Two Plus Two Newer Archives  

Go Back   Two Plus Two Newer Archives > 2+2 Communities > The Lounge: Discussion+Review

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #101  
Old 08-25-2007, 03:53 PM
ClassicBob ClassicBob is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The End Zone
Posts: 2,450
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

My list would probably contain some combination of:

City of God
Before Sunset
The Royal Tenenbaums
Lost in Translation
Amelie
Brokeback Mountain
Memento
Amores Perros
40 Year Old Virgin
In The Mood For Love
2046
Spirted Away
Waking Life
Reply With Quote
  #102  
Old 08-25-2007, 04:00 PM
maltaille maltaille is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 71
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

Okay. I have a serious question? I loved Spiderman 1 and 2 and thought they were terrific entertainment and well done (haven't seen 3 yet). I have avoided Crouching Tiger because I suspect strongly I wouldn't like it.

Why is it that film geeks, uh, er, I mean film afficianados pretty much hate on anything the general public likes and get hard ons for foreign obscurities that 99 out of 100 people would consider torture to sit through? Personally I hate foreign movies and subtitles in general because I can't focus on the visuals.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can only answer from my perspective, but the more familiar people get with something, the more they understand it. If you play tennis, you enjoy watching it more, because you understand what's going on.

Similarly, people familiar with film get different - and usually more - things from any particular movie than people who aren't so familiar with it. Most people don't care much about good acting (even if they care about the effects of it, without necessarily knowing that this is what they care about), so they aren't going to be able to get past, for example, the period dialogue of something like Double Indemnity to appreciate the performances (or the subtitles in Amelie to appreciate the humor).

Additionally, a lot of modern film builds on or references previous works, whether it's bluntly, like the pram scene in The Untouchables referencing Battleship Potemkin, or subtly, like the tone of Chasing Amy referencing John Hughes' 80's comedies. If you aren't familiar with the previous works, you won't get quite as much out of it.

FWIW, Crouching Tiger is a very visual film, and suffers less than most from forcing you to read subtitles than most foreign films. Take that with a grain of salt, because I have no problems with subtitles at all, but I think it's worth seeing if you like action films. Spiderman 3 isn't though - 1 and 2 were worthwhile, but 3 is a waste of space.
Reply With Quote
  #103  
Old 08-25-2007, 04:10 PM
maltaille maltaille is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 71
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
oldboy
sympathay for mr vengeance

[/ QUOTE ]
I think it's strange to list these but not Lady Vengeance. For me, it was the best of the three, even though I'll probably rewatch Oldboy more often. Have you seen Lady Vengeance, KKF (or anyone), and what did you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

I though Lady had problems with its pacing, and with her relationship with her daughter, especially in the last 30 minutes. Both because of this, and because the last act appeared to be on rails, inevitably proceeding from one point to another (yeah, sometimes this can be a good thing, but only if watching it do so is fun in itself), it didn't have a lot of the impact that Oldboy had for me. What made you prefer Lady to the others?
Reply With Quote
  #104  
Old 08-25-2007, 05:17 PM
mrbaseball mrbaseball is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: shortstacked on the bubble
Posts: 2,622
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

[ QUOTE ]
Let us know how you like Before Sunset...there's even a whole thread here on it somewhere!


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes the Before Sunrise DVD club thread. Well I just watched Sunset and really liked it a lot. It was a beautiful follow up to Sunrise.
Reply With Quote
  #105  
Old 08-25-2007, 05:23 PM
mrbaseball mrbaseball is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: shortstacked on the bubble
Posts: 2,622
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

[ QUOTE ]
Similarly, people familiar with film get different - and usually more - things from any particular movie than people who aren't so familiar with it. Most people don't care much about good acting (even if they care about the effects of it, without necessarily knowing that this is what they care about), so they aren't going to be able to get past, for example, the period dialogue of something like Double Indemnity to appreciate the performances

[/ QUOTE ]

Familiar with film? I guess I don't understand what that means? I have seen literally 1000's and 1000's of movies. With that experience I know exactly what I like and what I don't. Double Indemnity is one of my personal all-time favorites specifically for the great dialog and spectacular performances. But it also has the mood and style perfect along with an intriguing and interesting story. I think when movies just go for mood and style they often don't have the story to carry it and that is when they lose me.
Reply With Quote
  #106  
Old 08-25-2007, 05:41 PM
diebitter diebitter is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Married With Children
Posts: 24,596
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

Okay, I'll give this a go, but it's with the caveat that I haven't seen anywhere near the full breadth of films for this to be a confident list. So here goes:


10. Mulholland Drive - so beautiful and nutty, and Naomi Watts pulls all the stops out here to show her acting chops.

9. Before Sunset - Beautiful movie I only saw recently for the first time, but touching and real as hell.

8. Borat - Again, only recently seen, but funny as hell, and you'll probably go to hell for laughing at this.

7. About a Boy - There was a certain magic and reality in this tale about the friendship between a man and a boy, and how they both benefitted from knowing each other. The best Hugh Grant film, I think.

