Whenever a year or, in this case, a decade comes to a close, we find the need to list things, to measure one item against the other and see which one prevails. With movies this becomes ever more appealing as lists both prestigious (Amerian Film Institute) and popular (Internet Movie Database) seem to hold sway over swarms of moviegoers.
What I propose to present is the 10 best films of the decade, as well as the 10 best performances (five actors and five actresses). Feel free to agree or disagree because, like all lists, this is a subjective one reflecting my journey through film during the 2000s.
1) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003), directed by Peter Jackson.
If the 2000s was a decade of franchises then The Lord of the Rings was the king of the franchises. Peter Jackson’s trilogy managed the impossible: bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy to the big screen in a vision that was both true to the source material and a riveting visual spectacle in its own right. Minor departures from the novels were present here and there, but Jackson captured the tone, meaning and scale of the stories perfectly. Not bad for the director of Dead Alive. No films loomed larger over the decade or were as complete as Jackson’s trilogy. Will The Lord of the Rings films be remembered 50 years from now? Undoubtedly. And that is the measure of a great work of art.
2) Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005), directed by George Lucas.
This choice will probably garner me the most flak, but Revenge of the Sith was the perfect ending to the prequel trilogy — a trilogy that had many people less than enthralled. Revenge of the Sith was the prequel everyone had been anticipating, chronicling Anakin Skywalker’s final transformation into Darth Vader. The result was a film that spoke powerfully to the true Star Wars fan, and one that will probably be better appreciated in the decades to come.
3) Spirited Away (2001), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
A beautiful fairy tale done in classic animation by the greatest living animator, Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away is magical in every sense of the word. The screen brims with energy and the vibrant colours and characters make for an enchanting film. Spirited Away is as charming a film as exists.
4) There Will Be Blood (2007), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
A behemoth of a film with a towering performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. Masterfully shot by Robert Elswitt, scored beautifully by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood and acted and directed to perfection. There Will Be Blood was the finest example of American film the decade had to offer.
5) The Dark Knight (2008), directed by Christopher Nolan.
The best comic book movie ever made is a powerful examination of duality and heroism, capturing the zeitgeist of the decade better than any other movie. From Christian Bale’s tortured hero to Heath Ledger’s psychotic clown to Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s haunting score to Christopher Nolan’s impeccable direction, The Dark Knight is a celluloid masterpiece.
6) Minority Report (2002), directed by Steven Spielberg.
This is a science fiction thriller unlike any other, moving at a frenetic pace with effective performances and one of the most intriguing visions of the future ever captured on film. Minority Report is the past decade’s Blade Runner — a comparison made all the more fitting by the fact that Minority Report was also based on a Philip K. Dick novel — a science fiction film starring an action star giving his best performance (here Tom Cruise) that stimulates the mind while exhilarating the senses.
7) The New World (2005), directed by Terrence Malick.
The New World is a quiet, flowing period drama that is the closest thing to pure poetry on film. Terrence Malick’s examination of the clash of European and indigenous cultures in Jamestown, VA, and the story of Pocahontas is a beautiful, reflective film that shows how a simple story and beautiful natural imagery can be more powerful than the most labyrinthine plots, ostentatious performances and kinetic visuals.
8) The Departed (2006), directed by Martin Scorsese.
The Departed is the perfect example of how genre filmmaking in the hands of a master is every bit as powerful and meaningful as a prestige drama. Scorsese’s tale of betrayal between cops and robbers is a perfect combination of acting, pace and plot. The beauty of it all is that Scorsese makes the whole thing look so damn easy when in fact it’s as complex a film as was made in the last decade.
9) Gladiator (2000), directed by Ridley Scott.
The spiritual successor to classic epics like Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator is a powerful film of spectacular proportions. Headed by Russell Crowe at his best, Gladiator was the rebirth of the Hollywood epic and inspiration for later films like The Lord of the Rings. “Are you not entertained?” 10 years later, I still am.
10) No Country for Old Men (2007), directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.
The Coen Brothers are some of Hollywood’s finest filmmakers and No Country for Old Men is their crowning achievement. The tension of No Country for Old Men along with its powerful nihilistic message is unmatched this decade. Cormac McCarthy is one of the finest novelists of this decade and by combining his work with the Coens’, a staggeringly powerful masterpiece was created.
1) Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (2007), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
No performance this decade was as complete, as effective, or as monumental.
2) Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat Sagdiyev in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), directed by Larry Charles.
The epitome of comedic dedication, Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance as Borat was effortlessly hilarious and believable, but beyond that, as deep a performance as can be given by an actor in a film.
3) Mickey Rourke as Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler (2008), directed by Darren Aronofsky.
No performance is as soul bearing as Mickey Rourke’s stint as a washed-up wrestler.
4) Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho (2000), directed by Mary Harron.
Christian Bale’s dedication to roles is legendary, and here as psychopathic VP Patrick Bateman, Bale pulled off the impossible — he brought to life a character who is truly devoid of emotion.
5) Adrien Brody as Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist (2002), directed Roman Polanski.
Adrien Brody’s performance as a Holocaust-surviving musician is both abject and resolute, and all the more powerful due to its subtlety.
1) Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), directed by Stephen Frears.
Helen Mirren not only made the Queen seem a fully believable, flawed, human individual, but also retained the kind of majesty that convinced us we were watching royalty in the flesh.
2) Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz in The Reader (2008), directed by Stephen Daldry.
Through her impeccable characterization, her sexuality and her emotive facial expressions, Kate Winslet convinced us that she truly held a personal shame greater than being a war criminal.
3) Kate Winslet as Sarah Pierce in Little Children (2006), directed by Todd Field.
Perhaps it’s unfair that Kate Winslet holds two slots on this list, but no actress was more prominent this past decade, and her performance as dissatisfied mother Sarah Pierce perfectly demonstrated how some people (metaphorically) scream in horror at the banality of suburbia.
4) Ellen Page as Juno MacGuff in Juno (2007), directed by Jason Reitman.
Ellen Page’s performance as a whip-smart, eclectic pregnant teenager is so layered and genuine, it has become the quintessential teen performance of the decade, and will be remembered as the image of youth of this past decade in years to come.
5) Uma Thurman as The Bride in Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2 (2003-2004), directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Uma Thurman’s The Bride is the most convincing female action hero since Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, as well as one of cinema’s best portraits of motherhood, as beautifully showcased in the second volume.