2000s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 2)

[domino harvey]

I found Showalter - and most of the cast outside of Williams, Theroux, and Banks - to be incredibly unfunny. It was a decent attempt at an old Hollywood comedy, but it just fell flat for me.

Yep. I didn't want to jump all over The Baxter until somebody else did, since it has some passionate fans here, but I was cringing from beginning to end. Or from beginning to eject button, I should say.

I've shown it to people who have sat next to me on the couch in dead silence from beginning to end, so I'm well aware of how esoteric and divisive the film is.

[foggy eyes]

Guys, consider yourself lucky that You, the Living is out of Netflix-reach. Andersson's last 2 films are like glossy, extended car/beer adverts. Watch Los muertos instead or something.

[FerdinandGriffon]

I think I'm with MichaelB in that this will be a seriously Asian biased decade for me. A few favorites that I'd really like to get the attention that they deserve.

Tsai's Goodbye Dragon Inn - Only recently got around to this one, but it was a very emotional moment indeed when I finally pulled it from the burning wreckage of my kevyip ala Matt Dillon in Crash (not on my list). It's a movie that makes you acutely aware of your own existence while watching it, but in a way that is haunting and mysterious, not Brechtian. As others have said, very funny, but you probably won't laugh until a couple of hours after you've seen it.

Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata - I've only seen this on an airplane TV screen, but it still hit me hard enough to definitely make my list. It'll probably place even higher if I get the MoC Blu in time to submit. Finely tuned family drama with a Keatonesque edge makes a very subtle but enormously effective shift into the surreal in its last act. I'm still reeling from seeing Cure for the first time the other night (had a panic attack in the bathroom the next morning), so KK is definitely in my netflix queue and may be one of the main players.

Kim's 3-Iron - I get the feeling Ki-duk's not very popular around here, but I insist that even the nay-sayers see this strange, unsettling film. There's this seeming artlessness to Ki-duk's works, with their incredibly pedestrian colors and fearlessness about ordinary, unnattractive, tacky decor and environments, that's really refreshing and I think actually very intentional. Here this quality is really exploited to its limits, with the protagonists breaking into a whole collection of different Korean homes and a lyrical final act that transforms these mundane living spaces into a sort of Limbo.

Ratanaruang's Last Life in the Universe - A few years ago this would have placed top, I'll have to watch it again to see if it's held its ground. A very funny, heart-breaking tone-poem with wonderful performances from its two leads and lovely play with light and sound (much credit surely goes to Chris Doyle, whose recent work in The Limits of Control will also make my list). Recently watched the follow-up, Invisible Waves, which I also highly recommend.

Desplechin's Kings and Queens/A Christmas Tale - I'm not sure which of these will place higher, but Desplechin's work is really something special, possessing of an energy and vigor that is almost unmistakably his own. Remarkable casts don't hurt either, these two have made Amalric probably my favorite actor of the decade.

But my swapsie (and probably #1 slot holder) is going to have to be Ruiz's Ce-jour la. Absolutely one of the most riotous, hysterical, mad movies I've ever seen, and yet imbued with a mysterious, tragic quality similar to that of Godard's Nouvelle vague. An absurdist joke taken full circle, the punchline being that all of its incongruities make perfect sense. Giraudeau also turns in what is hands down, no arguments necessary, the best psycho killer performance of all time.

[foggy eyes]

Tsai's Goodbye Dragon Inn - Only recently got around to this one, but it was a very emotional moment indeed when I finally pulled it from the burning wreckage of my kevyip ala Matt Dillon in Crash (not on my list). It's a movie that makes you acutely aware of your own existence while watching it, but in a way that is haunting and mysterious, not Brechtian. As others have said, very funny, but you probably won't laugh until a couple of hours after you've seen it.

Agreed, although I did find certain moments very funny during first viewing (the urinal sequence, for example). Make sure you don't miss Alonso's Fantasma too!

[Michael]

About my swapsie: Presque Rien / Come Undone. Do ignore the DVD cover and the poster of the film. While its nice to look at (for me at least), it captures nothing of the film. The promotional art makes this film look like most gay films - plasticky, shallow, cute. There is a very extremely few gay films that I love and Come Undone is one of them. It's really sobering and melacholic - a boy discovers his sexuality via an ex-hustler but comes crashing down with a depression (hereditary? his mom suffers the same thing). The joy of their summer love is so incredibly infectious and sweet that the boy dealing with his unexpected crisis, leaving everything behind to heal, trying to make peace with his now-lost love via a stray cat becomes so devastating and touching. Of all the films I"ve seen in my 40+ life, this one feels like my own the most, it's like a page torn from my autobiography.

Director Lifshitz is a gay Denis-lite, if that makes sense.

