Here's My List of the Top 22 films released in the 2000's.
Why 22? I tried to cut it down to 20, but couldn't. There isn't that much of a difference between #22 and #16, it's basically interchangeable until we hit the top 15. Plus, 22 is my favorite number.
With each film, I'll try to find a youtube link that best illustrates a scene that I enjoy from that film.
Breakdown by Year (worked out to be pretty even):
2000 - 2
2001 - 3
2002 - 2
2003 - 3
2004 - 2
2005 - 0 (bad year i guess)
2006 - 3
2007 - 2
2008 - 3
2009 - 2
so, lets start off with the 22nd best film of the decade....
22. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire was the feel-good movie of the year in 2008. Directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days Later), this film is an unquestioned crowd pleaser -- bursting at the seams with hope, faith and love. The film is a visual wonder, propelled by A.R. Rahman's hip-hopping score and Chris Dickens' kinetic editing. The whoosh of action and romance pulls you in, but it's the bruised characters who hold you there.
Looking back, many people question whether Slumdog rode it's feel-good, fairy tale-like plot to the Best Picture Oscar, over other films such as The Wrestler and Milk. Was Slumdog really deserving?
Yes. Final Answer.
21. The Station Agent (2003)
2003's The Station Agent, possibly the most independent film on my list, is a very fragile film about 3 very fragile people.
The Station Agent is about three people with nothing in common, except their shared solitude, until chance circumstances bring their lives together. Before long, from this forgotten depot, this mismatched threesome forges an unlikely bond, which ultimately reveals that even isolation is better shared.
(trailer makes it seem much more upbeat than it is)
20. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
The character of Borat, portrayed amazingly by Sacha Baron Cohen, started out as an occasional character seen on Cohen's Da Ali G Show. In the film, Borat, masquerading as a reporter from Kazakhstan, comes to America to learn American ideals, ways of life, and activities. Lensed in a slyly effective low-budget documentary style, Borat focuses on Khazakstan's favorite (fictional) son as he hits New York City, falls immediately in love with Pamela Anderson, and begins an impromptu trek across the country. Along the way he meets with politicians, socialites, prostitutes, frat boys, cowboys, and homosexuals -- all of whom manage to give Borat an extra-special taste of what "America" is all about. But it's not all socio-political satire and alarmingly sly commentary; Borat is packed with every flavor of humor under the sun: satire, spoof, slapstick, and scatalogical schtick are thrown onto the screen at every opportunity. Plus the flick has the funniest battle between two naked men that you'll ever see. Or want to see.
19. Kill Bill (Vol. 1) (2003)
The first part of Quentin Tarantino's ultimate story of revenge is loaded with smart dialogue, intense fight sequences, and enough highly stylized death scenes that gets you nodding in approval of how bad-ass it is. Uma Thurman stars as "The Bride" (name not revealed in Part 1), who wakes up from a 4-year coma after being savagely beat and left for dead by a mysterious man named Bill and his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.
Tarantino takes us for a ride in which he has full control of, leaving us desperate for Part 2 and with more questions than answers.
18. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
The ULTIMATE cult comedy film. For fans of the film (like me), there are hundreds of quotes we can repeat to ourselves and use in conversation with other fans, and revel in the greatness of it. For those who do not get the humor, it's a trying-to-hard summer camp movie with occasional gross-out humor. Whatever floats your boat.
Directed by David Wain and starring almost every member of the comedy group "The State", Wet Hot American Summer takes places over the course of 2 days at a predominately Jewish summer camp during the 1980's. There is a year end talent show, a game of capture the flag (won by a Kenyan sprinter who has no other appearance in the film), a love story between an Arts and Crafts teacher and a 12 year old, a talking can of vegetables who admits to sucking his own dick, and a struggle to save the camp from a renegade piece of Skylab falling to earth. If that doesn't sound like a good film, I don't know what is.
17. The Dark Knight (2008)
We all saw it. Heath Ledger gave one of the best performances of the decade. One of the few films that lived up to its hype. Not much else to say. Everyone saw it.
16. Vanilla Sky (2001)
Pre-insane Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, and Penelope Cruz star in a movie that confused the shit out of me. Vanilla Sky is a film that makes you think, which is a common trait among films I love. It constantly blurs the line between reality and dream, life and death, and how some people can't survive when confronted by someone from their past. It tells the story of a man who has just about everything, thinks he can have it all, is given a means to have whatever he wants, and loses it because--well, maybe because he has a conscience. Or maybe not. Maybe just because life sucks. Or maybe he only thinks it does. This is the kind of movie you don't want to analyze until you've seen it two times. Now I'm confused again.
15. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Tarantino films always grow on you. You can watch 'Pulp Fiction' as many times as you want, but if you see that it's on TV, you're going to check it out to see what part it's at. Inglourious Basterds continues the Tarantino tradition, with enough razor sharp dialogue and entertaining scenes from the 'Basterds' to make the 2 hours and 33 minutes breeze by. The star of the film, however, is Col. Hans Landa, "The Jew Hunter", played by Cristoph Waltz. If he doesn't win an Oscar this year, I'll be shocked.
