2019 marks the final year of the decade, and despite nearly half a year’s worth of films yet to be released, major film publications have already begun releasing their “Best Films of the Decade” lists. I will certainly be doing so myself when the time comes, but until then, why don’t we go back a decade and re-examine the decade prior, the turn of the century, with the benefit of another 10 years of hindsight to aid our rankings? Here are my favorite films released from 2000 to 2009!
20. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
How could I possibly leave one of the most influential franchises of my childhood off of my list?! I grew up devouring HP books and obsessively reading online fan pages about the series; hell, I got my start as a writer penning Harry Potter fan fiction! (No, I will not tell you what my penname was; let’s leave that embarrassing prose in the past!) This is the pretty clear consensus best of the bunch when it comes to the films, with Alfonso Cuarón (one of my favorite working directors) at the helm bringing his strong creative vision to the franchise. It’s a darker and more mature work than the previous two films, while still maintaining the wonder and fantasy of the world that I feel the latter half of the film series lacked. It serves as the perfect bridge between the two halves of the series, the transition point at which HP becomes more than just a kids’ fantasy romp and delves into deep, real emotional themes that carry through to the end of the eighth installment. This will most certainly be the Potter film I look back most fondly on as time goes by.
19. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Before Marvel stormed onto the scene, it was still unclear if superhero flicks had what it takes to make great films. The early X-Men saga was solid, and the first Spidey film was campy but fun, but is that all the genre would ever aspire to be – campy fun? Spider-Man 2 proved that you can make a good film regardless of the genre, with nuanced characters and a compelling arc for our protagonist (and villain!) on top of all the spectacle and action. It’s perhaps the superhero flick with the highest peaks and lowest valleys, truly putting Peter Parker through the ringer in order to juxtapose his hardships with victories that taste that much sweeter as a result. The runaway train sequence is still one of my favorite sequences in a superhero film of all-time, proving that you don’t need apocalyptic world-ending scenarios to craft tension, just a high-stakes pressure situation for our hero to overcome their weaknesses and shine. While the Raimi trilogy might be maligned by some (and #1 and 3 don’t hold up all that well), the second installment will always hold a special place in my heart for making me fall in love with the web-slinger.
18. There Will Be Blood (2007)
After a shaky start to the new century with the lukewarmly-received Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love, Paul Thomas Anderson gave us this epic tale of greed and power set in the early 1900’s, starring Daniel Day-Lewis in perhaps the finest performance ever given on film. This sprawling tale leaves no stone unturned, exploring the relationship of industry and commerce with religion, with family, with morality. It’s a gripping character study and a masterclass in sympathizing the audience with a terrible human being. Add in some of the most stunning cinematography of the decade and a compelling plot driving the narrative forward, and this is an iconic picture that will surely stand the test of time, if not join the pantheon of all-time classics.
17. Children of Men (2006)
This film is a technical achievement unlike anything we saw all decade long. This is the film that introduced the world to the talents that are Alfonso Cuarón and Emmanuel Lubezki, and every time I watch this I am blown away by the spectacle. The story is pretty intriguing as well; the concept of a world without children is a fascinating one, and Cuarón does a good job of exploring it to its fullest potential. It may not be the most subtle movie, and I haven’t had the urge to rewatch it recently, but I won’t soon forget my first experience of being gobsmacked by the clever filmmaking on display here.
16. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Visually stunning at every step; even when not much interesting is happening narrative-wise I was captivated thanks to the amazing cinematography (Roger Deakins is a legend). The acting is also some of the best I’ve seen; Brad Pitt kills it as always, but Casey Affleck really surprised me…maybe he shouldn’t have since he was so spectacular in Manchester by the Sea as well, but he stole every scene he was in. (I still think Shia Labeouf would have killed this role as well! But I’m happy with what we got.) Not crazy about the meandering pacing and the excessive use of voiceover, but again, this is the kind of film where the worldbuilding and acting kept my attention more than the story. That’s not to say the story is bad; the evolving relationship between James and Ford was interesting to watch and I can’t point to any one scene as superfluous. Director Andrew Dominik really knows how to build tension out of quiet moments and accomplishes a lot with a little. This is the kind of film I can see creeping up my list as time goes on.
15. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ah, the film that was robbed of Best Picture! I’m happy to report that this film has aged incredibly well, and it isn’t just “that gay movie” that critics only claimed to like because of its importance for the time. And while it was important for the time, this is also just a powerful tale of repression, desire, and social pressure with complex characters and nuanced performances. Ang Lee does a masterful job with the film, instructing his characters to be as ambiguous as possible to provide for multiple interpretations of the film and its messages. It’s a heartbreaking and emotional ride that has stuck with me for nearly a decade and a half. Good god did we lose a magnificent man too soon in Heath Ledger, whose work in this film (and another higher up on this list) leaves an iconic legacy behind, even for one who died so young.
14. School of Rock (2003)
This has such a simple premise and execution that it doesn’t seem like it should work so well, and yet it does. Jack Black is so goddamn charismatic that he carries every moment single-handedly, and the script tackles some surprisingly deep themes of confidence, alternative learning, and following your dreams. Consistently hilarious and fantastically directed by Richard Linklater, this is one of those guilty-pleasure movies that I can pop on anytime and watch with a huge smile on my face the entire time. And the fact that it speaks to greater themes of life, learning and growing up is the hallmark of a great film, and a quintessential Linklater work.
13. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Much like Harry Potter, it’s difficult for me to leave such an influential and iconic franchise off of my list. Unlike so many of the CGI extravaganzas that would follow in Fellowship‘s wake in the 21st century, the first LOTR film has held up incredibly well, using CGI not as a crutch but as a means to enhance the wonder of such a rich world Tolkien created for our enjoyment. The amount of effort (and money!) the filmmakers spent to craft this story was unheard of for the time, and it pays off with a rich, vibrant story in a world that feels truly lived-in, not just a collection of Hollywood sets (like the dreadful Hobbit trilogy did a decade later). The immense impact this franchise had on the industry cannot be denied either, as it proved to studios that they can take great risks on expensive properties like this and see major profits. Whether that’s been a net positive or negative for cinema is still up for debate of course, but when it comes to this trilogy alone, it was certainly a positive.
12. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Divorce is clearly a topic that is near and dear to Noah Baumbach’s heart; many of his films revolve around broken families, including his upcoming Marriage Story (2019) that critics are already heralding as his best work. But to me, his breakthrough work The Squid and the Whale is the most succinct and resonant statement he’s made to date about failed relationships and their effects on children. At a brisk hour and twenty minutes, Baumbach says exactly what he needs to say and nothing more, with every scene, every line perfectly tailored to fit his intended purpose. Subtext is what informs character here, a fantastic example of delivering exposition without us even realizing it in the moment. This is also the movie that convinced me of Jeff Daniels’ incredible talent as an actor as he is terrifying and abhorrent as the father; the supporting performances from Laura Linney and Jesse Eisenberg are also commendable. For such complex themes to be packed in such a short and simple story is an achievement in its own right.
11. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
I’m a sucker for a good crime mystery. Ben Affleck’s debut film had no right being this strong, and honestly good for him, as he spent the first half of the decade living in Matt Damon’s shadow and drawing mockery for his sputtering career following Good Will Hunting. His brother Casey also makes a strong leading man debut as the detective tasked with finding a missing girl. A solid plot kept me entertained throughout, but it’s the ending that really blew me away, raising fascinating questions about family, responsibility and justice that aren’t easily answered. Phenomenal acting all around, a well-written and paced plot that never sags or bores, and fascinating thematic questions all make this a must-see.
