92 replies to this topic

[tdalton]

I've already posted a top 10, but with a lot of people doing a breakdown of their favorites/best by year, I thought it might be interesting to do the same.

2000: TRAFFIC

2001: A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE / THE PLEDGE

2002: GANGS OF NEW YORK / THE BOURNE IDENTITY / THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES

2003: THE LAST SAMURAI / MYSTIC RIVER / MONSTER / THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE

2004: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST / THE AVIATOR / THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

2005: BATMAN BEGINS / THE CONSTANT GARDNER / SYRIANA / WALK THE LINE / FIERCE PEOPLE

2006: CASINO ROYALE / ROCKY BALBOA / LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE / RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR

2007: INTO THE WILD / GONE BABY GONE / ZODIAC

2008: QUANTUM OF SOLACE

2009: ADVENTURELAND / CORALINE / THE CAKE EATERS

[Harmsway]

Well, I suppose I better provide an all-out year-by-year breakdown of my favorites, if that's what we're doing now... Seriously, though, it's probably a better indicator of what I consider the best of the decade to be. All of this films could justifiably show up on a top 10, and I'm always swapping them around depending on my mood. But here's my picks for the best of the Aughts:

2000: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON / EUREKA / IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

2001: AMELIE / GOSFORD PARK / MULHOLLAND DRIVE / THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS / SPIRITED AWAY

2002: ADAPTATION / ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU / THE PIANIST / PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE / RUSSIAN ARK / THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI

2003: DOGVILLE / MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD / OLDBOY / TOKYO GODFATHERS

2004: 2046 / ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

2005: THE CHILD / THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU / SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE

2006: PAN’S LABYRINTH / PAPRIKA / VOLVER

2007: THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD / SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET / THERE WILL BE BLOOD / ZODIAC

2008: BURN AFTER READING / CHE / SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

2009: A SERIOUS MAN / INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS / THIRST

[White Tuxedo]

Cool to see MULHOLLAND. It has Naomi Watts naked, how can you not like it?

BURN AFTER READING I liked a lot. Can't wait to see A SERIOUS MAN. I'll pick up the DVD.

Oh, how I love the trailer!

[Harmsway]

Cool to see MULHOLLAND.

It's an exceedingly fine example of kaleidoscope filmmaking.

BURN AFTER READING I liked a lot.

I was hoping you would. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair. It keeps growing on me; I can watch it again and again and still double-over in laughter.

Can't wait to see A SERIOUS MAN. I'll pick up the DVD.

It's interesting to see the Coens dive head-first into religious questions by retelling the book of Job, and the resulting film is one of their most thoughtful creations. Like BARTON FINK, A SERIOUS MAN is not always easy to unpack, but a very rewarding experience nonetheless. The ending is one of their finest. It's also funny as hell.

[Makeshift Python]

I've been wanting to see A Serious Man for some time. Luckily I have a local theater that'll be playing it all week so I'm gonna try to catch up on that. Fantastic Mr. Fox is also on my must see list.

BTW Harmsway, missed you on MI6.

[White Tuxedo]

Cool to see MULHOLLAND.

It's an exceedingly fine example of kaleidoscope filmmaking.

BURN AFTER READING I liked a lot.

I was hoping you would. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair. It keeps growing on me; I can watch it again and again and still double-over in laughter.

Can't wait to see A SERIOUS MAN. I'll pick up the DVD.

It's interesting to see the Coens dive head-first into religious questions by retelling the book of Job, and the resulting film is one of their most thoughtful creations. Like BARTON FINK, A SERIOUS MAN is not always easy to unpack, but a very rewarding experience nonetheless. The ending is one of their finest. It's also funny as hell.

That's how I view MULHOLLAND DR. It's an experience.

As per the Coens. I liked BURN AFTER READING, but (and I've said this before) I like their more "serious" films that have elements of comedy. FARGO is a prime example. BURN AFTER READING is still overtly comedic. I like it really straight, really dry, and really black.

This is comedy: http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

I hope that A SERIOUS MAN is more like that. I've heard it's like the story of GOB.

[Colly]

If I had a top echelon of 2000s films, it would go something like this...

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
MILLION DOLLAR BABY

if we were going to pad it out to ten, it might also include films such as:
GLADIATOR
THE COUNTERFEITERS
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
THE DEPARTED
ATONEMENT
JUNO
AMERICAN GANGSTER
GRAN TORINO

but I need to rewatch a lot of these films - I dont really buy current films owing to their price and that you cant watch them quietly.

Or I cant be bothered going to the cinema.

Though I've probably forgotten some films here.

[Zorin Industries]

2001: A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Good call. I was wondering if a Spielberg may make my list. This would certainly be the nearest one of his to my own Top Ten Of The Decade.

[Blonde Bond]

Hmmm... I don't have a very good long-term memory. But I'll give this one a shot.


Casino Royale
Shaun of the Dead
Kill Bill
The Bourne Identity
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Quantum of Solace
..... and... o0h, what the hell! (You know, just to complete this list. Haven't actually seen the latter two in a couple of years)
Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

[Loomis]

2000: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON / EUREKA / IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

Delighted you were able to see EUREKA (and ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU) and were impressed. Any chance of a review, or at least some further words on it? (If not here, then the "What movie have you seen today?" thread might be an appropriate venue.)

[Vauxhall]

It was my initial thought and looking at these lists backs my thinking up for me: 2007 wins Year of the Decade filmwise in my book. Some crackers to choose from.

[Harmsway]

BTW Harmsway, missed you on MI6.

It's nice to be missed.

As per the Coens. I liked BURN AFTER READING, but (and I've said this before) I like their more "serious" films that have elements of comedy. FARGO is a prime example. BURN AFTER READING is still overtly comedic. I like it really straight, really dry, and really black.

Well, then you'll love A SERIOUS MAN. A SERIOUS MAN, in many ways, is a merger between their "serious" films, ala BARTON FINK, and their sillier stuff. But it's definitely not an all-out comedy. Really, it's a tragedy with a very dry and very black sense of humor.

Delighted you were able to see EUREKA (and ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU) and were impressed.

I was delighted as well. They're excellent.

It was my initial thought and looking at these lists backs my thinking up for me: 2007 wins Year of the Decade filmwise in my book. Some crackers to choose from.

'07 is a great year, and it contains my favorite of the decade (THERE WILL BE BLOOD). But I'd say '00, '01, '02, and '03 all have enough great films to give '07 a serious run for its money.

[White Tuxedo]

As per the Coens. I liked BURN AFTER READING, but (and I've said this before) I like their more "serious" films that have elements of comedy. FARGO is a prime example. BURN AFTER READING is still overtly comedic. I like it really straight, really dry, and really black.

Well, then you'll love A SERIOUS MAN. A SERIOUS MAN, in many ways, is a merger between their "serious" films, ala BARTON FINK, and their sillier stuff. But it's definitely not an all-out comedy. Really, it's a tragedy with a very dry and very black sense of humor.

Yay!

[Loomis]

Delighted you were able to see EUREKA (and ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU) and were impressed.

I was delighted as well. They're excellent.

I've never tried to promote a film the way I've tried to promote EUREKA, and I'd long been hoping that you'd one day be able to see it. I understood that it was unavailable Stateside, so I was very pleasantly surprised to read that you'd managed to watch it.

No disrespect to any other CBners, but, regarding EUREKA, I was especially keen to read your views in particular, Harms - but then I imagine we're the only people on this board who've seen it. It's such a shame that this masterpiece seems so little known. It appears to rarely feature in even those "top one hundred" lists that are stuffed with "foreign" films like IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, OLDBOY and so on. I guess it never became trendy, for some reason.

I feared that you'd concede that EUREKA had its moments but slam it for being self-indulgent and overlong. However, it seems it delivered the goods for you.

As for ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU, I believe Tarantino is a fan of the film and its director, Shunji Iwai, whom he's described as "having the exact same career as mine in Japan". I have to say, I don't really get the comparison, but then I know squat about the man.

[Salomé]

My top ten, in no particular order:

Inglorious basterds
Gomorrah
Hable con ella
Zodiac
Cidade de Deus
Battle Royale
In the mood for love
The hurt locker
Das Leben der Anderen
L'enfant

And yes, I did steal this thread idea from the Other Place. So sue me.

[Ambler]

I think this may have been done already, but anyone who likes Battle Royale is all right with me.

'Takeshi tames teens' must have been the pitch for that movie.

Is BR still banned in the USA?

[Salomé]

I didn't realize it ever was, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were (still) the case.

[B. Brown]

My top ten, in no particular order:

Inglorious basterds
Gomorrah
Hable con ella
Zodiac
Cidade de Deus
Battle Royale
In the mood for love
The hurt locker
Das Leben der Anderen
L'enfant

And yes, I did steal this thread idea from the Other Place. So sue me.

Some good choices there, Op--- er, Salome.

This is what I liked:

Good Night, and Good Luck
Mulholland Dr.
Memento
In The Mood For Love
Talk To Her
Artificial Intelligence <-- One of Ambler's favorites, I'm sure.
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Sex and Lucia
No Country For Old Men

[Vauxhall]

More of the same here.

[Ambler]

Off topic, but here's my 90's. Just my faves. To show that I can put together one of these lists.

1990: MILLER'S CROSSING
1991: NAKED LUNCH
1992: UNFORGIVEN
1993: TOMBSTONE
1994: ED WOOD
1995: SE7EN
1996: FARGO
1997: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
1998: DARK CITY (Director's Cut)
1999: FIGHT CLUB

Bloody hell, that's a very mainstream list. The sort of thing St George would come up with.

You are aware that filmmaking exists outside the USA, aren't you? Try some von Trier or Haneke for starters.

[stromberg]

More of the same here.

I've merged these two threads and I'm going to merge every other 'Films of the Decade' thread (which will undoubtedly appear) into this one. There's one more out there, but that one was already started in 2005 (!) so it would propably lead to a misleaded discussion

[Judo chop]

I'm adding THE PIANIST to my list, wherever my list may be.

[Ambler]

I've lost my list as well, with all this thread merging. Which gives me a chance to post a revised version.

2009 Antichrist (von Trier)
2008 In Bruges (McDonagh)
2007 Funny Games (Haneke)
2006 The Page Turner (Dercourt) (Sotty)
2005 Hidden (Caché) (Haneke)
2004 A Way of Life (Asante)
2003 Dogville (von Trier)
2002 Adaptation (Jonze) (Kaufman)
2001 Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
2000 Memento (Nolan)

EDIT: typo

Edited by Ambler, 22 December 2009 - 05:26 PM.

[Salomé]

I've lost my list as well, with all this thread merging. Which gives me a chance to post a revised version.

2009 Antichrist (von Trier)
2008 In Bruges (McDonagh)
2007 Funny Games (Haneke)
2006 The Page Turner (Dercourt) (Sotty)
2005 Hidden (Caché) (Haneke)
2004 A Way of Life (Asante)
2003 Dogville (von Trier)
2002 Adaptation (Jonze) (Kaufman)
2001 Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
2000 Memento (Nolan)

EDIT: typo

I liked adaptation, though I wouldn't list it amongst my top ten. But I can see how it could hold an extra appeal for a writer.

Though I liked Memento, it has gone down in my esteem with repeated viewings. I couldn't give you a good reason as to why exactly...

I understand what Haneke was trying to do with Funny Games, but I found the entire exercise a bit too unpleasant. He could have driven the point home without going quite that far. Admittedly, that's just my opinion...

La tourneuse des pages was very good, though I'm not sure if I would have seen it if it were not for Deb François.

Edited by Salomé, 22 December 2009 - 05:37 PM.

[Ambler]

Hmmm, well I admit to desperation when it comes to this decade.

La tourneuse des pages is not a great film by any definition, but I like low key psychological thrillers and they're very hard to find these days.

I've only seen Memento once and have no intention of seeing it again. Not sure why anyone feels the need to revisit films.

EDIT: standard operational bull[censored]

Edited by Ambler, 22 December 2009 - 05:42 PM.

[Salomé]

Are you telling me you never re-watch a movie you've enjoyed?

I'm not at all desperate when it comes to the quality of the movies released in the past decade. I listed just one Belgian movie, but I could have listed close to ten that might have been worthy of inclusion. The same is true for France, Italy, Germany, ... Really, only US mainstream cinema can be accused of true creative anemia during the noughties.

[Ambler]

Are you telling me you never re-watch a movie you've enjoyed?

Generally I prefer to see films on a big screen. Whether or not I see a film more than once depends on the programmers as much as anything.

I no longer feel the need to possess films in a physical sense. I'm interested in ideas and images and if they're strong enough then they survive in my head.

[bondrules]

in no particular order

Inglorious Basterds
Road to Perdition
Gladiator
Kill Bill
Casino Royale
American Psycho
Sweeny Todd
The Lord of the Rings
Jarhead
Ratatouille

[Santa]

I'm terrible at choosing my 'top' anything, partly through indecision, partly because I am fickle, as women generally are , however these are some of the films I have enjoyed most this decade. Some are here for incredibly shallow reasons, such as expecting I would dislike a particular film, then the enjoyment of it being multiplied by my surprise; or because I enjoyed a nice dinner and evening out with a particular person when I saw this film; or just because it has animals in. Certainly this is not a list of what I consider the best films from this time (indeed I'd say some are very unworthy), but each of these had something, for me.
V for Vendetta
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
In Bruges
Casino Royale
Napoleon Dynamite
In the Mood for Love
Gladiator
Eight Below
Ocean's Eleven
Transformers
Star Trek
Lucky Number Slevin
City of God
Little Miss Sunshine
Secretary
District 9
Probably Layer Cake and Inglourious Basterds

[Zorin Industries]

It was my initial thought and looking at these lists backs my thinking up for me: 2007 wins Year of the Decade filmwise in my book. Some crackers to choose from.

Tell us more...

Guys (and gals)... I am really impressed by the turn out here and the title on display... and the fact that folk are mentioning what they like (whether it was a big title or not).

More of the same here.

I've merged these two threads and I'm going to merge every other 'Films of the Decade' thread (which will undoubtedly appear) into this one. There's one more out there, but that one was already started in 2005 (!) so it would propably lead to a misleaded discussion

I would personally prefer it if this thread was left unmerged... only as the parameters and boundaries of this thread are not "what were our top films of the decade...in 2005". And this thread has - thankfully - abided by my early hints to list but not criticise. But horses for courses and all that...