2001--The Year in Review

In that most of my top ten films are decked with a multitude of challenging roles for women, 2001 begs to be seen as the second consecutive year in which female-driven stories are at the forefront. And it's David Lynch's stubbornly complex reworking of a scuttled TV series, Mulholland Dr., that commanded the imaginations of the most assured movie lovers that year. It's an extremely divisive work that confounds and disgusts many who've seen it. No matter. It's remains a masterpiece--maybe Lynch's best--that treats the eye to a detailed dissection of the dream process while hoodwinking us with a Nancy Drew-like mystery that turns vicious and downtrodden. Its main player is Naomi Watts, the Australian actress (and best friend to competitor Nicole Kidman) who, in her breakthrough role, fooled us into thinking her a cheery dolt when she's actually a full-blown artisan. I've never experienced such a mid-film turnaround on a performance as I did here, and I find more and more to admire about it with each repeat viewing.

There are many 2001 films to which I experienced a powerful emotional response: Richard Kelly's jolting debut Donnie Darko sank me with stinging tears every time I watched it (his subsequent films have been radically disappointing), while Baz Luhrmann's epic musical Moulin Rouge!, Todd Field's small-scoped revenge drama In the Bedroom and John Cameron Mitchell's rocking adaptation of his stage hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch all got my heart racing. Spielberg's adaptation of a once-Kubrick spearheaded sci-fi tale, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, also pierced my soul, though I despised its most misguided, Spielberg-indulgent moments. Michael Haneke stunned us with a typically (for him) stormy and blood-dotted character piece featuring a never-better Isabelle Huppert (who, to date, has yet to receive an Oscar nomination--a crime). And the Documentary prize-winner, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's Murder on a Sunday Morning stands as an infuriating retelling of injustices that have become sickeningly common in America. Gosford Park became the Altman movie that everyone adores (with its complexly satiric scripting and Helen Mirren's sternly damaged housekeeper), while Terry Zwigoff's Ghost World emerged as an ageless cult film and arguably the best comic-book-derived cinematic work as it provided the world's abject losers with a dose of tough love (and the treasured Steve Buscemi with his most apt role). With all the other fine movies available here, I still can't figure out why the hell the Academy handed Best Picture to Ron Howard's generally abysmal A Beautiful Mind. I can only surmise they really liked Apollo 13. Still, all in all, a terrific year for movies, if not for the Academy. NOTE: These are MY choices for each category, and are only occasionally reflective of the selections made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (aka The Oscars). When available, the nominee that actually won the Oscar will be highlighted in bold.

PICTURE: MULHOLLAND DR. (US, David Lynch)
(2nd: Donnie Darko (US, Richard Kelly; note: for the original version and not the Director's Cut)
followed by: Gosford Park (UK/US, Robert Altman)
Moulin Rouge! (Australia/US, Baz Luhrmann)
In the Bedroom (US, Todd Field)
The Piano Teacher (France, Michael Haneke)
Ghost World (US, Terry Zwigoff)
Y Tu Mama También (Mexico, Alfonso Cuaron)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (US, John Cameron Mitchell)
Monsters Inc. (US, Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, and David Silverman)
Time Out (France, Laurent Cantet)
The Royal Tenenbaums (US, Wes Anderson)
Lantana (Australia, Ray Lawrence)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (US, Steven Spielberg)
Spirited Away (Japan, Hayao Miyazaki)
Series 7: The Contenders (US, Daniel Minahan)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (US, Joel Coen)
Enigma (UK, Michael Apted)
Conspiracy (US/UK, Frank Pierson)
Murder on a Sunday Morning (France/US, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade)
Domestic Violence (US, Frederick Wiseman)
Winged Migration (France/Italy, Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud and Michel Dubats)
Lovely and Amazing (US, Nicole Holofcener)
The Son’s Room (Italy, Nanni Moretti)
No Man’s Land (Bosnia, Danis Tanovic)
The Deep End (US, Scott McGeehee and David Siegel)
Buffalo Soldiers (US, Gregor Jordan)
Waiting for Godot (UK, Michael Lindsay-Hogg)
War Photographer (Switzerland, Christian Frei)
Amelie (France, Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
The Tailor of Panama (US/Ireland, John Boorman)
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (UK, Jan Harlan)
Wet Hot American Summer (US, David Wain)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (US/New Zealand, Peter Jackson)
The Cat’s Meow (US, Peter Bogdanovich)
The Devil’s Backbone (Spain, Guillermo del Toro)
Va Savoir (France, Jacques Rivette)
Wit (US, Mike Nichols)
Session 9 (US, Brad Anderson)
The Lady and the Duke (France, Eric Rohmer)
Frailty (US, Bill Paxton)
Zoolander (US, Ben Stiller)
Intacto (Spain, Juan Carlos Fresnodillo)
Lagaan (India, Ashutosh Gowariker)
The Believer (US, Henry Bean)
The Others (US, Alejandro Amenábar)
Ali (US, Michael Mann)
Heist (US, David Mamet)
The Emperor’s New Clothes (UK, Alan Taylor)
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (US, Jill Sprecher)
Hell House (US, George Ratliff)
Training Day (US, Antoine Fuqua)
Waking Life (US, Richard Linklater)
Crazy/Beautiful (US, John Stockwell)
The Grey Zone (US, Tim Blake Nelson)
Elling (Norway, Petter Næss)
Daddy and Them (US, Billy Bob Thornton)
Iris (UK, Richard Eyre)
Monster’s Ball (US, Marc Forster)
Shaolin Soccer (Hong Kong/China, Stephen Chow)
L.I.E. (US, Michael Cuesta)
A Beautiful Mind (US, Ron Howard)
Home Movie (US, Chris Price)
Dogtown and Z-Boys (US, Stacy Peralta)
How High (US, Jesse Dylan)
Sugar and Spice (US, Francine McDougall)
From Hell (US, Albert Hughes and Allan Hughes)
Legally Blonde (US, Robert Luketic)
Last Orders (UK, Fred Schepisi)
Spy Kids (US, Robert Rodriguez)
The Princess Diaries (US, Garry Marshall)
Pootie Tang (US, Louis CK)
Bully (US, Larry Clark)
Tape (US, Richard Linklater)
Bridget Jones' Diary (US/UK, Sharon Maguire)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (US/UK, Chris Columbus)
Shrek (US, Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson)
Pearl Harbor (US, Michael Bay))


 
ACTOR: John Cameron Mitchell, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (2nd: Tom Wilkinson, In The Bedroom, followed by: Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums; Ryan Gosling, The Believer; Denzel Washington, Training Day; Will Smith, Ali; Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge!; Haley Joel Osment, A.I. Artificial Intelligence)



ACTRESS: Naomi Watts, MULHOLLAND DR. (2nd: Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher, followed by: Sissy Spacek, In The Bedroom; Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge!; Thora Birch, Ghost World; Halle Berry, Monster’s Ball; Maribel Verdu, Y Tu Mama Tambien; Emma Thompson, Wit)

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Steve Buscemi, GHOST WORLD (2nd: Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by: Jim Broadbent, Iris; Jude Law, A.I. Artificial Intelligence; Brian Cox, L.I.E.; Paul Rudd, Wet Hot American Summer; Alan Arkin, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Helen Mirren, GOSFORD PARK (2nd: Brooke Smith, Series 7: The Contenders, followed by: Marisa Tomei, In The Bedroom; Laura Elena Harring, Mulholland Dr.; Maggie Smith, Gosford Park; Beth Grant, Donnie Darko; Emily Mortimer, Lovely and Amazing; Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind)

DIRECTOR: David Lynch, MULHOLLAND DR. (2nd: Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko, followed by: Michael Haneke, The Piano Teacher; Robert Altman, Gosford Park; Todd Field, In The Bedroom; Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge!; Alfonso Cuaron, Y Tu Mama Tambien; Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down)

NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM: THE PIANO TEACHER (France, Michael Haneke) (2nd: Y Tu Mama También (Mexico, Alfonso Cuaron), followed by: Time Out (France, Laurent Cantet); Spirited Away (Japan, Hayao Miyazaki); The Son’s Room (Italy, Nanni Moretti); No Man’s Land (Bosnia, Danis Tanovic); Amelie (France, Jean-Pierre Jeunet); The Devil’s Backbone (Spain, Guillermo del Toro); Va Savoir (France, Jacques Rivette); The Lady and the Duke (France, Eric Rohmer); Intacto (Spain, Juan Carlos Fresnodillo); Shaolin Soccer (Hong Kong/China, Stephen Chow); Elling (Norway, Petter Næss))

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING (France/US, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade) (2nd: Domestic Violence (US, Frederick Wiseman), followed by: Winged Migration (France/Italy, Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud and Michel Dubats); War Photographer (Switzerland, Christian Frei); Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (UK, Jan Harlan);  Hell House (US, George Ratliff); Home Movie (US, Chris Price); Dogtown and Z-Boys (US, Stacy Peralta))



ANIMATED FEATURE: SPIRITED AWAY (Japan, Hayao Miyazaki) (2nd: Monsters Inc. (US, Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich), followed by: Waking Life (US, Richard Linklater))

ANIMATED SHORT: GIVE UP YER AUL SINS (Ireland, Cathal Gaffney) (2nd: Japanese Myths (US, Eric Forrest), followed by: Lovesong (US, Stan Brakhage); Fifty Percent Gray (Ireland, Ruairi Robinson))



LIVE ACTION SHORT: THANKSGIVING (US, Alex R. Johnson) (2nd: And I Will Not Leave You Until I Die (Poland, Maciaj Ademek); Incidental Park Zones and You (Canada, John Marriott); The Accountant (US, Ray McKinnon); Copy Shop (Austria, Virgil Widrich))

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Julian Fellowes, GOSFORD PARK (2nd: Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko, followed by: Loring Mandel, Conspiracy; Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums; David Lynch, Mulholland Dr.)



ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff, GHOST WORLD (2nd: Todd Field, Robert Festinger and Andre Dubus, In The Bedroom, followed by: Ian Watson and Steven Spielberg, A.I. Artificial Intelligence; Michael Haneke, The Piano Teacher; Andrew Bovell, Lantana)

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (2nd: Donald McAlpine, Moulin Rouge!, followed by: Bruno Delbonnel, Amelie; Slawomir Idziak, Black Hawk Down; Andrew Lesnie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

ART DIRECTION: MOULIN ROUGE!, Gosford Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Amelie, The Royal Tenenbaums

COSTUME DESIGN: MOULIN ROUGE!, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Gosford Park, The Royal Tenenbaums 



FILM EDITING: BLACK HAWK DOWN, Moulin Rouge!, Mulholland Dr., Donnie Darko, Series 7: The Contenders

SOUND: BLACK HAWK DOWN, Monsters Inc., Moulin Rouge!, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, A.I. Artificial Intelligence 

SOUND EFFECTS: BLACK HAWK DOWN, Monsters Inc., The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 



ORIGINAL SCORE: John Williams, A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (2nd: Patrick Doyle, Gosford Park, followed by: Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Angelo Badalamenti, Mulholland Dr.; Michael Andrews, Donnie Darko)



ADAPTATION SCORE/SCORING OF A MUSICAL: Stephen Trask, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (2nd: Craig Armstrong, Moulin Rouge!)



ORIGINAL SONG: "One Day I’ll Fly Away" from MOULIN ROUGE! (Music and lyrics by Will Jennings and Joe Sample) (2nd: “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge! (Music and lyrics by David Baerwald), followed by: “Vanilla Sky” from Vanilla Sky (Music and lyrics by Paul McCartney); “If I Didn’t Have You” from Monsters Inc. (Music and lyrics by Randy Newman); "Until" from Kate and Leopold (Music and lyrics by Sting))

SPECIAL EFFECTS: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Moulin Rouge! 

MAKEUP: PLANET OF THE APES, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Hedwig and The Angry Inch

My Movie Poster Collection: M

Remember that you can always click on the images themselves to see them (hopefully) larger:

MAGIC (1978). Folded, G
Wow, that freaking poem! And the image of Fats looking at us with his dead eyes. When I choose to hang this masterful one-sheet up on my walls, I find I have difficulty sleeping. Along with Oh! What A Lovely War, the strangest of all Richard Attenbourough works.

