The “token Swedish movie” should have been Songs from the second floor. This movie is painfully overlooked. Roy Andersson’s return to cinema was one of the best things that happened this decade.
On the whole, I like the list - while I don’t agree with all the choices, it at least felt honest and well articulated. Of course, the discussion on which movie is the better between No country for old men and *There will be blood *will go down in history as the “Blur vs Oasis” of the 00’s. It’s fitting that they are grouped even if one by order of rules has to be placed higher than the other.
The first time I watched Eternal Sunshine, I cried my eyes out. I’m not sure why, it definitely didn’t affect me as strongly the second time around. I still think it’s a great movie, although I dunno if it’s #1 even on my list.
I thought it was a good list, but I enjoyed their lists of the decade’s best scenes and best performances a lot more. There’s also the list of 25 “orphans” (movies championed by one of the writers but no others).
All in all, I think their “best of the decade” series was a lot of fun, and not just the film stuff.
of course I did! Who would actually name their kid “Apichatpong”? (in fact, he goes by “Joe,” recognizing his name is pretty near unpronounceable in the West.)
This is a list of real movies with genuine, sincere descriptions, done by people who value movie-making, care about the medium and cherish the classics both recent and older, as well as some of the lesser-known work. That’s the last thing I expected when I clicked on ‘The Onion’s best films of the decade’ - now I am left wanting something done by The Onion proper that ridicules all these attempts at list-making, and the films of this decade while they’re at it!
If you only put one of the Lord of the Rings movies on the list, I think The Two Towers is the worst choice. The theatrical release had an unfinished ending to the battle of Helms Deep. (Helm’s?) I’d put The Lord of the Rings if you only put one because getting the first one right would be the real trick and beside the death of Boromir was one of the best scenes of the decade. Heck, just the take on Boromir was so freaking fantastic.