1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2000's)

Notes: I still can’t shake the thought that this movie had been included in this list mostly because it was directed by Agnès Varda, a very well known and well regarded French director, and , in my opinion, if it would have been directed by someone else, it would have never been there. Anyway, it is still a interesting, touching and rather poetic documentary. At some point, it even becomes a rather surrealist egotrip as Varda starts to film herself as she wonders about her own life. While watching this, I had actually some mixed feelings about these ‘gleaners’. Indeed, what they did was quite inspiring and I have always been attracted by the marginals, the rebels who dare fight the system but, on the other hand, this way of life seemed also so depressing but maybe it has to do with the fact I have been like the rest of us pretty much brainwashed to believe that living in full over-consumption is actually the best and the only normal thing to do.

Notes: Even though I might be mistaken, this movie can pretty much considered as Wong Kar Wai’s magnum opus. Anyway, I should definitely re-watch it some day. Indeed, I did see this flick in the movie theater when it came out more than 10 years ago and, at the time, it was a massive critical success so I had some rather high expectations. I don’t know, maybe I was too young at the time but, even though I did like it, I can't say I though it was great like everyone seemed to think. I mean, I loved the "mood" and the whole thing looked quite amazing, the directing was obviously quite impressive and both leads gave some very good performances. However, I thought it was really slow (I know it is deliberately slow but, somehow, I didn’t really get in this flow) and I wasn't really fascinated by the story. Indeed, after a while, it became a little bit frustrating and I wish they would just kiss each other and move on with their life instead of remaining stuck for some rather obscure reasons.

Notes: In fact, I saw the damned thing back then with my buddies in the movie theater when it was released. At the time, it was not yet hailed as a great classic and I thought it was alright but nothing amazing. Since then, I have re-watched it at least 3 times but I still don't get why everybody seems to think it is one of the best movies ever made. I mean, it looks awesome, the directing is off the chart, Russel Crowe delivers an impressive performance but what about the story? Yes, it is entertaining but nothing amazing in my opinion. I know, it is a huge classic and it is definitely an entertaining movie but it is not much more than that, I’m afraid. In my opinion, at the end of the day, the story was in fact a rather generic peplum and it didn't add much to the formula. In this style, I'd rather watch 'Spartacus' or 'Ben Hur' anytime.

Notes: During the last 15 years, Darren Aronofsky has become one of the most intriguing directors at work nowadays. During this period, most of his movies have been critically heralded but this flick is still his best movie in my opinion. Indeed, I think it is quite amazing. Especially, the directing was top-notch as it first displays how using drugs starts quite innocently and joyfully but slowly goes straight down to hell and the whole thing ends as one of the most hard-core movie ever made. For all the actors involved (Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans), it was in my opinion quite simply the highest point of their career and they have never better than in this flick. Hell, who would have thought that Marlon Wayans, of all people, could deliver such an impressive performance?!? Visually, it was just really impressive and I have selden seen a movie pushing you so far into exhilaration and then completely the opposite into some of the darkest places you have ever seen.

Notes: It is pure and simply my all time favorite movie. The funny thing is that, when it was released, back then I was living in England, the trailer didn't really impress me. Honestly, I thought it looked like any other convoluted dark thriller with a guy with some weird tattoos. A year later, I was back in France renting a movie with my best friend and we had no idea what to watch. My friend suggested this because there was absolutely nothing else and we both had no idea what it was about. Eventually, we started the damned thing and it took us at least 15 minutes to figure out the weird structure but then, we were both hooked. The funny thing is that we were at his house and even though we started with only the two of us, every 15 minutes, someone else would show up so we would stop the movie, explain what was going on and further move on. At the end, we were like 6 people watching this flick, none of us had heard from it before but we were all mesmerized. Basically, I think this movie is really amazing. At the end, you are so confused. Even though you have more information than Leonard, the main character, at the end, it still remains a big blur. I'm sure a lot of people are annoyed by this but I just love this feeling.

Notes: To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this flick and I should definitely re-watch it at some point (since I have it on DVD, it shouldn’t be such a problem). If I recall it correctly, I saw this one in the movie theater back then when I was living in England and I was really impressed. There was a pretty good buzz about this flick and, for once, this buzz was completely deserved. Indeed, this movie was really gorgeous and it was something really unexpected by Ang Lee, considering he just directed a Western (‘Ride with Devil’), a 70's drama (‘The Ice Storm’) and a period piece (‘Sense and sensibility’). Eventually, they would release a sequel 16 years later, produced by Netflix, but I have some serious doubts that it would be any good.

