1983
My #1
Scarface
Runners-Up
Trading Places
The King of Comedy
The Outsiders
So, as it turns out, the year of my birth wasn’t exactly a banner year for film.
Needless to say I didn’t actually catch any of these at the cinema. Scarface is
almost the default winner here, not that it’s not a great film, I just don’t seem to
rate it as highly as a lot of other people. Many of my friends included. I enjoyed
Pacino’s performance in all of its over-the-top glory but I like cool, measured Al
better than manic, shouty Al as a general rule. Trading Places was an amusing
and entertaining film and probably just as memorable for the Jamie Lee-Curtis
topless scene as anything else. Young, vibrant Eddie Murphy was always brilliant
and Trading Places is arguably his best role. The King of Comedy was disturbing
in a good way and I actually mean to revisit it soon. Some think of it as lesser
Scorsese but even lesser Scorsese is more than worth a watch. Also, it is a great
companion piece to either Taxi Driver or Raging Bull. The Outsiders is a bit of a
nostalgia choice in the final runners-up spot – not as good as the book (or as I
remember it for that matter) but seeing all those soon to be huge movie stars on
screen at the same time, looking so young, is pretty cool. Some of the others I
considered from my first year on this earh included the closing entry in the most
popular sci-fi saga of all time, and Chevy Chase’s first holiday film for National
Lampoon.
Stay gold Ponyboy.
1984
My #1
This is Spinal Tap
Runners-Up
Once Upon a Time in America
The Terminator
Ghostbusters
Something of a landmark year I’d say; Spinal Tap being the first, and best,
mockumentry and the launching of the Terminator franchise with a film which,
stylistically speaking, is a completely different beast from its sequels. The
rewatchability of Spinal Tap put it just ahead of the epic masterpiece that is Once
Upon a Time in America (another film I need to revisit if I can find the time)
whilst Ghostbusters had to be on the list even though I had almost forgotten how
funny it was. Any chance you have of putting Bill Murray onto a list of best of
anything you really have to take it. Unlucky to miss out here were the first
adventures of Axel Foley (more top-of his game Eddie Murphy), a bunch of little
monsters you don’t want to feed after midnight (another film that suffers a little
due to its superior sequel) and the bloody simple (sorry) debut of the Coen
brothers.
Yes its true, this man has no dick.
1985
My #1
Back to the Future
Runners-Up
The Breakfast Club
The Goonies
Brazil
A tougher choice than it first appeared but Marty McFly’s initial adventure
through time was clever enough and fun enough to push past the nostalgia factor
of The Goonies, the heart-felt simplicity of The Breakfast Club and the overly
bureaucratic dystopian wackiness that is Terry Gilliam’s first solo masterpiece.
At least one of my friends would not have forgiven me if BttF didn’t nab the
number one spot and I’m not sure how to explain to hi that neither of the sequels
made my cut. The first Back to the Future was clearly the best however and I love
how it’s just that little bit darker than you remember. The Breakfast Club is The
Breakfast Club, ridiculously identifiable despite it’s insistence in reducing all
high-schoolers to 1 of 5 archetypes (stereotypes?) whilst The Goonies is
realistically another of those nostalgia choices and Brazil may have topped them
all if it was that little bit more accessible. Just missing out were Tim Burton
bringing you big adventures of an awkward little man, as well as a whole bunch
of important films that I really should have seen by now but haven’t.
If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna
see some serious shit.
1986
My #1
Aliens
Runners-Up
Blue Velvet
Stand By Me
Platoon
I could not go past one of the greatest sequels of all time for my number one spot
in 1986. Aliens is by turns exhilarating and incredibly tense and Sigourney
Weaver set the benchmark for female action heroes. There are only a handful of
action films I’d rank above it. Platoon was the pick of two very well made Oliver
Stone films in 1986 (well, so I hear, I still haven’t seen Salvador) thanks to the
duality of man thing that Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger have going on as well
some particularly memorable battle scenes. Stand by Me is more than just
nostalgia and is actually one of the most bittersweet films I’ve ever seen as well
as the announcement of River Phoenix as once hell of a talent to come (fuck you
drugs!) and Blue Velvet is weird and kinda sexy and uncomfortable but in an ‘I
can’t stop watching’ kind of way. A lot of people say it is David Lynch’s best but I
think that film didn’t showup for another 15 years personally. The 14-year old
me would have had a certain French film with some memorable sex scenes at
number one although Paul Newman’s long-overdue Best Actor Oscar winning
performance, the original and best Mick Dundee outing and Matthew Broderick’s
eventful absence from school were the toughest omissions.
Game over man, game over.
1987
My #1
Full Metal Jacket/The Princess Bride
Runners-Up
Robocop
The Untouchables
My first tie. I really couldn’t bring myself to separate Kubrick’s visceral
meditation on the dehumanising effects of war and duality of man, from the
storybook brilliance in William Goldman’s unimaginably good screenplay. That
screenplay and some pitch-perfect performances pushed Princess Bride to
another level (and gave Rob Reiner the early lead in terms of director’s whose
films I’m drawn to) whilst the split-in-half approach to telling the story of some
regular U.S. military grunts in the Vietnam war made Jacket a winner. Robocop
made it because (a) when I was 12 years old I appreciated the violence and (b)
now that I’m older I appreciate the satire… and the violence. The Untouchables,
particularly the Sean Connery and Andy Garcia moments, beat out another Coen
Brothers gem (and I claim that they’re almost my favourite filmmakers!?) for the
final spot. Two quality, but vastly different vampire flicks were up for
consideration as well as Arnie and some more tough-talking military grunts
taking on a seemingly undefeatable alien.
