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Top 5 films of the decade

Started by biggytitbo, December 23, 2009, 01:03:00 AM

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biggytitbo

in reverse order:
5:Casino Royale: The first bond film in many years that's a genuinely good film on its own terms, this completely redefined what bond was and what it could be forever. Just an amazing film.
4:From Hell: I'm sucker for any film about Jack the Ripper so this was my idea of heaven. Despite all its factual faults, it was a visual and atmospheric tour de force. And depp, accent aside, really is incredible in it.
3: War of the worlds. If it wasn't for the very end scene of utter wretched misjudgment, it'd probably be my number 1. A sci fi story filmed as though it was Schindler's List, it is incredibly brutal, an amazing visceral and powerful experience. Apart from that insult of an ending, I prefer to imagine it doesn't exist.
2 Curse of the Were rabbit: The most creative, funny, lovable and down right enjoyable film created this decade. It may have been Chicken Run but this tips it for sheer inventiveness.
1 Children Of Men: Jesus, if this is not the most beautiful film I've ever seen I don't know what is. Sure the story is almost uniquely depressing, but that just appeals to me more. Besides all that, this is just about the most innovative, beautiful, and incredibly artful films you'll ever see. The director does things with the camera in this that have never been done before, Orson Wells himself would look on jealously at some of the tricks he pulls off here. But never once does it seem showy or affected, its all in service of the incredible story, propelled by brilliant performances from all concerned, particularly Michael Caine and Clive Owen. But most of all, what will linger long in the memory are the set piece sequences. The shooting in the car is amazing enough, but  the sequence towards the end where Clive Owen infiltrates the middle of a war zone in one fluid unbroken take is arguably one of the best sequences ever captured on film. Just a truly remarkable and breathtaking piece of film making all round.

Vitalstatistix

5) City of God - This film has verve, wit, pace and scope. Feels almost Spielbergian now in its instinctive storytelling and easy knack for characterisation.

4) There will be Blood - Brave and bold, full of dark political subtext, cracking performances and breathtaking visuals.

3) Synecdoche, New York - Many hated this one, but I was in love from the off and it just gets better and better. Twisted, sad, brilliant and very funny. Speaks the truth 'bout love and life.

2) Oldboy - Like something dropped from another planet, or perhaps from an alternative universe, this is a dark fantasy which leaves me spellbound every time. Impossible to describe, and all the better for it.

1) Talk to Her - By a mile the best film of the decade. Flawless in every way, experimental yet utterly humane and moving. Always striving for something different, a new way of evoking profound feelings about human nature.

Mildly Diverting

5. Let The Right One In

Made me actively want to be a teenage vampire.

4. Man On Wire

One of the best documentaries ever made. The man's skill and audacity blew me away.

3. Amelie

I, as a heterosexual man, cry every time I watch this film. Do not judge me.

2. In The Loop

Just perfect comedy.

1. In Bruges

I know it won't be anyone else's choice, but I loved it. Everything about it - from the setting, to the production values, the superb script and the wonderful performances. I thought Al Pacino in 'Glenngarry Glenn Ross' perfected the use of the word 'cunt' and then along comes Colin Farrell to beat it. Marvellous.


kittens

Quote from: Vitalstatistix on December 23, 2009, 11:06:13 AM
5) City of God - This film has verve, wit, pace and scope. Feels almost Spielbergian now in its instinctive storytelling and easy knack for characterisation.

4) There will be Blood - Brave and bold, full of dark political subtext, cracking performances and breathtaking visuals.

3) Synecdoche, New York - Many hated this one, but I was in love from the off and it just gets better and better. Twisted, sad, brilliant and very funny. Speaks the truth 'bout love and life.

2) Oldboy - Like something dropped from another planet, or perhaps from an alternative universe, this is a dark fantasy which leaves me spellbound every time. Impossible to describe, and all the better for it.

1) Talk to Her - By a mile the best film of the decade. Flawless in every way, experimental yet utterly humane and moving. Always striving for something different, a new way of evoking profound feelings about human nature.

Pretty much the same here, except I haven't seen your number one. And I'd do it in a different order. But still, pretty much the same.

