This column has been the elephant in my living room for months.
Putting together a list of the year’s best films is easy. It’s fresh. It’s in your mind. It’s, in many ways, the expected culmination.
Putting together a list of the decade’s best films is a different chore altogether. Yearly rankings fly out the window as a proper gauge, because tastes shift and impacts either dwindle or deepen. Revisiting films is called for, but fitting in the works you missed along the way is also imperative. It can be maddening.
And the truth is, you can’t see everything. All you can do is try to be as honest about how you feel as you can. And even then, no list can be definitive on a personal level, let alone authoritative.
And so the whittling begins, and in many ways, the process is the reward. The ultimate collective is a mere reminder of the journey through 10 years of film product. But some things stuck out along the way.
For instance, I’m fascinated by the work of Jacques Audiard, Arnaud Desplechin and Ramin Bahrani, but none of their admirable films made the cut. Nevertheless, I think if they stick to it, each will one day give us his own instant classic.
Then there were films that really spoke to me but didn’t come together enough to land on the list. Jean-Luc Godard’s “Nortre Musique,” for instance, or Béla Tarr’s “Werckmeister Harmonies.” The same could be said of Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream.”
Pinning down a “filmmaker of the decade” is somewhat difficult, too…as it would be. Clint Eastwood was certainly prolific, but none of his nine films resonated enough to even crack the lowest tiers of my list. Paul Thomas Anderson knocked it out of the park every time he stepped up to bat, but that was still a grand total of two times. And Martin Scorsese enjoyed an interesting roller coaster of tone, theme and story, but none of his work measured up to the bar he’s already set for himself.
Danny Boyle had a wild ride that ended with a well-deserved Oscar last year. Paul Greengrass stood up and made himself and his talent known. And the Coen brothers kept an even keel, culminating with their best film in well over a decade.
A compelling argument could be made for the Pixar Animation Studio as a whole, but I’d personally like to be more specific than that. And Lars Von Trier’s involvement in three of the decade’s best makes a pretty strong case as well. But the name I came up with was…
Charlie Kaufman.
Granted, Kaufman only directed one film over this stretch — 2008’s “Synecdoche, New York” — but the films he penned throughout the decade were unmistakably of his vision and he made the first legitimate case for an auteur screenwriter.
I have no trouble considering Kaufman the filmmaker of the decade. And he’s the only person to show up twice on my list.
Before getting to my 10, I would like to specifically cite some entries that just missed. We should be allowed that when it comes to a decade of product.
• Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” was a gorgeous love letter to music and a lovely take on coming of age tropes. Unfortunately it has been all downhill from there for the filmmaker.
• Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” was a wonderful cinematic journey. Along with his 1998 debut “Following,” it announced the sort of psychological themes that would dominate his work throughout the decade.
• Steven Spielberg’s one-two early decade punch of “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” and “Minority Report” was an unexpected gasp of quality sci-fi cinema. We got another such gasp in 2009, interestingly enough.
• Spike Lee’s “25th Hour” has grown in stature perhaps more than most films mentioned in this column over the years. An intense post-9/11 portrait, it is one of Lee’s finest hours, an expert piece of expressive cinema.
• Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love” was a beautiful portrait of peculiar romance with a vibrant sense of the medium and some really striking performances. It seemed to reveal a true artistry in his work for the first time.
• Gus Van Sant’s “Last Days” was an affecting cerebral take on the final days of musician Kurt Cobain, and ultimately, an intriguing look at the boredom of superstardom. It’s one of those atmospheric heroes of the medium.
• Alfonso Cuaron’s “Children of Men” nailed dystopia and invigorated the spirit with its equally stark and exhilarating mise-en-scene. Cuaron himself should be spotlighted as having had a great decade, in fact.
• John Cameron Mitchell’s “Shortbus,” crafted from material improvised by a cast of unknowns, was a kaleidoscope of the filmmaker’s personality. Metaphor and insight abounded as a truly organic ensemble worked as a living creature of purpose.
• James Cameron’s “Avatar” is a special case designation, I think. It didn’t make the top of my 2009 list obviously but it nevertheless deserves to be mentioned alongside the best of a decade, considering it was the most innovative of a decade.
• And the Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man,” as I’ve mentioned recently, was a potent, resilient effort that crowned their work over the past 10 years. (Though privately, I’m finding it humorous that my favorite year in movies this decade did not, in fact, yield a placement on the list.)
In the end, I guess you have to lay down your cards. And these are mine. I’m trying not to make too big a deal out of this. It is, after all, the kind of thing that could change drastically in a week, in a month. But these are the 10 I feel most represent how I saw a decade of filmmaking, the most compelling ideas, the most engaging work. And I’m happy to share them now…
#10
“MOULIN ROUGE!”
