decade
1.07.2010
I like films. I like them a lot. I like the stories they present, and how a director/actor decides to portray those stories, whether it be through aesthetics, audio, omission, or manipulation, humor or tragedy, stark truth or utter fabrication. The past decade (2000-2009, for those of you slow on the uptake) has been chock full of fantastic films. I was inspired to pick my Top 50, but before you glance through my list, I want you realize several things. First of all, the criteria for my choices. a) I have to have seen the film. I missed several reputedly great films in the past 10 years, and while they are on my ever-growing list of films to see before I die (I swear I really have one, there's a shortcut to it on my desktop), they were not considered for this list for obvious reasons, namely, I haven't seen them. Okay, on to b) emotional reaction. I had to have an emotional reaction to a film for it to be on this list. Whether that reaction was enjoyment, horror, empathy, glee, mind-boggledness, or dysphoria, has no effect on placement. Now, c) art. I consider films to be an obvious form of art, as I mentioned vaguely above. Art can be something as simple as witty banter, a tragic view of a world shot to hell, a convoluted and all too realistic 'love' story, all the way through the use of existential cinematography. Many different factors that all boil down to the creation of an artist(s), an expression of someone's self. So, here's my list, for what it's worth. My Top 50 of all time would likely be entirely different, but I am happy with this list. Finally, d) I couldn't decide how to number these, and so rather than waste MORE time, I am going to say, DISCLAIMER: THE NUMBERING OF THIS LIST IS COMPLETELY RANDOM AND DOES NOT REFLECT THE FACT THAT I LIKE ONE FILM OVER ANOTHER. If you'd REALLY like to know which of a couple/few films I prefer, please ask me. Otherwise, here you go:
- Inglorious Basterds
- I'm Not There
- Up!
- Avatar
- Once
- Children of Men
- Finding Neverland
- Punch-Drunk Love
- Paris, je t'aime
- The Ringer
- I Heart Huckabees
- Across the Universe
- (500) Days of Summer
- School of Rock
- Night at the Museum
- Juno
- Finding Nemo
- Star Trek
- The Incredibles
- Hairspray
- Batman Begins
- The Brothers Bloom
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Memento
- Public Enemies
- The Dark Knight
- Sweeney Todd
- V for Vendetta
- Pirate Radio
- Love Actually
- The Holiday
- Moulin Rouge!
- Rent
- The Royal Tenebaums
- Runaway Jury
- The Pianist
- High Fidelity
- Mirrormask
- Donnie Darko
- Hot Fuzz
- WALL-E
- Watchmen
- Big Fish
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- Up in the Air
- Evening
- The Prestige
- The Emperor's New Groove
- Elf
- LOTR (all three, and yes, it is cheating...sorry about that)
