The Top Ten Movies of 2001
According to Dave Flapan

10) Royal Tennenbaums

A dysfunctional family picture, this tells the story of the Tennenbaums through a thirty-year span. Gene Hackman gives an eccletic performance as the patriarch with many relationship issues. His three kids (Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow) have several idiosyncrasies of their own, and carry over many into adulthood. A narrator is also featured, and he narrates like we are reading a book. The film is even divided into chapters. An over-the-top script keeps us guessing and laughing.

9) Moulin Rouge

In the year 1900, at a nightclub called the Moulin Rouge (Red Windmill) in Paris, an aspiring actress and singer (Nicole Kidman) works. This is a musical told with such high energy that you won't have to work out for a few days after a viewing. The music encompasses many styles, from traditional show-tune style to remakes of 80s songs. Ewan McGregor and John Leguizamo also participate in the adventures.

8) Ocean's Eleven

Danny Ocean wants to pull off the biggest heist in the history of Las Vega$. He gets together his friends (presumably there are eleven, but I lost count) notably including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, and they attempt to pull off a very elaborate robbery of the Bellagio Hotel. As wrong as this is, one cannot help rooting for the bad guys here. The high-tech gadgetry, not to mention the sneakiness, is fun to watch. This is a remake of the Rat Pack's 1960 film of the same name, which I now want to see.

7) Amorres Perros

Another breakthrough in originality, this Mexican entry tells three stories in unique ways. In the first, a young teen is in love with his brother's girlfriend, in the second, a model's life is changed forever when she loses her legs, and in the third, an old man helps to settle old scores. These stories would probably be decent alone, but here they are told with an intriguing commonality: All of them involve a car accident, and all of them involve dogs. The car accident connects the three tales, and each begin from there, with a different viewpoint. Gritty, can be difficult to watch, but worth it.

6) Bully

A group of white trash teens are bugged by one of their peers. He gets on their nerves so much that they decide to kill him. However, all this is done so non-chalantly, it seems that the kids don't understand the consequences of their actions. Intense performances are given by the actors. This movie may be highest in making you think about it afterward. What is even scarier is that this is a true story, based on a 1993 incident in Florida.

5) Fat Girl

Anais is a 12-year-old girl who is a little overweight. Elena is her 15-year-old sister who is quite the boy magnet. This is their story, at this point in their lives, when they are beginning to try to figure out the deal with their bodies and with boys. Naturally, one of the overtones is Anais' jealousy of her sister and her ability to easily attract and relate to the opposite sex. At 12, Anais should not really be worrying about that, but she is, mostly because she knows her weight will be a barrier to meeting guys. Despite (or because of) their different stages in life and different outlooks and circumstances, the sisters share a sisterly bond that is enlightening to peek in on. The ending is one of the biggest contrasts on movies I have ever seen, in terms of the its mood relative to the rest of the film. As intense as it is, it still effetively, if subtly, conveys the movie's message.

4) The Others

A mother and her two kids live in an old house in the 1940s. The kids have a disease where they cannot be exposed to light. To keep them safe, all curtains must be drawn whereever the kids are, as must all doors be locked to prevent accidents, and only candles are used for light. After these main points are established, symptoms of haunting occur. The rest of the movie is something that one should experience for oneself, so I wil ldo you a favor and not give anymore away. I will only comment that, as with any good horror movie, most things are not as they seem, and several surprises are thrown in. Nicole Kidman is eerily excellent as the mother.

3) A Beautiful Mind

Russell Crowe stars as John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who, in the 50s and 60s, greatly contributed formulas and theories and other math-related treasures to the scientific community. What would undoubtedly be an inspiring story like that gets an added element when it is revealed that he has schizophrenia. This is widely known, however, the method in which it is revealed is superbly portrayed in the film. Since most of the public knows very little about this disease (and most other mentals diseases for that matter), we are all surprised yet fascinated by the affliction and its effect on both the doctor, his family, and his contemporaries. several excellent performances are turned in, most notably by Crowe, and also by Jennifer Connelley, who plays his faithful wife Alicia. As I mentioned, the storytelling is exceptional, and much credit can go to director Ron Howard.

2) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The first chapter in the Hobbit trilogy, director Peter Jackson received an Oscar nomination for his vision of Middle Earth. The detail depicted in this world is stunning. Being less than vaguely familiar with the story did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying this magical tale. The special effects are seamlessly interwoven into the plot, and Elijah Wood is well-cast as the main Hobbit, Frodo Baggins. Despite its length, the movie flows all the way through on its never-ending adventure.

1) Amelie

A feel-good film that lives up to its billing, title character Amelie is a Frenchwoman who, upon finding a box of old treasures, tracks down its original owner. The old man is so happy to receive these mementos of his childhood, that it brings Amelie a warm-fuzzy feeling inside. She then performs good deeds for several other characters (and some not-so-good deeds for people that deserve such). The story is original, and there are even a few conflicts that make you think enough to also feel warm and fuzzy.

Honorable Mentions
As usual, a top ten list is not sufficient to include all of the films that displayed high quality this year. The following films, in no particular order, just barely missed the cut: