I’m not saying I’m pretentious, but I can understand the misperception. All this babble on form, “being” and international art cinema, to what end? Why can’t I just enjoy movies for what they are and end a review with a thumbs up or thumbs down? Why the need for this loose syntax and suspension of decisive judgment? And why am I writing with the assumption that you’ve been following my column up to this point?
I’ll accept the last question as a potential problem of mine, but I know, from website analytics and reader emails (or lack thereof), that my audience is slim and composed mostly of friends who also have the time to ask questions of aesthetics. So if I write in an excessively familiar style, The Daily Sun Arts section will survive to see another day. Ya feel.
But the other questions are game, since shouldn’t criticism seek to clarify and not further obscure? Deconstruction, which I have been lately exposed to yet again, says no, but let’s limit our discussion here to the kind of cultural writing you’d find in newspapers, magazines and blogs, not academic journals. Is a lyrical tendency in criticism allowed, or should a critic’s prose seek to explain, determine and solve?
Accessible criticism, especially the sorts you’ll find online, has sided with the latter camp as of late. Most reviews dish out plot summary, with requisite compliments or swipes at the acting, script and image-prettiness, and perhaps end with a note about the film’s sociopolitical relevance. The pieces that ‘go long’ (as in long-form) trace a film’s symbolism and propose one-to-one meanings for choice shots, objects and character actions.
The films of Christopher Nolan and David Fincher are exhaustively analyzed along these lines, but as much as I’d like to gender this kind of discourse along ‘white male’ lines, it also thrives in popular progressive criticism. Critiques that claim to uncover a racist or sexist subconscious to mainstream films often raise good points but move so far away from the text at hand or zoom in so close on one aspect, sans context, that they overlook a perhaps resolute, invigorating ambiguity. What if a film embodies not just one stance — say, feminist or anti-feminist — but many of them at the same time? Is this not the age of dismantling binaries?
In her 1996 piece on Pulp Fiction, “Cool Cynicism,” bell hooks set the standard, to my limited knowledge at least, for how to write intersectional film criticism. She uses colloquial language to sneak in innovative theses, like when she starts a paragraph saying, “Tarantino’s films are the ultimate in sexy cover-ups of very unsexy mind-fuck.” That sentence may not make sense when you first read it, but it does if you take your time poring over it and, crucially, reading her supporting evidence.
bell hooks practices a form of criticism veering on poetry, and it is that poetic spirit, and with it an amorphous form, that separates intelligent analysis from superlative, risk-taking work. Yet isn’t poetry kind of antithetical to criticism? Poetry keeps its cards close to the chest, only admitting what it aims to say if the reader focuses, contemplates and re-reads. Which brings me to my central question today: Must a piece of criticism be read once to be appreciated, if not understood?
Methinks those who would say no would also be reluctant to revisit a film that has a reputation, in any way, as difficult. I have not had the chance to review Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice yet, but if I did I would definitely see it once more, maybe twice before attempting to unlock it. I am in the midst of an honor’s thesis on cinema, and repeated looks at certain Thai, French and Iranian selections have divulged details, be they plastic or political, that has increased my respect for these filmmakers a thousand fold. But while I hope to offer some coherent insight on these artistic subtleties, I also shy away from ascribing definitive explanations, opting for a twisty-turny style of prose that may be driving you mad on this very page.
A poetic tendency drives practically all the best critics, from bell hooks to Roger Ebert. “The world as processed by the mind, with finally only the bright bits magnetized by emotion remaining to flash against darkness,” is how Geoffrey O’Brien, a published poet in his own right, describes the sieved reality of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, which is no stranger to charges of obscurantism. Manny Farber, one of the most distinct and byzantine voices in the history of film criticism, offers the following when praising the “underground films” of such old Hollywood directors as Raoul Walsh and Howard Hawks 1918: “In the films of these hard-edged directors can be found the unheralded ripple of physical experience, the tiny morbidly life-worn detail which the visitor to a strange city finds springing out at every step.”
Do these quotes make sense? Not in any clean, easy sense. But they preserve something attractive and — this is most important — intrinsic to the films under scrutiny, and so testify to their merit. In her treatise On Beauty and Being Just, the endearingly esoteric critic Elaine Scarry writes, “Beauty brings copies of itself into being. It makes us draw it, take photographs of it, or describe it to other people.” Criticism will often fail to match the beauty from which it is inspired, but it should at least keep the wheel of appreciation and close attention ever turning. There is, after all, no community when every critic aims to to have the last word.
As I turned the corner onto Dryden Road and trudged through the Collegetown slush, hands in my pockets and cheeks huddled behind the neck of my jacket, the thought that materialized was not entirely my own: Hey, this reminds me of the cover for The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Adjusting to that image, I hunched my back even more and forced an apathetic scowl (it looks better than wincing at every gust of Hoth-like wind). I then probably rattled off movies defined by their snow-swept settings: Fargo, The Shining, The Thing, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind…
Artists do not create from a blank state, a tabula rasa — or do they? After taking "Intro to Creative Writing" last semester and "Screenwriting I" this spring, I have come to appreciate the creative process, because damn, it doesn’t come easy to me. As you might pick up, I associate many things with works of music or cinema. Since picking up movie criticism as a hobby in my sophomore year of high school, I have hammered in critical thinking as my approach to art. This devotion to watching a wide range of films and breaking them down makes for a fun education, but, if this passion is not siphoned now and then to a more creative outlet, it sort of just stagnates. To me, brainstorming short stories or scripts takes much more effort than I believe it should, with intertextual references rather than original germs of thought dominating my cluttered thought processes.
This is a problem many must face, though, particularly those who try to phase out of the heavy academia they have entrusted in for so long in favor of making a mark of their own. While creative genius may not be teachable, format, parameters and allusions certainly are, which is why I take these courses here at Cornell, which is why anyone seeks out the masters of a craft and asks for advice and assistance. Right now, I see screenplays as an easy entrance into this world. They are not the final artistic product but the catalyst to future collaboration with other talented actors, cinematographers, editors and directors (the latter two of which I am most interested in pursuing, more so than writing).
