Best Movies [IMHO] Of 2000

There were quite a few action movies this year, but I found many that I saw to be flawed in one way or the other, including "The Perfect Storm," which left me wanting more — not a good thing since it is based on exciting events and good characters. I suggest people read the book, which also shows the movie changed the personalities of two of the crew for effect, which was not necessary for dramatic purposes. "U-571" also changed its source material concerning the attempt to seize German code machines off downed submarines, but it was a fairly enjoyable old time action flick with the usual (but still enjoyable) stereotypes. "Frequency" with Dennis Quaid was an interesting time shifting action/detective story well worth a check on video for the many who did not see it. Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson were both quite amusing in the comedy Western "Shangai Noon." "Gliadiator" might be a Oscar favorite this year, and it is pretty good spectacle, but really has an empy center. Finally, Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan (unlike many reviews suggested) were both good in the hostage retrieval drama Proof of Life, which overall was a mixed bag, but contained enough good parts to definitely be worth a look.

New Entry: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is beautiful to look at, has some good reserved acting by the leads (and at times not so reserved), but the story leaves a bit to be desired. I particularly found the young aristocrat a bit shallow, and the whole past enemy subplot a bit silly, given who it actually was.

One of the best movies of those likely to run in your local multiplex was actually an animated movie about a bunch of English chickens in the 1950s trying to stage a break-out. Chicken Run was both amusing and well done on a technical level, and the cliched "fun for the whole family" clearly fits. A lesser animated effort, but one that fits with this site's icon and is worthy of a rental is the sci fi themed "Titan AE." A pretty good story and animation that is at times quite impressive makes this worthy of note, especially since there were not that many other animated films last year that I would recommend watching.

The best comedies this year were movies that were actually a mix of comedy and drama, but nonetheless were quite amusing. For instance, Nurse Betty and "Wonder Boys," especially the former, had some serious themes, themes that should not make us ignore the fact that they both were very funny in an often low key sort of way. The same can be said for the excellent "O Brother, Where Art Thou" from the makers of "Fargo," and as worthy of Oscar consideration. This tale of three convicts on the lam in the 1930s South had some grim elements, but was probably the funniest movie of the year 2000 I saw (even if I saw it in 2001). "State and Main" was a satire of the movie business, and showed David Mamet could allow his actors to talk like normal people, and still have a good (and amusing) film. Finally, "Road Trip" might not be a classic, but it was a quite refreshing fun comedy in the "American Pie" tradition without being as heavy handedly tasteless as some of those films tend to be.

"Thirteen Days" was not a documentary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but it was pretty close at times, and was an excellent piece of historical drama. A couple of adult themed documentaries caught my eye this year, though it might be hard to find them in your local video store. "Sex: The Annbelle Chong Story" concerns an adult film star, who for a brief moment held the record of sex with the most men in one day. A rather sad thing for which to seek fame, especially since the record was soon broken, but it's interesting to see what the life of a pornographic film star looks like. More socially worthwhile is Live Nude Girls Unite!, which concerns the union efforts of employees at a peep show. The movie shows that the rights of workers as well as people themselves do not only apply to "respectable" professions or individuals, especially since those labels often ignore the everyday type people involved. It is as much a documentary of the fight for the rights of workers than a look at a particular sex worker's experiences, and is definitely viewing (some work related scenes included, but overall it is not explicit).

There were quite a few independent films that were quite good in the year 2000, so perhaps it should be called "The Year of Independent Films." For sure, a year that was rightly seen as a lousy one for major movie company produced films (the Summer was especially noticable for its lack of good movies ... unless you felt "X-Men" fit the bill, or perhaps a couple others), but this does not mean the year was a total washout for the movie lover. No way, when Billy Crudup alone starred in three very good films ("Requiem For A Dream," "Wake the Dead," and "Jesus' Son," the first two also starring Jennifer Connelly). Connelly also has a small role in the excellent bio of the painter Jackson Pollock. Pollock, starring and directed by Ed Harris with Marcy Harden excellent as his wife, might not be completely fulfilling as a biography, but it has a great feel of the period and the painting process. I am not a big fan of his art nor am I am expert in it or the era in which he lived, but both seem realistically expressed in the film, and I have read comments from people knowledgeable of Pollock that the film does a decent job.

A few other independents should be noted. Willem Dafoe was nominated for his portrayal of a real life vampire supposedly used in the filming of a famous 1920s film, as told in the interestingly composed "Shadow of a Vampire." "Girlfight" is a standard story with excellent acting and sense of place about a teen latina learning how to box (for another p.o.v. read "The Boxer's Heart" by Kate Sekules). "What's Cooking" examines four interelated ethnic families celebrating Thanksgiving. "Quills" twists history and is a tad heavy-handed, but still is an interesting portrayal of the last days of Marquis de Sade, here portrayed as a victim of censorship and repression. Finally, Laura Linney is excellent in "You Can Count On Me" about a thirty year of so single mom whose life suddenly seems a bit less rewarding when her younger brother comes back for a visit.

There were many films this year that are worth checking out on video, even though they are not what one might call great films by any definition of the word. For instance, "Bring It On" (cheerleaders) and Coyote Ugly (bar room dancers; see link to appreciate how amusingly unrealistic the film is) were both very fun movies, even if they are not Oscar bait. A good romance would be "Return To Me," which also shows that Fox Mulder can play tear jerker/romance as well as alien abducted FBI agents. Sandra Bullock was fun in "Miss Congeniality" as a tough FBI agent going undercover in a beauty pageant. John Cusack played his usual conflicted young man character (with Jack Black giving one of his growing amusing supporting performances) in "High Fidelty." "Deterrence" is a neat little thriller from the maker of "The Contender" (which got a few acting nominations by the Academy this year). Finally, "The Ninth Gate" was fun horror/thriller material until its rather stupid ending.