The MoFo Top 100 of the 2000s Countdown [Archive] - Page 11

mrblond

01-05-22, 07:30 PM

• Sideways is #8 on my ballot. I'm very satisfied it is ranked relatively high here. Alexander Payne is a superb filmmaker of the new century new wave. Paul Giamatti's character is absolute achievement in the art of cinema. I saw it firstly back then renting the DVD and later I've obtained the DVD for my collection and have seen it numerous times. I'm always ready to see Giamatti in this movie. Just Outstanding!
4.5
84126
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• I saw Gladiator in the theater when it came out. Seen it unintentionally couple more times through the years on the TV channels. It is often broadcasted here. Entertaining film which I never consider for my ballot. To be brutally honest, Russell Crowe's acting is the weak side of this movie.
3.0
It was ranked #4 in MoFo 2000 Film Chart (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=64356).

_____________
my stats
▽
Top 100 seen 32/62.
--
My list:
4. Snatch [#71.]
8. Sideways [#39.]
9. Amores perros [#81.]
10. The Wrestler [#54.]
14. The Man Who Wasn't There [#84.]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/56mOJth6DJ6JhgoE2jtpilVqJO.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5p3tGb5a5426BeC0Ch92T3IWNK9.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vV4vlD4ool5JSsS1rB82qjCF6z8.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6OTR8dSoNGjWohJNo3UhIGd3Tj.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/lrCgt8NNMyFsfmXyXiSSCRXNH4u.jpg
--
(seen one pointers 3/38 • seen 101-110: 5/10)

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [#98]
Werckmeister Harmonies [#97]
Pride & Prejudice [#93]
Caché [#85]
American Psycho [#79]
Battle Royale [#77]
Catch Me If You Can [#72]
Fantastic Mr. Fox [#70]
A Serious Man [#66]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qZoFLNBC78jzboWeDH6Ha0qavF2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/nxWEG9JzmJx3eLE8y7CUHmaj3CE.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/sGjIvtVvTlWnia2zfJfHz81pZ9Q.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/IC2BPYDSsNPP1Q1VuXUiKrRwbU.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3ddHhfMlZHZCefHDeaP8FzSoH4Y.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/uRhc1IfwYKwVqIp2OTZGFzTVsdF.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vG3YcgXuZABv7C8nd5bEyuMfyTQ.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2//1eRgCKzvbL73LiBFqPR6FJGwuJQ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8Zjk3cvjkDa643NHXtdPu30gnyY.jpg

Yi Yi [#50]
Dancer in the Dark [#49]
Adaptation. [#43]
Before Sunset [#42]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hTPkCpK9SLGDMXRbUwzoep0MxOx.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tjWa4JBdxomtoojZr7dPIgJZgiX.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qP4LbKYVRWw5j1n55sSjvvgmedM.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gycdE1ARByGQcK4fYR2mgpU6OO.jpg

Yoda

01-05-22, 07:31 PM

Yoda, is there a way to confirm if raul hacked the MoFo server?
If he did he'd be guessing right a lot more often.

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 07:33 PM

Yeah, at this point in my life, I almost don't even want a plot anymore. Just throw a bunch wild sh*t at my eyeballs
yeah like, peace and love but film is lowkey an awful medium for storytelling.

rauldc14

01-05-22, 07:33 PM

It will be criminal if Payne's The Descendants misses on the 2010s countdown

GulfportDoc

01-05-22, 08:07 PM

I'm a Giamatti fan, and he did nice work in Sideways. But to my taste the script was tedious and not very believable.

ScarletLion

01-05-22, 08:20 PM

If he did he'd be guessing right a lot more often.

:D:D:D

rauldc14

01-05-22, 08:22 PM

I think I can go 2 for 2 on the next one....bring it on Thief !

Thief

01-05-22, 08:51 PM

Trivia

-

Gladiator

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Jean-Leon_Gerome_Pollice_Verso.jpg/800px-Jean-Leon_Gerome_Pollice_Verso.jpg

Did you know that...

some of the inspirations for the film came from the Historia Augusta collection of biographies and the "Pollice Verso" painting?
Crowe walked off the set several times because the script was incomplete during filming? He even reworked some of Maximus' dialogue and story.
a replica of about one-third of the Colosseum was built in Malta? It was made mostly from plaster, plywood, and had a 52 feet height, with the rest added digitally.
after Oliver Reed died, post-production company The Mill spent $3.2 million for two minutes of additional footage by creating a digital body double with a 3D CGI mask of the late actor?

https://i.imgur.com/WMhKbHc.png

Thief

01-05-22, 08:58 PM

Trivia

-

Sideways

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/cd259dd29d4f98499cc090a76d53e7bbd2eca4d5/c=0-56-3504-2032/local/-/media/USATODAY/None/2014/10/06/1412626502000-IA01-REAR-21-3661585.JPG?width=660&height=373&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp

Did you know that...

Paul Giamatti has said that he faked every bit of wine knowledge he shares?
the film had an impact in the wine industry, increasing tourism to the Santa Ynez Valley region? Also, there was increase and decrease in the respective sales of pinot noir and merlot, which can be attributed to several quotes from Paul Giamatti's character ("if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any ****ing Merlot!")
George Clooney fought for the role of Jack, but Alexander Payne thought he was too big a star? However, he cast him in The Descendants later.
Rex Pickett, author of the novel, launched his own pinot noir named Sideways?

https://ediblesouthflorida.ediblecommunities.com/sites/default/files/images/article/sideways-wine-chile.jpg

Harry Lime

01-05-22, 08:59 PM

Not really much to say about these two. I assumed they would make the list but I didn't think they would (or should) be this high. I remember seeing Gladiator in theatres and it was a lot of fun. Maybe I'll also just add my favourite Alexander Payne film is Election...by a landslide. Wrong decade, though.

jiraffejustin

01-05-22, 09:01 PM

yeah like, peace and love but film is lowkey an awful medium for storytelling.

I don't feel that strongly about it, but I'd say that the medium shines the brightest when storytelling is pretty far down the list of the filmmaker's priorities.

crumbsroom

01-05-22, 09:22 PM

yeah like, peace and love but film is lowkey an awful medium for storytelling.

Personally, while I also lean mostly towards non narrative based films, I think that movies are actually a perfect host for storytelling. Which is why it has latched onto it like a parasite for the last century.

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 09:26 PM

Personally, while I also lean mostly towards non narrative based films, I think that movies are actually a perfect host for storytelling. Which is why it has latched onto it like a parasite for the last century.
Perfect host for storytelling is comic books and soap operas imo

Citizen Rules

01-05-22, 09:29 PM

Perfect host for storytelling is comic books and soap operas imoHmm....you might have just given me an idea for the 27th HoF:D

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 09:33 PM

Hmm....you might have just given me an idea for the 27th HoF:D
omg yasss *frantically googles films with soap opera vibes*

jiraffejustin

01-05-22, 09:39 PM

Perfect host for storytelling is comic books and soap operas imo

nah pro wrestling

ynwtf

01-05-22, 09:40 PM

omg yasss *frantically googles films with soap opera vibes*

SOAPDISH!!

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 09:42 PM

nah pro wrestling
bad wrestling does storytelling. the good sh*t is vaudeville af.

rauldc14

01-05-22, 09:43 PM

Looks like Thief didn't want me to be first to decipher the hint. Going to bed here soon lol.

Citizen Rules

01-05-22, 09:43 PM

SOAPDISH!!That looks like something I should watch...I'd go into it with low expectations and if it has a few funny moments then it's not a wash....ha...wash.

jiraffejustin

01-05-22, 09:52 PM

bad wrestling does storytelling. the good sh*t is vaudeville af.

I was being silly. Good pro wrestling is a grumpy old Japanese dude and a skinny Japanese kid wearing MMA gloves punching each other in the head for four minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5soQKGwT3bY&ab_channel=PrayForPatrick

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 09:58 PM

I was being silly. Good pro wrestling is a grumpy old Japanese dude and a skinny Japanese kid wearing MMA gloves punching each other in the head for four minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5soQKGwT3bY&ab_channel=PrayForPatrick
disagree. the good stuff is when a woman wrestles a giant panda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6cclM7I6U8

John Dumbear

01-05-22, 09:58 PM

It will be criminal if Payne's The Descendants misses on the 2010s countdown

I just re-watched this today and it the best of a very good Payne resume. To me, him and the Coens ruled the ‘90s and beyond.

jiraffejustin

01-05-22, 10:01 PM

disagree. the good stuff is when a woman wrestles a giant panda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6cclM7I6U8

While we pretty clearly have different taste in wrestling, I think the middle part of our Venn Diagram might be filled with this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZpR1gzJiXk&ab_channel=Foywonder

and I do have time for small doses of Maki Itoh.

John Dumbear

01-05-22, 10:02 PM

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 10:10 PM

and I do have time for small doses of Maki Itoh.
of all the TJPW wrestlers to be a fan of. we really do have different taste.

jiraffejustin

01-05-22, 10:31 PM

of all the TJPW wrestlers to be a fan of. we really do have different taste.

Lol... the only joshi I've really ever watched was classic AJW. I have watched various clips of Maki Itoh, hence the small doses. I have a feeling TJPW would not... be for me. To the point where I really have no idea what your post even means :D

ueno_station54

01-05-22, 10:42 PM

Lol... the only joshi I've really ever watched was classic AJW. I have watched various clips of Maki Itoh, hence the small doses. I have a feeling TJPW would not... be for me. To the point where I really have no idea what your post even means :D
tbh neither of them are really for me lol.

Thief

01-05-22, 11:02 PM

Looks like Thief didn't want me to be first to decipher the hint. Going to bed here soon lol.

...

The world doesn't revolve around you, DC.

Thief

01-05-22, 11:58 PM

Hint, hint...

You know his name
You can't beat his hand
Bitter enemies
Traveling the land

Obsessed, determined
You can hit him in the balls
And he'll throw them again
Catch them as they falls

Rockatansky

01-06-22, 12:09 AM

Casino Royale is one of them.

Wyldesyde19

01-06-22, 12:13 AM

Dodgeball

ynwtf

01-06-22, 12:23 AM

So we STILL know his name? The other him?

Thief

01-06-22, 12:41 AM

Dodgeball

Too low. That's Top 10 material.

Thief

01-06-22, 12:46 AM

https://c.tenor.com/B9u7ieoD8pQAAAAC/football-simpsons.gif

Rockatansky

01-06-22, 01:24 AM

https://c.tenor.com/B9u7ieoD8pQAAAAC/football-simpsons.gif
A rare case where the remake is better.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhwPuItIEAEtNtC.jpg

rauldc14

01-06-22, 01:25 AM

Up is the other.

dadgumblah

01-06-22, 02:26 AM

A rare case where the remake is better.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhwPuItIEAEtNtC.jpg

Yeah, but they brought in the big guns with "George C. Scott." :p

I love Gladiator and a revisit is definitely in order.

Sideways is a fine movie and I get it that the people in it (especially Giamatti) are wine snobs, but his line about hating Merlot just doesn't resonate as funny with me. I mean, okay, you hate it, but why? It just feels like a line thrown out there with nothing to hang it on. But other than that, I enjoyed it. Love Giamatti but it didn't help that the leading man was my least favorite character. Neither movie made my list.

#5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 63
#8. Unbreakable 62
#10. Million Dollar Baby 57
#22. Fantastic Mr. Fox 70
#20. Iron Man 83
#21 Finding Nemo 44
#23. The Descent 80
#25. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 76

PHOENIX74

01-06-22, 02:38 AM

40. Gladiator : I finally sat down and watched Gladiator from start to finish, the way it was intended, just because this countdown was on it's way. It was one of those movies I'd seen in large chunks, in no particular order. When it came out, I was going through something of an obsession with the 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius, and the brilliance of that had always put me off watching the more spectacle-oriented Gladiator. Seeing it with new eyes, I could appreciate the performance by Joaquin Phoenix especially - and of course the shiny costumes, sets and sheer pageantry of Ridley Scott's film. I had special reason to enjoy the inclusion of Derek Jacobi in the cast. I've never been a great fan of Russel Crowe though, but I like him on the odd occasion as in the part he plays in The Nice Guys. So, considering that, and the fact it lacks the cerebral goodness of that other Roman epic, I consider Gladiator just an 'okay' movie and it was never going to seriously challenge for a place on my list. It shines it's brightest during battle scenes, or when Joaquin's poison emperor gets really nasty in that casual way he does.

39. Sideways : The first time I watched Sideways I didn't get what the fuss was all about - and there was a fuss when it came out. That's changed for me big time - years later while giving it another chance it gave me more pleasure than perhaps any other second viewing of a film I've ever had. Maybe it came from looking at Alexander Payne's work as a whole (though, I still can't bring myself to watch Downsizing.) Payne seems fascinated with small men living small lives, and with Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) he found a couple of these guys to play off of each other and increase the melancholy madness that inhabits a lot of his films. Maybe it was the addition of a few years to my lifespan that had me relating to these characters - or maybe it was just that my expectations had been lowered to such an extent after my first viewing - but apart from laughing there was much that dug deeper, and it was a road trip that I never wanted to let up. I've always liked Paul Giamatti - I kind of see him like the Bud Cort that didn't go and wreck his entire career, but embraced the daggy type of character he often plays. I really took Sideways to heart - and it made my list at #17.

Films I've seen : 50
Films that have been on my radar : 6
Films I've never even heard of : 6

Films from my list : 11

#39 - My #17 - Sideways (2004)
#43 - My #2 - Adaptation (2002)
#49 - My #8 - Dancer in the Dark (2000)
#51 - My #6 - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
#56 - My #20 - In Bruges (2008)
#59 - My #16 - The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
#66 - My #9 - A Serious Man (2009)
#71 - My #23 - Snatch (2000)
#78 - My #13 - The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)
#84 - My #21 - The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
One pointer - World's Greatest Dad (2009)

John Dumbear

01-06-22, 02:39 AM

Hint, hint...

You know his name
You can't beat his hand
Bitter enemies
Traveling the land

Obsessed, determined
You can hit him in the balls
And he'll throw them again
Catch them as they falls

Guessing one of the LOTR films.

gbgoodies

01-06-22, 02:51 AM

I like Before Sunset, but it's not my favorite movie of the trilogy, and it didn't make my list. However if the first movie had been eligible, that probably would have made my list.

I haven't seen The Lives of Others.

I watched Gladiator a while back for a HoF or movie tournament here, but I didn't like it. I watched it again for this countdown, (because it aired on one of the cable movie channels), but my opinion didn't change.

Sideways is another movie that I had previously watched for a HoF or movie tournament here that I thought was okay, but I didn't really understand the hype for it. I rewatched it for this countdown, and I liked it more this time, but it still didn't make my list.

ApexPredator

01-06-22, 08:28 AM

Sideways was a perfectly fine film with four interesting characters. But it didn't make my top 25.

Gladiator, on the other hand, just made the cut at #25. Originally, my plan when doing the list involved the film Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai which made most of its money in 2010 (I use BOM and The Numbers when compiling my lists of films that came out for what year). Was disconcerted when I couldn't put it on the list for this countdown, so I bumped everything, replaced it with another film and thought I was done. Nope. I was one film short. So I looked at the films that just missed out, made an executive call and the Ridley Scott film snuck in. What would have made my #25? You'll have to wait until the end since its day isn't going to come here.

