Thursday, November 05, 2009

Decade in Review: 2000 Top Ten

What follows is my original top ten list of 2000... or rather the revised version I published in 2002. Let's discuss each year of this decade as it winds down! Who's with me?!? It's always interesting to see which films remained at the forefront of our memory and which fade... both for a variety of reasons, quality being only one factor. New comments are in red.

Please note: This list was based on NYC release dates in the year 2000. Some movies are listed as different years at the IMDB based on when they were released in their home country or in LA or whatnot.




Runners Up (in descending order): Une Liaisons Pornographique, Nurse Betty, You Can Count On Me, Before Night Falls, Pola X, Chicken Run, American Psycho, Wonder Boys and Billy Elliott Um... WHAT THE HELL are some of these movies doing outside the top ten list? You Can Count on Me is still so lovely to think about. Particularly Laura Linney's gleeful waving to brother Mark Ruffalo and that beautifully coaxed ending, bless. Of these nine pictures, I think of American Psycho (originally #17!?) most -- see previous posts -- and then probably Pola X which I know a lot of people hate.


P.S. Those people are cuckoo!


10 Jesus Son
Allison MacLean's stark and arresting drug drama is laced with surprising (but occassionally off putting) comedy and blessed with two astonishing, enigmatic performances by Samantha Morton and Billy Crudup. Filled with memorable imagery it feels optimistic in such a realistic way that it should be required viewing in rehab.

I've rarely thought of this movie since but one image, Samantha Morton shimmying towards her man, remains particularly vivid. Morton is such an electric actor and she's never lost that alien watchability, even as her face has grown familiar.

09 Urbania
Full review here. Jon Shear's directorial debut (an adaptation of Daniel Reitz' stage play) is an exhilarating and unexpected ride through urban anxiety and grief. It's stunning. And though I'll cop to perhaps a little trouble being objective about it (it hit close to home), I'm betting that this overlooked film will grow in stature.
I probably overestimated this one at the time, which on a revisit a few years later felt too stagebound to totally work as cinema but I still wish more people would have seen / do see it. Dan Futterman is strong in the lead role.

08 Bring It On
Full review here. A dozen reasons to love Bring It On: 1. The best teen comedy in at least five years. 2. Hugely enjoyable, a great popcorn film. 3. Elisha Dushku's va va voom (for all of you Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans) -"Missy is the poo. So take a whiff!" 4. The toothbrush scene 5. Allows itself important themes (racism, sexual orientation, appropriation versus theft) without once feeling like a downer or casting the themes aside. 6. Spirit fingers. 7. "Cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded!" 8. "Brrrrr....it's cold in here." 9. Torrance plays the cassette. 10. A sports movies that's actually a good sport. 11. A gay man that's hotter than the straight men? Now, there's something you don't see too often in the homophobia ridden world of cinema. 12. Kirsten Dunst in top comic form, what more do you need?

07 Idioterne
Lars Von Trier's much maligned first and only "official" Dogme 95 film, The Idiots, is an in your face marvel. This Danish madman splits cinephiles in love and loathe camps. I'm firmly in the love category. His genius is clearly visible but only for those who have eyes to see...

Before Antichrist arrived to give me pause, I would have called this movie the definitive von Trier. It's so tellingly of him: the humor, the aesthetic, the not-entirely-serious self regard. I still think it's one of his best and most successfully provocative pictures

06 The House of Mirth
Gillian Anderson's coming out ball. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it was "the best performance in any category all year" as I've read in at least one review... she was up to the challenge of Lily Bart. But hey, I knew she transferred. She already proved that with Playing by Heart. And leaving Anderson aside for a moment, it's an exceedingly intelligent and gorgeous adaptation from Terence Davies which is sure to garner at least a few deserved technical nods at the Oscars. God bless Terence Davies for not having Joanne Woodward READ the whole freaking story to us as we watched (Are you listening Scorsese?)

I compared it unfavorably to The Age of Innocence? While I do very much hate overbearing voiceovers, there's a lot to recommend in both films. Why was I mad at Scorsese in 2000? Hmmm, what came out then? I haven't thought of Mirth in years and years and I am surprised to see it in my top ten list. It's amusing how I entirely misread its Oscar chances (nomination total: zero) but it's sad that Gillian Anderson's film career never really panned out.

