Zodiac; the best film of the past 10 years? If not, what is?

Forest Demon

Paco Rodriguez wrote: »

Into The Wild

Because Sean Penn religiously followed the book on the true story. Because Eddie Vedder and Doug Ellis made the perfect soundtrack...and obviously the true story of Chris McCandless.

If not tgat then I would have chosen recently released 'Prisoners'

Into the wild is in my top 5 ever. I thought it was an amazing film.

McGrath5

For some reason I do not remember Zodiac been that particularly good. I think I will give it another watch soon.

Arghus

It seems bizarre to me how highly some people rate Zodiac. It's a very well made film. Some of the effects work is incredible. It's highly evocative of the time in which its set. The atmosphere of dread and mystery is maintained solidly throughout and it's filled with completely adequate performances. It has a good claim to be the best thing that David Fincher has ever made. But it's no masterpiece, just a very good movie.

In the same year, just for starters, there was There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. I do think There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece and even if I admit to thinking No Country is over rated, I still think it's leagues ahead of Zodiac.

I don't like to say that such and such a movie is the absolute greatest over a period like a decade. It's a hard thing to judge even in a single given year.There seems to be an accepted canon for the last decade, a large part of which features in the poll choices up top, but I haven't even seen a few of those movies. And I consider myself a person who has watched a fair,fair few over the years. And there are other examples I can think of that have been mentioned that have also passed me by. Therefore I'm fairly loathe to say what is the best.

But I can say which ones impressed me most.,,

Top of the list would probably be A Prophet. I walked around in a daze for a few days after seeing this one. The tension of the first 40 minutes nearly did me in. It was a familiar prison story in ways but the quality of the performances, the ambiguous political and moral message of the movie and the mix of the mystical with realism drew me in and elevated it into one of the best films I'd ever seen in my life. It didn't hurt that the plot was utterly engrossing either. So yeah, a Prophet. It's a great movie, you should watch it.

There's others I can think of that on a given day someone could convince me were the best of the last decade-

The Tree of Life- It wasn't perfect, we could have all done without the dinosaurs.What was good in it was excellent. Also it was helped by being the most beautiful looking movie I have ever seen.

Pans Labyrinth- Seems to have been forgotten about a little in discussions about the pick of the last ten years. Totally unique and wondrous film.

Sideways- Heartbreaking and laugh out loud. The characters felt like human beings. Whatever about the brilliance of "I drink your milkshake" this line has it beat. Paul Giamatti was robbed that year, he didn't even get nominated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5PItDrtjOA

A few other honorable mentions-
Brokeback Mountain
Wall-E
Toy Story 3
The White Ribbon
Certified Copy
Let The Right One In
The New World
A Serious Man
Waltz with Bashir
The White Ribbon
The Master (though sometimes I feel that it's actually a heap of crap).

The Glass Key

Arghus wrote: »

It seems bizarre to me how highly some people rate Zodiac. It's a very well made film. Some of the effects work is incredible. It's highly evocative of the time in which its set. The atmosphere of dread and mystery is maintained solidly throughout and it's filled with completely adequate performances. It has a good claim to be the best thing that David Fincher has ever made. But it's no masterpiece, just a very good movie.

....

Could it be that its a lot easier to agree on what is a "good movie" than it is to get agreement on what is a masterpiece?

krudler

Samsara would be on the list too, it's not a film in the regular sense but it's one of the most engrossing things I've ever seen in a cinema. Some of the visuals are absolutely incredible in it. It's on the US netflix now too and well worth a watch.

Da Shins Kelly

I voted for Pan's Labyrinth, but Oldboy is a classic, as is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Brokeback Mountain is also one of the best movies I've ever seen and boasts Heath Ledger's best performance. Wall-E is easily my favourite animated movie of all time too.

Hard to single out one really.

Mr Freeze

Going to watch Zodiac, the next chance I get.
Spotted it on Netflix a few times.

Warper

Drive is a classic

A Prophet is the best foreign language film of the past ten years

Animal Kingdom is the best Aussie film

The Dark Knight is the best superhero flick

Marvel Avengers is also great for the kiddies amongst us

Black Swan for the best dark side film

The Tree of Life is the worst film of the past ten years

Mardy Bum

Easy enough to answer: Synecdoche, New York.

