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Top Ten Films of the Decade
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A whole bunch of stuff happened this crazy decade, some of it good, even. Take these ten films, for example, which shine a beacon of hope that the future of movies won't be a tasteless ocean of Date Movies and XXX sequels without Vin Diesel.
Reviewed by
Marco Duran
Top Ten Films of the Decade
10. Le fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain - Amelie (2001)
This French gem came to me through a fellow cinephile. It is a testament to the joys that film can bring. It’s chock full of very interesting and very quirky characters, most of which could have films all their own. Instead, we stay with Amelie, a sweet and slightly lonely girl looking for love and happiness in life. Her scenes of fantasy can make any hum drum existence feel exceptional again. The soundtrack by Yann Tierson for this film is amazing as well, filled with idiosyncratic noises like typewriters and bike wheels with a card in the spokes. Audrey Tautou, with her cute-as-a-button ways, makes even the most unbelievable of circumstances smooth and easy to swallow. It never fails to put a smile on my face. Expedia still owes this movie for its traveling gnome.
This French gem came to me through a fellow cinephile. It is a testament to the joys that film can bring. It’s chock full of very interesting and very quirky characters, most of which could have films all their own. Instead, we stay with Amelie, a sweet and slightly lonely girl looking for love and happiness in life. Her scenes of fantasy can make any hum drum existence feel exceptional again. The soundtrack by Yann Tierson for this film is amazing as well, filled with idiosyncratic noises like typewriters and bike wheels with a card in the spokes. Audrey Tautou, with her cute-as-a-button ways, makes even the most unbelievable of circumstances smooth and easy to swallow. It never fails to put a smile on my face. Expedia still owes this movie for its traveling gnome.
9. Cidade de Deus – City of God (2004)
I came out of this film feeling like I’d seen the best documentary ever. The news footage during the ending credits showing the real people who this film was based on really kicked home that, wow, this incredible story actually happened. That the director hired kids off the street rather than proven actors is very gutsy as it is, but for him to do it for such an ambitious story and that they were able to pull it off with such brilliant gusto, it makes it all the more incredible. The emotional devastation this film wreaks on both the characters and the audience with unproven talent is amazing.
I came out of this film feeling like I’d seen the best documentary ever. The news footage during the ending credits showing the real people who this film was based on really kicked home that, wow, this incredible story actually happened. That the director hired kids off the street rather than proven actors is very gutsy as it is, but for him to do it for such an ambitious story and that they were able to pull it off with such brilliant gusto, it makes it all the more incredible. The emotional devastation this film wreaks on both the characters and the audience with unproven talent is amazing.
8. Primer (2004)
Sometimes a film needs to be watched more than once to be comprehended. I’ve watched this film 20 times, read timeline charts and listened to the writer/director’s commentary and I still can’t really wrap my head around it. To say that this is a smart film would be an understatement. This is the most scientifically accurate time travel film and may perhaps toe the line of not really being sci-fi. That they were able to make such an amazing film with only a $7000 budget cements what Hollywood ought to have figured out by now – it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a great film.
Sometimes a film needs to be watched more than once to be comprehended. I’ve watched this film 20 times, read timeline charts and listened to the writer/director’s commentary and I still can’t really wrap my head around it. To say that this is a smart film would be an understatement. This is the most scientifically accurate time travel film and may perhaps toe the line of not really being sci-fi. That they were able to make such an amazing film with only a $7000 budget cements what Hollywood ought to have figured out by now – it doesn’t take a lot of money to make a great film.
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
I’ve loved Michael Gondry’s kooky and wonderful filmmaking, with his practical in-camera effects, through watching his music videos for Bjork, The White Stripes, et al. On top of that, I’ve always enjoyed the utterly unique voice Charlie Kaufman has in everything he’s written. So putting them together was like chocolate and peanut butter. I had the opportunity to read the original script with the far different bookends that Kaufman originally wrote. What Gondry was able to make of it is enlightening both as a piece of fine filmmaking and as a warning to anyone who wishes to shun anything which may cause them pain or discomfort.