05 Erin Brockovich
At its core it's a brassy superbly wrought star vehicle with Julia Roberts at her all time best. With Soderbergh's auteurial skills in full bloom however, it's elevated to a whole other realm of humanity. Sharp, funny, focused, and auteurial ...and for my money stronger than Soderbergh's other more highly praised 2000 endeavor. At any rate it's easily the best pure "Hollywood" film of the year.

04 Beau Travail
Claire Denis contemplative masterwork of masculine rituals and hierarchy.

Then and now I seem to be at a loss for words but oh, how that movie lingers. Greatness. Haven't seen it in years, though and it's obviously one that needs multiple viewings to fully appreciate.

03 Requiem For a Dream
Darren Aronofsky's astoundingly cinematic second film is not easy to sit through, but the rewards are great. Ellen Burstyn is miraculous as an unravelling diet pill addict. Jennifer Connelly and Jared Leto are heartbreaking as the foolish young lovers who throw their lives away but the film's ultimate power comes courtesy of Aronofsky's vision. Making as bold a statement as you can make about what the cinema can and should do, he discards any narrative device other than imagery. The further I get away from the film the more it's looking like a masterpiece.


02 Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Ang Lee & James Schamus's delightful one off homage to a favorite genre. The modern feminist kung fu genre pic is fused with an old fashioned romantic period piece by a superb cast, haunting gorgeous cinematography by Peter Pau, and Ang Lee's own seemingly infallible directorial instincts. Whichever culture or characters he fixes his versatile lens on, he gets straight to the heart of the matter. Ang Lee tops his own impressive roster of films (Sense & Sensibility, The Ice Storm, & The Wedding Banquet among them) and makes what could only be called magic. This movie will restore your faith in the cinema. No joke. It's that wondrous.

01 Dancer in the Dark
Full review here. Lars von Trier. Björk. Catherine Deneuve. "Love it. Hate it. See It." Overwhelming, visionary, absolute genius... I'm tempted to call it best of the decade and there's nine years left to go.

I sure went hyperbolic on my bronze, silver and gold medalists there. It's a good thing all three pictures hold up. Though I suppose it's worth noting that Requiem for a Dream which I labelled 'not easy to sit through' is the one I've sat through the most on this entire top ten list in the intervening years... even more than Bring It On. What a double feature that is, eh?



What are your favorite pictures from 2000?
Which that you used to love are you surprised that you let go? Which have changed the most for you over the years? Which do you think I should revisit.

75 comments:

Conrado Falco said...

I know you don't like it, but I trully love Almost Famous.

I'm also a big fan of High Fidelity, Crouching Tiger and Requiem... I used to really like Unbreakable too, but my thoughts have changed on that one.

Anonymous said...

oooooooo, I'm going to love this serious. ESPECIALLY when you get to 2003, lol, that should be something to read from you. Anyhoo, a movie that I used to LOVE, now I only like is POLLACK. I guess I was just so blinded, by my love for Marcia Gay Harden

Anonymous said...

1) IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
2) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
3) TRAFFIC
4) REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
5) GLADIATOR
6) YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
7) RESOURCES HUMAINES
8) ALMOST FAMOUS
9) THE HOUSE OF MIRTH
10)BILLY ELLIOT

mirko

adelutza said...

If what I still remember would be the criteria, then the best films of year 2000 would be for me :

Dancer In The Dark
Almost Famous
High Fidelity
Nurse Betty
Wonder Boys
Erin Brokovich
Up at the Villa
The House of Mirth
O Brother Where Are Thou
Traffic

oh, and Miss Congeniality

cinema adventures said...

Wonder Boys is so funny and warm. I've often wondered what you thought of it, because I think it might be my favorite movie ever. Great ensemble, especially RDJ.

I also loved Erin Brockovich, Requiem for a Dream, You Can Count on Me, Traffic, and Almost Famous.

Anonymous said...

Gillian Anderson...feels like she still could break through to Oscar. Her stage work has continued to be admired. Bleak House on TV was magnificent. And even small roles like in Last King of Scotland, continue to show screen power. What will it take?

Greg Boyd said...

"Crouching Tiger" is one of the best films of any decade, period. I love that movie.

Derek said...

