Top 10 Films of 1996

1. ''Breaking The Waves'' (Lars von Trier, UK)

2. "Fargo" (Joel Coen, USA)

3. "Private Confessions" (Liv Ullmann, Sweden)

4. "Once Upon A Time In Triad Society" (Cha Chuen-Yee, Hong Kong)

5. ''Trainspotting'' (Danny Boyle, UK)

6. ''Bound'' (Lana and Lilly Wachowski, USA)

7. "Romeo And Juliet" (Baz Luhrmann, USA)

8. "Michael Collins" (Neil Jordan, UK)

9. "The Frighteners" (Peter Jackson, New Zealand)

10. "Beaumarchais l'insolent" (Édouard Molinaro, France)

Other great films:

Un Air de famille (France)
Bastard Out Of Carolina

Beauty's Punishment

Beavis And Butt-head Do America

Beyond Silence (Germany)

Beyond The Clouds (Italy)

Black Mask (Hong Kong)

Bobby Sox

Boston Kickout

Brassed Off (UK)
Brigands, Chapter VII (Georgia)
Broken Arrow
The Celluloid Closet

Chloe (France)

Citizen Ruth

Comment je me suis dispute ma vie sexuelle (France)

Conte d'ete (France)

Crash (Canada)
The Crucible
Curtis's Charm (Canada)
Dead Man

Deep Crimson (Mexico)

Drifting Clouds (Finland)

The Ebola Syndrome (Hong Kong)
Emma

Eraser
Everyone Says I Love You
Evita

First Strike (Hong Kong)
Flirt
Fly Away Home

For Ever Mozart (Switzerland)

From Dusk Till Dawn

From The Journals Of Jean Seberg

Fudoh (Japan)
Gabbeh (Iran)

Gonin 2 (Japan)

Goodbye South Goodbye (Taiwan)
Grace Of My Heart
Hamlet (UK)

Hotel de Love (Australia)

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Independence Day

I Shot Andy Warhol
James And The Giant Peach

The Lady In Blue

Love Serenade (Australia)

Matilda

Mon homme (France)
Mission Impossible

Nic smiesznego (Poland)
Once Upon A Time In Triad Society 2 (Hong Kong)
Palace (Spain)
Panna Nikt (Poland)

Parade Parade (Japan)

The People Vs Larry Flynt

Le Polygraphe (Canada)

Ponette (France)

Pulkownik Kwiatkowski (Poland)

Ridicule (France)

The Rock

Scorpio Nights 2 (Philippines)

Scream
Secrets And Lies (UK)
Shall We Dance (Japan)

Shaman (Russia)

She's The One

Shine (Australia)

Sleeping Dogs

Sling Blade

Surviving Picasso

Swallowtail Butterfly (Japan)

Szabla od Komendanta (Poland)

Szamanka (Poland)

That Thing You Do !

La Vie de Marianne (France)

Viva Erotica (Hong Kong)

Les Voleurs (France)

Welcome To The Dollhouse
When We Were Kings
Young And Dangerous (Hong Kong)
Zero Woman: Assassin Lovers (Japan)

Short Top 3:

1."Ballad Of The Skeletons" (Gus Van Sant, USA)

2. "L'Amateur" (Olivier Smolders, Belgium)

3. "Bien sous tous rapports" (Marina De Van, France)

Other great shorts:

The Black Glove

Cadavres exquis (Canada)

Top 3 Music Videos:

1. "Plus haut" (Jean-Luc Godard, France Gall)

2. "Tonight Tonight" (Dayton and Faris, The Smashing Pumpkins)

3. "Big Me" (Jesse Peretz, Foo Fighters)

Other great music videos:

Ironic

Wannabe

Top Commercial:

"Canyon" (Ford)

TV Top 3:

1. "X-Files: Musings Of A Cigarette-Smoking Man" (James Wong, Fox)

2. "X-Files: Home" (Kim Manners, Fox)

3. "Homicide: Prison Riot" (Kenneth Fink, NBC)

Other great TV shows:

Homicide: The Heart Of Saturday Night

Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Postmoderna i pokropek (Poland)

Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Zmiana na lepsze (Poland)

Cartoon Top 3:

