1. MAGNOLIA  
There was no film more engrossing, nor more interesting, nor more surreal than Paul Thomas "Boogie Nights" Anderson's Magnolia. Like Anderson's previous film, it appears to be too offbeat to attract much notice at the box office, but from both an artistic as well as an entertainment standpoint you can't beat this film. Its ensemble cast is outstanding -- the combination of nine or ten principal players is never easy -- and Anderson's script is superbly written. Those who pan this film do not accept the challenge that Anderson poses them; they become unconcerned like many of the film's characters. A great ending and some revolutionary filmmaking techniques included, Magnolia was the year's best.

2. TOY STORY 2  
It would be easy to ignore Toy Story 2 simply because it's an animated movie. But where excellent films are concerned, medium is irrelevent. Animated or live-action, this was one of the best movies all year long. Kids will love the slapstick comedy, and adults will get all the pop-culture in-jokes. But forget all of that for a second and give Pixar Animation Studios its due. Their computer-generated imagery is light-years ahead of any potential competition, and has been since we saw it for the first time in the original Toy Story four years ago. Viewers will sit slack-jawed in amazement at its utter perfection here. Outstanding.

3. THE HURRICANE  
The most uplifiting drama of 1999, Norman Jewison's The Hurricane was the biopic of legendary middleweight contender Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, imprisoned in the 1960s and '70s for murders he did not commit. The boxer's plea for justice was made known to the world through the Bob Dylan classic, "Hurricane," but he was eventually freed by the efforts of a group of Canadian activists and a young man from Brooklyn. The highlight of the movie is Denzel Washington's stunning portrayal of Rubin Carter, quite possibly his best and most complex performance since his turn in 1993's Philadelphia.

4. FIGHT CLUB  
David Fincher's films are the penultimate suspense thrillers, perhaps second in Hollywood only to the legendary David Mamet. He's the genius behind such psychological masterpieces as Seven and The Game, and for his latest feature, he holds firm to his trademark style of no-holds-barred, sharp-as-an-icepick photography and editing. Film stocks and splicers aside, though, the Jim Uhls script is outstanding in its execution, complete with an ending that is the most surreal and unpredictable that audiences have seen all year. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton were outstanding in the lead roles.

5. AMERICAN BEAUTY  
From debut director Sam Mendes comes the film everyone's been talking about since its platformed release in early autumn. A strikingly truthful and razor-sharp investigation of suburban normality reveals what lies beneath the all-American facade of white picket fences and rose bushes in bloom is hardly normal. Or is it? This well-acted film, starring the big names of Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening as well as lesser-knowns like Thora Birch and Wes Bentley, challenges the viewer to examine his or her own standards of normalcy.

6. THE MATRIX  
Often action-adventure and science fiction films are panned for their overt "bucket of popcorn" nature. But unlike many of the brainless sci-fi/action films to have played in cinemas over the last ten years, The Matrix is a thoughtful, intelligent, and intriguing combination of several different genres. Writers/directors Andy and Larry Wachowski know action, they know suspense, they know noir, and most of all, they know sci-fi. Laurence Fishburne's turn as a zen master/resistance leader was particularly fun to watch.

7. THE GREEN MILE  
Tom Hanks is one of the top character actors of the decade, and he's made a science of choosing perfect roles. Once again, it becomes impossible to separate the actor and the character in Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption)'s moving adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling serialized novel. Filled with powerful drama and a dash of the supernatural, it was classic King and a great story worth telling. One of the best adaptations all year.

8. OCTOBER SKY  
Feel-good movies are an iffy bunch, often succumbing to the temptation to become too shlocky for their own good. October Sky never went that far, but instead preferred a subtle approach and a handful of understated performances to touch the audience. It's obvious that director Joe Johnston has an eye for this sort of material, for he knew exactly how much emotion to cull from his cast. Jake Gyllenhaal was solid in the lead, but the standouts were the two chief supports of Chris Cooper and Laura Dern. Also note the excellent 1950s period detail.

9. THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY  
A friend complained that there were too many movies where characters "searching" for themselves ultimately "found" themselves. What would it be like, she wondered, if they never did find themselves? Anthony Minghella, director of 1996's The English Patient, gives audiences just that. His story, adapted from Patricia Highsmith's novel, is a stylish piece of noir that posits a conflicted soul who vainly searches for redemption. The talented Matt Damon, as said conflicted soul, gives a performance to remember.

10. THREE KINGS  
As the first film since 1996's Courage Under Fire to successfully and intelligently deal with the Persian Gulf War, David Russell's film receives high marks for making bold, daring moves in its exposition of the conflict. Kings' gritty, visual imagery nailed viewers in their stomachs while the honest, no-nonsense story nailed viewers in their hearts. Headed up by a quartet of solid performances from stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze, this is one of the best war movies that isn't about war.

Honorable Mention: Being John Malkovich, The General's Daughter, The Insider

all contents © 2000 Craig Roush