This is going to be great to revisit in the coming weeks! I wonder what Oscar's "red" marks would be 10 years after the fact in some years....

Crimson said...

"Traffic" would have topped my 2000 list. That should have been included somewhere there, instead of sullying the list up with "Bring It On" like that.

UncleVanya said...

#1. Tie: In the Mood for Love
Jesus' Son
2. Dancer in the Dark
3. You Can count On Me
4. Memento
5. Yi Yi
6. Humanite
7. Ratcatcher
8. Requiem for a Dream
9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
10. The House of Mirth

honorable mentions:
Wonder Boys
Traffic
Before Night Falls
Quills
Vigin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors
American Psycho
Amores Perros
Almost Famous

Kyle Pinion said...

High Fidelity, American Psycho and Memento; I watch each at least once a year and since that was my junior year of high school, I have good memories associated with seeing each, enrichening the experience all that much more.

Don't you love when movies do that for you?

Guy Lodge said...

We share a #1 with "Dancer in the Dark," but this is a pretty marvellous list throughout.

I'm so glad to see love for "Erin Brockovich," which looks better and better as the years go by. And "Beau Travail" still astonishes me. (Though I'm beginning to wonder if "White Material" is even better. I can't wait for you to see it.)

I'd add "Amores Perros" near the top, and think you should really trust your original instincts on "The House of Mirth," which is exquisite. Just because awards season forgot it doesn't mean you should ;)

KEVIN M. said...

1. Almost Famous
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. Chicken Run
4. Traffic
5. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Kyle Pinion said...

I forgot how much I liked Unbreakable as well, though I've never actually seen it again...it still haunts me some.

kent said...

i really liked BILLY ELLIOT when i first saw it. however, it faded fast from my memory. i can't really remember the what i liked most about it.

that said, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME still lingers. Laura Linney just helps that movie get better and better with every viewing.

NATHANIEL R said...

@Kent -- yeah, LINNEY was just marvelous in that movie.

@Guy -- glad to get the support on ERIN BROCKOVICH. i have never once doubted my feelings that it's far superior to Traffic. It just feels "lighter" is all and I think Traffic's sober investigation of Important Frustrating Topic got to people. which is fine but I think the 'lighter' movie is the better one.

@Kyle -- totally. some movies become so much a part of memories of a certain time in life that whether they're good bad or mediocre hardly matters. if they stick personally, that's its own reward too.

@Crimson -- Bring It On could never sully any list. It's faboo. So so funny and good natured. Don't blame it for all those horrid sequels and straight to DVD knockoffs.

@Cocoa -- it was hard NOT to be blinded by the Marcia Gay that year. Yowza. (although she wasn't a nominee with me. perhaps i should explain)

Notas Sobre Creación Cultural e Imaginarios Sociales said...

Ugh I was such an Oscar pushover back then. I remember loving everything that got nominated for Best Picture and running to buy them as soon as the DVD came out.
Crouching Tiger was my favorite movie that year, but I hold a special place in my heart for "Quills". I remember going to the movies and lying about my age to the ticket seller to get in (I was 14 and it was restricted for people under 21 here). I sat there expecting nothing from it and came out rejoiced by how damn good it was. It's sad that it didn't live up to be as loved by others as it was by me, even if it has one of Kate Winslet's most underrated performances.

Anonymous said...

Almost Famous
Billy Elliot
Dancer in the Dark
You Can Count on Me
Requiem for a Dream
In the Mood for Love
Erin Brockovich
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Bring It On
American Psycho

Daniel Armour said...

I loved - and still love - Unbreakable and X-Men. In fact, I appreciate X-Men even more now (admittedly, The Last Stand and Wolverine had a significant hand in that). I liked CT, HD when it first came out but I've come to appreciate it a lot more since then (Funny enough, it, X-Men and Unbreakable are the first DVDs I ever bought).

Haven't seen Cast Away in a while, so I don't know how I'd feel about it now but I thought it was pretty good then. As for Gladiator, I enjoyed it a lot, and still do, but never to the extent that my mother did/does (It's one of her favorite films).

Nate Tyson said...

The first time I saw CT, HD is still the single most important in-theater cinematic moment of my life.

The cinematography, the music, the epic scope, the fight choreography...everything was just pure magic. God, the sex scene in the cave alone was enough to blow my mind. 14-year-old me didn't stand a chance.