Vitalstatistix

In that case, you're in for a treat kittens, now go watch Talk to Her pronto's :)

Ja'moke

#5
5. The Dead Girl - Maybe an odd choice and I'm probably only including it due to Brittany Murphy's recent death. But it is a very good film, but it is difficult to watch because it is so bleak and agonising. One of the main reasons for choosing it though is because of the performances from the strong female cast including Toni Collette, Piper Laurie, Rose Byrne, Mary Beth Hurt and of course Brittany Murphy, in perhaps her last truly great role.

4. In Bruges - It was very hard thinking of actualy funny 'comedy' films of the decade. In The Loop was great, but I've given it plaudits in the Comedy Review of the Decade. I also enjoyed some of the Apatow movies like Knocked Up and Superbad. But In Bruge takes the win for me, for one thing, Colin Farrell is actually good in it! The setting was beautiful and contrasted with the dark humour brilliantly well. The script is great with plenty of genuine laugh out loud moments.

3. Synecdoche, New York - Bleak, depressing, miserable but at the same time completely inspiring and engaging. And it's really really funny. Kaufman was allowed to totally let loose with this film, some criticise it for that, but I think it's what makes it so oddly brilliant.

2. Moon - I only saw this recently but it has quickly cemented itself as one of my favourite films of the decade, if only for Sam Rockwell's performance. I think Sam Rockwell goes from strength to strength so I had to include him in this list. The film itself is also very good; it has a boxed-in, claustrophobic feel which really helps create the mood and atmosphere.

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Yes, another Charlie Kaufman one. I love everything about this film. The performances, the concept, the writing, the soundtrack. It's beautiful and heartbreaking, and a film I've watched many times over this decade.

In Bruges
I'll just quote myself standing up for it from another thread:
Quote from: gigolo aunts aren't gentlemen on November 28, 2009, 05:06:06 PM
What, films that are Martin McDonagh scripted, beautifully shot and pitched balance s between unrelenting bleakness and all the different little escapes from it? It's one of the best pieces of Absurdism I've ever seen, and Colin Farrell is flawless in it. It is certainly infinitely more worthwhile a contribution to the celluloid store of knowledge than Simon Pegg's mugging pastiches of pastiches. It was marketed like a bullshit Lock Stock manque but it's got much more in common with an afternoon play, has In Bruges. Well it would do, McDonagh being one of the very best playwrights working today.

Up
WOW. First proper 3d film I've seen, which added to it, but I'm sure it would be satisfyingly sumptuous in 2d. Raymond Briggs meets Hanna-Barbera. Real joy of cinema there, and I was glad them 3d glasses hid the ever-present glisten in my eyes.

The Libertine
Shows how interesting Johnny Depp can be when Tim Burton isn't shitting him into cliche. Rochester is one of the great underappreciated poets of an overappreciated era in literature, and like all good artist biopics it captures the soul of the art rather than fussing about the artist. Buttered toast with cunty fingers and all that. Only thing that would have improved this for me is a Shane Macgowan soundtrack, which I remember being rumoured.

Revengers Tragedy
Christopher Eccleston doing the leering obsession he excels at, Eddie Izzard being well-cast, Derek Jacobi as a Karl Lagerfeld styled villain. The RSC would do well to watch this, verse-reading that has an ear for both form and feeling. One of my favourite films of a Shakespeare-era play, up there with Titus. Nice Chumbawumba soundtrack too, there I said it.

Gladiator
It ushered in a lot of films that I enjoyed but were a bit shit, but this is great. Good combination of theatre royalty - Reed, Jacobi and Harris - with the fresh blood of Hounsou Phoenix and Crowe, all doing their best to keep up. And Omid Djalili not annoying me! Fantastically shot and choreographed, similar to Up in that it seemed to be adding modern technology to classic cinematic experience. Although a downside is that it made everyone feel the need to have Celtic singing over everything Classical.

Goldentony

I'll have to have a think about the other 4 but for now the best film (possibly) i've seen in the past ten years would have to be No Country For Old Men.

