Toni Collette picks the 10 greatest movies of the 21st century
Either ugly-crying or dancing to Abba, Toni Collette broke into the industry as Muriel Heslop in the charming (and surprisingly dark) comedy Muriel’s Wedding.
The Australian star was suddenly propelled to Hollywood recognition, and within five years, she had earned an Oscar nomination for The Sixth Sense, although if she should’ve been nominated for anything, it should’ve been Hereditary.
One of the most popular movies of the 21st century, and as far as recent horror goes, the film is an encapsulation of the current era’s obsession with complex and deeply psychological stories powered by unforgettable performances, like Collette’s breathtaking monologue. Her unhinged performance in Ari Aster’s horror vehicle allowed the actor to enjoy a little resurgence, and if anyone had forgotten her skills, they couldn’t ignore them now.
So for her picks for the ten best movies of the 21st century for The New York Times, she checked off a good mix of titles from across the globe, that have shaped the landscape of her career, inspiring her own acting choices and reminding her of the magic of cinema, and the earliest of her pick was City of God, the Brazilian crime film released in 2002.
The movie was widely acclaimed upon its release, scooping up several Academy Award nominations and making a decent profit considering that it was only made on a budget of $3million. It’s an incredible story that boldly peels back the curtain on an area marred by poverty, crime, and drugs, and it’s not the only movie on Collette’s list to deal with class.
Other picks include Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite, one of cinema’s most expertly-crafted studies on the ever-growing class divide, and the stunning black-and-white drama Roma, which won Alfonso Cuarón ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Cinematographer’ at the Academy Awards.
Speaking of black-and-white films, Paweł Pawlikowski’s haunting romance Cold War also made it onto her list. Set in post-war Europe, it charts the romance of two artists whose lives are heavily affected by the political climate, which often causes a conflict of opinion. It’s such a beautifully-shot film, and with such a studied exploration of personal issues tainted by the political, like many other of the actor’s picks, it’s no surprise she loves the film.
A good emotional number seems to grab Collette’s attention, too, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which follows a couple, played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, as they move on from a difficult break-up, literally attempting to erase each other from memory. Packed with surrealist imagery, the movie captures the absurdity of a separation perfectly; how you can go from essentially acting as one person, one unit, to absolute strangers in each other’s lives.
Perhaps in another world, Collette could’ve played Laurie Metcalf’s Marion in the bittersweet Lady Bird by Greta Gerwig, which also claims a spot in the actor’s roster of favourites. A fantastically honest portrait of coming of age as a teenage girl, the film captures the struggle of juggling parents, best friends, first times, against a backdrop of class and career ambitions in a small town. Few movies have encapsulated the humiliation, the desperation and the selfishness inherent in the ultimate desire for happiness and fitting in quite like Lady Bird, and having been in Little Miss Sunshine in her time, this pick speaks to Collette’s journey as an actor.
Toni Collette’s favourite movies of the 21st century:
- Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
- Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019)
- The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino, 2013)
- Roma (Alfonso Cuarón, 2018)
- Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)
- Sing Sing (Greg Kwedar, 2023)
- City of God (by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, 2002)
- Cold War (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2018)
- The Intouchables (Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, 2011)
