1(tie). "Fight Club"(1999)
Looking back, 1999 really feels like the last gasp of a pretty bold cinematic era before that safe, post-9/11 period outlawed all the risky themes and content that would make middle America uncomfortable. Director David Fincher made "Seven" look all warm and fuzzy compared to his blistering dissection of male discontent and our soul-crushing consumerist lifestyles. Brad Pitt consistently brought a welcome edge to the screen in the '90s, and his impossibly cool, soap-making psycho anarchist Tyler Durden remains his greatest role. Edward Norton looked to be laying down a legacy with the one-two punch of his nameless Narrator and "American History X". Do you think anything even remotely resembling this movie could be produced by a major studio today? I can't see Project Mayhem sitting too well with Fox News. A vision THIS unfiltered has to be appreciated in an age of such sterile conformity. "FC" gets right in our faces and under our skin and it's therapeutic violence and nihilistic spirit isn't going away anytime soon.
1(tie). "Toy Story 2"(1999)
Despite the groundbreaking success of the 1995 original, short-sighted Disney execs were originally planning to send this sequel straight to video. That was until they realized it was better than every movie currently in theaters. With a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "TS2" would've fared pretty well against just about any movie ever made. It's "The Godfather Part II" of animated sequels, with a deeper story that explores the limited lifespan of our favorite toys. Will Woody choose museum immortality over his last few years with Andy? Tom Hanks and Tim Allen gladly returned to the recording booth to lend their irreplaceable vocals, and are joined by talented new additions such as Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammar and Wayne Knight. Pixar was the house that Buzz built, and the studio has been an unstoppable powerhouse ever since the box office bonanza generated by this delightful encore.
Recent events have made it difficult to heap praise on M. Night Shyamalan, but I'm not here to talk about "After Earth" or "The Last Airbender". Or "The Happening". Try your best to block out "The Village" and "Lady In The Water", too. I'm here to talk about his 1999 mega-hit that had eager journalists crowning him the next Spielberg. Things didn't quite work out that way, but you can't accuse the man of not having talent, because it was on full display in this superior ghost story before hype and expectations proved a heavy burden on so many of his later projects. "The Exorcist" was the last scary movie to enter the zeitgeist with this much force, so it's easy to see why we all got so worked up. Bruce Willis' subtle, understated turn as a sympathetic psychiatrist hints at the kind of actor he might have been, while Haley Joel Osment is a revelation as the frightened boy that sees dead people. That famous ending holds up on repeat viewings, even if the real shocker turned out to be Night's steep decline.
3. "The Matrix"(1999)
Cyberpunk subculture, Hong Kong cinema and the dystopian future popularized by the "Terminator" films were confidently combined in the Wachowski bros' career-defining crowning achievement. Keanu Reeves put his blank slate non-acting style to good use as a restless hacker drawn into a rebellion against sentient machines trying to subdue and enslave the human population in a simulated virtual reality. 'Neo' learns the truth from mysterious fugitive Morpheus(Lawrence Fishburne) and leather-clad warrior Trinity(Carrie Anne Moss) until his destiny as the savior of mankind in slowly revealed. I admit that I didn't fully grasp all of these concepts on my first viewing. All I knew is there was a lot of cool stuff happening. Several scenes became instantly iconic(most notably the one pictured above) in the most imitated action film since "Die Hard". The movies that make the largest impact tend to come out of nowhere to blindside the unsuspecting masses. That was certainly the case here. A cult-like fan-base emerged at the dawn of the new millennium and two sequels arrived with substantial hype(but fewer plaudits) in 2003.
4. "American Beauty"(1999)
First-time director Sam Mendes brings the same tar-black comedic approach to his celebrated portrait of mid-life crises as Fincher brought to disenfranchised youth in 1999's acerbic Best Picture winner. Kevin Spacey's transition from superlative supporting player to main man was complete with his Best Actor Oscar-winning role as quietly desperate suburbanite Lester Burnham. You think marriage, fatherhood, steady employment, and stability equals happiness? Guess again. None of that compares to potentially shagging your 17 year old daughter's best friend. The perennially underrated Annette Bening shines as his shrewish wife, and teen lust object Mena Suvari looked like she was headed for big things after bathing in those rose pedals. This was the year that a few daring filmmakers asked us to face some uneasy truths and the cinema was a better place because of it. Middle-aged malaise has never been captured more beautifully.
5. "The Insider"(1999)
One year before audiences chanted 'Maximus', Russell Crowe was proving his worth in Michael Mann's captivating true story of a tobacco industry whistleblower selling his secrets to "60 Minutes". It's rather astonishing to see the 33 year old Crowe disappear into the part of pensive fifty-something family man Jeff Wigand in between his macho, star-making roles in "L.A. Confidential" and "Gladiator", as the multi-dimensional Australian left little doubt that he was here to stay. When has Al Pacino's involvement ever NOT been the first big selling point when discussing a film? Talk about a changing of the guard.
6. "Magnolia"(1999)
Paul Thomas Anderson reassembles much of the cast of "Boogie Nights"(Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall) for this collection of wildly different tales of love and loss in the San Fernando Valley. Tom Cruise seemed to be making a conscious effort to shed his normally affable persona("Eyes Wide Shut" dropped the same year) and is the standout of this sparkling ensemble as flamboyant sex guru Frank T.J. Mackey. The late Jason Robards may be the greatest actor that never gets talked about, and his role as Mackey's estranged, ailing father was the last of his long and distinguished career. It may be difficult to pinpoint the overriding theme or message behind PTA's emotionally ambitious epic, but the melodious results are rarely less than engrossing.
