#1 Far From Heaven (Haynes) USA
by Sam Juliano
The Wonders in the Dark 2000 to 2009 decade film poll will commence in early April at the conclusion of the marathon silent film poll now underway, and readers will be asked to forward their own Top 25. Still, with many blogsites posting their ‘best of the decade’ lists this week, I wanted to make sure that this site published such a presentation, even if it’s my own list, and not Allan’s. (Allan of course will hav ehis capsule reviews up for his Top 100, when the 2000 poll officially commences. Until then, here is the presently official Top 50 films of the 2000s. I have also decided to omit commentary, as we’ll have quite a bit of that in April. Basically I have provided screen grabs and titles. The numerical listing is solely for drama, as there is only miniscule difference from number to number, if any. Hence my “Number 50” is nearly as ‘good’ as my “Number 1.” In fact I am really unconcerned about numerical placement at all, as several films here are actually too “low” and I realized it as I listed, even after deliberation (Eternal Sunshine, Werckmeister Harmonies, Jesse James all too low) But the point is that I will revise for the April polling. At this point this is a close enough approximation of my Big 50 of the 2000s. These are the 50 films that for me, have really raised the bar.
#2 Son Frere (Chereau) France
#3 The Fountain (Aronofsky) USA
#4 WALL-E (Stanton) USA
#5 The Return of the King (Jackson) NZ.
#6 Kings and Queen (Despletchin) France
#7 The New World (Malick) USA
#8 Dogville (Von Trier) Denmark
#9 Bright Star (Campion) Australia
#10 Tropical Malady (Weerasethakul) Taiwan
# 11 A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Spielberg)
#12 Talk To Her (Almodovar) Spain
#13 Atonement (Wright) UK
#14 Moolaade (Sembene) Senegal
#15 Elephant (Van Sant) USA
#16 Once (Carney) Ireland
#17 Avatar (Cameron) USA
#18 Assass. of Jesse James (Dominik) USA
#19 Dancer in the Dark (Von Trier) Denmark
#20 The Lives of Others (Von D.) Germany
#21 Brokeback Mountain (Lee) USA
#22 Chicago (Marshall) USA
#23 The Last Mistress (Breillat) France
#24 Downfall (Hershbiegel) Germany
#25 Children of Men (Cuaron) UK/USA
#26 Fateless (Koltai) Hungary
#27 Mulholland Drive (Lynch) USA
#28 35 Shots of Rum (Denis) France
#29 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry) USA
#30 Oui Mais (Lavendier) France
#31 Letters From Iwo Jima (Eastwood) Japan/USA
#32 The House of Mirth (Davies) UK
#33 Werckmeister Harmonies (Tarr) Hungary
#34 The Hours (Daldry) UK
#35 Nobody Knows (Kor-eda) Japan
#36 Cache (Haneke) France
#37 Sideways (Payne) USA
#38 Devils on the Doorstep (Wen; China)
#39 In the Mood For Love (Kar-Wei) Hong Kong
#40 Vera Drake (Leigh) UK
#41 Up (Doctor) USA
#42 Vendredi Soir (Denis) France
#43 Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Schnabel) France
#44 Inland Empire (Lynch) USA
#45 4 Weeks, 3 Months and 2 Days (Mungiu) Romania
#46 Synecdoche, New York (Kaufman) USA
#47 Dreamgirls (Condon) USA
#48 10 (Kiarostami) Iran
#49 Spirited Away (Miyazaki) Japan
#50 No Country For Old Men (Coens) USA
WHOA! Was not expecting this so soon…the only one I would question your sanity on is Dreamgirls…but otherwise…
Bravo! I like the presentation…title and screenshot…that should say it all, right?
Absolutely, but Sam likes to put a piece of shit in there to balance things. With Chicago he added if not a piece of shit then a piece dazzling in its mediocrity.
Being that DREAMGIRLS received excellent reviews down the life, I could care less what YOU say on it. We’ve been here before and it ain’t pretty. I included the film because I genuinely love it, case closed. This is MY list, not yours.
yes, we’ve argued, many times, you old fool. But you put that up it’s a declaration of war. You put it up, you expect a backlash.
Well, that’s fair enough. Hey, how old do you think I am? Ha!
David, I figured I would throw my hat in the ring while the issue was hot, knowing full well that Wonders will be covering this more exhaustively in a few months. Not to say anything seemed wrong. And after summarizing my 2009 list comprehensively I figured the titles and caps would indeed “say it all.” LOL. Allan has been on my case over DREAMGIRLS for years, but I do really believe it’s a classy and stylish musical film, and have doggedly defended it. I know it has its share of detractors too, and that’s fair enough. Thanks for the (always) enthusiastic response!
Fantastic stuff here, Sam. I’m excited for this as it will likely be the poll that garners the most diverse ballots yet — the canon of the aughts isn’t as set in stone yet. As for myself, I apparently spent the early 2000’s watching The Wire and The Sopranos instead of watching movies, because I missed out on a lot of the ones you mentioned. Oh well, plenty of time to catch up still.
Thanks very much Troy, yes you do have several months to play some catch up, even though I know you have made up ground in a big way over the past weeks and months. I can’t say I blame you for going the television route, either, as the early 2000s really excelled in that department, as you note there. The 2000s poll will probably be the most popular one yet.
Great to see this, and to find out what your preferences are. Kind of surprised to see Mulholland Dr. so low – it would certainly be #1 on my list and while there’s still a lot for me to see, I doubt anything could knock it from its perch. I didn’t know you were such a big fan of Tropical Malady – that’s actually the next film I’m going to watch for the Examiner series when it resumes (though, oddly enough, it won’t be the next film I review).
Interesting also that In the Mood for Love, the other top 2 film on that They Shoot Pictures List is relatively low.
The pictures are almost all great. However – and much as I love to criticize the cartoonishness of Peter Jackson’s CGI – I’m pretty sure that image actually IS from the video game!
Yes, it is, MM, hence I have changed it and a couple of others that were from the wrong films…LOL
That’s it, keep it up. I spent over three hours preparing this.
Fod God’s sake, you just picked wrong pictures, a harmless error.
I was falling asleep while doing that post late last night! You are lucky I didn’t post a picture from JURASSIC PARK for the AVATAR cap!!! LOL!!
You should have that as a feature SPOT THE DELIBERATE SAM MISTAKE.
Thanks so much Joel! Well, I’ll admit that I wasn’t really monitoring numerical placement that constrictively, and it’s true that most people do have both MULHOLLAND DRIVE and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE far higher. But I see it as a list of 50 films, where #50 is nearly as great as #1. That’s the kind of riches we’ve had in this decade. When I submit my official ballot in April for Allan’s 2000 countdown it’s conceivable at that time I may deem it necessary to raise the placement on both those films. I’m not sure.
All these kind endeavors are always “that’s what I think today.”
I must say you’ve excited me with the news you will be doing TROPICAL MALADY!!!!
