FORTY FILMS OF THE DECADE: Part 1

It’s tough for me to imagine a time when I wasn’t enthralled by movies. It’s a total experience, being transported to a new world with new characters and new stories. But more than anything, films encourage you to open your mind, broaden your views, and trust in your imagination. 

I won’t sit here and pretend I’ve seen that many films over the past decade. On the contrary, I’ve really only seen the ones from the local theater (with a couple indie darlings sprinkled in throughout the years). And obviously, this is a completely subjective - and at times, slightly arbitrary - ranking of my personal favorites. But throughout my most informative years, these films have made a lasting impression on me in one way or another. In turn, they have not only shaped the person I am today, but also impacted my outlook on life around me. So without further ado, let’s dive in and take a stroll down memory lane...

#40: Up (2009) - Directed by Pete Docter

I enjoy animated movies as much as the next guy but rarely do I label them my “favorite.” And yet, when it came to Up, I couldn’t deny its placement on this list. It has laughs (Dug’s attempt at a joke!), it has adventure (the blimp!), and most of all, it has heart. And not much beats the heart at the center of this odd couple adventure dramedy. Surely, Ellie’s final photo album farewell to Carl left not a single dry eye in the house. This scene was the ultimate proof that emotions run deepest in the simplest forms; and that you don’t need real people to evoke real tears.

My Favorite Line: I was hiding under your porch because I love you! - Dug

#39: Road to Perdition (2002) - Directed by Sam Mendes

A haiku:

Great ol’ gangster flick,

Greater tale of redemption.

Hanks, Law, and Craig shine.

My Favorite Line: This is the life we chose, the life we lead. And there is only one guarantee: none of us will see Heaven. – John Rooney

#38: Children of Men (2006) - Directed by Alfonso Cuaron 

The dystopian future sci-fi vehicle has been done to death. But somehow, Cuaron is able to infuse Children of Men with a breath of fresh air. What really sets this apart from other imitators is its raw cinematography, propelling the entire grit-laden story with a visceral immediacy that forces you to keep up. (If you don’t believe me, check out the final city raid – a sequence nearly 8 minutes without a discernible cut – and then get back to me.) But more than that, I admire this film for its portrayal of our modern fears – oppressive governments, depletion of resources, and the public’s relinquishing of freedom – and the sobering lens through which Cuaron seems to argue that this future we’re watching may not be all that fictionalized if we continue down the road we’re on.

My Favorite Line: I can't really remember when I last had any hope, and I certainly can't remember when anyone else did either. Because really, since women stopped being able to have babies, what's left to hope for? - Theo

#37: The Ring (2002) - Directed by Gore Verbinski

This is a film that I appreciate and want to like more than I actually enjoy. This isn’t because I don’t love its suffocating atmosphere or unrelenting grimness; it’s actually because it does such a superb job of creating real scares – I’m talking about the kind of shivers that you get days later when you’re reminded of something, anything, from the film – and avoiding cheap thrills like shit jumping out of the dark. It’s the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of. And the kind of stuff that is the toughest to muster but greatest to experience. Oh, and it’s set in Seattle.

My Favorite Line: My wife was not supposed to have a child! - Richard Morgan

#36: Minority Report (2002) - Directed by Steven Spielberg 

In less talented hands, this could have devolved into a jumbled mess of half-baked ideas and illogical twists. Instead, Spielberg constructs a taut neo-noir conspiracy thriller that never loses focus on the emotional core of its characters. I love the themes at work here: running from the past, seeing what you want vs. what actually is, and the idea of relinquishing certainty only to discover something uncertain. This is Spielberg in his trademark blockbuster form, transporting us to a world full of danger, suspense, and if we’re lucky, even a few surprises.

My Favorite Line: In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. – Lycon

#35: The King’s Speech (2010) - Directed by Tom Hooper

A haiku:

Uplifting drama,

Never seen Monarchs like this.

Firth is dynamite.

My Favorite Line: Timing isn’t my strong suit. – King George VI

#34: Inglourious Basterds (2009) - Directed by Quentin Tarantino 

I’m not a Tarantino fan. And that’s putting it mildly. But I also can’t deny the truth: Inglourious Basterds was the most kick-ass fictional-WWII-Nazi-hunting-vengeance story I’ve ever seen. This is a brilliantly taut exercise in dialogue, action, and mood. And just when you think the setup for bloodshed and impending violence couldn’t get any more unbearable, Tarantino unleashes the ferociousness by the bucket loads. But the reason I like this film isn’t necessarily its brutality or characters; it’s the fact that Tarantino is so ostensibly beyond himself here. This isn’t a masturbatory everyone-look-at-me movie geek extravaganza (which all of his other films are); it’s a testament to the power of mediums, the propaganda of ideas, and the love of cinema. And like when Lieutenant Aldo Raine cheekily looks into the camera lens to check his final handiwork, I can’t help but think that this movie just might be Tarantino’s masterpiece.

My Favorite Line: Wait for the crème. – Colonel Hans Landa

#33: Lars and the Real Girl (2007) - Directed by Craig Gillespie 

It’s a premise that borders on laughable, if not disgust: a man orders himself an anatomically correct sex doll and begins dating her. But before you discount this movie, I urge you to give it an honest shot. You will not find it as preposterous as it sounds by the end. Chances are, you may even shed a tear before the credits roll. It’s a testament to the odd-kilter writing, devoted acting, and pitch perfect direction of this little gem of a movie, treated with the sincerest of emotions and most earnest of intentions. This is a gloriously sad ode to the power of acceptance and the importance of community. This is my favorite Ryan Gosling movie to date.

My Favorite Line: They’re fake so they’ll never die. – Lars

#32: Training Day (2001) - Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Released only a few weeks after the events of 9/11, Training Day only gained more relevancy as the nation reeled from the feeling of genuine terror, its population teetering back and forth between feelings of disgust (“Nuke the bastards!”) and logic (“Try them in the court of law!”). It is in this uncomfortable gray zone which this film operates; is LA narcotics detective Alonzo Harris a saint or a criminal, a sheep or a wolf? Or perhaps both? Are his methods (and our methods, by proxy) acceptable if the job gets done, regardless of legality? And if we ultimately win with savagery, do we still lose?

My Favorite Line: King Kong ain’t got shit on me! – Alonzo Harris

#31: Synecdoche, New York (2008) - Directed by Charlie Kaufman 

Not unlike his lead character in the film, Kaufman tries to craft something both intimate and grandiose in Synecdoche, New York, a film that cannot be seen as anything less than a simulacrum of his own creative career. It attempts to encapsulate everything. And by everything, I mean everything. Take the title for instance: it’s a play on Schenectady, New York. But more than that, “synecdoche” is a literary term that is close to “metaphor,” but not quite. It’s when a part of something stands for the whole but – stay with me – also when the whole of something actually just means a part of it. Confused? That doesn’t even scratch the surface of this movie. Kaufman tries to do something spectacular here; but try as he might – and trust me, this film contains some ostentatious ideas about art, love, freewill, and death – this is not a perfect film. It’s long, convoluted, puzzling, and strangely alienating. But in these imperfections, I see a work of art whose reach exceeds its grasp. And that is not a dishonorable thing.

My Favorite Line: It’s a big decision – how one prefers to die. - Realtor

That's it for now. Stay tuned for #30-#21 - coming soon!