Still my favorite of the decade, right along side Mulholland Dr.

Michael C. said...

Wonder Boys is far and away my favorite film of 2000. I watch 2 or 3 times a year. It's hard to put my finger on exactly why but I'll give it a shot.

It has so many great actors at the top of their game giving career-best performaces. Robert Downey Jr. in particular gives his most Robert Downey Jr. performance, if you get what I mean and I think that you do.

Wonder Boys, more so than I film I can think of, feels like an accurate depiction of what it's like to be a writer, not a genius but an actual working writer. It all rings so true, maybe because they smartly chose to depict the ways their lives spin in eccentric circles around their occupation rather than attempting to dramatize the act of writing itself.

I know everyone's agreed to discuss craft only on certain films like period pieces or fantasy films but this is one of the most beautifully crafted films of the decade and the lighting and art direction and editing capture the mood and atmosphere of the material flawlessly.

It's the rare comedy that never seems to be straining for a laugh despite the elements that may seem zany on paper. All the humor stems from the humanity of the characters. The filmmakers understood that the humor doesn't come from the dead blind dog but from the character's deadpan reactions to fitting it in the trunk of a car.

I could go on, but I'll stop. It's simply one of my favorite films ever.

Crimson said...

Sorry, "Bring It On" is pretty awful, and that should never be on a top ten list when 2000 was so rich with other great films instead.

My list:

1. "Traffic"
2. "Amores Perros"
3. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
4. "Erin Brockovich"
5. "Almost Famous"
6. "Memento"
7. "Before Night Falls"
8. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
9. "Shadow of the Vampire"
10. "Billy Elliot"

Daniel Armour said...

Wow! How could I forget about Bring It On?! It was - and continues to be - a pretty damn good film! Hell, I saw it twice in theaters (which I rarely do with comedies).

Jude said...

A truly enjoyable movie from the year 2000 for me is What Women Want. It's certainly not the best film has to offer, but, like the Parent Trap, it always manages to entertain.

The Pretentious Know it All said...

I've been keeping a record of my favorite films since about 1999. But I was still a 14-year-old boy in 2000, so I think my top ten is best left undiscussed. 4 words:

Sam Raimi's "The Gift."

par3182 said...

you can count on me is my pick of 200

two other top tenners -
best in show
chuck and buck

Juno101 said...

I was just thinking about "Dancer in the dark"(f*ckin' LOVE it) and as I kept looking through your list I thought fa sho it wouldn't make this list. I'm crying inside, I'm so happy. Can't believe its your number one. Just awesome!
This post is also on IMDB, you know. Thats pretty awesome too.

NATHANIEL R said...

@par3182 -- BEST IN SHOW. it's hard to believe that at the time i thought it was 'good but whatever' -- i think my expectations were just totally out of whack after the genius of Waiting for Guffman because now of course i LOVE Best in Show.

@Michael C
@Nate --- i love hearing such personal reactions. 'the 14 year-old me didn't stand a chance' ;)

@Crimson -- i aint the only cinephile who swears by this perky cheerleaders. Look again. T-T-T-TORRANCE. T-T-T-TORRANCE

Jeff said...

1. Yi Yi
2. Werckmeister Harmonies
3. You Can Count on Me
4. George Washington
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
6. Wonder Boys
7. In the Mood for Love
8. Almost Famous
9. Pollock
10. The Widow of St. Pierre

Ben said...

Love this series. Can't wait to see more.

My top 5 (probably)
1. You Can Count on Me (glad you now agree it should have made your list). One of my all-time favorites.
2.Crouching Tiger
3. Requiem for a Dream
4. Traffic
5. Wonder Boys

-On Requiem- I have also somewhat strangely watched this film several times since it came out. It seems to have a vitality that brings me back that is lacking in some other depressing/disturbing films like Monster. I can't imagine ever watching that again even though overall I admired it.

-How about Best in Show? I've seen that many many times since 2000 and it's still funny.

cal roth said...

More fun when you do it with your Film Bitch Awards. Would like to know if you'd keep the same acting and tech medals, too.

Ryan Ray said...

I also would have chosen Dancer in the Dark as my number 1. I love Best in Show, Battle Royale, and Requiem for a Dream as well. Pretty dark list, save Best in Show. God I love Jane Lynch.