To answer Maximus's question, yes, I was entertained by this mix of action and almost operatic drama dealing with the fall and rise of Maximus (Russell Crowe) and the beef he has with newly appointed emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Some solid supporting acting going on here as well (I was taken by Djimon Hounsou's Juba). It definitely earned a spot on my list, even if it came about it the long way.

My List:
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
9. Million Dollar Baby
11. Spider-Man 2
13. Brokeback Mountain
14. Finding Nemo
21. Chicago
22. The Wrestler
25. Gladiator

Honorable Mentions:
Remember the Titans
Unbreakable

ApexPredator

01-06-22, 08:35 AM

rauldc14

01-06-22, 08:46 AM

I'm shocked Casino Royale will have made it this high, although I'm very happy about it.

TheUsualSuspect

01-06-22, 08:52 AM

Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero movies ever made.

Unbreakable is one of the best superhero movies ever made.

Neither on my list.

Gladiator and Sideways are two very good movies. Saw the latter in theatres with my friend and two random old people. Laughed a lot.

I watched the Before series for the first time this year and while I enjoyed all three, Before Sunset was my favourite.

I love Nic Cage and Adaptation is one of his best films.

Finding Nemo is another Pixar movie I really like, but did not make my list.

A Serious Man....overrated.

I've come to like In Bruges more on repeat viewings and I really like Collateral.

Mystic River is a tough watch sometimes, but a rewarding one.

POTC is pure fun and spectacle. One of the last great movie blockbusters before they became a 'product of consumer wants' if that makes any sense.

Crouching Tiger has one of my favourite fight scenes in any film. So well choreographed and a fight that actually helps tell a story.

Only one movie from my list has popped up since I last popped in. This makes me think my #24 will NOT make this list. Which is a shame because it's a hilarious film that can stand toe to toe with the likes of The Matrix.

As for the one movie that did make it, that would be my #14.

Sin City.

I can't say too much praise for the sequel, but the first Sin City really nails the comic book / noir feel that it does so with a talented cast and a visual flair that might look hokey at times (Marv swimming for example) but still fits within the world created.

I saw this in theatres and was instantly taken with it. Repeat viewings and it still holds up. The page for page recreation might make the pace of the film feel a bit rushed at times, but it's an enjoyable ride in a city that I wish had more stories to tell...more interesting stories than what we got in the sequel.

Seen 47.

14. Sin City (2005)
20. Battle Royale (2000)
25. American Psycho (2000)

seanc

01-06-22, 09:35 AM

I'm shocked Casino Royale will have made it this high, although I'm very happy about it.

The confidence on this guy. What a mofo. ;)

Thief

01-06-22, 09:40 AM

Reveals in a few...

Sedai

01-06-22, 09:42 AM

Return of the King fits, what with the hand of Sauron etc.

Not seeing the Casino Royale connections here, but can't think of another film to list instead...

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:42 AM

The confidence on this guy. What a mofo. ;)

I'll give him super props for a misleading clue if that's NOT it.

I could see the other being something like Two Towers. Up is my official weak guess though. I can't see it showing already.

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:43 AM

Return of the King fits, what with the hand of Sauron etc.

Not seeing the Casino Royale connections here, but can't think of another film to list instead...

The hand and balls reference.

Thief

01-06-22, 09:46 AM

164 points, 12 listsThe Prestige (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/1124-the-prestige.html)Director
Christopher Nolan, 2006

Starring
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson

Thief

01-06-22, 09:46 AM

176 points, 11 listsCasino Royale (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/36557-casino-royale.html)Director
Martin Campbell, 2006

Starring
Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:46 AM

Holy balls....

Thief

01-06-22, 09:48 AM

Casino Royale is one of them.

You called it first, Rock. You're the best!

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:49 AM

You called it first, Rock. You're the best!

I think you did that on purpose while I was sleeping :)

Sedai

01-06-22, 09:51 AM

Ha, how did I miss The Prestige! All makes sense now...

The more I watch The Prestige, the more I think it just may be Nolan at his best. Seeing what happens in his more recent films, when he fails to use restraint and somehow manages to get lost in his own narrative, The Prestige comes across as his most well-balanced film. Still very much character driven, but with enough twists, turns, and complexity to keep the viewer thinking.

The Prestige was my #13

Quite surprised to see Casino Royale this high on the list. No points from me on that one, as Craig has always sort of rubbed me the wrong way as Bond.

Thief

01-06-22, 09:51 AM

Hint breakdown!...

Hint, hint...

You know his name (Bond, James Bond... and a reference to Cornell's theme song)
You can't beat his hand (reference to poker)
Bitter enemies (could apply to Bond and Le Chiffre? but mostly to Angier and Borden on The Prestige)
Traveling the land (both films feature a lot of traveling)

Obsessed, determined (Angier and Borden are obsessed and determined, but you could say the same about Bond)
You can hit him in the balls (obvious reference to Bond's torture scene)
And he'll throw them again (a bit more vague reference to the trick where Angier...)
Catch them as they falls (throws a ball and catches it on the other door. Is it Angier?)

Thief

01-06-22, 09:52 AM

I think you did that on purpose while I was sleeping :)

I was willing to sabotage the countdown just to make you feel silly, but I'm a man of integrity.

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:53 AM

I was willing to sabotage the countdown just to make you feel silly, but I'm a man of integrity.

Well, luckily you didn't. This countdown is heating up with some real good stuff.

Thief

01-06-22, 09:56 AM

Seen both, voted for ONE...

I like Casino Royale quite a bit; it's probably on my Bond Top 5, but overall, I'm not that passionate about it so it didn't make my list.

The Prestige, on the other hand, gets better and better with each viewing. Like someone said, it's probably tied for me as Nolan's best. Well acted, mesmerizing, intriguing, superbly directed... if I were to have one minor complain is in the last scene where Nolan feels the need to explain a bit too much, and it feels a bit forced. That's my only gripe. But other than that, I think it's excellent. It was my #13.

Where the road has led me to...

Seen: 47/64

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Synecdoche, New York (#46)
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13. The Prestige (#38)
14.
15.
16.
17. Once (#103)
18.
19.
20.
21. Before Sunset (#42)
22.
23. Mother (#96)
24.
25.

Holden Pike

01-06-22, 10:01 AM

84134

Daniel Craig's debut in the James Bond franchise did not make the MoFo Top 100 of the Millennium List but Chris Nolan's The Prestige was shining brightly at #33.

John W Constantine

01-06-22, 10:08 AM

I'm shocked Casino Royale will have made it this high, although I'm very happy about it.

Some people just have good taste.

John Dumbear

01-06-22, 10:10 AM

Cool beans! Two films that I couldn't make it through.:(

Sedai

01-06-22, 10:11 AM

Also: David Bowie always adds a full point of rating to any film he is in.

ueno_station54

01-06-22, 10:14 AM

Never seen The Prestige and can't see it being something I ever get around to. Casino Royale on the other hand is a bottom 5 Bond movie for sure.

crumbsroom

01-06-22, 10:15 AM

Finding Nemo - While not my favorite Pixar (that would probably be Inside Out), in many ways I think Finding Nemo is as close to perfection as they've gotten. Characters are well defined, has emotional heft, action scenes pop, has great animation, is frequently funny. I really don't have any criticisms against it. Except there aren't any criticisms. There aren't any little moments for me to really latch on to and feel are my own. It is more for the world than just for me (the nerve!). Finding Nemo continues to exist in its perfection and I slide off of it when I try to come up to it and give it a hug. It's a good example of why executing something nearly flawlessly can have the negative effect of diminishing it through rewatches. I always know exactly what it is when I put it on. It never surprises me. Always exactly the same. Perfect. But it is still impressive regardless of this handicap.

Adaptation - This is one of those movies I admire in theory. I love to think about it. And it has just about as much to say about the hell of the creative process, and the pitfalls of your talents bringing you the attention of those who'd like to profit from it, as any 'fictional' movie. Cage's dual performance is also probably his best ever. But as clever as I think the movie is, I don't necessarily fall under its spell when I watch it. Everything in it seems calibrated to make the central idea of the film work, and that usually is a problem for me. When I can see all of the moving parts of the screenplay moving deliberately towards its point, I end up becoming hyper critical. Of course, seeing all of the moving parts of what is going on here is very much the point. The movie wouldn't work as well if it didn't, and it's good Kauffman isn't taking my notes. But for my personal sensibilities, it is one of the few Kaufman's I've seen where I feel I'm kind of standing outside of it, watching it through a window. Admiring it like it is some kind of brilliant thing in a gallery, and not just a movie.

Gladiator - I shouldn't even bother talking about this one. A film I really wanted to see when it came out (I generally like movies where people are forced to fight to the death) but one that has left me about as cold towards it as any movie I have ever seen. In many ways, this isn't surprising, because I think it is mostly a straight-up bad movie. It's an empty vessel for its simple plot, which you could probably write on the back of a cocktail napkin for yourself if you've never seen it. It is unbearably bland. It never works as something terribly cinematic, and all of its human emotions doled out exactly as you expect them to be, arriving exactly when you expect them. But what has always been mysterious to me about this is that I've never been risen to anger the handful of times I've seen it. Normally something I don't like as much as this can get generate some kind of flop sweat out of me. Kindle some kind of reminder that I'm alive and watching a terrible movie. At least that is something. But Gladiator has this weird effect of providing me with nothing as I watch it. It's like I'm watching the shadow of a house plant on a wall. The kind of thing I might do when I refuse to get out of bed, but certainly not what I expect out of a hot and tasty best picture winner at the oscars. So, no, I don't even hate this movie. I have no idea how I can even begin to try. It barely exists as it is. At least it raised Oliver Reed from the dead though. I thought only a morgue enduced embalment of Scotch could do such a thing.

Before Sunset: Another one that always makes me enemies. I've only seen the first two of these movies and found them both insufferable. I've already expounded on this one during another list, so no need to get into it again. But the short of it is whether all of this dialogue was written or improvised, it all has the sheen of such artificiality I will never fall under the supposed spell of these two people growing to know eachother in natural time. I feel the intent is for me to be watching the natural rhythms of conversation between these two, but all I hear is the squeak of a pen scrawling out the things they say. And if improvisation was also a factor here, it all seems to be coming from a deeply artificial place. Generally I love all the babble Linklater provides his characters with. He can carve great characters out of the words he gets them to say. They usually feel like both cinematic avatars and real people you might meet. But with the Sunset films, he creates two characters who I wouldn't talk to if they came anywhere near me while I was waiting for the bus. Would get me reaching for my earbuds.

Lives of Others - Nothing negative to say about this. I remember liking it quite a lot. Tense, well acted, all the things you'd expect from such a movie. Should definitely give it a rewatch at some point though. Memories are hazy.

Sideways - Very good movie from Payne, who has been remarkably consistent in all the films I've seen by him. Some people seem to get caught up on what a couple of low-life losers these two guys are, and they very much are. But I always go back to the 'empathy machine' description of film that Ebert once made. Film is this perfect vehicle to give us windows into other lives, other cultures, and allow us to identify with them. Or at least pause a moment to try and understand them a bit. But I think this goes for not only peoples and cultures and causes that are noble and worth getting to know better. I think it also applies to all of the people with sad, irredeemable stories. I don't like these two guys either. Giamatti in particular is insufferable to the point he wouldn't even qualify to be one of my sad sack, nightmare friends. But I hurt for him when I watch this film. And there is a poetry to his dumb little pretend life he has at these wine-tasting functions. And even if you refuse to empathize with him in anyway, the movie is made in a way you can just simply laugh at him. And that's okay too. Cause movies can also be great machines of mockery. Sometimes they are both.

Prestige - I don't like this movie. I know a few people whose opinions I trust rank this pretty high in the Nolan-sphere, but I have so far kept to my guns about not liking this. Admittedly, a lot of this has to do with recognizing the poorly disguised 'twist' almost immediately in the movie, and spending the rest of the film noticing all of the little tricks Nolan uses to keep us in the dark. It turned the whole film into a vehicle for a sleight of hand trick. But even if this was the movies intent, shouldn't the trick have been performed well. It can't be magic if I see all the strings while the idiot magician is waving his hands around like some kind of deranged mystic. No thanks.

Casino Royale - Was this on my list? Probably. It should be. Very likely the greatest movie in the franchise, even if it is far from the greatest Bond movie. It doesn't scratch any of those retro itches all the Connery movies provide, but as a marvel of action cinema, it is great. And it actually dares tackle real emotions, while still rejoicing in all the usual goofy spy mechanizations you can expect from such a movie. Also, the fact that it has the nerve to make one of its central scenes of suspense an extended poker match is a fantastic curveball for a franchise which generally doesn't spend a lot of time with long sequences with all the major players seated in silence around a table. Love this.

Iroquois

01-06-22, 10:26 AM

No votes. I have a three-star review for The Prestige on here somewhere, but I think my opinion of it has improved and I'd say it's one of Nolan's better films (at least in my recollection). I revisited all the Bonds in the lead-up to No Time To Die and am going to be extremely boring in calling Casino Royale one of the best (if not the best), one that managed to run the origin story playbook exceedingly well and do more than simply compensate for a couple of dud predecessors.

rauldc14

01-06-22, 10:26 AM

Never seen The Prestige and can't see it being something I ever get around to. Casino Royale on the other hand is a bottom 5 Bond movie for sure.

You've seen them all?

Thief

01-06-22, 10:27 AM

Also: David Bowie always adds a full point of rating to any film he is in.

He totally owns that role.

Sedai

01-06-22, 10:28 AM

I watched Adaptation again yesterday, and then I log on her to read Crumbsroom pretty much perfectly describing my feelings towards the film. It is a fun film to think about, and to consider as a piece of exposed art, but other than that, it didn't really pull me in. It does manage to be equal parts self-flagellation and chest thumping from Kaufman, and that is a feat in itself in the way it exposes his existence as an artist. Or maybe that's just what he wants the viewer to think his existence is? He is very clever, and so is his writing, but I wonder how much of this thing is truly an honest exposure of Kaufman, and how much is a carefully presented facade...

I enjoyed the film, but still wouldn't put it on my list.

Rockatansky

01-06-22, 10:40 AM

ueno_station54

01-06-22, 10:44 AM

You've seen them all?
yep :)

gandalf26

01-06-22, 10:48 AM

Can't believe a slightly better than average Bond movie beat The Prestige.

Sedai

01-06-22, 10:48 AM

Sigh - looks like I need to watch Casino Royale again...

Chypmunk

01-06-22, 11:02 AM

Definitely seen The Prestige but that was years ago and don't really remember enough about it for it to have ever been in contention for a spot on my ballot. I soured on Bond films a looong time ago so doubt I even bothered to see Craig in the remake of Casino Royale.

Seen: 40/64 (Own: 29/64)

3. Madeo [Mother] (2009) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_9) [#96]
6. Moon (2009) [#48]
16. The Descent (2005) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) [#80]
25. The Pool (2007) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911024/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_6) [1-ptr]

Faildictions (millennial edition v1.01):
36. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
35. Blood Diamond (2006)

ScarletLion

01-06-22, 11:06 AM

38. The Prestige (164 points) - Can't even remember most of this film, didn't make a huge impression on me.
37. Casino Royale (176 points) - Best Bond film this century easily, but didn't trouble my list.

