It’s been a pretty good decade.
*note: I know there are a lot of great films I haven’t seen that should probably be on this list (i.e. There Will Be Blood)
**2nd note: James Camerons “Avatar” will NOT be on the list because a)I haven’t seen it and b) whatever
Written/Directed by: Richard Kelly
I actually saw this movie the very first weekend it came out, WAY before it skyrocketed to cult classic fame and they re-released the Directors Cut in theaters and all that. I’m only pointing that out because I went through an ebb and flow with the film: LOVED it and was mildly obsessed with it at first, hated how trendy and popular it got, then watched it again on Thanksgiving and remembered that it was actually a really good first movie for Richard Kelly. It’s weird, smart, funny, and has a great score. Unfortunately, Richard Kelly is too weird for his own good and hasn’t produced anything worthwhile since.
19. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
Directed by: Peter Care ; Written by: Jeff Stockwell & Mike Petroni (screenplay)
Easily one of the most underrated movies in the last 10 years. I can’t believe people still don’t know about this gem! Basically, it’s a ‘coming-of-age’ story about 4 boys in the South during the 70s who escape their repressive Catholic school by creating this comic book with them as superheros in it. Kieran Culkin is wonderful in it, as usual and it switches back and forth between real life and the animated life they want to live in the pages of their comic book. And all the comic book stuff is done by Todd MacFarlane!
18. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Directed by: Marc Webb ; Written By: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
Okay, hear me out on this one folks. I’m not ashamed to say I loved this movie. It had all the indie movie standards: boy-meets-girl love story, awkward boy, manic pixie dream girl, indie music and all that. But it wasn’t annoying! It was actually really good! It laughed at itself at times and was cute, but not the point of saturation. It dealt with something almost all of us can relate to. Plus, I adore Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Directed by: Ang Lee ; Written By : Marry McMurtry (screenplay), Annie Proulx (story)
This was an important movies in terms of stretching cinematic boundries. It made people uncomfortable, but that is why it was important. I know it showed me how far we’ve come, in regards to gay rights and social acceptance, but really how far we have to go too. Beyond that, it was a very well acted movie and was beautifully shot.
Directed By: Fernando Meirelles ; Written By: Braulio Mantovani (screenplay) , Paulo Lins (novel)
This is a movie that, if you haven’t seen it yet, put it on your Netflix and get it immediately. Visually poetic and beautifully told.
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp ; Written By: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
I went into this movie knowing a lot about how it was made, but not nowing what to expect really. It blew me away. First of all, this guy was supposed to do the Halo movie, but after it fell through, Peter Jackson basically gave him $30 million to make whatever he wanted; that’s how District 9 came to be. Also, the lead guy had absolutely no acting experience whatsoever and he was phenomenal! The message, of course, is important too and told in a pretty brillant way.
14. A History of Violence (2005)
Directed By: David Cronenberg ; Written By: Josh Olsen (screenplay) , John Wagner & Vince Locke (graphic novel)
This is definitely one of the better movies adapted from graphic novels out there; and this is a powerhouse of a graphic novel on it’s own. The film really did the work justice and Cronenberg was a really perfect fit for the subject matter.
Directed By: Stephen Frears ; Written By: Nick Hornby (book) , D.V. DeVincentis & John Cusack & Steve Pink and Scott Rosenberg (Screenplay)
This movie holds a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons, but mostly because I am Rob Gordon, more or less. Of course, his record collection is light years beyond what mine is. But I also love how much the story took on a new identity when they moved it from England, where it takes place in the book, to Chicago; but it didn’t take away anything from the characters or the plot or any of it.
12. Watchmen (2009)
Directed By: Zac Snyder ; Written By: David Hayter & Alex Tse (Screenplay) , Dave Gibbons (graphic novel illustrations) & Alex Ross (uncredited, of course)
Listen, it wasn’t a perfect movie. There was a lot I loved about it and a lot I didn’t like. But the point is that I never thought I would see this movie get made, and maybe it shouldn’t have been made, but either case the aughts was the decade a Watchmen movie was made and that is pretty significant…to a nerd, at least.