1. "La Salla" (Richard Condie, NFB, Canada)

2. "Canhead" (Timothy Hittle, USA)

3. "The Blue Beard" (Aleksandr Bubnov, Ukraine)

Other great cartoons:

Dinner For Two (Canada)
Quest (Germany)
Quilt (Canada)
Words (Canada)

Weak films of 1996:

101 Dalmatians
2 Days In The Valley
Abusers: A Film About Incest
Across The Sea Of Time
Adosados (Spain)
Les Affinites electives (Italy)
Angels & Insects (UK)
L'Appartement (France)
At Sundance
Les Aveux de l'Innocent (France)
Awantura o Basie (Poland)
Bad Moon
Bad Seed (Denmark)
Basquiat
Beautiful Girls
Beautiful Thing (UK)
Bernie (France)
Beyond Hypothermia (Hong Kong)
Big Night
The Bloody Child
Bones Of The Forest (Canada)
Bubbles Galore (Canada)
Bulletproof
La Bouche de Jean-Pierre (France)
The Boys Club
Buckminster Fuller: Thinking Out Loud
The Cable Guy
Caboose (Canada)
Capitaine Conan (France)
Carla’s Song (UK)
Caught
Centerfold
Chacun cherche son chat (France)
A Chef In Love (Georgia)
Courage Under Fire
The Craft
Le Cri de la soie (France)
Cwal (Poland)
Dark Secret (Germany)
Daylight
Deborah (Poland)
Different For Girls (UK)
Dragonheart
A Drop In The Ocean (Greece)
Dr Wai In The Scripture With No Words (Hong Kong)
L'Eleve (France)

Encore (France)
Enfants de salaud (France)
The English Patient
Erreur sur la personne (Canada)
Eva Peron (Argentina)
The Evening Star
Extreme Measures
Faire un film pour moi c'est vivre (Italy)
Farewell My Darling (China)
Father Son And The Holy War (India)
Fire (India)
The First Wives Club
Forbidden City Cop (Hong Kong)
The Funeral
Gamera 2 (Japan)
Gentle Into The Night (Italy)
Get On The Bus
The Ghost And The Darkness
Ghosts Of Mississippi
Girl 6
Girls Town
God Of Cookery (Hong Kong)
God Of Gamblers: The Early Stage (Hong Kong)
Gracze (Poland)
Hamsun (Norway)
Hard Core Logo (Canada)
Un Heros tres discret (France)
L'Homme ideal (Canada)
Hommes femmes mode d'emploi (France)
Le Huitieme jour (Belgium)
I'M Not Rappaport
Intimate Relations (UK)
Jaya Ganga (India)
Jerry Maguire
Jeunesse sans dieu (Germany)
Jingle All The Way
Joe's So Mean To Josephine (Canada)
Journey Into Life
A Journey Through The Dark Side (Croatia)
Joyeux calvaire (Canada)
Kansas City
Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy (Canada)
Kingpin
Kolonel Bunker (Albania)
Kolya (Czech Republic)
Krzysztof Kieslowski - I'M So So (Poland)
Last Summer In The Hamptons
Lilies (Canada)
Limited Edition
Lone Star
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Looking For Richard
Love etc (France)
Love Me And You'll See (Cuba)
Les Lumiere de Berlin (Germany)
Luna et l'altra (Italy)
La Lupa (Italy)
Lust And Revenge (Australia)
Madagascar (Cuba)
Mademoiselle Moreau (France)
Mahjong (Taiwan)
Manny and Lo
Mars Attacks !
Marvin's Room
Mexico (Mexico)
Michael
Microcosmos (France)
Mother
Mother Night
My Name Is Adam (Romania)
Niki de Saint-Phalle
Ninfa Plebea (Italy)
No Sex Last Night
The Nutty Professor
Okaeri (Japan)
La Ola (Cuba)
One Fine Day
Party (Portugal)
Peach Blossom (China)
Pedale douce (France)
The Phantom Lover (Hong Kong)
Poisson tropical (Taiwan)
Pokuszenie (Poland)
The Portrait Of A Lady
The Powder Room (Canada)
Primal Fear
Prisoner Of The Mountains (Russia)
La Promesse (Belgium)
Punk Lawyer (Holland)
Pudding chomeur (Canada)
Quem matou Pixote ? (Brazil)
Ransom
Revisor (Russia)
Rowing Through
Saint Clara (Israel)
Sans raison apparente (Canada)
Satan Returns (Hong Kong)
Score (Japan)
Screwed
Seven Servants (Germany)
Sexy Sadie (Germany)
Sleepers
Sleeping Man (Japan)
Space Jam
The Spitfire Grill
Star Trek: First Contact
Stealing Beauty
Stille Nacht (Germany)
Sto lat w kinie (Poland)
Struggle For Hope (Japan)
The Sun Has Ears (China)
Super Atragon. Part II (Japan)
Swann
Swingers
Tai Chi 2 (Hong Kong)
Tato (Poland)
Temptress Moon (China)
Tesis (Spain)
A Time To Kill
Tin Cup
Un Tramway a Moscou (Russia)
The Trap (Japan)
Trees Lounge
A True Story (Iran)
The Truth About Cats And Dogs
Twelfth Night
Twister
Two Deaths (UK)
Unhook The Stars
Velvet Gloves (China)
A Very Brady Sequel
Visiblement je vous aime (France)
Walking And Talking
The War Within: A Portrait Of Virginia Woolf (UK)
The Whole Wide World
Wielki tydzien (Poland)
Women (Israel)
The Young Poisoner's Handbook