Miss Vicky

01-06-22, 11:07 AM

It's been a long time since I watched The Prestige, but I remember liking it a lot in spite of my dislike of its two leading men. I had intended to rewatch it before I voted but never got around to it. I will say though that I doubt it would've gotten my vote if I had watched it because there are just too many other movies that I love from this decade.

I haven't seen Casino Royale. I've never had any interest in anything James Bond.

John-Connor

01-06-22, 11:23 AM

Seen: 42/64

It took years for me to accept Daniel Craig as Bond so my first Casino Royale watch wasn't a success. After a recent (objective) re-watch Casino Royale my #9, quickly became one of my favorite films, not only a favorite ‘Bond film’.
Fun fact; after a MoFo poll the chase scene ended in a draw against the legendary chase scene from Point Break.
The Prestige made my 25 briefly but after some rearranging it now sits around #38. However I do have another Nolan on my ballot..

Ballot: 7/25
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/dvKsQB84W2Sv6s7jpGmzQBVyQe3.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/iOpi3ut5DhQIbrVVjlnmfy2U7dI.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ta2BX3THwYXytWuVVozaT0NsMM8.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/5y8B0YSsIP1q9WpxKPuCJ9E6dzf.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/ebdFRfLMPLejRQXTREuxW4Cotfs.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8qGW691AOyqbKsEhpe7nHwMEbRe.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/r2lDjWiuKuqDyLUcsjt8JugwNrQ.jpg

84140
Chris Cornell - You Know My Name (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YnzgdBAKyJo)

Citizen Rules

01-06-22, 11:24 AM

The Prestige...Yahoo! well almost yahoo. I just now checked my list and it wasn't on it. Seems I remember having to cut two more movies before sending in my list and The Prestige was one of them. Glad it made it and I thought it would.

Casino Royale...The last James Bond film I ever seen and I believe it was one of the last films I seen in the theater too. Remember the thread about movies getting to long? That was my reaction to Casino Royale, good but too long.

Thief

01-06-22, 11:27 AM

With 8 and 12 points between the previous entry and between each other, both The Prestige and Casino Royale have the biggest gap in points so far. The biggest gap so far had been 6.

rauldc14

01-06-22, 11:29 AM

Casino Royale was my number 9. I intentionally put it a tad bit higher because I figured it needed more points to make it, but I was wrong about that. I remember seeing this movie front row in the theater with my friends, we frantically drove to the theater and barely made it on opening night.

The Prestige was my 15. It's Nolan's best and I love the acting and the twists.

kgaard

01-06-22, 11:33 AM

No votes from me on this pair.

I like Casino Royale. I've never been much of a Bond fan, though, so there's kind of a ceiling there.

I feel like one of Nolan's weaknesses is his tendency to overstuff things, and The Prestige is a good example of that. David Bowie is always fun, though!

ynwtf

01-06-22, 11:34 AM

that one hint? yeah, you're welcome.

Chypmunk

01-06-22, 11:39 AM

that one hint? yeah, you're welcome.
Really is some talent to guess the movie from the clue before the clue for the set in which that actual movie is - colour me 100% in awe :highfive:

TheUsualSuspect

01-06-22, 11:54 AM

Casino Royale is great.

I love The Prestige and desperately wanted to put it on my list, but I didn't. I gave it to 2 other Nolan films of that era. Couldn't justify putting 3 of the man's films on my list.

mrblond

01-06-22, 11:56 AM

• I've seen Casino Royale several times through all these years mostly unintentionally, last time about six months ago. Although I can enjoy this film, I didn't consider it for my ballot.
The most important thing is that this exactly movie showed to the world the great Mads Mikkelsen.👍👍👍 Le Chiffre - What a superb character, masterly performed by Mads, the one that should rule the so popular lists about top villains ever. Worth seeing the film only for his scenes in the casino.
From this point onward, the shortage of fresh top level male movie stars was solved!
Movie rating 4.0.

84141
-----

• I tried to see The Prestige about five years ago when I hardly stood half an hour. 👎 No matter of the nice cast, the mediocrity of the screenplay and the talentless directing made me stop the agony soon after the start.
Movie rating, I guess max 2.0
_____________
my stats
▽
Top 100 seen 33/64.
(seen one pointers 3/38 • seen 101-110: 5/10)
--
My list:
4. Snatch [#71.]
8. Sideways [#39.]
9. Amores perros [#81.]
10. The Wrestler [#54.]
14. The Man Who Wasn't There [#84.]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/56mOJth6DJ6JhgoE2jtpilVqJO.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5p3tGb5a5426BeC0Ch92T3IWNK9.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vV4vlD4ool5JSsS1rB82qjCF6z8.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6OTR8dSoNGjWohJNo3UhIGd3Tj.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/lrCgt8NNMyFsfmXyXiSSCRXNH4u.jpg
--

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [#98]
Werckmeister Harmonies [#97]
Pride & Prejudice [#93]
Caché [#85]
American Psycho [#79]
Battle Royale [#77]
Catch Me If You Can [#72]
Fantastic Mr. Fox [#70]
A Serious Man [#66]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qZoFLNBC78jzboWeDH6Ha0qavF2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/nxWEG9JzmJx3eLE8y7CUHmaj3CE.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/sGjIvtVvTlWnia2zfJfHz81pZ9Q.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/IC2BPYDSsNPP1Q1VuXUiKrRwbU.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3ddHhfMlZHZCefHDeaP8FzSoH4Y.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/uRhc1IfwYKwVqIp2OTZGFzTVsdF.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vG3YcgXuZABv7C8nd5bEyuMfyTQ.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2//1eRgCKzvbL73LiBFqPR6FJGwuJQ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8Zjk3cvjkDa643NHXtdPu30gnyY.jpg

Yi Yi [#50]
Dancer in the Dark [#49]
Adaptation. [#43]
Before Sunset [#42]
Casino Royale [#37]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hTPkCpK9SLGDMXRbUwzoep0MxOx.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tjWa4JBdxomtoojZr7dPIgJZgiX.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qP4LbKYVRWw5j1n55sSjvvgmedM.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gycdE1ARByGQcK4fYR2mgpU6OO.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ta2BX3THwYXytWuVVozaT0NsMM8.jpg

seanc

01-06-22, 11:59 AM

Casino Royale pulled me back into a franchise that I thought I was mostly done with...and here we are again. Didn't vote for it though.

I really like The Prestige as well even though it kind of leaves me after each viewing, of which there has been a whopping two. No vote.

Good pair despite me not voting for them. I would much rather see Nobody Knows at this point, but knew that wasn't happening.

ScarletLion

01-06-22, 12:14 PM

I would much rather see Nobody Knows at this point.

https://y.yarn.co/8876f65b-fdf1-4a79-ae5c-8d041da6a55b_text.gif

matt72582

01-06-22, 12:14 PM

Yeah, at this point in my life, I almost don't even want a plot anymore. Just throw a bunch wild sh*t at my eyeballs

I second that emotion... I just want a surprise, something unique.

Just like food.. Maybe pizza is great, but if you eat it every day, you might opt for something/anything else for dinner.

mark f

01-06-22, 12:25 PM

Never even heard of the last two.

mrblond

01-06-22, 12:26 PM

Hey people, what happens with the guy named Tarantino? :shifty:

rauldc14

01-06-22, 12:31 PM

Never even heard of the last two.

You've seen both at least twenty times

John-Connor

01-06-22, 12:33 PM

Hey people, what happens with the guy named Tarantino? :shifty:
No worries..
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/93/44/f3/9344f3a79a5a59b2c49d070bf753e013.gif

https://i.gifer.com/Tsb.gif

Thief

01-06-22, 12:42 PM

Critics

-

Critics thoughts on our #38, The Prestige...

https://i.imgur.com/w779ras.png

It currently has a 76% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 8.5/10 score on IMDb (with 1,300,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★ and said:

"What you will learn in the movie is, I believe, a disappointment -- nothing but a trick about a trick. With a sinking heart, I realized that The Prestige had jumped the rails, and that rules we thought were in place no longer applied."

While Brian Tallerico, of UGO, said:

"An example of old-fashioned storytelling, the kind of magical movie that could have been made fifty years ago and, consequently, will still be watched fifty years from now."

As for our MoFo reviewers, spudracer said:

"While I find it hard to really go into details on this, I will say one thing that should make your mind up, if you haven't seen this yet. The Prestige is a masterpiece in its own right. Whether it be the two magicians struggle to be the best, or the their fight to remain sane while justifying their efforts to sabatoge the others work, The Prestige will leave you wanting more."

Also, Gatsby said:

"Like every good magic trick, The Prestige has a twist leaving us wanting more. While I acknowledge its quality, its execution still leaves me a bit puzzled. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that I prefer an ending which leaves the audience to interpret the illusion for themselves. Or maybe cut the 20 minutes leading up to the twist that feel as slow as molasses."

Deschain

01-06-22, 12:47 PM

Prestige is very good. Another one I’ve seen once and should rewatch

Casino Royale was on my list. An excellent film all around and my second favorite of that franchise after Goldfinger.

John W Constantine

01-06-22, 12:47 PM

Countdown previously: Nobody likes 2006
Countdown today: hold my beer

Thief

01-06-22, 01:03 PM

Critics

-

Critics thoughts on our #37, Casino Royale...

https://i.imgur.com/hIprayo.png

It currently has a 94% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 8.0/10 score on IMDb (with 634,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★★ and said:

"Casino Royale has the answers to all my complaints about the 45-year-old James Bond series, and some I hadn't even thought of. It's not that I didn't love some of the earlier films, like some, dislike others and so on, as that I was becoming less convinced that I ever had to see another one."

While Tom Long, of the Detroit News, said:

"Casino Royale tries to have it both ways, moving toward the genuine while still grasping for the outlandish. The result is a film that's caught between caution and abandonment. And that's probably not a place where James Bond wants to be."

As for our MoFo reviewers, MovieMad16 said:

"With amazing acting, story telling, directing, score and stuntwork, Casino Royale is a pitch perfect Bond film that will be remembered for years to come."

Also, meatwadsprite said:

"A so-so movie, isn't worth seeing if your looking for the next great action film - due to it's lack of character depth and boring action scenes."

ash_is_the_gal

01-06-22, 01:07 PM

now that i think about it, i didn't put any really depressing movies on my top 100 list (like Dancer in the Dark, or even The Wrestler) because even though i can say "wow, that was a really good movie" i can't say i love those movies because to me, loving a movie means i go back to it or want to re-visit it as a means of comfort, and depressing movies... aren't that for me.

this is my roundabout way of saying i'm really glad The Wrestler and Dancer in the Dark made the list even though i personally would have never thought to vote for either.

also, i guess i need to see Yi Yi again.

ash_is_the_gal

01-06-22, 01:09 PM

oh, also also: yay yay yay Sideways! that was my #2!

Thief

01-06-22, 01:48 PM

Trailers

-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLtaA9fFNXU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36mnx8dBbGE

SpelingError

01-06-22, 02:48 PM

I remember being fairly mixed on The Prestige when I first watched it, but it's been a wile ago and I don't remember the film that well. A rewatch is long overdue.

I haven't seen Casino Royale yet.

CosmicRunaway

01-06-22, 03:09 PM

I can never remember which film is The Prestige and which film is The Illusionist. Perhaps the two aren't as similar as I'm making them out to be, but the details of both are woven together so tightly in my mind that I can't separate them.

My room mate loves Casino Royale, but I wasn't overly impressed by it at the time. Other than Mads Mikkelsen being in it, something about a card game, and Bond being zapped in the nuts, what I remember most about the film is being chased halfway home by a savage (but small) dog afterwards. Maybe I should give it another chance?

Seen: 36*/64
*-again, counting only partly remembered films. Don't quiz me on them, please haha.

Couldn't justify putting 3 of the man's films on my list.
I definitely don't have two different directors with 3 films a piece on my list. Nope. :shifty:

Chypmunk

01-06-22, 03:13 PM

...what I remember most about the film is being chased halfway home by a savage (but small) dog afterwards. Maybe I should give it another chance?
The dog or the movie? :D

CosmicRunaway

01-06-22, 03:16 PM

The dog or the movie? :D
Now that you mention it, probably both. :lol:

MovieMad16

01-06-22, 03:17 PM

KeyserCorleone

01-06-22, 03:34 PM

I am utterly happy Casino Royale made it. It was my number 10. My dad took me to see it in theaters, and I've had special memories with the movie ever since. Eva Green plays an excellent, in-depth Bond girl and the action is more thrilling because of its realism. On a side note, You Know My Name is my favorite Bond theme.

And from the hints, if I had bothered to check and guess, I TOTALLY would've gotten Casino Royale.I don't think I would've gotten The Prestige, though. I've seen it, but that hint was one magic trick that stumped me. 9/10 movie, though.

Sent-In Ballot:

#3. Sin City (47)
#7. Yi Yi (49)
#10. Casino Royale (37)
#13. Million Dollar Baby (57)
#15. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (53)
#20. Iron Man (83)
#22. Pirates of the Caribbean (63)

Post-Ballot:

#3. Sin City (47)
#7. Yi Yi (49)
#10. Casino Royale (37)
#12. Snatch (71)
#14. Million Dollar Baby (57)
#16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (53)
#18. Slumdog Millionaire (not placed but it made my new 25)
#19. Monsters, Inc. (74)
#22. Iron Man (83)
#23. Fantastic Mr. Fox (70)
#25. Pirates of the Caribbean (63)

Seen 36/64

ynwtf

01-06-22, 03:34 PM

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★ and said:

Totally read that as asterisks and thought Ebert was cussing mad. Err, I guess cussing excited in this case.

Also, I have no idea where I am in my own list relative to what's been revealed for the last week or two. I have to catch up.

edarsenal

01-06-22, 03:37 PM

De-AMN I've missed a lot of this!!!

Alright, quick and to the point, then,
Have Not Seen
54. The Wrestler
52. Brokeback Mountain
50. Yi Yi
49. Dancer in the Dark
46. Synecdoche, New York
42. Before Sunset

https://i.makeagif.com/media/7-03-2015/OYa4-l.gif
53. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon For all the justifiable wire hate I remember being quite enthralled by this when it came out

https://i.gifer.com/SfgA.gif
51. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford An extreme slow burn chock full of sublime cinematography and poetic moments

https://i.gifer.com/1N7l.gif
48. Moon Far better than my initial expectations and would love to revisit

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FaintBasicAmericanalligator-max-1mb.gif
47. Sin City Graphic Comic style violence and sex in a noir vignette narration? A big fan!!

https://i.gifer.com/LCt0.gif
45. 28 Days Later A solid zombie flick with Cillian Murphy.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/j0YV0HqO178Gs/200.gif
44. Finding Nemo This always put a big fat smile on face and if not for other animations already in place would have been on mine.

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/ForsakenTalkativeElephant-size_restricted.gif
43. Adaptation Been a while but I do remember enjoying this.

https://i.gifer.com/C1Py.gif
41. The Lives of Others A bit of Orwellian cinema that cuts deep

https://c.tenor.com/8ymOO4QbGjIAAAAC/russell-crowe-maximus.gifhttps://media1.giphy.com/media/c7T7Dsq6jT9f2/giphy.gif
40. Gladiator #5 on my list I have watched this epic tale so, OH so many times.

https://c.tenor.com/ye6Gw8AG7FcAAAAC/sideways-wine.gif
39. Sideways A little wine tasting, a little soul searching, a lot more wine tasting

https://media0.giphy.com/media/6enFRY6UGLpJe/giphy.gif
38. The Prestige A little heart-broken I couldn't fit this on my list

https://c.tenor.com/Yw7STJhV-JgAAAAC/daniel-craig-james-bond.gif
37. Casino Royale Craig brought us everything we missed in a James Bond character there is no denying that.

