2000

BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

*Erin Brockovich
*Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
*Gladiator
*Chocolat
*Traffic

AND 'MY' WINNER IS...(TIE) Gladiator and Chocolat
AND 'THE' WINNER IS...Gladiator

Gladiator (2000) directed by: Ridley Scott
Main Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed and Richard Harris

We have Rome, The Emperors, The Gladiators, sound good? Well didn't to me at first anyway. The Emperor dies and his son becomes the ruler, Maximus(Crowe) is a General who's son and wife are brutally murdered leaving him to seek revenge. Maximus is captured and becomes a slave who must fight in battle for the new emperors amusement. The battle scenes are great! This one is already part of my collection.

Rating: 10/10

Chocolat (2000) directed by: Lasse Hallstrom
Main Cast: Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp

Vianne (Binoche) a single mother with a six year old daughter they move to a small french town, where she opens a chocolate shop. The mayor is against Vianne from the very beginning, but most of the townspeople warm up to her quickly, she teaches the people about acceptance when a group of river drifters visit the town. Very good moral to this story, I loved it! If it was not in my collection I would definately be adding it!

Rating: 10/10

BEST OF THE REST

Runner- up:

Erin Brockovich (2000) directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Main Cast: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney and Aaron Eckhart

Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a struggling, single, out of work mother of three, who convinces local attorney Ed Masry (Finney) to hire her. While filing cases one day Erin stumbles across a case that peaks her interest. Erin is determined to help the small town of Hinkley fight the PG&E Company for making over two hundred of them sick. Definately worth watching, I am very proud to say this one is already a part of my collection.

Rating: 9/10


HONORABLE MENTION

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) directed by: Ang Lee
Main Cast: Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Ziyi Zhang

Jen Yu is a prominent woman who is promised to marry a man she doesn't love. Yu Shu Lien is in love with Li Mu Bai but cannot be with him because she was to marry his brother who was killed, and if she lets her love be known it is a disgrace to her dead fiance. Jen Yu wants to be a warrior but women are not permitted to be warriors. So she must fight under disguise. Great action movie, althought some of the action scenes are so unbelievable. We have actors running up the sides of buildings, leaping across roofs come on I mean really!? Defiantely worth seeing, but not sure about adding it to my collection.

Rating: 6/10

THE REST

Traffic (2000) directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Main Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle and Erika Christensen

Traffic and Erin Brockovich having both been directed by Steven Soderbergh totally surprised me, because I really enjoyed Erin Brockovich but must say I was extremely disappointed with Traffic. Traffic brings you four different stories of the war against drugs. It ends up all four stories are connected in one way or another. The plot did absolutely nothing to quench my enjoyment and I found nothing of enjoyment in this film. I just really hated this movie in every way! Certainly not something that will ever be part of my DVD collection!

Rating: 1/10

So I must say 2000 ended bringing me some new gems which I really enjoyed! Only one movie I vow to never watch again in my lifetime! All in all a pretty decent year!

Rating for 2000 as a whole: 7/10

NEXT UP: 2002- A Beautiful Mind, Gosford Park, In the Bedroom, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge!