10) All About My Mother
Pedro Almodovar's insightful effort about a son's relationship with his
mother, which turns out to focus more on her. The biggest star here is the
relatively unknown at the time Penelope Cruz, who always brings a delectable mix
of innocence and spice to her roles. Won an Academy Award for best foreign
film.
9) Bowfinger
Steve Martin is the creative force behind this
vehicle about an obscure movie producer (Martin) who wants to
make a film with a big action star (Eddie Murphy). But when
Murphy's character won't agree, he decides to make the movie
anyway, filming him in real life, having his actors interact with
him, hoping he will react realistically. With Heather Graham as
an actress in Martin's cast. A funny premise that is even funnier
on screen.
8) Eyes Wide Shut
A much anticipated release, this movie lived up
to its potential. The legendary Stanley Kubrick directed, and it
wound up performing better at the box office than all of his
other movies combined (Mr. Kubrick unfortunately passed on a few
months before the film was released). Power Couple Tom Cruise and
Nicole Kidman star as successful, married New Yorkers. Their
marraige seems decent enough, but Tom's character meets an old
friend, who directs him to a party with very curious activities,
mostly of a sexual nature. The mystery and secrecy kept me
inexplicably hooked the whole way.
7) Man On The Moon
Jim Carrey becomes the legendary comic Andy Kaufman in this
Milos Forman directed biography. Dramatizing famous (and everyday)
events from Kaufman's life, we get a feeling for who he is and
what makes him tick. Of course, some say that everything, to
varying extents, is also an act.
6) South Park
Even though this is a cartoon, and the main characters are
four eight-year-old buddies, this film is justifiably rated R.
Based on the smash tv show from cable's Comedy Central, the film
features satire galore. One of the better satirizations features
the scenes where the children attempt to sneak into an R-rated
film. Naturally, they are successful, and they exit spouting all
of the profanities they heard within. Their parents are furious,
which sparks the rest of the plot. Also noteworthy is that this
is a musical, and most of the songs also parody current events
and the entertainment industry.
5) Sixth Sense
Bruce Willis has a rare dramatic role in this tale of a 10-year-old boy who
"sees dead people." An original spin on the supernatural genre,
the legendary surprise ending works, and provokes plenty of thought. This
was the most financially successful film of the year.
4) American Beauty
Beginning as a typical Classic White Middle-Class
Suburban Fable, we soon see that there is more to this tale than
the comforts of predictability. This is most evident with the
father (Kevin Spacey). He is commencing a mid-life crisis, exhibiting symptoms such as working out, buying a new car, and
paying too much attention to his daughter's friend. Speaking of
his daughter and her friend (Thora Birch and Mena Suvari), they
steal their scenes. They are rising young actresses, and this is
a great showcase for their talents.
3) Dogma
The 4th feature from indie filmaker Kevin Smith, this
film has been billed as a comedy, a satire of Catholicism,
and dramatic. While it is all of the above, which makes
it rather controversial, it is so much more than that. It
makes you think. It is an original story containing
religious elements, yet we can all relate to it to an
extent. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star as wisecracking
angels who have been banned from heaven. After
discovering a loophole to get back in, we are introduced
to an all-star cast of characters who are trying to stop
them and save existence. Due to the unfortunate
controversy, which was heaped upon it mostly by religious
zealots, most of whom haven't seen the film and apparently have
a small, shallow sense of humor, this
film did not receive the acclaim it deserves.
2) Boys Don't Cry
Teena Brandon was born a girl. However, she thought she should have
been male. So, at 20, she made several drastic changes in her appearance,
and set out to try life as a man. The reactions of the people she
encountered ranged from predictable to acceptance to fright. Based on the
true story of Brandon Teena, Hillary Swank won an Academy Award for her
portrayal.
1) Being John Malkovich
One of the more creative and original
movies of the year, the premise has an office worker (John Cusack)
discovering a pathway into the brain of John Malkovich. He, and
anyone else who traverses this portal, can then experience (and
soon influence) being John Malkovich! Admittedly, Malkovich may
not be a superstar, but for those of us familiar with his work (Dangerous
Liasons, In The Line of Fire, and countless local productions
with his Steppenwolf Theater Company), it is most gratifying.
