Top 50 Films of the 21st Century (to Date)

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I thought inception was a decent movie that was trying to seem really smart. Like, the end was shoehorned in to give people something to talk about. It made no sense given what was actually in the movie.

 

Sure it did.

 

 

The whole "what is real?" theme was pretty consistent throughout. It was an appropriate ending. And the point of it isn't to decide whether or not the top was going to fall; the point is that Dom forgets about the top and goes to his children. Whether they are "real" or not is irrelevant; Dom has accepted them as his reality.

 

[blotsfan 2,112]

Spoilers if theres actually anyone who hasnt seen inception:

 

Throughout the whole movie, there is nothing that suggests they're in a dream. I guess you could say that mal being convinced that it was a dream might be, except they show that that idea was inception by leonardo di caprio (dont remember his name). They were talking about how a dream within a dream within a dream would be insane, so how can they pull that off inside a dream? If what they did in the movie was nearly impossible, and never done before, it really was more impossible than that.

 

We are given what is the real world and distinct levels of dreams. If a twist is done well, it should feel planned out from the beginning. Like, you think about it and realize that it makes perfect sense that it was the case the whole time. Otherwise, it just feels like it was pulled out the director's ass. I admit, I haven't watched it again, but when I finished watching it, the top wasn't an epiphany, it was just the ending. It didn't give me any deeper realization about the movie.

 

Also, does it really matter if its a dream or not? Other than giving something to talk about, what difference does it make if its a dream or reality. It doesn't change what he did, or that he is going to live his life with his children and it would seem real to him. The only person who would be affected if it was real or not was Leonardo (and mal but shes not really important). If the twist doesn't matter to any of the characters, its pretty clear it was specifically done to get people talking. Which is why like I said, that just showed it was trying too hard.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Sorry for the double post. My first post basically has this, but I want to be more direct with it.

 

Lets say theres a buddy cop movie. Cop A and Cop B are working together to stop the mafia. Turns out, Cop B was working for the mafia the whole time! This revelation matters to me, the viewer because Cop A is in a lot of trouble and gonna have to do something amazing to get out of this situation.

 

Now for inception: Leonardo gets home to be with his kids. He has the suspicion that it might be a dream. He decides it doesn't matter to him and he's going to just spend his life with his kids. I, the viewer don't have a reason to care about this because it effects nobody. If its a dream, he spends the rest of his life with his kids. If its real, he spends the rest of his life with his kids. If that "is it a dream or not?" thing didn't happen the movie wouldn't be different, other than the conversations people had about it.

[Thanatos 2,847]

You guys are all silly. That wasn't the point of the top at all. It was just a cool way to end it.

 

 

You can clearly hear the top hit the table at the end of the movie, so obviously it's not a dream.

 

[blotsfan 2,112]

If thats the case, why bother? Why couldn't it just be he runs off to see his kids, and the music is all happy, and then credits?

[SteVo+ 3,702]

#7

 

"This film is such a virtuoso high-wire act, daring

so much, achieving it with such grace and skill."

–Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

 

Like dystopian societies in literature, the science-fiction genre in film often uses a fictional, futuristic setting to convey cautionary predictions about the future of our own world. Such is the case with Minority Report (2002), a film both set in and concerned with the future. Its captivating plot and premise allow for an exquisite exploration of free will vs. predetermination.

 

The film's plot involves various areas of the District of Columbia, and the futuristic setting comes to life magnificently, from the self-driving, super sleek automobiles to the extravagant architecture. The CGI is not overpowering, and the action sequences are spectacular. Director Steven Spielberg has always been a master of cinematography, and here, there is substantial energy in the way his cameras whirl around his characters, and his world. In making this film, Spielberg shows just how great a director he is, setting his goals so high and achieving them all with seeming ease. Minority Report's ambition is not its fault, and it passes the eye test with distinction.

 

The film is a rare achievement in that it utilizes CGI heavily, yet manages to stay connected to its human characters. It provides the emotion to go along with its intellect. The aforementioned energy is carried not just by the suspense and action, but by the characters as well. Though it may look like an action blockbuster, Minority Report feels much stronger.

