We now only have two more "top ten" list to finish up the 1990s and these "top ten" lists of the past in general. I do not have any "top ten" lists for the 1980s. So enjoy these lists celebrating the best films of the past. It is hard to find a common theme among my top ten favorites of the year. The only thing I can think of, and this is with a little help of some years of reflecting upon it, these movies mostly deals with characters in a crossroad. The new decade started off rather scary. I remember hearing more about AIDS and safe sex. Where was society headed? A youth which seemed disenfranchised. Whatever one feels about the 1980s, socially, at least, it was a time about Americans feeling good about themselves thanks to President Ronald Reagan. Michael Douglas taught us "greed is good" in "Wall Street". Cinematically I would argue the decade as a whole was weak, but, the 1990s offered hope, for movies at least. It took the industry a while to pull itself together but when it had a good year, as was the case in 1994, 97 or 99, we saw a fresh, new vision come from aspiring young filmmakers ready to change the landscape. Sadly 1991 wasn't such a year.
The top grossing film of the year was "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" followed by Kevin Costner as "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". The remaining top ten grossing films were Steven Spielberg's "Hook", "City Slickers", "The Addams Family", Julia Roberts scored a big hit with the thriller "Sleeping with the Enemy" and Steve Martin had a hit starring in the remake of Vincente Minnelli's 1950 classic, "Father of the Bride".
Other note worthy films include Ridley Scott's "Thelma & Louise", Martin Scorsese's remake of "Cape Fear" with Robert De Niro. The Coen Brothers had the critical hit "Barton Fink", Claude Chabrol released his adaptation of "Madame Bovary" with Isabelle Huppert in the title role and the slice of life film "Grand Canyon".
At the Oscars, the "Best Picture" winner was "Silence of the Lambs". The other nominees were "Bugsy", "JFK", the Disney animated film "Beauty & the Beast" and "The Prince of Tides".
Here now is my list of the ten best films of the year!
1. BUGSY (Dir. Barry Levinson; U.S.) - Perhaps Levinson's best and most accomplished film. The decade started off so strong for him. He ended the previous decade with the Oscar winner "Rain Man", started the 90s off with "Avalon", another favorite of mine, and hit us with this modern masterpiece. I find it shameful that this didn't walk away with the Oscar for "Best Picture". Nearly every scene in this film I find perfect except for one where Beatty, in a power struggle, demands someone bark like a dog.
And speaking of Beatty, this may very well be his greatest role. Can you honestly think of another actor playing this part? Beatty makes the role his own.
The film generated some publicity when it was revealed that Beatty and co-star Annette Bening had started an off-screen romance. But, that isn't really important. These two shine on-screen. The remaining cast consist of standout actors such as Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel and Joe Mantegna.
The film was nominated for 10 Oscar nominations, two of which it won. One for "Costume Design" and "Art Direction". The other nominations included "Best Picture", "Director", "Screenplay" as well as acting nominations. The film also won the Golden Globe for "Best Picture". In another list I posted on here I declared it one of the best films of the 90s!
2. JU-DOU (Dir. Zhang Yimou/Fengliang Yang; China) - One of the great early works from Yimou, is a luscious, passionate story of forbidden love starring his muse Li Gong, one of the most beautiful women in films.
The film caused quite a stir in China, where the government banned it. Oddly enough however, the film was nominated for "Best Foreign Language" film at the Oscars. It was even nominated for the palme d'or at Cannes.
It was also one of the last films shot in Technicolor.
3. ONCE AROUND (Dir. Lasse Hallstrom; U.S.) - Another early work from a director who would became one of my favorite modern filmmakers after making such films as "The Shipping News", "Chocolat" and "Cider House Rules".
Here Richard Dreyfuss plays an outsider who falls in love with Danny Aiello and Gene Rowlands' daughter, played by Holly Hunter. An immediate culture clash develops.
The film is bittersweet. It has funny, joyful moments but also teaches life lessons, but not in a forceful, lecture kind of way.
4. HOMICIDE (Dir. David Mamet; U.S.) - And yet another early work from one of my favorite modern directors, Mr. David Mamet. "Homicide" is not however one of Mamet's typical, masterful con films. Here Joe Mantegna plays a Jewish detective assigned to a case which becomes a little too personal for him. It brings into question who he is as a person and what does he owe to his people, other Jews.
Because it is a David Mamet film there is a lot of intelligence to the dialogue and few actors deliver Mamet lines better than Mantegna. Another Mamet regular, William H. Macy co-stars.
