2000 was the year Gladiator became the film to beat. While some of us were holding out hope that Ang Lee’s wire-fu masterpiece, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon would have won – it was a foreign language film and those never win. Crowding in close was Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic. Soderbergh had two film in the Best Picture race that year, was nominated in the Best Director category twice and ended up winning when Academy voters got their ducks in a row and sent out the message that if they were going to vote for Soderbergh, they should vote for Soderbergh directing Traffic. Ang Lee won the DGA. Somehow no one thought Ridley Scott ought to win for the film that won Best Picture.
Julia Roberts finally won an acting Oscar, as did Russell Crowe. It was one of the most suspense filled Oscar years that I can remember in all of the years I’ve at this. The outcome seemed a little uncertain. Smart money knew Gladiator could not lose. But the dreamers among us, oh the dreamers. This was one year before 9/11 would change everything. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.
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Gladiator was a good chance for the Academy to reward beloved populist entertainment. It was a gargantuan blockbuster with some great, unforgettable scenes. The competition imo was relatively weak, so 2000 was a good opportunity for a popular widely-seen winner.
A mostly weak year for me (although I am still yet to see Yi Yi or The Contender, two films I am keen on);
1. Dancer in the Dark
2. Memento
3. Gladiator
4. Pitch Black (one of the better and more original low-budget genre films in years)
5. Unbreakable
6. Cast Away
7. Chopper (Eric Bana deserved a nomination)
8. The Perfect Storm (has aged well, thanks to a supporting cast which has gained in stature since the film’s release)
9. American Psycho
10. Before Night Falls
HM: Vertical Limit, Crouching Tiger, In the Mood for Love, The Dish, Pollock
Best Actress was a battle royale that year. Bjork not even nominated, Joan Allen comes up short again, Burstyn’s fearless performance and a mainstream favourite finally delivering something worthy of an Oscar. Brutal.
I was also in the perfect age group (11yo) to love Scary Movie (most unforgettable comedy cinema experience, with my best friend too). If you were of the right age at the time, it was a real generational memory moment. Of course, it has dated horribly.
Vertical Limit was also a film I really enjoyed at the time, and was the first DVD I ever bought.
I’d love for you guys to talk about the best supporting actress race in the podcast. Marcia Gay Harden’s win is one of the shockers of the decade. She’s to date the only actor to win an Oscar without being nominated for a Golden Globe or a SAG. It seems a mystery how she pulled that off.
BEST PICTURE NOMINEES (My ratings out of 5)
Chocolat***
Crouching Tiger HIdden Dragon*****
Erin Brockovich***
Gladiator**
Traffic***1/2
MY PICKS:
10. Dr. T and the Women
9. Wonder Boys
8. Best in Show
7. You Can Count on Me
6. What’s Cooking?
5. Dancer in the Dark
4. The Big Kahuna
3. O Brother Where Art Thou
2. Chicken Run
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST DIRECTOR:
5. Gurinder Chadha, “What’s Cooking?”
4. Nick Park & Peter Lord, “Chicken Run”
3. Joel & Ethan Coen, “O Brother Where Art Thou”
2. Lars von Trier, “Dancer in the Dark”
1. Ang Lee, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
5. Julia Roberts, “Erin Brockovich”
4. Tracy Ullman, “Small Time Crooks”
3. Michelle Yeoh, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
2. Laura Linney, “You Can Count on Me”
1. Bjork, “Dancer in the Dark”
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
5. Denzel Washington, “Remember the Titans”
4. Michael Douglas, “Wonder Boys”
3. George Clooney, “O Brother Where Art Thou”
2. Kevin Spacey, “The Big Kahuna”
1. Geoffrey Rush, “Quills”
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
5. Mark Ruffalo, “You Can Count on Me”
4. Robert Downy Jr., “Wonder Boys”
3. Eugene Levy, “Best in Show”
2. Christopher Guest, “Best in Show”
1. Tim Blake Nelson, “O Brother Where Art Thou”
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
5. Kate Winslet, “Quills”
4. Catharine O’Hara, “Best in Show”
3. Farrah Fawcett, “Dr. T and the Women”
2. Elaine May, “Small Time Crooks”
1. Xiang Ziyi, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
5. Dr. T and the Women
4. What’s Cooking?
3. You Can Count on Me
2. Best in Show
1. Chicken Run
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
5. Quills
4. Wonder Boys
3. The Big Kahuna
2. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
1. O Brother Where Art Thou
BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
5. “God Loves a Terrier” Best in Show
4. “When You Come Back to Me Again” Frequency
3. “Times Have Changed” Wonder Boys
2. “A Fool for You” Meet the Parents
1. “A Love before Time” Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
5. Hanz Zimmer, “Gladiator”
4. Rachel Portman, “Chocolat”
3. Danny Elfman, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
2. John Powell & Henry Gregson-Williams, “Chicken Run”
1. Tan Dun, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”
BEST FILM EDITING:
5. Best in Show
4. What’s Cooking?
3. O Brother Where Art Thou
2. Dancer in the Dark
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
5. Quills
4. All the Pretty Horses
3. Dancer in the Dark
2. O Brother Where Art Thou
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. Quills
3. O Brother Where Art Thou
2. Dancer in the Dark
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST SOUND MIXING:
5. Chicken Run
4. The Perfect Storm
3. Cast Away
2. Dancer in the Dark
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST SOUND EDITING:
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. Chicken Run
3. The Perfect Storm
2. Space Cowboys
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. Hollow Man
3. Space Cowboys
2. The Perfect Storm
1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
5. 102 Dalmatians
4. Quills
3. O Brother Where Art Thou
2. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
1. Dancer in the Dark
BEST MAKEUP:
5. Cast Away
4. 102 Dalmatians
3. Quills
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
1. Dancer in the Dark
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
Chicken Run
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE:
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Sound and Fury
I really loved that the Academy chose Marcia Gay Harden over Kate Hudson – awesome choice. Though Jennifer Connelly should have been nominated also.
Jamie Bell should have been nominated for “Billy Elliott”. I re-visited this again recently and was really taken by his raw, natural performance. It’s a shame that young actors are constantly snubbed in the Best Actor category.
Ellen Burstyn’s performance still stands the test of time. Though there was no way Julia Roberts was going to be denied.
And Christian Bale in “American Psycho” and Jared Leto in “Requiem for a Dream” were other notable snubs.
To this day, Gladiator remains one of my favourite films. I can still remember watching it in the cinema for the first time; it had me from the opening scene of Maximus’ hand brushing through the wheat. And the score! The first thing I did when I left the theatre was go straight to the nearby music store and purchase the soundtrack. Love everything about it.
Not sure where the cutoff date is in some of these, but mine for FLF would be:
Amores Perros
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
In the Mood for Love
Songs from the Second Floor
Yi Yi
LOL shitt. That’s mortifying!
Well I guess it’s a double from Sweden too. In Lukas Moodysson’s TOGETHER…
Apologies.
Well, that… and the fact that Björk and co’s Danish is not that fluent.
I need to give YI YI another chance.
Tero,
Yeah, two Japanese titles? I kinda go for what AMPAS should have done as opposed to what they would or could have.
well dammit.
Forgot The Virgin Suicides. I’ll just replace Sexy Beast with The Virgin Suicides at #11 so I won’t have to renumber anything.
That was lucky.
