Films of the Decade: 2000s

Our penultimate week on this endeavour draws us into a new century and what a century it has been so far, film-wise and other-wise. Let’s get on with it.

15. What Lies Beneath (Zemeckis, 2000)

Credit

2000's What Lies Beneath, the perfect thriller of our era. It will come as no surprise to any fan of Hitchcock’s work that Zemeckis was a Hitchcock fan himself, as a matter of fact, I have always found this film to be the most apt when people refer to modern day Hitchcockian fare. Clark Gregg’s screenplay is a taut and ever-twisting work of suspense excellence and in the hands of Zemeckis, the film becomes a more than worthy supernatural thriller that pitches itself tonally perfect and never alleviates it’s tension or it’s horror. Ford and Pfeiffer are both just sensational in their roles, both having ample time to subvert their own characters later in the film. An ever re-watchable stunning success. 

14. Inglorious Basterds (Tarantino, 2009)

Credit

It has often been commented how apt the closing line of this film is, “You know somethin’, Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece!” There’s no doubt in my mind that this is a masterpiece, but I would dare to comment that later Tarantino fare has topped Inglourious Basterds in my eyes, but that’s for a later list. Here we have a piece of work so tremendously difficult, so ingeniously constructed that I believe Tarantino takes the pulpy elements of his middle career works, takes the great dramas of his earlier career, imbues them with the historical commentary of his latest works and comes out with an overt seminal piece of war-filmmaking, and ultimately a comment on the medium of film itself. But it is in the constant subversion of what we perceive to be a war film that leads to this film’s greatest successes, focusing in on the private conversations in small rooms, rather than the grand sweeping epic vistas. Zoning in on the unsung anti-heroes and daring to humanise an immoral Nazi, albeit a humanisation based upon the poor entertainment value of Christoph Waltz performance.

13. American Psycho (Harron, 2000)

Credit

This 2000 adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s perverted genius piece of writing is frankly one of the better film adaptations of a literary work I’ve ever seen. With Harron lifting the horror and the satire of the novel and solidifying it,whilst losing some of the intentional looseness of the piece, but highlighting the novels most direct themes. Themes of isolation, themes of desperation, themes of violence, themes of self-obsession and themes of consumerism in the modern world. All dealt with such a deft hand that it leads to the film being a more enriching experience than the book ever was, for me at least. But the real winner here is Christian Bale, so delicately dark and downright hilarious as Patrick Bateman, warned that taking the role would be undoubted career suicide, he developed from Ellis and with Harron a character so fiercely terrifying and so desperately charismatic that he remains a cinematic enigma to this day.

12. Hot Fuzz (Wright, 2007)

Credit

We take our first trip to the incredible year of 2007 for one of the best British comedies of the past twenty years, 'Hot Fuzz'. The undisputed best of the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg/Nick Frost Cornetto trilogy has everything that makes the trilogy as good as it is. A flawless up-ending of a classic genre, here it’s the cop movie of the late 80’s/early 90’s. A perfect amalgamation of different comedic influences; broad American influences, dynamic visual aspects, purely British wit, a more northern droll British nature – all of which blend to make a dynamite comedy effort with an all around stellar supporting cast. The film is nothing short of a thorough treat for fans of comedy, action or British character actors. Just a pure delight.

11. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Dominick, 2007)

Credit

One of the great American epics of our time, a flawless depiction of obsession deconstructing laws of myth and story-telling with a timeless edge. Andrew Dominick does what every epic should, giving us some of the most daring epic visuals of vistas we have ever seen, whilst never losing the focus on the smaller moments, zoning in on the personal and the profound. The cast is all perfect, sprawling from Sheppard to Affleck to Pitt to Rockwell to Dillahunt to Renner, the film excels itself at every turn. All shot through Deakins eye, the film stands alone as one the most beautiful, visionary and well written westerns since Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and will be one I feel that will claim this tile more definitely in the future.

10. Burn After Reading (The Coen brothers, 2008)

Credit

The Coen’s best comedy film, in my mind anyway. I think that with all of the Coen’s film a subversive and understated, and often dark humour, is always present, but I feel that Burn After Reading might just be there purest comedy, along with the works of Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski. But what links all of those films is the typical underlying Coen commentary about themes far larger than these little stories would normally allow. Here the realms of chance and stupidity lead to an ungodly amount of death and misery, with what can only be described as a hilarious bout of complications. We simultaneously stand back from it all and take stock of our characters and where they are, whilst also being right in the middle of the heart of their dilemmas. Clooney, Pitt and Malkovich all steal the show, taking over every scene they star in with such majestic prowess that it astounds me every time. Pair this with McDormand, Jenkins, Swinton and Simmons and you have what I declare to be the Coens' second greatest film of the decade, with their top ranking appearing later in the list.

9. Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton & Faris, 2006)

Credit

I have noticed in writing these articles that perhaps it was here in the decade of 2000s where we hit our stride in the world of dramadies, another fine example of this would be with Little miss sunshine, from one of the best scripts of the decade by Michael Arndt, we follow the typical dysfunctional family on the way to a beauty pageant. Each characters arc is beautifully paved and naturally meets its end on the journey. The film is simultaneously quite cliché, but subverts many traditions. It’s ending alone would lead to the film deserving a place on this list, but the cast and the writing just lead this to be in my eyes a more than worthy entry. Standouts being an Oscar winning Alan Arkin and a more than Oscar-worthy Steve Carell. Collete, Kinear, Breslin, Dano and Cranston fill out the cast to really make this film the sure-fire critical and commercial hit that it became. 

8. The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008)

Credit

There is little to say I feel about The Dark Knight that hasn’t already been said, but I feel that is the immense power of the beast here. Many commenter’s like to reduce the film to say it’s perhaps not worthy of its praise outside the seminal and immediately iconic performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker. But I really do feel the film is more than it’s villain, and that’s taking nothing away from the villain performance of our generation. I feel Bale’s Batman here is given larger stakes than he has ever dealt with before and that human drama imbued and bled into the film lends to its immense power. As with any Nolan film there is more than a few dicky plot elements that are just too convoluted to even comprehend, but when he delivers a set piece as he does so many times in this film, there is something of undeniable talent at large.

7. Up in the Air (Reitman, 2009)

Credit

A film so deviously simple and yet so painfully powerful. Reitman’s script and direction here lend to a tale of great loneliness and pathos, building to an inevitable non-conclusion that we saw coming from the first reel, but hope with all our hearts that it wouldn’t occur. I’m a lonely white guy with relationship issues, so I always felt that perhaps the power of the film was biased on my end, but after showing it to many other people (including an ex that ended up with someone else – HA!), I found that the films worth transcends it’s surface level plot. Farmiga and Kendrick are both superb as the supporting women in Ryan Bingham’s life, but it’s George Clooney as Bingham that steals the show and does indeed break your heart.

6. No Country For Old Men (The Coen brothers, 2007)

Credit

To win best picture in 2007 was a remarkably tough race, with films that we’ve touched on already, and others still to come. No country won, with the Coen brothers also taking home Best Director(s). Although my opinions on this decision may be against the film, I still think it’s a real toss-up of a choice (pardon the cheap reference). But nobody can deny the genius of this film. It’s interweaving tales of obsession and violence ultimately leading to a conversation on the meaningless of life and the futility of attempt in a world where death will always come for everybody. Javier Bardem embodies this as the silent killer spouting philosophy and looming like a shadow of death over the entire film, being simply sensational in the role. Brolin and Harrelson offer a grit and brutality that lends further to the film’s harsh realism. But it’s with Tommy Lee Jones and Kelly Macdonald, where we find much of the heart and pathos in the piece – both offering us heart-wrenching sentiments on violence and the like in the worlds of everyday folk. A beautiful yet unbearably tense piece of work.

5. There Will Be Blood (Anderson, 2007)

Credit

I often wonder when Paul Thomas Anderson will get his day in the Oscar sun. Any other year! But as we’ve discussed, 2007 was tight and nobody can argue really with No Country For Old Men winning, all in all though, I’d put Anderson’s epic descent into the soul of a villainous man above it anyday. An odyssey combining elements of Citizen Kane and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (which Anderson reportedly watched every night before filming the movie), but set against the great American vista of the pioneer age, The film tackles faith, insanity, pure villainy and the cost of power all through an entertaining and viscous lens. Daniel Day Lewis is naturally perfect as Daniel Plainview, a character so ingeniously written and performed that it defies statements of ownace and becomes its own beast entirely. All in all the film is one of the great epics of our time, but instead of spreading its lens wider, it goes deeper and deeper until we are right at the black heart of undiluted power, and that’s a very dark place to be indeed.  