As always, an original and diverse list featuring a film deserving of the top spot (though, while knowing I’ll be in the minority saying this, I thought I’m Not There was Todd Haynes best film of the decade). I have to applaud the inclusion of Gus Van Sant’s Elephant, a film I think to be one of the many misunderstood masterpieces of the decade from a director who’s probably taken more risks than any other director this decade. Van Sant ended the 90s with as a big name in Hollywood with an academy award nomination to boot, so it was refreshing to see him throw it all away to re-enter the American independent scene with, what i thought, was a streak of great art house films (from Elephant to Last Days and to my personal favorite, Paranoid Park). Kudos also for the inclusion of Synecdoche, New York; A film I suspect will be re-evaluated years from now as a masterpiece from the many critics who wrote it off as Charlie Kaufman’s weakest effort. I was, however, shocked to see a shortage of films from 2007, a watershed year for American films that included Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic masterpiece There Will Be Blood, The Coen Brother’s dark masterpiece No Country for Old Men, and my personal favorite, David Fincher’s greatest film, Zodiac. I was also surprised to see David Lynch’s Muholland Dr., the film that is been selected by most as the best film of the decade, be placed anywhere below the ten spot (or five for that matter). but it is your list and it’s a fine one. I can’t wait till the official countdown begins and the polls open.
And as always, Anu, your exceedingly kindness, enthusiasm and support, which I do greatly appreciate.
I am definitely in the extreme minority with THERE WILL BE BLOOD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, two films I definitely do like, but not quite as much as everyone else does, and I’ve seen both anumber of time in theatres to see if I had any real or lingering issues. It all comes down to my liking 50 other films more, but there’s no question that in the eyes of serious an ddiscerning film buffs and critics (like yourself) they are both masterpieces. Dennis was speaking to me on the phone the other night telling me over and over that Anderson’s film was the #1 film of the decade. I applaud the enthusiasm. Yes, the Kaufman has really grown on me, and nihilist or not it’s still an important work, as is ZODIAC, which you note.
BLUE VELVET is my favorite Lynch of them all, and I always find MULHOLLAND DRIVE cryptic and emotionally distancing, but it’s a crazy masterpiece for sure.
Thrilled we are on the same page with ELEPHANT, which I consider Van Sant’s greatest film, and with the magnificent Mr. Haynes. I also like I’M NOT THERE quite a bit, but obviously not nearly as much as my #1.
Yes, anu, there are several major ommittances, but you must remember that Sam is keen on emotional impact and some of them are rather intellectual exercises that were rather cold.
Well, this kind of list will always (as it rightfully should) weigh heavily on what one truly loves and admires. I believe for the most part it’s genre-diverse, as I hoped it would be.
If you hadn’t come out with such a list, we’d have said you#d been abducted by someone else.
I think Sam included many “intellectual” films in his list, Mr. Fish. I see few “omissions”.
Great that Sam has put this forward so early and some bold choices chosen with his somewhat adorable stubbornness, with me waiting till Easter time, though I can say that my list will be VERY different. Around 20 of Sam’s 50 make my own 50, and none of my top 3 of the decade are in his 50. Whet the appetite why don’t I?
I start my countdown around Easter.
Yes, and your countdown there will be followed by many eyes I assure you.
My countdowns always turn eyes…and the occasional stomach.
Great list, Sam – there are a lot of these I haven’t seen, but, out of those I have, I’m delighted to see a strong showing for period drama with Bright Star, Atonement, Far from Heaven and The House of Mirth, all great films – I also like Eternal Sunshine and Children of Men.
Oh, it’s an excellent list overall, Judy, and I’m glad it’s so very different to my own. Even if I may josh him at Dreamgirls being rated above Kiarostami, which to me is like placing Borat ahead of Trouble in Paradise.
Thanks so much Judy! Period drama is admittedly a favored area for me, so the best of this form was sure to make this list as you note with those adored titles. I’m sure we can get you to see some here that you have missed over the coming months.
Hmmm. What an interesting list. Have seen c. 90% of it and will track down the handful that I have not. Like the presence of films such as Chicago and Dreamgirls, even if they would sit outside my own top 250! No genuinely personal list can ever exist without a few “guilty pleasures” thrown in! 🙂
My other immediate impression is that the list is biased towards the first half of the decade. May be wrong in that, as it is so easy to think that something came out earlier than it really did. However, if I am right, do you think that it reflects how cinema has evolved over the decade?
Longman, you have aterrific blog over there! Just checked it out, and I will be adding it to our blogroll today. You have exquisite taste in foreign cinema, which brings some essential reading into the mix! I see you even reviewed one of my ten best of 2009, the magnificent EVERLASTING MOMENTS by Jan Troell.
Cinema may have evolved, but I just checked out my inclusions and while it is slightly tilted towards the early years, I think there is fair representation throughout for the most part. Still, I think 2002 was the best year of the decade. Yes, I agree that quality guilty pleasures deserve inclusion, and I will defend both CHICAGO and DREAMGIRLS as excellent contemporary musicals. That Oscar win for CHICAGO of course brought on some major league backlash.
Thanks so much for stopping over, and affording those penetrating insights. I’ll surely be over by you soon enough!
Thank you Sam. Being Irish though, 99% of what I see is foreign, but I know what you mean! Shall also return the blogroll compliment tonight!
Yeah, Everlasting Moments was one of those films that I regret not recording my thoughts on it straight after I saw it in the cinema. At that stage, I was thinking of it as one of the best that I had seen in 2009. Watching it again on DVD prior to writing the review that you refer to and the same degree of magic was no longer there. I guess that this is always the problem with visually gorgeous films – they crave the big screen!
Do drop by whenever it suits you to. Hope to do the same here on a regular basis, now that I have gotten off the mark.
Another interesting group of choices.
We tried watching New World for 5-10 minutes and had to turn it off.
Order isn’t a big deal to me, but what do I know. It’s all relative anyway.
I see a few Foreign films I need to look out for, that I had never heard about.
Thanks and interesting choices.
Cheers!
Thanks again Coffee Messiah for your support and encouragement! It’s funny what you say about Malick’s THE NEW WORLD, and Allan can corroborate this, but I felt exactly the SAME way when I first saw the film. It was difficult to process that muted ruminative quality, but after a second and third viewing I was sold.
Yes, exactly on numerical order. When you are talking thislevel of great, there is little difference between #6 and #46. It’s just what mood I’m in at the moment I compile the list, even though a few would always stay where they are.
Have a great day my friend.
No corroboration necessary, but I also felt the same way watching the original cut.
Hi! Sam Juliano,
I have to say that I’am on the same page with you when it comes to your No#4 and No#44 choice(s.)
By the way, Sam Juliano, Thanks, for all the “goodies” in that package that you send to me…now it’s my turn to deliver the packages too!…because I’am starting to read author Eric’s (Beetner)
book and so far, I have covered chapters 1,2,3, and 4…Therefore,
I plan to ship your packages out tomorrow.
