I’t dificult, but …….well
I didn’t put an order, but there are 10
I think, that:
The Royal Tenenbaums
Zodiac
Irreversible
In Bruges
Broken Fowers
Coffe and Cigarretes
The Fountain
Gran Torino
Children Of Men
Hey Brother Were are do?
Getting mighty pissed with all the lists around, but as usual can’t resist the temptation of putting one up….
Amelie
City of God
In the mood for Love
Mulholland Drive, ofcourse
Elephant
Lagaan
Volver
KillBill 1 & 2
Yi Yi
Zodiac
and more The Lives of Others, The Royal Tenenbaums, Aviator, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Colossal Youth- Pedro Costa (2006)
Tropical Malady- Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2004)
Yi Yi- Edward Yong (2000)
My Mother’s Smile- Marco Bellochio (2002)
Regular Lovers- Phillipe Garrel (2005)
Faat Kine- Ousmane Sembene (2000)
Y tu Man Tambien- Alfonso Cuaron (2001)
Yes- Sally Potter (2004)
Esther Kahn- Arnaud Desplechin (2000)
Elephant- Gus van Sant (2003)
Runners Up
Magic Mirror- Manoel de Oliveira (2005)
I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone- Tsai Ming-Liang (2006)
Madame Sata- karin Ainouz (2002)
Bad Education- Pedro Almovodar (2004)
Moolade- Ousmane Sembene (2004)
Nortre Musique- Jean-Luc Godard (2004)
Odete- Joao Pedro Rodrigues (2005)
Father and Son- Aleksander Sokurov (2003)
Syndromes and a Century- Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2006)
Still Life- Jia Zhangke (2006)
The World- Jia Zhangke (2004)
The Tracker- Rolf de Heer (2002)
The Last Mistress- Catherine Breillat (2007)
Werckmeister Harmonies- Bela Tarr (2000)
Craig, I didn’t know Bellochio made a film in 2002? I’ll have to look for that. thanks. And I loved watching Y Tu Mama Tambien. I still don’t know what the title means though.
Not in order
City of God
There Will Be Blood
Pan’s Labyrinth
No Country For Old Men
Mulholland Dr
Zodiac
Children of Men
Amelie
Kill Bill 1 & 2
Amores Perres
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
1. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
2. The Pianist (2002)
3. There Will Be Blood (2007)
4. Amelie (2001)
5. Bad Education (2004)
6. The Lives of Others (2007)
7. Wall-E (2008)
8. Frozen River (2008)
9. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
10. Children of Men (2006)
Off the top of my head…
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
He Died With a Felafel in His Hand (2001)
Amelie (2001)
Mulholland D (2001)
The Pianist (2002)
Hero (2002)
Oldboy (2003)
Lost In Translation (2003)
The Wrestler (2008)
match point
adaptation
rules of attraction
l’uomo in più
gomorra
dark knight
gerry
INLAND EMPIRE
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
- still vacant? -
Adaptation
A History of Violence
City of God
Elephant
Gangs of New York
Minority Report
Mulholland Dr
The Royal Tenenbaums
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
HM: No Country for Old Men, The Aviator, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima
I’m not adding any of my favorites from 2008 until I rewatch them.
Zodiac is a good choice. There are more great films from this decade than we might have thought.
The Brown Bunny
4 months 3 weeks and 2 days
Silent Light
Trouble every Day
Talk to her
Mulholland Dr.
Werckmeister Harmonies
Morvern Callar
Undertow
Feathers In My Head
top o the head list, no real order:
Yi Yi (Edward Yang)
Mysterious Object At Noon (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
In The Mood For Love (Wong Kar-wai)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Cuaron)
The Aviator (Scorsese)
Distance (Hirokazu Kore’eda)
Take Care Of My Cat (Jae-eun Jeong)
Punch Drunk Love (PT Anderson)
Beijing Bicycle (Wang Xiaoshuai)
Bright Future (Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
HMs:
When The Levees Broke (Spike Lee), My Life On Ice (Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau), Under The Skin Of The City (Rakhshan Bani E’temad), Kandahar (Moshen Makhmalbaf), Abouna (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun), Tropical Malady (Weeasethakul), Far From Heaven (Haynes), The Fog Of War (Errol Morris), George Washington (DG Green), Japon (Reygadas)
Okay okay new list;
Spirited Away (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
He Died With a Felafel in His Hand (2001)
Amelie (2001)
Mulholland D (2001)
The Pianist (2002)
Hero (2002)
Oldboy (2003)
Tekkonkinkreet (2006)
The Wrestler (2008)
In no order
Yi Yi (Edward Yang)
- A marriage, a death, life in general are portrayed in Yang’s portrait of modern Taiwan by focusing on multiple story arches all flowing in and out of the film beautifully.