The question of creativity — How to harness it? Where to point it? Do I have it? — intrigues me, as the answers, so far, have only peeked out of the shadows. According to Newtonian principles, pure creation is impossible, and this must apply to the creation of art, as well. If there was any “pure” artist, working in a void without any precedent, it was Homer when he babbled or bard-ed or whatever about Patroclus and Odysseus. But even Homer found inspiration from historical events and allowed his genius to fill in the rest. The creative process takes in far more information and experience than it puts out. An encyclopedic knowledge of some subsection of art assists greatly here; the filmmaker, painter or writer can amalgamate disparate past works, fuse them together and emerge with a “wholly original masterwork,” as some critic is likely to call it (In The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco spoke of literature’s endlessly referential nature: “Books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told”). A keen, say, journalistic eye of the world around can provide that spark too, for, as Robert McKee harangues in the Charlie Kaufman-penned Adaptation, “People are murdered every day … People find love, people lose it … and if you can’t find that stuff in life, then you, my friend, don’t know crap about life!”
There is a reason why the Academy Awards present two separate writing awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and the other for Best Original Screenplay. I don’t know what that reason is, but I’m sure there is one and that it has more to do with crediting logistics than quantifying creativity. The brilliant David Cronenberg has adapted William S. Burroughs and Don DeLillo into films that allow his directorial nuttiness to run amuck, while self-taught filmmakers like François Truffaut, Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson sift through their expansive cinematic memories when writing and directing films that remain uniquely theirs. Even the most idiosyncratic movie makers like David Lynch or the Coen Brothers find inspiration in their own past (as the Coens do in A Serious Man) or through actively engaging with their subconscious (à la Lynch). Nobody pulls this stuff from thin air, basically. So, for now, I’ll continue to watch old movies while allotting time for other, more active outlets and perhaps a few more wintry strolls through Collegetown.
Django Unchained Directed by Quentin Tarantino Released in 2012 Quentin
Tarantino has outdone himself once again, but Django Unchained, his
longest, bloodiest and angriest film yet, is not necessarily better off for it.
This cartoonish Spaghetti Western/Blaxploitation epic tackles the ignominy of
American slavery while retaining the wordy humor and gratuitous action typical
of the auteur’s work. It makes for an entertaining two hours and 45 minutes
that never bores, but Django’s identity crisis precludes it from
saying really anything about its sensitive subject matter.
From the opening credits, where Django (Jamie Foxx) and a gang of whip-scarred slaves shamble through the desert, the film insists on depicting slavery in
explicit and uncompromising detail. There are grainy 16mm close-ups of Django’s
wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), wailing as an overseer relishes in maiming
her frail body with a whip. There are at least 100 historically accurate racial
epithets, used more often as shorthand than as heated insults. A central plot
point involves the fictional gladiator sport of “Mandingo fighting,” where two
slaves fight to the death with their bare hands. White owners lock a naked
slave inside a steel “hotbox” and feed another to rabid dogs. This is Tarantino’s
first film with scenes I found tough to watch.
It
is worth noting that the brutality above occurs mostly off-screen, while the abundant
shootouts focus on every spurt, mist and trickle of viscous blood, often in
slow-motion. Even in the underexposed first scene, when Dr. King Schultz
(Christoph Waltz) guns down Django’s owners in the dead of the night, Tarantino
and cinematographer Robert Richardson (Hugo, JFK) backlight
the murders to make the bloodshed startlingly visible yet comically abstract. A
shot of an overseer’s blood splattering over cotton buds is even quite pretty,
not to mention a shameless metaphor. There’s a clear divide between the
violence against slaves and everyone else — as a rule of thumb, the more blood
a character loses on screen, the less you should care about him or her.
It’s welcome, if not really brave or original, to elevate slaves above
their owners — this is a Blaxploitation pastiche, after all — but by
trivializing one current of violence and coarsening the other, Django props
up America’s darkest chapter of history as justification for an ultraviolent
and by-the-numbers revenge plot.
Tarantino
lays the groundwork for a mature meditation on violence, which most would agree
he’s about due for. Before saving Broomhilda from “Candyland,” a vast
plantation owned by Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), Django and Schultz raise
money as morally questionable bounty hunters. Though the bounties always advise
“Wanted: Dead or Alive,” the two take no chances and only turn in corpses. The
sudden introduction to this practice makes for a bit of classic Tarantino
dialogue, as Schultz cites little-known laws to talk a lynch mob into paying
him $200. Later, there’s a haunting moment when Django snipes an outlaw from
atop a cliff-face and we see and hear a panicked little boy run to his dead
father’s side. But as the film jumps to the “rescue” second act and especially
the final “revenge” act, this ambiguity disappears and the sides revert to
unimaginative stereotypes. For all the sick fun Tarantino is having with us, it
is disappointing that the trade-off is of any meaningful insight into the
fertile, if problematic, backdrop of slavery.
Harsh
as I may sound, Django Unchained is indeed a lot of sick fun.
Waltz, DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson have jumped to the front of the Oscar
race thanks to Tarantino’s juicy lines and monologues. DiCaprio’s speech about
phrenology and the “subservience” of the “Negro brain” ranks up there with the
Superman suit soliloquy in Kill Bill, and Jackson as Calvin’s
parroting, conniving Uncle Tom inspires perhaps the film’s most grounded
discussion on race. There are peculiar yet wise casting choices, like Jonah
Hill as a bumbling white supremacist, Miami Vice’s Don Johnson as a
plantation owner and Dexter’s James Remar, who for some reason plays
two different characters. With his thirst for violence and limited
psychological insight into his character, Django is the weakest of the bunch,
with as much depth and charm as a generic video game anti-hero. His painfully
passive wife fares no better; Washington admitted to IndieWire how she “barely
survived” shooting the film, a believable toll considering every scene asks her
to scream, shudder and surrender all agency. Once the film hits its second or
third ending and the far more interesting characters have met their fate, the
film reminds you that it’s all a love story, after all. The romance is as
enchanting as … again, a video game comes to mind.
