Favorite Movies of the Decade #15-1

the list #100-76, #75-51, #50-31, #30-16 and #15-1.

Awards for 2009 begin tomorrow or thereabouts.

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Let's wrap this sucker up!
I had really intended to rewatch the top ten (why not?) before I ventured into the mental hospital. Trust me, that's where I've been heading as I've tried to rank the movies I love more than people (kidding! sort of) but who has the time? The 10th Annual FiLM BiTCH Awards begin tomorrow so I have to get a move on to wrap up the 2009 film year. It's possible I'll revisit this rundown at some point for a special project but who knows. These rankings are NOT final. God... I'm not ready for the straightjacket yet. I need my hands free so I can talk.

What follows is more like tiers. The numbers function as mere placeholders.

Tier 3

You could group them with #16-20... It doesn't mean
I don't worship them. I got a whole lotta love to go round

15 Vera Drake dir. Mike Leigh (2004)
Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton) whistles while she works. Though her "work", you soon discover as you follow her into crowded residential blocks, is not something you'd normally think of whistling to. It's part of the genius of Mike Leigh's best film (yeah, you heard me) that Vera doesn't question her calling or the tune in her head. When the bomb finally drops on Vera's happy-go-lucky existence, Staunton returns Leigh's faith in her with one of the most devastating closeups in cinema. It's the moment everyone remembers from the film but my mind often drifts to the aftermath, diminutive Vera in her coat in the snow heading to the police car, terrified. She's warmly dressed but the chill is already down to the bone.

14 There Will Be Blood dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2007)
If it's not quite this world great's best film (that prize to Boogie Nights saith I) it's definitely his most audacious and technically thrilling. There are so many sinister and seismic moments, it's a wonder the earth doesn't open up while you're watching it, and drag you to hell with Daniel Plainview. "I'm finnnissshed"

Tier 2

I think about them so much that they have
ceased to be movies. They're now life events.

13 The Lord of the Rings dir. Peter Jackson (2001-2003)

Magic. Especially the first one.

12 Mulholland Dr. dir. David Lynch (2001)
So much has been written about this movie that I sometimes worry that familiarity will rob it of its mystery. Yet when Laura Elena Haring starts whispering "Mulholland Drive" I'm hypnotized again. I'm an amnesiac myself, and I've never heard her whispery chant.

11 Requiem for a Dream dir. Darren Aronofsky (2000)
"I like thinking about the red dress."

10 A History of Violence dir. David Cronenberg (2005)
In the past I've likened this movie to a machine, it's so finely calibrated and efficient. But that doesn't get at its emotional fire, its guttural poetry, and its savage eroticism. It's more like a cyborg.

9 Wo Hu Cang Long (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) dir. Ang Lee (2000)
Ang Lee is not the only filmmaker with three movies in the countdown. But he's the only filmmaker with two in the top ten. How great is Ang Lee? And how glorious was/is this utterly transporting adventure?

8 Rachel Getting Married dir. Jonathan Demme (2008)
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change... like the fact that so many people don't love this movie. Their loss. I'm ready to dive back into this immersive, noisy, eclectic, spontaneous, superbly acted, wonderfully sustained, bleeding heart of a movie right this very second. Pass me the DVD.

7 Hable Con Ella (Talk To Her) dir. Pedro Almodovar (2002)
So imaginatively structured, exquisitely controlled, and enigmatically moving that it's nearly impossible to wrap your head around in one go. It's a good thing then that Pedro's movies miraculous improve with repeated viewings... even when they were brilliant to begin with. "Cucurrucucú paloma, cucurrucucú no llores."

Tier 1

As sustaining as oxygen or water or pets or friends.
If you try to take them away from me, I will cut you.

6 Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood For Love) dir. Wong Kar Wai (2000, released in 2001)
In a perfect world, I would always be fetching noodles or trying on cheomsangs with Maggie Cheung. Either that or writing wuxia and smoking with Tony Leung Chiu Wai. I'd gladly pay the price of heartbreak in the end.

