Our Top 10's of 2001 -- Time To Throw Down - Page 2

1. Mulholland Drive David Lynch
Vivid and highly imaginative dreamscape from my favorite director.

2. The Royal Tenenbaums Wes Anderson
Somber and hilarious.

2a. Donnie Darko Richard Kelly
After a second viewing, this one deserves to be near the top. Helluva debut feature.

3. Ghost World Terry Zwigoff

4. Memento Christopher Nolan (2000/2001 US)
Excellent editing and a wonderful, sympathetic performace from Guy Pearce.

5. A.I. Artificial Intelligence Steven Speilberg
I've never seen a film cause the division that this one did.

6.The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings Peter Jackson

7. The Man Who Wasn't There Joel and Ethan Coen
Existentialist think-piece. I've not seen a better photographed film in a long time.

8. With A Friend Like Harry (Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien) Dominik Moll (2000/2001 US)
Can be taken as a straightforward Hitchcock homage or as a "Fight Club" type revelation.

9. Startup.com Chris Hegedus/Jehane Noujham
More thrilling than any Hollywood thriller could ever be.

10. Moulin Rouge! Baz Luhrmann
Never seen anything like it. Certainly, the plot is thin and cliche-filled, but the sets, costumes, and overall look of the film are jaw-dropping.

11. À Ma Soeur (Fat Girl) Catherine Breillat


12. Monsters, Inc. Peter Docter/David Silverman

As a mostly recreational moviegoer, my viewing was limited, so take my choices as you will. I won't have 10 of either, but I know what I like...

Favorite Films of 2001:

1) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
2) Moulin Rouge
3) Black Hawk Down
4) Vanilla Sky
5) Monster's Inc

I have YET to see Mulholland Drive (I am not a big Lynch fan, but with the raves, I will see it), A Beautiful Mind, Amelie, etc., etc.

I have seen AI and Memento, but I did not feel strongly enough about them to include them.

Worst Films...I did not see the legendary: Freddy Got Fingered, Joe Dirt, Scary Movie 2...

Tomb Raider
3000 Miles to Graceland
Jurassic Park III

Best Movie (not released this year) that I saw for the first time:
The Godfather I and II
I ejected III about an hour in, sorry.

Dumb Comments:
I thought 2001 was a good year. Any of my top 3 would have been better than my favorite film of 2000 (Almost Famous). I think the dearth of quality primarily existed during the summer months, excepting MR. As a strong proponent of summer movies, I was burned quite frequently this year. Studios (Universal is on my **** list with their sequels) seemed satisfied with 1st weekend grosses, and in most cases, the hype dominated the finished product. A disturbing trend that does not portend well for follow-up summers (although I have great hope for the coming summer - well, for Ep. II and Spider-Man). Moulin Rouge was the very rare exception, and atypical of the crap we were being fed. The year ended very strong however. I saw 2 of my top 4 in a 3 day span, also buying the DVD of #2 in between. I am eagerly awaiting BHD and ABM as well.

Why my choices?

Monsters, Inc was thoroughly charming. Elegant, simple, and wonderful. I laughed less than when I saw Shrek, but smiled throughout!

Vanilla Sky is a tough one. It worked or it didn't, as evidenced by it's MANY critics. But it worked for me. A powerful movie that reached me on many levels. Beautiful to look at, interesting to watch, and in the end, worth the journey. Cameron Diaz is tremendous in this as well.

Black Hawk Down is not easy to watch. I knew what was coming, and in many ways, that made it more painful. From the moment Pvt. Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) falls out of the helo until the very end was honest and gut-wrenching. Besides the absolute technical brilliance of Ridley Scott, the actors understood their roles in the tale to tell. A rare thing in Hollywood when the actors step back, and endeavor to project the story, not their role. That is the one thing this movie really needed to effectively work. It was a testament to the heart and soul of the men who protect and FOLLOW orders, and their story knows no country (IMO). War movies don't have to be anti-war. That's a no-brainer, and the soldiers who do the fighting know that more than any auteur. The films just have to be honest.

Moulin Rouge was an explosion of color and sound. I can't even begin to express how wonderful an experience this film was. Baz delivered again, and in complete contrast to summer fare, viewers could see firsthand what passion and dedication looked like on screen, when the director/actors/crew care more about the movie than their paychecks.

And finally, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I am not sure how I can convey what I feel about this movie. Every good word I spoke about MR applies here. This is filmmaking and storytelling expertly combined. I owned the trilogy for 2 decades, but didn't read it until this fall. PJ surpassed almost every expectation I could have had. For the first time since I was a child, I forgot I was a moviegoer and felt like I was there. The sets, costumes, effects, lighting, miniatures, etc all exist solely to serve the story, and what a story it is! The power of this film is in the acting and direction. The best part is that there are two more coming.

As for bad, aren't the titles enough. Why waste time discussing them?