Bryce, you have a critical error in your Foreign LANGUAGE Film category 🙂
Another note: I think Breaking Bad borrows heavily from Traffic, though I’ve never heard Vince admit this or acknowledge the film. I’m not as familiar with The Wire, but the similarities of BB to Traffic, the color scheme in Mexico and camera filter, the casting parallels in Steven Bauer, a few plot elements, etc.
Ryan,
Thanks for the recommendation. I have always wanted to see Traffik, but have not been proactive about doing so. I will correct that soon based on your advice.
A lot of praise here for Gladiator. It’s entertaining and a good popcorn-flick. But there were so many fine films that year and the Academy (again) went with the easy-cheesy film.
On the other hand, Oscar voters were wise enough to spread the wealth: Traffic and Crouching Tiger went home with four trophies each.
Good to see the love for “Shadow of the Vampire.”
Catherine McCormack didn’t wind up with the career heft that I had expected after “Dangerous Beauty” and SOTV.
You just knew back then that Julia Roberts was going to win Best Actress- but I wasn’t a big fan of the performance. She was definitely at her best – but at the end of the day, her Erin Brokavich character wasn’t much different from any of her other characters. Ellen Burstyn was awesome in a very disturbing role/film which explains why she didn’t get her second (much deserved) award this year.
I recall the producers had a scheme going that winners who can keep their speeches under a certain amount of time would win a TV. Julia Roberts made mention of that in her acceptance speech – something about – “I already have a TV .. so …”
My choices:
BEST PICTURE
1. Dancer in the Dark
2. Requiem for a Dream
3. Best in Show
4. Memento
5. American Psycho
6. The Contender
7. The Emporers New Groove
8. Unbreakable
9. Battle Royale
10. The Man Who Cried
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Lars Von Trier – Dancer in the Dark
2. Darren Aranofsky – Requiem for a Dream
3. Christopher Guest – Best in Show
. Christopher Nolan – Momento
5. Ridley Scott – Gladiator
BEST ACTOR
1. Christian Bale – American Psycho
2. Guy Pearce – Memento
3. Ed Harris – Pollock
4. Jamie Bell – Billy Elliott
5. Russell Crowe – Gladiator
BEST ACTRESS
1. Bjork – Dancer in the Dark
2. Ellen Burstyn – Reuiem for a Dream
3. Joan Allen – The Contender
4. Laura Linney – You Can Count on Me
5. Michelle Yeoh – Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Jared Leto – Requiem for a Dream
2. Willam Dafoe – Shadow of the Vampire
3. Fred Willard – Best in Show
4. Eugene Levy – Best in Show
5. Joaquin Pheonix – Gladiator
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Catherine O’Hara – Best in Show
2. Catherine DeNueve – Dancer in the Dark
3. Marcia Gay Harden – Pollock
4. Jennifer Connoly – Requiem for a Dream
5. Jennifer Coolidge – Best in Show
Nooou now my list is screwed. I’m inserting REMEMBER THE TITANS at #22, everything else moves down a position.
Chris,
yeah, I guess Oscar eligibility should be it. *sight*
Memento would not be eligible for the 2000 Oscars. It was released in Spring 2001 in the US, so it would have been eligible for that year. There was no qualifying run in late ’00.
I think I’ll use that as a barometer for what year I consider a movie to be from. It makes it easier to discern because of wonky release schedules.
I just remembered, I also really liked Remember the Titans.
I gotta tell ya, I love “Gladiator.” I think it’s one of the best and most underrated Best Picture winners in recent memory, and that Ridley Scott was robbed of Best Director. But that’s what happens when you’ve got two equally strong contenders pulling votes every which way. As much affection as I have for “Gladiator,” either “Traffic” or “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” would be worthy winners. You can tell the Academy loved all three films with the awards being almost equally divided amongst them (“Gladiator” won 5, “Traffic” 4, “Crouching Tiger” 4).
It’s shocking to me that Ellen Burstyn lost Best Actress for “Requiem for a Dream” to Julia Roberts “Erin Brockovich.” Yes, it’s the best performance of Roberts’ career, and yes she was a big star getting her due. But when you compare it to Burstyn’s work, or Joan Allen’s in “The Contender,” you can’t help but feel somebody got robbed.
Speaking of “The Contender,” what was with Gary Oldmen not getting nominated for Supporting Actor? He got a SAG nod alongside Jeff Bridges, but no Oscar love. Do you think there was any sympathy voting for Albert Finney in “Erin Brockovich?” Had Benicio Del Toro been nominated in Lead for “Traffic” like he was at SAG, I could see Finney taking this prize.
I’m guessing you’re not a fan of Russell Crowe winning Best Actor. I get that: it’s really more of a makeup prize for “The Insider.” Yes, his performance is good, but it’s really just a notch above Charlton Heston in “Ben-Hur” as far as that sort of thing goes. I would have loved to see Tom Hanks, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem, or Ed Harris win. And where was Michael Douglas for “Wonder Boys?”
Films that should’ve been nominated for Best Picture over the treacly “Chocolat:” “Almost Famous,” “Cast Away,” “Wonder Boys,” “Billy Elliot,” “You Can Count on Me,” and “Requiem for a Dream.” In the Best Director race, you’ve got the introduction of Stephen Daldry, who’s been present ever since even for his worst movies.
One more thing and then I’ll shut up: I want to bang the drum for Elaine May’s wonderfully loopy performance in Woody Allens “Small Time Crooks.” It was a lovely swan song for one of the great women of comedy. How May never won an Oscar for screenwriting is beyond me. As an aspiring writer I always look to Mays work for influence. I wish she had gotten some Supporting Actress traction for the film. Speaking of which, how about Marcia Gay Harden beating perceived front-runner Kate Hudson? It’s surprising given that Hudson typifies the kind of actress who generally wins Oscars: young, beautiful, and of-the-moment. What do you think happened there?
Anyway, love the podcasts. Feel free to not limit yourselves to just two hours.
I’ve made blunder in my first comment: I made it clear that my list consists of (mainly) English-speaking films only; so, while the tri-lingual Shadow of the Vampire is not invalid, Houston knows that we’re having a big problem here with Crouching Tiger . . . .
Anyway, I’ve decided to keep it this way even though Crouching Tiger is officially a Chinese-speaking film, with cast members all communicating originally in a Chinese variety. Because without it I personally believe my list would become invalid at least in a sense. Relatively speaking, I consider myself not watching enough of other non-English speaking films than (Mandarin/Cantonese) Chinese-speaking, Korean and Japanese pieces annually; so, to simplify things, in general I tend to work around English-speaking amusements only, when commenting here. (That’s why, save for Crouching Tiger for which I bent the rule a bit, I simply — hypocritically — omitted other non-English films […].)
***
In the end, however, here’s my list again [revised a bit]:
1) Gladiator
2) Almost Famous
3) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
–
4) Traffic
–
(The first four films are ranked, with Gladiator being the Best […]; anything below is included in NO particular order, and on this new list there are only 8 films — which is different from my original manifest. I’ve also added some foreign films on the footing as well.)
–
Chocolat
You Can Count on Me
Erin Brockovich
Billy Elliot
***
Non-English films worth mentioning (just to name a few) (all films using Oscar timeline): In the Mood for Love, Malena, **Battle Royale, Amores Perros (etc.).
(**Battle Royale was reportedly first released in US in 2002, which was too late; so, I have no choice but to consider it a 2000 film using Japan release timing.)