5 Far From Heaven dir. Todd Haynes (2002)
Of all the things we have to thank Todd Haynes for: new ways of looking at Barbie dolls, Bob Dylan splintered, restless experimentation as cinematic life-blood, a mini Douglas Sirk revival, Ewan MacGregor naked and covered in glitter... this is the gift I cherish most: Julianne Moore in a purple scarf, waving love goodbye.

4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind dir. Michel Gondry (2004)
The Eyes: a singularly imaginative visualist in Gondry. The Brain: the twisty intellect of Charlie Kauffman. The Body: a great acting ensemble operating as one powerful machine. The Heart: a comic (Jim Carrey) positively aching with true drama. The Soul: one of the most elemental faces and emotional forces in cinematic history (Kate Winslet); It's the collaborative miracle movie of the decade, all its parts made greater by their interconnectedness.

3 Brokeback Mountain dir. Ang Lee (2005)
A love story for the ages. And one that quietly enrages.

2 Dancer in the Dark dir. Lars von Trier (2000)

1 Moulin Rouge! dir. Baz Luhrmann (2001)

List-making is, by its very nature, personal. If you're doing it right that is.

Selma & Satine. To quote the hilarious Moulin Rouge! FYC ads:
"SHE SINGS! SHE DANCES! SHE DIES!"

The story of the Aughts for this particular moviegoer was the rebirth of the musical. To yank the dead genre from its unfortunate grave, fearless visionary filmmakers and prodigiously gifted musicians were required. The impish deconstructionist (von Trier) provoked such genius from a totally modern composer (Björk) that ten years later you can still be transported with just a bar of "New World" or "I've Seen It All".

Then, the party of the decade. The inspired mashup conductor (Baz) and his darling stars (Nicole, Ewan, Jim) put on the messiest craziest livelest funniest tearjerking "Spectacular! Spectacular!" show on earth. I'd never claim it's a perfect movie but flaws are endearing when you love madly and deeply. and Love Is All You Need.

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Favorite Movies of the Decade #30-16

the list #100-76, #75-51, #50-31, #30-16 and #15-1.

Awards for 2009 begin tomorrow or thereabouts.

For this next group installment of the countdown we start in beautiful France and have a lot of trouble leaving it! It even pulls us back in the end.

30 Beau Travail dir. Claire Denis (1999, released in 2000)
It's okay that I haven't seen it in so long that it feels like a dream now. It always did. And that "Rhythm of the Night" ending. My oh my oh my. Denis has cast her unique spell many times since, but never quite like this.

29 Caché (Hidden) dir Michael Haneke (2005)
A boon to patient moviegoers... and a bane. But who tortures audiences with as much control, mystery and depth of meaning? It's easy to make an audience jump with loud jarring sound cues and shock cuts. But I've never seen anyone make an audience leap and gasp as loudly, like one collective frightened hive, without the aid of music or editing. Haneke is a master.

28 Marie Antoinette dir. Sofia Coppola (2006)
My most controversial "favorite" all decade long. So many people were outright angered by Sofia Coppola's third dream of a movie. Imagine making a historical epic about a frivolous young woman from her point of view. And without the violence! "How DARE she!?! Only men (of any age and temperament) deserve historical epics from their own points of view!" [/sarcasm] Coppola is three for three now, making her one of the most important cinematic voices of our time. Picture number four is on its way. Can't wait.

27 Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) & Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
Some people think Tarantino's most purely cinematic double (DP Robert Richardson sure is gifted behind a camera, isn't he?) is disposable entertainment, all style no substance. But it might well be my favorite from his filmography, give or take Pulp Fiction. And though I found/find Vol. 2 a more traditionally talky Tarantino effort and therefore a slight letdown after the surprisingly visceral visual punch of Vol. 1... there's no beating its amazon vs. amazon showdown in a crowded trailer. "Bitch, you don't have a future."


26 Dogville dir. Lars von Trier (2003, released in 2004)
Lars von Trier's audacious parable was 178 gripping minutes of cinema... despite and also because it takes place on a bare stage. One of the most violent pictures I've ever seen. And there's not a drop of blood.

25 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring dir. Kim Ki Duk (2003, released in 2004)
Simplicity and wonder... a peaceful profound tonic dropped in an ocean of violent pictures.

