Shubhajit's Number 10 film of the 2000s, Michael Heneke's 'The White Ribbon'
100 Best Movies of the 2000′s
by Shubhajit Lahiri
The 2000’s have been the most incredible time of my two and a half decades’ worth existence. These last ten years have played the most singularly important part in determining not just who I am today, but also, in all probability, in who I will be (or continue to be) in the next few decades that I hope to remain alive.
Some of the most memorable things of my life have occurred in these last 10 years – high school, graduation in mechanical engineering, hostel life, my first job. This was also the time I made some good friends who I hope will last this lifetime, I had my first tryst with love, I learnt to appreciate good books, good music and good cinema (as opposed to their more popular equivalents), I realised my deep and lifelong love for my city Calcutta, and a lot more, not necessarily scandalous, that I rather not recount here at this blog of mine.
So, without further ado, let me present what counts in my opinion the 100 best movies of the first decade of this millennium, or more appropriately, the 100 best of what I have had the utmost pleasure of seeing till now and being immensely enriched by.
1. No Country for Old Men (US, ’06) – Joel & Ethan Coen
2. Utsab (India, ’01) – Rituparno Ghosh
3. Pan’s Labyrinth (Mexico, ’06) – Guillermo Del Toro
4. Oldboy (S. Korea, ’04) – Park Chan-Wook
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (Romania, ’07) – Cristian Mungiu
6. A History of Violence (UK/Canada, ’05) – David Cronenberg
7. Yi Yi (Taiwan, ’00) – Edward Yang
8. Shubho Mahurat (India, ’03) – Rituparno Ghosh
9. The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (France, ’07) – Julian Schnabel
10. The White Ribbon (Austria/Germany, ’09) – Michael Haneke11. 2046 (Hong Kong, ’04) – Wong Kar-Wai
12. Memento (US, ’00) – Christopher Nolan
13. Kill Bill Vol. I & II (US, ’03, ’04) – Quentin Tarantino
14. Revanche (Austria, ’08) – Gotz Spielmann
15. Zodiac (US, ’07) – David Fincher
16. The Proposition (Australia, ’05) – John Hillcoat
17. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (US, ’04) – Michel Gondry
18. Amores Perros (Mexico, ’00) – Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
19. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (S. Korea, ’02) – Park Chan-Wook
20. Let the Right One in (Sweden, ’08) – Tomas Alfredson
21. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (US, ’07) – Sidney Lumet
22. 12:08 East of Bucharest (Romania, ’06) – Corneliu Porumboiu
23. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter… and Spring (S. Korea, ’03) – Kim Ki-Duk
24. A Bittersweet Life (S. Korea, ’05) – Kim Jee-woon
25. Uzak (Turkey, ’02) – Nuri Bilge Ceylan
26. Memories of Murder (Hong Kong, ’03) – Bong Joon-Ho
27. The Royal Tenenbaums (US, ’01) – Wes Anderson
28. The Edge of Heaven (Turkey/Germany, ’07) – Fatih Akin
29. Capote (US, ’05) – Bennett Miller
30. California Dreamin’ (Romania, ’07) – Cristian Nemescu
31. Herbert (India, ’06) – Suman Mukhopadhyay
32. No Man’s Land (Serbia/Bosnia, ’01) – Danis Tanovic
33. In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong, ’00) – Wong Kar-Wai
34. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (US, ’08) – Andrew Dominik
35. Dogville (Denmark, ’03) – Lars von Triar
36. Waltz With Bashir (Israel, ’08) – Ari Forman
37. The Lives of Others (Germany, ’06) – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
38. Talk to Her (Spain, ’02) – Pedro Almodovar
