an audatious statement...

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2001)

here it is... you ready for it?
This will be the best movie of the year.
I'm making that statement now and unless something truly amazing comes out, this is the winner. It is an innovative movie and deserves a place in history. Never before, not in the days of Ken Russell or even Stanley Kubrik has a movie been so geared to evoke emotions from an audience. Every frame, every jump-cut, every look, note, word, and movement has intention purpose and it all succeeds gorgeously.
Luhrman makes wonderful use of cultural standard songs from the ye old "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" and "Sound of Music" to classics like "all you need is love" and "Lady Marmalade" to the new songs like "Smells like Teen Spirit". The plot is borrowed (La Traviata), as are the ideals (La Boheme, or Rent if you must), the drum beats synthesized, the whole movie is built on the talent of past creative minds. This movie should seem false, all glitz and glamour but no substance, but that is not so. The material is arranged so beautifully and carried out with a marvelous abandon by all the creative minds. The words are so corny, the acting so over the top, the music so familiar and "traditional", but at no time does it ever pretend. It never makes you forget that you are in a theatre watching a movie, yet it sweeps you off your feet like no other movie in the history of movies. Not Braveheart, nor Lawrence of Arabia, nor Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, (certainly not Titanic or Shakespeare in Love) have the romantic sweep of this movie. It overwhelms you with it's reckless romanticism that one can't help but be swept up and away, riding Luhrman's wave until the final frame.
I don't care if this movie wins Oscars, frankly no movie that deserves the oscars gets them (Quills, State and Main, High Fidelity, Magnolia) and even if they do, they don't get enough (American Beauty deserved at least 8, so did Crouching Tiger) but at this juncture, I hope that it at least is nominated for Best picture, actor, actress, supporting actor (for Broadbent mostly, but Leguizamo, Roxburgh, and Jacek Koman all deserve recognition), director, editing, cinematography, art direction, costumes, original song, and perhaps (if there was enough original material) score. Get it right this time Academy!!!!! recognize landmark filmmaking!!!