Al's Top Rated Films: 1999
A couple of my all-time favorites top this years list. Closing out the '90s with quality!
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- DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.Superbly powerful drama from directing great Sam Mendes. Excellent story about a sexually frustrated man going through a mid-life crisis and the radical life changes he makes—especially when it comes to his infatuation with his daughter's best friend. Intense drama brews elsewhere with his wife (also sexually frustrated), his melancholy daughter and her mysterious boyfriend, and his bigoted and secretive next door neighbor. Definitely my favorite lead roles from Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. They both give phenomenal lead performances. The same could be said for the roles from Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, and Chris Cooper. They were all fantastic. Peter Gallagher and Allison Janney also had nice roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorMike JudgeStarsRon LivingstonJennifer AnistonDavid HermanThree company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss.Hilarious comedy from Mike Judge that nearly tops my list for 1999 since the material hits so close to home (work, actually). Fantastic story about a man who hates his mundane, routine and boring software engineering office job. When he sees a hypnotherapist to help him with his job issues, he enters into an inspired care-free attitude towards life, and soon convinces his 2 coworkers and best friends to take revenge against the company, which is downsizing and firing employees, by embezzling money from the company using a complex computer program. One of the funniest movies ever made. Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, and Ajay Naidu all deliver fantastic lead performances. Diedrich Bader, Stephen Root, Gary Cole, Richard Riehle, John C. McGinley, and Paul Willson all have small, but extremely memorable and funny roles, among many others in the supporting cast. Classic comedy.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTom HanksMichael Clarke DuncanDavid MorseA tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.Excellent fantasy-driven crime drama from Stephen King and Frank Darabont set in the 1930s about the lives of guards and prisoners on death row, which they nicknamed "The Green Mile". When a gigantic black man accused of raping and murdering two young girls arrives, they discover he has a mysterious gift that forever changes their lives. Perfectly written, shot, acted, and scored. At 3 overs long, you'd think there would be some parts that could have been cut or shortened, but that it sin't the case. The whole film is excellent from front to back. Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan both delivered superb lead performances. Arguably the best of both their careers. David Morse, Barry Pepper, Sam Rockwell, Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton, and more had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.Fantastic and mind-bending drama from David Fincher about a simple office worker with severe insomnia, who starts going to cancer support groups when he finds sharing his "fake" pain with others helps him sleep. When he meets a similar woman named Marla at these meetings, and a mysterious soap maker/salesman named Tyler on an airplane, his life takes a drastic turn as they they start an underground "Fight Club" in the basement of a bar, move into an abandoned/dilapidated house, and recruit men to join in on cult-like missions when "Fight Club" grows into "Project Mayhem". And this is all happening while the man is suffering from severe amnesia. Crazy story, plot and ending. This is one of the more unusual and unique films that's taken me multiple viewings to fully appreciate over the years. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are awesome together. They both delivered arguably their best performances of all time. Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf also have great roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsDenzel WashingtonVicellous ShannonDeborah Kara UngerThe story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.Superb sports drama from Norman Jewison on the life of boxing great Rubin "Hurricane" Carter—Following his troubled home life, wrongly being convicted of assault at age 11 and going to prison, his brief time in the Army, reaching fame as a boxer, being wrongly imprisoned for triple homicide, spending hopeless years in prison, to finally meeting a family who is willing to fight for his innocence. I absolutely loved this film, and I'd have to say it's my favorite performance from Denzel Washington. Vicellous Shannon was also superb as Lesra. His interactions with Denzel were very emotional and greatly done. Dan Hedaya, Deborah Kara Unger, Liev Schreiber, John Hannah, Debbi Morgan, Clancy Brown (playing a much nicer prison guard than his does in Shawshank Redemption), and Rod Steiger all have great roles among an excellent supporting cast.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsRussell CroweAl PacinoChristopher PlummerA research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.Fantastic biopic from Michael Mann about a research chemist named Jeff Wigand who blows the whistle on "Big Tobacco" in a 60 Minutes exposé after his life and career comes under attack by Brown & Williamson—the giant tobacco corporation he's employed by. Russell Crowe gives one his best performances I've seen yet, and Al Pacino is also in top form. They both had great interactions together. Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Stephen Tobolowsky, and many others had excellent roles among a great supporting cast.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsTom CruiseJason RobardsJulianne MooreAn epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.Epic drama from Paul Thomas Anderson set in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, and spanning 24 hours, following 2 correlating stories, bizarre coincidences, and the search for meaning, love, and acceptance. While the film jumps around from different scenes of each story, it's surprisingly well constructed and easy to follow. They got some superb performances out of the star-studded cast. Everyone involved looks to be at the top of their game. Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Julianna Moore, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Jason Robards, Melinda Dillon, Alfred Molina, and others had excellent roles.