39. Werckmeister Harmonies (Hungary, ’00) – Bela Tarr
40. Paromitar Ek Din (India, ’00) – Aparna Sen
41. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Romania, ’05) – Cristi Puiu
42. Mulholland Drive (US, ’01) – David Lynch
43. Monsoon Wedding (India, ’01) – Mira Nair
44. Minority Report (US, ’02) – Steven Spielberg
45. Spider (UK/Canada, ’02) – David Cronenberg
46. City of God (Brazil, ’02) – Fernando Meirelles
47. Cache (Austria, ’05) – Michael Haneke
48. Goodbye, Lenin! (Germany, ’04) – Wolfgang Becker
49. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden, ’09) – Niels Arden Oplev
50. Punch Drunk Love (US, ’02) – Paul Thomas Anderson
51. Shotgun Stories (US, ’07) – Jeff Nichols
52. Omkara (India, ’06) – Vishal Bharadwaj
53. The Squid & the Whale (US, ’05) – Noah Baumbach
54. Before Sunset (US, ’04) – Richard Linklater
55. I’m Not There (US, ’07) – Todd Haynes
56. Bad Education (Spain, ’04) – Pedro Almodovar
57. The Son (France/Belgium, ’02) – Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
58. Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico, ’01) – Alfonso Cuaron
59. The Devil’s Backbone (Mexico, ’01) – Guillermo Del Toro
60. Eastern Promises (UK, ’07) – David Cronenberg
61. Little Miss Sunshine (US, ’06) – Jonathan Dayton
62. Dancer in the Dark (Denmark, ’00) – Lars von Triar
63. The Motorcycle Diaries (Argentina, ’02) – Walter Salles Jr.
64. Ashes of Time Redux (Hong Kong, ’08) – Wong Kar-Wai
65. Hunger (UK, ’08) – Steve McQueen
66. Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (S. Korea, ’05) – Park Chan-Wook
67. Munich (US, ’05) – Steven Spielberg
68. A Christmas Tale (France, ’08) – Arnaud Desplechin
69. Death Proof (US, ’07) – Quentin Tarantino
70. Kaalpurush (India, ’08) – Buddhadeb Dasgupta
71. Antares (Austria, ’04) – Gotz Spielmann
72. The Departed (US, ’06) – Martin Scorsese
73. Nowhere in Africa (Germany, ’01) – Caroline Link
74. Mystic River (US, ’03) – Clint Eastwood
75. Children of Men (US, ’06) – Alfonso Cuaron
76. The Darjeeling Limited (US, ’07) – Wes Anderson
77. The Man Who Wasn’t There (US, ’01) – Joel & Ethan Coen
78. Amelie (France, ’01) – Jean-Pierre Jeunet
79. Head-On (Turkey/Germany, ’04) – Fatih Akin
80. Movern Callar (UK-Scotland, ’02) – Lynne Ramsay
81. Flight of the Red Balloon (France, ’07) – Hou Hsiao-Hsien
82. Traffic (US, ’00) – Steven Soderberg
83. The Piano Teacher (Austria, ’01) – Michael Haneke
84. Downfall (Germany, ’04) – Oliver Herschbeigel
85. The Queen (UK, ’06) – Stephen Frears
86. A Serious Man (US, ’09) – Joel & Ethan Coen
87. Hero (China, ’02) –Zhang Yimou
88. The Bow (S. Korea, ’05) – Kim Ki-Duk
89. Johnny Gaddar (India, ’07) – Sriram Raghavan
90. Malena (Italy, ’00) – Guiseppe Tornatore
91. Persepolis (France, ’07) – Marjane Satrapi & Vencent Paronnaud
92. The Savages (US, ’07) – Tamara Jenkins
93. Katyn (Poland, ’07) – Andrzej Wajda
94. I Served the King of England (Czech Repub, ’07) – Jiri Menzel
95. L’Enfant (France/Belgium, ’05) – Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
96. There Will be Blood (US, ’08) – Paul Thomas Anderson
97. Police, Adjective (Romania, ’09) – Corneliu Porumboiu
98. Lust, Caution (Hong Kong, ’07) – Ang Lee
99. Raincoat (India, ’04) – Rituparno Ghosh
100. The Wrestler (US, ’08) – Darren Aronofsky
Disclaimer: If a movie you feel should have been there in the Top 100 isn’t there, it means either I haven’t watched it (e.g. Russian Ark, Three Times, Tropical Malady, etc.) or it failed to make my Top 100 (e.g. Kings & Queen, Gosford Park, 3-Iron, etc.).