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 2001
Baz Luhrmann’s wonderfully creative re-invention of the movie musical, “Moulin Rouge!” is alive in ways most films simply are not. It’s reverence for the medium can be charted in any number of homages, both subtle and explicit, but most of all, the film’s borderline assault on the senses becomes an intriguing commentary on the cinema’s vigorous visceral potential. And that’s before we get to the marvelous audacity of some of the film’s song choices and, of course, the penetrating themes on display.
#9
“THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY”
Directed by Julian Schnabel, 2007
Representative of uncommon cinematic vision from the mind of filmmaker Julian Schnabel, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is the result of a consummate artist striving for vastly different things behind the camera than any of his contemporaries. Schnabel created a menagerie that became that rare example of a film less impressive in the sum of its parts than it is in the analysis of each working component. It is masterful in ways it seems critical analysis has not yet considered.
#8
“FINDING NEMO”
Directed by Andrew Stanton, 2003
The optimum Pixar endeavor is, to date, still the most financially successful of the studio’s theatrical releases. “Finding Nemo” is a thrill-ride for all ages, but an engaging, emotional narrative as well, one that signaled the commercial potential for mature animated storytelling long before “WALL-E” or “Up” came along. The film is also quite possibly Pixar’s most beautifully animated effort yet, accompanied by award-worthy voice work from Ellen DeGeneres, one of the better “performances” of 2003, in fact.
#7
“INLAND EMPIRE”
Directed by David Lynch, 2006
Filmmaker David Lynch has been twisting the cinematic medium to fit his whims of fancy for the better part of three decades. But with “Inland Empire,” he seems almost bored with that medium, perhaps even contemptuous of his audience. He dares the viewer to stick with 180 minutes of sheer audacity and a tapestry of narrative innovation. The film exists as a longing for something else, something different, something unequivocally diverse, and he should be applauded for it.
#6
“ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND”
DIrected by Michel Gondry, 2004
Charlie Kaufman’s words on the page have never worked so congruous with a director’s vision of them as with “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Actress Kate Winslet received awards attention, co-star Jim Carrey deserved more, but as usual with a Charlie Kaufman project, Charlie Kaufman is the star. Penning a compelling spin on the love story with more authenticity and genuine empathy than the greatest of the genre, he gets at the heart of a relationship and keeps the audience rich with insight throughout.
#5
“ADAPTATION”
Directed by Spike Jonze, 2002
An intense and often emotional portrait, Spike Jonze’s “Adaptation,” from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, is one of the most successful attempts at relating an artist’s journey on the big screen. But the film’s beauty stretches farther than reflexivity, offering up a universal message inherent in the title: the search for a place in the world, for the terms that work for you, the struggle to adapt and the confusion that struggle manifests is often the most rewarding, significant and revealing journey you’ll ever take.
#4
“THE FOUNTAIN”
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, 2006
Since the release of “Pi” in 1998, it has been clear that director Darren Aronofsky is generally interested in something more visceral in his filmmaking. After years of failed preparation left the director slashing and burning ideas and intentions all along the way to a 90 minute condensation of his original vision, “The Fountain” might be considered an unfortunate failure in some viewers’ eyes. But it is undeniably the trail left by a filmmaker determined to stretch his artistic vernacular.
#3
“IRREVERSIBLE”
Directed by Gaspar Noe, 2003
Both critically panned and critically hailed upon its debut at the 2003 Cannes International Film Festival, “Irreversible,” Gaspar Noé’s grim exploration of the fragility of love ranks as one of the most effectively gripping cinematic events in recent memory. Utilizing a backwards narrative more adequately than we have yet seen, Noé takes the viewer on a hypnotic quest past consequence and into a foreshadowing realm of innocence that is at once heart-breaking and cautionary.
#2
“DOGVILLE”
Directed by Lars Von Trier, 2004
After a typically scandalous bow at Cannes in the summer of 2003, Lars Von Trier’s “Dogville” found itself at once charged and praised as “anti-American.” Abandoning all rules set forth by his “Vow of Chastity” regarding the Dogme95 movement, the eccentric and maverick director reaches depths of symbolism, power and understanding with this film he has never before even skirted. The work is also one of the most effective pieces of political allegory, in any medium, of the modern era.
