It seems just about every single website, publication and TV channel is subjecting us to endless retrospectives of the decade just gone by at the moment. But this film blog would not be a proper film blog unless it also jumped on the current noughties bandwagon right?. After all, it's not every day a decade goes by.1. Mulholland Drive (2002) David Lynch After a filmmaking career spanning over twenty years, Lynch made yet another quintessential work of art. Instantly deemed a classic and studied in film schools all over the world it is hard to believe such a film was made in this decade, his enigma of a plot being one which continues to bemuse and intrigue people to this very day.
2. There Will Be Blood (2008) Paul Thomas Anderson
The masterpiece of our times and companion piece to Citizen Kane was narrowly beaten to the top spot by Lynch’s insane genius. Daniel Day-Lewis’s electrifying performance along with Anderson’s intricate filmmaking and Jonnny Greenwood’s haunting score proved to be three artists at the top of their game who redefined the language of modern cinema.
3. City Of God (2003) Fernando Meirelles
Easily one of the most harrowing and realistic gangster film of all time. The personalised accounts of a group of children growing up amidst the inescapable poverty and violent nature of life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro revealed an honest, truthful and engaging experience. The extensively layered characterisation and the interwoven narratives effectively studied the politics and power struggles that go on in such a lawless society, leaving audiences begging for more as it showed them the extent of the problems in this forgotten part of the world.
4. Requiem For a Dream (2001) Darren Aronofsky
Back when Jennifer Connelly’s eyebrows were huge, Jared Leto was not an emo and Marlon Wayans could actually act, Aronofsky peaked as a filmmaker. After his Lynchian debut Pi his portrayal of a group of heroin addicts produced the most emotionally provocative montage to conclude a film that has ever been. It also gave us the most distinctive musical score of the decade.
5. Irreversible (2003) Gaspar Noé
Many of these ‘best films of the decade’ lists have often included Christopher Nolan’s Memento. Irreversible is somewhat indebted to this backwards method of storytelling by which each segment of the story is proceeded by one which has already occurred. However, Noe really did push this medium of storytelling, popularised by Nolan, to its limits to produce a much more terrifying and uncomfortable experience.
6. The Departed (2006) Martin Scorsese
Although this is often criticised for not being Scorsese’s best film by a long shot, fuelled by a feeling of resentment that this movie was the one which finally received the best director Oscar, it appears an appreciation for the film’s actual quality was also lost along the way too. A film which saw Di Caprio come of age and despite the fact it was a remake of the Korean Infernal Affairs, Scorsese managed to enhanced the source material to give it an American identity and improve the characterisation of the original film in many respects.
7. Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) Shane Meadows
Often overshadowed by the success of This Is England, Meadows’ and Considine’s earlier collaboration, filmed on a shoestring budget, was a poetic revenge piece that somehow managed to flit between humour and some of the darkest scenes ever seen in British cinema. Although despite Considine’s usual unnerving portrayal of a psycho, it was the supporting performance of Toby Kebbel that was so convincing it led many to believe he was in fact a mentally challenged person in real life. Dead Man's Shoes was the hidden gem of the decade.
8. Being John Malkovich (2000) Spike Jonze
Back when scriptwriter Charlie Kaufmann and Spike Jonze used to be good! This inventive work in terms of the scope of its visuals and script really showed John Malkovich in a new light and was the pinnacle of the Kauffman-Jonze machine which they have since struggled to live up to since.
9. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro
Del Toro instantly became a force to be reckoned with. Winner of best foreign film Oscar that year his poignant and imaginative visuals created scenes that will always be rememberred and stand the test of time.
10. Oldboy (2004) Chan-wook Park
After being imprisoned for 10 years with no explanation, this film of revenge is full of gore, controversy and incest, genius! Its success has done a lot for modern Korean cinema.
11. WALL-E (2008) Andrew Stanton
Possibly Pixar's greatest film barring Toy Story 1 & 2. Beautifully shot and full of heart this affectionate tale is more than an entertaining children's film but a dystopian vision that reminds us how beautiful the human condition really is that we all take for granted.
12. The Hurt Locker (2009) Kathryn Bigelow
Not only the best film on the Iraq war to date, but one of the greatest war movies ever made. This testosterone fuelled account of Bravo Company’s bomb disposal unit is excruciatingly tense from start to finish. Politically interesting and authentically filmed with digital hand held cameras, Bigelow has well and truly flown the flag for female directors the world over.
13. No Country For Old Men (2008) Joel and Ethan Coen
It would be a crime not to mention The Coen Brothers on a 'best of' film list. Back on artistic form their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel helped create the most intensive Oscar battle of the decade with its rivalry alongside There Will Be Blood.
14. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006) Ken Loach
Loach left behind his usual UK working class setting to create the biggest film of his career. His depiction of Teddy’s fight for independence of Ireland in the 1920s was the most politically relevant film of the British Isles of the decade. Unfortunately it was one of the most overlooked films of the past ten years too, despite the fact it won a PALME D'OR at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
15. The Lives of Others (2007) Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Unintentionally working as a sequel to the perfect Downfall, this story showed us the true consequences of Hitler’s Nazi Germany and its depiction of East German’s living in a big brother type of society.
16. Battle Royale (2001) Kinji Fukasaku
The best action film of the decade with an awesome concept that could only be done in Japan.
17. Waltz With Bashir (2008) Ari Folman
Folman’s use of rota scope animation created a vivid, poignant and touching story whereby an ex-soldier tries to rediscover his lost memories of the First Lebanon War in 1982. Waltz With Bashir forefronted the politics of Israel and was robbed of its best forgeign film Oscar.
18. Bowling for Columbine (2002) Michael Moore
Back before Michael Moore’s biased propaganda of the Bush administration, it was this thoughtful and touching documentary of the devastating Columbine high school shootings which delved into what was wrong with a contemporary American society, without having to explicitly state its morals. Instead it respected the intelligence of its viewer. The success of this work has influenced and given way to a whole host of essential documentary films since.
19. The Bourne Supremacy & Ultimatum (2004 & 2007) Paul Greengrass
After Doug Liman’s departure from the franchise, Greengrass added a documentary hand-held camera feel which pushed the adrenaline factor through the roof, revealed the potential intensity of Matt Damon’s acting ability and rejuvenated a genre in long need of an upgrade into the 21st century. These films alone are responsible for the constant Bond franchise reinvention.
20. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson
Over nine hours of material rooted in the imaginative literary roots of Tolkein was surprisingly a thoroughly enjoyable blockbuster, one which defined the noughties in terms of the extent of its visual effects and truly cinematic experience.
Narrowly Missed Out: [Rec], Dogville, Donnie Darko, Murderball, Persepolis
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