Take care and see you in 2002,
Chuck

P.S. I reserve the right the edit my words Edited to include comments from Black Hawk Down

Movies I liked very much in 2001:
[list=1][*]Moulin Rouge[*]A.I.[*]Lord of The Rings[*]Blow[*]Thirteen Days (might have been a 2000 film)[*]Shrek[*]The Pledge[/list=1]

Movies I haven't seen yet but that I expect will be on the list:

Memento
Amelié
A Perfect Mind
The Princess & The Warrior
Black Hawk Down
The Shipping News
Harry Potter

Top 10 Films of 2001: (comments to follow)

1. In the Bedroom
2. Memento
3. Amores Perros
4. Amelie
5. Bully
6. Mullholland Drive
7. The Man Who Wasn't There
8. Sexy Beast
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
10. Oceans Eleven

Honorable Mention (11-20, in alphabetical order)
The Anniversary Party
The Center of the World
The Deep End
The Dish
Enemy at the Gates
Ghost World
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
L.I.E.
Moulin Rouge
My First Mister

The Bottom 10:
1. Jeepers Creepers
2. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
3. Josie and the Pussycats
4. A.I. Artifical Intelligence
5. The Wedding Planner
6. Swordfish
7. Riding in Cars with Boys
8. Training Day
9. Hannibal
10. The Caveman's Valentine

Number of 2001 Films Seen: 72

Notible Films missed or not seen yet: Ali, A Beautiful Mind, Black Hawk Down, Gosford Park, In the Mood for Love, Iris, The Others, The Royal Tenenbaums, Series 7, The Shipping News, The Taste of Others.

Updated 04/12/02

Top ten so far (one week in LA/NY, Academy criteria):

1. Memento
2. Moulin Rouge
3. Monster's Ball
4. Gosford Park
5. In the Bedroom
6. Vanilla Sky
7. Amores Perros
8. Amelie
9. A Beautiful Mind
10. The Dish


The best of the rest in order:

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, Donnie Darko, The Center of the World, The Score, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shrek, Monsters Inc., The Man Who Wasn't There, Mulholland Drive, Wit, Sexy Beast, Ghost World, Things Behind The Sun, The Deep End, Ocean's Eleven, Blow, Bandits, 61*, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, From Hell, K-PAX, Heist, Enemy At The Gates, 15 Minutes, Fellowship of the Ring, American Pie 2, Hannibal, Training Day, The Others, A.I., The Pledge, Sweet November

Yet to see are:

Black Hawk Down
Diamond Men
Focus
The Golden Bowl
Happy Accidents
Innocence
Lost and Delirious
The Man Who Cried
No Man's Land
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Shipping News
Tape
Waking Life

Rob

(edited 12/30/2001 to reflect viewing of A beautiful mind)
(edited 01/17/2001 to reflect viewing of The Royal Tennenbaums)

1. A.I. - Passionate and Daring, A.I. pushed the boundaries of cinema's ability to tell stories. Not only did it challenge audiences with it's existensialist ideas and seemingly disjointed storytelling, it took the science fiction film in new, overwhelmingly positive directions. Spielberg is at the top of his game with A.I., it takes him in a new artistic, and more mature direction, which bodes well for film audiences of the future. Masterfully directed, and beautifully acted, A.I. is one of the most significant films made in years, it is too bad that most critics are so self-absorbed in their own elitism to ever actually open their eyes and find true cinematic art when it is blatently in their face.
2. Fellowship of the Ring - Peter Jackson and this series of films may well revolutionize hollywood, but they probably won't. Most likely the only lesson that hollywood will learn is that fantasy properties can be lucrative, and we'll suddenly be deluged by bad adaptations of Earthsea, Terry Brooks, and Robert Jordan. However that doesn't detract from the fact that Jackson has delivered a new epic of sweeping scale, vision and potency that hasn't been seen since the golden age of epics in the fifties. He also delivers one of the most concise and brilliantly realized adaptations of all time, bringing extrodinary sincerity and deftness to Tolkiien's massive world. The acting is spectacular, the battle sequences a delight, and the whole film is simply a joy to experience. This is the type of film that made us love film in the first place.
3. Vanilla Sky - Cameron Crowe delivers us a slam bang film that screws with your mind and practically forces you to watch it again. Vanilla Sky has an out of this world ending that blows away Sixth Sense and the Crying Game, it will make you completely reevaluate the entire film. An incrediblly wonderful surreal film, you exit feeling like Slavador Dali and MC Eshcer helped to write the screenplay and oversaw the production. A fantastic piece.
4. The Royal Tennenbaums - Absolutely fantastic, Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson delivered another absolutely brilliant comedy in the vien of their previous efforts, but still completely different. The film feels steeped in literature be it children's (Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankwiler) or more adult fare (the Glass family) it feels like this was adapted from a classic novel. Be sure to see this film as a comedy first, not a drama (ie don't make the American Beauty mistake thinking it is a drama), because this film is supposed to make you laugh. There is so much going on in the frame that is absolutely wonderful, be it a closet full of classic seventies issue board games or the absurdist paintings on Eli's walls, you'll be beset by the giggles throughout the entire film. Wonderfully, wonderfully accomplished, I can't wait to have this on dvd (please let it be criterion).
5. Monsters Inc. - Pixar are simply gods of classic animation. Which is odd since their animation is bleeding edge cgi, but with all of thier films you forget the eye candy and fall in love with the story and characters. That is why pixar creates such monsterous successes and is continually outdoing disney's traditionally animated fare. Pixar embodies the spirit of the classic animation, their stories are told with sincerity, wit, and a polished class. (the class being that they can tell a wonderful story that appeals to all ages without panderign to solely kids or adults with cheap directed jokes coughshrekcough). MI completely outclasses any other animate fare released this year, in characterization, animation, and pure unbridaled storytelling. And just to rub it in, they constantly create shorts that are easily worthy of classic silly symphony toons.
6. A Beautiful Mind - Very straightforward character film, that is beautifully acted and directed with an invisble hand. Russell Crowe is phenomenal as Dr. John Nash, a schizophrenic math genius at princeton, his preformance is nothign short of extrodinary, by rights he should win the oscar this year (since Haley Joel Osment won't be nominated, unforutnately, because he deserves it). jenifer connelly is marvelous as his wife. The thing that sticks out in my mind, is how family centric this film is. It has no nudity, little swearing or adult language, yet they content is still intense enough to warrent a pg13, but what I'm getting at is how wonderful it is to see a wife love her husband so much as to stay with him, even when it was painful for her. definitly one of the best this year.
7. Moulin Rouge - Lovely eye candy, lovely voices, lovely soundtrack, a lovely musical. Luhrman slammed us with this modern musical on speed, it's trippy and psycheldic, and unbridaled fun, but it does work infinitely better in the theater, and it's enjoyment increases proportionally with the increase in the quality of your video and sound set up. Moulin Rouge worked for me infinitely better in the tehater where the rapid fire cuts and wacko imagry washes over you creating an sensory experience, but it pales greatly and the gaudiness becomes aparent watching it on a medium sized tv with no sound system. Still it is wonderfully acted and sung, a marvelous tragedy, and moving film.
8. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back - Kevin Smith delivers the ultimate road trip movie, it manages to be intelligent and ludicrously goofy simultaneously. but like most all his other films, you really should see this film with a bunch of your buddies.
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - A faiyhful adaptation brought to us by Columbus, occasionally there is visual flare and the acting is spotty, often times the kids stand beside their fellow actors with blank expressions when they are not speaking, and suddenly become animated whenever it is their turn to speak (either that or Daniel Radcliffe was underplaying his role extremely well). The film is also marred by the on and off visual effects, but is saved by the magnificent adult preformances and rupert grint and emma watson. Absolutley fun, and a straightforward adaptation of a wonderful book.
10. Memento - Trippy, great screenplay, great preformance, forces teh audience to think and become involved in the story. It's a real crime no studio gave this wide distribution, I think with a little advertising and decent distribution the film could have done wonderfully.
11. (bumped from top ten by Royal Tennenbaums Spy Kids - someone else has said it better than I could, so i'll reiterate their main idea, "this reminds you of when saturday morning cartoons told the most important stories in the world"
12. (bumped off top ten by A beautiful Mind) Shrek - Fun to watch, and to rewatch (I have a little sister, and guess what she got for christmas), but it was hurt for me because there were jokes tailored specifically at kids for them to laugh, and separated jokes tailored specifically at adults for them to laugh. however Shrek deserves it's spot on this list if only for the magnificent sequence set to the song "Hallelujah" which I consider to be one of the top sequences/scenes in any film this year. Shrek has other merits, the animation is top notch and voice acting terrific, but I enjoyed the more classic monsters Inc. much more.

