And then there were ten.
Before I wrap up the list that I’ve trickled out over the last five days, I suppose I should write a few words on the decade that was. I entered the 2000s as a 16 year-old boy in Johannesburg who thought he knew a lot about movies. I left it as a 26 year-old man in London who knows a lot more than he did then — but realizes that he knows a lot less. There is still so much to see that I’ve barely touched upon — from this past decade alone.
Probably no filmgoing decade in my lifetime will be as crucial to me as the one that passed, in terms of the shift and growth in my sense of how to read (and write) film.
I may have already known that I loved movies, but in the 2000s I gained a sharper sense of how to love them, what I really respond to in a film — and the 50 titles gathered here (along with many, many others) helped fine-tune that notion.
With that kind of personal learning curve attached to the decade, it’s hard to stand back and judge how it might stack against previous ones; strong, weak or average, it’ll always feel like my decade. As I compiled the list, however, did arrive at the conclusion that it started better than it finished. Sheer mathematics supports this personal view — the top 10 films I’m about to reveal all landed in the decade’s first half, and I don’t think that’s merely down to the advantage of distance.
One brand-new film, for example, could have broken that pattern in the top 10 — which is where I’d like to hand some sort of special citation to my #1 film of 2009, Claire Denis’s “White Material.” In my first draft of the list, it slid comfortably in at #9.
But after due consideration, I decided that, while could afford to be cheeky with my 2009 list, it would be cheating to put a film no one has yet seen outside of a festival environment in a survey of the decade’s greatest. If you’re not bothered by that, feel free to mentally adjust the list; otherwise, the “best of the 2010s” honors start here.
And with that, the Top 10:
#10
“SPIRITED AWAY”
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, 2002
After a decade that has seen such bold formal leaps in the medium of animation, I surprised myself a little by finding room for only one such film in the list. But for me, even the most sophisticated of Pixar’s works can’t compete with the storytelling breadth, and loopy visual extravagance, of Miyazaki’s new-standard fairytale. Narratively knotty where even more adult-oriented fantasy seeks short cuts, “Spirited Away” channels Lewis Carroll and “The Wizard of Oz” while remaining, surely and strangely, itself.
#9
“AMORES PERROS”
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2000
For Iñárritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga, the repetition – to ever more complicated structural effect – of this film’s triptych narrative form through “21 Grams” and “Babel” reaped slightly diminishing returns. That, however, is no reason not to marvel at the density and dexterity of its execution in this sucker-punch of a debut. The key to its success lies in the wildly differing tonal and emotional textures of its three stories, spanning mournful character study, cruel social satire and fizzing urban thriller.
#8
“KILL BILL VOL. 1”
Directed by Quentin Tarantino, 2003
A rollicking feat of high-wire filmmaking that has no right to work, and yet arrogantly, deliciously does: this in spite of a story that was seemingly plotted on a couple of dayglo Post-It notes, without so much as the courtesy of an ending. (Yes, yes, we get there in Vol. 2, and you know what? It’s not as much fun.) But the set pieces are so masterful as to render such technicalities trivial, while Uma Thurman’s graceful, ferocious and hilariously humorless Bride is a vital film-carrying creation.
#7
“Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN”
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, 2002
Between this film, “Children of Men” and the only “Harry Potter” film with an ounce of directorial personality, Cuarón undoubtedly enjoyed one of the most intriguing decades of any filmmaker. His masterpiece, however, lies in his most modest effort, a teen comedy with all the empathy, human interest and joyful dirtiness that tag so rarely promises. Breaks your heart when you least expect it, and then does it all over again in one of the most quietly shattering final scenes in all cinema.
#6
“BIRTH”
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, 2004
Shamefully dismissed by critics upon its release, Glazer’s magnificently disconcerting psychological thriller represented a creative quantum leap from his more acclaimed debut “Sexy Beast.” Nicole Kidman’s monumental, career-best performance deserves its own tribute, but it’s only of a piece with the pristine craft on display here, from the minty chill of Harris Savides’ lensing to the hypnotic swirls of Alexandre Desplat’s score. It all comes to a head in that opera sequence, a small cinematic miracle in itself.