4. Zodiac (Fincher, 2007)

Credit

I also often wonder when David Fincher will get his day in the Oscar sun too. For me Zodiac tops the 2007 list, as tremendously hard as a challenge that is, but with this gripping tale of devious deception and the bitterness and hopelessness of obsession, I feel Fincher just about does it. This sprawling work of immense genius is a testament to many, many great artists; from Fincher’s painstaking meticulousness and demand for perfection (getting it, by the way), to James Vanderbilt’s puzzle-esque epic script spanning multiple genres, decades and characters all effortlessly, to Harris Savides impeccable cinematography, all underscored by a return of the great composer of the 70s political conspiracy thriller, David Shire. It’s with this choice that we find the root of the film. The film is just like one of those great conspiracy thrillers, but it’s the truth, and the painful truth of still not knowing the Zodiac killer’s identity haunts the film from the start and deceives us at every turn. We get no great conclusion where everything is wrapped up, because such is life and such is the story here.

3. Children of Men (Cuaron, 2006)

Credit

For me this is the great apocalypse film of our days; such a simple core plot is brought to life and elevated scene after scene, with terrific performances, and truly astounding camera-work. It’s commentary is subtle and never overt, it pays its audience dividends to pay attention and the experience is all the more enriching for it. The film is a deceptively rich text that rewards with every repeat watch. The first time you watch the film the devastating twists along the way really take you for a loop. But when you rewatch, as you often do once you’ve seen it, you find the journey still surprises you and much like the iceberg in Titanic, you find yourself hoping against all hopes that it won’t strike, although you know too well that it will. The film also ends with a wonderful John Lennon track, so it’s worth it for that too. 

2. In Bruges (Mcdonagh, 2008)

Credit

The most perfect script of the decade; a truly flawless film rich with hilarious pitch-black comedy and many levels of cavernous human drama. We never stop laughing and we never stop wondering about the questions the film is throwing out, but McDonagh’s immense talent with his pen and with his camera with this film highlights  a master-creator at work (as his lauded stage work and continuing film career has proven). The triptych of Farrell, Gleeson and Fiennes is an audacious collection of talent. Farrell brings great vulnerability and charm to a character on the edge of suicide. Fiennes blows you away as the vulgarian cockney gangster that we have yet to see him embody on screen, but what a perfect fit.  But Gleeson steals the show here, with such a tremendous and heartfelt performance balancing his own ideals of morality, truth and even faith in humanity – one of the most underrated performances of the decade. The rest of the supporting cast is a similar murders row of marvellous role and marvellous performance one after another. A true cinematic feat and a film that you can put on absolutely whenever.  

1. Mulholland Dr. (Lynch, 2001)

Credit

Well. What can you say about this film? This ever-confounding miraculous work of mythology and Hollywood fairytale come obsessive dive into the realms of dream and nightmare. I am indeed a huge David Lynch fan and have viewed this film many, many times, and believe at least in my head that I have a pretty good summation of what the film means, but I also feel that that in itself is a dead-end. I don’t want to completely figure out any Lynch film, for me they are not puzzles, but are more so experiences to be swept up in and tossed back out after the running time. I remember my first time with Mulholland and the overwhelming sense of dream and enlightenment that remained with me for days and weeks after. There’s something about Lynch that is purely indescribable and will never not be entirely fascinating. Mulholland is the peak of his career and for me, it’s the greatest film of the decade. 

Second tier honourable mentions: Proof of Life, Hannibal, Moulin Rouge, Memento, 24 Hour Party People, Wedding Crashers, Capote, Match Point, Casino Royale, Superbad, (500) Days of Summer.

Top tier honourable mentions: Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2, Monsters Inc., Oceans Eleven, Sexy Beast, Wet Hot American Summer, Zoolander, The Royal Tenenbaums, School of Rock, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anchorman, Birth, Brokeback Mountain, The Prestige, Notes on a Scandal, Sweeney Todd, Gladiator, Billy Elliot, Best in Show, Snatch, Catch Me If You Can, Chicago, Adaptation, About Schmidt, Lost in Translation, Down with Love, Team America, Michael Clayton, Lars and the Real Girl, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Synedoche New York, Doubt, The Hangover, A Single Man, A Serious Man.

-

And so concludes our penultimate week in this marathon listing effort, it won’t be long until we’re back to regular weekly endeavours, ruminating on such hot topic topics as intermissions in films and looking the entire out-put of Rob Reiner – both of which work as jokes, but will sooner or later be articles.

-        -  Thomas Carruthers