Another stellar film year! My 20 films of 1999 with quite a lot in common with you, Harry! 20. Audition (Japan) - *Harry 5* 19. The Blair Witch Project 18. Wonderland 17. Existenz 16. Rosetta (France) 15. A Room For Romeo Brass 14. The Road Home (China) 13. Magnolia - *Harry 6* 12. Not One Less (China) 11. The Matrix - *Harry 3* 10. The Straight Story - *Harry 18* 9. Boys Don't Cry 8. Eyes Wide Shut - *Harry 11* 7. American Beauty - *Harry 15* 6. The Talented Mr Ripley 5. The Wind Will Carry Us (Iran) 4. All About My Mother (Spain) 3. The Insider - *Harry 7* 2. Being John Malkovich - *Harry 1* NUMBER ONE: (you don't talk about) FIGHT CLUB - *Harry 2*
A top 20 list of one of the best years of cinema? We are not worthy! Every single one is an absolute banger. My favourite, The Sixth Sense, is only number 20, which says something. Great list!
Matrix and Fight Club changed the game so hard. After watching these two movies, everything seemed possible. I was in my 20's and these movies inspired me to do something with my life.
Great list! I like all of them! The only one you missed is "Mistery Men". I think it's a great movie, and it was a superhero parody before superheroe movies were so common.
Great list. 1. The Matrix 2. Being John Malkovitch 3. Eyes Wide Shut 4. Office Space 5. Fight Club 6. Election 7. Magnolia 8. Galaxy Quest 9. South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut 10. Toy Story 2
Been binging your videos since I found them. You have great taste for sure. And I usually find a gem I never heard of. This time I’m going to try “American Movie”. My favorites from this year are “Eyes Wide Shut” (my favorite Cruise movie since “Risky Business,” which is sort of similar if you think about it. Sexually-frustrated Tom turns to a hooker, sex party ensues. Has to deal with consequences). And “The Blair Witch Project”, which I saw twice in the cinema that year including early release. Loved, loved, loved it and told the cast so when I met them back then. Update: “American Movie” was fantastic. Hard to believe it’s not a parody, but seems legit from what I’ve read
20th century is complete. Congratulations! Great video as always. My top 1999 films: 01) Eyes Wide Shut 02) The Straight Story 03) The Matrix 04) Magnolia 05) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai 06) The Big Kahuna 07) Being John Malkovich 08) The Green Mile 09) Office Space 10) Dogma
Baby Geniuses. Ha. That f---ing film. A hard year to rank with so many good ones, but this is a solid list as ever, bro star. Love to see American Movie ranked so high (rightfully). My personal favourite of 1999 is Straight Story, man I love that movie. Other unmentioned ones that I liked (I'll spare you the top 50) : Sweet and Lowdown, A Room For Romeo Brass, Grey Owl, Muppets From Space, Tea With Mussolini, The Hurricane, The 13th Warrior... Congrats on completing the 20th century. You've done a top notch job, every video. Seeing as this is a milestone moment for your channel, I'd love to know your Top Ten movies of all time (or of the 20th Century), if you could be bothered to list them. Peace out.
10. The Sixth Sense 9. The Insider 8. Being John Malkovich 7. Magnolia 6. The Matrix 5. The Green Mile 4. American Beauty 3. The Iron Giant 2. October Sky 1. Fight Club
And here we are. The last year of the 90's was also the BEST year of the 90's! My Top 20: 20. Varsity Blues 19. Sleepy Hollow 18. Detroit Rock City 17. Girl, Interrupted 16. Deep Blue Sea 15. The Sixth Sense 14. Cruel Intentions 13. American Pie 12. Go 11. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut 10. The Green Mile 9. The World Is Not Enough 8. The Blair Witch Project 7. Man on the Moon 6. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me 5. The Matrix 4. Office Space 3. Fight Club 2. Galaxy Quest 1. American Beauty
Brilliant video! Funny, your number 20 is probably my number one. Either that or Eyes Wide Shut. I go back and forth. I think I need to see The Matrix again, I haven’t seen it since I was 8. Audition isn’t necessarily the best horror film I’ve seen but it scared me more than anything ever has. Some hidden gems are The War Zone, Boys Don’t Cry, Felicia’s Journey and Peppermint Candy is this incredible Korean film that unfolds backwards, a year before Memento did it.