#1
“THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD”
Directed by Andrew Dominik, 2007
What author Ron Hansen created in his 1983 novel “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” was a unique perspective within a genre too easily given to derivation. A focused examination of celebrity and idolatry, wrapped in the spirit of Shakespearean tragedy, the author’s efforts clearly inspired filmmaker Andrew Dominik. Dominik pieced together a “Victorian western,” as he’s called it, part-elegy in its visualization of a wild west on the march toward domestication. Career-best cinematography from legendary lenser Roger Deakins and a beautiful score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are just gravy on this, the finest film to come along since Terrence Malick’s “The Thin Red Line.” It is, for my money, the absolute best film of the decade.
The top 10 films of the aughts:
1. “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
2. “Dogville”
3. “Irreversible”
4. “The Fountain”
5. “Adaptation”
6. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
7. “Inland Empire”
8. “Finding Nemo”
9. “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
10. “Moulin Rouge!”
And that about wraps it up. It’s been a solid decade, if one not nearly as powerful on the screen as the last, but some bold advances were made and more than a few great artists offered up classic, uncompromising visions that will last a lifetime.
What are your thoughts on the best films of the aughts? Have your say in the comments section below!
Comments
160 responses to “The best films of a decade”
As if it matters (since there are a thousand “best of lists” in these comments sections and I bet nobody’s actually reading all of them), but my tops of the decade:
TOP TEN
1) Sideways
2) Lost in Translation
3) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4) No Country for Old Men
5) Children of Men
6) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
7) Volver
8) The Wrestler
9) Finding Nemo
10) The New World
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order):
Gomorrah, Wall-E, Kill Bill, There Will Be Blood, Synecdoche NY, The Dark Knight, Almost Famous, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, In the Mood For Love, Far From Heaven, Talk to Her, Spirited Away, Before Sunset, The Incredibles, Cache, The Squid and the Whale, Good Night and Good Luck, Ratatouille, United 93, The Departed, Persepolis, 4 Months 3 Weeks 2 Days, Moulin Rouge!, The Triplets of Belleville, Up
Of all the genres, I must say I am most impressed with the output we’ve seen in animation these past 10 years. Sure, a lot of it came from Pixar, but there were a number of non-Pixar movies that really stuck with me, both from a visual standpoint as well as a story-telling standpoint. And I haven’t even seen this year’s crop…I caught Up, but I still have to see Ponyo, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, and the Princess and the Frog.
Frank Lee,
Speed Racer is a sheer joy of a film. Its energy and its unrelenting message of true family values triumphing over fake corporatism are both daring and very much welcomed. Give most directors a bunch of money and they produce mindless, forgettable junk. With Speed Racer, the Wachowski Brothers created a pop art masterpiece.
Kris, just out of curiosity, what were your top ten films of the 1990’s?
Hell why not… My top 10 of the decade (in alphabetical order)…
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Adaption
Children of Men
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Dogville
Downfall
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Pan’s Labyrinth
Ratatouille
Spirited Away
Dogville being at #2 definitely took me by surprise, but otherwise a solid list. At the risk of repeating a lot of titles, here’s my list:
#1. Lost in Translation (2003)
#2. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
#3. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
#4. The Wrestler (2008)
#5. Children of Men (2006)
#6. 28 Days Later (2003)
#7. Avatar (2009)
#8. The Departed (2006)
#9. Training Day (2001)
#10. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
Stunning list! I think “Diving Bell” is overrated and “Adaptation” hasn’t done well in my mind like Kaufman’s other written films (excluding “Synecdoche”). I wouldn’t include titles like “Jesse James” and “The Fountain” but they are far more worthy and interesting titles than what the majority of people would choose.
Having “Moulin Rouge!”, “INLAND EMPIRE”, “Finding Nemo”, “Eternal Sunshine” and “Dogville” on there is inspired, inspiring and altogether brilliant. Those five titles exemplify everything cinema should and could be.
my list:
1. Last Days
2. Mulholland Dr.
3. Silent Light
4. In the City of Sylvia
5. Birth
6. The Piano Teacher
7. Punch-Drunk Love
8. Tropical Malady
9. Elephant
10. Marie Antoinette
I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am the The Assasination of Jesse James is at the top of your list. I remember following the production and was quite disappointed when it landed without a splash. It took me quite a long time to see it, but when I did (in the backwoods of inland China) I was absolutely gobsmacked. Kudos for the list.
I haven’t compiled mine yet, but I know that The Assasination, Dogville, Eternal Sunshine and Moulin Rouge would definitely be on my list.
Thanks for all the compliments, guys. It was a lot of (painstaking) fun putting this together.
Great list Kris, my list has most of the same Dogville, Eternal Sunshine, Jesse James, The Fountain just in a different order.
