7. “Fat Girl”
Provocateur Catherine Breillat certainly has a lot to say about female sexuality, but fans of her work would agree her most abrasive, confrontational film is this tale of two sisters, one a sexually active nymphette awash in thoughts of true romance, the other her far more cynical and more rotund sibling. As the older seductress pines for her much-older male paramour, the younger can only think in inflexible terms, knowing that the end of adolescence means the beginning of loneliness. “Fat Girl” traces the connection between the emotional disassociation of youth and the loveless call of passionless, selfish sex, creating a lacerating tale of the truth behind our darkest sexual thoughts. It’s as if Breillat is saying “come to my film for the cheap thrills, but I will scar you beyond belief.”
6. “Sexy Beast”
Before his directorial debut, Jonathan Glazer was only known for some ghostly music videos (Radiohead, Massive Attack, Blur) and staggeringly inventive commercials (Levi’s, Guinness, Nike), but that would all change with his gangster-trying-to-go-straight tale “Sexy Beast,” a picture that ironically (and perhaps wisely) would mostly let the visual flair take a backseat in favor of performance, sweltering mood and well, Ben Kingsley. While Ray Winstone is superb as Gal, the gone-lazy-and-fat ex-criminal trying to retire in his posh Spanish villa, it is Kingsley as the perennially apoplectic, raving lunatic former partner who is sent to fetch his colleague, a frightening force of nature (earning an Oscar nomination for his turn). The tense, tightly wound drama is also supremely buttressed by UNKLE‘s claustrophobically throbbing electro score and the appearance by Ian McShane as a chilling crime boss.
5. “Amélie”
Launching the international acting career of Audrey Tautou and vaulting cult director Jean-Pierre Jeunet into A-list status, “Amelie” was the rare foreign film sensation that both packed theaters and pleased critics. Premiering in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2001 and released in theaters just a few months later, the film harkened back to a more blissfully uninformed time that seemed lost forever in the smoke and fire of the next fall morning. The whimsical, sweet tooth of a story about a charmingly naive and innocent girl who quietly tries to help those around her and stumbles into love was the perfect dose of escapism the world needed. The fact that it’s an enchanting film, with a wondrous sense of comic timing, lovely set decoration and seared with earnest, unaffected hope and optimism, is why it continues to endure.
4. “The Werckmeister Harmonies”
Comprised of only 39 shots, many of them in colossally-long 11 minute takes, Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr‘s enigmatic masterwork about a strange circus sideshow —which includes a giant whale and a mysterious and unnatural ideologue named “The Prince”— that produces social unrest, fear and ultimately panic in a decaying provincial town, is beautifully grim and unforgettable (and also a challenging film for those that can’t go the distance with the slow-burning pace and bombed-out atmosphere). A young man (Lars Rudolph) hopelessly tries to assuage the restless town’s tensions, but the moral consequences of the fait accompli self-implosion climaxes with one of the most heart-stirring sequences ever put on film (and corresponds sublimely with Mihály Vig‘s dolorous score). Tarr once joked that the 11-minute reel was Kodak’s implicit form of censorship —either way, you can blame his mesmerizing and hypnotically graceful films (and sustaining sequences) for all of Gus Van Sant‘s experimental work of the decade; the director named him as a key influence on “Gerry.”
I might say that Mulholland Drive is the greatest film of the decade. Could it be of the century yet?
Interesting, Donnie Darko and The Royal Tenenbaums are my top two favorite films to date, yet both missed the cut. I\’m not sure I agree with your (the playlist\’s) view of the Royal Tenenbaums. It sounds like the real reason for keeping it off was merely because most others would not have. Glad to see films like The Piano Teacher make the cut, even though it is nearly unwatchable. Still terrific cinema. Amelie seems to be the most well placed film on this list. And as much as it pains me to say, it really is hard to believe that LOTR wouldn\’t make the cut for best of 2001. I know it doesn\’t match the mold here… but still.
In The Bedroom beats all of these films, though it is an impressive list. I have to go back and watch The Man Who Wasn\’t There again because I never related to it when I saw it in the theater. Also, your analysis of The Piano Teacher is spot on. Absolutely terrifying! I don\’t think I could watch it again.
completely agree with Mulholland Drive being number one, even for the entire decade. Donnie Darko should have been in that list as well.
Man you missed the boat on omitting Miike\’s "Ichi the Killer".
Great list (including The Man Who Wasn\’t There!). Nathan Duke mentioned In the Mood For Love, which I think is one of the greatest films I\’ve ever seen in any year; but it seems that the film opened first in 2000…
A lot would disagree, but I\’d try to get "Black Hawk Down" in there somewhere. One of the best modern war films.
Agree with Nathan, Vanilla Sky underrated. Mine would be 1. Mulholland Drive 2.Donnie Darko 3. The Royal Tenenbaums 4. The Man Who Wasn\’t There 5. Y Tu Mama Tambien 6. Werckmeister Harmonies 7. Lantana 8. The Pledge 9. Vanilla Sky 10. Musa/Blow
Perfect list, keep it up.
It\’s bad enough that ROYAL TENENBAUMS got dissed, but no GHOST WORLD? Over AMELIE??!! This list is so bad it\’s gone past good and back to bad again.
Striking AND unforgettable *
I think Donnie Darko would be my top 10, simply because it is so striking unforgettable. Although yours is a strong list.
Robert Altman\’s "Gosford Park."
Nathan, "In the mood for Love" is in the best films of 2000 list….
Ghost World was my favorite after Mullholland Dr.
Tenenbaums would probably be my number one. My favorite from Anderson for sure, and a contender for my favorite film period.
Moulin Rouge all the way!!!
"In the Bedroom" is my personal #1. Such raw, shocking, genuine emotion… Definitely should\’ve made the top 10
1. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch)
2. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki)
3. Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson)
4. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)
5. Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
6. Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff)
7. Y tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
8. Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
9. Millennium Mambo (Hou Hsiao Hsien)
10. In the Bedroom (Todd Field)
Still haven\’t seen:
A.I. (Steven Spielberg),
Fast Runner (Zacharias Kunuk),
Blissfully Yours (Apichatpong Weerasethakul),
Mysterious Objects at Noon (Apichatpong Weerasethakul),
Blow (Ted Demme), and
Sexy Beast (Johnathan Glazer)
1) LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring 2) Memento 3) Black Hawk Down 4) Ameile 5) Amores Perros 6) The Devil\’s Backbone 7) Donnie Darko 8) Monsters Inc 9)The Royal Tenenbaums 10) The Man Who Wasn\’t There
My list: Royal Tenebaums, Moulin Rouge, Memento, Sexy Beast, Black Hawk Down, Life as a House, Vanilla Sky, Training Day, Monsters Inc, I Am Sam
Right movies but wrong order. As has been said Mulholland Drive at number 1 for sure
Hedwig, not the owl
Mulholland Drive number one by a long shot. Also: In the Mood for Love, Werckmeister Harmonies, Memento, The Royal Tenenbaums, Amelie, The Man Who Wasn\’t There, Waking Life, Donnie Darko, Black Hawk Down, Fat Girl, In the Bedroom, Ghost World. And I do think "Vanilla Sky" is a little underrated.
The Fellowship of the Ring
Considering they’ve praised it all over this site, it’s crazy to see Spirited Away’s exclusion here. Also, Fat Girl over Memento is just too hilarious.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch