Did you know that 1999 is considered the best year in the history of cinema? At least, according to the American film critic Brian Raftery, author of the book with the eloquent title «The Best Year in Film History. How 1999 Changed Everything». Indeed, if we look back a quarter of a century, we can only marvel at the number of outstanding films. Because an article about the films in 2004 received good feedback from readers, we decided to dive even deeper into the past to recall how significant that fateful year was in the film industry.
Don’t forget to add your own full-length projects in the comments that were not mentioned in the article, but you think deserve to be mentioned. Obviously, it won’t be hard to do, given the off-the-charts «yield of» 99th. The films are not arranged by rating, but by the date of release in the U.S. box office or at film festivals.
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Release date: March 31, 1999
IMDb rating: 8,7
Where to see: MEGOGO
Everything has already been said about «The Matrix» by the Wachowski brothers and even more. Including the ITC in articles about movies about artificial intelligence. It’s not just a great movie, but a work that incorporated iconic elements of pop culture, religion, philosophy, etc. and eventually became a pop culture phenomenon itself. In addition, this blockbuster gave a disappointing forecast for humanity regarding the development of digital technologies and, in particular, AI was frightened on the eve of the new millennium.
Epoch-making, multi-layered, revolutionary — one can go on and on with the loud, enthusiastic epithets for «The Matrix». But here’s what the father of cyberpunk, William Gibson, had to say about the movie: «a pleasure I haven’t experienced in a long time». There’s nothing more to add.
Release date: May 19, 1999 (Cannes Film Festival)
IMDb rating: 7,5
«Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai» might seem like a rather strange cinematic experience, but only if you don’t know that it’s a story from the classic American independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. Critics have interpreted the film as a tribute to «Samurai» by the legendary French director Jean-Pierre Melville — a 1967 film starring Alain Delon. By the way, last year’s «Killer» with Michael Fassbender also referred to Melville’s classic.
«Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai» premiered at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival and competed for its top award, the Palme d’Or.
Release date: May 19, 1999
IMDb rating: 6,5
Where to see: MEGOGO
The return of the iconic «Star Wars» 16 years after the release of the final part of the original trilogy caused such a stir that «The Implied Threat» became the highest-grossing film of the year by a considerable margin. And the main thing is that George Lucas was still at the helm of the saga about a galaxy far, far away, and who better than him to know in which direction this machine should move further.
«Episode I» launched a new trilogy, now known as the «Prequel Trilogy», and became not only a real treat for old fans of the series, but also allowed a new generation of viewers to experience the magic of «Star Wars» on the big screen. And the level of special effects by that time had already grown significantly compared to what the creators had to be content with in the previous films. Yes, ’99, you’re just space.
Release date: July 16, 1999
IMDb rating: 7,5
Where to see: MEGOGO
The last film by the great Stanley Kubrick, the plot of which is based on the story by Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler «Rhapsody: A Dream Novel» (1926). It is believed that this film, which took 400 days to make and proved to be a real challenge for everyone involved, was one of the reasons for the divorce of the star couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
«Eyes Wide Shut» is hardly an erotic film, at least in the usual sense of the genre. But what cannot be taken away from the film is its hypnotic magnetism, as it almost instantly rivets you to the screen and confidently immerses you in a bizarre atmosphere of mysticism and mystery. The latter, both within and outside the frame, add even more excitement to this undeniably great film.
Release date: August 2, 1999
IMDb rating: 8,2
It is impossible to imagine the year 1999 without mentioning «The Sixth Sense». This psychological thriller presented the world with an outstanding acting performance by young Haley Joel Osment, who played a dramatic role far from the usual action heroes Bruce Willis and the same «final twist» that will become the hallmark of Indian director M. Night Shyamalan.
However, the director will not be able to achieve this level of delight and surprise at the ending in future films. But this is a topic for other articles. «The Sixth Sense» became the second highest-grossing film of the year, behind only George Lucas’ revived «Star Wars».