Django
Unchained is a hell
of a movie, for better or worse. As a long-time admirer of Tarantino’s oeuvre,
I am content that this film merely exists and further pleased that it’s a
seething and energetic marathon of cinema. But Tarantino’s maximalist approach
here reveals his weaknesses, as his dedication to being a bloody, composite
filmmaker flattens the nuances required for great filmmaking. Sure, there are
nuances and flourishes here and there — nothing screams “final cut privilege”
like multiple extreme close-ups of Schultz pouring Django his first beer. Yet
somewhere a broader artistic statement is lost, which is almost fatal for a
film with a subject that requires some tact. Whereas Inglourious
Basterds wisely shied away from the heavier horrors of the Holocaust
and instead stuck to full-out satire, Django Unchained accosts
slavery in all its squalor and offers no better endgame than a “kill them all”
revenge fantasy. It is awkward to come away from a film about slavery and think
how the director needs to grow up.
The sad and untimely
death of Tony Scott, a director who continually raised the bar for blockbusters
since the early 1980s, will confuse his fans for years and those closest to him
for even longer. The New York Times reported that Scott jumped from the Vincent
Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbor at about 12:30 local time Sunday
afternoon. Authorities have found a suicide note and all signs point to such a
conclusion.
I did not know the man
but those who did, colleagues like director Duncan Jones (Source Code)
and actor David Krumholtz (Numb3rs), took to Twitter and described him
as a “warm,” “lovely” and “rambunctious cinematic spirit.” Tony Scott’s death
saddens those of us who enjoyed his prolific output of quality entertainment.
Stranger yet, his final choice stands at odds with the optimistic energy
consistent throughout his work.
His older brother,
Ridley, claims icon status for cinematic heavies like Alien, Gladiator
and Blade Runner. Tony’s filmography commanded less critical acclaim but
reeled in equal if not, by some measurements, greater commercial success. Top
Gun, his biggest hit, ruled 1986, cementing Tom Cruise as an official movie
star and spawning an immortal quote — “I feel the need … the need for speed!”
— scrawled on vintage T-shirts and the most successful racing video game
franchise in the world. The phrase “crowd-pleasing blockbuster” that we now
bestow upon witty and slickly choreographed summer fare like The Avengers
and The Amazing Spider-Man was in large part defined by Scott’s work.
Many obituaries
yesterday started with ‘Top Gun Director’ in the headline, which makes
sense since it made the most money of Scott’s films and occupies a [rather
large] spot on the ’80s pop culture tapestry. College-age observers (very
likely you) have little connection with Top Gun, Scott’s other Tom
Cruise flick, Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout or even Beverly
Hills Cop II. Most of us can recall his kinetic output since the late ’90s,
with Brad Pitt in Spy Game, Keira Knightley in Domino and Will
Smith in Enemy of the State. Denzel Washington was clearly Scott’s go-to
actor; the pair honed a formula with Washington as the conflicted but always
sympathetic lead against Scott’s stunning set pieces and steady firepower. See Crimson
Tide, Man on Fire, Deja Vu, Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 and
Unstoppable. They told thrilling stories with human characters and
boasted Hollywood’s greatest action scenes.
True Romance
will likely solidify as Scott’s most memorable accomplishment. While one of his
least profitable movies, the 1993 crime film is constantly revisited because of
its script, written by a young Quentin Tarantino, hot off the heels of Reservoir
Dogs. I watched it for the first time this summer and was struck by how
Scott molded the violent screenplay with a genuine sincerity absent from
Tarantino’s darkly ironic films. There are two famous bedroom brawls — one, a
fistfight between Patricia Arquette and James Gandolfini, and, two, a
full-scale shootout between basically the entire cast. They each cut
shot-after-shot with that effortless logic natural to Scott while affectively
reflecting on all the human carnage. Shots of colleagues, friends and lovers
bleeding next to each other — whether physically so or effectively through
cross-cutting — punctuate the destruction and convey a tinge of loss that adds
a third dimension to the zany bloodfest. It is not a stretch to think of Scott
as a romantic; he threw his many characters into such extreme circumstances and
always ended on a happy note, as if to assure us no evil can vanquish good.
So the necessity to reflect on
his life, at this time and under these circumstances, shocks me still. Suicide
is the most personal decision one can make, so no one will ever know the extent
of torment that drove him to that bridge. Why would we want to, anyway? Scott
already won the respect of his colleagues and millions of moviegoers. It is
safe to consider Tony Scott one of the great masters of his craft; the others
who come to mind are Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones), James Cameron (Terminator),
John McTiernan (Die Hard) and John Woo (Face/Off). They create
entertainment with the intent of pleasing the audience. Clarity of subject and
technical precision rule every shot. And, for Scott at least, there was a heart
beating beneath it all.
Quentin Tarantino did not reach his unique plane of influence or popularity from his looks or people skills (his best interviews evolve into glorious exercises in sibilation and gesticulation). No, he just knows how to wield a camera well, and how to implement bold post-production techniques to realize his crazy vision. It's all about style, baby. Hailing from Denmark is a man who lives these truths. Nicolas Winding Refn directs Drive with an eery amount of confidence and talent to back up the chutzpah. Sure, Ryan Gosling may be behind the literal wheel in the story but it is Refn doing the steering.