Weak shorts:

Biscotti (Italy)
L'Oreille de Joé (Canada)
Rideau (Canada)

Weak cartoons:

Boden der Realitat (Germany)
The Blind Date (UK)
The Box (UK)
Cemetery (UK)
Children Speak (Canada)
The Cora Player (Burkina Faso)
Die Hard In Under Two Minutes (Russia)
Egoiste (France)
Garden Of Ecos (Canada)
Halleluja (Switzerland)
Hand In Hand (Sweden)
The Hapless Child (UK)
How Wings Are Attached To The Backs Of Angels (Canada)
I'M Your Man (Canada)
Isle Of Dogs (UK)
The Legend Of The Flying Canoe (Canada)
Marylou
Masks (Cuba)
The Menopause Song (Canada)
Perdido
The Saint Inspector (UK)
Scant Sanity (Canada)
Shyness (Canada)
Wat's Pig (UK)
West Of Eden (Canada)

Top Musical of 1996

"That Thing You Do!" (Tom Hanks, 20th-Fox)

Fargo (1996) *****

Breaking The Waves (1996) *****

Once Upon A Time In Triad Society (1996) *****

Leck Kwan is the scamiest and vilest gangster in Hong Kong. On a nice day, he will kill a tailor, try to rape his daughter and then sell her as a hooker to a bordello in the Middle East. Shot by fellow gangsters, he's transported to a hospital, but nobody there wants to treat his wounds. Everyone would like to see the last of Leck Kwan. Is he really such a bad person ? In the first flashback, Leck tells us a bullshit story about his childhood: what a nice boy he was, how he was forced to join the triads, how his friends betrayed him, how his pregnant wife was killed by gangsters. All lies. Then, Leck tells the true story: how he killed his best friend, double-crossed his boss, humiliated his girlfriend and got away with one murder after another. The film is basically a parody of "GoodFellas", but Leck Kwan makes Henry Hill look like an altar boy. The film is viciously and gloriously cynical; its humor drips like acid.

Private Confessions (1996) *****

Directed by Liv Ullmann. With Pernilla August, Max von Sydow and Samuel Froler. The final segment of Ingmar Bergman's trilogy about stormy relations between his parents, which began when they were children in "Fanny And Alexander" (1983) and continued with "The Best Intentions" (1992). The entire film consists of five long conversations between a middle-aged woman and the three men in her life: her husband, her confessor and her lover. Two people talking, with Sven Nykvist's stationary camera capturing their faces in close-ups - it's a quintessential Bergman film, a quiet masterpiece of suppressed emotions, tentatively exploring the most intimate aspects of a woman's life.

Ridicule (1996) ****

Bound (1996) ****

Brilliant film noir directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, back in the days when they were still known as Andy and Larry. But even in 1996, this film already felt like it was made by female directors.

