The Decade Remembered will be my series of pieces where I will do a top ten for each year from 2000 – 2009 with it ending with the complete Top Ten of the Decade to come. So I will start out with 2000.
TEN – American Psycho
Who Directed it? Mary Harron
Did it Win Anything? nope
Why do I Love It? This was more or less our introduction to Christian Bale in a stylized retelling of the classic tale (Psycho) with Bateman set in the financial sector of 80s America. I love the writing and the insane story that it tells that takes us from just a bit off-center into complete looney-ville. I promise you that you won’t listen to Huey Lewis and the News the same way ever again.
NINE- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Who Directed it? Ang Lee
Did it win anything? 4 Academy Awards (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Timmy Yip, Best Cinematography: Peter Pau, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Music: Tan Dun), 2 BAFTA Film Awards (Best Costume Design: Timmy Yip, Best Film Not in the English Language), 2 Golden Globes (Best Director: Ang Lee, Best Foreign Film).
Why do I love it? This is a kung fu film fans wet dream I believe. The film brings together so many things: it has amazing action scenes (I still remember step for step the fight sequence between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi after she stole the sword and the music that goes along with it is so great) and some great character development (as we watch Zhang Ziyi’s character realize what she’s really doing to herself and what she could be doing). At first I remember (at the time being 14) I couldn’t get over the way that the characters were able to fly all over the place so gracefully, but over the years I’ve come realize that this is the ballet element of the film which turns out to be a great way to look at the story.
EIGHT- Erin Brockovich
Who Directed it? Steven Soderbergh
Did it Win Anything? 1 Academy Award (Best Actress in a Leading Role: Julia Roberts), 1 BAFTA Film Award (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Julia Roberts), 1 Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Julia Roberts).
Why Do I love it? I’ve never been the biggest fan of Julia Roberts because she has always seemed (to me at least) to always be in all the female oriented movies but there aren’t many strong women roles as great as this one. A single mom with two children takes it upon herself to try and push this class action lawsuit against a huge corporation and it’s purposeful dumping of dangerous chemicals into a small town’s water supply and then trying to cover it up.
SEVEN- O Brother, Where Are Thou?
Who Directed it? Joel & Ethan Coen
Did it Win Anything? 1 Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical – George Clooney)
Why Do I Love it? As a youngster I had sat through many movies that now I regret even thinking were good (like for example Batman & Robin with George Clooney) and at the time loved Clooney. I’m not sure at which stage in my I actually saw this movie for the first time, but I doubt it was in the year 2000. I loved the slapstick and silly humour it gave us, I loved the music, and even more I loved how it played on the story of Odyssey.
SIX- Gladiator
Who Directed it? Ridley Scott
Did It Win Anything? 5 Academy Awards (Best Actor in a Leading Role: Russell Crowe, Best Costume Design: Janty Yates, Best Effect/Visual Effects, Best Picture, Best Sound), 4 BAFTA Awards (Best Cinematography: John Mathieson, Best Editing: Pietro Scalia, Best Film, Best Production Design: Arthur Max), 2 Golden Globes (Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Original Score: Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard)
Why Do I Love It? “Are you not entertained!!!!” Is all I need to say. Here is the fist movie where I actually sat down and noticed Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe as great actors. I loved all of the battles and the only thing that I can think of is that I still haven’t gone back to see Ben-Hur and other classic gladiator films. This movie made me want to know more about Rome and the history of the nation.
FIVE- Almost Famous
Who Directed it? Cameron Crowe
Did it Win Anything? 1 Academy Award (Best Writing/Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Cameron Crowe), 2 BAFTA Awards (Best Screenplay – Original: Cameron Crowe, Best Sound), 2 Golden Globes (Best Picture – Comedy/Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Kate Hudson)
Why Do I Love It? I’ve always loved movies which talk a lot about younger characters following their passions. Here we have William Miller who LOVES rock & roll and wants to become a rock & roll journalist. He then is commissioned to write an article on the upcoming band Still Water. He discovers things about himself and the band also finds out things about themselves. If you need anything to be sold on why you should watch this movie, watch the clip below.
FOUR- Traffic
Who Directed it? Steven Soderbergh
Did It Win Anything? 4 Academy Awards (Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Benecio Del Toro, Best Director: Steven Soderbergh, Best Editing: Stephen Mirrione, Best Writing/Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: Stephen Gaghan), 2 BAFTA Awards (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Benecio Del Toro, Best Screenplay – Adapted: Stephen Gaghan), 2 Golden Globes (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Benecio Del Toro, Best Screenplay – Motion Picture: Stephen Gaghan)
Why Do I Love It? I actually rewatched this movie recently and found it very refreshing. Each story had it’s own feel and vibe to it. They were even coloured differently not just by content and character, but also by being filmed with different cameras and filters which matched the kind of story. It definitely is one of those multiple stories that don’t come to together fully because stories never collide with each other but rather brush each other’s shoulders and I love that about it.
