Finally. It’s over. The 2000s. The 00s. The aughts. Whatever the fuck you want to call it. We’re done. And with the close of the decade, comes the obligatory nostalgic look back. And while we’ve suffered through a lot of bullshit these past ten years, there is also much to be appreciated—especially when it comes to film.

When we sat down to compile the best of the aughts, our initial list was almost 300 strong. We were blown away by the sheer number of dope movies that had come out.

This decade: We were introduced to Rian Johnson and Jason Reitman. Danny Boyle got the props we’ve been saying he deserved for years. Christopher Nolan gave us a superhero movie that didn’t suck. Charlie Kaufman decided to actually direct one of his screenplays. The Oscars officially became a joke. And sexy gypsy was born.

A lot of coffee, cigarettes and Wes Andersen bashing went into making this list. But we’re happy with the way it turned out. Don’t expect to see dumb shit like The Lord of The Rings or Dream Girls here. Instead you’ll see films from The Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmusch and Takashi Miike. The few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut are at the bottom of the post.

Anyway, without any further rambling, here it is. sexy gypsy’s Best of the Aughts…

(in alphabetical order)

1) Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000)

I was 15 years old when Almost Famous dropped and changed my life. It was the first time I realized people would pay you to run around, listen to music and talk about it. So in a way, sexy gypsy wouldn’t even be here without this movie. It featured a great cast—Patrick Fugit (who shows up twice on this list), Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Frances McDormand aka Willem Dafoe (seriously, look that shit up. They look exactly alike. We still maintain they are the same person), Jason Lee, Philip Seymour Hoffman and even Jimmy Fallon. Add that to an immensely personal Cameron Crowe script, perfect music, and Billy Crudup screaming “I AM A GOLDEN GOD!” from atop a roof, and you have one damn fine film. —BIG

2) American Gangster (Ridley Scott, 2008)

3) American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000)

4) Anchorman (Adam McKay, 2004)

5) Antichrist (Lars von Trier, 2009)

6) Audition (Takashi Miike, 2001)

7) Away We Go (Sam Mendes, 2009)

The Boondock Saints (Troy Duffy, 2000)

9) Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005)

10) The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson, 2009)

Last year, Rian Johnson’s Brick showed up on a sexy gypsy list of off-the-radar films, and we basically called it a one hit wonder. We officially apologize to Mr. Johnson. The Brothers Bloom, while very different from Brick, showed a matured sense of direction and style, with the same tone of homage and innovation, and a playful sense of humor. As an elaborate, yet completely character-driven con film, this is moviemaking at it’s finest. —GWG

11) Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch, 2005)

12) Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006)

13) Choke (Clark Gregg, 2008)

14) The Chumscrubber (Arie Posin, 2005)

Teenage suicide is never a good thing. Unless it brings about the complete destruction of idyllic white suburbia. What’s interesting about this film is that it doesn’t show you underlying problems around the neighborhood, and then culminate with a death. The suicide happens at the beginning, and instead of being the breaking point, or even the catalyst, it is the loose thread that unravels everyone’s secrets and facades. It is beautifully written and acted, with a multi-generational, eclectic cast that actually fits very well together. —GWG

15) City of God (Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund, 2002)

16) Coffee and Cigarettes (Jim Jarmusch, 2003)

17) Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004)

18) Crash (Paul Haggis, 2005)

19) Criminal (Gregory Jacobs, 2004)

20) The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

21) The Departed (Martin Scorcese, 2006)

The Departed is the only film on this list I had to fight for. The Great White Gypsy hated it. But he’s crazy, so I had to veto. Granted, I am a confessed Scorsese groupie. The man has never made a film I didn’t love. And I’ve seen them all. Even the obscure ones like Boxcar Bertha. So maybe I was a little biased with this pick. But to me, anytime you can put Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio in the same movie and not make people want stab themselves in the eye, it’s a fucking win. Bonus points for having Nas and Flogging Molly on the same soundtrack. —BIG

22) The Devil’s Rejects (Rob Zombie, 2005)

Admittedly, Rob Zombie’s first venture, House of 1000 Corpses, was retarded. However, with a little less Horror rip-off, and a lot more disturbing violence, the sequel was a cult classic opening weekend. Zombie knows how to work a camera, but this film is probably the pinnacle of his work with the soundtrack. It starts with The Allman Brothers’ Midnight Rider, swells with a violent sequence to the tune of Terry Reid’s To Be Treated Right, and finishes with the best use of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Free Bird to date. All of this is driven home by a sobering message: There is no ice cream in your fucking future. —GWG

23) District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009)

24) Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)

25) The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2003)

26) Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007)

27) Equilibrium (Kurt Wimmer, 2002)

28) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)

29) The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2008)

This is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Tarsem Singh makes a huge leap up from his very respectable 2000 debut, The Cell, and tells us an engaging story in ways never before seen. In a time of crazy, overdone CGI and generic plot, The Fall was refreshingly organic. Great acting, directing, cinematography, and everything in between. —BIG

30) (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb, 2009)

31) Garden State (Zach Braff, 2004)

32) Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001)

33) Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000)

34) Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck, 2006)

35) The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)

36) Havoc (Barbara Kopple, 2005)

37) High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000)

Like Almost Famous, High Fidelity was one of those life defining movies for me. He owned a record store, argued about top five lists with his friends, organized his music collection autobiographically and pined over beautiful women. That was his whole life. How awesome is that? Almost Famous made me realize I could write about music, High Fidelity made me realize I wasn’t alone in obsessing over it. —BIG

HIGH FIDELITY BONUS: TOP 5 SONGS TO PLAY AT MY FUNERAL:

1) Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones

2) Ready To Die - The Notorious BIG

3) Bullet With Butterfly Wings - The Smashing Pumpkins

4) Funeral - The Clipse

5) Angel’s Son - Snot featuring Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust

38) High Tension (Alexandre Aja, 2005)

39) Humpday (Lynn Shelton, 2009)

One of the things I will always remember about this decade is my discovery of Mumblecore. I started with The Puffy Chair and soon devoured films like Baghead, Mutual Appreciation and Funny Ha Ha. Though not always the best executed films, the genre intrigued me. And with the success of people like Lynn Shelton and Mark Duplass, I hope more people discover it. Humpday is an experience. You’re in the room, a silent observer—not just someone watching a film. Effortlessly hilarious and purposefully awkward, it is one of my favorite films of this year and definitely deserves a spot on the list. —BIG

40) The Hurt Locker (Katherine Bigelow, 2009)

41) Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike, 2003)

42) Imaginary Heroes (Dan Harris, 2004)

43) In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)

44) In Search of a Midnight Kiss (Alex Holdridge, 2007)

45) Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

46) Jarhead (Sam Mendes, 2005)

47) Juno (Jason Reitman, 2007)

48) Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2 (Quentin Tarantino, 2003, 2004)

49) Kingdom of Heaven (Ridley Scott, 2005)

50) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005)

“You look up the ‘idiot’ in the dictionary, know what you’ll find?”

“A picture of me?”

“No, the definition of the word idiot, which you fucking are!!”

This film never gets old. Raymond Chandler meets Abbott and Costello. The mystery itself isn’t anything amazingly unique, but it’s entertaining and solid enough to hold up a great cast, one of the best narrations ever, and almost as many quotable quotes as Anchorman.

“Talking money…”

“A Talking monkey?”

“Talking monkey, yeah, yeah. Came here from the future. Ugly sucker, only says ficus.”

—GWG

51) Knocked Up (Judd Apatow, 2007)

52) Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)

53) Little Children (Todd Field, 2006)

54) Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, 2006)

55) Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)

56) Love Actually (Richard Curtis, 2003)

57) The Machinist (Brad Anderson, 2004)

58) Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston, 2004)

59) Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)

60) Milk (Gus van Sant, 2008)

61) Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2002)

62) Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)

63) 9 Songs (Michael Winterbottom, 2005)

A lot of people are quick to dismiss this film as unnecessarily explicit, self-indulgent, (not so) thinly veiled pornography. I couldn’t disagree more. Michael Winterbottom is a masterful storyteller, communicating an entire relationship with minimum dialogue and nine amazing songs. It’s an ambitious concept that in less capable hands would have failed miserably. But Winterbottom executes it perfectly. It’s on Netflix Watch Instantly right now. So if you haven’t seen it, do so now. —BIG

64) No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers, 2008)

65) O Brother Where Art Thou (The Coen Brothers, 2000)

66) Oldboy (Chan-wook Park, 2003)

The second film in Chan-wook Park’s Revenge Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), Oldboy features some original camerawork, really cool fight scenes, and an emotional yet disturbing story that would make David Fincher blush. The hallway fight, done in one continuous shot, is a staple of discussion. But there are so many great scenes, so many impressive technical aspects and character moments, that it definitely warrants multiple viewings. We did want to include the entire trilogy on the list, as there is a noticeable arc and underlying theme across all three films. However, they are all separate, unrelated stories, and Oldboy stands out as the strongest link. —GWG

67) Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006)

68) Purple Violets (Edward Burns, 2007)

69) Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme, 2008)

70) Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000)

71) Revolutionary Road (Sam Mendes, 2008)

72) The Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes, 2002)

73) The Salton Sea (D.J. Caruso, 2002)

74) Saw (James Wan, 2004)

75) A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater, 2006)

76) Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004)

77) Shopgirl (Anand Tucker, 2005)

78) Sin City (Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, 2005)

79) Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008)

80) Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000)

81) The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005)

82) State and Main (David Mamet, 2000)

83) Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2008)

What do you get when you mix Yojimbo, Django, and A Fistfull of Dollars? Actually, if you’re anyone but Takashi Miike, your head might explode. Lucky for us, the Japanese maestro of bloodshed helmed this crazy, entertaining, violent film about…Japanese cowboys? In Miike’s first American project, he decides to have Asian actors speaking John Wayne-style English while carrying six shooters and katanas. Oh yeah, and Tarantino has a couple cameos. Fucking great. —GWG

84) Surveillance (Jennifer Lynch, 2009)

85) Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)

86) There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)

87) Thirteen (Catherine Hardwicke, 2003)

In 2003, a pre-Twilight Catherine Hardwicke gave us a film that would alter the existence of little sisters forever. I saw Thirteen and wanted nothing more than to lock my sister in a closet until she was 20. That was the only conceivable way to save her from the unbearable plight of the teenage American girl. Most of the credit for this film goes to Nikki Reed, who was 15 when she wrote it. Thirteen is an exceptionally honest and powerful directorial debut from a director that proved to be a one hit wonder. —BIG

88) 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2003)

Not many zombie movies offer much more than cheap thrills and bloody carnage. We’ll be honest, that’s why we love them. With Danny Boyle’s version, though, every aspect of the film is striking. The character development, the landscape, the music, and the balls-to-the-wall tension throughout make this film stand an infected, disembodied head above the rest in the genre. —GWG

89) 25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002)

90) The United States of Leland (Matthew Ryan Hoge, 2003)

This film makes us miss the early 2000’s, when all-star casts could still deliver a patient, tempered, emotional film. As a whole, this movie exhibits the same complex subtleties as its main character, a simple-minded teenager accused of murder. Themes of perspective, miscommunication, self-examination and accountability underline interesting cinematography and a beautiful story. —GWG

91) The Wackness (Jonathan Levine, 2008)

92) The Way of the Gun (Christopher McQuarrie, 2000)

93) Wicker Park (Paul McGuigan, 2004)

94) The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)

95) Wristcutters: A Love Story (Goran Dukic, 2006)

96) Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Kevin Smith, 2008)

Honorable Mentions

Infernal Affairs (Wai-keung Lau, Alan Mak, 2002)

Though infinitely better than The Departed, this film had it’s share of problems, and spawned two unnecessary sequels.

