best movies of the 2000s

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Justin
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best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

I generally think lists like this are pointless, this one included. But it is interesting to me to look back on a decade and assess its output. My general impression is that the 2000s were marked by
the rise of TV as the primary source for exciting, original stories and characters. I still think TV has a ways to go before it reaches the top tier of movie achievement, but maybe it will get there,
I suppose movies have not equaled literature yet, video games are even further behind. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I could easily rattle off 10 great movies from the 90s, or even more easily from the 70s, but
it looks to me like the 00s are more like the 80s, not horrible, but a bit spotty. I'm not sure I can come up with 10 movies that I stand behind fully as "great", alongside the usually acclaimed classics.
Here's what I came up with, the order is fairly relative, but in general the best are toward the top. I probably don't need to say that this list is subjective, but I should say that I am quite confident about
the first 2 movies as objectively good, the rest are more my personal taste.

There Will Be Blood - 2007
No Country for Old Men - 2007
Mullholland Dr. - 2001
American Psycho - 2000
Primer - 2004
Storytelling - 2001
Match Point - 2005
The Shape of Things - 2003
Kill Bill Vol. 2 - 2004

---------------------------- (everything below this line is more like an honorable mention, or an interesting failure)

Inglourious Basterds (*I need to see this again to decide) - 2009
Ju-On: The Curse - 2000
Kairo - 2001
Memento -2000
Adaptation - 2002
Synecdoche, NY - 2008
Paranormal Activity (see *) - 2009
Michael Clayton - 2007
Inland Empire - 2006
Donnie Darko - 2001

Vince
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Vince »

Wow. In giving this consideration I'm dismayed at how few movies I was impressed by. I certainly agree on the two Lynch's - Mulholland was especially mind-blowing. Memento & No Country would make my list, too. The only things I feel strongly about adding are:

The Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Dark Knight, and
The Descent

Apart from those the aught's were meh for me and movies.

David3
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by David3 »

In what is most likely a sign that my wife picks the movies entirely too often, I actually have only seen one movie from Justin's entire list. Donnie Darko. One of my personal favorites.

Based on what I have seen, one list I could compile is the top 10 least bad (is there ever a good one?) romantic comedies.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

David3 wrote:In what is most likely a sign that my wife picks the movies entirely too often, I actually have only seen one movie from Justin's entire list. Donnie Darko. One of my personal favorites.

Based on what I have seen, one list I could compile is the top 10 least bad (is there ever a good one?) romantic comedies.
I think Annie Hall is a pretty good romantic comedy, but they are rare, and it is from the 70s. I could say the same for many genres, though, like horror.

I'd like to hear "David3's top 10 bad romantic comedies of the 2000s". I don't see very many of them.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

I was just recently reminded that 1999 was the year of: Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Fight Club, Being John Malkovich,
The Blair Witch Project, The Sixth Sense, and The Matrix.

I don't love all of those, but what a year!

David3
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by David3 »

Justin wrote:I'd like to hear "David3's top 10 bad romantic comedies of the 2000s". I don't see very many of them.
I'll work on it.

David3
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by David3 »

David3 wrote:
Justin wrote:I'd like to hear "David3's top 10 bad romantic comedies of the 2000s". I don't see very many of them.
I'll work on it.
These I'd consider somewhere between good and watchable.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Knocked Up
Juno
Wedding Crashers
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
50 First Dates
Definitely, Maybe
Elizabethtown

The Worst of the Worst

Basically any movie with Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Renolds, Jennifer Lopez, Mandy Moore, or some comination of the these.

I should win some kind of prize for having sat through each of these awful movies.

From Justin to Kelly (Top 5 worst movies ever.)
Fool’s Gold
A Lot Like love
Fever Pitch
Must Love Dogs
Failure to Launch (Any movie with Terry Bradshaw's naked ass can't be good.)
Catch and Release
License to Wed
The Proposal
Just Friends
The Wedding Planner
What Happens In Vegas
The Ugly Truth
Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
The Prince and Me
How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days
Maid in Manhattan
Chasing Liberty
Because I Said So
Down to You

I'd rather gouge my eyes out than see any of these movies ever again. The worst part is that 18 of these have the exact same plot. Some circumstance causes two people to meet. They like each other, but one or both has a bad secret. The other finds out about said secret. They fight and break up. Theres an aplogy and make up scene and they live happily ever after. Vomit.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

