While we're on 2001 films that should have been mentioned, where the heck are Ghost World, Hedwig, and Together?

Where is it? By far my favorite film of 2001.

It's good film, but I personally find it incredibly frustrating because it could have been amazing. There's so many good moments to it, a lot of value, but overall… it keeps you emotionally at bay thanks to all the near-asphyxiating diorama-style (which yes, isn't as bad as it get on Life Aquatic which squeezes all the life out of it's characters its so hermetically-sealed).

Are these arguments on his work becoming predictable? Sure, doesn't make them invalid.

I could easily write a long-ass essay while this film falls short of the perfection many bestow it.

Also? Read the screenplay and then see the film? Your heartbroken at how good it could have been. It could have toppled "Rushmore" in its emotional weight.

Also? Too many forced musical moments. Pop music is great and all and it's nice to feel something to feel personally connected to in a film, but pop music also works as a crutch, an emotional shortcut to dial up an emotion that isn't there on the screen and that's a big problem with RT.

Royal Tenenbaums was overrated when it came out, and is still overrated today. It's a good movie that is worthwhile in many respects, but I'll stick with The Playlist on this one. I'm guessing these guys have seen the movie multiple times, so arguing that their critique is only taking into account "the surface" of the film is probably not justified. It's a pretty stifling movie (that a lot of times doesn't let you move past the surface). It tries too hard to hit the notes it's trying to play, and in the end doesn't really succeed. (And I'm not saying that this isn't unfortunate, because I'm in no way a Wes Anderson hater…Rushmore trades places with a few others for probably my favorite movie ever.)

I also agree with whoever mentioned Gosford Park. That probably deserved an honorable mention at least, I would think. A million times better than Black Hawk Down, Donnie Darko and other boring junk that was cut but still got a pity mention.

The Radiohead song seems plastered on their cause Crowe happened to like it at the moment. It feels mostly like a forced mixtape, as if he made the movie cause he wanted to use those songs in a movie, not the other way around.

I'll give it up for the great use of the Sigur Ros song at the end and the Spiritualized song, but that's it (i love that Monkees song too, but can't say I remember its use being particularly remarkable).

I think Diaz's performance is the highlight of the film. It may be her best ever. Shame she disappears a third of the way in.

Plus, Crowe overdoes it with his usual strengths — the music and the dialogue. There is so much pop music it hurts the film, and the thing is just overwritten and overlong.

That being said, there are some really great images, and a few supporting players (Diaz, Noah Taylor, Jason Lee) do nice work. Not one of the best of 01 by a long shot, though.

However, I don't see that as an inherent weakness. We basically see the film from Tom Cruise's character's eyes. We're in the same boat as him, so just like him, we have no idea what's going on. This is the point! None of this bad stuff was suppose to happen to the protagonist, and he wasn't suppose to know the truth! At the end, the protagonist needed the tech support guy to explain everything, as did the audience.