Avatar (James Cameron, 2009)

The story may have been borrowed, and the score unoriginal, but the visuals in this film (as well as the 3-D effects) will revolutionize cinema as we know it.

Life as a House (Irwin Winkler, 2001)

An amazing character study that develops well, with solid acting and a decent soundtrack. The downside: Hayden Christiansen

Irreversible (Gaspar Noe, 2002)

Very similar to Memento, this reverse film is well acted and directed, but without the intense, realistic, extremely long rape sequence, it might not have as much effect.

The Anniversary Party (Alan Cumming, Jennifer Jason Leigh, 2001)

Very well written and acted, even John C. Reilly tones it down a bit. Possibly a tad self indulgent, but the ecstasy scene is great.

Spartan (David Mamet, 2004)

Mamet’s esoteric uber-realism that doesn’t bother explaining itself to the ordinary viewer is the best and worst part of this film. It never stops moving, and maintains it’s staying power, it just doesn’t wait for anyone to catch up.

Layer Cake (Matthew Vaughn, 2004)

Great soundtrack, great acting, great story. Decent dialog, cinematography, cutting this one was hard, but just couldn’t stand up to some of the competition.

Thank You for Smoking (Jason Reitman, 2005)

Jason Reitman can do no wrong. Possibly Eckhart’s best performance. Another tough choice, but Juno kinda kicked it in the pork sword.

Hard Candy (David Slade, 2005)

Few movies can make me cringe. 15-year-old Ellen Page threatening to castrate Patrick Wilson? Really, really uncool. Great acting and writing, but a bit limited in it’s scope.

Renaissance (Christian Volckman, 2006)

Black and white motion capture animation set in Paris, 2054. The story’s a little muddled at times, but it’s just frickin cool to watch cartoon Daniel Craig shoot people in the face.

I wish you could’ve seen my expression last November, when I first read the Oscar nominees for 2008. I was appalled. Not only were certain films on the docket that didn’t deserve so much as an original song award, but what was almost completely absent was Sam Mendes’ gut wrenching yet brilliantly crafted period piece, Revolutionary Road. I couldn’t believe the Academy’s oversight. I mean, it’s not like his films haven’t gotten any recognition (American Beauty got a couple awards), but with the competition last year being what it was, his snubbing was inexcusable.

Away We Go – Directed by Sam Mendes, Written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida
About a couple expecting a child that travels around the country looking for a place to start their family. I’m still reeling from Mendes’s snubbing at the Oscars last year, and this comes out too soon for a shot in 2010, but he’s a great director, and Eggers is one of my favorite authors. The cast looks great, the tone seems heartfelt, and the music already sounds great. I can’t wait for it.
John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal
June 5

Downloading Nancy – Directed by Johan Renck, Written by Pamela Cuming and Lee Ross
Maria Bello plays a depressed, self-destructive housewife who meets a man in a chat room, and asks him to kill her. Then they fall in love. Then her husband beats the hell out of him. The uncensored preview looks raw and emotional, but it has the potential to be lame. First feature film for both writer and director.
Maria Bello, Rufus Sewell, Jason Patrick, Amy Brenneman
June 5

Tetro – Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Apparently, this is Coppola’s first original screenplay since 1974’s The Conversation. It involves an Argentinean-Italian family dealing with the past, and brothers dealing with their creative passions. Vincent Gallo isn’t the most reputable actor. Actually, if you’ve never heard of Buffalo 66, then you’ve only seen him for a quick second in Goodfellas. Coppola is a huge name, with a long career. However, this film opened to very negative reviews at Cannes. Haven’t decided yet.
Vincent Gallo
June 11

The Last International Playboy – Directed by Steve Clark, Written by Steve Clark and Thomas Moffett
If you actually recognize Jason Behr, you’re one of six people who ever watched the show Roswell. This time he plays Jack Frost (…subtle), a heartbreaker and womanizer dealing with his mother’s suicide. He learns that the only woman he’s ever really loved is getting married, and his life starts to spiral out of control. He turns to his friends for advice, the most meaningful of which comes from his 11-year-old neighbor. Could be a bullshit chick flick, could be a respectable indie drama.
Jason Behr
June 12

Moon – Directed by Duncan Jones, Written by Duncan Jones and Nathan Parker
Great Sci-Fi films are few and far between. Sunshine was amazing, but most of them suck. Moon looks like a cross between Solaris (the original) and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sam Rockwell plays an astronaut on the moon doing energy research alone with his talking computer (Kevin Spacey). Then he starts seeing and hearing weird stuff, and thinks he’s losing his mind. Could be like Solaris (the remake) or Mission to Mars, but it could also rival Sunshine. I’m excited.
Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey
June 12

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – Directed by Tony Scott, Written by Brian Helgeland
Remake of a 1974 heist movie starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, the new one stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Same basic story, a subway car is hijacked, and a civil servant must negotiate the demands. The original was pretty damn good, but Travolta’s character looks like a Wild Hogs/Swordfish hybrid. Tony Scott’s had some low points the last few years (Domino, Spy Game), but his last two teamings with Denzel were Deja Vu and Man on Fire, which were badass.
Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, John Turturro, James Gandolfini
June 12

