That's easily Tykwer's best. he has a new one coming out, Perfume which just got shredded in some German paper.
FIlms that are not necessarily my personal favorites but that I"m surprised no one or barely anyone has mentioned: Far from Heaven (2202, d.Todd Haynes) 21 Grams (2002,d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inniriritu) Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001,d. Alfonso Cuaron) Black Hawk Down (2001, d. Ridley Scott) The Pianist (2002, d.Roman Polanski) Shrek (200?, d.?????) Kill Bill (2003-2004, d.Quentin Tarantino) Russian Ark (2003, d.Aleksandr Sokurov) Memnto (2000, d. Christopher Nolan) Dancer in the Dark 2000, d. Lars VonTrier)
Do people here really rate Kill Bill that highly? I liked the first, it was an ok tribute to Tarantino's childhood faves but nothing more.
I'll only movies who are barely, or not mentioned at all: million dollar baby Donnie Darko Finding Neverland Big Fish 2001 maniacs
Wow. People sure are throwing alot of crap out now. This decade has had some good films but this is getting more ridiculous by the day.
Yeah, I don't get that either. By far Tarantino's worst movie. There was probably a solid film in there somewhere, but the project got so bloated that Tarantino lost the plot. It's the best example I've ever seen of the term "overly-indulgent" applied to a filmmaker. Along those lines, I don't get the respect given to Tarantino's untalented step-child, Rodriguez. Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City were both unwatchable. Tune in to any half hour segment of MTV and you see better filmmaking. ETA: No love for The Ring either? Best horror movie of the decade, for sure. Maybe of the last 2 decades. ETA: Also, regarding Rosenbaum. Gringo and/or Dr. Wankler turned me onto him probably 5 or 6 years ago. He's definitely the best critic writing today, and it's particularly because of the socio-political lens he uses to judge all movies (that Gringo mentioned above). As a "reviewer," I tend to disagree with him as much as I agree, but I always find his essays worth checking out.
I watched Hi Fidelity, loved it, and went on a John Cusack tear, watching everything I could get my hands on and discovered that I really don't like him. I can see why 14 year old girls would be in love with his Say Anything character, but never having been a 14 year old girl, I didn't care for him or the movie. Loved Hi Fidelity, though. LotR is the best, by far, of the past decade, especially the first one. Best adaptation of an all time great book, ever. My kids are 2 and 4 years older than GT's so I've been watching the animated stuff a lot longer, and while there is merit for Finding Nemo and The Invincibles, the best animated over the past decade is Treasure Planet, one of Disney's few bombs, but a great movie with an even greater Goo Goo Dolls song. Oh, and M Night Shay..... sucks. Unbreakable sucks only a little less than Crop Signs and The Village, but its a long way from good.
I agree with everything you're saying except for the best horror movie part. I personally feel The Descent takes that honour. Also, if anyone didn't already mention this, Office Space for one of the better comedies, already achieved cult status.
Word. Caught me. I have no idea of the quality of MTV these days, so that was hyperbole, sure. But it's no joke that Rodriguez sucks ass.
D'oh! You're so right. I even remember telling one of my buddies it was part of a number of great movies released in 1999. Brainfart.
Cause he looks like me. That's why people love him. Actually, The Jack Bull wasn't half bad. As for what belongs in this thread, that requires some careful thought. AI: Artificial Intelligence is the one film that immediately jumps out for me. There are a lot of other movies I like, but I'm not certain they reach "masterpiece" level. Many other films mentioned here I have not yet seen. I did think Memento was pretty darn good.
"Donnie Darko" = very good. "Kill Bill" - not so much (vol. 2 better than one but so what). "Black Hawk Down" - very good for what it was (a caffeintated button pushing war flick).
This is one I'm debating. I loved this film, but I can't quite decide if it deserves the "best" label or not. Another film I liked. Despite it's flaws, I thought for a Bruckheimer film it for the most part avoided being blatently jingoistic (except for one or two spots). Plus, it had Jeremy Piven. But, not sure it's one of the "best". Maybe in a war film category.
