Matt and Jay's "Ultimate List" - The 50 Best Films of the 1990's - Part I

Matt and Jay here.

This is an experiment. Recently, we decided to put together an "ultimate" list of the best movies of the 90's. This list represents a collaboration between us to determine what was the best of the best of that decade. This list came about in a unique way. Each of us created our on personal top 50 and shared them with each other. 21 of the films picked were on both our lists. Needing 29 more to complete our work, we each selected 15 remaining movies from our own lists and shared them. Then each of us got to choose 3 movies we'd eliminate from the other's 15 and we were given one save to keep one of those three the other tried kick off. Confused? For example - Matt chose 3 movies to kick off from Jay's list and then Jay got to save one of those. Jay did the same for Matt.

Looking at this list ad how it shaped out these is plenty for us both to agree and disagree on. I think its a true melding of our tastes in movies and what makes our site so great. Two different opinions that can be polar opposites at times and then agree totally on others.

This is first list of numbers 50 through 41. We will release 4 more posts to complete the list of 50 in the days to come. The 90's was a great decade for film. Since both of us came of age during this decade many of these movies hold a special place for us. Much of what we learned about film and our appreciation of the medium was born out of this decade. Enjoy!

50. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Directed by Cameron Crowe

Starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Renee Zellweger

Jay: Cameron Crowe really broke through with this crowd-pleaser. Sure, he had some hits with Say Anything and Singles, but this was the first that won raves from critics and audiences alike. Tom Cruise's performance as a sports agent who grows a conscience and pays for it with his job is still one of his best. The love story with his assistant, Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger) is pretty well done. My only complaint is how easily everything is resolved at the end in the last moments of the film. It just seems to happen so quickly and effortlessly. Crow has said that Billy Wilder's The Apartment was a major influence on Jerry Maguire and I can see how it was. Both are pictures about men in morally compromising jobs who ultimately do the right thing despite the damage it does to their careers.

Matt: Crowe wrote this Frank Capra-esque film partially inspired by the failed flop (in the eyes of critics and at the box office) of Crowe's sophomore directorial/written effort, Singles, which had followed Crowe's enormously successful debut Say Anything. This is probably the only romantic comedy type of film you will find on this list, and that is for good reason! It is not only about romance, but of one man's struggle to find and achieve a good "place in the world." It's got the usual Crowe trademarks (i.e., a great soundtrack; the man dressed extremely casual while the woman is formally dressed, and relatable, fun characters), but it also has a true, honest humanity to it that isn't seen in most comedies today. It almost perfectly encapsulates the definition of a true dramedy (drama-comedy).

49. Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Directed by Peter Jackson

Starring Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet

Jay: Before he was the powerhouse director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson made small-budget horror flicks like Brain Dead (Dead Alive in the U.S.) and Bad Taste. Then, in 1994 he took a big left turn and made this fantastic movie about two young girls, Juliette (Winslet) and Pauline (Lynskey), who develop an obsessive friendship in 1950's New Zealand. Based on true events, Jackson's film follows the two girls as we get welcomed into the fantasy worlds they create in their heads. When their parents try to separate them, Juliette and Pauline hatch a plan that they believe will keep them together forever. Heavenly Creatures, to this day, has one of the most disturbing murders I've ever seen on film. It launched the careers of Jackson and its young star, Kate Winslet, who had never been in a movie prior to this.

Matt: I remember seeing this movie with Jay and the only other thing I had seen of Peter Jackson's before it was his sleeper thriller-dark comedy, The Frighteners. It was the first time I had seen a pre-Titanic Kate Winslet too! I loved that it was based on a true crime which isn't portrayed much in cinema -- that being rather than a male serial killer, the killer turns out to be two teenager with lesbian tendencies killing a mother of one of the two. There are themes of forbidden love, psychiatric hallucination and an unabashed peek into cold-blooded murder. What's even more noteworthy about the film is its conclusion when it is revealed what became of the teens.

48. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette and Olivia Williams

Jay: Looking back at Shyamalan's career, it makes it all of the more disappointing that he hasn't matched the success he achieved with this his first major box office hit. The Sixth Sense was one of the those phenomenon's you don't see coming. Similar to The Matrix, it was a worldwide blockbuster that came from nowhere. It was the movie's well-executed plot twist at the end that had most people clapping. Also, the performance by newcomer Haley Joel Osment as young Cole Sear, a troubled boy who claims to see the dead, was a revelation. He received an Oscar nomination along with the equally brilliant Toni Collette who played his mother. At its heart, that's what The Sixth Sense was mostly about for me. The story of a single mother seeing her son for the person he is, and him seeing her as well.

Matt: I know I'm going against the grain here when I say that I've liked Shyamalan's films Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, and The Happening. But this one is the best. Before this film, no one had seen such twists and suspense probably since an episode of The Twilight Zone. Nevertheless, The Sixth Sense takes suspense, mystery and drama and masterfully blends them together to execute one of the best thrillers to grace the silver screen in years (let's face it -- the '80s had some wonderful films, but in the genre of suspense thriller mystery, there weren't that many serious good ones!).

47. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Starring (English Version) Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver and Claire Danes

Jay: Full disclosure. This is one of the movies Matt tried to remove from the list. I saved it. I'm sure he'll disclose his reasons and for many they may be valid, but, for me, Princess Mononoke is Hayao Miyazaki going all out to try to create the greatest animated epic of all time. Channeling Akira Kurasawa, Miyasaki gives us the story of Ashitaka (Crudup), a young man cursed by a boar spirit, who travels to Tatara, a mining city, looking for the Forest God that can heal him. There, he is embroiled in a war between the leader of the colony, Lady Eboshi (Driver) and the gods of the forest who are resisting the encroaching industrial devastation caused by the humans. It is also a love story, as Ashitaka meets the princess, San (Danes), a girl raised by the wolf spirits determined to kill Eboshi. What I love the most about Princess Mononoke is that, besides its environmental overtones, it presents us with a cast of characters where there is no clear bad guy(s). It doesn't damn the modernization that the humans of Tatara bring with them, it also shows the good that comes from Eboshi's creation, as she uses the wealth she amasses to help the sick and downtrodden. With this movie, Miyazaki would begin the run of films which would make him a more recognizable name in the U.S. and cement his status as one of the greatest animators of all time.

Matt: This was the movie Jay saved from elimination, and I honestly have no idea why. I've only seen Princess Mononoke once ... and that was once too much for me. The animation is great but the story is not nearly as good as Howl's Moving Castle. I'm just glad Spirited Away wasn't eligible. There's just something about most of anime that I can't get into. The English dubbing definitely doesn't help as -- to me -- it doesn't adequately capture or match the emotion going on in the scene and the way the characters are drawn (whether the English voice actor's tone either doesn't match the mood of the scene or doesn't sync with the character's expression). I'd probably have more admiration if the original language was kept and there were subtitles. As for the story, it is entertaining and Miyazaki is a master of his craft, but I did not feel the story warranted a place on this list; it merely wasn't as impressionable to me as the other films on this list.

46. Cop Land (1997)

Directed by James Mangold

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Robert Patrick

Jay: Now here is a movie that Matt picked that I tried to eliminate. He saved it, so I'll let him explain why it is one of the best movies of the 90's. I will say there are a few things I like about this one. First, Sylvester Stallone has only given two performances I think that could remotely be defined as good acting. One of them is in the original Rocky - the second is in Cop Land. His portrayal of the seemingly slow-minded sheriff, Freddy Heflin, is actually pretty good. Also, the final shootout at the end of the movie is pretty well done and gripping. Other then that, I think this is simply an OK movie, not a great one like most of the others on this list.

Matt: Why make this list? How can it not!? This is one of the finest underrated films of the '90s. Stallone stars as small-town New Jersey cop Freddy Heflin, who isn't a big-time New York City cop thanks to a hearing impairment he acquired when he was younger and saved a girl's life. Freddy takes his job seriously but no one takes him seriously ... until a recent hero cop (Michael Rapaport) tries to alert Freddy to his attempted murder by crooked cops, one of which is his uncle. There is a very novel feel to this film's story and the performances are all masterfully executed with a subdued reality that makes you feel like you're watching a true story. One of the best things I liked about this film was the fact that Stallone went against his usual type casting of the "tough action guy" and portrayed a more quiet, gentle giant-likeable loser here. Plus, the cast is all so superb that the dialogue is delivered effortlessly and the emotions are conveyed so honestly and strongly -- even when the scene is quiet.

45. Before Sunrise (1995)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

Jay: I've written about my affection for the "Before Trilogy" before on this site. Richard Linklater has created something wholly original with three films that explore the complexities of a love story at different stages. This first film in the series showed how Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) met, on a train in Austria and on impulse got off in Vienna together after feeling a connection. The rest of the movie chronicles their one night in the city together as they walk the streets and just talk about life, relationships, etc. At the time of its release I was a senior in high school and I felt it spoke directly to the type of intimacy I wanted to feel with someone. Now that I am in my late thirties I see its charm and naivety, which doesn't cheapen the film, it only comes to me from a different perspective. Not many movies change for the viewer as they watch it at different points in their own life. That is the genius of Linklater's love story.

Matt: I really enjoyed this film but the other two in the trilogy I could honestly do without. The entire draw of this film is that it is a film where the two characters have this almost magical bond which centers around the fact that they have this one night together before they go their separate ways. However, director/writer Richard Linklater rips away a small portion of that magic to present them as suddenly having another rendezvous for the sequel, Before Sunset -- this time having an afternoon together. I know Jay liked Sunset best, but I have to say that I could have done without it. I did like the last in the trilogy, Before Midnight, but nonetheless found it a bit unrealistic in the worst way. Yes, it is a film, but if it is supposing to ground itself in truth and "real life," then it should be realistic. In the third film, they talk about things which two people who have been together -- and talk as much as these two do! -- have already usually covered in the first days, weeks, months of marriage; and that leads to a major sense of pretentiousness within the characters. In Sunrise, the relationship is new and the film perfectly captures that magic of first getting to know someone and having that spark. And that's what makes the film so special.