MAGNOLIA (1999). Rolled, Pre-release, VG
An colossal pre-release poster for Paul Thomas Anderson's epic of Los Angeles redemption. This image left everyone wondering what the frogs were all about. Of course, now we all know.

MAGNOLIA (1999). Rolled, release, G
Contrasting the above image (which makes a cool cameo at the bottom here), we have the titular flower, and the cast serving as wistful petals. How I love this movie--fittingly, it was the first film I caught after the turn of the 21st Century. Perhaps also fittingly, my final film if the 20th Century was Trent Harris' crazy-hysterical Rubin and Ed, with Crispin Glover and Howard Hesseman. Forget the plot; merely see it cause the movie's a sharp-cut bender--a totally out-of-hand comedy with (pussying out on the phrase) "career-defining leads." Anyway...just felt I'd interject a li'l side note there...(NOTE: Signed by Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014).

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975). Folded, VG
Beautiful Tom Jung artwork takes the center stage in this magnificent one-sheet for John Huston's rollicking adventure. One of my favorite pieces in my collection.

MANON OF THE SPRING (1988). Folded, G
The sequel poster to Claude Berri's slightly better Jean De Florette features Emmanuelle Beart as the free-spirited, and vengeful title character. This movie, based on the book by Marcel Pagnol (who also dabbled in filmmaking) is the Greek tragedy of the French countryside. It, along with its predecessor, is one of my favorite films of all time.
MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART (1993). Folded, G
A lavish romance from New Zealand's premier director Vincent Ward. Unfortunately, this poster reveals what little hope its studio had for the film. Even with stunning star Anne Parillaud at its center, it fails. But see the movie anyway.

MARATHON MAN (1977). Folded, VG
Pure 70s flavor through and through, with the black background and repeating title. I'd have stuck Lawrence Olivier's tooth-jiggering Nazi dentist on it somehow, but I like the poster anyway. And the film itself, while a definite potboiler, is an essential quasi-noir.

MARIE BAIE DES ANGES (1997). Folded, G
Never seen it. Looks like a downer. Is it? 

MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976). Folded, G
My eyes bugged out of my head when I ran across this poster. I swear, I looked like the wolf in a Tex Avery cartoon. I had gold in my hand. Massacre at Central High was a movie I never forgot having seen at the Northeast Expressway Twin Drive-in back in the summer of 76. And how suitable it was for that time! As the Bicentennial Minutes were ticking away on CBS, I was watching this initially cruddy but ultimately powerful B-movie that tries to communicate the dramatization of that great line from the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again": "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Renee Daalder's cult film is an ultimate lesson in political science. The fact that this is not available on DVD stateside (presumably to protect post-Columbine kiddies) is infuriating to me!

MASS APPEAL (1984). Folded, VG
Not a movie I care for, even if Jack Lemmon is mildly good in it. 

THE MATRIX (1999). Rolled, NM. 


ME, NATALIE (1969). Folded, G
Interestingly, this Patty Duke vehicle was also Al Pacino's debut movie (he has about a minute on-screen). I like the ad copy (which is hard to read here), and the fact that the film is rated M (for mature audiences only). I want a shirt with the M rating on it.
MEATBALLS (1979). Folded, VG
Morgan Kane did the fetching artwork for Bill Murray's debut starrer. I still have a deep and everloving soft spot for this movie. Its ensemble cast works well together, and composer Elmer Bernstein delivers a fun score, with some unexpectedly lovely and raucous songs, too.

MEN IN BLACK (1997). Rolled, VG
It was a hit that I liked, and so here it is--though I still think the poster could've benefited from from Drew Struzan artwork. (What's a poster for this movie worth without Vincent D'Onofrio and Tony Shaloub?)

THE MEPHISTO WALTZ (1971). Folded, G
Devil worshippers, take note.

THE MERCENARY (AKA REVENGE OF A GUNFIGHTER) (1968). Folded, VG
I've heard this is a pretty bad entry into the spaghetti western genre, but any poster with Tony Musante on it is going into my collection.

