What do you think of the films 177 critics picked as the best of the 2000s?

Cafe Society
61

I was gripped by “Calvary”, and Gleeson is terrific. But by the end, I came to almost hate it. The Catholic Church deserves every ounce of opprobrium heaped on it for their appalling failings regarding sexual abuse over the last… well, probably since the beginning of its existence. Having said that, the hostility and bile directed at Father James by pretty much every person in town, when he is clearly represented as a “good priest”, was relentless and over the top. Perhaps I was mistaken in assuming the writer was going for at least some semblance of realism, but the nonstop antagonism was just wearing and off-putting to me. In the end, I was left feeling, “What was the point of that?!”

Sorry to blast the film - I am not blasting you! I guess you just hit a sore point for me.

P.S. No, I am not Catholic.

62

Great call on “District 9”. Loved that - it works on many levels. I thought “The Martian” was strong from start to finish, although I’m not sure if I’d elevate it to ‘greatness’.

63

I get that, and I’m not Catholic either, but I think the filmmakers’ point was to show just how out of step with its flock the church is today. Even a good priest striving to do the right thing is badly disrespected by those whom he seeks to serve. It’s still, I think, a heartbreakingly powerful and memorable movie.