Link to original post at Cinemascope
Posted by Shubhajit at 11:11 PM 21 comments Links to this post
Labels: Film Appreciation
Shutter
It’s obvious that the person who crafted this list is one who spends an ungodly amount of time watching movies. So many different types and ethnic diversity. There are many I also rate highly.
Thanks Frank. I just try for the best I can, and let my appreciation for the medium do the rest.
Great list Shub!! There Will Be Blood should be higher in my estimation. Will try to seek out some of the Indian films I have not seen.
Thanks Maurizo. As for There Will Be Blood, I’m sure I’m in the minority there. Not that I disliked it though. After all it did make my Top 100, whatever be its significance though.
Numerical placement is always tough to manage. I would have liked Children of Men higher too, but there’s ao many.
Yeah, on a different day, the numerical placements might have varied, though not by very much I feel. The interesting thing would be to see how the numerical placements hold up for me a few years from now.
The Proposition at Number 16? Interesting. And I have long recommended The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, which makes few of these lists.
Well Frederick, all I can say to that is I loved Proposition’s savage beauty.
Relooking over this film, I will see some of these I haven’t (I haven’t seen the film at the 2 spot!). But also I must second the inclusion of ‘The Death of Mr. Lazarescu’ it’s really a fantastic underrated film.
The film that I’ve placed at the 2nd spot, Utsab (The Festival), is a dark, moody, and quite devastatingly brilliant character study, where a host of family members meet at their ancestral home during the happy & celebratory times of Durga Puja (the most awaited festival & event in Bengal, akin to Christmas you might say), only for a host of family skeletons to get revealed in the process.
Generally fine list, though I can’t agree with allowing Ashes of Time Redux in there, or else we could have Apocalypse Now Redux (first seen 2001), Amadeus (director’s cut) (first seen 2001), Blade Runner (Final Cut) (first seen 2007) and quite a few others. I think a film, no matter how much it may differ, should belong to the decade it was first seen.
But in general, better than 95% of the ballots we have had here, Shuba.
Oh, and needless to say nice to see some films getting some love, but not to talk about individual films in case…as River Song is keen on saying…SPOILERS!
Thanks a lot Allan. Being conferred with a roughly 95 percentile rank by someone as exacting as you & given WiTD’s reader base is a huge bonus for me
You’ve a point there as regards my including Ashes of Time Redux in my list. I do back its inclusion though. And anyway it is structurally quite different vis-a-vis the original edition, as I see it. Apocalypse Now Redux however, from what I’ve heard cos I haven’t seen the Redux version, just had a few extra scenes & should have qualified rather as director’s cut. And I feel it might not be apt to club redux & director’s cut together as they are two different things altogether.
Hmm, but Redux is just a word after all. And from what I saw of AOT and AN, the latter was the greater affected film by far. AOT was a tinkering job, AN was a full unfurlment of a canvas.
Finally some love for “The History of Violence” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”. It is one of the best top 100′s I’ve seen anywhere.
Ironically, they’re two films I didn’ty massively care for. Good but not as exceptional as many made out. I actually preferred Eastern Promises to AHOV and Spider to both.
When I get around to my list I’ll rate ‘Eastern Promises’ high, love that film.
I still don’t get why anyone likes ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, though I can’t fault this list, it’s impressive (and you’ve included ‘Downfall’ and ‘The Piano Teacher’ two films I love quite a bit). Shubhajit kudos to you.