Release date: September 2, 1999 (Venice Film Festival)
IMDb rating: 7,7
Strange, quirky, original, different — these are the epithets that best characterize the surrealist venture from debut director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. From the low-ceilinged seventh and a half floor to the beautiful Cameron Diaz as a gray mouse and the occasional Charlie Sheen with a funny bald spot, everything in the frame is different than we’re used to seeing.
This is a film that tells the story of… What is it about? About the search for self-identity? Or maybe the versatility of the actor’s personality? Is it about John Malkovich, after all? Who the hell is this guy? The only thing that can be stated with 100% certainty is that being John Malkovich — is very strange. The film received universal acclaim and many nominations for prestigious awards, including «Oscar» and «Golden Globe».
Release date: September 10, 1999 (Venice Film Festival)
IMDb rating: 8,8
Where to see: MEGOGO
«Fight Club», based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, has become an expressive statement of its era, with its cynical view of a well-fed life and the need to escape from the burden of living in a pitch-black reality. It seems that capitalism and consumerism have finally won and there are no alternatives left but to languish in a stuffy office every day.
That’s why escaping to a fight club, to «The Matrix», to the arms of Mena Suvari, or to John Malkovich himself seemed like a salvation for exhausted, bored, and sleep-deprived white collars. Once again, we have a bizarre escapism, or even rebellion (although this is just a drop in the bucket, it’s worth mentioning the multi-layered narrative again), supported by expressive, more appropriate than ever, clip art and excellent acting. And Brad Pitt didn’t even disdain to sacrifice a piece of tooth for the sake of authenticity.
Release date: September 15, 1999
IMDb rating: 8,3
Where to see: MEGOGO
Another story that boasts a multilayered plot. This is a story about a midlife crisis, the unbearability of the measured life of middle-class people in the American suburbs (Kevin Spacey’s deliberately nondescript appearance with the appropriate style of clothing makes the character look like a piece of band-aids), and the need, but at the same time the impossibility of staying within the framework imposed by life, family, society, etc.
The satirical «American Beauty» won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. Nevertheless, in the twenty-first century, the film has already undergone a certain rethinking by progressive critics who have noted that it is morally outdated.
In this context, one cannot help but recall the scandalous cancellation of Kevin Spacey, whose character showed a frank sexual attraction to the young heroine Mena Suvari in rose petals. Thus, the actor was charges dropped in sexual assault, but whether this will save a ruined career is almost a rhetorical question.
Release date: December 10, 1999
IMDb rating: 8,6
Where to see: MEGOGO
Another big hit of ’99 that literally fell in love with the audience. The plot of «The Green Mile» is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, which was published in 1996. For director and screenwriter Frank Darabont, this was his second extremely successful work on the adaptation of «King of Horror» after «The Shawshank Redemption» (a separate article about 1994 is planned).
A brilliant role from Tom Hanks and perhaps the best of Michael Clarke Duncan’s career. Interestingly, the role of John Coffey went to Duncan thanks to the assistance of Bruce Willis, with whom they starred together in «Armageddon». As a result, the actor received nominations for «Oscar» and «Golden Globe» for Best Supporting Actor. In general, everyone in this movie is in their place and everything worked out so that even a quarter of a century later, viewers continued to admire this film.
Release date: December 25, 1999
IMDb rating: 7,4
Where to see: MEGOGO
Another great film adaptation on our list, this time based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, published in 1955. Directed by Anthony Minghella, the film boasts a coherent, engaging narrative and excellent acting from an all-star cast. Matt Damon’s performance is particularly noteworthy, as his character commits terrible things, but magically, the viewer still cares about the fate of this criminal.
The film received five nominations for «Oscar» and «Golden Globe», and received many positive reviews from film critics. «The Talented Mr. Ripley» fully justifies its genre of psychological thriller, offering a tense story that gradually engages the viewer and does not let go until the final credits roll. It is worth noting that in April this year, Highsmith’s book received a series adaptation from Netflix, which was also successful.
We also draw attention to the following films from 1999: