BEST MOVIES: 2000-2010
Alright, the first decade of the 2000’s has made some pretty memorable moments on film. From comedy, drama, horror, foreign language films, the decade has a little something for everyone. So here are my top 10 films of the decade so far, look it over, then give me your list below!!
10. In Bruges: 2008 (R)
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes
The ultimate dark comedy about a couple of hitmen that need a place to hide out, they pick Bruges. From there Farrell rattles off insults, goes a little crazy, and makes life hell for his partner Gleeson. A funny, sad, tragic, layered script from a first time director. One of the most overlooked films of the decade.
9. Moulin Rouge: 2001 (PG-13)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor
Easily the best musical of the decade. This larger than life look at music, love, parties, shines a light on the vocal talents of Kidman and McGregor. It takes modern day musical hits and gives them a new look and listen. It is a masterful film in the editing room, the choreography, and the music leaves you singing from the time you start until you are finished.
8. Pan’s Labrynth: 2006 (R)
Director: Guillermo Del Torro
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez
Horrifying, heart-breaking, gut-wrentching, and eye opening. This amazing work from Guillermo Del Torro crosses real world chaos for a family, into a fantasy world that makes you squirm in your seat, and never allows you to take your eyes off the screen. The film is in spanish, and its not dubbed over, but the language barrier will not make a difference, a must see.
7. The Pianist: 2002 (R)
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Aidrien Brody, Emilia Fox
A well deserved Oscar for Aidrien Brody here in one of the best performances of the decade. A war film told from an entirely different perspective. Brody’s character is a classically trained pianist who is playing for his life thoughout this film. After getting help along the way, he finds compassion in the most unlikely of places, a man trained to kill him.
6. No Country for Old Men: 2007 (R)
Director: The Coen Brothers
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
The Coen Brothers bring you the moster of the decade, Javien Barden’s take on a psycho killer not only scares the you know what out of you, but he decides to walk around armed with a crazy weapon. Brolin delivers one of the most overlooked performances of the decade, and nice additions by Woody Harrleson and Tommy Lee Jones make this one of the best.
5. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 2001, 2002, 2003
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen
Hard to pick one over the others, but the LOTR triology adds up to one of the biggest risks, and the biggest payoff of the decade. This film shows the immense talent and eye of director Peter Jackson. Each member of the cast brings something to the table, the makeup, sets, storyline are huge and groundbreaking for film.
4. There Will be Blood: 2007 (R)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Daniel Day Lewis
Another performance that ranks at the top for the decade from the fantastic Daniel Day Lewis. He brings Daniel Plainview to the screen and you can’t take your eyes off him. He lies, cheats, steals, and kills to get where he wants to be. You hate him, but he is one of the best characters of the decade, and Paul Thomas Anderson allows him to dominate in a great film with great direction.
3. Mystic River: 2003 (R)
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins
Clint Eastwood flat out doesn’t make bad movies, Sean Penn rarely makes a bad film this decade, and when the 2 get together you get greatness. Mystic River is a story of murder, revenge, and cover-up. A fantastic cast filled out by Kevin Bacon, the amazing Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, and Lawerence Fishburne makes this one of the best in quite some time.
2. Closer: 2004 (R)
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Clive Ownn, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law
As real as it gets when it comes to relationships, when things are good they are great, when they are bad, they are awful. The writing is some of the best I’ve ever seen, the words are cutting, they are clever, they are raw, they are amazing. Each performance fits together perfect for the most interesting love triangle times 2. You don’t root for any of the relationships to survive, but you might have seen some of them in real life.
1. City of God: 2002 (R)
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino
Rarely will a movie stick with you for nearly a decade, City of God did that for me. A terrifying look at a world most of us will never know, never see, but exists. A world where children are given guns and told to kill, given money and told to spend, given drugs and told to use. The film is set in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and runs you all over the country in a blur. This film is special, it is edited amazingly, again written and spoken in a foreign language, and once again, you won’t even remember that by the end, but you will remember what you just saw, Greatness.
So, with all apologies to Slumdog Millionaire, The Departed, Enternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and dozens of others, that is my list. Please share you favorite movies of the decade so far below, I would love to hear your opinions!!
MT
Posted by on 01/05 at 10:42 PM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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