What is Your Favorite 21st Century Movie?

Scene from Mulholland Drive

The century may only be 16 years deep, but it never feels like the wrong time to ask one simple question: what is the best film of the century? Considering that the 20th is a pretty tough nut to crack in itself, looking at the modern masterpieces as they happen is even more difficult. The BBC decided to hold a poll where they asked critics to name their favorites. To say the least, it didn't go in any conventional way - or at least any that makes sense if you're an Oscar fan. Very few of them are Oscar-nominated films. With director David Lynch's Mulholland Drive topping the list, the question is pretty easy, and one that I want to pose to the reader: What is your favorite 21st century movie so far?

Charlie Kaufman Disliked Working with George Clooney on "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"

Scene from Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

When historians look back at the past 20 years of film, there is a great chance that they will see the greatest screenwriter not as someone like Quentin Tarantino, but more in line with Charlie Kaufman. One doesn't need to think too hard about why that is, especially since every screenplay he's written has been a challenging narrative that mixes the absurd with deep, philosophical challenges and often surreal imagery. He is a writer unto his own and whose latest Anomalisa is among his best work. However, he recently announced that there was a screenplay that he wasn't too happy with, and it's easy to see why once you know the story.

17 Pleasant Surprises on BBC's Greatest American Films

Left to right: Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave

Today marks the release of the latest "Best Movies Ever" list. This time, it comes from BBC Culture and it focuses on the Best American Films (click link for commentary on Top 25). While it features a lot of familiar, obvious choices (Citizen Kane, The Godfather, and Vertigo tops yet another list), the list has its share of surprises both great and bad (omission of most recent films, animated films, and directors). Instead of arguing about every last thing that is wrong with this list (where's Paul Thomas Anderson  and The Coen Brothers?), it does feature a lot of pleasant surprises. The following is a list of films that made the list that you wouldn't expect and definitely should check out ASAP.

Birthday Take: Michel Gondry in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

Left to right: Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.