30 Best of the Decade

I'm not a huge fan of competing art forms, but I'd like to point out what films left me feeling something beyond simple entertainment. Yes, I love walking into the theater bored and leaving with a new-found energy, but what these movies did to me was quite extraordinary. I decided on the number 30 for the reason that if I mentioned every single movie that did that to me, no one would want to read everything. So, I'll keep this as short as possible, and here, in alphabetical order, are what I found to be the 30 best of the decade.

1. Adaptation.
What this movie achieves is a comedy based on the human mind, Charlie Kaufman's best territory. What starts as one of the most original films to date ends on an unbelievably cliche note. It may seem odd and strikes many viewers that way, but the movie is about something adapting to its environment. In today's "Transformer" climate, Adaptation is forced into that mindset. This is one of my all-time favorites. Buy it here.

2. Atonement
I hate love-fueled drama stories, but this one actually has bite. You believe the connection between the couple, but that isn't the movie's primary focus. The girl who causes their relationship to take a detour must live with what she did because she didn't understand what was happening. Buy it here.

3. Bowling for Columbine
I'm sure that after Fahrenheit 9/11 your mind is already made up about Michael Moore, but this film (even if its focus is a little too scattershot to take on one viewing alone) resonates and causes us to face the demons of why exactly tragic events such as the infamous school shooting at Columbine took place without offering the universal solution we'd all like to have. For those wondering who the finger is pointed at, it should be no surprise that it isn't Marilyn Manson, violence in video games and movies, or drug usage but the news media. American news is so overly sensationalized that it should be no wonder why most Americans live in fear. Buy it here.

4. Brokeback Mountain
Ah yes, the "gay cowboy movie." First off, that is a GROSS oversimplification. This film is an analysis of social roles, asking us why we should force people to conform to what we believe is normal. Take some time to review that last sentence carefully, and let's focus on the last part: what we believe is normal. Buy it here.

5. Chicago
This fascinating and thrilling musical is a shot of pure adrenaline. The original stage version (my first Broadway show, with Huey Lewis as Billy Flinn) was done with a major emphasis on the comedy, but the film keeps the satire fresh, that the best way to get away with murder is to get famous. And yes, the music will be stuck in your head, and you'll be left wanting more, more, more. Buy it here.

6. Crash
It seemed that in 2005 the general thought was to take the two frontrunners for Best Picture (Crash and Brokeback Mountain) and love one while hating the other. That's just unfair and unnecessary; both are excellent films. Crash keeps its focus steady, causing its many storylines to crash into each other (yeah, we ALL get it). Everything doesn't get tied up in the end, but the final feeling after the emotional devastation of one simple scene (if you saw it, you know exactly what I'm talking about) is one of hope and understanding while remaining stirred. Buy it here.

7. The Dark Knight
Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know the drill; if you don't put The Dark Knight on your "Best" list wherever it's eligible, you get hate. However, this is one film that took what could have been a standard superhero story and flipped it on its ear, creating an Oscar-winning villain (although it was understood that this would be Heath Ledger's year- no exceptions) while continuing to explore the depths of a great character. You'll definitely be entertained, but some will leave with much more. Buy it here.

8. The Departed
Scorsese can direct a movie, God knows, but the punch behind the absolutely brilliant concept of cops and criminals ("When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?") never gets old and remains suspenseful and thrilling. I haven't watched the Hong Kong original, but what I understand the movie does is simply borrow ideas rather than make an attempt to redo things for an American audience. Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the finest actors working today, and this movie solidified my love for his skill. It flows like a Guinness draft and stings like a bullet wound. Buy it here.

9. Doubt
What does gossip do to us? While it is never revealed whether or not Father Flynn is guilty or innocent, what makes me chuckle is that everyone who watched the movie leans one way or another. Admittedly, I think I know what happened, but the fun from the movie came from that. Meryl Streep (who I believe should have taken home two Oscars in two years for this and Julie and Julia) takes her character and makes her quite a tragic figure, one that is so afraid that what happened in the past will repeat itself that she forces her own certainty. Amy Adams gives a stunning performance as a sister trying to battle her own desire for peace, Phillip Seymour Hoffman continues his stance as one of the best actors who ever lived by only giving us momentary glimpses into who Flynn really is, and Viola Davis...oh my God. Just watch what she does with around 10 minutes of screentime. Buy it here.