44. Swimming With Sharks (1994)

Directed by George Huang

Starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley and Michelle Forbes

Jay: This is an entertaining film that has certainly been overlooked in the decades since it was released. It was a perfect vehicle for Kevin Spacey, who had yet to become a household name with his star-making turns in movies like Seven and The Usual Suspects. He plays a big-time Hollywood producer, Buddy Ackerman, a boss so horrible that those who work for him cower in fear. When his new assistant, Guy (Whaley), begins a new relationship with producer, Dawn (Forbes), Buddy insinuates himself between them until Guy's anger forces him to take his boss hostage at his home and torture him. This is dark comedy that turns pretty serious by the end. Spacey is brilliant in it, for sure, and it is well written. Matt chose it for this list, and while I don't think it is totally deserving to be on it, I do think it deserves to be discovered by those who have never seen it.

Matt: I think this movie belongs here because of its extreme dark comedy and inclusion of a great story. Sharks was a film that brutally called out the "chip on the shoulder"-attitude which permeated -- and still permeates -- younger generation who feel they're owed something. There is no happy ending to this film as it ends on a rather jaded note -- reflecting the times of gritty, dark themes which were popular in '90s cinema. Spacey proves his acting chops in this film before Seven and The Usual Suspects were even introduced; and Frank Whaley is the perfect everyman/underdog/intimidated schlub -- a fine underrated character actor. The dialogue in the film is as sharp and quick-witted as Spacey's acting, and there is more drama and meaning in the film than most today.

43. Titanic (1997)

Directed by James Cameron

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Billy Zane

Jay: OK, haters are going to hate. James Cameron's megahit Titanic was chosen by both Matt and I for this list, and despite what you may think about its script or contrived love story, there is no denying that Titanic was like nothing that had graced the screen before. Cameron's depiction of the voyage and sinking of the great ship was meticulously staged and executed. As the ocean engulfed the Titanic and all those souls onboard it, my jaw dropped at the technical wizardry on display and the emotion packed behind it. I'm a sucker for the whole technology vs. nature theme, and here it is on full display as man's boastful proclamations of an "unsinkable ship" are met by ice and water on a freezing April night. It was a towering achievement and cannot be ignored.

Matt: This was a "maybe" pick for me and almost didn't make my list. But I couldn't pick a monumental '90s movie and not acknowledge this one! Like Jay said ... haters gonna hate. But, whether you like this film or not, you can't deny its epic scope. This movie proves -- like the first, original Star Wars, Alien, and other films -- that, sometimes, the most simplest story can still be one of the most notable. While Titanic does not reach the same epic status as those previously-mentioned films, it still attracted billions of people to see what they already knew was going to happen and its emotional impact is nothing to scoff at. The CGI is amazing and ,although I question Cameron's current juggernaut film, this was a film I couldn't help but enjoy watching. It also launched the career of one of the best actors of today: Leonardo DiCaprio.

42. L.A. Confidential (1997)

Directed by Curtis Hanson

Starring Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce and Kim Basinger

Jay: James Ellroy's novel and it's quick-tempo style was adapted perfectly for the screen by Curtis Hanson. Three L.A. cops, all from different backgrounds and personalities converge when a massacre at an all-night coffee shop uncovers corruption within the police system. L.A. Confidential jump-started the careers of Russell Crowe and Guy Pierce, who were not well known before this. It also earned an Oscar for Kim Basinger, who was luminous as the Veronica Lake-lookalike, Lynn Bracken. Hanson's movie gave us a look a different 1950's Los Angeles. A darker place, where people are flawed and capable of horrible things, but even men like these three imperfect cops, can do what's right.

Matt: For someone who loves crime noir and the old fedora-wearing gangsters and cops who inhabit that world, I did not care for this movie all that much. I thought it was good, but it didn't wow me the same it seemed to do to everyone else. The actors are all great -- except Basinger who should NOT have won an Oscar for this; this was probably one of the reasons why I started questioning and not taking award ceremonies seriously! Ellroy is a great writer but I felt the story here was nothing spectacular. Nine years later, in 2006, when Hollywood (Josh Friedman and Brian De Palma) adapted Ellroy's The Black Dahlia into a film, I felt I was watching the exact same two detectives from Confidential -- the tough guy detective (Aaron Eckhart in Dahlia, Crowe in Confidential), and the smart, almost by-the-book hero protagonist (Josh Hartnett in Dahlia, Pierce in Confidential). Because of this, Dahlia failed to impress but I think it speaks volumes of the mundanity of Confidential.

41. Sweet and Lowdown (1999)

Directed by Woody Allen

Starring Sean Penn and Samantha Morton

Jay: It's been a while since I've seen this one. Since it is Matt's pick, I'll let him write more eloquently about it. What do I remember is the amazing performances. Sean Penn stars as a fictional jazz guitarist, Emmet Ray, a dislikable guy who wants to be as famous as Django Renhardt. Samantha Morton was phenomenal as his mute girlfriend, Hattie. The music in this movie was great and you could tell it was Woody Allen's love letter to the jazz guitarists of the earlier parts of the 20th century.

