Top Ten Films of 1991
Part two of my ten part series. At the end of this you can rank my top ten lists. I wouldn’t do it right now since I have only done two. But, if you did that would be easy. So maybe you should do it now and not later. Up to you. I would put this one under 1990 personally. The year itself was huge with the Gulf War, Rodney King videotape, Mike Tyson and Jeffrey Dahmer were arrested on the same day, Magic Johnson announces he has HIV and Freddie Mercury dies of AIDS in the same month, and the year concludes with the Cold War ending and the USSR dissolving. Now, as movies go, there’s some good here but not near enough to be an important 90’s movie year. It is important as the year of the Keanu breakout, featuring 3 movies of his in my top 15, and I think that’s just as important as anything in pop culture.
My top 15 like last time. 5 honorable mentions and my top 10.
As always, here’s the video.
Cape Fear (Directed by Martin Scorsese) - Netflix
JFK (Directed by Oliver Stone) - Amazon Prime
Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (Directed by David Zucker)
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (Directed by Peter Hewitt) - Amazon Prime
Naked Lunch (Directed by David Cronenberg)
10. Daughters of the Dust (Directed by Julie Nash) Criterion Channel
A gorgeous poem of a movie looking at the Gullah culture in the islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. They were still there well into the 20th century and this is a love letter to them.
9. Boyz n the Hood (Directed by John Singleton)
RIP John Singleton. One of the most successful films with a black protagonist in the 90’s. Great performances from everyone involved. Laurence Fishburne was maybe the best actor working in the early 90s. A good movie worth a revisiting if you haven’t.
8. Thelma & Louise (Directed by Ridley Scott) Amazon Prime, Hulu, Youtube, & Tubi
One of the best road trip movies that also was pretty daring to portray complicated women this way. Sadly it took a long time for mainstream movies to accept women doing anything questionable and seen as a hero or at least the character you follow. Both Geena Davis and Sarandon are incredible. Plus we get young Brad Pitt.
7. My Own Private Idaho (Directed by Gus Van Sant) - Criterion Channel
A loose stylized movie that has all the substance needed for a nuanced story like this. River Phoenix around the campfire is one of the all time scenes of this decade. Keanu is good and different than many have come to know him in this. Gus Van Sant has such an interesting career and not much is better than this.
6. The Fisher King (Directed by Terry Gilliam)
Robin Williams will never be remembered for this but it might be his best. Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter are magnificent. One of the sweetest movies about learning not to be an asshole. I would show this to any sensitive 13 year olds and they will probably love it forever.
5. Point Break (Directed by Kathryn Bigelow)
Another copaganda movie but at least being a cop in this is secondary to the lifestyle and homoeroticism of Keanu and Swayze. It’s exciting bank robbing and chases. It’s insane and so fun. I want someone to figure out how to make movies like this now without cops in them.
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Directed by James Cameron)
The best one in the franchise feels like it’s been forgotten some because every sequel after this has been bad to meh. It still rules and is full of excitement and paranoia about the future. It is coming to end us and I want Linda Hamilton to help us when it does.
3. The Double Life of Véronique (Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski) - Criterion Channel
A delicate but impacting film. One that made my mind race in so many directions but only because of what it gave to me emotionally. How our lives can feel dreamlike or set up in some way we don’t understand. If you ever had a feeling of loneliness that you can’t explain. I love this movie and would recommend it to anyone who likes french films or has heard of The Dekalog.
2. The Silence of the Lambs (Directed by Jonathan Demme) - Amazon Prime & Netflix
Not much I need to say. It’s a classic for a reason and one of the most rewatchable films ever made. Made the overuse of close up mainstream and made Hannibal Lecter a household name. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins are the best. I want this movie on a loop forever.
1. Barton Fink (Directed by Joel Coen)
A movie I can watch anytime. Funny, dark, odd, and bursting with ideas from beginning to end. It’s a pseudo-companion piece to the Coen’s recent Hail, Caesar!, but this is much more ferocious. A young duo’s film. John Turturro and John Goodman are at their best here. If you haven’t seen this movie and ever liked a Coen brothers movie watch this next.
1992 next week.