$9.99 – Directed by Tatia Rosenthal, Written by Etgar Keret
I know when you see stop motion animation with accents, you automatically think Wallace and Gromit (…or not), but after an overdose of Oscar animated shorts and Bill Plympton, I’m willing to give this one a shot. About a bunch of people living in an apartment complex in Australia searching for the meaning of life. Don’t judge me.
Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia, Joel Edgerton, Claudia Karvan
June 19

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Directed by Michael Bay, Written by Ehren Kruger and Roberto Orci
Yes, we all know that Michael Bay is pretty much a joke. But the Transformers kick ass, Megan Fox is really hot, and the first one was really cool. The second one brings back all our favorite Decepticons and Autobots, (even Jazz, the only one to die in the first one…you know, the only one who sounded black?). Hey, it’s summer, time for effects and explosions. It’s Michael Bay season.
Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese, John Turturro, Hugo Weaving
June 24

The Hurt Locker – Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Written by Mark Boal
Every time I see Jeremy Renner, I think of S.W.A.T., which isn’t a good thing. However, The Hurt Locker is much more serious. It is about an army bomb squad in Iraq, and the crazy shit they have to deal with every day. This has the potential to be another The Kingdom, meaning it will be really cool, but completely overlooked by the majority of moviegoers. Bigelow directed Point Break, Blue Steel, and K-19: The Widowmaker, so she’s kinda one of the guys. Boal wrote the screenplay for In the Valley of Elah. I just hope it’s not as disappointing as Stop-Loss, but it’s MTV free, so I’m optimistic.
Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly
June 26

Life is Hot in Cracktown – Written and Directed by Buddy Giovinazzo
Brandon Routh is a crackhead? Shannyn Sossamon and Lara Flynn Boyle are hoe-bags? Are we sure this isn’t a documentary? Giovinazzo also wrote this novel about several different people living in drug-infested urban areas. Feels like a much grittier version of Crash, but could just be another urban flop. Kerry Washington is hot.
Brandon Routh, Kerry Washington, Shannyn Sossamon, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Lara Flynn Boyle, Illeana Douglas, RZA
June 26

Quiet Chaos – Directed by Antonio Luigi Grimaldi, Written by Nanni Moretti and Sandro Veronesi
Italian film about a man who saves two women from drowning, then returns home to find his wife has died. Lost in his bewildered emotional state, he sits outside his daughter’s school all day every day, interacting with the people in the area. Grimaldi hasn’t done much outside of Italian TV, but Moretti is apparently a big deal as an actor, writer, and director in Italy.
Nanni Moretti, Valeria Golino, Alessandro Gassman
June 26

The Stoning of Soraya M. – Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, Written by Betsy Griffin Nowrasteh and Cyrus Nowrasteh
James Caviezel (Passion of the Christ) stars as a man driving through 1986 Iran when his car breaks down. He begins talking with Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog), who tells him a story about her niece, who was executed on erroneous charges by the community. The story may be small, but the scope strikes me as amazingly broad. Themes of mob mentality, justice, women’s rights, and cultural pressures. Nowrasteh is new to the game, but Aghdashloo’s an Oscar nominee who’s been in everything. Looking forward to it.
James Caviezel, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno
June 26

Surveillance – Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch, Written by Jennifer Chambers Lynch and Kent Harper
Serial Killer flick meets Rashomon in Lynch’s second film, about three eyewitnesses being interviewed by the FBI concerning a series of shootings they all saw, but each account is different. Jennifer appears to be daddy’s little girl already, and David Lynch is executive producing, so be prepared for a serious mind-fuck. I have goose bumps.
Julia Ormond, Bill Pullman, Pell James, Ryan Simpkins, French Stewart
June 26

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Every month I do my research on upcoming projects, and every month the list seems to get longer. With each Coming Soon, however, I must leave out interesting films because either I can’t find a release date, or it’s already out, or the dates are conflicting on different sites. Well from now on, I’m just going to tell you about all these cool movies anyways. Some of them won’t be released in the US until possibly next year, if they ever come to a theater near you at all. Some of them may already be on DVD. Just keep your eyes open.

I Come with the Rain – Written and Directed by Tran Anh Hung
Josh Hartnett gets a bum wrap, but he’s been in some cool movies (Lucky # Slevin, 30 Days of Night, Black Hawk Down). In this one, he’s the token white guy. He plays a cop-turned-P.I. who left the force after killing a serial killer he was fixated with. He travels to Tokyo to find the son of a billionaire, and the lines between reality and fantasy, and good and evil are blurred. Vietnamese writer/director Tran hasn’t done much, and the 5-minute-long promo trailer kind of gives up the whole movie, but it has a lot of potential.
Josh Hartnett, Elias Koteas, Byung-hun Lee
June 6 (Japan)

The Countess – Written and Directed by Julie Delpy
Julie Delpy (actress in The Air I Breathe, Before Sunrise, 2 Days in Paris) tackles her second project as a director with the story of Hungarian Countess Bathory, who thought the key to maintaining her beauty was to bathe in the blood of a young virgin every night (more proof that virginity is harmful to your health). Doesn’t have a US release date yet, but it’s already been to a couple European festivals, so look for it on DVD soon.
Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Daniel Bruhl, Anamaria Marinca
June 25 (Germany)

