25 most beautiful films of the 21st century. Part 1

The 21st century has always been and continues to be the most striking and mind-boggling time in film history. There seems to be no end to these impressive visuals lighting up living rooms, cafes and cinemas around the world.

We kindly ask you to write in the comments the names of the films that we missed for some reason, and, most importantly, find something new for yourself, enjoy and join the discussions.

25. Corn Island (2014)

Strict, intelligent and, as far as possible, far from Hollywood, Georgi Ovashvili's pragmatic allegory about a wealthy peasant (Ilyas Salman) and his devoted granddaughter (Mariam Baturishvili) is one of the most deafening and graceful films of 2014.

Walking at a leisurely pace, with cute and alluring visuals, this mesmerizing 35mm camera shot by cameraman Elemer Ragaglia creates a unique sensation and is sure to surprise and dazzle you for a long time. Words should not say what the heart already knows.

24. Embrace the Serpent (2015)

The human connection with nature, the tragic loss of conquered people under strange conditions - all this is told about Ciro Guerra's heartbreaking adventure odyssey - "The Embrace of the Serpent". Winner of the Best Fiction Film at the Cannes Film Festival, this saga envelops and immerses you in the magnificent atmosphere of black and white cinema.

This is one of those simultaneously beautiful and tragic jungle films, such as Aguirre, God's Wrath (1972) or Apocalypse Now (1979) directed by Ford Copolla, which were filmed in extremely difficult conditions, which are easy to feel when watching , thanks to the thrilling cinematography of David Gallego. Colombian landscapes, as majestic as they are dangerous, preserve ancient forests that look like an insane patchwork quilt.

23. City of God (2002)

An epic crime drama spanning decades, directed by two directors - Fernando Meirellisch and Kati Lund, filmed in the sprawling slums of Rio de Janeiro. The film is just a dream come true for Scorsese fans.

Merciless and frankly shocking brutality, often with funny dialogues of characters, vivid effects such as labyrinths, wrong streets and Rio's house designs are all simply amazing, not to mention the heartbreaking but lively performance of the child actors. This is what makes City of God a memorable painting that deserves worldwide recognition.

22. Hero (2002)

Perhaps the most famous contemporary Chinese filmmaker, Zhang Yimou is world renowned for his stunning romantic melodramas of the 1980s and 1990s (Red Gaoliang 1987 and Light the Red Lantern 1991, to put in order his favorite early works) , but the 2002 martial arts epic titled "Hero" introduced him as the preeminent modern master of Wuxia.

This epic, with an incredible group of actors led by Maggie Chung, Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi, was created by a team of professionals Tingxiao Huo and Zhenzhou Yi, as well as an excellent cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

In his review, Roger Ebert described "The Hero" as "a beautiful and engaging martial arts extravaganza depicting the lifestyle of Chinese fighters."

21. Survivor (2015)

Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu has always been a master of visual effects, and in "The Survivor" he managed to convincingly show his monstrous obsession. With the help of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and natural light, Iñarritu captured the omnipresent silence of the surrounding nature and the black, bleeding souls of the mad invaders of 1800s North America.

"The Survivor" is full of violence and chagrin, contains a play of agonizing extended takes, quiet tranquility and natural beauty that radiates elegance and symmetry, as if from the firmament. The story of an ethnic clash between Native Americans and European settlers has never seen such swanky cinematography or sympathy since Terrence Malik's New World (also directed by Lubezka and also featured on this list).

Iñarritu can be safely called an otherworldly poet-cinematographer, a laureate of large-format cinema; His dedication along with reverence for the natural world can be seen in every second of The Survivor. You just cannot miss it.
P.S don't forget about bear spray next time you go camping

20. "The Great Master" (2013)

Lively, compelling, very elegant and dramatic, beautiful film worth watching. This stylistic epic of Wong Kar-wai's martial arts is a real feat in the field of cinematography. While the film may not have the clarity and dark elegance of Wong's stunning masterpiece In the Mood for Love (also on this list), it is still an incredibly luxurious feast for the eyes.

Yes, there are some unpleasant narrative blots in The Great Master, mostly due to translation flaws. This creates a slight disappointment, as style trumps content, but the stunning, surreal and endlessly impressive action scenes make getting to know the hero's life an amazing experiment.

Beginning in the 1930s and gradually moving into the 1950s, incredible moments of this period can be observed, as stunningly fluid and dynamic as the techniques of Gong Ara (Jang Tsiyi), and a reverent approach to the traditions of martial arts and various fighting techniques creates a mixed genre of kung fu action and art house. The Great Master is a wonderful, intoxicating painting by Wong. Hopefully, the 21st century will still see the creations of this sensual master.

19. Morvern Kallar "(2002)

"Morvern Kallar" is Lynn Ramsay's second wondrous creation, a free adaptation of the 1995 cult novel of the same name by Scottish writer Alan Warrenr. Difficult but rewarding film about striking beauty and enormous intelligence, set in a small coastal town in western Scotland, where the humble clerk Morvern (the incredible Samantha Morton) learns of his boyfriend's suicide. After several exciting events, it is revealed that Morvern and her best friend Lanna (Kathleen Mac Dermot) have embarked on a trip to Ibiza that brings unexpected emotions, candid questions and comments regarding sexuality, class conflict, devotion, self-determination and grief. The fascinating challenges, people and places she interacts with throughout her journey all contribute to this multifaceted parable of the manifestation of power.