Great piece, Kris! I will eventually do my top 100 but for now, my top 30:
1) The New World (2005, Terrence Malick)
2) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007, Andrew Dominick)
3) You Can Count On Me (2000, Kenneth Lonergan)
4) The House of Mirth (2000, Terrence Davies)
5) Moulin Rouge! (2001, Baz Luhrmann)
6) Mulholland Dr. (2001, David Lynch)
7) Russian Ark (2002, Alexandr Sokurov)
8) The Fountain (2006, Darrin Aronofsky)
9) Elephant (2003, Gus Van Sant)
10) Old Joy (2006, Kelly Reichardt)
11) Nobody Knows (2005, Kore-eda Hirokazu)
12) United 93 (2006, Paul Greengrass)
13) In The Bedroom (2001, Todd Fields)
14) Donnie Darko (2001, Richard Kelly)
15) No Country For Old Men (2007, Joel and Ethan Coen)
16) The Fall (2008, Tarsem Singh)
17) There Will Be Blood (2007, Paul Thomas Anderson)
18) Million Dollar Baby (2004, Clint Eastwood)
19) Children of Men (2006, Alfonzo Cuaron)
20) Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars Von Trier)
21) The Brown Bunny (2003, Vincent Gallo)
22) Grizzly Man (2005, Werner Herzog)
23) Vera Drake (2004, Mike Leigh)
24) Inglouious Basterds (2009, Quentin Tarantino)
25) All The Real Girls (2003, David Gordon Green)
26) Catch Me If You Can (2002, Steven Spielberg)
27) Punch-Drunk Love (2002, Paul Thomas Anderson) Love
28) In America (2003, Jim Sheridan)
29) Bright Star (2009, Jane Campion)
30) Max (2002, Menno Meyies)
This would be my list:
1. Yi Yi (Yang, 2000)
2. Still Walking (Kore-eda, 2008)
3. Old Joy (Reichardt, 2006)
4. The New World (Malick, 2005)
5. Werckmeister Harmonies (Tarr, 2000)
6. Revanche (Spielmann, 2008)
7. You Can Count on Me (Lonergan, 2000)
8. The Best of Youth (Giordana, 2003)
9. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (Jones, 2005)
10. Brokeback Mountain (Lee, 2005)
Wow Jeff, that’s one of the more obscure lists I’ve seen. I mean I’ve heard of many of the titles on your list, some I haven’t (Still Walking, Old Joy, The Best of Youth), but that’s about it. The only one I’ve seen is Brokeback Mountain, which was fantastic, poignant and definitely deserves to be on the list.
Just a side question: Would you consider your picks to be relatively obscure, high-brow types? (just wondering why I haven’t even remotely heard of some of those)
1. City of God
2. Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3. A Serious Man
4. Paradise Now
5. Requiem for a Dream
6. The Pianist
7. Traffic
8. Synecdoche, NY
9. Capturing the Friedmans
10. Mystic River
Kevin- I’d say Jeff’s list is only a 5 on an obscurity scale to 10. You’d be doing yourself a favor by checking out titles like Still Walking and Old Joy and if you like those, maybe you can go further to Tropical Malady and Nights and Weekends.
I dont get what people see in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I hated that film. Also The Fountain, while very interesting its still a misfire.
Just my opinion.
Some of My favorites
Unbreakable
Moulin Rouge
Million Dollar Baby
Gran Torino
The Dark Knight
United 93
Spiderman 2
There Will be Blood
Sicko
2012 -Great guilty pleasure
Chuck
@ Chuck (115);
If Gran Torino is on your best of decade list, it’s not surprising that you might hate The Fountain and Eternal Sunshine because they are about as far as you can get aesthetically from the Eastwood flick.
@Paul- To me Gran Torino is to Eastwood what The Shootist was to John Wayne. As a fan I love both.
chuck
@ Chuck:
Fair enough, although I don’t agree. To me Gran Torino is to Eastwood what McQ is to John Wayne. (I’m a fan of Eastwood and Wayne, but Gran Torino did not do it for me.)
I’ll leave the choice of the 10 best films to critics. As an audience member, I’ll just say the 10 films that meant the most to me.
1,2. Star Trek, The Dark Knight… This decade, Hollywood gave up trying to find anything new, and they put their best efforts into retelling stories of old. And for all the dung they’ve gotten for it, if they’re going to make my childhood heroes come alive in full widescreen glory with this much wit, style, intelligence, thought, and bravado, then more power to them. Shakespeare rarely felt the need to come up with anything new and his stuff has stood up pretty well. (Of these two, I give the edge to STAR TREK. For two reasons…a) these were my heroes growing up, and b) I think I’ve reached an age where I actually prefer a movie to have a positive outlook on the universe.
