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Wolf Entertainment Guide
By William Wolf

THE BEST TEN FILMS OF 2000--(In Alphabetical Order)

BILLY ELLIOT--An uplifting working-class drama from Britain with an inspiring performance by new actor Jamie Bell as a teenager who aspires to be a dancer despite obstacles of poverty, class and family opposition. Impressively directed by Stephen Daldry. Great audience appeal. A Universal Pictures release.

EAST/WEST-- One of the finest, most powerful dramas to emerge from France. Intelligently and tautly directed by Regis Wargnier ("Indochine"), this story set mainly in what was the Soviet Union is a relentlessly gripping and intensely human tale of what happened to displaced Russians who after World War II accepted Stalin's appeal to return to the motherland. Superb performances by Sandrine Bonnaire, Oleg Menchikov, Sergei Bodrov, Jr. and Catherine Deneuve. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

ERIN BROCKOVICH--Based on the story of a real-life woman and her battle for principle, this is a bold film that challenges spoilers of the environment and does so entertainingly. Julia Roberts's award-caliber performance reveals dramatic skills that she has not yet had this much of a chance to show. Albert Finney makes the most of a terrific part as the lawyer for whom she works and adds immeasurably to the film's strength, as do numerous supporting players. Susannah Grant's screenplay is smooth and intelligent, and it gets the worthy, no-nonsense direction it deserves from Steven Soderbergh. A Universal Pictures release.

THE HOUSE OF MIRTH-- Edith Wharton's celebrated novel has been adapted by Terence Davies with general fidelity to her story and concept. This is not only an intelligent literary shift to the screen but an affecting one that immerses us in another period and informs us of what women of a certain class had to face in trying to live up to what was expected of them--the right marriage of standing--or attempting to go their own way, either choice fraught with problems and peril. Gillian Anderson, known for her "X-Files" television work, gives one of the best performances of the year, with strong supporting acting by Eric Stoltz, Dan Aykroyd, Anthony LaPaglia, Laura Linney and others. This major accomplishment does welcome justice to its source and affords the opportunity for fresh cinematic pleasure culled from the pleasure of literature. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

HUMANITE--A riveting, enigmatic mystery-drama from France that catapults writer-director Bruno Dumont into the front ranks of French filmmakers. "Humanite" is engrossing from start to finish, although it can leave the viewer stewing in frustration because it finally is open to various interpretations instead of ending with a neat answer to the nagging question of who killed the 11-year-old girl found savagely raped and murdered at the outset. But this is no ordinary crime story that concludes with the required explanation. Dumont has instead made "Humanite" a window opening on life in a small French working class town and focusing on a withdrawn detective, the earthy neighbor whom he secretly loves and the boyfriend with whom she has sex in very explicit scenes. About people and their circumscribed lives. "Humanite" is unquestionably impressive, stark and fascinating. A Winstar release.

POLLOCK--A rich experience that ranks above most movie biographies, "Pollock," inquires into the life of the late, emotionally scarred artist Jackson Pollock. Harris plays Pollock and also directs. His acting is deep and affecting as he dramatizes the artist wrestling with his demons in self-destructive outbursts, with the implication that one such outburst while behind the wheel led to his untimely death in an auto accident. Harris directs with great respect for his subject and concentrates on trying to frame both the artist as a creator and as a flawed human being wracked by his alcoholism. The film gains enormously from Marcia Gay Harden's superb performance as Lee Krasner, Pollock's artist wife, and captures the times in the art world with excellent supporting performances that include Amy Madigan as art backer Peggy Guggenheim, Jeffrey Tambor as critic Clement Greenberg and Val Kilmer as Willem DeKooning. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

STATE AND MAIN--David Mamet lets his humor run rampant in satirizing Hollywood moviemaking and the results when a production company invades a quiet New England town. A nasty undertone lurks beneath it all, yet he also stirs in a winsome helping of romance. The romp, which Mamet both wrote and directed, is a breezily entertaining and often hilariously barbed mix of comedy, spoof and falling in love. Smart ensemble casting has much to do with its success. Included are Alec Baldwin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Sarah Jessica Parker, William H. Macy, David Paymer, Julia Stiles, Charles Durning, Clark Gregg, Patti LuPone and a host of expert supporting players. "State and Main" may be making fun of moviemaking, but on its own terms it is moviemaking with style and high-flying humor, and it stands among the best of films dealing with that obsessed breed known as filmmakers. A Fine Line Features release.

SUNSHINE--Director Istvan Szabo's epic, written in collaboration with the internationally known American playwright Israel Horovitz, is not only sumptuously filmed and movingly acted, but a film that deals with important historical issues relevant to Hungary and the world. "Sunshine" tells the story of three generations of a Jewish family, with Ralph Fiennes doing yeoman work playing three of the successive men around whom the epic revolves. It is a smashing tour de force for the noted actor. The film, which begins during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, proceeds through World War I, the Horthy regime in Hungary, World War II, the Soviet regime, the 1956 anti-Communist uprising and the democratic present. The excellent cast includes Rosemary Harris, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Ehle, Deborah Kara Unger, Molly Parker, James Frain, John Neville and William Hurt. The overall achievement is a very special movie of unusual scope and depth. A Paramount Classics release.

TRAFFIC--The absorbing, tense and complex "Traffic," inspired by a British television series, apart from being a solid drama, is a much-needed testament to why the so-called war against drugs seems to be a losing battle. The bases that are touched by writer Stephen Gaghan and director Steven Soderbergh shatteringly dramatize the demand for drugs, the illusions of those who fight to eliminate them, the corrupt dealings between drug dealers and lawmen and the havoc wreaked on so many lives. A cast that lends authenticity at every turn includes Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Vargas, Thomas Milian, Amy Irving, Erika Christensen, Steven Bauer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Dennis Quaid. This makes two for Soderbergh on this year's best list. A USA films release.

YOU CAN COUNT ON ME-- A deeply gratifying movie-going experience with mature, intelligent character portrayal in the writing and totally convincing acting, this is a film about struggling to survive and holding on to close family relationships despite serious problems. It is also a film in which the wonderfully talented Laura Linney gives a memorable award-caliber performance as a divorcee raising an eight-year-old son as best she can, trying not to slip into an unenthusiastic marriage, enjoying an ill-advised fling with her boss at the bank where she works and dealing with an immature brother with whom she has strong emotional bonds but who is intruding irresponsibly with the way she wants to bring up her son. Mark Ruffalo is extremely effective as the brother. A coup for first-time director Kenneth Lonergan. A Paramount Classics release.

Among other favorites in 2000, cited in no special order are Butterfly, La Buche, The Color of Paradise, Wonder Boys, Almost Famous, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Contender, Finding Forrester, Nurse Betty, The Croupier, What's Cookng?, Beau Travail, Girlfight, Best in Show, The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, Shadow of the Vampire, Quills, East Is East, Human Resources, Joe Gould's Secret, Meet the Parents, Small Time Crooks, Venus Beauty Institute, Remember the Titans and, for visual achievement and special effects, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

THE END

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