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The Mad Doc's Favorite Ten Movies of 2001Sep 01 '03 (Updated Jan 15 '04) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The bottom line will never win an Oscar... As always, nobody could possible watch every single movie released in any given year.. well ok it's possible, but I haven't attempted to do it. neener. Of the ones I did manage to see, these are my personal favorites. I realize there's a bit of heated debate surrounding a few of my picks here. Everyone takes different things away from a film. Ask 100 people to give their take on a given movie and you will likely get 100 disparate responses. That's why sites like Epinions exists, so we can all voice our opinions. I had to update this as I cannot believe I forgot to include A Knight's Tale! What was I thinking???? I'm usually the one who likes what everyone else hates. heh. With that in mind, here are my selections for 2001 (in no particular order): A Knight's Tale ~ Written and directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Heath Ledger, this is a hilariously rockin' film about a thatcher's son who wishes to be a knight. My fave movie of all time! Music by folks like Queen give this a driving sound track that will have you wanting to get up and dance. Anachronisms galore.. on purpose. Shrek ~ A movie I seriously need to review even though there are already tons of reviews on it. I love this movie! Tis about the ogre and his side-kick donkey who must go save the princess from the evil dragon. As usual with fairy tales, things are not always what they seem and the quest is both hilarious and touching at the same time. The ogre Shrek is just adorable and donkey cracks me up! Voices by Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Mike Meyer, and John Lithgow. Donnie Darko ~ Just as warped as Memento, but in a different kinda way. This one has sparked numerous debates and gotten somewhat mixed reviews. I say it was brilliant. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead role and does splendidly. Rather than try to capsulize this warped film, I'll direct you to Vormancian's most excellent review of it: http://www.epinions.com/content_94295199364 The Others ~ I've long been one of Nicole Kidman's detracters..until I saw this. Few movies billed as horror these days have a true shudder factor. The others does. This was a well crafted story with excellent performances turned in by all involved. It's about a mom and her kids, the kids having some kind of condition..and it has a fantastic turn of events that you likely won't see coming too soon. Moulin Rouge ~ This one started off slow for me but once it grabbed me, it grabbed me hard and I loved it. What's most shocking is that it is yet another vehicle for Nicole Kidman.. I saw it only after I changed my view of her upon watching The Others. Rousing musical numbers and some real fun scenes surrounding Toulouse Lautrec and a cabaret called the Moulin Rouge. A Beautiful Mind ~ I'm rarely taken by surprise with movies that have a psychological bent. This one did. Maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention the first time I watched it, but I did not anticipate the route it took.Outstanding performance by Russel Crowe as the math genius with some issues. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~ Let The Magic Begin! There has been much controversy from various religious factions against Harry Potter. Bull I say. This is an extremely fun tale of a boy and his first year at Hogwart's School of Wizarding. Action, adventure, fun, comedy.. it's all here and it's just a good clean wonderful time. Read all the books by Rowling, then see the movies. Fellowship of the Ring ~ One of the best book-to-screen projects ever. Director Peter Jackson nailed this one so well after others had failed, I think it stunned everyone. Viggo Mortenson did an outstanding job as Strider for having been hired to the project the day before filming began. I personally think JRR Tolkien would have been very pleased with this one. Dead Simple ~ James Caan and Daniel Stern in one of the most warped dark comedies to come along in awhile. Click the title to read the full review on this one. A "must own" movie for sure. Just funny as hell, in a sick & twisted kinda way... Band of Brothers ~ Alright, not a theatrical release but amazing enough to deserve placement here in my eyes. From the story to the acting to the scenery... This is a mini-series which originaly aired on HBO and I'm telling you now.. whether you hate war movies or not, you must buy this set! Based on the book by Stephen Ambrose, It is the story of WWI, more specifically, the 101st Airborne division..the first Airborn guys ever. This is the true (but slightly modified for dramatic effect) tale of what these guys went thru and how they became so close. From the parachuting into Normandy to the taking of Hitler's Eagles Nest estate, this set will draw you in like no other. You see, it's about the war, yes, but more importantly, it's about this group of guys that went thru soooo much incredible crap! Their bravery and dedication is just awe inspiring. Almost made it: The Mexican ~ Again, bite me. I loved this film! Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts meshed so utterly well in this, and James Gandolfini did fantastic as the kind hearted thug. Pitt plays this guy that just keeps stumbling into one bad bout of bad luck after another when all he really wants is to be with his chick. Love with the safety off One Night At McCool's ~ The one I'll likely get the most crap about (aside from Monster's Ball). Bite me. I really enjoyed the hell out of this warped movie. Amelie ~ Wonderfully witty look into the life of Amelie, a chick who is just trying to do the right thing. Subtitled. Bridget Jones Diary ~ "It's Monday morning, Bridget has woken up with a headache, a hangover and her boss." (IMDB.com) Great fun! Black Hawk Down ~ Another war movie. Go figure. Well done and action packed. Oceans Eleven ~ I liked the original, and I liked this remake. It's about a rather ingenious casino heist in Vegas and stars George Clooney. Monster's Ball ~ Another hottly argued flick. You either love it or you hate it. Stars Billy Bob Thorton and Halle Berry in a tale of love, lust, and racism. The kicker for me is it features Heath Ledger as Billy Bob's son. Some Texans got really ticked over this movie, but I'm from Austin and I loved it. so there.  |
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