TOP 20 FILMS OF 1999: 1. The Matrix 2. Toy Story 2 3. The Iron Giant 4. Tarzan 5. The Insider 6. The Sixth Sense 7. Notting Hill 8. Magnolia 9. Fight Club 10. The Green Mile 11. Being John Malkovich 12. The Straight Story 13. Three Kings 14. The Limey 15. Go 16. October Sky 17. Galaxy Quest 18. American Beauty 19. Liberty Heights 20. Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai
Great write up on the legendary 1999! I couldn't agree more with your top three in exactly that order. I can't believe people prefer other Kaufman scripts over BJM. I remember in the theater when the monkey relives his childhood trauma and overcomes it to release Cameron Diaz from her ropes, I thought, "There is no place this film can't go." I had no brains left from them being blown so many times. A few more left field choices: Most people probably haven't seen 8 1/2 Women, but it's a total ribald treat from beginning to end. Both a sly riff on Fellini's 1963 masterpiece and a completely original piece on breaking sexual taboos. I imagine some would be underwhelmed by The Cradle Will Rock, but it's got special meaning to me, as I come from a lineage of folks who were in those same Depression Era socialist circles. It recreates a famous story of a political stage musical (think Brecht meets Odets) that the government tried to censor, but they managed to stage it anyway in a sneaky way. Great ensemble cast. Fantasia 2000 isn't all good, but the Hirschfeld tribute set to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is a masterpiece. Jesus' Son - emotionally wrenching tale of addiction. Great independent film that stands out from the pack, and Samantha Morton really deserves to be regarded as one of our top actresses. The Man of the Century - another complete obscurity. It's a pastiche of early century film genres (yellow peril, drawing room farce, sailor adventure) being lived by a man who acts as though he's an early twentieth century man. Not perfect, but some great laughs and a total hidden gem. Sweet and Lowdown - Ranks right at the top of Woody Allen's past three decades. Incredible music. I mean, as I look through my database, there's just too many great films to put in a CZcams post. Even too many to mention in that book released a few years ago. I could go on and on - School of Flesh, Simpatico, Topsy-Turvy (just a one-line mention? It's soooo good), The Winslow Boy, The Virgin Suicides, Run Lola Run (surprised you didn't mention that), Twin Falls Idaho, Happy Texas, Show Me Love, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Minus Man, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred Leuchet Jr. (superb documentary), Limbo, The Limey, The Red Violin, An Ideal Husband, and of course, Dick. What a fucking year! What the hell has happened to the movie business??
1999 was one of the great years in film history, but I still think 1991 is a definite contender just because it was so top heavy. I don't think there was a single film in '99 that was as good as The Silence of the Lambs or Terminator 2. '91 also gave us Boyz n tha Hood, JFK, Point Break, Cape Fear, Barton Fink, Beauty and the Beast, The Doors and The Fisher King.
Excellent list for a very good year (tho' 1997 is still better in my view). Some of your hon. mentions make my top 10 or even top 5 - e.g., All About My Mother and Topsy Turvy is my #1. I also rate Tim Roth's harrowing The War Zone (a film I was still figuring out things about on the drive home; I had to pull over when a key penny finally dropped for me) and the sparkling Dogme-lite of Mifune.
