6. A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
Robert (Ewan McGregor) kidnaps Celine (Cameron Diaz) after being fired by her father. Meanwhile, a pair of angels are dispatched to Earth to make them fall in love.
A Life Less Ordinary is unique for its blend of fantasy, crime, rom-com and the road movie. Like his previous two films, director Danny Boyle stitches A Life Less Ordinary with stylish ‘90s flair, aided by Brian Tufano’s kinetic, ‘acid house’ cinematography. Cameron Diaz dazzles with her endearing star quality, yet Holly Hunter distinguishes herself as a major comedic talent. John Hodge’s (who collaborated with Boyle on Shallow Grave and Trainspotting) screenplay proves to be prescient, in its depiction of robots replacing human jobs.
7. Dirty Work (1998)
To raise funds to save their dying father, Mitch (Norm Macdonald) and Sam (Artie Lange) establish a revenge-for-hire business.
Although it received negative reviews, Dirty Work is an enjoyable, silly comedy due to its ensemble cast. It is led and co-written by Canadian standup Norm Macdonald. He imbues the film with his signature brand of audience-winking irony. Meanwhile, Dirty Work also features performances from luminaries Don Rickles and Chevy Chase.
That said, Christopher McDonald outshines, for his continued satire of yuppie elites, which he began in Happy Gilmore (1996). Dirty Work may contain crude and blue humour, but it is essentially kind-hearted and up-lifting. Thematically, it explores the dichotomy between money and morality.
8. Ronin (1998)
A team of special operatives are recruited to steal a briefcase with unknown contents.
Ronin is an under-appreciated De Niro performance and action-caper. One of its many attributes is its visceral car chases, touring iconic French locations. The long, nail-biting car chase through Paris is perhaps the best in cinema history, intensified by roaring sound design. Neither before nor after has a car chase felt so real and exhilarating, forcing the audience to feel like they are sitting beside De Niro as he steers.
The outstanding action choreography is made possible by the preeminent John Frankenheimer’s experienced, professional direction. With De Niro exhibiting typically excellent acting, the cast also includes: Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgård and Sean Bean. However, Natascha McElhone stands out, as the ominous, icy Deidre with seemingly no heart. Most villains attain infamy through their despicable actions and rhetoric. Conversely, Deidre is frightening for her slyness and what she conceals from the audience.
9. Thick as Thieves (1999)
A hitman (Alec Baldwin) and a gangster’s (Michael Jai White) feud snowballs into a war.
The ‘90s was the golden age for neo-noir movies. Thick as Thieves is an unrecognised, yet interesting entry into the genre. At the forefront is Scott Sanders and Arthur Krystal’s twisting plot of double-crosses. Additionally, their writing quality permeates to unique character details. For instance, Mackin is a jazz aficionado, whilst Pointy is a Francophile. What is more, the comedic dialogue facilitates amusing, characterful performances from Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite) and the late Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
10. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is employed to bring wealthy heir Dickie Greenleaf back to the US from Italy. Tom grows enamoured with Dickie’s lifestyle and decides to mimic him.
Firstly, The Talented Mr. Ripley is easily one of the finest psychological thrillers ever filmed. This is down to Patricia Highsmith’s macabre source material and Anthony Minghella’s accomplished, artistic direction. The cinematography showcases southern Italy’s natural beauty and jet set interiors with dreamlike poetry. The sparkling sunlight of the south in the first half juxtaposes with the gloomy cloudiness of northern Italy in the second, an instance of pathetic fallacy to express the narrative’s emotions. As usual, Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers the movie’s most superlative performance, as the creepy, privileged Freddie Miles, closely followed by the terrific Cate Blanchett.