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The Best of 2001
A little behind schedule perhaps, but here they are, the top picks in film for 2001. First are my picks, followed by Hollyfeld's picks and finally our editor John Shea's picks.
My Picks for Best of 2001
10) The Fast and The Furious
As always the tenth position is reserved for good ole Hollywood popcorn flicks I enjoyed. Fast cars, nice women, kickass action sequences and Vin Diesel. Can it get any better then that?
9) Ali
I have seen it twice and this movie grows on you slowly. A captivating story told by Michael Mann with an extremely solid performance by Will Smith. He needs to be nominated for an Oscar. Too long for my taste but this film is a must-see event. A shame nobody has nominated Jamie Foxx. His dramatic skills are improving, he's quickly becoming one of the most interesting African-American actor out there.
8) The Shipping News
My favorite Lasse Hallstrom film. It's much better then his two Oscar nominated offerings (Chocolat, The Cider House Rules). It has a very good subtle performance by Kevin Spacey plus an amazing cast highlighted by Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent. A longtime Canadian thespian, his American film debut is impressive. This film is good and deserves more credit.
7) Nuit de Noces
Emile Gaudreault directed a sharp, funny and romantic comedy. Unfortunately none of you have seen it. Francois Morency is hilarious as the typical Gen-Xer scared of taking the next step. Scene stealing Pierrette Robitaille as his overbearing sister is extremely funny. The best French-Canadian movie in a long time.
6) Shrek
My favorite animated movie since Toy Story 2. Mike Myers, the funniest man on earth, gives another extremely hilarious performance. Eddie Murphy, who did the same thing in Mulan, steals every scenes he's in. Bonus points for having John Lithgow as the villain. That man always rocks. Can't wait for the sequel...
5) Memento
This puzzle created by Christopher Nolan and his brother is one of the most surprising film of 2001. I had trouble believing the hype surrounding this indie film. When I finally saw it, I couldn't believe it. This is one of the smartest films in recent movie history, a tour-de-force of storytelling with great performances by Guy Pearce, Joey Pants and Carrie-Ann Moss. A must-see film.
4) A Beautiful Mind
Akiva Goldsman wrote the best script of the year. I'm not kidding. While my top three movies relied more on visuals or their cast, this project had the best script. Beautifully brought to the screen by Ron Howard and featuring the best actor working today, Russell Crowe. Oscars gold for sure...
3) Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring
Unbelievable. The world of Tolkien is brought to life perfectly by Peter Jackson and his WETA crew. The riskiest movie of 2001 paid off and guess what, it's a delight. Having seen it three times already, this movie plays very well in repeat viewings. The story is wonderful, the cast is great and the direction is sharp. The highlight of the film is Ian McKellen. His onscreen presence is great. The worst part is his performance in this movie is only the tip of the iceberg. His role is much more important in the next two films. The hype for Two Towers will be even bigger than for this one.
2) Ocean's 11
It could have been my biggest mistake of the year. I stopped reading the script to this flick halfway through. Why? It was too good and I didn't wan to spoil it. It turned out it was worth the wait and even more. Steven Soderbergh delivers a second consecutive #2 in my yearly top ten. He's the best director in the world working regularly. George Clooney returning to his Out of Sight roots was uber-cool. It has an astonishing supporting cast that's headlined by the return of Andy Garcia. My only real problem is the ending. Why didn't it end with the Bellagio's water fountain sequence? A 3 to 6 months later scene is useless.
1) Moulin Rouge
Brilliant. Magnificent. Amazingly Beautiful. Baz Lurhmann is a genius. His Romeo+Juliet is one of my favorite movies of all-time. The five year wait until his next film was excruciating. But it was a mind-blowing experience called Moulin Rouge, re-inventating the musical for the 21st Century, a monumental experiment that worked perfectly. Baz is brilliant. Beside his direction, his cast was instrumental in this film's endeavor. Ewan McGregor's amazing performance alongside the wonderful Nicole Kidman are the highlights. John Leguizamo, a Lurhmann regular, steals every scene he's in. The real surprise is Jim Broadbent. His Harold Ziedler is brilliant. He deserves an Oscar. Even though he might win it for Iris, he's the best supporting actor of the year. By far, this film is the best movie of the 21st Century, so far...
Best Actor: Will Smith (Ali)
Finally he proved to the world that he can actually act. An well crafted performance that will mark the beginning of a new stage in his career.