love the channel , love the content BUT just have to say to preserve accuracy : The 6th Sense was not M. Night Shyamalan's first movie , as you say at the top of the video
This is the list I have been waiting for! THE greatest cinematic year of all time. I love this list and have to say I agree with every choice. "Mark Wahlberg is in his element playing an idiot" 😂😂
For me The most Underrated film was Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams I grew up watching that film and Titus is one of the most visually stunning films of that year
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Toy Story 2 The Matrix The Green Mile Deep Blue Sea Analyze This The Mummy Fight Club The Hurricane Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me Double Jeopardy End of Days Sleepy Hollow Stuart Little Big Daddy Lake Placid Tarzan Magnolia Bringing Out the Dead The World Is Not Enough Bats
Once again, you've made a pretty good list. None of the ones you've made strike me as aberrant, and they're quite close to the lists I would have compiled. Obviously, there are differences, but in this case, not so much in the movies you include as in the order of preferences you put. Anyway, I'm going to list some indispensable movies from 1999 that you haven't even mentioned. The reason? Maybe these are movies that don't seem noteworthy to you, perhaps because you forgot about them when making the video, perhaps because you didn't see them, perhaps because you're not familiar with them. I'm not American (or even an English speaker), which means that sometimes I have access to different cinema that doesn't reach your market as much... But if we're talking about a year in cinema, I believe these movies deserve to be mentioned so that someone who's curious knows that they also belong to the highlights of 1999. Kikujiro. A comedy directed by Takeshi Kitano, a very fashionable director at that time, with a Buddy Movie structure. Very endearing. Sweet and Lowdown. Woody Allen is one of the most important and influential geniuses in cinema (regardless of the opinions about the person). However, I'm not of the opinion that all of his movies are worthwhile. He has a bunch of indispensable films (many). This one, without being one of the most celebrated in his career, is one of the good ones. I would even say it's one of the very good ones. The Cider House Rules. A film that was quite successful at the time, which addresses sensitive topics like abortion and the freedom to choose in a very superficial and gentle manner. Without delving too much into complications, the movie is simple, well-executed, and very lovely (in my opinion), and it deserves to be mentioned. Alone. A European film (specifically Spanish) directed by Benito Zambrano that didn't have any international impact beyond its home country. It coincided with the successful film by Almodóvar, 'All About My Mother' (which is a masterpiece, although you've only included it in the mentions section). 'Solas' (its original title) is a less pretentious social drama but is on par with (if not surpassing) the best works of Ken Loach (to compare it with someone who makes films in a similar style to the movie I'm discussing). Difficult to find (I suppose), but highly recommended to watch. It All Starts Today. Another European film (French this time) with a bit more impact but not enough as it deserves. One of the reasons is that it's directed by the great Bertrand Tavernier. 'Ça commence aujourd'hui' (its original title) is another social drama that addresses the importance of early education and the difficulties of it in the most marginalized neighborhoods. A movie that should be mandatory in public education so that everyone gains perspective on this. The Virgin Suicides. The debut film of the now-famous director Sofia Coppola is also one of her best works. Sad and melancholic, beautiful and straightforward. It's a gem that you shouldn't overlook. Shower. A Chinese film by Zhang Yang that delves deeply into human relationships with great sensitivity. Simple plot, without cinematic artifices, easy to watch... and in its simplicity lies its virtue of being one of the most emotionally touching movies of the year. Without leaving China, director Zhang Yimou presented two impressive films with very different tones. But both serve to describe rural China. On one hand, 'The Road Home,' which portrays women as the invisible pillar of the country's unity. On the other hand, 'Not One Less' (which personally I believe is the better film), which denounces the shortcomings in education services in rural China. Both are very good and very easy to watch... but honestly, 'Not One Less' comes much closer to the descriptor of a masterpiece. Indeed, 1999 is one of those years in which you could mention 100 movies, and all of them would have enough importance to justify watching them. Below, I'm going to mention the most outstanding ones that come to mind without dwelling too much on their justification. 'Rosetta' is the film that internationally introduced the Dardenne brothers. It possesses their characteristic style and is a notable film (like all of theirs). It won at the Cannes Film Festival back in the day, although I admit it might not have been the best choice to win. Still, very interesting. 8MM is a very entertaining thriller by Joel Schumacher with Nicolas Cage at the forefront. (It's gritty) Beau Travail Directed by Claire Denis But I’m a Cheerleader Directed by Jamie Babbit Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Directed by Jay Roach (A commercial success that quickly dethroned Star Wars Episode I from the top of the box office charts.) Boys Don’t Cry Directed by Kimberly Peirce Ratcatcher Directed by Lynne Ramsay My Neighbors the Yamadas Directed by Isao Takahata Attack the Gas Station!... Strange Korean comedy, not very famous, but I found it very hypnotic. Cookie’s Fortune (Last dance of Robert Altman) Darkness and Light. Big taiwan movie directed by Chang Tso-chi Titus Directed by Julie Taymor Mystery Men... The first movie of superhero team-ups before The Avengers or Justice League... A very silly and enjoyable comedy. Especially the Invisible Man who can only turn invisible if no one is looking at him... And I could keep mentioning... because, as I said, 1999 offers a lot... The Hurricane, Garage Olimpo, Felicia’s Journey (Atom Egoyan was in vogue), Three Seasons, etc, etc, etc.
2007 is up there! I think there are still as many interesting films made most years but the blockbusters and big summer releases seem to lack character for me. Much harder to find 20 films a year to recommend highly.
I like 'youtubers' who only put out their best work and this is a masterclass in film editing
Oh my gosh! A video from you I haven't seen. I don't get notifications sometimes. Thank you sir. Ineeded a video from you tonight. Always a pleasure!
Another stellar film year!
My 20 films of 1999 with quite a lot in common with you, Harry!
20. Audition (Japan) - *Harry 5*
19. The Blair Witch Project
18. Wonderland
17. Existenz
16. Rosetta (France)
15. A Room For Romeo Brass
14. The Road Home (China)
13. Magnolia - *Harry 6*
12. Not One Less (China)
11. The Matrix - *Harry 3*
10. The Straight Story - *Harry 18*
9. Boys Don't Cry
8. Eyes Wide Shut - *Harry 11*
7. American Beauty - *Harry 15*
6. The Talented Mr Ripley
5. The Wind Will Carry Us (Iran)
4. All About My Mother (Spain)
3. The Insider - *Harry 7*
2. Being John Malkovich - *Harry 1*
NUMBER ONE: (you don't talk about) FIGHT CLUB - *Harry 2*
A top 20 list of one of the best years of cinema? We are not worthy! Every single one is an absolute banger. My favourite, The Sixth Sense, is only number 20, which says something. Great list!
Tonight I watched Magnolia, The Insider, & Being John Malkovich. Just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations and hope they keep coming.
Matrix and Fight Club changed the game so hard. After watching these two movies, everything seemed possible. I was in my 20's and these movies inspired me to do something with my life.
Great list! I like all of them!
The only one you missed is "Mistery Men". I think it's a great movie, and it was a superhero parody before superheroe movies were so common.
Great selection. Amazing year .
Great list.
1. The Matrix
2. Being John Malkovitch
3. Eyes Wide Shut
4. Office Space
5. Fight Club
6. Election
7. Magnolia
8. Galaxy Quest
9. South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut
10. Toy Story 2
Been binging your videos since I found them. You have great taste for sure. And I usually find a gem I never heard of. This time I’m going to try “American Movie”.
My favorites from this year are “Eyes Wide Shut” (my favorite Cruise movie since “Risky Business,” which is sort of similar if you think about it. Sexually-frustrated Tom turns to a hooker, sex party ensues. Has to deal with consequences). And “The Blair Witch Project”, which I saw twice in the cinema that year including early release. Loved, loved, loved it and told the cast so when I met them back then.
Update: “American Movie” was fantastic. Hard to believe it’s not a parody, but seems legit from what I’ve read
20th century is complete. Congratulations! Great video as always.
My top 1999 films:
01) Eyes Wide Shut
02) The Straight Story
03) The Matrix
04) Magnolia
05) Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
06) The Big Kahuna
07) Being John Malkovich
08) The Green Mile
09) Office Space
10) Dogma
Baby Geniuses. Ha. That f---ing film. A hard year to rank with so many good ones, but this is a solid list as ever, bro star. Love to see American Movie ranked so high (rightfully). My personal favourite of 1999 is Straight Story, man I love that movie. Other unmentioned ones that I liked (I'll spare you the top 50) : Sweet and Lowdown, A Room For Romeo Brass, Grey Owl, Muppets From Space, Tea With Mussolini, The Hurricane, The 13th Warrior... Congrats on completing the 20th century. You've done a top notch job, every video. Seeing as this is a milestone moment for your channel, I'd love to know your Top Ten movies of all time (or of the 20th Century), if you could be bothered to list them. Peace out.