Fireflies in the Garden – Written and Directed by Dennis Lee
Based on a Robert Frost poem, this is the story of a family dealing with emotional turmoil and internal conflict in the aftermath of a sudden tragedy. The cast alone is worth checking this movie out (when is the last time Julia Roberts and Willem Dafoe were in the same movie?) This has been released in every other freaking country, so I may be really late. Check imdb, or your local Blockbuster.
Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julia Roberts, Ioan Gruffudd, Hayden Panettiere
May 29 (UK), possible June 26 release in US.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee – Written and Directed by Rebecca Miller
Robin Wright Penn plays a loving wife and mother who, at age 50, starts to unravel when her much older husband (Alan Arkin) wants to move to a retirement community. She must look into and deal with the wild behavior and harsh realities of her past, and still hold on to her present. Miller wrote Proof, and directed The Ballad of Jack and Rose, and this looks like a slight departure for Arkin as an actor. It could be another The Life Before Her Eyes, or it could be really freaking good. Also, I’m in love with Monica Bellucci. There, I said it.
Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Keanu Reeves, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Maria Bello, Monica Bellucci, Blake Lively
July 10 (UK)

First and foremost, we would like to thank all of you who supported us on Sunday and followed the live blog. It was a big day for Sexy Gypsy, and it really set the bar high.

Unfortunately, the Academy set the bar pretty low for hosting this year. Hugh Jackman, while slightly entertaining and charismatic at first, bored us to death with the constant musical numbers. This is the Oscars, dammit, we didn’t watch the Grammies for a reason. Also, the new format for actor awards runs a little long for our taste. Do we really need past winners standing up there talking one by one about the nominees for this year? We know Heath Ledger was an amazing Joker, do we really need Kevin Kline to tell us again? And if Cuba Gooding Jr. wants to be on stage at the red carpets, maybe he should be in a movie that doesn’t suck ass.

So despite some random last minute decisions, Sexy Gypsy did pretty well in predicting the Oscars this year. Our preview was right on the money for the big categories, even if our ballots weren’t. Unlike past years, there were no really big upsets. So let’s recap:

Best Picture: We all knew that Slumdog Millionaire was going to sweep the awards again. Milk was an amazing contender, but couldn’t stand up to the sheer brilliance in editing, direction, sound, and writing that Slumdog brought. Well deserved.

Best Director: David Fincher and Ron Howard have done better work. Stephen Daldry’s presence, not only in this category, but also in every other category The Reader was nominated, was a ridiculous, unwarranted usurping of Sam Mendes’ rightful seat with Revolutionary Road. Van Sant gave him a good run for the money, but Danny Boyle couldn’t be ignored any longer. Well deserved.

Best Actor: Minus Brad Pitt, this category was stacked. Jenkins, Langella, Penn, and Rourke all gave amazing performances. But it really came down to the latter two, and even though Prop 8 could’ve pushed Penn to the win, he was fantastic, and at least Rourke is again on the radar. Questionable, but well deserved.

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway hasn’t been as typecast as most people believe. Her role in Havoc was enough for us to take her seriously. Unfortunately, she was up against two major actresses (not counting Melissa Leo or Angelina Jolie). However, Streep has had her Oscar recognition, and Winslet was due after so many dead end nominations. Well deserved, wrong film (should have been Revolutionary Road).

Best Supporting Actor: If you read our preview, you know our conspiracy theories in this category. But there was only ever a slight doubt in anyone’s mind that Ledger would walk with this one. His “eclectic” career aside, this was not only his best performance, but one of the best of all time. Hey Downey, why so serious? Well deserved.

Best Supporting Actress: This category wasn’t really stellar, but everyone did a good job in their roles. Amy Adams, however, was definitely a head above the rest, in emotion and in screen time. Predicting this one was disappointing, because we knew Cruz would take it for being involved in an otherwise-not-nominated Woody Allen film. Undeserved.

Other categories of interest

Foreign Language: Waltz with Bashir should’ve taken this, and most people thought it would. Always gotta be on the lookout for the underdog.

Shorts: It is surprising that On the Line or Manon on the Asphalt didn’t take it, considering they were more the Academy’s usual taste, but Toyland was interesting and well edited, and the only WWII film even nominated this year. Also surprising, but definitely exciting, was the Academy’s decision to look past Pixar’s usual animated brilliance and give the Oscar to La Maison en Petits Cubes, the emotional Japanese film with a French name.

Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire was an amazing adaptation, as shown by its eight wins this year. However, we still believe that, with any other director, the script would have fallen short. Doubt, though sub par in acting and directing, was an amazingly well written film, full of amazing dialogue. Milk was the obvious choice for Original Screenplay. It built and developed all the characters for the actors to round out, and there wasn’t a weak link in the bunch.

Another surprise was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. All three of this film’s awards (Visual Effects, Art Direction, and Makeup) beat out The Dark Knight, which was a thousand times better in all of them. This is either an apology to Fincher for ignoring Zodiac, or an apology to Brad Pitt that he will never, ever, ever be Batman. Robin, maybe, but not The Dark Knight.

Overall, a good year for movies, and a solid Academy Awards ceremony. We will of course be starting this all over again next November, but for now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Thanks for the support.

-Sexy Gypsy

Best Picture

Of the five films in this category, only two really have a shot. Frost/Nixon was a great stage adaptation with amazing performances and, while solid, was ultimately compromised by Ron Howard’s lack of technical abilities. The Reader was boring, poorly constructed, and probably the most overrated film in the last 20 years. And Benjamin Button was average at best.

That leaves us with Milk and Slumdog Millionaire. And it’s close.

Milk was perfectly casted, acted and edited. Thankfully, Gus van Sant showed enough restraint not to fuck it up with his usual annoyingly pseudo-artistic direction. Add to that the best performance of Sean Penn’s career and you have a serious contender for Best Picture.