A bit too reliant on visual effects for the recreation of Rome for my tastes, but those gladiator combat scenes were fantastic.
Yeah, I think this is spot on, and I think it wouldn’t bother me so much if it weren’t from Mr. “Do-it-Real” himself, Ridley Scott. But the effects are fine for the time. They do look dated now especially to those who can’t help but harp on that.
(all nominees are ranked)
Best Picture
1. ALMOST FAMOUS
2. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
3. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
4. BILLY ELLIOT
5. MEMENTO
Best Director
1. Wong Kar-wai – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
2. Christopher Nolan – MEMENTO
3. Stephen Daldry – BILLY ELLIOT
4. Cameron Crowe – ALMOST FAMOUS
5. Kenneth Lonergan – YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
Best Actor
1. Tony Leung – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
2. Guy Pearce – MEMENTO
3. Jamie Bell – BILLY ELLIOT
4. Tatsuja Fujiwara – BATTLE ROYALE
5. Russell Crowe – GLADIATOR
Best Actress
1. Laura Linney – YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
2. Maggie Cheung – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
3. Bjork – DANCER IN THE DARK
4. Ellen Burstyn – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
5. Michelle Yeoh – CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
Best Supporting Actor
1. Benicio del Toro – TRAFFIC
2. Mark Ruffalo – YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
3. Joaquin Phoenix – GLADIATOR
4. Phillip Seymour Hoffman – ALMOST FAMOUS
5. Takeshi Kitano – BATTLE ROYALE
Best Supporting Actress
1. Julie Walters – BILLY ELLIOT
2. Carrie Anne-Moss – MEMENTO
3. Catherine Zeta Jones – TRAFFIC
4. Jennifer Connelly – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
5. Frances McDormand – ALMOST FAMOUS
Best Original Screenplay
1. Christopher & Jony Nolan – MEMENTO
2. Roy Andersson – SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR
3. Kenneth Lonergan – YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
3. Cameron Crowe – ALMOST FAMOUS
5. Wong Kar-wai – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Kenta Fukasaku – BATTLE ROYALE
2. Stephen Gaghan – TRAFFIC
3. Joel & Ethan Coen – O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
4. Darren Aronofsky & Hubert Selby, Jr. – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
5. Hilary Birmingham, Matt Drake – TULLY
Best Cinematography
1. Steven Soderbergh – TRAFFIC
2. Christopher Doyle, Pung-Leung Kwan & Mark Lee Ping-bin – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
3. Robby Muller – DANCER IN THE DARK
4. Katsumi Yanagishima – BATTLE ROYALE
5. Roger Deakins – O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
———-criminally missing the cut————–
6. John Mathieson – GLADIATOR
7. Alwin H. Kuchler – THE CLAIM
8. Wally Pfister – MEMENTO
9. Peter Pau – CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
10. Matthew Libatique – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Best Editing
1. Hirohide Abe – BATTLE ROYALE
2. Steven Soderbergh – TRAFFIC
3. John Wilson – BILLY ELLIOT
4. Jay Rabinowitz – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
5. Francois Gedigier, Molly Marlene Stensgard – DANCER IN THE DARK
Best Original Score
1. Clint Massel – REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
2. Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard – GLADIATOR
3. Michael Galasso, Shigeru Umebayashi – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
4. Cliff Martinez – TRAFFIC
5. Masamichi Amano – BATTLE ROYALE
Best Animated Feature
1. VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST
2. CHICKEN RUN
3. TITAN A. E.
4. DINASOUR
Best Production Design
1. GLADIATOR
2. BATTLE ROYALE
3. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON
4. THE CLAIM
5. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
Best Costume Design
1. GLADIATOR
2. O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU
3. ALMOST FAMOUS
4. THE CLAIM
5. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON
Best Visual Effects
1. X-MEN
2. THE CELL
3. GLADIATOR
4. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
5. SPACE COWBOYS
Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing go to BATTLE ROYALE
Best Foreign Languge Film
1. Hong Kong – IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
2. Japan – BATTLE ROYALE
3. Sweden – SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR
4. Denmark – DANCER IN THE DARK
5. Japan – BROTHER
Best Performance by a Pretty Person
1. Anson Mount – TULLY
2. Wes Bentley – THE CLAIM
3. Eduardo Noriega – BURNT MONEY
4. Gael Garcia Bernal – AMORES PERROS
5. Lee Biung-hun – J.S.A. JOINT SECURITY AREA
I think Julia Roberts did the best she could do in Erin Brockovich. She was always seen as a huge star that critics and the Academy finally wanted to reward for a serious role and the role of the lady with a heart of Gold is a good bet to place on.
Gladiator is also a typical Academy’s BP winner. There were better movies out there, but films like Being John Malcovich or In the Mood for Love would have hardly made it into the Top 10, even in an expanded field of 10.
I also have to agree- Julia Roberts was FAR AND AWAY the most deserving for the Best Actress Oscar in 2000. I think many people are biased because sure- it’s Julia Roberts doing her normal mannerisms, but for this film it worked to her advantage. And she’s in every frame- she goes through all the emotions, and she’s just stellar. Ellen Burstyn was great, but she was supporting and let’s face it- Requiem for a Dream was not getting the raves it does today.
Also- Roberts was also a critical favorite- she took home the National Board of Review and Los Angeles Film Critics prior to winning Globe, SAG and Oscar- so don’t think the academy was just rewarding her for personality reasons (aka Sandra Bullock in 2009). Erin Brockovich is a film I can watch over and over, and still enjoy the performances and storyline. I can’t say the same for a movie like Requiem for a Dream.
Personally I donot think Kate Hudson will ever get close to an Oscar again just because I think she just doesn’t care anymore. Still The Marcia Gay Harden win was definitely out of the norm and against what the Academy usually does though one I wholeheartedly wanted but thought never would happen. Female veterans rarely wins against those young and hot up and coming ingenues.
That was a terrible year from the actuall winners from the Academy Awards!!
Picture
“Gladiator” beats “Traffic”
NOT NOMINATED (“Almost Famous”, “Dancer in the Dark”, “Before Night Falls”, “Amores Perros”!)
Director
Stephen Soderbergh wins for “Traffic” (Totally the right choice!)
NOT NOMINATED (Cameron Crowe “Almost Famous”, Lars von Trier “Dancer in the Dark”, Darron Aronofsky “Requiem for a Dream”, Julian Schnabel “Before Night Falls”)
Leading Actor
Russel Crowe “Gladiator” beats Javier Bardem “Before Night Falls”!
NOT NOMINATED (Jared Leto “Requiem for a Dream”)
Leading Actress
Julia Roberts “Erin Brockovich” beats Ellen Burstyn “Requiem for a Dream” and Laura Linney “You can count on me”
NOT NOMINATED (Björk “Dancer in the Dark”, Anna Faris “Scary Movie”)
Supporting Actor
Benico del Toro wins for “Traffic” (Completely the right Choice!)
NOT NOMINATED (Billy Crudrup “Almost Famous”, Dave Sheridan “Scary Movie”, Mark Ruffalo “You can count on me”)
Supporting Actress
Marcia Gay Harden wins for “Pollock” (I love the Academy for that decision but my heart goes with Kate Hudson “Almost Famous”)
NOT NOMINATED (Jennifer Conelly “Requiem for a Dream”, Catherine Deneuve “Dancer in the Dark”, Cahterine Zeta Jones “Traffic”)
I think Gladiator won and worked for me because it took the old 1950s/1960s sword and sandal epic and cranked it up a notch with a more kinetic, modern touch.
