Tyler Durden's Best Of The Year

These are top notch reviews, Tyler. Love both Glengarry Glenn Ross and Cape Fear. Two films made around the same time with two distinct flavours. The former being a masterclass in how to make an exciting dialogue driven film, the latter using suspense, mood and a great score to capture the best moments.

Both films have good beginnings, compelling mid sections and terrific endings, too, which is pretty much the way I feel that a good film should flow, if ever there should be one. The ending to Cape Fear is pretty disturbing to me a little bit not only because of the humiliation techniques displayed by Bob DeNiro, but because the way he screams 'you were my lawyer!' in that bitter way that suggests a genuine feeling of betrayal makes me feel a TAD bit sorry for him. Yes, even after all the horrible stuff he does. And yes, that makes me feel uncomfortable and that's why I like that scene so much.

The ending in GGR is tough to watch as well because of Lemmon's saleman almost begging Kev Spacey not to rat on him and stuff. It's a powerful moment that makes the preceding bit (Al Pacino rinsing out Spacey) seem much more satisfying.

Keep up the good work, Ty.

I can't agree about the climax to Cape Fear. I'm afraid I was the same as I was watching T2. In other words, I was sat there going "Oh, ffs, just ****ing die!"

Thanks for all the feedback. The climax of Cape Fear is definitely the best part of the film. It makes me laugh ("Grandaddy used to handle snakes in church), while it's scaring me. DeNiro's big speech is terrifically delivered, although overblown and I agree with The Prestige about when you can't help but feel a little sympathetic for Max Cady.

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

Serious? It was quite prolonged but I still felt it was very exciting and the best part was that it gave you a hint at a different side to the character. T2's ending is pretty good mostly because of the scenary and shifts in momentum for the characters, but yes, that too was a a little longer than it really should have been.

1990: Dances With Wolves

1990 was another good year for films, but again, not a great one. My very close runner-up is Martin Scorsese's GoodFellas. What a well made film. I might be kicking myself in a month for not choosing it as my best of the year. But Dances With Wolves is my all-time favourite Western film and it had a great impact on me. My other runner-ups are The Godfather Part III, which I have confessed to liking more than Part I, & Miller's Crossing, one of the Coen's more underrated films. Two other films I liked/enjoyed were Total Recall & Pretty Woman.



Back in 1990, before I was born, there was talk of Kevin Costner's western epic being a commercial and critical flop. How wrong they were. Dances With Wolves was released to tremendous critical reception, popularity in the box office and rode away with numerous awards, including 7 Academy Awards. All this and Kevin Costner, the film's director and star (it would be impossible as a film buff not to know who he is) was made an honorary member of the Sioux nation, because of the film's lasting impact.

After being awarded a citation for bravery in the American Civil War in 1863, John Dunbar is also awarded his choice of posting. Dunbar requests to be stationed at the Western frontier in Fort Sedgwick, Colorado. When he arrives, it's abandoned. Dunbar stays and enjoys the solitude and writes observations in his diary.

Dunbar begins to encounter the Sioux tribe, in which Kicking Bird (Graham Greene) begins to trust him and soon, the Sioux tribe befriends Dunbar and make him one of their own.



Kevin Costner's direction is excellent. At times, there is strong sentiment, but it's balanced out by some very thrilling action sequences. And for a three hour film, the pacing is fast, much to the credit of Costner's flair for the spectacular. The photography is amazing in this film. Beautifully light and very enchanting, especially the well-shot buffalo sequence, which is probably the most major action sequence in the film.

Yet it is not just an action spectacle. The characters in this film are very intriguing and well-performed by the cast. Graham Greene as the noble Kicking Bird was very good casting, as was Future Mrs. Darko as Stands With A Fist, Dunbar's love interest. But as good as the cast is, I love Costner's performance in this film. He captures every stage of his character's personality perfectly and makes a great screen presence. Although I haven't seen Reversal Of Fortune, this was the best performance of 1990.

There are many emotional scenes in the film, including the deaths of Costner's animal friends. But many fans prefer it as a very entertaining Western. Utterly enjoyable.

Thanks for your review, I am a fan of this movie

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Finishing my rankings for the 90's, more of the critically acclaimed films are at the bottom and more of my personal favourites are at the top. I realise that more personal films have been chosen over the more obvious choices. For example, Schindler's List is obviously the most superior film of 1993, but I guess I just like What's Eating Gilbert Grape more. Still, I rate all my picks as critically acknowledged masterpieces, except maybe As Good As It Gets, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Glengarry GlenRoss, which I acknowledge as masterpieces anyway.

1. Fight Club (1999)
2. Se7en (1995)
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
4. Cape Fear (1991)
5. Dances With Wolves (1990)
6. Fargo (1996)
7. As Good As It Gets (1997)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
9. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
10. Glengarry GlenRoss (1992)

What a great decade. Fight Club predictably remains at the top of the heap, with Seven and Pulp Fiction completing the top 3. Cape Fear is defintiely interchangable into the top 3, as are the rest between 5-10. GGR is the lowest in quality, but still a near-masterpiece of dialogue driven ensemble dramas.

I will continuing into the 1980's, as I have already established my picks for 1988, 1987 & 1984.

Stay tuned.

I don't understand why you picked Cape Fear (1991) as your top film of 1991 when you listed Terminator 2 as your favourite film.

Anyway, I rate your top picks of the year:

1. Fight Club (1999): +
2. Se7en (1995):
3. Pulp Fiction (1994) +
4. Cape Fear (1991) +
5. Dances With Wolves (1990)
6. Fargo (1996)
7. As Good As It Gets (1997)
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
9. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
10. Glengarry GlenRoss (1992) +

Keep it up. I'm interested to see how your 80s picks compare to mine.

I tried to explain in my post that I thought it would be too predictable to choose my favourite movie, and the fact that I don't enjoy doing the really effortless task of writing a few paragraphs about my favourite film. Instead, I find trying to explain how much I enjoyed a film that not many others enjoy (everyone I know dislikes Cape Fear, mainly for De Niro's over the top performance) and try to persuade to give it another try.

So far, my picks of the 1980's aren't similar to yours, although I have chosen one film for the best of the year that you have also chosen.

One other thing, what do you think of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? I see you gave an average rating, so I just want to know if there is anything in particular you like or dislike about it.

Thanks for the feedback.

1989: Batman


1989 had some good films, albeit only two great ones. My main runner up is Field Of Dreams. It's overly sentimental, but still an entertaining and inspiring tearjerker. My other runner-up is Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, which is the third best in the original trilogy, but a fun film, mostly due to the presence of Sean Connery. Other films I liked from 1989 were Born On The Fourth Of July, Driving Miss Daisy, Lethal Weapon 2, Ghostbusters II and Back To The Future Part II, which in my opinion, is a very underrated sequel.



Gotham City is plagued by crime and Batman's mission is to stop it. To add to Batman's problems, a new villian rises in the form of the wild Joker, who plans to bring chaos to Gotham, and Batman's alter ego's love interest, Vicki Vale.



Batamn, along with Superman, is my favourite superhero of all time and I use to believe this was the ultimate Batman film. But as I grew older, I found a few flaws with the film that marked it down for me. Still, it's a very over-the-top cinematic experience and you really can't take your eyes off it.

Batman is an amazing film in the technical category. Tim Burton's direction keeps the atmosphere of the film dark, but never mean spirited. It always has a light tone and remains overly entertaining throughout. The production design is wonderfully gothic and incredibly suitable for the Batman story. The action scenes are nothing short of exciting, every single time I see them, especially the final showdown between good and evil.

Of course, I can't go on without mentioning Jack Nicholson's performance as the Joker. He steals the show, with his increasingly quotable dialogue and crazy antics. He doesn't portray much depth to the character, but he's still a whole lot of fun to watch, whether he's dancing to Prince or electrocuting a man with a buzzer ring. And his laugh: awesome.

So far, in this review, it would sound like I love this film and consider it to be one of the best ever made. I do love this film and I do think it is one of the best ever made, but it does have it's flaws. For a Batman film, it's central character doesn't have much screentime and the rest of the characters are all underwritten. It's obvious that they are pushed aside for Nicholson's manic performance, but as a Batman fan, I would have liked to see more depth in the characters and it's storyline.

As a character piece, the film doesn't really work for me. But as an action film, it works as a dazzling ride with impressive production design and a wonderful central performance from Jack Nicholson. It's definitely a film to be enjoyed. One of the most entertaining films of the decade.

+

1988: Rain Man


1988 was a stellar year for film, with many of my favourite films released. Akira is my runner-up, as it's the only Anime I like (so far). Another favourite of 1988 is Die Hard, which is definitely one of the most entertaining films of the 1980's, up there with Batman & The Empire Strikes Back. Other films that could be definite candidates for best of the year are A Fish Called Wanda, Big, Beetlejuice & Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The other films I enjoyed from 1988 are Rambo III, Tequila Sunrise, Coming To America, Twins & Child's Play. I'll also mention Red Heat, a very underrated action thriller, which succeeds for me with the magnetic pairing of Arnold Schwarzengger & Jim Belushi. Films that I haven't seen yet that might make my best of the year are Cinema Paradiso, The Last Temptation Of Christ, Naked Gun & Bull Durham.



Charlie Babbit is a selfish car dealer, devoid of any feelings for anyone but himself. When he hears the news of his father's death, he is only concerned with his inheritance. Which he finds to be a rosebed and a car. He is shocked to find that the money is being left to the autistic brother Raymond, who he never knew. So he does what any person would do in this situation: he kidnaps his brother and takes him on a cross country trip, but soon evolves into something more for Charlie.



