| Top Ten Movies of 2001 |
| 1. Vanilla Sky I must admit that the only thing drawing me to this film originally was the Cameron Crowe directed it. I am not a huge Tom Cruise fan, generally I can't stand Penelope Cruz, and the fact that this was a remake of a Spanish film from only a few years ago made me wary - I had heard that Open Your Eyes was spectacular, and it irritated me that someone was going to try to improve upon something that was supposedly already a work of pure genius. Then, I saw the trailer, and grudgingly admitted I wanted to see the film anyhow. So I saw it... again and again and again. This film is more than a neat flick with a twist at the end. This movie is about choices. The choices we make and how they affect our lives. Cameron Crowe, as usual, uses music to set the tone of the film, and now I cannot get enough of the soundtrack. The songs he uses accentuate the mood, emotions and attributes of the characters, and sometimes are all he needs to move the story along. After I viewed Vanilla Sky, I watched Open Your Eyes, and while it was a great film, Cameron Crowe brought so much more to the remake - his added dialogue filled holes that the original film had, and Penelope Cruz, though good in both films, definitely improved upon her performance (now we know the secret - practice makes perfect Penelope so keep trying!) Maybe if they redo All the Pretty Horses in a couple years it won't suck so bad. But back on track - Vanilla Sky made me think and feel, which is more than I can ask from a 2 hour film. Again, Cameron Crowe sails easily into my top 10 with a vengeance. Can't wait for his next project. 2. Memento The brilliance of this screenplay never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times I view the film. The union of the black and white scenes with the colour scenes creates an appealing dynamic to the film that allows you to digest the information viewed in previous scenes, and slowly piece the story together. The performances in the film were commendable, and though there may be a few holes in the plot, this film was still quite unique and entertaining. 3. Amelie I am so sad that I missed this film at the Vancouver International Film Festival this year. Glen and I went to the theatre to see it but the line was loooooooooong and we wouldn't have gotten in, so we had to pass on the film. Shortly after, we heard reviews of the film, it was highly praised, and we were kicking ourselves for not getting there sooner. Less than a month later, it arrived at Fifth Ave. and we hurried out to watch this incredibly uplifting French film. Audrey Tautou is outstanding as Amelie, a young girl, whom after returning a long lost possession to someone, sees how she can brighten people's lives, and begins to meddle to make the world a better place for others, and herself. Fear filled my heart near the end of the film, worried that like many cheerful films these days, the end would be less than happy, and I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. This film is 100% happy, and is one that I look forward to watching over and over on DVD. And if that isn't enough to convince you, here's one more little fact. There is a garden gnome in this picture. I will forever maintain that anything with a garden gnome, has to be good. 4. Moulin Rouge I'm a sucker for musicals, and there don't seem to be many appearing lately, so when I first heard of this film - a musical directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Ewan MacGregor, I have to say my interest was picqued. Much like Penelope Cruz in Vanilla Sky, I chose to overlook my distaste for Nicole Kidman and view this film. And again, I'm glad I did. Baz Luhrmann has laid dormant in the industry since Romeo & Juliet (with the exception of his "hit song" Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" which overpopulated graduation ceremonies everywhere in 1999), and Moulin Rouge was an excellent choice to follow Romeo & Juliet. Much like Cameron Crowe, Baz Luhrmann always promises to have some sort of unique direction in his films. In Strictly Ballroom, his characters expressed themselves thru dance, in Romeo & Juliet, he introduced Shakespearean language to a new generation, and in Moulin Rouge, he tells the story using song. Baz chose to modify contemporary songs for his characters to belt out, as opposed to creating all new songs, and much of the fun of this film is wondering what hit they're going to sing next. Maybe I am biased in that one of the main love songs in the film was Elton John's Your Song, but I really enjoyed the music in the movie, more than I had even imagined that I would. And, much like Penelope in Vanilla Sky, I was able to not only bear Nicole Kidman's appearance in the film, but actually commend her performance. If I had 3 hours to write, I would get into why the film should win awards for art direction and costumes, but I must move along. 