But, unfortunately for Gus van Sant and Milk, 2009 is the year of Slumdog. With great music, flawless direction and screenplay, Slumdog Millionaire has finally brought Danny Boyle to the forefront of cinema. He’s a versatile director who can excel in any genre, and Slumdog’s complex, non-linear story line really allowed him to showcase his skills. The result was a beautifully executed film whose broad appeal, blending of cultures, and surprising rise to recognition puts it over the top.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Slumdog Millionaire

WHO WILL WIN: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor

Why is Brad Pitt in this category? He gave a much better, rounder performance in A River Runs Through It and is the weak link in this category with his one-note portrayal of Benjamin Button. Richard Jenkins is finally getting the love he deserves, after years of being “that guy”—you recognize him, know he’s in things, but you don’t know his name or why you seem to remember him (if you still don’t know who he is, he’s the dead father in Six Feet Under). Unfortunately, his well-developed performance will be eclipsed by the big three: Mickey Rourke, Frank Langella, and Sean Penn. This will ultimately be decided by politics: the resurrection of Mickey Rourke, the Nixon scandal, or the gay character post-prop 8.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Mickey Rourke WHO WILL WIN: Sean Penn, because the Academy loves him.

Best Actress

First off, the Academy needs to decide what constitutes a leading role, because Kate Winslet should have been up for Revolutionary Road, not The Reader, both for technical and performance-quality reasons. She’ll probably win, but only because Stephen Daldry is a marketing whore and has been politicking for The Reader like he was Blagojevich selling a Senate seat.

Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie both had great roles, but it was more the writing than they acting that made their characters special. While Angelina Jolie will get a nomination for anything in which she’s not half naked shooting at people, Streep didn’t bring the expected veteran-actress energy to an already well written character—and it fell short.

Melissa Leo in Frozen River was an interesting choice. A small, low-budget, independent film shot in 24 days spawns a Best Actress nomination? But it’s a well-crafted story—solid throughout. As for Melissa Leo’s performance, as good a job as she did, she’s not beating out Streep, let alone Winslet.

Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, deserves credit for nailing her part as a fresh-out-of-rehab junkie—a role often cliched, parodied, and overplayed. Sadly, no one saw Rachel Getting Married. It’s not a great film but Hathaway more than makes up for it (Plus, Tunde from TV on The Radio plays her brother-in-law-to-be!)

WHO SHOULD WIN: Anne Hathaway WHO WILL WIN: Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey, Jr. is an amazing actor and definitely deserves some fucking recognition. But Tropic Thunder? Really?? It’s picks like this that make people clown the Oscar. Everyone else was solid, but Josh Brolin, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Shannon picked a shitty year to be nominated.

Philip Seymour Hoffman was miscast in the role of Father Flynn, and he did the best he could. Still, his subpar performance paled in comparison to most of his other work. Josh Brolin, though slightly outshone by the rest of the supporting cast, was impressive in Milk. He just seems to have bad luck—going against Daniel Day-Lewis last year, and now Heath Ledger. Michael Shannon had three great scenes, and blew me away in Revolutionary Road. He was the most interesting character in a Sam Mendes movie, which in itself says a lot, and he had a huge impact in his 120 seconds of screen time.

Yet as good as they were, Brolin and Shannon especially, no one is beating Heath Ledger. A solid, completely immersive portrayal of a psychotic clown in a movie that destroyed box offices everywhere? He deserves the award no matter what, and it only helps that he’s dead.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Heath Ledger (but only because he’s dead) WHO WILL WIN: Heath Ledger (but only because he’s dead)

Best Supporting Actress

How long do you have to be in a film to fulfill the “supporting” criteria? Viola Davis, though very emotional, had one scene in Doubt. However, she was just as memorable as Michael Shannon in her limited screen time. Penelope Cruz didn’t have a much bigger role, and she’s only here because she played a cup full of crazy in a Woody Allen movie, and her crazy wasn’t as good as crazies in the past (Wilkinson in Michael Clayton). But Amy Adams is a head above the rest in this category, and hopefully that’s enough.

Taraji Henson is here just because the Academy loved Benjamin Button, but it wasn’t a great film and she wasn’t all that good in it. Outside of Cruz, she’s the weakest nominee in this category. It was like she played the great-great-grandmother of her character in Hustle and Flow.

Marisa Tomei is the dark horse here. She gave an incredible performance in The Wrestler and she’s still ridiculously hot.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Amy Adams WHO WILL WIN: Penelope Cruz

Best Director

If you’ve ever read sexy gypsy, you already know our pick for Best Director. Motherfucking Danny Boyle.

Stephen Daldry is now on my shit list for The Reader—even more so for plugging the fuck out of an inferior movie and tricking everyone into thinking it was great. Who the fuck does he think he is, M. Night Shyamalan?

David Fincher is a great director with some amazing movies under his belt, but the travesty of Curious Case of Benjamin Button is not one of them. The sequence with Tilda Swinton and Brad Pitt was the only time you really saw Fincher’s influence, and it was the best part of the film.

Ron Howard is still Hollywood’s golden boy, so it’s not surprising he was nominated for Frost/Nixon. Aside from persistent anachronisms and mishandling of time, Howard preserved the spirit of the stage play and the camera work was excellent.

