Best Movies of the Decade
My Favorite movies of the Decade
When I was done with my list it pained me to see that two of my favorite directors - who would appear frequently on my best of the 90's list - were completely unrepresented in the decade of the aughts. Is that my fault? Or did David Fincher and Michael Mann simply not have a great ten years? I did truly enjoy Panic Room, Zodiac and Collateral but just not enough for my top 12. (Zodiac was really close)
Are these the "best" movies of the decade? Probably not. Not exactly. But they're the ones I watch repeatedly. The ones I always enjoy and get engrossed in. These are what movies should be. Never dull or pretentious and always full of surprises, emotion, laughs and excitement.
The following other movies also just missed the cut:
Gladiator, Wall-E, Children of Men, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Savages, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, Spider Man 2, Away We Go, Just Friends, A History Of Violence, Amelie, Ocean's 11, Memento, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Shrek 2.
12. Transformers
A little silly? Sure. Airtight plot? Hardly. But utterly enjoyable and I almost never pass it over on HBO. Why? Hard to say. I loved the toys, I love Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime, I love looking at Megan Fox, but mostly I've come to realize just how badly I want to be Shia Labeauf's character. Which is probably more sad than anything else.
11. No Country For Old Men
Every time I watch this movie, I like it more. Especially Tommy Lee Jone's scene toward the end with that handicapped older guy in his run-down old shack. The movie deflates you but then at the very end offers a flicker of hope.
10. UP
The early montage of their life together ripped out my heart, but Doug the talking dog got it beating again.
9. Mystic River
Great author, great novel, great screenwriter, great director and a great cast all deliver their best work.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Endlessly rewatchable. I challenge any man not be in love with Kate Winslet's Clementine by the end of the movie. Or just Kate Winslet herself.
7. The Incredibles
Hard to pick a favorite Pixar movie, but this one just barely edged out UP and WALL-E based on pure excitement and big laughs.
6. Little Miss Sunshine
One of the best ensemble and road movies I've seen. It slowly builds to a hugely satisfying/crowd pleasing conclusion that delivers every time. I will never not laugh at Greg Kinnear's interaction with the motorcycle cop who finds the bag of porn in the back of the van.
5. The Royal Tenenbaums
I can't stop re-watching this movie. Sad, funny, uplifting. The height of Wes Anderson's quirk and still the only movie in which I've liked Gweneth Paltrow.
4. The Bourne Ultimatum/Supremacy
Paul Greengrass changed the action movie genre. And Matt Damon's career. Two of the best action movies ever.
3. The Departed
Best performance of Mark Walberg's career. Finally landed Scorcese his elusive Oscar and gave the viewers a great crime story that I can't stop watching. And face it, you still jump a little bit when DiCaprio gets shot in the head getting off that elevator.
2. The Dark Knight
What hasn't been said already. Just when you think it can't get better, you remember that Morgan Freeman is in it. (Side Note: Anybody who goes out on Halloween dressed as Ledger's Joker has a serious mental disorder)
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Director's Cut)
In my opinion, the height of cinematic entertainment for the decade. And probably longer. Jackson's trilogy is everything Lucas wanted his trilogies to be and more.
When I was done with my list it pained me to see that two of my favorite directors - who would appear frequently on my best of the 90's list - were completely unrepresented in the decade of the aughts. Is that my fault? Or did David Fincher and Michael Mann simply not have a great ten years? I did truly enjoy Panic Room, Zodiac and Collateral but just not enough for my top 12. (Zodiac was really close)
Are these the "best" movies of the decade? Probably not. Not exactly. But they're the ones I watch repeatedly. The ones I always enjoy and get engrossed in. These are what movies should be. Never dull or pretentious and always full of surprises, emotion, laughs and excitement.
The following other movies also just missed the cut:
Gladiator, Wall-E, Children of Men, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Savages, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, Spider Man 2, Away We Go, Just Friends, A History Of Violence, Amelie, Ocean's 11, Memento, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Shrek 2.
12. Transformers
A little silly? Sure. Airtight plot? Hardly. But utterly enjoyable and I almost never pass it over on HBO. Why? Hard to say. I loved the toys, I love Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime, I love looking at Megan Fox, but mostly I've come to realize just how badly I want to be Shia Labeauf's character. Which is probably more sad than anything else.
11. No Country For Old Men
Every time I watch this movie, I like it more. Especially Tommy Lee Jone's scene toward the end with that handicapped older guy in his run-down old shack. The movie deflates you but then at the very end offers a flicker of hope.
10. UP
The early montage of their life together ripped out my heart, but Doug the talking dog got it beating again.
9. Mystic River
Great author, great novel, great screenwriter, great director and a great cast all deliver their best work.
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Endlessly rewatchable. I challenge any man not be in love with Kate Winslet's Clementine by the end of the movie. Or just Kate Winslet herself.
7. The Incredibles
Hard to pick a favorite Pixar movie, but this one just barely edged out UP and WALL-E based on pure excitement and big laughs.
6. Little Miss Sunshine
One of the best ensemble and road movies I've seen. It slowly builds to a hugely satisfying/crowd pleasing conclusion that delivers every time. I will never not laugh at Greg Kinnear's interaction with the motorcycle cop who finds the bag of porn in the back of the van.
5. The Royal Tenenbaums
I can't stop re-watching this movie. Sad, funny, uplifting. The height of Wes Anderson's quirk and still the only movie in which I've liked Gweneth Paltrow.
4. The Bourne Ultimatum/Supremacy
Paul Greengrass changed the action movie genre. And Matt Damon's career. Two of the best action movies ever.
3. The Departed
Best performance of Mark Walberg's career. Finally landed Scorcese his elusive Oscar and gave the viewers a great crime story that I can't stop watching. And face it, you still jump a little bit when DiCaprio gets shot in the head getting off that elevator.
2. The Dark Knight
What hasn't been said already. Just when you think it can't get better, you remember that Morgan Freeman is in it. (Side Note: Anybody who goes out on Halloween dressed as Ledger's Joker has a serious mental disorder)
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Director's Cut)
In my opinion, the height of cinematic entertainment for the decade. And probably longer. Jackson's trilogy is everything Lucas wanted his trilogies to be and more.
Labels: 2000's, Best movies of the decade
posted by Tent Time at 1:36 PM
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