biggest disapointments

1. Pearl Harbor - I hated the historical inaccuracies and especially the portrayals of FDR and Japanese, Ebert said it best about this film.
2. Hearts in Atlantis - Take a dark stephen king coming of age story and make it a happy and nostalgic coming of age story while ruthlessly excising every element that made it a King story in the first place. The possibility of this film was to be as good if not better than "Stand By Me" and instead we end up with a run of the mill flick
3. Ocean's Eleven - so much potential, yet so much emptiness, O11 was simply vapid, there was no tension, no fear, and no reason to actually like the theives, by the time it was nearly over, I was hoping there'd be some twist where the thieves actually got caught and had to spend life in prison, something at least to make it interesting
4. Planet of the Apes - what can i say I didn't like the ending, and the story was comletely predictable, the apes looked wonderful, but the film had none of the soul or subtext of the original (and it's much better to have the apes think of humans as ugly than falling in love with them)
5. Hannibal - should never have been made, still it is suspenseful and exciting, but too inlove with the gore adn shock value. What made SOTL so intense was what they hinted at and didn't show you, Hannibal dind't bother hinting they just loudly showed as much as they could.
6. Blow - Scorsese light and completely forgettable
7. Final Fantasy: The Spirits within - really if it weren't for the voice acting this could have been better, but the animation really needed another coupel eyars befroe it got there. I still enjoyed it which is why it is at the bottom of this list
8. Jurassic Park III - lots of fun, but they couldn't take the extra step and actually have someone you care about die (one of the continuing problems of the trilogy). The TRex is much more cool, and I had problems with eight weeks alone for a 11 year old kid (who then becomes completely helpless and a bumbling fool after appearing pretty cool rescuing dr grant)
9. The Mummy Returns - nonstop action, great lines, lackluster plot, still pretty fun, though by no means great cinema, it's relegated to this list because of the scorpion king as found in the end battle and the kid bringing mom back.
10. Atlantis: The lost Empire - Kind of fun, pleasantly a different step for disney, but a step away from their roots. The film ultimately never comes together to click and make a genuinely memorable film.

1. MOULIN ROUGE
2. WAKING LIFE
3. MEMENTO
4. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
5. A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
6. HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
7. MONSTERS, INC.
8. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
9. OCEAN'S ELEVEN
10. THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION

I feel embarrassed to say that I have yet to see "Mulholland Drive", but I will ASAP.

God Bless is it great to see Ghost of Mars party crashing that list of #1's.

It's like Dangerfield at the country club in Caddyshack.

These are the best ten flicks I saw this year.

#1 "A Beautiful Mind"

#2 "The Lord of the Rings"

#3 "Shrek"

#4 "Memento"

#5 "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"

#6 "Monster's Ball"

#7 "Blow"

#8 "Moulin Rouge"

#9 "Monster's, Inc."

#10 "Ocean's Eleven"

Top 10 of 2001


1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2. Memento

3. A.I. Artificial Intelligence

4. A Beautiful Mind

5. Ocean's 11

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7. Training Day

8. Moulin Rouge

9. The Majestic

10. Vanilla Sky

Honorable Mentions
The Others, Monsters Inc., K-Pax, Hannibal

Worst Movies of 2001
1. Pearl Harbor
2. Tomb Raider
3. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
4. Ghosts of Mars
5. Swordfish

I decided to update this...

BEST OF 2001 - THEATRICAL RELEASES:

The Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge
Shrek
A.I.
Apocolaypse Now Redux
Cats & Dogs
Superman: The Movie (Restored Version)

GOOD TO NOT-SO-BAD MOVIES OF 2001:

The Fast And the Furious
Ocean's Eleven
Hannibal
Planet of the Apes (borderline Not-so-Bad/Worst)

WORST OF 2001 - THEATRICAL RELEASES:

American Pie 2
The Mummy Returns
Jeepers Creepers
Along Came A Spider
Driven
Thirteen Ghosts
Joe Somebody

I'd also like to mention the following DVD releases that really were important to the film in terms of quality and presentation:

Citizen Kane
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Doctor Zhivago
Walt Disney Treasures series
Lawrence of Arabia

Top 10 for the year

1. Memento - Barely crossing past LotR, Memento stands as one of the most beautifully crafted works of art in recent memory. Seamlessly integrating a techinique that would be little more than a gimmick in most movies, the viewer is kept just as unsteady as Leonard is through the course of his life. The performances from the three primary actors is flawless and tonally perfect for the material. Even as the script heads for passages that feel composed, the words have resonance and work well for the scene. Most wonderful of all is that the movie has a remarkable depth and complexity that remains compelling after the 2nd or 22nd viewing.

2. The Fellowship of the Ring - An undertaking nearly as large as the quest it depicts, Peter Jackson's take on the richly detailed tale of Middle Earth is all the more impressive due to what it manages to accomplish. It brings epic scale of a literary work while being both accessible to neophytes and faithful to the initiated. Using an impressive toolset of physical, optical, computer generated, and practical effects, the vibrant world of Middle Earth is given the spectactular showing it deserves. I was particularly impressed with the pacing of the film, which kept intact the wonderful view of the Shire that serves so well as a contrast to the dark times ahead. Also impressive is that a battle between a non-cgi foe can eclipse in intensity the confrontation with the most impressive and fearsome CGI creature I've ever seen. I must say that although I hold all of Jackson's earlier work in high regard, I didn't expect such a sure and accomplished result as I saw this month. Certainly the same genre defining film as Star Wars or Jaws for their respective genre's. I anxiously wait to see what lies in store next Christmas. Bravo to New Line for developing all three films at once. Fellowship should reward them handsomely for their faith.