Films Watched 44 out of 64 (70.31%)
5. Gladiator (#40)
9. V for Vendetta (#58)
14. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (#76)
17. Mother (#96)
25. A Bittersweet Life (One Pointer)

One Pointers: 10 out of 38 (26.31%)

MovieFan1988

01-06-22, 04:41 PM

Have seen so far: 22 - Casino Royale - Not one of my ballots but one of the best bond movies in the series
Have not seen so far: 46

honeykid

01-06-22, 04:51 PM

Now as I'm reflecting on the film, I think I probably should have rewatched it (all the way through again!) before submitting my ballot. I have a feeling it could've found its way into one of the lower slots.
This almost perfect sums up my feelings about this decade. A film you're not too bothered about, with a rewatch, might've made a lower slot because, let's face it, there ain't much competition. And we're the people who are/were really into film. That's not even a film you really like, but may love with a more recent watch, and find a place for. Such a poor decade, IMO.

Some solid supporting acting going on here as well (I was taken by Djimon Hounsou's Juba).
Blimey! I didn't even know you could see it? :D

As for today, that's 2 more films I've not seen. I really liked a poster here who called himself The Prestige, but never bothered with the film. I wonder if it'd still be his favourite film of the decade?

Realistic Bond? Why would I want that? If it ain't Moore, it ain't really worth watching.

MovieMeditation

01-06-22, 05:03 PM

Both good films. I used to really love Casino Royale all the while Skyfall was a hailed Bond flick I never really liked as much. But now with rewatches I love Skyfall and thought it was great, while Casino Royale lost a bit for me. It seemed a bit 2000-ish in style. But the highlights are still great. Like that opening parkour scene.

As for The Prestige, it’s one of the Nolan movies I really like. It’s fun, playful, mysterious and with a great setting and atmosphere. Also, it’s so nice to see Nolan operating at this lower more character-driven level. I miss this Nolan. Now he just has a giant jumbo jet up his ass…

Thief

01-06-22, 05:36 PM

Awards

-

Now to the awards received by The Prestige...

Empire Award for Best Director (Christopher Nolan)
Italian Online Movie Award for Best Screenplay (Christopher & Jonathan Nolan)
London Critics Circle Film Award for British Supporting Actor of the Year (Michael Caine)
Satellite Award for Best Overall DVD
SFX Award for Best Film Director (Nolan)

As for Casino Royale, it won...

Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design (Peter Lamont)
British Academy Film Award for Best Sound
Satellite Award for Best Original Song (Chris Cornell and David Arnold)
Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure Film
Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Special Effects

GulfportDoc

01-06-22, 07:29 PM

Casino Royale rules. I'm a big Bond fan so I like almost all the entries (it's a surprisingly consistent series in having ably delivered a baseline of pleasures for over fifty years), but this is one that you don't need to add qualifiers for. It isn't just great for a Bond movie, it's great period. That opening chase scene especially was a real shot in the arm after the invisible car nonsense in the last Brosnan entry.
I couldn't agree more. Everyone was wondering how Craig would do as 007, it having been 4 years since a Bond movie (with Pierce Brosnan).

That opening chase scene was one of the finest and thrilling in cinema. I knew at that point that we had new type of Bond: more athletic, more serious, more threatening. Craig quickly became my favorite James Bond since Sean Connery.

cricket

01-06-22, 07:52 PM

I've watched The Prestige twice and didn't like it either time. I couldn't even tell you why.

I love James Bond as a character and I like all of the movies. I just never like them as much as I expect to. The trailers are usually better. Casino Royale is ok, while Casino Royale on the strip is one of my favorite casinos. Yea I got shlt taste in casinos too.

ApexPredator

01-06-22, 08:16 PM

Casino Royale was a good return to form for James Bond after the abysmal Die Another Day. But I wasn't quite shaken enough to put this on my list.

Haven't seen The Prestige.

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:12 PM

rauldc14

01-06-22, 09:43 PM

When there's a clue expect me to get 1 out of 2 :). Or maybe both

Harry Lime

01-06-22, 10:01 PM

They're both decent but if I gotta say something then The Prestige isn't Nolan's best and Casino Royale isn't the best Bond, neither are even close. Also, Dodgeball is great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk2fXsnzirI

Siddon

01-06-22, 10:23 PM

1. XXXXXXXXXXX (makes it)
2. XXXXXXXXXXX (might win it to CR chagrin)
3. XXXXXXXXXXX (makes it)
4. XXXXXXXXXXX (makes it)
5. The Prestige (2006)
6. 28 Days Later... (2002)
7. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it)
8. Paprika (2006)
9. XXXXXXXXXXX (makes it)
10. Cast Away (2000)
11. Finding Nemo (2003)
12. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
13. XXXXXXXXXXX (we'll see)
14. Sunshine (2007)
15. XXXXXXXXXXX (might win it)
16. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it...but should have)
17. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it)
18. XXXXXXXXXXX (might win it)
19. Moon (2009)
20. XXXXXXXXXXX (might make it)
21. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it)
22. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it)
23. XXXXXXXXXXX (won't make it)
24. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
25. Brand Upon the Brain! A Remembrance in 12 Chapters (2007)

Prestige is the first top five film to make the list...

KeyserCorleone

01-06-22, 10:36 PM

OK, I never do this, but what the hey.

#1. Totally making it.
#2. Very good chance.
#3. Sin City (47)
#4. I predict this will be number 1.
#5. Likely gonna make it.
#6. I have good reason to confirm this appearance.
#7. Yi Yi (49)
#8. Good chance, but I expected it to show up in the latter half instead of the first.
#9. I may eat my Queen shirt if this doesn't get top 10.
#10. Casino Royale (37)
#11.Totally making it.
#12. It had little chance of getting in the bottom 50. If it ain't gettin' in then, it's not gettin' in now.
#13. Million Dollar Baby (57)
#14. Totally making it.
#15. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (53)
#16. Pretty good chance of getting in.
#17. Also a pretty good chance.
#18. Definitely
#19. Also definitely.
#20. Iron Man (83)
#21. Probably has more of a chance than most movies of the decade.
#22. Pirates of the Caribbean (63)
#23. Decent chance.
#24. I don't expect this to make it, but I hope it does.
#25. Good chance.

PHOENIX74

01-06-22, 11:04 PM

38. The Prestige : This ought to be one of my favourite films - it puzzles me why it isn't. The inclusion of David Bowie in the cast should have been the final domino which knocked it into classic territory for me. Perhaps I just need to sit and take it all in again. I mean, I can see it's greatness, but I just never have an urge to watch it over again or have really fond feelings about it. Great story, direction - and Nolan's films always sound like they have a deep and ominous gravity. I might need to sit down one day and give The Prestige another really proper go. As I've said before, I'm a big fan of Bowie, so his role as Nikola Tesla always brings a great deal of joy - and the plot machinations in the film's final act did grab me a great deal. So whether it's a general dislike for magicians, or if it's because Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale aren't at the very top of my favourite actor list, this film just doesn't have a hold on me at the moment. I love most of Christopher Nolan's films (Tenet being a big exception) and this is one of his good ones - so it makes no sense to me.

37. Casino Royale : I'd seen every James Bond film from The Living Daylights onwards at the cinema when I went to see Die Another Day, and when the credits rolled on that one I decided that was it for James Bond and me. Even though the whole franchise was getting a rejig, I'd completely severed ties, and so didn't go see Casino Royale at the movies. It was a mistake. Casino Royale not only reinvigorated the James Bond series, it turned out to be one of the best Bond films ever made. So I did end up going to see Quantum of Solace on the big screen, and when that ended I thought to myself that I just couldn't win. But anyway, Royale was the much needed transformation which broke all the rules and introduced us to Daniel Craig's Bond, who has endured despite some middling efforts. The free running action segment at the start of the film proper is perhaps the most exciting I've seen in a Bond film. Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" worked perfectly for me, and the pre-credits sequence plus the credits themselves still give me goosebumps. This and Skyfall are endlessly rewatchable, as James Bond films should be. I considered this for my list at length, but in the end it didn't quite make it. Still glad to see it here.

Seen 52/64

Takoma11

01-06-22, 11:12 PM

So whether it's a general dislike for magicians . . .

LOL.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FvYCO9EU5q2ETu%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1

I like The Prestige, but it's a film whose craft I admire but which never quite touched my heart.

I also, not on purpose, spotted something that turned out to be a pretty big plot element, but didn't get it at the time and was instead very confused by it and why the filmmakers had made a certain choice.

Casino Royale was a fun movie to see in the theater. The one torture sequence is a bit too intense for it to be a frequent rewatch.

Another two films not on my list but that I'm fine seeing make the overall countdown.

ueno_station54

01-06-22, 11:16 PM

current list. everything else has less than no chance of showing up <3

02. 100% showing up
13. Waking Life
16. 100% showing up
22. Dancer in the Dark
25. Funky Forest: The First Contact

Pussy Galore

01-07-22, 12:04 AM

The second movie from my list!

Casino Royale is my #5. I know it's very high, but I prefer to be honest with the movies I really love then put movies that have more artistic merit. Casino Royale might be my favorite action movie and it's a movie I watch regularly since I'm 10 years old. The chase scene at the beginning, Mads Mikkelson as Le Chiffre, Eva Green which were among the female figures which help me awaken my sexuality while I was young. This film is significant for me not only for its intrinsic qualities, but for the fact that it's one of the few films that I love since I'm young.

Putting that aside I really believe that with Goldfinger it's the best Bond and one of the best action movies ever made. Super tense, beautiful cinematography, a thrilling ending.

So I'm glad it made the list!

ynwtf

01-07-22, 12:39 AM

I like The Prestige, but it's a film whose craft I admire but which never quite touched my heart.

I also, not on purpose, spotted something that turned out to be a pretty big plot element, but didn't get it at the time and was instead very confused by it and why the filmmakers had made a certain choice.

First, Bowie touches everyone's heart. Second, Bowie alone makes it an excellent movie. C) You can't make statement (bolded) and leave us hanging on it. Next, it was Bowie!??!

That said, the last bit felt like a re-re-RE-reveal too far. But Bowie compensated and saved the world.

dadgumblah

01-07-22, 12:44 AM

The Prestige is a good movie for me but I actually like the other magic film that came out the same year much better.

I loved Casino Royale, as I loved most of all the Bond films. Some lesser than others but this was a great shot in the arm for the franchise. Still need to see the latest two Craig Bond films. I voted for neither of these films.

#5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 63
#8. Unbreakable 62
#10. Million Dollar Baby 57
#22. Fantastic Mr. Fox 70
#20. Iron Man 83
#21 Finding Nemo 44
#23. The Descent 80
#25. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 76

Thief

01-07-22, 12:52 AM

Trivia

-

The Prestige

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/09/fe/4e09feec06cdd131811ae3abedb6e722.jpg

Did you know that...

Christopher Nolan pitched the idea of the film to his brother Jonathan while walking around Highgate? This is the opposite of when Jonathan pitched the idea of Memento to Christopher while on a road trip.
Most of the film was shot on location and several scenes use natural light?
Sam Mendes was originally interested in doing the film, but Christopher Priest, author of the novel, chose Nolan instead?
Josh Hartnett was considered for the role of Robert Angier?

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/josh-hartnett.jpg

Thief

01-07-22, 01:09 AM

Trivia

-

Casino Royale

https://www.mensjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/mf/1280-henry-cavill.jpg?w=1200&h=630&crop=1&quality=86&strip=all

Did you know that...

actors like Karl Urban (other commitments), Henry Cavill (too young), Goran Višnjić (couldn't handle British accent), Sam Worthington, Dougray Scott, Alex O'Loughlin, Julian McMahon, Ewan McGregor, Rupert Friend, and Anthony Starr were considered or screen-tested? Cavill was the only one in serious contention, apparently.
Daniel Craig read all of Ian Fleming's novels and talked to Mossad and British Secret Service agents to prepare for the role?
the scene where Vesper Lynd cries in the shower after killing someone featured her only in her underwear? Craig argued that someone in that situation wouldn't stop to take her clothes off and the scene was rewritten. It was also shot in one take.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCYEE8w8zM

Thief

01-07-22, 01:19 AM

ueno_station54

01-07-22, 01:25 AM

2 Fast 2 Furious LFG!! best one in the series <3

Thursday Next

01-07-22, 03:36 AM

A Beautiful Mind and The Incredibles

rauldc14

01-07-22, 04:17 AM

StuSmallz

01-07-22, 04:45 AM

The DepartedIf that is up next, then I'll just chime in with a preemptive...

https://i.ibb.co/D7n09J3/thats-way-too-high-ollie.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

John-Connor

01-07-22, 05:30 AM

Hint, hint...

You should've paid attention to him
You should've been with them
Things would be different now
If you had fulfilled what he dreamt

Go ahead and do the math
Why did you had the nerve
Nobody could've written this
He could've nailed the serve

Don't be so fast with things
Don't disappear again
Just be strong and flexible
And don't burn bridges then

Requiem for a Dream
The Royal Tenenbaums

1. 97%
2. Gladiator (2000)
3. Collateral (2004)
4. 99%
5. 96%
6. 100%
7. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
8. 98%
9. Casino Royale (2006)
10. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
11. 89%
12. 89%
13. No chance
14. No chance
15. 98%
16. 50%
17. 30%
18. Sin City (2005)
19. 95%
20. 90%
21. 30%
22. 100%
23. 96%
24. Snatch (2000)
25. 89%

rauldc14

01-07-22, 06:13 AM

Requiem for a Dream
The Royal Tenenbaums

1. 97%
2. Gladiator (2000)
3. Collateral (2004)
4. 99%
5. 96%
6. 100%
7. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
8. 98%
9. Casino Royale (2006)
10. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
11. 89%
12. 89%
13. No chance
14. No chance
15. 98%
16. 50%
17. 30%
18. Sin City (2005)
19. 95%
20. 90%
21. 30%
22. 100%
23. 96%
24. Snatch (2000)
25. 89%

Well done guesses. I screwed that one up entirely.

rauldc14

01-07-22, 06:14 AM

If that is up next, then I'll just chime in with a preemptive...

https://i.ibb.co/D7n09J3/thats-way-too-high-ollie.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

Nope, totally wrong this go. I'm losing my mojo.

pahaK

01-07-22, 10:14 AM

It's been a while...

I've only seen three of the last ten movies. Or four, I'm still not sure. 28 Days Later is a pretty decent zombie film, even though I prefer the slow zombies. Gladiator is OK, I guess. It's been ages since I saw it last time so I can't say what exactly bothers me in it, but I've been sort of let down both times I saw it. Casino Royale felt weak, bloated, and boring when I saw it. I'm still aiming to rewatch all the Bonds, so I'll get a chance for a second opinion. No votes, obviously, from me.

And yeah, I think I've seen The Prestige but I can say for sure. At least it's all mixed up with The Illusionist, and I have no idea what happens in which. I have this vague idea that The Illusionist was the one I liked better, but maybe I'll just don't count The Prestige seen at this point.

Seen: 31/64

Sedai

01-07-22, 10:36 AM

The Royal Tenenbaums and The Incredibles

Thief

01-07-22, 10:55 AM

Reveals in a few...

