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By Justin Smith

2000 was a disappointing year for movie fans. And if that isn’t an understatement, I certainly don’t know what is. The movies last year were full of such mediocrity and rehashed ideas that I was insulted. I suspect many people felt the same way after repeatedly wasting their money on such bad films as "Battlefield Earth," "Blair Witch 2," "Reindeer Games," and "The Skulls." Shall I continue?

In fact, just making a list of my five favorite movies of 2000 was difficult. If not for some fantastic films released late in the year, I may have been forced to include "Dude, Where’s My Car?"

Luckily, I was able to compile five movies that I thought were the finest of the year. Now, without further ado, the best of 2000.

1. "Almost Famous" - Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film is near perfection. With a smart and funny story about a boy touring with a rock group in the 70’s, a remarkable collection of amazing performances, and many great scenes that will no doubt be classics, "Almost Famous" captures what a good movie should be. It was positively my favorite film of the year.

2. "Traffic" - This film, just recently arriving locally, illustrates the drug problem in the United states with several unrelated and seemingly independent stories. The film does an excellent job to juggle these stories with each one leading to the conclusion that the American government’s "war on drugs" is a losing battle.

3. "Wonder Boys" - While "Wonder Boys" was a success critically, it was virtually ignored at the box office. It’s a shame too, because I’ve never seen Michael Douglas in a more entertaining and fascinating role. The film follows a college professor/novelist (Michael Douglas) who once wrote a great novel and is struggling with the second as his life crashes down. "Wonder Boys" is a great film with some remarkable characters and performances that should have received more attention.

4. "Cast Away" - Another late release, Chuck Noland’s (Tom Hanks) four year stay on a deserted island helped to redeem my faith in Hollywood. Although the beginning and end of the movie were somewhat lackluster, the scenes of Hanks on the island were captivating. Hanks tries to survive on the island with often funny and sometimes scary results. His transformation while on the island, both physically and emotionally, is marvelous. There is no doubt Hanks’ performance carried this film.

5. "The Cell" - What’s this? A movie with an original concept? Quite surprising based on what I’ve seen this year. "The Cell" puts Jennifer Lopez in the mind of a serial killer in order to discover where his kidnapped victim is hidden. The film is as engaging as it is unique. The looks into the mind of a killer are dark, frightening, and oftentimes gruesome, but above all, they are original and inspired.

While all these films are great, they are simply not the same quality as previous years. For some examples of 1999’s best films, rent "Magnolia," "The Virgin Suicides," "Being John Malkovich," or "Fight Club."

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