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Well, I started out to write a Top Ten movies of 1998, but that turned
into thirteen, which in turn turned into what is below you. It's not
reflective of what are the BEST movies of they year, although I think
there are some damn good movies on the list, but my favorite movies of
the year. Granted, I missed a FEW, but here they are.
- Shakespeare in Love - This was my favorite of the year. It's got a
great blend between art and reality in it, the acting is amazing, and
the writing is wonderful. I would almost go so far as to say it's
actual real Shakespeare in a postmodern vein.
- Big Lebowski -It might not be the BEST movie of the year, but it's
one of my favorites. It's well directed, well written, hilarious, and a
great comment on our society. It's the best, true update of film noir I
have seen. It doesn't go around pining for another time to do it. It
actually shows today's society and just works well.
- Henry Fool - Oh man! This movie was one of my favorite looks at 90s
America and the whole literary theory people who take this crap so
seriously. It was so funny and down to earth, while making a great
satire of the whole thing. Everything about it was great, the writing,
the acting, the directing, whatever. Hartley has enough guts to say what
he wants and not try to make people feel all warm and fuzzy about it.
- The Truman Show- This was one hell of a reflection on the society
that watches REAL TV and SPRINGER. It was Art more than an entertaining
movie. I have to say that I don't think Carrey was as brilliant as the
material, but it was great.
- A Simple Plan - I would say this puts Raimi up there with any
respected director out there. It was REAL good. It was well written and
tapped into the universals you need to to make something relatable. It
really made you see it through the eyes of these guys and see why
they did what they did. It wasn't a cartoon of real life like Pulp
Fiction or Fargo, but a real glimpse more or less.
- The Thin Red Line - Really good and really cerebral. Most people
will not like it nor compare it to Private Ryan, but I liked the whole
way it was put together. It was just really lyrical and beautifully
filmed and written. It's not a traditional film though and read more
like a poem that requires a lot of viewer participation.
- Life is Beautiful - My only problem with this movie was that the
beginning was too long and the ending was too short. It was acted well
for an Italian movie and was really good and real live funny. Oh, but it
was a button pressing movie, but never showed you the man behind the
curtain.
- Saving Private Ryan - I don't really know what to say about this
movie. I gathered it as a statement of thanks from Spielberg to
American servicemen. It was my contention that Private Ryan was
actually representative of the Jews for several reasons. I had problems
with beginning and ending framing sequences, however, as they blurred the
point of view of the narrative and made serious flaws and were only
there to push buttons. It was one of those movies that really pushes
all the buttons, too. It was just pretty typical in most ways, except
for the directing and the fact that they got it done. The actual
manipulation of the audience with the camera and film stock and FX was
just one of the best jobs ever.
- Gods and Monsters - This is one hell of a movie about the director of
the original Frankenstein, James Whale. Whale was the first major openly
gay director in Hollywood and was eventually ostracized for his
indulgences. I hate Brendan Fraser, but he really earned my respect as
an actor with this one. He played a believable real every day guy mixed
up in things. Ian McKellan was brilliant as the old man Whale too. He
just made you feel so sorry for him one moment and think he was
despicable the next. I got lucky and saw it at a film fest before it
came out or had a distributor and I thought it was great. It's kinda cool
to see your opinions echoed in the press with the critics.
- The Butcher Boy - Talk about just one of the sickest and funniest
movies to come to the screen this year. I almost cried. It's the story
of innocence lost in numerous ways by a young Irish child named France.
The cold war ramifications in Ireland play well off of the child's
psyche and just make for some of the most sick and twisted situations.
- Pi - This movie just really thrived upon the fact that it had NO
money and made a hell of a good story. It was believable even though
the math theory was bullshit. It was REAL good, is all I can say and it's
main forte was originality, something direly needed in film these days.
- American History X- Talk about a scary movie! This one was great
though. It had some problems with transitions, but I guess that happens
when the director quits and tries to get his name taken off the project
totally. Ed Norton put on what might be the best performance of the year
and was absolutely mesmerizing as the former skin head come home from
prison. They do one hell of a job making this whole NAZI skin head
thing sound so feasible in the small picture.
- Opposite of Sex - A REAL good indie flick with Christina Ricci and
several other people I know you've seen. It's just got a pretty good
point and real good acting and a good story. It's another Freeway
white trash movie in ways, but not a rip off by any means. I don't know
what to think about Ricci. Every time I see those huge eyes of hers and
those pouty lips and those massive breasts and gorgeous big butt, I feel
like some sort of pedophile. She IS 18, but every time I see her in a
movie, I feel like hitting the kiddie porn sites or something. Or just
going to counseling. I'm a sick man.
- Smoke Signals - I'm all in favor of seeing a variety of cultures
represented behind the camera and on paper. This was structured in the
same way as a lot of Native American literature and really meshed well
with the screen. I really moved by some of the dialoge and was impressed
with the technical aspects for such a low budget. The narration and
storytelling was a real plus as well, and the young actor playing Thomas
had really nice intonation.
- Slums of Beverly Hills - This movie was hilarious! It's another
example of variety on the screen, as it was directed by a female. There
is no way I would dream up the situations invented in this movie.
Really refreshing, well acted, directed and written.
16. Out of Sight - I'd say this has to be another not best, but favorite
movies. It was hilarious. The characters were great, the writing was
smart, and it beat the hell outta Tarantino's Jackie Brown; which by the
way is growing on me, but not this good. I hate George Clooney, but I
REALLY thought he was slick in this movie.
Honorable Mention - Touch of Evil. I believe this to be the best movie
to hit theatres this year, but it was made in 1958 so it's not exactly
fair game. The re release changed a few things and cleared it up,
something I'm not sure that should have been done. One of the best
things about noir is the whole ambiguousness of it. It did, however, make
a hell of a good choice by fixing the soundtrack for all the overlapping
sound and music that Welles intended. REAL GOOD.
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