I’ve loved Michael Gondry’s kooky and wonderful filmmaking, with his practical in-camera effects, through watching his music videos for Bjork, The White Stripes, et al. On top of that, I’ve always enjoyed the utterly unique voice Charlie Kaufman has in everything he’s written. So putting them together was like chocolate and peanut butter. I had the opportunity to read the original script with the far different bookends that Kaufman originally wrote. What Gondry was able to make of it is enlightening both as a piece of fine filmmaking and as a warning to anyone who wishes to shun anything which may cause them pain or discomfort.
6. The Hurt Locker (2009)
War films are not necessarily difficult to make, although films of the current war have not done very well or been very good. Most of the blame rests on filmmakers wanting to politicize their stories and make their anti-war opinions known. This film has no such blemishes. It tells the simple story of three very un-simple men and their job disarming bombs in the middle of combat. It is the most recent film on this list, mostly because I like to give films some breathing space after I see them initially, to see if they still work or if it has diminishing returns. I’ve seen this film twice so far and I know I will watch it to dust. I have not been on the edge of my seat through so much of a film since No Country for Old Men.
War films are not necessarily difficult to make, although films of the current war have not done very well or been very good. Most of the blame rests on filmmakers wanting to politicize their stories and make their anti-war opinions known. This film has no such blemishes. It tells the simple story of three very un-simple men and their job disarming bombs in the middle of combat. It is the most recent film on this list, mostly because I like to give films some breathing space after I see them initially, to see if they still work or if it has diminishing returns. I’ve seen this film twice so far and I know I will watch it to dust. I have not been on the edge of my seat through so much of a film since No Country for Old Men.
5. Oldboy (2003)
I heard about this film through a movie website. They were having a screening of it at the Egyptian in Hollywood. On a whim and on my own I decided to go check it out. I was floored and I was so upset that I had no one to talk to about it. A month later the film had a limited release and I rushed my girlfriend to go see it with me. Afterwards we looked at each other. Her face showed the same feelings I had when I’d first seen it. It’s the look that I’ve seen over and over again on the faces of everyone I’ve had the pleasure of exposing this film to.
I heard about this film through a movie website. They were having a screening of it at the Egyptian in Hollywood. On a whim and on my own I decided to go check it out. I was floored and I was so upset that I had no one to talk to about it. A month later the film had a limited release and I rushed my girlfriend to go see it with me. Afterwards we looked at each other. Her face showed the same feelings I had when I’d first seen it. It’s the look that I’ve seen over and over again on the faces of everyone I’ve had the pleasure of exposing this film to.
4. Memento (2000)
I saw a small ad in the paper one morning. It looked intriguing and had the address of a website “otnemem.com.” I took my girlfriend to go check out the film that evening. We spent the next week talking through the film, getting our characters confused because everyone’s name seemingly ended with a –y; i.e. Sammy, Lenny, Teddy. This could have been a very pedestrian story running it straight, but cutting it into pieces and rearranging them into two different story lines that converge at the end elevated the whole thing to ingenious. I’m pleased that Christopher Nolan has proven himself with his proceeding films.
I saw a small ad in the paper one morning. It looked intriguing and had the address of a website “otnemem.com.” I took my girlfriend to go check out the film that evening. We spent the next week talking through the film, getting our characters confused because everyone’s name seemingly ended with a –y; i.e. Sammy, Lenny, Teddy. This could have been a very pedestrian story running it straight, but cutting it into pieces and rearranging them into two different story lines that converge at the end elevated the whole thing to ingenious. I’m pleased that Christopher Nolan has proven himself with his proceeding films.
3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Yes, I’m lumping them all into one, because you can’t watch one of the films on their own; the story is incomplete without the other two. The accomplishment in bringing this un-filmable book to the screen is in the details. The elvish in the swords and armor, the design of the Minas Tirith and the Mines of Moria and the reality of the Gollum is what brings this world to life. It’s one of the few films that gives so much, you can get lost in it. If you see a road that extends over the hills you can be sure that the filmmakers have thought of what towns are down those roads and what the people (or creatures) look like that live in those towns, though they will never be in the film. It is comforting to be in such capable hands.
