A lot of visual flair and fine acting in a dozen 1999 standouts
Jun 09 '06 (Updated Apr 20 '09)
The Bottom Line See 'em all!
From this distance in time, 1999 looks to have been a year in which writer-directors were responsible for many of the best movies. There was some exhilarating cinema, gorgeous cinematography, and outstanding acting, but no Big Picture masterpiece. (The closest to being an epic of any of my picks is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.") In descending order:
(1) The first time I saw Run, Lola, Run ("Lola rennt," written and directed by Tom Tykwer) I thought it was exhilarating, hyperkinetic cinema with Franka Potente extraordinary in the title role. The second time, I was able to see the romance central to the three iterations of Lola's run to save Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu)—and I had seen both stars and more work from director Tykwer that I enjoyed. It is too romantic or too unlinear for some, apparently, but this is my list! (See the review by ArtbyJude)
(2) Ride with the Devil, also directed by Lee and released in 1999 is on my list of my favorite films and has a sweep that might be considered epic (it's sprawling at least!). The pre-Spider Man Tobey Maguire was affecting (as in "Wonder Boys" and "Cider House Rules"). Jeffrey Wright was tghe movie's heart and soul.
I generally think Ang Lee movies are longer than they need to be, but they also provide excellent acting and visual splendors (the cinematography in this one was Frederick Elmes's). I think that this movie deserves a larger audience
(3) Enthusiasm for American Beauty (directed by Sam Mendes) has faded for many, though five seasons of "Six Feet Under" has only increased my admiration for writer Alan Ball. Annette Benning's part (or portrayal) is over-the-top, but the rest of the cast, headed by Kevin Spacey, is excellent, and Conrad Hall's cinematography was superb (the Academy got things right in giving both of them Oscars). (See the review by Scott29)
(4) I hate the ending adapter-director Anthony Minghella gave The Talented Mr. Ripley (which was not that of Patricia Highsmith's novel or the ending of the René Clement adaptation, "Le plein soleil" (Purple Noon)), but the cast (particularly Jude Law and Jack Davenport) are excellent, the locales and how they are photographed (by John Seale) are gorgeous. (See the review by Macresarf11)
(5) Election (adapted by and directed by Alexander Payne) was well-received and esteem for it has increased with appreciation for the subsequent work of Reese Witherspoon and the ongoing affection Matthew Broderick generates. It remains a very biting satire of high school popularity contests (and resentments of and by youth). I am less enthusiastic about Payne's subsequent movies "About Schmidt" and "Sideways" (indeed, I actively dislike the latter), but thought his pitch was perfect in "Election."
(6) Toy Story-2 (directed by John Lasseter and Ash Brannon ) was impressive, and a rare sequel that surpasses its predecessor). It says something to adults about collectors and nostalgia (and outgrowing what one once loved) and also delighted children. (See the review by ParisLemon among many others)
(7-tie) Himalaya: l'enfance d'un chef directed by Eric Valli is yet another 1999 movie with gorgeous cinematography (credited to Eric Guichard and Jean-Paul Meurisse. It shows an old chief's last adventure and the preparation of a new one on a very difficult trek through the Himalayas by Dolpa people (whose village life is also interestingly shown). Never has a small tree loomed so large! (See the review by Panguitch)
(7-tie) Having been present when Tuvan throat-singer Kongar-ol Ondar was astounded to hear and meet a San Franciscan musician (of Canary Island descent) who had taught himself to make those strange (to most of us) sounds, and being intrigued by Central Asia, I was predisposed to like Genghis Blues when it premiered in 1999. Ondar has a smiling charisma, and Paul Pena's journey to Tuva is very much in the meeting of divergent cultures genre that fascinated me even more than Tannu Tuva does. I was also completely charmed by the film-makers, Roko and Adrian Belic, first at the film's première in a San Francisco International Film Festival and in the DVD interview. The DVD also includes concert footage of 5 songs performed by the intercultural duo of Ondar and Pena. Although it missed winning an Oscar, it has charmed most everyone who has seen it (as "Toy Story-2" did a much larger audience). (See the review by Sisyphus)
(8) The Insider (directed by Michael Mann) includes the role (as a whistle-blower) that Russell Crowe should have been Oscared for and one that Christopher Plummer (as Mike Wallace) also should have been (but was not even nominated for "best supporting actor"). Al Pacino also chews up at least a roomful of furniture. The movie did nothing for the reputation of daring of "60 Minutes." I don't think the tobacco industry had any reputation to besmirch. (See the review by Captaind)
(9) I think that My Son, the Fanatic (directed by Udayan Prasad, adapted from his own story by Hanif Kureishi) is acutely relevant, besides being well-acted and deserves a larger audience. Akbar Kurthar is excellent at the British-raised youth who becomes an Islamist zealot, to the consternation of his father (Om Puri). It also features Rachel Griffiths fro before "Six Feet Under."