Whenever I think of Wonder Boys, I immediately go to Finding Forrester. I despise that movie so much, I couldn't even finish it. Maybe it is my cantankerous nature, but I can't stand that cliche of a movie.

par3182 said...

for some reason imdb lists the virgin suicides as a 1999 release, but since it didn't roll out until 2000 it's my runner-up

Deborah said...

I love looking at my IMDb vote history and reminiscing about a year.

Une Liaisons Pornographique could make my favorites of the decade, it is a movie I think of often.

Another favorite is The Whole Nine Yards. Don't mock the slapstick! The truth is, I very rarely love comedies, and this one delights me and has made me laugh on multiple viewings.

Memento and O Brother Where Art Thou? are two dearly loved by me.

State and Main was flawed but great. Also under "flawed but great" are Dr. T. & the Women and Keep the River on Your Right.

Don't underestimate X-Men; it ain't easy doing a terrific comic book movie.

Wonder Boys fills my heart.

You Can Count on Me I would recommend to anyone, but I don't think of it as often as you'd imagine.

The Luzhin Defence is a movie I absolutely adored, although I haven't thought of it much lately. Still, such a delightful oddball film.

Deborah said...

Oh, and Return to Me is one of my favorite romances. Love it. Go ahead and make fun of me, I do not care.

NATHANIEL R said...

@Deborah -- wait. which one is that?

@Cal -- i am considering other decade-in-review options

Deborah said...

Crap, I left off Cast Away. I love that movie.

seasondays said...

film of the year
requiem for a dream

top ten
almost famous
american psycho
amores perros
billy elliot
cast away
chicken run
dancer in the dark
erin brockovich
traffic
wonder boys

Paul Outlaw said...

In alphabetical order and all seriousness:

Almost Famous
American Psycho
Billy Elliot
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dude, Where's My Car?
Memento
Quills
Small Time Crooks
Tigerland
Wonder Boys

James Colon said...

Looking back, I don't remember as many great films as I would like (I remember a lot of good films: Traffic, Erin Brockovich, etc.). As for my favorite film: it's most definitely a toss-up between You Can Count On Me and High Fidelity. I'd lean toward High Fidelity, but only because I saw that film at the perfect time of my life and influenced me more as a human being. Truly underrated film.

T.J. said...

Still the best year for movies this decade.

My Top Ten:

1. High Fidelity
2. George Washington
3. Almost Famous
4. Wonder Boys
5. Traffic
6. Requiem for A Dream
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
8. The Big Kahuna
9. Jesus' Son
10. You Can Count On Me

Runners Up: Yi Yi: A One and A Two, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Cell, American Psycho, The Virgin Suicides, The Contender, Bamboozled, Croupier, Boiler Room, Ghost Dog: The Way of The Samurai, Pollock, Dancer in The Dark, Unbreakable, Shadow of The Vampire, Sound and Fury

Decidedly NOT a fan of Gladiator or Erin Brockovich.

Never have and desperately need to see Werckmeister Harmonies, In The Mood for Love, and A Time for Drunken Horses.

Chris Na Taraja said...

My list would include....

GLADIATOR
WHAT LIES BENEATH
OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
ALMOST FAMOUS

But CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON is the one that leaves the biggest impression on me. Not only because of the amazing images and fight scenes, but because the friend I went to see it with was trying to learn to speak chinese at the time. He fell asleep during the movie, and started sleep talking....IN CHINESE!

Chris Na Taraja said...

Oh and definitely BEST IN SHOW!!! Thanks Arlo.

Anonymous said...

great year!

my top 5:
Almost Famous
Requiem For a Dream
Crouching Tigger, Hidden Dragon
The Virgin Suicides
High Fidelity

I was 16 that time, I was a sucker for anything teen, rock`n roll and "edgy"..

First time directors: Sofia, Stephen Daldry and Tarsem Singh

I love Parker Posey in Best in Show and Scream 3!!!

Best performances: Christian Bale in American Psycho, Elle Burstyn, John Cusack and Frances McDormand.

Breakthrough performances: Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Jackman, Jamie Bell, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson and Zhang Ziyi...

