The Captain's Top Ten Movies of the NinetiesFeb 03 '09 (Updated Feb 06 '09) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line CaptainD's Top Ten Movies of the Nineties. Agree or disagree, this is my list.
It's tough enough finding just ten movies out of a year that impress you enough to say they stand out from the crowd, but picking ten movies to represent an entire decade is almost impossible... However after much debating I've whittled my initial choices down to just ten movies, and I hope you will agree with at least some of them! 1992 - Strictly Ballroom -Baz Luhrmann's first movie, and to me, his best. Featuring a largely unknown cast, this movie is a joy from start to finish. Paul Mercurio stars as an dancer who dares to create his own routines, much to the disgust and dismay of his dance partner, his mother and the judges. Step forward Fran (Tara Morice), who might just be able to find time to dance if only she can finish all her jobs at home and stop her family from finding out. Intriguing, romantic, witty and sometimes downright hilarious, this is one movie I never tire of watching. Great supporting roles for Bill Hunter, Pat Thompson and Barry Otto. This movie began my interest in Australian films, and if you haven't seen any, I would suggest this and The Dish as your starting points. 1992 - Sneakers - featuring one of the best ensemble casts of recent times, this comedy is another film that I've watched so many times that I've lost count. A decent enough plot about a hacker who grows up into a (relatively) respectable businessman running a company that tests companies' security systems, but the humour and performances raise this above the competition. Robert Redford, Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, David Straithairn, River Phoenix and Mary McDonnell star. At the end when all and sundry are naming expensive toys as their rewards, Whistler (Straithairn) asks for "peace on earth and goodwill toward men"... the reply (from James Earl Jones) is priceless: "We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing." 1992 - Last of the Mohicans - Daniel Day Lewis has a reputation for bringing an intensity to his acting that few can match, and this is one of his finest performances. Essentially a fairly simple tale of survival in the midst of a war, there are enough twists, turns and drama to keep you gripped, along with great performances, interesting characters and one of the best music scores I've ever heard. (Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman). 1993 - Benny & Joon - I'm choosing this not only because I love the film but because it pairs one of the most celebrated actors of our time - Johnny Depp - with Mary Stuart Masterson, whom I believe to be one of the finest actresses of her generation, though her fame never came close to that achieved by Depp. It also takes a tricky subject - love between two slightly mentally challenged individuals - and deals with the issues with great sensitivity, in addition to providing some wonderful comic moments. 1993 - Schindler's List - I guess this might seem almost too obvious a choice, but this movie based on the true story of a German who didn't follow the party line - his motives may not have been completely altruistic but the images of holocaust survivors laying flowers on his grave at the end of the film tells its own story - has a massive emotional clout. Laim Neeson and Ben Kingsley give amazing performances. Spielberg's action movies may have made his reputation, but this proved that he could direct much more meaningful and powerful movies. (I still love the cheesy awesomeness of Star Wars and Indy, of course!) 1994 - The Shawshank Redemption - speaking of powerful movies, this one was traumatic to watch, but so gripping that it leaves a permanent impression on your brain and senses. The story of one man's experience of institutionalised brutality, with one of the most effective features of the film being that we never quite know whether he was guilty or not. Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton and Clancy Brown are all phenomenal. 1995 - Toy Story - I'm choosing the first Toy Story movie over both Toy Story 2 and A Bug's Life (and, indeed, The Prince of Egypt and Antz) because it set the mark for computer-animated movies and proved that the medium was viable. Even now it looks pretty good and its combination of strong story and humorous script is still a winner. It also created some of the most memorable animated characters ever, and made PIXAR a household name. 1998 - The Negotiator - one of the best thrillers I've ever seen, with Samuel L. Jackson taking hostages in an effort to prove that he's been set up (not necessarily the best tactic, but it's understandable in this case) and Kevin Spacey as the hostage negotiator trying to outsmart him. Full of suspense and dripping with atmosphere, the tension just never lets up until the thrilling finale plays out. 1998 - The Truman Show - Jim Carrey proved that he could be a serious actor with his thoughtful portrayal of Truman Burbank, whose entire life is a TV show - quite literally. A great supporting cast including Ed Harris, who is truly brilliant here, and a thoughtful script combine to make a film that is both thoroughly entertaining and very thought-provoking. 1999 - Galaxy Quest - so many great performances in this Star Trek spoof (though technically it spoofs the entire sci-fi genre and the whole skiffy convention set-up, but Trekkies definitely get the most out of this movie), with Tim Allen, Allen Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Tony Shaloub all in top form. Daryl Mitchell, Sam Rockwell, Enrico Colantoni, Robin Sachs and Patrick Breen all give superb support and the sharp script by David Howard and Robert Gordon ensures that this movie never drops out of warp. IMDB overall rating (out of 10) and ranking on Top #250 Films of All Time (if ranked) at time of writing: Strictly Ballroom: 7.1 Sneakers: 7.0 Last of the Mohicans: 7.7 Schindler's List: 8.9 / #7 The Shawshank Redemption: 9.2 / #1 Toy Story: 8.1 / #180 The Negotiator: 7.2 The Truman Show: 7.9 Galaxy Quest: 7.1 See also: My Top Ten Movies of the Eighties  |
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