MZ's Top Films of the Decade...

[MinionZombie]

It was suggested a couple of weeks back that Dj and I do our best films of the decade lists, and so here's mine...

http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-top-films-of-decade-2000-2009.html


2000:
Top 3:
American Psycho - phenomenal book, phenomenal movie. Bale at his career best in a hell of a flick.
Battle Royale - brutal, comedic, action-packed and iconic.
High Fidelity - Cusack is on top form, the soundtrack is top notch, and it's generally just great.

Honourable Mentions:
Memento - a cracking little thriller that fucks your head up.
Requiem For A Dream - this should be shown to kids at school to deter them from drugs. Horrifying, electric, and in your face.

[EvilNed]

Here's mine:

1. Der Untergang Downfall (2004) - Without a doubt one of the best films I've ever seen. An epic about the last days of Hitler.

2. Gladiator (2000) - Love this film. Great story, great action, great sets. Just love it!

3. Cidade de Deus City of God (2002) - Gripping and excellent, and sometimes even lighthearted, movie about the gangs in rural Rio de Janeiro.

4. Le Couperet The Ax (2005) - A dark comedy about a man who loses his job, and decides to improve his chances to get another one.

5. The Prestige (2006) - Two stage magicians compete for fame in Victorian England. There's a twist at every turn!

6. Star Trek (2009) - I really thought this was great. I guess I don't have to tell you guys the story. It's Star Trek!

7. När Mörkret Faller When Darkness Falls (2006) - Three stories of violence move in an out from another. Really supsenseful and exciting.

8. Battle for Haditha (2007) - A dark, gritty and violent depiction of some of the violence that went down in the Battle for Haditha.

9. [REC] (2007) - A spanish zombiefilm. Excellent, exciting and terrifying at parts. Filmed from the perspective of a news reporter.

10. NaPolA Before the Fall (2004) - A young man enlists in the SS training program, during the final years of Nazi Germany. Great film!


I see you included Right at your Door. I saw that the other week and loved it. Great film!

[capncnut]

Here's mine:

1. Irréversible (2002) - Powerful and controversial rape revenge drama from France. Perhaps the most unique method of storytelling I've seen. You wont ever look at a fire extinguisher again without thinking about this movie.

2. ivansxtc (2000) - Bernard Rose's modern interpretation of Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich, complete with cocaine, hookers, and a dazzling performance from Danny Huston.

3. Children Of Men (2006) - Grim story set in 2027, where human infertility threatens the survival of the human race. Stitched together seamlessly in a way that leads the viewer to believe the whole thing was shot in a few takes. Incredible.

4. Cidade de Deus (2002) - A kind-hearted teen aspires to be a photographer, while growing up in the violent gang-ridden neighbourhoods of Brazil.

5. 28 Days Later (2002) - Danny Boyle's bleak post apocalyptic horror set in London, where a highly contagious virus has turned the inhabitants into mindless killers.

6. Moon (2009) - Lonely, mesmerising and faith-affirming effort from first-time director Duncan Jones, about the sole employee at a lunar base, who struggles with his mission after nearly three years alone.

7. The Salton Sea (2002) - A drug addict changes personalities after his wife is murdered. Excellent return to form for Val Kilmer, who was equally as glorious in Wonderland.

8. The Future Is Unwritten (2007) - Moving documentary detailing the life of Joe Strummer, frontman of legendary punk band, The Clash.

9. Primer (2004) - Sci fi thriller about two engineers who accidentally discover time travel. Mindbending stuff.

10. Solaris (2002) - Steven Soderbergh's commendable remake of Andrei Tarkovsky's talky Russian space drama. I personally prefer the original, but the hauntingly atmospheric visuals and score secured inclusion in this list.

Honourable mentions: Battle Royale (2001), Chopper (2000), Kill Bill (2004). A History Of Violence (2005), and Låt den rätte komma in (2008).


List subject to change.

[bassman]

Nice to see Kiss Kiss getting some love. Very underrated.

[MinionZombie]

Nice to see Kiss Kiss getting some love. Very underrated.
Damn straight, and also as Ned pointed out, Right At Your Door is sodding great too.

[krakenslayer]

Anchorman - I don't really like modern comedy movies as a genre, but Anchorman is a rare one that succeeds in its attempts to make me laugh, which is a novel experience for me. :D Although it's a "wacky" movie, it features characters which are built up to be genuinely likeable and multifaceted (each of their facets is just about caricature, but that's the beauty) and most of the jokes succeed because they play on our familiarity with these characters, and it doesn't continually resort to fashionable "outrageous" crudity (there is a little, but it's spread thinly enough to be surprising and funny when it comes).

District 9 - Gripping and smart, combining excellent action scenes with pointed social commentary. For me, District 9 is the Dawn of the Dead of the 2000s.

Dog Soldiers - Gotta have some schlock in there. Dog Soldiers could have been just a tacky, throwaway STV horror flick if it wasn't for the sharply bantering script, likeable characters, great practical effects, diligent avoidance of CGI and fantastic performances. Although it doesn't do anything particularly original, it takes all the expected elements of an action-horror flick and just does them all really, really well.

Shaun of the Dead - Say no more.

Moon - It's great to see a sci-fi movie that's not all about backflips, massive LotR-style battles and explosions. Harking back to the glory days of 2001 and Silent Runnings, Moon tells a deeply dramatic human story that just happens to be set in space. Like all truly great sci-fi, it has only one or two important plot elements that really rely on the futuristic setting, concentrating more closely on the highly-relatable character(s).

The Pianist - A rousing, exciting and deeply moving story, brilliantly executed. Just an excellent drama that has stuck with me for a long time.

Pan's Labyrinth - I've never seen another film that even tries to combine realistic, super-gritty historical drama with an esoteric fantasy movie, let alone pull it all off so perfectly. Original, chilling, haunting and uplifting. Love it.

There Will Be Blood - A good, old-fashioned story - like Gone With the Wind but even darker and, dare I say it, much more involving.

V for Vendetta - Crazy action, a dystopian future, a very un-Hollywoodesque anti-authoritarian streak, and some truly iconic imagery that arguably defined this decade for a lot of people.

American Movie - One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. A camera crew follow a backwoods nobody who dreams of making a feature film. The "characters" (i.e. real people) are absolutely lovable, hilarious and unforgettable, the candour is at times jaw-dropping, the battles Mark Borchardt fights to make his movies are incredibly involving and wonderfully presented. If you have not see this movie, whether or not you're interested in filmmaking, do so... NOW.