Best movie so far this decade?

[Gold Trumpet]

Even though I didn't pick it best movie of its year, I am going with a decision in light of a big trend for a lot of movies these days that seem to show more flaws than successes. They can be called movies with storyline ideas to it, or gimmicks, but for some reason, there are ton of movies trying to be clever in how they present the material, for not many good reasons. Memento thought it invented the greatest thing ever by telling the story backwards, well kinda, by telling the story scene by scene backwards. The result was a cluddered movie only memorable for that one aspect and with a crime thriller under all of it that was only average. And last year's Adaptation, which prided itself in being about an idea to see if people could catch or not. Sad thing is, most people into movies did on first viewing. Nothing more to it since every single scene was obvious in meaning. I liked the movie on first viewing and even second thoughts, but when the great purpose or thing of discussion in it is a trick easily readable, there's nothing much to it.

The sad thing to these movies is that they pride themselves in showing ideas that either are of bringing character development development to the background because it exists outside the story itself, or bring the characters into a situation where they are readable on the basis of an idea that holds the "answer" to understanding them. The end result is that there are tricks and ideas that all lead to mainly definite answers on something.

The best movie so far this decade in my mind, Muholland Drive, uses these tricks and ideas to further complicate the identity of the movie as a structure and complicate the characters within them. Sure, it has rules in the dvd to better understanding it and interesting theories of what interpretation is right or what have been submitted, but the movie remains completely ambiguous because there are no definite answers in the end. Lynch's spirit is with Bunuel that life is a mess that can never really be fully understandable. And the point of the movie is not to understand, but draw deeper curiosity in everything it can mean. But aside from discussion of the ideas and tricks put in the film, Muholland Drive felt and feels like maybe one of the only movies made in this decade that will continue to grow and be influential to all that see it. It seems made with its own inspiration that can be said to be at once, both the most powerful piece of filmmaking as well as the most unique so far this decade.

~rougerum

[Jeremy Blackman]

I completely agree with your Mulholland Drive argument... it will probably become more and more influential (especially if Lynch makes another movie) and I love the movie. But let's also give PDL and Dancer in the Dark the credit they deserve...

[BonBon85]

I agree with everything you said, GT (the stuff about Memento and Adaptation included).

[Gold Trumpet]

Other films I would give credit to:

Punch-Drunk Love
Spirited Away
Black Hawk Down
Minority Report
Traffic

didn't even like Dancer in the Dark. Sorry, but the far reaching unrealism of the musical itself didn't bode well with such an intense film. And Dogme like camera movements not needed. Realism can be achieved in other ways.

~rougerum

[Derek]

Toss-up:

PDL & Mulholland Dr.

[av8raaron]

Hard to compare apples to oranges to coconuts to prime rib, so...

Punch-Drunk Love (feel good, cerebral comedy)
Gladiator (action filled blockbuster)
Dancer in the Dark/Monster's Ball (tie for everything sucks type drama)

I know I'm forgetting stuff - more later.

[xerxes]

Gladiator (action filled blockbuster)

gladiator was a terrible film... i also have to defend adaptation... it should not, nor should any other movie for that matter, be blamed for being clever.

[Duck Sauce]

PDL, Adaptation and All the Real Girls

[av8raaron]

Hard to compare apples to oranges to coconuts to prime rib, so...

Punch-Drunk Love (feel good, cerebral comedy)
Gladiator (action filled blockbuster)
Dancer in the Dark/Monster's Ball (tie for everything sucks type drama)

I know I'm forgetting stuff - more later.

I'll add Snatch for all-out comedy.  It satisfies the only requirement in that catagory for me - it makes me laugh.

[av8raaron]

Crap!  Another addition.

The Man Who Wasn't There.

[SHAFTR]

I'd have to say...

The Royal Tenenbaums
Adaptation
Lord of the Rings (the Star Wars of another generation)
I think Road to Perdition will also grow as years go by.

Definitely Mullholland Drive
Amelie' perhaps

[Bud_Clay]

Requiem For A DREAM; The man who wasn't there; Punch-Drunk Love; Mulholland Dr.; About Schmidt; Adaptation..

if i have to give just one i'm thinking The Man Who Wasn't There wins the prize.

[phil marlowe]

Mulholland Drive will definatly win this contest. A caracter study wich equal i haven't seen.

Runners:
The Man Who Wasn't There
Minority Report
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
In The Bedroom
Traffic
Ghost Dog
Shrek

and i hope for:
Punch-Drunk Love

[Bud_Clay]

gladiator was a terrible film... i also have to defend adaptation... it should not, nor should any other movie for that matter, be blamed for being clever.

agreed. and i'll have to defend Dancer In The Dark. Why should realism be expressed in another way when it's absolutely beautiful the way it is? I hear a lot of harsh criticism of dogme when in fact there are a lot of films that it's style is quite appropriate for.

[RegularKarate]

The theory that a film's level of obscurity determines how good it is is just plain laughable.  A straight forward, obvious film can be great.  Judging a film by it's multiple, undefinable, misinterpreted layers is just like saying Guy Ritchies Gawd awful work is great because he "uses neat camera tricks".

I agree that Mulholland Drive is a great film, but I wouldn't put it as the best of the decade so far... so far, I'm gonna have to go with PDL.