The Best Films of This Decade (2000- )

[GringoTex]

I'm starting this thread because, coincidentally, my first child was born in 2000, and since then I've only able to see about a dozen films a year in the theater, My dvd viewing has been almpst strictly pre-2000 films. So let me know what I need to check out.

My favorites:

A.I. 2000 Steven Spielberg
Mulholland Dr. 2001 David Lynch USA
The Deep End 2001 Scott McGehee USA
In the Bedroom 2001 Todd Field USA
The Bourne Identity 2002 Doug Liman USA
Punch Drunk Love 2002 Paul Thomas Anderson USA
Traffic 2002 Steven Soderberg USA
Mystic River 2003 Clint Eastwood USA
Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003 Robert Rodriguez USA
Notre Musique 2004 Jean-Luc Godard France
Man on Fire 2004 Tony Scott USA
Pride and Prejudice 2005 Joe Wright England

[hangthadj]

I really need to see Notre Musique.

Off the top of my head...

Birth (2004) d. Jonathon Glazer

Pride and Prejudice (2005) d. Joe Wright

In the Mood for Love (2000) d. Wong Kar Wai

Before Sunset (2000) d. Linklater

Sprited Away (2001) d. Miyazaki

Cache (2005) d. Haneke

A History of Violence (2005) d. Cronenberg

All the Real Girls (2004) d. David Gordon Green

You already knocked out In the Bedroom and Mystic River which woulda rounded out a top 10 for me.

[Crimen y Castigo]

My favorites:

A.I. 2000 Steven Spielberg


Wow. I greatly disliked that movie, mostly for the Speilberg-esque touches. The crazy 80s motorcycle gang with neon suits, the Pinocchio crazy-town.

I'd think Minority Report would easily take it's place. Being a Cruise/Speilberg movie I'm still shocked how much I like that film (although even in that film Speilberg can't resist putting in bullshit like the flame from a JetPack frying hamburgers on the grill during a fight scene, which completely takes me out of the picture).

[MeridianFC]

For the same reason as Gringo's lack of theatre attendence, I've barely seen any films as they come out (or even close really).

As far as AI, I know GT is a big fan but I have to admit I was furiously against it when it came out. Something was just not right about it. The concept is great, hey how often do we say that about a movie, but something in the telling left me cold (same with "Vanilla Sky"). I've come around a bit, themeatically it is getting at one of the Big Questions, and I've always got time for that. Maybe I need to give it another viewing.

"Minority Report" was entertaining enough for what it was.

I'll probably get flamed to death but I really liked "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Lost in Translation". You may recall my Cool Cred Card at any time.

For the record doing decade reviews before the wrap up of said decade should be against the rules (please see the "Trouser Press Guide to 90s Rock")

BTW "the End of Violence" directed by Wenders.

[hangthadj]

BTW "the End of Violence" directed by Wenders.

Jeez, thanks. I meant a History of Violence and I just fixed it.

I am in the dissenting camp for A.I. too. It seemed, like so many Spielberg movies to have a decent first half before just falling apart as the story went on and got more Steviefied. Personally, I think he's much better at childrens movies/stories like ET where his sensibilities make more sense than he is with material like A.I. or Minority Report.

[amerifolklegend]

I'm starting this thread because, coincidentally, my first child was born in 2000, and since then I've only able to see about a dozen films a year in the theater, My dvd viewing has been almpst strictly pre-2000 films. So let me know what I need to check out.

My favorites:

A.I. 2000 Steven Spielberg
Mulholland Dr. 2001 David Lynch USA
The Deep End 2001 Scott McGehee USA
In the Bedroom 2001 Todd Field USA
The Bourne Identity 2002 Doug Liman USA
Punch Drunk Love 2002 Paul Thomas Anderson USA
Traffic 2002 Steven Soderberg USA
Mystic River 2003 Clint Eastwood USA
Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003 Robert Rodriguez USA
Notre Musique 2004 Jean-Luc Godard France
Man on Fire 2004 Tony Scott USA
Pride and Prejudice 2005 Joe Wright England

I've heard of all but one of those and seen a whole lot of 'em.



Who are you and what have you done with my GringoTex?

[That Phat Hat]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Before Sunset

Mean Girls

[SirManchester]

The Descent. Simply put if you like horror movies or liked films such as Deliverance, The Shining and Alien, you will love this.

[amerifolklegend]

Here are my favorites:

The Wedding Crashers
Old School
Gangs of New York
Moulin Rouge
American Beauty (imdb says it came out in 1999, but AFLette and I saw it in the theater together and we weren't dating in 1999.)
Anchorman
Irreversable
Bring It On
The Royal Tennenbaums
Lost in Translation

[BenReilly]

Of the top of my head, these are some must-see films that haven't been listed yet (in order of preference):

Memento - Christopher Nolan
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Wes Anderson
O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Coen Brothers
The Man Who Wasn't There - Coen Brothers
Adaptation. - Spike Jonze

In my opinion, Memento makes a short top all-time list.

Oh, since I lost my Cool Cred Card a long time ago, I'll add Finding Nemo to the list.

[ThreeApples]

Almost Famous
X2 X-Men United
Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl
The Bourne Identity
Memento
The Man Who Wasn't There
Napoleon Dynamite
School of Rock
Hotel Rwanda
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Garden State
Super Size Me
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Walk the Line
United 93
Scoop
Little Miss Sunshine

[SirManchester]

Off the top of my head.