One day maybe!
Bravo again, Harry! I have watched all your other episodes-I guess that makes me a fan.🎥
10. The Sixth Sense
9. The Insider
8. Being John Malkovich
7. Magnolia
6. The Matrix
5. The Green Mile
4. American Beauty
3. The Iron Giant
2. October Sky
1. Fight Club
And here we are. The last year of the 90's was also the BEST year of the 90's!
My Top 20:
20. Varsity Blues
19. Sleepy Hollow
18. Detroit Rock City
17. Girl, Interrupted
16. Deep Blue Sea
15. The Sixth Sense
14. Cruel Intentions
13. American Pie
12. Go
11. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
10. The Green Mile
9. The World Is Not Enough
8. The Blair Witch Project
7. Man on the Moon
6. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
5. The Matrix
4. Office Space
3. Fight Club
2. Galaxy Quest
1. American Beauty
Fight Club is my number one of all time.
I love fight club so much and you described it fantastically
As always, an amazing list! I always am adding movies from your lists on to my watch list! Much appreciated video! Thank you!
Some great picks. My favourite 5 are:
5 10 Things I Hate About You
4 Silent Predators
3 The Mummy
2 Deep Blue Sea
1 American Pie
Also worth checking out:
Mein Liebster Fiend (My Best Fiend)
Summer of Sam
Sweet and Lowdown
Ravenous
Brilliant video!
Funny, your number 20 is probably my number one. Either that or Eyes Wide Shut. I go back and forth. I think I need to see The Matrix again, I haven’t seen it since I was 8.
Audition isn’t necessarily the best horror film I’ve seen but it scared me more than anything ever has.
Some hidden gems are The War Zone, Boys Don’t Cry, Felicia’s Journey and Peppermint Candy is this incredible Korean film that unfolds backwards, a year before Memento did it.
I'll give Peppermint Candy a watch! Especially as Memento rates quite highly for me in 2000.
TOP 20 FILMS OF 1999:
1. The Matrix
2. Toy Story 2
3. The Iron Giant
4. Tarzan
5. The Insider
6. The Sixth Sense
7. Notting Hill
8. Magnolia
9. Fight Club
10. The Green Mile
11. Being John Malkovich
12. The Straight Story
13. Three Kings
14. The Limey
15. Go
16. October Sky
17. Galaxy Quest
18. American Beauty
19. Liberty Heights
20. Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai
Yet another great video, keep them coming!
Dead or Alive ending is insane!
Great write up on the legendary 1999! I couldn't agree more with your top three in exactly that order. I can't believe people prefer other Kaufman scripts over BJM. I remember in the theater when the monkey relives his childhood trauma and overcomes it to release Cameron Diaz from her ropes, I thought, "There is no place this film can't go." I had no brains left from them being blown so many times.
A few more left field choices: Most people probably haven't seen 8 1/2 Women, but it's a total ribald treat from beginning to end. Both a sly riff on Fellini's 1963 masterpiece and a completely original piece on breaking sexual taboos.
I imagine some would be underwhelmed by The Cradle Will Rock, but it's got special meaning to me, as I come from a lineage of folks who were in those same Depression Era socialist circles. It recreates a famous story of a political stage musical (think Brecht meets Odets) that the government tried to censor, but they managed to stage it anyway in a sneaky way. Great ensemble cast.
Fantasia 2000 isn't all good, but the Hirschfeld tribute set to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is a masterpiece.
Jesus' Son - emotionally wrenching tale of addiction. Great independent film that stands out from the pack, and Samantha Morton really deserves to be regarded as one of our top actresses.
The Man of the Century - another complete obscurity. It's a pastiche of early century film genres (yellow peril, drawing room farce, sailor adventure) being lived by a man who acts as though he's an early twentieth century man. Not perfect, but some great laughs and a total hidden gem.
Sweet and Lowdown - Ranks right at the top of Woody Allen's past three decades. Incredible music.
