Best movies of the 21st century

[Jon Miller]

What are they?

I think that Pan's Labyrinth is up there.

What else is?

JM
(Note I am not a huge movie goer, but could use a list of things to watch when I am bored)

[Grandpa Troll]

I realy enjoyed American History X








Thought provoking, inspiring and moving how prejudice instilled in an individual can be overcome.

No, its not the BEST EVER, just a very good if not great movie


Grandpa Troll

[Kontiki]

It's also not a 21st century movie.

[Grandpa Troll]

It's also not a 21st century movie.

Dang, I gotta get with the now...post 2000..my bad

[BeBMan]

I'll wait until the century is over

[Alinestra Covelia]

I dunno if this list qualifies as "best of..." but they do qualify in my book for "pretty damn good".

Syriana - geopolitical thriller. Moral greys.
Munich - ditto
Traffic - similar to the above, but focussing on the drug trade. Moral greys.
Good Night and Good Luck - journalism in its finest hour, standing up to McCarthyism.
Brokeback Mountain - the first (?) gay romance for a mainstream audience
No Country For Old Men - gothic horror in the wild west
Crash - multipolar day-in-the-life of racial tensions


Some movies I want to watch soon: Babel, Slumdog Millionaire, Letters From Iwo Jima.

[Wezil]

I dunno if this list qualifies as "best of..." but they do qualify in my book for "pretty damn good".

Syriana - geopolitical thriller. Moral greys.
Munich - ditto
Traffic - similar to the above, but focussing on the drug trade. Moral greys.
Good Night and Good Luck - journalism in its finest hour, standing up to McCarthyism.
Brokeback Mountain - the first (?) gay romance for a mainstream audience
No Country For Old Men - gothic horror in the wild west
Crash - multipolar day-in-the-life of racial tensions


Some movies I want to watch soon: Babel, Slumdog Millionaire, Letters From Iwo Jima.

I like the entire list (except Brokeback - haven't seen it.

Of the three you mention for the future, I know from your previous list that you will enjoy Babel. Letters is very good also. I haven't seen Slumdog.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Six films, Six countries:

The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Lives of Others
Let the Right One In
A Very Long Engagement
Devdas
and, yes, Moulin Rouge

Six more that aren't necessarily great but are among my recent favorites:

Kill Bill Volume 1
Kill Bill Volume 2
Love, Actually
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Goodbye Lenin
House of Flying Daggers

[Ming]

The concept of "best" is a tough one. I go to the movies for entertainment, so I would judge movies on their ability to entertain. Many of the films that the awards people like to lavish awards on are probably fine or great films, but they rairly interest me.

Taking a look at the IMDb list of users top 50...
Rank Rating Title Votes
1. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 415,369
2. 9.1 The Godfather (1972) 346,201
3. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 200,606
4. 8.9 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo., Il (1966) 121,876
5. 8.9 Pulp Fiction (1994) 341,538
6. 8.9 The Dark Knight (2008) 357,448
7. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993) 226,506
8. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 173,784
9. 8.8 12 Angry Men (1957) 88,026
10. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 234,587
11. 8.8 Casablanca (1942) 142,868
12. 8.8 Star Wars (1977) 276,526
13. 8.8 Shichinin no samurai (1954) 81,200
14. 8.8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 301,183
15. 8.7 Goodfellas (1990) 187,611
16. 8.7 Rear Window (1954) 98,006
17. 8.7 Cidade de Deus (2002) 129,636
18. 8.7 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 209,189
19. 8.7 C'era una volta il West (1968) 57,936
20. 8.7 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 329,240
21. 8.7 Fight Club (1999) 309,582
22. 8.7 The Usual Suspects (1995) 226,280
23. 8.7 Psycho (1960) 118,719
24. 8.6 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 203,786
25. 8.6 Sunset Blvd. (1950) 43,649
26. 8.6 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 133,975
27. 8.6 Memento (2000) 222,929
28. 8.6 North by Northwest (1959) 77,923
29. 8.6 The Matrix (1999) 317,900
30. 8.6 Citizen Kane (1941) 119,868
31. 8.6 It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 86,153
32. 8.6 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 274,942
33. 8.6 Se7en (1995) 226,537
34. 8.6 Léon (1994) 159,226
35. 8.5 Apocalypse Now (1979) 146,057
36. 8.5 American Beauty (1999) 247,233
37. 8.5 Taxi Driver (1976) 126,346
38. 8.5 American History X (1998) 180,723
39. 8.5 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 67,683
40. 8.5 Vertigo (1958) 76,048
41. 8.5 WALL·E (2008) 125,117
42. 8.5 Paths of Glory (1957) 36,316
43. 8.5 Forrest Gump (1994) 242,105
44. 8.5 Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) 148,209
45. 8.5 M (1931) 32,406
46. 8.5 Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 100,943
47. 8.5 Double Indemnity (1944) 29,782
48. 8.5 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 69,689
49. 8.5 Alien (1979) 148,364
50. 8.5 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 160,178

Most of the films are pre 2000... and while there are a few artsy films, the majority of the post 2000 films are the big block busters like Lord of the Rings and the Dark Knight. And frankly, I would have to agree since I really enjoyed those films

So what does 'the best" mean... I'll stick with entertainment.

[EPW]

I 2nd Pan's Labyrinth

[DaShi]

WALL-E

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

City of God
Sex and Lucia
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Memento
Children of Men
Requiem for a Dream

[EPW]

Downfall is a pretty awesome movie too.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Good one- forgot that one.

[Barnabas]

For me it is Traffic, I can't think of anything bad to say about that movie.

Random comment, but 1999 Magnolia is the movie that most influenced the movies made the last decade, it got to the point when you would say things like "it is another movie about multiple stories that connect at the end like Magnolia"