BOB STRAUSS' TOP 10.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer 1. Before Sunset / Sideways: Superb writing and acting, unobtrusive but expert direction and, above all, unflagging intelligence made these two observant, romantic misadventures the best films of the year. Imagine that working; Hollywood usually doesn't. 2. Control Room: In the flood of political documentaries, this was the only one that encouraged us to question messages from all sides, including whichever side we like to believe. ... And, crucially, to suspect parts of ``Control Room'' itself. Neither Michael Moore  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. nor Bill O'Reilly Bill O'Reilly may refer to:
3. Bad Education / Kinsey/The Mother: In this red state nightmare trifecta tri·fec·ta n. A system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. Also called triple. [tri- + (per)fecta.] , badly behaving gays, sex researchers with murky motives and a granny who refuses to be a proper bereaved widow powerfully proved that to deny desire is to undervalue one's own, and everybody else's, humanity. And if these ingenious films are any indication, being naughty can also lead to great art. 4. I (Heart) Huckabees: The search for spiritual peace in our corrupt modern world is funny, people! Or can be, if it doesn't leave you too traumatized. Just like we all do when we seek to know what it's all about, Davd O. Russell's one-of-a-kind riff on life's great cosmic joke danced on the edge of profundity and inanity in·an·i·ty n. pl. in·an·i·ties 1. The condition or quality of being inane. 2. Something empty of meaning or sense. Noun 1. . Only more gracefully. 5. Dogville / The Five Obstructions: Lars von Trier Trier (trēr), Latin Augusta Treverorum, city (1994 pop. 99,183), Rhineland-Palatinate, SW Germany, a port on the Moselle (Ger. Mosel) River, near the Luxembourg border. is Europe's most provocative mad movie scientist. These two films - a three-hour, bare-stage critique of provincialism pro·vin·cial·ism n. 1. A regional word, phrase, pronunciation, or usage. 2. The condition of being provincial; lack of sophistication or perspective. Also called provinciality. 3. and power (with Nicole Kidman's best-ever film performance), and a playfully sadistic sa·dism n. 1. The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. 2. The deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty. ``making of'' documentary like no other - broke down everything we take for granted at the movies, then built their own unique forms out of the rubble. 6. Million Dollar Baby: Clint Eastwood delivers another masterpiece. This is not news anymore. Oh, it's a lady boxer movie. Well, that's, uh, unexpected. It also contains Clint's best acting and directing work to date. And it's an unparalleled example of lighting and tonal control. OK, then; media duly alerted. 7. The Blind Swordsman (Zatoichi) / House of Flying Daggers / Kill Bill - Vol. 2: Martial-arts movies got taken in all kinds of imaginative directions this year by Japanese (Takeshi Kitano), Chinese (Zhang Yimou) and American (Quentin Tarantino) directors with limited experience in the genre. It showed, beautifully, in an exhilarating explosion of new ideas and broken tired rules. 8. Ray: Jamie Foxx's channeling of soul legend Charles was nothing short of phenomenal, but the presentation of music, cultural history and the blind genius' understandably darker qualities made for a rocking movie that never missed a high note - and man, were there plenty of them. 9. Good Bye Lenin! / Notre Musique: One thing that we should acknowledge Europeans know: No matter how much the world progresses, man's propensity for self-delusion and violence will always prevent paradise on Earth. Two totally different filmmakers, young German ironist Wolfgang Becker and grizzled griz·zled adj. 1. Partly gray or streaked with gray: a grizzled beard. 2. Having fur or hair streaked or tipped with gray. French New Waver Jean-Luc Godard, got to the core of this matter with a post-communist family comedy and a hyper-aestheticized philosophical essay. The real connection? Both films still have hope. 10. The Incredibles: The first big, computer-animated feature that expressed its director's personal worldview world·view n. In both senses also called Weltanschauung. 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. , Brad Bird's superhero su·per·he·ro n. pl. su·per·he·roes A figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. satire was also faster, funnier and more visually distinctive than anything the still-young format has seen before. Fight mediocrity, heck yeah! Bob Strauss, (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com PERFORMER OF THE YEAR Who else but Jamie Foxx? He provided the warm, human center in Michael Mann's icy-cool ``Collateral'' (and, as the real star of the movie, stole it handily hand·i·ly adv. 1. In an easy manner. 2. In a convenient manner. Adv. 1. handily - in a convenient manner; "the switch was conveniently located" conveniently 2. from big name Tome Cruise). Speaking of stealing, he certainly pocketed Ray Charles' soul in ``Ray,'' the best musical biopic bi·o·pic n. A film or television biography, often with fictionalized episodes. biopic Noun Informal a film based on the life of a famous person [bio(graphical) + pic(ture)] in ages. Foxx also impressed in ``Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story'' TV movie. Didn't see ``Breakin' All the Rules,'' but I'll bet he was even funny in that. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy get a second chance at love in ``Before Sunset.'' (2) Jamie Foxx portrays the late Ray Charles. Box: PERFORMER OF THE YEAR (see text) |
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