 

The film provides an intriguing investigation of free will vs. predetermination as well as a warning against technological dependence. The entire concept of PreCrime is based on the idea that the precognitives are never wrong, that every human's future can be predetermined. But the existence of minority reports suggests otherwise. Is PreCrime based on a faulted premise? Can PreCrime even exist if humans have free will? These questions puzzle Anderton, and they puzzle us as well. Furthermore, its musings on technology cast uncertainty into our own world and its future. PreCrime is based on sophisticated technology that humans rely on so dependently, even the smallest failure sets off an appalling chain of events. The more dependent we, as a society, become on technology, the greater the danger when it fails us.

 

Including elements of a mystery thriller, this film is a spectacular entry in the science-fiction genre. It maintains intense levels of energy and intrigue for over two hours, and then, just when you think it's about to end on a dull note, adds a few more revelations and finishes with a spectacular finale.

 

50) George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck

49) Greg Mottola's Superbad

48) Terry George's Hotel Rwanda

47) David O. Russell's The Fighter

46) Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon

45) Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond

44) Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins

43) Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder

42) James Mangold's Walk the Line

41) Christopher Nolan's The Prestige

40) Peter Jackson's King Kong

39) Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall

38) Judd Apatow's Knocked Up

37) Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights

36) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

35) Jonathan Levine's 50/50

34) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

33) David Fincher's Zodiac

32) M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

31) Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

30) James McTeigue's V for Vendetta

29) Ridley Scott's American Gangster

28) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

27) James Cameron's Avatar

26) Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

25) Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker

24) Ridley Scott's Gladiator

23) Paul Haggis's Crash

22) Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton

21) Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone

20) Gus Van Sant's Milk

19) Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight

18) Alexander Payne's Sideways

17) Bennett Miller's Moneyball

16) Alexander Payne's The Descendants

15) Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can

14) Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood

13) David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

12) Martin Scorsese's The Departed

11) Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby

10) Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation

9) Clint Eastwood's Mystic River

8) Christopher Nolan's Inception

7) Steven Spielberg's Minority Report

[Bay 2,003]

Minority Report.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Another brilliant film. I don't have a problem with Minority Report being there at 7.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Just wanna say that the inception discussion made me decide to see Memento and holy shit...Stevo you're crazy if its not in your top 6.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

Memento is a candidate for SteVo's #1.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Yeah, I don't know for sure where Id rank it but itd be outrageous to not put it in your top 50. That is what people should use as an example of Chris Nolan being a great director. Not Inception or the Batman movies.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Yeah, I don't know for sure where Id rank it but itd be outrageous to not put it in your top 50. That is what people should use as an example of Chris Nolan being a great director. Not Inception or the Batman movies.

 

Most people think Inception and the Batman movies are pretty damn good as well.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Thanatos19

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Just wanna say that the inception discussion made me decide to see Memento and holy shit...Stevo you're crazy if its not in your top 6.

 

Ya, Stevo has talked about the awesomeness of Memento quite a bit in the past.Don't think you have a whole lot to worry about, unless one of the phantom restrictions comes into play. lol

[blotsfan 2,112]

Most people think Inception and the Batman movies are pretty damn good as well.

They were good, but they aren't nearly as good.

 

It could just be because I just saw it but I thought it was a good movie and I was into it and then that ending...

Really one of the best movies I've seen in I don't know how long.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I don't think Nolan even understood what was happening in Memento. Which is the only way you actually get the full effect of the movie -- if you are really confused. The entire thing is a massive gimmick...

 

I wish it wasn't like that, but still a very good movie. Take away the odd chronology of the film, and all you are left with is a well executed movie that does nothing overly special or out of the ordinary. Although I do give Memento props on its take and perspectives on memory and memory loss. Something kind of different.

 

It's definitely one of the most overrated movies, maybe ever. Everyone who sees it pretends like they have seen something profound.. Something new... Something revolutionary. It's not any of those, and people want to claim it's some kind of psychological or philosophical work of art...

 

If you feel this way, from my POV... You are just a victim of a typical Nolan film. Nothing deep is explored in the movie...

 

Nolan makes movies that get you to head out to the concession stand at your theater.. He makes you want to watch them. Nothing wrong with that at all, and in all of his movies, he does a fantastic job.

