrence Tierney. It probably should be higher from a writing-directing standpoint but nihilism isn't quite as cool as it once was. 2 years later, QT was smart enough to give an inspiring message.
In 2084, a construction worker on Earth dreams of traveling to Mars, but since he can't afford it, decides to have a fake memory of Martian trip implanted in his head. Then everything goes very, very wrong. The visuals and special effects are impressive, even by today's CGI standards. The violence does go over the top and the queasy have been warned. Director Paul Verhoeven can't seem to create a scene without giving us something we've never seen before. Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his very (non Jim-Cameron) best. The film almost gets profound by discussing the nature of dreams and reality.
The worst film of the year for me usually combines wasting talented people with morally reprehensible material. Former worsts include Towelhead, The Mist, Kansas City, and Hannibal. Harry Brown opens with a gang initiating a new member with crack cocaine who then shoots a mother in the head as she walks her newborn in a stroller. Then things start to get ugly. An elderly member in the neighborhood (Michael Caine as the titular character) doesn't like what he sees but is not inclined to help. After his long-suffering wife dies a painful death due to cancer and his best friend is stabbed to death by the gang, he's got nothing to lose; but the audience does . . .
75. Nixon - (1995)
Spike Lee's epic tribute to the slain, militant civil rights leader successfully follows him from young punk through his conversion to his rise as influential preacher. The period sets and costumes are terrific, but Lee captures the attitudes of his characters just right. Denzel Washington gives one of the decade's best performances, showing vulnerability, charisma, anger, ambition, and everything in between. It would be all downhill for Mr. Lee from here. Except for Inside Man. That was pretty good.
73. Red Rock West - (1994)
The greatest filmmaker of the 70s lost his mind in the jungle filming Apocalypse Now with production delays, casting changes, and an unfinished script. Francis Ford Coppola's unusual process is fascinating to watch as he develops the script and inspires his talented cast between takes. The behind the scenes footage is fascinating, especially seeing Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando both half in-character, half-out of character.
71. Wag the Dog - (1997)
Collapse - #
Not nearly as bad as its detractors want it to be, director Robert Zemeckis seamlessly tracks one man's journey from the mid-50s to the early 80s, hitting the important milestones and making Americans feel good about it. Alan Silvestri's score is appropriately touching and epic when the moment necessitates. It has a great sense of humor about itself, acknowledging the ridiculousness of the story while drawing tears from the audience. This is no small achievement from Zemeckis. And Tom Hanks. Those who feel Hanks's performance is one-note need to take another look at the scene where he meets his son and the one at Jenny's grave.
70s potheads got their own American Graffiti when director Richard Linklater wrote this all-night party that happens after the last day of school. The cast of unknowns are suitable for their roles and many of the smaller parts (Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Renee Zellweger) went on the bigger things, for better or worse. The "message" of the movie - just have fun and don't commit to anything - is certainly a dubious one, but Linklater's writing is so assured and real that nearly every scene is memorable. Every high school has characters like these.
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
Catherine (Julianne Moore), a gynecologist, thinks her professor husband (Liam Neeson) is cheating on her so she hires Chloe, a local hooker, to approach him and see if he flirts with her. Chloe (played very seductively by Amanda Seyfried) begins to tell Catherine of their progressive encounters. Moore is shockingly good. It's good to see her doing more character work than big budget crap. Neeson is mostly pushed to the side, but is serviceable. Seyfried gives her best performance to date. Director Atom Egoyan infuses the film with mirror and window symbolism and gets the upscale Toronto locations exactly right. The twist is easy to spot, but it doesn't matter when you're in the hands of talented pros like Egoyan and Moore. B
Overly maligned while in theaters, there's a lot to like in Kevin Smith's 1st director-for-hire job. Since Smith didn't write the screenplay, there's an actual plot (farfetched though it is) involving Mexican drug gangs, infidelity, and a stolen baseball card. Smith gives his actors (especially Seann William Scott and Tracy Morgan) plenty of room to improvise. But Morgan isn't nearly as funny as he thinks he is. As Morgan's cop partner, Bruce Willis looks bored and delivers each line either with arrogance or condescension. But the throw-back to the 80s-cop movie style works, strongly aided by Harold Faltermeyer's syncopated synthesizer score. C+
In a small Texas town, a former beauty queen (Marcia Gay Harden) gets her daughters into pageants, but the oldest (Ellen Page) wants none of it. When her and a friend (Alia Shakwat) travel to Austin, they discover ladies' roller derby and Page finds her new hobby. Director Drew Barrymore juggles the humor, action, and drama fairly well, and while the reconciliations and revelations are certainly telegraphed, they are effective nonetheless, mostly because of the terrific acting. Surprisingly, this one works more often than not. B-
Big Fan
85. The Apostle - (1997)
81. Speed - (1994)
Boogie Woogie - #
Title/Gross/%Change/Total
Robert Altman is an acquired taste since his films frequently dump the plot in favor of characters' behavior. He'll settle for small truths about people over entertaining the audience. He is a one of a kind, which I'll sometimes take, and Lawyer will always leave. This story about 20-30 Los Angelenos' intersecting lives works mostly since it's based on a series of short stories by Raymond Carver that were woven together. This is the blueprint for both much better (Magnolia) and much worse (Crash) movies. And there is enough expert acting (particularly by Julianne Moore and Jack Lemmon) for even the most Altman-phobic viewer to get through.
Sylvester Stallone plays a small town cop in New Jersey who has the easy job of policing a town full of NYC cops. After an accidental murder, Stallone must unravel and expose tons of corruption and crimes. He's aided by Robert De Niro as an internal affairs agent and Ray Liotta as a semi-corrupt cop who finds his conscience. Writer-director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) has a terrific set-up and plot, but his dialogue isn't quite memorable enough and his direction, while perfunctory, lacks any kind of panache or trademark. But the unbelievable cast is the main attraction and they all feed off each other and make each scene vibrant.
The Brothers Coen worst film of the decade still makes it on the list not because of the mannered over-acting by Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Nor by the over-produced special effects, which while effective seem out of place in a Coen film. No, their screenplay (as per usual) is exquisitely deliberate and considerate. Every line has meaning and connects to something else earlier or later. Fans of older movies like His Girl Friday will appreciate their effort more.
