The 21st century is less than two decades old, but its first batch ofBest Picturewinners already paint an extraordinary portrait of a world in flux. From a massive historical epic to an intimate digital indies 'from a musical that riffs on showbiz standards to period drama that reflects on present crises ' these 17 films range from 'problematic' to 'perfect' and hit all points in between. More than that, they illustrate Hollywood's evolving definition of greatness, and the relationship between the film industry and the times that forge it.Here are the 17 Best Picture winners of the 21st century, ranked from worst to best:SEE ALSO:All 26 notable Netflix original shows that debuted in 2017, ranked from worst to best17. 'Crash' (2005)Youtube Embed:http://www.youtube.com/embed/durNwe9pL0EWidth: 800pxHeight: 380pxBrokeback Mountain deserved better, but the Academy didnt know it. Paul Haggis painfully obvious ensemble drama about racial prejudices in Los Angeles was a smug, one-note drama designed to make white liberals feel good about themselves. (It took a decade for Get Out to put this recurring tendency in its place.) The spin-the-racial-wheel structure careens from a black filmmaker to a Persian immigrant to a Hispanic locksmith as it heads toward a tidy climax in which everyones bias comes to a head. The movie was released early in the year and gradually crept back into the conversation so the Academys homophobic contingency had a backup plan as Brokeback gained momentum. But perhaps thats unfair: Some very reasonable people like Crash, which is so sincere and eager to make its purpose obvious that support for the movie was synonymous with endorsing its good intentions. Its possible to appreciate the outlook of Crash while still recognizing that its a bad movie; unfortunately, Oscar season circa 2005 wasnt interested in subtle distinctions. Eric Kohn16. 'The King's Speech' (2010)Youtube Embed:http://www.youtube.com/embed/kYoSQkfrjfAWidth: 800pxHeight: 380pxTom Hoopers snoozy character study about the stuttering future King George VIs attempt to get over his impediment and deliver a declaration of war on Germany demonstrates the worst tendencies of Oscar bait: weighty subject matter given a quirky, entertaining twist. That was the Weinstein formula in a nutshell. Colin Firth does his thing in the lead, carrying this gimmicky period piece along as well as possible, but The Kings Speech never manages to wrestle free of its obvious framework. At this point, as best picture winners go, it speaks to another erawhen the most boring, unadventurous option is automatically the consensus choice. EK15. 'Argo' (2012)Youtube Embed:http://www.youtube.com/embed/JW3WfSFgrVYWidth: 800pxHeight: 380pxIts crazy to think that, only five years ago, Hollywood awarded their highest honor to a glorified TV movie because they felt bad for Ben Affleck. And the only reason they felt bad for Ben Affleck was because they forgot to nominate him for their highestindividualhonor. Oscar narrative sure take on a life of their own. Of course, as is often the case, Argo doesnt fully deserve the scorn it continues to receive for being an undeserving Best Picture winner; its a fine little historical thriller, smartly crafted and suspenseful from start to finish. Theres not much to it beyond the fun of watching the guy from Good Will Hunting sneak a bunch of Americans out of Iran during the Revolution, but thatisfun. Affleck knows how to put a good story together, and its hard to regret sitting through anything that stars Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kerry Bish, Victor Garber, Richard Kind, and/or Clea DuVall. Still its never a great sign when a movie gives the impression that it directed itself. David EhrlichSee the rest of the story at Business Insider
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