6. Children of Men - what a strange, depressing film that even though it shouldn't, it fills you with hope.

5. Batman Begins - great turn by Christian Bale as a very scary batman. Shame it sorta got too hollywood at the very end.

4. Kung Fu Hustle - wonderful comedy/action/surreal movie. Blistering entertainment, almost the perfect popcorn movie.
3. Gladiator - okay there's a slightly saggy section after the half-way point, but whenever MAximus or Commodus are on
screen, this is just dynamite.

2. City of God - lots already said about this, but sheer electric filmmaking through and through.

1. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Whilst not as grand as the other two, this is the most magical and satisfying one for me. Just a perfect realisation of another world, time and place.
Reply With Quote
  #107  
Old 08-25-2007, 05:59 PM
Kimbell175113 Kimbell175113 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: The art of losing isn\'t hard to master.
Posts: 2,464
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
oldboy
sympathay for mr vengeance

[/ QUOTE ]
I think it's strange to list these but not Lady Vengeance. For me, it was the best of the three, even though I'll probably rewatch Oldboy more often. Have you seen Lady Vengeance, KKF (or anyone), and what did you think?

[/ QUOTE ]

I though Lady had problems with its pacing, and with her relationship with her daughter, especially in the last 30 minutes. Both because of this, and because the last act appeared to be on rails, inevitably proceeding from one point to another (yeah, sometimes this can be a good thing, but only if watching it do so is fun in itself), it didn't have a lot of the impact that Oldboy had for me. What made you prefer Lady to the others?

[/ QUOTE ]
Okay, there are two conflicting measures, I think. If someone is going to watch one of these, I would def suggest Oldboy. But Lady Vengeance, imo, is the best as a part of the trilogy; I watched all three in a row and it was very clear to see the culmination of themes, sometimes in surprising ways, and the way certain characters would echo others from the previous films. I wish I could remember some specifics for you; I'll have to watch it again sometime.
Reply With Quote
  #108  
Old 08-25-2007, 06:27 PM
uauaEEE uauaEEE is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 208
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

Most of the films mentioned here are good, but I haven't noticed anyone mentioning the brilliant comedy Shaun of the Dead. I absolutely love this film. Great acting, pacing, soundtrack and pretty much everything else is top notch too.
Reply With Quote
  #109  
Old 08-25-2007, 06:53 PM
thecincykiddo thecincykiddo is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: in need of some coffee
Posts: 106
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

Off the top of my head, and in no particular order, here are the ones that stand out in my mind:

Best of Youth (2003) - Giordana, Italy
City of God (2002) - Mereilles/Lund, Brazil
Amores Perros (2000) - Innaritu, Mexico
Talk to Her (2002) - Almodóvar, Spain
Yes (2005) - Potter, U.K.
Kandahar (2001) - Makhmalbaf, Afghanistan
The New World (2005) - Malick, U.S.
The Widow of St. Pierre (2000) - Leconte, France
Water (2006) - Mehta, Canada/India
Cache (2005) - Haneke, France

*Almodóvar's Volver and the late Bergman's Saraband were wonderful too, but I tend to judge a film not against the work of others, but against the talent and abilities of the filmmakers themselves, so...ok...and although I think Miranda July's Me, You & Everyone We Know was a great feat in American indie filmmaking, like so many other American indie films, it just doesn't seem to be able to stand up tall in the world at large.

I also know there are quite a few films this decade I have yet to see. Such is life.


These are worth checking out too, but they're documentaries:

Ten Canoes (2006) - de Heer/Djigirr, Australia
Grizzly Man (2005) - Herzog, Germany
Reply With Quote
  #110  
Old 08-25-2007, 06:58 PM
Dominic Dominic is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Vegas
Posts: 12,772
Default Re: Best Films of the 21st Century

I love Patrice Leconte and somehow I have not seen The Widow of St. Pierre...
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:47 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.