The Best Films of the Decade

Any film critique should contain two perspectives: A technical perspective and a personal perspective. 

The technical perspective refers to the essentials of good movie-making. Does the story make sense? Can you tell what is going on on the screen? Was the subject matter treated respectfully? and perhaps my most important question when writing a review: could the story have been told in a better way?

The personal perspective refers to how a particular affects me personally. The two perspective do not necessarily overlap. A movie can be technically perfect but I might not like it personally. The example of this that I always use is Scorsese's 'Casino' which is a technically perfect movie that I never want to see again because it is essentially three hours of mean terrible people. A movie can also become one of my personal favorites and admittedly not be a perfect movie. Wes Anderson's 'Rushmore' is a good example. It could be funnier and the second half drags in certain places. But I love that movie. It would be on my list of best movies of the 1990s. Casino would not be.

This is a blatant list of the best movies from the personal perspective. If you want the best technical movies then I suggest taking a look at all the Best Picture Winners of the past decade (I liked all those movies even though surprisingly none of them made my list.) 

Without further adieu, here is my list for best films of the decade, in chronological order.


2000:
Memento - The brilliant debut of director Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. Stars Guy Pearce as a amnesiac that is trying to solve the murder of his wife. A movie I never get tired of watching.

Requiem for a Dream - The second film from director Darren Aronofsky. Stars Ellen Burstyn, 
Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans as several Brooklynites who slowly succumb to drug addiction. A haunting score contributes to one of the most intense movies I have ever seen. 


2001:
Amelie - Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet film about a painfully shy highly imaginative waitress played by Audrey Tautau. Contains a multitude of ideas, subplots, characters and fantasies that are designed to make one wonder and smile. 


2002:
City of God - The debut film of Fernando Meirelles. Takes place in the slums of Brazil. This is the film that completely broke my prejudice against subtitles. A perfect movie with plot twists that are both surprising and inevitable. 


2003:
Love, Actually - The best of the hyperlink movies. (Other notables are Crash and Traffic) Some plots are better than others but all are funny, insightful, touching, heartbreaking, or everything else. A chick flick that transcends the genre.

Monster - Contains the greatest performance of the decade, Charlize Theron as Aileen Wournos a prostitute turned serial killer. Amazingly, also works as one of the decades best love stories. 

Old Boy - A Korean film by Chan Woo Park. Stars Minh sik Choi as a man imprisoned without any knowledge of the reason for fifteen years, released inexplicably, and given five days to seek revenge. The most intense movie I've ever seen. 


2004:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry directs a Charlie Kaufman script. Stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslett as two ex-lovers who erase each other from their memories. A movie that goes deeper and further than any other rom-com out there.


2005:
The 40-Year Old Virgin: The best of director/producer Judd Apatow. Stars Steve Carell as a the title character. Hilarious throughout, honest as well surprisingly enough. Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Catherine Keener costar. 

King Kong: I will probably be flogged for this, but I felt Peter Jackson's King Kong was better than any LOTR picture. It is perhaps the high-mark in CGI blockbusters. Stars Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, and Andy Serkis as the big Gorrilla.


2006:
Little Miss Sunshine - My favorite of all the decade by a nose. Definitely the best viewing experience I've ever had in a theater. The first and only time I've applauded a movie during the movie. The entire audience joined me also. And this was in Italy.

The Prestige - Another film by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. Stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as dueling magicians. No movie this decade made me think more after leaving the theater.


2007:
Planet Terror - Robert Rodriguez's unfairly forgotten film that suffered greatly due to its pairing with Tarantino's subpar Death Proof. If you can get past the gore, its a helluva lot of zombie-killing fun. Stars Rose McGowan as go-go dancer whose dreams of being a standup comedian die when a zombie eats her leg. 

Into the Wild - Truth, Beauty, Love. Sean Penn directs and Emile Hirsch stars in the story of Chistopher McCandless a young man who left his home, family, and belongings to search for truth in the wild.

Superbad - Seth Rogen writes and Michael Cera and Jonah Hill star in the best teen comedy of the decade. Basically a glorified beer run, the movie succeeds in being hilarious for a full two hours. Not an easy thing to do.

Protagonist - My pick for best documentary (narrowly edging out 49 Up and Grizzly Man). Four stories told by four incredible story tellers. They speak of timeless struggles, obsessive people who dared to struggle with the gods. 


2008:
Synecdoche, New York: Charlie Kaufman writes and directs his first film. After watching the movie I wondered if Kaufman would ever make another movie. How could someone possibly say anything more than this?

Wall-E: The finest of Pixar's brilliant animators (other greats are Finding Nemo and Ratatouille). Not only a beautiful and funny children's tale about a lonely robot but a profound and visionary science fiction tale about modern man's excesses.

Tropic Thunder: The best of Ben Stiller and co. Starring Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and Tom Cruise. Keeps up a kinetic comedic pace that is rarely seen anywhere. Contains at least two classic performances and characters. Brilliant and hilarious. 


2009:
Where the Wild Things Are - Spike Jonze's adaptation of the Maurice Sendak children's book. Captures what is like to be a nine-year old more than any other movie out there.

(500) Days of Summer - The first film of Marc Webb. Stars Joseph Gordon Levitt as a boy who has fallen for a girl that doesn't love him back. An incredibly dense and imaginative film.

The Hangover - The best of director Todd Phillips (other notables are Old School and Road Trip) Stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifinakis, and Ed Helms as three buddies trying to find the groom gone missing during a bachelor party nobody remembers. A masterpiece in comedic structure.