ARCHIVES - 1999
Movie Reviews by Paul Preston
OSCAR RANT 2000
(Honoring the best films of 1999)
1. Best Picture:
"American Beauty,"
"The Cider House Rules,"
"The Green Mile,"
"The Insider," WTS
"The Sixth Sense."
Missing - Naturally, “South Park”, “Magnolia”, “Toy Story 2” and “Election”. I thought for sure that “Toy Story 2” had a chance, especially with the Golden Globe win. They're just hesitant with animated films. “Beauty” and “The Insider” are worthy contenders. “The Green Mile” is a OK, I had a lukewarm reaction to that, “Man on the Moon” and “Mr. Ripley”. All three were considered
THE films for contention, all three were OK. I think “The Cider House Rules” presence here is part of the Miramax marketing machine. They had alot of films to boast about last year (“Shakespeare in Love”, “Life is Beautiful”), this year they had ONE, and were GOING to see it nominated.
Will win – “American Beauty”
Should win – “The Sixth Sense”
2. Actor:
Russell Crowe, "The Insider";
Richard Farnsworth,"The Straight Story";
Sean Penn, "Sweet and Lowdown";
Kevin Spacey, "American Beauty";
Denzel Washington, "The Hurricane."
Missing - Eddie Murphy for “Bowfinger” and Jim Carrey (naturally, I hope that he and Steve Martin will be recognized for comedy, like in "Liar, Liar" and "All of Me"). The only problem is who
to take out! This is a great category.
Will win - Denzel
Should - he or Spacey, I'm seeing “The Hurricane” Monday
3. Actress:
Annette Bening, "American Beauty";
Janet McTeer, "Tumbleweeds";
Julianne Moore, "The End of the Affair";
Meryl Streep, "Music of the Heart";
Hilary Swank, "Boys Don't Cry."
Missing - REESE WITHERSPOON!!! She got robbed for her performance in “Election”!! Meryl was good, and I actually enjoyed that film more than I thought I'd like another "teacher-makes-good" story, but it's run-of-the-mill in comparison. Julianne Moore could've been nominated for any of the four or five film she was in this year.
Will win - Swank
Should win - her, based on hype only. Haven't seen "Boy's Don't Cry"
4. Supporting Actor:
Michael Caine, "The Cider House Rules";
Tom Cruise, "Magnolia";
Michael Clarke Duncan, "TheGreen Mile";
Jude Law, "The Talented Mr. Ripley";
Haley Joel Osment, "The Sixth Sense."
Tom Cruise's nomination is one of 3 favorite nominations on the board this year. He's FANTASTIC. His bawdy motivational speaker gives him great scenery-chewing scenes, but his post-speech interview is a thing of beauty, where he is ravenous one moment, and emotionally imploding the next. Give it
to him. But also good for the Academy for recognizing Osment.
Will win - Cruise (Hollywood wants to reward him, too)
Should win - Cruise
5. Supporting Actress:
Toni Collette, "The Sixth Sense";
Angelina Jolie, "Girl, Interrupted";
Catherine Keener, "Being John Malkovich";
Samantha Morton, "Sweet and Lowdown";
Chloe Sevigny, "Boys Don't Cry."
My second of three nominations that I LOVE is Collette's. She received no awards up to now, was not nominated for a Golden Globe, but the Academy saw what I saw. She was absolutely believable as a mother at the end of her rope. Not mad all the time, but ocassionally sad, trying REALLY HARD to be beautiful, and I bought every second.
Will win - Jolie, sadly enough
Should - Collette
6. Director:
Sam Mendes, "American Beauty";
Spike Jonze, "Being John Malkovich";
Lasse Hallstrom, "The Cider HouseRules";
Michael Mann, "The Insider";
M. Night Shyamalan, "The Sixth Sense."
Obviously missing from this list is John Lasseter of “Toy Story 2”, who blended humor, friendship, emotion, ACTION and made you forget it wasn't real. ANY OF IT. It's good to see Mann nominated, and Jonze for his exceptionally original FIRST film. Still, I think they should do away with this award, an give an Oscar to the director of whatever wins Best Picture.
Will win - Mendes
Should - Shyamalan, for his economical work.