After seeing this I am again curious the ‘The Fall’ didn’t place it seems like a film you’d like.
Allan I’m quite surprised that you don’t rate the 2 films as highly as I feel they ought to be rated. Anyway, comparisons aside, History of Violence, Spider & Eastern Promises are all terrific films, and are testimony to how great a decade David Cronenberg had.
Jamie, you make me sad. To rephrase your words, I still don’t get how anyone can dislike Pan’s Labyrinth. It isn’t just a feast for the eyes, it punctures the heart in the process. Thanks a lot for the good words though. Unfortunately I haven’t seen The Fall, though I know I ought to cos I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.
Thanks a lot Jamie. Great to hear that you too are on the same page with me as regards to The History of Violence, & The Diving Bell & the Butterfly.
Sorry for the faux pas, that was meant for Joe.
Shubhajit,
great list. one that I will keep handy as there are many films I have yet to see. Like seeing The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, A History of Viiolence and some others well placed.
Thanks John. Though I’m sure you’re being modest, I would nonetheless like to hear from you once you see a few of the movies that you might not have seen yet. Great to have some more support regarding placing those 2 films high in my list. Hear ye Allan!
I am not at all in agreement with Allan on these two films, both of which very high in my own affections. It took a second viewing of DIVING BELL to turn the trick for me.
As I stated at Cinemascope when this list first debuted a few days ago, Shaubhajit’s Top 100 showcases great taste and a wide range. I don’t profess to like every single choice, and there are some instances where I felt some films were too low and others too high, but that’s the beauty of a personalized list. There are many I do rate as highly as Shubhajit, this this particular listing -as even Allan noted- is quite special.
Thanks Sam for the kind words. And thanks a lot for featuring my list here at WiTD. Really appreciate that. I firmly believe in the fact that lists say a lot about the person who’s made it. I just hope there isn’t a Freud among your readers to take advantage of that fact
The most interesting part of making a list really lies in the debate that inevitably follows – not just with others, but also with one’s own self.
That’s quite a list and diverse to boot.
I’m not certain, having looked in here from time to time, that I’d ever quibble about where anyone rates their top films.
I certainly appreciate that anyone can compile such a list in the first place.
Nicely done and see quite a few I’ve heard of, but have never seen.
Cheers!
Thanks a lot. I used to love making lists (from everything ranging from films to football) when I was younger. So I thought of giving this particular exercise another try, and I’m really happy that I did give it a try.
Always a wonderful and eloquent response Michael.
Way to go Shubhajit: “more appropriately, the 100 best of what I have had the utmost pleasure of seeing till now and being immensely enriched by”.
As to whose list is the best, I suggest we keep our own counsel. Does Allan keep stats: 95%?
Thanks Tony. I loved that part of Allan’s counsel though… for obvious reasons of course
Well, of course, gentlemen, we haven’t had 100 entries for the poll yet. I would have put the best yet, but I have the advantage of you both, I know my own list up to 1. ;-(
As Noël Coward told Rex Harrison after seeing Blithe Spirit, “after me, you’re the best light comedian in the world.”
Now that’s quintessential Allan response.
Yes, “like being flogged with a warm lettuce”.
Saucer of milk to Mr d’Ambra
No, better still, to paraphrase Groucho again, give him the cow and let him pour his own.
Btw, Coward’s actual words to Harrison were: “If you weren’t the the best light comedian in the country, all you’d be fit for would be the selling of cars in Great Portland Street.” Do you take trade-ins Allan?
Actually, he said both at different times, Tony.
As for seling cars, I’m too blunt, you need dishonesty in that trade.
I’m very happy to see “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, which has a good chance at making my top position. The lineup shows that Mr. Lahiri’s taste can’t really be pigeon-holed, which is a very good thing.
Thanks a lot Bobby for saying that. I do try and ensure that I don’t get pigeon-holed in anything I do, including watching films. And yes Eternal Sunchine… would be worthy of the honour if it does make the top position in your list.