The only ones I've seen on that list are Juno and Eternal Sunshine, I liked both, though not as much as some. Something in me resists Charlie Kaufman, I like what he does on a purely intellectual level, but I find the actual experience of watching one of his movies to be kind of flat. He also has a streak of wistful sentimentalism underneath the cynicism, he reminds me a bit of Wes Anderson that way.
I do think Synecdoche is the best thing he's done, but I'm not anxious to watch it again.
As for Juno, it wasn't bad, but it seemed kind of breezy and slight to me.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

Vince wrote:Wow. In giving this consideration I'm dismayed at how few movies I was impressed by. I certainly agree on the two Lynch's - Mulholland was especially mind-blowing. Memento & No Country would make my list, too. The only things I feel strongly about adding are:

The Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Dark Knight, and
The Descent

Apart from those the aught's were meh for me and movies.
The LOTR movies are some kind of achievement. I just can't say I liked them all that much.

I wanted to like the descent and I did until Spoiler
the cave dwelling monsters showed up and started eating everyone.
I also didn't like the way they did the ending, one of my least favorite
devices is Spoiler
the fantasy-fakeout.
The Dark Knight is good in parts, but seems like a mess overall. Almost every scene with the joker is good, and pre-two face harvey dent is great as well. But batman/bruce wayne are dreadfully boring, and the two face plot at the end is clumsy and anticlimactic. It was better than Batman Begins, though.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

Just for shits and gigs, here's my list for the 90s, it was really easy to make and I know I'm leaving stuff out. This convinces me I was right that the 2000s were not as good.

Pulp Fiction
Lost Highway
Goodfellas
Unforgiven
Barton Fink
Reservoir Dogs
Jackie Brown
JFK
The Crying Game
The Big Lebowski
Short Cuts
Dead Man
Glengarry Glen Ross
Eyes Wide Shut
The Blair Witch Project
She's So Lovely
Your Friends and Neighbors
Cape Fear
The Ninth Gate
Oleanna
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

TheRadioTower
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by TheRadioTower »

I disagree, I think 2000s have been a great decade for movies. We saw the rise of Christopher Nolan who I think is one of the best modern storytellers comparable to the likes of Spielberg. His every film would probably make my top 20 (with the exception of Insomnia which I haven't seen yet)... The Prestige is one of the most engaging and exhilarating movie I've ever seen, I hate comic book films with the exception of his batman movies. Also, the 2000s were also a better decade for comedy than the 90s. The only 90s comedy that really stands out to me is 'There's something about Mary'... whereas the 2000s have produced a whole bunch of comedy classics like Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Superbad, The Hangover just to name a few.

1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. The Prestige
3. District 9 (I think in the future when people look back, they would look back at this as classic scifi in the same sense as people today look back at the orginal terminator and Aliens)
4. Cloverfield
5. Superbad
6. The Dark Knight
7. Pineapple Express
8. Saw (I know the sequels are terrible but watching the original for the first time it was a pretty kickass thriller)
9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
10. V for Vendetta

Honorable mention:
The Hurt Locker (finally someone made an Iraq war movie which atleast makes an effort to entertain the audience by being an awesome action-thriller)
Role Models
Bourne 3
The Departed
Batman Begins
Memento

TheRadioTower
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by TheRadioTower »

David3 wrote: Definitely, Maybe
See, I thought it was a great concept to tell a love story like a mystery but about half way through the film fell apart for me as it started following the same basic rom-com conventions. Love Actually has to be my favourite Romentic Comedy. The movie just fills you with joy and make you want to hug every person you meet (as corny as that sounds)

Vince
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Vince »

Oh, yeah - Gladiator wasn't too bad, either.

David3
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by David3 »

Justin wrote: Paranormal Activity (see *) - 2009
Just saw this one last night. I wasn't really scared while watching it, but every creak in my house sounds 10 times louder today. It was pretty good, though.

Perry
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Perry »

I haven't made a list but I thought I'd chime in with I thought Paranormal Activity was good as a comedy. That guy cracked me up. As a thriller it was absolutely terrible. Just a bit less shit than The Strangers which I also saw recently.

