You've already seen mine and Moriarty's... Now it's Mysterio's mysterious turn at things. So... without further ado... Here we go...
Well, here we are. Another year of films both good and bad has past by the wayside. The last couple of weeks have given me the time to reflect and gather my thoughts on the films of ’99. Plus with the holidays, the FX shop has been somewhat quiet around here lately, but not for long.
So is the time of TOP 10, and WORST 10 lists, Golden Globe® and upcoming Oscar® predictions. The first of which I bring to you, loyal AICN readers.
BUT, before I begin, let me list the 5 that were only just “slightly” edged out of my TOP TEN. Here goes…
“The SIXTH SENSE” – M. Night Shamaylan’s clever ghost story, with a twist. Extremely well made, with a surprising reserved and controlled performance by Willis. Not to mention the outstanding job by Hayley Joel Osment, which so much of this film relies upon. Clever, smart and chilling. A prime example of how good storytelling can overcome the ‘blood & gore’ horror flicks of past.
“EYES WIDE SHUT” – Kubrick’s final film. Not quite the masterpiece as Kubrick fans would have hoped, but a damn fine film nonetheless. Haunting images, stark lighting and photography help set the mood for Cruise & Kidman to bare the souls of a sexually troubled couple exploring their secret desires and fantasies during a low point in their marriage. Kidman owns this film. Her performance as Alice Harford to Cruise’s Bill, outshines him at every turn she’s onscreen. Sorry Tom, this one’s Nic’s (but you’ll soon have your chance to shine in the spotlight a bit later).
SIDENOTE: Warner Bros. Has just recently announced EWS for release on video in mid-march. Unfortunately they’ve also made note that it will be released in the same US (digitally edited) theatrical cut, but released elsewhere unedited. Warner Bros. This is inexcusable. It was before, but is so even more on video. Especially on DVD with no extras (a least the trailers, TV spots & music video wouldn’t hurt), a format that caters to film enthusiasts and purists. Shame on you Warners!
“The IRON GIANT” – A wonderful, heartfelt tale of a boy who befriends a strange alien, ‘Iron Giant’ of a robot. Misunderstood as a weapon of mass destruction, the film explores the relationship of the young boy as he attempts to protect his newly found friend from those bent on destroying what they fear rather than what they know. A well crafted piece of work with beautiful old time animation and a fantastic universal story to boot. This one’s for everyone.
“BEING JOHN MALKOVICH” – Fresh, wildly original and hugely entertaining (would have loved to been there for the pitch meeting in this one!). This film is one of those rare films that when it arrives not too many are sure what to make of it. It’s like a diamond in the ruff. The more you rub it, the more it shines, and it’s a gem. Oddly imaginative, it tells the story of a puppeteer and his girlfriend, who accidentally discover a strange portal, behind a filing cabinet, which leads the traveler to being John Malkovich for 15 minutes at a time at $200 a pop. Video whiz director, Spike Jonze has made an impressive film debut, but compared to his videos this film seems firmly restrained to capturing the performances and illustrating the story, rather than the kinetic camerawork and stylized editing associated with most of his video work. A wonderful little film.
“The MATRIX” – This film is so cool, it even makes Keanu look good! Total fun from start to finish. A complete surprise to me when I first saw it, since I really wasn’t expecting to like this film as much as I did. A film that boasts ground breaking visuals (I know, I know. I’m supposed to hate these being “old school”, but I’ll explain later), along with an intriguing storyline that borrows from “Through The Looking Glass”, with religious themes acting as a strong foundation for it’s story and characters, and Japanese anime for it’s visuals. And as for that last 45 minutes… “Whoa”. As the film’s hero, Neo remarks, “I know Kung-Fu”, I know this film kicks ass.
Now, on to the LIST!
10. “The FIGHT CLUB” – David Fincher’s dark and violently comedic (although not as violent as some say) film. This one was received well by most critics, but did poorly at the box-office. Expect its audience to find it on video this April, where it should eventually reach a cult status. A ‘90’s “CLOCKWORK ORANGE”.
09. “The BLAIR WITCH PROJECT” – Yes, I know. The film was over-hyped, which is kind of unfortunate, as it really doesn’t deserve all the backlash which it’s received. Like “The SIXTH SENSE”, this is a horror film that leaves the ax murderers and gore behind, and works off a clever premise instead. A film that at it’s core is more psychologically frightening and disturbing than most horror yarns of recent. Add to that the ingenious backstory and history surrounding the legend; along with the amateur faux-documentary visual look and feel to it, and this one’s a winner. Much better to have seen it before than after the marketing hype though.
08. “SOUTH PARK: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” – That’s right. This big-screen crossover had much doubt, but damn if Stone & Parker didn’t stick to their guns on this one. They turned this into an over-the-top, laugh out loud funny flick that takes no prisoners when offending everything from races, religion, politics, the MPAA, sexual innuendoes and Winona Ryder. Not to mention the brilliant “Disney-esque” songs cleverly incorporated throughout the film. The South Park boys shoot and score with this one, unlike their last film “BASKETball”.