5. L.A. STORY (Dir. Mick Jackson; U.S.) - I think of all the films on this list "L.A. Story" is probably the best representation of what life in the early 90s was like.
This Steve Martin comedy, which he wrote, deals with the love life of a bunch of L.A. yuppies. Looking back on the film it is almost like going into a time warp. Remember those giant cell phones? Men with ponytails? Cappuccino became our new drink.
The opening moments would make Woody Allen proud. In fact Martin pitched the film as a response to a movie called "New York Stories", an anthology film about life in New York, which had one short story by Allen.
The film perfectly displays the confusion about the new decade and the sense of "lost" which surrounds our lives. The script is incredibly smart and witty drawing references from Fellini to Shakespeare.
6. DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE (Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski; France/Poland) - The most visually stunning and beautiful film of the year! And I would argue Kieslowski's best film.
Irene Jacob stars as two women name Veronique. One lives in France, the other in Poland. They have never met yet someone their lives seem connected.
Kieslowski is best known for his "Three Color Trilogy" but here in this sadly little seen masterpiece he is playing around with some of the same concepts.
Jacobs won an acting award at the Cannes Film Festival where the film was also nominated for the palme d' or. It was also nominated in the foreign language category at the Golden Globes.
7. JFK (Dir. Oliver Stone; U.S.) - One of the more controversial films of the year, but, what would you expect from Stone?
The film was based on two books; Jim Garrison's "On the Trail of the Assassins" and Jim Marrs' "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy" suggesting the Kennedy assassination went deeper than any of us could imagine.
While many get boggled down in whether or not any of this was true or not, cinematically, it is an adventurous, rewarding film. It is intense and thought-provoking, as are most of Stone's films.
Kevin Costner heads a star-studded cast including Jack Lemmon, Joe Pisci, Sissy Spacek and Walther Matthau.
The film was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning two (for cinematography and editing). It was nominated for "Best Picture", "Director", "Screenplay" and "Best Supporting Actor" (Tommy Lee Jones).
8. CITY OF HOPE (Dir. John Sayles; U.S.) - Like "L.A. Story" or "Grand Canyon" here is another film about the world we live in. In Robert Altman fashion here is an inter-connecting slice of life film. You could compare it to Altman's "Short Cuts", though that Altman masterpiece wasn't released until 1993.
Sayles makes one of his most accomplished films here and he has a pretty impressive body of work including "Lone Star", "Eight Men Out", his most mainstream title to date and just in time for St. Patrick's Day, "The Secret of Roan Inish".
The cast includes Chris Cooper, Angela Bassett, David Strathairn and Gina Gershon.
9. LA BELLE NOISEUSE (Dir. Jacques Rivette; France) - One of the true masterpieces of the 1990s. Rivette's film went unappreciated upon its initial release but hopefully time has allowed some to open up to it.
Many complained the film was too long and boring. It deals with a elder painter who meets a young couple. The young wife intrigues the man and stirs artistic passion in him. He wants to start painting again but only if she will model for him. We get the creative process on-screen and see just how difficult inspiration can be.
American audiences rejected the film so harshly that a re-edited version was released excluding all the painting scenes and was re-titled "Divertimento". Please don't rent that version. This is the one to see.
Rivette is not very well known in this country but he was one of the young filmmakers part of the French New Wave. His best known film might be "Celine and Julie Go Boating", not a favorite of mine. Of his recent work, perhaps you heard of his romantic comedy "Va Savoir?". But "La Belle Noiseuse" for me will always be his best film. A real triumph for cinema!
The cast includes Michel Piccoli and Emmanuelle Beart.
10. RHAPSODY IN AUGUST (Dir. Akiria Kurosawa; Japan) - One of the great filmmaker's last works. His second to last in fact. The film was dismissed by critics and the public as a second-rate Kurosawa film, but, I'm not one to criticize our great filmmakers, some readers even consider that a fault of mine.
Richard Gere stars as the American nephew of a Japanese family and sees first hand the destruction of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki.
The film is meditative about different cultures and learning to see things from a different perspective.
Now, looking back, this seems like the kind of film we should have expected from a dying filmmaker. A piece of work which takes us back to a painful past. Many of Kurosawa's later films were more reflective and personal. Watch his previous film "Dreams".
Of the latter films I believe "Rhapsody in August" is the best. Not a great film but one which should not be avoided.
Posts