3. The Royal Tenenbaums - While Rushmore (my favorite film of the last 3 decades) perfectly captured many aspects of love and friendship, The Royal Tenebaums casts a prismatic view on the subject of family. Framed on the concept of a father who destroys his supernaturally promising offspring, each player brings a different subject to the table. I look forward to more viewings of this film, if for no other reason than to bask in the beautiful and unique set design and montages of it's characters.

4. The Man Who Wasn't There - The Coen's have managed to produce films so richly diverse while still retaining a familiar style. This years release is no different, although it bears more in common with their first film than any of the more humorous recent films. Beautifully shot in black and white, and a level of lighting and composition that makes me think people might start framing some of the still frames, I can't see how this film couldn't be recognized for cinematography. I also love how the Coen's have managed to make so many of their regulars feel fresh and original, as though they are just clay actors that can be molded into an infinite number of designs. In a small role, Tony Shaloub somehow karmically balances himself for 13 Ghosts by giving a solid and sure performance in a role that probably reads as over the top.

5. Black Hawk Down - From a technical standpoint, this film may just be flawless. Ridley Scott so perfectly captures the battle that you always know where you are, where you are going (even when the soldiers don't), and the battle scenes are clearly and accurately portrayed. The effects of the protracted and exhausting battle are presented clearly by all of the actors, who were universally all well played. The only thing that makes this a tough recommendation is that it is gruesome and that the individual soldiers don't get much of a chance to differentiate themselves. This is not so much a fault in the filmmaking, but a design choice by the filmmakers. Instead of singling out a handful of soldiers (as had been done in Saving Private Ryan), they gave us all of them in the initial 30 minute pre-combat sequence. A few are given additional development throughout, and there are standouts, but it does make it harder to identify with their fates. It was only on second viewing that I realized it was Blackburn who fell from the chopper. All told, this one is a success. That Jerry Bruckheimer was involved is practically unnoticeable, which is a complement to him and Ridley for not providing us another Pearl Harbor. An altogether well made film.

6. Ocean's 11 - A movie that exists almost as much for the sake of watching actors with potential play for the sake of playing. Luckily, Soderbergh also keeps it fun for the audience as well. I would say we're the lucky ones to have gotten all that talent into one place and to have the result be the source of so much fun.

7. Training Day - Far beyond my expectations, Denzel gives the performance that he hasn't equalled since Glory. Watching him manipulate the complex criminal underworld as well as his green partner is a joy. The ending may have been a desperate grasp for the larger than life character ending hall of fame, but it doesn't diminish the solid film that Training Day is.

8. Heist - I was initially disappointed early on in Heist because I found the dialogue to be lacking. It was only when the hammer dropped and it was clear that the characters were acting for the benefit of a dupe that I began to really appreciate the fine work put into Heist. The 'job' itself is compelling and the level of twists and turns is a labyrinth than stands up well to future viewings.

9. Monsters Inc. - Every bit the timeless classic of the Toy Story films, Monsters Inc. also reaches it's goal of wonderful family viewing without resorting to lazy pop culture references that felt tired in Shrek on second viewing. Pixar again builds a library with a level of craftsmanship and entertaining as those of the top names in Hollywood.

10.Hannibal - Taking a book that wasn't as much reveared by the public as reviled, Ridley Scott had his work cut out for him, but pulled through in fine style. The scenes in Europe are as beautiful as the artwork in the museum it displays. The violence is quick and effective and does well to show us Hannibal out in the wild. This is, after all, the first movie dedicated to him. I think this may rise in the eyes of those disappointed after another viewing.

Honorable Mention
Bandits
The Others
A.I.
Jeepers Creepers
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Devil's Backbone
Spy Game
The Score
Series 7
Legally Blonde

Honorable Mention for Efforts Beyond All Expectations:
The Fast and the Furious

Bottom 5 (I normally avoid the really bad films, but I could get five out)
1. Driven - Or Drivel as I like to call it. The cinematic opposite to The Fast and the Furious. How you can F up a sport movie is beyond me, but they did it and then some. Off the top of my head, I can't decide if the special effects, Burt Reynolds overacting, Stallone as Yoda, the street chase, or the Speed Racer dilemma that interrupts a race to save someone from cartoon flames is the worst part of the this film. I might just make it easy on myself by saying that this make Dungeons and Dragons look like a faithful and reverential movie for the fans. I count my lucky stars that I didn't see the films that many others place higher than this, because I don't think I could stand it.
2. 3000 Miles to Graceland - And to think that I walked into this hoping to have a good time. I though we'd be treated with a inventive heist/action film that would make the most of it's two stars. Instead, we've got a mother who abandons her kid with the first drifter who rolls into town. We've got an Elvis scheme that they don't even try to make work. The efficiently kill off the only characters who are remotely interesting (and that's stretching it). Alternately uninspired and boring action sequences (particularly laughable is the ballet demise of Ice-T). Terrible movie making.
3. Ghosts of Mars - How the mighty have fallen. All the more disappointing given the excellent DVD release of Big Trouble in Little China this year. It's like JC specifically decided to take every lackluster part of his last four films and tried to do worse. We have villains that are less menacing than Vampires and Village of the Damned. Terrible dialogue. Discarded concepts of the future society. Little gore. Terrible pacing that drags on and on. Low budget production quality that rivals some student films (did you look at the guns they use?).
4. 13 Ghosts - Or as I like to call it - 4 Bad Ghosts and 9 who like to glare at people. Although this does have an impressive set, as well as one genuinely good scene of suspense (the bathroom with the Princess), the rest of the film ignores the intriguing ghosts they designed in favor of the lackluster ones that they focus on. The ending is particularly unsatisfying with bad special effects and no good resolutions.
5. The One - The complete opposite of Kiss of the Dragon. Where that was a fine display of Jet Li's talents and featured a great foil, this is a waste of Jet Li and he's the worst enemy he's ever faced. Featuring completely inappropriate musical choices, impressive abandonment of a valuable concept, and a villain as scary as Gary Coleman, The One will have to settle for number 5.

