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AP critics' top 10 films of 2000
2000-12-30
NEW YORK - Many critics agree that 2000 was a mediocre year at the movies, with standout films few and far between. Perhaps as a consequence, the perennial critics' picks for best of the year are all over the place. Like snowflakes, it seems, no two top-10 lists are alike. Joining the rush to weigh in on the year's best, AP reviewers David Germain and Christy Lemire rank their film choices for 2000: AP Movie Writer David Germain: 1. ``You Can Count On Me'' - The perfect script meets the perfect cast. Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan captures the essence of sibling unity and disharmony in a taut comic drama propelled by tremendous performances from Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo. This small-budget Sundance prize winner is wistful, hopeful, celebratory and hauntingly sad all at once. On screen, family matters don't get more exquisite than this. 2. ``Traffic'' - Steven Soderbergh made two of the year's best, ``Erin Brockovich'' and this expansive exploration of the U.S.-Mexico drug war. What elevates ``Traffic'' is the skill with which Soderbergh interweaves a huge cast and three subplots, painting very human faces on dealers, bureaucrats, users, cops in the field. ``Traffic'' is socially redeeming entertainment at its best. 3. ``Dancer in the Dark'' - This macabre mix of doom and musical zest by director Lars von Trier is an alternate-reality tale that builds to a devastating conclusion. The top Cannes honoree features an ethereal film debut by pop singer Bjork. With perverse hope, she croons and hoofs her way through a bleak existence as an introverted Czech immigrant bound to earth by gossamer strands. 4. ``The Claim'' - There's a palpable sense of historical authenticity in Michael Winterbottom's gold-rush tragedy, inspired by ``The Mayor of Casterbridge.'' Peter Mullan is melancholy incarnate as a gold baron trying to make amends after swapping wife and daughter for riches. The pioneer realism is intensified by subtle, muted performances from Sarah Polley, Wes Bentley, Nastassja Kinski and Milla Jovovich. 5. ``Wonder Boys'' - A box-office failure last spring, this smart, funny, way offbeat tale from director Curtis Hanson is in theaters for a much-deserved second chance. Michael Douglas is terrific as an artistically and romantically hapless novelist trying to rediscover secure footing in the world. There's great support from Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Tobey Maguire and Katie Holmes. 6. ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' - Kick-butt action meets sheer elegance in Ang Lee's rousing tale of warriors and honor in ancient China. The dreamlike, high-wire fight scenes are a lovely respite from ``Matrix'' mania. The movie pulses with themes of youthful arrogance and romance squandered. And not since Sigourney Weaver's second ``Alien'' outing have female heroes been so graciously crafted. 7. ``O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' - A Klan rally that resembles the march of the Wicked Witch's guards in ``The Wizard of Oz''? Must be the Coen brothers. Like ``The Big Lebowski,'' a lot of people won't get this Depression-era take on ``The Odyssey.'' But it's enormously entertaining, visually and musically audacious and lets George Clooney go deliriously over the top. 8. ``Quills'' - Sadomasochism for the discriminating moviegoer. Philip Kaufman's comically savage portrait of the asylum-bound Marquis de Sade is off-putting and compelling at the same time. The film is an uncompromising look at the extremes of artistic integrity. Geoffrey Rush, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine and Joaquin Phoenix shine in a quartet of difficult, emotionally draining roles. 9. ``Tigerland'' - If grit were groceries, this diamond-in-the-rough about Vietnam-bound grunts would have K rations to last a lifetime. Director Joel Schumacher crafts a potent examination of fear, camaraderie, reluctant heroism and wily resistance to fate. The talented cast of relative unknowns and the minimalist documentary style heighten the impact. 10. ``High Fidelity'' - Top five reasons to love it: 1. John Cusack as a ranting romantic in the rain. 2. Iben Hjejle. She's Denmark's best new export. 3. Great walk-ons by Lisa Bonet, Lili Taylor and Catherine Zeta-Jones. 4. Jack Black. He sings as well as he waxes sarcastic. 5. Director Stephen Frears, adding another small gem to his filmography. AP Entertainment Writer Christy Lemire: 1. ``Requiem for a Dream'' - Darren Aronofsky's stylish tale of four Coney Island drug addicts is not for the faint of heart, but it's easily the most compelling and visually stunning film of the year. The final minutes are a devastating, seamless montage of sight and sound. Ellen Burstyn gives the best performance of her career, and Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly are heartbreaking as desperate junkies in love. 2. ``Shadow of the Vampire'' - If you love movies and the art of moviemaking, you will love this fictionalized depiction of what happened behind the scenes of the 1922 German horror classic ``Nosferatu.'' Director E. Elias Merhige creates a textured sense of place, punctuated by bravura turns from John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe. The script is intelligent and funny, scary and dramatic. 3. ``The Virgin Suicides'' - In her directorial debut, Sofia Coppola shows a keen sense of detail and mood in this wistful 1970s story of a family that slowly deteriorates after the youngest of five daughters commits suicide. Kirsten Dunst stands outs smartly, as always, and Kathleen Turner and James Woods strike the right melancholy tone. The screenplay, adapted closely from Jeffrey Eugenides' novel, accurately conveys the sadness of teen-age girls. 4. ``The Girl on the Bridge'' - Gorgeously shot in black and white, this surreal French film about a despondent waif and a knife thrower mesmerizes. Vanessa Paradis and Daniel Auteuil smolder and sizzle as a couple with a psychic connection. Patrice Leconte borrows heavily from legendary Italian director Federico Fellini, but it works. 5. ``Croupier'' - Slick and sharp, this retro noir film follows a writer who takes a job at a casino and falls into a dangerous scheme. Clive Owen is so suave, so sexy, he could be a seedy version of James Bond. The film is full of intrigue, suspense and surprises, worth seeking out. Unfortunately, it's ineligible for Oscar consideration because it was broadcast twice in international TV markets. 6. ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' - A chick flick that kicks butt, Ang Lee's combination of a love story and a traditional Hong Kong martial arts film is consistently inventive. The fight scenes, choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping (``The Matrix''), are more like an exquisite ballet. The visual imagery is lush and romantic. But the film belongs to the women - Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi. 7. ``Chicken Run'' - Smart and fun from start to finish, the film has been described as ``The Great Escape'' with feathers; it's so much more. Peter Lord and Nick Park, creators of the British ``Wallace & Gromit'' shorts, make the intricate, highly detailed clay animation look easy. Voice-overs from Mel Gibson and Julia Sawalha are energetic and inspired. Everyone can enjoy this film, no matter how old they are. 8. ``Almost Famous'' - Beautifully developed characters, thoughtful dialogue and a great '70s soundtrack highlight Cameron Crowe's semiautobiographical tale of a teen-age Rolling Stone rock critic. Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup and Patrick Fugit give star-making performances. Everything about this film is deliciously alive and believable. 9. ``Tigerland'' - It's hard to believe Joel Schumacher, a bastion of 1980s Big Hollywood, directed this understated, realistic film about the Vietnam War. With its handheld camerawork, natural lighting and lack of sound effects, it's more like a gritty documentary. Colin Farrell, a magnetic Irish stage actor, gives a breakout performance as a rebellious Army private. 10. ``Wonder Boys'' - Michael Douglas shines in the unlikely role of an English professor and novelist who's stuck, personally and professionally. The acting is categorically strong from a talented ensemble cast, especially Robert Downey Jr. The dialogue is insightful, the characters feel achingly real, and although the story takes place over a wild weekend, the situations never seem forced. AP
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