(Attention to those who already read the above post; please re-visit, as links have been added, to Shubhajit’s reviews & to his blog and original post.)
Wow! Fantastic work Joel, I know Shubhajit will be pleased, but frankly it’s about time his work received some added expansion, as he’s as gifted, tasteful and prolific of any of the bloggers out there.
Thanks a lot Joel for taking the time & pains in adding the links to all the films as well as for cross-referencing the post to my blog. Really appreciate it.
Sam, you’re too kind as always. Thanks a lot for the good words. They sure have made my day!!!
Oh, no pains at all – I just cut-and-pasted your original post. I’ve been exploring your blog – so many great movies!
Thanks again!!!
I am leaving the house now for a late multiplex viewing of THE “A TEAM” movie.
Yeah, I know! Ha!
I’ll be back later tonight my friends.
let me know how that is… I’m sure it’ll be bad, but when I was 6-8 A-TEAM was my Pixar!! Murdoch’s humor still gets me.
Have a great time Sam. Don’t worry, I’m not being ironic
well I know why Sam ignored my emails yesterday, he was getting himself intoa coma before watching that piece of shit.
This is indeed a terrific list. I’ve only seen about half of these films. So glad to see Johnny Gaddar making the cut. A terrific film.
Thanks JAFB. Yeah, Johny Gaddar is a great film and deserves to get a lot more attention than it does. I’d loved your detailed take on this film.
Aside from a hearty “GREAT LIST OF FILMS!”, I’m thrilled to see several out there that I thought I was the only one who liked them. When the smoke clears, I think you and I will both be vindicated by thinking that MINORITY REPORT is not only a terrific Sci-Fi Thriller, but probably Spielberg’s best film of this decade (although I am tossed with AI). CAPOTE is a film few yell bravo for even though they like it a lot. Far from a mere reacreation of an incident of the past and an impersonation of a celebrity personaility, I think this one will be looked at as a classic in years to come. However, with all the good here, you should be horse-whipped for leveling my favorite film so low (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) in favor of PUNCH DRUNK LOVE by the same director. PUNCH is, admittedly, a great film, but nowhere in the leaque with BLOOD. SUBHAJIT, here’s to a fine list!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks a lot Denis. Great to know that you too rate Minority Report & Capote so highly. Nice to have some company there. And I agree, these 2 films will get considered as classics in the years to come. I know I’m going to get a lot of flak for my placement of TWBB, but I loved PDL more than it though it hasn’t been as canonised. Cheers!!!
Oh, and BTW, you should be commended for not being influenced by some of the negativity its received in a back-lash over the last year or so. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is a film that gets more interesting with every viewing….
I’m absolutely with you as regards NCFOM. It dramatically improves with each repeat viewing.
Good list man! We hold quite a number of directors in the same high regard, it seems. I will make a note, especially, of the Indian films that you rate here, as it is a rather large corner of world cinema that I have had little experience of.
It is interesting that you like “Revanche” so much. While it is quite consistent with other selections above, I never quite took to it. I will click through on your review of the film later on today though.
Thanks Longman Oz. I would like to know which of the directors you too hold in same high regard. And mentioned that Indian films are a relatively dark corner in terms of viewing experience, I would urge you to give them a try. I’m aware that Indian films have mostly come to be known in the West as primarily mainstream song-and-dance films, but I can assure you that not all are so.
Yes, I do regard Revanche very highly. I loved the film’s meditative tone and the sense of simmering violence that seems capable of erupting at any moment. You’re most welcome to visit my blog & read my review of it. And please feel free to let me know your opinions about it.
Of those directors to garner multiple nods on your part, I think that the Coens, Park, Haneke, Akin, von Trier, Almodóvar, del Toro, and the Dardennes would all enjoy similar prominence in any reckoning that I might do. This is not to decry other picks, mind, as I like at least 90% of your choices (omitting the 9 Indian selections due to my ignorance of them all… save for “Monsoon Wedding”, which I did see yonks ago and can only now vaguely recall).