I also strongly encourage you all to sit down with Lifshitz's next film Wild Side, truly amazing stuff.

[swo17]

Guys, consider yourself lucky that You, the Living is out of Netflix-reach. Andersson's last 2 films are like glossy, extended car/beer adverts. Watch Los muertos instead or something.

zedz correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe car commercials are eligible for voting, so I fail to see your point here.

[Michael Kerpan]

But my swapsie (and probably #1 slot holder) is going to have to be Ruiz's Ce-jour la. Absolutely one of the most riotous, hysterical, mad movies I've ever seen, and yet imbued with a mysterious, tragic quality similar to that of Godard's Nouvelle vague. An absurdist joke taken full circle, the punchline being that all of its incongruities make perfect sense. Giraudeau also turns in what is hands down, no arguments necessary, the best psycho killer performance of all time.

Not my number one -- but one of my (comparatively few) non-Asian favorites of the decade. This might not be Ruiz's "best" film, but it is certainly the one I most enjoy watching -- maybe I'm biased because I share the male lead's physical (let me emphasize, ONLY the physical) malady. ;~}

[GringoTex]

The Gleaners and I - What a wonderful thing. I don't get anything out of the subject of crop gleaning (I grew up on a ranch, so all the wonder at scraps left over from the harvest seems dumb to me), but none of that matters. It's an enchanting travelogue and character study. The way Varda inserts herself into the film would be terrible by any other filmmaker, but it's Varda, one of the greatest personalities in cinema, and so it works. The cross-eyed dude who eats what he finds as soon as he picks it up and then teaches African immigrants French at night is one of the great hero characters of cinema- he's the Jean Gabin of French documentary.

[Murdoch]

Goodbye, Dragon Inn - I loved this movie, such a great Tati-like humor to it with an underlying sadness. There are shots that Tsai lets linger too long, but it never detracted from the experience for me and I'm eager to see more of his work now - this was my first. The brief exchange between the teacher and the other man seem to suggest this film is reflecting upon the death of cinema as an art; "Nobody goes to the movies anymore" and the film takes place in an old movie-house where most of the audience are merely ghosts. I can't get over how much I loved this, it will definitely make my top five and may even sneak to number one.

[Murdoch]

Another recent discovery I just came across is Thomas Riedelsheimer's Touch the Sound, which is a documentary that follows percussionist Evelyn Glennie as she travels and plays her improvised form of music with other musicians. The film demonstrates a visually sumptuous exploration of the senses and is not only about Glennie's life journey to become a musician after partially losing her hearing at a young age, but also a showcase for the power of sight and sound most beautifully shown when Glennie is walking in a German airport and above her is a footpath with a glass floor, the sounds of the footsteps are amplified and it makes for a gorgeous sequence. Also, the scenes within the abandoned warehouse which now functions as a soundstage are brilliant.

[GringoTex]

Who's Camus Anyway? - I was really dreading watching this because I hate making-a-film films, and especially the idea of a making-a-student-film film. I only did so because it's zedz's swapsie. Basically its a remake of Day for Night, but it's Truffaut's The Story of Adele H. (a much greater film than Day for Night) that the movie constantly makes reference to. Why remake Truffaut's lightest film while drawing all inspiration from his darkest film? It's a highly unsettling juxtaposition and just one of the many examples of this film's extraordinary intelligence. And the ending is the scariest sequence I've seen in a long time. I want to write more about this film, but I feel I really need time to let it sink in. It will definitely vie for a top spot in my list.

[Aki]

And the ending is the scariest sequence I've seen in a long time.

I felt the same way, too.

(Note to Zedz: I saw Who's Camus Anyway about a year and a half ago so I don't think it qualifies as a swapsie viewing.)

[LQ]

The Gleaners and I - What a wonderful thing. I don't get anything out of the subject of crop gleaning (I grew up on a ranch, so all the wonder at scraps left over from the harvest seems dumb to me), but none of that matters. It's an enchanting travelogue and character study. The way Varda inserts herself into the film would be terrible by any other filmmaker, but it's Varda, one of the greatest personalities in cinema, and so it works. The cross-eyed dude who eats what he finds as soon as he picks it up and then teaches African immigrants French at night is one of the great hero characters of cinema- he's the Jean Gabin of French documentary.

I'm so glad you liked it; this doc is a delight on so many levels. You're absolutely right- Varda is one of the greatest personalities in all of cinema, and I adore watching her watch the world.

[carax09]

There's a very nice article on The Beaches Of Agnes in the July/August issue of FilmComment. The film appears to be a travelogue to many locations of importance to her as a filmmaker, and as a person. Sadly, it has been declared as her final film. It's not available for viewing online, but the Amy Taubin interview with Lucrecia Martel (another of the decade's heavies)is.