Yes, Gladiator was a rousing, entertaining Summer Blockbuster. But it is distinguished by its directing, acting, crafts team, if not its script (that didnt stop Titanic).
Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, the list goes on and on, the energy in the editing, the cinematography, those sets, the lavish costumes, the detailed makeup work, the sound design, that score!, even the special effects (some loved, some hated) ….. Every single branch could appreciate and/or love Gladiator. I feel that is why the film won, even when it was simply a rousing, entertainment and not a high brow piece of art.
When I saw Gladiator, I KNEW it was going to win. It just had that … Something.
Pleeeeease discuss Wonder Boys. Such a fantastic film.
Amost Famous, slightly overrated, for me.
Traffic was my favorite movie this year and I think it is one of the best films of the decade. At that time, no movie or tv show in America tackled the war on drugs as in depth or insightful. It edges out CTHD for me because the film is still so memorable for me 13 years later. The acting was top notch, the screenplay and directing we’re brilliant and I think the score for this film was unbelievable. Yes, The Wire is far superior, but that is not a fair comparison. Traffic had two and a half hours to make a statement. The Wire had 60 episodes. I am happy to live in a world where we have both. People forget how big the war on drugs issue was(and still is) because of 9/11. Traffic wouldn’t be green-lit if it were shopped around now.
I also loved Unbreakable and think it is a great film. Willis has never given a better performance and I think Jackson should have been nominated for supporting actor. It was and is a divisive movie, but I still love it and watch it every now and then.
Alec, try to find the 6-hour German miniseries Traffik on which Traffic was based. It’s brilliant by itself and you’ll respect Soderbergh and Stephen Gaghan’s skills at narrative compression even more when you see the original material. Traffik is as good as Traffic in my view.
well, you can say what you want about Erin Brockovich, but it has stood the test of time, and has become a minor classic.. And Julia’s naturalistic performance is just on a different page than Burstyn’s acting school over-the-topness
I mean you cant really compare the two, but Julia won for a proper lead performance, she carried the whole film, and she was indeed unstoppable. So I don’t get all that outrage over Burstyn who was basically in a supporting role in a style-over-substance film.
I prefer Bjork and Laura Linney over Burstyn.
(Not sure where VIRGIN SUICIDES falls, but I think it’s a great film.)
This is a year Oscar followed the money hardcore. GLADIATOR is a fine film, but hardly anyone involved is at peak form. A solid B+ film.
My favorite film of 2000, ALMOST FAMOUS, had many ardent supporters backing it, but ultimately didn’t make enough money to really contend. I can’t claim anything remotely resembling objectivity when it comes to this film. I’ve seen it countless times; it’s one of the keystones of my movie-going experience. Marcia Gay Harden’s Supporting Actress win over either Kate Hudson (who should have been in lead) or Frances McDormand (who had a great year, see below) is just another in a list of reasons why I have an irrational dislike of her whenever she’s on screen. (A lot of that is on me, but I really respond negatively when I see her on screen… put to great use in THE MIST). Cameron Crowe gets a lifetime pass from me for making a film as close to perfect as his UNTITLED cut is.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE is also an astounding achievement. One of the great love stories of world cinema. But it didn’t open in the US until ’01, so I personally place it in that year. Ditto MEMENTO.
I re-watched WONDER BOYS a few days ago, and with a different release strategy and higher gross, Douglas would have taken the Best Actor Oscar in a walk. I still think it’s the best work he’s ever done. The rest of the cast is aces too. (And the cinematography is subtly stunning).
Oscar also ignored the delightful HIGH FIDELITY one of the most uncomfortably insightful films I’ve ever seen about the male mind. The killer soundtrack and endlessly quotable lines help as well. The scale and apparent “insignificance” of the production rendered it DOA to AMPAS, but a bone certainly should have been thrown in the Adapted Screenplay category. In a perfect world, Cusack snags a Lead Actor nod as well.
OH BROTHER features a prime Clooney performance, a great soundtrack, and plenty of laughs, and gorgeous photography, but it is minor Coen Bros.
TRAFFIC is excellent, great work across the board. Gaghan’s script has an admirable balance and craft to it, I wish he’d return to making good films. I think Soderbergh’s cinematography was undervalued by AMPAS. The visual aesthetic is a key in orienting the viewer in this web of characters. And the color palette is unforgettable. This is where my vote would go out of the five picture nominees.
ERIN BROKOVICH never really moved me. Fine craft from Soderbergh, but frustratingly middlebrow (I mostly blame the script). Roberts is fine, not Oscar worthy.
Out of the five lead actress nominees, I’d choose Laura Linney in YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, a film that also features fine work from Mark Ruffalo, who deserved more awards attention. A thoughtful film, but I prefer the messiness of Lonnergan’s next film MARGARET.
Other than Burstyn’s excellent performance, I found REQUIEM FOR A DREAM to be far too enamored with its own style (a recurring issue I’ve had with Aronofsky until I saw BLACK SWAN).
On to my choices (prepare for a trend):
Picture: ALMOST FAMOUS
Director: Cameron Crowe, ALMOST FAMOUS
Actor: Michael Douglas, WONDER BOYS
Actress: Kate Hudson, ALMOST FAMOUS
Supporting Actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, ALMOST FAMOUS
Supporting Actress: Frances McDormand, ALMOST FAMOUS & WONDER BOYS
Original Screenplay: ALMOST FAMOUS
Adapted Screenplay: WONDER BOYS
Film Editing: TRAFFIC
Cinematography: TRAFFIC
Music (Score and Soundtrack): ALMOST FAMOUS
Music (Song): Bob Dylan, WONDER BOYS
Ensemble Cast: TRAFFIC
The title for the 2000 chapter of Inside Oscar 2: Photo finish.
Among the BP nominees, I’d pick Traffic. Altogether, Almost Famous.
I got a list for you:
THE WORST MOVIES OF 2000
1. Battlefield Earth
2. Pay It Forward
3. Little Nicky
4. The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
6. Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps
7. What Planet Are You From?
8. Dude, Where’s My Car?
9. Coyote Ugly
10. Gossip
Correction: “. . . I’ve always felt that certain elements in this film, the entire piece itself a great one in its own rights notwithstanding, seems to have been overestimated . . .”.
I’ve always felt that certain elements in this film, the entire piece itself a great one in its own rights notwithstanding, seem to have been overestimated.
(#English-speaking films only#; timeline: US.)
The order #may change#.
But for now:
***
1) Gladiator (A-)
(One needs to see it on the silver screen really to feel the magic.)
2) Almost Famous (A-)
(To being with: Everything.)
(I always love music and rock-n-roll no matter what era in general; something in me somehow, therefore, could identify with the young rock journalist William Miller [reading: Cameron Crowe] regardless of the era in question; en plus de plus, great […] moments (in it), great (or at least good) thesp performances, as well as rock-n-roll.)
3) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (A- or B+)
(I grew up watching many a film, mainly from Hong Kong, with such gravity-defying stunts and scenes, as well as the olden-day storyline, ancient settings, etc., from day one (if you’d like; post-toddler days, I mean); so, to my mind, I’ve always felt that certain elements in this film, the entire piece itself a great one in its own rights notwithstanding, seems to have been overestimated — which, however, was a good thing in this case (from an Asian viewpoint) — by the English-speaking cultures in general.)
