[Films are listed in the order seen, and were
seen either in the theater or on video.]

1. The Lion in Winter: "Well, what family doesn't have it's ups and downs?" Katharine Hepburn is deliciously evil as Eleanor of Acquitaine. A brilliant example of a screenplay that refuses to quit.

2. The Great Dictator: Highly personal filmmaking. If you ever needed proof that Chaplin is the greatest film artist ever - and the funniest - see this film.

3. Aguirre, Wrath of God: Or, Apocalypse Now is a grand rip-off. Nearly impossible to believe this isn't a documentary made hundreds of years ago. And how did they carry the camera through the mountains?

4. Leaving Las Vegas: To quote the New Yorker, "crushingly sad." A lush portrayal of (almost) unconditional love. Elizabeth Shue should've won the Oscar® for miraculously transcending both her melodramatic lines and her hooker character's sexist foundations.

5. Gone With the Wind: I finally saw it, a decade after reading the novel. The zenith of classical Hollywood filmmaking. Absolute magic and artifice. And worth every hour of time spent watching it.

6. French CanCan: Like any Renoir film, hard to describe. More than the sum of its parts.

7. Paris Belongs to Us: Arguably the herald of the French New Wave. Pretentiousness, science fiction, suspense, and the cameraman's having the most fun of anyone. The synthesis of cinematic magic with gritty reality.

8. Z: You know whodunit, you know the good guys will win, but you know their victory will be robbed. And you're still enthralled, simply with the how of it all.

9. The Flower of My Secret: Almodovar's back! And he's now got style and substance. Plus a meaty role for a middle-aged female protagonist, which American actresses rarely find.

10. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: Anyone who ever thought classic Hollywood Westerns were a waste of time must see this film. With John Wayne, who really isn't bad here, and Jimmy Stewart, an unexpected pairing if there ever was one.

11. Mon Oncle: Pay attention - the real action in this movie is happening on the periphery of the frame. And not a word of real dialogue???

12. All That Jazz: This is a musical? With prescription drug abuse and open heart surgery?

13. Se7en: An inescapably moral tale. And a really, really, really gross one at that.

14. Freeze, Die, Come to Life: Take a trip to Siberia. And yes, it's as fun as it sounds.

15. Darling: John Schlesinger's usual hyper-creative camerawork, and Julie Christie as an incorrigible fashion model is a hoot. Another British film that makes you wish you had an accent. And here's a news flash: Dirk Bogarde used to be really cute in his younger days!

16. The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser: See #3 above. Stunning. You spend the whole film thinking, "how did Herzog do that??"

17. Heavy: Very Zen. Nothing really happens. And it's all terribly beautiful. Especially Liv Tyler.

18. Rachel, Rachel: Can Joanne Woodward play just about any role? An incredibly empowering film about female independence. A rare find.

19. Cold Comfort Farm: John Schlesinger shares the honor, with Werner Herzog, of making it on the list twice! The most "diverting" comedy of the year that totally blows your expectations.

20. Bound: Luscious lesbian molls screw over the mafia. What's not to love? Put the kids to bed first!

APPENDIX I: Awards of Dubious Distinction

Most Unpleasant Viewing Experience, in a good way: Safe.

Most Unpleasant Viewing Experience, in a very, very bad way: Kids.