Just Another List

The New York Times counted down the 25 Best Films of the 21st Century (uh, so far) in 2017 and this week has been counting down the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century (uh, so far) again. Counting them down after a neat block of time like a quarter-century feels more appropriate, less arbitrary, though I wonder, isn’t an arbitrary timeframe more appropriate for the arbitrary nature of a list? I mean, what interests me here is not the NYT’s composite list; that’s just fodder for all the people helpfully reminding us that lists are meaningless to complain about what the meaningless list got wrong. No, I’m interested in the individual ballots, fascinating snapshots of who Elizabeth Banks, and Mel Brooks are. (I especially liked the run from Nicholas Sparks to Tramell Tillman to John Turturro to John Waters, veering all over the place.) Lists are feelings, not facts, and impermanent, gone in the space of a single cup of espresso which is how long it took me to make my reader-submitted ballot via the NYT website. Once I was finished, I was already like, wait, I forgot stuff! But did I? I like being compelled to periodically compile such lists because it reminds me how my tastes have changed, and how they have stayed the same, and how my opinions on certain movies have altered, or strengthened. If I make it to the next NYT list in 2033, how might it look then? Who knows? Certainly not me. I can’t wait! Don’t like mine? Of course you don’t! Go to the NYT site and make your own!