Best Films of the 2000's

[Steve of Bloomington]

list

Some stuff:

As expected, a very solid list, Chris - and thanks for the 'stuff' notes. Particularly enjoyed the Mulholland Dr. experience.

I'm one of three people in the world who don't rate Anchorman at all, so that's my loss. Cinephile points for Los Angeles Plays Itself and Eureka. Need to see: Yi Yi, the films of "Joe", and, embarrassingly enough, INLAND EMPIRE.

I loved INLAND EMPIRE and plan to see it again.

I also very much liked Chris L's list plus notes, and am thus too intimidated to make my own.

[Pat K]

I resisted doing this for a while, but then spent the last week agonizing over my favorite top 50 of the 2000s. (I have so little spare time, and yet this is how I spend it.) Here's my top 10 - I'll spare you guys the remaining 40.

1.) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2.) George Washington
3.) No Country for Old Men
4.) The Fall
5.) Waking Life
6.) Anchorman
7.) Chopper
8.) I Served The King Of England
9.) Chop Shop
10.) 49 UP

That's right, there are two "chop"-related movies in my top ten - the 2000s were a big decade for chopping!  And on that note, since his entire filmography is apparently in my top 10, I guess I have no choice but to declare Andrew Dominik the director of the decade, which is kind of suprising, even to me. The numbers don't lie, though.

I was going to put the amazing Jesus' Son at #2 with a bullet, but it just barely counts as 1999 rather than 2000. They couldn't have sat on that thing for just a few more weeks? Just to make my listmaking easier 10 years later? Bastards.

Chris L: I also ranked Jackass#2 in my top 50. I'm not so embarassed knowing I'm not the only one.

[Chris L]

I really should have put The Fall on my list.  Parts of it were really spectacular.  Loved the silent film montage. 

[jbissell]

Just finished EUREKA and it's going in my top 5.

Nice!

Finally caught up with this.  I still can't believe that I found every second of a 3:30 movie so gorgeous.

[harris]

9.) Chop Shop
10.) 49 UP

Damn straight Bahrani is the man. And I forget the exact quote but I cry at the end of every 7 UP movie when the narrator says something like "Give me a boy at the age of 7 and I will show you the man." Am I close?

[Pat K]

Damn straight Bahrani is the man. And I forget the exact quote but I cry at the end of every 7 UP movie when the narrator says something like "Give me a boy at the age of 7 and I will show you the man." Am I close?

True about Bahrani. I haven't seen Goodbye Solo yet, but I'm looking forward.    You've got that quote right, I think. I'm not certain where they got it from, I think it might be from the bible or some sort of religious scripture.

[harris]

Damn straight Bahrani is the man. And I forget the exact quote but I cry at the end of every 7 UP movie when the narrator says something like "Give me a boy at the age of 7 and I will show you the man." Am I close?

True about Bahrani. I haven't seen Goodbye Solo yet, but I'm looking forward.    You've got that quote right, I think. I'm not certain where they got it from, I think it might be from the bible or some sort of religious scripture.

I think Goodbye Solo is his strongest film yet. You'll like it a lot.

[Chris L]

Just finished EUREKA and it's going in my top 5.

Nice!

Finally caught up with this.  I still can't believe that I found every second of a 3:30 movie so gorgeous.

I don't know what kind of tiny theatrical release Eureka had, but it's amazing to me it's never been available on dvd over here in the last ten years.  Even with that length, it's screaming for a bigger following.  I asked Criterion about it on their Facebook page but they never answered.  

[jbissell]

Just finished EUREKA and it's going in my top 5.

Nice!

Finally caught up with this.  I still can't believe that I found every second of a 3:30 movie so gorgeous.

I don't know what kind of tiny theatrical release Eureka had, but it's amazing to me it's never been available on dvd over here in the last ten years.  Even with that length, it's screaming for a bigger following.  I asked Criterion about it on their Facebook page but they never answered.  

I'd love to see it on the big screen.  The quality of the dvd copy I obtained wasn't even that great and it still looked beautiful.

[Martin]

I have the Artificial Eye (R2) DVD, which is excellent. But I also saw it in the theatre, which was (obviously) even better. Including an intermission!

[Emily]

...My head was swimming as I drove home and I nearly sped into a railing on the highway.

That's so Lynchian!




I like a lot of the movies that have been listed, especially Man on Wire, No Country for Old Men, Talk to Her, and Royal Tenenbaums.

Three of my favs from 00's that I didn't see listed are:

- 13 Going on 30
- Mean Girls
- La Vie En Rose
- Legally Blond

[masterofsparks]

- Legally Blond

Legally Blonde was WAY better than I expected.

[crumbum]

Chris L, I'm glad to see The Best of Youth on your list. I don't think anyone else has included it in this thread. I always feel a little funny recommending it to film-buff friends because it's essentially a throwback to the 1970s and 80s American mini-series adaptations of big popular novels -- but I don't think there was another film this decade that gave me so many lump-in-the-throat moments (granted at six hours there were more opportunities), or had characters I grew more emotionally attached to.

[Chris L]

Chris L, I'm glad to see The Best of Youth on your list. I don't think anyone else has included it in this thread. I always feel a little funny recommending it to film-buff friends because it's essentially a throwback to the 1970s and 80s American mini-series adaptations of big popular novels -- but I don't think there was another film this decade that gave me so many lump-in-the-throat moments (granted at six hours there were more opportunities), or had characters I grew more emotionally attached to.

crumbum, I agree The Best of Youth does have a tv miniseries feel and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to people who are all about Bela Tarr or whatever.  I also found it to be genuinely enthralling and affecting though, with strong characterizations.  It definitely rewards putting in the time. 

[fletcher munson]

I liked the Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry, like A Beautiful Mind for the artsy fartsy set, of sorts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUCrM5i_W3c&feature=related