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge)
2001 was her year and this was her best movie. Sexy, funny and an amazing voice. Her chemistry with Ewan was too perfect. I would buy her diamonds anytime...
Best Director: Baz Lurhmann (Moulin Rouge)
A cinematic genius. Need we say more? Please don't make us wait another 5 years.
Hollyfeld's Picks
Hollyfeld, here. I have missed a couple of the more critically-acclaimed films of the year, but considering that I have in fact viewed the vast majority of them I cannot help but find my list completely typical of me. Many of the more critically acclaimed films are totally absent. No Mulholland Drive, no Gosford Park, no Memento and no doubt a lot of flack in store for me as a result. Still, here is my Top Ten for 2001, filled with established Oscar-hopefuls and oddball favorites, and which I will revisit again at the end of the year to see exactly where I went wrong.
10) The Musketeer
The best swashbuckler since The Princess Bride, and almost the best action film of the year comes from the usually reliable (but never this brilliant) Peter Hyams. Both terribly old-fashioned in storyline and demeanor and remarkably newfangled in action scenes, here at last we have an American film that imports the conventions of the Hong Kong martial arts genre and gets it right. Filled with honest-to-God insane fight sequences and the best climactic duel I can remember (lifted from the choreographer's Once Upon A Time In China, but one-upping its predecessor), The Musketeer should have heralded the return of the swashbuckling genre. Instead, its dim (but historically accurate) lighting and occasional, and no doubt intentional, 1940s hokiness led to a surprisingly ambivalent critical reception. Shame, really. Still, it made my top ten, beating out Memento, Black Hawk Down, and Gosford Park, amongst others.
9) Monsters, Inc.
Too many children's movies these days are about nothing more than "being yourself," and so even if Pixar's latest instant classic had not excelled in the realm of characterization and sumptuous visuals it could easily have made the this list for its utter balls in allowing itself to tackle the more complex themes of parenthood and the subversive powers of fear. I almost regret that it is not higher, but regardless of its placement there is no denying the power and originality of Pixar's latest magical concoction, grounded by note-perfect performances from John Goodman and Billy Crystal. Shrek, though amusing, pales in comparison, and will no doubt eventually be recognized as emotionally hollow in comparison.
8) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Perfect epic filmmaking. How sad that in this era of sumptuous special effects and escalating budgets that this is the very first instance since their inception that such a sentence can be confidently used. In hindsight perhaps it should not be quite so surprising that splatterhouse auteur Peter Jackson was able to craft such an exquisitely grand film, but then again the fact that Hollywood was still capable of such grandeur was surprising in and of itself, regardless of who specifically was capable of bringing it to life. And yet, somehow, this fantastic film does not even break my Top Five - less the marking of a great year than of a curious one in which mediocrity was punctuated with several instant classics.
7) The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson are curious entities in the modern era of the cinema... filmmakers who seem completely disinterested both in irony and in being influenced by eras previous. How ironic then that their works seem so familiar. The Royal Tenenbaums invokes the wit and wisdom of The Philadelphia Story with the familial tragedy of The Magnificent Ambersons, all the while meeting the standards of character based drama exemplified in the works of John Cassavetes, and still defies categorization. That it is an ingenious look at the life of curious geniuses is undeniable - that it is so unique is almost an insult to every film, good or bad, that deigns to follow a formula. Anderson and Wilson could easily be placed on a pedestal by their contemporaries, but remain of the people because of their own inherent down-to-earth good nature. They have been described as "national treasures." Indeed.
6) Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
Many of the more impressive films of 2001 had a surrealistic quality to them, Mulholland Drive no doubt the most critically acclaimed. Still, none seemed to hold a candle to this gothic fantasy which seems far more interested in portraying the symptoms of evil rather than locking itself into any of the genre clichés of either horror or anime. On the other side of logic, of movies in which there are rules to be followed by any creature of the night, comes this film - an exquisite and gorgeous look into a future ruled by chaotic elements beyond man's control, in which love cannot conquer the divide between light and dark. Its occasional heavy-handedness is all that grounds it in a world we can recognize, and these brief respites are all we need when immersed a world as fantastic as this film provides.
