The Top Films of the 90s

The Spice Girls, multicoloured spandex, and the Macarena. Thankfully these things disappeared with the 90s, but the decade produced some absolutely stellar films, which will no doubt define film for years to come. The 90s was one of the strongest decades film has ever seen, and contains arguably the best year for film ever; 1994.

The list has been extremely difficult to put together, but it was a lot of fun, and I hope you all enjoy it. This is the first The Good, the Bad, and the Average list, and as all of them will be, is subject to change upon additional movie viewing. Any feedback or comments would be appreciated.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. Goodfellas (1990)
4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
5. American History X (1998)
6. American Beauty (1999)
7. Se7en (1995)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Leon (1994)
10. Fight Club (1999)
11. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
12. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
13. Lost Highway (1997)
14. Life is Beautiful (1997)
15. Casino (1995)
16. The Matrix (1999)
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
18. The Green Mile (1999)
19. Fargo (1996)
20. True Romance (1993)
21. Toy Story (1995)
22. Heat (1995)
23. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
24. The Big Lebowski (1998)
25. L.A. Confidential (1997)
26. Magnolia (1999)
27. The Boondock Saints (1999
28. Hana-Bi (1997)
29. Ed Wood (1994)
30. Groundhog Day (1993)
31. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
32. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
33. The Sixth Sense (1999)
34. The Lion King (1994)
35. Forrest Gump (1994)
36. Barton Fink (1991)
37. Being John Malkovich (1999)
38. Festen (1998)
39. Good Will Hunting (1998)
40. Dances with Wolves (1990)
41. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
42. Trainspotting (1996)
43. The Truman Show (1998)
44. Office Space (1999)
45. Hard Boiled (1992)
46. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
47. Braveheart (1995)
48. Miller's Crossing (1990)
49. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
50. Toy Story 2 (1999)

Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Subsequent to the events that transpired in the previous instalment, computer hacker Lisbeth Salander is accused of three murders, whilst magazine journalist Mikael Blomkvist attempts to uncover a human trafficking ring with his colleagues, whilst frantically trying to prove Lisbeth’s innocence.

The Girl who Played with Fire is the second chapter of the Millennium trilogy, adapted from the literary phenomenon from Swedish author, Stieg Larsson. Both Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist return as the two protagonists, Lisbeth and Mikael, but this time round Daniel Alfredson takes on the role of director, in place of Niels Arden Oplev, who helmed previous instalment, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Unfortunately the film does not resonate the brilliance it predecessor did, being less believable, and not as foreboding, albeit the ever-present violence, sex, and rape.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one of the best films of 2009, and gave a fresh if not visceral renovation to the modern thriller. This is where the Girl who Played with Fire differs, in that it lapses into an inconsistent and unbelievable follow up. The trademark shock makes a triumphant return, but is used incorrectly, and in some cases unnecessarily. On top of this, the new additions to the cast are ever so slightly ridiculous, such as a hulking hit man, who must have got lost on the way to the latest James Bond film auditions.

Coupled with an inconsistent narrative, and an ending which disappoints, The Girl who Played with Fire is a far less superior part to the trilogy. The film has a tendency to drag as well, and magazine journalist Mikael doesn’t meet our bike riding, bisexual, computer hacker Lisbeth until the end of the film, their stories feeling awkwardly separate. On the other hand, it was interesting to delve further into Lisbeth’s back-story, and the film does have entertaining moments to it, as well as a handful of decent thrills.

In terms of how the film is shot, there are no complaints really, which is by far the best thing it has going. The shots are nicely mixed, occasionally throwing us into the fray, and sometimes making us watch from a distance, cleverly manipulating how we perceive the film.

Overall The Girl Who Played with Fire is hit and miss. It feels rushed, and thus suffers the consequences, as opposed to living up to the expectations of its predecessor. It’s not all bad though, and certainly packs a punch when it wants to, but unfortunately, not as much as it should.

Rating: 3/5
Verdict: The Average

Update: 24/09/10

Hey guys. Just an update as to whats going on. In the next few days I should have my next bunch of reviews up, which will not be for the films I previously stated, but The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Zombieland, and Four Lions.

I'm moving into my new flat tomorrow and am catching up my social life so expect them by Monday or Tuesday. Further more I just finished watching Robert Rodriguez's latest exploitation flick, Machete, so will have a feature review for that sometime next week as well.