The Air score

Great musical moments in Dancer in the Dark, Almost Famous, High Fidelity..

guilty pleasures: x-men, snatch, charlie`s angels, pitch black and miss congeniality

honorable mentions: wonder boys, traffic, erin brockovich, brother where art thou? and chicken run

Remy

Victor S said...

Almost ten years after I still fight about my best picture of 2000: Today is Requiem for a dream. Yesterday was Crouching Tiger, and simply cannot settle the question of which is number 1 and which is number 2.

jimmy said...

brokeback mountain
little miss sunshine
walk the line
chicago
far from heaven
the hours

NATHANIEL R said...

from these comments i'm feeling like WONDER BOYS is the one most in need of a revisit. I remember approximately nothing about it other than which actors were in it.

and i like charlie's angels, too. sue me.

Anonymous said...

hmmm Dancer in the Dark is on later today, guess I might just have to watch it now.

Deborah said...

@Nathaniel: Return to Me is Minnie Driver and David Duchovny; she gets his late wife's heart. Bonnie Hunt, Carroll O'Connor, Jim Belushi.

adri said...

I tend to clump my movie memories together by association. In 2000, I liked:

- Dance Movies: Center Stage & Billy Elliot
- Frances McDormand Double Feature: Almost Famous and Wonder Boys
- Scary Movies with a Great Heroine: What Lies Beneath & The Gift
- Parents You Can Depend On: Frequency (Dennis Quaid as Dad) & Bless The Child (Kim Basinger as Mom)
- Tough Australian Guys to Die For: X-Men (Jackman) & Gladiator (Crowe)

In my second tier, I liked:
- Rewatchable Romances: Keeping the Faith, Return to Me, Chocolat
- Guys Figuring Themselves Out: High Fidelity, Memento, Hamlet (Hawke)
- But They Made ME Laugh: Psycho Beach Party & Bedazzled

Bernardo said...

1. Dancer in the Dark
2. Billy Elliot
3. Nurse Betty
4. Chocolat (Don't punch me...)
5. Requiem for a Dream

6. Before Night Falls
7. Wonder Boys
8. American Psycho
9. Erin Brockovich
10. X-Men

Weakest Top 10 of the decade...

Arkaan said...

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Wonder Boys
3. The House of Mirth
4. Beau Travail
5. George Washington
6. Requiem for a Dream
7. Yi Yi
8. Hamlet
9. Croupier
10. The Wind Will Carry Us

Arkaan said...

Oh, Jesus' Son too.

Amir said...

nathaniel,how great that you decided to start this series.
looking back at these years is amazing.

also, my number 1 is for sure, for sure, for sure, in the mood for love.

NATHANIEL R said...

i have in the mood for love in 2001 since that's when it opened stateside.

Andrea said...

wth, why does everyone have nearly the exact same lists.

RC said...

my top 10 only shared two with you - crouching tiger, hidden dragon (#1) & Erin Brokovich (#7).

adam k. said...

Nat, I'm assuming Marcia Gay was not a nominee with you cause you have her in lead, which was devastatingly overcrowded that year (no way she's in over Bjork, Burstyn, Linney, Roberts or Zellweger/Yeoh/Pfeiffer/Anderson/whoever).

And Wonder Boys is worth a revisit. I own it, and have revisited several times. It's a solid B+ type of movie, should probably be in the top ten list, terrific writing and acting, but just never feels quite cinematic enough for "A" territory... too literary. Too safe. But great performances all around, great sensibility, a great way to spend an afternoon. And I'm sure it has great appeal to working writers, academics, and the like, as it really seems to capture that life.

Alan M said...

I love the term Best "Pure" Hollywood movie...best way to define Erin Broncovich

Dean said...

No love for The Cell?

Glenn said...

The top ten as I have it right now (as in, I haven't mixed it about in the last few years).

1. American Psycho
2. Crouching Tiger
3. Billy Elliot
4. Dancer in the Dark
5. Requiem for a Dream
6. Best in Show
7. Erin Brockovich
8. The Cell
9. Bring It On
10. The Dish

I'd probably slide Elliot down, Brockovich upupup, but other than that I think I'd keep the top ten titles the same. The movies from 2000 that most hate but that I love are The Cell, Dancing at the Blue Iguana and TimeCode.

NATHANIEL R said...

