Another decade is in the books. Naturally, everyone is rolling out their “best of” lists because that’s the thing to do before the calendar flips to 2010. It’s not very original, but for those of us who enjoy basking in nostalgia, it’s a great way to relive some of the finer moments from the previous ten years.
I’m cuckoo for cinema, and since it’s always fun to discuss and debate one’s favorite flicks, I’m going to rewind the 2000s to pay homage to a decade of big screen brilliance. Rather than assemble an arbitrary list of the ten or twenty best films, I’ll take each year individually and discuss the movies that affected me most.
Now, my criteria for what constitutes a great film undoubtedly differs from others. For example, I place more significance on re-watch value and score/soundtrack. Whether you agree with my choices or not matters little. I like what I like and don’t give a turd if I’m in the minority.
Grab yourself a tub of artery-clogging popcorn and a giant cup of high-fructose corn syrup. And for Pete’s sake, turn off your damn cell phone… asshole. It’s show time!
2000
The year 2000 was behind the eight ball from the start due to 1999 being one of the most groundbreaking years in recent history. However, Y2k turned out to be horseshit, so filmmakers from across the globe went on to produce an incredible twelve months of cinema goodness.
The Contenders: Almost Famous, American Psycho, Amores Perros, Code Unknown, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Gladiator, In the Mood for Love, Memento, Pitch Black, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Traffic, Wonder Boys, Yi Yi, You Can Count On Me
The Critics’ Pick: In the Mood for Love and Yi Yi – A pair of Chinese films swept the majority of foreign festivals and critics awards. They’re both excellent, but are definitely acquired tastes.
The Public’s Pick: Gladiator – Won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and raked in over $450 million in worldwide box office. How can anyone not like this kick ass flick?
My Pick: Amores Perros - Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu hit a monster home run with his debut film. A tragic car wreck triggers the collision of three separate stories. An ingenious script and quality acting make this one of my all-time faves. I’ve seen it close to ten times.
2001
Two mega franchises launched their first chapters in 2001. Both Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins dominated the topic of conversation inside and outside Hollywood. But they weren’t the only worthwhile movies released during the year.
The Contenders: A.I., A Beautiful Mind, Black Hawk Down, Donnie Darko, Ghost World, In the Bedroom, The Fellowship of the Ring, Monster’s Ball, Ocean’s 11, Mulholland Drive, Training Day, The Royal Tenenbaums, Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Critics’ Pick: A.I. – Most critics went gaga over Spielberg’s surreal sci-fi opus about an android boy programmed to love. It has its moments, but overall I found it to be a tad melodramatic.
The Public’s Pick: The Fellowship of the Ring – Peter Jackson announced to the world he wasn’t screwing around with J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. It’s still my favorite of the three films.
My Pick: Black Hawk Down – Capturing the chaos of war is always tricky. Especially when trying to document an actual event. I lost count how many times I’ve seen this masterpiece. Its raw power resonates.
2002
The eagerly awaited big screen debut of Spider-Man stole the headlines in ‘02. As did lucrative sequels to Men in Black, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. However, a host of smaller movies still managed to garner deserved attention.
The Contenders: 28 Days Later, Adaptation., Chicago, City of God, 25th Hour, Gangs of New York, Infernal Affairs, Punch-Drunk Love, The Dancer Upstairs, The Hours, The Pianist, Tadpole
The Critics’ Pick: Chicago – Six Oscars and glowing reviews across the board. It’s a musical, so I hated the damn thing, but song and dance has never been my cup of tea.
The Public’s Pick: The Two Towers – People weren’t yet tired of hobbits, elves and orcs. In fact, $925 million total profits was proof people were drinking in Middle-earth. The Battle of Helm’s Deep might be the greatest combat sequence ever put to film.
My Pick: 28 Days Later – In my mind, this has surpassed Night of the Living Dead as the go-to zombie flick. Director Danny Boyle invents a terrifying world consumed by rage and isolationism. I’m up to ten viewings, last count.
2003
Under and above the water was a popular place to be in 2003. Finding Nemo took a healthy chomp of the box office. Only Captain Jack Sparrow had the guile to foil Pixar’s fish family. As a kid, while riding the Pirates of the Caribbean amusement at Disney World, I remember thinking to myself, “Hey, this would make a fantastic movie.” Wait, no I didn’t. That sounds ridiculous.
The Contenders: Dogville, Elephant, Kill Bill:Volume 1, In This World, Lost in Translation, Mystic River, Oldboy, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Monster, Seabiscuit, Return of the King, Touching the Void, Whale Rider
The Critics’ Pick: Lost in Translation – Bill Murray as the leading man in a May-December romance? Say it ain’t so. I watched this flick a second time recently. I love the writing and ethereal soundtrack, but it struck me as a little too whimsical.