Thief

01-07-22, 10:59 AM

178 points, 15 listsThe Incredibles (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/9806-the-incredibles.html)Director
Brad Bird, 2004

Starring
Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Vowell

Thief

01-07-22, 10:59 AM

186 points, 12 listsThe Royal Tenenbaums (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/9428-the-royal-tenenbaums.html)Director
Wes Anderson, 2001

Starring
Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow

Thief

01-07-22, 11:02 AM

The Royal Tenenbaums and The Incredibles

Nailed both in the nick of time!

A Beautiful Mind and The Incredibles

Requiem for a Dream
The Royal Tenenbaums

Half and half for you two. Great job!

Downfall and The Departed

Nothing for you

https://c.tenor.com/Cu00dHuwNw4AAAAM/loser-losers.gif

Thief

01-07-22, 11:07 AM

Hint breakdown...

Hint, hint...

You should've paid attention to him (both films deal with some sort of neglect, Bob Parr with IncrediBoy)
You should've been with them (and Royal with his three children)
Things would be different now (how things would've been...)
If you had fulfilled what he dreamt (...if Bob would've listened to IncrediBoy/Syndrome?)

Go ahead and do the math (reference to the three Tenenbaum kids skills... Chas with math...)
Why did you had the nerve
Nobody could've written this (Margot with writing)
He could've nailed the serve (Richie with tennis)

Don't be so fast with things (reference to the Incredibles superpowers... Dash is fast)
Don't disappear again (Violet disappears)
Just be strong and flexible (Bob and Helen are strong and elastic)
And don't burn bridges then (Jack-Jack sets himself on fire)

ScarletLion

01-07-22, 11:07 AM

Never seen The Incredibles

Royal Tenenbaums not my favourite Wes Anderson. No picks this time round.

Chypmunk

01-07-22, 11:09 AM

The Incredibles is quite a fun adventure that I did rewatch in prep for this but it ended up being in contention for a spot on my ballot very briefly. Still haven't gotten around to The Royal Tenenbaums, one day I hope.

Seen: 41/66 (Own: 30/66)

3. Madeo [Mother] (2009) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_9) [#96]
6. Moon (2009) [#48]
16. The Descent (2005) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) [#80]
25. The Pool (2007) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911024/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_6) [1-ptr]

Faildictions (millennial edition v1.01):
34. X-Men 2 (2003)
33. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

*down to just the one fillum left on the subs bench now after todays set :eek:

Thief

01-07-22, 11:13 AM

Seen both, voted for none...

The Incredibles is a lot of fun, but as far as I'm concerned, I think it suffers from a bit of fatigue for seeing it so many times with my nephews.

The Royal Tenenbaums is one of three Wes Anderson films I've seen and although I remember liking it, it's been pretty much 20 years since I saw it and I barely remember it. Overall, I've never felt drawn to Anderson's aesthetics, but I might give this a rewatch one of these days. Who knows.

This is it...

Seen: 49/66

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Synecdoche, New York (#46)
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13. The Prestige (#38)
14.
15.
16.
17. Once (#103)
18.
19.
20.
21. Before Sunset (#42)
22.
23. Mother (#96)
24.
25.

kgaard

01-07-22, 11:16 AM

The Incredibles was I think one of my last cuts but I only kept one Pixar on my list. Brad Bird was one of the more entertaining Q&As I've been to--someone asked him to do Edna Mode and he went right into it without missing a beat.

I think I said before that The Royal Tenenbaums is about where Wes Anderson loses me, but I should probably watch it again sometime to see if that's still the case.

Thief

01-07-22, 11:17 AM

By the way, Wes Anderson adds a third notch on his belt. Will The Darjeeling Limited make it to complete his ace? 4 for 4?

Takoma11

01-07-22, 11:20 AM

First, Bowie touches everyone's heart.

Agreed.

Second, Bowie alone makes it an excellent movie.

Eh . . . .

You can't make statement (bolded) and leave us hanging on it.

MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR Prestige SPOILERS
I immediately realized that Bale was playing two roles. And at first I thought it was a weird Easter egg (like Depp playing the Priest in Once Upon a Time in Mexico). Then I was like "No, this is a major supporting character so why . . . ?". I assumed it was just the reality of the movie where no one noticed they were the same person. But then that was part of the plot and I was like "But . . . they look like the same person."

I don't know. I think that one element and the way it stayed at the front of my mind disrupted the intended flow of how I was supposed to experience the story.

ueno_station54

01-07-22, 11:24 AM

never made it through either

Diehl40

01-07-22, 11:25 AM

Not doing so well so far, but I hope to have several near the top
On List 9
Seen 22

Yoda

01-07-22, 11:34 AM

The more I think about it, the more I think The Prestige is Nolan's best film.

It has all the twisty logic puzzle qualities we associate (either positively or negatively) with the man, but of the type where each twist has a major emotional component that isn't always present in his other films. The reveals hit twice as hard not just because of the "I can't believe I didn't notice that" quality, but because of the implications for the characters each of them carry. "Wow, I missed that! And ohhhh, wait, doesn't that mean he...?"

It is, in a sense, the Right Way to do that kind of twisty story. It's stayed with me more than his other films, and I find it rewards repeat viewings more than most of them, too. Even Memento feels kind of shallow in comparison: it's a "purer" film, but also one that you really only need to watch twice.

My wife read the book The Prestige is based on and she tells me it's not as good and kinda nothing like the movie. Nolan seems to have sort of borrowed the general themes of rivalry and obsession and gone off on his own with them, which I found surprising and interesting.

Anyway, there are a few films I'd show people to convince them that Nolan is more than capable of doing good character work with genuine emotional heft, and this would probably be the first.

John Dumbear

01-07-22, 11:46 AM

never made it through either

I've yet to make it through any Anderson flick. So in my book, he's a hack.

ApexPredator

01-07-22, 11:48 AM

Hadn't seen either one.

Since we're close to the final third, let's look at an update to my list so far. Percentages refer to the odds they show up on the list itself:

1. 100 percent
2. 100 percent
3. 90 percent
4. 10 percent (feel like this one's chances are gone)
5. 70 percent
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
7. 10 percent
8. 40 percent
9. Million Dollar Baby
10. 10 percent (and it's a shame, really)
11. Spider-Man 2
12. 10 percent
13. Brokeback Mountain
14. Finding Nemo
15. 60 percent
16. 100 percent
17. 30 percent
18. 0 percent
19. 50 percent
20. 10 percent
21. Chicago (Just missed the cut)
22. The Wrestler
23. 0 percent (Wonder if I should have made this my #25.)
24. 0 percent
25. Gladiator

Allaby

01-07-22, 12:20 PM

Two fantastic films. Both are 9/10 from me, but neither made my ballot. Glad to see them on the countdown.

pahaK

01-07-22, 12:24 PM

Haven't seen either of today's films.

Sedai

01-07-22, 12:24 PM

Both films were on my list, with The Incredibles coming in at #25 and The Royal Tenenbaums sitting at #22.

The Royal Tenenbaums is the Anderson I return to the most, but I do like almost all of his other films. The Incredibles is what its name says it is...

MovieMeditation

01-07-22, 12:25 PM

The Incredibles was my #18.

I saw it quite a few times back when it came out and I was younger. I liked it because it was fun and entertaining but never thought much of it in a bigger sense. Even growing a bit older, it still didn’t seem to possess any heavy or deep emotions like so many other Pixar films and thereby it didn’t really get to me other than on a mostly surfaced level.

But growing older I realized it’s actually one of the most mature tales in the Pixar catalogue. How it’s about regular life and regular everyday problems and just a family dealing with the same stuff we are. I keep referring to the “I’m not strong enough” scene towards the end, said by mr. Incredible. That moment is so strong. If one is willing to look past the fancy superhero stuff there’s a depth within it that is very admirable and beautiful.

I really like Royal Tenenbaums but I did not vote for it.

Miss Vicky

01-07-22, 12:33 PM

Seen both, voted for neither.

The Incredibles is the only superhero movie that I love. It's a really clever, funny, and touching movie and is among Pixar's very best. I seriously considered voting for it and did have several other Pixars on my ballot but in the end I had to cut it.

I only like one of Wes Anderson's movies and it's not The Royal Tenenbaums.

Seen: 39/66

mark f

01-07-22, 12:34 PM

If you know me, you know I love everything about The Incredibles. It's my #1. I realize that, first off, most people think of it as just a Pixar film or an animated film or a super hero film, but I think those tags for it miss the point of what I believe the film to be. It certainly tells a good story, not only in the context of a "family film" or the greatest James Bond film never made, but also in its overall creative presentation. The Incredibles displays sparkling wit and invention on almost every level: character animation, vocal expression, art direction/set design, the yummy musical score which sounds like it's from a '60s spy movie, only much cooler, and the use of both old-style "newsreels" and modern technology to make the plot more-complex and put the entire thing into larger satirical focus. This doesn't even mention the incredibly fast pace of both the editing and the verbal/visual humor.

A normal movie about super heroes wouldn't dig this deep into all the hassles inherent in being a super hero inside when the world won't allow you to express it on the outside. It also presents a family dynamic which is realistic in that it is so full of contradictions. The males in the Incredible family really want to express their super powers, while mom (Holly Hunter) knows it's better for the family (in more ways than one) to stifle them, just as the legal system and government have deemed necessary. The daughter is at the age where she's getting interested in boys but is very shy about this normal process and is able to use her power to help her get through it. The son just wants to be able to show off in sports once in awhile. The baby, well, we don't know about the baby...

Before I start sounding too serious and pompous about what I consider one of the most exhilaratingly FUN movies ever made, let me mention the "Incredible" supporting characters. Mr. Incredible's (Craig T. Nelson's) best friend Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) is one bad mutha, Jason Lee is a riot as a science/tech geek who wants to be Mr. Incredible's sidekick, and perhaps best of all, director/screenwriter Brad Bird plays Edna E. Mode, the costume designer to the super heroes, as a sort of cross between Edith Head and Linda Hunt.

All the gibberish above can just be ignored if you like, while I cut to the heart and soul of how I feel when watching The Incredibles. I feel like the giddy kid I was in the 1960s who fell in love with movies and cartoons. The main difference today is that I can love this film because it reminds me of so many other terrific films which are a part of me, yet it feels newer and more intense than almost all of them. Another thing I think about when I'm watching this movie is that it's a great FILM. I certainly don't think I'm watching a cartoon because these characters are real to me. I'm just glad that the technology is available so that a film classicist of the stature of Brad Bird can share this story with all of us.

The Royal Tenenbaums is good but has never connected with me personally.
http://38.media.tumblr.com/cd3e6661487400829341da9471366f94/tumblr_inline_n2ph4stWol1r4j8j1.gif

My List

1. The Incredibles
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
11. Everything Will Be OK
21. Pride & Prejudice

Iroquois

01-07-22, 12:43 PM

No votes. Though The Incredibles is yet another entry in Pixar's peak period, it's like the others in that I don't have too much use for it (even though it's arguably one of the better ones). I mentioned already that I've been meaning to do a full Wes Anderson rewatch to see how I feel about all his films, but as of right now The Royal Tenenbaums is as easy a pick for my favourite film of his as any. All the more reason to revisit it.

seanc

01-07-22, 12:48 PM

Tennenbaums was my #4. All the Wes traits and Gene Hackman, of course it’s one of his best. Great aesthetic and soundtrack. Super funny, and heartwarming. I love it.

I think The Incredbles is incredibly solid. Two watches and I haven’t responded the way many of you do but I love reading your passions for it and certainly think it’s warranted. Another good movie that didn’t make my list.

KeyserCorleone

01-07-22, 01:11 PM

I grew to like Incredibles more and more each time I watch it. It has a much better story than most superhero movies, and it's very exciting and full of character. Didn't make my ballot, though.

Thief

01-07-22, 01:38 PM

Holden Pike

01-07-22, 01:41 PM

84183

The Royal Tenenbaums was #27 on the MoFo Top 100 of the Millennium List. The Incredibles was #57 on that list as well as #11 on the MoFo Top 100 Animated Films List.

Deschain

01-07-22, 01:59 PM

Incredibles made my list. It’s my favorite Pixar and maybe my favorite superhero movie. Other folks have said what makes it great and more eloquently than me in this thread. I’ll just add that the missile lock scene is HARROWING.

Thief

01-07-22, 02:25 PM

Critics

-

Critics thoughts on our #36, The Incredibles...

https://i.imgur.com/eMBSBia.png

It currently has a 97% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 8.0/10 score on IMDb (with 691,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★½ and said:

"[The Iron Giant] had a charm and delicacy that was unique in the genre, and The Incredibles, too, has special qualities, especially in the subtle ways it observes its gifted characters trying to dumb down and join the crowd. Kids in the audience will likely miss that level, but will like the exuberance of characters like Dash. Grown-ups are likely to be surprised by how smart the movie is, and how sneakily perceptive."

While Jessica Winter, of Village Voice, said:

"The Incredibles announces the studio's arrival in the vast yet overcrowded Hollywood lot of eardrum-bashing, metal-crunching action sludge."

As for our MoFo reviewers, mark f said:

"The Incredibles displays sparkling wit and invention on almost every level: character animation, vocal expression, art direction/set design, the yummy musical score which sounds like it's from a '60s spy movie, only much cooler, and the use of both old-style 'newsreels' and modern technology to make the plot more-complex and put the entire thing into larger satirical focus. This doesn't even mention the incredibly fast pace of both the editing and the verbal/visual humor."

Also, meatwadsprite said:

"The Incredibles is a brilliant example of flash over substance. It has fun action scenes and memorable catchy music , but the forgettable dialogue and unfocused story keeps this movie from ever being class A entertainment."

Citizen Rules

01-07-22, 02:28 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=52965

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕀𝕟𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕤 (2004

Mid Century Modern...I love it! But if you don't know what that is then you missed one of the prime aspects of The Incredibles. I swear everything was done up in Mid Century Modern, with so many details in the background animation that I could've just paused the film and watched it frame by frame...I even spotted a sun burst clock, I have one of those too. Yahoo!

Now if that wasn't enough as soon as I seen the lady costume designer, with the bob hair and round thick framed glasses named E...I knew who that was suppose to be! I love that they included a character that would be unknown to 99% of those watching this.

I thought The Incredible was the most fun that I had watching a Pixar film. I laughed...and I warmed right up to the super hero family that was living incognito. ---------------------------------------------------------------

I've not seen The Royal Tenenbaums but I sure would like to.

Thief

01-07-22, 02:31 PM

Critics

-

Critics thoughts on our #35, The Royal Tenenbaums...

https://i.imgur.com/e8WG1pr.png

It currently has a 81% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 7.6/10 score on IMDb (with 282,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★½ and said:

"The Royal Tenenbaums is at heart profoundly silly, and loving. That's why it made me think of Wodehouse. It stands in amazement as the Tenenbaums and their extended family unveil one strategy after another to get attention, carve out space, and find love. It doesn't mock their efforts, dysfunctional as they are, because it understands them--and sympathizes."

While David Edelstein, of Slate, said:

"Apart from Hackman, the actors look more trapped by Anderson's rigid framing, color scheme, and enforced deadpan."

As for our MoFo reviewers, TheUsualSuspect said:

"It's tearful and honest, yet will make you laugh. Without a doubt, in my top 20 films of all time. It's not everyone's cup of tea though, it's a certain taste and one I love."