Matt: I know most consider Annie Hall as writer/director Woody Allen's best film, but I really enjoyed Sweet and Lowdown! With this film, Allen goes a different route with relationships and gives the audience a historical look into the 1930s with jazz guitar as a soundtrack and lighthearted-yet-poignant portrayal of love as seen through the eyes of an egotistical musician and an honest, lovable mute girl who sees the good in people. Especially laughable is Ray's admiration-and-flat-out-fear of Django Reinhardt. Sean Penn's Ray is not exactly the most admirable of Allen's characters but his misadventures are exciting and Morton's inclusion makes them all the more endearing. Sweet and Lowdown is one of those movies that is bittersweet, endearing, poignant and comedic in the only way Allen can pull all of it off.

Jay Reviews Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Jay here.

Fans of the popular Marvel series rejoiced when Matthew Vaughn rode in on a white horse in 2011 and delivered X-Men: First Class, a movie that strove to creatively reboot the franchise without actually rebooting it. It's 60's era setting and style, combined with how it played coyly with America's Cold War history, was a breath of fresh air. To be honest, I would have been happy to see Vaughn continue to shepherd 20th Century Fox's flagship comic series. When I heard Bryan Singer would be returning to the franchise he started I was both excited and disappointed at the same time. You see, X2: X-Men United is, for me, one of the very best comic book movies of all time. I find little to no fault with it. Singer did a superb job with his sequel and then decided to leave the third entry to Brad Ratner, he of Rush Hour fame.

While X2 represented for me how good a movie about my favorite mutant superheroes could be, Ratner's X-Men: The Last Stand was the polar opposite. I don't even know where to begin with what a pile of crap that movie was. Taking one of the most beloved storylines in the comic, the "Dark Phoenix Saga", and abandoning most of original story, the folks behind this garbage then decided to kill off the leader of the X-Men, Cyclops (James Marsden) at the hand of his girlfriend, Jean Grey (Famke Jansen). To fans of the series, like me, this was the proverbial straw. I am usually understanding when changes must be made from the source material, but this was a left turn that went against the very essence of Jean's character. In the original story, Jean actually kills herself rather than murder Cyclops. It was a horrible choice that nearly single-handedly killed any enthusiasm for the franchise for many fans.

A recreation of the original cover of the famous comic storyline.

Vaughn's X-Men: First Class erased most of that bad will, injecting some much needed fun back into things. Singer, meanwhile had several disappointing pictures come out - Superman Returns (2006) Valkyrie (2008) and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013). He decided it was time to return to doing something he had done well, and so he settled on bringing one of the most celebrated stories of the X-Men to the screen - Days of Future Past.

Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) tracks down the younger versions of Professor X (James McAvoy) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) and enlists their help in changing the future.

Well, I'm happy to say that this latest installment is pretty darn good. Not quite as good as First Class or, of course, X2, but a big step in the right direction in getting things back on track. And that's what this is really all about. Singer has come back to erase the numerous missteps of The Last Stand, and he pretty much succeeds. Days of Future Past is a thrilling and entertaining ride that sets things up for the forthcoming, anticipated next movie - X-Men: Apocalypse.

The movie starts in the future. We meet some of the newest members of the X-Men - Bishop (Omar Sy), Blink (Bingbing Fan), Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Warpath (Booboo Stewart) - along with the familiar faces of Colossus (Daniel Cudmore), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page). In this era, mutants have become hunted by giant robots called Sentinels. These metal menaces have the ability to develop a counter attack to any mutant power that attacks them. In short, they are pretty much unstoppable.

In order to counter the threat of the Sentinels and give the world's mutant population a brighter future Kitty sends Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to 1973. His mission is to find the young Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and convince him to break the criminal Magneto (Michael Fassbender) out of his prison at the Pentagon. Then together they must find Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and stop her from assassinating the inventor of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Killing him sets off a chain of events which leads to her capture and the use of her DNA to invent the killer machines' abilities to mimic mutant powers and thus creates the dystopian future they are trying to avoid.

The bulk of the movie takes place in the 70's and that's a good thing because it is here where the movie shines. It borrows from First Class, how it melded real history with the story of our hero's quest to alter the future. Jackman proves he has still got it. His Wolverine remains one of the best casting decisions in the history of comic book movies. Michael Fassbender's Magneto is also a standout. He brings a gravitas to the role that is necessary for one of pop culture's greatest villains. Another big highlight is the introduction of Evan Peters as young mutant, Quicksilver, who helps the X-Men spring Magneto from his prison. The scene where he uses his ability to run at supersonic speeds to take down a room full of guards is probably the best in the movie. One sticking point for me was the use of Peter Dinklage as Trask. In my opinion, a talented actor was given little to work with in a villain that didn't have a lot of depth or character development.



Quicksilver (Evan Peters) does what he does best in one of the best scenes of the X-Men: Days of Future Past.

The movie takes a lot of liberties from the original source material. On the page it is actually Kitty Pryde who travels back in time to stop the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly. It's obvious that Singer and the producers of the film couldn't envision an entire movie with her character at the center of the plot instead of a tried and true money-maker like Wolverine. It would have been a daring choice to stick with it, though, and I am certain Ellen Page is talented enough to pull it off, Oh well . . . it doesn't detract from the overall point of the story.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a fun, exciting continuation of a return to form for the series. By the end, many of the errors of past entries has been erased and now new movies can go forward in a way more in line with fan expectation. It did not have the wow-factor of Captain America: The Winter Soldier for me, but it was a fun ride. And, as someone who grew up reading the comic pretty religiously I was happy to see the things put to right.