7. "Boys Don't Cry"(1999)
The tragic circumstances that led to the rape and murder of a transgender Nebraska teen in 1993 was recreated in devastating fashion, by director Kimberly Peirce in her critically-lauded film debut. Hillary Swank's fearless portrayal of Brandon Teena earned the Best Actress Oscar, and instantly catapulted her to the upper echelon of big-screen actresses. That's quite a leap from "The Next Karate Kid" and "Beverly Hills 90210". Indie darling Chloe Sevigny deserved the Supporting Actress nod for her equally brave performance as Brandon's naive girlfriend. This gritty, challenging film barely scraped together enough funds to make it into theaters, and is one story that deserved to be rescued from the usual TV movie fodder.
8. "Three Kings"(1999)
It's hard to believe there was ever a time when the public wasn't completely sold on the idea of George Clooney starring in movies. Yeah, that's right, as much as I hate to admit it, the '90s was a long time ago. Mark Wahlberg was involved in a similar battle with naysayers, and they both have David O. Russell to thank for arming them with sturdier resumes as we all faced the uncertainties of the new millennium. This was one of the first notable films to tackle the Gulf War, but Russell balances grim reality with a considerably lighter touch that has since become his trademark. Witnessing the rise of big league talent is always exciting, and this film's title may now be an accurate description of the three abovementioned individuals, a decade-and-a-half later(Ice Cube hasn't done too bad, either).
9. "The Green Mile"(1999)
It's incredibly fitting that we wrap up this '90s retrospective with the decade's benign poster boy. Hanks just had to headline another heartwarming awards contender to make that latter-day Jimmy Stewart label really stick. Director Frank Darabont, of "Shawshank" fame, has the two-time Best Actor recipient AND the late Michael Clarke Duncan to thank for not making him a one hit wonder. Darabont has a knack for adapting the literally works of Stephen King, but MCD's magical 1930s death row inmate is truthfully the main attraction. His burly breakthrough bolstered an already-stacked Best Supporting Actor race(Michael Caine upset Duncan, Cruise and Osment), keeping this film's three-hour-and-nine minute runtime from feeling like too much of a prison sentence during those bi-annual AMC viewings.
10. "Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace"(1999)
Yes, I'm putting George Lucas' much-maligned(and unfairly so) return to the "Star Wars" universe on this list. You can whine about Jar Jar Binks, Jake Lloyd and the Trade Federation all you want, but the fact remains that you can't talk about 1999 without talking about the unprecedented fanfare that accompanied the decade's runner-up for the box office title(only "Titanic" brought in more $$$ in the '90s). Bashing the prequels is so clichéd, so I'll be original and list some of the positives- Liam Neeson, Darth Maul, the pod-race and the closing triple threat light-saber battle. This saga is far from over thanks to Disney's deep pockets, so just admit it. You're glad Star Wars didn't end WAY back in 1983.
Honorable Mention
"She's All That"(1999)
Freddie Prinze Jr. helped close out the '90s. "Gloria"(1999) Sharon Stone stars in Sidney Lumet's remake of John Cassavetes.
"10 Things I Hate About You"(1999) Heath Ledger first came to our attention in this high school comedy.
"True Crime"(1999) You can always count on Clint.
"Analyze This"(1999) Billy Crystal psychoanalyzes Robert De Niro, hilarity ensues.
"Office Space"(1999) Work sucks.
"Election"(1999) Alexander Payne's breakthrough pits Reese Witherspoon against Mathew Broderick.
"Cruel Intentions"(1999) An attractive young cast updates "Dangerous Liaisons".
"Notting Hill"(1999) Julia Roberts asks Hugh Grant to love her.
"Tarzan"(1999) Phil Collins helps conclude the Disney Renaissance.
"Big Daddy"(1999) Sandler's best?
"The General's Daughter"(1999) Travolta's last stand as a top tier leading man.
"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"(1999) Mike Myers' sequel was an even bigger hit than it's predecessor.
"Summer of Sam"(1999) Spike Lee lets us relive New York in 1977.
"The Blair Witch Project"(1999) This indie chiller and it's 'found footage' became a pop culture phenomenon.
"American Pie"(1999) The teen sex comedy makes a comeback.
"Eyes Wide Shut"(1999) Cruise and Kidman in Kubrick's haunting farewell.
"Bowfinger"(1999) Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy should be any comedy lover's dream.
"Runaway Bride"(1999) "Pretty Woman" reunion for Julia Roberts, Richard Gere and director Gary Marshall.
"The Iron Giant"(1999) Old school animation wasn't dead yet.
"Double Jeopardy"(1999) Tommy Lee Jones chases after 'fugi-chick' Ashley Judd.
"Sweet and Lowdown"(1999) Woody Allen and Sean Penn tell the story of troubled 1930s jazz guitarist Emmett Ray.
"Being John Malkovich"(1999) Spike Jonze builds his rep as cinema's quirkiest auteur.
"Bringing Out the Dead"(1999) I'll bet you never knew that Scorsese worked with Nick Cage.
"The Cider House Rules"(1999) Michael Caine wins Best Supporting Actor for his delivery of one line.
"Life"(1999) Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence serve hard time.
"Any Given Sunday"(1999) Oliver Stone's indictment of pro football.
"Girl, Interrupted"(1999) Angelina Jolie enters our lives.
"The Hurricane"(1999) Denzel Washington scored another knockout as imprisoned boxer Rubin Carter.
"Bicentennial Man"(1999) A robotic Robin Williams reteams with his "Doubtfire" director Chris Columbus.
"8 MM"(1999) Nick Cage + Joel Schumacher= guilty pleasure.
"A Walk On the Moon"(1999) Diane Liane does her best work when she's unfaithful.
"A Midsummer Night's Dream"(1999)
"Music of the Heart"(1999)
"The Limey"(1999)
No comments:
Post a Comment