THE MEXICAN (2001). Rolled, VG
James Gandolfini delivers a memorable supporting turn in this film, but otherwise it's forgettable. Despite having two matinee idols smooching on it, the poster doesn't do much to quell this opinion.
 
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY (1982). Folded, VG
Very little affection for this poster, or for Woody Allen's movie (the film does have Gordon Willis' photography going for it, though).

MIGHTY PEKING MAN (1977). Rolled, 2000 rerelease, VG
Moving on...

THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962). Folded, VG
This early Arthur Penn film is pretty stagey. The two leads, Anne Bancroft and (especially) Patty Duke, are stupendous, but the movie is somewhat stiff cinematically. In fact, only the poster (which, I think does NOT star the film's actresses) is cinematic. This is the best shot in the movie, and it doesn't even appear in the movie. It's one of my favorite one-sheets. 

MISSING (1982). Folded, VG
A wise use of white space, for what I still believe is an underrated film (despite its winning awards at Cannes, the 1982 Oscars, and being on the Criterion release roster).

MISSION TO MARS (2000). Folded, VG
Not a DePalma movie I remember liking, but I'm wondering if I should revisit it.
THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976). Folded, G
Gorgeous Bob Peak art for another Arthur Penn movie, this one notorious for the crazed performance given by Mr. Brando. I don't hate this film as much as many people seem to. I certainly don't hate the one-sheet. 

MISTRESS AMERICA (2015). Rolled, NM.  

THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957). Folded, NM.

MOONSTRUCK (1987). Folded, G
A sweet image of Cher. Another movie I need to revisit.

MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON (1984). Folded, VG
Robin Williams' best lead performance in a movie, directed ably by Paul Mazursky. The beautiful one-sheet is a take-off on the famed New Yorker magazine cover, right down to aping the magazine's logo.

THE MOSQUITO COAST (1986). Rolled, VG
This Peter Weir movie deserves more of a cult status than it has. It's easily Harrison Ford's finest hour, and the intense poster reminds us of his sweaty, mystifying turn as Allie Fox, the inventor who escapes America with his family and ventures into the jungles to bring the concept of ice to its natives. 

MULHOLLAND DR. (2001). Rolled, Version A, NM
Up until this time, most post-Dune David Lynch posters contained images of TWO main characters, both acting as yin and yang to each other. However, for this film, Lynch wisely chose to release two posters simultaneously. This one features our main character, played by Naomi Watts... 

MULHOLLAND DR. (2001). Rolled, Version B, NM
...and this one features her partner/doppelganger, played by Laura Elena Harring. The fact that there are two posters, separate but equal, for this landmark 2001 film, tells us a lot about the secrets contained within the movie. These two are keepers.

MURDER, INC. (1960). Folded, P
My version of this one-sheet is REALLY beat-up--it's falling apart, really. But I still like it. Sometimes I like having one-sheets that are damaged. It gives them character, and history. They've been places, y'know?

MY BODYGUARD (1980). Folded, review sheet, VG
A teenage favorite for me. This review poster is the one I remember seeing at the theaters, and I still love it for its main image. The reviews remind me of my affection for this Tony Bill-directed classic.

MY BODYGUARD (1980). Folded, VG
THIS is the main poster for the film, apparently. I bought it out of sentiment, but this is one of the rare instances where I actually prefer the review sheet.

MY DINNER WITH ANDRE (1981). Folded, G
I love this one. It's so very funny, with the juxtaposed repeats of those four images of our heroes. And Andre Gregory and Wally Shawn on a poster? It'll never happen again.

MY FAVORITE YEAR (1982). Folded, G
Another sentimental favorite of mine. This movie, besides having Peter O'Toole and Jessica Harper in it (two of the best actors around), has an amazing screenplay, and perfect 50s period detail. The one-sheet, I think, let's you have a taste of the latter. 

MY NAME IS NOBODY (1973). Folded, VG
I haven't seen this movie in years, but I recall loving it at the drive-ins back in the 70s. Am I remembering wrong? Also, this is the only Sergio Leone related poster that I own, which makes it very special in my eyes.