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
1988
My #1
Die Hard
Runners-Up
Bull Durham
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Beetlejuice
The best action film of all-time (go on, tell me I’m wrong) couldn’t not be my
favourite film of the year now, could it? The more recent entries in the Die Hard
cannon have diluted its appeal somewhat but the primeval joy of watching Bruce
Willis’ John McClain take out a whole skyscrapers’ worth of bad guys is
something I can go back to time and time again. Bull Durham is extremely
underrated in my opinion and features Costner doing what he does best and
Susan Sarandon in her sexiest role. Tim Robbins is also fun in a naïve, gawky
role. The ?-less Roger Rabbit was a technical marvel in its day but it’s the script
and the jokes that help it stand the test of time and the final spot on my runnersup list went to Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice thanks to a never better, never
wackier Michael Keaton and my first and still one of my strongest celebrity
crushes. (That’s Winona Ryder not Alec Baldwin by the way.) Missing out were a
bittersweet Italian flick so memorable for it’s beautiful montage of kisses, a
childlike Tom Hanks and some equally memorable piano-dancing, a charismatic
Val Kilmer reluctantly championing Warwick Davis and a good selection of the
Monty Python crew teaming up with an Oscar winning Kevin Kline.
Yippee-ki-yay, mother fucker.
1989
My #1
Do the Right Thing
Runners-Up
Heathers
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Batman
1989 had a strong top two and a middling secondary two in my humble opinion.
Spike Lee’s best joint had enough of an edge to overcome the razor sharp satire,
not to mention my Winona Ryder crush, featured in Heathers. Do the Right Thing
had its finger on the pulse in a way that no other film of its time did. Mookie is a
likable audience stand-in and The Mayor is just a fantastic character. Heathers on
the other hand covered the same ground as Mean Girls only almost 15 years
earlier and in a darker way. It also featured a never better Christian Slater and
did I mention Winona Ryder? The first big screen outing of the caped crusader
got a nod because I’m a big fan of the Dark Knight and because it was such a
departure from the television show, which I never got into. Rounding out the top
4 we have Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves as the original, and best stoner duo,
who just so happen to be humanity’s only hope. Seriously, if you haven’t seen Bill
& Ted in a while do yourself a favour; it’s actual adult funny not just juvenile
funny. The other candidates here included an iconic John Cusak performance
that you cannot help but love, Tom Cruise as an aggrieved Vietnam veteran and
the first film I ever saw at the cinema, directed by Ron Howard and also featuring
Keanu Reeves. One caveat for this year: I haven’t seen that Kevin Costner builds a
baseball field film.
Always do the right thing.
1990
My #1
GoodFellas
Runners-Up
Miller’s Crossing
Total Recall
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gangsters, con men and Philip K. Dick, 1990 almost had it all. Goodfellas remains
one of my all-time favourites despite the fact that I’ve seen it more than any
other film (okay, maybe that one about Punxsutawney Phil but we’ll get to that).
It has style, substance and career best turns from Liotta and Pesci and is the
finest Scorsese film of my lifetime. For my runners-up, the Coen brothers finally
get a look in with their moody Irish gangster opus. Albert Finney is fantastic and
the perennially underrated Gabriel Butr centres the film brilliantly. You’ll never
feel the same way about Danny Boy. Also remembered fondly is Arnie having
memories messed with in a Paul Verhoeven visual treat (it holds up quite well
actually) and those pesky Gremlins in another hilariously self-aware
comedy/horror, definitely one for the film geeks. Stephen Frears’ John Cusak
starring confidence film came close to sneaking its way into the top 4, as did Tim
Robbins facing up to post-Vietnam trauma (or was he?) and a Nicholas Roeg,
Roald Dahl adaptation that my brother still can’t watch. Costner’s lupine waltz
film and Christopher Walken as the big apple’s self-appointed regent may have
gotten a look in if I’d actually seen them.
Look in your heart.
1991
My #1
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Runners-Up
JFK
Point Break
Boyz ‘N the Hood
An interesting year 1991, I’ve ranked T2 number one because it offers so much
and really upped the ante on the original (whilst almost repeating it, but
whatever). The visual effects and iconic scenes pushed it beyond your usual
action fare and right to the top of my list. For my runners-up, things got real
serious real quick for Ice Cube and co. in south-central L.A. I’m more of a Menace
II Society fan to be honest but that film came two years later in an absolutely
stacked 1993. The mind boggling, infuriating and gripping story of the
assassination of a beloved American president was another Oliver Stone film I
ranked very highly and gave Kevin Costner plenty more monologuing to do and
finally, the unadulterated homo-erotic thrills of Katheryn Bigelow’s all-action
boys’ romp is a guilty pleasure I can watch 100 times over.. Patrick Swayze in
Point Break by the way, possibly the coolest person ever. Missing out this year
were the Coen brothers (what else is new?), attempting a live action Warner
Bros cartoon, the first animated film ever to be nominated for best picture at the
Oscars, DeNiro getting his stalk for Martin Scorsese and the second film to sweep
the top 5 categories at the Oscars (the not quite 17 minutes of screen time logged
by Anthony Hopkins makes one of those wins a little bit questionable but still). A
pretty good year for masculinity then.