This entry is for the whole trilogy


The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)


The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)


The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Notes: I must admit it, the first time I watched the fist installment, I wasn't completely blown away. I mean, it looked awesome and I was entertained during the whole thing, that's for sure, but, basically, I thought it was a very long introduction before the real thing started. After re-watching it many times, I tend to appreciate it more but I still think the other 2 installments were better. That's also the skill of Peter Jackson who managed to make each installment bigger than its predecessor. And indeed, the 2nd installment was definitely pretty awesome, I was really starting to feel the epicness of the whole thing and, in my opinion, it was actually better than 'The Fellowship'. Indeed, this time, there was no need to introduce the characters and most of the movie was filled with some amazing battle scenes. On top of that, there was still one major character who was finally properly introduced and it was Gollum. Eventually, personally, I thought that 'Return of the King' was actually the best of them. Even though some complain that there were too many endings (and indeed I think that all those multiple endings took at least 30 minutes), I thought it was such a great conclusion for one of the greatest tales ever told.

Notes: By now, I have seen most of the movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki and, after watching so many of his flicks, I must admit it, most of them didn’t really blow me away. I mean, they were all pretty good, the hand-drawn animation displayed is nothing short of marvelous but I always have a hard time to get into his stories. There is one major exception though and it is this masterpiece which I really loved. Indeed, I have all respect for the Disney animated features and they definitely made some great pictures but, in my opinion, Hayao Miyazaki displayed here so much more imagination and this feature was just much more spellbinding. Here, once again, the visuals were great and, for once, the story was just really fascinating. Indeed, it is basically a dark and thrilling tale, with some quiet moments and some frenetic action but the pacing was still really flawless.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: This movie is pretty much my favorite documentary. Indeed, I think it was just pretty awesome. I know it is completely biased and the images are probably manipulated but it didn't matter to me. In my opinion, this movie is at the same time entertaining, moving and educating and I think it is a great achievement and by far the best movie delivered by Michael Moore.

Notes: Honestly, I was just completely blown away and I would go as far as saying that it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. First of all, the way it was shot was really impressive. Indeed, this movie is really stylized but also quite realistic at the same time which is something rather unique, it has some complex shots and nice visuals but it remains raw at the core. But it is not one of those movies with some nice visuals but rather tedious, no, here, the story keeps you on the edge from the beginning until the very end and it was just quite fascinating. I thought that the characters were all intriguing, even the smaller ones, and even though there were many characters, it was so well written that you could easily follow what was going on and who’s who and who was doing what. How they managed to make such an entertaining and insightful movie in one of the most dangerous places on earth is also quite a marvel and a mystery to me.

Notes: Gus van Sant is a very good director and I always had a weak spot for his work but, to be honest, not all his movies have been completely successful (As a matter of fact, ‘Good Will Hunting’, his biggest success at the box-office, is actually rather overrated in my opinion). Fortunately, this movie really didn’t disappoint me. Indeed, basically, it is quite a shocking story told in a very particular way and you might find this approach rather unappealing but I thought it was in fact actually quite fascinating. I'm pretty sure that many viewers would find this movie frustrating because, while watching this, you have so many questions coming up in your mind but, eventually, no real answer at all is provided by this movie. Personally, I really loved the fact that you had to think about the movie and the events themselves on your own to find yourself the answers. I have to admit it though, the whole thing is terribly cold and distant (a little bit like Michael Haneke’s work as a matter of fact) so it is an acquired taste.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: Not so long ago, I have finally seen the other movies in Chan-wook Park’s ‘Revenge Trilogy’ and, to be honest, I was slightly disappointed by ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance’ and even more by ‘Lady Vengeance’. Indeed, I was expecting a lot from these flicks because I was so blown away by ‘Oldboy’ which was the 2nd installment in this trilogy. I remember it very well, when it was released, it was critically heralded, especially at the Cannes Film Festival and after hearing so many good things about it, I was really eager to check it out. Eventually, I thought it was quite amazing and definitely one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. Personally, I usually don't like twists but the one developed in this movie didn't bother me at all. The reason why was that the story, the directing, the acting, everything was just spot on and fascinating to behold. From that point, Chan-Wook Park had quite a successful international career but, I have to admit it, I still have to watch the other movies he made outside his ‘Revenge Trilogy’.

