The MoFo Top 100 of the 2000s Countdown

Trailers

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Need to get a hint right. It's been too damn long.

Stats: Pit Stop #7

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This is the seventh pit stop (70), so here are our stats so far:

Decade Breakdown

• 2000 = 13
• 2001 = 8
• 2002 = 5
• 2003 = 5
• 2004 = 8
• 2005 = 12
• 2006 = 4
• 2007 = 4
• 2008 = 4
• 2009 = 7

2000 eeks past 2005 for the top spot, but 2001 and 2004 get closer!


Director Breakdown

• Wes Anderson = 3 (The Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox)
• Joel & Ethan Coen = 2 (The Man Who Wasn't There, A Serious Man)
• Clint Eastwood = 2 (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby)
• Ang Lee = 2 (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain)
• Danny Boyle = 2 (28 Days Later, Sunshine)
• Richard Linklater = 2 (Before Sunset, Waking Life)
• Pete Docter = 2 (Up, Monsters Inc.) = 100%
• Christopher Nolan = 2 (The Prestige, Batman Begins)

Two more join the list, while Wes Anderson takes the lead with 3 films in the countdown! Out of the 4 he made in the decade, will he get a 100%? Docter already got his 100% getting both his films in.


Genre Breakdown

• Musical = 2
• Biopic drama = 5
• Romantic drama = 5
• Horror = 4
• Coming of age = 2
• Thriller = 8
• Drama/mystery = 4
• Comedy drama = 9
• Action comedy = 2
• Epic, war drama = 2
• Psychological drama = 4
• Animated drama = 2
• Animated comedy = 5
• Superhero action = 4
• Crime = 5
• Western/Neo-western = 2
• Science fiction = 2
• Martial arts = 2
• Action = 1

70 films in and comedy dramas took over! Thrillers are close behind still, though.


And finally, no changes as far as foreign films so we remain at 16 of the 70, while we add 2 more animated films to the list for a total of 7.

I expected that films from 2007 would appear in this countdown the most. I'm surprised.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

And in an era of gritty reboots and nightshift vigilantes, the dominant genre is the dramedy. Aristotle would love this.

And adding up to our list of notable actor occurrences...

4 FILMS

• Christian Bale (#38*, #60*, #79*, #99)
• Bill Murray (#32*, #35, #70, #98*)
• Willem Dafoe (#44, #70, #79, #98)

3 FILMS

• Brad Pitt (#51*, #68, #71)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman (#46*, #73, #90)
• Cillian Murphy (#45*, #60, #88*)
• Samuel L. Jackson (#36, #62, #83)

2 FILMS

• Frances McDormand (#84, #90)
• Robert Downey Jr. (#76*, #83*)
• George Clooney (#70*, #68*)
• Tom Hanks (#69*, #72*)
• Paul Bettany (#83, #100)
• Colin Farrell (#56*, #99*)
• Gael García Bernal (#69, #81*)
• Casey Affleck (#51*, #68)
• Geoffrey Rush (#63, #67*)
• Keira Knightley (#63, #93*)
• Owen Wilson (#35*, #70, #98)
• Michael Gambon (#70, #98)
• Brendan Gleeson (#45, #56*)
• Michelle Williams (#46, #52)
• Mickey Rourke (#47*, #54*)
• Ethan Hawke (#42*, #82)
• Julie Delpy (#42*, #82)
• Benicio del Toro (#47, #71)
• Bruce Willis (#47, #62*)
• Sam Rockwell (#49*, #51)
• Meryl Streep (#43*, #70*)
• Scarlett Johansson (#38, #32*)
• Russell Crowe (#40*, #100*)
• Joaquin Phoenix (#40, #67)

*means leading part

Again, I'm sure I might be missing something.

Haven't seen: Lost in Translation, The Pianist. Both have been on my watchlist for a while, but can never seem to commit to watching it.

Good film, Not on the List: Kill Bill Volume 2. The margin between this one and the first is pretty thin. Maybe the second one kind of felt inevitable about what was going to happen, even though there's some plot elements that do come as surprises?

Made the List: Up is my number 8. It does a great job of balancing humor (the talking dog) with emotion (that sequence chronicling the life of Ellie and Carl is a grabber). The reluctant friendship of Carl with scrappy boy scout Russell helps the film take off once the house does. Throw in some good visuals and some storyline happenings and it deserves to be among the best Pixars outside of maybe the Toy Stories.

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

Honorable Mentions:
Remember the Titans
Unbreakable

Lost in Translation is a very nice, smooth film that simply follows two characters as they gravitate towards each other, being lonely in one of the busiest, noisiest cities in the world. Whether it's love they feel is besides the point, it's just the fellowship they share that matters. And whatever Bill's character whispers to Scarlett's character at the end is, I feel, none of our business. I felt it was more fun to imagine what it was. Either way, the experience they shared was not in vain. Very good film. But...didn't vote for it.

The Pianist is a devastating movie that is powered by Adrian Brody's phenomenal performance. I also cannot watch movies dealing with the Holocaust more than once, no matter how well-made they are. Again, didn't vote for it.


