#22 — There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) Paul Thomas Anderson insists that when he wrote the screenplay for There Will Be Blood, he had only one actor in mind for the lead role of Daniel Plainview. What’s … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Two
#23 — Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron, 2001) In a recent issue of the U.K. movie magazine Empire, Francis Ford Coppola took a swipe at Steven Spielberg, asking him, though an editorial intermediary, when he was going to finally … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Three
#24 — Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008) It’s now been over thirty years since Woody Allen cast his cynicism in unyielding bronze by having Alvy Singer assess the state of his relationship with Annie Hall through the use of … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Four
#25 — In America (Jim Sheridan, 2002) It’s tempting when designating a film as great to expound on all the big, significant things that it does, to point out its mastery of delicate topics or celebrate the way it gets … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Five
Halfway through seems like a good time for a recap. Here’s what we’ve covered thus far: 50. Triviatown (Patrick Cady and Brit McAdams, 2006) 49. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) 48. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003) 47. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002) 46. The Savages (Tamara Jenkins, 2007) 45. Vera Drake (Mike Leigh, 2004) 44. Lars and the Real Girl (Craig Gillespie, 2007) 43. The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson, 2009) 42. Trouble the Water (Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, 2008) 41. Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004) 40. In the Bedroom … Continue reading Top 50 Films of the 00s — Halfway Point
Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2008). A grim, atmospheric drama about people living small, desolate lives and the way a family tragedy accentuates the levels of their dismay to such a point that bad choices begin to take over. Green handles the film with an elegant restraint that sometimes veers close to bloodlessness, but overall gives it a hard, tense sheen. Adapted from a novel, the film sometimes feels as though it’s missing out on the deeper psychological understanding that’s far easier to realize on the page than on the screen. It offers up nice actorly moments for Sam Rockwell … Continue reading Apted, Ashby, Cammisa, Green, Soderbergh
#26 — City of God (Fernando Meirelles with Katia Lund, 2002) I mean it as about the strongest compliment I can muster when I assert that City of God is reminiscent of Martin Scorsese at his rawest and most freewheeling. … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Six
If Ricky Gervais had only created The Office, he would deserve a place on the upper tier of comic creators, just as John Cleese would merit veneration if he had only signed his name to Fawlty Towers. As Gervais moves … Continue reading I’m tired of the stories that you always tell, Shakespeare couldn’t tell a story that well
#27 — Capturing the Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki, 2003) Back in the spring, I finally watched Grey Gardens, the acclaimed 1975 documentary by the Maysles brothers and a trio of other collaborators. The more I think about it, the more is … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Seven
#28 — Match Point (Woody Allen, 2005) Is the clearest measure of a filmmaker’s talent the enduring capacity to surprise? When Woody Allen made Match Point he already had several exceptional films to his credit (many dire failures, too, the … Continue reading Top Fifty Films of the 00s — Number Twenty-Eight
Coffee for Two 