I have two reactions to TSO's list: 1. How did nothing I mention get on it? 2. The vast majority fall into the "good not great" category. To pick a random example, Finding Neverland is a cute enough movie with just enough whimsy and real sentimentality to make it enjoyable, but damned if you could honestly remember anything more about it than a generally nice feeling, 30 minutes after leaving the theater. If this was the 1990s, people would be jumping all over themselves to nominate The Shawshank Redemption, on the same merits.
Walk The Line is Ray for white country fans, and Ray was nothing more a glorified, dramatized VH1 "Behind The Music" episode. I knew I wasn't going to love WTL when I went into the theater, and I didn't, and I was angry with myself for thinking it might be different. But all of these movies are the same nowadays. Same as The Aviator, same as Capote, same as Kinsey. I can't think of a single really good biopic since... oh I don't know, Mommie Dearest? And that was great for all the wrong reasons.
Ten Favorites That Have Already Been Mentioned: Almost Famous In the Bedroom Spirited Away LOTR Trilogy Y Tu Mama Tambien Lost in Translation Amelie Pride and Prejudice Serenity City of God Ten Worthy Flicks Not Mentioned Yet The Station Agent Sweet Sixteen Sunshine State Best in Show The Constant Gardener Shaun of the Dead The Fog of War Monsoon Wedding You Can Count On Me Whale Rider
Bon Voyage, 2003 and Enigma, 2001 - Didn't see Bon Voyage but I agree on Enigma. About A Boy, 2002 - As you said, way better than it had any right to be. Just because a movie is a feel good story doesn't mean it can't be one of the best of the decade and this goes to prove it. And it's tons better than another Nick Hornby adapation that has been brought up in this thread. Capturing The Friedmans, 2003 - Just thinking of this movie gives me chills. Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World - The best historical (and historically accurate) epic of the last 16 years. This is one movie I really wish had found an audience. And as far as frigates and cannons it blows POTC: COTBP out of the water. Bus 174 - Just another reason I love docs. The Triplets of Belleville - I was mad somebody brought this up before I could really thing about it. Watching this makes me think, "******** CGI". Bad Education - I like Almodovar's movie below better and I think people/critics were expecting something different for his follow-up to ToH but this movie is excellent and Gabriel Garcia Bernal shines. Talk To Her - I brought this up myself. Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind - A fine directorial debut for Clooney that showed what he might be capable of. This is the one I thought the most about including in my list of films that don't belong, but it generated a good amount of conversation so I left it. Mulholland Dr. - Lynch. 'Nuff said. Swimming Pool - Close to putting this on the list as well, but my bias comes in here because I really like the haunting and sexuality it portrays. Plus Charlotte Rampling. You picked up on the main thing I was noticing as well with regards to people throwing out movies that are good or enjoyable but not great.
A very good response. School of Rock was on the line for me on the list. I enjoyed it the first time I watched it and I believe it is one Black's best works. I'll have to re-watch it as I haven't seen it in a while and maybe it will sway me.
I just saw it over the weekend and I definitely enjoyed it but all of the characters were just light sketches except for Greg Kinnear's father. I really liked this (due to a friend I even got a chance to go on set and see some of its filming) but it's still not as good as the original. And I can't put a re-make that isn't as good as the original on the list.
A well made film but it will be forgotten in 5 years. Even getting rid of Morgan "The Narrator" Freeman and it still remains a spoon feeding of tear jerking sentimentality. Without Terri Schiavo it wouldn't have been thought twice about. I really enjoyed this and think Danny Boyle is a great director. A good follow-up to 28 Days Later but not one of the best of the decade. obie already covered this. And I'm a big Cash fan.
I LOVE that film. It's amazing what a simple script and really great acting performances can do. That's still Laura Linney's best performance to date. And that's saying something.
a) I disagree, particularly as it goes with mother. B) Even if so, I can name any number of screwball comedies that are similar in that way. 1) The first version is better. 2) I don't think that matters.
