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PLEASE have patience while I update the web site. When you see this menu at the left then you'll know that the page has been updated. |
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H O M E P A G E
JANE'S MOVIE WORLD:
JANE'S MUSIC WORLD:
MUSIC TRIBUTES: JANE'S ART WORLD: |
Established 1999
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Yes, I have bravely picked my favorites of this year. If you click on the title - you will be taken to the page my regular review/recommendation is on. (Note: some movies were up for Oscars this spring, but I didn't see them until 2001, so have included them on my list.)
 Amelie Is a delightful combination of wistful charm and earthy humor - very French and very fresh. You go from absolute belly laughs to sweet romance, with wonderful characters and terrific photography. Audrey Tautou has adorable Betty Boop eyes and is totally enchanting as the lead. Definitely a winner!  |
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Runners Up & Most Honorable Mentions |
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| Moulin Rouge: Toulouse Lautrec meets Busby Berkey meets MTV. There is a vibrancy to this movie I haven't experienced in a long time. It begins with sly humor and ends with pathos while following the path of true love. The sets, costumes, and Technicolor photography all add to the experience. | Memento: Is a mindbending film that starts at the end and works backwards to a terrific payoff ending. As the story works backwards you learn more about each character and re-evaluate what you thought you knew and understood. Definitely a must-see winner that will make you think! | ||
This was a dry year for good films, but the following are also worthy of your time to watch: |
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| A Beautiful Mind: Is based on the true story of John Nash who is a brilliant mathematician, yet who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Russell Crowe gives another amazing performance; you actually watch him shrink into the character as he falls into the depths of the disease. Well worth seeing. | HEARTS IN ATLANTIS: Anthony Hopkins is magical in this mystical tale of a young boy, growing up in an unhappy home, who comes under the tutelage of a wise, older man. It is his performance that sets this film apart. | The Tailor of Panama: This is subtle, haunting picture with terrific performances and nuances, but not, I must admit, for everyone. But, its cynical view of governmental officials tied with a very human heart scored with me. | |
| The Deep End: There is a tone of quiet desperation to this excellent film as a mother attempts to cover up a crime to protect her son. Tilda Swinton gives a wonderfully subtle performance as the mother who is attempting to maintain a normal household as her life spirals out of control. | Shrek: Imagine if Mel Brooks wrote a fairy tale and had the best computer animators in the world and you have "Shrek". It is sly, satiric, and oh, so funny, with wry and rude jokes for both kids and adults. Instant classic. | THIRTEEN DAYS: Is a straight forward telling of the Cuban Missile Crisis with excellent, across-the-board performances. Although we know how it how turned out, there is still an air of tension, as we come to realize that we were within 24 hours of annihilating the world. | |
| ENEMY AT THE GATE: Is a terrific film about the epic struggle that evolved in the Siege of Stalingrad during W.W.II. From the unforgettable beginning of the killing field for the poor young Russian soldiers to the taunt cat and mouse scenes between the young Russian sniper and his Nazi opponent, great story-telling and performances make for a great film. | SPY KIDS: Is an "E" ticket fun ride for kids and adults alike. Lots of special effects and humor and action and you have one terrific movie. | TRAFFIC: It is a hard edge look at the failing drug war that follows three main stories that end up inter-twining. The director, Steven Soderbergh, uses various forms of photography with gritty film effects and there are uniformly excellent performances from the large cast. It is not a warm moving picture, but it is an honest, tough look at an important subject. | |