INLAND EMPIRE (David Lynch)
- Lynch at his most surreal, he perfectly captures what it is like to watch a dream/nightmare unfold onscreen.
Riviera (Anne Villacèque)
- One of the most underrated films of the decade, this beautiful film chronicles a mother and daughter; one working as a go-go dancer, the other as a hotel maid. Neither interact often until the unsettling conclusion. This needs a DVD release somewhere, anywhere.
2046 (Wong Kar-Wai)
- See review I wrote
Brand Upon the Brain! (Guy Maddin)
- It can easily be compared to a Lynch film, but it is so different that it does Maddin’s silent-film/surrealist portrait of lost youth that the comparison little justice. From the grainy picture, the lesbian lovers like something out of The Twelfth Night, and the finale that brings it whirling to a head, I love it.
The New World (Terence Malick)
- Malick doing Malick, but there ain’t nothing wrong with that. I still have to check out the extended cut, but this may be my favorite Malick film since it serves as an allegory for the coming impact of colonialism, especially through the reaction of the Native Americans upon their arrival in England as foreshadowing for the unstoppable threat.
American Psycho (Mary Harron)
- The only Bunuelian social comedy I can think of in the new millenium, the film is not a horror movie but a harsh critique of 80s decadence and the soullessness that accompanies it.
George Washington (David Gordon Green)
- One of the best American independent films to come out of this decade, the combination of Herzog and Malick style aesthetics with a story providing a compelling representation of poverty and depression in the American south.
Millenium Mambo (Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
- Taiwanese youth shown as uncertain and drifting, creating a parallel for the nation as a whole. The film has one of the most gorgeous opening scenes ever.
Under the Sand (Francois Ozon)
- Loss, grief, and renewal are all represented in this dense drama about a woman who loses her husband to, um, well we never find out. But the film unfolds meticulously so that we view the same world as a woman overcome with denial. The scene where she imagines many hands caressing her as she masturbates to her husband’s memory is brilliantly realized and I found it oddly reminiscent of Polanski’s Repulsion.
Honorable Menyion:
Bright Future (Kurosawa), Spirited Away (Miyazaki), Russian Ark (Sokurov), Woman on the Beach (Hong), L’Enfant (Dardenne bros), Brick (Johnson), Cafe Lumiere (Hou), High Fidelity (Frears)
Yi Yi (Yang) (breaking new ground with that one)
Three Times (Hou) (I thought this had much more depth than Millennium Mambo)
No Country for Old Men (Coens) (incredible, I can’t believe I’m one of the first ones)
What Time is it There? (Tsai)
In the Mood for Love (Wong)
Nobody Knows (Kore-eda)
The Band’s Visit (Kolirin) (I’d recommend you go see this)
Still Life (Jia)
George Washington (Green)
City of God (Meirelles)
I guess I had nothing to say, that anyone else didn’t already say. Oh well.
1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2. Artifical Intelligence: AI
3. The Best of Youth
4. Spirited Away
5. Dogville
What about Herzog’s Rescue Dawn?
I have yet to see many of the films mentioned above (but I will add them to my list for seeing), so will just list those of merit I have seen.
Easy choices:
Yi Yi – Innovative and expansive – What JPB said – see D-D-D review also on the movie review section
Werckmeister Harmonies – daring and original – see my review under the WH thread
Lord of the Rings – incredible on all levels (not a cinephile choice perhaps, but a personal choice)
Harry Potter films (what can I say – I am a sucker for all things Hogwartian – am I alone??? – Yes, probably – on this site)
Some reservations:
Mulholland Drive – perfectly Lynchian, but those little people going under the door drove me crazy!
The Pianist – great performance in the lead from Adrien Brody
Memento – loved the reverse mechanism, but the story didn’t grab me otherwise
Amelie – Jeunet & Tautou – what a team!
OK, but…
A.I. – Jude Law is brilliant
Pan’s Labyrinth – take away some of the violence (yes, I know it was ‘necessary’) and you have a great film.
