Part two of our discussion on the films of the 00’s, this time focusing on 2001.
1) Best of 2001?
2) Worst of 2001?
3) Most underrated?
4) Most underseen?
5) Most overrated?
6) Best performance(s) of the year?
7) Best single scene/sequence of the year?
8) One thing you could change about any single film in 2001 (Example: different cast, different director, different style, different release date, different studio).
9) Most memorable (good or bad) theatergoing experience of the year?
10) Most influential film/performance/style/director?
Obviously feel free to answer only the questions you’re interested in or to write/respond to something else entirely. The lists themselves are just a starting point designed to foster discussion.
Gone Elsewhere 
1) Best of the year?
Kairo (Pulse), Memento, Sexy Beast, Zoolander, Series 7: The Contenders, Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Royal Tenenbaums, Mulholland Drive, Snatch, Jeeper’s Creepers, Dogtown and Z-Boys, Crazy/Beautiful, Donnie Darko, Kissing Jessica Stein, Training Day, Ocean’s Eleven
2) Worst of the year?
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, America’s Sweethearts, Serendipity, Spy Game, Captain Corellis Mandolin, Down to Earth, Hannibal, The Last Castle, The Mexican, The Score, Shallow Hal, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Pearl Harbor, Heartbreakers, Evolution, Scary Movie 2
3) Most underrated?
Kairo (Pulse): Reviews were great and it won “Un Certain Regard” at Cannes in 2001, but I think it’s still in the process of earning it’s reputation as one of the scariest films ever made. It will get there eventually.
Kiss of the Dragon: one of the better American Jet Li films (it’s actually a French co-production) although I wouldn’t rate it as “underrated” necessarily.
Rush Hour 2: I’ve caught shit for my defense of this film over the years, but it’s the only work of Ratner’s, Chan’s or Tucker’s that I truly enjoy.
4) Most underseen?
Kairo (Pulse)
5) Most overrated?
A Beautiful Mind, Monsters, Inc.
6) Best performances of the year?
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.
Washington and Hawke in Training Day.
Left field choice: Ben Stiller in Zoolander.
7) Best single scene/sequence of the year?
The female ghost walking in slow-motion in Kairo.
The end of the world in Kairo.
The attack sequence in Pearl Harbor.
Gasoline fight in Zoolander.
8) One thing you could change about any single film in 2001?
Jessica Stein’s hetero, mainstream-friendly ending has never sat right with me. While it doesn’t betray the characters, I would have preferred to see a positive, gay-themed romantic comedy without the cop-out.
9) Best or worst cinematic experience of the year?
Watching Rush Hour 2, with severe jet lag and drunk in a massive, near-empty screening room in Liverpool laughing my ass off.
10) Most influential film/performance/style/director?
Training Day has been one of the most imitated films of the decade, usually badly.
Hmm … I’ll need to take awhile to look at this, but either my Best Of is a lot different from yours, or it was an epically crappy year. I’ll have Royal Tenenbaums, and maybe Mulhollland Dr. on my list, but other than that I’m seeing no overlap.
Also, is A Beautiful Mind overrated? I suppose that by virtue of being a Best Picture winner, it probably is, but I always felt like there was enough of a backlash against that award that it was not “overrated” as such.
Put it this way: Gladiator is still #116 on the IMDb list.
1) Best of 2001
Ghost World, Gosford Park
2) Worst of 2001?
Planet of the Apes (not so much terrible as totally forgettable, the very antithesis of the original. All it seemed to have was a ‘knowing’ self-aware attitude with none of the substance and perspective of the original). It wasn’t a bad film as such, but ‘Ali’ was a disappointment.
3) Most underrated?
‘The Princess Diaries’. It’s got a bad rep but when I saw it recently – while no classic – I was quite pleasantly surprised how palatable it was.
4) Most underseen?
‘Ghost World’. I was going to put ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’ in here but it actually made more money than GW did in America!
5) Most overrated?
Donnie Darko, The Royal Tenenbaums (never been a big fan of Anderson), Bridget Jones’s Diary (Zewelleger got an Oscar nomination?!? Mind you, it’s a masterpiece compared to the sequel)
6) Best performance(s) of the year?
