To check out #200-176, click here.
To check out #175-151, click here.
I feel obligated to issue an apology to lots of people. Ever since this list started, I've been getting a lot of questions, "Is such-and-such going to be on your list?" and inevitably, when I answer, "No," the reaction is usually one of disappointment (and in the rare case, scorn). This is an inexact science. And it's not impressive enough to be called an "art". I've seen... let me see 685 movies from the first decade of the 21st century. A decent amount of them were garbage. A handful were extraordinary. But most of them were middle of the road. The kind of movies I enjoyed once or possibly twice, but they left me with little long-lasting impression save for a couple one-liners or a memorable scene. That's just the nature of movies, or anything really. You might have an iTunes library of 3000 songs. But you don't LOVE all of them. You might really like 200, you might kind of hate 200, and the rest are just pretty solid songs that have their time and place--but if you were forced to eliminate them like in a desert island scenario, they just wouldn't make the cut. So I apologize if you're not thrilled with my list. I can bet that if I was reading lists that my friends put together, I'd disagree on a bunch as well. But the one thing I don't want is for people to think that they're somehow lesser people for liking movies I didn't particularly like. Just because I'm really into movies doesn't mean I'm a certified measuring stick. I feel like I've given this impression off to a lot of people, and I don't like it. I don't really want to be an elitist when it comes to these things. I'd just rather be the guy who you turn to when you can't remember the name of the guy who directed Zodiac or the woman who played Harry's mom in Requiem for a Dream. Don't let me opinions become judgments. Please.
Now let's continue:
150. Burn After Reading (Coen Brothers, 2008) - In a way, this was the Coens' "let's ease it down" project after the epic effort that was No Country for Old Men. An Oscar puts a lot of pressure on people to produce a repeat, especially for artists who spent a lot of their careers operating beneath radar. And let's face it--while the general public might know and appreciate their films (especially hits like Fargo and The Big Lebowski), there's also a good chance that they didn't even know they were made by the same people. The Coens don't lord over their films like an obnoxious presence (a la Spike Lee or Michael Bay) and they aren't (weren't) popular enough to be used for marketing (Tarantino or Spielberg), so their name just kind of got lost in the shuffle, until the Oscar. While their speeches might have been lifeless and dreary, their films are anything but, and I think that's the kind of statement they were making with Burn After Reading. They made a fun movie that kept everyone's attention that wasn't bound to sweep year-end awards, but was still totally worthwhile and executed with a more skillful hand than your average film school grad director. Brad Pitt was great, losing himself in a character who isn't Brad Pitt, and John Malkovich was hysterical. Nothing wrong here.
149. Jarhead (Sam Mendes, 2005) - On the opposite end of the spectrum as far as intent is concerned, I think Mendes fell in to the trap of gunning for Oscar after American Beauty killed as much as it did. At first glance, Jarhead was lined up to take home awards and really wow people, and I believe it fell quite short--but luckily enough it was aiming so high that it was still a really good movie. I liked Jake Gyllenhaal in this one, I think some of his fellow soldiers were a little bit cartoonish, but he was easy to identify with, at least for me, trying to put myself in his shoes. It's an interesting take on the war genre--instead of being told a story of soldiers on the front lines in nonstop action (like Saving Private Ryan or Letters From Iwo Jima), it's a more psychological story of young men who have sacrificed everything to travel to Kuwait, but who end up operating as little more than clean up, never really being able to fulfill their desires as soldiers.
148. The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson, 2008) - Rian Johnson was a pretty hot name after Brick, and he followed it up with a more fanciful and whimsical story of two brothers who make a living as con artists, but who do it with a very extraordinary flare. Adrien Brody is kind of stuck in a rut of playing brooding oddballs, and he wasn't especially terrific to me in this one, but I liked Mark Ruffalo as the older brother, protective of the younger Bloom even when he doesn't appear to be. The plot moves along very crisply, there are a lot of odds and ends in the story (as it is about con men who aim to make a grand tale out of everything) but little of it is wasteful. Rachel Weisz is engaging though not entirely believable as the clueless millionaire Penelope Stamp, and it's her inclusion that really gets the movie off and running. Johnson successfully proved that he is very talented and did not just catch lightning in a bottle with Brick.
147. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, 2003) - On the scale of children's movies that appeal to adults, Finding Nemo skews pretty young. It might lack the action of The Incredibles and the ribald of Shrek, but it's still a fantastic movie, particularly for the recreation of underwater life and the insane number of species portrayed. The voice actors I could take or leave, but the renderings were spectacular and the story was well-crafted. Easy enough for kids to follow, and touching enough for adults to appreciate.