7. Foreign Film:
"All About My Mother," Spain
"Caravan," Nepal
"East-West," France
"Solomon and Gaenor," United Kingdom
"Under the Sun," Sweden
Where the hell is “Run Lola Run”!!! What the hell!!! That just pisses me off!
Will win - oh, I'm sure Nepal's film was AWESOME
Should - you tell me...
8. Screenplay (written based on material previously produced or
published):
John Irving, "The Cider House Rules";
Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, "Election";
Frank Darabont, "The Green Mile";
Eric Roth and Michael Mann, "The Insider";
Anthony Minghella, "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
This is a pretty decent category. I probably would've found something besides "Ripley".
Will win - ???
should – “Election”
9. Screenplay (written directly for the screen):
Alan Ball, "American Beauty";
Charlie Kaufman, "Being John Malkovich";
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Magnolia";
M. Night Shyamalan, "The Sixth Sense";
Mike Leigh, "Topsy-Turvy."
EXCELLENT category. It is as sure a thing as the Best Supp. Actor that this category is filled with great work. Again, throw “South Park” and “Toy Story 2” in there and I LOVE it. By the way, my runner's up for year's best script include:
“Notting Hill”
“The Matrix”
“Three Kings”
“Run Lola Run”
These are pretty damn original, too, and could take the place of
"Topsy-Turvy", which I hear was mostly improvised.
Will win – “American Beauty”
Should – “The Sixth Sense”
10. Art Direction:
"Anna and the King"
"The Cider House Rules"
"Sleepy Hollow”
"The Talented Mr. Ripley"
"Topsy-Turvy"
You've got to include "The Matrix" here. And “Fight Club”.
Will win – “Ripley”
Should – “Sleepy Hollow”
11. Cinematography:
"American Beauty"
"The End of the Affair"
"The Insider"
"Sleepy Hollow"
"Snow Falling on Cedars"
You've got to include “Three Kings” here, and “Run Lola Run”. Besides the man thing, 1999 was defined by an eccentric visual style. Sure, “Sleepy Hollow” had that, but how about “Kings”, “Lola”, “The Matrix”, “Magnolia” and “FIGHT CLUB” for the
love of God! These movies told you stories like no other movies before. They put a stamp on the year that'll continue into 2000.
Will win – “American Beauty”
Should – “American Beauty”
12. Sound:
"The Green Mile"
"The Insider"
"The Matrix"
"The Mummy"
"Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace."
As disappointed with the story as many were, the SPECTACLE remained, and “Star Wars” is due here.
Will win – “Star Wars”
Should – “Star Wars”
13. Sound Effects Editing:
"Fight Club"
"The Matrix"
"Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace"
Ditto, but it's great to see “Fight Club” nominated here.
Will win – “Star Wars”
Should – “Star Wars”, simply 'cause it demanded more, including providing sound to things that weren't there.
14. Original Score:
"American Beauty," Thomas Newman;
"Angela's Ashes," John Williams;
"The Cider House Rules,"Rachel Portman;
"The Red Violin," John Corigliano;
"The Talented Mr. Ripley," Gabriel Yared.
How could you not nominate Angelo Badalamenti for “The Straight Story”. That's a real injustice.
Will win – “Ripley”
Should – “Ripley”
15. Original Song:
"Blame Canada" from "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut", Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman;
"Music of My Heart" from "Music of the Heart",Diane Warren;
"Save Me" from "Magnolia", Aimee Mann;
"When She Loved Me" from "Toy Story 2", Randy Newman;
"You'll be in My Heart" from "Tarzan", Phil Collins.
This category is hot, and naturally, contains my third favorite Nomination of all – “South Park”!!! I would've entered "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" into competition, but they entered 'Blame Canada'. I'm gonna crap smiles when this song is performed at the ACADEMY AWARDS!! How cool is that gonna be!! Especially lines like "My son Eric had my picture on his shelf. And now when
he sees me he tells me to F**K myself!!" And it's surrounded by excellent competition. Not a bad apple in the bunch (no Beautiful Stranger, basically....)
Will win – “Toy Story 2” - a risk, you'd think Phil's song is more accessible, but Newman's due.
Should win - Newman, only because it's not "Uncle F**ka"
16. Costume:
"Anna and the King"
"Sleepy Hollow"
"The Talented Mr. Ripley"
"Titus"
"Topsy-Turvy"
Where's “The Matrix” here? Or “Star Wars”? Oh, well, give it to Burton.
