THE 3 BEST FILMS
1.
Almost Famous
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Genre: Drama; Comedy;
Starring: Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Frances McDormand
"Almost Famous has a lingering, indulgent rhythm that emerges from the flow of the era but results in some structural awkwardness (especially in the final third). Yet the performances by Crudup, Hudson, Lee, McDormand, Hoffman, and newcomer Fugit have a beautiful, unforced naturalism, and the movie is laced with memorable moments: Russell the heartland rock god threatening to jump off a roof during a messianic acid trip; a slick new manager making his pitch to take over the band, his mercenary cynicism only a beat away from Stillwater's own desire to be on the cover of Rolling Stone; and the band on stage, performing with exuberant shamelessness — the last time, perhaps, that boogie-down male rock stars could truly believe that the world belonged to them."
by Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly
"Almost Famous'' is pushed into rough narrative coherence by the emotional triangle involving writer, groupie and star, which culminates in a rather precipitous set of crises. These are resolved a little too neatly and sunnily. The movie's real pleasures are to be found not in its story but in its profusion of funny, offbeat scenes. It's the kind of picture that invites you to go back and savor your favorite moments like choice album cuts. Mr. Fugit, who has the abashed charm of a pubescent Jeff Bridges, is remarkable in his first film role. He falters a bit when he has to show big emotions, but for the most part he is perfect as a wise, credulous child trying out a series of grown-up stances, looking for the one that feels right. Ms. Hudson and Mr. Crudup inhabit their roles with such mellow ease that the film opens up around them, giving the splendid supporting cast room to shine. In addition to Ms. McDormand and Mr. Hoffman, Jason Lee as Stillwater's hotheaded lead singer and Fairuza Balk as one of Penny's fellow Band-Aids are especially memorable."
by A. O. Scott in New York Times
2.
Gladiator
Genre: Drama; Action/Adventure;
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsoun and Richard Harris
"But “Gladiator” enjoys a solid foundation in the strength of Maximus, the vividness of its evocation of the Roman world and the integrity of the story arc. Script by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson shrewdly appropriates touchstone moments from previous epics, just as it also cuts down the talk to a minimum when possible; there is none of the windy speechifying that ground many an epic to a halt in decades past. The action is presented in strictly Roman terms, with none of the Judeo-Christian angle so common to the genre in the ’50s. The film revels in both the glory and the horror that were Rome. Proximo’s luminous description of the Colosseum to Maximus beautifully conjures an image of what was then the center of the universe, and the games themselves are presented in context as gaudy, lowbrow entertainment. Countless details in Arthur Max’s brilliant production design and Janty Yates’ highly diversified costume design are offered up in wonderfully offhand fashion."
by Todd McCarthy in Variety
"Forty years ago, the biggest and most expensive movies were set in ancient times. Sweaty gladiators and armor-clad warriors of the Roman Empire were familiar movie characters, while any roly-poly actor with a British accent could bank on steady employment playing Herod, Herod Jr., Nero or a toga-wearing senator. Today, it's accomplishment enough that the sight of Russell Crowe in a battle tunic isn't funny. But ``Gladiator,'' which opens today, does more than get away with it. This Ridley Scott film, his best in years, re-envisions ancient Rome for the aughts and makes it safe to go back in the Colosseum. The visual conception of ``Gladiator'' breaks with the past. The film has neither the saturated tone of Technicolor nor the bleached-out sterility often used in the depiction of ancient Rome. The world of ``Gladiator'' is sandy and gritty, rendered in earth tones and presented with the violence and velocity of a modern action film."
by Mick LaSalle in San Francisco Chronicle
3.
Memento
Genre: Drama; Mystery/Suspense;
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano
"Terrific idea and ingenious execution may wear thin or grow irritating for viewers unaccustomed to paying close attention. But anybody who dug the trippy triptych structure of "Pulp Fiction" should be able to keep up with the temporal shifts as narrative moves back, forward and sometimes sideways with the alacrity of a crab scuttling across the widescreen. Dody Dorn's editing is top-notch as pic -- scripted, acted and lensed with precision -- smoothly toggles back and forth between sequences in B&W and in color. Pearce is superb, Moss and Pantoliano are vital sounding boards for Leonard's quest and Mark Boone Jr. is a hoot as the motel desk clerk who rents Leonard two rooms on the theory he won't recall having paid for either one. Stephen Tobolowsky is poignant as another victim of short-term memory loss whose sad evolution haunts Leonard. L.A.-set pic has an impressive noir-in-the-sunshine feel, built of cars, bars, motels and isolated hideaways. The ambient rumble of the unsettling, ominous score contributes enormously to the discomfiting mood."
by Lisa Nesselson in Variety
"Nolan tells the story in roughly reverse chronological order, and we're never quite sure if Leonard or any of the other characters, including Carrie-Anne Moss as a hard-bitten bar maid, are what they seem. It's all pretty confusing, but then again, so were many of the classic film noirs. (The Big Sleep even made sport of its confusions). Nolan sustains an arty note of existential dread that probably will work better for noir-steeped film critics and overserious philosophy grad students than for general audiences, but he brings off a few brisk bravura moments. My favorite: a gun-blazing chase in which Leonard for a moment can't remember if he's the shooter or the target. As metaphors for life go, that one's pretty good."
by Peter Rainer in New York Magazine
BEST ACTING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Russell Crowe for Gladiator
BEST ACTING PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Kate Hudson for Almost Famous
BEST ACTING BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST
Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
for Requiem for a Dream
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Jamie Bell for Billy Elliot
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