- DirectorTrey ParkerStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneMary Kay BergmanWhen Stan Marsh and his friends go see an R-rated movie, they start cursing and their parents think that Canada is to blame.Hilarious comedy based on the TV series by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that delivers exactly what the name suggests. It's simply a bigger, longer, uncut version of a classic South Park episode. Great story which follows Stan, Eric, Kenny, Kyle and his stepbrother Ike, as they go see an R-rated Canadian film "Terrance & Phillip: Asses of Fire". When they all start swearing because Terrance & Phillip did it, their parents blame Canada, and pressure the United States government to go to war with Canada. I remember this movie being a big deal BEFORE Comedy Central started allowing South Park to use swear words on the TV show. It broke new ground for fans. Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, and Isaac Hayes all have great voice performances, among many others.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsTobey MaguireCharlize TheronMichael CaineA compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, decides to leave to see the world.Excellent coming-of-age drama from Lasse Hallström set in an orphanage in the secluded land of St. Cloud, Maine, 1943. The story follows the life of Homer Wells, who was adopted and returned twice, and never adopted again. The dedicated and caring Dr. Wilbur Larch takes him under his wing as if he were his son, and teaches him everything he knows about the medical profession. Homer seems happy and content with his life, but once he becomes a young man, he becomes restless and decides to leave and discover the outside world. Thanks to patient named Candy and her husband Wally who visited the orphanage, he's able to get a ride out of town and job working on Wally's family apple orchard. Once Wally leaves to fight in World War II, Homer starts an unexpected relationship with Candy and also runs into considerable drama concerning the team of apple-pickers he works with. Great story all around with excellent dialogue and a fantastic cast. Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine both delivered fantastic lead performances. Charlize Theron and Delroy Lindo also had excellent starring roles. Kathy Baker, Paul Rudd, Erykah Badu, Heavy D, K. Todd Freeman, Kieran Culkin, Jane Alexander, J.K. Simmons, and many others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorAnthony MinghellaStarsMatt DamonGwyneth PaltrowJude LawIn late 1950s New York, a young underachiever named Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to retrieve Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy. But when the errand fails, Ripley takes extreme measures.Excellent crime drama set in the 1950s, and follows a young and eccentric compulsive liar named Tom Ripley who has exceptional talents when it comes to forgery and impersonations. He ends up meeting a Princeton graduate who broke his hand, who convinces him to take a gig playing piano for him. While wearing the man's Princeton jacket, he hits it off with an old rich couple, and the man subsequently offers him $1,000 to travel to Italy to convince his estranged playboy son Dickie to move back to New York. Tom accepts, and ends up meeting and attaching himself to Dickie and his girlfriend as they become great friends. Tom harbors homosexual fantasies about Dickie, and when their relationship starts faltering, his psychotic side comes out in extreme ways. Matt Damon delivered one of his all-time best lead performances. The same could be said for Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow's great roles. Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, and many others had excellent supporting roles.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsJake GyllenhaalChris CooperLaura DernThe true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.Great family biopic on the life of high school student Homer Hickam, who takes up experimentation with rocketry after being inspired by first Sputnik launch, along with some friends, and a special teacher who supports their endeavors. However, Homer's Dad feels they're wasting their time, and wants him to be a local coal miner like him. Jake Gyllenhaal was excellent in his big breakthrough role. Chris Cooper played the perfect cynical coal-mining father. Laura Dern, Chris Owen, Natalie Canerday, William Lee Scott, Chad Lindberg, and many others had great roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.Thrilling and mysterious drama from M. Night Shyamalan. After a distinguished child psychologist has a horrifying experience with an ex-patient he previously failed, he takes on a similar case involving an introverted young boy who "sees dead people". And many mysterious and unsettling things unravel in the process. Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment are excellent together, and both deliver great lead performances. Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Trevor Morgan, and Donnie Wahlberg all had nice roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorTroy DuffyStarsWillem DafoeSean Patrick FlaneryNorman ReedusTwo Irish Catholic brothers become vigilantes and wipe out Boston's criminal underworld in the name of God.Excellent action-packed thriller about two Irish Catholic twin brothers who become vigilantes in their hometown of Boston when their faith inspires them to clean-up the crime and gangsters destroying their community, Meanwhile, an FBI agents tracks their movements and considers joining them in their mission as they become heroes to the public. Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Willem Dafoe, all deliver excellent lead performances among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsForest WhitakerHenry SilvaJohn TormeyAn African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.Excellent crime drama about a peaceful and disciplined Mafia hit-man who leads his life by the way of the samurai, and has a special kinship and way of communication with pigeons. When he's double-crossed by the mob family he works for, a spectacular revenge tale forms as he puts his deadly skills to work against the mob family's top assassins who will stop at nothing to take him down. Forest Whitaker delivered a superb lead performance. One of his finest. John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Tricia Vessey, Henry Silva, Isaach De Bankolé, and Camille Winbush all had very nice roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorJohn SaylesStarsDavid StrathairnMary Elizabeth MastrantonioVanessa MartinezIn an economically devastated Alaskan town, a fisherman with a troublesome past dates a woman whose young daughter does not approve of him. When he witnesses the murder of his shady brother, he, the woman and the kid run to the wilderness.Excellent drama/thriller set in a the southeastern islands in Alaska, and follows a fisherman with a troubled past who starts dating a beautiful lounge singer with an extremely depressed teenage daughter who he also works catering jobs with. His half-brother shows up in town asking him for help running his boat to a remote area to make a business deal. He accepts and asks his girlfriend and her daughter to join. When they reach the isolated location, his half-brother is killed due to some dishonest drug dealings, and they flee from the murderers into the wilderness as they spend weeks surviving, waiting for rescue or the killers to find them, and also gaining a greater respect and knowledge of each other. David Strathairn is one of the most underrated actors around, and it was great to see him give such a strong lead performance. The same could be said about the underrated Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who also has some great singing among her great acting. Vanessa Martinez was also great among the lead cast. Kris Kristofferson and Leo Burmester were also great among the supporting cast.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsAl PacinoDennis QuaidCameron DiazA behind-the-scenes look at the life-and-death struggles of modern-day gladiators and those who lead them.Thrilling professional football drama that's centered around a determined unknown third-string quarterback and his hard road to success, after taking the place of legendary quarterback Cap Rooney after a disastrous injury. It also goes behind-the-scenes, giving a somewhat dark and menacing look at the athletes and background players that run the organization. Superb cinematography, editing, and a fly electronica/alternative soundtrack. While it is very long, I found it to be entertaining throughout and worth the time. Nice work from Oliver Stone all around. Al Pacino put on one of his finest performances. Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, Jim Brown, and Lawrence Taylor all had nice supporting roles, among many others.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsMatthew BroderickReese WitherspoonLoren NelsonA high school teacher meets his match in an over-achieving student politician.Hilarious comedy that's centered around a simple high school teacher who's life gets turned upside down when he becomes obsessed with a beautiful, over-achieving, and manipulative student, along with mounting relationship issues when he gets tired of his marriage; which leads him to make a disastrous career/life decision. Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon both delivered great lead performances. Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell, Mark Harelik, Phil Reeves, Molly Hagan, Delaney Driscoll, Colleen Camp, Frankie Ingrassia, and others had nice roles among a solid supporting cast.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsWinona RyderAngelina JolieClea DuVallA directionless teenager, Susanna, is rushed to Claymoore, a mental institution, after a supposed suicide attempt. There, she befriends a group of troubled women who deeply influence her life.Heavy and dramatic biopic based on writer Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay at an all-girls mental hospital in the late 1960s, after she nearly killed herself with a mixture of alcohol and aspirin, and was subsequently diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She meets plenty of interesting and thought-provoking patients along her journey to recovery. Both Winona Ryder's performance and Angelina Jolie's Oscar-winning role made for great lead characters. Arguably the best of both of their careers. Clea DuVall, Brittany Murphy, Elisabeth Moss, Angela Bettis, and Whoopi Goldberg all had nice roles among an excellent supporting cast.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsNicolas CagePatricia ArquetteJohn GoodmanHaunted by the patients he failed to save, a monumentally burned-out Manhattan ambulance paramedic fights to maintain his sanity over three increasingly turbulent nights.Excellent crime drama/thriller from Martin Scorsese set in the late night hours of a gritty and crime-infested Manhattan. The story follows an ambulance paramedic named Frank Pierce who's suffering from insomnia and extreme anxiety stemming from the intensity of his work. It becomes so bad that he starts seeing ghosts of patients and victims he's failed to save in the past, which drives him to drink alcohol and take other drastic measures to curb the hallucinations. While he's plagued working with the same types of folks the has fueled his stress, he finds some peace in an ex-junkie named Mary, who's father ended up in cardiac arrest on one of Frank's calls. Underrated flick from Scorsese, and Nicolas Cage delivered one of his finest lead performances. Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Marc Anthony, Mary Beth Hurt, Cliff Curtis, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorKevin SmithStarsBen AffleckMatt DamonLinda FiorentinoAn abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.Nice comedy drama from Kevin Smith about two evil angels trying to find a loophole to get back into heaven after betraying God's trust, and the woman who is called upon by Metatron (the voice of God) to stop them from reentering heaven. Unique and clever story with great dialogue as usual from Kevin Smith. One of his better movies. Linda Fiorentino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Jason Lee, George Carlin, Janeane Garofalo, and others had great roles among the supporting cast.