The Best 10 of 2001
Picking a top 10 for this year was extremely difficult as some of the films that others have placed on their top ten lists I have not been able to see for lack of a local screening. Why do I wait so long to publish my list? Because I like to try to see as many films as possible before the list is created, and waiting until the end of January usually allows a number of the films open in LA and NY to be screened. Unfortunately this year, I was unable to screen Monster’s Ball, Gosford Park, Amelie, and others. All of those films sound fantastic and they may have easily made this list, but I can only judge what I’ve seen, so here is my top 10 films of 2001.
10. The Majestic -- Now I know I will probably get ridiculed for this choice on many fronts, but this film struck a chord with me. First, Jim Carrey can be a dramatic actor, despite what everyone says. Frank Darabont has got a style and way about him that has always found a way to get to me. This is a great story of a small town that has endured the worst of a wartime experience, but with the introduction of a stranger who has lost his memory it goes through an incredible resurgence and becomes invigorated. Not perfect, but a great film nonetheless.
9. Training Day – Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke star in this rough, intense look at the first day of a young narcotics officer as he is paired with a detective that doesn’t have the best of intentions behind his training efforts. This film is tough, gritty and shows Denzel Washington can be a bad guy that you hate, just as much as a good guy you can love. Washington’s acting talent shines through in this film by Antoine Fuqua. I was able to handle the intensity this harsh film, and enjoy it incredibly.
8. Ocean’s 11 – When a cast that includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle and countless other stars get together for a film directed by Steven Soderbergh, I get excited. This film did nothing to let me down. Though it starts slow, Soderbergh did an incredible job tying together all the lose ends before the film came to an end. The cast of is able to carry any part of this film by themselves, yet they don’t have to because there is a great developing story in the film. One of the best ensemble films to be released in a long time.
7. Monsters Inc. – The folks from Pixar and Disney have done it again. Another great animated film that young and old can enjoy. They have created a wondrous tale between some of the most interesting original animated characters around. Mike Wazowski is an incredible eyeball monster that comes so vividly to life with the perfect voice of Billy Crystal. Sully is the big guy that gets the big scares but has a big heart and has a voice that is also perfectly cast as John Goodman. Add to that the lovable Boo and you have great characters in a great story with lots of laughs. Another home run for the folks at Pixar.
6. Shrek – Another year featuring two great animated films. Dreamworks comes to the forefront with Shrek. As with all animated films, great voice casting is a must and Shrek features Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona) and John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad) to name a few. This also has a very funny story that comes to life in a way like no animated film has in recent history. These are fun characters that are allowed to express a bit of themselves in these great roles. Add a hot soundtrack and you have a real winner. I’m a believer in Shrek.
NOTE: At this point in the list things get hard. Any of the top five films could have been my top choice for the year, but I had to put them in order, so here goes.
5. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – This film could easily be my top film of the year this year, but I had to put them in some kind of order so here goes. Peter Jackson delivers one of the most stunning films from a visual perspective that was released in 2001. This is a story that starts slow, but by the time the film was over it left you wanting a whole lot more. The understated cast, the ability for great actors to take small roles, the costuming, the classic tale and the visuals that this film provided, really grabbed a hold of me. I can’t wait until the sequel comes out Christmas 2002.
4. A Beautiful Mind – This film provides the telling of a heart-wrenching story by some fabulous actors. Ron Howard finds a way to let Russell Crowe engulf himself in the character that was John Nash. A strange, misguided, and paranoid man that has good intentions in his heart but cannot follow through on them in the real world. There are some of the best supporting performances of the year from Ed Harris as Parcher the agent that enlists Nash’s services and Jennifer Connelly as Nash’s student and then wife Alicia. An incredible story unfolds before your eyes and we are fortunate to have a great storyteller in Ron Howard to deliver it to us.
3. AI: Artificial Intelligence – This was a spectacle when I saw this film and it still resonates with me today. Stanley Kubrick’s vision through Steven Speilberg’s eyes provides us with a look at a world that is far different from ours. The underlying theme of love is something that makes you look at all life a bit differently. A perfectly cast “special” little boy; Haley Joel Osment provides a stunning performance of a boy that is confused about his place in the world. Graphic looks at things like Flesh Fairs provide us with looks at the world that we don’t want to encounter. This is a stunning, very visual movie. Though there is disagreement about this film, I found it quite to my liking.
2. Moulin Rouge – I sat in the seats of the theater as I watched this enchanting film with a smile on my face. This was one of those films that just needed to be savored. Baz Luhrmann delivers a visual masterpiece that is a sight for the eyes and music for the ears. When Nicole Kidman appears from the ceiling for the very first time she has NEVER looked more beautiful onscreen. And then came the double whammy, to hear her sing blew me away. When Kidman and Ewan McGregor sing duets onscreen it is magical music for the ears. Luhrmann has taken the musical to another level with this film that is fun and stimulating in so many ways.
1. Black Hawk Down – I was fortunate enough to catch this film prior to the end of 2001, and I was moved. Black Hawk Down grabbed my gut from the get go and just wouldn’t let go. Director Ridley Scott has a way with being able to tell an action story and not lose the emotion that is pounding behind it. This film shows chaos. The chaos that occurs when a mission in a foreign land goes horribly wrong. The chaos that occurs as a faceless enemy closes in and wants nothing but to kill Americans. And the chaos that occurs during war. A great cast that is able to be a part of the film instead of overpowering it with acting performances. This film is an incredibly memorable journey through a chaotic period.
This group of films is extremely solid and you may not agree with me, but I think you will enjoy most of the films on this list. I may have missed some of the better films of 2001 but these are the films that touched me, in different ways, the most during the year. What almost made the list? The family friendly Spy Kids, Nicole Kidman’s second best turn of the year in The Others, Will Smith as Ali, Kevin Kline in Life As A House (a film that totally touched me), the backwards/forwards film Memento, Anthony Hopkins in Hearts In Atlantis, the wacky American Pie 2, Meg Ryan in Kate and Leopold all gave me something to think about in compiling this list.
Well another year is gone, on to 2002 (the year of the sequel)!