In past, I have argued against making lists just like this. Ranking movies, especially ones you love, is an exercise in futility. For example, look at this year’s best picture race that could likely turn into a showdown between Up in the Air and Hurt Locker. They are completely different movies, yet one must be decided as the “better” one. Such a list has merit only in that it can spark debate and encourage viewing of movies that one might have missed. So, good or ill, here are my top 20 movies of the decade in dramatic countdown order.
20. Hotel Rwanda (2004) – Probably due to teenage male bravado, the first movie that actually brought tears to my eyes wasn’t until 1998’s Life is Beautiful. Afterwards several others were able to do the trick. In fact, the more I got into movies, the more the good ones were able to move me. I often fail to discuss Hotel Rwanda when recommending movies, largely because I don’t remember a lot of the specific plot details. What I do know is this – I cried more during it than during all other movies combined… by far. This film transcended movies in general and became a required life experience for human beings. Devastating.
19. Brick (2005) – As seen on the rest of this list, I give crazy bonus points for originality. Brick may not be the greatest movie overall, but it’s a brilliant idea executed perfectly. The writer/director took 1930s and 40s style film noir and set it in a modern high school. Joseph Gordon-Levitt oozes cool as he infiltrates a local crime syndicate in order to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. The dialogue is delightfully anachronistic. In an interview, I heard the writer say he chose some words for their sound instead of their meaning. It’s hypnotic.
18. (500) Days of Summer (2009) – Joseph Gordon-Levitt back-to-back. This kid has talent. I see him as another DiCaprio only better – just give him time. Again, points for originality in a love story (that claims not to be a love story) told out of order. The highs and lows of their unique relationship hit harder when juxtaposed as directly as they are here. The film explores the idea of true love and soul mates in a witty rather than sappy way and absolutely succeeds. It should have moments everyone can relate to.
17. Hero (2002) – No slight against Crouching Tiger, but I enjoyed Hero far more and it’s just as soulful. It is told in a series of colorful dream-like flashbacks explaining how an assassin came to find himself at the feet of the emperor with the fate of all of China in his hands (i.e. his sword). And in this decade dominated by revolutionary visual effects, this movie was filmed the old fashion way (I believe wires were digitally removed, but that’s it). A top-notch action movie.
16. Blood Diamond (2006) – Probably the biggest surprise for me of the last decade. Honestly, if it had been a best picture nominee (as it should have been) I might not have included it here. This movie works because instead of being an action movie driven by complicated plot twists, it has a simple plot driven by powerful, realistic characters and more action movies should follow its example. DiCaprio comes across like a real-life Han Solo as a South African diamond smuggler. The film also touches on the problem of child soldiers in Africa.
15. Donnie Darko (2001) – If you like movies that finish in a nice, completely explainable and understandable little package, then Donnie Darko is not for you. I’ve seen it three or four times and can’t really explain it and have several questions. Let’s just say that it’s a character mood piece that dabbles in time travel and insanity without either of those being a major theme or plot point.
14. Adaptation. (2002) – It still baffles me that this movie got made. Charlie Kaufman was hired to adapt a book about flowers and in his struggles wound up writing himself into the screenplay – a script that 99.9% of writers would have quickly thrown away and deleted before anyone ever saw it. But he was brave, or stupid, enough to turn in it and Spike Jonze gave it the serious attention that made it work. What resulted was a movie about making the actual movie you are watching. It explores life and the journey to find yourself. The title refers simultaneously to the act of adapting a book into a movie and to the way both people and plants adapt to survive.
13. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Would someone necessarily have to be a genius at trivia to win at a game show like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” If not, they surely must have cheated, right? But what if, by sheer chance (or destiny), the questions being asked just happened fall within the life experience of a kid from the slums of Mumbai with no education? In Slumdog Millionaire, just such a kid tells his life story to police to explain how he legitimately just happened to know many of the answers. And incorporated with his improbable story is his quest to complete an equally improbable, and sweet, love story.
12. Training Day (2001) – I know this is probably too high for this movie, but I love it. Denzel Washington absolutely owns the screen from his first scene in the diner where he meets Ethan Hawke’s character before they head out for Ethan’s first day as a narcotics officer. We see Denzel’s street savvy pro through Ethan’s naïve eyes. Ethan wants to do the right thing, but Denzel explains that sometimes you must compromise your values to serve a greater good. You, and Ethan, desperately want to believe him. Denzel is one hell of a salesman. But as he keeps pushing the envelope further and further we see he may be wrapping a noose around Ethan’s neck. The script is far from perfect, but the acting sells it and leaves you glued to the screen.
11. Milk (2008) – Braveheart for gay rights. I hate to over simplify it in that way, but too many people seem to be avoiding, or at least delaying, watching this movie. And, honestly, the only reason this movie is strong enough to make this list is because it is so socially relevant today. Thirty years ago Harvey Milk had to fight for civil rights in an era where employers could fire someone simply for being and society didn’t bat an eye, not to mention the violence that seemed to be passively condoned. Thirty years later, while gay rights have come a long way, they are still an openly persecuted minority attacked by bigots who find ways to justify their beliefs. Hopefully, a decade from now, more will see the error of their ways and the parallels to segregation era legislation. Sean Penn earns every ounce of his Oscar here.
10. Million Dollar Baby (2004) – In 2004, Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator seemed to poised to give the legendary director the awards that had long eluded him. Then, quietly at the last minute, a film that didn’t have a lot of buzz before its release dropped like a piano in a cartoon on all those plans. The Aviator was good, but Million Dollar Baby was just flat-out great. On the surface it looked like a cheap knockoff of Rocky, but it was filled with heart and memorable characters and a devastating turn that left everyone stunned.
