Smart Hollywood: My Top Ten Fave Films of the 00’s
2. Gladiator (2000)
Are you not entertained? If not, you better re-watch this film again, and then again. And one more time for good measure. Ridley Scott has teamed with Russell Crowe many times throughout the 00’s and they already have another film in the can together set to come out next summer (“Robin Hood” – because you know you’ve been waiting to see Russell Crowe in green tights). But “Gladiator” is the film that brought them together for the first time, and which brought Russell Crowe to the level of super-stardom and made him an Academy Award winner for Best Actor in the role of a lifetime, Maximus. Oh yeah, “Gladiator” won Best Picture as well. And the Academy got it right. What a movie. This film has it all. There are bloody epic battles in Roman arenas. There is Maximus giving passionate speeches such as “At my signal, unleash hell”. Ok, that might not actually fit the definition of a speech, but it sure does the job. There is a man on a mission to seek justice for the deaths of his loved ones. There is Russell Crowe wearing a skirt (Ok, so on second thought maybe some people have been waiting to see Russell Crowe wear green tights). In a film filled with memorable moments, my favorite has to be that scene in the arena where Maximus takes off his gladiator mask and reveals himself to the evil emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). You know the scene. Say these lines along with me, and I know you will start to feel pumped up, you just can’t help it. “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” Chills, I tell you, I get chills. I’m sure this film is playing somewhere on cable this very minute so I’ll forgive you if you skip my #1 for now, and go watch Maximus get his vengeance again in this lifetime.
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4 comments
kevinsemicolon says: That’s a pretty interesting list. Of the movies I’ve seen, I would only disagree with a few of them (one in particular—I can guarantee I will not be rewatching any Russell Crowe movie in the next 20 years). Here’s my list, with the added restraint of only one movie per year:
Wonder Boys (2000)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
24 Hour Party People (2002)
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Volver (2006)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Coraline (2009)
For Volver, you can substitute Pan’s Labyrinth if you prefer. 2006 was the year Madrid picked up the slack for Hollywood. That was a fun exercise. Thanks!
Rachel Sklar says: What a great list. I admit that I can watch “Legally Blonde” anytime…or “Bring It On”…or “Mean Girls”…I think I just stumbled upon another idea for a list…
(I also like smart-people movies too, sheesh. Oh and I think I’d put Inglorious Basterds on any list. I still find myself thinking about it, and arrested by it.)
Jonathan Fuhrman says: I agree re: “Basterds” but left it off the list for 2 reasons: 1) personal bias given I worked on it and trying to remain somewhat impartial; 2) and more importantly, it’s probably a case of timing hurting its chances to make the top 10 – its just too soon – need a little bit of time and distance to really determine its place on this list. That being said Quentin’s other masterpiece of the 00’s, “Kill Bill” (especially Volume 1) was definitely a near miss to this list. I can watch that scene where The Bride takes on the Crazy 88 over and over. What a movie.
lkruse says: Excellent choices! I agree with all those films. I think if I had to try and do both: pick movies just from the 00’s that I’ll enjoy yrs from now (enjoy being the key word in this category as some of the best movies can be difficult to watch over and over again), as well as movies that stand up to critical acclaim I would have to add:
Both Joe Wright’ films “Atonement” and “Pride and Prejudice”
Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brokovich”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“Tropic Thunder”
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