The Descent
28 Days Later
Unbreakable
Almost Famous
Gosford Park
Chocolat
Requiem for a Dream
Quills
Lord of the Ring trilogy
Spirited Away
The Incredibles
Sideways
Good Night and Good Luck
Syriana
City of God
L'auberge Espagnole
Y tu Mama Tambien
The Motorcycle Diaries
The Dreamers
Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith

[Dr. Know]

Good Night and Good Luck
City of God
Y tu Mama Tambien
Wonder Boys
Mulholland Dr.
Amores Perros
Mar Adentro
Hable con Ella
Adaptation

[Ghost]

Amores Perros (2000, d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inirritu)
In the Mood for Love (2000, d. Wong Kar-Wai)
Elephant (2003, d. Gus Van Sant)
George Washington (2000, d. David Gordon Green)
Grizzly Man (2005, d. Werner Herzog)
Mulholland Drive (2001, d. David Lynch)
The New World (2005, d. Terrence Malick)
Ratcatcher (2000, d. Lynne Russell)
Requiem for a Dream (2000, d. Darren Aronofsky)
United 93 (2006, d. Paul Greengrass)

I really need to laugh more, don't I. Little Miss Sunshine is up there close. Maybe Royal Ts.

[TheSlipperyOne]

Adaptation
Bubble
City of God
Oldboy
Talk To Her

[Ghost]

Adaptation
Bubble
City of God
Oldboy
Talk To Her


I totally forgot Oldboy. Bubble's a good little seen film, as well.

[Via_Chicago]

These are the films that I consider the ten best of the new millenium (that I've seen), listed in alphabetical order:

AI (S Spielberg, 2001, USA)
The Best of Youth (M Giordana, 2003, Italy)
Caché (M Haneke, 2005, France)
City of God (F Mereilles, 2002, Brasil)
Grizzly Man (W Herzog, 2005, USA)
A History of Violence (D Cronenburg, 2005, Canada/USA)
In the Mood for Love (K Wong, 2000, China)
The Incredibles (B Bird, 2004, USA)
Mulholland Dr (D Lynch, 2001, USA)
Talk to Her (P Almodovar, 2002, Spain)

Also worth noting:

Spirited Away (H Miyazaki, 2001, Japan)
Bad Education (P Almodovar, 2004, Spain)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (T Lee Jones, 2005, USA)
Pride and Prejudice (J Wright, 2005, England)
2046 (K Wong, 2004, China)
Finding Nemo (A Stanton and L Unkrich, 2003, USA)
Batman Begins (C Nolan, 2005, USA)

Here are some of the best films that I've seen in 2006 (in no particular order):

Inside Man (dir. Spike Lee) - The plot is crap, but Lee's subtle commentary on race relations in post-9/11 New York is fascinating to watch unfold. Also features Denzel at the top of his game.

The Proposition (dir. John Hilcoat) - Nick Cave's somewhat muddled screenplay aside, this is a fascinating film on Australia's frontier "West."

Tsotsi (dir. Gavin Hood) - Sachharine? A little, but it's only fitting for the country that gave the world the Truth and Reconciliation Committee.

A Scanner Darkly (dir. Richard Linklater) - Fine work from Linklater makes this one of the very best, if not the best, film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. Robert Downey Jr. delivers an awesome supporting performance.

[Panfilo]

City of God
Amelie
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Amores Perros
Gangs of New York
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Nueve Reinas
Mystic River

[Ghost]

A Scanner Darkly (dir. Richard Linklater) - Fine work from Linklater makes this one of the very best, if not the best, film adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. Robert Downey Jr. delivers an awesome supporting performance.

Ummmmmmm........

http://www.ritilan.com/archives/images/blogimages/012704_brsm_rachael_smoking.JPG

I found Scanner Darkly to be so-so. Thin story, which Linklater must have realized, so he went with the animation. Knew who the partner was from early in the game. Hated how often things went into voiceover and exposition.

Tsotsi also so-so. Inside Man is very good. Proposition is near brilliant, and nearly made my list. United 93, Bubble, and Little Miss Sunshine are the other four-star films so far.

[Via_Chicago]

Ummmmmmm........

http://www.ritilan.com/archives/images/blogimages/012704_brsm_rachael_smoking.JPG

I found Scanner Darkly to be so-so. Thin story, which Linklater must have realized, so he went with the animation. Knew who the partner was from early in the game. Hated how often things went into voiceover and exposition.

Tsotsi also so-so. Inside Man is very good. Proposition is near brilliant, and nearly made my list. United 93, Bubble, and Little Miss Sunshine are the other four-star films so far.

I like Blade Runner, and think that, on its own merits, it's an excellent motion picture, probably a better motion picture than A Scanner Darkly, but I don't think it's a better adaptation of a Dick story. Subtle difference, but an important distinction nevertheless.

Personally, I don't think Linklater went with the animation because his story was thin (which is what you're implying, no?). I think he made the decision, because the story screams out for it. It makes the scramble suits and the aphids possible, and it enhances the performances of the actors by magnifying and drawing attention to each and every expression. Linklater is, for my money, the best director of dialogue working in the United States. That A Scanner Darkly is heavy on dialogue and light on action and even plot shouldn't worry. It's ideas that matter here, and Dick's own horrifying vision of "seven years from now" is not only terrifyingly prescient (in light of Haliburton, etc.) but also delightfully whacked out, and Linklater represents all of that gloriously here.

One more film I should add for this year's best films is District B13, a French action film which showed all too briefly here and made very little money. That's a shame because it's a far more entertaining and well choreographed action film than any number of the bloated American blockbusters I've seen this year.

Oh BTW, we're getting totally off topic. I'd be happy to continue the conversation via PM if you'd like.