An absolute masterpiece.

bellinter

Warper wrote: »

The Tree of Life is the worst film of the past ten years

I think Die Hard 5 might have a thing or two to say about that

bellinter

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Easy enough to answer: Synecdoche, New York.

An absolute masterpiece.

Roger Ebert named that as his best of the decade. Think it was a bit above my head to be honest

keith_d99

Watched Downfall last night Irish Netlix - thanks all!
Loved it!

Have added a couple more mentioned on here to "My List" on Netflix
Oldboy, There will be Blood and The Lives of Others

MagicMarker

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Easy enough to answer: Synecdoche, New York.

An absolute masterpiece.

yawn

Mardy Bum

MagicMarker wrote: »

yawn

When I watched the first few scenes in the house I thought it was over cooking the whole Beckett and David Foster Wallace references but as the film continued I was astounded at its ornate and complex construction and also its powerful thought provoking message without being too condescending. It is probably the movie David Foster Wallace would have made if he ever wrote a script.

_Kaiser_

I wouldn't be too pushed by anything on the OP's list to be honest .. and I certainly didn't rate Drive at all! The opening sequence was good but after that it falls off rapidly to where it's a completely different film.

So some of my favorites from recent times (in no particular order - just as I go through the media server here):

Catch Me If You Can - ok so it's 11 years old but an excellent film with great performances from the 2 leads. Plus it's based on a true story which makes it better/more interesting to me

Dodgeball - I don't care.. I love it The ridiculousness of Stiller's Whyte Goodman is hilarious.

End of Watch - already mentioned but the bond between the 2 characters/leads is brilliant. You really grow to like and care about them during the course of the film. Was surprised at how much it grabbed me

Inception - already covered by others.

Law Abiding Citizen - loved the interaction between the leads and the story kept me guessing throughout

Limitless - Great premise I thought and well executed

Taken - The sequel was a let-down but the first was a great action thriller that reinvigorated Neeson's career

Lord of War - excellent from start to finish. Possibly Cage's finest performance IMO. One of the best title/opening sequences ever too

Fast & Furious series - say what you will, this series has gotten better as it went along, delivers exactly what it promises, and they've done a fantastic job in weaving them all together

The Transporter series - I just love the big Audi really. Mine's not quite as impressive ("only" a 3L Quattro A6) but it's pretty damn good too

Other (somewhat older) favorites would include Goodfellas, The Running Man, Wall Street, Die Hard (of course!), Predator, Gandhi, Face Off and others I've seen wayy too many times


If I had to pick ONE from the newer lot above I'd probably pick Lord of War though.

john the one

I have taken the decision to watch The Road this evening with some light ales and savory snacks of the cheesy moments variety, I had better not be disappointed in this motion picture.

Ipso

One thing I loved about Zodiac is that for a procedural film two of the murder scenes were creepier than anything the vast majority of horror movies these days have churned out.
The opening scene had a great build up and great use of the song Hurdy Gurdy Man and the lake scene was pretty disturbing.

frag420

krudler

Ipso wrote: »

One thing I loved about Zodiac is that for a procedural film two of the murder scenes were creepier than anything the vast majority of horror movies these days have churned out.
The opening scene had a great build up and great use of the song Hurdy Gurdy Man and the lake scene was pretty disturbing.

The scene at the lake was excellent, really unnerving.

Actually speaking of unnerving, there was a shot in Gone Baby Gone that stayed with me for days afterwards, when

Casey Affleck gets into the house where he finds the dead kid in the bath

, even though you only see it for a split second, the entire cinema gasped, genuinely shocking moment.

RickyBobby1

Great thread lads. I have to say some great comedies that I keep going back to watch like step brothers,I love you man, forgetting Sarah Marshall,knocked up and superbad.

Da Shins Kelly

Gotta sit down and watch Zodiac the next time I get a chance.

Arghus

The Glass Key wrote: »

Could it be that its a lot easier to agree on what is a "good movie" than it is to get agreement on what is a masterpiece?

Oh yeah, easily. The stakes are much lower.

Evelyn Cusack

You get different feelings from films, there's those when you know you have seen something special, and those that you will return to time and time again, which could give you two different answers.

I have seen no country a few times and will see it many more.
End of watch also, while I would say no country is a better film, by far, I'll see end of watch a good few more times.