5) Lantana
On a list filled with futuristic morality plays, battle weary soldiers and monsters of all varieties, here we have a movie that deigns to be about nothing more than people who are simply lonely, and have no way of ending their cycle of emotional ambiguity. The brilliant Anthony LaPaglia leads this perfect ensemble cast (which includes equally worthy performances from Barbara Hershey and Geoffrey Rush, amongst others) as a beleaguered detective investigating the disappearance of a psychiatrist, unaware of how closely linked she is to his own life. Director Ray Lawrence and writer Andrew Bovell recognize how simple coincidences become the building blocks for emotional upheaval, and manage to craft a poignant and thoroughly involving acting showcase upon seemingly little else. Lantana is the most impressive film of subtlety this year.
4) Moulin Rouge!
Baz Luhrrman's "love me or leave me" feast for the senses touched me in a way no other film did this year, and although ultimately I acknowledge the superiority of several other films released in 2001, this is the film I will end up revisiting the most in my too, too short mortal coil. "Unapologetic" is a term perhaps easily applied to many of the films on my list, but never more apt than this deeply personal, utterly theatrical piece of cinematic bravado. There is no subtlety, for subtlety might signify a lack of passion on the part of anyone involved. When someone, anyone tries this hard to make you love them, it is hard not to stand up and notice. Whether you love them back is the only potential hurdle, and one that some cynics seem unable to get over.
3) A Beautiful Mind
Formulas are formulas for a reason. They work. It is as simple as that. Ron Howard's latest film, like many of the best films ever made, does little to transcend its genre - in this case, the life-long struggle of a troubled genius. What makes this film tower above so many flashier, higher-concept films is the deftness and quality with which it is told. Aided in no small part by ingenious performances from Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and Paul Bettany, surprisingly imaginative direction from director Ron Howard, and a perfect screenplay from Akiva Goldsman (which hides the conventions of its formula cleverly behind the expectations of other, more mediocre films), A Beautiful Mind earns its place among the best films of its type.
2) Battle Royale
Many movies released today would have seemed unthinkable to produce fifty years ago. Even so, Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku has made a film that seems unthinkable today, tomorrow, and any distant point in the future, and shocked the world by making it brilliant. Battle Royale is the hard-hitting, brilliantly crafted story of adults forcing children to kill each other, under the pretense, of course, that the entire situation is for their own good. The ironies and horrors of violence are punctuated all the more sweetly by the earnestness with which the film's numerous young performers fill their roles. Their every impossible decision, their every act seems at once horrible and thoroughly understandable. Far from the exploitation that American audiences would no doubt label it (sight unseen, most likely) were it ever released on our shores, Battle Royale is the pinnacle of the genre - an action film at once exhilarating, important and emotionally resonant.
1) Ginger Snaps
Yes, the best film of the year was not a star-studded Hollywood flick, nor an ever-so-clever independent film. Rather, it was this straight-to-video horror gem from the great vast, unmined talent crop of Canada. But Ginger Snaps is not just an entertaining scarefest - it is also an emotionally complex tale of familial love, the search for acceptance and the temptations of youth. It is also, by far, the best werewolf film ever made, truly capturing the immortal struggle between civilized mankind and its more primal urges with style and grace, and not skimping on the requisite blood and gore. There is, quite simply, not a sour note in the entire film, a rarity indeed. For some reason this film was released straight-to-video and without the benefit of widescreen (you heard me), but even so it remains by far the best film I have seen all year... nothing came close.
Best Director: Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down
Ridley Scott came off the heels of the lackluster (though interesting) Hannibal with this, one of the greatest American propaganda movies ever made and easily his best film since Alien. Every element of Black Hawk Down is perfectly handled, from the most resonant dramatic moments to the most obvious clichés, and Scott is to be lauded enormously for his accomplishment. A complex film on many levels, but the year's best direction job makes it seem endlessly effortless.
Best Actor: Jim Carrey, The Majestic
The film itself may have been just "nice," but Carrey's latest performance was one of the best of his career, and certainly the most subtle. In fact, it is this subtlety that almost surely precludes that anyone will appreciate his work here. Still, what would have been a stoic, leading man performance to any other actor becomes imbued with every manner of nuance that this under-appreciated performer seems to be capable of, adding up to one of the best performances of the year.