I'd not heard of the book like a philistine and really hadn't kept up with any Coen stuff that wasn't Fargo or Barton Fink so the whole thing just came as a huge shock. I fucking love everything about this film from the setting, to the silence throughout the film to the casting. The silence mostly, i think. Any amount of typical twangy guitars or whatever else would have just taken away from this completely. Such a horrible and bleak almost noir world vision, amazing washed out drab colors and genuine terror and tension i've rarely seen in any straight forward horror (Llewellyn being hunted down by Anton in that French looking hotel with the lights in the hallway being turned off) and an amazing performance by Javier Bardem. Woody Harrelson also is especially great despite not being in it for too long. I really don't know of anything else like it in the past ten years, it's just so wonderful. It almost reminds me of Halloween in parts, moreso than just the Anton character. The almost silent tension surrounding near enough every scene and the coldness of the opening and the closing.

Incredible film.

Rubbish Monkey

There are the ones that immediately sprang into my head

1. Oldboy

2. Battle Royale

3. Pans Labyrinth

4. Spirited Away

5. Ichi the Killer

The turn of decade developed my taste from Hong Kong cinema (which i loved mid to late 90s) to a movie diet of Japanese cinema. Until the success of Oldboy meant that Korean cinema became more and popular and I became more aware of it (the uni where I work getting a Korean dvd section certainly helped too)

Santa's Boyfriend

Quote from: biggytitbo on December 23, 2009, 01:03:00 AM
in reverse order:
4:From Hell: I'm sucker for any film about Jack the Ripper so this was my idea of heaven. Despite all its factual faults, it was a visual and atmospheric tour de force. And depp, accent aside, really is incredible in it.

You must, must, must read the book!  The film isn't that bad in isolation, but it's nothing compared to the book.

An tSaoi

In The Loop.

Downfall.

Er... I'll think of the other three later.

biggytitbo

Quote from: Santa's Boyfriend on December 23, 2009, 06:15:34 PM
You must, must, must read the book!  The film isn't that bad in isolation, but it's nothing compared to the book.

I have indeed! Its very interesting, but its more about the esoteric than jack the ripper (and the royal theory is definetly bollocks)

Lee

1 - Mullholland Drive
2 - Battle Royale (shame about Requiem)
3 - Spirited Away
4 - Man On Wire
5 - Grindhouse

Re: #5, the two films, along with the fake trailers, became greater than the sum of its parts. Although I did highly enjoy Planet Terror and, yes, Death Proof as well on their own merits, as a full cinematic experience, it was brilliant.

And the only thing seperating #1 and #2 were the soundtracks.

kittens

Quote from: Rubbish Monkey on December 23, 2009, 04:44:32 PM

5. Ichi the Killer

That film, I just couldn't work it out. In places it was just incredible stuff, like visually brilliant and all that, and in others it was just the most ridiculous disgusting joke of a film I'd ever seen.

I either completely love it or completely hate it. IT'S A MYSTERY

Rowlands

To the person talking about the ending of 'War of the Worlds', are you really complaining that it was bacteria that killed the aliens in the end? Or is there some other aspect I'm missing out on?

Nik Drou

I assume he's referring to the scene where
Spoiler alert
Tom Cruise reunites with his estranged family, including his son who somehow avoided exploding and also got there before him, his ex-wife, her husband, her parents, their parents, a dog, a baby, a cat and a horse, all of which are completely unscathed.
[close]

ThickAndCreamy

That ending sums up the whole film for me, I really didn't enjoy it at all. It was dull, cliched and I didn't really care about the characters at all. It just did very little for me and felt like another sci-fi blockbuster with nothing new to bring to the table. Equilibrium was even better and that was the most unoriginal sci-fi I've seen this decade (except maybe I Am Legend, although I wouldn't personally classify it as sci-fi).

My Films;

1) Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - Original, memorable, beautiful but most of all hauntingly close to home for me. An extremely touching and glorious film.

2) Children Of Men - The perfect modern sci-fi. Realistic, frightening and with near perfect cinematography. The set pieces are superb and the entire feel and look of the film just leaves me in awe.

3) Requiem For A Dream - A highly emotive suicide of a film that slowly builds into insanity with the intensity of a plane crash. The score is what helps makes the film, as well as paranoid filming and constant barrages of pain, depression and haunting images. From this I hoped Aronofsky would make the greatest film of the decade, but unfortunately The Fountain ended up becoming a far too overwhelming concept to work.

4) Up - It's simple, oozes charm and originality and manages to stay in a dreamlike state for nearly two hours of perfection. Pixar really do astound me with their creativity and finesse.