C.M., I do have to ask you a question…before I ship you your package.
Once again, great list Sam Juliano!
Thanks,
DeeDee 😉
Ah Dee Dee my wonderful friend, I know you are a big fan of both WALL-E and THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, and I can’t say I blame you. These are emotionally overwhelming film, with extraordinary style. I’d like to say more at some point about the latter, which I never reviewed. Thanks very much for Eric Beetner’s book, I assure you it will be a VERY exciting arrival.
Thanks a million times over.
Wow, such a varied list. have to catch up with many of those and with other big names taht emerged in the noughts. Werckmeister would make my top 10 any day though.
Thanks so much JAFB! I agree that WERCKMEISTER should b ehigher, and I may remedy that oversight the next time around! I do know you revere a mumber of these film, especilly the ones from the far east.
Great list Sam, and thanks to you I will be watching “Downfall” hopefully this weekend, if not, soon after. My only question is “Dreamgirls and no “There Will be Blood”?
John, thank you! I can’t wait for your response to DOWNFALL!!!
I’ll wager even money you’ll be penning an enthusiastic review!!! Can’t wait.
I agree, a very interesting list. I haven’t yet made one for the entire decade (I guess I’ll save that for the poll here). But as I’ve said at my place, there is no longer any doubt in my mind that Malick’s The New World is the best movie I’ve seen this decade. Mulholland Dr. and The Assassination of Jesse James come close for me, but I rank The New World among my all-time favorites of any era. So I’m glad to see it with a high placement here.
Indeed Dave. I am with you lock, stock and barrel on THE NEW WORLD and understand the deep and abiding love. And of course JESSE JAMES is a revisionist western par excellence, and a given for any 2000’s shortlist. The Lynch of course as I noted abouve is unquestionably a masterpiece.
Thanks as always for being here, my very good friend!
Fine list here as always Sam! I was wondering about the poll for this decade.
After the silent poll. Around Easter time.
A fine list there, Sam! I really liked your inclusion of FAR FROM HEAVEN and THE FOUNTAIN – two wonderful films to be sure! I also liked that you included ONCE, another gem of a film.
I applaud your inclusion of DREAMGIRLS. Don’t let the haters get you down, my friend! ; ) While it didn’t make the cut for my list I really enjoyed this film as well. Eddie Murphy (surprisingly) stole the show!
Thanks very much J.D. And for those at Wonders who would like to see a great Top 25 list of the decade, head over to our Canadian friend’s ‘Radiator Heaven’ blogsite pronto:
http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-25-favorite-films-of-decade.html
And thanks for the support on DREAMGIRLS, which at some point I’d like to review here to spell out my case.
Terrific to know what you think of FAR FROM HEAVEN and THE FOUNTAIN too!
I’ll stand behind Dreamgirls too. I found it a kinetic, full-bodied musical film with style to spare. And I say that in the best sense. Musical films are always reviled by those who generally never warm up to the form, regardless of quality. Nine got roasted. Chicago on the other hand is a musical masterwork.
I can’t say you’ve surprised me all that much, and you’ve now tempted me to start my own countdown. Without any reviews of course.
I knew I could rely on you for that Frank! We’ve had our share of fruitful discussions on it, that’s for sure.
CHICAGO is a musical masterpiece, and that’s all there is to it.
Would that were so. If only Bob Fosse didn’t set his sights on early perdition, he might have lived to do it properly.
You know what’s funny…I loathe musicals in general…but I really enjoyed CHICAGO. It was easily in my top ten (maybe even five) from that year. Probably the only other musical I enjoyed was Carol Reed’s OLIVER! DREAMGIRLS, on the other hand, I found excruciating. But I agree…the musical is a love-it-or-leave it genre by definition.
It’s a list for the ages. I’d say two-thirds of the choices would make my own, and I need to see about 12 or 15. You have great taste.
Right back at ya David! I can’t wait to see your final list! Let me know what films you are having a difficult time locating.
I love the inclusion of Jesse James. That film has stuck with me since I saw it a couple years ago. Casey Affleck is astounding.
Personally I’m surprised by the placing of Atonement – a film I didn’t really care for (I really felt distant from the main characters… when it came for their ultimate demise, I didn’t really feel much of anything). I also would have swapped Vera Drake for Happy-Go-Lucky.
Great to have you hear David, my master of the ‘Guess the Pic’ feature we have lamentably abandoned.
JESSE JAMES probably deserves to b ehigher up too, if we can’t take numerical placement seriously.
ATONEMENT generally received excellent reviews and it moved me deeply enough to place #1 on my 2007 year-end list, but I know there are some that share your issues with it, which I respect. Two scenes in the film really blew me away: the stedy-can of the Normandy beach with Dario Marianelli’s rapturous score as the emotional underpinning, and that master-class bit of acting from Vanessa redgrave at the very end.
I love HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, but still feel VERA DRAKE having the more lasting resonance. But Leigh is great, and I love just about all his stuff, as I’m sure you do.
Thanks so much!
What about Crash?
Steve
This is best of the decade, not worst.
LOL!!!! Indeed, Steve, Allan is right!
Sam, it’s a kind of shaming experience to see a list like this and recognize so many that I haven’t seen. As it is, there’s only one that I’d warn off any best list (#23), and there are quite a few instances where I feel your inclusion vindicates my own enthusiasm. Devils on the Doorstep, for instance, is one of the sleepers of the decade and will be in my Top 25. I regret that the American class of 2007 isn’t better represented here and that Jafar Panahi didn’t make your cut — but that’s why I get to make my own list later. This is still a pretty impressive selection.
Thanks Samuel! Well, I’ll admit I do regreat not having a single Panahi film in this group, though a few would place right under the 50. You are perhaps the only person aside from Allan who is familiar with DEVILS ON THE DOORSTEP, so I hope others will give it a crack. In any case, for some reason I skipped two numbers on the original post, meaning I had only 48 films, so I added 49 and 50, and one of those is one of 2007’s most celebrated works!
Excellent bonus choices both, Sam. With Devils I just lucked out that my local treasure trove, the Albany Public Library, happened to acquire it. That place always screws up my schedule, because I’ll want to watch something from my own collection and then I’ll see something on the new arrivals shelf (e.g., Lorna’s Silence today) and there go my plans. But you definitely can’t beat the price for the selection.
I get special pleasure out of this film list, Sam, as we have very similar tastes in genres and specific films. I will stand for “Atonement,” “Chicago” “The Return of teh King,” “The Fountain” and “Dogville,” and even “Dreamgirls.
That said, I MUST see “Tropical Malady,” “Son Frere,” “Moolaade” and a film I quite frankly never heard of, “Oui Mais.” Did somebody tell you about this film, as I don’t think it ever ran in theatres around here? “Devils on the Doorstep” doesn’t ring a bell either.
Your top choice is heavenly. Sue and I are long-time fans.