3. Training Day. If you want to see what great screen acting is, watch this. Electric, in the moment, feeding off of each other, imbued with a past we rarely hear of. Plus, great words, great style, great locations, great movie.
4. Saw/Saw 2. Wes Craven once said that a horror movie really scares you if you think the guy making it is dangerous. That definitely applies here. These movies are also valuable to see the fine line between extreme yet effective cinema and sick torture porn (the movies that came after these two). In these films, story, dialogue, character, pace, tone… all were essential. After these two, though, I felt like I was watching snuff films shot by a fan of Nine Inch Nails Videos. Special kudos to Tobin Bell for giving one of the scariest performances in film history (in #2) while being so weak he could barely move from his chair.
5. The 40-Year-Old Virgin. More laughs than you can shake a stick at, a hero to cheer, a comedy which takes itself seriously yet remembers it’s a comedy. Strangely, I have not enjoyed Mr. Apatow’s subsequent efforts much, but this is a damn masterpiece.
6. Michael Clayton. By mixing the genres of character study and legal thriller, we suddenly have a serious character piece that doesn;t bore you to tears and a thriller that actually seems like it could have happened.
7. 3:10 to Yuma. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe may be poster boys for over-testosteroned movie stars behaving like spoiled little bitches, but the two fools sure can act when they get good material. By mixing modern expectations of character development and production value, with a good old-fashioned storytelling ethic, we get the most satisfying Western since the good old days when these things were all over the place.
8. Gladiator. Same thing, just with Crowe, Phoenix, and a different major genre of the good old days.
9. Mr. Brooks. Possibly the only movie in history to get you to empathize with a serial killer. Casting Kevin Costner and letting him terrorize Dane Cook is probably how they got away with it.
10. The Hangover. Funniest movie ever. Zach Galifinakis is the only actor who could possibly be considered as an alternative to Mr. Waltz at the Oscars this year, but that lamebrained Academy only believes in arthouse crap these days!
Nice list; although, mine differs:
1. Requiem for a Dream
2. Brokeback Mountain
3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4. Transamerica
5. Far From Heaven
6. No Country for Old Men
7. There Will Be Blood
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
9. Little Children
10. Babel
10. Donnie Darko
9. Training Day
8. Gladiator
7. There Will Be Blood
6. No Country For Old Men
5. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy
4. Minority Report
3. Batman Begins
2. The Departed
1. The Dark Knight
With The Dark Knight the definite numero uno
for me the rest of the list are in no particular order but all great films.
Honorable mentions have to go to : In Bruges,
Requiem For A Dream, The Prestige, Let The Right One In, Tsotsi, City Of God, The Machinist, Sexy Beast, Sin City, Watchmen, Casino Royale, American Gangster, Munich,
The Lives Of Others, Buffalo Soldiers, Dead Man’s Shoes, Hustle & Flow, A History Of Violence, Blow, The Insider, Collateral,
Vanilla Sky, Dog Soldiers, Redbelt, House Of Sand & Fog, Traffic,Mr. Brooks, X2, Tupac : Resurection, Grizzly Man and all the good films that come out this year. I’m sure i’ve missed a few but these are some cracking movies.
Chris Nolan without doubt the film-maker of the decade.
these are
Good choices–
DOGVILLE is my #1.
http://www.newyorkcool.com/archives/2009/December/film-Frank_J_Avella.htm
1. Bolt (2008 – yes, I went there)
2. Wall-E (2008)
3 & 4 (still figuring out which one I prefer). Inglourious Basterds and Avatar (2009)
5. The Incredibles (2004)
6. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
7. Coraline (2009)
8. Up (2009)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. District 9 (2009)
12. Team America: World Police (2004)
13. Finding Nemo (2003)
14. Beowulf (2007)
15. There Will Be Blood (2007)
16. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
17. (500) Days of Summer (2009)
18. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
19. Saw (2004)
20. Star Trek (2009)
10. Far From Heaven
9. Before Sunset
8. 21 Grams
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6. Adaptation
5. Bowling for Columbine
4. Memento
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
2. There Will Be Blood
1. The Lives of Others
10. The Motorcycle Diaries
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8. Spirited Away
7. The Triplets of Belleville
6. Volver
5. Pan’s Labyrinth
4. Water
3. Amélie
2. The Pianist
1. The Lord of the Rings – The Trilogy
My list can change though
1. Children of Men
2. Gosford Park
3. Brokeback Mountain
4. Yi Yi
5. L’enfant
6. 5×2
7. Syndromes and a Century
8. The Saddest Music in the World
9. Y tu mama tambien
10. Lost in Translation
11. A History of Violence
12. Before Sunset
13. La mala educacion
14. Dancer in the Dark
15. Ratatouille
16. Volver
17. Tropical Malady
18. Dogville
19. Adaptation.
20. Requiem for a Dream
Very happy for all the Yi Yi love. Make Ed Yang’s other movies available, damn it!