146. Wristcutters: A Love Story (Goran Dukic, 2006) - Based on a story by uber-hailed Israeli author Etgar Keret, Wristcutters takes suicide and purgatory and turns them into a quirky, thoughtful journey (though I know anyone who has ever dealt with these concepts first hand probably wouldn't think that is appropriate--and they wouldn't be wrong). In the movie, everyone who commits suicide is sent to a different afterlife, one that is just like real life, except much more depressing. They can't smile, the landscape is drab, and their lives have no direction--except for Zia (Patrick Fugit) who is on a mission to find his former girlfriend, who had also committed suicide. Along the way he meets and befriends a couple other denizens of this purgatory, each with their own backstory and (sometimes) charming quirks. I think it's the completeness of the world that made me enjoy the movie the most. From a plot standpoint, the arc of the movie is not that original--guy in search of girl meets other girl and falls in love--but the setting and the characters are pretty rich and definitely intriguing. Tip of the hat to Tom Waits, who plays Kneller, an afterlife camp director with mysterious powers.
145. The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009) - Todd Phillips has hit a few home runs recently, with Old School and Starsky & Hutch, but none of his films became quite the phenomenon that The Hangover did--and it did so almost immediately. A lot of people would probably admit that Iron Mike's presence in the trailer was a draw--and it was--but the movie ended up being one giant circus act, with scene after scene of absurdity and almost no let up on the gas pedal. Zach Galfianakis plays the one-liner guy (and the fat guy with the funny outfits), Ed Helms plays the guy with the crazy facial expressions, and Bradley Cooper is the straight man. It was undoubtedly the comedy hit of 2009, and most likely due to recency bias, will stand for now as the most loved comedy of the decade.
144. A Serious Man (Coen Brothers, 2009) - I wrote up a review of this film here, and it basically explains how I liked it, but couldn't really explain why. I think of all the Coen films, it probably had the least vibrant story to work with, but still was incredibly effective at eliciting an emotional response, likely due to the shot selection and musical choices. It stands to me as a guidebook for directors on how to make the audience react the way you want them to react--even without the necessary material.
143. JCVD (Mabrouk El Mechri, 2008) - A strong movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a sad (though humanized) version of himself who is mistaken as the perpetrator of a robbery that he's actually a hostage of. It's a very creative story (and occasionally crosses the fourth wall of the audience-actor boundary), telling the tale of a movie star on the down and out while almost simultaneously reinventing his career. Van Damme has long been kind of a robotic and caricatured figure, but this movie definitely presents him in a new light--even if it does suffer from a noticeably poor stage shoot.
142. Lars and the Real Girl (Craig Gillespie, 2007) - I think you sort of have to overlook the ridiculous nature of this movie's plot--that a quiet, lonely man orders a "real doll" from the internet and pretends that the doll is his girlfriend--and look at the interactions between the characters who are actually played by humans. Ryan Gosling is great. Maybe not as great as Half Nelson, but certainly a more dynamic performance than in Stay. And Emily Mortimer carries the movie from start to finish. She's compassionate, strong willed, and bright, and although I think a lot of people might wonder how this even became a real movie (and the silliness of it does come through quite often), there's a very basic theme going on underneath all of the sex doll absurdity: it hurts to be alone in life.
141. The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry, 2006) - I'm a pretty big fan of Gael Garcia Bernal. He's going to end up with a slew of appearances on this list, partly because he's a good actor, and partly because he's chosen good projects to take part in. In The Science of Sleep, he's pretty childish, though not to a fault, since that is his character. We, as the audience, I think play Charlotte Gainsbourg's character, the level headed affectee of Bernal's antics, and certainly he does quickly vacillate between delightful and annoying. It was Gondry's first effort as writer-director, and it shows a lot of his already established celluloid personality--dream sequences, lo-fi effects, and sound and image distortion. I think his film-as-fantasy style works well here, especially when that fantasy is quickly jerked back into reality, an unfortunate byproduct for dreamers everywhere.
140. Borat (Larry Charles, 2006) - Maybe you've had enough of Sacha Baron Cohen by now, and maybe the teenager obsession with Borat has turned you off of it altogether, but I think we all have to admit that this movie was a worldwide event when it premiered. In an entertainment world where all "reality" is staged, I think audiences were crying out for staged reality that REALLY works. Cohen is relentlessly in character, perhaps to criminal ends, and Borat took the mostly UK-centered momentum he had from Ali G and unleashed it on the states. It's offensive and crude and in fifty years they'll look back and say, "How did anyone think this was funny?", but unless you're in a coma, this movie made you laugh out loud at least eight times.