You are correct of course the topic veered a bit toward talking about "Good Films of the Aughts (So Far)", which is an interesting enough diversion but the topic was "the Best" so a bit of discipline on my part would be in order. There were two on your list on on the fence about as to whether they might fit into a best of category; "Amelie" and "Big Fish" both of which I'd take a rigtheous and understandable amount of heat for mentioning being they're both overly sentimental maybe to the point of being saccherine, but there's something percolating there. The jury is still out. I was really enamored of "Amelie" with its whimsy and lighter than air look at life, but I re-viewed it recently and am not so sure. Now "Donnie Darko" is a stellar film. It's at turns chilling, mind bending, and yes even sentinmental. Very good performances and it is so far off of standard movie fare nowadays that that alone would warrant its inclusion in any best of talk. There are nods to science fiction, horror (a genre I generally dislike), teen movies, romance, counterculture. "The Sacrifice" and "One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest" come immediately to mind. That's packing some mighty heat. The soundtracks is compelling too. I can easily see some dismissing it or not liking it but I'm saying it's got more than enough substance to be in the "best" fight. "School of Rock" was not funny. Hey I like Jack Blacks schtick, well sort of, but this isn't even a good example of that and talk about sticking to a formula (how will this loveable loser and this rag tag group of kids..........Jaysus I can't even finish). "Lord of the Rings" is not unlike controlled flight into terrain. You have this brilliant shiny new device with all the power of the world harnessed under it's wings and by the end it's plowed into Mt. Boring at 600mph. CGI in and of itself is not plot/performance/emotion/thought provocation. It is the brightly colored beads of the 00s. With the raw material to work with, one of the greatest works of fantasy in the English language, it's purely criminal to foist that on the public. BTW I can not believe I ********ing forgot to Mention two absolute musts for the best of list "Crimson Gold" and "the Circle" by Jafar Panahi. Absolutely stunning film making from a true master. I haven't been as excited about something new and fresh since I first clapped eyes on some of the New German Cinema. Everything about these; camera work, texture, color, script, performance, sets, location, etc. is top notch. Ignore at your peril.
Too lazy to read all the posts ... Mafia Blues II (2003) i have to catch this one myself, but i've heard it's even better than the first one. Star Wars episode III (2005) so you'll have to see episode II also (2002) which is not as good. Les deux frères (2004) Jean Jacques Annaud Combien tu m'aimes ? (2005) Bertrand Blier
Just curious, but do the people who keep mentioning Y Tu Mama Tambien actually like the movie or is it just because of the scene at the end. It's like liking the Crying Game just for the nutty twist (pun intended). I loved Kill Bill Vol. 2, but I wouldn't make a case for it being great. I wish I had never seen Vol. 1. IMDB's top rated 2000 decade films: http://www.imdb.com/chart/2000s I'm still trying to think of a great film. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was more entertaining than I expected but the second half didn't live up to the first. I liked Match Point but I'm not Gringo Tex so maybe I should hate it. Yi Yi was very good, especially if you have lived in Taipei. I watched parts of American Psycho recently and it is still great. If we're nominating movies for one scene (Y TuMama Tambien), maybe we should nominate Monster's Ball. The only 2002 movie I could come up with that I enjoyed was Road to Perdition, but great? American Splendor was better than a poke in the eye. For 2004, I'm mentioning Horns & Halos because it was on a Rotten Tomatoes Best of List and I know the directors. Not great, but I wanted to mention a Korean film because I love Korean films so I'm going to mention Chingu and Sassy Girl. What is Twilight Samurai? Never saw it. (Top rated for 2004 I think on RT) Since this post took me some time, I've realized that the movie that I enjoyed the most from this decade thus far: [drum roll] Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle.
I actually enjoyed the whole movie, and the ending was just the icing on the cake. To be honest, I was surprised this many people mentioned the film here, I thought the film didn't have that much of a following outside of latin american viewers.
Yes, but I don't want to "spoil" a GREAT film for those who have not watched it yet. And why do you keep reffering to it as "the scene"?