Sam's Best of the 1990s

This was a tough assignment. The best of the 2000s list had over 2 years fewer films in it, and that made the 90s much harder to tackle. So many movies that I loved did not make the list.

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

From “Blood Simple” to “The Big Lebowski”, the Coen Brothers came out of the gates with 6 amazing films, and “Miller’s Crossing” is my favorite of them all. The plot is delightfully complicated, with no patience for an inattentive audience. The dialogue is brilliantly sharp and humorous, full of memorable and quotable dialogue: “You only got as big as I let you get and no bigger, and don’t forget it ever.” The ensemble acting is incredible. I believe that there are career-best performances from John Turturro, Jon Polito, Albert Finney, Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, and J.E. Freeman (yes, even better then his turn as Old Fred in “Tremors 4: The Legend Begins”). Steve Buscemi is also great, but my favorite of his performances is next on the list. The soundtrack is excellent, especially in the scoring by Coens’ favorite Carter Burwell. The cinematography by Barry Sonnenfeld is beautiful. He could have continued shooting and become one of the greats, but I guess “Wild Wild West” and “RV” couldn’t have directed themselves.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

This is a brilliant first feature. My favorite aspect is how Tarantino took something as familiar as the heist picture, and made it feel so fresh and exciting by a bold structural choice: never showing the heist itself. Tarantino knows he can write good dialogue, and this movie contains some of his best. There are also amazing performances, which is bittersweet in that many of the actors have not been able to come close to duplicating this level of work since. Michael Madsen is a prime example, who is brilliant, charismatic, and terrifying. Harvey Keitel is also at his best, creating a character who remains likeable despite being so flawed in his decisions. Chris Penn, Lawrence Tierney, and Tim Roth are all strong. I think Steve Buscemi has the performance of a lifetime as Mr. Pink, the hyper, humorous, and witty weasel.

Shallow Grave (1994)

Back-to-back with another amazing debut feature. This partnership of Danny Boyle and Ewan McGregor demonstrated that they have the ability to bring out the best in each other. The premise is instantly relatable, with three friends interviewing for a new roommate. The audience is drawn in, and then must endure the torment of the disintegration of their friendships when the roommates betray each other after the new flatmate dies and leaves behind a suitcase full of cash. The tone is very dark and very funny. Boyle has masterful use of visuals and sounds to propel the story and keep the audience engaged.

Living in Oblivion (1995)

I really don’t know if this movie plays well with people who are not filmmakers. But for anyone who has been on a set and had to face the never-ending parade of events not going according to plan, of disasters striking, and of having to deal with all of this under immense pressure while being surrounded by people mostly falling within the range of eccentric to insane, then this movie hits very close to home. Although often painful, the film is always hysterical. Steve Buscemi, Katherine Keener, and Dermot Mulroney are great. James LeGros is a stand-out playing a thinly veiled version of Brad Pitt, who director Tom DiCillo struggled with in his previous film “Johnny Suede”.

Bound (1996)

The third debut feature on my list, and the second from a team of filmmaking brothers. Like “Reservoir Dogs”, this film also draws from the familiar genres of the heist and gangster pictures. And they similarly make a choice that makes the whole experience feel fresh, having both the protagonist and the femme fatale be women. Pre-“Matrix” franchise, the Wachowski brothers are already demonstrating their excellence with visual storytelling. The plot is tight, and the characters are distinct and charismatic from top to bottom.

Boogie Nights (1997)

This is an epic production by an ambitious auteur. The first shot is a bold and confident bit of filmmaking, with an impossibly dexterous camera in sync with tightly choreographed performances, all the while offering great acting and a beautiful look. The movie remains ambitious throughout, and the ensemble cast is united in a perfect storm of talent at the top of their game.

U-Turn (1997)

Film noir is all about style, with its bold camera positions and angles, its use of light and shadow, soundtrack, narrative structure, and over-the-top characters. Oliver Stone excels in these categories, and he created one of my favorite neo-noirs. All these excesses are playful and enjoyable, but more importantly feel justified in the increasingly unstable state of Sean Penn’s character. Penn is fantastic as the smart-talking protagonist who is born to lose. The ensemble cast is hilariously eccentric, with standout performances by Nick Nolte, Powers Booth, Claire Danes, Billy Bob Thornton, and a scene-stealing turn by Joaquin Phoenix as Toby N Tucker (a.k.a. TNT). Sean Penn gets stuck in the web of Superior, AZ, and spends the rest of the movie futilely struggling to escape.

Croupier (1998)

This is a smart and stylish suspense film. Clive Owen has a breakthrough turn, overflowing with charisma and cool. There are so few charismatic and cool British people out there, I assumed Clive was a lock for being the new James Bond after this performance (hehe, lets see who is reading this). The premise is of a barely-employed writer going undercover as a casino dealer in order to research his new lead character. As the film goes on, the line between the writer and the character vacillates and blurs. There are fun and satisfying twists to the end.

Out of Sight (1998)

Elmore Leonard provides gripping stories and vivid characters in his novels that have proven fertile for film adaptations, and this is my personal favorite. And this includes having to overcome being anchored with J. Lo in a leading role. But Soderbergh is playful with narrative structure and the camera, and the atmosphere he creates is subsequently fresh and enjoyable. As mentioned the writing is tight, with a quickly paced story and uniquely voiced characters. George Clooney is strong in the lead, and there are memorable performances from Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Luis Guizman, and even a charismatic Ving Rhames. The show-stealer is Don Cheadle, who is both hilarious and menacing. Case in point: “Well, the man don’t just have to die, Foley. I mean, he could accidentally hurt himself falling down on something real hard, you know? Like a shiv, or my dick.”

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

If you turn your nose up at this choice, then you simply haven’t seen it. This movie is brilliant. The satire is vicious and spot-on. The comedy is hysterical. But the real genius is in the musical parodies. Trey Parker is a parody savant, totally nailing the spirit of every song (regardless of which diverse musical genre it is from) while warping the familiar associations with it.