Yes, I’m lumping them all into one, because you can’t watch one of the films on their own; the story is incomplete without the other two. The accomplishment in bringing this un-filmable book to the screen is in the details. The elvish in the swords and armor, the design of the Minas Tirith and the Mines of Moria and the reality of the Gollum is what brings this world to life. It’s one of the few films that gives so much, you can get lost in it. If you see a road that extends over the hills you can be sure that the filmmakers have thought of what towns are down those roads and what the people (or creatures) look like that live in those towns, though they will never be in the film. It is comforting to be in such capable hands.
2. Children of Men (2006)
This film feels like it was shot guerilla style. Everything in it feels so raw and unfiltered. That might be why my love for this film has grown every time I’ve seen it by the incredibly famous single take shots. They show a creator’s hand in an otherwise chaotic world. That is not to take away from the story (incredible and heartbreaking. I love post-apocalyptic movies) or the acting (superb on all accounts and especially by Michael Caine) but my mouth waters when I see them get ambushed in the car and the camera zooms around, doing things no camera ought to be able to. That all goes to the nth degree when we follow Clive Owen for 15 solid minutes without a cut. I know there is digital trickery (blood spurts on the camera and a few minutes later, it’s gone) but, by-gum, it still is impressive.
This film feels like it was shot guerilla style. Everything in it feels so raw and unfiltered. That might be why my love for this film has grown every time I’ve seen it by the incredibly famous single take shots. They show a creator’s hand in an otherwise chaotic world. That is not to take away from the story (incredible and heartbreaking. I love post-apocalyptic movies) or the acting (superb on all accounts and especially by Michael Caine) but my mouth waters when I see them get ambushed in the car and the camera zooms around, doing things no camera ought to be able to. That all goes to the nth degree when we follow Clive Owen for 15 solid minutes without a cut. I know there is digital trickery (blood spurts on the camera and a few minutes later, it’s gone) but, by-gum, it still is impressive.
1. The Fountain (2006)
I’m still picking new things, new theories out every time I see this movie. I’m trying to reconcile the three (or is it two?) storylines. I’m trying to delve into the mysteries of wonderful storytelling. I’m assisted by Clint Mansell’s music, which is, as always, beautiful and haunting. He always adds so much to whatever film he is scoring. This film is cinematic poetry. There are motifs, repeated refrains and imagery that can very much frustrate as it illuminates. This is not a simple film. In fact, I’ve found it to be very polarizing. But to me, this film is beautiful, both in scope and in execution. Sometimes a film comes around at just the right time and you’ve had the perfect day to prepare you to accept it. Not this film. This film makes you work. It demands that you come to it with an open mind regardless of what else is going on. It demands that you do more than skim the surface, that you dig into the symbolism; peel away the layers in order to appreciate it at all. There is never a perfect day to watch this film and, yet, it can always be the perfect time to watch it.
I’m still picking new things, new theories out every time I see this movie. I’m trying to reconcile the three (or is it two?) storylines. I’m trying to delve into the mysteries of wonderful storytelling. I’m assisted by Clint Mansell’s music, which is, as always, beautiful and haunting. He always adds so much to whatever film he is scoring. This film is cinematic poetry. There are motifs, repeated refrains and imagery that can very much frustrate as it illuminates. This is not a simple film. In fact, I’ve found it to be very polarizing. But to me, this film is beautiful, both in scope and in execution. Sometimes a film comes around at just the right time and you’ve had the perfect day to prepare you to accept it. Not this film. This film makes you work. It demands that you come to it with an open mind regardless of what else is going on. It demands that you do more than skim the surface, that you dig into the symbolism; peel away the layers in order to appreciate it at all. There is never a perfect day to watch this film and, yet, it can always be the perfect time to watch it.
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6 comments:
December 19, 2009 12:55 PM
Okay so I watched Primer recently and that movie was insane, but I still think I prefer TimeCrimes, which severely blew my mind for days afterward.
December 19, 2009 6:14 PM
I will put Timecrimes on my Netflix que. Thanks!!
December 20, 2009 2:42 AM
Make sure you watch it in Spanish with subs!
December 21, 2009 1:31 AM
Always. I hate dubs.
December 24, 2009 3:23 PM
Great review. The Fountain is a very underrated movie, but I'm glad it got its due mention here.
July 16, 2010 1:57 AM
Wow. Shit list.