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Best Of The Zeros II
I was giving more thought to this best movies of the 2000s issue and . . . well, it's really hard to say. I think this kind of thing is best left for when you have more perspective on it. Perhaps best of the 1990s is a better question. All I'm really sure about it is that people who think Memento and/or The Royal Tenenbaums are great movies have problems. Best movies of the 90s is probably more discussable, but once I started thinking about this my cup immediately began to floweth over. Thinking about Unforgiven is making me think less well of Million Dollar Baby now that I put it all into perspective.
March 16, 2005 | Permalink
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Comments
Huh. I thought Memento and the Royal T's both were awesome. I must be one of those red state know-nothings.
Posted by: RG | Mar 16, 2005 1:55:25 AM
memento kicks ass.
Posted by: bobo brooks | Mar 16, 2005 2:14:00 AM
I don't know if either Memento and the Royal T's were "great" (horrible undefine term) but both were very well-made and very entertaining and neither was stupid. Works for me.
I, on the other hand, never saw what was supposed to be great about Unforgiven. I only saw it once (missing a few minutes here or there) but I thought it was okay, but nothing that special.
Best of the 2000's so far (that I've seen and I've missed a lot) is Eternal Sunshine, no question. I haven't seen MDB yet, but I suspect I would like it better if it were a traditional boxing movie and not a right-to-die movie, just as I would have enjoyed Talk to Her more if the reporter and not the female matador had gotten stomped on by the bull.
Posted by: Michael Farris | Mar 16, 2005 2:15:20 AM
Count me as someone else who has problems; I think that both Memento and the RT stood out as a lot more interesting than average; certainly I'd rather sit through either than the last few Best Picture winners. I'd rather see an interesting experiment, even if it isn't entirely successful (say, like "Being John Malkovich"), than yet another variation on one of the four or five standard movie plots.
Posted by: Joe Buck | Mar 16, 2005 2:51:04 AM
Master And Commander: The Far Side of the World may have a crappy title, but I thought it was a wonderful little drama tucked inside a huge period adventure (and had the addded benefit of not being Memento or The Royal Tennenbaums). I also liked Cold Mountain and my choice for best comedy of the Aughts(?) would be Elf, which can even be enjoyed by Jews (and I'm living proof).
Posted by: Dan | Mar 16, 2005 3:16:35 AM
What's not to like about The Royal Tenenbaums? You take a slice of Edward Gorey, some Nine Stories, throw in a little Eloise at the Plaza, and press puree. Great fun.
Posted by: jjf | Mar 16, 2005 7:06:42 AM
I alao liked the The Royal Tennenbaums a lot; didn't think much of The Unforgiven.
Posted by: Dan Kervick | Mar 16, 2005 7:27:13 AM
hmm. i thought RT was disappointing. i loved Rushmore, so i had high hopes for RT.
Posted by: cleek | Mar 16, 2005 7:34:20 AM
Best of 90s?
Fight Club
Unforgiven
...
... aw, hell, now that I'm actually trying to think of something, I'm blanking. But I loved Memento, kind of like a film version of Use of Weapons.
Posted by: Kurt Montandon | Mar 16, 2005 7:37:47 AM
Million Dollar Baby was the Shawshank Redemption meets Rocky. Overrated with great performances and even better direction. The fact that it pissed off the entire right wing establishment though was reason enough to give it Best picture.
Posted by: glennk | Mar 16, 2005 7:46:09 AM
Unforgiven has to be the worst "good" movie I have ever seen. How about Pulp Fiction, or Fargo, or American Beauty? Heck, the Godfather Part III is better than Unforgiven.
Posted by: clark | Mar 16, 2005 8:00:59 AM
Nice to have a ready list:
1990-1999
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Unforgiven (1992)
La Femme Nikita (1990)
Fargo (1996)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Matrix (1999)
Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Groundhog Day 1993
Office Space (1999)
Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Waking Ned Devine
My Cousin Vinny
I know more than ten, its tough to decide. But I like my odd picks. I can't help but watch "My Cousin Vinnie" whenever it's on TNT/TBS/USA,etc (does this mean that Zoolander should be in my 2000-2009 list?, jury's out). Dumb & Dumber mad it OK to like stupid movies again. and, you either LOVE or HAAATTTEEE "Joe vs. the Volcano".
Posted by: Steve | Mar 16, 2005 8:10:30 AM
i would say people that think igby goes down is a great movie has serious serious problems but thats just me. (mmm, thats what i call great punditry.)
Posted by: annoying pedant | Mar 16, 2005 8:14:48 AM
movies from 90's:
American Beauty
Pulp Fiction
Posted by: NSF | Mar 16, 2005 8:23:30 AM
I suppose I have problems, then.
Posted by: praktike | Mar 16, 2005 8:26:25 AM
Best of 2000s: Mulholland Drive
Worst: Ocean's Twelve
Posted by: wvmcl | Mar 16, 2005 8:58:40 AM
Memento came out in 2000, which makes it more of a 1990s movie, what with Clinton still being in office and 9/11 yet to come. It was a great movie, regardless of what Matt has to say about it, if a 8.6/10 rating over at imdb.com is any indication.
Posted by: David W. | Mar 16, 2005 9:33:55 AM
"Master And Commander: The Far Side of the World may have a crappy title, but I thought it was a wonderful little drama tucked inside a huge period adventure"
Well, I wanted to like it, but it tossed overboard alsmost everything that made the books good.
The actual Master and Commander, or for that matter, the actual Far Side of the World, might have made a great movie.
Posted by: rea | Mar 16, 2005 9:46:07 AM
Best Movie of the '90s, in a walk: Dead Man.
Posted by: Andrew | Mar 16, 2005 9:57:01 AM
Will I get laughed out of here for suggesting The English Patient?
Posted by: Troilus | Mar 16, 2005 10:00:03 AM
What about Whale Rider? Or the Bourne Identity?
Posted by: Ken | Mar 16, 2005 10:00:41 AM
Steve's list looks fine to me, as a start. Y'all like too many art movies, ok to turn the mind off sometimes.
I hated Rushmore, and tried it three times.
To be a contrarian, I like "Point of No Return" more then "La Femme Nikita". Fonda sucks, and Anne Parrilaud is to die for, but "Point" is nearly a scene-for-scene remake, and in almost every scene you can see the value craft and a big budget can add to a movie. And why America owns the world movie market. I also preferred the American "The Ring" to the original.
On the other hand saw "Open Your Eyes" sp version the other night, and it is vastly superior to Crowe's remake. Neither are great movies.
Posted by: bob mcmanus | Mar 16, 2005 10:04:55 AM
The Bourne Identity? Yet more evidence in support of "De gustibus non est disputandum" :)
Posted by: Troilus | Mar 16, 2005 10:07:21 AM
Will I get laughed out of here for suggesting The English Patient?
i much preferred Sack Lunch
Posted by: cleek | Mar 16, 2005 10:11:14 AM
"Will I get laughed out of here for suggesting The English Patient?"
Yes. Although with "Wuthering Heights","Quiz Show","Schindler's List","Strange Days","Oscar & Lucinda", "Sunshine, and "End of the Affair" Ralph Fiennes had a pretty good 90s.
Posted by: bob mcmanus | Mar 16, 2005 10:12:20 AM
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