Notes: I remember it very well, when this movie was released, it was quite a critical success so I was really eager to check it out and I had some pretty big expecations. Eventually, to be honest, even though I did enjoy it and thought it was indeed pretty good, I was expecting a little bit more from this flick. I mean, sure, the clash between the Eastern and Western world was very interesting and this movie allows the viewer to think about it thoroughly but also in a funny a way but, at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that the whole thing was indeed quite clever but not much more than that. Surprisingly, even though he reached worldwide acclaim with this movie, the director Wolfgang Becker didn’t do much afterwards.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: It must be one of the most destructive and fascinating love stories I have ever seen in a movie. The two leads were completely awesome and delivered some tremendous performances, they managed to create some truly alive and 3 dimensional characters. When the movie was released, there was actually a big fuss in Germany because Sibel Kekilli was previously in some porn movies but you really wonder how it has anything to do with her performance in this movie which was just brilliant. Birol Ünel was just as good and I would love to see more movies starring any of them. Furthermore, the directing by Fatih Akin was very impressive as well and the story was seriously spellbinding. Even though it deals with minorities living in Germany, they didn't spend their time developing some tedious stereotypes and instead you got some fascinating and pretty messed up characters trying to go through their lives struggling with the various cultures they live in and trying to find their own identity in the process.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I thought it was really amazing and I would go even further by saying that it is probably the last great war movie in my opinion. Yeah, it is that good. I remember, after watching it, I discussed it with my wife and she argued that the makers could have never known how the whole thing exactly happened. Personally, I think it is totally irrelevant though but it still seemed pretty convincing in my opinion. Basically, it is a fascinating study giving us the magnitude of the sheer madness of those guys. 70 years later, it remains difficult to comprehend that literally millions of people believed this guy and his ideology. That's also the other great thing about this flick, the impressive performance given by Bruno Ganz. Indeed, up to that point, the general perception I had of Adolf Hilter was one of a barking man during his distressing speeches. Here, Ganz managed to give him another dimension. I mean, the madness, the megalomania, it is all there but, and that's the most controversial aspect of this movie, they gave him some more human features because, after all, he was also a human being with actual feelings (I know it is hard to believe and/or accept...). Bruno Ganz was brilliant and he must be one of the most underrated actors ever.

Notes: I remember it very well, when this movie came out, there was a huge buzz about it and after its release, it kept on going for a while. Indeed, back then, there was a huge controversy because many people thought this flick was a shoe-in for the Best picture academy award but, eventually, the winner was 'Crash'. It was a big blow for Ang Lee who never deserved more to win the big prize and recently, he was snubbed again with 'Life of Pi'. Coming back to our main feature, personally, I think this movie was more deserving than 'Crash' but it doesn't really matter anyway. Indeed, I think it is quite a unique picture and nothing similar had been done before. As usual with Ang Lee, the directing was really solid and the performances provided by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Legder were really great. For Ledger, it seemed to be the beginning of an amazing career which was abruptly stopped a few years later and for Gyllenhaal, it was quite a breakthrough and he has become one of the most dependable actors of his generation.

Notes: Eventually, I had 2 issues with this movie. First, it was very overhyped when I watched it the first time so my expectations were too high. Second, I was expecting a fantasy picture and the fantasy is only half of the movie, the other half being a war drama. Basically, I didn't get what I expected. In spite of all this, I really liked it as there was some very good directing and a fascinating story. Some years later, I watched it again to make up my mind for good and, honestly, the second time around, it gave me about the same feeling. I mean, the directing was indeed very good, the special effects were quite awesome, the story was intriguing and entertaining enough but, honestly, I never really felt swept away by this fantasy world. In my opinion it is a very well made and interesting dark fairy tale but it is not much more than that. Sometimes, you connect with a movie and sometimes, you don’t. Apparently, this movie was not really my thing but it doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.

Notes: Eventually, it was one of those cases that I had such high expectations that it became almost impossible for the concerned picture to fulfill those expectations. For example, Carice van Houten, a big star in the Netherlands and currently the best actress out there, said it was even the best movie that came out during the last 10 years so it was supposed to be really good. Eventually, to be honest, I did like it, I thought it was very good but, unfortunately, I never thought it was really amazing. Basically, the story was quite interesting and it was definitely very well done but the main issue was that I didn't care much about any characters, neither the secret police agent or the intellectual couple. As a result, even though I admired the work done, I had a rather hard time to connect with the whole thing.

Notes: First of all, I must admit I always had a weak spot for those found-footage features but it is still no guarantee for success though. I also thought it was quite hilarious that they started out with a fake message pretending that the movie was real. Come on… Ever since ‘The Blair Witch Project’, they still hold on to that trick?! But, it didn’t bother me and, as a matter of fact, I thought it was a pretty good flick. By now, I had some time to think about it and, in my opinion, the movie is solely based on anticipation. Indeed, every night, the concerned couple set the camera at the same spot and then, you wait, you anticipate what might happen or not. And there is absolutely no music cue, no visual cue, anything to give you some hint about what will happen if anything happen at all. Still, the acting was decent but nothing really amazing and maybe some better actors would have developed the psychological turmoil in which the characters were going through.

