I’ve got to agree, many of the films listed in this thread are not only not outstanding but they’re not even average pot boilers.
Could it be that in a decade of genuinlly innovative excellence the viewing public become more demanding with the result that directors and producers have to try so much harder?
The reverse of the coin of course is that uncomplaining media fodder get films just good enough to drag them away from the T.V.
And for those who’ve only achieved the age of movie attending as adults this decade its a case of what you’ve never had you never miss.
The O.P. says that they couldn’t think of any films better then D.K.,this wasn’t because it was such an incredible movie(Dont get me wrong it was good but not great) but because this decade there has been a woefully low number of anything much better.
Being the best of the average doesn’t make you great,just T.B.O.T.A.
Will people in years to come look back on these previous ten years and say “Yep there were some great movies made then?”
I suspect that with a few noticeable exceptions they wont even remember a lot of the movies named in this thread.
Not as many as I would have thought after nine years:
*The Incredibles
Memento
Pride and Prejudice
Iron Man
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Amelie
Gladiator
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World *
~10 best; 2000-present. Most of my choices depend on the movie showing me something new. Not the same old same old. Either a new concept, or a novel approach to something.
Top 5: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – epic, totally engrossing story that opened up a whole new world to me
**A Tale of Two Sisters **-- fantastic gothic/psychological horror that works on many levels Mullholland Dr. – fascinating combination of the mystery/thriller and the surreal
**Sin City **-- innovative and visually stunning Kill Bill – Tarantino giving it all he’s got, pulling out all the stops. Thanks, Quentin.
Almost top 5:
**Spirited Away **-- it was my second viewing (in Japanese dialog rather than English; not sure how much that had to do with my greater appreciation) where I realized just how magical this film is.
**The Classic **-- Korean romantic drama done about as perfectly as possible
**Infernal Affairs **-- undercover cop and triad mole; the cat-and-mouse game is better here than in the U.S. remake
**Battle Royale **-- I had never seen anything like that before.
**Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind **-- asks a very thought-provoking question and then shows the ramifications in a very clever way
[tie] Hero and House of Flying Daggers – Stunning visuals, cinematography, and use of color.
Here are some of my favorites, off the top of my head, in no special order. I bet that i’ll be smacking my forehead later for forgetting some movie that i loved.
City of God/City of Men
Children of Men
The Lives of Others
Pan’s Labyrinth
The Proposition
No Country for Old Men
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
This is England
Downfall
X2: X-Men United
Winged Migration
Casino Royale
Looking at other people’s lists reminds me that there are a few movies that i have been meaning to see for ages, but have just never gotten around to putting on the Netflix list. Particularly:
It was kind of a weak decade for movies, especially when you compare it to the '90s. Hell I think 1999 alone had as many great movies (Magnolia, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, The Matrix, etc.) as the 2000s. But if I had to make a list of the top films of the past decade it would be as follows:
The Departed
United 93
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Dark Knight
Amores Perros
City of God
Inglorious Basterds
Wall-E
Spider-Man 2
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