The Public’s Pick: The Return of the King – The final chapter in Peter Jackson’s epic topped a billion in worldwide gross. The action is superbly choreographed and the drama hits a new high. It’s a fitting end to arguably the greatest trilogy ever filmed.
My Pick: Touching the Void – Yes, it’s a docudrama, but unlike any I’ve seen. A perilous attempt to scale Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes turns deadly for a pair of climbers. It’s stunning proof that real life always trumps fiction. I highly recommend it.
2004
Jesus was the man in 2004. Mel Gibson’s brutally exhausting retelling of Christ’s final twelve hours became the highest earning non-English and R-rated film ever. Like it or not, The Passion stood out amidst a bevy of sequels and studio franchises such as Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2, Meet the Fockers and Ocean’s Twelve.
The Contenders: 2046, Before Sunset, Birth, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fahrenheit 9/11, Kill Bill: Volume 2, Million Dollar Baby, Sideways, Shaun of the Dead, Ray, The Aviator, The Passion of the Christ
Critics’ Pick: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – The task of trying to deconstruct love is daunting. Major props to screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry for giving it a shot. It’s a whirlwind journey, but one I took only once. The sentiment and emotions are real. I just thought it was too clever for its own good.
Public’s Pick: Shrek 2 – I couldn’t go anywhere for weeks without hearing friends, family or co-workers quoting either Donkey or Puss in Boots. It’s definitely a fun flick and one that adults seemed to enjoy more than kids. I liked it fine, but it’s still just a cartoon.
My Pick: Kill Bill: Volume 2 – I could watch the final sequence between Bill and The Bride over and over. I think it’s Tarantino’s best writing to date. When all is said and done, big bad Bill was just another sap dicked over by a hot chick. Simple, yet profound. It’s quintessential Tarantino.
2005
Thanks to Peter Jackson, the great ape known as King Kong was resurrected again. This time around, the gargantuan gorilla got a full scale CGI treatment. The results were astounding. People flocked to the box office to see Kong battle dinosaurs, fall in love and be riddled with bullets. Oh, and Harry Potter became smitten with a cute Asian girl in The Goblet of Fire. I can relate with Harry, except I’m not a powerful wizard with a lightning bolt scar on my forehead. I do have a scar on my finger from a camping incident back in 1991. I can’t say much more. Something about the statute of limitations…
The Contenders: A History of Violence, Batman Begins, Brick, Brokeback Mountain, Cache, Capote, Crash, Good Night, and Good Luck, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Munich, Serenity, Sin City, Syriana, The New World, The Squid and the Whale, Walk the Line
The Critics’ Pick: Brokeback Mountain – Man-on-man butt sex jokes aside, this movie is telling evidence of Ang Lee’s skill as a director and Heath Ledger’s talent as an actor. Lee allows the story to unfold naturally and Ledger transforms himself into a lovelorn cowboy.
The Public’s Pick: Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith – Hordes of folk lined up to see what was hopefully the last “Star Wars” movie to be made. We finally got to witness how Anakin Skywalker transformed into Darth Vader. It was a letdown, but that’s mostly because Hayden Christensen couldn’t act his way through a grade school production of Popeye the Sailor Man.
My Pick: Brick – It was a tough choice, but I’m going with this 21st Century film noir murder whodunit set inside a suburban high school. Joseph Gordon-Levitt kills it as loner Brendan Frye, who plays amateur detective in order to discover who murdered his ex-girlfriend. The dialogue, characterizations and atmosphere are all spot on. I’ve logged six viewings so far.
Continue…
This is a cool post I really enjoy it, I like Amores perros too, Iñarritu rocks, Batman, and a lot of the movies that mentiones I watched, and your elections were very cool.
Saludos
So There Will Be Blood is SLIGHTLY overrated yet the next picture mentioned in fragmented, hyperbolic sentences isn't? Fuck yourself.
Fantastic article. Although I do not know some of your personal favourites, I think you have a keen eye for a good film and you have added about 5 fims to my must see list, starting with Brick!
The list is detailed. Most of your picks I agree with, however:
I give the go to Micheal Clayton, I love No Country but Clayton works for I don't know how many times I had to tell people this was not based on a true story. Also Clooney gave an understated performance, Swinton was just nasty as the chief counsel who correct me if I'm wrong got her willies off on the fact she hired hitmen to off a fixer all this in the mean time she comes off as cutthroat and vulnerable. Not to mention Sidney Pollock's last role, I think.
Never saw Amores Perros, but I still say Crouching Tiger was the movie for me especially when you get over the come for the action stay for the unrequited love/independent women story. I makes one wonder why no one in the states other than Cameron put the concept of mixing aspects of action with various genres like love stories and make it meaningful
Got to see Hurt Locker, Let The Right One In, Zodiac, Sunshine, Little Miss Sunshine, 2046, History of Violence.