Will win – “Ripley”
Should – “Sleepy Hollow”
17. Documentary Feature:
"Buena Vista Social Club,"
"Genghis Blues,"
"On the Ropes,"
"One Day in September,"
"Speaking in Strings."
Is there something so wrong with Errol Morris? This category is always a damn joke...
Will win - between "Ropes" and "Buena Vista"
Should – “Ropes”
19. Film Editing:
"American Beauty"
"The Cider House Rules"
"The Insider"
"The Matrix"
"The Sixth Sense”
Again, the editing contributed just as much as anything else to the
fast-paced look of “Run Lola Run”, “Three Kings”, “Magnolia” and “Fight Club”. Yet they're not nominated.
Will win - “Beauty”
Should – “The Sixth Sense” - for more deliberateness.
20. Makeup:
"Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"
"Bicentennial Man"
"Life"
"Topsy-Turvy."
Thank God those rubber-faced dudes from “Star Wars” didn't get nominated!!!
Will win – “Topsy-Turvy”, so the Academy can stay highbrow
Should - ???
23. Visual Effects:
"The Matrix"
"Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace"
"Stuart Little"
Give it to “The Matrix”!!! “Star Wars” will probably win, but “The Matrix” was more ingenious.
Will win – “Star Wars”
Should – “THE MATRIX”!!!! This is the future of sci-fi, not Jar-Jar Binks
Oscar winners previously announced this year:
GORDON E. SAWYER: Dr. Roderick T. Ryan, who created a film processor for use in special effects.
IRVING THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD: Warren Beatty.
HONORARY AWARD: Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda.
SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT (****)
Dearest Friends,
I want to recommend THE movie-going experience of the year to you.
I, quite simply, laughed my damn ass off when I went to see "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut". So far, it is the BEST film I've seen this year. Sounds like strange praise for a fart/vulgarity-fest. But this movie is the most ripe, most pointed, most successful satire I've seen since the Zucker Brothers. And, other films I may have mentioned, as good as they are, cannot be BEST film of the year because of Keanu Reeves.
As New City Chicago put it, you cannot be prepared for the offensiveness. Yet, all the film's targets either deserve it, or are over-the-top satire that WORKS. You name it, they satirize it: Satan, Hussein, Broadway, Rankin/Bass, Disney. And mostly, they rip apart that retarded notion that all things entertaining have to cater to "THE CHILDREN". Anyone who's read my previous rants knows that I'm a big supporter of rated R movies being for adults. It's not FOR kids, so screw the little bastards! They have their own programming, they can't have it all.
If you ever saw "The Spirit of Christmas", the original South Park short where Santa and Jesus duke it out to see who Christmas is really about, then you must see "Bigger, Longer and Uncut". Parker and Stone have re-captured the flavor of that short 100%. Plus, it's got Terrance and Philip, what more do you need.
It's frenetically paced, it has GREAT musical numbers and dammit, it's just funny as shit!!!!!!!!
It's been 12 years since I saw a movie THREE times in one week. I've been thrice to South Park. Trust me, you'll piss yourself.
PS - there are farts-a-plenty.
STAR WARS, EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE. THE TRAILER. (****)
It is time...
It is time to talk about the “Star Wars” trailer. So if anyone here avoids seeing and talking about new footage before seeing the film (like many of my “Star Trek” friends do), then stop reading and delete this now
Let me say this much, if you plan to kill yourself, put it off until May 22nd because the 2 minute trailer for “Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” is just about the most kick-ass piece of film I've seen this year, and you will need to see it before you die. From what that trailer shows, this new film will be reason for living. Those two minutes alone beat the snot out of the entire film “Deep Impact”.
I'm now going to over-analyze the hell out of it. I've been waiting 15 years for this film!!! First off, casting. Liam Neeson looks really great. Alec Guiness pretty much set the standard for how a Jedi Knight should come across. He should be commanding physically, and he has to have a British wisdom present in his speech. Neeson has that. The look, with the long hair and beard is a fantastic touch. I expect him to kick much ass. And I'm also left wondering who he is. The preview doesn't let you know. Is he a random Jedi? Anakin's guardian? We'll find out soon. Ewan MacGregor looks great, too. The couple shots of him with a light-saber really exude "hero" and "tough bastard". I'm excited to see him in action. Samuel L. Jackson's mere presence is an asset, but he has only a few seconds to get what he's all about. I believe he heads up the Jedi Council. The jury's out on Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd, who don't get to do much in the two minute trailer.
