Freak's "theyshootpicturesish" New Top 30 of the 90s

30. Hoop Dreams

"Not really a film to watch for pleasure, but to see two fleshed out characters that we feel at least some emotions for."


























29. Malcolm X

"Denzel Washington's portrayal of Malcolm X is a gem and can even replace some of the film's unevenness."





















28. Leaving Las Vegas

"Probably the two best lead performances ever, I exaggerate not. The music and imagery use are perfect, unfortunately the plot and the cinematography wears off in repeated viewings, but for the acting alone, it's a gem."























27. Fallen Angels

"ultra, violent, neon flash, in every way over the top, but Doyle's cinematography is awe-inducing in every way. And yet, it is not one of Wong's best films."



































26. The Last of the Mohicans

"Mann returns to one of his favorite themes, love admist times of tragedy. He has mastered this theme so well that everything he touches becomes poetry."






















25. The Blue Kite

"An affecting tale about a mother and a son having nothing but themselves to hold onto admist awful conditions in Communist China. It is touching, and the cinematography is beautifully depressing."



























24. The Sweet Hereafter

"Whispers instead of shouts, establishes mood instead of plot, making the quiet, tragic event even more melancholy than it originally was."

















23. Eyes Wide Shut

"Kubrick takes a topic once again and masters it, it seems he can be given any grim, dark, pessimistic subject and turn it into his way of storytelling. The result is a product much more satisfying than his 80s picture, since Barry Lyndon, he's never made a film this good."
















22. Naked

"It's Leigh's most accomplished work, better photographed than any of his later social dramas. Normally a film of such caliber would not stray far from self-indulgent preaching, but Leigh's vision is so true that we end up caring enough to ruminate on what the film's about."




































21. Rushmore

"Normally a film about a high school dropout so screwed up that he ends up ruining his own life would be given a dull, dramatic treatment, but Anderson lends a style of humor and nonchalance to it, and we up laughing at the character's miseries."



















20. Whisper of the Heart

"For a brief moment, I wanted to surrender to its sweet childhood innocence and flash back in time to crayon boxes and drawing hour. The film is so affecting that it achieves this effect easily."
















19. Hana-bi

"Not at all to be confused with a violent action film. This is as close to poetry as we'll ever see. It's about a tough, disillusioned cop whose mission in life is to save the ones he loves."



















18. Hard Boiled

"It reinforces the iconic cop character, the hard-boiled cop with who masks a sensitive interior. It's actually kind of touching and for an action movie it's as well written and conflicting as any American action film."















17. Before Sunrise

"Linklater is so fascinated with those two smart, alienated, and blast-to-the-culture characters, it's because they're the mirror image of everyone and Linklater adds a bit of his heart to make it even more affecting."






























16. Fargo

"Now here we have a film that's as tightly-scripted as any old film-noir film, the story flows naturally and the audience never lets go, and never stops anticipating what comes next."



















15. Se7en

"The film that established Fincher as a unique stylist, it's also the most underrated cinematography of the decade."




















14. The Shawshank Redemption

"Probably the best literal film of the decade, about hope admist hopelessness, with two character impossible not to feel sympathy for. I was captivated at their stories and I was rooting for both at the end."

















13. L.A. Confidential

"Combines a comical version of the jazzy era with intricate film-noir mystery; you will be hard pressed to find a 90s film this entertaining."













12. The Story of Qiu Ju

"Now this is an odd film from Zhang, and an odd performance from Gong Li. It's not really a comedy, rather it makes significant the insignificant, and we end up caring."

















11. Audition

"A climax so shocking and unpredictable, like something deep in your subconscious. Miike is able to create a nightmarish film, so cynical and full of dread, and the visuals compliment that, the dark stylish atmosphere gives even more depth to this terrifying tale."





















10. Happy Together

"Probably Wong's most Antonionish film ever, portraying the classic disillusioned "wandering man" character. His cinematography is bleaker, his techniques are more polarizing, but it's an enriching experience nevertheless."

















9. Three Colors: Red

"Kieslowki's window art, about the simple, but the passionate; gorgeous to look at and beautifully scored, it dives deep into human psychological conflict."



















8. The Thin Red Line

"Probably the best film you'll ever see about the feelings of soldiers admist war; they all don't want to be there, they all don't want to see their comrades killed, they all fight for materialistic gains, and Malick lends such poetry to every theme."


















7. Ghost in the Shell

"Groundbreaking in every aspect of filmmaking, invigorating the genre like no other film in its time, this masterpiece, amazingly intelligent and detailed, creates a sci-fi mythlogy that no other film of its genre was ever able to achieve."
















6. The Insider

"It has traits of a Mann, such as leaving the audience to figure out the plot, a powerful moral undertone, and the traditional job/personal morals conflict, but then it's anchored by two electrifying performances and extraordinary tech cinematography. It's not better than Heat, it's just much better than American Beauty."



















5. Goodfellas

"An epic American fable, about growing up, the curiosity of youth, and the eventual consequences of high-living and gangster life. Not one minute superficial, not one second soulless, it does nothing but pump emotions in every frame."














4. Chungking Express

"Utterly conveying a sense of the foolishness of youth, it makes you remember all the times you went up to your girlfriend's apartment, all the times you danced to your favorite soundtrack. It's a kind of adventure, of the everyday life of youth."























3. Raise the Red Lantern

"Unlike his later sentimental pictures, Zhang puts a barrier around our heart with Raise the Red Lantern. But at the same time, he portrays a world so sick, so full of deceit, jealousy, and human coldness, it floors and haunts you."
















2. Princess Mononoke

"Blending a fantasy backdrop so incredible (Pan's Labyrinth is not a comparison) with your traditional heroes and villians, it is the adventure of a lifetime; it's thrilling, it's moving and it's awe-inducing.















1. Heat

"The most rewarding result of drafting and redrafting ever, perfecting every meticulous detail and character psyche. It portrays characters who are human; they are insecure, they cannot separate their personal lives from their professional, and are vulnerable to interior destruction. Such is the lives of everyday people, or maybe just of cops and criminals"