#5
“ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND”
Directed by Michel Gondry, 2004
Regular readers will agree that any film that can unite Kris, Chad and me in agreement (hell, even a few Oscar voters, too) has got to be packing some special sauce. And “special” this bittersweet tale of hearts lost and found is, fleshing out the cold formal genius of its story architecture with a joyfully candid expression of what it means to be in love in the real world – or otherwise. Clever but never remote, fanciful but never fey, with two lead performances their creators will be lucky to surpass.
#4
“DANCER IN THE DARK”
Directed by Lars von Trier, 2000
The soaring high point of a productive decade for modern cinema’s most brazen experimenter, “Dancer in the Dark” put forth the most aggressive reimagining of the thematic boundaries of screen musicals since “Cabaret” 28 years before it. Foreshadowing the concerns of American community the outsider that would take hold in “Dogville” three years later, von Trier makes a stunning virtue of their incongruence with his lavish, ecstatic production numbers, aided immeasurably by the naïve wonder that is Björk.
#3
“TALK TO HER”
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, 2002
Spanish-language cinema has been in notably rude health this decade, but its crowning achievement was also that of a comfortably established auteur. At once comfortable in its impeccable polishing of long-practised manners of mise-en-scène, yet restlessly inquisitive about its own social, sexual and sensual statements, this is the emphatically identifiable work of an artist at the peak of his powers, a status since borne out by the soft, if not unenjoyable, slide towards “Broken Embraces.” Let’s see what the next decade brings.
#2
“LANTANA”
Directed by Ray Lawrence, 2001
Oh, how I was tempted to console the commenters concerned that “Jindabyne” would be loris-like British-Australian director Ray Lawrence’s only entry in the Top 50. Just imagine if he deigned to make more than one film a blue moon. Would he maintain the searing insight and intensity of this rich, rewardingly tangled domestic thriller? A film that feeds not just my filmgoing passions, but my writing ones, too: a well-thumbed copy Andrew Bovell’s screenplay has a permanent place on my bedside table.
#1
“MOULIN ROUGE!”
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, 2001
What do they teach people Down Under? Luhrmann’s unruly, unhinged and thoroughly rhapsodic cinematic burlesque has rewarded me with more replay value than any film of the last ten years. If its overwhelming visual and sonic design keeps finding new ways to take your breath away before you’ve regained it, the sweet, giddy sincerity of its dime-store romance gives it a simple human core. A one-of-a-kind film that inspires a little more belief in it – and its corny, unimpeachable values – every single time I see it.
And there you have it. I only just noticed how nicely my #1 and #50 picks bookend each other stylistically, and I’m rather content with that. Thanks for your lovely response to my musings, but if you missed any of the write-ups, here are #41-50, #31-40, #21-30 and #11-20. Finally, in full, my top 50 films of the 2000s:
1. “Moulin Rouge!”
2. “Lantana”
3. “Talk to Her”
4. “Dancer in the Dark”
5. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
6. “Birth”
7. “Y tu mama tambien”
8. “Kill Bill Vol. 1”
9. “Amores Perros”
10. “Spirited Away”
11. “Far From Heaven”
12. “Before Night Falls”
13. “Time Out”
14. “Morvern Callar”
15. “Mulholland Drive”
16. “Dogville”
17. “Caché”
18. “This Is England”
19. “Heaven”
20. “Junebug”
21. “Brokeback Mountain”
22. “The Class”
23. “Beau Travail”
24. “In the Mood for Love”
25. “Jindabyne”
26. “No Country for Old Men”
27. “Once”
28. “Spider”
29. “The Departed”
30. “Wolf Creek”
31. “Last Resort”
32. “Wendy and Lucy”
33. “There Will Be Blood”
34. “Fish Tank”
35. “The Bourne Ultimatum”
36. “A Prophet”
37. “Moolaadé”
38. “Me and You and Everyone We Know”
39. “Intimacy”
40. “The Good Girl”
41. “The Hurt Locker”
42. “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”
43. “Lust, Caution”
44. “Iraq in Fragments”
45. “Jesus’ Son”
46. “Japanese Story”
47. “Saraband”
48. “City of God”
49. “Zoolander”
50. “Devdas”
Comments
105 responses to “Guy’s top 50 of the decade: #1-10”
Glad to see so many Australian films peppered throughout the fifty.