07. “STAR WARS – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace” – No, it’s not the second coming of Christ, and if you didn’t perceive it as so, you’d enjoy this film for what it is – a friggin’ Star Wars film! Yeah, it’s got its faults, but what film doesn’t. Some may consider the story a bit flawed and week, but hey, there’s still two more to tell, and this one was just a set up for what will entail more promising installments in the series. Each frame is loaded with visuals that upon my first viewing my eyes and mind were on sensory overload. I’m still looking for Waldo hiding somewhere in the flick. The look and feel to this film, in its technological effects, production design, lavish costuming and action sequences keep in tradition of the past previous films. And that lightsabre duel. Just kicks ass each time I view it. Great combination of martial arts with traditional swordplay (kudos to you Mr. Park!). This film is just pure fun the way I remember Star Wars being.
06. “TOY STORY 2” – The toys’re back in this surprisingly delightful sequel. A sequel that’s equal if not better in some ways than it’s predecessor. A rare find in movies these days. The PIXAR gang has really made the most out of the computer animation that’s available today. They’ve pushed the limits, and in many ways refined their craft and it all shows onscreen. The digital presentation of this is just wonderful and accompanied with a great script and well-rounded characters (along with a few new additional characters) this movie is indeed a joy to behold! Now what’s the scoop on PIXAR’s “MONSTERS, INC.”?
05. “DOGMA” – Kevin Smith’s theological take on Catholicism raised a few eyebrows amongst its protesters, but this is a comedy with more than cheap laughs on its mind. A tough sell, Smith has laced an often difficult subject matter, with a spoonful of sugar, giving the viewer an entertaining look into religion without the feeling of being preached to. This film leaves one thinking more of the topic at hand, rather than the dick and fart jokes intermixed throughout (although they’re quite hysterical as well). Smart and funny, it’s Smith’s bravest and most personal work to date.
04. “The GREEN MILE” – Again, Frank Darabont demonstrates that he can just about re-write King better King can write himself. He seems to be the only writer/director in town of late that can do any film justice to King’s’ books. With a rich, well-constructed adaptation, and just near perfect casting, Darabont’s able to tell this wonderful tale with engaging characters with a rather deft hand. His actors are well directed, (lead by the always good Hanks with an amazing performance by Michael Duncan Clarke), and even at 3 hours this is a lean piece of filmmaking. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and see this film!
Now for the BIG “3”...
03. “The TALENTED MR. RIPLEY” – Another rich adaptation of only one of the five published “Ripley” novels. Matt Damon gives a career best here as Ripley, who is at best an extremely complex character at its core. Damon’s also wonderfully supported here by Jude Law, who plays Dickie, the new found friend whose life and company Ripley covets so much to the point that he’ll resort to horrific matters to keep it. Cate Blanchett also gives a delightful performance here as well, but the real scene-stealer here is Philip Seymour Hoffman, as Dickie’s suspicious friend, Freddie. The story is complex, and there are several twists and turns throughout, and I think that Anthony Minghella has just about pulled it off here. A good script, great actors, wonderful cinematography set against the backdrop of Italy in the late ‘50’s, it’s a rich piece, and I think Harry’s review near covers my feelings of this film (including the ending) as well.
02. “MAGNOLIA” – I think everyone knows my feelings on this movie, and I’m finding more and more that the people who are really coming down on this film stems from its long running time. It’s unfortunate but yes, its long but has so much going for it that it’s required. The only way to shorten it is to cut a character and their story, which is unnecessary and unfair in this case. Sure some may prefer another character or story to another, but as for myself, I enjoyed just about everything this film has going for it. It’s fresh, ballsy, and P.T. Anderson doesn’t always play it safe. He takes chances, and does so many times with this film in particular, and succeeds on many levels in doing so I think. This one was a tough call between my number one.
It was just about a flip of the coin but just got nudged out by...
01. “AMERICAN BEAUTY” – Fabulous piece of film this one is! Like the subject it deals with, this one is a spark of life into mainstream cinema. No doubt what should be an Oscar® winner for best screenplay, Alan Ball has constructed a terrific story of one man’s “awakening” and again taking the life and dreams he once had and making them a reality. Kevin Spacey just about owns this film and his portrayal of Lester in the film is so fun and fresh, that we can all just about sympathize to his situation and the characters around him. The dialogue here is dead on funny and razor sharp, and Dreamworks has just about the best Oscar® campaign going on in the recent trades on this one. Just like the smart campaign they did for slowly releasing this film so the audience could find the film rather than the film finding the audience that happens all too much today. This one will be talked about more and more come Oscar® time, and deserves to win as many awards as it can get. Sam Mendes makes an astonishing directorable debut and coming from a theatre background, his work is obvious. He spends a lot of time developing the characters and allowing his actors to grow with them onscreen. Adding to that Conrad Hall’s beautiful photography. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! A “beauty” of a film!
Ok, so there ya have it. It was a tough list to put together, but what I think most have in common is that we’re finally getting back to good scripts, with characters that are three-dimensional and storylines worth caring about. In most cases, the special effect films have either equally shared of taken a back seat to the above elements. A welcome change indeed! Let’s just hope the future to come warrants even more noteworthy films, as ’99 was indeed a solid year for some truly great films!
Oh, and why am I being a little less than judgmental on these damn computer visual effects? Well, it seems that Santa thought I wasn’t as bad as I thought I was, and left me a supercomputer of sorts that I’ve been playing with here at the underground studio for the past several weeks. Wonderful things these machines can do to enhance the artistic medium of special effects for films. Let’s just hope we, I mean they, don’t overuse them.
-Mysterio
E-mail @: Mysterio_9999@yahoo.com