24 I ♥ Huckabees dir. David O. Russell (2004)
My favorite existential comedy of the decade. Unless you count Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. So... yes, maybe the rebirth of the musical isn't the story of the movie decade but the creation of the existential comedy? Or has that been around since The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Or am I stretching the definition? 'The interconnection thing is definitely for real!'

23 The Wrestler dir. Darren Aronofsky (2008)
He made three pictures this decade and they're all on the list. Does that make him my favorite? It puts him up there at any rate. Even when people think he's down for the count (The Fountain) he gets back up for more. Rather like "Randy the Ram" albeit without the pathos. Aronofsky is only 40 years old. Many filmmakers start strong and fade. I hope he's just warming up.

22 Lost in Translation dir. Sofia Coppola (2003)
There is so much inside the movie worth loving: the pink panties, the karaoke, the rare star chemistry, the Cameron Diaz mimicry, the soulful ennui... but what I remember most vividly six years later, on that first encounter, was the afterglow. It was a cool evening and we'd missed the rain. Walking away from the theater, the streets were wet and reflective and I just kept looking around, absorbing the shimmering color and the skyscrapers. It wasn't Tokyo obviously but it felt rather like seeing New York again for the first time, like the movie had recharged my senses: Lance Acord was walking beside me as personal DP, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray were whispering something profound in my ears.

21 No Country For Old Men dir. Coen Bros (2007)
The Coen Bros inexorable death march was thrillingly rendered and beautifully acted with Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin all at the peak of their powers. Bonus points for that audience confounding but pitch perfect black out ending. You really can't stop what's coming.



20 Volver dir. Pedro Almodóvar (2006)
I once started counting the kisses in this underappreciated wonder because I loved the loud smacking so much. I abandoned the kiss count after 15 minutes and 47 smooches but no matter. For no amount of P.D.A. can properly show my love for Raimunda (Penélope Cruz), her loud sister and their ghostly mother. I could kiss them thousands of times and you still wouldn't know how dear they are to me.

19 Before Sunset dir. Richard Linklater (2004)
"Baby, you're gonna miss that plane"

18 WALL•E dir. Andrew Stanton (2008)
Calling it the best animated film of the decade is a compliment of high order. There were abundant cartoon treasures all throughout the Aughts... including many that didn't make this list. Maybe that's the cinema story of the decade? I keep looking for one but there are hundreds of stories. I'll take them all. I don't understand people who always want their movies prepackaged in one or two genres. Give me ALL KINDS.


17 Y Tu Mamá También dir. Alfonso Cuarón (2001, released in 2002)
One of the greatest road trip movies. One of the greatest romantic triangles. One of the greatest sex comedies. One of the greatest coming of age dramas. One of the greatest. It's as magical as Boca del Cielo "Heaven's Mouth".

16 Entre Les Murs (The Class) dir. Laurent Cantet (2008)
The closest we come to a documentary on the list (I didn't include them for purity reasons -- all of these being regular feature films) since this film, reenacted/transferred/adapted (however you want to describe it) by many of its subjects from a book of the same name, feels so damn authentic. Hollywood loves to make films about teachers fighting to reach their students. I've never seen one this good before. It earns its hard won light by allowing for the shadows.

the finale: #15-01

#100-76 and #75-51 and
#50-31 Fav Films of the Aughts
50 best male perfs | 50 best female perfs
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Favorite 100 Movies of the Decade (#50-31)

the list #100-76, #75-51, #50-31, #30-16 and #15-1.

Awards for 2009 begin tomorrow or thereabouts.

So much cinema to love. Love it hard...

50 La Mala Educación dir. Pedro Almodóvar (2004)
Pedro's dizzying, carnal "fag noir" is one of a kind.

49 You Can Count On Me dir. Kenneth Lonergan (2000)
You know how wonderful it can be to hear a film's title worked into the dialogue? Turns out it's even better when the title warmly permeates the entire film and (just barely) goes unsaid.

48 Sideways dir. Alexander Payne (2004)
Eventually it will shake off the "overrated" tag that compromised its full bodied flavor. It's still one of the best comedies of the decade. Rrawwwr.

