Top Movies of 1999 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola is the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, and she appears to have inherited her father's sensibilites about human relationships. In addition, she has developed her own unique style, creating an almost dreamlike quality and a sense of surrealism in films like 'The Virgin Suicides'.

Aside from the direction of Coppola, 'The Virgin Suicides' also features the acting of James Woods, Kathleen Turner (in an almost scary performance), Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett, among others. It's worth a look!

Answer: China

Zhang Yimou is China's most internationally celebrated filmmaker, and 'The Road Home' is simply one more gorgeous piece of cinema added to his film oeuvre in 1999. 'The Road Home' is a breathtaking visual treat that features scenes of great detail and intimacy alongside magnificent landsape portraiture. Zhang is like a painter with his filmmaking.

The beautiful Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' fame appears in this film.

Answer: The Matrix

'The Matrix' was certainly the surprise megahit of 1999. Not only was the story crisp and exciting, the techniques for shooting the film were innovative and created a sequence of action scenes that were absolutely stunning to behold.

If you just cannot get enough of this film, I invite you to try my 'Before We Reload' series, to be found at the link below:

http://www.funtrivia.com/quizlistgold.cfm?cat=8691

Answer: American Beauty

'American Beauty' features a tour de force performance by Kevin Spacey, and marvelous supporting acting by Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley and several others.

One may notice some similarities in the plot lines of this film and 'Lolita'. It may not be a coincidence, then, that the Kevin Spacey character's name, Lester Burnham, is an anagram of 'Humbert learns', a reference to the ill-fated Humbert Humbert from 'Lolita'.

Answer: Magnolia

'Magnolia' may well be Anderson's masterpiece, as it weaves and wends its way through the lives of several people who often have never encountered each other before. Special attention should be paid to William H. Macy's 'Quiz Kid' character, though the performances of Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman and others should not be ignored. You may have to watch this film more than once!

Answer: Fight Club

As 'Magnolia' is Anderson's masterpiece, so 'Fight Club' is the chef-d'oeuvre of director David Fincher. Much like 'The Matrix', this film presents the viewer with fantastic visual effects wrapped around a substantive and captivating story. Ed Norton is fabulous as the unnamed main character in the film and he receives handy support from Brad Pitt (as Tyler Durden) and Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer. Violent and sometimes gory, the film is not for the light of stomach. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend that it be viewed by all who consider themselves to be aficionados of cinema.

Answer: Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick was not only a master filmmaker, but also understood how to draw controversy through his selection of subject material. 'Eyes Wide Shut' perfectly fit the mold of his typical story selection. Provocative to the end, the film features Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman (married at the time) as a troubled couple who have their monogamy challenged. Perhaps not his greatest film (among so many great ones!), this picture still lives up to the high standards Kubrick held for his works.

Answer: Office Space

'Office Space' was truly one of the underrated comedies to emerge from Hollywood in the late 1990s. Developed originally as a set of animated skits on 'Saturday Night Live' in the early 90s, Mike Judge of 'Beavis and Butthead' and 'King of the Hill' fame was finally able to bring his idea to the live action big screen by the end of the decade. Clever dialogue and sympathetic characters make this film a worthy watch, especially for those who know the feeling of being cooped up in an office cubicle.

Answer: The Insider

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, it did not win a single Oscar. Despite that, 'The Insider' might very well have been the best and most important film of the year. Directed by Michael Mann, the film's true story is both gripping and touching at the same time, thanks in large part to the performances of Pacino and Crowe, the former of whom was nominated for Best Actor.

Answer: Titus

'Titus' features the style and panache that Julie Taymor brought to her Broadway production of 'The Lion King', but dispenses with the juvenile story matter. In Titus, the characters are brutal, cruel and willing to destroy each other with extreme prejudice. With that in mind, it is difficult to imagine a likeable film, but the visuals, the acting performances (keep an eye on Alan Cumming's Saturninus, especially) and the ruthless dialogue keep the viewer interested, if not appalled. View, but at your own risk (my tastes may be different from your own!).

Thank you for trying this quiz. I hope you appreciated it and I would like to read your comments. Please feel free to try my other quizzes if you did enjoy this one.