I started this blog in 2008 and I’ve been doing my yearly top ten films each year since then. Also at the end of 2010 I decided to do a retrospective where I did my top ten from 2000 to 2010. So you can see all of those via this link.
This week, with little inspiration, I thought why not take a moment to look back at what many believe was one of the best years of cinema in this latest era of movies (a stretch maybe, but let’s see how the internet takes that statement). So let’s go:
10. Bringing out the Dead (dir. Martin Scorsese)
This is one of those out on the fringes Scorsese films. This movie discussed a part of the New York culture that he hasn’t talked about that much. With a lot of colourful characters all running around him it pulls off being a great watch that I’ll never stop seeing over and over.
9. The Matrix (dir. Andy & Larry Wachowski)
I saw this movie for the first time when it came on bootleg DirectTV that my best friend taped for me and I saw this movie on repeat for approximately four days. I don’t think I can say that about many films. This is a film that remains in the category of groundbreaking and I’ll always keep a special place in my heart for it.
8. Election (dir. Alexander Payne)
When high school is pretty much lowered to the standard of a teacher trying his best to keep a know it all student who wants nothing more than to succeed by hatching schemes to make sure she doesn’t win the vote for school president. It’s one of the best dark comedies I’ve seen in years and I’m happy for the weird tone it takes with that pitch.
7. The Virgin Suicides (dir. Sofia Coppola)
Sofia Coppola is a filmmaker who I believe is the next coming in character studies. She’s able to say more in painting mood canvases about these characters she chooses to focus on and while this isn’t her best film it is still a fantastic piece of cinema.
6. American Beauty (dir. Sam Mendes)
I love this movie. I love Kevin Spacey. I love Chris Cooper. I love this movie and the narrated wonderful story. I think my love can honestly be summed with the scene towards the end of the film where Cooper and Spacey have a slight dialogue (which I won’t spoil). It’s apt and without every range of emotion I’ve ever wanted to see in a film like this.
Let's see…
1. Magnolia
2. All About My Mother
3. Being John Malkovich
4. Wonderland
5. Rosetta
6. The Virgin Suicides
7. Eyes Wide Shut
8. The Limey
9. Election
10. Ratcatcher
so all those you mentioned that are not in my list, I've never heard of… I feel out of place now.
Happy to see vindication in my love for Magnolia, I've never quite discovered the world's consensus on that one — I mean in comparison to my somewhat hyperbolic love for the film.