Rain Man works on many different levels. It works as a dramatic buddy picture, a subtle comedy and a realistic approach on a sibling relationship. It's never sentimental and always intelligent. It features some great instances of humour, such as the iconic casino sequence, where Raymond counts cards, receives dancing lessons from his brother and replies to the question "how was that?' after a kiss, with "wet!". All of the humour in this film is funny, but always subdued, as plays second fiddle to the dramatics at work in this film.

Over the course of the film, I began to connect with the two central characters, Charlie especially. His change from shallow prick to protective brother of Raymond is incredibly convincing, and his relationship with his brother is extraordinarily realistic.



The biggest reasons I think this film works are the ending and the two excellent central performances. The film doesn't strive to be feel-good or emotionally satisfying and the ending is the biggest evidence. Issues like the ones raised in this film don't actually happen in the real world and Barry Levinson realised this and gave us the perfect ending to a perfect film. And the performances? Well, they're nothing short of perfection. Hoffman doesn't go overboard in his role and did deserve his Oscar, but Tom Cruise is far more impressive in his expert portrayal of a selfish turd changed into a caring brother. It's my favourite Cruise performance, although I haven't seen his highly praised work in Magnolia.

I don't think there is anyone else on this site that's more highly of this film than I do. For me, it's the best film on sibling relationships to date. I think it's a bonafide masterpiece and is most certainly in my top 20 favourite films of all time.

I think there are some issues with the pacing (too slow) and the plot (doesn't seem to go anywhere).

1987: The Untouchables

Nice picks Tyler

I don't know that I'll ever get the love for this film. I'd probably have gone for Near Dark, as I love that film, but I'd also recommend the following (especially if you've not seen them)

Angel Heart, A Nightmare On Elm 3: Dream Warriors, Robocop, Babette's Feast, Black Widow, The Hidden, The Monster Squad, The Stepfather, Wall Street and Withnail & I.

While these are often appear on lists like this. Throw Momma From The Train, Fatal Attraction, My Life As A Dog Hollywood Shuffle and Matewan.

I haven't seen any of those, except Wall Street, which I have seemed to accidentally left it out of my runner-ups. Some of them I have wanted to see for a while.

1986: Aliens


1986 was a good, but yet again, not a great year for film in my opinion. My main runner up is Oliver Stone's Platoon. A well-structured war film and Stone's second best film of his career. My other runner-up is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I consider it to be one of the ultimate teen flicks and Matthew Broderick's best performance. Other films I enjoyed are Highlander, Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Ruthless People, Stand By Me & True Stories.



57 years after the events in Alien, Ripley is woken from stasis. She then reluctantly accepts a mission to return to LV-426, where she first encountered the eggs in Alien. Contact has been lost with the established colony on the planet. Ripley and a group of Marines head to the planet with major firepower.

Gone is the suspenseful horror approach from the first installment of the series in favour of balls-to-the-wall action. Aliens, in my opinion, is the very definition of excting, as James Cameron directs some of the finest action sequences put on film. But it doesn't only work as an action picture. There are some great character relationships and fine dialogue, much to the credit of Cameron and his cast. The relationship that is most memorable is the one between Ripley and Newt, the surviving child that is found at the colony. The motherly bond that forms between the two is similar to the bond between Arnie and Edward Furlong in T2.

Sigourney Weaver's performance is easily her best, playing the ultimate badass chick with genuine excellence. The rest of the cast also performs well, especially Bill Paxton, as the comedy relief, Jenette Goldstein, as the toughest Marine in the group and Paul Reiser, as the slimy corporate man.

But the star is James Cameron, following up the brilliant Terminator with one of the greatest science fiction films of the 1980's. The "cocky Canadian kid" arrived as one of the most exciting directors of all time.

+

Urgh! Hate this film. I do like some of the films you mentioned in your runner's up section, though. Especially Top Gun. I love that film.

I'd also recommend the following (though I don't expect you'd prefer them to Aliens) A Better Tomorrow, The Hitcher, Betty Blue, Blue Velvet, Matador, Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer, Jean de Florette/Manon des Source, Manhunter, Mona Lisa. Not great, but I also like Wisdom, Murphy's Law, Ruthless People and Friday The 13th: Part VI.

There's also The Fly, F/X, The Color Of Money, Down And Out In Beverley Hills, Pretty In Pink, Rita, Sue And Bob Too

Never seen Aliens so can't comment too much on that. I do love a few of your runners up however - Ferris Bueller, Ruthless People and Stand by Me. I hated Highlander though!

While they may not be great films a few of my personal favourites from 86 are Flight of the Navigator, Short Circuit, Star Trek IV and the Three Amigos!

Down And Out In Beverly Hills and The Fly were OK, but it's been a while since I saw them last and I wasn't crazy for both of them then. I've wanted to see Manhunter & Blue Velvet for a while now. I must get around to seeing them.

Ruthless People is in my runner-ups list.