My top 100 films of the decade (That I watched) Top Ten

10. Lord of the Rings Return of the King 

- As mentioned before, the LOTR franchise is one made with love, dedication and passion… Return of the King is the closing installment of the series and a tour de force regarding all things cinematography. Who would have ever thought that some films would make New Zealand part of anyone’s bucket list.

9. Inglorious Basterds 

– I am not riding the hype from last year. Now that I put that out of the way, brace yourself… I think Inglorious is Tarantino’s best work to date. Apart from producing one of the Top Ten Villains of all time in Hanz Landa, this movie ebbs and flows as only Mr. Tarantino can do it and I think the cinematography is by far one of the strongest we’ve seen in a while. Hell of an ending, the death of Hitler as it should have been and the best use of the Italian language in any American film and this movie is pure gold.

8. The Wrestler 

– If you like your movies real, let me present to you The Wrestler. Please rest assured, that’s what happens to wrestlers after a career and Mickey Rourke’s performance was something to see. I’m glad he got the shot and the recognition, and though I didn’t watch Milk, I’m assured the result was extremely well deserved. Regardless, Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky… here’s hoping we see more good work from both, together if possible.

7. Cast Away

– Having given Russell Crowe the Oscar this year was by far one of the crappiest moves ever done by the academy. When you can make a modern day silent movie, have the audience cry because of a volleyball and have product placement without damaging a movie, you hit it out of the park. Tom Hanks was on another level in this film and it’s one of those flicks I’m just happy I saw.

6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

– Creativity is king of this fantastic movie that shows Jim Carrey can act (In case Truman Show wasn’t enough). With pretty much one of the best ideas for a movie since Being John Malkovich, two actors show the twisted roads love takes to finally reign supreme. Besides, just because you can’t stand someone, doesn’t mean you don’t love them.

5. Memento 

– What an intro, what an end sequence, what a premise and what a movie. Stylishly shot, wonderfully edited and acted with pure conviction from all sides. In three words, completely f@#$#^ up. Just how I like my movies.

4. Waking Life 

– A film I’ve given as a gift four times and will continue doing so until I find something that can match it. There is just so much information and things to inspire me that I need to include it. It’s smart, weird, and worth watching multiple times. Get ready to be mind humped.

3. Once

– This is pretty much the sweetest film I’ve ever seen. The soundtrack is a treat and if by any chance you think the two people in the flick are really falling in love, that’s because they are. They went out for some time after the film but have since gone their separate ways. What remains is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

2.  Dark Knight 

– No one in their right mind should have been ready for what we were treated with the Dark Knight. Epic seems like a big word, but nothing else will do. Heath Ledger made me eat my words that he didn’t have the chops to pull off the Joker and the entire script is awesome. Throw in one of the best explosions in cinematographic history and enough action to keep you guessing every second of the way and you see why Dark Knight is by far the best Batman ever made.

1. Lord of the Rings the Two Towers 

– It’s no secret from this list that I fully embrace, appreciate and recognize the value of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in cinema. To justify having each of them on this list, simply put, there has rarely been anything bigger done that holds so well after time and will continue doing so. Sure, Titanic was a grand project, but you can’t tell me that it doesn’t have some really lame parts. The Two Towers is a real highlight for me because it had action, great suspense, darkness, incredible battles, possibly the best acting all around in the series and Gollum, one of the more wonderfully twisted characters ever imagined. If you disagree with this selection, it has more to do with not liking the genre than it does with what a movie is all about. Acting is there, script is there, cinematography is there, set creation is there, music is there, variety is there and the message is there. No stone is left unturned and if you still desist, then maybe you just don’t like walking much.

My top 100 films of the decade (That I watched) 11-20

20. Finding Nemo 

– The little handicapped Clown fish that could. I put this ahead of Cars not because of visual excellence, but because they took an archetypical story, and they did it perfectly. You can’t help but hate barracudas and you can’t help but see clownfish and say, oh look there’s a nemo. That and being able to call friends Dory or squawk like a sea gull saying mine make Nemo the victor in this little animated scuffle.

19. Mystic River 

– Rarely do you see films that genuinely leave an empty feeling in the pit of your stomach. Mystic River is one of those movies and from all sides, this movie is just a pure ace. With one of the more disconcerting endings I’ve ever seen, it may or may not prompt repeated viewings, but all you need is once. 

18. Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring 

– Not since A New Hope has the first installment of a trilogy been as meaningful as the Fellowship of the Ring. True, the source material is some of the best in existence, but if anything is clear after watching any LOTR film, it’s that they were made with passion, zeal, dedication, and love.

17. Monster’s, Inc. 

– Definitely one of the most creative and inventive premises in the Disney canon and a treat from start to finish. Every animated film should look to Monster’s Inc. for inspiration regarding taking risks, solid writing and not being afraid to go out there. The end result is one of my favorite Disney films this side of Alice in Wonderland, The Sword and the Stone and Robin Hood. 

16. Ratatouille 

– This ain’t no dirty rat. Remy is the most charming rat you’ve ever seen and the entire movie was a delight to watch. Hell convincing people to get behind another rat is tough enough, having them even WANT to taste the food from the hands of one is a testament to a masterfully well made animated feature.