 

I am not dissing Nolan at all, I love his movies.. And his direction, and style, and portrayals are all very very good. But they are all the same in the end...

 

@ Blots, I find it so amusing that you loved Memento and claim it as one of the best you have seen in a while, but talk down at Inception.

 

They are so eerily similar. Throughout the movie(s), you are asking yourself what's real? What's not? Look no further then The Prestige to see another film like Inception and Memento.

 

It's the same thing over and over again with Chris Nolan. Nice story. Well executed. Very gimmicky. Usually overrated to the high heavens.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[SteVo+ 3,702]

#6

 

"May be the first movie I've seen that bends your brain and breaks your heart at the same time."

–Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

 

Love stories have occupied the movie reels since the advent of cinema. From Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara to Harry Burns and Sally Albright, romantic films have charmed audiences with on-screen couples and their stories. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) tells perhaps the most unique love story yet thanks to an intriguing twist: a fictional medical procedure that allows one to erase another person from his/her memory. This romance film uses elements of science fiction to explore the connection between memory and love.

 

Part of the mind-bending nature of this film comes from the scenes inside Joel's mind, which feature some mesmerizing visuals as his memories of Clementine are erased. Things move in and out of focus, little details like street signs and book covers fade, sound becomes distorted. This is an interesting blend of genres for a romance film; the memory-erasing scenes are as mind-bending as the dream levels of Inception. Still, Eternal Sunshine is a mature film that never forgets its heart, one that can be enjoyed exponentially more if the viewer is, or has ever been, in love with another person.

 

Joel and Clementine's relationship dominates the movie, and as an on-screen couple, they are charming and endearing. They are different—opposite, even—in many ways. Joel is a conservative-looking introvert, while Clementine is, as she puts it, "an open book" whose hair color alternates between blue, orange, and green. Despite these differences, or perhaps because of them, Joel and Clementine are attracted to each other, and Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet sell that attraction flawlessly. Of all the on-screen couples I have seen in film, Joel and Clementine are the best at convincing me they are in love. Carrey and Winslet may not be actors in the ranks of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, but they team up with some fantastic dialogue from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman to sell their characters' emotions effortlessly, their happiness and their anguish, their love and their pain.

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a testament to the power and endurance of love. As the procedure continues and we see earlier memories of Joel and Clementine's relationship, we see them become happier just as Joel's efforts to stop the procedure prove more futile and grow more desperate. In this way, the film becomes something of a tragedy, mourning a love not lost, but removed. Joel wakes up the morning after the procedure feeling more empty and confused than refreshed and invigorated. Later, Joel and Clementine meet again by chance, and again they are attracted to each other. Can their love ever be entirely erased? Can anyone's? Eternal Sunshine tells us that, at the very least, even erasing their relationship cannot remove the attraction they inescapably feel for one another. Later still, Joel and Clementine must make a pivotal decision about their relationship that becomes the perfect ending for the movie.

 

The acting and direction in Eternal Sunshine are both solid, but the film's most impressive strength is Kaufman's screenplay. Kaufman uses the mind-bending characteristics that have come to define his work and creates a script of considerable depth. Here is a romance film that has the emotional depth of a complex character study. Kaufman gets a big assist from the lead actors who bring his characters to life. Carrey gives the best performance of his film career, proving that he can indeed act in more serious roles, and Winslet received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is already a great film for the love story it tells, but its surprising amount of intellect and insight puts it a category higher. It has the brain of a Christopher Nolan movie and the heart of a Steven Spielberg movie. I have never seen a romance film so cerebral. This is a true 21st century love story.