(10) Unfortunately, Three Kings (adapted and directed by David O. Russell, with outstanding cinematography by Thomas Newton Sigel) has also gained in relevance. It shows Shi'ites who were encouraged to rise against Saddam Hussein and then hung out to dry in the first Gulf War. The main storyline is about four US soldiers (George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) grabbing some stolen gold. The movie has no heroes and no villains. It is more of a caper movie than a war movie (to the annoyance of some): more "M*A*S*H" than "Platoon." (See the review by Grouch)
(11) I think that the enthusiasm for Being John Malkovich (written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze) has dimmed, though the concept still seems funny and I remember the sets with special fondness. It helps to like John Cusack (which I do). I think that everyone likes Catherine Keener. Malkovich himself was a good sport. (See the review by Phungus)
Also rans
"Topsy Turvy" (directed by Mike Leigh) is too long (160 minutes), but is a memorable look at the writing and first mounting of "The Mikado" by Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Sullivan (Allan Corduner).
The Limey (directed by Steven Soderberg) has splendid performances by Terrence Stamp and Peter Fonda and flashy framing (Ed Lachman) and cutting (Sarah Flack). Stylish, cinematic... but insubstantial.
"Sweet and Lowdown" (written and directed by Woody Allen) has superb performances from Samantha Morton and Sean Penn, but not much of a story.
The acute melodrama of "Todos obre mi madre" (All About My Mother, written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar) is not one of my favorite Almodóvar films (they would be "Law of Desire," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," and Bad Education). Cecilia Roth is excellent as the mother concealing the identity of her son's father... and it has Penélope Cruz as a nun!
I am not part of the cult of "Fight Club" (directed by David Fincher), but thought it was well-executed and well acted by Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.
Having already been a Tobey Maguire fan, I mostly enjoyed "Cider House Rules," (directed by Lasse Hallström) which has outstanding performances by Michael Caine and Delroy Lindo and showcases the beauty of Charlize Theron.
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To date I have not seen
Children of Heaven (Bacheha-Ye aseman)
East-West
Summer of Sam
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
eXistenZ
Music of the Heart
The Hurricane
The Sixth Sense
The Green Mile
Buena Vista Social Club
(in the order from most- to least-likely to be considered for revisions of my list)
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Although I found the plot of "Lovers of the Arctic Circle" unbelievable, some images and its powerful romanticism have stayed with me.
Although I know that I had read Snow Falling on Cedars, by the time I got around to watching the movie, I'd forgotten what happened in it. The movie is too long and the White Savior motif is more than a little shopworn, but the cinematography was gorgeous.
"The Winslow Boy," adapted by David Mamet, shoulda been better, though Nigel Hawthorne was very good.
Although a schlockfest, I thought "The Mummy" was quite entertaining, more so that the Boris Karloff original.
The peformances in The End of the Affair (Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore) are excellent, but it's all so rainy and depressing, and Fiennes has suffered from lost love sooooo often!
"Boys Don't Cry" kept the jolt of Brandon Teena 's murder for trying to pass as male. I couldn't believe that Hilary Swank could be mistaken for a boy by anyone, but she did the frustration and anguish well. Chloë Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard also gave breakthrough performances in support of Swank.
I was disappointed by "The Dreamlife of Angels," not least for casting Gregoire Colin as such a cad, but it has its moments.
I thought that "Magnolia." "Dogma," and "The Straight Story" were very overrated. The last I found deadly dull, even though I have enjoyed Richard Farnsworth in other "vehicles" (e.g., The Grey Fox, Getaway).
And Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" is laughable, overwrought nonsense. He had been self-imprisoned too long to have much idea of the world outside (the sexual revolution in particular). I liked the last 1-2 minutes, but am surprised that I made it to them!
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I've also posted lists of the
ten greatest movies of all time,
my favorite movies
best non-English-language movies by country,
best noirs,
best French organized crime movies,
best westerns not set in the American west,
best romantic movies with happy endings,
best romantic movies in which the lovers do not end up together for reasons other than the death of one or both of them,
best romantic movies including the death of a lover,
best religious movies celebrating a religious figure,
best movies portraying the dark side of religion,
best holidaze (Christmas and Thanksgiving) movies,
best rock-n-roll movies,
best musicals,
best gay feature film,
best gay documentary film,
best cult movies,
best black comedies,
best World War II movies,
best post-WWII German films,
best epics,
and best anti-epics,
best movies of the 1940s, the 1980s,
1939, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
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