47 25th Hour dir. Spike Lee (2002)
Like The Painted Veil, its throwaway release in crowded December assured it wouldn't be noticed in its time. Hopefully the audience is still coming around to Lee's best film outside of Do The Right Thing (1989). This bitter drama, all past mistakes and future penance, needed time to breathe its city air, dance in its silvery dress and scream at itself in the mirror until it had to face facts.


46 Raising Victor Vargas dir. Peter Sollett (2003)
One of the most tender, well observed coming of age dramas I've ever seen. I consider it a major mark against the world that more people haven't seen it. And I'm still rooting for Victor Razuk to become a big star.

45 Idioterne (The Idiots) dir. Lars von Trier (1998, released in 2000)
Rude, tasteless, sad, funny, pornographic... and kinda brilliant. Dogme 95 may have been a short-lived cinematic manifesto but you could feel its reverberations in the cinema for years afterwards.

44 Reprise dir. Joachim Trier (2006, released in 2008)
A completely cinematic tale of two young literary friends, drifting apart while finding or losing their footing. Trier joins the frustrating list of exciting new auteurs on this top 100 who haven't directed a second film. He must.

43 Spider-Man (2002) & Spider-Man 2 (2004) dir. Sam Raimi
We're pretending that Spider-Man 3 doesn't exist. Which is good policy. The other two are pure popcorn pleasure. Spider-Man does the origin story better than any superhero film ever has, smartly using it as both puberty parallel and coming of age melodrama and #2 is one of those rare sequels that doesn't try to overstuff ... unless you mean with pleasure in which case, doubly so.


42 4 Luni, 3 Saptamâni si 2 Zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) dir. Cristian Mungiu (2007)
This 80s-set Romanian drama about an unwanted pregnancy is relentless. But once you're on its desperate wavelength, a tense and revealing portrait of friendship, economic desperation, and life under Communism emerges.

41 The Hours dir. Stephen Daldry (2002)
An intimate birthday party thrown for actressexuals everywhere and in any time period. The actresses even make the cake and fetch the flowers themselves.

40 Mean Girls dir. Mark Waters (2004)
39 Bring It On dir. Peyton Reed (2000)
The twin titans of teen comedy in the Aughts. Never mind that their eventual imitators were dreck (especially the cheerleaders. Put those DVD spinoffs down. Mercy killing!) these films are so fetch. Eminently rewatchable, hilarious, smartly written, well directed and exuberantly performed... with spirit fingers! Who can even choose a favorite moment from either of them. I'd start listing them but then I'd never get to the next eight movies.

38 The Incredibles dir. Brad Bird (2004)
I could type a hundred words but one will do: bliss.

words are useless. Gobble-gobble-gobble-gobble-gobble! Too much of it, darling, too much!

37 The Royal Tenenbaums dir. Wes Anderson (2001)
Truth: It breaks my heart to think of this movie. And it also makes me guffaw. Both in equal measure. I don't care how many times Wes Anderson repeats himself as long as we have this movie, his masterpiece (according to me). And, besides, more directors should have a strong enough visual aesthetic that we can bitch about them repeating themselves. Do you know what I mean?

36 Birth dir. Jonathan Glazer (2004)
"You're a little liar, aren't you?"

35 Hatuna Meuhert (Late Marriage) dir. Dover Koshashvili (2001, released in 2002)
Like Vargas a bit earlier in the list, this movie became a cause for me: get people to see it! So I really should thank the person that drove me to it: Mike D'Angelo whose Time Out New York review had me rushing to it on opening weekend. Incidentally that's the same opening weekend when Attack of the Clones was making $80 million dollars. Late Marriage made $31,ooo in the same time frame but the return on investment, emotionally and cinematically speaking, was roughly 80 million times better (for me). Not that an Israeli drama about traditional family-sanctioned marriages, a stubborn bachelor, and his erotic affair with a divorcée is all that directly comparable to a movie about two callow (super)powerful teenagers embroiled in an intergalactic war but my point is this: I wish more people would support tiny foreign films when they're great. It's not actually that hard to find out which ones are (it's called "the internet") even if it is still something of a pain to find them (at least there's festival direct programs, dvd and whatnot). I long for those days I never experienced in the 1960s when Americans actually cared about them.