Peter, it was Allan who turned me on to OUI MAIS, as it was never shown in US theatres, as you well note. In fact its th eonly film on my list that has no theatrical roots, at least here. Yes, we have similar taste, and I’m grateful for that!
The picks I find most interesting:
“Dreamgirls”: If I had to choose a movie from your list that I should’ve included on mine, this would be it. An energetically directed, designed and performed adaptation of a superb Broadway musical that focuses squarely on one of the most definitively American genres of music from a whole host of perspectives. Whether you see this as the story of R&B through the prism of racial identity, historical chronicling or operatic fiction, the work here by Condon & Company is really something special. My only gripe is that you placed it below “Chicago”, of all things.
“Synedoche, New York”: This is one that I saw in the theaters, and while I was impressed by it, I can’t say I enjoyed it too much. Kaufman delivered perhaps his most layered, challenging script yet, but unfortunately he just wasn’t up to the task of fashioning it into a fully coherent or engaging film himself. The performances are all more or less fine, but the pacing feels scattershot even when nothing is happening besides absurdist wordplay. Probably the main culprit here is Kaufman’s lackluster visual style, which puts a lot of possibly interesting stuff onscreen but never finds a way to frame the action or move his camera in ways that makes good on that potential. Probably the best way to sum up my experience is to say that when I decided to watch it a second time recently on cable, I was surprised that the movie was filmed in 2:35.1. When you can’t remember a movie’s aspect ratio, you might as well put pennies on its eyes.
“Sideways”: One I forgot about entirely. I don’t regret not putting it on my list, but I do regret not considering it, because it really was one of the better comedies of the decade, one with a lighter touch than even some of the more critically acclaimed amusements nowadays (thanks for lobotomizing the adult-comedy market for the decade, Judd Apatow). Giamatti is both funny and moving in equal turns, and Alexander Payne for once manages to make a film that doesn’t see fit to misanthropically look down on all its characters (call it the Coen Bros. syndrome). Again, not really an essential film, but a really nice diversion.
“Downfall”: Maybe this is one I should’ve considered a bit more too, but I’d gotten tired of the whole “Hitler’s Last Days in the Bunker” genre by the time this was out. Also, my life as a game designer has managed to get in the way of my appreciation of this film thanks to the way that it’s become something of an internet meme, with countless users on YouTube posting scenes of Adolf exploding into tyranical rants with new subtitles. Who knew that Hitler was so upset about losing his XBox Live account, or that he was disappointed by the teaser footage from “Avatar”? Kids these days, I tell ya.
“A.I.”: Oh, if only Kubrick had lived to see this one to completion himself. I don’t like most of Spielberg’s output from the decade, but for the most part I don’t have quite as many problems with this film as it would seem. Perhaps the best thing I can say is that it’s uneven– the first half is boring and obvious; the next quarter is occasionally interesting thanks to Jude Law and Brendan Gleeson, but rips off countless better sci-fi films in the meantime; and the last act is maybe the best thing that Spielberg has ever done (my only complaint here is that he never makes it clear that the Giacometti looking things are SuperMechas, the next stage in robotic evolution, and not just another close encounter of the umpteenth kind).
I could point out the films I find completely absurd, of course, but I’ll keep those to myself for now. I will say that a fair bit of this list is stuff I should revisit, as a few of these are films I didn’t see in the theater, but have always figured I ought to. Food for viewing thought…
I see eye to eye with a lot of your comments here, though I have to admit I’m no longer very good at remembering a film’s aspect ratio, if I ever was. Agree 100% on Synecdoche – one of Kaufman’s most compelling scripts but when stacked up against the work of Gondry & Jonze you can really see what an imaginative filmmaker can bring to the work. As you say, the direction of actors is fine, but otherwise Kaufman’s directorial work is only serviceable. I haven’t seen Dreamgirls, but I agree with you on Sideways, maybe not one of the best films of the decade but a thoroughly enjoyable picture. And I too relish the way that Payne, for once, betrays a genuine humanism behind his misanthropy (I find Election, while clever and well-made, essentially an airless film, it’s so smug). It’s the kind of movie I might not call a masterpiece, yet I’d be more likely to buy it than something I might place higher (but then I think I tend to underrate comedy in general).
Thanks very much for the comprehensive appraisals Bob, and particularly for the support on DREAMGIRLS, which I know will have Allan scratching his head! But it does appear there are numerous people on this thread who seem to appreciate that film. And A.I. is admittedly the one Spielberg film from this period that is hard to shake. It’s about motherhood and eternal life, and often it’s cinematic poetry. Interesting what you say there about the Kaufman film, and the aspect ratio, though with that one, it’s his philosophy that I found fascinating, rather than what he did or didn’t show on screen. And good to see you still have reasonable positive feelings for DOWNFALL and SIDEWAYS.
Perhaps the reason you don’t rate Payne’s films any higher is because you misjudge him as a misanthrope. I see him more as someone who can actually discover little bits of joy in characters who are otherwise struggling to come to terms with some personal tragedy or inner demon. It’s a lot more truthful of the human condition than a generalised contempt for it. Sideways is the best example of his work – lacking sentiment but humane, with some beautiful metaphors concerning the fragility of life and what it means to be happy and find meaning. It is the best film of the decade for my money.
Thanks for the response Dan, but you have me completely read wrong. I absolutely ADORE Payne, and have gone to the mat many times for SIDEWAYS, a film that seems to have fallen out of favor with some, since the initial critical windfall. I hear what you are saying there about the humanity, and that’s precisely what attracts him to me on an emotional level. When complining a Top 50 of the decade, I would ignore the numerical placement, as it could change any day when you are dealing with such great stuff. I love ELECTION too, and am a fan of ABOUT SCHMIDT.
SIDEWAYS is a masterpiece.
WOw! I was not expecting this today when I checked out the site. Seeing a lot of these names on this list makes me recall some out heated battles with fondness. One question-where is “There Will be Blood,” I was watching that again the other day and was convinced it has to be one of the 5 best, if not the best movies of the decade. And it’s been omitted here for the likes of Dreamgirls, and Chicago? I also am rather shocked to see Elephant so high, and then Paranoid Park nowhere to be found. While I acknowledge the ingeniousness of Elephant, he picked up right where he left off on that one with Paranoid Park, and embellished what was great about not only Elephant, but his entire body of work, and strung it all together near-perfectly with Paranoid Park. I am so glad to see AI on this list though! The arguments we had over that one!
Hey Jason! Well, I also like PARANOID PARK quite a bit, but for me it doesn’t approach ELEPHANT, which I still see as Van Sant’s greatest film, one that reaches metaphysical heights, which maintaining astonishing command of its quietly effective narrative. I see ELEPHANT as the work that defines this director’s artistic essence, while PP is a bit more experimental, and not as wholly sucessful.
Yep, at one time you hated A.I., but you have “seen the light” now. Ha! I can’t take you task for THERE WILL BE BLOOD, especially since I do like the film, just like some others more.
Count me among those who has always found There Will Be Blood extremely overestimated. It’s melodrama is goofy. And while I like Paranoid Park, it doesn’t come near Elephant. I like Dreamgirls more than Chicago, and I feel both deserve presence here over There Will Be Blood.
I’m just saying….
John R.,
I found There Will Be Blood intriguing, but also quite messy. Maybe I just didn’t “get” it but it seemed like Anderson’s story, while not lacking in intensity, didn’t quite add up.
I don’t understand why some here are dumping on ‘Chicago’ which is a first-rate musical with dazzling performances and one of the great scores by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Just because it won ‘best picture’ it now attracts serious criticism. It’s an electric piece that captures more than just the spirit of the Broadway show. I think I’d even rate the film above the show. I don’t remember Sam, if you had seen it. I think ‘men’ are largely the negative ring leaders, though I also know some who love it. The only musical of the last 40 years I’d put over it is ‘Cabaret,’ which was created by the same people.
It’s because we remember Cabaret that we bemoan Chicago being a pale cadaverous version of the same. Hell, even Roxie Hart from 1942 is better, and that was far from perfect.
Actually, I mourn the loss of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN far more than I do THERE WILL BE BLOOD. The latter is incredibly pretentious, and includes the most ridiculous final scene I’ve ever seen. Day-Lewis is way over the top too. I liked the music more than anything else to be truthful.
Great to see Wall-e, The World and Far From from Heaven held in such high regard. Such a great list.
Well Frederick, neither YOU, nor Allan, nor a single WitD reader noticed that I had no No. 14 nor no No. 36 on my list!!!!
So I moved everything up, and added:
Spirited Away
No Country For Old Men
Thanks for the very kind words.
Good list, Sam. I know you didn’t spend much time worrying about the rankings, but there’s something kind of amusing about The New World and Dogville sitting side by side. One of them is so full of hope and creation, and the other, well …
(Also, I love seeing love for The Fountain, among others.)
Hey Jason! Thanks so much for stopping by!!!
Well, you have a great point there, with those two sitting side by side. And I didn’t plan it that way, I promise you! Ha!
You like THE FOUNTAIN too?
Now that’s terrific news, especially as I know you never give free passes, so to speak. I hav ebeen finding out more and more that THE FOUNTAIN seems to gaining in critical repuation. It’s most deserving.
Definately with you on a lot of these Schmulee. ETERNAL SUNSHINE still breaks my heart. TALK TO HER is the masterpiece of its year and, I dare say, shouldn’t be missing from any serious student of film’s list. I know of your passion for RETURN OF THE KING, I’m a fan of it as well, but I think you disservice the other two films (egually as good) by not lumping them all together as one. Professor Tolkien NEVER wanted the story to be split three ways, so I feel there is nothing wrong with counting all three as one film (just my opinion). I don’t know though about THERE WILL BE BLOOD. I just cannot get around that film. If there was one perfect film this decade, from any country, I feel that is the one. As for WALL-E, well I preferred THE INCREDIBLES, but hey, PIXAR has the best track record of any production company; WALL-E, RATATOUILLE, NEMO, UP. Any of their films would do…
Thanks Dennis.
There’s really no wrong way with the Tolkien films. Some lump them togetehr an dothers (like myself) see them as completely different films, as they released multiple years apart, and are different in scope. I admire you deep affection for THERE WILL BE BLOOD.
I’ll save my snow removal for tomorrow a.m. since we will get more.
Perhaps we’ll have to try New World one more time, since a few others thought it was worth seeing.
Always nice to see others enjoy Lynch. Way back when when Twin Peaks came out, it seemed all the “outsiders” enjoyed it, and others just couldn’t make heads or tales out of it.
Maybe that’s what I did with New World ; )
DD, answered your emails with 2 of my own.
See you in the snail mail SJ!
Ha C. M.! Snow is headed to these parts too, or at least some kind of a mix. But th etemperature is supposed to drop drastically, assuring us of some more arctic-weather days!! Brrrr……..
I would give THE NEW WORLD one more shot, C.M., as I learned myself that Malick in general is best appreciated after repeat viewings. It won’t of course work that way for everybody, but it is true that many have admitted as much.
I will speak to tonight by email C.M., Thanks again!
FREDERICK-Say what you want about THERE WILL BE BLOOD as a film, it draws as many detractors as admirers. Bur, to fault Daniel Day Lewis’s performance as OVER THE TOP is laughable. Nearly every critic in the States and abroad acknowledge thqat performance as the finewst of its year and as the best of the decade. Shit, funny thing is, Day Lewis not only gave the best performance of the decade with BLOOD, but gave the SECOND BEST with GANGS OF NEW YORK. Both by critics and actors alike, he is widely regarded the best actor working in film today!
Well Dennis, there’s no question Day-Lewis is one to issue unreserved praise for.
Interesting, Interesting, Interesting.
I must say I was delighted to be caught off guard by this, I’ve seen just about every film on this list. What’s interesting to me is certain choices by directors I like, take ‘Cache’ for example. I adore Hanake but wouldn’t choose this film, though it does seem to be his most appreciated work. But then for von Trier you throw conventional ‘mainstream’ thought aside and pick ones you seem to personally like. Then all these sit alongside much commercial fare (Pixar films for example). It makes for a schizophrenic list of varied taste(s) almost appearing to come from several different people. Is this a good thing? Who am I to judge! Fantastic job Sam, if anything it shows your lack of pretension (which should be applauded… I guess!).
Oh and I want to see THE FOUNTAIN again now. Saw it in the theaters and was really 50/50 on it. I remember being amazed by the scene with Weisz in the white overcoat, white hat and white scarf with the short hair underneath. Looked like an angel to this atheist’s eyes!
That’s a great image you pose there Jamie. She really does look like and angel there! THE FOUNTAIN is a perfect one to re-view!
LOL Jamie!!!! Yes, there is no rhyme or reason towards this kind of melting pot compilation, but a list without at least a smattering of commercial fare reeks of elitism, and one that has nothing put would come off as frivilous.
As it is I have 17 American films here, and 33 non-American films here. Half of the American ones are independent/art house, leaving only a handful that quality as ‘commercial fare.’ But Allan does have a point when he asserts that I generally gravitate towards films with strong emotional content, and this list makes such an interpretation sound. Thanks for the enthusiasm for this list’s surprise appearance and for the very kind words. I will be looking to see your own list in April.
Also per all the comments on THERE WILL BE BLOOD (I almost held back as there will be a later time and place to talk about it I am almost positive), I think it was one of the ten greatest films of the past decade. Everything that has been said here, ‘over the top’, ‘messy’, ‘over-acted’, ‘ridiculous final scene’, ect. is true. Most of the time these are the reasons why it’s so freakin’ fantastic. Was it Kael who said “great movies are almost never perfect movies” (now deduct 5 pts. from me for committing a foul I’ve laid out: quoting Kael), but here it works; it’s is messy but that is because it’s a singular artistic vision… I’ll take that any day over the hundreds-of-hands-polishing-a-film-over-the-course-of-a-few-years (AKA the assembly line method of filmmaking where nothing is challenged and everything is perfect) that is Pixar.