Trainspotting (1996) ****

Adapted from Irvine Welsh's 1993 cult novel, ''Trainspotting'' is one of the best films about drug addiction. Starring a young Ewan McGregor long before his Obi-Wan Kenobi days, and directed by Danny Boyle long before his promising career has crashed and burned with flops like ''A Life Less Ordinary'' and ''The Beach'', the film has been described as ''a singular sensation, a visionary knockout spiked with insight, wild invention and outrageous wit'' (Rolling Stones), ''exciting, energetic, thought-provoking (...) a kinetic movie, where everything, including the camera, keeps moving'' (James Berardinelli), and ''a desolate, fast, funny, scary film'' (Michael Wood, Slate). But, above all, it's a comedy, with classic lines like: "Take the best orgasm you've ever had, multiply by 1000, and you're still nowhere near it", "Fuck it, we would have injected Vitamin C if only they'd made it illegal", and "I hate being Scottish. ... Some people hate the English, but I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can't even pick a decent culture to be colonized by". And it's a sexy movie as well, with Kelly MacDonald (''Gosford Park'') in a hot erotic scene with McGregor. But ultimately, what makes this film so great is the realism with which the drug culture is depicted. It's not pretty, but it's not boring neither. We definitely don't want to live like them, but then again, we can definitely understand why drug addicts are living like that. It's not a pro- or anti-drug movie. It's better than that. It's honest.

Romeo And Juliet (1996) ****

Beaumarchais l'insolent (1996) ****

Love Serenade (1996) ****

Beyond Silence (1996) ****

Michael Collins (1996) ****

Tragic life of the Irish national hero.

The Frighteners (1996) ****

Take an idea or two from "The X-Files", add a touch of "Twin Peaks", borrow a motif from "The Terminator" and mix it with a large dose of "Natural Born Killers". Then put it in competent hands of Kiwi director Peter Jackson and you've got a masterful horror film - riotously funny, genuinely frightening, constantly surprising and incredibly innovative.

Emma (1996) ****

Very entertaining adaptation of Jane Austen's greatest novel. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the charming and intelligent heroine, who also happens to be quite vain and conceited. She constantly meddles in other peoples' affairs, with decidedly mixed results. It takes her a while to realize that, at 21, she might not know quite everything.

Brigands, Chapter VII (1996) ****

Black comedy about violence through the ages. Fascinating, clever, pitiless film.

Gabbeh (1996) ****

Iranian film about a nomadic tribe.

Szabla od Komendanta (1996) ****

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) ***

Surviving Picasso (1996) ***

Sleeping Dogs (1996) ***

The People Vs Larry Flynt (1996) ***

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996) ***

The Lady In Blue (1996) ***

Mission Impossible (1996) ***

Superbly crafted spy thriller with impressive action scenes, stellar cast and plenty of surprises.

Matilda (1996) ***

A young girl (Mara Wilson) is neglected by her terrible parents (Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman) and abused by a cruel school headmistress. An adaptation of John Dahl's story.

James And The Giant Peach (1996) ***

Visually stunning puppet-animated film about an orphan boy who travels to New York in a giant peach. Songs: "My Name Is James" * "Bright Lights, Big City" * "This Fantastic Treat" * "We're Family" *

Independence Day (1996) ***

Evil aliens invade the Earth, destroy the biggest cities and prepare the total annihilation of the human race. The invasion starts on July 2nd. Two days later, humans counterattack. Big-budget, super-patriotic science-fiction film with impressive aerial combat scenes.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996) ***

The best adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel. Songs and gags are slightly below Disney's high standards, but action scenes are terrific. Musical numbers:

"The Bells Of Notre Dame" **
"Out There" **
"Topsy Turvy" **
"God Help The Outcasts" **
"Heaven's Light" *
"Hellfire" **
"A Guy Like You" *
"The Court Of Miracles" *

Hamlet (1996) ***

The best screen adaptation of "Hamlet", superior even to Laurence Olivier's 1948 version. Director Kenneth Branagh gives an excellent performance in the title role. Derek Jacobi as Claudius, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, Julie Christie as Gertrude, Charlton Heston as the Player King and Billy Crystal as a gravedigger, are also superb. Weak performances (Jack Lemmon as Marcellus and Robin Williams as Osric) are mercifully brief. It's an unedited, full-text version which reveals all aspects and all nuances of William Shakespeare's greatest play.