The rest I've seen, want to see, or don't care about like Brokeback Mountain. I'm not fan of Crash but I'm not a fan of infidelity flicks that includes Unfaithful as well.
500 Days of Summer is an awesome pick. So well written and performed… is it any wonder I like indies better than the hollywood schlock? My friends and I kept remarking on how well we could relate to 500dos. Anything else this year from Hollywood? Eh… not so much.
500 Days of Summer is an awesome pick. So well written and performed… is it any wonder I like indies better than the hollywood schlock? My friends and I kept remarking on how well we could relate to 500dos. Anything else this year from Hollywood? Eh… not so much.
probably the most honest list i've seen so far.
I do agree with most of them
Isn't The Hurt Locker a 2008 movie?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/
allow me to just throw this one out there. anchorman: the legend of ron burgundy, as much as schnobs hate to admit it, is among the defining comedies of this generation (acknowledging the plethora of dumb jokes). it served as a post daily show springboard for steve carrell and a career saver for paul rudd. ah, the halcyon days of 2004. can you remember the sepia tone goodness?
The Hurt Locker was one of, if not the, best movie I saw this decade. Loved it from beginning to end.
There should be a comedy section since it seems they were left out… Beerfest? Superbad? Hangover?
anchorman? 40 year old virgin?
Excellent list that provided me with a number of titles that I missed or forgot about and just might buy. Thanks.
You lost major credibility points for the phrase “just a cartoon.” Animation is a medium, not a genre. And it's a great medium at that. Watch almost any of Satoshi Kon's films (Tokyo Godfathers comes to mind) and you'll come away with a whole new respect for animation in general.
Transformers is garbage compared to There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day Lewis is one of the most underrated actors of all-time, while Transformers is one of the most overrated movies of all-time.
Brick is a great movie…
I for one hated Gladiator. It was a really slick looking hollow shell. Just like Avatar. Yes I do need a story to go along with great visuals.
Way to be a jackass. If you read the beginning of that line; it says “The Public’s Pick”, not “The Author's Pick.” In fact, the very next paragraph gives you the author's pick: 'No Country for Old Men.'
In other words, for those amongst us with reading comprehension issues, 'Transformers' was the movie that made buttloads of money that year, NOT Scott Tunstall's pick for movie of the year. Perhaps you oughta understand what the hell you're talking about before you tell someone to fuck themselves, eh Melvin?
Hi Gary,
I agree with Tyler. There is too much pretentiousness in this article – and that sentence was one example (eg. a “slightly overrated”). The author gives the impression of being “better and smarter than the public and critics” by never agreeing to any of their decisions. I've known too many people like this over the years. I like what I like, regardless of what critics say – and I sometimes agree and sometimes disagree with critics and the general public.
Having said that, the list is structured well – the movies listed are very good. If you had to pick a short list (as you have), then you picked well.
I watched a few of the trailers (eg. brick and let the right one in) – and seriously, these trailers must do a poor job of selling the movies – because I was left thinking these movies were plain crap… Each to their own.
I tried watching a bit of Transfomers when it came on cable. Wow, what a piece of junk! What were they going for there? Was it comedy? If so, it wasn't funny enough. If it was a dramatic action movie, then it was too funny. Strangly, even though the SFX looked impressive, most of the other filmmaking seemed downright amaturish.
I agree with 5-15-9, you are kind of an asshole for using the phrase “just a cartoon.” Anyone who doesn't think Pixar is one of the most renowned studios in existence clearly doesn't understand pathos or story structure. Also, as a student with a major in animation and a minor in live action film, I can tell you with ease that animation by far the more challenging medium to work with. Every frame is a work of art that must be created by hand. So get off your high horse and stop being a snob, because animation =/= “just a cartoon”.
Agreed with most of your films, and I agree with your overratings. Although Let the Right One in….ahhh I didn't find it too enjoyable. Tad boring, and overrated.
Loved No Country, and I think based on your recommendation, I'm going to check out Amores Perros, and probably Up in the Air.
Good call on Let the Right One In. It is so good
You lost all credibility with Casino Royale and Kill Bill Vol. 2. Not that either is a terrible film, but certainly not the cream of their respective crops.
There's also a lot of sketchy facts/opinions offered (e.g. saying A.I. was a critical darling, or There Will Be Blood is critically over-rated . . . and then without sarcasm picking No Country For Old Men).
And as it was stated before, to demean an artist's work because it's a cartoon . . . well that's just plain stupid.
5/10
A.I. – Most critics went gaga over Spielberg’s surreal sci-fi opus: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ai_artificial_intelligence/ yes generally positive reviews but far from “gaga”.