68. Minority Report

Minority Report (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg

Outside of two films that will remain unnamed, I would say this is Spielberg's greatest directing achievement of his career. From the first frame to the last frame, every sequence is crammed full of creative genius. Speaking of 'frames', I think this is also Spielberg's visual masterpiece. His camera is constantly moving, but it's never erratic. It reveals exactly what it needs to without seeming obvious. This is a stunning achievement.

It's a miracle that Minority Report works as well as it does given that it straddles so many genres (science fiction, crime, mystery, noir, action) and attempts to deliver not only a complicated narrative, but knock-out action sequences, and a deeply satisfying philosophical discussion on free will and justice. Costume design and set design enrich the entire template and create a completely convincing future (one of the most practical and foretelling ever on film).

There are numerous sequences that I could reference as my favorite, but if I boiled it down, the entire eye replacement sequence is one of my favorites. From the creepy doctors to the cringe inducing eye scanners spiders, Spielberg was clearly having fun directing all of this. Add on top of that an incredible action sequence featuring jet packs and a car factory of the future and this film is an embarrassment of riches. If you've somehow overlooked it or haven't seen it in a while, I urge you to give it another look.

88. Jerry Maguire

Jerry Maguire (1996)
Directed by Cameron Crowe

One of the few romantic comedies that you will find on my list; Jerry Maguire is a fun story featuring some extremely likeable and unique characters. What makes this particular romantic comedy different from the many that I typically dislike is the fact while being a romantic comedy at heart; it really doesn’t play like one at all.

The typical romantic comedy formula is eschewed in Jerry Maguire for kind of an oddball plotline that takes a few unexpected turns and then U-turns. Sure there is still the meet cute and courting process, as well as the woman sidekick with support and suspicion, but there seems to be a willingness to move past such conventions and strike some seriously deep material.

Thankfully, there is no sequence where Jerry is suspected of cheating or something is just misconstrued leading to faux romantic comedy breakup before the happy ending. Instead, Cameron Crowe gives us real insight into the heart of our characters. After the initial wedding (when most films would’ve ended), Jerry is still learning how to truly value Dorothy and the film doesn’t give Jerry an easy ending.

In the end, I liked the parallel between marriage and the sports agent industry. It’s not until Jerry learns true humility and truly what it means to hang in with someone, care for them, desire the best for them, does the film allow him success in either areas. The film is helped enormously by a great performance by Tom Cruise, definitely one of his greatest.

All that and I haven’t even mentioned all the great scenes, quotable lines, and fantastic supporting roles (Cuba Gooding Jr. deserved every bit of his Oscar) that fill out this truly satisfying film. All in all, this is a great story with a great central character with some truly great insight. All reasons I wouldn’t want to do without it.

Valkyrie Mini-Review

Overall Grade: B

I think by now most people have written off Tom Cruise as a joke and approach his films with much skepticism. Although off the screen he is fair game, I’ve always thought when he finds the right characters, Tom Cruise can be one of the most commanding on screen presences Hollywood has given the world. Although he doesn’t exactly “command” Valkyrie, Cruise and the director Bryan Singer (redeeming himself from a weak Superman Returns) both do excellent jobs in creating a nice solid WWII thriller.

Sure, I felt that the movie could have been better; more detail about the plan itself, fuller realizations of the characters and their goals. However, the film works and works well without them. Although the outcome is known to anyone with a passing knowledge of history, there are some truly genuine moments of suspense to be found. One lady I sat next to really thought that Hitler had bitten the dust, what more could you ask for?