14. The Departed (2006)
A Martin Scorsese directed film starring Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin.
There was no way this movie was going to not be awesome. Taking place in Boston, the story of police and Irish mob informants gaining access and the trust of the other side is enthralling and highly re-watchable. The final 5minutes of the film is as fast-paced and suprising as almost any crime drama, and has no fear in killing off just about the entire cast.
13. Kill Bill (Vol. 2) (2004)
I couldn't group it with Part 1 because it's on a whole different level compared to Part 1. It takes full advantage of The Bride (revealed name: Beatrix Kiddo) and her quest for revenge against Bill, and it makes the payoff of the final confrontation that much sweeter for the viewer. David Carradine comes off surprisingly gentle and caring as the murderer and antagonist Bill, even asking The Bride "How do I look?" before taking his 5 steps to death. The final fight scene is quick, entertaining, and gives a great ending to one of the best Tarantino films ever.
12. The Hurt Locker (2009)
The best war movie in a decade full of them, for one clear reason: it doesn't take any sides. No "anti-this" or "pro-that" message behind it all. The Hurt Locker simply gives us an extremely realistic depiction of an elite Army bomb squad that must come together in a place with every thing - or person - could be loaded with explosives. The quote the opens The Hurt Locker is:
" The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug."
And that is so true for the lead character, Sgt. William James (played by Jeremy Renner), as we see at the conclusion of the film that for some, the comfort of home doesn't compare to the pleasure he gets from war.
11. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
David Lynch's masterpiece that is a constant blur between reality and dream and will confuse you nomatter how many times you see it. There are enough theories about "who meant what" and "why that happened" to make your head spin. The movie is a surrealist dreamscape in the form of a Hollywood film noir, and the less sense it makes, the more we can't stop watching it. Many things are up for interpretation in Mullholland Dr., a film centered on the struggle to make it out of Hollywood alive. One thing is for certain about Mulholland Dr. - it is easily the greatest mystery film of the decade.
10. Half Nelson (2006)
Ryan Fleck's debut film Half Nelson features the BEST male lead performance of the decade. Ryan Gosling (unfortunately mostly known as 'that guy from The Notebook') plays Dan Dunne, a grade school history teacher and girls basketball coach with a crack addiction. After a basketball game, he is found smoking crack in a bathroom stall by a student, Drey (played by Shareeka Epps). Drey and Dunne form a bond over the course of the film.
Half Nelson isn't one of those "inspirational teacher/mentor" movies -- at least not in any generic or conventional sense. There's no triumph, no breakthrough, no by-the-numbers victory in test scores or on the basketball court. This movie isn't about those things, it's about how people, as flawed and damaged as they can be, find a way to care about things beyond themselves, despite their problems. Great, great performance by Gosling.
9. In Bruges (2008)
The story of two hit-men sent to hideout in Bruges (it's a city in Belgium) balances comedic and dramatic scenes better than any recent film. Young, headstrong hit-man Ray (played by Colin Farrell) is haunted by a botched hit where he accidentally killed a child. He is accompanied by the older, more easygoing Ken (Brendon Gleeson), who is soon instructed he must kill Ray because of his mistake. The struggle that follows between Ray, Ken, and their boss keeps you on the edge of your seat and focused throughout the entire film. Add in several (much needed) comedic and goofy scenes with the poignant message the film has, and you've got a great one.
8. Zodiac (2007)
"Zodiac" may frustrate viewers who watch David Fincher's film expecting a traditional serial killer thriller. The film begins with a couple of hair-raising and rather brutal recreations of murders carried out by the mysterious killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These early scenes are shocking and, compared to the rest of the film, disorienting, because they offer the only time that we come close to seeing events from the killer's perspective.
As the film progresses, the Zodiac killer himself fades into the background, and the movie turns into a meticulous and engrossing document of the investigation to track him down, an investigation that includes countless blind alleys and false clues and which to this day has not reached a conclusion. The film does its best to bring everything to some sort of conclusion, but the real-life end to the story makes a complete conclusion impossible. This film is more about the journey than the destination, and what a journey it is.
7. Oldboy (2003)
Oldboy is the best Korean movie ever.
After a night a heavy drinking and being bailed out of jail by his friend, Oh Dae-Su gets kidnapped and lives in a room by himself for 15 years. He is given daily food, a bathroom, and a television which he watches constantly. He watches TV until it becomes his world. He fills one journal after another with his writings. He pounds the wall until his fists grow bloody, and then hardened. He screams. He learns from TV that his blood and fingerprints were found at the scene of his wife's murder. That their daughter has been adopted in Sweden. That if he were to escape, he would be a wanted man.