Clive Owen was terrific in ‘Gosford Park’; the standout performance in an outstanding cast. Anne Hathaway’s talent really shone through in her breakout performance in ‘The Princess Diaries’.
9) Most memorable (good or bad) theatergoing experience of the year?
I went to see the long delayed Warren Beatty film ‘Town and Country’. It had a bad rep so I knew it wasn’t going to be a packed cinema but I was surprised when I was the only one in the cinema! But even better was when the screening started and they were incorrectly screening ‘Ghosts of Mars’! If I hadn’t been in there no one would’ve been any the wiser. TAC was ordinary in anycase.
Yikes, this was a bad year. I remember thinking that, of the nominees, In the Bedroom deserved to win Best Picture even though I didn’t really like the movie all that much.
That said, I had a tough time finding movies for both the Best and Worst lists.
Best: The Royal Tenenbaums, Ghost World, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Vanilla Sky, Mulholland Dr., The Devil’s Backbone
Worst: Hannibal, Planet of the Apes, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Majestic, Life as a House, The Tailor of Panama
Not Fair to Call It One of the Worst, Although I Hated It: Moulin Rouge!, Iris
Overrated: Training Day, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Deep End, Gosford Park, Black Hawk Down
Underrated: I swear, I thought Bandits was hilarious. Not sure what I’d think if I saw it now.
By the way, I found what appears to be a complete list of 2001 releases (in the US, anyway) at The Numbers.
Wow…how long was Memento in the theaters?
1) Best of 2001
Memento, Royal Tennenbaums, Der Krieger und Die Kaiserin, Brother, Tape and Startup.com
2) Worst of 2001?
Tie between Evolution and Heartbreakers (easily worse than Tomcats cause at least Tomcats had Xena as a sex goddess pain-type…yeah…)
3) Most underrated?
Der Krieger und Die Kaiserin
4) Most underseen?
Startup.com
5) Most overrated?
Donnie Darko
6) Best performance(s) of the year?
Benno Furman, Gene Hackman (wonderfully mannered performance) and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman
7) Best single scene/sequence of the year?
The opening sequence of The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring
8) One thing you could change about any single film in 2001?
Make LOTR one movie, and have Frodo do the right thing and jump off the cliff into the lava after he saves the ring from Gollum. Coulda stomached the movies much better if that was the case.
9) Most memorable (good or bad) theatergoing experience of the year?
Watching that opening sequence of LOTR in Sony Theaters new flagship theater on Boston Common, when they were still using SDDS. I swear, it felt like the earth opened when that low bass frequency comes in when Sauron explodes after having the ring cut off…and the separation between the surrounds…amazing…(made Black Hawk Down better than it was, too.)
James, no mention of The Devil’s Backbone?
Forgot about ‘Evolution’; that was lame.
Not seen: In the Bedroom, Waking Life, Princess and the Warrior, Series 7: The Contenders, The Mexican, The Last Castle, I Am Sam, Elling, Evolution
1) Best of the year?
Memento, Spirited Away, Amelie, Mullholand Drive, Moulin Rouge, Donnie Darko, Royal Tenenbaums, LotR – Fellowship of the Ring, Y Tu Mamá También, The Devil’s Backbone, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Monsters Inc., My Sassy Girl, Shrek, No Man’s Land, Das Experiment, Sexy Beast, Shaolin Soccer, Take Care of My Cat
2) Worst of the year?
Hannibal, America’s Sweethearts, Pearl Harbor, Captain Corellis Mandolin, Down to Earth, Serendipity, A.I., Planet of the Apes
3) Most underrated?
Lord of the Rings, Moulin Rouge, Legally Blonde
4) Most underseen?
All About Lily Chou-Chou – a very creepy but realistic Japanese teen drama that’s close to three hours. Not everyone’s cup of tea but it draws up a sense of atmosphere unlike few films I’ve ever seen.
Das Experiment – a clever German thriller based on the Stanford prison experiment.
My Sassy Girl – a Korean rom-com that upends many of the clichés of the genre by having the dream girl be a sadistic drunk with attitude. Charming film overall even if it ultimately goes back towards the cliché ways of the genre towards the end.
5) Most overrated?
