Top 25 of the ‘Oughts

February 15, 2010

Top 25 of the ‘Oughts

First, more people should consider joining the free contest.  I mean I know only 10 of you read this, but if I can get atleast 10 to sign up, I think it’s worth me buying some sort of grand prize.  So invite your friends, invite strangers, all that jazz.

All title links simply lead you to the IMDB main page for each movie.  From there, you should be able to find trailers or whatever else you want to know about that movie that I left out.

25) Up in the Air The first of my two 2009 list mistakes.  I think I got caught up in talking about the other movies…and since I had just talked about Up in the Air, I somehow didn’t want to be caught up in my own hype.  But I was wrong.  It was one of the best of the decade.  As for my other 2009 mistake, it was a movie I totally omitted.  We’ll get there.

24) Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Before seeing it, I didn’t even think I’d like it.  Yet it is one of the most re-watchable romantic comedies I’ve ever seen.  It was because of this movie I finally bothered to start watching How I Met Your Mother.  The ending of course sealed the deal, but I think the moment we all knew we weren’t dealing with a typical movie was of course when Peter is forced to reveal part of his work.  Priceless.

23) Memento – there is nothing quite like the combination of unique concepts that have the execution to back it up.  Memento is no different.  While I don’t think it ever quite holds up to the first time through, it’s an incredible movie with perfect pacing.

22) Memoirs of a Geisha – Already covered my fascination and love of this film.  Though I still haven’t read the book (sigh).

21) In Bruges – A movie that quickly seems to be gathering a cult following.  A movie that covers the life of hitmen that we normally don’t get to witness.  It’s chock full of witty/clever dialogue, great characters, and tense moments.

20) Avatar – I haven’t written in super great detail about Avatar…but so many other people did I never felt the need.  If this were a list of movies that will change the way movies are done, then it would be #1.  As it is, it is simply an incredible experience.

19) Dinner Rush – This movie was one of the first posts I started to work on, and I still have yet to publish it.  I’m guessing its one of the more obscure ones on this list.  The story all takes place in one night in a restaurant and told from various perspectives of patrons, workers, and the owner.  Whether you find yourself loving the bartender, the art critic, or whoever, all of the characters in this ensemble have something interesting and noteworthy to offer.  And of course, throughout the night, their tales overlap.  If you are in the mood for a slow but deliberately paced tale, check it out.

18) Casino Royale – I was not a believer in Craig.  I was not a believer in a reboot.  But what was I do to do?  After starting out strong with Goldeneye, we then saw in later movies the satellites targeting Bond specifically in Die Another Day.  Really?  C’mon.  I expected things to only get worse.  How wrong could a person be?  Craig was perfect for this reboot, and we watch the James Bond we know and love start his career.  It is a challenge to take 20 movie-old franchise, start it over, and make it appeal to new and old fans alike.  And while Quantum of Solace didn’t quite live up to my hopes and dreams, one of my favorite movie series gave me hope for its future with this single step.

17) Ratatouille – Pixar is freakin’ amazing.  Do I really need to say anything else?  Pixar’s most entertaining and second best movie to date.  And if you’ve been following this blog, you know which “better movie” will be showing up here soon enough.

16) Slumdog Millionaire – I thought that the more time I spent away from Slumdog Millionaire, the less I’d like it.  But the movie continues to grow on me.  Even as it nearly swept its Oscar categories I found myself tremendously impressed by this tiny film that could.

15) LotR: Fellowship of the Ring – Woe to Return of the King.  This is where it was at.  Where it all began.  Maybe I just got tired of it as the series plodded along.  Or maybe the characters were most interesting to me as they began their journey.  And if you’re a Gollum fan (and who isn’t) this certainly is the movie with the least representation.  But to me, it’s all about Bilbo’s party, and the Mines of Moria.  The fear of the riders  It’s hanging with the elves.  It’s learning who to trust.   Speaking of which, if you are like me and never read the books, I feel like this movie offers the most twists.  Re-watch it, love it, and embrace it as the best of the series and a re-newing of the “epic” movie genre.

14) Primer – This is a movie that I have no interest in spoiling to anyone.  Than again, I’m not sure if I can, as I had to read a literal dissertation of events to try and get a better idea of what happened.  It is a very suspenseful (not scary) and much as Memento did its mechanic very well, Primer takes on its own agenda and navigates an INCREDIBLY difficult genre with amazing skill and adeptness.  Just don’t try to watch this if you’re half asleep or want to only pay half attention to the movie.  You’re wasting your time.

13) The Queen – I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into here.  Make no mistake, Helen Mirren makes this movie.  Her portrayal is incredible.  You can’t help but love and hate her.  You will always be cheer for and against her.  She takes one of the most high profile and reserved people in the world and turns her into someone that you relate to.  While at first I questioned the chosen timeframe of the movie, no more.  Perfectly done.  A difficult time, filled with difficult choices.  Battles of tradition and all those time honored things that I love to ponder over.