Jay and Matt Pick the Best Films About War

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! Jay and Matt here!

So often this important holiday is viewed as the beginning of summer and we forget the true meaning behind remembering those who have served our country and those who have perished doing so. So, to honor them we have decided to share with you a special list of our favorite films about war. These films reflect different aspects of war throughout the years and we hope if you haven't seen them you will check them out (in alphabetical order). Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't mention the brilliance of HBO's Band of Brothers and The Pacific, two essential miniseries about World War II (WWII). However, since those are series, we'll stick with these films:

Jay's Picks
 

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Starring Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Lawrence Fishburne and Dennis Hopper

The madness of war has never been more fully realized than in Coppola's masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. The film takes place during the Vietnam era, but it really could have been any conflict since the politics and circumstance behind the war are not a driving theme. This is a story about one man's journey into the dark wastelands of the basest nature of man and how it changes him. Based on Joseph Conrad's classic novel, Heart of Darkness, Martin Sheen is Captain Willard, sent by boat deep into the Cambodian jungle to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a once brilliant military mind now gone insane, establishing himself as a god among a simple tribe. Willard meets many characters along his journey and witnesses the depravity of war in all its forms before confronting the crazed colonel. Apocalypse Now has become just as famous for the notorious difficulties Coppola endured during the shoot which went nearly 15 months over schedule in the Phillipines. Watch the fantastic documentary, Hearts of Darkness to get one of the best, most frank depictions of the challenges of moviemaking, and one man's relentless dedication to completing a film he's always dreamed of making -- even if it kills him . . . which, by the way, it nearly does.



The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Directed by David Lean

Starring William Holden, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins and Sessue Hayakawa

David Lean's epic tale of misguided honor still holds up so well today. It won several Oscars the year it was released, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Alec Guinness. He stars as British officer Colonel Nicholson who, when his regiment is captured and brought to a Japanese POW camp, engages in a test of wills with the camp's superior officer, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa). Ultimately, Nicholson agrees to help Saito design and construct a great bridge, believing that it will serve as a representation of British ingenuity and resiliency in the face of oppression. But, when an Allied commando team, led by an American named Shears (William Holden), comes to blow up the bridge, Nicholson is ethically compromised when he finds himself helping the enemy instead of working to sabotage their plans. This was Lean's first huge success in the U.S. I love it especially for Guinness' performance -- his best in my opinion. The look on his face when he finally realizes the gravity of what his actions have wrought is unforgettable.



 

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Directed by Michael Cimino

Starring Robert DeNiro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Cazale and John Savage

No other movie captures the effect of war on men and how it fundamentally can change them and their relationships with those they return home to. The brilliance of Cimino's film is in that the scenes that take place in Vietnam are not exceptionally long. He is much more concerned in giving us a long exposition which introduces us to a group of friends, preparing for a wedding the night before they are to leave for war. Led by the group's most masculine member, Michael (Robert DeNiro), their bravado and patriotism is on display for all to see. They are proud to go and fight for their country. Much has been made of what happens to these men once they are captured by the Viet Cong and forced to participate in a disturbing game of Russian roulette against each other. It is the effect of the violence and the trauma of captivity that changes the most innocent of their group, Nick (Christopher Walken in an Oscar winning performance), into a deeply disturbed reflection of himself, unable to escape the barrel of the gun he holds to his head for money. When Michael returns home after his tour, he is forced to confront the changes in himself as well as the town he left behind.



Paths of Glory (1957)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker and Adolphe Menjou

Possibly the greatest anti-war film of all time, Paths of Glory was one of Kubrick's earlier films, and one that is often overlooked. You might be wondering, Why not Full Metal Jacket? Well, even though it is a fine movie, I prefer Paths of Glory for the daring statement it made about the irrationality of war. Kirk Douglas gives his best performance as Colonel Dax, a commander during World War I who has to defend three soldiers who refused to leave the trenches during an obvious suicide charge. This is a picture that will both move you and make you angry as you witness how far the commanders who would callously order men to their deaths go to punish men who they view as cowards because they wouldn't die for a cause they did not believe in.



Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns and Jeremy Davies

My last two films both came out in the same year and I couldn't choose between them because, in my mind, there have never been two movies about war that were so different in so many ways and yet had similar themes as well. Speilberg's Saving Private Ryan has become almost universally beloved and there is a good reason for that. The opening scenes which depict the landing of American troops at Normandy on D-Day are still some of the most shocking, most realistic depictions of modern warfare and carnage ever captured on celluloid. While these early moments are the most remembered of the film, its the story the comes after that is most important. A group of soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) must locate a young paratrooper named James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose brothers were all killed in other engagements. The irony that those in charge would risk the lives of these men in order to save the life of only one is not lost on them as they search the French countryside looking for Ryan. The biggest moral questions of Saving Private Ryan, though, are asked by the character of young Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies) whose pacifist choices teach him cruel lessons late in the picture. In war, sometimes mercy is rewarded with violence in the most tragic ways.