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodIsaiah WashingtonLisaGay HamiltonCan an over-the-hill journalist uncover the evidence that can prove a death row inmate's innocence just hours before his execution?Underrated crime drama/mystery from Clint Eastwood that follows an elderly California-based journalist named Steve Everett. He works for the Oakland Tribune and is a fun-loving womanizing recovering alcoholic. His boss tasks him to write a human interest sidebar on a convicted murderer named Frank Beechum who is supposed to be put to death by lethal injection at midnight, after 6 years in prison. Steve has a famous nose for sniffing out discrepancies in similar cases, and he immediately finds plenty of information that makes him believe Frank is innocent of the murder he was convicted of. Now it's up to Steve to collect enough evidence before the clock strikes midnight, so he can save Franks life, his job, and his professional dignity. Excellent story all around and a nice twist on a classic crime drama. The dialogue and casting was great all around. Clint Eastwood delivers one of his finest later day lead performances. Isaiah Washington also had an excellent starring role. James Woods, Denis Leary, Bernard Hill, LisaGay Hamilton, Diane Venora, Michael McKean, Michael Jeter, Mary McCormack, Hattie Winston, Frances Fisher, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsMeryl StreepCloris LeachmanHenry DinhoferAfter Roberta Guaspari separates from her husband, she receives encouragement from her mother to take up a job of a music teacher at the Central Park East School in East Harlem.Excellent music drama and biography from Wes Craven that follows the life and career of violinist, music educator, and mother of two sons, Roberta Guaspari. The story starts in 1981 New York City, with Roberta struggling with after a messy divorce. With help from her old friend Brian, she relocates to the poor area of East Harlem to become a violin teacher at Central Park East School. While there are plenty of challenges that lie ahead, Roberta is determined to win these kids over and live a happy life again. After 10 years, the program is a complete success, and is greatly supported by the community. But trouble comes in to play when the New York City Board of Education decides to axe the program due to money reasons, which fuels a battle to help reinstate the program. Meryl Streep delivers another fantastic lead performance, and holds the whole story together beautifully. Angela Bassett, Aidan Quinn, Cloris Leachman, and Jay O. Sanders also had great starring roles. Henry Dinhofer, Michael Angarano, Charlie Hofheimer, Kieran Culkin, Gloria Estefan, and many others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsDenzel WashingtonAngelina JolieQueen LatifahA quadriplegic ex-homicide detective and his partner try to track down a serial killer who is terrorizing New York City.Great crime drama/mystery from Phillip Noyce that follows a first-class forensics expert named Lincoln Rhyme who's left a quadriplegic after nearly being killed on the job. He subsequently makes plans to be put to death peacefully before a seizure sends him into an unrecoverable vegetative state. Just as he's ready to give up, a case comes up involving a serial killer who picks up random couples up in a taxi and murders them in horrific ways. The case invigorates his mind as he works the case with the entire police department from his bed at home. But it's the young and inexperienced officer Amelia Donaghy who catches Lincoln's eye as the best forensics worker currently on the case, and diligently works with her to crack the mystery. Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie both delivered excellent lead performances. Ed O'Neill, Queen Latifah, Michael Rooker, Michael McGlone, Luis Guzmán, Leland Orser, and others also had great supporting roles.
- DirectorScott ElliottStarsSigourney WeaverJulianne MooreDara PerlmutterA woman's life falls apart after she's blamed for an accident on her property.Underrated and powerful drama that follows a working-class elementary school nurse named Alice who loves her husband and kids despite normal everyday struggles. Her best friend Theresa often visits with her husband and two kids, until one day a tragic incident occurs with Theresa's daughter on Alice's property. That sends Alice to the brink of a nervous breakdown when she is then accused of abusing a young boy from school, who is frequently sick, has a rough home life, and a mother who has it out for her. The whole town turns against her and her family as they fight the charges in court. Sigourney Weaver, David Strathairn, and Julianne Moore all delivered excellent and complex lead performances. Aunjanue Ellis, Nicole Ari Parker, Bruklin Harris, Ron Lea, Chloë Sevigny, Dara Perlmutter, Kayla Perlmutter, and others had great supporting roles.
- DirectorGregg ChampionStarsSidney PoitierDianne WiestMary-Louise ParkerA 91-year-old carpenter has to fight developers who are trying to force him to sell his land.Excellent drama that follows the life of a 91-year-old carpenter who helped build most of the small Georgia town where he lives. He is loved by all the locals, and is rightly considered a hometown hero to many. He's managed to stay young all these years by finding great joy in his work and helping others. One day his entire existence is threatened when a large corporation tries to force him off his land to build a shopping mall—having him declared incompetent. Noah makes friends with the construction developer's psychologist girlfriend, and she decides to help him anyway she can after being inspired by his simple life and adoring personality. Excellent film all around, and Sidney Poitier's greatest later day performance. He was very sharp at age 71. Mary-Louise Parker, Dianne Wiest, George Newbern, Bernie Casey, Frances Bay, and many others had great supporting roles.