With all that said, Drive is a different beast. Such a title conjures up images of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker piloting sports cars in kinetic chase sequences over a story geared for sequential exploitation. Nothing of the sort here. Sure, the few driving scenes are superb, but they aim for suspense rather than stimulation, achieved through that age-old adage "less is more." The film takes its time. Editor Matthew Newman scales back transitions more than you would expect, to the point of discomfort. The first thirty-odd minutes move with little energy or seeming motive, but it effectively establishes a mood, almost hypnotic, that cushions the viewer into false security. At the point when all gates come crashing down, the film still moves with lethargy, but a new flame burns in its eyes. To quote Leo DiCaprio from The Departed, "Your heart rate is jacked. And your hand, steady."
Plot summary for the sake of plot summary will not acquaint you with the workings of the film. Just know there is a man with no name, blessed with divine driving skills and thus known to us as Driver, played by a nearly mute Ryan Gosling, and he gets himself into trouble. He wants to protect a married woman (Carey Mulligan), and their love grows from lengthy stares into each others' eyes. There are angry folks, such as gangsters played by Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks, the latter whose temper rivals Joe Pesci's on poker night. There are nice guys, like Bryan Cranston, but I've never seen the Breaking Bad actor so feeble since he had Jane Kaczmarek for a TV wife. These auxiliary characters serve roles of plot stimulus and, in the end, not much more. Of course, there are moments of acting brilliance - Brooks has never been this delightfully menacing, and Gosling conveys bliss to fury with nothing more than his expressions - but the characters are not the devices that carry this film.
Everyone behind the camera contributes to the aura - perhaps the word is "mystique"? - this film congeals. Cinematographer Newton Sigel works wonders with lighting in the elevator scene that, from Hossein Amini's script, progresses so atypically it may put the audience into shock. The costumes, designed by Erin Benach, are attractive as well as appropriately symbolic. That scorpion design on the back of Driver's jacket speaks volumes when the character does not. Sound design crafts ultimate suspense as Driver sits in his car, waiting, as a constant ticking noise steadily ties your stomach in knots. Cliff Martinez's score lends a spacey ambience to the drama, and Refn's choice of obscure 80's synth and disco cuts underline the retro style that is certainly the influence. Pink, gaudy font for the opening credits may remind gamers of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, as will the police-evading car chases.
Much like the GTA series, this film is violent. Shockingly brutal, even. Gunshots, stabs and especially stomps enact devastating carnage upon those in contact. The minds behind the camera wisely cut away from the most gruesome sights quickly to let the viewer fill in the rest of the image. It may be a more unsettling technique than letting us stare. The violence, in its context and intensity, escalates this from a standard crime film to a strangely calm, mesmerizing B-movie. The term is not to undermine the film; it is not unlike Korean classic Oldboy and its use of slick technique and brutal violence to hold up a pulp premise. (Also, both protagonists wreck hell with a hammer). However, it is lacking a quality to rank it with the greats. The greatest films that contain gratuitous violence also talk about it, ask the unheard question: why? Why must it be this way, to this degree? Pulp Fiction, Fargo, even the recent In Bruges all tackle this question. None have an answer. But its that ability to propose those inquiries, adding intellectual weight under the hood, that place them in that higher pantheon.
It's action, revenge, romance, thriller, drama yet none of those genres. It is simply Drive. Gosling excels in expressionist acting (the anger he communicates with his clenched fist in the strip club scene is shocking), but Refn grants this film its greatest gifts. Style, when slick and innovative, can hypnotize and reel in the audience. As a result, due reason or philosophical depth may lack. But when a scene formed so well, wholly - such as when Driver confronts Nico (Perlman) in the dead of the night, with a Riz Orlotani opera piece solely accompanying, lighting faint, shots haunting yet oddly calming - that you reach a level of ineffable emotional transcendence ... well, I guess not much else matters.
The last 10 years have been dizzying, shocking, tragic, uplifting, tiresome and, overall, fast. Technology advanced at a rapid speed and keeping up with the latest gadget or website was always a trial. Our country fared an interesting fate these years as well. Nonetheless, while it is debatable whether or not America's politics or economy made any significant strides between 2000-2009, it is a fact that this decade was phenomenal for cinema. Special effects were elevated to new heights and many new faces arrived who are now household names. It is terribly difficult trying to condense the brilliance of some of the movies of the last 10 years into one article but I will try.
The following list contains what I considered to be the best movies of the decade. This list is going to be varied and representative of different genres but, of course, quality is the main factor. Perhaps on top of that is whether or not it left a lasting emotional impression on me, a true benchmark of a film's value. Innovation is another point of consideration for all of the movies chosen and their influence since. Without further ado, this is my list for the Best Films of the 2000s.
1.There Will Be Blood (2007) - It is certainly a tough call, but no film this decade blew me away as much as Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. It is a true masterpiece but executed in such a way that final impressions may range from utter awe to confused perplexity. Nonetheless, there is no debating that this is something special. It is the tale of an oil man, Daniel Plainview, who, with his adopted son, accumulates wealth and property but loses his mind in the process. Daniel Day-Lewis gives the best performance of the decade with every movement: his somber tone, painful facial expressions, drawn-out cadence, and even his stilted posture. The result is magnetic, aided by a haunting score from Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and beautiful, stark cinematography. Watch the American Dream go sour in the finest movie of the last 10 years.
2.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - A truly unique fusion of romantic comedy and science fiction, Eternal Sunshine stands by itself as a extremely innovative film as well as a masterfully executed one. A couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) have a rough, emotional breakup and decide to erase the relationship from their memory through a new form of technology. While undergoing the procedure, Jim Carrey's character starts to have doubts as he sees their happiest moments. The grade A script by Charlie Kaufman and Michael Gondry (also the director) is full of twists and touching moments that progress in a flawless manner with no boring lulls. Jim Carrey shocks with an incredible performance, subduing his crazy man persona in favor of a humorous, but sentimentally centered, character. Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo round out the stellar cast that brings this one-of-a-kind tale alive. There has never been another movie like Eternal Sunshine and, for that reason, it takes top marks.
