Cleaning out some old draft files.. might as well publish this one:
1993 was one of those movie banner years. So many excellent films came at us audiences from all directions, there’s an excellent chance you missed something good that may have gotten lost behind the publicity that surrounded the likes of Schindler’s List, Philadelphia and Jurassic Park. Here’s a sampling of movie gems from 1993 that are well worth checking out today.
1) The Remains of the Day: Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.
There is just no way anyone could ever regret watching this film. You walk away feeling that sort of existential high that is a combination of aceing an English paper, (with historical backdrop) being thoroughly entertained and captivated, yet in the process feeling like an overall better human being. Watching Hopkins in his role will make you understand why he occupies his spot among the all time acting greats, and witnessing his delicate treatment of how painfully exquisite the denial of feelings, coupled with the denouncement of aggression whether it be on a personal or a national level takes the viewer to an even more compelling existential state.
2) Blown Away
All star cast including Jeff Bridges, Lloyd Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones, this movie takes on not only the aggression of terrorism but the intricately crazy world of the minds of terrorists. Critics were not enchanted with this offering, and I believe that considering some of the garbage they salivate over on slower movie years, Blown Away is one of the 1993 sacrificial lambs. I watch very, very few action, suspense or thriller type movies, and I have liked even fewer of them. This one is a cut above.
3) Lost in Translation
Starring Bill Murray, a young Scarlet Johanson and a stunning cityscape with lots of neon, “Lost in Translation” is a relationship movie that departs from formula. As has been written endlessly, there is excellent use of soundtrack and cinematography, so no shortage of visual and auditory heaven. What makes this movie something I decided to hang onto instead of flinging into the trash bin is the unique celebration of emotional relationships that don’t involve sexual encounters, and how these relationships many times often mean more.
4) Ruby in Paradise
Deceptively simple on the surface, Ashley Judd as Ruby travels to what looks like the Daytona Beach area of Florida, from Tennessee, in search a new job and life. We aren’t told why she is leaving her home state and it never makes a difference. The opening scenes show Ruby in her car driving along what appears to be I75 south of Georgia into Florida, with the night seeming to come on all the more quickly in the shade of tall trees. You pretty much get the art house flavor from the get go in terms of how the director uses light and dark scenes. While the film is a study of Ruby’s still developing character, it is riveting to watch, and the critics did love Judd’s work here.
What other overlooked gems from 1993 might I be missing almost 30 years later?
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