Starting today I am beginning a new series that will count down my favourite movies of the 2000s. These are the 100 movies that stand out to me as being the best of the decade. Some of them are impactful, others were moving, and some were simply entertaining. This is my list, so of course it’s personal and could cause argument for some people. I encourage anyone reading to take time to comment with their thoughts on each entry. After all, the purpose of this blog is to talk about movies.
#100 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Haley-Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson
Academy Award Nominations: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score
Deserved Nominations: Best Supporting Actor (Jude Law), Best Cinematography
Then:
A.I. had been a pet project of Stanley Kubrick’s. When Kubrick passed away Steven Spielberg took over the project. The film opened to positive reviews and did alright at the box office, but word-of-mouth was decidedly mixed. When I saw A.I. in June 2001, I thought it was a beautiful piece of work. Complaints that it was too sentimental and dragged on too long seemed unjustified to me. I’ve never understood why people don’t like Spielberg’s tendency towards sentimentality. While it’s true that he goes over-the-top once in awhile, I don’t think it hurts any of his movies. He’s one of the best directors of all time and has provided some amazing moments in movies, and A.I. has plenty of great scenes.
Now: Watching A.I. for the first time in 9 years, I was surprised at how well it has held up. The story is still as moving as it was then, and the strong production values are quite stunning. Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography for the film ranks amongst the best of his career, showing a future that is beautiful and menacing. The Art Direction, Visual Effects are also top-notch, and John Williams’ score is a subtle masterwork. What I love most however, is the excellent cast. Haley-Joel Osment followed up his Oscar nominated turn in The Sixth Sense with a strong lead performance as the robot boy, and he is supported by a strong cast that includes Frances O’Connor, William Hurt and Brendan Gleeson. The real standout performance of the film belongs to Jude Law, who is a marvel as a sex bot on the run from the Law.
Looking at the film now, I believe it is one of Speilberg’s strongest films, fitting neatly beside his other classics such as Jaws, E.T., and Schindler’s List.