3.The Departed (2006) - Martin Scorsese is still king. Taxi Driver was one of the defining films of the 70s, Raging Bull of the 80s, Goodfellas of the 90s, and, now, The Departed for the 2000s. The rough, gritty style of Marty reaches Boston in this violent, hilarious, and tragic film. A cast of heavyweights featuring Leo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin and, the one significant female role, Vera Farmiga all combine their talents. The result is not a convoluted mess, like what could have been, but a modern crime classic. Watch Jack as he nonchalantly pulls a dismembered hand out of a plastic bag to joke about the poor soul's demise, all the while eating lobster and quoting John Lennon. Nicholson is a mad man in top form (which he usually is) but the movie also succeeds because all the stars around him are so bright. Scorsese has been strong for four decades now and there is no doubt he will last five or maybe six.
4.Up (2009) - Up is Pixar's best film yet, but the reason it stands so, uh, high on this list is because Pixar delivered hit after hit this decade. Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, Ratatouille, the brilliant Wall-E, Cars...actually forget that last one. Nonetheless, they were the most consistent production company in the business and every film of theirs deserves a top slot here. However, Up was their most-balanced film yet, executed in a way that both adults and children loved. The humor is sharp throughout, with two lovable animals in tow, both featuring hilarious introductions. The real reason why Up holds top honors however is for its perfect introduction. We watch as a couple fall in love, marry, go through life, and ultimately face the worse in less than 5 minutes and without any dialogue. It is the closest any scene this decade came to perfection and is guaranteed to reduce anyone to a sobbing mess, or at least a sniffling one.
5.Inglourious Basterds (2009) - My personal favorite on this list, Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino at his most excessive and self-indulgent. Sure, dialogue scenes could have been 3 minutes each but he makes them 25 minutes. Thankfully, it pays off because these scenes of increasingly hostile badinage are so intricately detailed; Tarantino is in control of his own script and can draw suspense from the mere scooping of cream for a strudel. The story itself is about a band of Jewish soldiers who go to World War II era France to do one thing only: kill Nazis. Brad Pitt leads the squad that also has such standouts as Til Schweiger as Hugo Stiglitz and Omar Doom as, well, Private Omar, whose nearly silent-movie demeanor is offset by a few winning lines. Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent) and Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) are the strong-willed females who have their own plans of taking down the Nazis, leading of which is Colonel Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz. In one of the most stunning performances this decade, Waltz spans four different languages while remaining sinister, yet truly unknown in his motives, throughout. As he exclaims "Thats'a BINGO!!," you wonder if his or your sanity went away first.
6.Memento (2000) - This was the film that launched Christopher Nolan into the public conscience before The Dark Knight. While obviously not as commercially successful, Memento features mind-bending, non-linear plot progression that goes backwards; B to A instead of A to B. You know what happens but...at the same time, you do not. It is best leaving the film to speak for itself as it contains such a tight, well-written script that keeps you gripped from beginning to end. Guy Pearce stars as an ordinary man who has a severe memory loss issue, leaving him to trust people based off of photographs and notes he takes. Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano are his friends who guide him along, and their motives stay cloudy until the very end. The defining thriller of the decade.
7.No Country For Old Men (2007) - The Coen Brothers created a sinister masterpiece based off the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy. With shocking violence and an ultimately pessimistic message, this is not the ideal family movie night fare. However, for those willing to go forward, they will find one of the most well-crafted films of the decade, featuring a haunting performance by Javier Bardem. As he saunters from one motel room to another, silenced shotgun in one hand and cattle gun in the other, with an expression of true sociopathic madness, the hostility is palpable.
8.City of God (2003) - Paying homage to classics like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Shawshank Redemption while inspiring Slumdog Millionaire in the process, City of God draws influences from the best but creates its own unique and totally unforgettable experience. Set in 1960s-70s Rio de Janiero and entirely in Portuguese, the film is about one boy (Rocket) and his life in the hoodlum underworld of Rio. The primary business is drugs and it gets paid out in blood, lots of it. The violence is shocking in this film; the body count by the end must have far surpassed the 200s. Nonetheless, the film is kinetic and, strangely, upbeat. While the very memorable villain Zed resembles a Goodfellas-esque Joe Pesci, the protagonist uses his photographic skill to win his way over with the gangs and ultimately take them down in the end. City of God sticks with you and shows you that films can really engrain themselves into your conscience.
9.Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - Films have always been respected enough to be labeled "art," but Jimmy Fallon's Taxi will make you sometimes doubt this notion. Once in a great while, however, a film of such true artistic beauty will come by and stun you. For this decade, that position belongs to Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The art design is captivating, as is the story of a girl in fascist Spain who is transported to a magical world to escape the troubles of the real world while encountering new ones all the same. She encounters savage monsters, giant toads and other frightening, or just strange, creatures along the way. Violence is prevalent throughout, so an "adult fairytale" is a proper term to label this one. However, it successfully combines its bloody brutality and childlike sense of wonder to create something thoroughly excellent.
10.Mulholland Drive (2001) - Condensing the insanity that is Mulholland Drive to a mere paragraph is impossible. I do not think that it can even be summed up in 10 pages. Nonetheless, David Lynch's hypnotic nightmare centers around two gorgeous women (Naomi Watts and Laura Harring) as a whirlwind of events encircle around them. Watts, with this as her breakout role, stuns with her character, who starts as a cheery, naive actress and progresses to something totally different by the end. Haunting settings, an erotic but passionate relationship and monsters all make their way into this film, and you are left more bewildered by the end than the beginning. It speaks for the quality of the structure and narrative when I say that this film could have been made in any year over the last three to four decades, eschewing special effects for a dreamlike approach to cinematography. David Lynch is America's modern surrealist: pay attention to this nearly extinct breed.
