COLUMN: The best and worst films of 2001
The trouble with penning a best and worst list for movies released in 2001 is simply location. I live in Logan, not New York or Los Angeles – both focal points for the film industry. Sure, I enjoy the mountains, no crime and the hillbilly atmosphere in Wal-Mart on a Sunday afternoon, but as for the wide range of flicks and their postponed release dates, no thanks.
For instance, while folks in Cache Valley swarmed to see Harry Potter and Monsters, Inc., local moviegoers have missed In the Bedroom, The Royal Tenenbaum’s, Mulholland Drive, The Man Who Wasn’t There and Monster’s Ball. Now, granted, some of those movies are in limited release, but others will never make it to Logan unless they rake in big bucks or win an Academy Award.
My point? The crap and not-crap list below are films that flickered on Logan’s silver screens. I’m sure other movies are possibly more worthy of my best and worst accolades; nevertheless, I’m not proclaiming something good or bad unless I have seen it with my own eyes.
The Winners
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Magnificent, timeless and enchanting is Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J R.R. Tolkien’s first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have never seen the digital and the real blended together so gloriously. Before viewing the film, I had never read the book, and I was enchanted for every minute of the movie, despite its lengthy runtime. Look for this cinematic triumph to win best picture at the Academy Awards in March.
Shrek
I never thought my three year-old daughter’s favorite movie would be mine, as well. During its summer runtime, I saw this digital masterpiece five times, however, since its release on DVD, my Shrek odometer has stopped rolling. Mike Myers is terrific with his Scottish drawl and off-the-cuff dialogue, but Eddie Murphy, as the lovable Donkey, is the backbone of this hilarious and heartwarming film for everyone.
Memento
Memento is one of the brightest gems from last year’s Sundance Film Festival. The plot revolves around a man looking for clues to his wife’s death – unfortunately, he is besieged by short-term memory loss. He can’t remember what he did 15 minutes ago, and thus the film runs backwards. Christopher Nolan, the film’s screenwriter and director, won the American Film Institute’s 2001 award for Screenwriter of the Year, and is currently working on Insomnia with Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank.
The Others
Tagging this film with the phrase “the best since The Sixth Sense” does not do creator Alejandro Amenábar’s film justice. Amenábar not only directed the movie, but he wrote the screenplay and composed the eerie music for the film’s score, as well. It’s pacing, lighting and cinematography are beautiful, and the story keeps you guessing well after the movie is finished and done.
Bandits
Lighthearted and funny, this Barry Levinson movie isn’t Oscar material, but it’s better than most of the other garbage that slithers into Logan’s theaters. Bruce Willis is OK. Cate Blanchett is a wonderfully diverse actress – evidenced by Elizabeth and now this, and Billy Bob Thornton is amazing. His ability to completely develop a character is refreshing and captivating. If only Monster’s Ball was in Logan.
The Losers
Freddy Got Fingered
Tom Green is an idiot. He fondles a horse’s manhood in this movie. Any questions?
Tomcats
No horse fondling in this movie, although the testicle scene is an intense rival. I went to the midnight showing of this movie last spring, and I regretted every painful minute. At its pinnacle of delight, the flick is completely dumb and pathetic. If you rent this, you (a) have no life, (b) have no friends and (c) have an IQ of seven.
3,000 Miles to Graceland
Kevin Costner proves he can sink lower than Waterworld and The Postman with this farce about ex-cons who rob a casino dressed as Elvis look-alikes. It’s like Ocean’s 11 but not funny or entertaining. Kurt Russell needs to retire along with Costner, and their partner in crime, Courtney Cox, needs to stick with her gig on television’s Friends. Stupid, stupid movie.
Scary Movie 2
Again, poop and boogers are funny exactly once. They don’t deserve an hour and a half runtime and millions of dollars in promotion and casting. This is a movie about potheads for potheads. Rent Tomcats before you rent this abysmal assemblage of boring, rundown trash.
A.I.
Probably the worst Steven Spielberg film to ever hit the big screen. Too dark, too deep and too slow for the average theatergoer. And that’s not saying the movie is smart. It’s not. However, it is ploddingly slow, especially the ending. I got the feeling Spielberg was prolonging the inevitable collapse, not quite wanting the story to end. But on all accounts, much better than the other four losers. I’d rent A.I., despite needing to tape my eyelids open, over Tomcats or Tom Green any day.
Andy Morgan is a graduate student in public relations. Send comments to lordofthejazz@hotmail.com.