4) Traffic
5) Chocolat
6) You Can Count on Me
7) Erin Brockovich
8) Billy Elliot
9) Cast Away
10) [Tie for now] Shadow of the Vampire / O Brother, Where Art Thou?
***
[US market context] One of the most overrated: How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Note: Memento was released in UK in October, 2000, and #in US# in March 2001; my list is based upon year 2000 films officially released in USA.
If you first saw Laura Linney in The Truman Show (or Congo) then that means you missed the marvelous 6 hour miniseries Tales of the City, something that needs to be rectified immediately!
Has no one seen Urbania? Why do I always love one film that no one else seems to have ever seen?
Stellaaaaaaa!
I will start by saying that I disliked Traffic very much and thought Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was very over rated. At the time I also Under rated Gladiator which I appreciate a lot moe now.
My personal choices for 2000 ARE:-
Best Picture: ERIN BROCKOVICH
Bst Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman in FLAWLESS
Best Actress: Julia Roberts in ERIN BROCKOVICH
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Finney in ERIN BROCKOVICH
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett in THE MAN WHO CRIED
Best Director: Darren Aronofsky for REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Best Original Sceenplay: ERIN BROCKOVICH
Best Adapted Screenplay: WONDER BOYS
Best Cinematography: PITCH BLACK
Best Art-Direction: THE MAN WHO CRIED
Best Costume Design: THE MAN WHO CRIED
Best Film Editing: REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Best Sound: PITCH BLACK
Best Original Score: GLADIATOR
Best Song: ‘A Love Before Time’ from CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON’
Best Special Visual Effects: HOLLOW MAN
Best Make-Up: THE GRINCH
Best Foreign Language film: THE COLOUR OF PARADISE
Most of the time I find it too hard to rank films without a virtual gun to my head. I enjoy this one. I admire that one. How to decide?
Although it keeps most Americans away, I do appreciate the fact that foreign language films are shown here subtitled rather than dubbed. I want to hear the original people, so unless they dub themselves into English, don’t do it!
Thanks Bryce.
No, I didn’t mean that your lists are too long. Is that even possible??
Yes, I meant how you’re able to follow your gut and and “rank” so many movies without getting “stuck”. I liked your answer.
Is it possible to watch “too many movies?” Shit movies, yes!! Good movies, HELL NO!!! 🙂 LOL
Al,
I’m not sure what you mean. If you mean why my lists are so long (too long?) well because I watch too much shit all the time. If you mean how I’m able “rank”? Well you just go with your gut and quickly. Try not to think too much about it, just remember the movie and boom lol that’s me anyways, I find it more honest and reflective of my taste. By the way, I do not like CHOCOLAT either.
LAST COMMENT, FORGOT ABOUT
YIYI !!!
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL MOVIE WHICH WAS SADLY OVERLOOKED, SUCH A SIMPLE YET POWERFUL STORY, IF YOU HAVENT SEEN IT GO RENT IT NOW!
I didn’t like GLADIATOR. I had been a fan of the old movie THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE so I just kinda felt like it was a crappier version of that.
Anyhoo, I’m not going to make a list again because I got the years all mixed up last time. I was rooting for CTHD at the Oscars tho and I did like CHOCOLAT. These could be my favorite 2000 movies if I’m not forgetting something: Unbreakable, Wonder Boys, American Psycho, Almost Famous, Shaft, Battle Royale (?), Center Stage, The Crimson Rivers, Drowning Mona
TWO COMMENTS
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE-
ONE OF THE FINEST MOVIES EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR MADE. WAY BETTER THAN CROUCHING TIGER. THE MUSIC, THE CINEMATOGRAPHY, SCREENPLAY, ACTING, EVERYTHING, BEAUTIFUL MOVIE FRONT TO END. AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ENDINGS IN CINEMATIC HISTORY.
DANCER IN THE DARK-
BJORK UTTERLY UTTERLY UTTERLY ROBBED OF THREE OSCARS, ONE FOR HER HEARTBREAKING PERFORMANCE OF A MOTHER WHO SACRIFICED HER OWN LIFE FOR HER CHILD AND SECOND OSCAR FOR HER BEAUTIFUL SCORE, AND THREE FOR HER SONG, “IVE SEEN IT ALL”…..I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE JOAN ALLEN AND JULIA ROBERTS AND JULIETTE BINOCHE MADE THE CUT THAT YEAR AND BJORK DIDNT.
Of the nominees, this is a difficult choice between Crouching Tiger and Traffic. Traffic is so expertly made: Gaghan’s script (perhaps one of the strongest examples of American “hyperlink cinema”); Soderbergh’s direction–use of handheld camera, colors to distinguish storylines, balancing the tone; and, of course, the outstanding cast–Benicio is amazing and Catherine Zeta-Jones was worthy of a nomination. I think the work strongly conveys that drug trafficking connects many people of many backgrounds and will continue its never-ending cycle of self-destruction. The scene at the baseball field in particular makes for a powerful end to the film, with Brian Eno’s New Age music. Also of note, when I was watching the Oscars, it looked like Traffic would be the big winner—it was taking everything: Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Editing, Director.
For me, in my own evaluation, I have the hardest time deciding Best Picture and Best Director. I think Traffic may be the better directed film, but I prefer Crouching Tiger for Best Picture.
Crouching Tiger is a powerful experience. I was in awe of how well Lee blends the martial arts with a commentary on Chinese society, the role of gender/women and relationships, themes of revenge and suicide. Michelle Yeoh gave such an inspired performance, singular in her career. It actually took me by surprise as I didn’t pick up on it when I was younger. Of course the bamboo forest scene is gorgeous, especially how Lee and Peter Pau capture Mu Bai and Jen passing each other along the bending tree. The legend of Wudan mountain (I love the legends of Chinese culture and how the film captured this), the sojourn in the desert, the final scene between the leads as they finally give in to emotion…what a wonderful film. This film really grabbed me emotionally and it would be my vote for Best Picture.
Someone mentioned the music from Gladiator being a standout. Yes! It certainly is, I love many of the tracks, Earth (The Roman camp music), Barbarian Horde (fantastic action music “borrowing” from Holst), and Honor Him…difficult choice in that category between Gladiator and Crouching Tiger. I loved Richard Harris’ presence, and Gladiator did mark the return of the Hollywood epic. A bit too reliant on visual effects for the recreation of Rome for my tastes, but those gladiator combat scenes were fantastic.
Bryce, I don’t mean to single you out.
BUT, how do you get so in depth with your ranking system??
I have tried for years, and can’t even approach a “true” top 10, let alone up-to-50.
It’s just too difficult for me.
The closer we get to the present the less I’m inclined to leave movies off my list. Must be ’cause the somehow mean more to me? Doubt it, but can’t help it. I’d happily re-watch any of this with friends.