Happy New Year!
Happy new year!!
1) There will be blood
2) Mulholland drive
3) 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days
4) In the mood for love
5) The return
6) The holly girl
7) Adaptation
8) Shortbus
9) Simpathy for Lady Vengeance
10) The russian ark / Let the right one in (tie)
1. Minority Report (Spielberg, 2002)
2. Precious (Daniels, 2009)
3. King Kong (Jackson, 2005)
4. Children of Men (Cuaron, 2006)
5. No Country for Old Men (Coen, Coen, 2007)
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Fincher, 2008)
7. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (Spielberg, 2001)
8. Let the Right One In (Alfredson, 2008)
9. The Dark Knight (Nolan, 2008)
10. Pan’s Labyrinth (Del Toro, 2006)
2000: “The Virgin Suicides” (directed by Sofia Coppola)
2001: “Donnie Darko” (directed by Richard Kelly)
2002: “Adaptation” (directed by Spike Jonze)
2003: “May” (directed by Lucky McKee)
2004: “The Polar Express” (directed by Robert Zemeckis)
2005: “Little Manhattan” (directed by Mark Levin)
2006: “Inland Empire” (directed by David Lynch)
2007: “Bridge to Terabithia” (directed by Gabor Csupo)
2008: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (directed by David Fincher)
2009: “Inglourious Basterds” (directed by Quentin Tarantino)
Runners-up:
“About Schmidt” (2002; directed by Alexander Payne)
“A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” (2001; directed by Steven Spielberg)
“The Anniversary Party” (2001; directed by Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh)
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007; directed by Andrew Dominik)
“Away We Go” (2009; directed by Sam Mendes)
“Babel” (2006; directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
“Blood Diamond” (2006; directed by Edward Zwick)
“Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006; directed by Larry Charles)
“Bowling for Columbine” (2002; directed by Michael Moore)
“Brokeback Mountain” (2005; directed by Ang Lee)
“Bully” (2001; directed by Larry Clark)
“Changeling” (2008; directed by Clint Eastwood)
“Children of Men” (2006; directed by Alfonso Cuaron)
“Cloverfield” (2008; directed by Matt Reeves)
“The Dark Knight” (2008; directed by Christopher Nolan)
“The Devil Wears Prada” (2006; directed by David Frankel)
“Dogville” (2004; directed by Lars von Trier)
“Drag Me to Hell” (2009; directed by Sam Raimi)
“Elephant” (2003; directed by Gus Van Sant)
“Enchanted” (2007; directed by Kevin Lima)
“The Exorcism of Emily Rose” (2005; directed by Scott Derrickson)
“Garden State” (2004; directed by Zach Braff)
“The Girl Next Door” (2004; directed by Luke Greenfield)
“The Good Girl” (2002; directed by Miguel Arteta)
“Grizzly Man” (2005; directed by Werner Herzog)
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2009; directed by David Yates)
“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (2001; directed by John Cameron Mitchell)
“Hostel” (2006; directed by Eli Roth)
“House of 1000 Corpses” (2003; directed by Rob Zombie)
“Identity” (2003; directed by James Mangold)
“In Bruges” (2008; directed by Martin McDonagh)
“The Informers” (2009; directed by Gregor Jordan)
“In the Cut” (2003; directed by Jane Campion)
“Into the Wild” (2007; directed by Sean Penn)
“The Invisible” (2007; directed by David S. Goyer)
“Jeepers Creepers” (2001; directed by Victor Salva)
“Joshua” (2007; directed by George Ratliff)
“Junebug” (2005; directed by Phil Morrison)
“Kill Bill: Volume One” (2003; directed by Quentin Tarantino)
“Last Days” (2005; directed by
“Lifelines” (2009; directed by Rob Margolies)
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003; directed by Peter Jackson)
“Lost in Translation” (2003; directed by Sofia Coppola)
“Marley & Me” (2008; directed by David Frankel)
“Mean Creek” (2004; directed by Jacob Aaron Estes)
“Mean Girls” (2004; directed by Mark S. Waters)
“Million Dollar Baby” (2004; directed by Clint Eastwood)
“Monster” (2003; directed by Patty Jenkins)
“Monster’s Ball” (2001; directed by Marc Forster)
“Moonlight Mile” (2002; directed by Brad Silberling)
“Moulin Rouge” (2001; directed by Baz Luhrmann)
“Mr. Brooks” (2007; directed by Bruce A. Evans)
“Mulholland Drive” (2001; directed by David Lynch)
“Must Read After My Death” (2009; directed by Morgan Dews)