15. Big Fish 

– Fun, quirky, beautiful, sad, interesting, weird, stylish, cool, trippy, odd, unique. These and many more words can describe Big Fish and I really think Tim Burton should be supremely proud of this great flick. I saw this at a time when I was still mending wounds about my deceased father and the ending tore me apart, but in the end, this movie and the song Man of the Hour by Pearl Jam helped suture me up.

14. Coraline 

– I’m extremely sure this entry will piss off at least 65% of the people who read it. When I mention this movie, a second doesn’t pass and people mention The Nightmare Before Christmas. Look, I have nothing against Jack Skellington and I honestly do love Nightmare, but for me, Coraline blows the beloved Disney flick out of the water. I think the premise for either movie is solid and actually Nightmare’s is possibly better, but Coraline develops it a hell of a lot better and I don’t end up feeling as if I was shortchanged with the character development. Visually, Coraline trumps nightmare quite a few times in terms of effects achievement. The amalgam of techniques employed to produce this film just boggle the mind and nothing feels rushed. To boot, the soundtrack and score are magnificent, the story is an even better take on the original and the Other Mother is probably one of the creepiest villains I’ve seen in a long time.

13. Thank you For Smoking 

– Quite simply some of the best dialogue I’ve ever seen in a film. Thank You for Smoking is the type of movie that gets you thinking and I love that. Smart, superbly acted, well scripted, well shot, great pace. A messed up movie to enjoy over and over again. Hence why I own it.

12. Wall-E 

– Pretty much the best animated film Pixar has done thus far. Interesting premise, great message, and the cutest mini Johnny-5 you could ever think of. Wall-E gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling that I almost felt paternal watching the damn thing. Add to this a great score, incredible visuals and a song by Peter Gabriel, and well, you have something so organic, you can’t help but be amazed that it’s all based on robots.

11. Pan’s Labyrinth 

– I normally say that expectations in the right place can make any movie better than what it is. You just have to know what to expect. Pan’s Labyrinth is the exception of all exceptions. I thought this flick was something different from what I received and I was treated to one of the most wonderfully dark tales I’ve yet to see on the screen. Guillermo del Toro deserves a lot of praise but Sergi López is by far one of the most wicked villains I’ve ever seen in a movie. My hats off to them both for doing something totally magical. 

My top 100 films of the decade (That I watched) 21-30

30. Mulholland Drive 

– One of two lynch films in the 2000’s and I think maybe his best, though I’m between this and Blue Velvet. It’s just that this movie was so beautifully well made. Add to that one of the hottest G2G scenes in existence and you are forced to admit that David Lynch has as much talent filming memorable films as he does casting beautiful women. 

29. A Beautiful Mind 

– There is such a thing as being too smart for your own good. A Beautiful Mind IS a movie for which Russell Crowe deserved the Oscar and the supporting cast was beyond solid. Just goes to show, a Beautiful Mind is a terrible thing to waste… so watch and repeat.

28. Quills 

– The Marquis de Sade is by far one of the more wonderfully twisted REAL people I’ve ever read about and this film gave us yet another extraordinary showing of why Geoffrey Rush is one of the best actors alive today. Dark, twisted and deliciously Sadistic.

27. District 9 

– Quite possibly the most important Sci-Fi film since the Original Matrix, District 9 brings a very distinct flavor to the genre and pushes in directions you can’t help but gaze at. One part fictional docu film, this movie shows what happens when brains and budget meet. If they don’t use Blomkamp to film the Halo Series, they better find someone who can do as good a job.

26. Moon 

– If you think I’m including this movie because it’s fresh on my mind, let me be the first to swat that thought from your brain. I’m not going to say Moon is the end all movie of all movies, but along with a couple other movies, it has reenergized Sci fi and inspired me to write a short story. If only for the last reason alone, I’m inclined to include it. That Sam Rockwell finally got a chance to show he’s an actor to be taken even more seriously is another reason.

25. Road to Perdition 

– Forget that this movie is well acted, well written and well scored. Now focus on how this movie is shot and you’ll see a movie that blew my mind from a directorial standpoint because it is just so damn beautiful to watch. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I felt hints of Akira Kurosawa in some shots and everything in this movie just delivered, including a very gut wrenching ending. Tom Hanks did a hell of a job convincing me he was a badass by the way, and I don’t think I would have ever thought saying that was possible.

24. Kill Bill Vol 1 

– Beatrix has a two part saga that definitely shows why Tarantino is widely considered one of the best of all time. Each installment has its distinctive style. Each one has memorable fights. Each one has great dialogue (big wonder from a Tarantino flick). This is girl power at its finest expression and you can’t help but enjoy each and every death of the Deadly Viper squad. Black Mamba is a fitting term for Thurman’s deadly on screen bliss.

23. Sin City 

– A classic Graphic Novel gets the Robert Rodriguez treatment to bring one of the most faithful and beautiful on screen adaptations of any kind. To put it simply, style, grace, great casting, top notch acting and the twisted mind of Frank Miller brought me one of the darkestly delicious experiences in my movie watching life.

