The Gentlemen
1. Clive Owen
2. Jude Law
3. Peter Sarsgaard
4. Jake Gyllenhaal
5. Vince Vaughn
6. Russell Crowe
7. Ewan McGregor
8. Bill Murray
9. Edward Norton
10. Jeffrey Wright
The Ladies
1. Laura Linney
2. Kate Winslet
3. Scarlett Johansson
4. Nicole Kidman
5. Samantha Morton
6. Natalie Portman
7. Jennifer Garner
8. Reese Witherspoon
9. Patricia Clarkson
10. Rosario Dawson
There shouldn't be too much of a change... As far as the gentlemen go, Bill Murray should clearly be higher, probably #2. Ewan McGregor is fantastic, but he can't coast on Moulin Rouge! forever. I don't know why Vince Vaughn is so high, though I do love him. Steve Carell should clearly be on there. Hugh Jackman was a runner-up, but after his fantastic 2006, he'd probably be on there to stay. Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio would probably take the place of Crowe and Norton after 2006, though I love them both. Also notable: Jack Nicholson, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman.
My top five for the women is perfect but below that clearly needs some changing. Natalie Portman's got her incredible Cold Mountain cameo and her great Garden State performance, but besides that, what? I go back and forth on her Closer performance; sometimes, I think it's utterly genius, and sometimes, I think she's totally lost. Plus, she said the stupidest quote I think I've ever heard ("I'm not black, but I know what it feels like"), so she's off the list. I love Jennifer Garner, but let's face it, she's not as much of an actress as some other people who aren't on the list. Reese Witherspoon would probably drop to #10, but she still belongs on the list. Patricia Clarkson bores me now. I love Rosario Dawson, especially after Death Proof, but I don't think she'd stay on the list. Toni Collette needs to be on there...bitch is brilliant. I'm actually a huge fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, and she's been giving great but underrated work like The Royal Tenenbaums, Shallow Hal, Posession, Sylvia, Proof, and Infamous throughout the entire new millennium. It might be cheating because she's, you know, Meryl effing Streep, but I do think she belongs on there, especially after 2006. Same with Helen Mirren, though she might just make the runners-up. After 2007, I think Julianne Moore is gonna get on this list, but she isn't there for now. Other runners up: everyone who dropped off the list, Mary-Louise Parker, Uma Thurman (who would be on there if she wasn't so weak in everything that wasn't either Tarantino or Tape), Renee Zellweger.
So, at the end of 2005, what did I have as the winners of my millennium awards? It's worth a look.
Best Picture: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Director: Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River
Best Actor: Clive Owen for Closer
Best Actress: Naomi Watts for Mulholland Dr.
Best Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins for Mystic River
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly for Requiem for a Dream
Best Ensemble Cast: Mystic River
Best Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Adapted Screenplay: Lantana
Best First Film: Rob Marshall for Chicago
Best Foreign Language Film: In the Mood for Love
Best Documentary: Grizzly Man
Best Animated Film: Spirited Away
Best Cinematography: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Best Art Direction: Moulin Rouge!
Best Editing: Memento
Best Sound Design: Chicago
Best Sound F/X: Lord of the Rings
Best Visual F/X: Lord of the Rings
Best Costume Design - Contemporary/Fantasy: Kill Bill
Best Costume Design - Period: Moulin Rouge!
Best Makeup/Hair: The Passion of the Christ
Best Original Score: Requiem for a Dream
Best Adapted Score: Moulin Rouge!
Best Original Song: "The Blower's Daughter" from Closer
Best Musical Moment: "Elephant Love Medley" from Moulin Rouge!
Biggest Breakthrough - Male: Zach Braff for Garden State
Biggest Breakthrough - Female: Scarlett Johansson for her 2003 movies
Best Hero: Spider-Man in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2
Best Villain: the DiVAS and Bill in Kill Bill
Best Sex Bomb - Male: Clive Owen in anything
Best Sex Bomb - Female: Jessica Alba in Sin City
Best Couple/Duo: Bob and Charlotte from Lost in Translation
Best Cameo/Limited Performance: Natalie Portman for Cold Mountain
Best Action Scene: the House of Blue Leaves from Kill Bill, Vol. 1
Best Kiss: Spider-Man
Best Sex Scene: Cold Mountain
Best Death Scene: Kill Bill, Vol. 2
Best Opening Scene: Chicago
Best Closing Scene: The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Best Character Intro: Satine in Moulin Rouge!
Best Poster: Ocean's 11
Best Tagline: "A romantic comedy...with zombies" from Shaun of the Dead
Best Line Delivery: "Thank you. Thank you for your honesty. Now fuck off and die, you fucked-up slag." from Clive Owen in Closer
Best Credits: Sin City
Best Trailer: Kill Bill, Vol. 2
Best Comeback: Woody Allen for Match Point
Best Performance in a Bad Movie - Male: Jake Gyllenhaal for Donnie Darko
Best Performance in a Bad Movie - Female: Charlize Theron for Monster
Best Scene (excluding above categories): the Prime Minister's dance from Love Actually
Well. Nothing embarassing, though I would change a lot of these now. I was strangely hard for Closer and I don't think I would give the "director of the millennium" award or whatever to Clint Eastwood (what am I, the Academy? Ha.). It's always so fun to go back and nitpick these awards...for example, I thought Jamie Foxx in Ray was one of the five best lead male performances of the new millennium. Um...what? I love that performance but there's no way it was THAT good. Oh well. Whatever.
Oh, and just to remind you of the amazingness of my favorite new millennium actor:
Guhhh.