[knives]

And the ending is the scariest sequence I've seen in a long time.

I felt the same way, too.

(Note to Zedz: I saw Who's Camus Anyway about a year and a half ago so I don't think it qualifies as a swapsie viewing.)

Spoiler

If You're referring to the shoot I kind of agree with you, even though I was more fascinated by the fourth wall breaking.

Otherwise I didn't really like the film and felt it was too attention starved with too many aimless pointing references. The Camus and Truffaut stuff I'll pass, and somewhat liked, because it made sense in context, but something like the cafe scene left my eyes rolling. That last bit did give it a ton of points though.

[souvenir]

I don't have the commitment in me to do a swap, but I'd recommend people look at Hong's Woman Is the Future of Man from this decade. It can be a real entry point to one of the most intriguing filmmakers of the decade.

[GringoTex]

I guess my swapsie lovefest roll was bound to come to an end...

The Aura - I found the protagonist completely unsympathetic, the voyeurism unredeemable, and the plot over-contrived and illogical. It's like Carne went to Spain to make a Hollywood film.

Under the Sand - An interesting premise treated with entirely too much taste and polish. I guess my problem is nothing surprised me in the film. Everything was done by rote.

[LQ]

I'd pick Bad Education too.

I watched this again for the upteenth time recently and it remains my favorite Almodóvar film, far and away. It's a perfectly-crafted hodgepodge of masquerade, seduction, cinephilia, noirish-intrigue, lust, melodrama, comedy and tragedy, combined with vertiginous storytelling and excellent acting...and although I have a lot of love for his other films (Talk to Her will also appear on my list somewhere) I don't think any of them have come close to topping Bad Education in terms of complete expression of his worldview/style. If anyone hasn't seen it yet, please pick it up posthaste!

[Michael]

I watched this again for the upteenth time recently and it remains my favorite Almodóvar film, far and away. It's a perfectly-crafted hodgepodge of masquerade, seduction, cinephilia, noirish-intrigue, lust, melodrama, comedy and tragedy, combined with vertiginous storytelling and excellent acting...and although I have a lot of love for his other films (Talk to Her will also appear on my list somewhere) I don't think any of them have come close to topping Bad Education in terms of complete expression of his worldview/style. If anyone hasn't seen it yet, please pick it up posthaste!

Everything you said about Bad Education I agree. I"ve seen it many, many times and every time it becomes more emotional and devastating. It does hold up so beautifully well. It came out the same year as Mysterious Skin, both films share a lot of things in common. such as adults coming to terms with sexual abuse they endured as children. Those films also deal with gay children, they discover attraction to their same same before they understand what it is all about - their sexuality, that type of depiction is so rare in films unfortunately. Most people still believe "gay" is a choice but those films demolish that belief. I remember reading an interview, Almodovar said Bad Education was the most difficult film he ever made, perhaps that makes it his most personal film. While always glorious, thrilling and beautiful to explore in the film, peeling layer by layer, getting to the heart of the film - it's so horribly sad.
I feel like I'm watching the entire history of cinema via Bad Education, it's really an incredible film -easily the top of my list with INLAND EMPIRE.
And in my opinion, it's Almodovar's greatest film. I think I'm going to revisit it tonight.

[FerdinandGriffon]

There's a fairly insightful article in today's NYT about swo17's swapsie, You, the Living, and it's director , Roy Andersson. Personally, I like Andersson's work, or at least what I've seen of it (World of Glory and Songs from the Second Floor), but it is interesting to note that Andersson does say he only really found his signature style when he started working in commercials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/movies/26dave.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[puxzkkx]

Have already mentioned these, but just wised up to this 'swapsie' notion.
My swapsies are:
Atef Hetata's The Closed Doors
Iciar Bollain's Take My Eyes
Maren Ade's The Forest for the Trees
Ryuichi Hiroki's Vibrator
Lucile Hadzihalilovic's Innocence
Marzieh Makhmalbaf's The Day I Became a Woman
Emanuele Crialese's Respiro
Chantal Akerman's La Captive
Jeong Jae-eun's Take Care of My Cat
Nobuhiro Yamashita's Linda Linda Linda
Jorge Gaggero's Live-in Maid

Film's that more people will have seen, but ones that I loved:
Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette
Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar
Andrei Zvyagintsev's The Return
Bruno Dumont's Humanite
Dover Koshashvili's Late Marriage
Tsai Ming-liang's Goodbye, Dragon Inn
David Lynch's Mulholland Dr.
Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Lou Ye's Suzhou River
Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married
Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie
Joe Wright's Atonement
Michael Haneke's Hidden
Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Lars von Trier's Dogville
Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz (best genre film of the decade...)