I decided to re-read the whole thread and make a list of movies that have been brought up which I don't think should even be considered in a discussion about The Best Films of This Decade (2000-). I'm not going to post why at this time. Maybe later, but probably not. Just because I put a film on this list doesn't mean it's not enjoyable or entertaining (in fact, I like many of these) but they aren't the best of the decade. I've seen almost all the films brought up but I didn't put any in the list which I haven't seen (which is 5). I also didn't add any to the list which were only brought up to say they were fun or enjoyable movies. And finally I didn't put down any movies which have generated debate on them because that's a good indicator the movie meant something. And thank God nobody has nominated Crash. A Beautiful Mind Amelie Anchorman Battle Royale Big Fish Black Hawk Down Chocolat Donnie Darko The Dreamers Equilibrium Finding Neverland The Exorcism of Emily Rose Garden State High Fidelity Hotel Rwanda House of Flying Daggers Kill Bill Little Miss Sunshine Lord of the Rings (all of them) Mar Adentro Million Dollar Baby Millions Murderball Napoleon Dynamite Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl The Ring School of Rock Scoop Serenity Shrek Solaris SW: Revenge of the Sith Supersize Me Tsotsi Walk the Line The Wedding Crashers X2 Flame away or at least give a defense of your picks.
I'll defend School of Rock as one of the best comedies of the decade, if you'll allow that qualification. It's a film with a sufficiently coherent plot filled with (in my opinion) jokes and scenes with real comedic value along with numerous germane and enjoyable rock and roll nods and references. The movie holds up to repeat viewings, which is crucial for comedies. The references are not esoteric or self-congratulating, things which would limit the film's audience beyond its current "it's a Jack Black comedy" range. It aims for a goal and it gets it. It doesn't try to be grandiose or The Most Important Movie You'll See This Year or anything like that. It's a fun, likable movie about a man deceiving young children into becoming a rock and roll band. And I think the level to which it succeeds in making such a premise worthwhile and worth watching makes it one of the best comedies of the decade. To make a comparison, but not to pick on another film on your list (okay, fine, I'm picking on it), Shrek isn't a good comedy. Its jokes and references don't lend itself to repeat viewings, and my condolences to the parents of small children who have been subjected to it numerous times regardless. It was funny the first time, and then it instantly aged. Same thing happened with the sequel. Once you get past the initial jolt of fairy tale lampooning, there's not much to be had, and that jolt you felt the first time you saw it doesn't happen every time thereafter. Good satire has legs which are derived from the accurate and timely representation of various aspects of a subject in a humorous way. Shrek makes jokes about Snow White living with seven men. Sure, it's funny the first time you hear it, but after that, it's nothing more than a cheap joke.
Little Miss Sunshine - First it's the funniest film that I've seen in a couple of years. Second, it has the subtle sense of class consciousness that the comedies of the 1930s had. Third, it's a commentary on the national myth of the American Dream, in all its daffiness and occasional majesty. Great film. Solaris - It used to be in my top five, so it's dipped a bit in my estimation, but not that much. It came out in the middle of the run of the technological monstrosities that were the Lord of the Rings films. For me, those films are emblematic of a sort of CGI-enforced Stalinism. It has such a dictatorial sense that robs the cinema of one of its most important elements - the imaginative participation of the audience. Solaris is all imaginative participation. It has no meaning without the collaboration of each member of the audience on their own psychic terms. It has an unusually open and subjective structure that invites the audience to participate in its creation both narratively and intellectually. It understands that the real movie doesn't take place on screen, but in your head. Come to think of it, maybe it should be back in my top 10.
Some that weren't mine. Million Dollar Baby - Not Eastwood's best work, but a very good film. Besides, 2004 needs some kind of representation. A really weak film year. Millions - an underrated film by an underrated director (Danny Boyle). Though you're right, not one of the best of the decade. Walk the Line - This is my spew about Walk the Line - people will be watching this movie long after they stop watching Capote, or A History of Violence, or Brokeback Mountain, or any other top film from last year. It has problems with being a formula, but it's such a crowd-pleaser. Is it a great film in terms of quality. No, just a very entertaining one. Is it a great film in terms of its longevity? I think it will be.