Obligatory “Favorite-Films-of-the-Decade” List

Though there is still bit over a month to go in this decade, I’ve decided to compile a list of my 15 favorite films from 2000 – 2009 (If, by happenstance, another film comes along in the next month that blows me away, I may edit the list).

These aren’t flilms that I think are the best-of-the-best, and most of them aren’t. These are the flicks I dig most; the flicks I can watch on a regular basis, and find something new to love each time, while not becoming tired of the experience… there’s a cheesy, half-assed sex-joke in there somewhere, I’m just too lazy to find it.

 

15. Love Actually (2003)

One of those rare romantic-comedies that isn’t a two-hour cliché… even though, in a way, it’s full of them… it’s probably worth mentioning that Emma Thompson is in it… and so is Bill Nighy…. and Liam Neeson, he’s in it too… let’s not forget Rowan Atkinson… or Colin Firth, for that matter… oh, and Alan Rickman as well, can’t leave him out…

14. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Love him or hate him, there is no denying his filmmaking talent. Michael Moore revolutionized the documentary medium with 1989′s Roger & Me, but Bowling for Columbine, for my money, is his best, and most mercilessly funny. This film, though, is also his most intriguing… because it leaves a question unanswered. A question the audience must ponder themselves. Moore simply presents it over a span of two hilarious, yet somber hours.

13. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Harry Potter film series hasn’t slowed down since the release of Sorcerer’s Stone, and though there has been a slip-up along the way (Order of the Phoenix… though I blame that partly on the source material), it has catapulted what was an already wildly popular book series into global phenomenon status. Not only will the books be heralded as classics for years to come, but they now have a series of companion-films that will as well.

12. WALL·E (2008)

The first of two Pixar films that appear on my list. Wall-E is Pixar’s most ambitious film, and arguably was the most risky. Wall-E has a perfect mixture of humor and dark, questioning drama, and is one that probably appeals more to the adults than the kiddies… Though it has become tiring to say, Pixar can do no wrong. Sure, Cars wasn’t up to Pixar’s standard, but it’s far-and-away better than 95% of similar flicks out there.

11. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Thank You For Smoking is one of the smartest satires of the decade. It savagely analyzes those who’s job it is to spin. To make his/her side come out on top, regardless of how much you have to skew logic. Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast as tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor, one of the three members of the M.O.D Squad (“Merchants of Death,” along with a firearms lobbyist and an alcohol lobbyist). This film doesn’t bounce around from joke to joke aimlessly, something many attempted satires are guilty of. It instead slowly maneuvers its way from target to target, hitting a bullseye each time. The result? A satire that is dead-on all the way though.

10. Up (2009)

Now for the other Pixar flick. Up is yet another triumph for the studio. Oddball, yet human, and with it’s own fair-share of dark, realistic subject matter, this is my personal favorite film to come from Pixar. There is a certain magic when it comes to Pixar films, and that is their brilliant sence of story telling and character creation. I mean, come on, tell me every scene with those dogs wasn’t pure fucking gold.

9. Les triplettes de Belleville (The Triplets of Belleville) (2003)

There is no other way to describe this animated film than weird. As idiosyncratic as it may be, it is engaging at every turn. The exaggerated art-style makes the film a joy to watch. Couple that with the aforementioned pure irreverence, Les triplettes de Belleville is one of the most peculiar experiences of the decade.

8. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

My favorite Tarantino film not named Pulp Fiction. The man knows dialogue. And the man knows film. He makes both of these apparent throughout this Spaghetti Western/WWII homage. Be it the genius blaxploitation/mexploitation reference, or the odd western music cues, this film displays Tarantino’s love of the industry. This is not to say this film doesn’t stand on its own; it does, and Christoph Waltz’s Oscar-worthy performance is icing on the cake.

7. The Wrestler (2008)

The Wrestler is one of the best character studies of the last twenty years. Darren Aronofsky is something else. He perfectly captured the atmosphere of the small, bingo-hall professional wrestling promotions, and the people involved. What drives this film, though, is Mickey Rourke’s performance as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a man who only knows how to do one thing; wrestling, and is nearing his limit of the physical and mental brutality that are side-effects of the profession. All I can say is; it’s a good thing Nicolas Cage didn’t get this role. While I believe Cage could have pulled it off, this is the role Rourke needed to have, and needed to deliver on… and he nailed it. Everything in this flick is human and real.

6. Wallace & Gromit in; The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Okay. I’m biased here. Strongly so. To me, Wallace & Gromit is the most intriguing duo in recent memory. Though particularly Gromit… he conveys more emotion in one facial expression than most actors do in an entire performance… sorry Sean Penn, but you’ve been beaten by a clay dog… this can be attributed to the genius that is Nick Park and the entire team at Aardman. These guys put months (sometimes years) into a single project, painstakingly moving little clay objects twenty-four times per second of footage… that requires a real passion for your work. To transition what was (and still is) successful as a short(s) onto the big-screen can be a recipe for disaster (see: 9). But, while not quite up to par with the shorts, The Curse of the Were-Rabbitis borderline perfection.

5. The Dark Knight (2008)

Did you think for a millisecond that this wasn’t going to be on the list? It’s already a standard to pick The Dark Knight when it comes to favorite films, but there is a reason for that. Christopher Nolan’s dark, sprawling crime-drama is what Batman fans (at least the smart ones) had been waiting for. But this isn’t a comic-book movie, and as such offers much more than a campy thrill-ride. Introspective, gutsy, and, most importantly, entertaining (Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker didn’t hurt either),The Dark Knight is an instant classic…

4. Mystic River (2003)

My personal favorite from Clint Eastwood. Mystic River is powerful. Period. A realistic study on lingering pain from years past, anchored by stellar performances all-around; namely Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. Directed, produced, and scored by Eastwood, this flick cemented the fact that he is just as good (if not better) behind the camera as he is in front of it.

3. Sideways (2004)

One of the most tragic, yet silly comedies I’ve ever seen. This is why Paul Giamatti is my favorite actor. He gets the nuance of his characters (when his characters are nuanced that is), and this shines here. As alluded to before, he bounces from moments of downright absurdity and moments of legitimate, real reflection at the drop of a hat. The rest of the cast (Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh) are fantastic as well. This is by far Alexander Payne’s best, and I’d pick Sideways overMillion Dollar Baby any day of the week.

2. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Yeah, yeah; “I drink your milkshake…. I drink it up.” As silly as that line is out-of-context, it means so much more in context, and this movie is so much more than that line. Daniel Day Lewis can tackle any role with ease, but this is perhaps his best. But that is only one reason to love this flick; it’s relentless, it’s raw, and has a seamless binding of pure dramatic force and pitch-black humor.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Sometimes you connect with a movie because it is one that fully defines your idea of what a great movie is. For me, that film isThe Royal Tenenbaums. Delightfully odd and ironic, dreary and bleak, this flick is my favorite from Wes Anderson. The Tenenbaums are eccentric to the point of genius, albeit menaced genius. Each performance radiates an indifference to the people and world around them, and a love for themselves. No character is revered; everyone sucks, and that’s life.

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Well, that’s it. My 15 favorite films from the last decade. Feel free to praise, or (in a much more likely situation) lambaste it below.

-YeOldeJacob