Gus van Sant finally decided to humble himself and make a solid, consistent film, and is really the only one who could challenge Boyle. The Academy loves him, and could look to make up for robbing him of Best Director in 1997, plus some Prop 8 guilt could come into play. This is definitely a category to watch.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Danny Boyle (with an honorable mention and apology to Sam Mendes) WHO WILL WIN: Danny Boyle

Conspiracies

• Who did Sam Mendes piss off? He is a great filmmakers and Revolutionary Road, though disturbingly depressing, was an amazing film. Camera work, editing, score, acting, screenplay—all great. Yet the Academy left him out of the running and even changed the nomination for Kate Winslet, calling her performance in The Reader a lead—a role which the HFPA considered a supporting a few months ago. I think he’s in the doghouse for some reason, and Michael Shannon’s nomination is an apology. I suspect that, though Ledger has it locked, they might upset everything and give it to Shannon, just to show there’s no hard feelings.
• Amy Adams deserves to win best supporting, but everything in Hollywood is political (which could also explain Winslet’s bump to lead role after Daldry’s whoring). My guess is that Cruz could walk with this one because the Academy loves Woody Allen and they’re sorry he made a dumb movie they can’t nominate for anything else.
• Again making up for its past mistakes, the Academy has shown major love to Benjamin Button. They want so badly to let Pitt have one, but Babel just wasn’t that good. And Zodiac, Fincher’s first Academy-worthy film, just came out too early for Oscar consideration.
• 4.) Robert Downey, Jr. has been in some great movies, always does his roles beautifully, and the Academy thinks he’s due for something. But since Charlie Bartlett got impatient and fucked off what could have been a serious, profound ending, he couldn’t get anything for that. And Iron Man was entertaining, but no actor will ever get an Oscar for playing a superhero. Downey’s next film is The Soloist with Jamie Foxx, directed by Joe Wright. It would have been a contender for the Oscars but was pulled from its November release date and slated for early March, 2009. So now it comes down to Tropic Thunder.

So now that we’ve all had a chance to absorb the Oscar nominations, it’s time to start placing bets. We already mentioned that, in the last three years, every Oscar winner for Best Actor and Actress also won the Golden Globe. This year, however, the nominations aren’t even the same. Kate Winslet won Best Actress for Revolutionary Road, but the Academy decided to nominate her for The Reader. Not surprising, but still unfortunate, is the lack of nominations for Sam Mendes and Revolutionary Road. Michael Shannon is the only one who got a nod, with a Best Supporting Actor nomination. We’re still unclear as to why Mendes is absent on the ballot this year, especially when The Reader is up for Best Picture, and Stephen Daldry is up for Best Director (boring movie, and he’s a rookie).

Heath Ledger has a little more competition in this race for Best Supporting Actor, but we’re hoping he gets what’s due him after arguably the best performance of 2008. And kudos must be given to the Academy for calling our bluff in this category. Robert Downey Jr. is up for Best Supporting for Tropic Thunder; we’re still going to complain, but Downey really deserves an award after being overlooked for so long, so the razor blades we promised will not be forthcoming.

On a lighter note, Danny Boyle carried over all of his Golden Globe nominations, and he’s all over the Oscars. With any luck, the Academy will think outside its microscopic box and give credit to the underdog instead of going with the predictable choice (Ron Howard). The only movie to really rival Slumdog Millionaire this year was Milk. Gus van Sant deserves the nomination, maybe the win. The editing wasn’t as complex as Slumdog, but it was still good. And Sean Penn is definitely giving Mickey Rourke a run for his money as Best Actor.

The Supporting categories are also a bit strange, in that several of the nominees had very little screen time in the film. Viola Davis has like two scenes in Doubt. Penelope Cruz wasn’t really in Vicky Cristina Barcelona until the very end. Taraji P. Henson had a slightly bigger role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but it was three hours long, and you didn’t see her that much. Even Michael Shannon only had three scenes in Revolutionary Road. Not that this is a first for the Academy (Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton, Ruby Dee for American Gangster), we’re just not sure how you justify giving an Oscar to someone who wasn’t really in the movie.

This year will not be the clash of the titans that last year was, but there are a lot of interesting choices, some standard nominations, and some unexplainable absences. It’s really anyone’s guess, but here at Sexy Gypsy, we’re smarter than everyone else, including the Academy, so be on the lookout for our official Oscar ballot choices next week.

It is cold as I step out of the movie theater into the January air.  The streets are empty.  I am distraught.  I feel hopeless, sad, sinking.  Someone has broken my heart.  Someone has turned life upside down and kicked it in the teeth.  Someone has put me through so much over the last two hours, that I’m contemplating the best way to kill myself.

Why did you do that, Sam Mendes?  Why?

Film is about the suspension of disbelief.  It is about emotionally manipulating the audience, without making them feel like they’re being manipulated.  It takes a great director to do it well, and Sam Mendes is a great director.  American Beauty was an amazing debut.  Road to Perdition was the most beautifully crafted gangster movie in years.  Jarhead made me respect Jake Gyllenhaal.  And, though they weren’t the most uplifting films, they all had a dramatic flair, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and amazing visuals that made me feel good about the film.

Revolutionary Road, as a story, was a perfect project for Mendes.  Based on the Richard Yates novel, and written for the screen by Justin Haythe (The Clearing), it is the story of a young couple (DiCaprio and Winslet) living in 1950’s Connecticut, trying to wrestle their personal demons, raise two children, balance their life dreams, and still maintain that “everything’s coming up roses”, picture perfect ‘50’s façade.  And technically (as far as camera work, editing, music, etc.) it is a well-crafted film.  I could tell two minutes in that it was Mendes behind the camera.  Stylistically, it was much like Road to Perdition, in that the modern, artful camera work and cinematography juxtaposed the time period and the film genre.  The main difference?

This one made me want to slit my wrists with a butter knife.