9. The Departed (2006) – The movie that finally did reward Martin Scorsese. This movie grabs you by the collar and throws you to the ground, leaving you, at times, breathless and angry. The concept is simple enough (and lifted directly from the Chinese film Infernal Affairs). The bad guys have a rat in with the cops and the cops have a mole in with the bad guys. Let the game begin. Intense, brutal, unpredictable, and unforgettable.
8. Requiem for a Dream (2000) – When describing how this movie makes you feel, I’ve often said it makes Born on the Fourth of July seem like a Disney movie. After viewing it the first time, my only thought was, “Dear God, I never want to see that again.” The next day that thought, with surprisingly similar tone, was, “I must go buy that movie.” Requiem is a hauntingly beautiful look at addiction of various kinds. (At one point, two orderlies having a seemingly innocuous discussion at one point are talking about gambling). Though the characters’ suffering is solely of their own making, you can’t help but pity them – and your pity will be choked with tears.
7. Moulin Rouge! (2001) – This is a movie that could have easily failed. Superficially, it’s really just a silly melodrama. But it recognizes what it is (the play within the movie shows exactly that) and has fun with it. Ewan McGregor is completely convincing as a male ingénue who falls for the experienced showgirl played by Nicole Kidman. The use of modern music in early 20th century Paris works spectacularly. This movie is sad and sweet and makes me smile more every time I see it.
6. No Country for Old Men (2007) – I confess that I’ve only seen this from start to finish one time, but it’s a movie that stays with you. There’s a drawn out intensity that I had never experienced before (though Inglourious Basterds opens with a similar feeling). It plays like a realistic horror movie with a wit that will have you laughing out loud at times (even if uncomfortably so). Javier Bardem earned his Oscar here, but Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones are no less impressive. Many were frustrated, even angry, at the film’s final scene. I admit I had an initial WTF reaction, but quickly decided the ending was perfect. In fact, it may be one of the best endings of any movie ever.
5. Memento (2000) – Here’s my originality award for the decade. The premise to Memento sounds like a Farrelly brothers comedy: a man with no short-term memory is trying to solve a murder. But Christopher Nolan turned the concept into one of the best dramatic thrillers ever made. The movie is told in such a way that you find yourself experiencing a condition similar to the protagonist (Leonard, played by Guy Pearce). Pulp Fiction is simple by comparison, but there’s a pattern to it. To explain the pattern here would be to give away part of the movie. Leonard tattoos notes on his body in order to remember important aspects of the case and his life. He has to reevaluate whether or not to trust the people around him every time he sees them because for him it’s always the first time meeting them. Absolutely brilliant.
4. The Dark Knight (2008) – I can’t help but feel, on occasion, that holding this movie on such a lofty pedestal is somehow unjustified. But then I come to my senses. Yes, it’s that good. It goes without saying that it’s the best super hero movie ever made, but it’s also one of the best action movies ever made. If only more people in Hollywood would follow suit. Nolan didn’t do anything crazy here, like Edward Zwick did with Blood Diamond, he just made a point to make the movie about the characters first and the action always serves the plot – it is never superfluous. Yes, it is an exaggerated and unrealistic version of reality, but it is socially valid hyperbole. Oh, and of course, Heath Ledger’s Joker dethrones Darth Vader as the greatest movie villain of all-time (in my not-so-humble opinion).
3. Kill Bill (2003-2004) – I combine volumes 1 & 2 here as a single movie, which I feel is easily justified as volume 1 has no real ending. I admit when I first saw volume 1 in the theater I was kinda disappointed. It had Tarantino’s distinctive style and was definitely cool, but seemed to be lacking something. What it was lacking was volume 2, which was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my movie-watching life. The two volumes, viewed as a whole, rival Pulp Fiction for the pinnacle of Tarantino’s genius. Again, like TDK, it’s an action movie driven by its protagonist with each unique fight scene advancing the plot toward the Bride’s ultimate goal… to kill Bill.
2. Almost Famous (2000) – I know what you’re thinking, and you’re exactly right. This is WAY to high for this movie. All I can say is that you like what you like and this movie struck a chord with me like few ever have. If it had come out five years later, I might not have felt the same way, but at the time, it felt like this movie had been made for me personally. Not that I’m Patrick Fugit’s William Miller exactly (though there are embarrassing similarities) but everything in this movie just rings true. Based on Cameron Crowe’s actual experiences as a 15-year-old writer for Rolling Stone magazine. It’s heartfelt, it’s funny, and (as Crowe himself describes it) it’s a love song to music.
1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) – I’m going to start with an outrageous claim and then I’m going to defend it. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the greatest achievement in cinematic history. That isn’t to say the movies are necessarily my all-time favorites, though they are up there (Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption duel it out for that title, with Pulp Fiction getting the edge on the originality front). The story is dreadfully simple: hobbits are charged with destroying an evil ring. J.R.R. Tolkien fully fleshed out this idea into a wonderful narrative in his novels and Peter Jackson did the unthinkable – he improved upon them. This is blasphemy, I know, not only to Tolkien fans, but to readers in general who know that books are always better than movies. Well, I am a reader, and that is usually true. As much as I love movies – the stories in books are better. However, I’m saying it again, Peter Jackson improved on the books that were out sold only by the Bible during the 20th century. The acting, the music, the writing, the special effects, the costumes, the sets, the props – everything was done as well as it had ever been done before. And while, I’m guessing most insiders wouldn’t state it as bluntly as I have, The Return of the King’s unprecedented 13 for 13 sweep at the Oscars is testament to the fact that I speak the truth.