Nominees: Dangerous Liaisons, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, My Neighbor Totoro, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Trishagni, Landscape in the Mist, Yesterday (Vchera), The Last Temptation of Christ
Oscars pick: Rain Man
Nominees: The Accidental Tourist, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, Working Girl
Listing and ‘best of…’ threads are like building puzzles or playing word games. It's a fun little exercise, not to be taken too seriously, done for the challenge it poses -- and 88 was a challenge. When I sat down with the seductive/tragic/wicked Dangerous Liaisons, it was my favorite picture of the year. Then when I watched Pedro Almovodar's madcap Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, it became the best. The Unbearable Lightness of Being -- same deal. What a pickle!
I thought Oscar's choices were all excellent -- and while I won't be picking Rain Man I felt it was a nice journey of character, marked by terrific performances from Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. The movie was one of my father's favorites.
What broke my logjam were two masterpieces from Japan...
A year before Disney's animation rebirth, Studio Ghibli released two of their finest: Hayao Miyazaki's magical tale of 2 sisters who stumble onto a group of fantastic creatures in My Neighbor Totoro. And Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies, which is the story of two war orphans trying to survive on their own. Fireflies is undeniably one of the saddest films I've ever seen. Made more painfully real for the vivid, fully realized characters, as well as the crushing situations and imagery that doesn't pull its punches. Its uncompromising portrayal of the horrors of war and the loss of innocence is about as far removed from the whimsy of Totoro as you can get, and it's strange that the studio released them as a double feature (which resulted in this odd couple’s failure at the box office).
Graves is one of those movies that takes on a life of its own, and defies the intentions of its creator, who didn't see it as an anti-war film as others do, but as, "the brother and sister living a failed life due to isolation from society." While I can see this facet, it seems a harsh and unfair burden to lay on a couple of children. (maybe that's just my western mindset speaking?) I see it more as a failure of society than the children.
However its viewed, Graves is the season finest.
Other movies I enjoyed include The Vanishing, The Accidental Tourist, Rain Man, Salaam Bombay! Die Hard, Big, Eight Men Out, Mississippi Burning, The Naked Gun, Running on Empty, Beetlejuice
Honorable Mentions:
Dustin Hoffman, Rain Man * Bob Hoskins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit * Eric Bogosian, Talk Radio * John Malkovich, Dangerous Liaisons * Gene Hackman, Mississippi Burning * Klaus Maria Brandauer, Hanussen * John Neville, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen * Willem Dafoe, The Last Temptation of Christ
Best Actress: Glenn Close, Dangerous Liaisons
Honorable Mentions:
Meryl Streep, A Cry in the Dark * Carmen Maura, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown * Jodie Foster, The Accused * Sigourney Weaver, Gorillas in the Mist * Geneviève Bujold, Dead Ringers * Imogen Stubbs, A Summer Story
Supporting Actress: Lena Olin, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Honorable Mentions:
Meryl Streep, A Cry in the Dark * Carmen Maura, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown * Jodie Foster, The Accused * Sigourney Weaver, Gorillas in the Mist * Geneviève Bujold, Dead Ringers * Imogen Stubbs, A Summer Story
Supporting Actor: Philippe Noiret, Cinema Paradiso