Re Indian cinema, having only watched a half dozen or so of Satyajit Ray’s works and a handful of other films, I realise that I know next to nothing. It is definitely one of the regions of world cinema that I wish to delve into more in the reasonably near future. As such, I need to start reading your blog in a more systematic manner, given your expertise here and our shared like of so many other films!
I read your review of “Revanche” earlier. It is unquestionably a solid assessment of the film and I essentially agree with the points that you glean from the work. However, there were just too many coincidences needed in the plot for my liking, the swapping of the seediness of the opening act for the leafiness of the final one never quite sat right with me, and I saw the ending coming from a way off, which is always a big disappointment to me!
At the same time, the arbitrary nature of our lives, the problems caused by unforeseen consequences, the heavy burden that is guilt, and redemption through emotional connection with another are all worthy themes. Plus there were some good performances in there, for sure. However, I still feel that I have seen 10+ films this year already that I prefer to it (it was late arriving to these shores).
I also see that you rightly compare it elsewhere to the contemporaneous offering in “Katalin Varga”, a film that I prefer to “Revanche” because of its murkier atmosphere, the physical vulnerability of its female protagonist, the far lower degree of plot contrivance, and the bleaker ending.
And not to forget Kim Ki-Duk, Wes Anderson, Gotz Spielmann, Tarantino, Wong Kar-Wai & David Cronenberg. Of course barring Rituparno Ghosh who also has received multiple entries, because you haven’t gotten around to watching his movies yet. Some of Ghosh’s best films have a Bergman-esque feel about them, so do give him a try cos I’m sure you’ll like his works.
You’ve given a wonderful analysis of your reaction to Revanche vis-a-vis Katalin Varga. I did like the latter, but as you already know, it didn’t affect me as much as Revanche did. I absolutely love the movie’s pacing, the character buildup, the sense of violence simmering offscreen, the meditative tone, the thunderous performance by the lead actor, the depiction of stray effects & their causality, the hint at how life can be drastically altered by random occurrences, to name a few. And, unlike you, I loved the change of direction the movie had in the second half – from seedy and noirish to contemplative and brooding.
Do keep visiting my blog. I’d like to hear from you as and when you can.
…………a terrific list but sad to see no Artifical Intelligence, Spielberg……….
Thanks Frank. Spielberg got represented by his Minority Report & Munich.
Like I posted at Cinemascope, a wonderful, diverse list of films! I especially enjoy seeing so many great films from one of my favorite directors, Kim Ki-Duk, present here, like his masterpiece, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.. and Spring at 23. Your taste in film is pretty similar to mine, so I will look forward to being enriched by the many films on your list I yet haven’t seen.
There’s one film I’d like to ask about, Shubhajit. Terrence Malick’s New World, haven’t you watched it yet or didn’t you just like it?
Also pleased to see “Zodiac”, “Let The Right One In” and “The Royal Tenenbaums”, “In The Mood For Love” and “Punch Drunk Love” made your cut. I’m a bit surprised your prefer “The Bow” over “3-Iron” though! I simply loved everything about that film.
Thanks again Jani. You’re too kind really. There are so many movie that I’m yet to see, so this list essentially remains only as good as the movies I managed to watch. And it feels great to know about your enthusiasm for a number of movies that I loved. The tranquility in Bow endeared the movie to me, as did what you rightly called Kim Ki-Duk’s masterpiece – Spring, Summer…
I liked 3-Iron, which I’m sure my review will corroborate. It just failed to make the cut, though on another day, it might have made it to the Top 100. As for Malick’s New World, unfortunately I didn’t manage to getting around to see it, and I know it was a glaring hole when I finally sat to compose my list given the kind of adulation the movie has garnered.
Thanks again.