10. Gosford Park
The "Mansion Murder Mystery" is a genre that I wish to see more of (I'm in the process of writing my own), and the darkly funny Gosford Park never lets up. A bastard with what for most people would be a regrettable past is murdered twice in the same night. You read that correctly. He is poisoned by one and stabbed by another, but what two people would have the drive to commit such an act? Helen Mirren gives such a resonating performance that the sheer power of her final scenes is enough to floor you, and Maggie Smith is a goddess of deadpan. Both were Oscar-nominated and the script took home the gold, and the fact that the camera never quits moving in the mansion allows us to feel like guests. Treat yourself to brilliance. Buy it here.

11. The Hours
Virginia Woolf is not an easy character to possess, and the beautiful novel upon which the film is based carries the theme of transcendence through time. The movie nails every moment as Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep try to battle with the times. This, along with Atonement, is a film that should be standard material for film students wishing to learn how to properly adapt a perfect novel. It can be done. Buy it here.

12. In the Bedroom
It would be tremendously unfair for me to reveal the plot twist that causes every wheel to spin into action, but what I will say is that this film is unmistakable in its portrayal of two parents (the priceless Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson...when will Tom take home his overdue award?!?) trying to come to terms with their only child (Nick Stahl, reliably great) coming into a serious relationship with a divorced woman with two young boys (Oscar-winner Marissa Tomei...and count me among the few that felt she deserved her statue for My Cousin Vinny). There's nothing more I will reveal except that this is a master class in filmmaking. Buy it here.

13. In the Loop
I can't hype this film enough. If you're capable of understanding a movie that combines both British and American laughs, then treat yourself to the best political satire since Dr. Strangelove. The plot is a little complicated, but the cast is up to game with their eccentric characters, especially Peter Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker, a foul-mouthed Scot whose character the entire screenplay was based upon. Buy it here.

14. King Kong
I don't often feel that remakes are called for, but this one takes the original concept of something we didn't understand (the embodiment of The Great Depression) tragically climbing the symbol for hope in times of uncertainty (The Empire State Building) and works wonders with it. Instead of symbolizing The Great Depression, Kong instead seems to resemble the environment. However, this time, as my father told me, it wasn't "beauty [that] killed the beast," but greed and exploitation. Also, this won the Oscar for visual effects, so even if you don't like some of my favorite "thinkin' pictures," you'll be entertained. Buy it here.

15. Knocked Up
The romantic comedy genre is not one that has much going for it, but everything works here. Reportedly, the movie had a tiny screenplay, so the actors were to create their characters first and worry about dialogue later. This may not work in most movies, but there wasn't another way in this case. It flows, it never takes the easy way out with drama (no complications with the pregnancy or other obvious dramatic standards), and ultimately keeps the focus on the characters. It is touching, raunchy, and tells a wonderful story. Buy it here.

16. Little Children
Next to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this is Kate Winslet's best performance. The story of a married house-husband in one household and unhappy wife in another having an affair isn't exactly new, but there are several factors that make this a perfect film. One is that the acting is beyond superb, Two would be the very real concept that sometimes fantasies in our minds are fantasies for a reason, and Three would be the supporting actor Jackie Earle Haley embodying an unbelievably difficult role. He is an older man with a psychosexual disorder living with his mother while trying to find peace after becoming a registered sex offender. The film dares to give us sympathy for him, relying on the belief that people don't try to be evil. Buy it here.

17. Little Miss Sunshine
This movie redefined my love for modern comedy. The quirky cast (all aces once again) let their characters' wills be seen, and as the drama unfolds and the laughs knock you the hell out, we're left with a portrait of a real modern family. If you haven't watched it yet, just do it already. Buy it here.

18. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
I can't just pick one, and I'd have to throw out two others on this list to name all three, and I didn't feel like doing that. This mega-budget blockbuster became a cultural phenomenon while securing Peter Jackson's place in our hearts. The Hobbit is planned for two movies, and after seeing the trilogy, I could use more of this. The finale wraps up every single loose end, even the ones I forgot about, and contains probably some of the best battle sequences ever filmed. I don't want to throw plot at you because you probably already know it, and if you don't, just check them all out. Buy it here.

19. Lost in Translation
Sophia Copolla won a couple Razzies for her acting in The Godfather: Part 3, but no one would think that of her directing skill after seeing this masterpiece on public isolation. Bill Murray gives what I believe should have been an Oscar-winner (sorry Sean Penn, this doesn't mean I dislike you or think you're unworthy) as an actor with one or two too-many braindead blockbusters taking a trip to Japan to film a whiskey commercial. He meets Scarlett Johansson, and the two form an immediate bond. It isn't a love connection, but they see each other as lonely souls in need of a friend. Johansson is epic in this film, and after seeing the movie, I keep anxiously awaiting her next tour-de-force. Buy it here.