The Thin Red Line (1998)

Directed by Terrence Malick

Starring Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Elias Koteas and Adrien Brody

Terrence Malick returned to movie making in 1998 after a nearly 20-year hiatus. The Thin Red Line was lost in the huge shadow that was Saving Private Ryan that year, and I've always felt that was a little unfair. Sure, Ryan is deserving of any and all praise, but even though both movies take place during World War II, The Thin Red Line is different in so many ways. In fact, there really is no other war film like it. This makes it very misunderstood and many fans of linear, straight-forward plots found themselves turned off by the deeper ideas Malick's movie was shooting for. Taking place during the battle of Guadalcanal, we follow a group of marines as they struggle to take the island from the Japanese. The problem most people had with this movie was that instead of being a realistic depiction of war, it chose to take a more philosophical stance. Malick is trying to ask real questions about why men as a species fight war and kill each other. The amazing cinematography by John Toll captures the picturesque surroundings that these soldiers are enveloped by as they destroy so much around them. It is an attempt to ask how can indiscriminate violence be a part of nature's plan and how can such ugliness and beauty coexist? It is a masterpiece that is often disagreed upon, but then again, aren't most works of genius built on arguments like this?

 

 

 

Matt's Picks

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Directed by William Wyler

Starring Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Frederic March, Myrna Loy, Virginia Mayo, and Teresa Wright

This film takes place more after the action of war, following three very different military men (Andrews, March, and real-life Army veteran Harold Russell, who lost both hands in an Army training accident) returning home from World War II (WWII). The story here doesn't focus so much on the action as it does the aftermath of battle and the various hardships of living through a war. It's a story that is told surprisingly well for the time period in which it was made, with bleak storylines touching on aspects such as unemployment, alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- back then called "battle fatigue." The performances are all solid and even though some of the story elements do stray from the usual Hollywood glamorization, the film still holds to the trademark writing of the era (1940s). What stands out so noticeably about this film is that it is addressing issues considered taboo for its time: the way in which war can shred a man and who he used to be. For a drama that shows absolutely no battles, dying or blood, The Best Years of Our Lives is a definite essential war film.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Starring Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, Ewen Bremner, Ron Eldard, and Sam Shepard

 

Based on a real-life October 3, 1993, seemingly routine capture mission in Somalia -- only supposed to take one hour -- which resulted in the two-day Battle of Mogadishu incident, resulting in the deaths of 19 American soldiers. The film is based on the book Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, and follows a number of soldiers on the ground and in the air. The main protagonist is Army Rangers Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann (Hartnett), who is given control of his company right before they are sent on their mission with soldiers of Delta Force. The mission seems so routine that soldiers did not fully pack all of their equipment because they felt the mission would be fast, simple and uneventful. However, that all changes the minute an accident occurs and the soldiers are not only thrown off their timetable but Somali soldiers are alerted to their presence, leading to the crashing of two Black Hawk helicopters. What started off as a simple mission turns into a fight for survival as 100 U.S. soldiers face 1000+ Somali militia. The film not only has some great battle sequences, but the existential question of America's involvement in a war "that is not ours" is posed in a scene between Maj. Gen. William Garrison (Shepard) and Somali dissident Osman Ali Atto (George Harris). There are no politics in this film -- simply fighting to save the life of the guys with you. The film is also known for featuring veteran character actors Jeremy Piven, Kim Coates, Gregory Sporleder, Zeljko Ivanek, Glenn Morshower, and Richard Tyson, as well as then-unknown actors Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings), Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four), Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (HBO's Game of Thrones).

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Directed by Robert Aldrich

Starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Telly Savalas, and Donald Sutherland

 

Based on the 1965 novel by E.M. Nathanson (possibly inspired by the "Filthy Thirteen"), this film tells the WWII story of 12 convict soldiers, serving lengthy sentences and/or destined to be executed, who are tasked to infiltrate and assault a chateau in France, where there will be dozens of high-ranking German officers. If the German officers are terminated, it is expected Germany's military response to the eventual landing on D-Day will be hampered. The film follows these misfits from their assembly to their training to their suicide mission. The film took a somewhat different approach to the "war hero," showing that even those not considered as the "tried and true soldier" were heroes and just as important and valuable to defeating the Nazis as those who stormed the beaches. In the same style as a Sam Peckinpah film, The Dirty Dozen takes action in all its brutality. The protagonists are not some routine outcasts but criminals with real flaws and issues which make them every inch the anti-hero.