Also, kkl10 said:

"The Royal Tenenbaums is worth a watch for those who enjoy these witty and tender comedies, Wes style fits like a glove in this genre and enriches it with a different cinematic quality."

Thief

01-07-22, 02:32 PM

Trailers

-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UaGUdNJdRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caMgokYWboU

TheUsualSuspect

01-07-22, 02:32 PM

5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

https://cdn.onebauer.media/one/empire-tmdb/films/9428/images/rk05hk4V0hmfHh4nl2KHjOaNKnq.jpg?format=jpg&quality=80&width=960&height=540&ratio=16-9&resize=aspectfill

My favourite Wes Anderson movie.

I can agree that Grand Budapest might be his best film, but on a personal level, The Royal Tenenbaums connected with me in a way that his other films just haven't. I love almost all of his movies, I'm one of the few people that consider Rushmore to be overrated and easily his worst movie :p

Gene Hackman gives a great performance, maybe my favourite of his? Despite his intentions in the story and the overall theme of family and failure, there is a heart at the centre of this piece. I don't think any of his other films have the heart this film does. I'd even say it's one of his more ambitious movies in terms of how many characters it has to track and make us connect to. The opening sequences of the film showcase his skill and gives us exactly what we need. We are introduced to these unique characters and how they are connected to this absurd family.

This film introduced me to my favourite musical artist, Elliott Smith. Needle in the Hay plays in Luke Wilson's attempted suicide scene and I remember scrambling to find that song online. I loved it, listened to it numerous times and I had to seek out his other music. There will always be a special place in my heart because of that.

SpelingError

01-07-22, 02:45 PM

I've seen The Incredibles, but that was a while ago, so I don't remember it too well. I remember liking it quite a lot though.

I haven't seen The Royal Tenenbaums yet.

Wyldesyde19

01-07-22, 03:02 PM

3 more of my selections have made rit in recent days.

Finding Nemo #8
The Incredibles #22
The Royal Tenenbaums #2

Huge fan of early Pixar films and of course, Wes Anderson films.

crumbsroom

01-07-22, 03:14 PM

THE INCREDIBLES: I really loved the first half of this movie. I think the first 45 minutes or so are as good as Pixar gets storytelling wise. Great dynamic between family members. Likely as funny as Pixar has ever been as well. But then as soon as it gets sucked into the usual trope of everyone banding together to fight the bad guy, it just seemed all the clever dismantling of what a superhero movie is, and in the process seemingly becoming one of the best superhero movies made, it stumbles into standard action scenes that, while well done enough, seem to betray all the promise of the beginning.

ROYAL TENENBAUM'S: For a long time this was my favorite Anderson. Now, if it wasn't for the performance by Hackman, it might be close to my least favorite. A recent rewatch of both this and Rushmore made me think of a quote I recently read by someone I can't remember (about someone I can't remember) where they talk about how all great artists slowly subtract from their style as they go along. Reducing what they do to its essence, get rid of the clutter. Become more natural and less calculating with their talents. At this point in his career though, Anderson seemed to go in reverse as he moved from Rushmore to this. Rushmore, while establishing his style and themes clearly, still feels loose. Its humor isn't completely dependant on being arranged on camera by the controlling hand of Anderson. The characters, as unlikeable as many of them are, are three dimensions, human, relatable. RT, on the other hand, seems to heighten and calcify all of his instincts. Everything on screen seems to be stiffled by the over preciousness of his staging. They become chesspieces in his drama, have no autonomy, and inevitably the life in the film dries up. This, one could argue, makes it the Mount Olympus of what he does. It is probably the most clearly realized of all his work. At least visually. And maybe in these ways, his best. But I felt a distance from it during this rewatch that I had never felt before. It was very cold. Seemed as if it had been designed in a labratory (by a bunch of scientists standing in tableau, a bunson burner expelling an explosion of candy coloured smoke at the precise moment in order to punctuate the whimsy of such a scientific study as this)

To be sure, I still like it a good deal. And I think he is an immense talent. But RT is the film of his that I think gives his critics their best ammunition. While the manner in which he creates his films is totally unique, and he is an absolute master of it here, now that we've become so used to what he's been doing that last twenty years, the novelty has worn off. And unlike some of his later work like Isle of Dogs or Moonrise Kingdom, which have an abundance of warmth, RT has a fairly icy heart. He just won't let it move out from under his thumb.

Kaplan

01-07-22, 04:27 PM

Two more from my list. I think there are now Wes Anderson films I like more than The Royal Tenenbaums, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs, but they're from this last decade. And The Incredibles is my favorite Pixar movie. It's too bad the sequel was so awful.

My List:
3. Synecdoche, New York (#46)
8. Sin City (#47)
13. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (#53)
14. The Lives of Others (#41)
16. The Royal Tenenbaums (#35)
18. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (#86)
19. The Incredibles (#36)
22. The Man Who Wasn’t There (#84)
24. Moon (#48)

Takoma11

01-07-22, 04:30 PM

Another round of "Not on my ballot, but not mad about it" for me.

The Incredibles was such a fun movie to see in the theater. Very fond memories of it.

I actually haven't seen The Royal Tennenbaums in years and years. I have vaguely positive memories of it from seeing it once in the theater and then on DVD. I do have to say that, kind of echoing Crumbsroom, having seen Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, there's a degree of precision and deliberateness to it that leaves me admiring it on a technical level but not so much as a human story.

cricket

01-07-22, 06:08 PM

The Incredibles did well on my animation ballot.

Haven't seen Tenenbaums yet.

mrblond

01-07-22, 07:27 PM

• The Royal Tenenbaums is #5 on my ballot.
It was about 2005 when We somehow accidentally rented the DVD of this movie by some unknown young director and... we met the one of the contemporary geniuses of the cinema (my avatar is later work of his ;)). What a Feast is this film! Later, I've got it for my collection, seen it numerous times and every year I constantly watch some cult scenes. Absolute cultural heritage value. Probably top role for Gene Hackman in his career, just outstanding. Not to mention the magnificent cinematography!
I thought it will make Top 10 or something near.
5.0

84193
----

• Haven't seen The Incredibles.

_____________
my stats
▽
Top 100 seen 34/66.
(seen one pointers 3/38 • seen 101-110: 5/10)
--
My list:
...
4. Snatch [#71.]
5. The Royal Tenenbaums [#35.]
...
8. Sideways [#39.]
9. Amores perros [#81.]
10. The Wrestler [#54.]
...
14. The Man Who Wasn't There [#84.]
...
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/56mOJth6DJ6JhgoE2jtpilVqJO.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/z3r4kQQBoIAEIZMeW2diVRE8DIV.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/5p3tGb5a5426BeC0Ch92T3IWNK9.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vV4vlD4ool5JSsS1rB82qjCF6z8.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/6OTR8dSoNGjWohJNo3UhIGd3Tj.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/lrCgt8NNMyFsfmXyXiSSCRXNH4u.jpg
--

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [#98]
Werckmeister Harmonies [#97]
Pride & Prejudice [#93]
Caché [#85]
American Psycho [#79]
Battle Royale [#77]
Catch Me If You Can [#72]
Fantastic Mr. Fox [#70]
A Serious Man [#66]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qZoFLNBC78jzboWeDH6Ha0qavF2.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/nxWEG9JzmJx3eLE8y7CUHmaj3CE.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/sGjIvtVvTlWnia2zfJfHz81pZ9Q.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/IC2BPYDSsNPP1Q1VuXUiKrRwbU.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3ddHhfMlZHZCefHDeaP8FzSoH4Y.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/uRhc1IfwYKwVqIp2OTZGFzTVsdF.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/vG3YcgXuZABv7C8nd5bEyuMfyTQ.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2//1eRgCKzvbL73LiBFqPR6FJGwuJQ.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/8Zjk3cvjkDa643NHXtdPu30gnyY.jpg

Yi Yi [#50]
Dancer in the Dark [#49]
Adaptation. [#43]
Before Sunset [#42]
Casino Royale [#37]
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/hTPkCpK9SLGDMXRbUwzoep0MxOx.jpg https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/tjWa4JBdxomtoojZr7dPIgJZgiX.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/qP4LbKYVRWw5j1n55sSjvvgmedM.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/gycdE1ARByGQcK4fYR2mgpU6OO.jpghttps://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/ta2BX3THwYXytWuVVozaT0NsMM8.jpg

Steve Freeling

01-07-22, 08:03 PM

Awesome. The Incredibles was my #20.

Thief

01-07-22, 08:13 PM

Awards

-

Now to the awards received by The Incredibles...

Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and Animated Feature
BAFTA Award for Best Feature Film
Saturn Award for Best Animated Film
AFI Award for Movie of the Year
Gold Derby Award for Original Score, Sound Effects, and Animated Feature

Among many, many others.

As for The Royal Tenenbaums, it won...

AFI Award for Featured Actor of the Year (Gene Hackman)
Costume Design Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film (Karen Patch)
Golden Globe for Best Performance (Hackman)
WGA Award for Best Screenplay (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson)
Online Film Critics Society Award for Top Ten Films of the Year

ynwtf

01-07-22, 08:24 PM

Awesome. The Incredibles was my #20.

lol. your avatar goes GREAT with that post.
:D

Thief

01-07-22, 08:30 PM

Trivia

-

The Incredibles

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/f/f7/Xerek1.jpg

Did you know that...

Syndrome was originally written as a minor character that dies in the first act? The original antagonist was a character named Xerek, but filmmakers preferred Syndrome.
Lily Tomlin was the original choice to voice Edna E. Mode?
this film, and the sequel, are the only Pixar films to be written and directed by a single person (Brad Bird)?
DC Comics objected to the name Elastigirl, because of their existing character of the same name? They reached an agreement where Elastigirl would be known as Mrs. Incredible in promotional materials outside of the film.

http://dccontinuityproject.weebly.com/uploads/5/4/5/1/54516433/published/300377230.jpg?1512588556

Thief

01-07-22, 08:43 PM

Trivia

-

The Royal Tenenbaums

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA3ODQ1MDg3N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDIzNjY3OTE@._V1_.jpg

Did you know that...

the role of Royal was written with Gene Hackman in mind? He was reluctant at first, and both Michael Caine and Gene Wilder were allegedly considered.
Hackman was frustrated with some of Wes Anderson's artistic choices regarding the tone of the film? As a result, he became verbally abusive towards the director to the point that Anjelica Huston and Gwyneth Paltrow ended up ignoring him on set. To appease matters, Bill Murray intervened with Hackman, and agreed to come to set on his days off as a show of solidarity to both Anderson and Hackman.
Danny Glover, Owen and Luke Wilson, all turned down roles on Ocean's Eleven in favor of this film?

https://i.imgur.com/mPsFxjN.png

Thief

01-07-22, 08:46 PM

I'm probably gonna be out of the house all day tomorrow, so reveals might come out earlier than usual. I'm gonna try and spit out some hints now, for those interested, and I might post the reveals tomorrow early morning.

Thief

01-07-22, 08:57 PM

Hint, hint...

Angry and alone
For what you lost
Stealing home
I'll pay the cost

Thought you were out
But I was wrong
You came back
To have a bout

Not down with that
I wanna live
With my best friend
Please, forgive

rauldc14

01-07-22, 09:14 PM

Damnit you got me again. No blasted idea. Could be the curse of the Jim Carrey gif.

rauldc14

01-07-22, 09:15 PM

My random guesses are City of God and Lost in Translation.

John Dumbear

01-07-22, 10:03 PM

I’m extremely lousy at clues, so guessing one is “The Road”.

KeyserCorleone

01-07-22, 10:04 PM

I have utterly no idea why I'm getting Departed vibes here, but I'll go with that.

PHOENIX74

01-07-22, 11:15 PM

36. The Incredibles : I'd completely forgotten about this Pixar film - it's perhaps the only one I've ever seen in a cinema, and harks back to me meeting someone who's held a special place in my heart for a long time. She loved this, and got it on DVD as soon as it came out - she was crazy over the short that was included. I liked it as much as I like any Pixar film - I have to admit they're amusing, and I especially got a kick out of Samuel L. Jackson's voice work, which has to be one of the most recognizable of any voice actor. But I've never felt the need to go watch a Pixar film again once I've seen it. Except for maybe the Toy Story films - if they happen to be on television I do find myself stopping to watch a few scenes that I've already seen many times. They're very rewatchable. I'm sure one day I might watch The Incredibles again for the sake of nostalgia.

35. The Royal Tenenbaums : I think I've acclimatized to Wes Anderson - and with that in mind I'm looking forward to going back and watching The Royal Tenenbaums to give it a fresh appraisal. It's very similar in style to The Life Aquatic - being based around eccentric members of an extended family clashing and resolving conflict. Of course, with Anderson eccentric means eccentric and I can understand why a lot of people take exception to this and are turned off. "Whimsy" is a word thrown about a lot, and most people can only take a certain amount of that before being severely irritated. But if you don't mind it, accept it or are entertained it turns the film into a colourful, lively and amusing blown-up look into the human psyche. The Royal Tenenbaums grated on me a little way back when I first saw it, but I have a feeling the next time I see it I'll get a lot more out of it.

Seen 54/66

dadgumblah

01-08-22, 03:29 AM

It's been a long time since I've seen The Incredibles but I remembered loving it, so a re-watch is in order. Not on my list, alas.

The Royal Tenenbaums is #18 on my list. I love most all things Wes Anderson so this one was a no-brainer. It's got me wanting to see it yet again! I haven't seen Hotel Chavalier or The Darjeeling Limited yet, so RT and Fantastic Mr. Fox were my two Anderson picks for this list. Nice to see him represented.

#5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 63
#8. Unbreakable 62
#10. Million Dollar Baby 57
#18. The Royal Tenenbaums 35
#22. Fantastic Mr. Fox 70
#20. Iron Man 83
#21 Finding Nemo 44
#23. The Descent 80
#25. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 76

Citizen Rules

01-08-22, 03:33 AM

I’m extremely lousy at clues, so guessing one is “The Road”.You and me both. Guessing is hard enough but I liked the clues before they became poems.

Chypmunk

01-08-22, 04:40 AM

I don't normally read them but part of that clue looks like it might be on rocky ground :eek:

gbgoodies

01-08-22, 04:48 AM

I thought The Prestige was on my list, but I just checked, and it wasn't. It just missed my list in the last round of cuts. I'm glad that it made the list without my help.

I watched Casino Royale for this countdown, but I'm not a fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond.

The Incredibles is a fun movie that feels like an animated rip-off of The Fantastic Four, (in a good way). I considered it for my list, but I just didn't have room for it.

I watched The Royal Tenenbaums for this countdown, but I just don't seem to "get" Wes Anderson's quirky style. (It probably didn't help that I tend to get Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson confused sometimes.)

Thief

01-08-22, 08:22 AM

Reveals in a few...

Thief

01-08-22, 08:42 AM

188 points, 12 listsKill Bill: Vol. 2 (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/393-kill-bill-vol.-2.html)Director
Quentin Tarantino, 2004

Starring
Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen

Thief

01-08-22, 08:42 AM

192 points, 14 listsUp (https://www.movieforums.com/movies/14160-up.html)Director
Pete Docter, 2009

Starring
Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson

Thief

01-08-22, 08:51 AM

Nobody got it, so hint breakdown...

Hint, hint...

