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1. Cats Don't Dance.
I include this one because it's the most refreshing bit of animation I have seen in a while, refusing to conform to the Disney mold and being determined to hold on to the things that make movies of both drawn and live action great - likeable heroes, deliciously wicked villains, and great visuals.
2. Brassed Off.
It was sweet and poignant, it made me cry, it had great music and Ewan McGregor and Pete Postlethwait in it, what more can you ask for? And it has Danny Boy, and it was the only time that song has ever worked for me in a movie.
3. Contact.
While in the theatre I was not bothered by the delivery of the final 20 minutes, since it was true to the excellent novel, I later found it dissatisying. I do concede that any effort on the part of a director to do it another way would have been lamer, and I wish people would realize that, but by and large the movie really stuck with me, and the opening sequence alone would put it on this list.
4. Boogie Nights.
A difficult subject to pull off with such style, grace, and sympathy, not to mention the AMAZING camera work. It's really awesome and I am horrified at its omission from other reviewers' lists.
5. Face/Off.
In no way was this a Very Important Film but by the same token it was everything action movies are starting to forget to be, thanks to John Woo. It was classy, too, and an intriguing concept.
6. The Game.
The clever screenplay will no doubt be lost after LA Confidential and all the myriad of art films with good scripts make their rounds, but the Game was, to borrow the phrase, a taut thriller and also an intriguing concept. If you missed it, do rent it. Great visuals too.
7. Grosse Pointe Blank.
Again with the clever story! And I am sure it's not just my undying love for John Cusack - GPB has clever characters, storyline, writing, and a lot to say about my generation. And it's dark. I love dark.
8. Gattaca.
Elegant, sparse, almost perfect in many ways but not quite - clever background details and again, and interesting story. Despite a flaccid leading man, Gattaca was hypnotic.
9. L.A. Confidential.
I got the book for Christmas! It's on every top ten list in the world so I am almost too irritated with that fact to put it on mine, but I have to concede that it had - all together now - a great story, interesting characters despite them all starting out as cliches, and what a bad ass soundtrack too!
10. Titanic.
Come on, I would have to be out of my mind not to include Titanic. I was more impressed by more elements than I have been in a long time - it had story and spectacle, painfully brilliant art direction and just plain old good acting. I know it just came out and I might still be flushed by the experience but I must bow to the Jim.
11. In the Company of Men.
Shot in 11 days, breaking all conventions of retribution and sexism and everything, it was really vivid and brutal and well-written. Great acting by newcomers and wonderful working around a miniscule budget.
12. The Ice Storm.
While sort of aimless (as were its characters supposed to be), the metaphors and the visuals and the painful reality of the story make this period piece truly watchable and special.
13. Hercules.
Despite being another Disney formula, I really enjoyed the music and the clever Greek-style artwork and mythological inside jokes, and I am very sorry people are backlashing against Disney so strongly in the animation field when rightfully they should be boycotting the crap on ABC and the spate of Tim Allen movies Disney has been clotting projectors with.
Runners up: The Fifth Element and My Best Friend's Wedding. Maybe I should have done a Top 15 list. All 15 of these movies deserve a first or second viewing if you missed any of them. The Fifth Element is startlingly original and really yummy to look at. My Best Friend's Wedding really reminds me of my best friends from college but even though it's kind of depressing it's really very real, if you know my friends.
Most Disappointing - as in, I actually expected much more and/or hyped out the waz with no basis in fact but still bearable: Alien Resurrection, Amistad, Cop Land, Event Horizon, The Pillow Book, and of course, Lost World.
Bottomfeeders
Men in Black, Anaconda, Spawn (which you'll notice I didn't even bother to review), Devil's Advocate, Volcano, Speed 2, and Breaking Up.
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