Next up, special FX. There is so much to look at in EVERY frame of this preview. If the “Star Wars” films are about anything, they're about locale. In three films, we've seen an ice planet, a desert planet, a forest moon, etc. This preview gives us some sort of regal palace and I want to know more of what that place is about. That's what this preview did to me all the time, if I may tangent. I want to know who that red and black-faced dude is, who the girl in the window of the palace is, who the different aliens are, what is that thing chasing Liam Neeson through the forest with about 8 other alien creatures running alongside him? what? What? WHAT???!!! Anyway, back to FX, that Liam and the creatures shot is a good example of FILLING THE FRAME with new things to see. Even the spaceport they're in (might be Tatooine) has things flying around every corner! Now, there are many CGI FX in this trailer. There are some who are naysayers of this technique, and for good reasons. It has only been used effectively by Spielberg and Cameron. I doubt Lucas will misuse it. It seems there is a whole character, a sidekick (probably good for as many jokes as R2-D2 and C3PO used to provide. I'll be worried if he provides MORE than enough jokes, I'd rather more action than jokes) who is computer generated. He's the guy getting zapped by the land speeder. Should be interesting. But I think we'll see quality along the lines of “Jurassic Park”'s dinosaurs and not Dr. Moreau's creatures. And with the jump back chronologically, we're going to be introduced to new spaceships, a new, 2-edged light saber, & new droids. The glimpses of which made me want more (the purpose of any good preview, by the way...SUCCESS!)
More positive stuff:
- John Williams is a LEGEND. Doesn't that music just do all the freaking out for you?!?!?!?!?!?!
- I heard somewhere that the devil-looking guy is a Sith Lord. Sounds cool.
- "Anakin Skywalker, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi" - is there any more heartbreaking, exciting, goose-pimply phrase on film this year? They might as well add "who you're going to kill when you grow up" to the end of that. I mean this promises to be an action-packed sci-fi temple of worship, but pretty somber series of films, emotionally. We'll probably grow to like Anakin Skywalker (his eyes-open-with-wonder-mouth-agape shot of him in the cockpit of a starfighter is awesome), only to watch him turn evil. We'll get to enjoy watching the Jedis kick ass only to have them die out (except for Obi-Wan). And basically, the Empire will rule right before "A New Hope", or “Star Wars”. The birth of Luke Skywalker will be a turning point, and the rebels first victories will be rootable, but pretty grim otherwise.
- It is impossible to not like the Darth Vader breathing mechanism sound effect looming in the beginning titles of that preview. That was sweet music. And also the poster for this movie speaks volumes. LOVE IT!!
- There should be a Yoda cameo in EVERY movie preview.
Basically, this preview makes “Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” look HUGE. The movie will be bigger than God. George Lucas owns all of us! It really looks EXCITING, a high-tech joyride.
I CAN'T WAIT !!!!!
But, alas, I will have to, and in the meantime, you will all get to see me act like a 13 year old Paul Preston waiting impatiently to see “Return of the Jedi”.
STAR WARS, EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE (**1/2)
**** Do not read this until you have seen “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace”. I'm giving away plot points during the course of my "I'll admit I have no life over-dissection" of the film.****
I've been waiting 16 years to see the further adventures of George Lucas' universe. I mean, I was 13, I cried when “Return of the Jedi” ended. (I even cried after “Empire”, I thought Han was dead, I didn't understand the whole "frozen" thing till a second viewing. I was 10, what the hell?!) I knew that my time with these characters was over, done. No more Han Solo or Darth Vader. No more Luke Skywalker or Chewbacca. And I was an impressionable son-of-a-bitch! Han Solo was an ICON! The ultimate in cool, quick, rugged GUY. So, for the next 6 years I followed Indiana Jones. The '90s haven't been as good for heroes. Sure, the “Star Wars” characters had further adventures in books (the Timothy Zahn series is especially good) and they had MILLIONS of adventures in my driveway in miniature. So, “The Phantom Menace” means alot to me. I mean R2-D2 in another movie, how cool is that?!?!?! Karen and I were in NY City from April 29th to May 11th. Tickets for “Star Wars, Episode 1” went on sale May 12th. So I called in from NY to see how the line was in front of McClurg Court Cinema 1, the finest in action/adventure experience in Chicago. There were already a couple dozen people in line. Well, the fates were with me (or was it The Force) when I called in on 5/12 to get tix. The line by 10AM had grown to some 250 people. I cannot believe I avoided a logjam and actually got thru to Moviefone. I got tix for opening day, 7:15 PM. We arrived at 5PM to get the best seats, and the crew at McClurg was handling the lines surprisingly well. We were 3rd row center ready to be blasted into oblivion. I didn't succumb to the hype, I was the hype.