Glory (1989)

Directed by Edward Zwick

Starring Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher

 

Based on the real-life story of the Civil War's first all-black volunteer company -- the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry -- and their training and fighting for the Union army, under the leadership of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Broderick). Race was a big factor in the Civil War, with the Confederate South using the Emancipation Proclamation and President Lincoln's planned prohibition of slavery in the western states as just one of the reasons it wished for secession from the Union. This became one of the first fights for colored people for racial freedom before the famous Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The film also delves deep into what it means to be a soldier -- from the inexperienced captain (Broderick) to the former drunk (Elwes) to the bitter slave (Washington). The performances are all wonderful and the subject is something which is rarely covered in Hollywood: the Civil War.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, and Evangeline Lilly

 

Released in the final year of Bush Jr.'s administration, The Hurt Locker focuses on the 2003 Iraq War and a battle-tested veteran -- Sgt. First Class William James (Renner) -- of an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and its various misadventures and missions, leading James and his team (Mackie, Geraghty) to face the unexpected horrors and hardships of war. The film deals with the usual physical threats of war, but also includes the mental and emotional threats -- such as fratricide and the addiction to war, in this case, the tension of bomb defusion. The film is somewhat all over the place -- but in a good way -- as it shows how scattered the missions are during the Iraqi occupation. Renner's and Mackie's performances are stellar and this is one of those forgotten war films (even though it won numerous Academy Awards!) which deserves more watching credibility than it usually gets.

Memphis Belle (1990)

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones

Starring Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Reed Diamond, Harry Connick Jr., David Strathairn, and John Lithgow
 

Based on the true story of the crew of the Memphis Belle B-17 "flying fortress" bomber during WWII, this film follows the crew who has never lost a man and is ready to embark on their 25th -- and final -- mission before they get to go home from the war. The 10 crew members are all like brothers -- they are extremely loyal to each other but also fight like siblings. Their mission is dangerous but they are determined to make it through this final mission alive and all together. While their "big brother"-type, Captain Dennis Dearborn (Modine) simply wants to "make this our best mission yet," co-pilot First Lt. Luke Sinclair (Donovan) is preoccupied with getting to shoot down some Germans and getting maximum publicity for Army publicist Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer (Lithgow) to give the war a good image. A great war-time movie that has plenty of drama, comedy and intense moments.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, and Matt Damon

Best. War. Movie. Ever! Director Steven Spielberg's epic WWII film easily raised the bar for all war movies with this one! The opening sequence of the soldiers landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy is epic in of itself -- taking up approximately 25 minutes of the film, proving that war truly is hell! The scene's bloody, gory detail earned rave reviews by real-life WWII veterans for its authenticity. However, don't think this is your father's WWII film -- like The Longest Day (which is a very good war film), with its bloodless death scenes; this is an extremely graphically-violent film. Aside from the excellent acting and action sequences, what makes this film so great are the existential motifs presented throughout the film. Screenwriter Robert Rodat (The Patriot, Thor: The Dark World) essentially took some of the greatest aspects of classic novelists such as Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut, and Norman Mailer, and injected it into this taut, emotional story. The ultimate mission of Hanks' small platoon of soldiers may seem a bit inconsequential -- and the film addresses this issue throughout -- but the importance of such a mission is proven as somewhat of a metaphor for those of us and the world these servicemen sacrificed themselves for. It is especially proven in Hanks' advice to Damon's character near the end of the film. This is my favorite war movie of all time!

 

We Were Soldiers (2002)

Directed by Randall Wallace

Starring Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, Keri Russell, Barry Pepper, and Greg Kinnear

 

Based on the real-life story -- as told in the book We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young -- of Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Gibson) who lead the first major battle in Vietnam against the Viet Cong in the Battle of la Drang on November 14, 1965. The film follows Moore's new assignment as he trains his men before heading to Vietnam and the subsequent battle. What makes this film stand out -- besides its honest combat portrayal and staying away from the usual portrayal of the Vietnam War as a wrong lost cause -- is the following of the wives and families of the soldiers throughout the film. Never has a telegram delivery been portrayed so tense and dreaded as seen in this film. The story not only follows Moore's respect of and rivalry with North Vietnamese Commander Nguyen Huu An (Duong Don), but also follows the experience of photojournalist Joseph Galloway (Pepper), who puts his life in danger to document the gallant battle as well as protect his fellow countrymen. The film also features then unknown actors Jon Hamm (AMC's Mad Men) and Clark Gregg (ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Plus, Sam Elliott is just badass in this.



Jay Tells You Why NBC's "Hannibal" May Be the Best Show You Are Not Watching

Jay here.

It's Friday night and you're deciding what to do. Are you going to go out to that new restaurant in town? Maybe you might call up a few of your friends and hit your favorite bar for some good company? Or, how about checking out that new movie that just opened today that you've been dying to see? I'm sure the last thing most people would do is sit down in front of the television to watch a show.

The Friday night time slot has often signaled the demise of even the most well-conceived TV shows. The simple fact is that not many people want to stay at home on the first night of their weekend. The major networks have decided that this particular night serves as a prime place to try out niche entertainments that might somehow find an audience. One of these shows is quietly building a small cult status among television critics and those who recognize its brilliance . . . . Hannibal.

Based on the well-known characters created by novelist Thomas Harris, the show chronicles the period in Hannibal Lecter's life prior to his arrest for being a cannibalistic serial killer. His relationship with FBI profiler, Will Graham is at the core of the plot. Graham has been featured in previous adaptations of Harris's novel Red Dragon, including Michael Mann's excellent Manhunter where he was portrayed by William Peterson.

Michael Mann's excellent, Manhunter first introduced us to Will Graham (William Petersen) after he captured Hannibal Lecter.