"Where are we going?" Lanna asked, to which Morvern replied, "Where everything is perfect." Ramsey's Morvern Kallar is just that unforgettable place.

18. "Moonlight" (2016)

Writer-director Barry Jenkins, in the adaptation of Tarell Alvn McCrane's marvelous play "Black Boys Look Blue in the Moonlight," modernizes an urgent and serious growing up odyssey filmed in Florida. At the same time, Moonlight conveys what it's like to be black in America today. Jenkins talks about the growing up and maturing of a young man named Shirone who lives in Miami at a time of proliferating controversy.

It's amazing how they managed to show on the screen the feelings of euphoria, longing and heartache of the hero, who was played by three different actors in different periods of formation - Alex Hibbert as a child, Ashton Sanders as a teenager and Trevant Rhodes as a young man.

You will not find obvious stereotypes in this film, but only sensual, expressive and moving images of people and an exciting story. Moonlight is real, living, noble magic.

17. "It's hard to be God"

The highly anticipated final film of Russian film heavyweight Alexei German (1985's "My Friend Ivan Lapshin"), who spent decades preparing this film. The picture was started in 2000, filmed for 6 years, then was in the process of editing for a long time, and, finally, in 2013, the work "Hard to be God" was published after the death of the director, thanks to the help of his son.

Hard to Be God is an epic movie in every sense of the word. A screened sci-fi novel by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky - the duet of brothers who wrote Tarkovsky's "Stalker". Herman's work takes place on the alien planet Arkanar, eerie like ours, except that there was no Renaissance on Arkanar, and the nightmares of the Middle Ages never end.

Soon after I saw the amazing 35mm film "It's Hard to Be God" at the Cinematheque in Vancouver, I was lucky enough to visit the Getty Museum in Los Angeles as part of the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition.

Unexpected images of a medieval master, full of gloomy landscapes, fantastic and bizarre figures, as well as a stunning religious narrative, show cruel people and monster demons, often decorated with halos or endowed with entwined mouths. Here I clearly saw what German and the talented duet of filmmakers Vladimir Ilyina and Yuri Klimenko went for.

Their detailed black and white photography recreates Bosch's canvases and details of the barbarism of Bruegel's paintings, beauty and grotesque human rivalry. I have not yet seen a more exciting, extravagant and catchy movie. A must-see for movie lovers.

16. "Far from Paradise" (2002)

Todd Haynes' first major breakthrough came with the 2002 melodrama Far From Paradise. His muse Julianne Moore, who previously starred in the astonishing drama "Security" in 1995, beautifully plays Katie Whitaker, a housewife from Harford, Connecticut. Her husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) is latent gay and pushes her into a secret romance with Raymond Deegan (Dennis Haysbert), a black gardener.

Sexual punishment, forbidden love, shared fears, bigotry, social disclosure give audiences new and unexpected impulses, thanks to filmmaker Edward Luckman and Haynes's subtle palette of deep colors, which sharply emphasize the tender portrayal of the modesty of Julianne Moore, a restless middle-class American woman.

An extremely honest and dignified film "Far from Paradise" is one of the most impeccable melodramas. Do not miss.

15. "Melancholy" (2011)

Lars von Trer's mesmerizing and thought-provoking Melancholy has something that makes this work one of the director's finest films. It is so rare that a film captures the emotional state of depression on a person with such astonishing insight and discretion. Anyone struggling with this problem can easily see the bare truth in Chef Justine, played by Kirsten Dunst.

Von Trier playfully and deeply maintains the tension in this dangerous, tricky story that revolves around newlyweds Justine and Michael (Alexander Skarsgard). These ill-fated lovers tie the knot when the whole world hears about the planet "Melancholy", which many believe is on the path of collision with the Earth.

While this summary above sounds like another memorial service from Von Trier, there is actually a fair amount of humor in the film - just try watching wedding planner Udo Kir and not laugh!

The flamboyant heroine Kirsten Dunst, along with Charlotte Gainsburg, who plays Justine's sister, are subject to speculation and suspect that the End of the World may not be so harsh. The film also conveys a certain elegance, perhaps due to the grand slow-motion filming delicately captured by the Phantom HD Gold cameras, creating amazing and shocking visuals. An absolutely unforgettable sight.

14. "Inside Lewin Davis" (2013)

The 21st century has seen brothers Joel and Ethan Coen continue to create some of the most exciting, innovative and exciting films ever. Any of their masterpieces could easily make this list, but we chose a painting about folk singer Lewis Davis, depicting New York in the early 1960s.

Thanks to French filmmaker Bruno Delbonnel (who also brilliantly directed 2001's Amelie and 2009's Across the Universe), Jess Honchor's impeccable work and, in fact, the Coens' impeccable editing, Inside Lewin Davis is a unity of a cloudy sky, a sad people, spoiled relationships, escaped cats, restless troubadours - all without a discernible path home.

Of course, the soundtrack, created by T Bone Burnett, helps to embody the bygone atmosphere of Greenwich Village, fictional or not, and the rare cold and wonderful winter in New York. It’s amazing that the Coens have stepped into such deep waters of clever and complex comedy, a la Ernst Lubitsch, whose work is as beautiful and delightful as Inside Lewin Davis.