Notable Didn't Sees:
Amelie
Moulin Rouge
Ghost World
Mullholland Drive
Vanilla Sky

**Edit 12/27 to add a bottom 5*
*Edit 1/9/02 to add Black Hawk Down despite not knowing where to rank it.*
*Edit 1/22/02 to review BHD and reorder. LotR may just jump to number one if I reedit this again

..

Only have time to post the top-10 list as it stands now...will expand on the weekend:
1-Moulin Rouge
2-Memento
3-Bully
4-A.I.
5-Donnie Darko
6-Crazy/Beautiful
7-O
8-Baby Boy
9-Ali
10-Black Hawk Down




Bottom 10:

10-Baise Moi
9-Scary Movie 2
8-The Score
7-The Brothers
6-Kingdom Come
5-Summer Catch
4-The Smokers
3-Driven
2-Bride of the Wind
1-Dancing at the Blue Iguana


Edit: New No. 1!. Just watched Moulin Rouge and it easily bested every film I've been able to see this year. Wow.
Bruce

I don't like to distinguish between movies like 'Memento' and 'Monsters Inc.' so I'm not big in ranking them with one being the absolute best. But the films that I thought were the better of the year in no particular order:

Memento - Inventive structure actually derived from character. How else could you convey that character's view of the world better than telling it backwards?

Shrek - I love a little deconstruction, and digging at Disney doesn't hurt either.

Moulin Rouge - One of the most creative visions I've seen in awhile, completely immersing you in its fantasy and decadence.

A.I. - Like most works by Kubrick, Spielberg's film demands multiple viewings to find more depth.

Monsters Inc. - Just good old fashioned Pixar fun.

Harry Potter - I'm a huge fan of the books, and although this film plays like a highlights reel rather than a true film, I still ate it up.

Ocean's 11 - Sure it's vaccuous and unassuming. Sure there's little suspense. But it's a fun ride, and I didn't expect anything more from it.

The Royal Tennenbaums Funny movie, but still not a 5 star film.

I think it's important to point out that NONE of these films could comapre to other years. None of them got higher than 4 stars on my scale of 5.

And the more I thought about it, I've demoted A Beautiful Mind off my list. Too much not accomplished, i.e. Connelly's character had no history to explain why she stuck with him, how did his child react to having alooney father, etc. Ultimately tried to be too sentimental with a subject that isn't sentimental, betraying the truth. Not bad though, just slightly above average.

And, of course, things I haven't seen I hope will impress me: In the Bedroom, Blackhawk Down, Gosford Park and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

And yes, I did see Mulholland Drive and still for the life of me can't understand this fascination with David Lynch who always seems to masquerade his films with surrealism to make up for their lack of greater meaning, depth and theme. Not one of the people I've talked to who like it can explain the purpose of that ending. It had me for awhile, but the ending just got weird for the sake of being weird. But since the first half worked, it won't end up on my worst list:

Hannibal - Sick, deparaved movie which forgot what Made Silence so wonderful. It wasn't the violence, it was the relationship between Hannibal and Clarice and their unique bond. The same problems I had with the book weren't fixed here.

Jurassic Park III - It still amazes me how they screwed up such a simple thing. This movie had a silly plot and piss poor characters which could have been forgivable if it wasn't for the bland action scenes and replacing T-Rex with that clownish looking Spinosaurus. Before I saw it I thought how could they make a bad Jurassic Park movie? Now I know.

3000 Miles to Graceland - Thank God I suffered through this thing on DVD and not a theater.

Exit Wounds - This might be unfair to add to my list since I actually turned it off, but that first 10 minutes was so ridiculous I can't resist beating up on it.

Ghosts of Mars - It seems as if John Carpenter is regressing in life, doesn't it?

Someone Like You - I can't think of a movie that women should be more embarrassed of. The main character was just a whiny little twit (and I usually love Ashley Judd) whose life goes to pieces without a man. Blech!

