6 • REVIEWS
Cheap Seats 8r qticky Floors
Top Ten Films of 2000 —By Matt Mosley film reviews
I know that my top ten film list of
2000 is arriving a little on the late side
(hey, we've already reached mid-March),
but because of film release patterns, I've
just recently finished seeing all the poten
tially worthy contenders.
Over all, 2000 was definitely a disap
pointing year. We had too many teen flicks
(Loser) and Bruckheimer hits (Coyote
Ugly) sandwiched between over-ripe
thrillers (What Lies Beneath) and under
wrought epics (Gladiator). To make things
worse, we had to put up with some of the
most annoying titles in the history of cine
ma: Dude, Where's My Car?, Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 0' Brother,
Where art Thou? (notwithstanding Dude,
the latter two actually ended out being
pretty good films).
Yes, it appears that the impending
writers and actors strikes have already
seen their effects come forth. Truthfully
though, if I had to choose between the two,
I'd take Stephen Gaghan (Traffic) and
Christopher McQuarrie (The Way of the
Gun) any day over Freddie Prinze Jr. and
Tom Hanks. As bad as this Patriot-filled
year was, some original and daring pieces
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the
CAPITAL TIMES
of work still emerged. You just had to
know where to look. So without any fur
ther bashing, I'll give you my top ten list.
10. The Way of the Gun
It may not be the perfect film, but this
directorial debut by Christopher
McQuarrie is groundbreaking nonetheless.
This crime drama about two loners who
hold a pregnant woman for ransom allows
every character in the film to be unre
deemable in every way. It proves that films
don't have to include that sympathetic pro
tagonist. It may not be the moral thing to
do, but then again, these days who gives a
shit. This is the kind of bad-ass filmmak
ing I love.
9. Wonderland
Michael Winterbottom (Jude,
Welcome to Sarajevo) gives us the down
and dirty, British working-class-version of
Magnolia. The film traces a bunch of
young "Londonites" as their down-and-out
lives spiral out of control. Winterbottom's
hand-held, digital video style gives the
film a powerful and realistic punch. It's his
best film to date.
Get Them Before
ring Flower Sale—
and Auction
main lobby of the Olmsted building April 9
lmsted lobby and the CUB April 10th, 11h, and 12th
7, 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and April 18, 11 a.m.
Olmsted building main lobby
Proceeds benefit the new parking lot beautification
project of the Graduate Student Association
Ed Harris gives a heartfelt and emo
tional peformance as Jackson Pollock, the
famous abstract expressionist painter, in a
wondeful film that he also wrote and
directed. The often-erratic life of Pollock
is portrayed on-screen in a transforming
and amazingly touching way. Harris'
direction is rock solid as he allows you to
interpret Pollock's life in the same vein as
his art. It's all up to the viewer.
It is a rare thing to see a comedy that
is more than just a bunch of laughs. The
third directorial effort from Neil Laßute
(In the Company of Men, Young Friends &
Neighbors) is a delicate tale of a delusion
al woman on her way to California to meet
her favorite soap character. Social corn
mentary and the best performance of
Renee Zellweger's career are what make
the film sing and dance.
Speaking of singing and dancing,
Bjork does quite a number in this offbeat
musical/drama about an immigrant woman
They're
Flower Sale
Silent Auction
8. Pollock
7. Nurse Betty
6. Dance in the Dark
MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2001
who lives in a blind world of Hollywood
musicals. The film's ensemble cast of
character actors, along with the European
style, makes for an amazing theatrical
piece of art. It's a tragic film about hope,
loss, love and pity. The Academy really
did a disservice this year when passing
over Bjork for a best actress nomination.
5. Sunshine
This summertime art-house epic star
ring Ralph Fiennes spans three generations
in the lives of one family in Hungary.
Fiennes plays three characters of direct
descent in this film and makes each one
unique and convincing. The large-scale
originality of the writing is pulled off per
fectly. Sunshine is an example of what
Hollywood should be moving toward:
epics with heart, soul - and without Tom
Hanks.
4. Croupier
This film almost didn't get released in
this country, but luckily Shooting Gallery
Films picked up this miniature royal
British jewel from director Mike Hodges
(the original Get Carter). Clive Owen
- 5 p.m.