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Film Comment
Jan/Feb 2001


British filmmaker Terence Davies' magnificent adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel of tragic social downfall is an emotionally devastating look at the hothouse world of turn of the century polite society - and its cutthroat values.
GRAHAM FULLER

GILLIAN ANDERSON

Scully talks! Opening the file on the star of The House of Mirth and her approach to playing Lily Bart.
GAVIN SMITH

2000 framed
Film Comment unleashes its regulars on the year in movies

We asked contributors and selected colleagues to vote for ten films in each category. The results were determined by a point system with a number one choice receiving 10 points.

Participants:John Anderson, David Ansen, Nicole Armour, Paul Arthur, Michael Atkinson, Marjorie Baumgarten, Chris Chang, David Chute, Andrew Lewis Conn, Richard Corliss, Roger Ebert, Graham Fuller, Larry Gross, Dennis Harvey, Molly Haskell, J. Hoberman, Peter Hogue, Robert Horton, Harlan Jacobson, Kent Jones, Kristin Jones, Dave Kehr, Phillip Lopate, Mark Olsen, Gerald Peary, Richard Pena, Alissa Quart, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Andrew Sarris, Alissa Simon, Robert Sklar, Gavin Smith, Gregory Solman, Chuck Stephens, David Sterritt, Amy Taubin, Anne Thompson, Armond White, and Michael Wilmington.

CRITICS POLL:
TOP 20 FILMS
Films released theatrically in the U.S.
1. Beau travail
2. The Wind Will Carry Us
3. Yi Yi
4. The House of Mirth
5. Time Regained
6. Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon
7. Almost Famous
8. Dancer in the Dark
9. You Can Count on Me
10. Wonder Boys
11. Humanite
12. Ratcatcher
13. George Washington
14. Gohatto / Taboo
15. Croupier
16. Traffic
17. Ghost Dog:The Way of the Samurai
18. Erin Brockovich
19. Human Resources
20. The Color of Paradise

Highs, Lows, & Status Quos the year in relief: sixteen movies that mattered - and why

The House of Mirth (Terence Davies)
Amidst the current digital free-for-all in which cinema and TV are closer than ever, Davies came clean with a true, glorious movie. A work of precision - from the cinematography to the actors' physical movements and vocal inflections - it reaffirms that despite the current emphasis on "big and blaring" and "fast and cheap," films of elegance and restraint are stillbeing made by directors with a full command of the medium. Cinema lives!

PERSONAL BESTS of 16 critics:

Eight of the sixteen critics included HOM in their Top Ten lists (either in alphabetical or numerical order) --

Nicole Armour (alphabetical)
Alexander Horwath (alphabetical)
Kent Jones HOM #1
Mark Olsen (alphabetical)
Phillip Lopate HOM #1
Jonathan Rosenbaum HOM #7
Gavin Smith HOM #7
Amy Taubin HOM #4

THE END

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