After 15 years, Oh Dae-Su is released, and makes it his mission to seek revenge on those who kept him trapped. He meets a charming young woman, and she takes him in and helps him.
What follows in the next 2 hours is literally, the craziest shit I have ever seen in a film. Oh Dae-Su finds out who is captor is and the reason why he was trapped in a room for 15 years, but at what cost?
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is unforgettable. One you see it, you'll find that it will resonate with you in every relationship you find yourself in. The characters of Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) and the problems their relationship fall into are so rediculously realistic it hurts. Everyone who has been in a failed relationship has at one point wished that 'the whole thing never even started', and want the painful memories of loss to go away. This film gives Joel and Clem that chance, but it is shown that they would also be losing the many happy memories that they spent together, and really puts things in perspective. The film itself is wildly original due to the direction of Michel Gondry.
Overall, Eternal Sunshine is a fresh, heartfelt and ultimately heartbreaking in its honest portrayal of a modern relationship.
5. Punch Drunk Love (2002)
Adam Sandler's first attempt at a serious film is perfection. Playing a man (Barry Egan) constantly rediculed and playfully mocked by his 7 sisters, Sandler walks the fine line between ticking timebomb and introverted plunger salesman perfectly, leaving the audience no clues to what he is going to do next. Emily Watson stars as Lena, a woman who seems average enough; but has a lot of depth which is revealed as the film progresses. Lena and Barry don't know what they mean to each other at first, all they know is they mean something to each other.
I thought the mixture of dark humor, drama, suspense and romance all made for a fascinating film. You just never knew what was coming next, something funny or something horrifying. This is definitely something different and I suspect one of those movies you'll either really like or really hate. Just don't expect this Sandler film to leave you laughing.
4. There Will Be Blood (2008)
This is the second Paul Thomas Anderson film in a row, Punch Drunk Love and now There Will Be Blood. He released 4 feature films from 1997-2008, and all 4 are probably in my All-Time Top 25. Felt like that needed to be said.
P.T. Anderson delivers perhaps his best work with "There Will Be Blood". Daniel Day-Lewis in particular delivered a truly phenomenal performance, capturing the power of greed, fear, insanity, and comedy simultaneously, at many points throughout the film. At no point does the time period distract from the power of the film. Sometimes period pieces cannot be appreciated because they delve too deep into historical details -- turning the experience into more of a documentary than a narrative set in the past. This is not the case for "There Will Be Blood", as human interactions are the focus of the film. It is a brutal epic that you cannot turn away from.
3. Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous is Cameron Crowe's semi-autobigraphical story of an aspiring rock journalist who goes on tour with a band in the 1970's. If it sounds familiar, it's probably because the story is hardly new. There have been dozens of movies made about the rock and roll lifestyle: the drugs, the sex, the fights, and all the bumps on the road to success.
So what sets Almost Famous apart? The acting, for one. Frances McDormand was brilliant as William's (newcomer Patrick Fugit) well-meaning but overbearing mother. Fugit, for his part, had a convincing performance as the shy, awkward teenager struggling to be a journalist but at the same time aching to belong. Kate Hudson, in her breakout role as groupie "Penny Lane", gave her character depth beyond what might have been a limiting role. And Billy Crudup, as band Stillwater's charismatic lead guitarist, shines.
So what sets Almost Famous apart? The acting, for one. Frances McDormand was brilliant as William's (newcomer Patrick Fugit) well-meaning but overbearing mother. Fugit, for his part, had a convincing performance as the shy, awkward teenager struggling to be a journalist but at the same time aching to belong. Kate Hudson, in her breakout role as groupie "Penny Lane", gave her character depth beyond what might have been a limiting role. And Billy Crudup, as band Stillwater's charismatic lead guitarist, shines.
Watching William transform and mature as the 15 year old journalist is the center of the film, as he grows up and eventually apart from the band. It is the ultimate coming-of-age story, and one that everybody can enjoy.
2. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
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Darren Aronofsky's Requiem For A Dream is the one film on this list that I wouldn't recommend all my friends to watch. It's just too depressing.
I wish everyone I care about would see Requiem for a Dream. Not because they will like it, or that it will teach them something they did not already know, but that it's a rare piece of work that will challenge and probably change them. It's a film that has never been made before, with nothing to compare to it - a rarity these days.
I often find myself recommending films to people that I am unable to briefly describe. These are usually the most involving and affecting ones. I'd like my family to see this, but can't *recommend* it to them. I've recommended it to two friends, and they both had the same reaction: I am glad I watched it, but I doubt I'll be in the frame of mind to watch it again, knowing what you feel.
Ellen Burstyn's heartbreaking portrayal of Sara Goldfarb, a healthy woman into a diet-pill addict, is shocking and almost scary. Ellen Burstyn gives the best performance in any film in the decade, in my opinion.
1. City Of God (2002)
The greatest film of the past 10 years.
FULL MOVIE (pretty good quality): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLBWdcDdnSg&feature=related