Angry and alone (The bride and Bill are angry, while Carl is alone)
For what you lost (they all lost something... daughter, girlfriend, wife)
Stealing home (Carl "steals" his own home)
I'll pay the cost

Thought you were out (reference to the Bride)
But I was wrong
You came back
To have a bout (coming back for a fight)

Not down with that (not down = Up, get it?)
I wanna live (Kill Bill, but he wants to "live")
With my best friend (best friend can be The Bride or the dog, the kid)
Please, forgive

Chypmunk

01-08-22, 08:52 AM

Quite like both movies but I've not actually sat down to watch them for years now so wouldn't even be able to state categorically whether I prefer Kill Bill: Vol.2 or Vol.1 - still a little surprised to see either to appear this high though. Up was an ok watch, but again it's been years and I've never (as yet) been particularly fussed about revisiting it.

Seen: 43/68 (Own: 31/68)

3. Madeo [Mother] (2009) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216496/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_9) [#96]
6. Moon (2009) [#48]
16. The Descent (2005) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0) [#80]
25. The Pool (2007) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911024/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_6) [1-ptr]

Faildictions (millennial edition v1.01):
32. Munich (2005)
31. 500 Days Of Summer (2009)

MovieMeditation

01-08-22, 09:07 AM

Kill Bill vol. 2 was not just my #2 pick it is also my favorite Tarantino flick, probably.

The whole story of Beatrix Kiddo and her two-part revenge story is one of the most personal and emotional things Tarantino has ever written and brought to life on screen. He loves his tales of revenge and bloody violence, but the Kill Bill saga and especially the last volume really brings some maturity, depth and grounded-ness to the more homage-y gung-ho entertainment of the first volume...

I wrote a longer review once and I think I'll just link to that...

—— 2004 ——
KILL BILL
vol. 2
—— drama ——
REWATCH

Quentin Tarantino’s finishes his turbulent two-part tribute to the forgotten times
of blood-spattered samurai surrealism, with a much calmer and more controlled second half

After the foot-fetish-filled director confidently crossed buckets of blood off his bucket list during the first film, he now dives deeper into the plenteous pools of blood to find out why they are there to begin with. Volume one delivers the message of revenge in black and white, literally, for the audience to understand her vengeful voyage, while volume two paints the story in more piercing and vibrant colors. We actually get to understand and learn about the character of The Bride, instead of distantly observing her ferocious façade through a revenge-filled rampage, while slitting and splitting through every renegade responsible...

But in terms of the visual wonders though, it is actually the other way around. Just like a painting, it is the first volume, which acts as the flashy foreground that catches your eye, while the second volume is the deeper lines laying behind all the colorful artistry, which ultimately makes you linger more in the overall artwork. Volume two definitely “shows off” several places throughout, but it never feels too obvious or too much, in terms of presentation and cinematic homage. I also feel like the fun lies within the script during the second film, while volume one had all the fun on the surface. But thankfully, all the gushing veins wasn’t at all done in vain, because the second film picks up on this aspect. All the blood spilled in the first is now being examined in the second, and slowly washing away the blood begins to reveal what The Bride, or Beatrix Kiddo, is actually hiding underneath. Why was she so superior with a samurai sword, when did she meet Bill and who are the other four people making out the rest of her carefully selected death list?

As I pointed out earlier, the dialogue in this film is absolutely tremendous, and also the main reason why this is my favorite film from Tarantino’s phenomenal filmography. Yes, you read that right. Out of all his well-respected films, this is the one that hits the spot for me. Despite the many flaws of the first film, this one somehow plays out completely different and succeeds in almost every way. With a script that sparkles with high-spirited energy; a directorial approach learning towards the golden era of westerns; uniquely crafted multi-layered characters played by some amazing actors, and last but not least, amazing dialogue! Oh wait, I already said that a few times right? But hey, it's true… On top of that, everything is laid out within some very memorable scenes, which all leads up to a fantastic final act, which might be the best use of an anti-climatic ending that I have ever seen. The whole bloody affair of ‘Kill Bill’ is a picture-perfect "portrayal of betrayal", which as a whole is an amazing experience; but the second volume beats out the first by several miles in my opinion. On the other hand, if you want full-blown entertainment volume one will deliver that and more to you, while the second is just masterful filmmaking at its finest!

5

__________________________

As for Up it wasn't on my list, but I did actually sort of consider it at one point. It's a great Pixar film and one I really like, but there's other Pixar flicks I love more.

mark f

01-08-22, 09:33 AM

I enjoy Kill Bill: Vol. 2 as much as Vol. 1, especially the Beatrix vs Elle fight and the elongated "comeuppance" scene, but I didn't vote for it.

Up is my #8.
Most people already know about and/or have seen Up, so I'm not going to spend too much time discussing the plot any more than I'd like to mention that it covers about 70 years and involves friendship, love, marriage, family, adventure, dreams, trust, flying, children, pets, doing the right thing, believing in yourself, growing up, inner strength, fearlessness, and teaching old dogs new tricks, amongst many other great subjects.

Another thing I love about Up (and this can be said about most Pixar flicks just with different details) is that they love movies just as much as we film buffs do because after all who are these filmmakers? They're just film buffs like you and me who are lucky enough to make their own dreams come true by creating films which pay homage to those that we all grew up with and love. Up seems to pay homage to The Lost World (1925), Hell's Angels, King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz, Buck Rogers, The Red Balloon, Sleeper, A Boy and His Dog, Star Wars (I was laughing my butt off at that one!), Raiders of the Lost Ark, Fitzcarraldo, The Witches, The Rocketeer, Jurassic Park, The Incredibles and several more.

Michael Giacchino, the composer of Up's beautiful score and haunting theme, is quickly becoming one of my fave current musical score composers. He now has done The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Star Trek and Up in the last five years. :cool: As far as a few other personal comments I have to make, irrelevant of whether others have shared them, Up has got to be one of the best titles of any movie ever made. Not only does it describe how the film transports itself from one setting to another, but it also describes how it transports most of its characters and hopefully all its viewers from beginning of the film to its conclusion. Up is a definite "feel-good" movie which should make people feel happy to be alive, so I hope you find it an "Up" because although I know there are millions of people out there who actually prefer "downer" movies because you see them as more realistic and a maturing of the cinematic ethos to rise above "fairy tales" and just tell it like it is... you know, you're going to die, get used to it; what matter does it make if you have a chance to be happy now and then? Movies need to tell the truth, and the truth is a downer! Sorry, but I don't think that a movie which has a happy ending (LIES?) is good and one that has an "unhappy" ending is bad. I just think that you should allow movies to work their magic on you no matter what they seem to represent, and perhaps more importantly, no matter how you feel about what constitutes a "real" movie and a "fake" movie. Up is just about as real as movies get, and there's no allegedly "real" person ever seen on the screen. HA!

My List

1. The Incredibles
8. Up
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
11. Everything Will Be OK
21. Pride & Prejudice

rauldc14

01-08-22, 10:24 AM

Kind of surprised Ratatouille will miss out. At least assuming so if Up has appeared already.

John Dumbear

01-08-22, 10:25 AM

The way this countdown is shaking out, I'm confident that I'm waaayy out in left field.

rauldc14

01-08-22, 10:29 AM

Up was my number 16. I legitimately thought it would place in the top 10. Probably the biggest shocker here so far placement wise.

Iroquois

01-08-22, 10:30 AM

One vote. Kill Bill Vol 2 was my #15. Probably giving something away by saying I prefer it to the first part, but I think there's more to be said for the pay-off than the set-up here. Up is something I might've actually forgotten to vote for if my ratings are any indication, but I think if I ever attempted a Pixar ranking (which I probably won't since a good cross-section of their recent output seems so inessential) then it would probably be towards the top.

John-Connor

01-08-22, 10:50 AM

Seen: 48/68
Ballot: 7/25

Kill Bill Vol. 2 is top ten 2000's for me, but not on my ballot, it's complicated, same complications with LOTR.
Recommended for KB fans; Shaw Bros. Executioners from Shaolin
84208

seanc

01-08-22, 10:53 AM

I actually thought of Up with the hint but I thought Up was a lock for top ten. I probably would have guessed top 5. I didn’t vote for it because I am among those that think the middle third is too much of the standard kids fare. That’s despite Yoda doing an amazing job trying to convince us otherwise. Those bookends though, tremendous.

I love Kill Bill but have still only watched it once. Almost more than any other series I consider it a whole film. I voted for part two at 16 because it is the more dialogue driven section and that’s what appeals to me.

rauldc14

01-08-22, 10:58 AM

I saw Kill Bill Part 1 and enjoyed it decently. Haven't seen Part 2 though.

cricket

01-08-22, 11:12 AM

Up wasn't in contention for my animation ballot even and the Kill Bill series is my least favorite of anything Tarantino has done. To be fair, they all should get more than one chance from me since many times a second viewing has unleashed a new favorite.

John W Constantine

01-08-22, 11:30 AM

Up did make the bottom part of my list but I easily could have put it towards the beginning. Also figured it would be closer to the top 10 so I didn't vote for it too high. Kill Bill is fun but didn't have a chance for my list.

mark f

01-08-22, 11:31 AM

Kind of surprised Ratatouille will miss out. At least assuming so if Up has appeared already.
Wrong. :cool:

KeyserCorleone

01-08-22, 11:44 AM

OK, I was way off.

Neither movie amazed me, but they were still fun. I like Kill Bill II more than I because it was more story-based but still made room for a lot of action. Up's story felt slower and less charming than the early Pixar movies, but it was still very touching.

John Dumbear

01-08-22, 11:47 AM

I love Kill Bill but have still only watched it once. Almost more than any other series I consider it a whole film.

I also consider KB, LOTR, etc. as one film. Hence why these types won’t make any of my lists. Like them or not, just the way I view them.

rauldc14

01-08-22, 11:54 AM

Wrong. :cool:

Hopefully. It is pretty shocking though.

Holden Pike

01-08-22, 11:57 AM

84210

Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 2 did not make the MoFo Top 100 of the Millennium List, though Vol. 1 placed at #46. PIXAR's Up was #13 on that list as well as #2 on MoFo Top 100 Animated Films. Don't know if tastes here have changed THAT much, but WALL·E was #21 on that previous list and has not shown yet this time.

Yoda

01-08-22, 12:05 PM

Up was my #3. I think it's the best Pixar film, and I would consider calling it the best animated film, period.

I will, of course, use this occasion to link my essay on the film (https://www.movieforums.com/essays/breaking-down-up.html), which I wrote and tweaked and added onto for literally years and years, complete with screenshots, videos, and audio clips to catalogue and illuminate as many of the film references, callbacks, and subtle theming as possible.

Obviously everyone knows about that silent, moving sequence early in the film, and after my first viewing I thought all the same things everyone else does about the waning middle and the so-so ending and all that. But I was wrong. There is so, so much embedded here, so many motifs tucked away, recurring over and over in ways that seem obvious in retrospect. Things I didn't notice until my nth viewing. I literally heard something about it this week I hadn't noticed before.

I'd say "trust me" but you don't have to. You can see for yourself (https://www.movieforums.com/essays/breaking-down-up.html).

-

https://www.movieforums.com/images/essays/breakdown-up/resize/SS-2010-07-30_18.51.51.jpg

"Ellie lags behind as Carl runs up the hill, and we get a flipped version of the shot we saw at 7:48. Not only have Ellie and Carl changed places, but whereas the shot from their youth took place in the light of day and in the summer, the one in their old age takes place at dusk and in the fall. And this time the skyline is jagged with progress. The steeple (and wouldn't you bet anything it's the steeple of the church they were married in?) is the only thing in the same place."

-

https://www.movieforums.com/images/essays/breakdown-up/resize/SS-2010-10-29_20.45.44.jpg

"The shot is bathed in magenta, and the stained glass window is circular, has a circle at its center, and has four more circles surrounding that one. Carl holds a single balloon; it's all that's left of his taste for adventure, and not nearly enough to take him anywhere. After breaking his right arm and his right leg, he's now broken something on his left."

Miss Vicky

01-08-22, 12:07 PM

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/MoFoTop100/up.gif

Well this is disappointing. Up is an incredibly moving film and was a huge surprise to me when it came out. I wasn't at all taken in by its marketing, but I trusted Pixar to put out a quality movie so I went and saw it and was blown away. People often talk about its amazing opening montage, but sometimes dismiss the rest of the film. There's no denying that those first few minutes are magical but I find the rest of the movie just as moving and really love the bond between Carl and Russell. What maybe surprised me most about it though was how much I loved the adorable but not-so-bright Dug. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool cat person but damn do I love that dim-witted pup.

Up was one of nine animated movies (and three Pixars) to grace my ballot and I placed it the highest of the bunch at #3. I'd really hoped it would at least crack the top 20. :(

http://www.angelfire.com/music6/walteregan/AnimationCountdown/dug.gif

I have seen nine Tarantino movies (ten if you count True Romance) and have liked or loved all but three of them. Two of those three are the Kill Bill movies.

Seen: 41/68

My Ballot:
1. Quills (#67)
2. Gladiator (#40)
3. Up (#33)
6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (#91)
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (#63)
25. Surf's Up (One-Pointer)

Yoda

01-08-22, 12:19 PM

Literally just realized something else about Up I'll have to make a note of and revise the essay with.

There's just no end to this stuff.

matt72582

01-08-22, 12:29 PM

I didn't participate by sending a list, so everything I say should be regarded with suspicion but the part I liked in "The Royal Tannenbaums" is when one of the Wilson (brown haired) says the name "Margo", and Gene Hackman asks (bewildered), "Margo TANNENBAUM?" (attached to "I'd like you meet my ADOPTED daughter")

Kill Bill 2 is better than Kill Bill, which I didn't like so much. You know the lead actress isn't going to die in the first 5 minutes, so I have to sit there (forever) and watch Uma kill 50 samurai one by one, with "OK, let's move on", and knowing exactly what was going to happen... Kill Bill 2 had some dialogue at least, but thought it was just alright, kinda like how I feel with the Cohen Brothers but liked "No Country For Old Men" a little more.

mattiasflgrtll6

01-08-22, 12:30 PM

Literally just realized something else about Up I'll have to make a note of and revise the essay with.

There's just no end to this stuff.

Something you have to look Up?

Miss Vicky

01-08-22, 12:31 PM

...kinda like how I feel with the Cohen Brothers but liked "Rushmore" and "No Country For Old Men" a little more.

Rushmore is Wes Anderson.

Takoma11

01-08-22, 12:46 PM

I have seen Up twice (once in a theater full of delighted children and adults). It does very little for me, which just kind of makes me sad, like a food having a lovely spice that everyone else is able to taste but I can't. I don't even necessarily have criticisms of the film, it just didn't click with me either time I watched it. It looks great. The voice performances are strong. I just don't feel it. Sorry. (Actually, the only thing I have "against" it is when people try to convince me why I should love it. I literally see everything they're pointing out, it just fails to connect with me.)

Its lingering (and seemingly never-ending) impact on my professional life is that "Squirrel!" has become shorthand for talking (sometimes nicely, sometimes not) about children with ADD/ADHD.

I saw both Kill Bill films in the theater and had a good enough time. But my goodness you can basically hear Tarantino masturbating in the background of both of them, and I've never been inclined to revisit either film. They were huge in the 2000s, so of course at least one of them belongs on the list. Watching a lot more films--especially Japanese films---in the meantime has exposed just how many of the things I liked were pretty liberally borrowed from other movies. Give me Blind Woman's Curse any day.

