The Great Movie Tournament - 2000s: Round 1 - Group 15 of 32

[mae]

During the first round of The Great Movie Tournament, please vote for up to six films you would like to move onto the next round. The top six films will be moving on. Keep in mind that the percentage of the vote a given film receives will determine its standing going forward.

The poll will run for seven days. Discussion is greatly encouraged!

The nominees are (please let me know if any video doesn't play for you):


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6a/Jarhead.jpg/220px-Jarhead.jpg
Jarhead (2005) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarhead_%28film%29)
Directed by Sam Mendes


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv4KCKcGwAQ

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/American_Psycho.png/220px-American_Psycho.png
American Psycho (2000) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Psycho_%28film%29)
Directed by Mary Harron


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18-ZIKUZwTQ

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f1/Cloverfield_theatrical_poster.jpg/220px-Cloverfield_theatrical_poster.jpg
Cloverfield (2008) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield)
Directed by Matt Reeves


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1XEriXzNik

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/Into_the_Wild_%282007_film_poster%29.png/220px-Into_the_Wild_%282007_film_poster%29.png
Into the Wild (2007) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Wild_%28film%29)
Directed by Sean Penn


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ArZ7VD-QQ

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/61/In_the_Bedroom_Theatrical_Release_Poster%2C_2001.j pg/220px-In_the_Bedroom_Theatrical_Release_Poster%2C_2001.j pg
In the Bedroom (2001) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Bedroom)
Directed by Todd Field


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaLtKJiBOrg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/21/A_Tale_of_Two_Sisters_film.jpg/220px-A_Tale_of_Two_Sisters_film.jpg
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Sisters)
Directed by Kim Jee-woon


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebN-IqR1lcU

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ab/Assassination_poster.jpg/220px-Assassination_poster.jpg
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assassination_of_Jesse_James_by_the_Coward_Rob ert_Ford)
Directed by Andrew Dominik


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RwAWZtK5Uw

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a6/The_Pianist_movie.jpg/220px-The_Pianist_movie.jpg
The Pianist (2002) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pianist_%282002_film%29)
Directed by Roman Polanski


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFwGqLa_oAo

[divemaster]

I'm pretty sure A Tale of Two Sisters will advance past this round. After that, who knows? If you've seen it, you know what it is. If you have NOT seen it, and you watch the trailer, you will assume the movie is a mix of Saw/Audition/Hallowe'en or any number of other gore-fest jump scare typical horror movies. It is not that at all.

As the #1 champion for this movie on this forum (and perhaps the entire internet), I'm going to (again) post my review of the film. I'm spoliering it, not because it gives anything away for the plot (it doesn't) but to spare those who are not interested a wall of text taking up their screen.

What makes A Tale of Two Sisters such an effective film is the many different levels it works on. It has WTF? and OMG! moments, it makes you think (and it plays fair, plotwise, once you mull it over a bit) AND it reaches the viewer on an emotional level. It is also a beautiful movie--the cinematography and set design are very well done, and the use of color and music to set the different moods is masterful. For example, a waltz can be romantic and playful. Or it can be melancholy and sad. The colors green and yellow can be bright and springtime. Or they can be diseased and rot. Director Ji-woon Kim uses such dichotomies to extreme effect.

Ok, so what is AToTS about? Well, it depends on whether you are interested in the plot or the story. The plot of a movie is what happens, moves the action along. Films driven solely by plot may be fun to watch once or twice but don’t bring much else once you know what happens, where the “scare scenes” are, and once you have made your way through the aha! moments. The *story* is the characters and other components that make you care. Ji-woon Kim peels back layer after layer of the story and really makes you care about the characters, especially the two sisters.

The first time I watched AToTS, there were a couple of scenes that were so creepy that I was curled up on the edge of the couch chewing on my knuckles. There are moments of pure spine-tingling terror (so it works as a K-horror), but it is not as “scary” as, say, Ju-On or Ringu. The overall horror of the movie doesn’t derive so much from what you see on the screen, but what you come to realize as certain revelations become known. The horror lies more in the “why” than the “what.”

The second time I watched it I was caught up in the "mystery" and figuring out the nuances of the plot. Subsequent viewings really hit me as to the tragic tragic tale of what happened to this family.