Enough about me. Let's talk about the film. I have to admit I was equal parts thrilled and disappointed. I received an e-mail from a friend of mine, who we'll leave unnamed and simply refer to him as "Mike Rivera", that said: "the [films have the] unfortunate task of living up to the first series of films, an expectation that is undoubtedly unfair." Two years ago I had a conversation over the phone with my friend (who we'll call "Paul Viggiangelo") about “Independence Day”, a trite piece of silly putty where people don't take the death of 20 million people seriously. He didn't like the film because it failed to live within the parameters it created for itself! Example - The aliens can travel 1 million light years, but can't fight a computer virus. LAME. This is now something I look for in all science fiction I watch. I didn't like it because of something ALL action movies have these days. An overwhelming lack of fear. You've got to go back to “Jurassic Park” in 1993 to find an action movie that had a real terrifying presence, (specifically the T-Rex and raptors. (Then again, Paul would probably bring up the parameters thing about the electric fence...but still, you can't deny the unpredictability and sheer blood-thirsty nature of the dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World”). This makes the conquering of those things all the more meaningful, and their rampaging all the more affecting. “Armageddon”, “Godzilla”, “Independence Day”, they're all missing any sense of fear. So, if Lucas wanted to live up to the first series of films, he should've injected a little more fear into a movie with the word "Menace" in it, 'cause the original trilogy had fear to spare. Onward...
THRILLED:
- The Pod Racing. This is a wonderfully imaginative action scene. It is an impressive technical achievement and fully realized event for the planet Tatooine. I loved the rickety, self-made, put-together-from-spare-parts feel of the racers. Plus, their EXTREME speed is matched in movies only by the forest bikes of “Return of the Jedi”. The Pod Races brought a wonderful sense of malevolence and maliciousness that I thought was needed in more of the film. When one of the Pods explodes and pieces of it go flying into the crowd, I was thrilled by that unpredictability. And the SINGLE FUNNIEST THING I've seen in about a year in ANY movie, was the Tusken Raider cameo. First off, it was cool to see them in the first place, then THEY TOOK RANDOM POT SHOTS AT THE RACERS!!!!! THAT WAS HILARIOUS!!! And, that's exactly what they'd do! Well done, nice truth to character. Also, the sound effects were especially effective, even occasionally sounding like the engines "chug", almost like they run on steam. They don't of course, but I like the sound effect. Lastly, I really enjoyed the jawa saying "OOO-TEE-DEE!". I enjoy saying that myself.
- Jedis kicking ass. There's nothing cooler. Mel Gibson is one of my favorite actors, and I think I enjoy him so much because of the intense focus he brings to any character. There is usually a pretty single-minded purpose to his focus. In “Braveheart”, it was freeing Scotland, in “Ransom”, it was finding his children's kidnappers, in “Payback”, it was getting his 70,000 dollars. There is something VERY exciting about watching a very focused character go about persuing his goals. That same excitement I found in Qui-Gon Jinn, Liam Neeson's character. He was credits-to-credits EXCELLENT in this movie. He and McGregor both gave us a great idea of what Jedis are like in their prime. In the first trilogy, all we get Jedi-wise is one in training, one who's evil, and two who are old. My friend, who we'll call Adam Witt, summed it up best when he said the Galactic Senate heard about the invasion of Naboo and said "Well, let's send two Jedis". TWO!!! How cool is it that that's all you need to tame an entire army. I wanted more, but really dug what I saw. It was even fun to see Qui-Gon have to use general wits to defeat Watto, and free Anakin from slavery. He couldn't use a mind trick or brute force. Neeson was great.