Best Actress: Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle, Ginger Snaps
The best two lead performances by a female this year are closely intertwined in the same movie, so it seems only fair that these two young actresses shared their award. I just hope that Katherine Isabelle doesn't try to kill anyone with it. The ties between these two actresses are uncanny - one feels love, devotion and inseparable closeness between the two. Like many siblings their characters grow apart at the onset of puberty, but in the world of Ginger Snaps these ties are severed more severely, cruelly, and violently than (hopefully) most people have to deal with. The feelings of pain and loss, as well as burgeoning individuality, are unmistakable and perfectly conveyed in their performances, the best (I am convinced) of anyone - male or female - all year.
Best Supporting Actress: Mimi Rogers, Ginger Snaps
I have to confess that, in all the movies I've seen this year, there has been a distinct shortage of supporting female performances that made any particular impression upon me. In fact, I can only think of three, offhand - all of which seem to be going without this awards season: Jamie Lee Curtis in The Tailor of Panama, Judi Dench in The Shipping News, and the performance that towers over most lead roles from 2001, Mimi Rogers as the understanding, out of the loop mother in Ginger Snaps. Like many parents of unusual kids, her character cares for their welfare, perhaps a little too much, and is resented for it. But it is in the strength of Roger's performance and the film's writing that lies one of the most sympathetic and, in the final act, surprising characters of the year. Rogers has long been an under-rated actress - what a shame that this, perhaps her best performance to date, risks being passed over so easily on the video shelves.
Best Supporting Actor: Pierce Brosnan, The Tailor of Panama and Sean Bean, The Fellowship of the Ring
Again, my confidently chosen picks for the best of the year are being forgotten or passed over. In a way, perhaps this is me realizing a subconscious urge to encourage our readers to appreciate the unappreciated films, or those performances that are so good they don't impress, but are taken for granted. Pierce Brosnan's excellent portrayal of a somewhat more realistic and distinctly seedier spy in John Boorman's The Tailor of Panama was an acting coup for the performer, and easily one of the best anti-heroes of the year. And Sean Bean's tragic performance as Boromir turned what could have been a weasely, obvious display of succumbing to temptation into a heroic struggle between doing what is right, and what we wish was right. In a film of note perfect performances, his was perhaps the most impressive accomplishment, making a classic film character out of a potentially very cliché role.
John's Best of 2001
While writing up a bottom ten list for a year is almost fun, writing a top ten list feels like pulling teeth. Settling on what defines the best that this year had to offer is a tough task and one I don't take lightly. As always, a few films slip past me unseen and a few never get to me in time for this list. But I've seen an awful lot of films this year and so here is my best attempt at the best of the best.
10) Shrek
I don't know about the rest of you but I'm really enjoying the rivalry between DreamWorks/PDI and Disney/Pixar. These two keep churning out wonderful computer animated movies that rival the best traditionally animated films. This year though the win goes to DreamWorks/PDI for Shrek. It's hard not to love this film for it's skewed sense of humor, perfect voice work and drop dead gorgeous animation. Monsters Inc. is a fine film but a quieter more thoughtful one that lacks Shrek's sense of fun. It's a film that I enjoy just as much after several viewings as I did the first time around.
9) Memento
This film was the early front runner for this list. It is easily the best mind game of the year, a puzzle of a film that slowly unwinds as it plays out. The ending is a bit of a surprise and still very satisfying. Even better are a few ambiguous details that should keep fans debating the story for some time.
8) The Tailor of Panama
Wildly overlooked, but none the less a great film The Tailor of Panama takes a close look at what being a spy really means. Better yet it does it with Pierce Brosnan, the star of what is likely the most unrealistic series of spy movies. This film is a labyrinth of lies and backstabbing that gets more and more entertaining as it gets more and more complex. Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush have wonderful chemistry as their characters dance around each other trying to see who can concoct the most outrageous, yet still somewhat believable, lies to get what they want.
7) Ocean's Eleven
This film is coolness incarnate. It just drips with cool from its soundtrack on to its who's who cast. Steven Soderbergh continues to prove that he's one of the best directors working today. This is easily one of his most mainstream films but that in no way detracts from its entertainment value.
6) The Devil's Backbone
Even less noticed than The Tailor of Panama, this movie was the best horror film of the year. A ghost story hidden inside a war movie it has atmosphere on top of atmosphere. Guillermo del Toro made an absolutely brilliant film that actually has me excited about his next film Blade 2.