Russian Ark – a travelogue, sure, but what a tracking shot!
2046 – need to see In the Mood for Love first before I comment on this – great style, however.
The New World – great look, but…
The Others – good film if you haven’t seen – I won’t spoil it (Nicole K. – heart pound pound)
Dogville – more Nicole K., but too much Lars v T.
Billy Elliot – not mentioned so far, so thought I would add
By the way, for those like me not that familiar with this (nearly) decade, see the films listed at the great site: They Shoot Pictures Don’t They which has a special section on films from 2000 on. They are listed by critical rating, with Yi Yi in top spot, last time I looked. Its at:
http://www.theyshootpictures.com/21stcentury.htm
Movies that others already listed
Inland Empire
There Will Be Blood
Amores Perros
Dogville
Movies not yet listed
Mister Lonely
The Power of Salad and Milkshakes
Encounters at the End of the World
Paradise Now
Requiem for a Dream
Donnie Darko
No Order-My Favorites off the top of my head
Children Of Men (Cuaron)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Cuaron)
In The Mood For Love/2046 (Kar-Wai)
Memento (Nolan)
25th Hour (Lee)
Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
Talk To Her (Alomodavar)
Assasination Of Jesse James.. (Dominik)
The Royal Tenenbaums (Anderson)
No Country For Old Men (Coens)
There Will Be Blood
-Paul Thomas Anderson’s dark masterpiece that was a mesmerizing piece of film making with an uncanny central performance by the always great Daniel Day-Lewis and good supporting performances from two great rising stars: Paul Dano and Dillon Freasier. Everything from the technical level (the cinematography is just incredible) to the artistic level (one of the most complex scripts were written). In a year of great films, this one was one of the best.
American Splendor
-Its always wonderful when a little film comes out of no where and changes all the rule of the standard biopic. The way the directors were able to combine the elements of a narrative and documentary gives the film an uncanny realism but at the same time it almost looks surrealistic as we see the real Harvey Pekar talking while Paul Giamatti (the actor portraying him in the film) sits behind him sits in his actor’s chair as if it were “behind-the-scenes” archival footage. But all of this isn’t just some directors gimmick, but a clever technique that helps bring out the essences of Pekar’s wonderful autobiographical comic series of which the film was based. A film that is always an easy watch with an ending that always gets to me. The very definition of a great film.
Mulholland Dr.
-When David Lynch’s Eraserhead was released in 1977 in the midnight circuit, i can only wonder how film goers and critics reacted to the black and white surrealist nightmare. I imagine it was similar to my reaction when i first watched it: frozen and wondering what the hell i exactly saw. While I might have been truly confused, i knew what i had just sit through was something special. Since then I’ve watched the film multiple times. Its hard to imagine Lynch could ever duplicate that very feeling again, but he did. Mulholland Dr. is just another masterpiece for a director who has so many already under his belt. Its also good to note that the performances from the two beautiful female stars (Naomi Watts and Laura Harring) are just great. A true stand out for this young century.
Aaptation
-In a film that features a number of great performances (maybe the best or two best performances Nicolas Cage has ever given), great cinematography, and some of the best camera work I’ve see in years, it’s screenplay that comes out the star of film. How fitting? A film, about a screenplay writer with writers block, which features on the great screenplays in modern cinematic history. But Maybe focusing on the screenplay for this long is unfair, since the film is perfect all around: from the direction of Spike Jones and the performances of Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper. It can only be summed up as the “8 1/2” of this generation.
A History of Violence
-In all honesty I could have replaced this with any of David Cronenberg’s films from this decade (Eastern Promises or Spider) but decided to go with this little surprising hit. David Cronenberg walks the tightrope between making a film that has something serious to say about violence yet having in it the elements of an entertaining action film. How he was able to achieve this, I still don’t know but it works.
Memento
-Christopher Nolan’s best film by a mile. While some have wrote it off as as just another gimmicky film, i think of it’s the best suspense thriller since Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. I can’t say anything bad about this film: The performances are all top notch, the direction is flawless, the script is ingenious. People will talking about this film (and its insane ending) for years to come.
Zodiac
-David Fincher’s overlooked masterpiece remains a nice change in the serial killer genre (its been headache inducing to see how many Se7en have been released). But Fincher, the man who redefined the genre in 1995 with Se7en, does it again with this well crafter film. What makes this film so special is that its able to be a great police procedural while still getting under your skin with some of the most terrifying scenes in film history (Its also worth mentioning that these scenes i speak of come late in the film when the brutal violent sequences have already happened). Its the film that should have gotten David Fincher the spotlight and not his bloated Oscar-bait feature The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Sideways
-I’m not sure if theres ever been a film that has made me life so hard during one scene and still have the power to chock you up when its over. But thats Sideways: a film thats never artificial, never over-dramatic, never looking for any applause for its cleverness. Its just a genuinely funny and heartfelt work that seems to get better with each viewing. Performances all work, pacing feels just right, and the score is unique and unforgettable. Its a film about life thats actually gets it right.
Let The Right One In
-Heres a a film that came out not too long ago, but its one that i just couldn’t get out of my head. How many times do you see truly impressive horror film in this day and age (you probably get stuck with trashy remakes, bad slasher films, or really repugnant films like Saw and Hostel which revert to showing different ways to torture rather than make a good film). This, like Host did a year before, gave a new refreshing twist on an old idea (Host being a twist on the classic tale of a huge creature causing havoc on a city and Let The Right One In being a twist on the classic tale of Vampires). Both were refreshing films that gave me hope that the future of horror films, but it was Let The Right One In was the one i felt was the better of the two. It was my favorite film of last year (a disappointing year for film in my opinion) and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite films of all time.
City of God
Yi Yi
Pan’s Labyrinth
Oldboy
No Country for Old Men
Mystic River
Lost in Translation
Amores Perros
Fight Club
Half Nelson
my personal 10 favorite, somewhat in order.. but also In the Mood for Love, There Will Be Blood, Irreversible, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Volver, and many more are up there.. It was hard to limit it down to 10
1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2. Memento
3. In the Mood for Love
4. Brokeback Mountain
5. Mulholland Dr.
6. Punch-Drunk Love
7. There Will Be Blood
8. Dancer in the Dark
9. Traffic
10. George Washington
@Justin: “Y Tu Mama Tambien. I still don’t know what the title means though.”
“And your mother also”. It’s a line of dialog in the movie.
—PolarisDiB, apologies if someone already answered and I didn’t notice. Great lists, by the way!
1. Inland Empire (2006)
2. No Country for Old Men (2007)
3. The Departed (2006)
4. Das Leben der Anderen (2006)
5. Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amelie Poullain (2001)
6. Match Point (2005)
7. Gangs of New York (2002)
8. Sin City (2005)
9. Lost in Translation (2003); Children of Men (2006)
10. Volver (2006)
—
?) Apocalypse Now Redux (1979-2001)
I haven’t gotten around to seeing many foreign films from the decade, but here’s what I can muster:
1. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
2. King Kong (2005)
3. The Departed (2006)
4. Children of Men (2006)
5. Memento (2001)
6. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
7. The Pianist (2002)
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
9. Into the Wild (2007)
10. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Note: Of the foreign films I have seen, I loved Y Tu Mama Tambien, City of God, and The Lives of Others.
This is extremely tough.
In no order…
There Will Be Blood (PTA)
Punch-Drunk Love (PTA)
The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
The Wrestler (Aronofsky)
The Fountain (Aronofsky)
Waking Life (Linklater)
All the Real Girls (David Gordon Green)
Adaptation (Jonze)
Lord of the Rings (Jackson)
Big Fish (Burton)
1. Miami Vice (Michael Mann 2006)
2. Sunshine (Danny Boyle 2007)
3. Elephant (Gus Van Sant 2003)
4. Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho 2003)
5. Slingshot (Brillante Mendoza 2007)
6. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai 2000)
7. All About Lily Chou-Chou (Shunji Iwai 2001)
8. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant 2007)
9. Foster Child (Brillante Mendoza 2007)
10. Bloody Sunday (Paul Greengrass 2002)
Jia’s The World (2004) just misses out.
Other great films that just miss the cut for me are Adaptation, Letters from Iwo Jima, Crash, 21 Grams, Traffic, Ray, (despite its sentimentality) Cinderella Man
and Borat
Justin Biberkopf
I know the decade’s not quite over yet, but I thought this would be an interesting topic.
1- There Will Be Blood
2- Milk
3- Inland Empire
4- The Piano Teacher
5- Elephant
6- Ashes of Time Redux
7- Mulholland Dr.
8- I’m Not There
9- Adaptation
10- Brokeback Mountain