Essential 2000
1. ALMOST FAMOUS, Cameron Crowe
2. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, Kenneth Lonergan
3. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, Wong- Kar-wai
4. BILLY ELLIOT, Stephen Daldry
5. MEMENTO, Christopher Nolan
6. BATTLE ROYALE, Kinki Fukasaku
7. TRAFFIC, Steven Soderbergh
8. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, Darren Aronofsky
9. SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR, Roy Anderson
10. O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, Joen & Ethan Coen
11. GLADIATOR, Ridley Scott
12. DANCER IN THE DARK, Lars von Trier
13. TULLY, Hilary Birmingham
14. BROTHER, Takeshi Kitano
15. TOGETHER, Lukas Moodysson
16. CODE UNKNOWN, Michael Haneke
17. BOILER ROOM, Ben Younger
18. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, Ang Lee
19. VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST, Yoshiaki Kawajiri
20. THE CLAIM, Michael Winterbottom
21. X-MEN, Bryan Singer
22. SNATCH, Guy Ritchie
23. HOLLOW MAN, Paul Verohoeven
24. J.S.A.: JOINT SECURITY AREA, Chan-wook Park
25. CHICKEN RUN, Peter Lord, Nick Park
26. CHOPPER, Andrew Dominik
27. WONDER BOYS, Curtis Hanson
28. ERIN BROCKOVICH, Steven Soderbergh
29. TITAN A.E., Don Bluth, Gary Oldman
30. BURNT MONEY, Marcelo Piñero
31. THIRTEEN DAYS, Roger Donaldson
31. BARKING DOGS NEVER DIE, Joon-ho Bong
32. O FANTASMA, Joao Pedro Rodriguez
33. POLLOCK, Ed Harris
34. OUR LADY OF THE ASSASSINS, Barbet Schroeder
35. FAITHLESS, Liv Ullman, written by Ingmar Bergman
36. THE CELL, Tarsem Singh
37. AMORES PERROS, Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu
38. SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE, E. Elias Merhige
39. WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS, Francois Ozon, play by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
40. GEORGE WASHINGTON, David Gordon Green
41. BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, Julian Schnabel
42. BRING IT ON, Peyton Reed
43. SPACE COWBOYS, Clint Eastwood
43. THE PATRIOT, Roland Emerich
44. MEET THE PARENTS, Jay Roach
45. DINOSAUR, Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag
46. HAMLET, Michael Almereyda
47. VERTICAL LIMIT, Martin Campbell
Guilty Pleasure: TIGERLAND + FINAL DESTINATION + THE YARDS + SCARY MOVIE + GOSSIP + THE SKULLS + THE BEACH
**I included VIRGIN SUICIDES in ’99
1. Almost Famous
2. Traffic
3. Gladiator
4. FUCK YOU CHOCOLAT!!!! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!!!
Let’s not forget this gem from 2000…..Unbreakable.
It’s easy to dismiss Shyamalan as a joke now but Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were both excellent films, with Unbreakable standing as his masterpiece, in my opinion. THIS was really the movie that made Shymalan’s reputation for twist endings stand out…..my jaw was on the floor after the final scenes.
Of the Best Picture nominees, CTHD should’ve won hands-down, though Traffic was also a very good film. Gladiator is one of the worst BP winners of the last 20 years and Chocolat is one of the worst nominees. Still can’t figure out how Almost Famous didn’t get a BP nod; at least Crowe took home the Screenplay Oscar.
re: Dragon
“But on the other hand, sometimes, the cheesiness of the dialogues, the stupidity of ill-placed jokes/humor and awful delivery by the actors also got lost in translation… and can make an awful movie looks much better than it really is…”
Borges wrote a poem about the value of keeping the unknown inscription on an ancient bell a secret, and I agree that there’s a unique quality to ‘losing’ the exactitude of dialogue and having to negotiate a film’s nonlinguistic resonance of images/sounds!! An undistracted cinematic experience!!!
Also Kate Winslet (Iris, Revolutionary Road) should have a nomination & Oscar VICTORY for her supporting performance in the fantastic feature film Quills.
1. Requiem For A Dream – The most perfect marriage of film and music thus far this millenium, and a movie that should be shown in every high school everywhere.
2. Almost Famous – Another great film/music marriage, and a fantastic love letter to an era when music was still a way of life, not just something you have on in the background while you do something else.
3. American Psycho – Scathing, Biting, Terrifying satire of the Yuppie age, with one of the finest closing monologues of all time.
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – This is timeless stuff that still amazes no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Poetry in motion.
5. High Fidelity – Yet another music movie (see a trend here?) that also examines what it means to be a true fan, but also one of the better romantic comedies of the 21st century.
6. Best In Show – Christopher Guest knocks it out of the park again with the funniest movie of the year. Endlessly quotable and still generates laughs on the 10th or 15th viewing. Its all about Fred Willard, yes, but the heart of the film is Eugene Levy.
7. Gladiator – Old-Hollywood, show-stopping entertainment, writ as large as cinema would allow at the time. After the triple feature of underwhelming movies that was 1492, White Squall and GI Jane, Ridley Scott came back to form and delivered this, Black Hawk Down and the underappreciated Matchstick Men in succession.
8. Traffic – Soderbergh was in overdrive in ’00, but its clear which of his two big movies has the longest shadow. A sprawling, harrowing journey into the abyss of the drug trade. This movie is tight as a drum.
9. Cast Away – Tom Hanks in his last truly great performance until Captain Phillips came around. Also Zemeckis’ last great movie until Flight came around. This one resonates more and more as time goes on for me.
10. Dancer In The Dark – One of the most visceral experiences I’ve ever had watching a movie. The ending is kind of a fuck you, and everything I’ve heard Von Trier say about this in interviews makes me like it less, but I can’t deny the sheer power of the viewing experience.
The rest:
11. The Virgin Suicides
12. Jesus’s Son
13. Before Night Falls
14. Unbreakable
15. Chuck & Buck
16. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
17. Bamboozled
18. George Washington
19. Nurse Betty
20. Erin Brockovich
I still haven’t seen In The Mood For Love and Yi Yi.
^I totally agree that “The Wire” has blunted some of the impact of “Traffic”. Frankly, everything looks silly and juvenile after “The Wire”
I liked GLADIATOR a lot. Russell Crowe hadn’t overdone that type of part, while the story may have been a simplified version of DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE and SPARTACUS, it was still told in an entertaining way, and the rest of the acting in the movie is good as well. I was particularly impressed by Joaquin Phoenix; I really didn’t think he’d work in a period piece, but he did, and was a creepy villain to boot.
I wanted Ellen Burstyn to win as well, but I didn’t mind Roberts winning, because it is a terrific performance, and I like the fact ERIN BROCKOVICH, despite having a serious subject that it took seriously, was essentially a comedy (Soderbergh, IMHO, pulled that combination off here while he didn’t quite do it with THE INFORMANT).
The outrage of the year for me was ALMOST FAMOUS, my favorite movie of the year, not getting nominated for Best Picture, with CHOCOLAT getting nominated instead. CHOCOLAT was a cutesy and irritating movie, with Lasse Hallstrom falling into every sentimental trap he (mostly) avoided in THE CIDER HOUSE RULES.
My top 10 of the year:
1. ALMOST FAMOUS
2. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
3. TRAFFIC (though admittedly, “The Wire” has blunted some of its impact)
4. CROUPIER
5. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
6. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
7. NEW WATERFORD GIRL
8. THE CLAIM
9. THE VIRGIN SUICIDES
10. GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI
Honorable mention: CAST AWAY, THE CELL, CHICKEN RUN, ERIN BROCKOVICH, GLADIATOR, HIGH FIDELITY, THIRTEEN DAYS, UNBREAKABLE, WONDER BOYS, X-MEN
In the Mood for Love is not just my favorite movie of this year, it’s probably top 5 of the decade, if I’m being honest with myself. Yi Yi is probably in that top 5 as well…Crouching Tiger is definitely my favorite of the Oscar nominees. Good work, Hong Kong/Taiwan!