#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

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"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

32. Lost in Translation : I have to put a lot of my love for this film down to Bill Murray - and the script, although it was a very loose screenplay which allowed the actors to improvise a lot - something Murray is ideally suited to. It also really captures the feeling of being in Tokyo without any friends and family - lost in a sea of crazy cultural happenings, movement and alienation. An instant and strong bond will form with anyone that is also a foreigner in this place. The Bond that forms between Scarlett Johansson's character and Murray's faded star is one of the most heartfelt and touching I've ever seen in a film, and provides the perfect foreground and contrast to our characters inability to even communicate with the others around them in any sense. It's Bill Murray's favourite film of his own, and I think it is certainly his best as well. He lost in the Oscar race to Sean Penn for his role in Mystic River. There are many wonderful moments and scenes that are set up perfectly, with ambiance, intelligence and warmth. Lost in Translation was my #7.

31. The Pianist : I have fond memories of watching this with my sister who was visiting from far away - she hadn't seen it before, and liked the film very much - as do I. Was very surprised to see Chicago beat it for the Best Picture Oscar at the time. Great opening, with Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody) playing piano for a radio show, doggedly refusing to stop despite bombing and destruction going on around him - the start of a 6 year ordeal that many millions wouldn't survive. The events have become very familiar to us, but there's a clarity in The Pianist that makes viewing it worth your while, and Brody carries the film well. The fact that director Roman Polanski himself survived the Holocaust helps to add additional authenticity to proceedings. It didn't make my list however.

My list so far :

1 -
2 - Adaptation (2002) - #43
3 -
4 -
5 -
6 - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) - #51
7 - Lost in Translation (2003) - #32
8 - Dancer in the Dark (2000) - #49
9 - A Serious Man (2009) - #66
10 - Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - #102
11 -
12 -
13 - The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005) - #78
14 -
15 -
16 - The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) - #59
17 - Sideways (2004) - #39
18 -
19 - Michael Clayton (2007) - #109
20 - In Bruges (2008) - #56
21 - The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) - #84
22 -
23 - Snatch (2000) - #71
24 -
25 - World's Greatest Dad (2009) - 1 pointer

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Awards

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Now to the awards received by Lost in Translation...

• Academy Award for Best Screenplay (Sofia Coppola)
• BAFTA Award for Best Actor (Bill Murray) and Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson)
• BAFTA Award for Best Editing (Sarah Flack)
• Chlotrudis Award for Best Movie, Best Director (Coppola) and Best Screenplay
• Golden Globe Award for Best Picture
• Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor (Murray) and Screenplay (Coppola)
• Satellite Award for Best Actor (Murray), Best Picture, and Best Screenplay (Coppola)

Among many, many others.

As for The Pianist, it won...

• Academy Award for Best Actor (Adrien Brody)
• Academy Award for Best Director (Roman Polanski) and Best Screenplay (Ronald Harwood)
• BAFTA Award for Best Film
• BAFTA David Lean Award for Direction (Polanski)
• Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or
• Goya Award for Best European Film

Trivia

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Lost in Translation



Did you know that...

• Sofia Coppola envisioned Bill Murray for the role of Bob from the beginning?
• this is Murray's favorite film of his?
• Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia's father, urged her to shoot the movie in HD because "it's the future", but she chose film because it "feels more romantic"?
• Coppola was the first woman to be Oscar nominated for writing, directing, and producing in the same year?
• Murray whispering to Scarlett Johansson's ear in the end of the film was an improvisation from him? Coppola had written some lines, but was unhappy with them and Murray came up with the whisper. Although some videos claim to reveal what he said, none of the actors involved have revealed it.

Trivia

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The Pianist



Did you know that...

• Joseph Fiennes was Polanski's first choice for the role of Szpilman? He turned it down because of a previous theatrical commitment.
• Adrien Brody learned to play the piano for the role?
• Brody lost 31 lbs. for the role?
• in order to connect with the feeling of loss required for the role, Brody got rid of his apartment, sold his car, and didn't watch television?

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE LOST IN TRANSLATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hint, hint...

Let the Right One In is one of them.

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This and Kill Bill 1?

I watched Lost in Translation for the Films Directed By Women Countdown, (where it was #1 on the countdown). I liked it, but not enough for it to make my list for that countdown. I rewatched it for this countdown, and I liked it more the second time, but it still didn't make my list.

The Pianist is another movie that I watched for this countdown because I found the DVD at a garage sale. This is another movie that falls in the category of great movies that I have no desire to ever rewatch.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

Lost in Translation was my #1. I have loved this film since I first saw it and have seen it many times since. Every time I start wondering whether it is really that good after reading people's less positive reactions but then I see it and nope, it's still there. Of course it could absolutely do without that scene with the escort where it basically seems like it's making fun of her English, but beyond that I think it deals very smartly with feelings of things being lost in translation, not being able to connect, things meaning different things to different people, feeling adrift. There's a wonderful atmosphere of melancholy and wistfulness with moments of joy. The music in this film is excellent. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are perfect for their roles. Most of all, it looks absolutely beautiful.

The Pianist I watched years ago and thought it was brilliant, but I've never felt like revisiting it. I probably should not have held that against it and voted for it. Adrien Brody was very good.

Unfortunately, I agree. I wished it had been higher

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You win sir.