“The Night Listener” (2006; directed by Patrick Stettner)
“No Country for Old Men” (2007; directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen)
“November” (2005; directed by Greg Harrison)
“The Orphanage” (2007; directed by Juan Antonio Bayona)
“The Phantom of the Opera” (2004; directed by Joel Schumacher)
“The Pledge” (2001; directed by Sean Penn)
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (2009; directed by Lee Daniels)
“Rachel Getting Married” (2008; directed by Jonathan Demme)
“Rent” (2005; directed by Chris Columbus)
“Road to Perdition” (2002; directed by Sam Mendes)
“The Rules of Engagement” (2002; directed by Roger Avary)
“The Safety of Objects” (2003; directed by Rose Troche)
“The School of Rock” (2003; directed by Richard Linklater)
“Signs” (2002; directed by M. Night Shyamalan)
“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (2004; directed by Kerry Conran)
“Snow Angels” (2008; directed by David Gordon Green)
“Solaris” (2002; directed by Steven Soderbergh)
“Spirited Away” (2002; directed by Hayao Miyazaki)
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)
“Synecdoche, New York” (2008; directed by Charlie Kaufman)
“United 93” (2006; directed by Paul Greengrass)
“The United States of Leland” (2004; directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge)
“Up in the Air” (2009; directed by Jason Reitman)
“Vanilla Sky” (2001; directed by Cameron Crowe)
“War of the Worlds” (2005; directed by Steven Spielberg)
“Where the Wild Things Are” (2009; directed by Spike Jonze)
“The Wrestler” (2008; directed by Darren Aronofsky)
Now for the worst films of the decade (BECAUSE I JUST HAVE TO). Here we go. 100 terrible films from the years 2000 to 2009:
In alphabetical order:
“The Adventures of Pluto Nash” (2002; directed by Ron Underwood)
“Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London” (2004; directed by Kevin Allen)
“Alexander” (2004; directed by Oliver Stone)
“Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker” (2006; directed by Geoffrey Sax)
“All About Steve” (2009; directed by Phil Traill)
“All the King’s Men” (2006; directed by Steven Zaillian)
“Alone in the Dark” (2005; directed by Uwe Boll)
“An American Carol” (2008; directed by David Zucker)
“An American Haunting” (2006; directed by Courtney Solomon)
“American Outlaws” (2001; directed by Les Mayfield)
“Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid” (2004; directed by Dwight Little)
“Are We Done Yet?” (2007; directed by Steve Carr)
“Bad Boys II” (2003; directed by Michael Bay)
“Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” (2002; directed by Wych Kaosayananda)
“Basic” (2003; directed by John McTiernan)
“Battlefield Earth” (2000; directed by Roger Christian)
“The Black Dahlia” (2006; directed by Brian De Palma)
“Bless the Child” (2000; directed by Chuck Russell)
“Bones” (2001; directed by Ernest Dickerson)
“Bratz” (2007; directed by Sean McNamara)
“Bride Wars” (2009; directed by Gary Winick)
“Bulletproof Monk” (2003; directed by Bruce Hunt)
“Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” (2001; directed by John Madden)
“The Cave” (2005; directed by Bruce Hunt)
“Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003; directed by Shawn Levy)
“Christmas with the Kranks” (2004; directed by Joe Roth)
“The Crew” (2000; directed by Michael Dinner)
“The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course” (2002; directed by John Stainton)
“Diary of the Dead” (2008; directed by George A. Romero)
“Dirty Dancing: Havana Night” (2004; directed by Guy Ferland)
“Disaster Movie” (2008; directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer)
“Dragonball: Evolution” (2009; directed by James Wong)
“Dragon Wars” (2007; directed by Hyung-rae Shim)
“Duplicity” (2009; directed by Tony Gilroy)
“Epic Movie” (2007; directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer)
“Exit Wounds” (2001; directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak)
“Extreme Ops” (2002; directed by Christian Duguay)
“The Fog” (2005; directed by Rupert Wainwright)
“The Forbidden Kingdom” (2008; directed by Rob Minkoff)
“Friday After Next” (2002; directed by Marcus Raboy)
“From Justin to Kelly” (2003; directed by Robert Iscove)
“G-Force” (2009; directed by Hoyt Yeatman Jr.)
