# Best films of the current decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 22, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872 "2003-08-22T04:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/1 "2003-08-22T04:58:30Z")
For the purposes of this thread I am counting 2000 as being part of the decade. So films from 2000 to the present. My personal top ten in no particular order: Gosford Park About Schmidt Spirited Away LOTR (counting both) Russian Ark Traffic Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Memento Whalerider Finding Nemo I should add that I am not a huge movie goer and there are a number of interesting films of recent years which I haven’t yet seen. ---
**Author:** ![sanja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@sanja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sanja)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/2 "2003-08-22T05:09:51Z")
it’s on the cusp ('99), but “the thin red line” ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/3 "2003-08-22T05:46:49Z")
Not in order: Chicago LOTR Gangs of New York Requiem for a Dream O Brother, Where Art Thou? Monsters, Inc. Adaptation Cast Away The Royal Tenenbaums Donnie Darko ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/4 "2003-08-22T06:18:15Z")
In order: Gladiator Traffic Memento Amores Perros Requiem for a Dream 25th Hour Catch me if you can Monsters inc ---
**Author:** ![MrSarcasticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@MrSarcasticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSarcasticus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/5 "2003-08-22T08:01:03Z")
What a sorry lot. Looking at these lists so far, I would nominate nothing but 25TH HOUR, and maybe GOSFORD PARK. Are movies this bad now? Yes. Yes, they are. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/6 "2003-08-22T12:24:15Z")
[http://us.imdb.com/Title?0317248](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0317248) City of God. A powerhouse of a movie. ---
**Author:** ![toque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@toque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toque)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/7 "2003-08-22T13:11:59Z")
When was “The Straight Story” released? I’d put that in there. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/8 "2003-08-22T14:01:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrSarcasticus \* > \*\*What a sorry lot. > > Looking at these lists so far, I would nominate nothing but 25TH HOUR, and maybe GOSFORD PARK. > > Are movies this bad now? Yes. Yes, they are. \*\* Nonsense. The LOTR movies, just for one example, are head-and-shoulders the best live-action fantasy movies ever made. To answer the original question however: LOTR: FOTR and TTT Blackhawk Down Shadow of the Vampire XMen XMen 2 Unbreakable Catch Me if You Can Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Open Range ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/9 "2003-08-22T14:31:23Z")
LotR (both) are my picks. Also: Almost Famous Memento Amelie Monsters, Inc. Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/10 "2003-08-22T14:57:21Z")
Best film: **Mulholland Dr.** (Lynch) Rounding out the Top 10 (in alpha order): _All the Real Girls_ (Green) _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_ (A. Lee) _Far from Heaven_ (Haynes) _Marooned in Iraq_ (Ghobadi) _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_ (Coen) _In the Mood for Love_ (Wong) _Russian Ark_ (Sokurov) _Spirited Away_ (Miyazaki) _25th Hour_ (S. Lee) Honorable Mentions: _A.I., Lagaan, No Man’s Land, Peppermint Candy, Yi Yi_ Best documentary: _Capturning the Friedmans_ (Jarecki) Best Live Action Short: _The Heart of the World_ (Maddin) Best Animated Short: _The Brainwashers_ (Brouchard) ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/11 "2003-08-22T15:24:29Z")
Tough question. I’ll also vote for the Lord of the Rings movies, taken together. _Ghost World_ _Minority Report_: I rewatched it the other day and I’m pretty sure I liked it better than _A.I._, which was also a good movie. I enjoyed both of those movies better the second time than the first. I’d also like to add an honorable mention for _Catch Me if You Can_, which was an extremely tight little movie. Spielberg has had a great decade so far.) [The Poor and Hungry](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0259516): In the interest of full disclosure, this is a Memphis movie and I know the director, but it’s really, really good! Seek it out, you won’t be disappointed. _O Brother! Where Art Thou?_ _Spirited Away_ _Adaptation_ _Traffic_ _The Man Who Wasn’t There_ (not as good overall as O Brother!, but Billy Bob Thornton’s performance, the cinematography, and Tony Shalhoub’s “Uncertainty” speech are enough to make the list) _Waking Life_ ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/12 "2003-08-22T18:09:11Z")
_Moulin Rouge_ OK, perhaps the story’s not tremendous, but the music is terrific (El Tango de Roxanne gets me all goosebumpy!) and the visuals are simply exquisite. Granted, the music-video paced editing can be an acquired taste… This is the disc I pull out to demonstrate how movies can be at home with an artfully mastered DVD, progressive-scan DVD player, hi-def TV and good speakers. My choice for “thriller” films would be _The Others._ A.I.? Ugh… I found it so saccharine, the movie should have been in a pink packet. ---
**Author:** ![konzar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac8455/32.png) [@konzar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/konzar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/13 "2003-08-22T22:35:23Z")
If we can do cusp, then it’s easy: FIGHT CLUB!!! I have patterned my life after FIGHT CLUB. I even burned a big blister on the back of my hand. If no cusp allowed, then MOULIN ROUGE! And: UNBREAKABLE MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE SUPER TROOPERS When’s the special DVD of RUDY gonna come out? That was last century’s best film, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![mtrahey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mtrahey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtrahey)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/14 "2003-08-22T22:40:23Z")
Equilibrium. A must see. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/15 "2003-08-22T23:50:04Z")
I think LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the great movies of all time, I don’t know any other film this century for which that can be said. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/16 "2003-08-22T23:54:03Z")
Equilibrium?? ---
**Author:** ![Anniee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Anniee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/17 "2003-08-23T01:05:51Z")
The Ring. Scared the living crap out of me, and has haunted me ever since. And I’m a veteran of every horror movie of the 70s, 80s and 90s. It’s rare that one stands out. This one did. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/18 "2003-08-23T01:17:38Z")
Fight Club actually came out in 1999. I’d go with: Memento Spun Ghost World Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Best in Show for my top 5. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/19 "2003-08-23T01:41:50Z")
I saw **Equilibrium** the other day and damned if I can figure out why it wasn’t a hit. It starred Christian Bale and Emily Watson in a cross between Gatacca and The Matrix. It was derivative, but very competently done and a fine entry into its genre. Certainly wouldn’t make my top ten of the new decade, but not bad. ---
**Author:** ![corndog\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@corndog\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corndog_man)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872/20 "2003-08-23T06:18:48Z")
Vibrotronica, I am from Memphis and I am amazed that Wanda Wilson is mentioned in [www.imdb.com](http://www.imdb.com). I have found Jerry Lawler and Adrian Rogers in there, but didn’t think about Wanda. I have drank many a beer in her place. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-current-decade/196872.md?page=2)