Okay, too much testosterone around here for me.
1992
My #1
Unforgiven/Resevoir Dogs
Runners-Up
Batman Returns
Glengarry Glen Ross
Some of my favourite films of all time feature in the next half dozen or so years
and it all starts here with my second tie at the top. Unforgiven resonates with me
on a level not many other films ever have and I’m not quite sure why. I do love
the whole cowboy/wild west mythology and Clint Eastwood deconstructs it, and
his own past, in a particularly engrossing way. It’s another boy’s own film but
every single performance is a stand out. Reservoir Dogs on the other hand
announced the arrival of a landscape altering talent and gave hope to film-geeks
everywhere. QT’s trademark dialogue and inspired soundtrack selection marked
Dogs as something fresh and as original as you can get in Hollywood. It was
impossible for me to split the two. My runners-up were not quite on the level of
the top 2 but I loved both nonetheless. Returns was my favourite Batman until
Nolan go on board, whilst Glengarry Glen Ross is just about the best example of
swearing and machismo in an otherwise seemingly respectable occupation I
have ever seen and, once again, so many iconic performances from some of the
best actors Hollywood has to offer. Not quite good enough in 1992 were Mike
Myer’s first foray onto the big screen, Robert Downey Jr channelling his inner
little tramp and a Belgian mockumentary about a hitman.
It's a hell of a thing, killing a man.
1993
My #1
Groundhog Day
Runners-Up
Jurassic Park
Schindler’s List
True Romance
Another tough year and, looking through the films that didn’t even make my
runners-up list, possible grounds to question my legitimacy as a film fan. The
controversial omissions here came from Jane Campion and Jonathan Demme but
Robert Altman was also close. There was also a quality comedy sequel with
Charlie Sheen, some slacker cool from Richard Linklater and a hell of a thrill ride
featuring Tommy Lee-Jones and Harrison Ford that barely even got a look in. As
for the winner, it took me a while to appreciate the brilliance of Groundhog Day;
possibly due to the fact that I think they played it on TV every week for a year,
possibly because Bill Murray can be so hilarious and so understated at the same
time and possibly because it’s so much more than another Saturday Night Live
inspired laugh-a-thon. For me it’s one of those rare comedies that works on so
many levels and has so much to say about the human condition that it transcends
its genre. Jurassic Park was a jaw-droppingly amazing experience that still holds
up because Spielberg simply knows how to tell a story, Schindler’s List was a nobrainer for none of the above reasons bar the last and True Romance is stupid
and ridiculous but oh-so entertaining. The Dennis Hopper/Christopher Walken
exchange is absolutely amazing and on the short list for scenes of the year.
Power is when we have every justification to kill and we don’t.
1994
My #1
Pulp Fiction
Runners-Up
Clerks
The Shawshank Redemption
Quiz Show
Easily the toughest year yet and that’s saying something. The list of films not on
my runners-up list is staggering. I’m comfortable with my favourite selection but
could easily be swayed into mixing up that runners-up list. Shawshank is
constantly in and out of my top 10 of all-time; how both critics and audiences
managed to miss it at the cinema is beyond. It remains one of the best bromance
films of all time despite coming out around 10 years before bromance was a
thing. Also, the rooftop beer scene is just that good. Clerks is another of those
seminal 90s films and has the best quality dialogue/non-existent action ratio of
any film I’ve seen. I love some of his other films but I don’t think Kevin Smith has
been this good since. Quiz Show got the final spot because it sort of snuck up on
me, John Turturro and Ralph Fiennes are brilliant and the subtext is so damn rich
The many tough omissions here include a film about the worst filmmaker of all
time (my favourite Tim Burton film by the way), Luc Besson directing a young
Natalie Portman and a manic Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves re-enacting Die Hard
on a bus and one of the most highly rated documentaries of all-time that just so
happens to be about my favourite sport.
I’m sorry; did I break your concentration?
1995
My #1
Se7en/Toy Story
Runners-Up
Heat
The Usual Suspects
And just like that 1994’s claim to being my favourite year for cinema is dealt a
fatal blow. 1995 was so amazingly amazing that I am finding it hard to breathe
right now. The four I have selected below all have a legitimate claim to being in
my top 10 films of all-time and some of the others that didn’t make the cut are
ridiculously unlucky to have been released in the year that they were. Before I
started this list one of my locks for best film of the year was Toy Story – how
could it not be with its mix of ground-breaking animation, hilarious selfawareness and bang-on voice work? And then I realised that Se7en (Seven?) was
released in the same year. Fincher is my favourite filmmaker and this was his
introduction to the world of cinema (I’m conveniently ignoring the third Alien
movie even though I didn’t hate it). For the people who tell me that Brad Pitt
can’t act I tell them to watch this movie, particularly the final scenes. As for the
others, Heat always sneaks under my radar for some reason even though it
absolutely nails the compromise between action flick and psychological
character study and for a long-time there I actual cited The Usual Suspects as my
favourite movie of all-time. Spacey has been deservedly praised but the rest of
the cast (even Stephen Baldwin!) are impeccable and the smart, tight script
started Hollywood on the path of (regrettably) putting a twist in every movie.
