20 Best American Independent Films of the 2000s: Taste of Cinema

[Ian Townsend]

I'd be interested to know the thoughts of the various cineastes who hang round these parts. This list could provide good January viewing and there are several I have never heard of.

Taste of Cinema: 20 Best American Independent Films of the 2000s

Totally refreshing to read a list on a site that isn't clickbait too! 10 on page 1, 10 on page 2.....nice.

[Plainstone]

The Wrestler and Punch Drunk Love would be my picks from that lot. Was really surprised how good the former was, and the latter is just one of the best movies ever. Period.

Honorable mention for Broken Flowers.

[babycart]

I´ve seen nearly all of them and I´m surprised many of them are classed as indie. Lots of big name Oscar bait there.
The ones I like best are Dogville (American?) and Far From Heaven. Adaptation is fun, too and Elephant unforgettable.

[medlar]

Not seen any, I'm a real cine slacker these days. However, I have seen Little Miss Sunshine:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449059/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Which I liked a lot.

[SirSlim]

The Wrestler and Punch Drunk Love would be my picks from that lot. Was really surprised how good the former was, and the latter is just one of the best movies ever. Period.

Honorable mention for Broken Flowers.

Enjoyed both of these and I'd add "lost in translation" and "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind".

[Shere Khan]

I've only seen 'Napoleon Dynamite'. Seems like a lifetime ago, now. I dragged Shere Khan Jr to it against his wishes. He liked it, after all, and so did I. There was a nothingness, and sense of ennui about it that really appealed to me.

[babycart]

Bill Murray's in 3 of them.
and yet I preferred Garfield 2: A Tale of Two Kitties to all three.

[Sonovox]

I´ve seen nearly all of them and I´m surprised many of them are classed as indie. Lots of big name Oscar bait there.
The ones I like best are Dogville (American?) and Far From Heaven. Adaptation is fun, too and Elephant unforgettable.

Cosigned on Elephant, it certainly stayed with me, one of those films that comes back to haunt me regularly. Like a terrifying nightmare.

Primer ought to be in there, mindboggler par excellence.

[pencilface]

Interesting list - a few i haven't seen that i will rectify sharpish. I'll have a think of any that i feel are omissions.

"ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES…" is a perfect film (for my tastes). Absolutely love it and have seen it a number of times. Doesn't get mentioned often enough, so nice to see it included here. And "ROYAL TENENBAUMS" has not aged at all either - another faultless film IMO. Bonkers good casting, looks beautiful, amazing soundtrack etc.. I much prefer this to his more recent films, they're all too "busy" for me.

(edit: thinking about it, making a film entirely based around the minor emotional anguishes of over-priveliged New Yorkers in this day and age is a fault…. )

[Ian Townsend]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I've only seen Napoleon Dynamite, Eternal Sunshine and The Royal Tennebaums and really enjoyed all three so I suspected there may be other goodies in there.

[Headless mermaid]

I liked Adaptation, Lost in Translation, The Squid and The Whale, Broken flowers, Eternal Sunshine and The Wrestler. Not necessarily masterpieces all of them but very good.

Other 2000 era (indie) films I've liked: The Hurtlocker, There will be blood, Moon, Winter's bone, In Bruges, The fighter (w Christian Bale and Marky Mark), Children of men, The Road.

[highland cow]

Squid and the Whale is my favourite out of those lot.

Ghost World should have been there and has added record geek interest.

[Little Jimmy Oddman]

I found Lost in Translation insufferable. Its self-regard, myopia and dreary shallowness nearly put me off Bill Murray. I also had to switch off Napoleon Dynamite after half an hour. I was actually quite sad that so mean a film could get that level of cult following.

I love Endless Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and, in particular, Punch Drunk Love. Both are masterpieces. The Royal Tenenbaums is great, as are all but one of Wes Anderson's films. His self-regard is at least leavened with a bit of wit. I also enjoyed The Squid and the Whale, Adaptation, Dogville and Broken Flowers.

I was surprised to see no Coens on the list. The Man Who Wasn't There was jaw-dropping but a couple of others could easily be on there.

For a few lesser American films of that era not mentioned, I'd suggest Capturing the Friedmans (genuinely unsettling documentary) and Rocket Science (Anderson-ish feature from the maker of a lovely documentary called Spellbound).

Any other recommendations?

[medlar]

I just realised I had seen Lost In Translation (Indie, really?) awful sentimental dross.

[SirSlim]

I just realised I had seen Lost In Translation (Indie, really?) awful sentimental dross.