Really enjoyed your list and have a lot of watching to do. Thanks Guy!
Chad: I didn’t say “debut”; I said “effort” in general. For me, as far as directorial choices overall in a film, “Magnolia” is unequaled. And I’ve been meaning to rent “All the Real Girls” for a while. I need to remedy this now.
Joel didn’t say Magnolia was a debut. Why did I find this important enough to comment on? :p
Anyway, I want to thank Kris, Guy and Chad for their lists. Very interesting. It’s especially interesting and weird when I see some movies being in at least two of these lists and I have no idea what they are!
Really pleased to see ‘Birth’ and ‘Lantana’ on the list, two films that I have rewatched often since they first came out.
‘Birth’ was butchered by a lot of critics who did not understand it, and mistook it for a straight drama, when the director himself called it a fairy tale, except this one takes place in big expensive penthouses with upper class New Yorkers, who operate almost like a cult, and aim to mold the emotionally very unstable Anna into a good submissive trophy wife, while she tries to cling to a fantasy of an idealized husband (who was also sort of a dick). Much was made of Kidman’s ‘Mia Farrow’-haircut; try watching the enf of Rosemary’s Baby and then watching ‘Birth’ right after.
That’s my interpretation anyway. Part of the allure of believing the kid was her husband was because it was the only realy escape from the life she was about to commit to. I’ll avoid major spoilers, but in the end the question “Was the kid Sean or not?” ends up being almost incidental to the actual story, which is entirely about Kidman’s character and what it is she loses or is cheated out of along the way.
Oh, right, also: everyone see ‘Lantana’!
Indeed. I misread you Joel
Not my top ten, but a good list.
15. Paranoid Park (2008)
14. Persepolis (2007)
13. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
12. Slumdog Millionaire (2007)
11. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
10. The Departed
9. Shattered Glass (2003)
8. Elephant (2003)
7. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
6. Traffic (2000)
5. Memento (2001)
4. Into the Wild (2007)
3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
2.The Dark Knight (2008)
1. Once (2007)
Wow haven’t seen so many of thsoe in your top 10, interesting list, makes me learn more about what’s out there.
Your awesomeness went up by 110% the moment you put spirited away in your top 10.
I’ve never seen Moulin Rouge. I own Dancer In the Dark because I’m a Bjork fan. Screw the pretentious director!
Mulholland Dr — should’ve been your number one. Best movie of the decade set in Los Angeles.
Well, I already knew “Yi Yi” wasn’t gonna make it, but I was holding out hope that you’d have a change of heart on that one Guy. Anyway, good stuff all around, and I too was a little surprised to see your #1.
Wow. I was surprised to see ‘Moulin Rouge!’ as your number one. It’s an original choice, really, and I laud you for that.
I was surprised to see ‘Dancer in the Dark’ in here, but in retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have been. ‘Dancer’ was the first, and to this day, the only von Trier film that I’ve seen, and in a word it’s haunting–but my goodness was it brillant. A hybrid of drama and musical, and so unlike any movie of the musical genre, it is one that would linger in the minds of many viewers, myself included.
I was also glad to see ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ so high up the list. The movie’s writing, acting, cinematography and direction make for a wistful, refreshingly modern love story that warms the heart while getting the brain cells up and running. It remains one of my all-time favorites, and for good reason too, I suppose.
Also, I’m just glad I saw 3 out the top 5. All in all, great list, Guy.
Also Guy, why didn’t “Where the Wild Things Are” appear in the top 50?!
Again, here’s my top 15 in alphabetical order:
“Amélie”
“Babel”
“City of God”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
“Hero”
“The Lord of the Rings”
“The Motorcycle Diaries”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“The Pianist”
“Spirited Away”
“Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter …and Spring”
“The Triplets of Belleville”
“Volver”
“Water”
Honorable Mentions:
“Almost Famous”
“Billy Elliot”
“Chicago”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Lives of Others”
“Talk to Her”
and there’s plenty plenty more. Great decade.
Your number 6 and number 1 movies have me over-the-moon (and not just because I’m gaga over Nicole Kidman…well that might be a part of it)!
I have no idea if anyone has already said it but your top 10 is clearly foreign dominated (meaning that its outside UK/US somination).