11.The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (2007) - Directed by Julian Schnabel, Diving Bell is a film that explores the limitless expanses of the human mind. After suffering a stroke that reduces his whole body to an immobile state with the exception of one eye, Jean-Dominique Bauby narrates from inside his head, seeing the events unfold around him but unable to react. Based off a true story and a book of the same name, the film shows the true value of imagination and how it can transport you to faraway places, even when you are unable to merely move a finger. Bauby composed an entire autobiography by blinking at certain times, and Schnabel combines his natural artistic talent with amazing cinematography to create a movie that makes you value how impressive the brain we waste every day on YouTube cat videos and Jersey Shore really is.
12.The Dark Knight (2008) - Now this is strange....this is a movie that most people reading this may actually have seen!! What the hell is a movie that made over a billion dollars doing here? Well, The Dark Knight is the product of uncontained ambition, lots of money and an unfortunate, premature death. Heath Ledger's Joker gained popularity because he died before the movie was released but his performance is incredible, death notwithstanding. He showed us a maniacal Joker who does not cower over the abyss but instead laughs as he jumps down, feet first. A strong supporting cast and a new mature tone give this film a strong artistic value, a nice trait when it can also reel in the big bucks.
13.Big Fish (2003) - One of the most underrated films of the entire decade, Big Fish is Tim Burton's best film to date, one that utilizes his visionary mind and eliminates the pretentiousness. What is left is a fascinating fairytale full of intriguing characters, comical situations and heartrending conflicts. Ed Bloom (Albert Finney) is a father who has constantly told tall tales throughout his life, leaving his son William (Billy Crudup) unaware of what is true and what is false. As Edward slowly dies, a series of flashbacks, some exaggerated yet many true, is shown with Ewan McGregor as the younger Ed. These scenes are all visualized with such an esoteric beauty that only Tim Burton can realize, one that elevates this film from mere fairytale to a fantasy that is as inspiring as The Wizard of Oz upon first, and repeated, viewings.
14.Into The Wild (2007) - 2007 was a year of standouts, but Into The Wild combined stellar filmmaking with a freewheeling, entertaining value that others that year lacked. Emile Hirsch plays the infamous Christopher McCandless, an intelligent yet adventurous young man who abandoned his education, hiked into uninhabited Alaskan territory and never returned. Sean Penn reveals that he is a very adept director, on top of his other skills, and gives the film a very soulful air. Hal Holbrook commits a heartrending performance as an old man who finds Chris on the road and believes he is the piece that has been missing from his life for so long. We know now that Chris' actions were careless but we cannot help but root for him as he has the guts to do something we never would do.
15.Kill Bill Volumes 1&2 (2003-04) - While all part of one, cohesive narrative, the two Kill Bill films are surprisingly different from each other. The first is one of the best action films of the decade with buckets of blood and a stylized feel that incorporates black and white as well as incredibly violent anime. It establishes an interesting story of "The Bride," played with burning hatred by Uma Thurman, a reformed assassin who decides to settle down with a family, only to be nearly killed by her former employer, Bill. Vowing revenge on all of those who wronged her (including Lucy Liu and Michael Madsen), The Bride makes the first a bloody ride that also has one of the better endings in recent memory. The second goes for a slower paced, methodical approach that is more reminiscent of Basterds but very satisfying. Bill, David Carradine's last great role, is given the spotlight at the end for some of Tarantino's best writing yet. It all wraps up in a way that most sequels would envy. Think of it as The Godfather I and II; the first establishes the fiction while the sequel fleshes it out. In its own insane way, the quality is top-tier throughout as well.
16.Mystic River (2003) - In the black and white genres of ancient times, there were Comedies and Tragedies. Mystic River defines "Tragedy" to the utmost extent, more than basically any movie this decade. Its tone starts somber and only gets darker, as one kid in a Boston group of friends gets abducted and molested by creeps early in his life. This individual is Dave, whose later life remains scarred from this incident and whose mind becomes senile. Jimmy, in an acting tour de force by Sean Penn, is an ex-convict who is in the middle of a violent conflict that his other childhood friend, Sean (Kevin Bacon), now a cop, investigates. Tim Robbins as Dave is haunting: his tragic disposition makes him so vulnerable and occasionally frightening that his Oscar for this part seems like an understatement. The same goes to Penn, whose incredibly nuanced and emotional performance reaches deep into a desperate soul. Marcia Gay Harden is also fantastic as Dave's wife; she is so fragile and diaphanous that a wind could seemingly blow her away. This film is a downer and a true tragedy, but as an exhibition of acting as well as Clint Eastwood's talent behind the camera, Mystic River is worth diving in.
17.Lord of The Rings (2001-03) - A lock on any "Best Of" list, Lord of The Rings, as a trilogy, is not a personal favorite of mine but there is no denying the amazing craftsmanship and respect to the source material. Peter Jackson created the only true epic of the decade, with the final chapter tying up the loose ends nicely while sweeping the Oscars in the process.
18.Hot Fuzz (2007) - Does this film deserve to be in the Top 20? Possibly not but for me, no other film has stood up to as many repeated viewings as Hot Fuzz. A star London cop, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is transferred to a small English village because he is making the city cops look bad. A series of gruesome murders, with seemingly innocent victims, gets Angel on the prowl. A supporting cast including Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton and Jim Broadbent give this film a distinctly English bent that blends well with fast editing, excessive yet cheesy violence and energized action. Some hate it, some love it. For me, this was one of the most memorable films of the decade.
19.In Bruges (2008) - In Bruges was a breath of fresh air. The characters, writing, setting, humor...it all was original in its own strange way and created a film that was funny throughout, immensely quotable and also full of shocking violence. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are two hitmen ordered to lay low in the quaint village of Bruges, Belgium. The personalities of the two greatly differ, as Gleeson greatly appreciates culture while Farrell sees the old city as a bunch of boring buildings. A bloody conflict ends up with their boss (a profane and hilarious Ralph Fiennes) assigning them an order that will compromise the other; the story from there winds and turns but ends up with a biting, satisfying conclusion. The script is top-notch and hilarious, as is the acting. This Irish film takes jabs at Americans, racism, midgets, and everything, large and small, in between. Have fun.