Great year! But Chocolat….. oh what a horrible choice for a BP nom.
I loved “Crouching Tiger,” “Traffic,” and “Gladiator”. At the time, I ranked them in that order. Haven’t seen the first two in full in a while.
Besides those three, the other two that have stood the test of time for me were “Wonder Boys” and “You Can Count On Me.” (Along with “Best in Show” of course.)
“Wonder Boys” is a movie I can watch over and over again. The best movie about academia there is. And one of the movies that feels most novelistic, like it’s really about writing, partly in the way it’s told. I am in awe at how Curtis Hanson handles the tone of the movie throughout–lighthearted and intelligent in a very different way. Also, it’s my favorite Michael Douglas performance, his most natural.
“You Can Count On Me” struck me as the most natural movie I’d ever seen when I first saw it. I had never seen Mark Ruffalo before, and he blew me away, to say nothing of Laura Linney, who I’d only known from “The Truman Show.” Ruffalo should have been nominated for that performance. The last scene gets me choked up.
My noms would have been:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Gladiator
3. Traffic
4. Wonder Boys
5. You Can Count On Me
6. Amores Perros
7. In the Mood for Love
8. Billy Elliot
9. Cast Away
10. O Brother Where Art Thou?
11. Almost Famous
12. Best in Show
As a Chinese viewer, I just recently realized an interesting fact.
We often hear the saying that, watching a foreign language film with subtitles sometimes make you unable to fully understand the brilliance of that film, which is definitely true.
But on the other hand, sometimes, the cheesiness of the dialogues, the stupidity of ill-placed jokes/humor and awful delivery by the actors also got lost in translation… and can make an awful movie looks much better than it really is…
To clarify myself, I’m not referring to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, even though quite a chunk of Chinese audiences do not like that movie, me not being one of them. Movies like “Red Cliff” are perfect examples for my point.
If it was up to me the best pic nominees would of been Yi Yi, In the Mood For Love, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Traffic, & Dancer in the Dark. It is interesting to note that the best films (IN MY OPINION) was mostly foreign and far and away better than most of their American counterparts. It still baffles me to this day that Maggie Cheung & Bjork both failed to garner a nomination if not the win.
I often look back over the years since 2000, and in all honesty, I don’t know that you could call any of them a “weak” year. It seems like where you’re in the moment, you have a hard time embracing the current films. But when you watch them over a decade later, not only do many of them completely hold up, but they seem even better, or in some instances, even shine.
2000 will always be a big year for me film wise. I launched my website (which unfortunately lost it’s server), and really started paying attention to not only the Oscar game, but film in general It was the year I started my personal awards, which I continue every year to this day.
It was the first year I can recall that I saw over 100 of the films released, and the first year in a long run that I was able to catch every film nominated for Best PIcture BEFORE the nominees were announced. (Missed Cider House in 99)
My 2000 Top 10…
10. The Contender
9. The Patriot
8. Chocolat
7. The Emperor’s New Groove
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
5. Almost Famous
4. Requiem for a Dream
3. Cast Away
2. Traffic
1. Gladiator
Other films I gave honorable mention to (11-20) included:
*Best in Show
*Billy Elliot
*Chicken Run
*Erin Brockovich
*Snatch
*Thirteen Days
*U-571
*Wonder Boys
*Yi Yi
*You Can Count on Me
I just watched Gladiator about a week ago.
2000 was the year I started following the Oscars.. I mean REALLY following it. Sure, I was astounded in 1998 when titanic won everything. Since predicting Gladiator to win Best Picture in 2001 (when I had really no idea what the race was all about), I’ve never been wrong. I saw Crash coming a mile away.
Gladiator is sort of my ‘good-luck’ movie. Plus, it stands the test of time. It had been at least 3 years since seeing it last week. I was showing my little brother (he’d never seen it) – big screen, surround sound – the works. He was moved. I was moved. And we had an awesome discussion about life and loss and ‘moral intentions’ after the credits rolled.
Ridley should have won Best Director. And the score – oh God, the score – should have won. Though, damn Crouching Tiger. Just, damn.
If any of Ridley Scott’s film should have won BP, it should have been either Alien or Thelma & Louise, not Gladiator IMO.
I also think Laura Linney should be the best actress winner of that year.
OT: Nothing to go see this weekend, then a bit of a logjam —
Nov. 22, Nebraska
Nov. 23, Hunger Games 2
Nov. 27, Philomena
Nov. 28, Frozen
Movies worth being a top 10 for most years (in no particular order)
1) Crouching Tiger – probably the best directed film of the year, the exciting yet relaxing duel in the tree tops is one of the great action scenes of all time. Utterly Masterful.
2) Yi Yi – find this and check this out if you’ve never seen it. It’s on Sight and Sound’s list for a reason.
3) Amores Perros
4) Almost Famous – if the second half were as good as the first half, it would be the best film of the year.
5) Dancer in the Dark – I still think Bjork was utterly robbed. I love this movie for a countless number of reasons, but I love most how Lars von Trier completely reimagined what musicals are able to do. Heaving influenced by Fosse, but still he brought enough to the table to make this a unique and unequaled moviegoing experience.
6) Wonder Boys – that completely rare movie that easily surpasses the book. Of the many films I love from this year, this might be my fave if forced to pick.
7) Oh Brother Where Art Thou – tremendous fun, tremendous music.
8) You Can Count on Me – Easily the best written film of the year, the pinpoint precision of the characterizations is topnotch and should be an inspiration to upcoming writers for years to come.
9) The Cell – visually exciting
10) CHuck and Buck – One of the most squirmworthy films I’ve ever seen, but it’s utterly fantastic. Watched it recently in the last year and it holds up extraordinarily well. If you’ve never seen this film, you need to.
11) The Claim – I said recently this is a great companion piece to McCabe and Mrs Miller – while not as good, it’s so gritty and realistic and it’s a great adaptation of a classic Hardy novel.
12) Tully – A great small film that has a truly surprising event which is heartbreaking. Anson Mount and Julianne Nicholson both exploded into my conscience with this film. Sadly, neither has ever captivated me as much since.
13) Urbania – A great, great gay film that draws parallels with a loved ones death and various urban legends. It’s ambitious stuff and it’s mostly successful.
A note about Requiem for a Dream – If it weren’t for the stellar score, the movie would be completely forgettable. It’s the one addiction movie I’ve seen where no one seems to understand addiction.
The Claim – I said recently this is a great companion piece to McCabe and Mrs Miller
I’m definitely going to need to watch it again. I think I wasn’t paying attention the one and only time I saw it.
Mmmmmmm, chocolate; and yes, “Chocolat” belongs on the list.
m1 is correct re “Memento” being released in 2001. I relied on Ryan’s facts, which are almost always right — unlike his opinions. 🙂
(Distracted by Rachel Maddow? Good grief, Charlie Brown.)
m1 is right about Sexy Beast (I was looking at the Toronto Film Fest premiere in 2000)
— but Memento had been seen in Europe and other parts of the world in 2000
The London Critics Award nominations for Best Director for 2000 were these
British Director of the Year
WINNER
Billy Elliot: Stephen Daldry
NOMINEES
The House of Mirth: Terence Davies
Topsy-Turvy: Mike Leigh
Memento: Christopher Nolan
Gladiator: Ridley Scott
Film of the Year
WINNER
Being John Malkovich
NOMINEES
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Gladiator
Memento
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
British Screenwriter of the Year
WINNER
Memento: Christopher Nolan
Um, hello people? Memento and Sexy Beast were from 2001. Facts, please. Facts.