I am personally proud of it. The globe is shrinking , and so is the way the inhabitants of a country see the others culture.
I am also proud that my language, spanish (español sounds better) is very present.
I would never choose Moulin Rouge as #1 but its nice to see that surprise.
Would i tbe a bother if i asked for a actors/actresses of the decade list ?
That would be great. :)
Good for you on producing a list. No one will agree with all of it. I think Adaptation is my favorite film of the decade. Actually I hated Moulin Rouge and so does everyone I know. Actors talking in song lyrics?
Ditto on Junebug. Wolf Creek? Why?
You might as well pick Saw or any other of the mindless horror crap.
What about Juno or Little Miss Sunshine or Sideways?
“But my pivotal moviegoing moment happened a lot earlier. When I was 11, my parents took me to see “Three Colours: Red,” and from the opening shot, it blew my mind. I was into movies well before then, but that made me see them in a new way.”
Totally agree, Guy, except that I was… gee, how old was I? 18 I guess. I saw it with my brother (we saw everything together, lots of art house stuff) and were both blown away by it. That changed everything for me when it comes to movies.
So great to see two Aussie films at the top. Lantana deserved a much better award showing than it had (excepting the Australian Film Institue ones)
I like your list on the whole – although there are many mentions of canonical films that I simply do not get the love for (Yi Yi, In the Mood for Love, Moulin Rouge!, Birth etc). However your mention of Lantana in #2 really surprised me. It’s quite a well-written film with some good performance (my favourites were Kerry Armstrong & Vince Colosimo) but on the whole it just seemed rather monotone and conventional to me. I’m surprised you put it ahead of films like Eternal Sunshine, especially.
Guy, a great conclusion to a great series of articles. I am particularly stunned to find the similarities between your list, Kris’ list, and Chad’s list. Decade lists are as personal as they get, and those types of similarities are symbolic of special films, as well as similar cinematic tastes in some aspects.
Wow. You’ve definitely impressed me, Guy! I didn’t expect “Lantana” and “Moulin Rouge!” (the two best Aussie films of the decade) to take out spots #1 and #2! The “Lantana” inclusion is such a beautiful surprise since it SHOULD be on so many more lists of these kind but some people seem to forget Australia makes movies.
And the inclusion of “Birth” so high? It’s like you’re making a play for my heart! Plus “Sunshine”, “Dancer”, “Kill Bill”, “Spirited Away” and “Tambien” your top ten is DEFINITELY the best I’ve seen so far. Only “Amores Perros” doesn’t excite me, but it’d be tough to go 10 for 10.
Amazing stuff. Loved it.
WOW! Moulin Rouge! I didn’t expect that AT ALL, totally agree. For me is the #3 movie of the decade (after Amelie and LOTR).
Love the Spanish movie rudeness.
Didn’t see Lantana figuring so high. Reckon The Boys, also Australian, tops it.
Great list though. Thanks.
The Boys was excellent. David Wenham’s performance is one of the most frightening I’ve ever seen.
1998 was such a good year for Australian cinema. Surprised The Interview never got more love internationally. Same with Head On.
Congratulations on putting Moulin Rouge at the top of your list. A film that was ahead of its time and still is…..
Love the Lars love! Fascinating list. DOGVILLE is my #1.
http://www.newyorkcool.com/archives/2009/December/film-Frank_J_Avella.htm
I don’t like your top 10 at all. Sorry. Birth is such a bad movie. The only people I know that like Birth are the crazy Kidmaniacs. Love Eternal Sunshine though, but not Y Tu Mama También or Amores Perros.
I guess I’m a crazy Kidmaniac, then. Not that I’m ashamed of such a label. Quite the opposite.
@Slayton: Look closer: “Yi Yi” isn’t on the list. And to be quite honest (lowers voice to a scared whisper), I don’t quite get it either.
what a disgusting top 10. I only recognised 2 pictures mentioned, Eternal Sunshine, Kill Bill and a bunch of flicks neither I or regular people saw.
this is just typical NY/LA centric elitist stuff. No bluckbusters no nothing, i bet Guy was educated at one of those elitist acting schools where everyone watches 60’s french cinema or something.
PS, just joking, sort of. Goodish list.