20.Million Dollar Baby (2004) - I saw this in the theater when I was only 11 and its harsh and very sentimental theme should have been a detractor. However, this was my real segue to dramatic cinema, and for that reason it is personal to me. The tale of the determined boxer, played with such battered tenacity by Hilary Swank, is directed with grace by the veteran Clint Eastwood. Morgan Freeman delivers in possibly his best performance to date, and this drama knocks you out on the mat.
21.Adaptation. (2002) - Believe it or not, there was a time when Nicolas Cage was not only a good actor, but an excellent one. Adaptation. (though he was apparently brilliantly nutty in the recent Bad Lieutenant) is the last known document of this. Cage plays the screenwriter for the film, Charlie Kaufman, and his "twin brother" Donald. This complex comedy goes through the strains of screenwriting and far, far beyond. Meryl Streep is a successful author who is struggling to find what she really wants in life, and then she sees Chris Cooper as the man who already knows what it is. Cooper, who won an Oscar for this performance, delivers another amazing performance as a nearly toothless orchid hunter in Florida who has a love for Streep's character. Kaufman gets in the middle of this all and the situation turns ugly. This self-deprecating satire on love and Hollywood is mad as hell and revels in it.
22.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - The best Harry Potter film, but also a great film in its own right, Prisoner of Azkaban sees a switch in directors (Alfonso Cuaron) and mood, swapping the elementary school antics and looks for a matured, darker setting. The children all excel in their roles, but it is Gary Oldman as Sirius Black and the consistently perfect Alan Rickman as Severus Snape who make this film more than another teenage supernatural tale but an acting powerhouse. The technically impressive and equally funny opening sequence of Aunt Marge rapidly expanding still amuses, and, as a piece of cinema itself, I am shocked by how great this film really is.
23.District 9 (2009) - Fresh, intelligent and badass, District 9 is the decade's premier sci-fi film. The budget was surprisingly low ($30 million) and no big names were attached to this besides Peter Jackson for producing, so its success and overall quality was shocking, to say the least. Drawing influence from The Fly and South African history, D9 creates its own realistic take on an alien invasion, but this time, the aliens want to leave. Sharlto Copley stars as the tool turned hero who turns in a unexpectedly great, raw performance as one man against the whole human world. The cinematography, blending a documentary style with impressive special effects, and moving, human story combine for this close-to-perfect film.
24.The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - Wes Anderson delivered a few winners this decade: The Life Aquatic was flawed but quirky, while The Royal Tenenbaums had an all-star cast and a great black comedy vibe. Fantastic Mr. Fox was perhaps his best yet, but The Darjeeling Limited holds a place in my heart. Either the older celluloid feel or exotic setting did it for me, but this spiritual journey through India had an essence no others did. Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman are three estranged brothers who want to reunite by going on an impromptu train ride through India. Pepper spray, snakes, and sweet lime juice all appear for comical sequences but the human, family connection this film makes is why I found it so real.
25.Spirited Away (2001) - Visually stunning and intimately scary, Spirited Away is Hayao Miyazaki's magnum opus. This animated feature is about a girl who loses her way to find herself in a surreal world of beasts and magic. The sense of mystery throughout the whole setting and the lack of any parents made this a riveting film to watch when I was less than 10 years old, but it is easy to appreciate the brilliance now. The animation is beautiful: creature designs are unlike anything ever seen and this shows that Pixar's 3D is not the only route for spellbinding animation.
26.Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) - While the seminal Hurt Locker deserves props too, Letters was the finest war film of the decade. Clint Eastwood created the problematic but inspiring Flags Of Our Fathers in tandem with it, but Letters really is the superior movie. It shows the story of Iwo Jima from the Japanese point of view, all in the native language and coated in a grimy, grey filter. The superb Ken Watanabe plays General Kuribayashi, the fearless leader who accepted surrender as a fate worse than death. His performance shows a sense of courage unseen in most American protagonists, and you actually sympathize with the enemy by the end, even if it was our GIs who claimed victory.
27.Gladiator (2000) - It is hard to believe Gladiator was released in the last decade, but it won its handful of awards for a reason. Ridley Scott directs and Russell Crowe stars in this years-spanning Odyssey of betrayal, exile and revenge. The beautiful cinematography, chilling performance of Commodus by Joaquin Phoenix, and brutal action all make for an inspiring Roman epic.
28.Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - The world loved this Best Picture winner set in India for good reason. No other film of 2008 felt more vibrant or awe-inspiring than Danny Boyle's masterwork. Slumdog is the tale of three kids growing up in the slums of India and how far one will go to impress his true love. Sure, some of it seems cheesy on paper but when the young actors show their skill and the simply amazing cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle manifests in city-wide chase scenes, there is no denying the mesmerizing lure Slumdog pulses through its veins.
29.Avatar (2009) - Now the highest grossing film of all time in a matter of weeks, Avatar is not only a technical marvel but also a spellbinding experience. From start to finish, you remain glued to your seat, unable to move as the world of Pandora comes alive in front of your eyes. The lush flora and fauna are a sight to behold, but the real draw comes from the shockingly detailed native species, the Na'vi. Created using state of the art technology, the Na'vi are James Cameron's brainchild that he has tried to put onto the screen since childhood. While the story sometimes becomes encumbered with its noble yet heavy green message and there are more than a few plot holes, there are more than enough reasons to enjoy this mesmerizing blockbuster. Considering this film has already surpassed $2 billion in earnings and has reignited the entire moviegoing business, the draw is certainly apparent.
30.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) - No film this decade was as straight-up hilarious or more quotable than Anchorman. Will Ferrell and the gang (with the classic Brick character performed by Steve Carrell) embody the 70s virtues of alcohol, sexism and indecency to a tee. It is San Diego in the Me Decade, and an attractive, strong-willed female reporter is set to overthrow the current establishment. The chaos that reigns, especially during the totally random but memorable fight scene, define this comedy that will make you love lamp by the end.
31.Children of Men (2006) - I could say how I felt this film rushed through a few of its plot lines or was unremittingly depressing, but that was probably the point. This frantic tale of one man's quest to save the first newborn baby on Earth in 18 years finds its strengths in the immense talents of its director, Alfonso Cuaron, and cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezski. A few scenes are shot in one take, lasting up to 10 minutes. The action is visceral and the viewer becomes one with the events unfolding. This film has its flaws but is so memorable for those killer moments.
32.Up In The Air (2009) - Jason Reitman crafted a superb script with Up In The Air, leaving you wondering why he just did not write the screenplay for the painfully sassy Juno. His film is crafted with finesse from a young filmmaker, and the performances shine. George Clooney becomes one of the most relatable protagonists in recent memory as the suave but commitment-phobic Ryan Bingham, and Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick excel in the two, different female roles they play in his life. The writing and acting are top-notch, and the best part is that they form into one comical yet tragic whole.
33.Casino Royale (2006) - The James Bond series was in need of a serious reboot and Casino Royale delivered. Daniel Craig is a surprisingly able Bond, caring less about how his martini is served and more on the mission at hand. His recklessness and close encounters with the several Bond girls still makes for great entertainment, and this time it is directed with action movie flair by Martin Campbell. Craig's resilience in the squeamish torture scene alone make this possibly the funniest yet most disturbing Bond film yet.
34.Downfall (2003) - Those funny YouTube clips showing Hitler getting angry that his Xbox Live was banned actually derive from excellent source material. Emotionally intense and uncompromising, Downfall is the document of Adolf Hitler's final days at his bunker in Berlin. Bruno Ganz becomes absorbed in the main role like only a few actors can: he creates a human (not sympathetic) version of the leader of the Third Reich that goes beyond emulation and into art. His emotions sway from reserved compassion to violent outbursts of anger, and details like the twitching of his left hand as he walks suggest his mental state was rapidly deteriorating. The hidebound ethics and horrible actions the Goebbels family committed, as well as the general theme of suicide, make this film a tough one to watch but a fascinating look into the greatest symbol of evil known in modern history.
35.Superbad (2007) - Before the Apatow train became so exhausted of relevance, there was 2007. Knocked Up is a personal favorite of mine (Paul Rudd as Robert DeNiro is classic), but Superbad was more of a comedic Odyssey, with two high school kids looking to get laid by their crushes through the only means possible: alcohol!! Michael Cera and Jonah Hill's performances remind of a simpler time when their presence was not only tolerable but a pleasure. McLovin is still an immortal comedy figure however: the fake ID scene, his "Aladdin" vest and his ultimate score make him a youth icon for our times. The funky soundtrack sets the vibe for a film that is still a riot today.
36.United 93 (2006) - Any media interpretations of the attacks on 9/11 are still considered taboo, and with good reason, but United 93 went beyond the despicable exploitation that was expected and emerged as a harrowing tale of American heroism. Paul Greengrass, seen below in the Bourne films as well, cast unknown actors to star as the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, the flight destined for the White House before the passengers bonded together to revolt. The claustrophobic intensity is palpable as the tubular coffin the passengers were aboard careens towards certain doom, with tense cinematography by Barry Ackroyd. This tragic tale ends up being one of the most inspiring films I have ever seen, as a group of unknown, diverse bystanders decide to take action and overthrow the terrorists on board. The heartbreaking final scene leaves you paralyzed, leaving you angry, bereaved but astonished. Forget James Bond or Harry Potter: these were the decade's heroes.
37.Sin City (2005) - This decade saw the largest influx of comic-based movies ever, but none where as faithful or uniquely stylized as Sin City. With three separate stories that have surprisingly little to do with each other, the movie features a sexy cast with the likes of Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and the late Brittany Murphy, as well as Clive Owen, Bruce Willis and, in arresting performance, Mickey Rourke. The film is brutal, with inordinate amounts of violence even by graphic novel standards, but the black and white (with special red bursts) style does not ever let you look away.
38.The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - The stellar Bourne series improved with every outing, which naturally makes the last one the best. With some amazing technical work in sound and editing, Ultimatum is given a sharp, kinetic edge that thrusts Matt Damon's Jason Bourne into the action for a final, explosive round. Hand-to-hand fight scenes are captured by Paul Greengrass in a brutal, efficient manner unrivaled by almost everything else. A tight, suspenseful plot of corruption and murder propels this action fest forward and, thankfully for us, it never looks back.
39.A History of Violence (2005) - If one word can define this film, it is "gritty." The violence is uncompromising, and the entire story, as suggested by the excellent title, is centered around bloodshed. Viggo Mortensen is a small town man who is accused of having a violent past by Philadelphia mobsters; he finds these accusations out of line but the core of his character slowly reveals layer after layer as the movie progresses. Ed Harris and William Hurt turn in excellent performances, and the action stuns.
40.Synecdoche, New York (2007) - The last item on this list is one that I will take a long time to fully conquer. Written and directed by the legendary Charlie Kaufman (this is his third item on this list) and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York is a tale of life and almost every element it encompasses. Love, hate, life, death, obsession, divorce, growth, atrophy...it is all here. The film defies the term "bizarre" as Hoffman's character, Caden, a theater director, creates the most ambitious production in the city by turning a whole warehouse into a duplicate of the city. This project lasts for decades, and Caden's true nature, such as his sanity, health and even gender, comes into question. Go read any of Roger Ebert's multiple articles to try to digest the film that makes Mulholland Drive's story arc look as complicated as a Will Ferrell movie.
