The 20th century announced a new generation of cinema in which many promising young directors came to the forefront of the Hollywood landscape. While 2000 was a year that produced few all-time classics, 2001 featured a robust lineup of films from both emerging voices and established masters of the medium. Although it was a year that saw the emergence of franchises that would go on to dominate the medium moving forward, as both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and the original Shrek were released, 2001 also featured the type of artistic cinema that true movie lovers have craved.
There was a real shift in the industry in 2001, as award season had become more polarized, and Hollywood felt a “loss of innocence” in the aftermath of the devastating attacks on 9/11. Nonetheless, many of the year’s best films are still held up as brilliant pieces of artistry. Here are ten movies from 2001 that are considered classics.
10
‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2001)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Ocean’s Eleven is one of the few remakes that is actually better than the original, as while the classic film starring “The Rat Pack” is an enjoyable hangout vehicle, it did not deliver on the heist elements that one would expect from the genre. Thankfully, Steven Soderbergh created an inventive, creative adventure film that maximized the incredible star power of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia.
Ocean’s Eleven has a surprisingly strong emotional core, as the dynamic between Clooney and Roberts works well as an homage to old-fashioned romances. Although the film’s two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen, both moved the franchise in an interesting direction, the original Ocean’s Eleven remains a perfect heist film, and is considered to be among the best projects within Soderbergh’s entire career (which is certainly no small statement).
9
‘Gosford Park’ (2001)
Directed by Robert Altman
Gosford Park is one of the last masterpieces by Robert Altman, who by that point had already proven himself to be one of the greatest directors of all-time. Although Altman is known for telling interesting stories about the perception of the American dream, Gosford Park was a creative take on the lies and mysteries of British high society, which are unraveled throughout the course of a surprisingly gripping mystery.
Gosford Park was written by Julian Fellows, who would translate many of the same ideas into his work on the highly acclaimed drama series Downton Abbey. As with most Altman movies, Gosford Park has an incredible ensemble cast that features a number of interesting character actors working against type, and includes memorable performances from Maggie Smith, Clive Owen, Ryan Phillipe, Michael Gambon, Emily Watson, and Helen Mirren among many other stars.
8
‘Training Day’ (2001)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Training Day was a critical film within the development of the modern crime genre, as it created a truly terrifying portrayal of a corrupt law enforcement officer. Although Denzel Washington had been well-established as an actor who could bring to life powerful depictions of heroism, it was shocking to see him play a dirty, abusive cop who uses his position of power to cover up his misdeeds.
Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor, the second of his career after winning Best Supporting Actor for Glory, and would later collaborate with director Antoine Fuqua on many other films, including The Equalizer and its sequels. The film also featured a sharp screenplay by David Ayer, who would go on to write many other highly influential crime thrillers, including many that offered similar commentary on the corrupt practices carried out by the Los Angeles Police Department.
7
‘Ali’ (2001)
Directed by Michael Mann
Ali was one of the most ambitious films of Michael Mann’s career, as while he had made many crime epics and heist films, the story of one of the most influential boxers of all-time was never going to be an easy one to replicate. Thankfully, Mann crafted an unusual, perceptive examination of the personal demons that haunted Ali’s career, and included some of the most gripping boxing scenes within cinematic history.
Ali features the single greatest performance of Will Smith’s entire career, as it was one of the few instances in which he shed his movie star persona and played a true character role. While it’s always fun to see Smith play a charismatic hero like he does in Men in Black or Independence Day, Ali was proof that he was willing to make the commitment needed to completely change his image and become unrecognizable.
6
‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Donnie Darko is one of the most popular cult classics of the 21st century, as despite a relatively underwhelming box office performance, Richard Kelly’s breakout feature earned an audience of obsessive fans that pined over the film for its hidden details. Although there had been time travel films before, Donnie Darko’s interesting ideas about fate, mortality, and ethics made it an interesting cultural artifact.
Donnie Darko is hard to pin down to just one genre, as while it does contain some aspects of supernatural horror, it also has many elements of a coming-of-age story, and even some more comedic moments. Although Jake Gyllenhaal had broken out two years earlier with his performance in the inspirational true story October Sky, Donnie Darko announced his capability of playing darker, more internalized characters, and set him up to have success as one of the industry’s most exciting actors.
5
‘A Beautiful Mind’ (2001)
Directed by Ron Howard
A Beautiful Mind won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and while it received some blowback at the time of its release based on the strength of its competition, Ron Howard’s biopic of the brilliant mathematician John Nash has aged very well, as it does not follow all the cliches that are common within the genre.
Russell Crowe’s performance is one of his very best, as he shows the struggles that those with mental illness can face when they don’t feel that they are being understood or listened to by society at large. Although the depiction of Nash’s delusions can be quite harrowing at times, especially for a film rated PG-13, the film ultimately tells an inspirational story about overpowering the odds and helping to push forward within a field of study that had not previously been treated with as much respect.
4
‘Moulin Rouge!’ (2001)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Moulin Rouge! is one of the greatest modern movie musicals because it genuinely felt like it was doing something inventive within the genre when it comes to the eccentric visual style. Baz Luhrmann may have made a name for himself with William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet and Strictly Ballroom, but Moulin Rouge! created a new way of combining established tracks for the sake of one of the most inventive jukebox soundtracks of all-time.
The film also contains some powerful examinations of class differences and sexism, and ends on one of the most heartbreaking moments of tragedy in modern cinema. Nicole Kidman’s performance is one of her best, and really should have earned her the Oscar for Best Actress over Halle Berry’s role in Monster’s Ball; the fact that Ewan McGregor was not even nominated in the Best Actor category was an absolute crime.
3
‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ (2001)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is one of Steven Spielberg’s most underrated films because it was widely misunderstood upon its initial release. Although at first it may have seemed like another heartfelt story about a young boy trying to find a family, A.I. Artificial Intelligence reveals itself to be a deeply cynical story about how a non-human vies for love, which he can never truly understand.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence was based on ideas that Stanley Kubrick developed before his death, and was later completed by Spielberg. Although Spielberg is a filmmaker who is often associated with populist blockbuster fare, A.I. Artificial Intelligence announced that he was interested in taking on more disturbing projects, as he would subsequently work on very dark and mature films like Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, War of the Worlds, and Munich.
2
‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)
Directed by David Lynch
Mulholland Drive is a masterpiece that only the late great David Lynch would have been capable of, as it defies all expectations of genre and tells a surrealist story that requires multiple viewings for viewers to wrap their heads around. While part of the beauty of Lynch’s work is that he has never offered a firm explanation for what it means, Mulholland Drive does contain some intriguing commentary on the inherent cruelly of the entertainment industry, and particularly how the city of Los Angeles preys upon young women.
Mullholland Drive is one of Lynch’s scariest films, but it also contains some great moments of beauty. While it baffled many upon its initial debut because of its highly unusual style, Mullholland Drive has continued to age very well, and now is often considered to be the crowning achievement of Lynch’s entire career.
1
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)
Directed by Peter Jackson
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the start to one of the great trilogies in film history, and finally proved that it was possible to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved writing to the big screen for a live-action fantasy adventure. Peter Jackson proved himself capable of doing the necessary worldbuilding, as the use of practical effects, makeup, character designs, and locations throughout New Zealand brought the novels to life.
The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring is the tightest installment in the trilogy, as it examined the formation and splintering of the Fellowship Itself, before Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) embarks on his own to destroy the One Ring by throwing it into the fiery pits of Mount Doom. While both of its sequels are more epic, they do not contain any moments as powerful as Gandalf’s (Ian McKellen) sacrifice to the Balrog.