5) Speed Racer - The visuals make any other film looks drab, dull and lazy as they burst into colour at every given moment. Memorising can't even describe how this film looks, it just needs to be seen to be believed. It's like watching euphoria.

Some other mentions go to Thank You For Smoking, Sin City, There Will Be Blood, Punch Drunk Love and Wall-E. I've probably missed out many of my favourites but sod it, it will do.

Rowlands

Quote from: Nik Drou on December 23, 2009, 08:10:57 PM
I assume he's referring to the scene where
Spoiler alert
Tom Cruise reunites with his estranged family, including his son who somehow avoided exploding and also got there before him, his ex-wife, her husband, her parents, their parents, a dog, a baby, a cat and a horse, all of which are completely unscathed.
[close]

Hey, did you know that those parents were played by Gene Barry (recently deceased) and Anne Robinson, stars of the 1950's George Pal version?

The Royal Tenenbaums
I don't think Wes Anderson has come remotely close to topping this film. There are some sterling performances from Huston, Hackman and Murray.

Oldboy
I watched this one at night whilst on the brink of tiredness. Somewhat on the edge, this film really hit home, a little over the top in places. Dae-su's captivity is amazingly captured, making you the viewer feel the sense of claustrophobia.

Zodiac
Classic Fincher, again you MUST watch this film at night, a great soundtrack and an excellent performance from Robert Downey JR.  I think what makes this film is the mystery surrounding the identity of the Zodiac Killer, it rings well with how people become obsessed with Serial Killers to the point that they go batshit crazy and murder some prostitutes.

American Pyscho
The best book to film adaptation of all time. Christian Bale's performance is outstanding.

There Will Be Blood
"Draaaaaaaaaaainage". This film has faults, for one Paul Dano is probably too young an actor to play Eli, and number two Day-Lewis is majorly OTT in the Nicholson sense, but Anderson's visionary direction is sublime, you can practically feel the oil gushing from the screen.


George Oscar Bluth II

Up

The Departed

The Lives of Others

In Bruges (Surprised this had already been mentioned, actually.)

No Country for Old Men

niat

Children of Men - Just stunning; awesome set pieces, great atmosphere and the best Michael Caine performance I've seen.

No Country for Old Men - My previous favourite Coen brothers film was Miller's Crossing, but this may just top it.

The Dark Knight - I loved it first time at the cinema. Saw it on IMAX and it was even better, and it's just as good on DVD. Best comic adaptation evah.

Pan's Labrynth  - Visually sumptuous and has a really nasty edge to the "real" parts that really adds to the escapist elements of the fantasy sequences.

A History of Violence - Viggo Mortensen is this decade's DeNiro, and this is probably his best performance.


Honourable mentions should probably go to Wall-E, Up, in fact all of Pixar's output (yes, including Cars), Lord of the Rings, Oldboy, Audition, The Last King of Scotland etc etc etc




I still have a pile of DVDs to watch, such as There Will Be Blood and In Bruges, so that is subject to change.

lipsink

1. Memento

2. Mulholland Drive

3. The Dark Knight

4. No Country For Old Men

5. Brick


I'll probably change my mind in a few weeks though. I need to see Hidden, The Lives of Others, and watch Pan's Labrynth properly all the way through, which all seem to keep getting mentioned on these lists.

klaatu!

5. In the Mood For Love
A film where everything comes together perfectly: beautifully shot by Christopher Doyle, great performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, gorgeous music, and very well handled by Wong Kar-Wai. Evocative, romantic and nostalgic, but never overbearing.

4. Let the Right One In
A vampire film that is less about sex and death and more to do with kinship, dealing with loneliness and coming of age (and it's up there with The Spirit of the Beehive in that respect). The storytelling is low-key and ambiguous, yet it's brimming with ideas and originality. The two leads are also excellent.

3. Punch-Drunk Love
In which Paul Thomas Anderson turns the romantic comedy genre on its head. It's a stupidly ambitious piece of filmmaking, full of some incredible set pieces (the first scene in the movie had me staring open-mouthed at the screen), wonderful dialogue, and some really great design work (the costumes, the colours and the sets are all great - any frame of the movie could be hung up on the wall). And extra credit must also go to Jon Brion for composing one of the most frenetic, manic, breathtaking scores ever.

