Masterpieces of the new millenium

So, it's pretty self explanatory, what are your choices?

Here are some of mine:

Gladiator (2000) - Ridley Scott
Amores perros (2000) - Alejandro González Iñárritu
Donnie Darko (2001) - Richard Kelly
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) - Jean-Pierre Jeunet
All or nothing (2002) - Mike Leigh
Vozvrashcheniye (2003) - Andrei Zvyagintsev
Oldboy (2003) - Chan-wook Park
Kill Bill - Quentin Tarantino
Bin-jip (2004) - Ki-duk Kim
Gegen die wand (2004) - Fatih Akin
La mala educacion (2004) - Pedro Almodovar
Crash (2005) - Paul Haggis
4 luni, 3 saptamani si 2 zile (2007) - Cristian Mungiu

Try not to settle for very good films that you enjoyed, but rather brilliant films that will be (or should be) lauded by generations to come...

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My picks:
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Cicade de Deus (City of God) (2002)
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Gegen die Wand (Head On) (2004)
Innocence (2004)
In the Mood For Love (2000)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Oldboy (2003)
El Labertino del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) (2006)
The Pianist (2002)
Sin City (2005)
Spirited Away (2001)

These are two films I definitely have to see.

Why? (If you don't mind me asking). I hated this film, and if this is the kind of thing which is lauded by future generations I worry for the future of cinema...

I'll go with :

The Fog of War (2003)
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
Crash (2005)
Memento (2000)
Ghost World (2001)
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
A History of Violence (2005)
The Departed (2006)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Gladiator (2000) - Ridley Scott
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
Skins (2002)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Crash (2005)


I'll list a few more later....

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Hmm, well, I have a hard on for Tarantino and I think this is his best work save for Pulp Fiction. I've never seen a better revenge flick (apart from maybe Oldboy but this is twice as long). It looks fantastic, it's fun as hell, plus I love Uma Thurman, I think she's the coolest chick on the planet and gets better looking with age. I'll have to watch it again to give a more detailed explanation...

Defining a film as a masterpiece is a little ambiguous and subjective so I'm not 100% on what you want here. I don't know if they'll be "lauded by generations to come", but here are my personal favorites since the turn of the century:

2000: American Psycho, Memento
2001: Amelie
2002: Punch-Drunk Love, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
2004: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
2005: Good Night and Good Luck
2006: Children of Men, United 93*
2007: Juno, There Will Be Blood

*I always feel weird putting United 93 on a favorite/best films list because it's not exactly something I enjoy revisiting all that often. But for my money, it's the most powerful film of the past thirty years.

As for something I haven't seen that could potentially make this list... I'd have to say 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days has a fighting chance and I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

Nothing good in 2003, then...?

Good call on Memento, forgot that one...

There might have been a great movie in 2003. But if there was, I didn't see it.


Other than Hulk, of course, Holden.

Sure it's all subjective but, for example, I loved Charlie's angels and the first part of Pirates of the Carribean, but I wouldn't exactly say they made a significant impact on me or anyone else for that matter.

Well, yeah. But, for what it's worth, I think the first Pirates of the Caribbean is just as good as a few of the films on your list. And it's a lot better than Gladiator in my book. I'm sure you feel similarly about some of the films on my list. It's all about taste and your personal definition of "masterpiece". What I'm saying is that it's impossible to predict what people in the year 2058 will consider the classics of this era in cinema. It's hard to guess what will hold up over time and, depending on the prevailing winds, something thought of as average or just alright today may be appreciated all the more in a few years.

That's all fine and dandy but I think some films already are considered by most people to be masterworks, regardless of whether or not you personally liked them. Most of the films on my list have won numerous awards and have been praised by critics all around the world. And while The twilight samurai, Punch-Drunk Love, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or Good night, good luck may be good films, I'm pretty sure they haven't met with the same level of praise...

Right, because Donnie Darko is a more critically revered film than Good Night, and Good Luck . Not that the current critical consensus has much bearing on how a film will be received decades from now, anyway.

I agree with you on that, some films have been unrightfully ignored when they were first released, the most famous example of which would be Citizen Kane. I think they're an exception to the rule though.
Donnie Darko is a cult favorite and has certainly made a bigger impact than GNGL. I believe people who think that particular film will be remembered 20 years from now are in the (deluded) minority. But everyone's entitled to their opinion...I suppose...

You actually believe you already know what the masterpieces are? This is a very subjective thread, and some people bring much more subjective criteria to the table than others. The only way I can look at someone's list and say that they are maybe onto something is if I see their list of Masterpieces of the last several decades. However, that will just make people fan out in even more directions or say something along the lines of, "1930s masterpieces? You must be joking!"

So for now, I cannot make a list, even if I think a few "great" films have been made. I just believe far fewer than any other decade so far.

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Yes. Also true. So if their choices on those other decades conform to your views of what a great film is then you'll approve of their assessments? Picking outstanding films from this decade is very subjective, but not when it comes to other decades? Can you tell what films were masterpieces of the 90's or 80's? How much time has to pass for you to see that a film is spectacularly good?

Ok, I'll ask again in 30 years, hope y'all 'll be ready to give some more accurate guesses.
Thankfully, you're dead wrong. Some of us think films and acting have evolved during the years and get better with each decade...

Peoples choices don't have to conform to my thoughts. I'd just like to see where they're coming from. If they honestly believe this decade's films are far better than any others, then that explains things to me. It would be the same way with anbody else's lists, and if their "favorite films" of all-time seemed to line up with just one decade.

You made a point in the first post to "try not to settle for films you enjoyed but brilliant films which should be lauded by generations to come". That sounds like you are championing these films and would like eveyone to watch them. I find that to be a worthy endeavor even if I don't believe that there are very many brilliant masterpieces out there.

I don't think anybody ever said that.
I think most people have already seen the films I've listed. What I wanted was to see what films have impressed people the most. I didn't think it would be such a difficult task. :\

I agree that Donnie Darko has made a bigger "impact" and is more likely to be remembered, but that doesn't make it a better film, nor does it make it a "masterpiece." Rocky Horror Picture Show is memorable and has had a huge "impact," but it's not a particularly good film. Is the thread asking for examples of modern-day masterpieces, or films unusual enough to achieve "cult" status and be remembered in 20 years? A clarification on this point would go a long way, I think.

Anyway, I don't think we have to wait to declare something a masterpiece, but I do think a little distance and perspective helps. It's just too easy for a film to seem great in the aftermath of a viewing. The sights, sounds, and emotions are still fresh in our minds. The real test is whether or not they have a similar impact -- as well as some new ones -- when viewed again. And again.

That said, I think it really comes down to the word "masterpiece" -- I, like Mark (if I'm understand him correctly), regarded the use of the word as implying a general critical consensus, or something of the sort. It's a word that's usually used when referring to an overarching view, as opposed to one person's preferences. But that's not embedded in the definition; it's just how I use the word sometimes.

Ok, a masterpiece and a cult favorite aren't the same thing, so I'll admit that DD or Kill Bill may not fit into this particular category. But in my mind, DD certainly is a better film than GNGL.
Agreed, which is why I've also stated a few post up that most of the films on my list (as well as say, Thursday's) have been met with prevailing critical acclaim. If I understand Mark, he just doesn't like many newer films (I think he's stated on a few prior occasions that he preffers older films) which is why, I guess, it's so difficult for him to choose brilliant new(er) films.:\