- The Jedis vs. Darth Maul. “The Phantom Menace” ended much like “Return of the Jedi”, with three battles taking place at once. In “Jedi”, it was Luke and Vader, the battle of Endor and the Falcon's charge on the Death Star. In “Menace”, it was the space battle to take down the Federation ship, the battle of Naboo, and the Jedi's battle with Maul. At the end of “Star Wars”, the trek to blow up the Death Star was taken very seriously, and all the players knew the stakes, and there was great sacrifice to get the job done. This same purposeful intent and "classic battle"-feeling was carried throughout the light saber duel, and it worked hugely. There was much talk afterwards about it:
> Why didn't Qui-Gon Jinn fade away after being killed by Maul? We'll call Sandy Marshall "Mr. X", to hide his identity, and Mr. X theorized that it's because he had unfinished business in his life. Yoda and Obi-Wan had trained future Jedis and completed their duties as Jedis themselves. Good theory.
> What a strange thing, being a Jedi. I remember Luke throwing his saber away in front of the Emperor, refusing to fight. So, basically, if it weren't for Anakin returning from the Dark Side and disposing of the Emperor, Luke would be dead and that'd be it for the Rebellion. Interesting, then, that Obi-Wan wins his battle against Maul with ferocity, skill and a little bit of anger and revenge. Don't know what this all means, but I thought about it alot.
> How cool that Jinn meditated when boxed in that force field, and Maul paced like a caged animal. That said a lot about the characters. And naturally, Jinn's death set up a lot of Kenobi's future actions. Random thought: Wouldn't Anthony Hopkins be great on the Jedi Council? He may not even have to play a character, just be Anthony Hopkins. Hey look, there's Yoda, Mace Windu and Sir Anthony Hopkins!
- The space politics. A guy who's name I can't remember now, so we'll just call him Rob Kozlowski, said he really enjoyed the way Lucas set up a Universe teetering on the brink of collapse, anyone could overthrow it with enough will (and enough Dark Side). I agree. I also enjoyed the Senate Council where people floated on pods and stated their case to General Zod ("Kneel before Zod!!!!"). In future viewings, look for a pod full of Wookies and E.T.s stating their case. But the slyness with which Palpatine assumes political power was fun to watch. When he combines this power with the Dark Side, all hell's gonna break loose.
- The worlds. Right when you think there's no where for these movies to go (we've been in a desert, ice planet, forest moon, cloud city, and swamp world), he finds new places - underwater, a Royal palace and a planet that's one GIANT city. These were very realized worlds and HUGE eye candy.
DISAPPOINTED:
Did anyone else come out of this movie saying "More Darth Maul, Less Jar-Jar Binks"? I certainly did. Jar-Jar was annoying as hell, and I don't agree that he's there to counter the space politics that kids won't care about. I mean, I'm sure he is, but what a disappointment that Lucas can't just find that stuff interesting enough without a computer-game saying stuff like "Ek-squeeze Me?". WEAK. I'm mostly shocked because there was NO character like him in the previous films. If the Ewoks were annoying, at least they didn't speak English and provide jokey slapstick scenes. Everyone just thought they were overly cute. And who did his voice, a guy with three tongues and a mouth full of butterscotch? They should've just gone all the way with a jibberish language and subtitles. And Jar-Jar was poorly directed. He often provided the last line of a scene, and it was usually a dud before we edited away to another scene. He just wasn't any fun, I enjoyed the more high-brow comic relief of C-3PO and R2D2 much more.
- Pandering. Speaking of comic relief, Lucas pandered to kiddie sensibilities one too many times in “The Phantom Menace”. I said how much I liked the light saber duel, I wish I could say the same about the battle on Naboo. Jar-Jar hanging from the battle tanks being all wacky is so removed from the seriousness with which past battles were taken. That was distracting. Lines like "Crunch Time!", "Are you Brain-Dead?", "Ek-Squeeze Me?", "That's gotta hurt" and "Jar-Jar, you in deep doo-doo!" were dumb. Especially because they don't live in the world Lucas created (see “Independence Day”). The closest they ever got before was "laugh it up, Fuzzball", now it's as if Jar-Jar and other characters watch MTV for lines like that. Bogus. Especially guilty was the two-headed commentator of the Pod Races. Why spoil such exciting action with a lame-brained character? The voice was just rotten. Oh, wait. If I remember correctly, I heard a 5-year old laugh at "you in deep doo-doo". Well, when I saw “Star Wars”, Lucas played above my supposed intelligence level and I rose to the occasion, now he makes cheaper moves to beg for the young people to dig it. George, they love your shit already, play it straight, they'll follow along.