Written/Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
I feel like this movie never got the credit it deserved because it was the sophmore movie of the “guy who made The Sixth Sense” and nothing would ever be able to live up to the response that movie got. On top of that, woven into the central theme of the movie is that of comic books. It’s a mythology and a world that not everyone understands. I found it to be an incredible interesting and creative take on the super-hero/super-villian relationship.
Directed By: James Marsh ; Written By: Philippe Petit (book)
This is a documentary about a French tightrope walker who set up a tightrope between the twin towers and walked across it for over 45 minutes back in the 70s. It’s a beautiful story about a man living out his dream, no matter what, but it’s also a really well done documentary about his life and how they actually pulled off the WTC high wire walk. Even though you know the outcome, the story is still suspenseful.
Directed By : Christopher Nolan ; Written By: Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story & screenplay) & Christopher Nolan (screenplay)
This movie completely upped the ante for comic book movies. Nolan was able to take on the multiple layers that is Batmans world and resurrect a franchise. Best of all, Nolan really proved that he understand who Batman is and what Gotham is really like. Bonus points: turned Chicago into the *new* Gotham.
Directed By: Martin Scorsese ; Written By: William Monahan (screenplay) , Alan Mak & Felix Chong (2002 screenplay Mou gaan dou)
I’m not going to lie: I never really liked Scorsese. In fact, I thought he was one of the most overhyped directors in the business. He won me over with The Aviator and then signed me up to his fan club with The Departed. It’s fast paced but balanced, hilarious at times, and then brutually violent at others. Leonardo Dicaprio, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin doing Boston accents. DONE. AMAZING.
Directed By: Robert Rodriquez & Frank Miller ; Written By: Frank Miller (graphic novels)
There is really no other way this movie could have existed. It HAD to be done this way. The only issue I ever took with the movie was that it was mostly just lifted verbatim from the book and a lot of that language sounded silly when actually SPOKEN by people, instead of just reading it in word bubbles. But visually, it was amazing and was really fun to watch as a fan of the books.
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky ; Written By: Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel
I kind of don’t know where to start with why I loved this film so much. It’s a very heavy film that really makes you think; it’s not a movie to put on for background noise. I love films that affect me hours, or even days, after I’ve seen them. Visually, it’s not only beautiful but interesting to look at. It was especially interesting to find out that Aronofsky used micro-photography of chemical reactions on tiny petri dishes instead of CGI. The score by Clint Mansell, one of my favorites, is haunting and brillant.
And now…the Top 5….
Directed By: Alfonso Cuaron ; Written by: Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton & David Arata & Mark Fegus and Hawk Ostby (screenplay) , P.D. James (novel)
A beautifully done, haunting portrayl of a dystopian world where humans can no longer procreate. Cuaron does a great job of putting you right in the center, so that you can’t be torn away from the reality of the world for even a moment. Some of the best camera work I’ve seen in a long time.
4. Brick (2005)
Written/Directed By: Rian Johnson
Noir is my #1 favorite genre of film. And sometimes what I enjoy even more than classic noir is a modern take on it. Enter: Rian Johnsons’ “Brick.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt is our “detective”, Brendan, who is investigating the death of his ex-girlfriend. The whole movie is set in a Southern California High School. If you are a fan of noir and you haven’t seen this, I guarentee you will enjoy.
Directed By: Christopher Nolan ; Written by: Christopher Nolan (screenplay) & Jonathan Nolan (short story “Memento Mori”)
Brillantly original. I think this is the only movie I’ve ever seen in my life that I was silent during the whole thing. Nolan deconstructed traditional cinematic storytelling in a nearly flawless manner, never making the audience feel jarred unless he wanted them too.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Directed By: Michel Gondry ; Written by: Charlie Kaufman(screenplay), Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth (story)
This is one of the most overall perfect movies I’ve ever seen. It’s touching, it’s different, it’s so visually creative, it has some really powerful performances and yet it still deals with one of, if not the most, common themes in film: love and heartbreak.
Directed By : Mary Harron ; Written By : Bret Easton Ellis (novel) , Mary Harron & Guinevere Turner (screenplay)
Obviously. ;)
