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...quick--before 1999 irretrievably passes into history:

       My Top Ten

Best Films Of 1999

     1999 was an uncharacteristically good year for films. Many name directors released films this year, some noble, some very flawed. And then the last half of the year kicked in with fascinating, ambitious films released every weekend--it was almost too much. Some films I just couldn't catch in first run release. It all amounted to a great end to the first century of Film Art.

(Yep...this was the best film of 1999.)

1. American Beauty(directed by Sam Mendes): Once in a while all the film-universe planets align just right to deliver a film that's as accomplished as a finely cut 24-karat diamond. This time is Mendes directorial debut, a tale of the deeply-rooted ills of middle-class suburban living and a man's personal ressurection, featuring a charged, precisely calibrated performance by Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham, a career-defining role. With solid performances from everyone in the cast, a well-honed screenplay, a playful soundtrack, and masterfully sustained direction, this film stands so tall above the crowd with the singular achievement of being one of the highest uplifting tragic stories ever told.

2. Magnolia(directed by Paul Thomas Anderson): Only highly skilled storytellers can master the advanced juggling act of the ensemble film. Take a cast of a dozen characters, their intertwining storylines, unlikely plot twists, and then try to make it all add up to a satisfying whole--not a task for beginners. P. T. Anderson joins the rank of master storytellers with this film, a three-hour long meditation on fate, forgiveness and spiritual currencies. Featuring outstanding performances by Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Melora Waters and many others. And a revelation of a soundtrack with the music of Aimee Mann.

3. Being John Malkovich(directed by Spike Jonze) It's been said there's no such thing as originality anymore, that every tale has been told, and retold--he who said this would have been left speechless by this film. Spike Jonze's feature-length debut tells the supremely absurd, hilarious and ironic story of an out-of-work pupeteer who falls in love with a callous high-heeled-queen who falls in love with the pupeteer's sugar-hearted, spastic wife and they all carry out their love triangle using the body of acclaimed actor John Malkovich. If there wasn't a clear ad campaign for this film it was due to the fact it's nearly impossible to describe and summarize. What it is: A great film.

4. Fight Club(directed by David Fincher) Although severely flawed, David Fincher's 4th film is a vicious, absurdist conviction of consumerist, image-obsessed culture. Yet another hard to describe film, it starts as a character drama and ends as a science-fiction film, and in between Fincher dazzles with super-cinematic editing, pacing and camerawork--it's like going on a psychotropic mind trip with a highly intellectual Shaman. If it all falls apart at the end, it's because Fincher's enterprise, based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel, proves too much to handle for the every-day moviegoer--too much, too fast, too hard, and too ironic, an explosive molotov cocktail of a film which essence goes against its own nature--a big-budget,big-starred film which attacked the religion of Consumerism yet aimed to make over a hundred million at the box-office. Destined to become a flashpoint cult film.

5. eXistenZ(directed by David Cronenberg) What is Reality? And what is just a Dream? Delivering on the heavy intellectual premise of the visually-gorgeous but empty The Matrix, Cronenberg's film is a legitimate metaphysical mind-f**k which will leave you with questions that will take a lifetime to answer. It follows the logic of a Moebious strip in the story of game designer Allegra Geller who becomes lost in her own virtual reality game along with her bodyguard(or killer?). Full of Cronenberg's signature unsettling imagery, this film's a classic for those of us who prefer beauty of depth over beauty of surface.

6. Go(directed by Doug Liman): Following up his independent comedy debut Swingers, director Doug Liman and writer John August took us back to the L A twenty-something scene with sharp-tongued wit and virtuoso direction. A crackling soundtrack, well-popped ensemble cast and three interlaced outrageously funny episodes set during a hot California Christmas weekend make this film one of the standouts of the year, and Doug Liman a director to watch.

7. Summer Of Sam(directed by Spike Lee): Spike Lee's mouth has gotten him in so much trouble, most can't notice he's quite a good filmmaker. Summer Of Sam boils over in the heat of a scaldingly hot 70's New York summer, as the Yankees win the World Series and serial-killer David "Son Of Sam" Berkowitz brings a city to the verge of hysteric meltdown. Forcefully directed, brazenly edited, and well-acted, Lee's New York Story was torn apart by critics who forgot to separate Lee's mouth from his gifted filmmaking gig.

8. The Insider(directed by Michael Mann): Without hype or fireworks, Michael Mann's tense real-life thriller is one of those rare films brimming with quiet power. The tale here is that of two men who are placed against the wall for the not-so-simple act of telling the truth: One a family man, stoically well-played by Russel Crowe, whose knowledge about the dealings of the Tobbaco industry costs him a reputation, a beloved family, a life; the other a man of his word, (Al Pacino, as good as ever), an uncompromising TV newsmagazine producer who discovers the risk of doing the right thing. Mann's exposition might be a tad too lenghty but the film resonates with the heavy issues of truth, honor and the battlefield that is the American media.

9. Rushmore(directed by Wes Anderson): Standing out from the comedies of the year, this distinct, sharp comedy proves remarkable for its characters, story and director Wes Anderson's odd, yet remarkable style. Many unforgettable films shine solely due to the characters living within them--and is the private academy smartass Max Fischer and the overrun, rich industrialist played note-perfect by Bill Murray who make this film into a true gem. It's also one of the truly poignant romantic stories of the decade, as both characters fall in gut-wrenching love with the same grade school teacher.

10. The Blair Witch Project(directed by Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick): This film doesn't make my list because it's some utter achievement in cinema--it's not. But it is an achievement in film marketing: word-of-mouth advertising, a fascinating web-site,super-pumped critical praise, and a campaign of misinformation; all these techniques made this curious student film into a monster success. I don't find the film the a bit scary, but a great exploration on the psychology of fear which stroke a chord, making it the most successful independent film ever with a budget of $30,000.00 and a box-office take over a hunder million dollars and counting. Unlikely that a success story like this one will happen again.

Running Notes: Just naming a few films which I didn't get to see but which I suspect could have end up in this top ten list : David Lynch's The Straight Story, Milos Forman's Man On The Moon, M Knight Shalaman's The Sixth Sense, and Boys Don't Cry.

Here's me hoping 2000 brings as many great films as last year.                          
                                                                               Armando Valle

                                             Jan/13/99

     Armando Valle can be e-mailed at:[email protected]

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