- CGI. I said that computers took us to wonderful worlds, created great droids that looked and acted real, and provided a pretty exciting space battle. HOWEVER, I was never emotionally attached to ANY computer-generated character during the course of this film. I guess the closest was Watto, but I thought the Cheech Marin voice they gave him could've been more other-worldly, and Sebulba, who seemed pretty creepy. Boss Nass of the Gungans, Jar-Jar (of course) and all his people, and the animated Jabba just didn't cut it. I remember feeling things for Chewbacca, caring about what he got himself into, and Jabba the Hutt in “Return of the Jedi”. These computer characters do nothing for me. I think they OVERact, and just don't look real. So, for me, computers do much for visuals, little for characters.
- The Viceroy. Adam told me he thought these guys were just a couple of power-hungry guys who probably shouldn't have messed with the Dark Side. True, but did they have to be total buffoons? I wish they didn't sound like George Takei with a sock in his mouth, too. I'd rather trade those guys with the faulty mouths in for a few of the steely-eyed, cold and calculated Imperial-type humans. This is a tricky situation, though, 'cause I'm glad they weren't CGI, but I'm pissed that they were such weak characters, etc., etc. This is a lasting debate.
- No fear. Maul didn't have enough screen time. The battle droids for the Federation just weren't effective enough to be afraid of. They never accomplished anything....ever. Even if you say they captured the Gungan army and that was effective, I think Sidious said to "Wipe them out". Why take prisoners? A fact brought up by a mysterious figure named Steve Matuszak. We never got to know the Federation ships quite like we knew TIE fighters, so no real fear of them was established. Plus, Anakin defeated their biggest ship by accident practically. Is he really a hero? Not that “The Phantom Menace” has to be “Aliens” or anything, but couldn't there be a little more sacrifice? Just one dead Gungan, that's all I ask. Alright, specifically Jar-Jar. In fact, the most fun we had after the movie was thinking of ways for him to die.
Alright, my fingers are bleeding.
I'd LOVE to talk more about this. Gimme a call, but have a great long-distance provider. I liked alot in the film and wanted more of what I liked. Overall, however, **1/2
Count me in line for Episode 2!
TOP TEN OF 1999
10. “Bowfinger” - Any time Steve Martin returns to top form, it makes my list (“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”, “Roxanne”, “All of Me”). Call me biased, but the guy is genius to me. And he's had such a drought
lately, I'm thrilled that this picture made $80 million! Plus, it's Eddie Murphy's best performance(s) in years. He absolutely KILLS as both Kit and Jiff. It's getting so Frank Oz can do no wrong.
9. “American Beauty” - A great film with a where's-it-gonna-go-next? final half hour. You also can't beat the dead-guy-as-narrator approach that's worked since "Sunset Boulevard". I only wish there was more Lester. Spacey was great. This film also has Chris Cooper's best performance (as Spacey's Marine neighbor).
8. “Being John Malkovich” - If someone gave me the plot idea that you could go into John Malkovich's head for 15 minutes, I probably wouldn't have created the absolutely MESSED UP love triangle that exists in this film. Malkovich himself is having more fun than ever, and Cusack's loser is one for the books. It's ending reminded me of "The Fly". TOTALLY original stuff.
7. “The Insider” - A lengthy film that felt 60 Minutes long. Pacino is in "sedate" mode, and it totally serves his scenes with Russell Crowe, who lives up to the potential he showed in his earlier films like "Romper Stomper". If you hate the cigarette industry (like I do, and that may, again, make me biased), this really fuels the fire.
6. “Fight Club” - The most UNDERRATED film of 1999. It has a twist in it that isn't quite as satisfying as the one in “The Sixth Sense”, but it is a marvel in it's hyperkinetic style. All hail the year that gets good performances (which they're capable of ) from Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves. Pitt let go of that stuffiness that didn't really suit him in "Meet Joe Black" and "Seven Years in Tibet" and gives a swaggering, macho BS performance that is really intoxicating. And Edward Norton is the usual bedrock of the story. This plot
is almost unimaginable, that's a wonderful trait of all the best films from this year. I love to leave a film and say "Where the hell did they come up with that?"