The only other film that I have thought about for a long time after viewing is a French film called Declaration of War, which is a black comedy about a couple whose kid has a brain tumor. How can that possibly be a comedy?
It's on Netflix, watch it, so well done

bnt

Pan's Labyrinth. I don't think I've ever seen a film that melded fantasy and reality together as well. It's a slap in the face to those who dismiss fantasy as escape from reality: when the reality is unremittingly horrid, and there's no hope left, what if fantasy is the only sensible way to deal with it? The ending manages to be realistic and redemptive at the same time. I've never been as deeply moved by a film's story, before or since.

krudler

bnt wrote: »

Pan's Labyrinth. I don't think I've ever seen a film that melded fantasy and reality together as well. It's a slap in the face to those who dismiss fantasy as escape from reality: when the reality is unremittingly horrid, and there's no hope left, what if fantasy is the only sensible way to deal with it? The ending manages to be realistic and redemptive at the same time. I've never been as deeply moved by a film's story, before or since.

It was on Film Four recently and I watched it for the first time in years, forgotten how good it was. That scene with the Pale Man is still creepy as hell, but it's the real world stuff that's more shocking, especially the bit with the

wine bottle being smashed into the guys nose, was really brutal

.

Marty McFly

bnt wrote: »

Pan's Labyrinth. I don't think I've ever seen a film that melded fantasy and reality together as well. It's a slap in the face to those who dismiss fantasy as escape from reality: when the reality is unremittingly horrid, and there's no hope left, what if fantasy is the only sensible way to deal with it? The ending manages to be realistic and redemptive at the same time. I've never been as deeply moved by a film's story, before or since.

I agree of all the films on that list its the one that made the most lasting impression. Have seen Zodiac remember enjoying it but don't remember much else about it.

Mardy Bum

Zodiac combines genres brilliantly. It has a startling ability to produce very eerie moments and utilise the frenetic pace to create a haunting atmosphere.

Mike Litoris

krudler wrote: »

The scene at the lake was excellent, really unnerving.

That really really shook me. Its up there with that scene from Irreversible for impact.

I didn't know whether to laugh or puke at the dildo scene too.:P

fryup

zodiac is a fine film without doubt, but it lacks a final conclusion it only speculates on who the real zodiac was

which for me was unsatisfying

MagicMarker

fryup wrote: »

zodiac is a fine film without doubt, but it lacks a final conclusion it only speculates on who the real zodiac was

which for me was unsatisfying

What an inconsiderate prick that zodiac fella was for not getting caught, so 40 years later you could feel more satisfied after watching a movie.

krudler

fryup wrote: »

zodiac is a fine film without doubt, but it lacks a final conclusion it only speculates on who the real zodiac was

which for me was unsatisfying

Just like real life then, they could hardly just make up something that didn't happen that'd be way worse. That's real police work, cases go unsolved, the rookie cop doesn't always make good and the SWAT team arrive right after the villain is dead in the real world.

fryup

MagicMarker wrote: »

What an inconsiderate prick that zodiac fella was for not getting caught, so 40 years later you could feel more satisfied after watching a movie.

indeed

The Glass Key

MagicMarker wrote: »

What an inconsiderate prick that zodiac fella was for not getting caught, so 40 years later you could feel more satisfied after watching a movie.

But isn't that the whole point of the movie? You never know for sure who the killer really was, you have a good idea but there is always that doubt.

Ipso

MagicMarker wrote: »

What an inconsiderate prick that zodiac fella was for not getting caught, so 40 years later you could feel more satisfied after watching a movie.

He could have given us a car chase at least!

Riskymove

fryup wrote: »

zodiac is a fine film without doubt, but it lacks a final conclusion it only speculates on who the real zodiac was

which for me was unsatisfying

well there goes the ending

daithi_dearg

I'd have Ted down as my favourite with others such as In Bruges, Midnight in Paris, A Good Year, Gran Torino and Before Sunset and After Sunrise also in there

Marty McFly

Riskymove wrote: »

well there goes the ending

In fairness if you read all the way to page 9 of a thread titled Zodiac the best film of the last ten years? You hardly expect there not to be any discussion or spoilers?

Warper

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

I wouldn't be too pushed by anything on the OP's list to be honest .. and I certainly didn't rate Drive at all! The opening sequence was good but after that it falls off rapidly to where it's a completely different film.