20. Michael Clayton
Clooney can play a character like Michael Clayton like no actor I've ever seen, nailing every nuance, every look, every second. I couldn't shake the sheer power of this vision of a "janitor." Tilda Swinton shows what supporting performances are made of by painting a picture of someone who is inherently average and not special in any way attempting to be a villain. I was fascinated by everything the movie has to offer from the incompetent hitmen to Tom Wilkinson's brilliant and passionate performance as a man like Clooney who stops taking his medication to begin to see the world in which he has placed himself. This movie hit me like a cannon to the gut. Buy it here.

21. Milk
Sean Penn is a wonderful actor who has cemented his reputation as playing the straight, conflicted man in a dominantly masculine context, but here, he plays the flamboyant Harvey Milk fighting for gay rights. "You gotta give 'em hope," he says. Well, this entertaining biopic gave me hope for an accepting society. Buy it here.

22. No Country for Old Men
What is death? The Co-bros' take on the archaic western was perfectly cast, thrilling, and crafted the scariest villain since Hannibal Lecter. If you don't know anything about the movie, just see it. It'll be studied and only gets better with time. Buy it here.

23. The Queen
What was quite a risk for all involved became a touching look into what happened behind closed doors during one of the most tragic events this decade. Helen Mirren's unflinching portrayal of The Queen reportedly caused many key grips and other backstage workers to snap into good posture. After all, they were in the presence of one of the greatest performances of all time. Buy it here.

24. The Savages
Two older siblings come to the realization that they must take care of their father who never much cared for them. After he writes the word, "Prick" on the wall with his feces and his live-in girlfriend dies, they must take him back to their town of Buffalo, NY and find a suitable assisted living environment for him. However, the two siblings are not exactly great people. Wendy Savage (Laura Linney's Oscar-nominated performance and as I believe, what should have won) steals supplies from her temp jobs while trying to get her mediocre plays published. She came up negative for cancer, but she still treats it as an area in which she can exploit for sympathy. John Savage (Phillip Seymour Hoffman...whose performances in films never disappoint) can't commit to his international girlfriend and cries when she makes him eggs. His draft of a book on Bertolt Brecht is still in progress as he teaches theater at a university. Phillip Bosco's performance as their father was overlooked that particular year, but you shouldn't do the same. This is one of the top films of the decade. Buy it here.

25. A Serious Man
I wrote a four-star review on this film. If you have questions, check it out. There will be a later post on my "findings." Just watch the damn movie already! Buy it here.

26. There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson seems to have made a movie that is somewhat contrary to his style (large casts with intercepting storylines in such films as "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia"), but everything works even better here. This is not an easy film to understand or take as the anti-hero is someone that makes it impossible to sympathize with. The film based on Upton Sinclair's novel, "Oil!," has a certain timeless feel to it. Buy it here.

27. Traffic
Drug trafficking is the subject of Stephen Soderbergh's tale of coincidences and irony in this complex film. Michael Douglass stars as a conservative judge who discovers that his daughter is a drug addict, but the power doesn't stop there. A hitman, an Italian housewife whose husband has been arrested for the title crime, two Mexican drug enforcement cops, two DEA agents, and many others combine to make a film with only gray characters, never black and white. Buy it here.

28. Tropic Thunder
This very, very, very funny take on Hollywood takes risks (Robert Downey, Jr.'s Oscar-nominated part is probably the biggest) but also gives several actors a much needed jump-start into a better career. Ben Stiller's screenplay and acting will roll you in the aisles, and Tom Cruise will amaze you. RDJ had the unfortunate luck of being nominated for this the same year Heath Ledger for "The Dark Knight," but his performance cements his reputation for being one of the best living actors, especially in comedy. Buy it here.

29. Up
I'm not much for animation, but this movie couldn't be done in any other way. The screenplay is hilarious and touching without telling you how you should be feeling. The honesty present in this highly entertaining film is more than I'm used to. Buy it here.

30. Up in the Air
What I felt was the best film of last season walked away empty-handed. This is a movie that speaks for the time in which we live currently, one of uncertainty. Clooney is able to do another one of his epic portrayals of a man attempting to run from his life, and the star-making performances of Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are enough to give this movie its due. Also, it's by Jason Reitman, the man behind Juno and Thank You For Smoking, so you know it'll be amazing. Buy it here.