1. In The Bedroom: Todd Field's incredible debut feature is my favorite film since American Beauty. His gift lies in the power of subtlety and knowing how to let an emotional story unfold gracefully. One of the best-acted films I've ever seen with especially wonderful performances by Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek and Nick Stahl.
2. Memento: The CinemaSpeak.com consensus pick for best film of 2001. Writer/director Christopher Nolan's challenging mind-bender establishes the emergence of an exciting new cinematic voice. Rarely does a movie require such complete and total attention.
3. Donnie Darko: Speaking of exciting new cinematic voices, 26-year-old Richard Kelly fits that description perfectly. It's just too bad nobody went to see his movie (which has grossed barely over $400,000). This may be a film that finds its mass audience on video (like another Sundance hit, which fared poorly in the theater Reservoir Dogs), so if you missed out on this brilliant, genre-blurring movie the first time, don't make the same mistake twice. In a better world, Jake Gyllenhaal would be receiving serious Oscar attention for his superlative performance as the disenfranchised title character.
4. Bully: Over-the-top, exploitative, excessive and I loved every second of it. Larry Clark's not the type of artist whose work you want to bring home to mom, but his look at the moral codes of a particularly desperate group of Florida teenagers is provocative and involving. Nick Stahl turns in another fantastic performance as the bully who finally irks his circle of friends one too many times. Based on a true story, and if this is any indication of the mind-set of tomorrow's leaders, consider Clark's third feature a grave, if unintended, warning.
5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch: Forget Moulin Rouge; as far as innovative musicals go, you need look no further than John Cameron Mitchell's screen adaptation of his hit Off-Broadway play. Great story, songs and performances, particularly by Mitchell who fully embodies Hedwig a German immigrant who's the unfortunate victim of a botched sex change operation.
6. Ghost World: Even though the final 10 minutes of this film plod a bit aimlessly, Ghost World still has plenty of ammunition to firmly warrant a spot in 2001's best. Terry Zwigoff creates a rich, unique atmosphere and Thora Birch shines, as does the always-reliable Steve Buscemi.
7. Das Experiment: Das Experiment won't see a U.S. release until 2002 (via IDP Distribution), but I don't feel like waiting another year to praise this exceptional German film. Based partially on the real-life Stanford Prison Experiment, director Oliver Hirschbiegel's debut could definitely score big with American audiences, as it's paced and structured like many Hollywood thrillers (and I mean that in a good way). Equally exciting and disturbing - make sure not to sleep on this one.
8. Amores Perros: The crude English translation is Love's A Bitch, and that's quite a fitting title for this multi-layered examination of fractured relationships. Three separate stories interwoven into one epic film, which features an edge-of-your- seat first act. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a director to watch.
9. A Beautiful Mind: Score one for Hollywood. Russell Crowe deserves Oscar number two for his fantastic portrayal of Nobel Prize winner John Nash. Yes, I've heard the criticism surrounding the omission of some of the more difficult aspects of Nash's life, but it still doesn't deter my appreciation of, by far, Ron Howard's best effort. A thoroughly gripping account of a mind pushed too far.
10.
Series 7: The Contenders: I can't think of a better target
to spoof than television, and Daniel Minahan does a fine job of
doing just that. Specifically poking fun at the phenomena of "reality
television," Minahan's sharp satire is an enjoyable ride
that also offers up plenty of food for thought. If only Survivor
was one-tenth this entertaining.
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