Important Movies

Even major festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and Toronto? Also, make your decision on foeign films.

That didn't answer my question. Have you decided on the rule for foreign movies? Do we go with release date from their country or North America?

I didn't see a question.  I saw an asshole-ish demand.

So are we considering Amores Perros a 2001 release?

Okay...good, haha. 2001 is crowded enough.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums
2. Memento
3. Donnie Darko
4. Y Tu Mama Tambien

1. Donnie Darko
2. Memento
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Y Tu Mama Tambien

1.Tenenbaums
2.Memento
3.Y tu
4. Darko

Next year: 2007

Doing these recent years annoys me.  We don't really have perspective on just how impactful the year's best films will be on future generations so we're stuck nominating movies that are either just so good they'll obviously inspire people down the like or declare them "important" just because they made a lot of money and sparked mini-trends.

Knocked Up: Solidified that the Apatow thing was more than just one movie and made Seth Rogen a star.
No Country for Old Men: Just Because
There Will Be Blood: Ditto
Juno: Brought indie quirkfests to the mainstream
Beowulf: Motion capture, 3D, kind of feels like a trial run for Avatar

1. No Country for Old Men: Phenomenal film that resonated with a lot of people. The Coens started off the decade a little rough, but this film not only brought them back to prominence, but actually surpassed much of what they'd made previously. It also started their current streak of quality which is still going.

2. There Will Be Blood: This is one of the most passionately loved films in recent memory for a reason. Paul Thomas Anderson's most critically respected film and one of Daniel Day-Lewis' most revered performances.

3. Juno: Both a product of the hipster-quirky-indie type film, and a pioneer for it. The fact that Juno herself grows beyond her initial quirks gives it a maturity which elevates it from its peers. Beyond that, the film was something of a sensation on initial release and is still openly referenced.

4. The Bourne Ultimatum: A very strong finale to one of the decade's strongest trilogies. It also brought a greater legitimacy to the series. The Bourne films were always well-regarded, but it is with Ultimatum that people realized how great these films really are.

5. Superbad: A lot of generations have the teen comedy which defines their own years. For my generation, this is that film. Beyond that, it had Michael Cera when people still liked him, Seth Rogen on the verge of making it big, and Jonah Hill in a breakout role.

Honourable Mentions

Zodiac: Considered, but No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood felt like better examples of critically acclaimed/loved films, and both seemed more important.

Hot Fuzz: Like a lot of Edgar Wright films, this has a lot of fans, and I think it's hilarious, but at the end of the day it's just a very funny comedy, no more.

Sunshine: This has really built an audience in the last few years, but it's still not list-worthy.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Great movie, but not really important.

Eastern Promises: See above.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: I fucking love this movie. I think it's a masterpiece and one of my all time favourites. But this is still a film that's very much under the radar.