It's something of an Oscar past time for people to bitch about great films being snubbed in the Best Foreign Film Oscar category but this one is barely ever mentioned even though it's better than all the nominees of its year. Nevertheless that annual bitching is justified: there's 9 more foreign language films coming in the top 30 and only 1 of them won the naked gold man.

34 Gosford Park dir. Robert Altman (2001)
God how I miss Robert Altman, the world's best tour guide of crowded rooms.

33 Erin Brockovich dir. Steven Soderbergh (2000)
If only this film, which feels lifted straight from the Classic Hollywood school of dazzlingly executed star vehicles, had proved more influential than its best picture competitors: Traffic (the "hyper link film needs a sabbatical) and Gladiator (so many action films trying to ape it! Stop. You're not Gladiator!); because star vehicles will never leave us. Since they're an enduring staple of cinema, why can't they make them this well all the time?

32 Once dir. John Carney (2007)
How many films take you this close to the fire of creation? And how many films are smart enough to pull away with a bittersweet farewell, just when you think you couldn't possibly love them more.

31 Hedwig and the Angry Inch dir. John Cameron Mitchell (2001)
Though it's rarely discussed in stories about the rebirth of the musical (the story of this film decade?), it ought to be. Two vivid auteurist deconstructions (Dancer in the Dark & Moulin Rouge!) beat it to the theaters. Then Hedwig tore it up, tossing his/her wig around with wild rock n roll abandon, essentially shaking all the remaining cobwebs off the lond dead genre. Chicago dazzles (though it missed this list) but it owes its Oscars to the films preceding it. They cleared the way.

continue on to #30-16


50 best male perfs | 50 best female perfs
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Favorite 100 Movies of the Decade (#75-51)

We're doing this a little different than we did the male and female performances... but we're still skipping the 2009 films -- we'll get to those soon

the list #100-76, #75-51, #50-31, #30-16 and #15-1.

Awards for 2009 begin tomorrow or thereabouts.

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Here we go again...


75 The Fountain dir. Darren Aronofsky (2006)
Who needs drugs when you can snort Aronofsky movies?

74 thirteen dir Catherine Hardwicke (2003)
I still maintain that this was a stunning debut, deeply felt and ferociously performed. I'm still confused about what followed with Hardwicke.

73 Monsoon Wedding dir. Mira Nair (2001, released 2002)
For its color, energy and beauty and for one of my all-time favorite portraits of extended family love. Naseeruddin Shah and Shefali Shetty jerk my tears every time. Plus a great soundtrack.

72 Kings and Queen (Kings and Queen) dir. Arnaud Desplechin (2004, released in 2005)
Anchored by two of the most important French actors of the decade (Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Devos) and so rich with feeling and complication, that I actually feel guilt that I haven't returned for a second look


71 Brødre (Brothers) dir. Susanne Bier (2004, released in 2005)
The remake is Globe nominated and in theaters right now, but this is the one for you.

70 Lovely & Amazing dir. Nicole Holofcener (2001, released in 2002)
So few films are made about women and when they are they're so often cheaply written romantic comedies with clichéd quirks for lovable girlwomen protagonists. I love how thorny and mature these characters are and how authentically they navigate their relationships. Bonus points to Holofcener for achieving here what she didn't achieve with Friends With Money which is the threading of thematics (body image and identity) through interpersonal drama without coming across as stiffly THEMATIC at its core.

69 Peter Pan dir. PJ Hogan (released in 2003)
If more people had read the source material, they'd understand how diluted this story had become and what a gift this movie was for the centennial of J.M. Barrie. Bonus points for the amazing below the line team: Roger Ford (production design) known for the Babe films, Donald McAlphine (cinematography) fresh off of Moulin Rouge! and Janet Patterson (costumes) of Jane Campion filmography fame.

68 Ying Xiong (Hero) dir. Zhang Yimou (2002, released in 2004)
It couldn't possibly live up to my expectations since I had to wait two years for it (Damn you Weinsteins!) but it was still a joy to lay eyes upon. The color and structure alone... orgasmic. Please don't remind me that this is the last pairing of one of the greatest screen couples of the entirety of cinema (Maggie Cheung & Tony Leung Chiu Wai) or I may well burst into tears. Don't do it!