Sorry Scorsese, Ron Howard, Figgis/Cage and Bigelow but my favourite omission
was actually a Barry Levinson, Elmore Leonard adaptation featuring John
Travolta when he was oh so briefly the coolest person on the planet.
Who? Who? What are you, a fucking owl?
1996
My #1
Fargo
Runners-Up
Trainspotting
Scream
Bottle Rocket
Deciding between the top two here was really tough but otherwise it was just
another solid year. A good thing after the previous two years’ worth of quality
releases. I went with Fargo because it is still my (equal) favourite Coen brother’s
film and, well, I’m not sure why else. Maybe Francis McDormand’s presence
swayed me. Either way, it was close. Trainspotting has the soundtrack and
overall ‘cool’ advantage and the opening/closing voiceover always pumps me up.
Dialogue is pretty even but, and again this is completely superficial, Fargo’s
Minnesota twang is a little bit more endearing than that familiar Scottish brogue.
Still, Trainspotting is an admirably even-handed look into the lives of heroin
addicts. Maybe I should have had another tie? Maybe I should just move on? The
other two on my list are a brilliant example of genre filmmaking and the debut of
one of my top 5 directors. Scream gets the post-modern horror vibe just right
and Bottle Rocket introduced us to Wes Anderson’s individual style and is, quite
frankly, downright hilarious. A Will Smith starring, supremely enjoyable B-movie
romp just missed out here as did Cameron Crowe (he’ll get another shot) and a
Ben Stiller/Jim Carrey team-up that wasn’t to everyone’s tastes. The hardest
omission though was our man Baz’s modern MTV inspired take on Shakespeare’s
most famous tragic romance.
There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don'tcha know that?
1997
My #1
Grosse Pointe Blank
Runners-Up
Good Will Hunting
L.A. Confidential
Princess Mononoke
Two of my top ten films of all time – including my all-time number one – head up
a year that was so strong that a Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece doesn’t even
get a look in. Another fantastic year, another round of tough decisions. Jack
Nicholson’s third Oscar, Bruce Willis’s best non-Die Hard action movie and
humour from the holocaust are just three of the films that couldn’t even crack the
runners-up list in 1997. Grosse Pointe Blank is my clear number one of this and
every other year thanks to its snappy dialogue, ice-cool lead performance, killer
soundtrack and, to be honest, everything in the film. I could expand on this but
we’ll leave that to another post. Good Will Hunting is unashamedly sentimental,
something I usual steer clear of, but I love it. So many heart in throat moments
and Robin William at his absolute best – I love it when comedic actors extend
themselves. Ben Affleck too gets a killer moment in the ‘best part of my day’
scene. L.A. Confidential should have one Best Picture at the Oscars (I’m a realist)
and I think everyone realises this now. Princess Mononoke is Miyazaki’s best in
my opinion and has been stolen from so liberally (heinously?) that it pisses me
off just a little.
Do you like apples?
1998
My #1
The Truman Show
Runners-Up
Saving Private Ryan
The Big Lebowski
Rushmore
Peter Weir’s prescient semi-satire gets the nod as my favourite film of my 15th
year because of its combination of pathos/optimism, Jim Carrey with the whole
‘comedic actors extending themselves’ thing as well as its astounding
relevance/foresight. Along with Truman, the first two runners-up were always
going to be locks. Spielberg pops up again for (probably) his best film of my
lifetime. The juxtaposition between the amazingly realised, relentless opening
and the comparatively quiet but actually even more compelling remainder being
what sets it apart for me. Lebowski is classic Coens, simultaneously embracing
and avoiding genre and putting their own spin on it as they go. It’s probably their
most beloved film and, whilst I’m not a fanatic, it makes me smile whenever I
watch it. The Bill Murray factor got Rushmore over the line against pretty good,
but not great, competition for the final runners-up spot. It isn’t my favourite Wes
Anderson but it is Wes Anderson and becomes better with repeated viewings.
The same can probably be said of Alex Proyas’ Aussie-noir; a cool Vincent Gallo
road-trip film and some more quality work from Pixar but four is enough and I’ll
leave it at that.
Obviously you're not a golfer.
1999
My #1
Fight Club
Runners-Up
Toy Story 2
Magnolia
Three Kings
Before I began this exercise I had 1999 tagged as the best overall year for film
(during my lifetime) and I’m pretty comfortable sticking with that claim despite
’94 and ’95 both being absolutely amazing. Oddly enough it was the films that
didn’t make my top four that push it to that next level but I’ll get to that in a
second. Fight Club, adapted from a novel by one of my favourite authors
(someone please adapt Rant already!) just has to be number one because of the
whole zeitgeist, voice of a generation, ‘I can really identify with this movie’ vibe.
