See Part 1
We continue our look at the Top 30 movies of 1993.
One thing I noticed is how many films dealt (in various ways) with violence. 3 of the first ten we looked at had violence as their central theme, and another three of this next ten. (And three of the top ten!) Violence has always been a part of the cinema, and responsibly dealth with can be an essential theme. I'm not sure if it was a coincidence so many films centered on violence, or a coincidence that so many films about violence were so good.
One movie that's not about violence that didn't make the Top 30, but gets an ultra honorable mention is Blue, or more officially: TROIS COULEURS: BLEU - Part 1 of a Trilogy about modern French life. Taken together, TROIS COLEURS is one of the greatest trilogies of all time. Blue is emotionally cold and distant, but brilliant in it's own way. If you are a fan of Euopean cinema this is not to be missed.
Okay, here are #20 - #11 movies of 1993:
#20 GETTYSBURG - Most people haven't seen this Civil War epic because of the 4 1/2 hour length, which is too long for any movie, but if you are going to spend that much on a film, it might as well be for one of the most important battles in American history. Every actor is fabulous, the direction flawless and best of all; most of the history is actually accurate! Every teenager should see this when they study American History.
#19 MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERIES - Woody Allen gives us a funny mystery, sort of an educated man's CLUE. Full of terrific performances and great dialogue, MMM is a great date movie.
#18 SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION - Will Smith shows emphatically he wasn't just a rapper (foreshadowing an Oscar nomination later on for ALI), with a wonderfully measured performance. Just as good (if not better) are Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing as rich Liberal New Yorkers who love the idea of black people, just not in their house! When it's revealed that Smith's character is the son of Sidney Poitier (how anyone could believe that is beyond me), the two become witless "starfuckers." This movie is mostly known as the origins of the idea at how connected we all are, but is well worth watching in its own right.
#17 IN THE LINE OF FIRE - Worth seeing just for John Malkovich's creepy performance, but a solid thriller all around. Clint Eastwood rebounds (in my opinion) from the overrated UNFORGIVEN to give a complete performance of a man whose prime has passed him by. Rene Russo is credible as a smart agent (not just the skirt meant to fall in love), but the star really is Malkovich.
#16 Kalifornia - Perhaps not as brilliant as NATURAL BORN KILLERS, but I will put KALIFORNIA on a Best-of list because the violence actually seems to mean something. Brad Pitt, Juliet Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes are amazing. This is one scary brutal honest film. Worth seeing if you can handle the violence.
#15 MENACE II SOCIETY - The Hughes Brothers give us urban life for a young black man. Featuring the movie debut of Larenz Tate (if he was white Luke Wilson would never get parts), and a great supporting role from Samuel L. Jackson, MENACE is not as celebrated as BOYZ IN THE HOOD but is probably better: unflinchingly brutal, but that's the world these men come from. Because it came after BOYZ, one of the most underrated films of the decade.
#14 GHOST IN THE SHELL - The animation is brilliant in a way I've never before--or since--seen in movies, GHOST IN THE SHELL is one of the top ten animated films of the decade. But it's more than flashy animation, though; the story is sci-fi at its best, and asks the very important question: "What does it mean to be human? That question is answered, or maybe it isn't, but I love a film that dares to ask the difficult questions. The translation to English is wonderful, and no one should have a problem following the amazing story.
#13 PHILADELPHIA - I used to have a grudge against this film because I felt Tom Hanks won his award because of politics, but I've come around. I still think this was only the 4th best performance of the year, but it fantastic in its own right, and I tip my cap. Hanks is completely believable as a lawyer infected with the AIDS virus, the start of Hanks's incredible run. (The next year he won again for FORREST GUMP, and was nominated the next year for APOLLO 13. In my opinion that wasn't even his best work of the decade; that belonging to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and then starting the 2000s with CASTAWAY.) PHILADELPHIA also boasts great performances from Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburgen and Denzel Washington as a homophobic attorney who comes to believe in his client. PHILADELPHIA is important for political reasons, but it's just a well-crafted film, not matter what the subject matter.
#12 THE FUGITIVE - A good old-fashioned chase film combined with a mystery, with great bit characters and a wonderful cat-and-mouse between Harrison Ford at his best and a cagey Tommy Lee Jones (who didn't deserve the Oscar he won, but was enjoyable enough you understand why he did). Iconic water-pipe scene, and a great one-armed man bad guy.
#11 SHADOWLANDS - Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis was incredible, and it absolutely should have been nominated for an Oscar (only slightly mitigated by Hopkins nominated for another film.) SHADOWLANDS is an emotional quality film about a time in Lewis's life when he found love. Debra Winger is awesome and the whole movie just permeates with a nice quiet dignity.
Up next: The Top Ten
We continue our look at the Top 30 movies of 1993.
One thing I noticed is how many films dealt (in various ways) with violence. 3 of the first ten we looked at had violence as their central theme, and another three of this next ten. (And three of the top ten!) Violence has always been a part of the cinema, and responsibly dealth with can be an essential theme. I'm not sure if it was a coincidence so many films centered on violence, or a coincidence that so many films about violence were so good.
One movie that's not about violence that didn't make the Top 30, but gets an ultra honorable mention is Blue, or more officially: TROIS COULEURS: BLEU - Part 1 of a Trilogy about modern French life. Taken together, TROIS COLEURS is one of the greatest trilogies of all time. Blue is emotionally cold and distant, but brilliant in it's own way. If you are a fan of Euopean cinema this is not to be missed.
Okay, here are #20 - #11 movies of 1993:
#20 GETTYSBURG - Most people haven't seen this Civil War epic because of the 4 1/2 hour length, which is too long for any movie, but if you are going to spend that much on a film, it might as well be for one of the most important battles in American history. Every actor is fabulous, the direction flawless and best of all; most of the history is actually accurate! Every teenager should see this when they study American History.
#19 MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERIES - Woody Allen gives us a funny mystery, sort of an educated man's CLUE. Full of terrific performances and great dialogue, MMM is a great date movie.
#18 SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION - Will Smith shows emphatically he wasn't just a rapper (foreshadowing an Oscar nomination later on for ALI), with a wonderfully measured performance. Just as good (if not better) are Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing as rich Liberal New Yorkers who love the idea of black people, just not in their house! When it's revealed that Smith's character is the son of Sidney Poitier (how anyone could believe that is beyond me), the two become witless "starfuckers." This movie is mostly known as the origins of the idea at how connected we all are, but is well worth watching in its own right.
#17 IN THE LINE OF FIRE - Worth seeing just for John Malkovich's creepy performance, but a solid thriller all around. Clint Eastwood rebounds (in my opinion) from the overrated UNFORGIVEN to give a complete performance of a man whose prime has passed him by. Rene Russo is credible as a smart agent (not just the skirt meant to fall in love), but the star really is Malkovich.
#16 Kalifornia - Perhaps not as brilliant as NATURAL BORN KILLERS, but I will put KALIFORNIA on a Best-of list because the violence actually seems to mean something. Brad Pitt, Juliet Lewis, David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes are amazing. This is one scary brutal honest film. Worth seeing if you can handle the violence.
Up next: The Top Ten
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