A Beautiful Mind, Ghost World, Zoolander (though I admit I haven’t seen it in years and my sense of humor has changed somewhat since then)
6) Best performances of the year?
Helena Bonham Carter in Planet of the Apes
Helen Mirren in Gosford Park
Audrey Tatou in Amelie
Naomi Watts in Mullholand Drive
Cast of All About Lily Chou-Chou
Cast of the Lord of the Rings – Fellowship of the Ring
Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke in Training Day
Gabriel Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna in Y Tu Mamá Tambien
Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast
7) Best single scene/sequence of the year?
The transformation from fun fair to spirit world in Spirited Away, the fight with the troll in the mines in LotR, the door chase in Monsters Inc., Tenoch and Julio recounting all the people they’ve had sex with in Y Tu Mama Tambien, the visit to the cinema with the bunny in Donnie Darko, “landing” the helicopter in Black Hawk Down, Naomi Watts audition in Mullholand Drive, and this one from Sexy Beast.
8) One thing you could change about any single film in 2001?
Have Hannibal never happen.
9) Best or worst cinematic experience of the year?
Best: Watching Black Hawk Down with a Somali guy who was in the country at the time. He had a different take.
Worst: Watching Hannibal with one of the worst colds I’ve ever had in my life and staying through the entire thing, hoping that the shit I was watching was induced by fever.
10) Most influential film/performance/style/director?
My Sassy Girl has influenced most of the rom-coms coming out of Asia for the better part of this decade now, spawning countless sequels, rip-offs and one lousy American remake.
Lord of the Rings – no explanation needed.
Thanks, Brian, for the link.
1) Best of 2001?
Moulin Rouge, hands down; Memento a close second; LOTR:TFOTR even closer 3rd.
Also enjoyed: Amelie, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Harry Potter, The Mexican, The Majestic, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
2) Worst of 2001?
Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
3) Most underrated?
By this crowd, certainly Moulin Rouge – This thing should have won more Oscars, Globes, Grammys, Tonys, MTV Awards, Country Music Awards, etc… (I jest)
4) Most underseen?
American Movie. Though it was released in 1999, I distinctly remember watching it at home in 2001, so I’m cheating heavily and throwing it in here.
5) Most overrated?
Training Day
6) Best performance(s) of the year?
7) Best single scene/sequence of the year?
8) One thing you could change about any single film in 2001 (Example: different cast, different director, different style, different release date, different studio).
It’s probably just me, but I kept getting Spy Game and Behind Enemy Lines confused for years after their proximal release(s). I kept thinking to myself, I know one has Owen Wilson and one has Brad Pitt, but is Robert Redford in both?
9) Most memorable (good or bad) theatergoing experience of the year?
Though the movie was crap, there was a scene at the beginning of Final Fantasy where it was a closeup on the main girl’s eye. The eye blinked and everyone in the audience said, “woah” in awe of the technology on display.
But what takes the cake was seeing LOTR at 11am on a weekday (following its opening). I had just been laid off the month prior and my friends drove out of their way to come to my town and pay for me to see the movie. There was almost no one in the theater, which was practically brand new. It had a giant screen and the whole thing was THX certified. Awesome.
10) Most influential film/performance/style/director?
Sexy Beast and Das Experiment…yes!
A performance beyond criticism because it was thrown-down with such verve and complete IMMERSION…can’t believe that went past me…
And Das Experiment…amazing, amazing film with another Tykwer stalwart, Moritz Bleibtreu. This movie heralded an amazing voice in the world of film direction, hoping he recovers after The Invasion…Downfall still stands out as one of the most well-handled and crafted movies with so well-known a monster at the center.
Bleibtreu is great. Have to get a hold of Fatih Akin’s In July where I understand he gives one of his best performances.
Last I heard of Hirschbiegel he was directing some Irish drama about the aftermath of the troubles, with Liam Neeson in it.
Best: Memento.
Other top films: Amores Perros, A.I., The Anniversary Party, Ghost World, The Others, Monsters Inc., LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring, Royal Tenenbaums, A Beautiful Mind, Monster’s Ball
Most Overrated: Moulin Rouge
Best Performance: Russell Crowe (Beautiful Mind), Gene Hackman (Royal Tenenbaums)
Worst: I’ll add to the piling on of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Pearl Harbor
I’d agree to an extent. But since the backlash was already in full swing by Awards season (and it still managed to score the top prize) I figured it still qualified.