The story centers around Su-mi (the older sister, about 15 years old) and her younger sister Su-yeon, who is about 12. They do not get along with their new stepmother at all, who especially seems to have it in for Su-yeon. Oh, sure, stepmom comes across sweetly enough but it is evident to the girls (and to the viewer) that she resents the girls. Director Kim allows the plot to unfold in the present, in flashbacks, in discovered photographs, and in dream snippets. As the pieces are put together we learn more and more about the characters and the history of the house. A typical gothic approach, but handled very well here. Many questions unfold. What happened to the mother? Why does the stepmother resent the girls so much? Why is the father so passive in the midst of all this? Just what exactly is in the wardrobe, and what the hell is that in the bloody sack?

In any horror movie you have screaming--usually a teenage girl (or 2 or 3). In typical horror movies, the screams signify a scare or some horrible spectacle on the screen. In AToTS, there is a scene with one girl screaming that will wrench your heart out. And then later, when another character screams, it is eminently satisfying in the typical horror movie moment. (Don’t let my talk of “psychological mystery” mislead you—there is definitely something in the house.)

Earlier, I called A Tale of Two Sisters a tragic story. The last few minutes of the film, switching between present and flashback, is like a punch in the gut. That slow waltz music kicks in, understanding dawns, and we see how a short passing moment and a few words spoken in haste will affect this family forever. And it will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I can't recommend this movie enough.

[mae]

Beautifully written!

[Mattrick]

I could finally vote for 6.

Two of these are in my top 10 of the decade.

[amd013]

I have only seen one in this group, and since I nominated it, it gets my only vote.

[Mattrick]

I have only seen one in this group, and since I nominated it, it gets my only vote.


Some of the best films of the decade are in this group :o

[amd013]

I have only seen one in this group, and since I nominated it, it gets my only vote.


Some of the best films of the decade are in this group :o

I'd have to respectfully disagree. How can it be great if I haven't see it? JK LOL LOL LOL (the extra two LOL's are because haven't seen many posts from Bill lately, so we are low on our quotas of LOL's)


Just looked at the list and noticed the Pianist was directed by Roman Polanski. Is this the movie Ellen Page was referring to in Hard Candy when she said "Didn't Roman Polanski just win an Oscar?" (or something like that)

[fernandito]

The Pianist is one of the best films I have ever seen.

[Mattrick]

The pianist is my #2 of the 2000s, Into The Wild, I believe, was #5.

[Tommy]

Amazing list! Many films on here I have seen multiple times and The Pianist only once but do also agree it is one the best films I have seen.

[mae]

I would hope A Tale of Two Sisters gets a few more votes, it's dangerously close to not making it.

[divemaster]

I would hope A Tale of Two Sisters gets a few more votes, it's dangerously close to not making it.

I have no way of knowing, of course; but I'm guessing that most folks not voting for it haven't seen it. Fair enough. I don't vote for films I haven't seen either.

[mae]

Into the Wild and A Tale of Two Sisters are tied for sixth.

[fernandito]

I tried scoping it out on Prime but I'd have to subscribe to a 7-Day free trial of 'Horror Films' to do so. I'm trying to compile a list of movies I'd want to watch under that service so I can knock them out during my free trial.

[mae]

The poll has closed. The following six titles are moving on to the next round:


American Psycho (60.87%)
Cloverfield (60.87%)
The Pianist (56.52%)
Jarhead (39.13%)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (34.78%)
Into the Wild (30.43%)


And the following two titles have been eliminated:


A Tale of Two Sisters (26.09%)
In the Bedroom (17.39%)

[mae]

I'm pretty sure A Tale of Two Sisters will advance past this round.

Sorry :cry:

[Still Servant]

Just a quick shout out to In the Bedroom.

It's a really quiet film that people either haven't seen, or saw but it didn't make much of an impact on them because of just how quiet it really is.

[Tommy]

Just a quick shout out to In the Bedroom.

It's a really quiet film that people either haven't seen, or saw but it didn't make much of an impact on them because of just how quiet it really is.

It speaks volumes though....

[Heather19]

And the following two titles have been eliminated:


A Tale of Two Sisters (26.09%)


Noooo :(