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Charlie Kaufman is a hit-or-miss screenwriter for me; I often find that he can get way up his own ass and insert himself into his scripts too much (Adaptation being a prime and quite literal example of this). But his finest work is this lovely little romance wrapped up in a sci-fi plot that raises questions about the self-sabotaging nature of relationships. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s characters could not be more opposite, and yet then find themselves attracted to each other, baggage and all. The film also leaves us with an interesting conundrum: if we knew the outcome of a relationship before it began, would we still pursue it? Does the thrill of the journey justify the despair of the destination? If you could forget all the bad times, would it be worth it, even if the good times go with them? Love is pain, but it’s a good pain in Kaufman’s eyes, a necessary evil to resolve some emptiness in our lives and find kinship in others who may not be a perfect match but can fill that hole regardless. The film may be a twisted and convoluted mess, but then again, so is love.
9. Memento (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough work remains one of his most compelling works to-date. A dizzying, ambitious plot told out-of-sequence and yet never confuses the audience should never have worked as seamlessly as it did. It’s chock-full of audience-rewarding payoffs as we are invited to remember back to previous moments to inform us of what’s to come. The main character’s condition is a unique one that has never been replicated in film since, making this a singular experience that may never again make it onto the silver screen – certainly not with the same resonance. And the twist ending is yet another intriguing layer of depth for us to chew on, raising questions of man’s purpose in life and the value in lies. Is the quest for truth an exercise in futility? Or can it be beneficial to live a life that is ultimately a lie? For our protagonist, that question is no easy one to answer.
8. No Country for Old Men (2007)
I hated this movie when I first saw it. I was 15 and had no concept of the nuances in film language; all I saw was an obtuse and frustrating moviegoing experience that didn’t deliver what I wanted out of a Western thriller. As I’ve grown older and learned more about film (and life), I have come around completely on this film and now consider it my favorite Coen Brothers film. They intentionally subvert audience expectations by doing the opposite of what you are “supposed” to do in a film. Off-screen deaths. Silent scores. Messy editing. Out-of-focus and poorly-framed action. We are transformed into an active audience when what we want or hope to happen does not, and our brain kicks into gear as we try to figure out why. It’s a stunning take on nihilism, chance, and fate that the Coens have explored in many of their films, but in my opinion this is their best manifestation of said themes on-screen. Not to mention one of the best performances of the decade from Javier Bardem as Chigurh, which elevates this film to iconic heights.
7. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo Del Toro loves monsters. But he doesn’t just love them for their grotesque shock value and potential to insert danger into a story – he loves what they represent and reflect about humanity. Set against the backdrop of WWII Spain and the brutal Franco regime, he invites us to ask who the real monsters are: the fantastical beasts of the Underworld, or the evil men who impose their will on innocent people. Framing the story through the eyes of a child amplifies this theme: putting us in the most vulnerable position possible and letting us know that no one is safe from harm. Young Ofelia’s fairy tales become that much more impactful when we see the life she’s so desperate to escape from, to the point that she actually prefers the grotesque creatures she can recognize over those who walk among men on the streets every day. It’s a powerful reflection on stories and storytelling itself in which Del Toro presents a bleak, depressing, and yet optimistic view of how stories can save even the weakest among us from harm.
6. The Departed (2006)
As stated above, nothing can replicate the effect that a good crime drama has on me. When done correctly, the genre has everything I’m looking for in film: an intricate plot, high-stakes tension, the potential for many twists and turns, and complex character studies. The Departed has all that and more, with some of the finest acting of the decade from the trifecta of DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson (and many others in supporting roles) and a dizzying plot that never stoops to simplistic fare. The story is an endlessly-entertaining cat-and-mouse game where we are always fearful for the good guys’ (and even bad guys’) survival. Scene after scene of intrigue, including one of the most shocking scenes I’ve ever seen in a film in my life. No spoilers if you haven’t seen the film for yourself, but it involves an elevator. Just magnificent.
5. Up in the Air (2009)
The older I get, the more I find myself identifying with George Clooney’s character in this film, or at least fantasizing about such a lifestyle being possible. Ryan’s no-strings-attached approach to life is certainly an attractive one, without the burden of family or intimacy bogging him down. And yet, there’s a clear anxiety under the surface as he doubts whether his lifestyle is the correct one. There’s always something tantalizingly out of reach for Ryan, some aspect of life he feels he’s missing out on, manifested most clearly in Alex (Vera Farmiga), his casual love interest. Should he throw out everything he thought he knew and settle down? Or is the balance he’s struck enough to carry him through to the end of his life? This is the kind of film that raises lots of hard-hitting questions and doesn’t have an easy answer to them, an approach I always appreciate. And Jason Reitman does a fabulous job exploring his themes here, leaving me still sitting here thinking about them ten years later, perhaps moreso than immediately after my first viewing.
4. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
While Pulp Fiction still reigns supreme for me among Tarantino films, this WWII revisionist romp remains a close second and a raucous good time for me. While Tarantino is a lightning rod for criticism for the way he humanizes terrible people like the Nazis, I really appreciate how he fully fleshes out his characters – not just the protagonists and their immediate surroundings, but the entire world, populating it with living, breathing human beings. A few of the scenes in this movie are some of the best examples of tension-building ever created for cinema – the chilling opener, the strudel scene, the tavern scene, the speaking Italian scene…a half-dozen iconic moments that will be studied and enjoyed for decades to come. Add on top of that Brad Pitt at his most hilarious, Christoph Waltz in his spectacular breakthrough performance, and any number of the fabulous cameos and supporting roles, and we have a special movie.
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
If you told me a decade ago that this WASN’T my favorite movie of the decade, I would’ve called you crazy. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a spectacular experience and the greatest superhero film of all time, and it holds up very well – it just hasn’t resonated with me like the two proceeding films have. I could talk about Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker for hours, but the topic has been done to death on the Internet already this decade so I’ll just reiterate that it’s great. And it wouldn’t be nearly as impactful as the character design and screenplay underpinning the film, which is just as ambitious and well-considered as the film’s many fabulous set pieces and action sequences. It’s always notable when a villain comes along that perfectly attacks a specific weakness of the hero, and the Joker does that well, putting Batman in difficult position after difficult position for the entire runtime. While the runtime is felt a little bit and one or two subplot could’ve probably been axed, every time I pop The Dark Knight on I find myself getting sucked into the world that Nolan created all over again.
2. In Bruges (2008)
I don’t use the word “perfection” very often to describe films, but the screenplay for Martin McDonagh’s debut feature is just that. It’s at once a simple, singularly-minded plot and a complex exploration of heavy themes like death, redemption, and guilt. Every element introduced to this film serves multiple purposes, with several unexpected Chekhov’s Guns and recurring motifs that were funny the first time around and set up a punchline much later. The dialogue is also snappy and fun, with numerous scenes of just two characters talking that are more captivating than many elaborate set pieces of more visually-minded films. The acting from the three leads – Colin Ferrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes – is pitch-perfect and elevates said dialogue to incredible heights. And the film manages to do all of this while being hilarious and perfectly functional on the surface as well? That just doesn’t happen in film all that often, if ever.
1. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
I saw this film only recently (about a year ago), and it quickly became one of my favorite films of all time. Alfonso Cuarón’s best film is a sexy road trip popcorn flick on the surface, but it is deceptively profound in its commentary on modern-day Mexico and the socioeconomic divisions between the upper- and lower-classes. The film utilizes an omniscient narrator that goes above and beyond what a usual narrator does, giving us insight into characters’ psyches that even they aren’t privy to, and diverting us away from the main story to call attention to things happening in the background. The documentary shooting style is a deliberate stylistic choice to lull us into a false sense of familiarity and relaxation, when in reality Cuarón is taking a heavy hand in guiding us through this story and making sharp commentary on the world we inhabit. This is a perfect example of a film that experienced moviegoers can enjoy on a deeper level than the average Joe, but the average Joe can still enjoy for what it is on the surface! That duplicity is almost impossible to pull off, but Cuarón does it flawlessly with this masterpiece of a road trip comedy-drama. It’s everything I want cinema to be and more.
Conclusion
What are your favorite films from this decade? How do the 2000’s compare to the 2010’s? Which films from our current decade will stand the test of time like these films have? We’ll have to wait until the end of 2019 to see!
-Austin Daniel
Scriptophile 