I mean, as I look through my database, there's just too many great films to put in a CZcams post. Even too many to mention in that book released a few years ago. I could go on and on - School of Flesh, Simpatico, Topsy-Turvy (just a one-line mention? It's soooo good), The Winslow Boy, The Virgin Suicides, Run Lola Run (surprised you didn't mention that), Twin Falls Idaho, Happy Texas, Show Me Love, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Minus Man, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred Leuchet Jr. (superb documentary), Limbo, The Limey, The Red Violin, An Ideal Husband, and of course, Dick.
What a fucking year! What the hell has happened to the movie business??
A truly great year!
welcome back brother
1999 was one of the great years in film history, but I still think 1991 is a definite contender just because it was so top heavy. I don't think there was a single film in '99 that was as good as The Silence of the Lambs or Terminator 2. '91 also gave us Boyz n tha Hood, JFK, Point Break, Cape Fear, Barton Fink, Beauty and the Beast, The Doors and The Fisher King.
1991 has some astonishing films! A great decade overall.
Payback , Three Kings and The Mummy is the top 3.
Finally !!, Good work man 👍🏻
It took a while but I got there!
Excellent list for a very good year (tho' 1997 is still better in my view). Some of your hon. mentions make my top 10 or even top 5 - e.g., All About My Mother and Topsy Turvy is my #1. I also rate Tim Roth's harrowing The War Zone (a film I was still figuring out things about on the drive home; I had to pull over when a key penny finally dropped for me) and the sparkling Dogme-lite of Mifune.
Best year in film EVAr
love the channel , love the content BUT just have to say to preserve accuracy : The 6th Sense was not M. Night Shyamalan's first movie , as you say at the top of the video
Whoops! A mistake straight out of the gate. Cheers for the correction. How could I forget Wide Awake with Rosie O'Donnell!
This is the list I have been waiting for! THE greatest cinematic year of all time. I love this list and have to say I agree with every choice.
"Mark Wahlberg is in his element playing an idiot" 😂😂
bro back w a banger yr in film
Good pick!!
Congrats! You've done the 90s! Are you going to do the 2000s backwards year or forward?
It'll be like Challengers. Back and forth. 2007 is next!
@@1-2many If you do 2007 you should watch a Spanish horror movie called The Orphanage.
I love it, One!
For me The most Underrated film was Bicentennial Man starring Robin Williams I grew up watching that film and Titus is one of the most visually stunning films of that year
You left out one of the charms of Magnolia- the music of Aimee Mann.
I was walking down Magnolia Blvd last month and Aimee Mann came on Spotify at random. It felt pretty special.
The World Is Not Enough
1999 foi de foder mesmo.
Tip Jar????
This vid is getting two thumbs up! One from me and one from Thumbs Up Jesus! (If you haven’t, search out Kevin Smith talk about Dogma and who owns it)
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Toy Story 2
The Matrix
The Green Mile
Deep Blue Sea
Analyze This
The Mummy
Fight Club
The Hurricane
Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Double Jeopardy
End of Days
Sleepy Hollow
Stuart Little
Big Daddy
Lake Placid
Tarzan
Magnolia
Bringing Out the Dead
The World Is Not Enough
Bats
Superb drinking
Once again, you've made a pretty good list. None of the ones you've made strike me as aberrant, and they're quite close to the lists I would have compiled.
Obviously, there are differences, but in this case, not so much in the movies you include as in the order of preferences you put.
Anyway, I'm going to list some indispensable movies from 1999 that you haven't even mentioned.
The reason? Maybe these are movies that don't seem noteworthy to you, perhaps because you forgot about them when making the video, perhaps because you didn't see them, perhaps because you're not familiar with them. I'm not American (or even an English speaker), which means that sometimes I have access to different cinema that doesn't reach your market as much...
But if we're talking about a year in cinema, I believe these movies deserve to be mentioned so that someone who's curious knows that they also belong to the highlights of 1999.
Kikujiro. A comedy directed by Takeshi Kitano, a very fashionable director at that time, with a Buddy Movie structure. Very endearing.
Sweet and Lowdown. Woody Allen is one of the most important and influential geniuses in cinema (regardless of the opinions about the person). However, I'm not of the opinion that all of his movies are worthwhile. He has a bunch of indispensable films (many). This one, without being one of the most celebrated in his career, is one of the good ones. I would even say it's one of the very good ones.