67 Me and You and Everyone We Know dir. Miranda July (2005)

))<>(( forever

66 Sen to Chihiro no Kamikushi (Spirited Away) dir. Hayao Miyazaki (2001, released in 2002)
Transfixing. I really need to see it again. I only wish it had proven more influential. I'm not going to pretend it hasn't been a great decade for animated films, but there is a certain "sameness" that can occassionally feel like poison. Miyazaki is the antidote.

65 American Psycho dir. Mary Harron (2000)
What could have been another disposable serial killer picture (my god there are too many of them) was instead a slickly sick smart and well judged character piece. Without the character.

There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping you and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there.

64 Shia Mian Mai Fu (The House of Flying Daggers) dir. Zhang Yimou (2004)
Eye candy extraordinaire

63 Shortbus dir. John Cameron Mitchell (2006)
I've realized in the years since its debut that the cracks from concept to execution show. But whatever. This is one of my favorite films about New York City and it's recognizable to me in a way too few films are. The cinema needs more intensely personal visions like this. Mitchell has only made two films and they're both on this countdown. Needless to say, I cannot wait to see Rabbit Hole.

62 Morvern Callar dir. Lynne Ramsay (2002)
A signature role for the screen's most talented enigma, Samantha Morton.

61 Pola X dir. Leo Caraz (1999, released in 2000)
Restless, foreboding, confident, shocking, erotic, dangerous, indelible... certifiable. At least that's how I remember it.


60 Ratatouille dir. Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava (2007)
Everyone can cook. Too bad that not everyone can make movies as well as Pixar.

59 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl dir. Gore Verbinski (2003)
Every once in a blue moon a summer blockbuster is perfect. I still remember the joy and shock of the first viewing. I pretend that the useless sequels don't exist and I watch this grand adventure any time it's on TV.

58 Tillsammans (Together) dir. Lukas Moodyson (2000, released in 2001)
So unusually warm, generous and moving that I felt scarred by the brutality of Moodyson's follow up Lilya 4Ever (2002). I've been scared to go forward into any of the subsequent miserabilist movies since. I like depressing hopeless movies (as this countdown should make clear) but I don't want to think of Moodyson making them after the humane beauty of Together and Show Me Love (1998)

57 Se, Jie (Lust, Caution) dir. Ang Lee (2007)
Against all odds, the follow up to Brokeback Mountain wasn't a letdown at all but another startlingly potent and exquisitely rendered doomed romance.

56 The Devil Wears Prada dir. (2006)
über quotable and movies that achieve that last. Think about it: they do. "Gird your loins!"

55 Children of Men dir. Alfonso Cuarón (2006)
So many great moments: a morning coffee explosion, the purring kitten, that slow car escape, that long violent tracking shot, Theo crying by the tree, the "theatrics" of the kidnapping. I don't even mind so much that they left out such fascinating parts of the book. Here was a complicated concept beautifully executed. I'm still mortified that Oscar didn't give Emmanuel Lubezki the cinematography prize. How many times have they stiffed him now? For shame.

54 Happy-Go-Lucky dir. Mike Leigh (2008)
Leigh's follow up to the brilliant Vera Drake put another cheerful woman center stage to very different inspirational effect. Life isn't always sweet, but why not enjoy it all the same?

53 In the Bedroom dir. Todd Field (2001)
Because I saw it so long ago but I can still feel the sting of the Sissy slap, the echo of the gunshot and the disturbing domesticity of that subversive quiet finale.

52 Pride & Prejudice dir. Joe Wright (2005)
One of the freshest liveliest filmmaking debuts of the decade... and for something that should have felt so disposable. Thankfully Joe Wright didn't make us wait for more. (Atonement almost made this top 100 list, too)

51 Milk dir. Gus Van Sant (2008)
If we have to have so many biopics every year, why can't they all be like this one: original, focused on a worthy subject, technically accomplished, and overflowing with fine performances?

continue on to #50-31

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