 "Photo: Illustration by Joseph Devens")
10. "American History X" (1998)
Real quick, here are some fun facts about '98's feel-good movie of the year:
- Edward Norton gained 30 pounds of muscle for his role as a redemption-seeking, hate crime-committing ex-con.
- Director Tony Kaye all but disowned the film, suing the studio for use of his name in the credits for $275 million.
- The "f-word" is used 205 times.
- A major character is based on Tom Metzger, the White Aryan Resistance's (WAR) leader, a white supremacist brotherhood based in Southern California.
Norton's Derek Vinyard is the most dynamic, evolving single protagonist on the list. As an actor, Norton pulls off the unthinkable feat of having his viewers empathize with a neo-Nazi. This after he offs a black man by having him open his mouth, kiss a curb, and then mercilessly kicking his head in.
Fifty times better than "Crash," "American History X" is a bluntly-executed, sharply-focused analysis of regional racial relations. Immersed in violence, Kaye still struck delicate chords and forged gorgeous scenes about family, love and the 1980s Celtics/Lakers rivalry. This tragic, flashback-heavy cringe-fest is one of the most powerful celluloid experiences in recent memory.
- Ramon Ramirez
9. "City of God" (2002)
There are no hip gangsters with Cockney accents in "City of God," no trenchcoat-clad, sunglasses-wearing John Woo-style men of honor, and no sharply-dressed Italian-Americans living the good life in New York City. No, you won't find any of the standard, violence-glorifying cliches of most crime flicks here. But what "City of God" lacks in horse decapitations and bullet time it makes up for with a tragic, multi-tiered examination of the symbiotic relationship between crime and poverty.
Taking place over the course of one decade in the titular sun-soaked, impoverished favela of Rio De Janeiro, "City of God" tells the parallel life stories of aspiring photographer Rocket (Alex Rodrigues) and psychotic gangster Li'l Ze (Leandro da Hora) as they are swept up in a years-long gang war that costs innumerable lives.
Directed with artful kineticism by Fernando Meirelles and utilizing a cast of non-professionals and actual residents of the City of God, it's a stunning examination on the persistence of crime, the perils of poverty, and how beauty and decency can shine through even in the darkest hours. The best crime film since "Goodfellas," and an instant classic.
- Patrick Caldwell
8. "The Lion King" (1994)
"The Lion King" features "Home Improvement" cutie, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, as an African prince.
Alright, so "King," like most of Disney's corpus, is guilty of vehemently watering marginalized groups down into zany caricatures. The racism is blatant: black, Sambo-like hyenas, Rafiki as the magic black man (and kung-fu Asian master), the evil lion is dark and effeminate.
But far from childhood nostalgia, "King" still stands as Disney's most compelling animated contemporary film … as well as the least racist thing they've ever put out.
Scar, the jealous uncle of Simba and second in line to the throne, plots with hyenas to kill King Mufasa and Prince Simba. When the King is killed (voiced by Darth Vader himself - can't pick at this casting call), Simba is manipulated by Scar into believing he was at fault for his father's death. Confused and ashamed, Simba flees his homeland. After years of banishment, the young prince is persuaded to return home to overthrow Scar and regain his throne.
This is a beautifully-told classic tale that includes breathtaking imagery and an amazing soundtrack written by Sir Elton John. "The Lion King" has also proven to be just as powerful a story on Broadway, selling out shows for the past decade.
- Luis Ramirez
7. "Moulin Rouge!" (2001)
Baz Luhrmann's third installment of his Red Curtain Trilogy (the first two being "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo + Juliet") is spectacle with artistic purpose. Breaking all editing conventions, Luhrmann visually reenacts the excitement and thrill of Paris, France, circa 1899. Dizzily, viewers get a feel of what drinking real hallucinogenic-absinthe was like and experience the intrigue and sexiness of can-can dancers and courtesans.
More than just a visual experience, "Moulin Rouge!" brought the musical back to prominence in the public's mind. While many criticize Luhrmann for using pop songs, they're essential to the movie's thematic structure. Christian (Ewan McGregor), according to Luhrmann, is the Orpheus character who enchants the others with his gift of song. Rather than try and write their own songs, Luhrmann and writing partner Craig Pearce decide to use songs that had already enchanted masses of people - Billboard-topping pop songs. Even though "Your Song" may not be everybody's favorite, there's no denying that it's a great song that has touched people.
All style and all substance - a rare combination worth the trip.
- Vanessa Orr
6. "L.A. Confidential" (1997)
Here's something that you won't want to keep "off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush:" Curtis Hanson's adaptation of James Ellroy's novel is the best neo-noir since Roman Polanski's "Chinatown." A 1950s-nostalgia piece that lovingly evokes the period while deploring its police corruption, prostitution and racism, this labyrinthine thriller has a keen awareness of its generic roots that makes it a treat for cinephiles and a refreshing, devilishly smart take on the old crime genre.
A shocking mass murder that leaves an ex-cop dead in a quaint cafe one night ignites a firestorm for the citizens and police department of 1953 Los Angeles. Initially pinned to three young blacks with criminal records, an accumulation of seemingly minor and irrelevant details leads to the suspicion that a greater scheme may be at work.
Amid all the chaos, politics, and dirty dealing, three cops become unlikely sleuths: a young lieutenant with no field experience, a brawny enforcer with a self-admitted lack of brains and a celebrity cop more interested in fame than hard police work. Human souls seem like the prime commodity, and there's a black market all too eager to trade as the characters put their humanity on the line in pursuit of the greater good or the hindrance of it. But sometimes, delivering justice means getting your hands dirty.
- Fei Meng
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