The HSU Brand (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 86, No. 8, Ed. 1, Thursday, March 11, 1999 Page: 8 of 16

                                
.'4
The year 1998 gave us the usual cinematic grab bag of heroes
villains explosions and car chases. Now most of the time I love that.
Every year however I look for films that challenge that really make the
mind work and that either take me somewhere I haven't been before sug-
gest a new way of looking at something familiar or just give me a good
time. Submitted for your approval: the year's best movies. I'll start with the
number one flick; the rest will be listed in alphabetical order as it would be
very difficult to rank them. Please remember that this is just my opinion
and I did not get a chance to see everything that came out. Also bear in
mind: it's only the movies.
The Best...
Saving Private Ryan
In response to the
many criticisms this
movie received I have
to agree that the cemetery bookends were a little too manipulative.
Personally I didn't mind them that much but they did belabor the point
somewhat. Other then that however SPR brought me closer to battle than
any other film I've yet seen. More than that though it is an exploration of
the effects of war on ordinary people. Yes we've seen characters like this
before but they are portrayed very convincingly and this helps us identify
with them. To those who would say the film
wouldn't have been as much without the brutal
battle scenes I agree. Those sequences are
there however and they are some of Steven
Spielberg's best work as a director. Robert
Rodat's screenplay also impressed me
though in how it balanced the overt inhumani-
ty of combat with the subtle characterizations
of the soldiers particularly Tom Hanks and
Jeremy Davies characters. This is truly one of
the finest war films ever made.
The Rest...
Cube
This reworking of the Lifeboat theme is actually a very
interesting little film. Six strangers are awakened to find them-
selves in a cubic structure made up of smaller cubes. After the
prerequisite squabbling they soon learn that each of them is there for a rea-
son and that they must work together to escape. What could have been
hopelessly contrived and cliched emerges as a thoughtful and complex film
that gave me some wonderful Twilight Zone flashbacks. All kinds of Serling-
esqe "true-nature-of-man" concepts are explored making Cube a fascinat
ing film to watch.
Dark City
One of the most imaginative movies of the year
Dark City presents a world where the sun never
shines and where a group of mysterious beings known
as the Strangers "tune" the city every twelve hours
experimenting with the human inhabitants as scientists
would guinea pigs. However one man (Rufus Sewell)
wakes up one night in a hotel room suffering from
severe amnesia prompting him to undertake a journey
of discovery both of the secrets of the city and of him-
self. What's great about this film is that it gives the
audience a chance to wonder what its about before
revealing too much a rarity these days.
mtsmtb
Although more speculative than factual this is a
mesmerizing account of the early part of Queen
Elizabeth I's reign. England was a rough place during the 1500s with all
kinds of freaks who would just as soon burn you at the stake as look at
you. After the Catholic monarch Mary dies without ordering the execution of
her cousin Elizabeth the young Protestant ascends the throne. The film
Elizabeth unfolds sort of like a 16th century Godfather with many different
factions seeking the throne or at least control of it. Geoffrey Rush is particu-
larly menacing as Walsingham and Joseph Fiennes turns in a commend-
able portrayal of Lord Robert Dudley who was supposedly Elizabeth's lover
before she "became" the Virgin Queen. The film is indeed full of inaccura-
cies but then so was Lawrence of Arabia.
Hilary and TGcJ-ie
This beautifully told story of the rela-
tionship between the famous cellist Jaqueline
Du Pre (Emily Watson) and her sister Hilary
-page 8-
Bryan Tuck
Entertainment
Editor
(Rachel Griffiths) features magnificent performances from
its two leads. The film based on the book A Genius in the
Family by Hilary and her brother is divided into four
episodes. The first chronicles the girls' loving rivalry during
their early years. The second and third parts portray the
early years of Hilary and Jackie's respectively adult life.
Finally Jackie's gradual descent into multiple sclerosis is shown as is
Hilary's continued affection for her despite her many eccentricities. In addi
tion to the powerful acting the film boasts a complex script solid direction
and some beautiful music.
The: Mpvsk- of orro
Pure unadulterated escapism
to be sure but it's done with such
style and wit you can't help but love it. Antonio
Bandares and Anthony Hopkins are fun to
watch and director Martin Campbell stages
some expertly choreographed and genuinely
exciting sword fights. Of all the classic charac-
ters given modern facelifts Zorro appears to be
one the few to emerge with his integrity com-
pletely intact. Screenwriters Ted Elliot and Terry
Rossio are to be commended for writing a story
first and then integrating action sequences into it rather than the other way
around. James Horner's score sort of a flamenco-flavored Willow also pro-
vides some boost to make the action and drama all the more thrilling. The
blend of derring-do tempered with heart make this one of the most flat-out
entertaining movies of the year.
Pleasantville
This was one of the year's most (sorry
I can't resist) pleasant surprises.
Writerdirector Gary Ross's wonderfully layered script and his shrewd han-
dling of colorblack-and-white CGI make this one of the most creative and
original movies to come out in quite a while. Winning performances from
Reese Witherspoon Tobey Maguire William H. Macy Joan Allen J.T.
Walsh Jeff Daniels Don Knotts (I) and the rest of the cast make it even
more enjoyable. Pleasantville can be seen as a call for the acceptance of
change a metaphor for the latter half of the 20th century or a number of
other different ways. The best thing about this film is that it leaves the
thoughtful viewer with much on which to ponder.
SJhakeApjdwte iti ovc
Although I think it was nominated for a
few too many Oscars SIL is an extreme
ly enjoyable film. It's really hard for fans of the Bard not to enjoy the subtle
(and not-so-subtle) nods to his work. Don't watch this movie thinking you're
going to learn something new about Shakespeare other than the fact that
he was a human being and just as susceptible to Writers' Block (among
other things) as anyone else. Other than that it's a highly fictionalized
acount of the composition of Romeo and Juliet otherwise known by the
working title Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter. This is another
example of a movie doing it's job: entertaining its audience.
A SIMPLE PLAN
"Restraint" is probably not the first word
that comes to mind at the mention of direc
tor Sam Raimi or his visual style. That is why this film is such an impressive
accomplishment for the man behind movies like Darkman and the Evil
Dead series. The story is told quite well simply and very effectively. Based
on the novel of the same name A Simple Plan follows the events that
occur after three men discover a downed plane carrying a dead pilot and
$4.4 million in cash. They assume it must be drug money and therefore
okay to keep. They soon learn though that keeping it a secret is anything
but "simple." The film reminds the audience of how stupid even ordinary
educated people can be when greed takes hold of them.
The Truman Show
I was quite disappointed this superb
film did not receive an Oscar nomination
for Best Picture. Jim Carrey delivers an outstanding performance as the
title character who discovers that his whole life is a television show.
Andrew Niccol's multi-level script was the perfect vehicle for Carrey to
broaden his acting range. Ed Harris is also impressive as Christof (catch
the symbolism) the creator and controller of the program. Even after all the
hype advertising The Truman Show as a drama rather than a comedy it is
still surprising how moving the actual film is.
Runners-up: Antz
K
A Bug 's Life Out of Sight
Waking Ned Devine