Hey, we made it to the current century! Movies you may have actually seen in the cinema! Like the 90s this decade is hard to be solidly objective about, but it is easy to see which were truly the best. The Academy made some odd decisions this decade, but there are some great and seminal films.
2000-2009
“Really? This was ‘the Best?’”
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
This movie isn’t bad. It’s kind of fun and everyone does their job well. Russell Crowe is good, but the supporting characters (real and imagined) are who really shine. A pretty good Ron Howard film, though I like his 80s comedies more. However, the thing is A Beautiful Mind is nowhere near as good as Mulholland Drive, which wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture. My favorite moment at that year's Oscars was this quick shot of David Lynch and Robert Altman chatting after losing to Ron Howard for best director. Grade: B-
Crash (2005)
Imagine if Robert Altman made an after school special about racism, but then take away any nuance and subtlety Bob might have had. You’d basically have Crash. The ensemble of actors all do a fine job and technically the film is more than adequately done. The script on the other hand, seems naive, idealistic, and sensational. To be fair, 2005 was a really good year. Other nominees, Munich, Capote, Good Night and Good Luck, were amazing works of cinema. But what’s really insulting was that Crash won out over fourth nominee Brokeback Mountain. Sometimes, the Academy makes really bad choices. I'm still pretty irked with them about that, if you couldn't tell. Grade: C+
The Good
Chicago (2002)
I was already a fan of this musical before it was a film, being a Fosse aficionado. None of that famous choreography style is in this version, but the dancing and singing is still top notch. I’m not sure how I feel about all the musical numbers being “in the mind,” but the film works well with its choices. Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, and Queen Latifah really stand out in an already exceptional ensemble. Grade: B
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
A sports film, mostly. The female boxer story is really cool and exciting to watch. The last act of the film doesn’t put me off like it does others, but it starts to feel like a different film at that point. Swank and Eastwood do some of their best work, I just wish that last act worked better. Grade: B-
The Great
Gladiator (2000)
A sprawling tale of a Roman general thrown into the arena by a jealous usurping emperor, Ridley Scott crafts one of his best films. Though Russell Crowe is good, it’s Joaquin Phoenix you really remember as the evil emperor. I feel like I’ve seen a number of films this borrows from, but Scott and company make it seem fresh and new. When it comes to Roman Empire epics, here are my top three: 1. Ben-Hur 2. Spartacus 3. Gladiator. This makes it to the top three for a reason. Grade: B+
The Departed (2006)
A remake of Infernal Affairs, Martin Scorsese adds his touch to a story of undercover cops and criminals. This is probably the best Boston film ever, and a great crime epic in addition. Dicaprio and Damon hold their own against a superbly bizarre Jack Nicholson. You can see flashes of McMurphy and the Joker in Jack’s Frank Costello. Many twists and turns and hidden x’s make this a great, if a little long, film. Grade: A-
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
When I first saw Slumdog, I felt like it was a sort of Bollywood take on City of God. That probably isn’t very fair. Though there are some stylistic and character similarities, they are pretty different flicks. Now that I’ve reevaluated it, I find its structure to be its best component. Although, the choice of using Who Wants to Be a Millionaire seemed tired then and kind of dated now- it does establish the best path for the film to follow. A great story, with wonderful performances, but I’m not a fan of the Bollywood coda. I felt like it kind of cheapened the resolution, but I could be wrong there. Grade: B+
The Hurt Locker (2009)
The first film to produce a female Best Director award (against her ex-husband, by the way), Katheryn Bigelow’s war drama shows the tension, the horror, and the boredom of war. I love that every time you see an actor your recognize as a hero from other films, they die. Spoiler Alert? Grade: B+
The Essential
No Country for Old Men (2007)
I might have a bit of bias on this because I lived in Albuquerque when they filmed this Cormac McCarthy adaptation. At some point I might go through the Coen brothers’ filmography like I have with the Best Pictures. Ethan and Joel basically have three kinds of movies- Blood Simples, Raising Arizonas, and Barton Finks. This of the more Blood Simple variety. A great crime western that I think solidified their legacy of auteurs. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is up there with Nurse Ratched, Hannibal Lecter, and Frank Booth as one of the scariest screen villains. I don’t think this is the brothers’ best film, that might be Fargo or Barton Fink, but this is certainly essential for both the Coens and Best Pictures. Grade: A-
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
I’m not in love with these movies like a lot of others. I guess, I’m more of a Harry Potter guy. I totally agree with Kevin Smith's summation that all of these movies are 9 hours of walking. Exciting walking at least. I suppose it should be noted that, with the exception of the last two films, Harry Potter can be boiled down to “Harry has a difficult year at school.” Anyway, I agree with the criticisms that Return of the King has multiple endings and I wish that was better dealt with, especially because Peter Jackson is capable and knew what he was doing. If I voted in 2003 I probably would have voted for Mystic River (or maybe Lost in Translation), but culturally the Lord of the Rings films are more important. Not just important fantasy, but also important to how films could be made. Grade: B+
Come back Tuesday for the last batch!