It should never have been a good show and when I first heard of its existence, I'll be honest, I wasn't interested. To me this was ground that had been covered again and again by those who would try to capitalize on the success of Silence of the Lambs and Anthony Hopkins' infamous performance as Dr. Lecter. We've had numerous sequels and prequels, some good, some not-so-good, and some downright awful. A television show, I thought, would rehash the same old serial killer stereotypes that Thomas Harris has brought into the mainstream.

One of the main things that made me interested in Hannibal was the man who would be the creative force behind the show - Bryan Fuller. He has created some of the most unique and quirky television shows of the last fifteen years, including such cult hits as Dead Like Me (2003), Wonderfalls (2004) and Pushing Daisies (2007). His work usually has a whimsical sensibility, but often veers into dark territory from time to time. He has never attempted anything as close to the gruesomeness and macabre of Hannibal. He also has never really created a series that has achieved real success or made it past a second season. I think part of the reason for this is his uncompromising commitment to an artistic vision. Sometimes these visions don't translate well to a mainstream television audience.

Season 1 of Hannibal introduced us to FBI profiler, Jack Crawford (Lawrence Fishburne) who is stymied in his pursuit of a serial killer called the "Minnesota Shrike". This particular murderer preys on young woman, all the same age, and he always takes them on a Friday. Crawford enlist the help of Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a profiler himself, who has a unique ability. Due to abnormalities in his higher brain function Will can put himself in the shoes of a killer and through a form of empathy, is able to see how the crime was committed. In previous versions of the character this was portrayed mostly as an elevated form of intuition, but in this show it is obvious that Will has some form of brain damage. This allows the show to go to extremely abstract lengths when allowing us inside his head as he works on a crime scene.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) is asked to help Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) cope with the demons inside his head.

Will has not worked with the FBI for some time, preferring to teach instead, because his gift does not come without psychological costs. For this reason, Crawford, sends  Will to Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) for counseling and therapy to help him deal with the disturbing images in his head. After Will is successful in identifying and in a tense standoff kills the Minnesota Shrike, really a man named Garret Jacob Hobbs, a killer long thought captured returns. They called him the "Chesapeake Ripper", and fans of the books will know this actually is Dr.Lecter. The rest of the first season concerns the cat and mouse game Hannibal plays with Will and Jack, hiding his identity while also satisfying his own curiosity about Will and his tortured mind.

Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) confronts the daughter of Garret Jacob Hobbs, the serial killer known as the Minnesota Shrike.

So, what makes Hannibal so good, and why is it getting a third season despite poor ratings? First, is that the critics love the show. The imagery that explodes from the screen each episode is disturbingly beautiful. I think it may be one of the best photographed series on television. The imagery is horrific and more violent than anything I can recall on television. That includes channels like HBO. I caution, if you don't handle violence or blood/gore well, this is not the show for you.

The murders that populate the story each week are ridiculously unrealistic, but this show is not grounded in any sort of normal. I would classify more as Gothic horror. Because Will is our window into this world we see things as he would. Characters are often represented as motifs instead of real people. For example, Will sees the Chesapeake Ripper as a man painted all in black with the horns of a stag. It's a disturbing image, the kind you don't often see on network television. The stag motif is a recurring image through both seasons. HBO's True Detective also had similar imagery, but was grounded more than this show.

Will sees the Chesapeake Ripper as a creature with black skin and the horns of a stag. I know, disturbing . . . .

Second, the performances are brilliant, mostly by both Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy. Mikkelsen's version of the infamous cannibal is much more subdued and understated. We hardly see him kill at all throughout the first season. You have to look beneath his eyes to get a sense of the killer within. When he does reveal his true nature it has a much more shocking and cathartic effect on the viewer. I could argue that his nuanced performance is more effective than anything Hopkins brought to the table. Dancy is equally good as Graham. Through his ability/curse, he is the only man capable of seeing Hannibal for what he is. It always seems like he is so unstable that it might only take one slight push to make him cross the line into becoming the very thing he is paid to hunt down. This is why he is of such interest to his psychotic therapist.

Third, the writing is great on this show. It does not shackle itself to the previous versions of the this story. Choosing instead to weave its own web. Even though you may know how this story ends, you are still in its grip as Hannibal outsmarts everyone around him. Think of great reboots like Casino Royale and Batman Begins. Here is a television show that has succeeded on the same level as those excellent movies.

Each episode's title is a reference to some sort of culinary terminology. This is appropriate given how we get to watch Dr. Lecter creating some seriously insanely detailed meals week after week. We won't ask what the meat is . . . .

Fuller has said that in future seasons he wants to dive into the actual story in Red Dragon. I am greatly intrigued by the idea of him re-working that story. In my opinion it is still the best of Harris's novels. A third season should get us close to that part of the timeline. Seeing as how Hannibal is not a particularly expensive show for NBC it looks like they are fine with continuing with the show on Friday nights. So, my advice is set your DVR and record it, after checking out season one, of course. Watch the trailer below, it will give you good sense of what to expect.

Yes, despite my skepticism, Hannibal has become one of my favorite shows. Finally, Bryan Fuller has found some success. I just hope that NBC continues to support it and I hope you will give it a shot.