Tag: 21st century

Here’s the Top 50 films of the 21st Century, per the New York Times poll of 500 creatives in cinema. I’m ignoring that 2000 is in the 20th century, not the 21st.  

If I saw it and wrote about it, I will link to that post. I will note movies I have NOT seen this way:

DK—I don’t know this film and have never heard of it before, except if it was listed in previous lists.

WS- I’m familiar with the film and would have seen it, but it fell through the cracks, usually during the Oscar rush to see movies in December through February.

FF – There was a fear factor that it would be too violent or otherwise upsetting to watch.

50 Up, Pete Docter, 2009. It’s good, though the first minutes always gets to me.

49 Before Sunset, Richard Linklater, 2004. WS – I need to see ALL of the Before pics!

48 The Lives of Others, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2007. WS: Whom can you trust in circa-1984 East Berlin?

47 Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe, 2000: enjoyed this a lot, actually. A music film is in my emotional wheelhouse.

46 Roma, Alfonso Cuarón, 2018. “Cuaron is a bit too close to the material.”

45 Moneyball, Bennett Miller, 2011. I liked it, but would I have liked it if I did not like baseball? One of the two I saw at home.

44 Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino, 2019. WS/FF. Love the Hollywood angle, but the Sharon Tate murder?

43 Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, 2005. DK

42 The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012. WS

41 Amélie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001. I adored this film.

40 Yi Yi, Edward Yang, 2000. DK

Not Claudia Johnson

39 Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig, 2017

38 Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Céline Sciamma, 2019. DK

37 Call Me by Your Name, Luca Guadagnino, 2017. WS

36 A Serious Man, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, 2009. WS

35 A Prophet, Jacques Audiard, 2010. DK

34 Wall-E, Andrew Stanton, 2008. I liked it more in the latter half.

33 A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, 2011. WS

32 Bridesmaids, Paul Feig, 2011

31 The Departed, Martin Scorsese, 2006. When my kid was little, I tried to avoid violence in films. Maybe I’d see it now.

30 Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola, 2003. Sometimes, when almost everyone I trust likes a film but I don’t, I think maybe I was tired or having a bad day.

29 Arrival, Denis Villeneuve, 2016.

28 The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan, 2008. I think I just wasn’t into superheroes at the time. WS

27 Adaptation, Spike Jonze, 2002. As I recall, I liked much of it but hated the end.

French jurisprudence

26 Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet, 2023. Intriguing; I liked it.

25 Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017. It’s fine, though a little slow.

24 Her, Spike Jonze, 2013. Is this movie prescient? I’ve seen the mainstream news about “romances” people have with their AI constructs.

23 Boyhood, Richard Linklater, 2014. Very good, but impressive as all get out in making a film over a dozen years with the same core cast!

22 The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson, 2014. My favorite Wes Anderson film

21 The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson, 2001. My least favorite Wes Anderson film

20 The Wolf of Wall Street, Martin Scorsese, 2013. We were considering it, though my parents-in-law HATED it. It’s also very long, and ultimately, I never saw it.

19 Zodiac, David Fincher, 2007. FF/WS

18 Y tu mamá también, Alfonso Cuarón, 2002. I recall enjoying it.

17 Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee, 2005. I enjoyed it a great deal, though I never wrote about it.

16 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee, 2000. I recall it fondly.

15 City of God, Fernando Meirelles, 2003. FF. “A teenager forces a younger teenager to kill an even younger child. The victim cowers inside a fenced patio that resembles a playpen. Nearby sobs another child, who looks about 5; he’s been shot in the foot — to send a message, but also for fun.” Yeah, there’s also dancing and joy, but…

QT

14 Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino, 2009. FF

13 Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón, 2006. WS

12 The Zone Of Interest, Jonathan Glazer, 2023. Shows well the banality of evil.

11 Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller, 2015. Just not my thing.

10 The Social Network, David Fincher, 2010. Surprisingly effective.

9 Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki, 2002. Wonderful

8 Get Out, Jordan Peele, 2017. FF. Maybe I’ll see it eventually.

7 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry, 2004. I watched this on VHS tape, I think, and saw only half of it before going to bed. Got up early and watched the rest. And STILL loved it. I relate to stuff about memory, and whether one can/should block them out.