2008 Woodie Awards
Column: 1999 or 2007: Which was a better year for movies?
Austen Leake
Issue date: 8/15/08 Section: Entertainment
In the past two decades there have been a lot of quality movies released. In the '90s one year stood out: 1999. Many of the movies on the top movies of the nineties belong to 1999, from Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia," to the excellent adaptation of Palahniuk's "Fight Club," or even Mike Judge's workplace
comedy "Office Space," '99 stood out in the best way.
But is '99 still the best movie year since 1990?
Until 2007 this question was debatable but considerably in favor of '99, now it's a deadlock between '07 and '99.
In the last year of the nineties, there was a good blend of popular movies. There were mind-blowing films like "The Matrix," "American Beauty," "Magnolia," "Being John Malcovich" and "Fight Club."
There was an amazing amount of movies that came out of nowhere, giving a boost to the careers of Guy Richie after his breakout "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."
Jim Jarmusch made his most accessible film "Ghost Dog." "American Movie" struck documentary gold, following an indie filmmaker during the production of one of his short films. Europe also produced another indie favorite with Irvine Welsh's short story collection, "The Acid House."
Last year produced some of the better dramas ever made. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" was a classic tale retold from a different perspective, which is a risky move but it paid off here.
Despite a first-rate cast including Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck and Sam Shepard, the film didn't receive the mass attention of some of the other hits of '07, but that may have been for the best. The similar transitions and slowpaced plot earned this movie a lot of negativity.
"No Country for Old Men" delivered on every expectation and more. Great acting plus Cormac McCarthy plus the Coen brothers makes for an instant classic, and one that dominated the Oscars, bringing home four, including Best Achievement in Directing and Best Motion Picture of the Year.
comedy "Office Space," '99 stood out in the best way.
But is '99 still the best movie year since 1990?
Until 2007 this question was debatable but considerably in favor of '99, now it's a deadlock between '07 and '99.
In the last year of the nineties, there was a good blend of popular movies. There were mind-blowing films like "The Matrix," "American Beauty," "Magnolia," "Being John Malcovich" and "Fight Club."
There was an amazing amount of movies that came out of nowhere, giving a boost to the careers of Guy Richie after his breakout "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels."
Jim Jarmusch made his most accessible film "Ghost Dog." "American Movie" struck documentary gold, following an indie filmmaker during the production of one of his short films. Europe also produced another indie favorite with Irvine Welsh's short story collection, "The Acid House."
Last year produced some of the better dramas ever made. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" was a classic tale retold from a different perspective, which is a risky move but it paid off here.
Despite a first-rate cast including Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck and Sam Shepard, the film didn't receive the mass attention of some of the other hits of '07, but that may have been for the best. The similar transitions and slowpaced plot earned this movie a lot of negativity.
"No Country for Old Men" delivered on every expectation and more. Great acting plus Cormac McCarthy plus the Coen brothers makes for an instant classic, and one that dominated the Oscars, bringing home four, including Best Achievement in Directing and Best Motion Picture of the Year.
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