A flick through 2001 (From Western Telegraph)

A flick through 2001

Im not sure what happened to 2001, but here I am staring down the barrel of 2002, and it is a good time to cast an eye over what we saw in the cinema this year.

The year started really promisingly. UNBREAKABLE proved that even Shyamalans love affair with the critics after Sixth Sense wasnt unbreakable as this interesting supernatural tale failed to have a huge impact, while still being above average. Certainly compared with the over-hyped CAST AWAY it was no worse, but the Hanks machine was on the trail of another Oscar and nothing that the film lacked was going to put them off the scent. In the end it was only best fake facial hair and it deserved no more really. Instead the Oscar glory was shared by three films, which shone as being of real quality. The least of them in my eyes was ALMOST FAMOUS, with Goldie Hawns daughter Kate Hudson as rock groupie. It was nicely made nothingness, which was surpassed by the fantasy fight flick, (oriental-style) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. A revolution in western film action started by The Matrix was taken back to its roots, which certainly grabbed our attention. But it was the reality of TRAFFIC, about the drug industry, its affect on society and its policing that was the best of all. February was easier. Mel Gibson trying to be WHAT WOMEN WANT; Will Smith swinging an easy driver with golf psychology for Matt Damon in the patchy THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE, and Robert DeNiro in ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE! But hidden in the pile was one of my favourites of the year. David Mamets STATE AND MAIN is a comedy about how a film crew descends on a small town and turns it upside down. Its superb and funny and warm and you must see it. HANNIBAL (Lecter) got the March on everyone, with this strong Silence Of The Lambs sequel, without Jodie foster. Too gory to be frightening but pretty exciting all the same and he can return. Of the rest, ENEMY AT THE GATES, CHOCOLAT, MEN OF HONOUR, and MISS CONGENIALITY were all there in spirit, but it was the spirits in THE GIFT that got my heart pounding. Cate Blanchett was brilliant as a psychic in the swamps of the southern states deciphering a murky plot. Another quiet quality piece marked the turn around in the career, I hope, for Kevin Costner. 13 DAYS told the story of the Cuban Missile crisis. Some really bad films blossomed in April: DeNiro sliding down further in 15 MINUTES; THE TAILOR OF PANAMA showed what Pierce Brosnan could do without his licence to kill; and, of course, BRIDGET JONESS DIARY found its way to being the biggest British hit of the year and provided the best Hugh Grant role yet. May was iffy, like the weather - mostly grey, with TIGERLAND and THE MUMMY RETURNS and ALONG CAME A SPIDER. It had heavy downpours with the awful adaptation of CAPTAIN CORELLIS MANDOLIN, but there were bright, sunny spells with THE DISH, out on video now, a comedy gem about a tiny Aussie town with a huge responsibility in the space race. June was bursting out all over when PEARL HARBOR reared its ugly head, The worst flop of the year and lets kick it while its down. 13 DAYS showed how you handle this subject matter instead of treating it like a cartoon. Amazingly apart from that there were few blockbusters showing their heads with all that critical shrapnel around. And then SHREK. the computer-animated ogre set the pace with a fairy tale comedy script with more gags than there was room for. In July things got serious - well, expensive and hyped, with LARA CROFT:TOMB RAIDER literally bursting out on to the screen with all action computer game nonsense and Angelina Jolie making too many nerds dreams a reality. Richard Gere limply tried to attract some female attention in DR T AND THE WOMEN, but a herd of dinosaurs put a stop to that with a return to JURASSIC PARK. A quality cast and Spielbergs watchful eye made it remarkably successful in its third outing. August had plenty of pretenders with A KNIGHTS TALE and Brit comedy follow-up to The Full Monty, LUCKY BREAK, but it was Planet of THE APES that packed them in. Tim Burtons re-imagining of the idea was impressive but not wholly acclaimed. It was the summers last gasp and there still hadnt been anything that would blow your socks off but at last, MOULIN ROUGE erupted with its frilly panties and preposterous pop covers. Baz Luhrmans epic musical story with Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, showing that they could hold a tune and dance. The feelgood factor pretty much did for the other final summer extravaganza from no less than Steven Spielberg. His A.I., with the kid from Sixth Sense, a posthumous collaboration with Stanley Kubrick, about an android child looking for human love was amazing, but extremely flawed. For many. the best action film of the year introduced Vin Diesel in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, a road-racing movie that was too fast and left me furious. Joking. It was good, but not my cup of tea. By October it was obvious that 2001 was not a normal year. The big summer guns had come out fighting but it was really a show of strength before surrender. The talk all summer had been about two films that wouldnt arrive until the end of the year. But before the clash of the titans we still had October to get through. AMERICAN PIE 2 was about as good as sequels get. AMELIE was as French as French films get, and LEGALLY BLONDE was as blonde as west-coast girls get. But nothing could deviate our minds from the coming of one of the biggest starring roles, one of the biggest character franchises the world has and will ever see. Harry Potter AND THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE needs no further introduction. The film has had mixed reviews based on the expectations of the book readers. For some its faithful enough, for others its less magical, or favourite bits are missing. Either way it certainly shares its place as one of the biggest films of the year. In other years. Harry Potter would certainly have been standing alone. But with so many huge franchise films around now, the next few years might see little room for one to stand out alone. The other big film of 2001, released just last week so you really have no excuse, except over-indulgence of the festive spirits, not to remember it, is the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. So much wizardry around this year. Why? I dont know. But film has pleased most who treat the books like a bible, as well as attracted a cinema audience new to Middle Earth and its creatures. The imagination cant help but be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the film. Its certainly not just the biggest, but one of my top five of the year. Well thats that until next week when its time to get out the crystal ball of movie future and look, not at what has been, but what magic and wonder is yet to come. Vaughan Sivell