Spring 2001 Films:

Dancer in the Dark (2000)
One of the most talked about films of 2000, the latest project from director Lars Von Trier (Breaking the Waves) serves as a showcase for the immense talents of its lead actress. Grammy-winning musician Bjork turns in a brilliant performance as Selma, a migrant factory worker slowly succumbing to a debilitating illness which eventually leaves her blind. The intricate, engaging plot follows Selma as she attempts to save her son from this same illness before she is incapable of doing so.

Dancer in the Dark also gives Bjork the opportunity to take her music in a different direction, since she wrote the film's score, as well. As her blindness escalates, Selma retreats into a world which resembles the Hollywood musicals she loves. Members of the supporting cast, therefore, actually break into song on several occasions.

Selma's tale is ultimately a tragic one, and the severity of the situations she faces has drawn some criticism, to the extent that Von Trier has even been accused of making films which are psychologically abusive to their stars. Bjork, in fact, has sworn that she will never act again. Despite this criticism, Bjork's stunning work in Dancer in the Dark has been universally praised by critics and audiences alike.

Almost Famous (2000)
The recent winner of a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Almost Famous is writer-director Cameron Crowe's (Jerry Maguire, Say Anything) autobiographical tale of how he became the youngest ever rock critic for Rolling Stone.

Newcomer Patrick Fugit stars as Crowe's alter ego, William Miller, a precocious, if socially awkward teenager who joins the band Stillwater, based on the Allman Brothers, on the tour which will ultimately determine the extent of their fame. Amid all of the sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, William must still answer to his overbearing, neurotic mother (a hilarious Frances MacDormand, Fargo).

Also on the tour are the Band-Aids, a group of young women who believe that their loyalty to a specific band somehow elevates them above categorization as "groupies." Their leader is "Penny Lane" (Kate Hudson, in a compelling, star-making performance), who endures a tumultuous relationship with Stillwater's frontman (Billy Crudup, Jesus' Son).

A first-rate ensemble piece in the best possible sense of the phrase, Almost Famous is such a well-intentioned, warm-spirited film that it can get away with its occasional lapses into sentimentality. It's truly one of the best films of 2000.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Though often overshadowed by his commercial breakthrough, Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino's 1992 debut film is a masterful exercise in pure style. Ultimately, the backstory behind Reservoir Dogs -that Tarantino promoted and sold the idea from scratch- also seems to diminish the film's genuine achievements.

The film opens in a coffeeshop, where Tarantino introduces his stellar lineup of characters. Veteran actor Lawrence Tierney plays Joe Cabot, an experienced criminal who has assembled a team of crooks to assist him in pulling off a diamond heist. The catch, which leads to the hilarious, if predictable, demise of this plan, is that none of these hired goons know each other, and they are provided with such useless monikers as "Mr. White" (Harvey Keitel, The Piano), "Mr. Orange" (Tim Roth, Four Rooms), and "Mr. Blonde" (Michael Madsen, who turns in one of the most terrifying, menacing performances in recent memory)

Because of their anonymity, none of these men can rely on each other. Individually, they are incapable of handling themselves in desperate situations. Tarantino presents their failures with a horrifying, sadistic sense of poetic justice only he could properly develop. The combination of violence and Tarantino's frenetic directing style means that Reservoir Dogs, while a captivating film, is definitely not for the squeamish or those with overly optimistic visions of humanity.