Top Ten Films of 2001
On 9/11 everything changed. Not just the loss of life and the seemingly unending barrage of war and lies that came after. It changed how large numbers of US citizens viewed countries outside of America. They had been attacked. They were given a person, religion, and area of the world to blame. People are quick to blame and scapegoat. They don’t stop and ask why or what should happen. They just attack back. I understand that. It’s human. It’s not human to just sit and wait. Our brains are designed to ask what’s next and to look for something better and sustaining. When you don’t have something to point at and see things can get murky. The lies that are told that can’t be argued with become harder to distinguish from reality. Division creates cracks that allow the gases laid dormant for so long to seep up and poison us all. Turning us into flesh eating zombies feeding on brains. It’s an exorcism of our country and the possession is winning. It’s hard to get the demon out when the exorcist is arguing with themself about if there’s a demon at all. As vomit drips down his robe.That was one too many horror movie metaphors, even for me.
Other things that happened
Wikipedia begins
Aaliyah dies in a plane crash
Anthrax letters are sent out
War in Afghanistan
Patriot Act is signed
The Green River Killer is arrested
onto the movies
2001 is a year of when Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings began their domination. It also was a year that was indicative of the future of movies by having almost exclusively franchise beginnings, sequels, reboots/remakes, and kid’s movies in the top ten.
I think this is a good year and a really great top ten.
11-25
A Knight’s Tale (Directed by Brian Helgeland)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Directed by Steven Spielberg)
Ali (Directed by Michael Mann)
Amélie (Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
Frailty (Directed by Bill Paxton)
Joy Ride (Directed by John Dahl)
Monster’s Ball (Directed by Marc Forester)
Monsters Inc. (Directed by Pete Docter)
Not Another Teen Movie (Directed by Joel Gallen)
Tape (Directed by Richard Linklater)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Directed by Peter Jackson)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Directed by Coen Brothers)
The Mexican (Directed by Gore Verbinski)
The Piano Teacher (Directed by Michael Haneke)
Training Day (Directed by Antoine Fuqua)
top ten
10. Heist (Directed by David Mamet)
An early favorite I would catch on cable. It has a lot of alpha acting by some of the best to ever do it. Those three on the poster plus Sam Rockwell, and great support by Ricky Jay and Patti LuPone. It’s pretty simple to understand but Mamet plays with the heist film well and I think if it was available to see anywhere for free it would be a rewatch all the time.
9. Zoolander (Directed by Ben Stiller)
Foundational in my humor and the sequel, while truly vile and bad except for maybe 5 minutes of it, doesn’t hold this one back. It’s still hilarious and sensitive in the best ways. Amazing small character roles for so many. I recommend a rewatch sometime.
8. Ghost World (Directed by Terry Zwigoff) - Amazon Prime
Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson are perfect in this coming of age film for all the cynical emo kids out there like the best adults were. Steve Buscemi is perfect, and I think Ilena Douglas is due a reappraisal because she rules so much. It’s a hard movie to tow-the-line and I think it succeeds.
7. Wet Hot American Summer (Directed by David Wain)
Wain’s comedies are so silly and specific sometimes they get lost. Because those who aren’t in on the joke get bored and confused why it’s funny. This is one of the great comedies of the 21st century and you should watch it and all the “prequel” stuff they did a couple years ago. Makes me laugh so much.
6. Black Hawk Down (Directed by Ridley Scott)
I wondered if this wouldn’t hold up because I fell in love with it back in high school when I was a teen boy into guns and war but this shit is good. It is a real “look at the consequences” movie while still being respectful. The more I think on this, I might prefer it to Saving Private Ryan because the end of that movie sucks. This one packs a punch.
5. Waking Life (Directed by Richard Linklater)
The lucid dream movie that pioneered a new kind of animation technology. A somewhat trippy spin off from the Before trilogy in my head but made before two of those. It is scoffed at as some “get high and think” movie but you don’t need to be high to appreciate the beauty and connectivity of all things and if you do then don’t watch this.
4. The Royal Tenenbaums (Directed by Wes Anderson)
The Anderson that gets better each time I watch it. Just before he got too cute and still had a lot of deep feeling for me. He’s always hilarious, and this one cuts. Gwenyth Paltrow continues to be someone I realize meant a lot to me as I grew up through movies.
3. Ocean’s Eleven (Directed by Steven Soderbergh)
One of the most enjoyable movies of all time. Just joy and cleverness for two hours. Clooney, Pitt, Damon, and the rest have amazing chemistry. Knowing the beats only makes you appreciate how good of a song it is. Turn it on repeat and watch Brad Pitt eat. Let’s rhyme.
2. Donnie Darko (Directed by Richard Kelly)
Dorm room stoner canon that holds up to me. Really beautiful film about mental illness and suburbia. Seth Rogen with a great performance as the school bully. Gyllenhaal doing his best Kubrick movie performance. A lot going on here that shouldn’t be discounted and maybe reexamined to appreciate how good it actually is.
1. Mulholland Drive (Directed by David Lynch)
Don’t try to understand this movie. Just feel it. The way Christopher Nolan thinks Tenet is supposed to be, maybe try this instead. It will confound and please you in ways you’re maybe not comfortable with throughout. Naomi Watts is in Major Acting Hall of Fame on this performance alone. It’s one of the best works ever made. The insidious nature of hollywood and identity. Watch this with your most conversational friends.