5) Mulholland Drive
While we're on the subject of atmosphere, let's talk about this film which thrives on atmosphere. It has to because the story is baffling and borders on incoherent. But somehow that really doesn't matter. The movie is simply hypnotic as it weaves a strange spell that reels the audience in and doesn't let them go until the credits start to roll.
4) The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
The only reason this movie doesn't top this list is its ass punishing three hour running time. I'm not complaining though, there's way too much good stuff here to consider that a true sin. Peter Jackson did the seemingly impossible and brought J.R.R. Tolkien's epic story to film in a way that both does the books justice and entertains those unfamiliar with the books. Actually, I have one more complaint. Waddaya mean I have to wait a year to see the next part?!
3) The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson is a strange and wonderful genius. Each film he makes is a little treasure and each film that follows it seems to get even better. He finds an odd little corner of the world to tell his stories from and despite their offbeat nature they are stories that just about anyone can relate to. Gene Hackman is delightful in this film and deserves every award that comes his way for it.
With these next two films I agonized over the order. I'd love to call it a tie but that's a cheat when you write a list so understand that they are virtually interchangeable in their position on the list.
2) A Beautiful Mind
I've just about always liked Ron Howard's movies (the Grinch not withstanding) but I never thought he had a film this good in him. It is a brilliant way to illustrate just what it means to suffer with schizophrenia. At the same time it is a touching film about a couple who battle illness very hard to find a way to lead a satisfying life. Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly are at the top of their game here, turning in wonderful performances that drive a film already well on its way to brilliant.
1) Black Hawk Down
I can say the same about Ridley Scott as I did of Howard. He has made many films that I greatly enjoyed but he rarely or never pulls it together into a flawless final product. That changes with Black Hawk Down, which eschews standard movie design to put the tale of a battle gone horribly wrong above characters and dialog. He sought to make a picture that accurately told of a day when US Special Forces found themselves getting far more than they bargained for. It isn't a story about the politics of the day or anything else than that bloody battle. The cinematography is astounding, creating a vision so complete the urge to occasionally duck while watching it is hard to resist. Never has war been so perfectly captured on film.
Other Awards
Funniest Movie: Rat Race Shrek may have made my ten best list but the funniest movie of the year was Rat Race. Operating only on a razor thin plot, it consistently set up and made pay off the biggest most outrages gags of the year. This movie made me laugh hard and often, more so than any other film this year.
Guiltiest Pleasure: A Knight's Tale Yeah, I know this one has its share of flaws and some dopey ideas but it was simply a matter of entertainment for me. I found it entertaining well above and beyond what should have been expected of it. This one is worth watching repeatedly just for fun.
Favorite Scene: Dinner with Hannibal This is one of those scene's that will stick with me for an awfully long time. A nice combination of horror and comedy that leaves the audience trying to laugh and vomit simultaneously. Very nice.
Best Actor: Russell Crowe The big Aussie turned in what I think is the finest work I've seen this year in A Beautiful Mind. Without his performance it could have been a horrible schmaltz fest. Honorable mentions go to Will Smith for Ali, Billy Bob Thornton for Bandits and The Man Who Wasn't There, Ian McKellen for Lord of the Rings and Ewan McGregor for Moulin Rouge (see? I can say something nice about it).
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman Her twin performances in The Others and Moulin Rouge (two nice comments in one article, people might start to think I actually liked that movie...) give her this award. She's really elevated herself to a new level of late. Hopefully that will continue. Honorable mentions go to Audrey Tautou for Amelie, Naomi Watts for Mulholland Drive, Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind and Renee Zellwegger for Bridget Jones's Diary.
Best Director: Ridley Scott He seemed awful grumpy last year to not win the Oscar for Gladiator but this year should make up for it. The sheer difficulty of shooting a movie that is almost pure action and make it look ultra-realistic is astounding. This is an easy choice.
Stay tuned...
That's all folks...
Jean-François Allaire (aka DeadPool)
Questions, comments, praise etc. Email me at deadpool@tnmc.org
Jean-François Allaire is TNMC's first columnist. At only 24 years old he has become a respected entertainment journalist, with his columns appearing in Corona's Coming Attractions and Scr(i)pt magazine. He also writes a monthly column in Screenwriters Monthly entitled 'The Last Word.' Hailing from Montreal this young writer is determined to dig up all the details on the movies before they hit your local theater. If you're part of a movie production then you really need to be talking to him.
