Tim Wick's Top Ten Movies of 1999

I have been rearranging this list for the last three weeks. Once, I did not believe any film would surpass "The Matrix" as the best film of 1999 for me. As you will see, I was wrong. The problem I have is, any of the films on this list could easily be chosen as the best film of the year for different reasons. Everyone who submitted a list talked about comparing apples and oranges. I compared and compared and movies slid up, down and eventually off my list almost daily. Because 1999 was such a great year for film (in my opinion), the films I list as honorable mention would have made my top ten most other years. Ah, well, such is life. Here is my top ten:

1. "Magnolia"
   As near to perfect as a film can be. P.T. Anderson proved that he is a director to keep your eye on because he will produce great things. I am convinced that the people who hate this movie did not understand it and became disengaged. If you allow yourself to be drawn into this movie, it will change you. I was more emotionally exhausted walking out of the theatre than I have ever been following any other movie. Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Jason Robards and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are standouts in a cast that really has no standouts. This is the kind of experience that only film can give you and it is the reason the medium exists.
   
   
2. "The Matrix"
   Perfect in it's own way, it reminded us that a good science fiction film actually requires a STORY to be a good movie. Filled with complex foreshadowing and stunning visuals, this is the most important contribution to the genre since "Blade Runner". In a perfect world, this film would beat "Star Wars Episode 1" for best visual effects at the Oscars this year. There are fewer effects, but they are all used to futher the plot rather than to impress the audience (Jar Jar Binks - say no more). The Wakowski brothers prove that they are a force to be reckoned with after only two films. The Matrix has me.
   
   
3. "Run Lola Run"
   This was lower on my list, but then I got the DVD and watched it again. This fast paced German thriller with a pounding soundtrack and simple premise that keeps your pulse racing for ninety minutes. Filled with surreal touches and mixing in video, film and animation, Tom Twylicker proves to us that innovative filmmaking happens all over the world. A love story for the new millenium. When it gets here.
   
   
4. "Three Kings"
   Brilliant view of the gulf war in minature. Four American soldiers go searching for Kuwaiti gold at the end of the war and learn what it was they were really fighting for. As you might expect, it was a little different from what they had thought. The shootout scene in this movie was the single most brilliantlly directed and shot scene I have seen this year. Every shot was defined in terms of action, reaction and consequence. The movie is worth it for that scene alone.
   
   
5. "American Beauty"
   My prediction is that this will be the film to win the Oscar and it is certainly a deserving contender. Kevin Spacey is on my list of the most underappreciated actors in Hollywood (along with Tim Robbins) despite his continual critial acclaim. The central subject matter of this movie has the potential to be deeply disturbing, but somehow manages to be moving instead. What is overlooked when most people talk about this movie is the fine performances by the children in the film. The movie is as much about them as it is about Kevin Spacey and Annette Benning.
   
   
6. "The Sixth Sense"
   This was on my top ten without the ending. I felt this and "Arlington Road" had similar goals, but "The Sixth Sense" was more effective primarily because the story itself is strong enough to stand on it's own. I don't want to say too much in case there is someone out there who has not seen it and still wants to be blown away.
   
   
7. "The Iron Giant"
   As a huge fan of the modern Disney golden age, I have gotten tired of other animation companies trying to emulate the mouse. "The Iron Giant" was an original animated picture that did not rely on any of the Disney conventions (stupid songs, cute sidekicks, simple minded villains). The animation is state of the art and the story is touching. The "villain" is also a complex character motivated by so much more than just being evil.
   
   
8. "Toy Story 2"
   What can I say about a sequel that actually managed to surpass the original?
   
   
9. "Galaxy Quest"
   Somehow this movie managed to be better than a "simple" popcorn movie. The characters were human despite being set in a spoof format. That made the comedy more convincing and the few serious scenes more touching. I have heard a lot of talk about a sequel. NO!!!! LEAVE IT ALONE! There, I have said my peace.
   
   
10. "Topsy-Turvy"
    The second foreign film that made my list, this delightful story of the writing of "The Mikado" and it's subsequent first production being staged is an absolute treat. Not only addressing Gilbert and Sullivan writing the piece, it also takes the time to help you get to know the actors in the production. You begin to see that the success of the play was not just the brilliant writing, but the sum total of many talented men and women all committed to the piece. Superb film making that is well worth the 160 minute investment.

Honorable mentions:

• "The Green Mile"
  I think most people missed the fact that this was a retelling of the Christian passion of Christ. I didn't and I loved it.
  
  
• "The Hurricane"
  A good movie powered by a great performance. Denzel Washington should be the Oscar frontrunner for his complex portrayal of a man so busy convincing himself that the system won't beat him, he fails to notice that he has almost lost.
  
  
• "Fantasia 2000"
  A few less than perfect numbers kept this movie off my list. Still, "Rhapsody in Blue", "Carnival of Animals" and "The Firebird" are three of the finest animated shorts every made.
  
  
• "Man in the Moon"
  Again, a good movie, but a stunning performance by Jim Carrey. He was Andy Kaufman.
  
  
• "The Mummy"
  Just a popcorn film, but what a popcorn film! Funny, scary and endlessly entertaining. It won't win any awards, but it was a blast!
  
  

And now the worst movie of the year:

The runners up, "Entrapment", "Wild Wild West" and "Dick" all had good reasons why they should be chosen, but nothing could overshadow the disaster that was:

"A Midsummer Nights Dream"
This cinematic mistake has to rank as the most disappointing movie I have ever seen. I love the original play (I was even in it in college). It is one of the finest comic works ever writtin. The movie, while having the same text as any number of fine stage productions, lacks the spirit. For some reason, the director uses silent scenes to turn Thomas Bottom into a tragic character when he is nothing but an egotistical buffoon! The whole movie is on a forest "set" that looks worse than a stage set. They use bicycles as an image of - something - for - some reason I don't understand. Helena and Hermia are supposed to be different heights, but they are not. Then in the scene where they are hurling (usually) hilarious insults about each others height, the "short" one is shot from a low camera angle and the "tall" one is shot from a high camera angle which means the audience loses all meaning.

If you want your kids to appreciate Shakespeare, don't take them to this movie.