Best Movies of the 00s -- Part I

So, guess what. Not only are we at the end of another year, but we're also about to enter a new decade. Who knew? Guess I wasn't really paying attention. Well, I already did my Top 10 movie list of 2009. What better way to commemorate the end of a decade by giving another list? And, since I am apparently only able to blog about movies these days, it seemed like the obvious move.

But, come on...a whole decade of movies in a Top 10? Can't be done. As I began compiling my list, I realized that the bare minimum I could live with was 30 movies. That's right, people, I'm about to drop a Top 30 list on your arses. But, I'm going to do it in at least four. Today, I'll be giving you the bottom ten, complete with some commentary and the all-important YouTube clips.

When making this list, I did my best to think about what movies stood out particularly upon repeated viewings. Some years, a movie opens to huge acclaim and, over time, it just doesn't resonate like other movies. These are the movies released over the last 10 years that have stuck with me and, in my opinion, are the ones that will continue to stick with people (at least people with decent taste in movies) into the next 10 years. Enjoy.

30. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Over the last five years, it seems we've been inundated with a new slew of R-Rated comedies. In large part, I've enjoyed this development as it has meant that we have seen more and more comedies that were written to be funny instead of just appealing to the broadest possible demographic. And, of course, Judd Apatow has been the driving force behind this movement, either as writer, director, or producer of this hilariously raunchy fare. Though it will likely hurt my mother's feelings to hear me admit this, I've enjoyed movies like Superbad, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and even this year's Funny People. But, before all those came The 40-Year-Old-Virgin and, despite the best efforts of the Apatow crowd, it has yet to be surpassed.

The best thing about this movie -- indeed, the best thing about most of these movies -- is that, while they're all pretty dirty and raunchy, they usually end up taking an adult view about issues relating to sex, family, and responsibility. In Virgin, our hero Andy starts out as the subject of ridicule for his inability to "close the deal" through his first four decades on the planet. Yet, as the story develops, it is his original viewpoint -- that sex is a complicated, serious matter and should not be treated frivolously -- is the one that's vindicated. Along the way, the audience is treated to scene after scene of guffaw-type laughs, sweet, sweet bromances, and some of the wittiest dialogue ever put to paper (in fact, the script was nominated for an Oscar).

So...I couldn't really find a funny clip that I'd feel comfortable posting on a blog that will be read by friends and family. So, instead, you can watch the trailer:


29. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

One of the more divisive movies of the decade, A.I. is an ambitous and albeit flawed effort at melding two seemingly contrasting styles. The film was originally conceived by Stanley Kubrick, master of cinematic detachment -- sometimes to a fault. But, as he died before he could start production, it was left to his friend Steven Spielberg to write the script and eventually direct the movie. Spielberg, of course, tends to dwell on the sentimental side of the aisle -- also to a fault at times.

The result is the story of a child robot programmed to actually love its parents and his efforts to exist in a world not ready accept or understand such a concept. The one indisputable fact about A.I. is that it's production values -- art direction, special effects, and music -- are second to none. In addition, it includes an amazing and tragically underappreciated lead performance by Haley Joel Osment as David, the robotic child. It's failings come mostly in the final act where it dwells a little too far into the Spielbergian side and tries to get all schmaltzy. But even those parts are only failings when compared to the rest of movie, which is pure genius. Even with those shortcomings in place, A.I. was one of 30 best movies of the decade.



28. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

A movie many thought would be a classic has, in my view, fallen just a little short after years of repeated viewings. Still, it is the highest ranking martial arts film of the decade and, to date, the best feature directed by Ang Lee (sorry, Brokeback Mountain was a bore). I won't babble on about this one. I'll just give you a clip:



27. Up

This is the first of three Pixar movies that will be on this list. I just saw this movie last week for the third time and am convinced that it is deserving of this place on my best-of list for the past decade. With its unrelenting pace and its non-stop creativity, it's hard not to love this movie. And, if you have a spouse of your own (which I do), it's impossible not to get choked up when you watch it.



26. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

This past decade has left us with no shortage of "dumb" comedies and Will Ferrell has championed the genre unlike any other actor. But, when it comes to this genre, it's all been downhill since Anchorman. Like I said, with some exception, this list is about movies standing up over time and, in my view, very few comedies have withstood the scrutiny of repeated viewings like this story of a clueless newsman coming to terms with changing times.

Go ahead, try going a whole day without quoting this movie at least once. I dare you. In this one clip alone, there's at least four lines of dialogue that have become go-to phrases in our collective cultural consciousness:






25. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

This was a big-time Oscar-winner in a crappy year for movies. Though it walked away with both Best Picture and Best Director for 2008, it likely would have been overlooked in almost any other year. I think the fact that the world became aware of this gem of a movie is actually a good thing, even if we did have to sit though the lackluster awards-season movies of that year.

While this movie relies on a gimmicky narrative, the story never seems inauthentic. Director Danny Boyle found the perfect showcase for his signature quick-flash visual/editing style and finally got the acclaim he'd deserved for a long time. With overlooked movies like Millions and Sunshine and the zombie-filled 28 Days Later to his credit, Boyle has established himself as one of the most versatile and interesting filmmakers working today. Can't wait to see what he does next.



24. Master and Commander: Far Side of the World (2003)

Peter Weir is one of my very favorite directors. Sadly, he wasn't too active during this past decade. Fortunately, his one outing was doozy. During the first half of this decade, it seemed as though Russell Crowe couldn't lose. As Captain Jack Aubrey, the hero of Patrick O'Brien's classic sea-faring novels, Crowe turned out another iconic performance and, had the movie done better at the box office, we likely would have seen a new Aubrey film franchise.

Not that this movie was overlooked. It opened to universal acclaim and was nominated for ten Oscars. Still, in the end, this movie undeservedly fell off the grid for some people. Not for me, though.

Since I can't seem to find a decent clip on YouTube, I'll give you Ebert and Roeper's review of the movie that played when the movie was first released.



23. Lost in Translation (2003)

One of the more noteworthy cinematic developments of this past decade was Bill Murray's transition from go-to comedic actor to serious dramatic thespian. This development is unfortunate as it meant fewer great mainstream comedies in the mold of a Groundhog Day or What About Bob? It was also positive because it meant that we'd get to see him in a different light. That all started more or less with Lost in Translation, the critically acclaimed marvel written and directed by Sophia Coppola. It stars Murray as an aging movie star who's been reduced to doing whiskey commercials in Japan. He meets up with a young academic, Scarlett Johannsen in her breakout role, and has a mostly asexual ecounter over the course of a few days.

Lost in Translation is the story of two lost people brought together by the isolation that comes with being a stranger in a foreign land. In the end, neither learns anything profound and few of their personal problems are solved, but both characters benefit from the intimacy that can only be shared with a complete stranger and ultimately leave the story headed down a more optimistic path. True enough, this is a simplistic and almost uneventful story, but it's how the movie gets there that's makes it all worth it.



22. Finding Nemo (2003)

The second of three Pixar movies on this list. Guess which one the other is.



21. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004)

Charlie Kaufman basically invented his own screenwriting genre -- existential, oddly structured, and just a little arty-farty. This movie, taking place mostly in the mind of a its lead character, is odd and offbeat and, in the end, though it doesn't resemble reality, it says more about human nature and the failings of human relationships than seems possible. Kaufman's script is perfectly structured. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet give what are among the best performances of their careers (and that's saying something). And, director Michael Gondry infuses just enough of his trademark whimsy into what could have ultimately been a sad and dark story.




More to come people. Stay tuned.