Deschain

01-08-22, 12:57 PM

Kill Bill made my list. I’m quite the Tarantino fanboy.

Up is so ****ing good and it sucks I couldn’t find room for it on my list.

KeyserCorleone

01-08-22, 01:08 PM

Kill Bill made my list. I’m quite the Tarantino fanboy.

Rank 'em.

CosmicRunaway

01-08-22, 01:27 PM

Of the last four reveals, I've seen three. Much like Finding Nemo, The Incredibles is a film I only saw because of my high school summer job. I didn't find it particularly interesting, but I've been wanting to give it another chance because both my room mates absolutely love it.

I watched both the Kill Bill volumes back-to-back on the movie network one night, so it's hard to remember exactly which parts were from which film. I was unimpressed, but still sat through them both....almost. I actually missed the end of Vol 2 as something better came on. A few years later my room mate at the time convinced me to watch them again (marathon style as well), and my impression was the same. At least I finally saw the conclusion though!

I watched Up for a animated film tournament here, and I have to say the opening is absolutely fantastic. If this were a short film, it would be an easy yet heartbreaking 10/10. However once the adventure part of the film sets in, it starts to lose me.

Seen: 39/68

My List:
05. The Lives of Others (2006) - #41
06. Millennium Actress (2001) - DNP
08. Mother (2009) - #96
10. Iron Man (2008) - #83
11. Paprika (2006) - #64
16. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - #76
20. Moon (2009) - #48
25. Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) - 1-pointer

TheUsualSuspect

01-08-22, 01:32 PM

ROYAL TENENBAUM'S: For a long time this was my favorite Anderson. Now, if it wasn't for the performance by Hackman, it might be close to my least favorite. A recent rewatch of both this and Rushmore made me think of a quote I recently read by someone I can't remember (about someone I can't remember) where they talk about how all great artists slowly subtract from their style as they go along. Reducing what they do to its essence, get rid of the clutter. Become more natural and less calculating with their talents. At this point in his career though, Anderson seemed to go in reverse as he moved from Rushmore to this. Rushmore, while establishing his style and themes clearly, still feels loose. Its humor isn't completely dependant on being arranged on camera by the controlling hand of Anderson. The characters, as unlikeable as many of them are, are three dimensions, human, relatable. RT, on the other hand, seems to heighten and calcify all of his instincts. Everything on screen seems to be stiffled by the over preciousness of his staging. They become chesspieces in his drama, have no autonomy, and inevitably the life in the film dries up. This, one could argue, makes it the Mount Olympus of what he does. It is probably the most clearly realized of all his work. At least visually. And maybe in these ways, his best. But I felt a distance from it during this rewatch that I had never felt before. It was very cold. Seemed as if it had been designed in a labratory (by a bunch of scientists standing in tableau, a bunson burner expelling an explosion of candy coloured smoke at the precise moment in order to punctuate the whimsy of such a scientific study as this)

To be sure, I still like it a good deal. And I think he is an immense talent. But RT is the film of his that I think gives his critics their best ammunition. While the manner in which he creates his films is totally unique, and he is an absolute master of it here, now that we've become so used to what he's been doing that last twenty years, the novelty has worn off. And unlike some of his later work like Isle of Dogs or Moonrise Kingdom, which have an abundance of warmth, RT has a fairly icy heart. He just won't let it move out from under his thumb.

I can't help but disagree with the idea that this film is cold. If anything, his later films have the calculated staging that make the presentation feel icy, with the exception of maybe Moonrise Kingdom. I look to a scene as simple as Ben Stiller's character lying on the floor, then his son decides to lie on the floor beside him. That one act is simple, heartfelt and warm. It doesn't do much to further the loose plot of the story, but it does a lot for the characters, where they are and where they need to be. On the surface, I understand that the film might feel like it's keeping people at a distance, with the neglect and cold father being at the centre.

Ben Stiller's character has immense growth in the film. In an effort to become nothing like his father, he alienates his own family. He has to face his own inner turmoil and his shortcomings with his own father before he is able to see the overbearing protectiveness of his own children.

But then I look to the female characters, specifically Paltrow, and see that Anderson never really had a strong female character in any of his films since then. They all feel one-dimensional after this film and I think that might be because he has yet to collaborate with a female writer. Something I think might take his films in a new direction that I would eagerly look forward to.

Anderson has become "too Anderson" and with each new film every review seems to be "This is his most Wes Andersony film yet" So with that direction that he seems to be going in, I still appreciate the inner workings of what Tenenbaums offers.

Yoda

01-08-22, 01:33 PM

Something you have to look Up?
*sigh*

Fine, take my rep.

Citizen Rules

01-08-22, 01:34 PM

Haven't seen Kill Bill Vol 2...I can't stand Tarantino or his movies, so don't plan on watching it.

I've seen Up and the opening segment is very special but the rest of the film goes Down-hill from there;) I didn't like Ed Asner as the old man Carl, he didn't seem to have much personality to me. I'd like to have seen Jack Black do the voice of Carl. I just about hated the little kid, he was made way too stupid for me to like. While I liked Dory in Finding Nemo, I never warmed up to the kid. I kept wishing he would just go away and stop ruining the movie for me.

Harry Lime

01-08-22, 01:35 PM

Two great Pixar films! I put Up in the top tier and The Incredibles near top tier but just under. So we're thinking WALL-E will be the highest ranked and Ratatouille comes in 2nd?

The Royal Tenenbaums is probably my 3rd favourite Wes Anderson. I actually rank them in release order, Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums. I know, crazy, Bottle Rocket at the top! After those first three it's hit and miss for me.

Tarantino is always a hit for me, or at least it seems that way. The Kill Bill films are great but ya I would rank 1 over 2 like it seems the group did.

Also, Yoda's essay on Up! Seems like a great opportunity for a video essay. It would help those of us kids who can't read good. Or maybe even a cool new feature for the site!

TheUsualSuspect

01-08-22, 01:39 PM

16. Up (2009)

I film that had tears in my eyes on two separate occasions. Everyone likes to acknowledge the perfect opening sequence that had everyone crying their eyes out and it is indeed a perfect opening sequence. I like to acknowledge the moment Carl opens the book and sees that Elle didn't stop her adventure book, just continued it in a different way. Him recognizing that her adventure was her life with him touched my heart and I had to hide my face a bit from my wife while watching the film. I have to keep the cold ice emotionless robot exterior or I'll never hear the end of it, hahaha.

Imaginative, colourful, funny and heartfelt. Up is everything that Pixar does right and hasn't really been able to recapture since. Who wants to watch a movie about an old man flying his own house with balloons as a film? It was an odd story that soars above the rest and earns high marks from me.

I'm a Tarantino fan and a fan of Kill Bill, but it did not make my list.

5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
14. Sin City (2005)
16. Up (2009)
20. Battle Royale (2000)
24. Won't Make It.
25. American Psycho (2000)

crumbsroom

01-08-22, 01:50 PM

I can't help but disagree with the idea that this film is cold. If anything, his later films have the calculated staging that make the presentation feel icy, with the exception of maybe Moonrise Kingdom. I look to a scene as simple as Ben Stiller's character lying on the floor, then his son decides to lie on the floor beside him. That one act is simple, heartfelt and warm. It doesn't do much to further the loose plot of the story, but it does a lot for the characters, where they are and where they need to be. On the surface, I understand that the film might feel like it's keeping people at a distance, with the neglect and cold father being at the centre.

Ben Stiller's character has immense growth in the film. In an effort to become nothing like his father, he alienates his own family. He has to face his own inner turmoil and his shortcomings with his own father before he is able to see the overbearing protectiveness of his own children.

But then I look to the female characters, specifically Paltrow, a see that Anderson never really had a strong female character in any of his films since then. They all feel one-dimensional after this film and I think that might be because he has yet to collaborate with a female writer. Something I think might take his films in a new direction that I would eagerly look forward to.

Anderson has become "too Anderson" and with each new film every review seems to be "This is his most Wes Andersony film yet" So with that direction that he seems to be going in, I still appreciate the inner workings of what Tenenbaums offers.

I wouldn't disagree that the narrative, and the journey the characters go through in this film, is filled with emotion. Both repressed and clearly visible. Out of all of Anderson's films, I think the script of this film is brimming with ideas regarding the need we have of family, and the hurt they often bring. It's a big reason it was a favorite movie of mine for a long time. Each character represented something to me, and those things they represent were definitely based in emotion.

And as for his sense of style here, it is off the charts. Rarely has a director brought such meticuluous perfectionism to his work. Rarely is there so much to discover in the backgrounds of every shot. It is a marvel in so many ways. The kind of artistic statement that when I first watched, actually filled me with despair, as it made me realize that as a creative person myself, how much further I had to go to compete with such a thing. An impossible distance. A humbling experience, but the kind of thing that ends up just making love the whole idea of art so important to me.

But then what happened with this recent viewing. For the record I would still give it an 8/10. High praise from me. But it just felt diminished. Not reaching the potential I remembered it reaching. And it think it is the incongruency of the films two greatest virtues. Extremely well thought out script, which requires a deeply empathetic approach to get it all properly on screen. And a director finally having within his grasp to finally make the movie he probably always had in his head, as he now had both the experience and the money to realize these visions. The problem is I just think he went too far on the latter. I can't even think of a single frame of this film that doesn't feel like it is being firmly held in place. His over abundance of talent and ideas just feels....stiffling. Especially after 2 straight hours of it.

I feel the material this script offered for this movie really required moments to feel (at least occassionally to provide contrast) spontaneously lived in. Or natural. Maybe just knock down the preciousness a bit for a few minutes from time to time. Because it doesn't do this, the whole film feels like a catepillar in a jar that has no holes punctured in the lid. We get a sense it should be turning into a butterfly anytime soon. But instead it just suffocates.

Rushmore (even if you aren't a big fan) has such easy breezier moments as these in abundance. Moments where characters move around, like people. Where characters seem to be thinking as they talk, and not reciting everything exactly in that Anderson dead pan style. Even simple scenes of Max walking through campus, scenes that seem like they may have just been done in one take, while insignificant in the big scope of the narrative, are enough to provide that relief. They are the holes in the lid. Offering that sense of reality that I just couldn't get back to in my recent viewing of RT.

All of that said, I don't remotely begrudge anyone for retaining their complete love of the film. I wish I was still there. But I just have to be real to my own experience with the movie, even if it goes against the previous twenty years of my total devotion to it.

Yoda

01-08-22, 01:59 PM

Also, Yoda's essay on Up! Seems like a great opportunity for a video essay. It would help those of us kids who can't read good. Or maybe even a cool new feature for the site!
This actually occurred to me semi-recently (as in the last couple of months) because I've been watching more of those on YouTube.

It would be a ton of work, but I've gotten a lot better at video editing over the last year, and I think it would be quite good. There's a very good chance this'll happen.

I'm not sure it would or could become a regular thing, stuff like this takes a lot of time and effort, and that's before you get into the perfectionism problem (I'm not kidding when I said I was tweaking the essay for years). But the best version of the essay is, probably, a video version, so I probably will at least start work on something like that and see where it goes.

ueno_station54

01-08-22, 02:04 PM

i remember liking Up but haven't seen it since release. didn't vote for any Tarantino because I'm not 14 anymore.

John Dumbear

01-08-22, 02:19 PM

Anderson has become "too Anderson" and with each new film every review seems to be "This is his most Wes Andersony film yet"

BOOM, goes the dynomite!

Chypmunk

01-08-22, 02:22 PM

But the best version of the essay is, probably, a video version, so I probably will at least start work on something like that and see where it goes.
Any thoughts yet of which MoFos you might cast in the various roles to reenact parts?

:goof:

SpelingError

01-08-22, 02:23 PM

I'm pretty sure I like Kill Bill: Vol. 2 more than Vol. 1 as I prefer its greater emphasis on characterization, though Vol. 1 also has a lot to offer and I'm sure it will place higher in this list.

Up didn't make my ballot, but it's close to my favorite Pixar film.

Deschain

01-08-22, 02:24 PM

Rank 'em.

I’ll put it in spoilers because it might tip off how I voted in this countdown.

1. Inglourious Basterds
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Kill Bill
4. Jackie Brown
5. Reservoir Dogs
6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
7. Hateful Eight
8. Death Proof
9. Django Unchained

MovieFan1988

01-08-22, 02:38 PM

Have seen so far: 23 - Kill Bill Volume 2 - Not a bad sequel to the original, surprised to see this movie make it on the list on the mid 30's
Have not seen so far: 49

kgaard

01-08-22, 03:07 PM

Takoma's post on these last two could have been mine. Up is ... fine. But I just don't love it. And Tarantino, like Wes Anderson, started out doing something interesting but gradually fell into self-indulgence. Whatever he's doing, it's not to my tastes.

honeykid

01-08-22, 03:56 PM

People often talk about its amazing opening montage, but sometimes dismiss the rest of the film.

Hi! How ya doin'? :D

Actually it's nice to see some similarly-minded Up people here. I've been fighting this battle alone for a long time. It's, arguably, the best short ever made followed by 80 odd minutes of an OK but pointless film with annoying characters and 'adventure'.... Yes, I've only seen it once, what's ya point? ;)

I think I liked the second half of Kill Bill more than the first (forget all that Vol rubbish) but I'm not 100% sure. I think I've only seen it once (think I saw the first half twice) but, again, I'm not sure. I don't like the films he's paying homage to and, of those I've seen of his, QT has been downhill since this film with the exception of Death Proof (on which I also fight alone :D)

Saw The Incredibles once too. That was probably enough for me, though I do usually at least enjoy a Pixar movie (or did back then) so maybe it was just the time I saw it? But animation and super heroes? It's not me.

The Royal Tenenbaums is pure 00's and effortlessly sums up why it's so ****ing awful. Again, no, I didn't see it all. :D

Miss Vicky

01-08-22, 04:12 PM

...an OK but pointless film with annoying characters and 'adventure'....

Sometimes I wonder why I like you.

mrblond

01-08-22, 04:39 PM

• I saw Kill Bill Vol. 2 back then in the theater and later I got the DVDs of both parts, seen them couple more times through the years. Beautifully shot as always, this Tarantino film marks the fall of his works in terms of empty screenplays fulfilled cynically with lot of meaningless scenes supported by the huge budget he usually has.
Anyway, it is an entertaining movie which I didn't consider for my ballot. 3.5

• I've not seen Up until today when I finally decided to give it a chance. Not bad, traditional touching start and then it turned into an average kid movie. 3.0

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my stats
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Top 100 seen 36/68.
(seen one pointers 3/38 • seen 101-110: 5/10)
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My list:
...
4. Snatch [#71.]
5. The Royal Tenenbaums [#35.]
...
8. Sideways [#39.]
9. Amores perros [#81.]
10. The Wrestler [#54.]
...
14. The Man Who Wasn't There [#84.]
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou [#98]
Werckmeister Harmonies [#97]
Pride & Prejudice [#93]
Caché [#85]
American Psycho [#79]
Battle Royale [#77]
Catch Me If You Can [#72]
Fantastic Mr. Fox [#70]
A Serious Man [#66]
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Yi Yi [#50]
Dancer in the Dark [#49]
Adaptation. [#43]
Before Sunset [#42]
Casino Royale [#37]
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