5. “Election” - Funny, funny, funny. If you haven't seen this - DO. If you haven't seen “Citizen Ruth” -DO. Alexander Payne is making the most intelligent adult comedies today. It soared above all the teen tripe this year (“Cruel Intentions”, “10 Things I Hate About You”, “Varsity Blues”), and shows you what school is REALLY all about. Broderick and Witherspoon are great.
4. “Magnolia” - People often say that PT Anderson "fed his ego" with this film. I was enthralled from beginning to end. And the beginning of this film is a more impressive achievement than half the crap studios churn out in a year's time. EVERYONE in the movie is worthy of a supporting actor/actress Oscar. He pulls from the best talent pool - Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C.
Reilly, and Philip Baker Hall gives his career performance as a talk-show host who's life is crumbling. There is much to talk about concerning this film that can't be mentioned until you see it. Let me know if you have!
3. “Toy Story 2” - No question as good as the original. This is the kind of film all animated movies should be. Smart enough for the adults, so it trickles down to the children. DO NOT CONDESCEND. So far, Pixar's formula of keepin'-it-smart is paying off. Randy Newman has his best shot ever at an Original Song Oscar here with "When she loved me". These characters really ACT, and the results get more impressive with every film.
2. “The Sixth Sense” - The second-highest grossing film of the year, and for good reason. How can you not see it again! There has never been a more DELIBERATE film. There is no excess in this movie, and it lives, really LIVES in the rules it creates for itself. I was knocked-out impressed by the success of writer/director M. Night Shymalan. This is a beautiful love story.
1. “South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut” - The last great musical of the Millenium. I cannot say how smart this film is. I was wildly impressed by their skewering of EVERYTHING! Literally, EVERYTHING gets hammered, from Bryan Adams to “Star Wars” to Disney. And there's more to see every time you watch it. I could go on. I attached myself to this film more than any other this year. Quite often satire fails miserably, this film deserves any success it gets.
One theme I found most prevalent in the great films of 1999 is that of the male in decline. Lester in "American Beauty" is just a mess. He is considered even worse when he starts to make himself happy. (By the way, my one problem with the film is the Three's Company-esque "misunderstanding" the neighbor has. Granted, with more dire repercussions, but it still seems like "Oh, no, he only knows half of what's really going on!" was a little much.)
Nevertheless, the waning male theme continues in “Election”. Here's a lousy sap of a man who's life is in the toilet and he doesn’t even know it. He sees his entire meddling with the school students and his affair as perfectly just things to do. When in reality, it's nuts. He's the man as terrible decision-maker. Then there's “Fight Club”, a wall-to-wall, credits-to-credits trashing of the current, pussified state of the male ego. Two actors presenting the varied states of a machismo with no outlet, have to create one for themselves. Then “Being John Malkovich” has women undergoing incredible changes when presented with the mind-entering porthole's power. Cusack's character starts a loser, and actually ends a BIGGER loser. He's the man as absloutely pathetic. In “Magnolia”, men flock to hear Tom Cruise talk about how grand the penis is. I particularly enjoyed this 'cause I was waiting for
the "Fight Club"-esque comment that these classes were to reinforce a weakened male persona, but it turns out Cruise was merely pro-SEX. Hilarious.
So there's an essay for ya.
The worst films of the year:
- “Big Daddy” - Not funny at all, AND it had the balls to try and be EMOTIONAL at the end and FAILED MISERABLY. Not a decent actor in the cast.
- “The Blair Witch Project” - What a concept!! What a poor execution of that concept. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION As I've said before, Macauley Culkin got lost in NY, that wasn't scary either...
- “Random Hearts” - you have to know how much this hurts to say. Boring, boring, boring, with some of the worst dialogue I've EVER heard - awkward and unbeleivable.
- “Inspector Gadget” - an overblown waste. WORSE than a video.
Then, of course, there are films that are sure to be bad, so I avoided them:
“Bats”
“Trippin'”
“Dudley Do-Right”
“Chill Factor”
“The Mod Squad”
and when's "The Bachelor" opening anyway?
Back to Movie List!