So some of my favorites from recent times (in no particular order - just as I go through the media server here):

Catch Me If You Can - ok so it's 11 years old but an excellent film with great performances from the 2 leads. Plus it's based on a true story which makes it better/more interesting to me

Dodgeball - I don't care.. I love it The ridiculousness of Stiller's Whyte Goodman is hilarious.

End of Watch - already mentioned but the bond between the 2 characters/leads is brilliant. You really grow to like and care about them during the course of the film. Was surprised at how much it grabbed me

Inception - already covered by others.

Law Abiding Citizen - loved the interaction between the leads and the story kept me guessing throughout

Limitless - Great premise I thought and well executed

Taken - The sequel was a let-down but the first was a great action thriller that reinvigorated Neeson's career

Lord of War - excellent from start to finish. Possibly Cage's finest performance IMO. One of the best title/opening sequences ever too

Fast & Furious series - say what you will, this series has gotten better as it went along, delivers exactly what it promises, and they've done a fantastic job in weaving them all together

The Transporter series - I just love the big Audi really. Mine's not quite as impressive ("only" a 3L Quattro A6) but it's pretty damn good too

Other (somewhat older) favorites would include Goodfellas, The Running Man, Wall Street, Die Hard (of course!), Predator, Gandhi, Face Off and others I've seen wayy too many times


If I had to pick ONE from the newer lot above I'd probably pick Lord of War though.

Well you are entitled to your opinion

Zeek12

Could we have The Assassination of Jesse James... added to the poll?

Purely in the interests of good taste! (Not that I have any objection to the movies already there, but don't want to see a classic of the decade ignored)

Riskymove

Marty McFly wrote: »

In fairness if you read all the way to page 9 of a thread titled Zodiac the best film of the last ten years? You hardly expect there not to be any discussion or spoilers?

well in fairness you could also say that the thread may have encouraged people who hadn't seen it to do so

Warper

Zeek12 wrote: »

Could we have The Assassination of Jesse James... added to the poll?

Purely in the interests of good taste! (Not that I have any objection to the movies already there, but don't want to see a classic of the decade ignored)

Personally i hated that film, another drawn out boring film with nothing going on

brevity

Should I watch The Assassination of Jesse James?

e_e

Warper wrote: »

Personally i hated that film

Subjective.

Warper wrote: »

with nothing going on

Objectively false.

sebastianlieken

I HATED "country for old men" - I just really thought it was the most terrifically boring Film i've ever had the misfortune of watching.

Best movie in the last 10 years... tough question BUT, "Drive" with Ryan Gosling was really well done! I loved the use of silence in that movie.

Also, A guilty pleasure of mine is "Sucker Punch". Original story line. Savage sound track. it has hot girls, nazis, zombies, dragons, robots, orcs, samurai, etc... it has EVERYTHING.

Also,

Limitless
Blood Diamond
Lord of war
The 5 movies listed above are my favorites

e_e

brevity wrote: »

Should I watch The Assassination of Jesse James?

If you love long, weighty, and atmospheric slow-burn movies then give it a go. I think it's incredible.

FortuneChip

e_e wrote: »

If you love long, weighty, and atmospheric slow-burn movies then give it a go. I think it's incredible.

Stellar soundtrack as well. That movie hung around in my head long after I saw it.
Both Pitt & Affleck were great. Sam Rockwell is as watchable as always.

FlashD

brevity wrote: »

Should I watch The Assassination of Jesse James?

If you like westerns, it's one of the best of the last 10 years. Strong performance, some beautiful cinematic shots, great soundtrack!

Didn't get the recognition it deserved and it made a loss at the box office, it came out around the same time as 'There Will Be Blood', and a month later 'No Country for Old Men'

Exceptionally strong period for the western theme.

Marty McFly

FlashD wrote: »

If you like westerns, it's one of the best of the last 10 years. Strong performance, some beautiful cinematic shots, great soundtrack!

Didn't get the recognition it deserved and it made a loss at the box office, it came out around the same time as 'There Will Be Blood', and a month later 'No Country for Old Men'

Exceptionally strong period for the western theme.

In my opinion it's a far better film than both of them. Hated There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men but loved the Assassination of Jesse James brilliant film.

poundapunnet

Great thread! Couldn't say what's the best, Assassination of Jesse James is very overlooked; and I'd second Oldboy and put forward Fish Tank for candidates for top 20 too

krudler

Another totally underrated film was Open Range, great western, shootout at the end is absolutely superb.