THREE- High Fidelity
Who Directed it? Stephen Frears
Did It Win Anything? nope
Why Do I Love It? This is the movie which took the idea of Top 5s and made it insanely cool. When I watch this movie I feel like it’s telling me what I want to do with my life. I want to open this store and run it like how it’s run here. You come in and ask me if I have a Britney Spears record or for the latest Lindsay Lohan DVD and you will be punished verbally like the idiot you are. If only I could actually do it, make money and not get shut down after telling the wrong guy about his mother.
TWO – Requiem for a Dream
Who Directed it? Darren Aronofsky
Did it Win Anything? nope
Why Do I Love It? I guess love is a strong word because whenever I say I love a film it tends to mean that it is a movie that I can pop in and watch almost anytime. This movie is not a film you watch more than once, and I don’t recommend you watch alone. It is ridiculously graphic and emotionally scaring. I have seen it three times in total and am yet to watch it alone. With that said, this movie is a masterpiece. It tackles drug addiction in a way that I’ve never really seen before. From the heroin addicts on the street to the pill poppers that don’t even know they are becoming addicted. Aronofsky shows his wonderful style here and it can’t be ignored. He will be the next GREAT that we will be telling our grandchildren is someone they need to see while they’re raving about the latest James Bond movie.
ONE – Memento
Who Directed it? Christopher Nolan
Did It Win Anything? nope
Why Do I Love It? I love movies that give us great stories in an interesting way. This movie is telling us about Leonard who is searching for his wife’s killer. The only problem is that he suffers from short term memory loss so he meets someone and two minutes later doesn’t remember him. The funny thing about this movie is that it gives us the story in a complete backward way, we are given the end, then we go back five minutes see what happened to lead us up to the end, and repeat until we finally get the whole picture. I love it and this has for a long time been one of my all time favourite films. For those of you out there who never heard of Nolan until he did The Dark Knight, do yourself a favour and check out this classic of a movie.
This is a good list. No Snatch though? There are at least 20 more movies that aren't mentioned here that could be contenders. I've seen such a small percentage I'm only able to endorse Snatch and Amores Perros. I figure everyone has seen Snatch and it's really the only glaring widely seen omission.
Snatch was definitely a contender for the #10 spot but eventually lost out to the style and fun of American Psycho. Which movies did I not mentioned that you would put in your list?
Well like I said, I haven't seen many of the ones that would be contenders. Of what I've seen, this would be my ten:
10.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
9. Chocolat
8. Unbreakable
7. O Brother Where Art Thou
6. American Psycho
5. Memento
4. Snatch
3. Requiem for a Dream
2. Amores Perros
1. Almost Famous
Contenders that I haven't seen include three of your ten:
High Fidelity, Traffic, Erin Brokovich
and many less mainstream others:
Yi Yi, Battle Royale (which i started and didn't finish), Best in Show, Dancer in the Dark, In the Mood for Love, You Can Count On Me, George Washington, Wonderboys, Before Night Falls, Werckmeister Harmonies
Also Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Cast Away and Sexy Beast are some that I've seen that I wouldn't list but some people love.
first of all.. wow that you havent seen High Fidelity. That movie rocked my world. If you liked (500) Days of Summer this year go watch it, if you haven't seen that either, make it a double feature.
I love Battle Royale, and it was definitely in contention to get on the list, but in the end I cut it because it felt way too personal and a guilty pleasure than a solid BEST MOVIE.
Also I'm not a huge fan of Wan Kar Wai (sp) so I still have yet to see In The Mood For Love, but I've seen his other movie 2046 which I hated.
Unbreakable doesnt even pretend to make my list though. Liked the movie but nowhere near beating any of my 10 as far as I can tell.
PS. glad to find another Almost Famous fan.
Loved 500 Days so I'll get on that High Fidelity soon.
You're right about Battle Royale, I intend on watching it properly someday.
I have yet to see any Wong Kar Wai movie but I understand that 2046 is not a good representation of the quality of his work and In The Mood For Love is one of his best.
Regarding Unbreakable, I can see that. I'm very shaky on my own list. Notice no Gladiator for example. I saw it once forever ago and didn't like it. I'm sure if I rewatched it would make the list.
Almost Famous is one of my favorite movies of any year.
I like this feature, when's the next one coming?
I plan on doing all the years up to 2008 before the end of the month, then getting my 2009 top ten lists up during the first week on January then the top ten of the decade shortly after… so soon is the answer to your query.
Interesting list. Looks like you were a big fan of 2000.
My decade list will be up at the end of the month, but right now, I would have to say that "Requiem for a Dream" tops my list. I recently wrote a review on it, but, in short, it's one of the best pieces of filmmaking of our time. The performances are devastating and relentless. Powerful isn't a big enough word.
Erin Brokovich? More like Erin "really sucks" Brokovich!
You've got the names of the character wrong in Almost Famous. Russell Hammond is the guitarist in Stillwater and Fugit plays William Miller. Great, great movie…My favorite of the 00's.
Thanks rapidodoug. I did not notice that little error… it has been corrected