Grace Of My Heart (1996) ***

A musical film about a successful songwriter (Illeana Douglas). Songs include:

"Hey There" *
"In Another World" *
"Nobody Knows The Way" *
"Born To Love That Boy" **
"Unwanted Number" *
"I Do" **
"My Secret Love" **
"God Give Me Strength" ***
"The Nitty Gritty"
"Grace Of My Heart" *
"God Give Me Strength" (reprise) ***

From The Journals Of Jean Seberg (1996) ***

An acerbic and witty film about the tragic life of Jean Seberg. It raises many interesting points.

Fly Away Home (1996) ***

A young girl (Anna Paquin) leads a flock of wild geese from Ontario to North Carolina. Considering the subject, the film is remarkable for its lack of sentimentality.

Flirt (1996) ***

This Hal Hartley's feature consists of three episodes, each telling the same story in a different city (New York, Berlin and Tokyo). Except for the third segment, it's a very amusing and witty film.

Drifting Clouds (1996) ***

With "Drifting Clouds", Aki Kaurismaki, Finland's best known director, has made his most memorable film to date. Like all his previous works, it's an ultra-dry, extremely low-key comedy. This one is about a couple facing unemployment.

Dead Man (1996) ***

Bizarre western starring Johnny Depp. Oddball characters, scatological humor and great b&w cinematography.

Curtis's Charm (1996) ***

Amusing, well-acted comedy about a paranoid junkie.

First Strike (1996) ***

It's more like a James Bond action movie rather than a Jackie Chan chop socky flick, but there are a few great kung fu sequences (including one set in an underwater tank full of sharks).

Evita (1996) ***

Superlative film version of the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera about Eva Peron, the First Lady of Argentina. The last half hour is deadly, but until then, the film offers a fascinating mixture of music and politics. Musical numbers include:

"Oh What A Circus" **
"On This Night Of A Thousand Stars" ***
"Eva Beware Of The City" **
"Buenos Aires" **
"So What Happens Now ? Where Am I Going To ?" **
"All Is So Sad When A Love Affair Dies" *
"Bye Bye" **
"I'D Be Surprisingly Good For You" ***
"Peron's Latest Flame" **
"A New Argentina" ***
"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" ***
"High Flying, Adored" **
"Rainbow High" **
"Rainbow Tour" ***
"And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)" ***
"She Is A Diamond" **
"Santa Evita" **
"Mother Eva" **
"Waltz For Eva And Che" *
"You Must Love Me" **
"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" (reprise) *

Everyone Says I Love You (1996) ***

It's a typical Woody Allen comedy, except it's a musical comedy. Old classic films like "Sunnyside Up" (1929) and "Whoopee" (1930) were raided for songs. Musical numbers: 

"Just You, Just Me" ** 

"My Baby Just Cares For Me" ** 

"I'M A Dreamer" * 

"Makin' Whoopee" ** 

"I'M Thru With Love" * 

"All My Life" 

"Cuddle Up A Little Closer" ** 

"Looking At You" ** 

"If I Had You" * 

"Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" 

"Hooray For Captain Spaulding" ** 

"I'M Thru With Love" (reprise) ** 

"Everyone Says I Love You" **

Eraser (1996) ***

Excellent action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vanessa Williams.

Bastard Out Of Carolina (1996) ***

An adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel about an abused young girl (Jena Malone) growing up in South Carolina in the 1950's.

Un air de famille (1996) ***

Funny comedy about family problems. Winner of two awards (Grand Prix Special du Jury and Prix du public) at the Montreal Film Festival.

Palace (1996) ***

A hilarious Spanish comedy without any dialogues. This is a real hidden gem, co-directed by Joan Gracia, Paco Mir and Carles Sans (known as El Tricicle), who also play the lead roles.

Shall We Dance (1996) ***

A marvelous comedy of manners from Japan.