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.  After 2000, 2001 , 2002, 2003 and then is 2004:

TEN – Kill Bill Vol. 2

Who Directed it? Quentin Tarantino

Did it Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? Tarantino takes the story he started a year prior and steps more into his style of storytelling rather than paying homage to a lot of other genres he loves.  He does step back into the old kung-fu ‘kicker’ genre for one short chapter of the film when we see The Bride training with Pai Mei, but otherwise this is classic Tarantino.  I loved from beginning to end how this movie pulls itself off a wonderfully written revenge tale, and even though I think that Vol.1 holds up a lot better than this one on repeat viewings it doens’t stop from me falling in love with all the scenes like the famous Superman speech and even better the scene between The Bride and Esteban Vihaio.  This film is fun and if you like revenge/action/Tarantino you have to see it.

NINE – Shaun of the Dead

Who Directed It? Edgar Wright

Did It Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? Here is my introduction to the comedic trio (Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) and I’ve never looked back in shame.  I love this movie for so many reasons.  It’s the first time I saw someone take the Romero (i.e. crappy) zombies and make them hilarious.  Who ever thought that when in a time of crisis it’s time to go to the pub.  After watching this movie you can never get that scene with Pegg and Frost throwing LPs at the undead, comedy gold.

EIGHT – Layer Cake

Who Directed it? Matthew Vaughn

Did it Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? It’s another story of introductions, here I met Matthew Vaughn (the guy who ended up doing Stardust) and Daniel Craig (the guy who ended up playing James Bond), which made my decade slightly brighter.  The film is a great drug thriller with Craig’s character trying to make a few dollars, move up the ladder and at the same time not get into too much trouble (which he ends up doing).  Here is a film that reminded me at a time when I forgot that the British gangster flicks are good, it had bee a while since Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Give it a look see if you miss the great Brit mobster flicks.

SEVEN – The Incredibles

Who Directed It? Brad Bird

Did it Win Anything? 2 Academy Awards (Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Animated Feature Film of the Year)

Why Do I Love It? Well I think at this point it’s best I tell you that I’m contractually obligated to love anything from Pixar (if only that were true).  This is the first time Brad Bird worked with Pixar (he previously did Iron Giant with Disney) and this movie is incredible (pun intended).  I, as a superhero/comic book fan, fell in love with this movie instantly.  Imagine if someone sued a superhero for saving his life and then being a superhero was outlawed.  It’s like a Saturday morning cartoon version of Watchmen when you think about it and I love it so much.  I’ve had this movie on repeat for days before and I’m sure I will again soon.

SIX – Spider-Man 2

Who Directed it? Sam Raimi

Did It Win Anything? 1 Academy Award (Best Achievement in Visual Effects)

Why Do I Love It? This brings back the idea that comic book movies tend to be okay the first time round since they spend too much time setting up the characters, being down right amazing the next time, and then running the story into the ground the third time out (and this franchise is no different).  I guess this may be a fan favourite but it feels slightly out of place in this list for me because I definitely don’t think of this movie as a BEST OF kind of film.  However, I’m a huge fan of Spider-Man since I was very young and was always reading the comic book and tv shows and Dr. Octopus happens to be my favourite villain of all of the bad guys in the entire mythology.  I loved Alfred Molina as Dr. Octavius and the train fight sequence always makes me happy.

FIVE – Collateral

Who Directed It? Michael Mann

Did It Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? Tom Cruise for me had always been the Jerry Maguire and Top Gun characters that you know him for.  However here was the first time I saw him take on the role of the bad guy, but also a charasmatic bad guy who would smile to your face until the very last moment when he needed to let you know he means business.  Some of the conversations that Cruise and Jaimie Foxx have throughout the movie just continually have you wondering how it’s all going to end, is this the comment that sets Cruise off?  Can Jaimie piss him off enough to get shot?  How far will Jaimie test the boundaries of this relationship?  I loved it and I’m happy I now own this on DVD.

FOUR – Million Dollar Baby

Who Directed It? Clint Eastwood

Did It Win Anything? 4 Academy Awards (Best Achievement in Directing: Clint Eastwood, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Morgan Freeman, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Hilary Swank), 2 Golden Globes (Best Director – Motion Picture: Clint Eastwood, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Hilary Swank)

Why Do I Love It? Who doesn’t love a good underdog story.  Maggie shows up in Frank’s gym saying she wants to learn boxing.  She’s too old and too dumb and too everything else, but eventually she gets Frank to train her and she fights in the ring and turns out to be one of the best female boxers ever.  This is Hilary Swank’s best film as far as I’m concerned and the movie that showed me how great a director Clint Eastwood is (I hadn’t seen any of the movies that he directed at this point in time).  When I start to cry for characters during a movie, I know it’s won me completely.

THREE – Garden State

Who Directed it? Zach Braff

Did It Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? Before I knew Braff for his character Jon Dorian (on Scrubs) I saw Garden State and somehow I connected with this guy who was so messed up he just couldn’t connect with anyone until he meets this completely out there girl who thinks that anytime she feels cliche she has to break out into something perfectly original by making odd noises and epileptic movements.  If you like quirky comedies this is a must see.

TWO – Before Sunset

Who Directed It? Richard Linklater

Did it Win Anything? nope

Why Do I Love It? If I ever think of a movie that epitomizes what I think love lost looks like it’s this movie.  Ten years after they met on a train through Vienna and fell in love they meet up for the first time since then by chance at Jesse’s book reading.  At first I thought the movie felt too polite, or better yet that the characters were purposely not getting into the meat of the problem and being too okay with everything until of course the famous car ride which makes this movie for me.  I love it and if you’ve never seen this go watch Before Sunrise then this, it makes for a great double feature (and you’re girlfriend will probably like it too).

ONE – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Who Directed It? Michel Gondry

Did it Win Anything? 1 Academy Award (Best Writing/Original Screenplay), 2 BAFTA Awards (Best Editing, Best Screenplay – Original)

Why Do I Love It? How can you not?  Yes i know Gondry is odd, but that’s what’s great about it.  His visual style accompanied with the great central plot device (that you can erase memories with this simple overnight operation) is a brilliant mix of the correct ingredients for one of the best movies ever made this decade.  And then of course it comes with a great feeling of love lost and how things come back to you if they really belong to you.  If you haven’t seen this movie yet go and punish yourself then watch it two times right after.