film

The Best Film of 1997?

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Tarantino cites Chasing Amy as his favorite film of 1997. Um…what?

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One part boredom and one part curiosity led me to watching Chasing Amy a little earlier today. Most of the time when I think of this flick, I think about how much my old college acquaintances adored it, as well as Kevin Smith in general. I’ve never been one to fawn over Smith’s films (and it would seem that his streak of alleged brilliance has come to an end by most critics’ standards) but I never disliked them either, I just never found them incredible. His work feels like Adam Sandler movies for the “thinking crowd.” You know, the same guys falling all over themselves at Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison in high school get to college and then fall in love with Clerks and Dogma.

Well ok, to be fair I actually thought Dogma was pretty good, certainly better than the rest of Smith’s films from his early career, but it falls short of greatness for 2 reasons. First, there’s Ben Affleck. Maybe it’s purely personal, but I can’t stand the man. And the only thing worse than Affleck is the Affleck + Damon pairing…intentional or not, every second these guys are on screen is filled with homoerotic undertones and it becomes truly disgusting. Not disgusting because of the gay subtext, but disgusting because of how thinly veiled it is and how desperately this energy is channeled into “comedic chemistry.” Furthermore, Affleck and Damon may have had the comedic chops that the roles required, but they couldn’t pull off the vengeful angel thing. Matt Damon, who is much less detestable when not sharing the screen with best butt buddy Ben, delivers an astoundingly cringe-worthy and unconvincing filth-laden rant at the Mooby executives.

Second problem? Jason Mewes. Or Jay. Or is there a difference? Yes, I will admit that it/he/them is funny at first…and in small doses. But it’s too much. If you know me in real life, you’ll quickly realize that I have one of the fouler mouths you’ll encounter outside of a high school. But even this is too much for me. And not even little over the top. It’s way way WAY too much. It’s not even just the endless strings of “fuck,” “pussy,” and “dicks” that get annoying, it’s the elaborate sexual jokes, the constant barrage of vulgar analogies, and the ludicrously unrealistic misogyny. Yeah, there are some funny moments, but besides being distracting, there’s so much of it that it looses impact.

Ok, rewind. Let’s get back on track. This ain’t a piece about Dogma, nor is it about Chasing Amy, which is where this all started. It’s not even about Kevin Smith. It’s about a comment I stumbled across while reading up on Chasing Amy, where Quentin Tarantino – yes, the Tarantino – said that Chasing Amy was his favorite film of 1997.

What the fuck?

I’m not sure if I’d call 1997 an especially impressive year when it comes to film, though it was certainly better than the slump we’ve been in since the early 2000’s. There has to be a dozen or more films better than Chasing Amy over the course of the year. Sure, we had some stinkers: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Beverly Hills Ninja, Anaconda, Batman & Robin, Speed 2, and Home Alone 3, among a few others, but I can name quite a few flicks that are better than Chasing Amy (and more importantly, that I would think that Tarantino would think are better) that wouldn’t even hit my list of, say, top 3 films of the year.

Con-Air – Ok, maybe not the best contender…or is it??? Who doesn’t love Con-Air? It has a great cast. I mean all the actors nail their parts to a tee. Cage’s wooden demeanor works in his favor as the film’s moral compass. Malkovich delivers one of the better roles of his career as the supreme antithesis to Cage’s character Poe, while Rhames embodies the stereotypical burly, intimidating prisoner. Supporting roles were well cast also, especially with Buscemi as the mysterious, high security human cannibal. It never takes itself too seriously, so even though there’s murder and violence and explosions, it’s still fun and light-hearted. And the best part are the amazingly choreographed action scenes, from the breakout on the plane, to the awesome boneyard blow out, to the climactic Vegas Strip landing and ensuing chase. So maybe it doesn’t have the underlying social commentary of Chasing Amy, but it is a fine technical achievement as well as proof that there can still be genuinely fun, escapist films that aren’t utterly brainless.

Face/Off – More Nic Cage! He may not be the greatest actor, but he did end up in some fantastic films back in the 90’s. Face/Off features some of Woo’s finest “gun-fu.” It also has an amazing premise that actually works, and I think Cage does a better job of it than Travolta. When you think about it, the acting demands are pretty tough. Cage and Travolta aren’t just playing characters – they’re playing each other’s character who is pretending to be the other character. Ok maybe that didn’t make sense: Cage has to pretend to play Travolta’s character pretending to be Cage’s original character, and Travolta has to pretend to play Cage’s character pretending to be Travolta’s. It’s a cool showcasing of talent. This is another one of those great action movies that we just don’t see anymore.