Dean i have never seen The Cell *cowers in shame*

Alan thanks. I just feel like it's such a perfect ancestor of all those old star vehicles that were actually good films. easily digestable but sparkly with charisma and well made

adam yeah, best actress was INSANE that year. That's one of the reasons why i hate Chocolat even more than one should. How on earth they thought Binoche deserved to be there given what was goin' down that year. Madness. But maybe that's a topic for another post.

Branden said...

Here is my list for 2000:

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. Almost Famous
4. You Can Count On Me
5. Quills
6. Before Night Falls
7. Chocolat
8. High Fidelity
9. Snatch
10. Wonder Boys

filmgeek said...

Glad to see some appreciation for Bring It On.

Bing147 said...

Nathaniel, its even sadder when you see the Widow of St Pierre where Binoche gave one of her career best performances was made that same year. She was perfectly deserving of a nomination... but for a very different and amazing film. That said, I don't mind Chocolat, I find it charming enough.

My top 10:

1. The Widow of St Pierre
2. In the Mood for Love
3. Faithless
4. Amores Perros
5. Water Drops on Burning Rocks
6. Almost Famous
7. Memento
8. A Time for Drunken Horses
9. American Psycho
10. Werckmeister Harmonies

Top 5 I still must see (a list I could easily make in any year of any decade...heck, I could do 10 quite easily any year): Yi Yi, George Washington, Wonder Boys, The House of Mirth, Snatch

Unknown said...

I use international release dates because I never see movies the year they come out! At least not any more. :sad face:

1. Dayereh / The Circle
2. Trolosa / Faithless
3. Sanger fran andra vaningen / Songs from the Second Floor
4. Après la réconciliation / After the Reconciliation
5. Tillsammans / Together
6. Fa yeung nin wa / In the Mood for Love
7. Code iconnu: Recit incomplet de divers voyages / Code Unknown
8. Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse / The Gleaners and I
9. Oh! Soo-jung / Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors
10. Cinema de notre temps: une journee d'Andrei Arsenevitch

These are better than those American films, lolz, sorry, jk!

Nate Tyson said...

Nat:

Wonder Boys is definitely better than you remember.

Nate Tyson said...

Charles:

While I personally count Dayereh as a 2001 film, I'm super-psyched to see that it has not been forgotten.

Chris Na Taraja said...

Charlies Angels was hot and fun! Who didn't like it. I don't know if it makes the top ten, but it's in the running for me.

Unknown said...

I wasn't so in step with cinema back in 2000 (I was in, what 4th grade?), and I still need to see a lot of the year's essentials.

Some sour thoughts though:

1. I found 'Requiem' overrated. Well-acted, interesting, but hollow at its core.

2. 'Bring It On' was not a great movie. I'd be more likely to classify it as a BAD movie. But for whatever reason, the gays are just tickled to death by it. I guess I'm in the minority there.

3. I'm baffled that 'Gladiator' is so consistently dismissed by cinephiles. I think it's epic studio filmmaking of the highest order.

And one lighter thought:

Can we all agree that 'The Emperor's New Groove' is splendidly goofy and fun? No, it's not film art, but it's still a riot.

Glenn Dunks said...

The Emperor's New Groove would be in my top 15 for sure.

Also, I haven't seen a bunch of the prominent titles and yet they're all "Long Wait" on my DVD queue! Gah!!

Bobby said...

Hard to think of ten for now. But sure on the list would be as follows.

1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. Suzhou River, by Lou Ye
4. In the Mood for Love
5. Erin Blockovich
6. Batoru rowaiaru (Battle Royale)


These 6 would be locked. The remaining may include Traffic or Cast Away.

Anonymous said...

My favorite movies from 2000 are Almost Famous, Billy Elliot and The House Of Mirth. Gillian Anderson deserved an oscar nomination for her performance in this one in my opinion.

Patrick Gamble said...

We're compiling a list of the top 100 hundred of the deace, one writers is up, but i must say i re-watched dancer in the dark the other day and forgot how good it was.

we've got a poll if anyone fancys letting us know what they think is the best film of the year

www.lastsiteontheleft.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Gillian Anderson...feels like she still could break through to Oscar. Her stage work has continued to be admired. Bleak House on TV was magnificent. And even small roles like in Last King of Scotland, continue to show screen power. What will it take?
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