Also, Brad Pitt is, once again (thanks Fincher) amazing. Toy Story 2 surpasses its
predecessor in so many ways but I just can’t bring myself to rate it higher. The
Buzz/Zod interplay is a highlight but the Jessie song really drags me down.
Magnolia, being a slow-moving 3+ hour meditation on the lives of a disparate
group of Los Angelinos, is utterly engrossing. Paul Thomas Anderson is another
of my top five directors and some people still claim this as his masterpiece. Three
Kings is another of those underrated films that didn’t try for too much but nailed
what it went for. Ditto David O. Russell who is finally, a dozen years after this
film, getting the kudos he deserves. As for the not even runners-up? Apologies to
the Irish brother assassins with the Scottish father; Sam Mendes’ satire on the
American middle class; a Spike Jonze head-fuck (good year for him); and David
Lynch playing it straight. Also, the return of the shagadelic spy was a lot of fun
and featured maybe the best teaser trailer ever.
This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time.
2000
My #1
Almost Famous
Runners-Up
American Psycho
Gladiator
Memento
A sneaky good year this one (is that even a thing in film?). My number one, like
all the best films, can be likened to a fine wine. So many good
lines/scenes/insights and Patrick Fugit is absolutely the best audience cypher
I’ve ever encountered (maybe a little hyperbole there). Obviously the music is
great but it’s the coming of age tale, and not just William’s, that resonates. It’s
also one of a half-dozen or so films/television series Bill Simmons has used the
quotes from in one of his annual NBA awards columns. That has to mean
something right? As for the runners-up, Gladiator has testosterone out the wazoo
but also poignancy and Russell Crowe at his most commanding, American Psycho
is hilarious and hilariously disturbing and based on one of my top five novels of
all time whilst Memento is so, so clever but, again, poignant and moving. Great
year for Aussie leads but not so lucky for an Alejandro González Iñárritu
masterpiece, another quality Christopher Guest mockumentary and a Darren
Aronofksy (not really, but absolutely really) horror film. The closest call of the
not quite runners-ups? Michael Douglas as a struggling writer/middle-aged
stoner.
I have to return some video tapes.
2001
My #1
The Royal Tennenbaums
Runners- Up
Donnie Darko
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Amelie
A fantastically deep year with about ten films vying for those three runners-up
spots. My favourite Wes Anderson film took the top spot and it was the awkward
humour and heart-warmingly dysfunctional family dynamic (as with most of his
films) that did it for me. See also his eclectic soundtracks. Donnie Darko was a
one off in many ways (Richard Kelly where are you?) but it really hit upon
something that resonates in teenagers and 80s teenagers’ alike. I had to have a
Lord of the Rings film somewhere in here somewhere and Fellowship, for me,
felt like the most complete film of the trilogy with one of, if not the, most
compelling characters in the saga: Boromir of Gondor. Sean Bean as that man
managed to ground the film in something human amongst the elves, orcs and
fairies (there actually aren’t any fairies). Amelie, on the other hand, is a most
welcome exercise in the fantastical and I’m pretty sure you cannot have a heart if
you don’t like it. Audrey Tatu became my latest celebrity crush after this and it’s
hard to go past if you’re simply looking for something to make you smile. Crazy
mathematical genius Russell Crowe was a close call here as were a very un-comic
book-like comic book adaptation with a young Scarlett Johannson and Robert
Altman’s La Règle du jeu by way of an Agatha Christie mystery.
Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's not a genius?
2002
My #1
City of God
Runners-Up
Adaptation
Russian Ark
28 Days Later
Not a great year this one; the films I was most excited about – Scorsese returning
to the gangster genre and a certain fantasy epic sequel – weren’t quite what I
hoped them to be but that might have been my expectations playing tricks on me.
On the plus side, world cinema got a shot in the arm with City of God, a visceral,
immediate look into the lives of the slum occupants of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and
Russian Ark, an astounding, one-shot traipse through the Russian State Heritage
museum in St. Petersburg that just has to be on the list due to the magnitude of
the accomplishment. Also, it’s riveting. On the other hand, 28 Days Later injected
some life into the zombie genre (amazingly, given today’s situation, it was on life
support for a while there) and featured a brilliant shot of an almost completely
empty London. It also introduced us to the oddly charismatic Cillian Murphy.
Last but not least, Adaptation is another one of those, perhaps, too clever, too
complicated little gems that the vast majority of the general public overlook
despite a dialled in Nicholas Cage verbally jousting with another dialled in
Nicolas Cage. The return of the musical in the windy city and Adam Sandler
mixing it up with Paul Thomas Anderson also deserve a mention here as do an
underrated Tom Hanks gangster turn and Marshall Mathers doing for rap what
Sly Stallone did for boxing.
I want to know what it feels like to care about something passionately.
2003
My #1
X2: X-Men United
Runners-Up
Dogville
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Matchstick Men
Again, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the overall quality of the films released in
2003. Don’t get me wrong, the four films I have listed here are good movies; X2 in
particular was probably the best comic-book adaptation/superhero movie until
Christopher Nolan decided to make a sequel to Batman Begins. The opening
action sequence is one of my favourites and the (not exactly) subtext is well
handled by Bryan Singer. Dogville was one of those love/hate films that I loved.
