Speaking of Best of the Decade lists…

5 comments July 27th, 2009

Ten years ago this December, I compiled the following list of my favorite movies of the 1990s. Though I stand by most of the picks and still think GOODFELLAS deserves the top spot, in retrospect I’d probably replace TOY STORY with TOY STORY 2 (a better, richer movie) and leave off, believe it or not, SCHINDLER’S LIST, which frankly doesn’t seem as good as it did 10 years ago. (Schinder’s final speech is way too over the top, and destroys much of the subtle power of what came before.) What would I replace it with? Maybe, believe it or not, the documentary AMERICAN MOVIE, which is one of the best films I’ve ever seen about life in modern America that I’ve ever seen. Spielberg’s “masterpiece” for a horror movie making-of? Hey, It’s my list. I can do whatever I want.

Here’s that list, just as it originally appeared on Dec. 26, 1999, with all my decade-old, cringe-inducing writing left intact. 

1. GOODFELLAS — The best movie of the decade finds America’s finest director at the top of his game. In telling the life story of gangster Henry Hill, Martin Scorsese uses scenes and shots like tiny, overlapping brushstrokes that gradually form a fascinating portrait not just of Hill, but of an entire era in American history. (1990)

2.  FIGHT CLUB — Director David Fincher’s “Seven” held this spot until October, but his most recent movie, which opened that month, is even better. A bold script, revolutionary visuals and bracing performances from Brad Pitt and Edward Norton make this provocative, funny film striking in every sense of the word. It demands repeat viewing. (1999)

3. RUSHMORE — The best comedy of the decade. Writer/director Wes Anderson crafts this movie like a Swiss watch, and each piece - acting, music, cinematography, script - works in perfect synchronization with the rest. At its calm center spins Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzmann), one of the most memorable characters of the decade. (1998)

4. SLING BLADE — No special effects and no stars, just a heartbreakingly human story about loss and redemption. Billy Bob Thornton writes and directs “Sling Blade,” but his greatest achievement is the creation of Karl Childers, a good-hearted man who will go to any length to protect the innocent. (1996)

5. SCHINDLER’S LIST — Director Steven Spielberg leaves the sharks and aliens behind for this harrowing look at the Holocaust. Brilliantly shot in black and white and featuring a trio of great performances (from Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley), “Schindler’s List” manages to explore the 20th century’s darkest moment and somehow end on a hopeful note. (1993)

6.  PULP FICTION — The noble hitman. The femme fatale. The proud boxer. Cliches one and all, but Quentin Tarantino makes them fresh by infusing the story with a dose of humor and shocking bursts of violence. It revived the career of John Travolta, jolted the career of Samuel Jackson and reminded us that Bruce Willis really can act. (1994)

7. BOOGIE NIGHTS — Director Paul Thomas Anderson reveals his love of cinema in every frame of this sprawling epic about the ’70s porn world. And, for a movie about such a seamy subject, what shines through is the film’s striking sense of compassion for its characters. (1997)

8. THE MATRIX — Hard science-fiction, Hong Kong fight scenes and mind-blowing special effects unite in this invigorating thriller. The Wachowski brothers demonstrate that an action flick actually can be about something, which, of course, makes it even more exciting. (1999)

9. TOY STORY — Proving that a computer-generated movie can have humanity, this revolutionary animated film also has humor, rich characters and nail-biting suspense. This year’s sequel is just as good, but I’m listing “Toy Story” because it came first. (1995)

10.  JFK — Oliver Stone takes the Kennedy assassination, shatters it into a million pieces, then examines the conspiracy behind each one. Stone’s theory about what happened is a little nutty, but he conveys the impending chaos lurking behind the shiny curtain of Camelot. (1991)

What were the best movies of the first decade of the 21st century? Part 1

6 comments July 27th, 2009

It’s hard to believe, but the first decade of the 21st century ends in a mere five months.* That means it’s already time for movie critics (and fans) to think about compiling their “best of the decade lists” so they’ve got them polished and perfect by the time December rolls around. Being a complete film nerd, I’m considering my picks now. Here are three contenders. I’m not saying they’re earned their spots yet, but they’re definitely among the ones to beat…

 

 

 

So now it’s your turn. Post some of your picks in the comments, and hopefully you’ll knock some of my memories loose and remind me of a movie I’ve forgotten. I’ll make more of these posts as the year continues, then sometime around Dec. 31, 2009, I’ll reveal the whole Ten Best in the paper and here, online. Film fans love few things more than lists, so I hope we can have fun putting ours together.

I didn’t list of the names of the above three movies on purpose. Can you name ‘em?

* I realize that — technically speaking — the year 2010 is, in fact, part of the first decade of the 21st century too, which means that the decade really doesn’t end in five months, but instead in 17 months. After all, we went through the same sort of confusion 1o years ago during the turn of the century. But, for the sake of argument, let’s just pretend that this Dec. 31 will be the end of the decade, OK? Thank you in advance.

DVD Review: Catching up with the gang at Sterling Cooper

2 comments July 27th, 2009

This week’s Movie Man column focuses on the small screen with a look at MAD MEN. The second season is now on DVD,  and here’s a quick summary of what’s going on…

Don still has trouble at work (a new rival), after hours (an affair with a comedian’s wife) and at home (wife Betty, played by January Jones, gives him the boot). To complicate matters, during a business trip to California, Don ditches his responsibilities and spends a few strange days with a house full of Los Angeles weirdos. They’re not hippies — not yet, anyway — but Don’s layover in La La Land is one of the show’s sly reminders that the early, buttoned-up ’60s are about to become an entirely different sort of decade.

Here’s my complete review.