The Cider House Rules. A film that was quite successful at the time, which addresses sensitive topics like abortion and the freedom to choose in a very superficial and gentle manner. Without delving too much into complications, the movie is simple, well-executed, and very lovely (in my opinion), and it deserves to be mentioned.
Alone. A European film (specifically Spanish) directed by Benito Zambrano that didn't have any international impact beyond its home country. It coincided with the successful film by Almodóvar, 'All About My Mother' (which is a masterpiece, although you've only included it in the mentions section). 'Solas' (its original title) is a less pretentious social drama but is on par with (if not surpassing) the best works of Ken Loach (to compare it with someone who makes films in a similar style to the movie I'm discussing). Difficult to find (I suppose), but highly recommended to watch.
It All Starts Today. Another European film (French this time) with a bit more impact but not enough as it deserves. One of the reasons is that it's directed by the great Bertrand Tavernier. 'Ça commence aujourd'hui' (its original title) is another social drama that addresses the importance of early education and the difficulties of it in the most marginalized neighborhoods. A movie that should be mandatory in public education so that everyone gains perspective on this.
The Virgin Suicides. The debut film of the now-famous director Sofia Coppola is also one of her best works. Sad and melancholic, beautiful and straightforward. It's a gem that you shouldn't overlook.
Shower. A Chinese film by Zhang Yang that delves deeply into human relationships with great sensitivity. Simple plot, without cinematic artifices, easy to watch... and in its simplicity lies its virtue of being one of the most emotionally touching movies of the year.
Without leaving China, director Zhang Yimou presented two impressive films with very different tones. But both serve to describe rural China. On one hand, 'The Road Home,' which portrays women as the invisible pillar of the country's unity. On the other hand, 'Not One Less' (which personally I believe is the better film), which denounces the shortcomings in education services in rural China. Both are very good and very easy to watch... but honestly, 'Not One Less' comes much closer to the descriptor of a masterpiece.
Indeed, 1999 is one of those years in which you could mention 100 movies, and all of them would have enough importance to justify watching them. Below, I'm going to mention the most outstanding ones that come to mind without dwelling too much on their justification.
'Rosetta' is the film that internationally introduced the Dardenne brothers. It possesses their characteristic style and is a notable film (like all of theirs). It won at the Cannes Film Festival back in the day, although I admit it might not have been the best choice to win. Still, very interesting.
8MM is a very entertaining thriller by Joel Schumacher with Nicolas Cage at the forefront. (It's gritty)
Beau Travail Directed by Claire Denis
But I’m a Cheerleader Directed by Jamie Babbit
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Directed by Jay Roach (A commercial success that quickly dethroned Star Wars Episode I from the top of the box office charts.)
Boys Don’t Cry Directed by Kimberly Peirce
Ratcatcher Directed by Lynne Ramsay
My Neighbors the Yamadas Directed by Isao Takahata
Attack the Gas Station!... Strange Korean comedy, not very famous, but I found it very hypnotic.
Cookie’s Fortune (Last dance of Robert Altman)
Darkness and Light. Big taiwan movie directed by Chang Tso-chi
Titus Directed by Julie Taymor
Mystery Men... The first movie of superhero team-ups before The Avengers or Justice League... A very silly and enjoyable comedy. Especially the Invisible Man who can only turn invisible if no one is looking at him...
And I could keep mentioning... because, as I said, 1999 offers a lot... The Hurricane, Garage Olimpo, Felicia’s Journey (Atom Egoyan was in vogue), Three Seasons, etc, etc, etc.
"The trench" was a nice one! And "From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money" is a nr. 1 for me.
So what is the best year in cinema then? 1999 is certainly a contender...
There are a few contenders for me. 1999 is up there, as well as 1971, 1973, 1979, and 1985!
@@1-2many I'll have to re-watch those top 20's again then :) No contenders this century eh? What is missing from contemporary film making?
2007 is up there! I think there are still as many interesting films made most years but the blockbusters and big summer releases seem to lack character for me. Much harder to find 20 films a year to recommend highly.
The Matrix is utter garbage.