2. There Will Be Blood
I was reluctant to include two P.T. Anderson films in my list, but he's best director working today so fuck it. Like PDL, TWBB is a ridiculously ambitious film and a real technical achievement. It's a brilliantly designed and realised 'world'; a depiction of early 1900s America that appears familiar and archetypal, yet feels eerie and peculiar. It's a film in which time seems to flow haphazardly, characters arrive and leave unannounced (Henry's brother), and the whole film feels chaotic and unpredictable. Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack certainly helps cement this feeling of chaos, much like Brion's PDL score. And of course, Daniel Day Lewis is tremendous.

1. Ghost World
Funny, satirical, ambiguous, a gorgeous soundtrack, wonderful performances from Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi, and brilliantly written and directed with an astonishing attention to detail. I can't think of another film that tackles contemporary culture and 'the generation of irony' as savagely and incisively, and it's certainly the best film about teenage ennui I've ever seen.

Other notable mentions: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Dead Man's Shoes, Wall-E, Pan's Labyrinth, Caché, Man On Wire, The Lives of Others.

Artemis

In no particular order:

Punch Drunk Love
Odd, off-beat, beautiful cinematography and weirdly captivating. The one movie Sandler plays someone off the beaten track but actually does it perfectly and pretty much straight. Also one of the very few movies to make me laugh and cry at the same time. An exceptional piece of art.

The Magdalene Sisters
Powerful and hard hitting, and worthy of being seen by everyone. Buy the region 1 DVD and get the Channel 4 documentary that inspired it as an extra. This is bleak, depressing stuff and another shameful chapter in the history of the corrupt Catholic church. Great performances, but what'll really get you is the 'based on fact'ness of it all.

Ghost World
I'm so glad this got a mention. This movie almost defines the concept of being multi-layered. On the surface a teen comedy, but it's so much deeper than that, tackling angst, irony, ambition and self-loathing. Birch and Buscemi are both wonderful. A hidden cracker of a movie.

Mulholland Drive
A true masterpiece. It all makes sense somehow, but the first time I saw it I sat there shaking my head in mystery. Is part of it a dream? No, I don't think so. The explanation I prefer is too long winded to go into (I've linked to it before, but can't find it now) but the whole thing is just awe-inspiring filmmaking.

Sideways
A movie about one man's battle with moving on, alcohol, and self-acceptance. Funny, moving, and Giamatti's finest acting moment to date and best character since Pig Vomit. The moment Miles goes to make a move on Maya, that entire scene, is just wonderfully scripted and acted.

Lee

Oh God, I completely forgot about No Country For Old Men. That can go in at number 2.

Serge

To save me typing it all out again, I'll just link to my post in the similar 'Films 2000-2009' thread:
http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=22342.msg1186878#msg1186878

JPA

A few people mentioning In Bruges, think I might have to pick that up at some point.

Oh I thought American Psycho was from 99. Definitely one of my films of the decade, possibly I'll put Revengers Tragedy as an honorable mention instead.

Re: The Departed, I would've counted it one of my films of the decade, and it does have strong performances and good tension, but I rewatched it recently having watched all of The Wire, and it seems a bit stupid. The police see someone throw a high ranking policeman off a building and do nothing? And a policeman's file can be permanently deleted with one click? Those are just two that spring to mind but there was a lot of that sort of annoyance. Plus Ray Winstone's accent, how was that allowed?

phes

1)Mulholland drive
2)Man on wire
3)Cloudy with a chance of meatballs - Just the best kids animation by a mile. Definitely a much better film than Up and Wall-e -  I watched all 3 in cinemas at early showings, so they were full of kids, and CWACOM was best received by far.
4)Ratatouille
5)Dancer in the Dark - Hardly subtle but still screwed me right up. Watched it on a night shift at work and just sat in silence for about 4 hours afterward.

I'd like to have put a Bourne film in but I couldn't decide between them. Up and Wall-e lose out on account of being so lop sided and frustrating. Despite how beautiful Up was at times is was just a boring load of crashing and banging.

Artemis

I agree with phes about Up/. Moments of pure transcendent loveliness, but a lot of stuff that was just quite good, too. Ratatouille, though? I seem to be one of the few that didn't have much time for NCFOM here. I loved 'There Will Be Blood' but the former just dragged for me and I never really clicked with the lead character. Seems weird that Gladiator was this decade, doesn't it.