Air Force One – More top notch action! And who can forget, “Get off my plane!” Most of the time when we get movies regarding the President or other well-known public figures, there’s a decidedly hokey, patriotic slant to it. That’s still present here to an extent, but we get a much more realistic depiction of a father looking for his family rather than a noble white knight president. And even when we think it’s over, there’s the tense scene where the characters are moved from one plane to another.

Cop Land – I can understand how this might not be for everyone, but it does have a certain style to it that I might think Tarantino would admire over the romantic stylings of Chasing Amy. Admittedly, this take on neo-noir could’ve been better than it was, and indeed would be majorly trumped by a film later on down on this list.

Event Horizon – A flawed masterpiece to be sure – I couldn’t decide if this was going to make my “best of ’97” list or it was just going on the “better than Chasing Amy list.” Obviously I voted for the latter. However, I personally love this film even though I recognize some of its cinematic fumbles. Event Horizon is hands down one of the best mainstream stabs at a true fusion of horror and sci-fi. I think it’s great how the film explores a fairly sound theoretical concept like bending spacetime to cover large differences and propels itself into the question of “where does the ship actually go as it passes through this ‘bend’?” The answer, at least in Event Horizon, is HELL. Which in and of itself opens up even grander possibilities – will it always go to hell? Are there other dimensions? Are they all hellish? Does it tie into the afterlife in any way? To be totally fair, the film could’ve done more with the concept. A lot of time is wasted in the first half where it plays out more like a sci-fi slanted thriller. Despite the shortcomings, the sheer premise and setting keep this film strong. Way out in Neptune’s orbit in a ship that’s been to Hell…it still sends shivers down my spine!

The Game – This was an excellent suspense flick that kept me guessing and wondering at every turn. It made a few mistakes (it’s a bit too long) but it’s still a solid movie with an engaging plot. There is so much winding and twisting that becomes a bit of puzzle for the viewer to figure out.

Starship Troopers – I remember seeing this not long after it was released on video, and it was a really confusing experience. I was pretty young at the time so there was a lot of subtext that went unnoticed, but I could still tell that this was a very different film. As I got older, I couldn’t decide what it was. In some ways it wasn’t all that different from campy, low budget sci-fi, yet when the special effects kick in, it’s obvious that this had a more than adequate budget to work with. What I was perceiving as camp was really just a small part of the satire that pervades the entire film, and that’s what makes it great on so many levels. I would definitely expect Tarantino to rank this hyper-violent epic a notch or two above Chasing Amy.

So that’s my “almost best” list. Other films from ’97 that deserve a nod from me: The Devil’s Own, The Rainmaker, The Postman (yeah I know, critically derided, though I thoroughly appreciate it for its ambition if nothing else), Alien: Resurrection, As Good As It Gets, Seven Years in Tibet, Titanic, Wishmaster, and The Fifth Element.

Alright, so what about the best? I’ve narrowed it down to 5 that I think are awesome, and that I’m truly surprised that Tarantino wouldn’t choose over Chasing Amy as well.

Jackie Brown – Alright, maybe this is cheating…or is it? Is it against the rules to like your own film better than any others? Was Tarantino simply being modest? Jackie Brown is a great movie on all fronts. It’s got a stellar cast, compelling story, and innovative filmmaking techniques. I love how we get to see the climax from multiple viewpoints. I also love how all of the interpersonal relationships slowly crumble throughout the film. Robert Forester may not have been my first choice as the film’s deuteragonist, but otherwise I’m not complaining. Jackie Brown tends to get overlooked in the wake of his magnum opus Pulp Fiction, his debut Reservoir Dogs, and more recently outings like Kill Bill and Django Unchained, but I think Jackie Brown is one of his best.

Gattaca – Gattca was surprisingly overlooked during its time and nowadays is mostly forgotten, but I was sufficiently blown away even though I don’t typically care for Ethan Hawke or Jude Law. Superficially it’s a cautionary tale that deals with the ramifications of increasing technology and the perils that accompany humanity’s ascension to a near utopian state. On a deeper level, it uses its exploration of genetic perfection to speak to issues of individuality, and by extension fate, which ultimately leads us to questions about free will, which is one of the fundamental philosophical debates of all time. We get a bit of a sugar-coated ending, but overall Gattaca raises some very interesting questions in a novel and intelligent manner.

Tarantino has never shown much of a predilection for science fiction, though I think he’s clever enough to realize what a powerful punch this film packs. Plus, Gattaca is right up there with some of the biggest underdogs of the 90’s, and I would think he’d always have his eye on the underdogs.