Notes: In 2007, two contenders rose above the rest, this movie and 'No Country for old men'. Eventually, 'No Country for old men' got slightly more credit but, personally, I preferred this amazing flick. In my opinion, 'No Country...' was a fine picture but this flick went way deeper and was more fascinating in my opinion. Anyway, Paul Thomas Anderson showed us again that he is one of the most inspired directors at work right now. Working with one of the best actors ever, Daniel Day-Lewis, they created a great masterpiece together. Day-Lewis provided one hell of a one-man show being in almost every single scene for almost 3 hours long (however, the young Paul Dano shouldn't be forgotten as he gave an impressive performance as well). Furthermore, The story was really mesmerizing, probably the best one tackled by Paul-Thomas Anderson so far.

Notes: Even though the more recent 'American Sniper' was a huge box-office success and, therefore, so far, the most popular movie about the war in Irak, in my opinion, this movie is actually the best one probably the best movie about this subject. Indeed, back then it was completely ignored by the audience but it was rightfully heralded by the critics and end up winning the Best Picture Academy award. Above all, I believe that the story was just really fascinating and I was on the edge of my seat during most of the duration. The directing was also very good and all the actors involved (especially Jeremy Renner in a star making performance) were pretty impressive here.

Notes: What can I say that hasn't already been said about this movie ? It's just the best super-hero movie out there. Period. It is is rather funny to think that before it was released, 'Spider-Man 2' used to be considered the best in this genre. I mean, Sam Raimi's opus was a decent and entertaining blockbuster, that's for sure, but compared to how Nolan revolutionized the genre with this 2nd Batman installment, it wasn't that amazing. Nolan's sequel was also the proof that you could make a commercial movie, make a lot of bucks and still making a damn entertaining and not completely brainless picture at the same time. Never before a super-hero feature had been so epic with such a great cast, such awesome action scenes and such a memorable bad guy thanks to an exceptional performance by the late Heath Ledger.

Notes: After such movies like 'Twilight', 'Underworld', 'Blade', '30 days of night' or 'Daybreakers', we finally get, out of nowhere, an original and striking vampire movie. I know, Sweden is not exactly 'nowhere', but you have to agree that it was rather unexpected. It is definitely one of a kind and I'm not sure you can describe it as an 'horror' movie since it really pushes the boundaries of this genre. Indeed, they seamlessly mingle the vampire loneliness with some teenage anxiety and the end result was rather amazing. Another thing I enjoyed is that, not like in 'Twilight' for example, they didn't add some mindless action scenes. There is indeed some blood sucking but most of it is off screen but it is obviously not the point here. I guess it is acquired taste since it is rather slow and there is no action scenes but it didn't bother me at all, in the contrary.

Notes: I thought it was a very interesting and entertaining movie. I especially enjoyed the 1st half which was just great. Then, the 2nd half was little too much action-oriented for my taste but still it was a very good and original picture. The other day I watched it again with Nick, my step-son, who really loved it and it still holds up pretty good. One of the best thing about this flick was also the main character, Wikus Van De Merwe. I mean, the guy is a total moron and I thought it was really refreshing, in contrast with all the stereopycal heroes you get in your usual commercial productions. It's too bad Wikus wasn't so interesting in the second half when, suddenly, he got himself a conscience. At the end of the day, I think it is slightly overrated but it is still a fine SF feature. Above all, it's too bad that all the following movies directed by Neill Blomkamp have been rather disappointing.

Notes: I remember it, many years before this movie was even released , there was a huge hype surrounding it. Eventually, it became the biggest box-office success ever. Nowadays, pretty much like ‘Titanic’ , the views concerning this flick are pretty extreme and basically, many love it but also many people really hate it with a vengeance. The story was maybe not original but was still pretty entertaining and the visuals were just mind-blowing. Coming out of the movie theater, I had probably the same feeling when people just saw Star Wars back in 1977. Just blown away... By now, I have seen it a couple of times on Blu-Ray, I still think it is really good. Ok, it may not be as mind-blowing as the first time, in theater, with the 3D and all, but it remains a gorgeous flick and a milestone in motion picture history. Coming back on the story, many believe it is just a rehash of ‘Pocahontas’ and even though it is partly true, I still think there is an extra dimension to it. Indeed, the main character finally walks again and suddenly becomes another being and on a psychological and a metaphysical level, it was quite intriguing. Unfortunately, Cameron is no Kubrick and this aspect of the plot was poorly developed and James Cameron preferred to focus on the whole ‘Pocahontas’ intrigue.