12) High Fidelity – “What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”  Rob is great, isn’t he?  And not just cause I’m a sucker for John Cusack.  This is about as close to a male “chick flick” as I think I’ve ever seen.  And I too, find myself re-organizing my DVD collection after significant events in my life.  And then being OCD and putting them back in alphabetical order.  Fact remains, this movie puts a great twist on the love story.  Highly endorsed to all.  It’s a finely crafted mix tape, if you will.

11) Savages – This one isn’t endorsed to all.  Be ready for some uncomfortable moments.  But I’ve already covered my deep respect of this movie, so feel free to read about it there.

10) The Lives of Others – Such a compelling movie.  I don’t really feel like spoiling any of the fun, but it is, in short, about how a man who is spying  on someone is impacted by what he witness while spying.  Absolutely stunning, brilliant stuff.  Top notch.  Go watch it now.

9)  Dark Knight – You already know why it was amazing.  I already talked about why it is amazing.  Done and done.

8)  Man on Wire – He’s just so crazy, and his plot is just so crazy, what’s not to love?  But you take a step back and it is the tale of a guy who loves life.  And while I suppose the same case could be made for Grizzly Man in terms of crazy, passionate people…the story telling here trumps it.  Half Ocean’s 11 thriller, half interviews and retrospectives.  Man on Wire was my favorite doc. of the decade.

7)  Up – Already talked alot about this one in the last few posts.  Only thing left to say is that it takes home my #7 for the decade.

6)  3 Idiots – The big snub from my 2009 list.  And supposedly, according to people who know me and entities that really know me *cough* Netflix *cough*…I’m actually going to like Dil Chahta Hai more.  And while it is actually currently in my DVD player, I’d rather post this then put it off until after I finally had 3 consecutive hours to watch it.  Just expect a post on it in the near future.  Anyway, I truly loved this movie.  I laughed and I cried…again and again and again.  I was totally captivated throughout.  Aamir Khan manages to pull off being a college student remarkably well.  The plot is, of course, over the top.  But as a person who works in a place where the education is rigorous and stress causing, there were too many times that it should have felt over the top…but I knew better.  Also, this is kinda neat.  They are releasing it on youtube in about a week for you all to see.

5)  V for Vendetta – Again, I already talked about this one way back, and I could say more, but I’ll spare you.

4)  Hurt Locker – There is a theme here, isn’t there?  I need to stop recycling posts. Aaron’s recent comment on the post certainly brought more to light.

3)  Squid and the Whale – A beautifully done autobiographical tale of growing up in a family full of awkward tension.  While not always pleasant to watch, the tale is told brilliantly.  Geez, I’m a broken record.  I need to get some new words to explain why each of these movies are so freakin’ awesome.  In this case, I think what this movie does so well is capture very human thoughts and scenes in subtle ways.  It’s got nothing new in terms of characters.  Teenage boys trying to impress girls.  Washed-up athletes.  Artsy-fartsy types.  But it is the way they use these cookie-cutter personalities that makes you connect with the story.  The cast was perfectly chosen and impressive, but again, it is how they subtly don’t steal the scene that I find so great.  And given the wide range of the story and the characters, I find it hard to imagine a person who wouldn’t find their own personal connection in this story.

2)  Amelie – Much like Shawshank Redemption, I feel like I’ve met maaaaybe 3 people in the world who haven’t enjoyed this movie after watching it.  It’s just a classy, feel-good story of life.  It’s about meeting people where they are at, and trying to help them.  And it is about someone who is insanely shy trying to accomplish such a task.  Audrey Tautou might be one of the most adorable film presences I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing.  Her antics, her daydreams, her simple pleasures in life…it’s gotta warm your heart.  As mentioned in my openings post, the movie is also just set up perfectly.  From the opening narrations through about the news report, we are painted a picture of the world this movie takes place in.  Stunningly done.  Also stunningly, it didn’t win Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.  But more on that in a few weeks.  So for now, let me simply say if you are in the mood for a heart-warming movie and don’t mind reading the subtitles, you shouldn’t hesitate to watch this movie.

1) Sideways – For calling it my movie of the decade, I probably haven’t covered it enough.  So more to say on top of what I already did.  1)  Incredible jazz soundtrack.  A staple of my car.  2)  The women.  Superb acting jobs.  Great characters.  And everything from ex-wives to flings gets covered.  3)  The scene on the porch… Scrumtrulescent. And I did carefully choose that word.  Just a truly tremendous job, and one of the most re-watchable movies I own.  The only thing that makes me sad was that they didn’t include a certain scene from the book, though for film reasons I totally understand why.  Let’s just say it involved drinking and boar hunting. My other post covers most of the essentials.

So close, yet so far…movies that get honorable mention and would have made my top 50 list. The Bourne Trilogy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Big Fish, City of God, Spirited Away, Incredibles, Being John Malkovich, Donnie Darko, Der Untergang (Downfall), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Mulholland Dr., Joyeux Noel,He ni zai yi qi (Together), and R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet (based uponcertain scales atleast)

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