In particular, the message behind it, and I didn’t mind the mostly pretentious,
somewhat conceited artifice used to distinguish it from the usual fare. Lars Von
Trier is always, at the very least, interesting and this features one of the five best
roles of Nicole Kidman’s career. Fact. The first Kill Bill was right on the mark in
terms of action, violence and cool. The style elevated it and the pace made it the
better of the two Bill films. Meanwhile, Nicholas Cage made another criminally
overlooked little gem in 2003, this time starring alongside Sam Rockwell in the
last decent Ridley Scott film (go on, get on my back about that call). It was an
enjoyable romp that demands a repeat viewing and sports one hell of a gut
punch ending. That was enough to put it above the final Lord of the Rings films
and its multiple endings and as well as Cpt. Jack Sparrow. The other quality? Paul
Giamatti inadvertently threatening the Merlot market, a documentary equating
big businesses with psychopaths and Will Ferrell in my most favourite Christmas
film.
Some things you have to do yourself.
2004
My #1
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Runners-Up
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Closer
Spider-Man 2
Film bounced back big time in 2004 with a number of quality films including a
brace of animated films unlucky not to be included in my top four as well as one
of my five favourite filmmakers again missing out. Eternal Sunshine was the clear
choice for my favourite this year. The Charlie Kaufman/Michel Gondry
partnership reached its zenith here and Jim Carrey has never been better (okay,
maybe in Truman). An even better, Kate Winslet was robbed of an Academy
Award and the supporting turns by Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson and Kirsten
Dunst were spot on. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but, for me, it’s
one of those films that get better on repeated viewings. Anchorman is this
generation’s Airplane; gag for gag it is the funniest movie of the past 30 years.
Closer was so ridiculously pretentious that I couldn’t help but applaud. I love
Clive Owen in this film; the way he venomously spits out his dialogue in the later
scenes is amazing to behold. Spider-Man 2 is easily the best of the original trilogy
and one of the five best comic-book hero films made thus far. The action scenes
in particular are so well executed and I also love the progression of James
Franco’s character (let’s not speak of the third film). A remake of a George
Romero classic; Tina Fey moving to the big screen; a true underdog story; and a
Zhang Yimou beauty didn’t make the cut but did help make 2004 a banner year
for cinema.
Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating.
2005
My #1
Serenity
Runners-Up
Good Night and Good Luck
Wedding Crashers
A History of Violence
An interesting year because the opening chapter in what I think is one of the top
two film trilogies ever didn’t even make the cut. Maybe it should have. There are
a lot of very good but not great films from 2005. I went with Serenity as my
number one because it was funny and entertaining and gripping and had some
quality action. It’s a real nerd choice but whatever; I love Joss Whedon’s work. A
History of Violence has a distinct style and made a lot of good, subtle comments
on our relationship with violence. The whole film felt on-edge in a good way.
Good Night and Good Luck is one of those films that left a huge impression on me
even if I don’t think I completely took it in. I need to watch it again. Wedding
Crashers was the funniest film of the year, a film that gets funnier on repeat
viewings although I still wouldn’t label it a great film. The Owen Wilson/Vince
Vaughn, Owen Wilson/Rachel McAdams chemistry is amazing and Christopher
Walken, who seems to get a lot of roles similar to this, absolutely nailed this one.
The only other films up for consideration were Joaquin Phoenix and Reese
Witherspoon warbling away to a superb soundtrack; Jake Gyllenhaal in the first
Iraqi war; and the Frank Miller graphic novel adaptation that relaunched Micky
Rourke’s career.
You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me.
2006
My #1
Pan’s Labyrinth
Runners-Up
Stranger than Fiction
The Prestige
The Lives of Others
Things pick up again here with a whole bunch of quality films that sort of slipped
under the radar. Chances are you remember 2006 for the return of James Bond,
Scorsese finally bagging a Best Director Oscar or Clint Eastwood’s WW2 doubleheader. For me though, the year was all about the Best Foreign Language Oscar
race between Guillermo del Toro’s fable/Spanish civil war mash-up and Florian
Henckel von Donnersmarck’s incredibly tense surveillance drama. I’ve gone with
Labyrinth as my favourite despite the Academy going with the German film
because I feel it’s one of the best realised adult fairy-tales ever produced.
Elsewhere, Christopher Nolan’s magician film was an underrated little gem that a
lot of people didn’t see because they were too busy waiting for the next batman
instalment and Stranger than Fiction has Will Ferrell follow the Jim Carrey
template in an absolute joy of a film. The flour/flower scene is one of my all-time
favourites. I wish I were that clever/romantic. Others to miss out from this
ridiculously good year included Clive Owen battling the possibility of human
extinction in the not too distant future; Forest Whitaker absolutely owning the
role of Idi Amin; a superb hip-hop documentary/concert film from Dave
Chappelle; Will Ferrel as a Nascar driver this time and I’ll stop there because this
section is running on a bit.
It's telling me what I've already done... accurately, and with a better vocabulary.
