The Best of the 1990s: 41 -50

41) MILLER'S CROSSING
Director: Coen Bros
A fun, magical, twisted gangster film. Filled with rich, gorgeous visuals, and incredibly entertaining.

42) HOOP DREAMS
Director: Steve James
One of the best documentaries ever, showing young inner city boys groomed for athletic stardom.

43) SHORT CUTS
Director: Robert Altman
A wonderful Altman film about how we affect those around us even as become more and more disconnected from one another. Lives are are lived only in the present, and randomly, and quickly. And the worst is we seem intent to help all of those things along.

44) BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
Director: Spike Jonze
Post modernism hits the land of film. This script is one of the more unique ever filmed.

45) AMERICAN BEAUTY
Director: Sam Mendes
Although I find this film important, and entertaining, and well done throughout, I really do wonder if it will work on repeated viewings. Rather it might have been best seen in the days when it was shown.

46) THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
Director: Farrelly Bros
The 2nd funniest movie of the decade. How many really great laugh-out-loud moments did this flick have? More than I care to count.

47) ELIZABETH
Director: Shekhar Kupar
An operatic period piece that was much darker than I expected. I found the tone of this work to be highly original and the film to be extremely well acted.

48) JACKIE BROWN
Director: Quenton Tarrentino
I was amazed that Tarrentino had this film in him. It was Pulp Fiction for adults.

49) THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
Director: Anthony Minghella
I loved this rich, exquisite film. Everything fell into place just so, with the gorgeous European settings, and aristocratic characters. So far the only serial killer on screen I've felt empathy for.

50) THE SIXTH SENSE
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Led some to dub Shyamalan the new Hitchcock. Well, not quite. There's no denying that it was almost an event watching this movie.

11/29/2005