 

50) George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck

49) Greg Mottola's Superbad

48) Terry George's Hotel Rwanda

47) David O. Russell's The Fighter

46) Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon

45) Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond

44) Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins

43) Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder

42) James Mangold's Walk the Line

41) Christopher Nolan's The Prestige

40) Peter Jackson's King Kong

39) Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall

38) Judd Apatow's Knocked Up

37) Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights

36) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

35) Jonathan Levine's 50/50

34) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

33) David Fincher's Zodiac

32) M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

31) Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

30) James McTeigue's V for Vendetta

29) Ridley Scott's American Gangster

28) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

27) James Cameron's Avatar

26) Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

25) Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker

24) Ridley Scott's Gladiator

23) Paul Haggis's Crash

22) Tony Gilroy's Michael Clayton

21) Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone

20) Gus Van Sant's Milk

19) Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight

18) Alexander Payne's Sideways

17) Bennett Miller's Moneyball

16) Alexander Payne's The Descendants

15) Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can

14) Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood

13) David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

12) Martin Scorsese's The Departed

11) Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby

10) Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation

9) Clint Eastwood's Mystic River

8) Christopher Nolan's Inception

7) Steven Spielberg's Minority Report

6) Michael Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

[GA_Eagle 595]

hmmm almost famous is one that is missing that I would put in the top 50, though dunno about top 10

[Socal 524]

I had to turn Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind off half way through, it became too personal for me to keep watching.

[blotsfan 2,112]

@ Blots, I find it so amusing that you loved Memento and claim it as one of the best you have seen in a while, but talk down at Inception.

Memento works though so much better than inception. As for the chronological stuff, you're right in that it wouldnt work if it was in order, but theres a reason it was backwards. I'd say Memento and Inception are very dependent on their endings though, and Memento's ending works great while inception's doesnt.

 

And I should say I didn't hate inception. I thought it was a good movie. Just not a brilliant masterpiece.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Memento and Inception both work in similar ways as far as the whole "masterpiece" stuff goes... When I saw Inception for the 1st time, I didn't get out of the theater until like 3 in the morning and I felt as if my mind had been blown. Pretty sure I gave it 5 stars, and I was like... OMG, BEST EVAR.

 

Now, I am kind of embarrassed of that review although maybe I shouldn't be because just like so many, I got caught up in the typical Chris Nolan trap.

 

I've watched Inception 3-4 times since that midnight release, and I think it gets worse every time. The second time you watch it, you still see things you didn't before, so it still holds you a little. But after that it's just like.. Wow, I can't believe I fell for this... haha.

 

Still a really good movie, imo... But after you see it 4 times, you realize what is being done and you feel cheated almost. Like Chris Nolan pulled one over on you and you only realize it months/years later. lol

 

It's the same thing with Memento. After you figure it out, it no longer holds the same prestige. The first time I went through it, it was like... Woah. Mind fuck. Since then.... not so much.

 

EDIT:

 

Nolan creates films to purely entertain us. He puts butts in the seats, and sells out the box office. Which, obviously I cannot fault him for... And I am sure the studios absolutely love it. But it doesn't always translate to the best films.

Edited July 13, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[Guest Phailadelphia]

LOVE THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE PICK!

 

And I'm having a seriously hard time finding a Momento torrent. Why isn't this movie showing up?

[blotsfan 2,112]

If you have, its on netflix.

 

And favre, I agree that it probably doesn't need a second viewing. I don't plan on giving it one. There are some movies that can be great once, and just dont hold up again and again. I don't think it makes the movies worse.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

If you have, its on netflix.

 

And favre, I agree that it probably doesn't need a second viewing. I don't plan on giving it one. There are some movies that can be great once, and just dont hold up again and again. I don't think it makes the movies worse.

 

I see what you are saying, but I have to disagree. If a movie gets worse every time you see it, it probably isn't as great as it is made out to be.

 

Now OBVIOUSLY.. If you end up watching every movie like 50 times, you aren't going to feel the same way on viewing 50 as you did for viewing 1. However, that's different then watching a movie numerous times and realizing that you just got tricked.

 

I don't feel cheated re-watching O Brother Where Art Thou or The Social Network or UP for example.

 

And if you are going to purposefully hold back from a 2nd viewing.. You are probably doing yourself a favor. I commend you for the restraint, lol. We will have to agree to disagree.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

LOVE THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE PICK!

 

And I'm having a seriously hard time finding a Momento torrent. Why isn't this movie showing up?

 

You're spelling the name of the movie wrong. It's Memento.

 

http://thepiratebay.se/search/Memento/0/7/0

[Barracuda 629]

And I should say I didn't hate inception. I thought it was a good movie. Just not a brilliant masterpiece.