The Fast and the Furious - Admittedly I have no fascination with cars, but this thing was a train wreck anyway. I wasn't even impressed with the stunt work.

And I too will refrain from beating up on obvious dreck like Freddy Got Fingered, Animal, Driven et al.

These Are Always Subject To Change But Right Now They Are.
1) Memento
2) Ali
3) Lost And Delirious
4) Moulin Rouge
5) A.I.
6) Vanilla Sky
7) Training Day
8) Oceans 11
9) Crazy/Beautiful
10) Snatch

Still Need To See:
Black Hawk Down
Monsters Ball
A Beautiful Mind
The Man Who Wasn't There
The Shipping News

OK, for starters I'll give you my worst of the year. I have a fairly well constructed best of list, but it will have to wait until I write up the column.

Worst Films of 2001

10. The Wash and How High
9. Tomcats
8. Say It Isn't So
7. Riding in Cars with Boys
6. Pootie Tang
5. Valentine and The Forsaken
4. See Spot Run
3. 15 Minutes
2. Bubble Boy
1. Freddy Got Fingered

My comments on these films can be found in the column I have posted on dvdmon.com. (See my signature for the direct link to it.)

I'll go ahead and reveal my choice for the best film of 2001: Mulholland Drive

You'll have to wait for the rest

Mark, that's what I like to hear! Yet another person that agrees that the brilliant MULHOLLAND DRIVE is the best film of the year.

By the way, I didn't post my worst list yet. I will get around to it some time tomorrow.

Okay, I'm going to do this on the basis of films I saw in the year 2001 for a first time, which excludes a couple films that might count for others (YI YI, INNOCENCE, THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE, THE KING IS ALIVE) and includes one that others might exclude (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE). Also deliberately excluded reissues, which for practical purposes (at least, mine) included APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX.

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE
2. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
3. JUMP TOMORROW
4. CURE
5. ROYAL TENENBAUMS
6. WHEN THE RAIN LIFTS
7. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
8. AMELIE
9. DONNIE DARKO
10. GHOST WORLD

11-20:
AMORES PERROS
THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
IN THE BEDROOM
INTIMACY
MEMENTO
MONSTERS, INC.
PEPPERMINT CANDY
PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR
WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY

1/19: removed OCEAN'S ELEVEN, THE DEEP END and SEXY BEAST; added DEVIL'S BACKBONE, INTIMACY, and IN THE BEDROOM

Stuff I missed that might have made it: THE OTHERS, FROM HELL, DJOMEH, WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES, LAST RESORT, DIVIDED WE FALL, THE CIRCLE, OUR SONG, O, SMELL OF CAMPHOR FRAGRANCE OF JASMINE, OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS, FAITHLESS, TOGETHER, THE GLEANERS AND I, L.I.E., VA SAVOIR, TAPE, THE MAN WHO CRIED, FOCUS, LOST AND DELIRIOUS, THE TASTE OF OTHERS, ENEMY AT THE GATES, AUDITION, HAPPY ACCIDENTS, FAT GIRL, LA CIENAGA

Stuff I might still be able to catch that might make it: ALI, THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT, VENGO, GOSFORD PARK, THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, KANDAHAR, TRAINING DAY

Stuff I'm disinclined to see: A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE SHIPPING NEWS, BLACK HAWK DOWN

Stuff that hasn't played PDX yet (and, who knows, may never): MONSTER'S BALL, LANTANA, IRIS, NO MAN'S LAND, SESSION 9, PINERO

Jason,

I didn't hate Pearl Harbor, and none of the others you mentioned have played here. (Fat Girl is the only one I imagine has any chance of coming to town.)

That is a nifty little pattern in your favorites John. Mine are quite different though. Have a look:

Best of 2000:

1. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
2. TRAFFIC
3. SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE

Best of 2001:

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE
2. VANILLA SKY
3. MEMENTO

Well, I do see a pattern in my top three of 2001 lol. All three of them are mind benders.

I will try to list 10 movies that are eligible for the '02 Academy Awards, so I suspect the list will always be slightly longer than 10.

1. Memento
2. Divided We Fall (ineligible)
3. In The Bedroom
4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
5. The Man Who Wasn't There
6. Moulin Rouge
7. Spirited Away (ineligible)
6. The Road Home (ineligible)
9. Monster's Ball
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
11. Monsters, Inc.
12. Shrek
13. Gosford Park
14. Black Hawk Down

Favorite scores:
1. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence - John Williams
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore
3. Atlantis: the Lost Empire - James Newton Howard
4. Black Hawk Down - Hans Zimmer
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone - John Williams
6. Shrek - Harry Gregson Williams and John Powell
7. The Mummy Returns - Alan Silvestri
8. The Mexican - Alan Silvestri
9. Hannibal - Hans Zimmer
10. Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within - Elliot Goldenthal

2001 Top Ten




1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring




2. A.I. Artificial Intelligence




3. Amélie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)




4. The Son's Room (La Stanza del Figlio)




5. Monsters Inc.




6. Moulin Rouge




7. Shrek




8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone




9. Monster's Ball




10. Training Day


2001 Bottom 5

1. Kandahar (Safar e Ghandehar)
2. Princesa
3. Lumumba
4. Songcatcher
5. Planet of the Apes

Maybe I am getting old or because I had health problems last year, but I didn't make it to the theater as much as I wanted to last year, so a top 10 is impossible. Of the films I saw last year, I'll probably only buy the top 6 (I've already bought #'s 1, 3, & 4).

1) Memento was my favorite film of 2001. Thanks to DVD I have come to love the film more and more with repeat viewings (it ranks up there with Fight Club and The Big Lebowski as my most watched DVDs.

2) The Royal Tannenbaums is a very close second and I can't wait to get the disk. I liked it a lot more than Rushmore thanks to Gene Hackman's great performance, and the little glimpse of Gwyneth Paltrow's breast (I am such a perve).

3) Ghost World I didn't see this until it came out on DVD. It was an impulse buy. Great film. It should have got Oscar Noms, but I suspect it will get plenty of Independent Spirit Awards.

4) Amelie Believe the hype. Perhaps better than the directors two previous, non Alien sequels, City of Lost Children and Delicatesen.

5) I also enjoyed the Coen Brothers The Man Who Wasn't There but not as much as their previous two movies (though I liked it better than Fargo. Great photography (even if the black and white is fake).

6) Apocalypse Now Redux rounds out my top 5. I suspect after I catch up seeing the other films of 2001(see below) it will drop off the Top 10. Apocalypse Now is one of my all time favorite films. One of these days I hope Coppala does a real special edition, restoring the actual film in all it's glory with the options of inserting the extra scenes up to the viewer. The French Plantation scene was dissapointing (the music was awful) but I liked the extra scenes with the Bunnies and Kilgore chasing the boat after they stole his surf board. I was also dissapointed that they didn't restore the bombing of the camp, or the scenes where Dennis Hopper is killed by Scott Glenn, who is later killed by Martin Sheen.

OTHER FILMS I SAW:

In The Mood For Love Very beautifuly shot film and one that I will want to rent and watch again, but because of being in a bad mood that day, I'm afraid my opinion of it was down.

A. I. For the most part I liked it, except when Spielberg was being Spielberg. It's the Kubrick moments (the Sin City scenes) that I liked the most. This is another film that I'll have to rent and watch again.

American Pie II probably the only decent "gross-out" comedy last year because it wasn't very gross and there was more of Allyson Hannigan this time around.

Ocean's Eleven Good for what it was. Better in many ways to the original, but there could have been a little more doffing of the cap to the original. I would have probably tried to use the original music in a creative way.

Legally Blonde Very funny disposable comedy. The music was highly annoying, as was Reese Witherspoon's total lack of nudity.

The Mexican Good idea but should have been darker. Julia Roberts should have been replaced by Jennifer Aniston.

15 Minutes Saw this on video. Entertaining despite it's very predictable ending. Should have starred Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen and been a sequel to The Rookie.

Blow another one I saw on video, which I'm glad because, though I generally liked the film, I found the Interview with the actual guy (the one Johnnie Depp) played, to be more interesting.

Kiss of the Dragon I thought this was fun and will tide me over until Luc Besson either makes a sequel to The Fifth Element or The Professional.

Vanilla Sky Disappointing but I don't know what I expected. My main complaint is that it's about 35 minutes too long (and I like the long version of Almost Famous. Great soundtrack!

Mulholland Drive As I left the movie theater shaking my head, I reminded myself that of David Lynch's previous work, I have only liked Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, and Twin Peaks and in each of those cases I was really REALLY high. Great Lesbian scenes though!

Pearl Harbor Total fucking crap! The action scenes went by too fast and seemed chaotic (I know, War is like that). I actually thought the romatic triangle was the best part of the film. But the films total lack of blood and gore disturbed me, and Alec Baldwin's made me laugh out loud in the theater. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one laughing. Tora, Tora, Tora is So much better. For that matter, so is 1941.


Lord of the Rings Sometimes I wonder if I was the only guy in high school that didn't read any Tolkien. Great special effects. A very pretty film. I look forward to seeing the next two installments, but I still like the first 2 Star Wars films better.

FILMS I DIDN"T SEE, BUT SUSPECT THEY"LL FIND THEIR WAY INTO MY TOP 10

Sexy Beast, With A Friend Like Harry, Waking Life, The Dish, Novocaine, Amores Perros, Series 7, Heist, From Hell

FILMS I DIDN"T SEE, BUT SUSPECT THEY"LL NOT MAKE MY TOP 10

Harry Potter, Shrek, Ali, Moulin Rouge, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Training Day, Bandits,The Score, Planet of the Apes