As far as my first list goes as well, I've done the top 20, and now just sorting the following 80 from a pool of about 500, but I'm working as fast as I can.

And finally as far as film watching goes, I'm looking to regain my 100% status for the IMDB 250 this week when I watch Infernal Affairs, as well as gaining 100% on the AFI 100 Movies list too. So if everything goes to plan, it should be a succesful week.

James

New layout!

Took me a whole 5 minutes thanks to the not so attractively named pimp-my-profile.com.

Its been a long time coming but any feedback would be great! I'd really appreciate it. But not quite as much as someone telling me how to remove that unsightly banner at the top. I hate it!

Cheers,

James

Spotlight: Takeshi Kitano

Like many other oblivious people, I thought Takeshi Kitano was just a Japanese TV personality who drove around in a dodgem, squirting water at people on the final stage of cult TV show, Takeshi’s Castle. Little did I know until watching Hana-Bi, that he is perhaps the most celebrated and charismatic director/writer/actor in Japan today.

His work as a director is beautifully crafted and shot, and shows some of the most imaginative and original film making since David Lynch. On the other side of the spectrum his acting is practically flawless. Similarly to Joe Pesci, Kitano manages to create characters that are chillingly intimidating, but at the same time very funny. Whether it is an exiled Yakuza hit man, a blind Samurai, or a troubled artist, Kitano can do it all.

Brother
Director/writer/actor

One of Kitano’s only part-English Language features, Brother is the story of an exiled Yakuza hard man who moves to LA with his small time criminal brother, and slowly starts to take over the city underworld. Shot in his trademark style, with wide shots and similarly creative photography aplenty, Brother is one of Kitano’s most underrated titles.

The film can be quite testing, and the nonlinear narrative is sporadic, making it hard to follow at times. In general though, Brother is extremely entertaining. Like many other Kitano titles, the film commands the ability to make you laugh one moment, then recoil in shock the next. A compelling blend of cultural clashes and criminal life, with Kitano’s signature violence topping it off, Brother does not disappoint.

Outside of its target audience, Brother may not seem as impressive. Whilst watching with my girlfriend, she was taken aback at the logic behind the Yakuza values of honour and respect, especially the removal of fingers. If you’re a fan of art house and gangster films, especially those of the Oriental persuasion, I cannot recommend it enough.

Rating: 4/5.
Verdict: The good.

Battle Royale
Actor

Set in Japan, where discipline in schools has gone out the window, the government has passed an act which pits a class of school kids against each other on an island. The objective - fight to the death. Having seen plenty of gory and graphic film, I can still say taking into account the visceral nature of the film, as the school kids kill each other off, Battle Royale is one of the most shocking films I’ve ever seen.

Kitano only comprises a minor role in the film, as the teacher of class 4B, and the overseer of the sickening massacre, but once again he really does shine with very little screen time. It is once again his ability make the most bizarre characters seem real with his calm and charismatic appeal, despite the violent and psychotic nature of the character.

There are many underlying themes present, and the film really drives home values such as friendship, loyalty, and trust. In a nutshell, Battle Royale is one of the most critically important foreign films of the last two decades, and delivers a knockout blow of violence and morality.

Rating: 4/5.
Verdict: The good.

Hana-Bi
Director/writer/actor

Kitano plays a police officer whose wife is dying from Cancer. In an effort to spend more time with her, he quits his job, and travels around the Japanese countryside with her. On top of this, his best friend gets shot whilst on the job, and gets put in a wheelchair for life, burdening him with guilt.

It is impossible to describe the surreal and captivating experience of watching Hana-Bi, but providing you’re open to such a complex blend of genres into one film, you’re assured to find a beautiful and bittersweet gem.

Hana-Bi is a brilliant encapsulation of Kitano’s style and ability, and is a perfect blend of drama, violence, love, and black comedy. Whether it be his masterful and artistic direction, his poetic and ingenious writing, or his career defining performance, Hana-Bi showcases Kitano’s talents perfectly. An absolute must see, and a severely underrated masterpiece.

Rating: 5/5.
Verdict: The good.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the reviews, and a brief highlight of one of today’s most prolific directors. I’ll have some more reviews up next week of American Graffiti, Four Lions, and whatever my girlfriend decides to get from Blockbuster.