Even accounting for your joking, surely “Moulin Rouge” is a thoroughly mainstream pick.
Great list Guy, and finally the only segment I can call kinda mainstream as in it contains widely seen movies. I’m afraid I’ll have to confess I first heard of Lantana through the course of some of the earlier segments. Call me ignorant but I hadn’t even heard of the movie let alone see it. But I’ll remedy that soon.
I first got high on Pixar after Ratatouille and that was the first Pixar film I had seen. But it was definitely Spirited Away which put forth the notion that animated films can be much more than harmless entertainments. The thing that struck me most about Spirited Away (3 years before my love affair with Pixar began) was that people could write such an elaborate screenplay for an animated film. Needless to say my thoughts are considerably different now. Ghibli and Pixar are now event movies for me.
Guy, “Birth” is one of the worst films I have ever seen. Right next to the original “13th Floor.” The opening sequence is painful as is the scene in the opera.
I didn’t hate it because the kid didn’t end up being her husband, I hate it because it was not a well-crafted work.
What’s your favourite 2009 film, Guy?
Andrew: “White Material,” though as I mention in the intro, it’s really a 2010 film.
Of the films that received U.S. releases in 2009, my favourite is “The Hurt Locker.”
More details in my Best of 2009 list here.
Moulin Rouge = The worst piece of crap, bloated, self-important, arrogant movie I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. Too bad you think it is the best.
On a side note: just rewatched Jindabyne and it improved on a 2nd viewing. I know many will disagree with me, but i felt it should have been longer, as there were so many ideas that barely touched the surface.
Thanks Guy, for selecting so many Australian films. But, there are many more which should track down.
I’m a great fan of animation and Spirited Away would probably be #1 on my list of the decade. Probably one of the best decade lists i’ve seen.
Thank you
are my comments showing up? I’ve tried posting twice but ANWAYS Guy, you’re inclusion of Birth, Moulin Rouge! and Lust, Caution makes me so HAPPY!! I made a top 50 list for my uni paper and it included all three. Now if anyone gives me shit, i have you’re list to guide them too. Props also to Y tu Mama, Mulholland and Spirited Away.
Harry: Comments with links in them have to be approved before they show up, but I don’t see any of yours in the system. Anyway, you got there eventually!
Glad my love for those films is shared.
Good list, although I think Lantana is rubbish.
The most glaring ommission is no Aranofsky in the Top 50. No place for Requiem, The Fountain or The Wrestler?
“Requiem for a Dream” was VERY close.
Not impressed. I know these things are meant to be subjective but my own subjective opinion is that for the most part Guy’s taste is very middlebrow.
A lot of perfectly decent films are placing much much higher than they should while truly great works aren’t even mentioned. Too bad.
Guy, I’m baffled by the lack of love for Fincher’s Zodiac. And what do you think of Tykwer’s Perfume?
I like “Zodiac” very much indeed — it’d certainly be in a Top 100.
I was distinctly disappointed by “Perfume,” I’m afraid.
It’s been a very enjoyable and insightful list, Guy, and I really like how you blended the personal with the analysis. I want to watch the films I haven’t seen even more, which I think is the best compliment I can pay to your wonderful writing. Personally, I rate Cuarón very highly, and I’d place “Children of Men” alongside “Y tu mama tambien” in any ‘best of’ list, and “Spirited Away” is just stunning; the only animated work this decade to make me properly marvel at what I was seeing.
Astounded and delighted that MR! came in even higher than on Tapley’s list here. It places at #3 on my decade list, but I thouroughly agree that it is by far the most rewatchable movie of the decade. Also as Aussie it’s great to see top 2 call outs to the Oz film industry.
“Moulin Rouge”? You have to be kidding me. I think I’ve mentioned that I hate that movie, but if I haven’t: I HATE THAT MOVIE!
I’m glad so many people got something out of it, though.
Also, where’s “Finding Nemo”?
Where’s “Finding Nemo”?
Well below “WALL-E” and “Ratatouille” on my longlist, for starters ;)
You have some people complaining that Guy’s list is too elitist, and others like HarryB (who might just be trolling) say it’s middlebrow.
Geez, can’t win around here.
Aussie love!
Well done Guy.