Anyway, my personal ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Traffic
3. Erin Brockovich
4. Gladiator
I haven’t seen Chocolat.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a masterpiece and the best of Ang Lee’s movies that have been nominated for Best Picture since that year (although Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi are still great achievements in and of themselves). Usually I’m not always enthusiastic about action films winning this category (because few of them deserve it), but Crouching Tiger would have been a justified winner. Beautiful. I feel like rewatching it right now.
Traffic I also admire. It’s my second favorite Soderbergh movie behind Out of Sight and is a great deconstruction of the Mexican drug trade. All of the storylines were gripping and I love that Benicio Del Toro won for what was largely an unshowy role. I like the very similar Crash as well, but I think Traffic is more complex.
Erin Brockovich panders a bit too much to the mainstream, but it is very well-executed. Julia Roberts’ performance isn’t mind-blowing acting, but it’s the type of movie star performance we don’t see very often. Albert Finney was great too.
Gladiator is much more entertaining than the average blockbuster, but I still don’t see it as a worthy Best Picture winner. I like my moneymaking Oscar contenders to have considerable depth beneath the surface (ex. The Departed, Gravity, Inception, etc.) and Gladiator has some depth but not enough.
2000 brought us two very well made coming-of-age movies in Almost Famous and Wonder Boys. I actually prefer the latter to the former, but both have excellent casts and beautifully written screenplays. Kate Hudson’s performance in Almost Famous is one of my favorite performances of all time, highlighted by the fact she has made numerous crappy movies since. Bummer.
That being said, You Can Count on Me was robbed the most. It took a very TV-movie premise and added real emotion to it. Laura Linney deserved her Best Actress nod, and Mark Ruffalo should have been nominated.
Jamie Bell’s performance in Billy Elliot was totally robbed. I hate this bias against young male actors in the Oscar race.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a fun diversion but one of the more forgettable Coen movies. If we’re going to mention noteworthy animated movies that year, we should opt for The Emperor’s New Groove, which still entertains me and makes me laugh.
Clearly I have a lot left to see from this year.
Nevermind.
🙂
This was the year of my most guarded secret – I absolutely loved Gladiator. Maybe it was the bloodlust of the games, the rousing score, seeing Richard Harris, Oliver Reed and David Hemmings for the last time, or the wonderfully pissy performance by Joaquin (I’m vexed) Phoenix.
Billy Elliott also got me, and seeing it again recently, it hasn’t lost a thing.
Before Night Falls and Requiem for a Dream should have walked away with Best Actor and Actress. Memento was my choice for BP and Ang Lee, BD.
I don’t think there was a masterpiece of filmmaking this particular year, but it was a year that many very good films have had a longlasting impact. Dylan wins an Oscar and I played the soundtrack to Oh Brother in the car for months. It’s a year that makes me smile.
Pssst: You left off “Requiem for a Dream” in your list.
My BP vote: “Memento.”
Pssst: You left off “Requiem for a Dream” in your list.
Thanks! I caught the oversight before you said anything, (but you did remind me that I had placed Mission to Mars too high).
Blame Rachel Maddow for distracting me.
Good list, Ryan. The only ones I passed on were X-Men, All the Pretty Horses and Mission to Mars.
Aside: “Pollock” was a very good movie, but Jackson Pollock was one of the worst things to ever happen to the art world.
3 of the best movies of 2000 came from Hong Kong and Taiwan — In the Mood for Love, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and Yi Yi.
Traffic, Amores perros, Requiem for a Dream and Memento were thrilling, jaw-dropping. Tight stylish masterpieces.
O Brother Where Art Thou, Billy Elliot, Almost Famous, even Chicken Run were a blast. Smiles a mile wide.
That said, I’ve always loved Gladiator. Have seen it maybe a dozen times. Ridley Scott’s commentary was one of the first director’s tracks I ever heard and it’s a classic. Scott understands as well as Fincher how to package his movies for home audiences, to expand our appreciation of what his team achieved.
Great great year at the movies. I would’ve been happy no matter which of the top nominees won. I wish there were more years when I felt that way. (Trying to hope this year could be one of them).
(rough order — this ranking not carved in stone).
1. In the Mood for Love
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
3. Gladiator
4. Memento
5. Traffic
6. Requiem for a Dream
7. Amores perros
8. Yi Yi
9. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
10. George Washington
11.
Sexy Beast (2001)The Virgin Suicides12. Under the Sand
13. Before Night Falls
14. Our Lady of the Assassins
15. Dancer in the Dar
16. Nine Queens
17. Billy Elliot
18. Nurse Betty
19. Erin Brockovich
20. Unbreakable
21. Pollock
22. Shadow of the Vampire
23. You Can Count on Me
24. Wonder Boys
25. Malèna
26. Almost Famous
27. Quills
28. Chicken Run
29. Best in Show
30. High Fidelity
31. The House of Mirth
32. All the Pretty Horses
33. American Psycho
34. Boiler Room
35. The Perfect Storm
36. Cast Away
37. X-Men
38. Frequency
39. The Claim
40. Mission to Mars
41. The Contender
42. Chuck & Buck
43. The Cell
44. Snatch
45. Mission Impossible II
(Hollywood-heavy, I know. There are a lot of international films from the late 90s and early 2000s that I still haven’t caught up with)
Well, Ang Lee has won BD twice.
ITA re Gong Li. Foreign language performances didn’t fare very well in the days of “Raise the Red Lantern” (which I love, love, love).
No performance in any movie has ever made me cry. It’s always in my mind that acting is taking place.
Burstyn should have won, but the Roberts train was unfortunately unstoppable that year.
Will Kate Hudson ever get that close to an Oscar again?
Ellen burstyn should have won. She had a fantasic performance which is one of the performances of decade and she is better than julia roberts. Love ellen burstyn!
….and “Almost Famous” wasn´t even nominated.
Gladiator was one of those movies that could make grown men cry, including this guy. It’s also severely underrated by the online film community.
I hope you guys address the biases that the Academy has against Asians in general. For a film as loved as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was, somehow Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, & Zhang Ziyi were all snubbed (though BAFTA smartly did nominate them). Ang Lee was snubbed back in 1995 forSense & Sensibility even though he should of easily won that year and around the nomination time his film was actually the perceived co-frontrunner. Joy Luck Club which boasted one of the best ensemble female casts in the 90s failed to even make a mark at all. Great Asian actresses such like Maggie Cheung and Gong Li who has consistently done great work has failed to time and again be recognized by the Academy.
Although I do think Gladiator was a fine film and can see why the Academy chose it as their Best Picture, I always thought Crouching Tiger was a masterpiece and knew being a foreign language film meant it probably had no chance. Overall a good year for film even if my favorite didn’t win.
Aside from Crouching Tiger & Ang Lee losing, my biggest gripe was Roberts victory over Burstyn. Granted Burstyn had no shot even if Burstyn was better in terms of quality. By Oscar standards: narrative trumps quality but don’t you just feel horrible for Burstyn after she delivered such a harrowing powerhouse performance and having cleaning that damn apartment?