2007
My #1
No Country for Old Men/There Will Be Blood
Runners-Up
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Zodiac
I just might have to rank the 2006/2007 run of films slightly higher than that
glorious run in 1994/1995 despite the pain it causes me to do so. As you can see
here, for the forth time in 30 (plus one) years. I couldn’t bring myself to separate
my top two. I remember the Oscars that year, the Coen brothers’ pitch-perfect
Cormac McCarthy adaptation was up against Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark
meditation on the American Dream in just about every category. I rate them both
so highly that I was just hoping they’d split the awards. They didn’t; Daniel Day
Lewis took home the gong for his otherworldly performance as Daniel Plainview
but No Country won just about everything else. Oh well. I still can’t separate
them. In any other year Jesse James probably would have been my favourite but
as they say in Hollywood (is that where they say it?) timing is everything. Casey
Affleck is mesmerising as the titular coward and the cinematography in the film
is something to behold. As for the other runner-up, Zodiac is probably Fincher’s
best-made film and as far as technically brilliant, slow-burners go it is also one of
the best-made films of the last three years. It beat out Sean Penn’s moving story
of the life and times of Alexander Supertramp; Diablo Cody’s teen pregnancy
comedy; and the final Jason Bourne instalment for the other runners-up spot but
I did stop to think about it for a second or two.
I... drink... your... milkshake!
2008
My #1
The Dark Knight
Runners-Up
In Bruges
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
Kind of a no contest this one, although that just goes to show how highly I rate
The Dark Knight. Also, along with Batman Returns, the second X-Men film and
SpiderMan 2, proof (?) that the middle chapter in superhero sagas is always the
best. The Dark Knight is like Heat except if Hanna dressed as a bat and McCauley
dressed as a clown. What elevated it above its predecessor as well as any other
comic book adaptation and every other film of the year was its scope, its
exploration of deeper themes and a once in a lifetime performance by Heath
Ledger. Each of the runners-up on my list were solid films, with Slumdog
winning the Best Picture Oscar and Wall-E winning the AFI award for movie of
the year. Wall-E has perhaps the best opening 30 minutes of any Pixar film ever.
Slumdog is impossible to dislike no matter how unlikely the story. The pick of the
runners-up though is Colin Farrell in his never likely to bettered role as a
conflicted Irish hitman trying to come to terms with a horrible mistake. As far as
dark comedies go it’s right up there with the best. Go and watch In Bruges
(again?) right now, I command you. Each of these three films were particularly
moving in their own way and easily a cut above some of the other contenders
from the year including Mickey ‘The Ram’ Rourke being robbed of a Best Actor
statue; the 2nd Daniel Craig James Bond film that no one but me seemed to enjoy;
Robert Downey Jr’s super hero introduction; and Brad Pitt aging the wrong way.
Why so serious?
2009
My #1
Inglourious Basterds
Runners-Up
The Hurt Locker
Up in the Air
(500) Days of Summer
You know it’s a strong year when a very good adaptation of the highest rated,
and my favourite, graphic novel of all-time doesn’t even garner a runners-up
spot. To be fair, I did have that particular film on my list until I realised (500)
Days was also released in 2009. Oh well, you’re probably superheroed out by
now anyway. Summer was a breath of fresh air featuring a novel narrative
structure, a killer soundtrack and none-more-likable performances from Joseph
Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Up in the Air is a similarly feel-good in the
end film, although both of them feature a bit of heartache before we get there. I
fell in love with Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga and yes, even George Clooney after
Jason Reitman’s third feature. The Hurt Locker was close to being my favourite
and, again, it was unfortunate that it came out in the same year as Tarantino’s
best film since 1994. Locker was one of those incredibly tense and visceral
experiences that benefited from its grounded, realistic approach and fact that
you couldn’t take your eyes off Jeremy Renner. Basterds on the other hand is one
of most flat-out entertaining films of the past 30 years, has the, by now, common
place quotable to ridiculous proportions Tarantino dialogue and a couple of
super intense scenes. Also, the way history is rewritten in an almost cathartic
manner is borderline brilliant. The other top films to miss out in 2009 include a
low-fi sci-fi with some excellent subversiveness; Wes Anderson turning his hand
to animation; and Pixar taking it’s winning streak to new heights.
You weren't wrong, Tom. You were just wrong about me.
2010
My #1
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Runners-Up
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
Inception
There were a lot almost great films from 2010 and I didn’t know what to choose
as my favourite from this year. Inception wasn’t as clever as it thought it was – or
perhaps as clever as the audience was hoping it to be – but it was cleverer than
most action and or sci-fi films and the cast was unbelievable. I still don’t know
who was meant to be the cool one because they were all so cool (I’m going with
Tom Hardy). That Facebook movie, considering it was nothing but people talking
about Facebook, was amazingly engrossing – Fincher you are a genius – and the
dialogue, spoken with rapid-fire rancour by Jesse Eisenberg, is Sorkin at his best.