“The Good German” (2006; directed by Steven Soderbergh)
“Hanging Up” (2000; directed by Diane Keaton)
“Hart’s War” (2002; directed by Gregory Hoblit)
“Hitman” (2007; directed by Xavier Gens)
“House of the Dead” (2003; directed by Uwe Boll)
“I Love You, Man” (2009; directed by John Hamburg)
“The In Crowd” (2000; directed by Mary Lambert)
“The In-Laws” (2003; directed by Andrew Fleming)
“In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” (2008; directed by Uwe Boll)
“Invictus” (2009; directed by Clint Eastwood)
“Johnson Family Vacation” (2004; directed by Christopher Erskin)
“Kingdom of Heaven” (2005; directed by Ridley Scott)
“Let’s Go to Prison” (2006; directed by Bob Odenkirk)
“The Longest Yard” (2005; directed by Peter Segal)
“Love Don’t Cost a Thing” (2003; directed by Troy Beyer)
“The Man” (2005; directed by Les Mayfield)
“The Master of Disguise” (2002; directed by Perry Andelin Blake)
“Meet the Spartans” (2008; directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer)
“Monkeybone” (2001; directed by Henry Selick)
“The Musketeer” (2001; directed by Peter Hyams)
“National Lampoon’s Gold Diggers” (2004; directed by Gary Preisler)
“National Lampoon’s Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj” (2006; directed by Mort Nathan)
“National Security” (2003; directed by Dennis Dugan)
“Next Day Air” (2009; directed by Benny Boom)
“Next Friday” (2000; directed by Steve Carr)
“Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” (2000; directed by Peter Segal)
“The One” (2001; directed by James Wong)
“The Perfect Holiday” (2007; directed by Lance Rivera)
“Ready to Rumble” (2000; directed by Brian Robbins)
“The Reaping” (2007; directed by Stephen Hopkins)
“Rebound” (2005; directed by Steve Carr)
“Reindeer Games” (2000; directed by John Frankenheimer)
“Resident Evil: Apocalypse” (2004; directed by Alexander Witt)
“Righteous Kill” (2008; directed by Jon Avnet)
“Rollerball” (2002; directed by John McTiernan)
“The Rundown” (2003; directed by Peter Berg)
“The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (2006; directed by Michael Lembeck)
“Semi-Pro” (2008; directed by Kent Alterman)
“Slackers” (2002; directed by Dewey Nicks)
“Showtime” (2002; directed by Tom Dey)
“The Skulls” (2000; directed by Rob Cohen)
“A Sound of Thunder” (2005; directed by Peter Hyams)
“Space Chimps” (2008; directed by Kirk De Micco)
“The Spirit” (2008; directed by Frank Miller)
“Spy Game” (2001; directed by Tony Scott)
“Stay Alive” (2006; directed by William Brent Bell)
“Texas Rangers” (2001; directed by Steve Miner)
“Thunderbirds” (2004; directed by Jonathan Frakes)
“TMNT” (2007; directed by Kevin Munroe)
“Transformers” (2007; directed by Michael Bay)
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009; directed by Michael Bay)
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” (2009; directed by Patrick Tatopoulos)
“Unearthed” (2007; directed by Matthew Leutwyler)
“The Wash” (2001; directed by D.J. Pooh)
“White Noise” (2005; directed by Geoffrey Sax)
“The Whole Ten Yards” (2004; directed by Howard Deutch)
“XXX: State of the Union” (2005; directed by Lee Tamahori)
“Zoom” (2006; directed by Peter Hewitt)
[…] [commentary] […]
10. Minority Report
9. Traffic
8. Children of Men
7. Lost in Translation
6. City of God
5. The Dark Knight
4. There Will Be Blood
3. Pan’s Labyrinth
2. Ratatouille
1. The Lord of the Rings 1-3
1.Synecdoche,New York
2.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3.There Will Be Blood
4.A.I. : Artificial Intelligence
5. The New World
6. Where the Wild Things Are
7.Margot at the Wedding
8. Lord of The Rings (Trilogy)
9. Waltz with Bashir
10. Watchmen
1. The Wayward Cloud (2005)
2. Syndromes and a Century (2006)
3. Colossal Youth (2006)
4. Femme Fatale (2002)
5. INLAND EMPIRE (2006)
6. La vie nouvelle (2002)
7. L’intrus (2004)
8. Love Exposure (2008)
9. Melancholia (2008)
10. A Place on Earth (2001)
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