Good selection. Princess Diaries is a very solid family comedy with an engaging cast…something that’s rarer than it should be.
Exactly. I respect the artistry, but there is no film released in 2001 I’d want to watch less than MR. LOTR would fall in the same category.
Never understood what the appeal was, myself.
I swore that was a 2002 release, but you are correct. Maybe I didn’t see it until much later.
Completely forgot about both. Have added to my list.
Haven’t seen it. Del Toro’s stuff has never really appealed to me, although I’ve heard great things about Backbone over the years.
Had thought it came out in 2002, my mistake. That would be a top three selection for me, added.
Good choice, nearly made my best list.
Sounds great, just added it to my queue.
For whatever reason, Netflix does not carry Sassy Girl.
I admired it at the time, although I probably haven’t thought of it since. Should probably try and give it another look down the line.
And how did I forget Scary Movie 2, easily the worst film I saw theatrically in 01, on my Worst?
I thought The Others was one of the most genuinely creepy ghost films I’ve seen.
Marco, just out of curiosity, have you ever seen Jean Renoir’s Rules of the Game? If not, I would think it’s vital viewing for you, given your love for Gosford Park.
Nick – LOTR is underrated? How do you figure?
Too bad, but don’t rent the remake, despite the inclusion of Elisha Cuthbert. Also, calling MSG “underseen” is somewhat disingenuous, since it’s probably been seen by every girl in Asia. And that’s a lot of people.
I think you’re going to like All About Lily Chou-Chou, it’s really quite spellbinding.
Did I mention I saw Kairo, by the way? Watched it on your recommendation. It’s better than many J-horror films, has some fantastic scenes like those two you mentioned above, and is truly tense throughout, but I never felt engaged in what happened to the characters, who were drawn very crudely. In many ways it feels like an extended mood piece, drawn with dark crayons. Basically, it was too dark and weird for me, which I’ll admit is a bit impressive.
Well, not at the time, but in hindsight there’s been a lot of knocking down on the films by certain people. Got pissed at one guy who generalized that people who dug it were basically ugly white people. It’s not that I don’t understand why there were people who didn’t like it – arguably, they’re slow and pretentious – but it’s the efforts by some of those who didn’t like them to somehow conclude that there’s something wrong with those who did that makes me think the films are underrated. It makes me wonder if they’re overlooking the films themselves because they’re not the “hip” kind of films to like, i.e. “they’re films for fantasy geeks and I’m not a geek.”
No I haven’t. It’s on YouTube (with English subtitles so I’ll try to have a look at it there).
My personal interpretation is that Kurosawa deliberately kept the characters at arm’s length. We know them in the same way people know one another online. Meaning: just barely.
We’re supposed to feel like we have no personal connections. We’re lost and lonely and trying to make sense of what’s happening as the world crumbles, just like the folks in the film.
I watched it last night again, also…Kurosawa is an underrated director, and I had forgotten, but how the hell did they do that shot of the girl jumping off the tower on such a low budget? How the hell did they do it, period?
Glad to hear it film. They shot a real woman climbing to top of tower and bungee jumping off. Next, they tossed a dummy off. With some careful editing and digital removal of certain elements: it’s almost seamless.
That’s probably why, or at least a very good interpretation, and probably why I respect but don’t like it much. I’m an optimist in the end. I need something to latch on to.
Arguably, Lord of the Rings is one movie. Just a very long one, divided by the studio (or if you want to go way back, the British publisher in the fifties) into three parts.
Ok, finally got around to Lily Chou-Chou. Kinda torn on it.
It’s beautiful at times. Well-acted, well-written. The vacation sequence was great. I actually went back and re-watched it a second time before tossing in the mail. The downside is that it’s a little pretentious and Iwai could have cut at least 30-45 minutes from the runtime.
I also found myself completely lost and confused throughout. Part of it has to do with the way the film is shot (the murky/dreamlike photography often made it hard to differentiate characters) but I’m going to assign most of the blame to the fact that I watched it in pieces over two days.
Need to see it again before rendering a final verdict.