Donnie Brasco – Tarantino had a love affair with the world of organized crime back in the 90’s. Reservoir Dogs was all about a group of men hired by a “boss” for a diamond heist; Pulp Fiction followed several lives and stories that revolved around an element of organized crime (Marsellus was a “boss,” both his wife and underlings make up a significant portion of the story, as does a boxer he paid to throw match); True Romance, penned by yet not directed by Tarantino revolved around the drug trade and its ties to the film industry. Donnie Brasco delves right into the heart of the Italian-America Mafia, and although the film is largely biopic in nature, it tells a great story and boasts a talented cast.

From Tarantino’s perspective, Donnie Brasco probably wasn’t as artistically driven as he’d prefer, but it offers a gritty, unglamorized portrait of how the Mafia typically ends up ruining all of those within its grasp. I also think it’s laudable that the film shows both sides of the conflict – not just the damage caused by the criminals, but also the damage caused by the FBI and its methods of infiltration. Tarantino is all about no absolutes and the endless gray area, so surely he appreciated the moral ambiguity that we’re left to deal with at the end.

Contact – This was a tough film for me to appreciate for some time. We get another story about space travel, but instead of confronting us with the visceral aspects of a horror film, we get more of a drama that speaks to our notions of belief and faith. It’s sort of the polar opposite to Event Horizon; instead of a ship that went to hell, this ship made its way to heaven, or something approximating heaven.

Again, perhaps science fiction if off Tarantino’s radar, but Contact is one of those sci-fi movies that isn’t really about sci-fi. It verges on being outright sappy from time to time, but the story is told so well and with such emotion that it’s almost impossible not to get absorbed in Ellie’s quest to find the answer to the proverbial question: why are we here?

L.A Confidential – Did you see it coming? Was he “other neo-noir film” enough of a hint? As much as I like some of the other films on this list, L.A. Confidential is far and away my favorite of them all and the clear winner of “best of ’97.” It owes a great deal of its success to the intricate storyline, but also a well paced script, superb acting, and production design that does an excellent job of taking us back to a different time. So much is done so well in this film…where do I start?

I tend to enjoy period pieces more than the average person, but I’ve never been a fan of anything too recent in history. I find the last 200 years or so of American history exceedingly boring on screen. Not that I’m the foremost expert on film, but it’s quite a testament to the filmmakers that they actually sucked me into this world. Not only did the 1950’s era America not distract and bore me, but I was actually into it in the way that I’ve been drawn into other period pieces. This is a different world where a man is a man and a woman is woman; there’s right and wrong, good and evil; we’re dealing very much with absolutes…except we’re not! L.A. Confidential is all about that gray area that’s always existed, in a time where culture was conditioned against acknowledging said area of grayness.

Russel Crowe and Guy Pearce take center stage, and it may be tough to remember, but back in 1997, they were relatively unknown outside of their home country, Australia. It was probably a couple of more years before I knew they were foreign. Regardless of where they’re from, they do a great job of holding the film together. Pearce, as Exley, starts off very straight-laced and a very strict in his adherence to the law, while Crowe, as White, is a brutal, shoot first ask questions later kind of guy. It’s great watching both of these change and meet in the middle; Exley toughens up and becomes more aggressive in his approach while White softens up and begins to accept reason and think for himself.

Although a mystery is at the heart of L.A. Confidential’s story, it’s a very character-driven film, something that I think Tarantino would immediately be drawn to. It also depicts the brutal side of police brutality, and arguably this level of onscreen violence would’ve been much less well tolerated if not for the success of films like Tarantino’s own Pulp Fiction and the Oliver Stone directed Natural Born Killers (written by Tarantino) a few years earlier. L.A. Confidential gives us an unapologetic look into the corruption present in law enforcement, weaving a complex web of half-truths and misinformation; the kind of stuff that I’d expect Tarantino to eat right up based on his own movies. Sure, there’s no fancy editing or non-linear structure, but Chasing Amy doesn’t have any of that either.

So, one final time, I have to ask, what the hell was he thinking? I don’t know, and I guess it really don’t matter, but it does surprise me. Whatever the case, it was perfect opportunity to look back at the mainstream films of 1997. In addition to all those I’ve already listed, ’97 produced a number of other blockbusters that most of us still remember today: Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Liar Liar, Men in Black, Dante’s Peak, The Saint, Volcano, Austin Powers, Nothing to Lose, Spawn, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, Good Will Hunting, and Tomorrow Never Dies. I’ll never understand how the man that birthed the likes of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs could choose Chasing Amy over L.A. Confidential (among others), but to each his own…I like to think that maybe he couldn’t produce a 100% complete mental list of 1997’s films when he made the statement!

So what’s your favorite film of 1997? Is it Chasing Amy…or something else? Let us know!

Written by The Cubist