Also I hope noone adds Avatar to their list. It's worthless, can't believe it's making so much money. Sure visuals are ok, but the story is terrible.

Oh and I also don't see the appeal to There Will Be Blood, can someone explain to me why it wasn't absolutely crap?
Maybe Justin since it topped his list of the 00s? Seemed like a "build" (if you can call it that) to nothing. Maybe it was because I watched it wanting blood, but I just wanted him to snap earlier.

Vince
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Vince »

One more - Children of Men.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

Paranormal Activity is a good example of my favorite kind of horror movie. Many find this kind of movie unsatisfying, (the Blair Witch Project has a large group of detractors as well), but I feel the opposite. I can't really defend it more, if you don't like the initial gimmick, it is probably hopeless.

As for There Will Be Blood, for me, it has the most interesting character in movies of the decade. It also has some great music, and a fantastic ending. I would say if you don't find the main character interesting, then the movie will fail for you. It is not a movie with a lot of plot or action.

Perry
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Perry »

Justin wrote:I would say if you don't find the main character interesting, then the movie will fail for you. It is not a movie with a lot of plot or action.
I actually liked the main character, I just though if he had killed a couple more people along the way I would've been more satisfied, lol.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

Perry wrote:
Justin wrote:I would say if you don't find the main character interesting, then the movie will fail for you. It is not a movie with a lot of plot or action.
I actually liked the main character, I just though if he had killed a couple more people along the way I would've been more satisfied, lol.
Interesting. That's not a criticism I've heard before. I guess I don't see him as a killer, I think he only killed for specific reasons in very unique situations.

Claude
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Claude »

I'm not good coming up with lists like these, thankfully Justin listed most of what I would consider the best.

Best of 2000s:
Avatar - 2009
Synecdoche, NY - 2008
Pineapple Express - 2008
Superbad - 2007
There Will Be Blood - 2007
No Country for Old Men - 2007
Primer - 2004
Kill Bill - 2004 (both volumes, it's just one movie no matter how it was released)
Donnie Darko - 2001
Mullholland Dr. - 2001
American Psycho - 2000
Memento -2000


And I didn't think it at first, but the 90s does seem to have way more better movies [sic]

Perry
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Perry »

Claude wrote:Avatar - 2009
Avatar? I really hope your list isn't in order and it's actually at the bottom of your list.

Surely as a writer you can admit that sure the graphics were good but the story was just one cliche after the other?

As one critic put it which I totally agree with: "at what point in the film did you have any doubt what was going to happen next?"

Avatar was "meh" to me. Really hope it doesn't win the Oscar even though it got the GG. Think it's realllllllllly over-rated.

Claude
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Claude »

So, the story elements of Avatar are familiar, yes. But that doesn't diminish the fact that all of the elements were expertly used to tell a "new" story. You knew Jake was going to become a Na'vi, fall in love, and fight his own people. But as long as the drama is believeable, I think it's a success. I went into the movie knowing it was going to be Pocahontas in Space, and I still thouroughly enjoyed it. I think that says something.

Avatar gets more points for the experience of watching it, than the sum of its parts.

And yes, Avatar would be at the bottom of the list.
Perry wrote:
Claude wrote:Avatar - 2009
Avatar? I really hope your list isn't in order and it's actually at the bottom of your list.

Surely as a writer you can admit that sure the graphics were good but the story was just one cliche after the other?

As one critic put it which I totally agree with: "at what point in the film did you have any doubt what was going to happen next?"

Avatar was "meh" to me. Really hope it doesn't win the Oscar even though it got the GG. Think it's realllllllllly over-rated.

Justin
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Justin »

As a little epilogue: I finally saw Avatar, the production quality was very high, but I found almost nothing in the story or characters engaging. My favorite character was the bad guy, who was one dimensional but at least entertaining. After the first plunge into the world I was done with the ride and ready to go home, but it was 3 hours long. My hope is that one day someone will be able to use that production style to create something more interesting. And I loved Terminator 2...but that was the 90s.
This would go nowhere near a "best of the 00s" list for me.

Also, I would add "A Serious Man" to my list.

Perry
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Re: best movies of the 2000s

Post by Perry »

Aaah, good call Justin. Boo Avatar!

Oh and I liked The Hurt Locker.

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