5. The Royal Tenenbaums Although I wasn't really a fan of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums was a fantastic film. I doubt the film would have been as spectacular as it was without the cast. Each day I love the Wilson brothers (Owen and Luke for those who are not movie freaks like me) more and more, and Gene Hackman seems to be making a comeback in a major way. Angelica Huston was perfect as Etheline and Gwenyth Paltrow was also surprisingly good. The biggest surprise performance of the film would have to be Ben Stiller's, as he took a step back from his normal over-the-top type of performance, and toned it down to play a more brooding, angry character (which, in itself, was hilarious). The script was fantastic - the wit was quite dry, so it is not the type of humour all people would like, but I found the film to be very enjoyable. (SO THERE, GLEN!!!) Sorry for the outburst, but Glen was convinced I would hate it. HA! Ok, I'm done now. 6. Bridget Jones' Diary Have you met Miss Jones?? You've got to have respect for a woman who was brutally attacked by the British for the notion of portraying someone who was not American - Renee Zellweger, upon being bashed repeatedly for her American citizenship, set out to prove everyone wrong, and did an amazing job. She packed on several pounds to play the insecure, plump, chain-smoking, "social" drinker Bridget in this hilarious comedy, and I sincerely hope her performance is remembered come Oscar time. Hugh Grant took on a less-than-nice guy role and was shockingly convincing, and Colin Firth proves once again that he should be a household name. (He isn't, but HE SHOULD DAMMIT!!) All ranting aside, this film is hilarious. Have it oeuf and watch this movie. 7. Century Hotel This is a film I managed to catch at VIFF this year (we did not encounter a disastrous line or show up at the wrong theatre for this film) and boy am I glad I did. Century Hotel tells 7 stories - all 7 take place in the same hotel room over the 20th century. The film goes back and forth between stories, and it's a really interesting film in which the room seems to actually be the main character. Chantel Kreviazuk and her husband Raine Maida appear in this film, and their performances are great, as is Lindy Booth's performance. 8. The Million Dollar Hotel This film was actually started a couple years ago and it took awhile to get picked up by a studio and actually released. Mel Gibson was mis-quoted several times in the period that it was waiting to be released - people thought he was slamming his own film. Whether he was or not is irrelevant. Though Mel was probably the big name of the movie, he by no means delivered the most spectacular performance. The show-stopper was Jeremy Davies as Tom Tom, followed closely by a great performance by Milla Jovovich as Eloise. As an aside, download Milla's CD - she's a singer as well and has a really cool sound. Especially the song The One. Soooo angry.... 9. The Man Who Wasn't There Another film that Glen was convinced I wouldn't enjoy. Though I am not really a Coen brothers fan (hated Fargo, liked O Brother Where Art Thou even less) I truly enjoyed The Man Who Wasn't There. Billy Bob Thornton's performance was fantastic - so deadpan it was amusing. Frances McDormand was incredible as always, and James Gandolfini rounded out the cast nicely. The story seems to be basic, and perhaps there were one too many "twists" in the plot, but I found it to be enjoyable, and it was nice to see someone paying homage to film noire - a genre that seems to have died in the past 20 years or so. And in case you're wondering, the young girl is Scarlett Johannson, from The Horse Whisperer. 10. Shrek Is it just me, or is Eddie Murphy only funny when he doesn't actually appear on screen? Eddie Murphy's Donkey is just one reason why Shrek was hilarious. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow are also funny, but the reason this animated film makes my top ten is because it's so not a children's film. Any movie that has a gingerbread man spitting at someone and saying "Eat Me" deserves to be on a top 10 list. This film will having you rolling in the aisles... of your living room now I guess, cause it's on video, but IT'S THAT FUNNY!!! Enough said. And the alternates that didn't quite make the top 10 but definitely deserve to be mentioned. 11. Snatch Guy Ritchie continues to prove he is a great director, and Brad Pitt again proves he is more than a pretty face. 12. K-Pax Kevin Spacey plays an alien... or does he? This film had a good story, and Kevin Spacey rules, so hence... number 12. 13. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back There is no technical reason this movie should be anywhere near the top ten movies of last year, but I thought it was fucking brilliantly entertaining. I will laugh my ass of to this and the rest of Kevin Smith's films for years to come. 14. Serendipity John Cusack is one of my favourite actors, and this was a happy chick flick which I'm sure will wear out my DVD player every night I need a good uplifting girl movie. 15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Despite some bad visual effects (and I say "some", not "all"), this truly was the beginning of an epic trilogy, and needs to be mentioned. Other Nominations: Best Actor: Ewan MacGregor, Moulin Rouge Kevin Spacey, K-Pax Kevin Kline, Life as a House Will Smith, Ali Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums Best Actress: Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones' Diary Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge Franka Potente, The Princess and the Warrior Audrey Tautou, Amelie Angelica Huston, The Royal Tenenbaums Best Director: Cameron Crowe, Vanilla Sky Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amelie Guy Ritchie, Snatch Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Snatch Jeremy Davies, The Million Dollar Hotel Jeff Bridges, K-Pax Hayden Christianson, Life as a House Jon Voight, Ali Best Supporting Actress: Brittany Murphy, Don't Say a Word Frances McDormand, The Man Who Wasn't There Kim Dickens, Things Behind the Sun Helena Bonham Carter, Novocaine Milla Jovovich, The Million Dollar Hotel |