Toy Story 3 could have easily have been my favourite of the year – much like the
previous Toy Story films – because it did everything right and managed to up the
emotion without going all saccharine on us (okay it did a little). My original
selection was The Fighter until I realised I got it’s release date wrong. And that’s
how I ended up going with Edgar Wright’s bonkers young-adult graphic novel
adaptation as my number one. Pilgrim is funny, fun, inventive and completely
lacking in pretension. It’s probably not for everyone but being the nerd that I am
I was completely satisfied. Just missing out were Julianne Moore and Annette
Benning as lesbians; Scorsese messing with Leo’s head; Ben Affleck’s sophomore
directorial effort; a documentary that isn’t about fishing or even art for that
matter; and Ryan Gosling and Michele Williams making us feel every moment of
their get together and get apart.
Creation myths need a Devil.
2011
My #1
Drive
Runners-Up
Warrior
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Fighter
How odd that I almost forgot this year. Drive gets the nod here because it is
different, unapologetically so, but also not in a ‘lets be different for different’s
sake’ way. The tone and the pacing were not what you were expecting from the
trailer and advanced promotion and the performances from Gosling, Mulligan
and Brookes in particular are subdued to the point of being unsettling. That said,
the Gosling/Mulligan relationship is really sweet. Then there’s the violence and,
probably the best part of the film, the soundtrack, something I still listen to
regularly. Two fight films made my list of runners-up (and I always considered
myself a lover). Warrior should not have worked but it did and I put it down to
the acting. Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy are so into their roles here that you are
cheering both of them on the entire way. Dragon Tattoo introduced me to my
newest celebrity crush in Rooney Mara (yes, I crushed on her a little bit in The
Social Network but it was made official here). David Fincher turned a very good
book into a near masterpiece film, one that easily surpasses the original Swedish
version at the same time. The close calls in 2011 were a very, very good Charlotte
Bronte adaptation; a surprisingly good Planet of the Apes prequel; Brad Pitt
changing the way baseball teams are put together; and another Woody Allen
return to form that may have been the best ever man/city/time period romance
put on screen.
May I kill him?
2012
My #1
Argo
Runners-Up
The Dark Knight Rises
The Avengers
Moonrise Kingdom
Congratulations Mr Affleck, your career as a director thus far has been
everything your career as an actor hasn’t. Feint praise? Not really. Gone Baby
Gone and The Town were both really good movies that showed a ton of potential.
Potential that was realised with Affleck’s first feature foray out of Boston, my
number one film of 2012. TDKR was ambitious and suitably epic, a fitting end to
a brilliant trilogy in which the stakes just kept being raised and every little story
thread (bar one) from each of the films weaved together nicely. It had more plot
holes than the earlier films and the ending was either a little too convenient or
frustratingly ambiguous depending on who you ask but I still think we can be a
little too hard on it because Nolan himself has raised the bar so high. The
Avengers is a different beast altogether and the most memorable thing about this
beast was just how funny it is. The action was top-shelf but is the script that
really helped it become what it is and we must all thank Joss Whedon for this.
Again, plot-holes blah blah blah, but it was all too easy and far more enjoyable to
go along for the ride. Moonrise Kingdom gets my final nod, based mostly on the
fact that I know I will fall in love with it on my next viewing, ahead of Paul Dano
inventing a girl that he, and I, fell in love with; a little American girl named after
footwear or an ice-drink depending on where you’re from; Joseph Gordon Levitt
growing up to become Bruce Willis; and the horror genre being turned on its
head by the aforementioned Mr Whedon and friends.
Argo fuck yourself.
2013
My #1
Silver Linings Playbook
Runners-Up
World War Z
Mud
Much Ado About Nothing
So many above average films in 2013 that selecting just four was a really difficult
exercise. Then I remembered that Silver Linings was released in Australia in
January 2013. David O Russell’s unconventional rom-com (the best kind of romcom) is such a likeable film and, coming on the back of The Fighter, it bumped
the director right up near the top of the list of filmmakers whose upcoming films
I just have to see (American Hustle also released in Oz in 2013 was unlucky not
to make the final four). With Cooper, Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, DeNiro
and Jackie Weaver all hitting it out of the park this one was an easy choice. Not so
easy were the runners-up spots. Narrowly missing out were Jake Gyllenhaal’s
charismatic cop searching for shouty Hugh Jackman’s daughter; 2 films
concerning the end of the world seen through the eyes of a group of friends
refusing to grow up; Chan-wook Park’s English language debut with a few Aussie
girls representing; and one of the more ambitious films I have seen in recent
years, the big screen adaptation of David Mitchell’s layered (in more ways than
one) treatise on the human soul. In place of these I just had to go with the
surprisingly engrossing Brad Pitt travels the world to save it from zombies
action thriller, the beautifully engaging Matthew McConaughey befriends a pair
of teens but not in a creepy way coming-of-ager, and the refreshingly
entertaining Joss Whedon black-and-white Shakespeare adaptation.
Let me be that I am and seek not to alter me.
Okay, so that’s it. I’m sure there are many, many films that could have made the
list if I had only seen them. Alas, my film viewing is incomplete and I can only
work with what I have. I sincerely hope you disagree with me on many of these
choices because it will give me a chance to do what I love to do: discuss film. I
have every intention of continuing to choose my favourite films of the year
heading into the future; something that, hopefully, will continue to be rather
difficult.
The End