The first three minutes are good.  Happy, even.  Leo and Kate meet at a party.  They make eye contact, start a nice conversation, and slow dance.  Even in such a short time, Mendes shows you the beauty of a new relationship.  And then he takes it all away.  That is as happy as those two characters are in the film, and they are never that happy again.  The very next scene leads into a horrible fight between the now-married couple on the side of the interstate.  And for the next two hours, we have to squint to catch glimpses of happiness and hope, dreams and plans, amidst some of the most horrible, gut wrenching fights I’ve seen on screen in years.  This is Closer without the explicit sexual references.  This is The Break-Up without humor.

Several years ago, I was discussing a movie with a friend.  I liked it.  She didn’t.  She said that the audience was put through too much in the film, and the ending didn’t make up for it.  That is how I feel about Revolutionary Road.  There is no happiness, no hope, no second chances.  It is predictable in a way that, though you know what’s going to happen, you really, really don’t want it to.  You want so badly for things to work out ok, and the ending is a swift metaphorical kick to the emotional groin when you’re already begging for mercy.

There are several highlights in the film.  Michael Shannon’s character is perfect, a young man recently released from a psychiatric ward.  He is the only one willing to call the couple out on their problems, showing that, in the 1950’s, it takes a psycho to cut through the bullcrap and really see things.  There is also an amazing scene at the end that again reminded me of Road to Perdition.  However, a few scenes in this film feel forced.  The acting is off, the dialogue feels contrived; surprising, really, for two established actors.  That is the only detraction from the technical side of things.  However, I highly doubt that this will be nominated for any awards, and I hesitate to even add it to my Mendes DVD collection.  It is a great film, and a horrible story, and I’m not sure I would sit through it again.

Final Grade: B+

by The Great White Gypsy

Cadillac Records – Darnell Martin

It seems that musicals and music industry biopsies (no, I don’t mean biopic, I’m being ironic) are the new trend.  This appears to be closer to Walk the Line than Dream Girls, at least I hope so.  It’s fun to see modern musicians play old school legends (Beyonce as Etta James, Mos Def as Chuck Berry), and there’s even a tie-in with the Rolling Stones.  Plus Cadillacs are pretty.

Adrien Brody, Beyonce Knowles, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, Gabrielle Union

December 5

Punisher: War Zone – Lexi Alexander

I’m sure anyone who read Punisher comics sees how cool it is to transition from Thomas Jane to Ray Stevenson.  It’s the difference between a pissed off widower and a badass mercenary for justice.  My only concern is admittedly misogynistic.  Chicks don’t watch action crap like this, so why did a chick direct it?  Her last film about soccer hooligans beating the crap out of each other (Green Street Hooligans) had a bit more heart and substance than necessary for hitting someone in the face with a brick.  We’ll see.

Ray Stevenson, Dominic West

December 5

Dark Streets – Rachel Samuels

Film Noir meets musical with a little flair in this murder mystery based on the play by Glenn M. Stewart.  Writer and director are newbies, but there’s some talent in the cast, and the art direction.  The soudtrack and musical numbers are done by classic blues and jazz artists.  Worth a try, since I missed Repo.

Gabriel Mann, Bijou Philips, Elias Koteas

December 12

The Day the Earth Stood Still – Scott Derrickson

Remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic, the visuals and special effects look pretty sweet, and Keanu Reeves’ career can only be helped by a role as a Vulcan-esque alien.  Not sure why this is coming out in December instead of summer, but maybe the lines at the theater will be shorter.

Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates

December 12

Timecrimes – Nacho Vigalondo

It’s true, there really hasn’t been a good time travel movie since Back to the Future II.  Even Ray Bradbury and Ben Kingsley couldn’t save A Sound of Thunder.  But if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that foreign directors can generally add substance and art to dead sub-genres.  Vigalondo is fairly new to feature films, but the premise looks promising.

Karra Elejalde, Nacho Vigalondo, Candela Fernandez

December 12

The Wrestler – Darren Aronofsky

Most people over the mental age of 15 don’t take wrestling seriously.  However, it appears a second-rate wrestler is the perfect character juxtaposition for Mickey Rourke, one of the most underrated actors ever.  It looks like a film with substance and style, which should be no surprise given Aronofsky’s resume (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain).  Might not blow up the box office, but could get some Oscar credit.

Mickey Rourke, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei

December 17

Seven Pounds – Gabriele Muccino

Muccino directed the original Last Kiss, and worked with Will Smith on The Pursuit of Happiness.  Smith has been slowly yet steadily broadening as a actor.  The exact plot is somewhat vague through the previews, but quests for redemption always tug at our heartstrings and guilty wallets.  Myself included.

Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper

December 19

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – David Fincher

I’m still confused.  Are you sure it’s Fincher directing this?  I mean, he’s a great director, works well with Brad Pitt, but this really has a Tim Burton feel to me, in style and story.  Confusion aside, it looks really cool.  Brad Pitt ages backwards, it looks dark and eerie, with a soul.  David Fincher got robbed of any Oscar credit last year (Zodiac came out too early in the year.), let’s hope this one is his ticket to the red carpet.

Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett

December 25

The Spirit – Frank Miller

Sin City was groundbreaking in story and visuals.  Sin City 2 and 3 are currently in production.  Frank Miller is a talented writer and director, but The Spirit, though intriguing, looks like space filler from a one trick pony.  300 stood out by itself, I’m not sure this one can, but I’ll give it a try.  I owe it to Frank, 300 is the reason I have a gym membership.

Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes

December 25

Revolutionary Road – Sam Mendes

Although it made everyone sick to enjoy it, Titanic was the last time DiCaprio and Winslet were on screen together, and there’s some chemistry there.  More importantly, after seeing what Sam Mendes does to modern suburban life (American Beauty), I can’t wait to see what he does to the suburbs in 1950’s Conneticut.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy Bates

December 26