139. Thank You For Smoking (Jason Reitman, 2005) - Movies often times take the style of their lead characters, and I can't think of a more shining example than this--slick, smooth, eye-catching, hip, whatever you want to say. Starting with an attention grabbing title and a surely polarizing theme, Reitman and Aaron Eckhart turn it into a zing-fest. There's polished speech, twisted psychology, and a very fast pace, but in the end, tobacco lobby representative Nick (Eckhart) is undone by what makes him so good in the first place--bravado and access to the industry's biggest secrets. In the end, it's not as much critical of big tobacco as it is of the entire process of policy in this nation. The country is run entirely on appearance instead of substance, perhaps a multi-layered critique Reitman would like to make of his industry.
138. American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman, 2003) - Paul Giamatti's coming out party. He had a lot of bit parts up until this movie, but like a bunch of other actors in recent years (Jamie Foxx, Philip Seymour Hoffman) he found limelight through a biopic. Unlike those guys, his subject was little known, but he still managed to deliver a killer performance. Made by documentary filmmakers, American Splendor has a very lifelike feel to it, and the understated acting lends itself well to that. There's not a lot of glamour here, but a good story.
137. Synechdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) - Given Kaufman's history as a writer (Eternal Sunshine, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich), I was incredibly pumped for his official debut as director. I think what I discovered was that the positive outlooks and vibrancy of the directors he had worked with before (Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry) nicely balanced with the razor sharp but ultimately depressing writing of Kaufman. So in his first opportunity to grab the reigns, a lot more of that sour disposition seemed to come out, and like Nicolas Cage in Adaptation, Philip Seymour Hoffman essentially plays Kaufman, this time as the director (coincidence?) of a stage play. There are so many rich nuggets in the story to overlook this movie, but I had sincerely hoped that it would have ended up much higher on the list than here.
136. Spiderman 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004) - People were huge on Spiderman. Me, not so much. I think Spiderman 2 was easily the best of the series (which I am proclaiming dead, despite reports of a Spiderman 4: Peter's back in high school sequel). Spidey 2 was a darker, more sinister movie than the first, and I think it benefited from that. That's where Raimi's strengths are--not in making glossy popcorn features. There's not a boatload of good acting in this one, but it was, in my opinion, a much stronger turn than the first. Spidey 1 and 3, unfortunately, don't make this list.
135. Solaris (Steven Soderbergh, 2002) - A creepy, vacuous movie remake of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film and Stanislaw Lem's 1961 book. It's very thought-provoking, and emotional for a science fiction film. I'm not sure if Clooney was the right pick for the lead, but he did a pretty good job. Quick synopsis: a widower scientist (Clooney) is sent to a distant planet known for its psychological disturbances, and once there is given an opportunity to reunite with his dead wife. Interesting dynamic, for sure--all he wants in life is to be with her again, but he knows that what he's experiencing is not real, just an illusion. Terrific story, which can be attributed to the original Polish novel, and well-made film, which can be attributed to the cold precision of the camera and Cliff Martinez's fantastic score.
134. Irreversible (Gaspar Noe, 2002) - I waffled on seeing this movie for a long time, after a friend had informed me that it caused him pretty severe emotional pain for a movie. But eventually I sucked it up and watched it. It certainly made an impression. Artistically, it's an okay movie. But it employs reverse chronological narration well (though without the clever tricks of Memento) and utilizes film's expressive medium to deliver very strong, gut-wrenching attacks. I caution you against watching it, not because I think you'll be messed up by it, but just in case you are appalled and come back wondering why I didn't warn you.
133. Capote (Bennett Miller, 2005) - There was Deep Impact and Armageddon, Dante's Peak and Volcano, Independence Day and Mars Attacks!. And then there was Capote. And Infamous. And Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toby Jones, everyone touting their favorite, which was better, which was more realistic. I, for one, never saw Infamous, as it was released the year after Capote and I was thoroughly satisfied with what I had seen. It was definitely a good movie, carried as much by Hoffman's breakthrough performance as by Clifton Collins and Catherine Keener in support. Somewhat deservedly, Hoffman took home the Oscar for this role (I believe Heath Ledger was better). And deservedly, the film didn't win any other awards, as it was good, but not that good.