I wear my, albeit extremely elitist, ‘Have only seen one Pixar film in its entirety’ badge with great honor.
Jamie, I have a completely different take on Pixar, and feel both WALL-E and UP are exceedingly beautiful films. I agree that the studio strives for perfection, and for the most part they pretty much achieve it. There is still value and artistry in walking a straight path, and while I still like irreverence (FANTASTIC MR. FOX) this is still classy animation, th ebest out there. Again, this is only my opinion.
Yes, JAMIE, they might be polished and slick. Perfectionism is a mandate hovering over all the artists at PIXAR. However, they all contribute different feels and ideas for each film and the result is polished perfection created from many different outlooks toward the same story. Everyone at PIXAR voices ideas that may be used in tandem with an outline created by the writers. WHAT IF seems to be the motto the writers and artists at PIXAR live by. What if the Toys in your kids room really were alive? Would they have a society and community within the confines of that room? What if Superhero’s were asked to be normal people when their daring costs the city too much money to repair and would that be society smothering an individual from being an individual? There’s more than just pretty pictures and slick perfectionism to PIXAR. The rare mainstream film-makers that really are that creative.
Perfectionism is a mandate hovering over all the artists at PIXAR…
Precisely why I stay clear of them, art, to me isn’t about creating ‘perfection’ it’s about beauty, and honesty. Computer animated dogs made predominately for children to not offer me these things.
SAM-its not just about unreserved praise. Its about fact. Day-Lewis is that rare bird that doesn’t know how to give a bad performance even in a medicre film (THERE WILL BE BLOOD is FAR from a medicre film). His performance in BLOOD is a masterpiece of observation, bold creativity and channeling figures from the past (John Huston is an obvious inspiration among others that are not so obvious). The performance won raves from EVERYONE and, in a round table discussion with the five nominees for BEST ACTOR that year on CHARLIE ROSE, all the four others unanimously stated they stood NO CHANCE of winning when Day-Lewis is in the heat. George Clooney actually admitted it to being unfair that they even get sited in the same breath with his name. MY LEFT FOOT, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE BOXER, LAST OF THE MOHICANS, MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE and, most notably, GANGS OF NEW YORK. These are performances that defy competitors. Day-Lewis, like Sean Penn, is a gift to screen acting like Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.
As I say Dennis, I love Day-Lewis, but I love about a half-dozen other actors equally.
Congrats on the hard work, Sam. It’s tough to assess your overall choices, though, because I’ve seen only 23 of your top 50. As you might expect, I’m less up to snuff on the foreign fare.
Although you seem to be taking a few hits for Chicago, I’ll give you slack on that one. Dreamgirls, though, would not make my own list (though I remember what struck me most about you when I first met you was your passion for that film).
I find it just a bit offputting that your #1 film (Far From Heaven) would be a sort of ode to another filmmaker — as in derivative — though I myself probably exhibit a not dissimilar logic in valuing I’m Not There enough to put it somewhere on my imaginary list.
Films that would — or might — make my list include:
I’m Not There (genius — and hysterically amusing, as well)
There Will Be Blood (it talks big to me)
Babel (warts and all!)
Ratatouille (helluva lotta fun!)
Happy-Go-Lucky (a droll masterpiece)
la Vie en Rose (I love how it’s woven to heighten the depth of the story; elegantly done)
Am glad we share so many favorites in common, Sam. If I come up with more of my own, I’ll let you know.
Thanks Pierre!
I know a number of these choices would end up on your own list, as we have similar taste in many areas. The alternate list you include there includes many great films. I also love BABEL and it nearly made my 50 here. Of course the Haynes is a narratively undisciplined masterpiece, and I do love RATATOUILLE and think that HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is a very good alternative among Leigh’s films to VERA DRAKE, which I chose.
That’s a valid point you bring out about the derivative context of FFH, though we could apply this to so many others. Ironically, not a single Sirk film in my opinion is as great as FAR FROM HEAVEN, which is supreme irony. A few like WRITTEN ON THE WIND, do push close though.
Thanks for the back-up on CHICAGO,, a film i know you love and as far as DREAMGIRLS, I do know there is varying degrees of love and disdain there. I fully respect the naysayers and those even remotely indifferent.
Thanks as always my very good friend for this comprehensive response!
“I don’t want to have to face something I don’t understand”…. These are the bold words that summise and start NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. And I could never understand the back-lash this film has taken after it took four Oscars. Praised, almost unanimously upon its release, its a statement about the near lawlessness that still takes place in drug-cartel run Mexico and that period in the early ’80’s when the rules of the illegal drug trade changed virtually over-night. It forced the OLD MEN that made their bones on tradition to run for cover from SOMETHING THEY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. That the film also houses the Coen’s trademark twisted wit, perfected editing and colorful performances are all pluses. Also take into account that under the message of the film it is an expertly timed and executed thriller makes me wonder, again, why people have turned their backs. In my mind its the Coen’s BEST film after FARGO and equal to THE BIG LEBOWSKI in creativity and pure unadulterated cinematics. ON MY TOP TEN OF THE DECADE.
Very interesting. As to be expected, some choices I agree with and some I don’t. I am not shocked or appalled by any of them because I know different people see different things in films.
I wouldn’t have included the boring (Far from Heaven), pretentious and silly (The Fountain), over-sentimental (Wall E) soulless and unimaginative (Return of the King, Chicago) hatefully soppy (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and imaginatively bankrupt (Up).
Of your choices my top 50 would include The New World, A.I., Mulholland Drive, Spirited Away and possibly Avatar – but that’s it.
I would definitely add Crouching Tiger, Notre Musique, Three Times, Antichrist and A Tale of Two Sisters.
Stephen– I agree with you somewhat on ROTK and “Chicago”. They’re both well produced films, but owe far too heavily on the imaginations of others to really shine– Jackson obviously leans on Tolkien, but also guys like Lucas & Spielberg in his direction, and Marshall wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if it weren’t for Bob Fosse. I would add a guy like Zack Snyder to their midst, a guy who pretty much depends on creative visions that came before him (George Romero, Frank Miller, Alan Moore) without adding a whole lot to the mix (granted, I had “Watchmen” and “300” in my top 100, but pretty low, and mostly for cultural/anthropological reaons). Some directors can do pastiche in a creative manner that adds depth and sheds light on both their work and works that inspired it, but not everybody.
Oh, and I would add Revenge of the Sith too.
SAM-CALL ME ASAP. I HAVE A FEW ACADEMY SCREENERS TO GIVE YOU THAT WERE SENT TO ME…..
Indded. I will call you pronto.
