Anyhoo... here's part one of my top 100 films of the decade.
100- Hot Fuzz- 2007
Parody is the sincerest form of flattery. This axiom is in truest form here in Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz. Simon Peg and Nick Frost (of Shaun of the Dead and Spaced fame) star in this action movie in love with action movies. It’s also great because it’s a distinctly British film that is aping American action genre films. In a world full of Epic Movies and Date Movies- it’s truly great to see the spoof flick succeed.
Key moment, the conclusive gunfight captures the essence of this film- intensely hilarious while simultaneously being quite kick-ass.
99- 28 Days Later- 2002
We all have different opinions on running zombies. For the sake of argument- let’s agree to disagree and call these the infested. Intensely edited, fast paced, and pretty darned frightening to boot- director Danny Boyle continues trying his hand at new things with successful results (let us not speak of The Beach).
Key moment, that opening scene, wow. It’s one of the best realized visions of a post apocalyptic world.
98- High Fidelity- 2000
Obviously, as I make this list- I can relate to a guy who finds the necessity to break down many aspects of his life into “top x” lists. To be honest, I’ve never quite had much of an opinion on Jon Cusack; however, I find his acting here to more than adequate. What makes this movie work are his monologues and the way he has equal passion for music and the women of his life. Also, this passion both elevates the enjoyment he gets out of life and causes much heartache as well (that excellent speech about pop music comes to mind).
Key moment- Anything with Jack Black: his rant about Evil Dead 2 is hilariously accurate. Also, his rendition of ‘Let’s Get it On’ may be one of the best versions ever recorded.
97- Casino Royale- 2006
Growing up, my father always had a strange affinity for Bond films. This being said, I grew up in the era of Brosnan and I wasn’t too impressed with the character. Now of course, I have seen many of the Moore and Connery classics- and I can appreciate why many enjoy the character- but it never was for me.
Casino Royale does the rare feat of taking something old and letting an audience see its subject through new eyes. Suddenly I saw the iconic character the same way many others (including my father) had. He was smart, charming, and damn hard to kill.
Of course merely being a good update does not necessarily a good film make. However, Casino Royale offers classic globetrotting exploits , some neat gadgetry, and an icy cool Bond who may be suave- but the film is letting us in on that this may all be a cover for a person growing distant from his humanity.
Key moment- The opening parkour chase. It sends the signal that this will be a new kind of Bond, but one just as thrilling as ever.
96- District 9- 2009
In a year that saw the continuation of the theme where aliens are metaphors we saw aliens serving as Native American surrogates and aliens in an allegory for apartheid. Fortunately, one of these films handled the message in a very skillful way.
The aliens in District 9 aren’t saints, merely prawns out of water. Their race is painted with the beautiful moral grays that should come with any highly evolved race. The movie also gives the human characters the same courtesy. Despite obvious messages, District 9 never really feels all that preachy of a film. Of course, having some high octane action pieces (including one with a mech suit that puts the ones of Avatar to shame) doesn’t hurt the enjoyment level of this film as well.
Key moment- Wikus’s surprise party. It is a scene that captures the horror of things to come and the true terror of feeling an outsider amongst familiar faces.
95- Paprika- 2006
Few movies get the nature of dreaming right. Too often dreams in films have these neat little story arcs that are suppose to reveal something to the audience about the main character. The 2006 animated film, Paprika, captures dream logic to the T.
In a film where a new research technique is allowing therapists to work through their patients problems by entering their dreams, Paprika reveals the beauties and terrors of the inner working of the human mind.
Filled with intense visuals, stream of consciousness action scenes, and an incredibly powerful soundtrack mixed with standard J-techno pop and orchestral scores- Paprika is as much a film to been as it is to be experienced.
Key moment- When dreams and reality begin to merge. The sight of the “dream parade” rampaging through down town Tokyo may be one of the most surreal attacks on the city I’ve ever seen on film.
94- Star Wars Episode III- Revenge of the Sith- 2005
Warning- this addition may be nothing more than my inner fanboy at work.
The original Star Wars trilogy, were my favorite movies growing up. The Death Star blowing up, Luke’s training of Dagobah, the fight over the Sarlacc Pit- all powerful movie memories from my childhood and early adolescence.
I guess that’s what kept me from falling in love with the first two prequels. They just didn’t hold the same magic for me. Then, Revenge of the Sith came along. It had constant action, intergalactic turmoil, and Wookies. It started feeling like Star Wars all over again.
This film also only stops the action a few times, and for some key dialogue scenes (unlike the other prequels which were completely halted for stilted declarations of love and long and windy scenes of exposition). At the end of the day, I feel this movie is in constant competition for being my third favorite Star Wars film (going up against Jedi, of course)- a statement which I do not make lightly.
Key moment- The revelation of Palpatine as the Sith Lord. Not because this comes as a surprise (it doesn’t), but because it finally reveals that behind an evil calculating mind is an equally powerful evil warrior whose skills are just as deadly as his philosophies.
93- Away From Her- 2006
Many movies have dealt with the loss of a loved one. This film raises the question- what do you do when the one you lost is still physically there? Away from Her focuses on a husband watching his wife fade to Alzheimer’s who, while institutionalized, starts showing affection for a fellow patient.
In a film that could be motivated by mere sentimentality, Away From Her is elevated by subtleties and amazing performances. It raises questions about how far we will go for the ones we love and doesn’t offer any easy or contrived answers. What makes the film such an emotionally rewarding experience is the hope that it offers for all of its players.
Key moment- Grant’s first check in on his wife at the institution. She doesn’t recognize him anymore. The emotional power of the scene captures the struggles to come in the film and begins to reveal the great talents of its lead actors.
92- The Last King of Scotland- 2006
The 00’s have been a strange decade for Forest Whitaker. It has seen him star in one of the worst reviewed films of all time, Battlefield Earth, and has also seen him perform in roles relegated to unspectacular straight –to-DVD fair: The Air I breath, Powder Blue, The Marsh.
That being said- the decade has also seen two of the man’s finest performances. One in Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog : Way of the Samurai; and two, in The Last King of Scotland. Here, Whitaker disappears into a man full of contradictions that mostly lead to evil actions. He is powerful but insecure. He wants a good public image, but doesn’t give things like public executions a second thought. He is a figure so disarming for his ability to laugh heartily (and sincerely) one moment and shoot a man point blank the next. The movie in many ways is flawed, and it does tend to oversimplify things at times; however, Whitaker gives one of the best performances of the decade- and in a decade where actors really brought their A game- that says a lot.
Key moment- When Nicolas (James McAvoy’s character) treats president Amin’s hand after a small car accident. This cinematic retelling of the classic- mouse pulling the thorn from the lion’s paw- will later remind us that that the lion is still a beast that can turn on the mouse at a moment’s notice.
91- Lady Vengeance- 2005
It’s really hard describing the plot of any of the films in director Park Chan-wook’s vengeance trilogy without getting into lengthy details. That being said, here’s the skinny on Lady Vengeance- a woman was sent to prison for a murder she didn’t commit and guess what- she wants revenge.
Much of this story is a detective tale, unraveling the mystery and building to its final climax but it’s the emotional beats along the way that make Lady Vengeance such a disturbing and powerful tale. For its high concept plot, the film deals with down-to-earth violence and several raw human emotions.
Key moment- The revenge. I won’t spoil it, but the way it finally plays out is both disturbing and satisfying- a very odd combination for a very odd film.
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