22. Requiem for a Dream 

– By far one of the strongest films I’ve ever seen, and one of three I’d show all high school kids when they come of age so they don’t mess up (The others being Kids and American History X), Requiem is another example of how good Darren Aronofsky can be and that if he’s aiming to make you feel terrible after a film, there’s just no way he can do any wrong. Real, beautiful, intense, and the type of movie that makes you appreciate what you have in life. If you want your kid to say no to drugs, show them this flick.

21. Curious Case of Benjamin Button 

– I know you may not like the movie, but I did and I also thought the acting, the makeup, the set designs, the special effects, the story and pretty much everything was top notch. A love story with some bite in it and definitely one of the more memorable characters ever based on the Mork and Mindy theory of aging.

My top 100 films of the decade (That I watched) 31-40

40. The Fountain 

– Weird? Very, but this beautiful film had a very lasting effect on me and when I have to sit down and reflect upon life, then I’m pretty sure the movie has quite a lot of worth to it. Aronofsky hasn’t let me down with one film he’s done yet. Every single time he puts out a movie I have to watch and pay attention. The Fountain was no exception. If you didn’t get it, then cool, but if you did, then the wonderful imagery coupled with one of the best scores I’ve ever heard allowed you to truly experience the life and death of Xibalba.

39. Million Dollar Baby 

– A movie dealing with boxing that need not appeal to boxing aficionados. This movie is a little on the odd side because Hillary Swank was so good in it while having appeared months before in The Core. How the same actor/actress can do such a good movie while providing such crap fodder in another is beyond me, but it just goes to show that a great director will help a good actor become stellar. Thanks Clint, for nurturing this baby to help it make millions.

38. Up 

– if anyone knows how to make a gut wrenching intro to a movie to engage viewers and later reward them with a great movie, it’s Disney. Up starts off with the story of Carl, a man who has lived a full life and is one of those lucky few who find the love of their lives AND spends his life with that person. After a very warm and beautiful intro, his wife is shown to pass away, leaving him alone, embittered and at a loss for what to do next… so when a large company wants to evict him, he does the only sensible thing, he buys thousands of balloons, fills them off and flies off to fulfill one of the pending wishes of his wife. Just writing about it gets me to choke up a bit because the intro is quite simply spectacular and the movie definitely has some priceless moments and a supremely satisfying ending. Add to the mix a dog with a collar that lets him speak (I shall forever use the phrase “Squirrel!!!!” thinking of this film), and a weird crazy bird that reminds me of one of the crazier avian characters from the Three Caballeros, and a sweet chubby boy scout you can’t help but want to pinch his cheeks. The movie is honestly a great ride, you won’t be disappointed but a couple of debatable plot points hold this film from being higher on the list. Regardless, it is magnificent and even though it is inspired by a Down in the life of Mr. Carl, you end up with a very pleasant lighthearted Up  feeling.

37. Wedding Crashers 

– Vince Vaughn comes from a school of actors which you either love or hate. Like his brothers in Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Will Farrell and Adam Sandler, some people don’t like the guy or his acting. That’s all fine and dandy but when you get down to it, this movie is hilarious. Typical ending? So what. Will Farrell makes one of his epic cameos and that’s enough of a reason to be on this list.

36. Brokeback Mountain 

– Two cowboys turn lovers… after you deal with your homophobia, you can see that this movie is exceptionally well acted and edited to a score that truly does rip your heart to pieces. Powerful, different, and responsible for introducing the word Brokeback into everyday vernacular.

35. Cars 

– A great CGI movie featuring talking vehicles including Cheech Marin and George Carlin. That it’s a Disney Pixar movie shouldn’t surprise anyone that it’s exceptionally well made, but it did. Light effects and reflections were on full display and when you see an animated film with texture, you probably won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen, and I didn’t.

34. Kill Bill Vol 2

– An excellent film in and of itself, but not as good as the first one. Regardless of this difference, we get to see the faceoff between Miss Kiddo against Bill, and Elle. You also get to see the master of the entire Deadly Viper Squad and what became of him. Kung fu is a dish best served bloody.

33. Kung Fu Hustle 

– Funny? Check. Well shot? Check. Great effects? Check. Best wire work ever done? Quite possibly. Some of the best fight scenes ever made? Check. Good story? Check. Memorable characters? Check. Simply put, Stephen Chow has my attention for as long as he lives.

32. Ocean’s Eleven 

– Not since Sneakers had I seen a heist movie that was so feel good. A delightful affair from start to finish and with a huge cast of memorable characters and you got yourself a classic. So what if the other two movies came up short? We have the first ocean eleven, a truly revamped remake that feels fresh, original and fun. Stage design, editing, music, acting, script, flow and dialogue all contribute to this movie being in the top 20 movies of the last ten years.

31. The Hangover 

– Party movies normally don’t have the best premise in the world. They just have great writers writing funny stuff. The entire formula for The Hangover is just classic and the ending picturesque ending truly takes the movie up even further after having pulled out all the stops. Plus, there’s a chicken, a mysterious baby, a tiger, a naked Chinese guy in the trunk and Mike Tyson.