132. Southland Tales (Richard Kelly, 2007) - It might take a particular type of person to appreciate my listing of this movie here. That particular type might be insane--let me just run down a quick cast summary: The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Cheri Oteri, Jon Lovitz, Mandy Moore, Seann William Scott (who, by comparison, kills his role), Booger from Revenge of the Nerds--it's almost mind-boggling to create a cast this outright laughable. But Richard Kelly, acclaimed writer/director of Donnie Darko, did it. And I suppose you could say he took his lumps as a result. I like this movie. I don't know why. I think Justin Timberlake carries it from start to finish, and there are plenty of really spectacular shots in it (along with plenty of odd ones, but that's another story). If you watch it, there's a good chance you won't be able (or WANT) to get through it, but all I can say is that I did, and I really wish it would have been more successful than it was. Something about it makes me think that he did it intentionally, but Kelly, please, next time, if you want to make an apocalyptic movie--try to wrangle yourself a little better cast.
131. I Am Legend (Francis Lawrence, 2007) - Speaking of apocalyptic--I Am Legend is bound to sit in a bin with The Road and The Book of Eli and other end of the world, one many journey movies that happen to make a splash towards the end of this decade. And though I haven't seen those other two yet, I can say I was definitely satisfied with I Am Legend. I like Will Smith when he's able to blend his action, comedic, and dramatic talents together, and he's pretty successful at occupying the screen by himself for half a movie. I Am Legend also features just about the coolest dog in the history of movies, German Shepherd Sam, his sidekick and only companion. I saw the "alternate ending" available on DVD, and trust me, the theatrical release was definitely superior.
130. The Matrix Reloaded (Wachowski Brothers, 2003) - Now that there has been a little bit of time for everyone to digest the Matrix trilogy and the value of it, I think it's becoming much more polarizing, since the "wow" of the effects has kind of faded. I personally think the first Matrix movie is phenomenal, and it stands on its own as a fantastic film, regardless of how revolutionary the special effects and fight sequences were. I think they got in a little over their heads with the two follow ups, flooded the screen with CGI and every imaginable camera angle, and lost touch with the neat story facets from the original. But Reloaded is still an enjoyable ride. It features the Keymaker, perhaps my favorite of all Matrix characters, and a lot of intense action while only lightly tapping into prophecy.
129. Up In The Air (Jason Reitman, 2009) - I wrote a formal review of the film here, so you could check that out if you'd like. A few weeks removed from my viewing, I think my take on it remains--it was a good film, certainly well made all around, but just didn't hit all the buttons that you'd really like a "Best Movie of the Year" to hit. I think awards season is treating it appropriately--a few here and there, but not enough to make it really stand out.
128. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Coen Brothers, 2000) - From recent to throwback, O Brother has been around long enough at this point that many people consider it a classic, something which I can appreciate but maybe not agree with. Bug-eyed comic George Clooney is not really my favorite, I prefer him as much more subtle, but he's not the be-all-end-all of this movie, and I think Tim Blake Nelson is certainly my favorite part. The blend of comedy, adventure, and bluegrass music is pretty novel, at least for me, and it's no surprise that the genius team of Joel and Ethan Coen was at the helm for it. It's not my favorite of their movies, for sure, but it's still head and shoulders above the typical drudge you find in Hollywood.
127. John Q (Nick Cassavetes, 2002) - This was in the midst of what was a really solid stretch of movies for Denzel Washington, including The Hurricane and Training Day, and though it certainly wasn't the most acclaimed of performances by him, I think it might be the most underrated. Superficially, this is a pretty basic studio get together that should make some bank at the box office, but along the way I think they stumbled across a good movie that a lot of people can identify with. Like Dog Day Afternoon, John Q takes a simple person and turns him in to a criminal to help the ones he loves--in this case, John's son who collapses from an oversized heart and can't afford surgery. James Woods and Anne Heche play pretty stellar villains in this, and though the suspense is (at best) tepid, I have very fond memories of first seeing this movie in the theaters, and over time it hasn't gotten any less enjoyable.
126. Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007) - Lots of people, myself included, had huge hopes for Cronenberg's follow up to A History of Violence, and once again teaming up with Viggo Mortensen (a trend--repeat director/actor pair--that I am kind of getting tired of) and this time featuring Naomi Watts, Eastern Promises has a lot of potential. It turned out to be a pretty wicked film, pulling no punches in terms of intensity (though falling short of A History) and touting a well-conceived story. Unfortunately, my main issue with this movie was that it pulled the plug way too soon--I thought there was still about 20 minutes to go, and boom, it ended. Still, maybe that was a good thing, as it didn't oversaturate you and left you wanting a little bit more. Plus, a naked knife fight. I mean, come on!
And with that, I must disappear.
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