I feel that reading someone’s compilation of his/her ‘Best of [something… anything]’ list could be one way of really getting to know a person. The fact that you’re, to put it mildly, an avid movie lover, with a truly eclectic taste is of course quite obvious. But what is really refreshing to know is that you watch cinema as much as an intellectual pursuit as perhaps to have unadulterated fun. Hence your incisive appraisal of the quality of films goes hand in hand with your honesty in going ahead with you favourites without really giving a damn what the purists might think.
Though I might not be in 100% agreement with you (c’mon, in something as subjective as this, how can anyone totally agree with anyone!), I can’t help but appreciate you terrific selections. And yes I agree, the worst part lies in placing the movies in the above order, principally because even a few days hence the list might not remain same anymore. But I’m sure it must have been a fun and engrossing exercise for you.
Geez, Shabhajit, you really know how to post profound comments, and this one is really a gem. Thanks so much! You really used word economy here – a great talent of yours – to express a person’s sensibilities in composing a list of his/her favorite films, or as an extension any assessment of art. And yes, you do learn a lot about the person by his/her taste. I make my bones. I prefer the metaphysical futuristic years, period romances and the lion’s share of foreign cinema. But there’s also no rhyme or reason to what I choose. The underlying vital component with me is my ’emotional’ reaction to the material.
Your flattering comments in the final paragraph have me floored. And it was a lot of fun, though nerve-wrecking to put this list together. Thanks You!
Ah, Sam, had I only known you were also posting screenshots sans commentary! Well it’s an outstanding list, really makes you want to celebrate everything that has come and gone in the last decade. I won’t read too far into the order as you’ve said it’s quite loose, but many of your top few I’m surprised to see Atonement and WALL-E as high as they are, though I know they were (if I remember correctly) your tops from 2007 and 2008, respectively. So that would make some sense.
Anyway, Moolade is a very inspired choice, and I’ll throw my hat in the positive side for Dreamgirls as well. The movie didn’t wow me on the first go but I listened to the soundtrack a lot and it grew in my esteem. The performances were great as well.
At the end of the day what this shows is your terrific taste in film and the variety of international films that you see. Really a tremendous selection that any future generation should look back on!
Well, that is quite the magnificent comment there Daniel, and most appreciated! Yes, ATONEMENT was my top film of 2007, and WALL-E my tops for 2008. You have quite a memory, and I’m exceedingly flattered. I remember well your own #1 film of last year, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
Great to hear what you say there about DREAMGIRLS, and of course MOOLAADE is one of the masterpieces of Africa’s greatest filmmaker ever.
Dan, thanks for all the kind words. Your own list at Getafilm is just as accomplished, and I look forward to your final word on the subject in several weeks.
I know we all have personal tastes and loves and hates towards certain films. But, STEPHEN, is it really necessary to blatantly shout out your disdain for some of Schmulee’s choices so authoritativly? First off, UP is NOT imaginatively bankrupt. The film has been praised, rightfully, by just about every critic across the country as one of the most imaginative films of this decade. Its a veritable treasure-trove of imaginative ideas (both visual and literal) that never seems to slow. FAR FROM HEAVEN might seem boring to you. Its pacing IS deliberate. But, the Douglas Sirk films that it finds its form from were also deliberately paced for melodramatic effect. If anything, I would relook over REVENGE OF THE SITH and ask if those same condemnation you throw at Sam’s choices don’t all apply to that monumental DUD!
I have to say, I agree with Stephen about “Up”. Though I admit that the choice of an elderly protagonist was somewhat fresh, everything else was pretty much a mess of ideas that were either kinda derivative (a high-flying adventure in the Amazon with a power-mad explorer/hunter and his Zepplin of doom!) or messily random (dogs with talking collars? really?). What you call a treasure-trove of imaginative ideas I call a grab-bag of creative whimsies that should’ve been given a clear-eyed proofread. It’s too bad, because so much of that grizzle gets in the way of the stuff I genuinely liked– the entire first act with its love-story montage, old-age disappointment and the first flight of the balloon house. I wish the entire film had focused on that, and didn’t feel the need to tack on the rest of its distractingly outlandish exploits for the sake of adventure. Back when it had some connection to the real world, it had a satirical escapist feel that reminded me of Otomo’s “Roujin Z”. But it loses that as soon as we get to Paradise Falls…
“But, STEPHEN, is it really necessary to blatantly shout out your disdain for some of Schmulee’s choices so authoritativly”
I was only expressing my ‘disdain’ for the films in question, not for Sam. If people are allowed to express their wild love for a film why shouldn’t they be able to express their deep dislike? Of course I am authoritative about my own thoughts and opinions. If I would choose the same films as Sam it doesn’t change what I think of him as an excellent and insightful writer and critic. I condemn the films not Sam’s love for them.
If I caused any offence, I’m sorry.
Stephen you did not cause any hard feelings at all. I want you to be honest at the site, and not sugar coat your feelings. I appreciate when you lay your cards on the table, especially since you are always quick to issue compliments, which I do appreciate.
I’ll admit that some of your criticism of those widely-praises films is shocking, but to each his own. What’s one joy is another’s hate and that sort of thing.
another singular decade list. I’m with you on “A.I.”, “Bright Star”, especially “The Last Mistress” (so great to see that mentioned). Enjoy most of the films on your list.
The choices I find most out of place are “Atonement” and “The Hours”. But still, this is a very fine list, indeed.
Ari, thanks very much! I know we have been in glorious agreement with THE LAST MISTRESS, and the other two you mention. Our tastes aren’t exactly the same, but we seem to agree more often than not. Even in the case of CHE, which you adored, I just invested in a pre-order of the blu-ray, so I am committed to looking at that again all the way through.
Thouse most critics loved ATONEMENT and THE HOURS, it is abundantly clear to me that they are not everyone’s cup of tea. But that’s true of every film. Further up this thread another reader here just trashed ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, something I frankly thought was impossible. This is the first negative opinion i have yet heard of the film.
Dennis, I would have it third behind FARGO and A SERIOUS MAN. But most Coens fans like LEBOWSKI best.
Well, there goes Bob again! My old friend and late-night nemesis never fails to find a way to bash any film resoundingly praised by the mass. On the contrary, its precisely the adventures in Paradise falls that weave the biggest bond in the film. Carl learns of his own wretched selfishness through the darings he’s forced into once he gets to his XANADU. The bond between Carl and Russell (one of the truly unforgettable animation charaters) explodes into a cemented bond because the old man sees an ethic in the boy that he once had when Ellie was with him. The film is about rediscovering your childhood dreams and realizing they weren’t and aren’t not worth capturing. Yes, I agree, the Paradise Falls half of the film is no match for the opening. But then, what film this year did match that opening? The second half is dazzler, it only looks pale when its compaired, unfairly to the first. The film is one of the two or three best reviewed films of the year. Once again, Bob trying to rain on everyones parade.