James

18/09/2010: Update

I know I said last time, and the time before that, that there would be no more delays, but as per usual, there has been. Holidays, work, broken internet, and screenwriting have all taken their toll, but I'm finally back on track.

So what's happening in the next few weeks?

Well I'll be posting my Takeshi Kitano reviews later on TONIGHT, be officially accepting the award Sammy V has very kindly decided to nominate me for, as well as plenty more reviews to come, and a new layout to grace the pages of my blog.

But the majorly exiting thing is the revealing of my first list, which I'm constantly fallng out with myself about, so there might be a slight delay with that (but not much... hopefully).

I shall no longer be using the pseudonym of Dean Window anymore I'm sad to say, and will be going by my real name, of James Turnbull.

I hope you enjoy everything that'll be coming over the next few weeks, and would really appreciate any criticism (positive or negative).

Cheers,

James

Reviews: Shane, MASH, and Repo Men

An eclectic bunch of films to say the least. I've picked out what I believe to be a good mix, as I didn't want you all to think I was going soft with the handful of 5 star reviews I've recently given out.

In the coming weeks, I've officially decided on my first list, which will be posted soon, with another bunch of reviews dedicated one of my favourite directors/actors of all time, the irrepressible and ever cool, Takeshi Kitano. But for now, here's some more reviews.

Shane
Upon recently watching Pale Rider, I subsequently found out it was based upon Shane, which until then, I hadn't really heard of. I enjoyed Pale Rider albeit some poor acting and a slightly uneventful middle, so I was eager to watch the film Clint Eastwood had based his unofficial remake around.

The stranger coming into town is one of the most popular stories of all time, especially in the Western genre, and Shane is one of the most successful in accomplishing this to a high standard. The main character, Shane, roles into town and moves in with a family who warm up to him very quickly, as he takes on the local gang of bandits.

My favourite aspect of the film was the actual character of Shane. Everyone loves a good character, and when acted and created well, they make a film come alive. This is coupled with the relationships he shares with the other characters, particularly the son in the family, which make the film quite beautiful to watch, being able to manipulate the tension and excitement relatively easily.

Shane isn’t just a film for Western fans, and is far more accessible than most, due to its familiar but not stale plot, as well as a likable set of characters, and some stunning photography. Shane isn’t as good as some of the Leone greats, but is a very much underrated classic.

Rating: 4/5.
Verdict: The good.

MASH
I’ve heard a lot of things about MASH, but it doesn’t seem to have as much of a following in the UK as it does in the States. Based on a book, with a TV series that followed it, MASH is definitely one of the most successful American franchises of all time.

The film itself revolves around life in a US army hospital camp in Vietnam, and the arrival of two troublesome soldiers Hawkeye and Trapper. The film has a unique structure, in that you can tell it’s directly transferred from a book, and consists of several chapters. Unlike Tarantino, the chapters aren’t explicitly stated, but as a viewer you can tell they’re there. There is also no direct objective to the story, and it is instead comprised of bite size chunks of life.

The film is a bizarre American version of a Carry On film, but not quite as funny. Maybe it was a case of the film not aging well, but I felt it was disjointed and poorly put together. MASH is a film that belongs in the era it was set in, and does not transfer well to today. Interesting characters and structure, but disappointing.

Rating: 3/5.
Verdict: The average.

Repo Men
This is what happens when you let your girlfriend’s sister take charge of picking the films. I’d been called into work for the graveyard shift when I was supposed to be stopping over, and they all went for a trip down to Blockbuster to pick out a few films. Due to my absence, they very kindly offered to watch Repo Men the next night with me. I’d have been better off going back into work for 90 minutes.

The film didn’t start off to badly. Relatively intelligent discussion, what seemed to be an interesting protagonist, and a nice bloody scene that I don’t recommend watching with your dinner. Sadly the film goes downhill from here, and it becomes predictable, boring, and poor performances take over. This is not helped by the ending, which believe me will make you wish you hadn’t watched it. There are too many clichés to count, and the story is severely flawed, with little justification for the events that take place.

The only redeemable qualities are Forrest Whitaker, who puts on the best performance of the movie as a dedicated but stoic killer, and the elaborate locations and sets. If you want to see a good post modern film, give Children of Men a watch. Repo Men just doesn’t cut it.

Rating: 2/5.
Verdict: The bad.

That’s it for now, but more to follow soon.

Dean