Best movies of the New Millenium (1 Viewer)

[Markazzo]

Just to finish off proceedings.
Off the top of my head, the top 3 would probably be: Kill Bill 1, Kill Bill 2, The Rules of Attraction. Both Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River deserve a mention, too.

There's still a few years left, so here's hoping we squeeze a few more classics out.

 

[nwatts]

Lost in Translation, In the Mood for Love, Spirited Away. There's my three, although they're prone to change.

There are a stack of films released in the past five years that I love to bits.

 

[bazookajoe]

Spirited Away, Kill Bills, Memento, Amelie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Pianist, Requiem For A Dream, Donnie Darko

 

[Benny_]

Damn I was gonna do this one, ah well.

Before Sunset
Lost In Translation
In The Mood For Love
Almost Famous
Sideways
Wonder Boys
Kill Bill
City of God
Ghost World
Requiem For A Dream
Amores Perros
Talk To her
.. and the overrated, but still excellent Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Momento..oh and Donnie Darko

 

[AlleyCat]

too soon to tell

but id say it'd have to be eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.
i also liked sideways, downfall and talk to her.

i dont think eternal sunshine is overrated in the slightest, but this film divides a lot of people on that point.

 

[nwatts]

Oh! I forgot Talk to Her! Almodovar = amazing!

Also, what do people find so appealing in Sideways? I found it incredibly difficult to empathise with either of the characters. Some great dialogue, and some superb acting.. but a real detachment.

Thoughts?

 

[Benny_]

Sadly, I can find it incredibly easy to emphasise with Miles

 

[AlleyCat]

Also, what do people find so appealing in Sideways? I found it incredibly difficult to empathise with either of the characters. Some great dialogue, and some superb acting.. but a real detachment.
Thoughts?

the characters are so real, with real flaws and foibles, and thus everything they do and say has a reality to it that i found entrancing. our protagonist is a lonely mama's boy who lies and steals and drinks and pines. but there is a beauty in him that the film brings out and this is what i relate to in this film.

for me, the stand out character was maya. she was angelic and seemed to radiate off the screen and charm you with a twitch of a smile.

the writing was realistic, the comedy unique and hilarious, and the acting absolutely perfect.

why cate got the supporting actress oscar over virginnia madsen i will never understand.

 

[Benny_]

Sideways was robbed at the Oscars last year much in the same way Lost in Translation was robbed the year before. Giamatti should've at least had a nod (over Clint Eastwood), Virginia Madsen should've won, as should the film itself. Similarly Bill Murray's was the standout performance in 2003, much as I like Sean Penn.

 

[AlleyCat]

Sideways was robbed at the Oscars last year much in the same way Lost in Translation was robbed the year before. Giamatti should've at least had a nod (over Clint Eastwood), Virginia Madsen should've won, as should the film itself. Similarly Bill Murray's was the standout performance in 2003, much as I like Sean Penn.

i think acting in biopics should be disqualified from oscars. annette bening, jamie foxx, leo dicaprio, cate blanchett etc. if mimicry was brilliant acting then the kids from talking heads and snl would all have oscars. its getting ridiculous.

if i were virginnia madsen i would have taken a flame thrower to the kodak theatre...

 

[crazyhomo]

The Rules of Attraction.

i think i'm going to have to pick this. might not be the best of this millenium, but i saw it about 10 times within a week. rented it on dvd and just kept starting it over when i was done. love it to bits

 

[nwatts]

I thought Blanchett was very good, though. I personally felt she excelled over Madsen. The Aviator wasn't such a great film, even if Scorsese is one of the best directors around, but it featured some fantastic performances.

The characters were real, I felt that. I just couldn't grasp their total lack of moralsl. I'm certainly not a saint, but I hated how Church's character went and tried to sleep with a stack of women before getting married. I just felt repulsed whenever he was on screen. Giamatti's character was very well crafted, I just hated the decisions he made, and how he'd always bail Church out. (Mind you, the scene where he fetches the wallet was quite funny.)

I thought Closer was robbed at the Oscars more than anything.