I forget, was Russel the kid or the dog? Either way, I found both of them dull and irritating. No matter how you slice it, the second half of the film didn’t impress me at all. To me, “Up” had enough material for a really great short-film, but when stretched out to feature-length it floundered.
Treating “Up” as any other film, I too would argue that it has a great first act, but nothing special in the remainder of the film (leaving technical merit to one side, of course). That said, if I was a child or someone who just wants cinema to simply entertain me (a perfectly acceptable requirement, by the way), then I think that I would have loved the final two acts more than I did the first one.
To put this another way, with both “Up” and “Wall-E”, Pixar seems to be making the film that they want to make in the first act, before turning their work into something which then ensures that their owners have a box office success. As a result, they get the critical garlands for the first twenty-odd minutes and plenty of money for the rest of the film.
For the most part, this seems to have been a “win, win” outcome for the studio. That said, I doubt that I will ever watch either “Wall.E” or “Up” past their opening act again and that tells its own tale.
I actually dug all of “Wall-E”. Past the Earthbound Act-One, that film gets something of a second wind with its canny, but restrained satire of complacent consumerism. At the very least, the second half of that film is saying something different than its first, and something that helps inform and qualitatively add to the whole. I don’t get that feeling at all with “Up” and its tacked on “adventure”.
It is a valid point Bob. On one level, though, I found it hard to take a subsidiary of Walt Disney seriously on the subject of excess consumerism. On another, having witnessed the magnificent first act of this film, I had precious little time for either those ridiculously obese and dim-witted humans or the fact that the film had become a cartoonish reheat of the Death Star scenes in Star Wars.
Good call, Oz, I hadn’t thought of that! Disney (or Pixar) decrying consumerism does smack a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black, but as long as it sends the right message to kids, I can swallow the irony. As for your comparison, I found it more akin to other dystopian fare– either a dumbed down “THX 1138” or a smarter “Logan’s Run”. Still, I’m a sucker for sci-fi in general, so I enjoyed it for what it was, a kind of “Hitchhiker’s Guide” for the grade-school set.
Sam, you realise you#ve made one of your favourite faux pas of insisting that Return of the King is Australian because you can’t get round the fact that New Zealand and Australia are NOT the same country. You insult Kiwis everywhere, it’s like calling a Canadian film American.
Hi, new here. Just wanted to say that you’ve created a great list. It inspired me to make my own, and, while most of them overlap with yours, here are some that didn’t make your list:
Twilight Samurai
Shadow of the Vampire
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Zodiac
Beat that My Heart Skipped
Small Time Crooks
Baadasssss
There are several great titles on here that I seriously considered putting on my own list- Assassination of Jesse James, Wall-E, Eternal Sunshine– that I left off, sometimes because they were so highly respected that I didn’t feel they needed my praise, and other times because even though I admired them, they weren’t strong enough to burst into my Top 50. That being said, I’m ever so glad you included them.
One thing I’m curious about: Chicago on a higher notch than Mulholland Drive? I can’t say that I think Marshall even begins to flirt with the innovative techniques that are literally exploding in Lynch’s film. Then again, I, like you, put Return of the King in my top five, so that makes two minority opinions! Haha.
Thanks so much for stopping over here Adam! Much appreciated! I certainly understand that logic with wanting to honor films that may not be receiving the attention they deserve, at the expense of some that are invariably on everybody’s radar. The placement of CHICAGO over MULHOLLAND DRIVE will no doubt be bizarre to most people, and in the grand scheme of things understandable, but as I stated in my intro, the numerical rankings were not set in granite, and to be truthful as much as I adore Lynch I have never been with the critical masses on MD, which is a challenging and often brilliant film, but still oddly distancing, and frustrating. BLUE VELVET is Lynch’s masterpiece and one of the five greatest films of the 1980’s. And I assure you that we are not in the minority on THE RETURN OF THE KING, which in 2003 was named Best Picture by the prestigious and normally fiercely anti-commercial New York Film Critics Circle.
I see you have your own choices up Adam at your place and I will definitely be over there today sometime!
Thanks again!
Nice personal list! Glad to see The New World and Letters from Iwo Jima get some love 🙂 I absolutely loved Mulholland Dr. (my #1 of the decade) but have a hard time getting through Inland Empire. I need to give it my entire attention one of those days.
Wonderful list! Thank you. Just one comment regarding:
#10 Tropical Malady (Weerasethakul) Taiwan
This one is from Thailand rather than Taiwan.
Thanks again!
i agree with you dude …
Great list. I think “Un Prophete” deserves a spot here, though.
[…] Voyages: There Will Be Blood David H. Schleicher: There Will Be Blood Paste Magazine: City of God Wonders In The Dark: Far From Heaven Movie Mobsters: The Lord of the Rings trilogy Anomalous Material: Mulholland Dr. Andrew at the […]
Lord of the rings was NOT filmed in australia
IT WAS FILMED IN NZ IDIOTS
Just stumbled across this. Great stuff.
Here’s a video I put together reflecting on the 2000s and the movie that have come out in the past 10 years.
In my book “The Fountain” is the best movie of the 2000s. I love to see it so high up on your list. I have to see the movie that came first place. Brilliant list, all in all.
When it comes to the sub genre of trees that contain life, Malick’s The Tree Of Life is far superior to The Fountain.
I like Tree of Life more than any other Malick movie I’ve seen, Mauriz, but The Fountain is still more rewatchable for me. And I don’t even like The Fountain very much.
Thanks for a very nice list. The very best I’ve come upon so far in fact. They are all worthwhile films even if some did not do it for me (and I have not seen 7 of them) and you missed a few I really enjoyed like:
Into the Wild
The Savages
Little Children
Old Boy
Memento
The Wrestler
Matchpoint
Crash
The Barbarian Invasions
21 Grams
City of God
Yi Yi
etc.
I agree that Dreamgirls and Chicago do it for musicals, but you also have to add Moulin Rouge!
Also 2046 is better than In the Mood for Love IMHO for Kar Wai Wong
Your worse choices have to be Up and Wall-E (#4 REALLY??) – even Spirited Away is questionnable. If you want go animation, please see
The Incredibles & Ratatouille for better story, laughs and cinematography.
Good job in any case 😉
Check out my Top 15 by year here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_5211005060
there is no movie from India!!!!!!!well there a lot of good movies here,you cared enough to include iran,and what not….and i dont think apart from a few movies on your list,they were any good……
Of course our intentions were purely racist. We adore Iran and loathe and detest anything from the sub-continent.
and how could you not include Will Smith’s “In Pursuit of Happiness”,i mean that was the most inspiring movie of recent times…….
sadly it just inspires most to vomiting, or running out of the theater in a cold sweat.
Yes, I think we have just had out first extra-terrestrial comment encounter at Wonders. A comment for someone living on Planet Wonk, where Adam Sandler is a God and quality cinema is consigned to the waste bin. In Pursuit of Happiness belongs as close to this list as a nonce at a Primary School assembly.