If I had to choose one of these that really, REALLY deserves to be seen, it would be Hiroki's Vibrator or Yamashita's Linda Linda Linda. The former is probably the most original romance I've seen from recent times, and I've already waxed rhapsodical over the latter.

Some great films that I don't love completely as much as the ones above, but great films in their own right:
Philippe Lioret's Mademoiselle
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's It's Easier for a Camel...
Claire Denis's Beau Travail
Denis Villeneuve's Maelstrom
Gaspar Noe's Irreversible
Jean-Pierre Denis's Murderous Maids
Jasmila Zbanic's Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams
Laurence Dunmore's The Libertine
Benedicte Lienard's A Piece of Sky
Nobuhiro Yamashita's A Gentle Breeze in the Village
Hany Abu-Assad's Rana's Wedding
Bohdan Slama's Something Like Happiness

As for short films, Don Hertzfeldt's Everything Will Be OK is almost unbearably affecting - watch it, its on YouTube in two parts.

As for music videos, the most well-directed and best-edited music video that shows the most insteresting merging of the ideas of director and star I've seen this decade is the short version of Lady GaGa's "Paparazzi" video. The longer version (which can be seen on YouTube) is just as much fun but not is a bit more indulgent and not as tight. Honorable mentions to Bjork's "Wanderlust", Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker" and Sigur Ros's "Hoppipolla".

If there's any films on my list that you haven't seen WATCH THEM!

[foggy eyes]

That might be the most hauntingly excruciating and intricately nonsensical thing I've ever read on this forum.

[Michael]

As for my swapsie: Drama/Mex. Not that I've seen too many 2000s films, but Naranjo is the best new director I've encountered in years and this is my favorite film of the decade. He wears his Godard and Cassavetes on his sleeve and mixes it with machismo, sand, futbol, and alcohol. Puro mexicano. It's available on Netflix

Got into Drama/Mex last night. Sorry to report: Not good. Nice simple photography, the night club scenes were wonderful But overall, the movie was silly. Not impressed.
There are much superior Mexican films (Hernandez, Reygadas, Cuaron, etc) of the current decade and my favorite remains Y Tu Mama Tambien.

[puxzkkx]

That might be the most hauntingly excruciating and intricately nonsensical thing I've ever read on this forum.

Yeah, I haven't slept in 30 hours. Sorry about that. For other readers, please ignore the adjectives and watch the films!

edit: I might just save myself future embarrassment and edit the descriptions out of that post

http://www.thunderant.com/?p=32" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; <- Can I put this on my list?

[colinr0380]

There's a fairly insightful article in today's NYT about swo17's swapsie, You, the Living, and it's director , Roy Andersson. Personally, I like Andersson's work, or at least what I've seen of it (World of Glory and Songs from the Second Floor), but it is interesting to note that Andersson does say he only really found his signature style when he started working in commercials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/movies/26dave.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll try and get to this before the vote. Incidentally I saw The Bothersome Man on the BBC again last night, a Danish film that seems very Andersson inspired. Perhaps my view on it may change when I've seen the Andersson film but I liked the idea in the film of dissatisfaction with an utterly mundane (after)life that seems utterly flat, with no highs or lows of emotion, and the struggles of the main character against this. Perhaps the best sequence is the unfortunate suicide attempt from a subway platform, which at first plays as pure comedy as our hero lays in front of the train bewildered until he realises that it has stopped in the station. However before he collects himself he ends up getting run down by the train anyway (with various nasty sound effects and strangled screams), and due to this being a kind of limbo-existence ends up reviving and being knocked down by trains until he stumbles in tatters from the tunnel! The deadpan reaction of his wife to this horrifically mangled figure who stumbles through the door, as unperturbed as when she was told that our lead wanted to divorce her earlier on, turns out to be the real punchline!

There is an emphasis on the main character being trapped inside things with just a hint of hope and unable to find his way out - struggling down the train tunnel towards the light; the tunnel that is built to the 'better place'; the luggage compartment of the bus with the crack of light that he is stuffed into at the end(!); and so on.

It feels as if the film nails that strange feeling of dissatisfaction with an 'average' life, and the feeling of being out of touch with everyone else in the world who seem to be just fine with the way things are. However the film has the wonderful punchline that while most films focus on the hero feeling this dislocation and trying to quest to get a more satisfying experience (represnted by an enticing, more sensory world through hole in a wall), there is a shift where the rest of the inhabitants decide to through him out into an even more barren limbo! In that sense it is an ironic counterpoint (corrective?) to all those films where we follow the protagonist finding out he is special and has a destiny to save or change the world (Matrix/Wanted etc).

I suppose the moral of this story is that if you rock the boat too much and try to break out of the role assigned to you that you can end up being ostracised from even the most mundane, emotionally unsatisfying existences!