 

[Benny_]

What's ridiculous is how many biopics we have now as a result of their success at the oscars. This year's frontrunners for best actor are Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his Truman Capote and David Strathairn for his Edward R. Murrow. Charlize Theron is on target for a second biopic win with her Josey Aimes in North Country.
I thought Blanchett was very good, though. I personally felt she excelled over Madsen. The Aviator wasn't such a great film, even if Scorsese is one of the best directors around, but it featured some fantastic performances.

The characters were real, I felt that. I just couldn't grasp their total lack of moralsl. I'm certainly not a saint, but I hated how Church's character went and tried to sleep with a stack of women before getting married. I just felt repulsed whenever he was on screen. Giamatti's character was very well crafted, I just hated the decisions he made, and how he'd always bail Church out. (Mind you, the scene where he fetches the wallet was quite funny.)

I thought Closer was robbed at the Oscars more than anything.

I've resolved that we can no longer be friends if we meet at uni next year

You felt the characters were real, but you can't accept the flaws that real people have. Once you do, you'll start feeling sympathetic towards them. I think a lot of people have the same problem with Sideways as you.

 

[nwatts]

What's ridiculous is how many biopics we have now as a result of their success at the oscars. This year's frontrunners for best actor are Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his Truman Capote and David Strathairn for his Edward R. Murrow. Charlize Theron is on target for a second biopic win with her Josey Aimes in North Country.

Capote looks like a very good film, though. And Hoffman's a consistantly fantastic actor. I don't mind him winning an Oscar, or six.

 

[AlleyCat]

What's ridiculous is how many biopics we have now as a result of their success at the oscars. This year's frontrunners for best actor are Phillip Seymour Hoffman for his Truman Capote and David Strathairn for his Edward R. Murrow. Charlize Theron is on target for a second biopic win with her Josey Aimes in North Country.

i know! the sure fire way to get an oscar used to be to play the part of a cripple, mentally or otherwise, now it is to play the part of someone from yesteryear,

its getting ridiculous, though. i mean who the fuck was 'julia'?

(p.s phillip seymour hoffman is the only actor for whom i am willing to eat those words)

and closer wasnt robbed. it was a good film and deserved nominations, but none of the actors were the best of the year. *maybe* clive owen could have gotten best supporting, but clint eastwood was pretty damn good in my opinion.

 

[Benny_]

Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my favourite active actors. If I were the academy he would've won best supporting for Magnolia and for Happiness. However he's still young (only 38), so he's got plenty of opportunities for recognition in the future. In the meantime I'll be rooting for Bill Murray to win something.

 

[nwatts]

I've resolved that we can no longer be friends if we meet at uni next year

You felt the characters were real, but you can't accept the flaws that real people have. Once you do, you'll start feeling sympathetic towards them. I think a lot of people have the same problem with Sideways as you.

I'm still a hot-headed HSC student! Give me time!

and closer wasnt robbed. it was a good film and deserved nominations, but none of the actors were the best of the year. *maybe* clive owen could have gotten best supporting, but clint eastwood was pretty damn good in my opinion.

It was Freeman who picked up supporting actor. He deserved it. But I still really thought Owen's performance was great. I also would have given Closer best adapted screenplay (gasp!), because I thought it was just that good! The competition was very, very good in the screenplays of 2004. I just don't think the Academy chose their nominations properly. Biggest joke was Downfall losing to The Sea Inside though. Sure The Sea Inside was good, but damn.. Downfall is one of the best WWII-themed films i've ever seen.

 

[nwatts]

Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of my favourite active actors. If I were the academy he would've won best supporting for Magnolia and for Happiness. However he's still young (only 38), so he's got plenty of opportunities for recognition in the future. In the meantime I'll be rooting for Bill Murray to win something.

I haven't seen Happiness (nor any Solondz film actually), but Hoffman was also fantastic in Spike Lee's 25th Hour and all PTA's other films.

Murray may win for Broken Flowers, which i'm hanging out to see. When Jarmusch is in form he's a bloody good filmmaker.

 

[Benny_]

I didn't think Morgan Freeman was anything special in MDB. I agree with the criticism that he's played the identical role in every film since Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and MDB was no exception. My favourites for supporting actor last year were Alan Alda and Thomas Haden Church.

 

[nwatts]

It was a catch-up Oscar. He didn't win for Shawshank, nor did he win for Driving Miss Daisy. Everyone loves him. It was natural. I was surprised they skimped on Scorsese's Oscar considering the shite that's beat him in the past.